September 13, 2026

Florida Has Become the New Hotbed for Defense Startup Money (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Venture-capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz is launching a new regional headquarters in South Florida, focusing on defense investments two years after it fled the region following a short-lived crypto office in Miami. The California-based firm said it is planning to open its new base next year in West Palm Beach, where a team will oversee the American Dynamism fund. That vehicle has raised $1.18 billion for startups building technologies for national security and the industrial economy. (9/10)

Senegal Moves Closer to Building Satellites Domestically (Source: CGTN)
Senegal is taking another step towards developing an independent space industry, with engineers working on the country's second satellite in collaboration with France's University Space Center in Montpellier. The project is part of a wider national program aimed at building local expertise and reducing Senegal's reliance on foreign satellite imagery. (9/10)

Why is NASA in the Air Show Business? (Source: Space News)
NASA recently announced Max Power, a spectacle-filled event at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with air shows that the agency is ticketing as a series of "park experiences" and a major industry trade event. "Max Power might turn out to be a fun event, but it might also be an empty one. It could inspire the next generation of the space workforce, but so could a regular trip to KSC, writes Jeff Foust.

"Brian Hughes, the current director of KSC, said at the Max Power announcement his interest in space was kindled by a trip to the center when he was 3½ years old. The agency is involved in a lot more spectacles with greater significance, from exploring the universe to returning humans to the moon. And rocket launches are a lot more fun than an air show." (9/12)

Mars Astronauts Could Live in Houses 3D-Printed From Freeze-Dried Yeast (Source: The Register)
A paper published on Thursday describes a method for building structures on Mars that doesn’t rely on energy-intensive heating to turn regolith into building blocks. The team instead turned to bioengineered yeast and gelatin mixed with simulated Mars dirt to 3D print structures.

"My inspiration came from freeze-dried fruits that become harder,” says senior author Jishen Qiu. His idea is a relatively simple one once you break it down: Take one part yeast bioengineered to produce adhesive proteins that bind the components. Combine with artificial gelatin hydrosol to serve as a growth medium for the yeast. Add plain old Martian dirt, and extrude the material through a 3D-printing nozzle. (9/11)

Macron’s Space Summit Showed Europe Isn’t Ready for Takeoff Without the US (Source; Politico)
The international space summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and Thursday was meant to show that Europe is getting serious about investing in its space sector. But the two-day gathering under the glass dome of Paris’ Grand Palais ended up demonstrating that Europeans are not spending enough to cut reliance on the U.S. to access space — at least not yet. (9/10)

DIU Moves to Prototype New Contract Model That Will Fast-Track Security Clearances for Startups (Source: Defense Scoop)
The Defense Innovation Unit will soon sponsor approved startups and non-traditional companies with certain temporary security clearances so they can participate in classified conversations to fully grasp the U.S. military’s real demands, ahead of winning major Pentagon contracts.

Senior defense officials on Thursday previewed a unique contracting solicitation that’s in the pipeline for release in the next few weeks and will prototype a process to grant venture-backed and other small businesses with fast-tracked Facility Security Clearances (FCL) held under DIU’s new Bridge Program. (9/10)

The FAA's Plan To Replace The Supersonic Flight Ban Could Change Commercial Aviation (Source: Simple Flying)
Boom Supersonic holds approximately 130 conditional orders from United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines (JAL) for its Mach 1.7 Overture airliner. President Trump signed an executive order in June 2025 directing the FAA to repeal the ban. Congress is advancing bipartisan legislation with statutory deadlines. Regulatory, technological, and political conditions for supersonic overland flight are aligning for the first time since the ban.

Congress has pursued a parallel track through the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, known as the SAM Act. The legislation is sponsored in the House by Representatives Troy Nehls of Texas and Sharice Davids of Kansas with nine additional cosponsors. In the Senate, Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina and John Hickenlooper of Colorado lead the bill with four additional cosponsors.

Boomless Cruise does not require the aircraft's shape to prevent shock wave coalescence the way the X-59 does. It relies on atmospheric conditions and flight profile management to keep the boom above the surface. Whether Boomless Cruise can consistently keep ground-level overpressure below 0.11 lb per square foot across varying atmospheric conditions, seasons, and terrain is a question that flight testing and operational data will need to answer. (9/12)

Some Satellite Companies Still Have an Appetite for Boutique Launch Services (Source: Ars Technica)
If you ask most satellite companies aside from SpaceX, they will tell you the world doesn’t have enough capacity for launching payloads into orbit. This is despite the blistering launch cadence we’ve seen around the world in recent years, led by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Customers in any sector will, of course, usually welcome competition. Theoretically, competition will lead to lower prices and allow the best to rise to the top. It seems like the customers buying launch services were right. SpaceX is dialing back its Falcon 9 launch program, and there is no certainty about when SpaceX’s reusable next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket, Starship, will carry anything to orbit besides the company’s own Starlink satellites.

So it’s no surprise satellite operators are cheering the success of a new launch provider. This was especially the case a few days ago, when Germany’s Isar Aerospace reached orbit for the first time with its Spectrum rocket. The launcher delivered a batch of CubeSats to low-Earth orbit from a spaceport in northern Norway, and Isar tasted success after its first test flight ended in failure last year. (9/11)

FAA Advises of Sep. 18 Date for Next Starship Flight (Source: NSF)
An FAA Operations Plan Advisory lists Starship Flight 14 for September 18. The launch window opens at 7:15 a.m. CDT. (9/11)

Space Force Clears Design Milestone for 10 New Satellites To Track Maneuverable Hypersonic Missiles Worldwide (Source: Defence Industry Europe)
The U.S. Space Force has completed a critical design review for the first two orbital planes of its Epoch 2 missile-warning and tracking network. The milestone clears the program to advance towards construction of 10 new satellites for deployment in medium Earth orbit.

BAE Space & Mission Systems, the first of two planned Epoch 2 suppliers, supported the completed review. Selection of a second supplier is continuing, with a contract award planned for early fiscal 2027. Epoch 2 is the next phase of Space Systems Command’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program. It will expand global coverage and improve the military’s ability to detect, track and assess advanced missile threats. (9/11)

Northrop Grumman Eyes 25,000 Rocket Motors Annually As It Adds 57,000-Square-Foot Maryland Facility (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Northrop Grumman opened a new 57,000-square-foot Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, as part of a broader $100 million investment to expand the company’s solid rocket motor capacity across its propulsion manufacturing network. (9/12)

Boeing and Engineers’ Union Reach Tentative Contract Agreement (Source: Reuters)
Boeing and its engineering union reached a ‌tentative contract agreement on Friday, union officials said. The four-year offer includes higher general wage increases than the first offer, which members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) overwhelmingly rejected in an August 21 vote. (9/11)

Axiom Space, ESA Partner On Innovation, LEO Access (Source: Aviation Week)
Axiom Space and ESA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) emphasizing the importance of international collaboration and commercial innovation in space. They are also seeking to broaden cooperation for sustained European access to low Earth orbit (LEO). The partnership helps Europe secure continuous access to microgravity research and flight opportunities as the ISS nears its retirement.

Both organizations will explore future astronaut missions to both the ISS and the commercial Axiom Station. The collaboration covers potential European contributions to infrastructure, science payloads, and future transport systems like European cargo and crew vehicles. (9/10)

SpaceX: Louisiana’s Blueprint for Exponential Business Growth (Source: New Louisiana)
SpaceX may have given Louisiana more than a transformational investment. It may have given us a blueprint. When attracting the project mattered enough, Louisiana demonstrated its willingness to reconsider taxes, remove regulatory obstacles, coordinate government agencies, and provide greater legal certainty. In doing so, the state also provided a remarkable demonstration of what our own government believes stands in the way of investment. The question now is whether those lessons can be applied beyond aerospace. (9/11)

Finland Urges Musk To Allow Starlink Use Against Russia (Source: Aviation Week)
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the company’s Starlink service in its battle against Russia. Stubb, during the International Space Summit here in Paris, called out Musk and said he should allow Ukraine to use the satellite system to target Russian ballistic missile launchers that are killing Ukrainians.

The appeal comes as Russia has been firing ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, on a near-daily basis. Ukraine has been struggling to defend itself against those attacks given its lack of missile defense interceptors. (9/10)

Gravity Molded Human Consciousness—But a Future in Space Could Make It Evolve (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The near-absence of gravity during space missions can temporarily alter astronauts’ bodies and brains. In one experiment, gene expression and chromosomal telomere length changed. Some scientists theorize that long-term life in microgravity could reshape human cognition, potentially even consciousness, and other aspects of human evolution.  Evidence for such future changes is limited for now. But researchers are looking for ways to predict how humans might adapt to long periods in space. (9/11)

September 12, 2026

Rocket Lab Protests Mars Telecom Award to Blue Origin (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab announced on Friday that it has filed a formal protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) challenging NASA’s decision to award the Mars Telecommunications Network contract to rival Blue Origin. “NASA’s award decision appears to be inconsistent with the eligibility criteria mandated by Congress. In addition, the agency’s punitive review of Rocket Lab's technical volume was inconsistent, making incorrect assertions and conclusions,” Rocket Lab said. (9/11)

FAA Approves Hermeus to Fly Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 Supersonically (Source: Flight Global)
The FAA has officially granted approval for Hermeus to flight-test its Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 aircraft at supersonic speeds. The regulatory clearance marks a crucial operational step as the Atlanta-based aviation startup advances its iterative roadmap toward building reusable hypersonic aircraft. The decision follows a historic performance milestone set by the preceding Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 demonstrator, which successfully broke the sound barrier.

Hermeus built, flight-tested, and accelerated the uncrewed Mk 2.1 jet through Mach 1 threshold testing in record time. The new FAA authorization allows engineers to expand the flight envelope with the Mk 2.2 variant, maintaining a aggressive schedule funded in part through defense partnerships and private investments. Hermeus specifically designed the Mk 2 series to bridge the operational gap between conventional jet engines and high-mach propulsion platforms.

Operating under the new FAA flight authorization, Quarterhorse Mk 2.2 acts as a dynamic testbed to evaluate engine airflow, thermal loads, and vehicle stability during prolonged supersonic flight. These developmental achievements move the aviation industry significantly closer to realizing practical, routine hypersonic flight. (9/10)

The Closest Planet to Our Sun Is Shrinking (Source: WKTV)
Telltale wrinkles that cover Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, suggest it was once a larger world that has shrunk in size. As the heat escapes such worlds over time, the interiors shrink. Mercury’s cracked surface bears scars from such shrinkage — scientists call these ridges and cliffs shortening structures. Some of the cliffs can reach up to 1 mile in height and can extend for hundreds of miles in length. But asteroids and comets have also bombarded Mercury, riddling it with impact craters, much like the pockmarked surface of Earth’s moon. Debris from the impacts might have hidden just how much Mercury has contracted over time. (9/10)

Firefly to Launch Alpha Missions From Sweden's Spaceport (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace announced a multi-launch agreement with SSC Space for two Alpha rocket launches from Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, owned and operated by SSC Space. Targeted to launch no earlier than 2028, the missions will serve Sweden national security customers as well as additional commercial rideshare customers, marking a significant step forward in delivering orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe. (9/8)

Space Force Taps Leonardo for Sensor Development (Source: Defense Post)
Leonardo DRS has secured a contract from the US Space Force to develop sensors to detect, track and target fast-moving threats in space, as well as to reduce the cost of sensor production. The contract, awarded under an Other Transaction Agreement for Prototype, will be led by the company's Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business. "These investments allow our company to push the boundaries of advanced sensing and targeting and implement scaled manufacturing to support national security priorities," said John Baylouny. (9/10)

NASA Just Proved Satellites Can Navigate Without GPS (Source: SciTechDaily)
NASA has demonstrated a new way for satellites to navigate without GPS by using the objects around them as landmarks in space. NASA’s Starling mission has reached another milestone in spacecraft autonomy with a new system that can determine a satellite’s position by using other objects in space as reference points rather than depending on a traditional navigation network. (9/11)

Satellites Get a New Type of Armor (Source: Economist)
Hurtling around Earth at roughly seven kilometers a second, even tiny pieces of debris pack quite a punch. Such manmade junk poses a far greater threat to satellites circling in low orbits than natural space rocks do—and the risks are rising. Companies like Atomic-6 are developing lightweight materials like composite tiles to protect next-generation satellites. Meanwhile, firms like Odin Space are deploying vibration-sensing adhesive strips on spacecraft to measure and assess orbital impacts in real time. (9/7)

Sierra Space’s Ghost Reentry Vehicle Is Taken Through Logistics Paces (Source: Aviation Week)
A bottle of whiskey and a software-defined radio might make an unusual test load, but Sierra Space used the odd pair to help prove its Ghost reentry vehicle’s capabilities. The space and defense company demonstrated that its Ghost reentry vehicle can safely return cargo to Earth from high-altitude balloons positioned at 35,000 ft. and 68,500 ft. above sea level. The drop tests—the vehicle’s first in nearly two years—were part of a recent exercise known as Apollo Nexus hosted by U.S. Space Command in May at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. (9/10)

Europe's Space Chief Raises Need for the Region to Coordinate its Satellite Plans (Source: Reuters)
Europe must ensure its ​countries' competing satellite programmes can work together effectively and do not duplicate each other, ‌European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said. He was speaking at a space summit in Paris, where new contracts for the European Union's IRIS² planned communications constellation were announced, bolstering efforts to create an alternative to non-European ​actors, most notably Elon Musk's SpaceX. (9/10)

World’s First Zinc Hall-Effect Thruster Fires in Space on its Maiden Attempt (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A satellite has fired a Hall-effect thruster fueled by solid zinc in orbit for the first time, giving spacecraft designers a new option for electric propulsion. Muon Space completed the test on July 1 aboard SERT-III, a dedicated propulsion test spacecraft. The mission tested the company’s Starlight propulsion system under real orbital conditions. (9/10)

NASA, IBM Launch AI Foundation Model for Lunar Science (Source: NASA)
NASA is bringing artificial intelligence to the study of the Moon, helping researchers transform how they analyze the Moon’s surface. In an ongoing collaboration with IBM Research and several academic institutions, NASA has launched the NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model, among the first open-source AI models built specifically for lunar science. The model, trained primarily on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), is hosted publicly on Hugging Face for anyone to use, with the complete codebase available on GitHub for testing and experimentation.

The NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model supports the next generation of lunar science by helping researchers quickly analyze vast quantities of data to better understand the Moon’s surface. Using the model as a mapping tool, researchers can rapidly develop actionable strategies for evaluating the Moon’s rugged surface, understanding its geological past, and planning future lunar research. (9/10)

SpaceX Sues Grimes County a Month After Texas Terafab Announcement (Source: KHOU)
A month after Elon Musk and Gov. Greg Abbott officially confirmed Terafab was coming to Grimes County, the county itself and the Texas attorney general are facing a lawsuit from SpaceX. The complaint, which SpaceX filed in Travis County on Sep. 8, names Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grimes County as defendants. The lawsuit asks a district court judge to issue a temporary restraining order preventing Grimes County from releasing information through a public records request to Marie Egyed and Vanessa Burzynski, two residents of Grimes County.

It also asks the judge to permanently block the county and the attorney general from releasing SpaceX’s confidential information, arguing that no monetary compensation can make up for the damage SpaceX would suffer. SpaceX’s complaint centers on a pair of Texas Public Information Act requests that Egyed and Burzynski filed on behalf of the organization Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development. (9/11)

Voyager Offering Throttleable Solid Propulsion for Golden Dome’s Architecture (Source: Breaking Defense)
Our propulsion systems have the capability to start and stop, which provides longer engagements on targets, the ability to conserve energy and much more accurate engagements on effects. And we’re always working on new tech. We’re now supporting a newly awarded DARPA program for solid rocket motors, providing tailorable thrust control to meet unique mission requirements. (9/11)

Poland Launches Process to Develop a Domestic Starlink-Like Satellite System (Source: C4ISRnet)
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland has begun a process that could lead to a national satellite communications system modeled on Starlink. The announcement, made at Poland’s International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, signals an effort to build sovereign space-based connectivity capacity. (9/11)

Agile Space Industries Celebrates Colorado Headquarters Expansion (Source: Space News)
Agile Space Industries celebrated the completion of a 20,500-square-foot expansion of its Durango headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 26, joined by U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, local leaders, community members and Agile employees. The expansion brings Agile’s headquarters at 820 Airport Road to approximately 40,000 square feet of combined office and manufacturing space, more than doubling the facility’s previous 19,500-square-foot footprint. Construction began in January and was completed in July. (9/2)

L3Harris Lands $4.7 Billion Missile Defense Production Deal (Source: AL.com)
L3Harris Technologies will expand the production of missile interceptor components under a $4.7 billion contract it received from Lockheed Martin. L3Harris said its two facilities under construction in Camden, Arkansas, will support the production of propulsion systems for PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor, which is designed to engage with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft threats. (9/9)

Millions in New Funding Boost Florida's Space Coast Launch Infrastructure (Source: WESH)
Space Florida announced funding for several new projects during its Thursday morning meeting. Relativity Space received $20 million for a payload processing facility, an upper-stage testing facility, and to expand its launch pad site. Blue Origin received $2.5 million for its payload processing facility. ULA received $10.8 million for a new water treatment facility. SpaceX received $7.7 million for improvements to the NASA Causeway. All of this will help increase launch cadence among the companies. (9/10)

Musk and SpaceX Face Expensive Tradeoffs on the Road to Mars (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX has big plans for Starship. The 407-foot-tall rocket will someday be used to build a network of orbiting artificial intelligence data centers and ferry humans to the moon and Mars, if all goes according to plan.

First, though, the company plans to use Starship to carry a new and improved batch of its money-making Starlink satellites into space. SpaceX aims to send its first V3 satellites into orbit on a crucial Starship test mission slated to blast off as soon as next week. Elon Musk faces a strategic dilemma between launching cash-generating satellites and sending humans into deep space — with an uncertain payoff. (9/11)

China Details Satellite Network Buildout Through the End of the Decade in New Telecom Plan (Source: Space News)
China’s telecommunications regulator has issued a roadmap for expanding the country’s satellite network through the end of the decade, building on a national five-year plan released in March. The plan signals continued government direction for satellite communications and related space infrastructure.  (9/11)

Quantum Computing Threatens the Cryptography Protecting Satellites and Critical Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Cryptographic systems relied on for decades to secure sensitive communications and critical infrastructure could become vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Satellite operators and space-system developers face a long-term security challenge involving the protection of command, control and data links against future quantum-enabled attacks. (9/11)

Antares Wins $161 Million DoD Award for Space Nuclear Power (Source: Payload)
Antares has secured a $161 million Department of Defense contract to advance nuclear power for space, marking the largest DoD award to date for the technology. The award underscores growing U.S. investment in space-based nuclear power capabilities. (9/11)

Impulse Space Spacecraft Approach Within 650 Feet in Orbit to Demonstrate Precision Operations (Source: Space.com)
Two spacecraft operated by Impulse Space came within less than 650 feet of one another in orbit, showcasing what the company described as advanced capabilities. The maneuver highlights the growing role of commercial spacecraft in proximity operations, with implications for in-space servicing, inspection and other emerging orbital missions. (9/11)

Could United Launch Alliance’s Money Problems Finally Force its Owners to Sell? (Source: Ars Technica)
Pretty much every rocket company in the US, save one, has embraced reusability and diversification. They all realize launch is a low-margin business: SpaceX’s financial statements reveal just 8 percent of the company’s $12.5 billion in revenue this year has come from launch services. When ULA kicked off development of Vulcan, officials did not prioritize reusability, with no plans to reuse the rocket’s booster stage and only tentative plans to eventually recover and reuse Vulcan’s main engines. A decade later, ULA’s half-hearted stab at reusability hasn’t gone anywhere.

Vulcan’s first launch was delayed more than four years from ULA’s original target of 2019. Boeing and Lockheed Martin at first provided only tentative funding for Vulcan’s development. In the meantime, ULA shelved plans for an advanced, long-duration upper stage, a feature that, at least on paper, appeared to be one of the Vulcan rocket’s advantages over SpaceX’s Falcon rocket family. Then ULA ran into trouble on the rocket’s second flight in October 2024 when the exhaust nozzle on one of its Northrop Grumman-built solid rocket boosters shattered moments after liftoff.

At the same time, the financial situation at ULA is not great. Lockheed Martin said its earnings “primarily” attributable to ULA dipped from $325 million in 2016 to $100 million in 2022. Double that to get an idea of ULA’s net income. Last year, Lockheed reported its share of earnings from ULA was “not significant.” ULA was responsible for a quarter of the operating profit in Lockheed’s space business a decade ago. It dropped to less than 10 percent over the last five years, then to virtually nothing in 2025. (9/11)

Europe to Proceed Alone on Venus Mission After NASA Withdraws Radar Instrument (Source: Ars Technica)
European partners will move forward without NASA on a Venus mission after the agency withdrew its planned radar instrument, highlighting the potential impact of shifting U.S. space partnerships. The decision could push Europe toward greater independence in planetary science while increasing the significance of alternative international partners, including China. (9/10)

MaiaSpace Signs First Long-Term Asian Launch Deal with SAR Operator iQPS (Source: Via Satellite)
French launch provider MaiaSpace has secured its first long-term Asian customer agreement with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space (iQPS), which plans to use the company to launch a range of synthetic-aperture radar satellites. The deal gives MaiaSpace an anchor customer as it builds its commercial launch business. (9/10)

EU Commission Signals Competition-Policy Shift to Support Thales-Airbus-Leonardo Space Consolidation (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is updating competition policy to favor strategic consolidations, citing the proposed Thales-Airbus-Leonardo space merger as an example. The policy shift could ease regulatory scrutiny of larger European aerospace combinations intended to strengthen the region’s industrial position. (9/10)

September 11, 2026

NASA Calls for Proposals to Accelerate Lunar Surface Technologies (Source: NASA)
NASA is seeking proposals to advance the technology and infrastructure needed to explore the Moon and establish a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region. Announced on Sep. 8, the solicitation targets capability gaps, including power generation, oxygen extraction, and producing materials on the Moon required for construction and operations. These technologies are essential to making humanity’s next great leap in lunar exploration. (9/8)

Northern Virginia Benefits From Aerospace Boom (Source: Virginia Business)
“This whole area has become even more dynamic than ever,” Matt Desch says. “It’s perfect for attracting … the best employees who want to work on the future of space.” More than 125 aerospace and defense companies operate in Northern Virginia, according to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, taking advantage of their proximity to federal government agencies and, to the east, NASA‘s Langley Research Center and Wallops Island flight facility.

“Aerospace represents an area of opportunity for this region,” says Marian Marquez, senior vice president of Alexandria Economic Development Partnership. And now, as space travel shifts further from its governmental origins to the private sector, local officials say its economic potential is practically galactic.

“All the big defense contractors are here,” Small notes, ticking off advantages the federal government has handed the region. “Most of them have space components or elements. You’ve got the FAA up here … and then you get, you know, these folks that break away from these companies and start their own businesses, or entrepreneurs that want to start their own businesses and be near those companies.” (8/30)

Amazon Plans Leo Service by Year-End (Source: Space News)
An Amazon executive said the company still expects to begin initial services with its Amazon Leo broadband constellation by the end of the year. In an interview, Chris Weber said the company plans to start offering services in higher latitudes in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere using the nearly 400 satellites currently in orbit. Deployment of the 3,200-satellite system has been slowed by problems with New Glenn and Vulcan, although Weber said he hoped that Vulcan could start launching Amazon Leo satellites later this fall. Amazon also has a contract for 10 Falcon 9 launches currently scheduled for 2027. The next set of Amazon Leo satellites are scheduled to launch in October on an Ariane 6. (9/11)

Tomorrow.io Plans New Weather Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Tomorrow.io has outlined plans for a new weather satellite constellation. The company said Thursday that York Space Systems will build a dozen satellites for the DeepSky weather-observation constellation under a $187 million contract. York will use its M-class bus for the contract, with each satellite expected to weigh 800 kilograms. Those satellites will carry a suite of instruments, including microwave sounders, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) radio occultation receivers, GNSS reflectometers, precipitation radars and optical and infrared cameras. The constellation is designed to improve forecasts and recommendations for enterprise and government customers. (9/11)

China's Human Spaceflight Agency Takes Over Robotic Lunar Program (Source: Space News)
China's human spaceflight agency has taken over and appears to be reconfiguring the country's robotic moon landing program. Chang'e-8 had been slated for launch in 2028 or 2029, testing in-situ resource utilization technologies such as 3D printing bricks that could be used for assembling lunar habitats. However, a presentation at a planetary science conference this week stated that the China Manned Space Agency had taken over the exploration program and that payloads planned for Chang'e-8 had been remanifested on later missions. It is unclear if Chang'e-8 will keep to its former schedule but with different payloads, or if the mission concept itself is changing, along with its schedule, as China moves from parallel lunar robotic and human spaceflight efforts to a combined program. (9/11)

TrustPoint Orders 40 Satellites From EnduroSat (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint has ordered 40 satellites from EnduroSat for its planned LEO navigation network. EnduroSat's U.S. subsidiary will build the spacecraft and deliver them in three batches, TrustPoint said Thursday, but did not disclose a schedule or financial details. The order marks a significant increase in scale for TrustPoint, which has so far launched and operated three demonstration satellites carrying its C-band navigation payload and is building four more under a U.S. Space Force-backed program. The company is developing a commercial positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT, system intended to complement or provide an alternative to GPS and other government-operated navigation constellations using C-band signals. (9/11)

SpaceX Launches Classified Payload for Space Force From California on Thursday (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched a classified Space Force mission Thursday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a mission designated USSF-153. Neither the Space Force nor SpaceX disclosed details about the payloads on the mission, although some speculated it could be a set of Starshield satellites. (9/11)

China Launches Reconnaissance Satellites on Long March 4B (Source: Xhinhua)
China launched two groups of reconnaissance satellites Thursday. A Long March 4B lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 5 a.m. Eastern, placing an unspecified number of Yaogan-54 and Yaogan-56 satellites into orbit. Chinese media said the spacecraft are used for civil remote sensing applications, although the Yaogan satellite family is usually associated with military missions. (9/11)

Rocket Lab Launches Confidential Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a confidential customer overnight with no advance notice. The company said an Electron rocket lifted off at 11:28 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on the "Happily Ever Faster" mission, placing a single Earth observation satellite into a 500-kilometer orbit. Rocket Lab did not announce the launch in advance and said the mission was for a confidential customer. Similar confidential launches in the past year have placed satellites into orbit for BlackSky, an operator of commercial imaging satellites. (9/11)

SpaceX to Launch Starlink Payloads on Next Starship (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX executive confirmed the next Starship launch will place Starlink satellite into orbit. SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen said at an event Thursday that the Flight 14 mission will be the first to place payloads into orbit, carrying a set of V3 Starlink satellites. SpaceX said last month that Flight 14 would be the vehicle's first orbital launch but has not provided updates since then. That launch, once planned for late August, is now expected no earlier than mid-September. Johnsen emphasized the importance of Starship for deploying next-generation Starlink satellites as well as direct-to-device and orbital data center spacecraft that will be based on the V3 Starlink design. (9/11)

Space Force Turns to Auria Simulation Technology to Prepare for Warfare in Orbit (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is expanding its use of simulation technology to train guardians for complex satellite operations that are difficult to practice with spacecraft performing real missions. The service awarded Auria Space two contracts for satellite communications and space warfare training systems. (9/10)

Europe Needs to Compete in Spaceflight, Says France's Macron (Source: DW)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Europe to strengthen its space sector to close the gap with the United States and China. "Space Europe is still weak," he said during a discussion at the International Space Summit in Paris. "We want Europe to assert its ambition in crewed spaceflight," he said. "Our European space program remains fragile and we must step up our efforts."

"And in 10 years' time, I want to see the first European crewed capsule take off from Kourou with European astronauts and those from other nations on board." The French president also said Europe needs to reduce its dependence on US and Russian services. At the moment, Europe's space exploration relies on rockets and satellites from the United States and Russia for communication and surveillance. (9/10)

NASA Issues RFI on U.S. Space Academy (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has issued a request for information on locations for the United States Space Academy (USSA) proposed by President Donald Trump. NASA has invited each of the 50 states to submit information that: a) identifies potential locations for the permanent establishment of the USSA campus, including a groundbreaking no later than 2027; b) details solutions that may allow the USSA to begin instruction in 2028 and facilitate a smooth transition to a permanent campus by 2031; and c) explores the estimated costs of establishing the USSA and potential state, local, and other non-Federal partnerships that could support its establishment. (9/10)

This NASA Color Trick Was Meant for Mars. Now It’s Unveiling Rock Art on Earth (Source: Gizmodo)
In 2005, archaeologist Jon Harman was attending a conference on rock art when he came across an unexpected source of inspiration: images of Mars. One showed the planet’s familiar rusty-red surface; another, created using a method developed at NASA, transformed the Martian landscape into a striking mosaic of red, green, and yellow, revealing remarkable detail. Harman immediately saw how the technique could help researchers study some of the world’s oldest paintings.

The technique, known as decorrelation stretch, is used to enhance contrasts in digital imagery. It was first developed by researchers at NASA JPL in 1978 to improve the interpretation of high-correlation remote sensing and satellite imagery. The archeologist first applied it to photos he had taken of rock art in Baja California, Mexico, revealing a new yellow figure in one image that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “That convinced me of the usefulness,” he said. (9/10)

SpaceX Is a Huge Threat to Earth-Bound Rivals (Telecoms), Too (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX isn’t just about orbital data centers and off-world colonies. Down here on planet Earth, Elon Musk’s $2 trillion satellite goliath has been talking up its ambitions in mobile telecoms, and investors have started to pay attention. Concerns around Musk’s competitive threat look more likely to worsen than ease. Mobile telephony appears hard for satellite technology to disrupt. The signals don’t travel well through buildings and they’re bad at serving densely populated towns and cities. But Musk isn’t someone to shy away from an engineering challenge. (9/10)

Space Coast Argotec Engineers Help NASA Watch Dangerous Solar Storms (Source: WESH)
Engineers in Brevard County are helping NASA find a cheaper way to protect technology in space from the sun. That could have a major impact here on Earth, because dangerous solar storms can disrupt satellites, GPS, and even commercial flights. Corbett Hoenninger is the general manager for Argotec’s U.S. location. The Italian company is famous for ISSpresso, the first espresso machine made to work in space. After more than 30 years in business, Argotec recently opened its Melbourne shop this spring, complete with its own clean room.

Their next mission will be a major milestone for NASA. It could change how we watch dangerous solar storms coming from the sun, which can directly impact satellites. “Everything we use has to do with satellites,” Hoenninger said. “Your phone, your watch, your car — almost everything has an interaction with satellites somehow.” If a solar storm impacts those satellites, it could disrupt your GPS, air travel, spacecraft and communication systems. (9/10)

Space Florida Celebrates 20 Years (Source: Space Florida)
On Sep. 1, 2006, a new Florida statute created Space Florida as the state’s aerospace finance, development, and spaceport authority. As we celebrate, we’re looking back at two decades of growth for Florida aerospace, from record launch years and billions in investment to a workforce helping shape what comes next.

Editor's Note: Governor Bob Martinez signed the Spaceport Florida Authority Act into law on July 5, 1989. The legislation, still enshrined in Chapter 331, Part Two, Florida Statutes, provides the broad empowerment still used by Space Florida to finance, develop, and operate space infrastructure statewide. The Legislature split the agency into three entities in 1999: the Florida Space Authority, the Florida Aerospace Financing Corp., and the Florida Space Research Institute. Years later, a commission recommended re-combining them (on Sep. 1, 2006) into a single agency: Space Florida. (9/10)

The Data Center Backlash Comes for SpaceXAI’s Colossus (Source: SciAm)
he power plant is mostly hidden. Along the road, black privacy fabric wraps the tall chain-link fence surrounding the Southaven site. Past a thin line of trees, metal stacks rise above the fence, and exhaust shimmers in the heat. A $7-million sound wall does little to muffle the noise, which drills through the walls of nearby homes: a constant drone like a plane taking off and never leaving.

The turbines are there because SpaceXAI needs an enormous amount of electricity for Colossus 2, one of the country’s densest concentrations of computing power, where the company is training Grok, its chatbot. Across the country, AI companies are building hyperscale data centers, and power has become the constraint. Data centers now use around 4 to 5 percent of U.S. electricity, and the Electric Power Research Institute projects that share could reach 9 to 17 percent by 2030.

Low-frequency noise from the Southaven turbine plant could be four to 16 times as loud as the background noise typical of a quiet suburban neighborhood, depending on the distance from the plant, according to a March report by acoustics firm Roland, Woolworth & Associates. The noise has drawn its own lawsuit: residents, including Logsdon, filed a class action alleging lost sleep and falling property values. (9/9)

JWST Discovers That Chariklo's Invisible Rings are Changing (Source: Phys.org)
Until just over a decade ago, ring systems were thought to be exclusive to the giant planets of the solar system, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. However, in 2013, a small body barely 250 kilometers (155 miles) in diameter, located at nearly 17 times the Earth–sun distance, joined this small group. The object is Chariklo, a small body orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, around which astronomers discovered two dense rings.

"By comparing JWST observations with those obtained during other stellar occultations over the last decade, we discovered opposite changes in the two rings: While the inner ring shows significantly higher opacity, the outer ring shows lower opacity," explained Pablo Santos-Sanz. This unexpected behavior indicates that Chariklo's ring system is dynamic and may be subject to more complex physical processes than previously thought. (9/9)

Earth May Not Be a Cosmic Fluke, New Simulations Suggest (Source: SciTech Daily)
Solar system simulations starting from varied initial conditions suggest that Earth-like planets can emerge naturally from planet formation. Computer simulations of planetary systems can now begin from thousands of different starting conditions, allowing researchers to explore how worlds might emerge without assuming the final outcome. Over the past three decades, these models have advanced from relatively simple approximations to far more sophisticated simulations. (9/9)

Forget Starlink? Japan’s $1 Billion BlueBird Play Makes ASTS the National Satellite OS (Source: 24/7 Wall Street)
Japan's ~$1 billion non-dilutive government award to the Rakuten-ASTS venture positions AST SpaceMobile as a replicable satellite OS for sovereign nations. SpaceX beat revenue estimates but posted a $541 million net loss while Starlink ARPU fell from $85 to $66 even as subscribers doubled. ASTS holds $3.7 billion in pro forma liquidity, 60-plus MNO partners covering 3 billion subscribers, and analyst consensus targets $79 versus a ~$62 close. (9/6)

Department of Defense Gives Update on Space Command Relocation to Huntsville (Source: AL Reporter)
The U.S. Department of Defense recently issued an update on the relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. According to the announcement, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel assigned to the command’s headquarters are now working at the Arsenal, including personnel dedicated to “relocation support functions” and those who “directly contribute to the combatant command’s mission.”

Last month, General Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, told reporters in Huntsville that he expects the Arsenal to support 200 personnel by the end of the year and half of U.S. Space Command’s total staff by 2028. Space Command is supporting that growth by offering financial incentives to civilian employees who relocate from Colorado Springs to Huntsville while also increasing hiring efforts in north Alabama. (9/8)

US Hypersonic Firm Stratolaunch Prepares IPO to Raise Up To $500 Million (Source: The Edge)
Hypersonic flight company Stratolaunch is preparing to launch a US initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to $500 million as soon as October, a source familiar with the matter said. Stratolaunch, backed by Elliott Investment Management and Cerberus Capital Management, is seeking a valuation of about $2 billion to $3 billion, the source said, adding that Goldman Sachs and Citigroup are leading the IPO preparations. The private US company could make its filing public as soon as this month, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media. (9/10)

UK to Leave Launch to “Germany and Other Allies" (Source: European Spaceflight)
In January 2025, then-Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the UK would launch “British rockets carrying British satellites from British soil.” At the time, the government had just invested £20 million in (now defunct) Orbex. With the publication of its new Space Strategy, a more precise picture of the future of the country’s “assured access to space” has emerged. “The UK is collaborating with Germany and other allies to establish responsive space launch opportunities through SaxaVord Spaceport,” the strategy states.

The UK government has also committed €144 million to ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, with a portion of that already allocated to RFA. As a result, at least in the near term, the clearest route to assured orbital access from UK soil appears to be through German-built launch vehicles operating from SaxaVord. (9/9)

ISS Astronaut Gives Out of This World Tribute to Honor Star Trek’s 60th Anniversary (Source: Space.com)
Celebrations of Star Trek's 60th anniversary made it all the way to the final frontier. Among the science and supplies delivered to the ISS for ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot's mission on orbit was a small piece of memorabilia -- A Starfleet badge -- to honor one of the most influential pop culture phenomena that has continually called for humanity to turn its gaze to the stars. Adenot carried a small Starfleet badge from one of Star Trek's newest series, Strange New Worlds, which she wore during a video posted by ESA and Star Trek. (9/9)

Can Redwire's Phased-Array Investment Drive Defense Growth? (Source: Zacks)
Jacksonville-based Redwire Corp. is expanding its focus on military communications with a strategic investment in next-generation phased-array antenna technology. In August 2026, the company announced the investment to accelerate the development and production of phased-array antenna systems designed for communications across low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO). The systems are expected to support dynamic beam steering, stronger link reliability and higher data throughput for warfighter communications. (9/8)

This 'Impossible' Black Hole Merger May be Explained by a Warp in Spacetime (Source: Space.com)
A "forbidden" merger between two massive black holes may not have been quite as impossible as previously thought. That's according to new research that suggests the black holes involved were smaller than expected. On Nov. 23, 2023, the gravitational wave detector LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) detected tiny ripples in spacetime caused by the merger of two black holes.

What was incredible about this signal, designated GW231123, was that it seemed to be the result of a black hole with 140 times the mass of the sun colliding with another that holds 100 solar masses. This raised eyebrows among researchers because usual models of stellar evolution struggle to account for such massive black holes, especially ones that seemed to be spinning as fast as these two. (9/9)

Did Venus Eat its Own Moon" (Source: Space.com)
Scientists may finally know why Venus, Earth's twin, lacks a moon, finding that the hottest planet in the solar system may have consumed its own natural satellite. Venus is often referred to as Earth's twin due to its size, mass, rocky composition, and distance from the sun, but there are some glaring differences between the two planets. (9/8)

‘Pick Up the Fire of Exploration’: NASA Pitches Moon Base Careers to Iowa State Students (Source: KCCI)
State and federal officials connected to U.S. space exploration detailed plans of eventual moon habitation Tuesday to a room packed to the brim with Iowa State University students, hoping to entice their interest in using their education to aid in the newest space race. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Moon Base Project Manager Carlos García-Galán toured the Ames National Laboratory and then held a presentation for ISU students to show the three phases of moon base development. (9/8)

Hubble and Webb Find That Far-Out Solar System Objects 'Remember' the Past (Source: Phys.org)
For the first time, scientists used the combined power of NASA's Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes to study some of the most far-flung bodies in our solar system, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Some are the smallest and faintest ever directly seen. The researchers unexpectedly found fewer small TNOs than expected and that the colors of these bodies followed the same relationships as those of their larger family members. (9/8)

Why Hasn't Amazon Launched Its Leo Satellite Internet Service Yet? (Source: PCMag)
Amazon's Starlink competitor, Leo, was supposed to launch in mid-2026, but it’s now September, and so far, the satellite internet service has been quiet. What’s up? The company tells PCMag it’s still waiting for all the satellites to reach their assigned operating orbits, so Leo will have enough network capacity and coverage when it officially launches. In July, Amazon hit a crucial milestone when it sent another 29 Leo satellites into space, bringing the total deployed in Earth’s orbit to 396. That's enough to kick off "initial service," Chris Weber, VP for Amazon Leo, said.

But even after entering space, some of the satellites still need to reach an altitude of around 600 kilometers, where they’ll orbit and beam high-speed internet data to users on the ground. For now, the Leo constellation is relatively small compared with Starlink, which operates about 10,000 satellites in orbit. Satellite industry analyst Carlos Placido also expects Leo to offer service only in certain areas or latitudes once it launches, citing the limited density of its satellite constellation. (9/4)

France Backs Dassault VORTEX Reusable Spaceplane Program (Source: AeroTime)
France will support Dassault Aviation’s VORTEX reusable spaceplane program, extending French backing beyond the VORTEX-D technology demonstrator that received €30 million in funding in 2025. Dassault said that French President Emmanuel Macron had announced the decision at the International Space Summit in Paris. An official Élysée document that lists the summit’s announcements also confirms French support for VORTEX. (9/10)

Avio Eyes Higher Vega-C Flight Cadence As Rideshare Effort Looms (Source: Aviation Week)
Avio is looking to boost the pace of Vega-C rocket flights to six missions per year, roughly double the current level, and potentially go another 50% higher, the launch maker’s CEO says. The Vega-C rocket is used heavily by institutions for launch in Europe, where demand is rising. “We will follow what they need, what they ask us, and we will try to adapt to continue providing the service,” Ranzo said. (9/9)

Aerospacelab Wins €2.4 Billion Deal to Build Majority of IRIS² Satellites (Source: Reuters)
Belgium's ​Aerospacelab said on Thursday it had won a €2.4 ‌billion ($2.8 billion) contract to build 264 satellites for the European Union's IRIS² network, which is due to offer ​secure communications for governments, security agencies and ​commercial users by 2030. (9/10)

Europe May Finally Have Found a Space Entrepreneur Who is Meeting the Moment (Source: Ars Technica)
All of a sudden, French entrepreneur Hèlene Huby is seemingly everywhere. This week she is serving as one of two envoys, alongside astronaut Thomas Pesquet, at a high-profile International Space Summit convened by French President Emmanuel Macron. Also this week, The Exploration Company, announced a significant capital raise of $450 million in Series C funding. This is the largest-ever Series C funding round by a Europe-based space company, and likely the largest funding round ever raised by a female-led company in Europe. (9/10)

Space Force, Air Force, and NRO Get New Senior Leaders (Source: Space News)
A changing of the guard across the U.S. national security space enterprise has put new leaders in place. Gen. Douglas Schiess took over as the Space Force's top general last week, while Erich Hernandez-Baquero has taken over as the Air Force's top civilian official for space acquisition and Roger Mason as director of the NRO. All three are facing new challenges externally from China and internally from efforts to overhaul procurement of space systems and greater use of commercial capabilities. Experts say the test will be whether they can turn a surge in funding into military and intelligence capabilities that lead to success. (9/10)

EU Convicts Space Navigation Company for Ties to Russia and Belarus (Source: Space News)
The EU has convicted a company and its leaders for fraudulently obtaining European Union funding to develop high-precision satellite navigation receivers. EU officials said a Lithuania-based company received EU funding to develop professional satellite navigation receivers for agricultural applications, but that company had links to defense industries in Russia and Belarus in violation of declarations required by the grant. The announcement did not disclose the name of the company, but the descriptions matches an award to NTLab valued at nearly 750,000 euros. That company was run by two Belarusian nationals. (9/10)

Besxar Tested Semiconductor Materials on Falcon 9 Booster Exterior (Source: Space News)
A startup with plans to produce semiconductors in space has completed its first flight. Besxar said Wednesday it flew two canisters as external payloads on a Falcon 9 booster during a July launch. The canisters remained attached to the booster during the suborbital flight, testing how semiconductor wafers could be protected from the forces of launch and reentry as well as from contamination. The company said those tests went well and it will fly a second pair of payloads on another Falcon 9 later this year. Besxar said last year it planned to fly payloads on a dozen Falcon 9 launches to perfect the technology for producing semiconductor materials in space before starting orbital missions. (9/10)

Relativity's Terran R Added to NASA Launch Services Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has added Relativity Space's Terran R rocket to a major contract ahead of the rocket's first flight. The agency said Wednesday that Terran R is now part of NASA Launch Services 2, an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that makes it eligible to compete for specific missions. Terran R is a medium-class rocket with a reusable first stage that Relativity has been developing for several years. While the company says it is making progress on flight hardware, it has not announced a date for the vehicle's first flight. (9/10)

Artemis 2 Astronauts Retire (Source: AP)
Two members of the Artemis 2 mission are stepping down from active duty. NASA announced Wednesday that Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, the commander and pilot, respectively, of Artemis 2, would become "emeritus astronauts," a new designation. As emeritus astronauts, they will continue to help train the agency workforce for future missions, including Artemis 3 and 4. The new designation will allow them to take on jobs elsewhere, with Glover joining Cal Poly, his alma mater, as a senior adviser to the university's president. Wiseman has not disclosed his post-NASA plans. (9/10)

US Updating National Geodetic Datum (Source: Space Daily)
Every official latitude, longitude and height published in the United States is going to change, by as much as four meters. The ground being described will not have moved at all. What is being replaced is the reference system those numbers are counted from.

The National Geodetic Survey is retiring the North American Datum of 1983 and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. Those are the horizontal and vertical reference systems that currently underpin surveying, flood mapping, construction and aviation across the country. In their place will come four new terrestrial reference frames and one new geopotential datum. The agency has kept the national reference system since its predecessor, the Survey of the Coast, was founded in 1807. (9/10)

Starlink Rival Eutelsat Plans OneWeb Expansion After €1 billion Satellite Order (Source: Reuters)
Satellite operator Eutelsat (ETL.PA), opens new tab said on Thursday it will replenish and expand its OneWeb network through 2034 after the Franco-British ​operator signed a deal with Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab for 229 additional low Earth ‌orbit satellites. The new order, representing an investment of €1 billion ($1.16 billion), will be added to the 440 Airbus-built satellites ordered in 2024 and 2025. Deliveries of those previous orders ​are expected to begin in the fourth quarter. (9/10)

September 10, 2026

Preparing Spaceports for Nuclear Missions (Source:  SpaceCom)
Months before a rocket rolls to the pad, engineers define mission requirements, payloads undergo testing, facilities prepare for integration, and teams rehearse every operation. When the payload includes a nuclear power system, that preparation becomes even more deliberate. As NASA and commercial companies prepare for sustained lunar operations, nuclear technologies are expected to become increasingly common. Radioisotope systems will support scientific instruments and missions through the lunar night, while larger fission reactors are being developed to provide continuous power for future lunar infrastructure. Those systems require more than advanced engineering. They require spaceports prepared to receive, process, integrate, and launch them safely. Click here. (9/10)

SpaceWERX Establishes East Coast Innovation Gateway at UCF (Source: UCF)
This new partnership strengthens the connection between government, academia, industry, and entrepreneurs, creating new opportunities to accelerate innovation in support of our nation's security and economic competitiveness. As a university founded to support America's space mission, UCF is proud to partner with SpaceWERX to help advance emerging technologies, develop talent, and expand the innovation ecosystem that makes Central Florida a leader in space, defense, and advanced technology. (9/10)

Aeon Industrial Triples Austin Space in Midst of Large Expansion (Source: The Real Deal)
Defense tech company Aeon Industrial Incorporated is tripling its square footage in Cedar Park after selecting the city as its new headquarters. The company is expanding its square footage at 2305 Scottsdale Drive from 48,000 square feet to 138,000 square feet. The expansion is set to be made with a splash of public cash: Aeon Industrial received $2 million in incentives from the city to move its headquarters from Austin to suburban Cedar Park. They expect to hire at least 135 new employees for their Cedar Park headquarters by 2030. (9/9)

Aerospace/Defense Suppliers Could Create 240 Austin TX Area Jobs (Source: BizJournals)
Two suppliers critical to the aerospace and defense supply chain are seeking incentives from City of Cedar Park to move into 96,000 square feet of Holt Lunsford Commercial's Cedar Tech I. Elite Metal Finishing, llc and Machine Sciences could create 240 jobs and invest more than $40 million between the two. The city has particularly emphasized the aerospace and defense industries, buoyed by the success of Firefly Aerospace Inc. and the Central Texas Spaceport Development Corp. (9/2)

Space Summit Planned in Miami for Feb. 17-18 (Source: Smallsat Alliance)
The Miami Space Summit is coming back for its third year, February 17–18 in Miami, and it will be bigger and better than ever! We are bringing together senior leaders who are actively shaping where government policy, national security, technology, and private capital intersect. If you were in the room last year, you know. If you weren't, 2027 is your year. This year's agenda centers on three themes: Autonomous Future, Data Dominance, and Layered Deterrence, along with a frank midterm assessment of the Trump administration's space agenda, from executive order to orbit. (9/8)

Arianespace Signs For 10 Ariane 6 Launches, Including Six for Amazon Leo (Source: Space News)
Arianespace has signed contracts for 10 more Ariane 6 launches, including six for Amazon Leo. Arianespace announced Wednesday it won a contract from Amazon for six launches between 2029 and 2031, adding to its original 18-launch contract. Other contracts include two launches of OneWeb replacement satellites for Eutelsat, a launch of a GEO communications satellite for KT SAT, and one for an undisclosed customer. Arianespace said the Amazon Leo contract will help the company plan for future demand for the rocket as the company, along with ESA, study a potential increase in the rocket's current maximum launch cadence of 10 per year. ESA said in June it was looking at scenarios of up to 20 Ariane 6 launches a year to determine what infrastructure and launch site upgrades are needed. An ESA official said earlier this week that the Kourou launch site can support up to 15 Ariane 6 launches a year with its current facilities. (9/8)

UK's NewOrbit Developing VLEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
A British startup plans to launch its first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite in 2028.  NewOrbit announced Thursday it will launch NEO-1 on a rideshare mission arranged by French company RIDE! Space in the third quarter of 2028. NewOrbit aims to be the first European commercial firm to operate VLEO satellites and the first anywhere to offer payload developers a way to reach VLEO without designing and building their own spacecraft.  The company has brought on as advisers several engineers who worked on ESA's GOCE Earth science mission that operated in VLEO. (9/8)

Loft and Marlan to Lead Imaging Satellite Constellation Effort (Source: Space News)
A group of companies announced plans Wednesday for an AI-enabled satellite imaging constellation that may cost $1 billion. Loft Orbital and Marlan Space will lead the effort that proposes to place 50 satellites into orbit with optical, radar and other payloads. The satellites will have AI systems to enable onboard processing of images. Other companies participating in the system include French AI developer Mistral and American Earth observation company BlackSky. The satellites will be built by Orbitworks in the UAE. The companies did not disclose how the system will be financed or a schedule for deploying the constellation beyond stating the first 10 satellites are under construction for launches beginning as soon as October. (9/8)

Greek Astronaut to Visit ISS on Private Mission (Source: Space News)
The first Greek astronaut will go to the ISS on a private astronaut mission in 2027. Adrianos Golemis, an ESA flight surgeon undergoing astronaut training, will fly on a Vast private mission in mid-2027, the French and Greek governments announced Wednesday at the International Space Summit. That mission will be commanded by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet with Czech astronaut Aleš Svoboda as pilot. The fourth member of the crew will be announced in the coming weeks. ESA has flown several astronauts on private missions led by American companies, but the agency is pushing its member states to support an independent human spaceflight program. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher asked ministers from member states to back proposals for human spaceflight and other exploration capabilities, estimating it would cost Europe 1 billion euros a year over a decade to develop. (9/8)

Space Force Picks Texas Site for Deep-Space Radar Network Expansion (Source: Space News)
The Space Force has selected Texas as the site for a third deep-space radar. The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC, is designed to provide continuous tracking of objects, particularly in geostationary orbit. The radar planned for Lake Kickapoo, Texas, would join radars already operational in Australia and under development in Wales. The three-site network would provide continuous monitoring of the entire GEO belt. The Texas DARC radar is slated to enter service in 2029. Editor's Note: I think this is missing another Deep Space Radar now operating at Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida. (9/10)

Space Force Shifts $4B Infrastructure Portfolio To Colorado Base (Source: Business Facilities)
The U.S. Space Force’s Infrastructure Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) is relocating the Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, bringing an office responsible for a $4 billion infrastructure portfolio to a region with an established concentration of military and space-related operations. Also the long-time headquarters of the Space Force Combat Forces Command, the base is now one of nine PAEs under the Pentagon.

The impetus for the new Colorado Springs PAE was the 2026 overhaul of Space Force’s acquisition system, designed to significantly reduce layers of review that have historically slowed down the process. Now, each PAE is empowered with broad authority over its mission portfolio, including responsibility for the vast majority of contracting decisions – approximately 90% to 92% of contracting authority – within its area. The Space Force’s Infrastructure PAE assumed leadership of the portfolio earlier in August 2026.

The office’s relocation from Los Angeles puts those acquisition functions closer to several Space Force installations in the Colorado Springs area, including Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station. The relocation is occurring as the Space Force expands its presence in the Colorado Springs area. In June, the Defense Department announced plans for a $250 million Space Force Operations Facility at Schriever Space Force Base. The facility is expected to support about 2,500 civilian jobs, although a construction schedule has not been announced. (8/20)

Russia Approves Agreement on Peaceful Cooperation in Space with Serbia (Source: TASS)
The Russian government has signed a draft agreement between Russia and Serbia in research and the peaceful use of outer space, according to a resolution released on the official website of legal information. Among other fields, potential cooperation includes outer space exploration, space medicine, remote Earth sensing, satellite systems, space meteorology, and manned space flights. (9/7)

Louisiana Offered SpaceX $27.5B Incentives Package (Source: Douglas Messier)
The state of Louisiana estimates that the incentives package it offered SpaceX to build the world’s largest spaceport on the Gulf Coast is worth more than $27.5 billion. The figure was included in a non-binding letter of intent from Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeois to Ben Lancaster, who is senior manager of governmental affairs at SpaceX. Click here. (9/9)

Inside the F-104 ‘Wind Tunnel in the sky’ Accelerating Hypersonic Testing (Source: Aerospace Global News)
Starfighters Space is turning its fleet of Cold War-era F-104s into flying laboratories capable of giving hypersonic hardware minutes rather than seconds in a real-world supersonic airflow. The company has developed a modular underwing test platform that can carry full-size components at speeds of up to Mach 2.2, offering aerospace and defense developers an alternative to heavily booked ground facilities.

It has already attracted potential work from Florida-based propulsion specialist Vaya Defense & Space. Under an agreement announced on September 9, the companies will evaluate flying Vaya hypersonic test articles and other payloads aboard the “Wind Tunnel in the Sky”. The alternative developed by Starfighters resembles a missile carried beneath an F-104’s wing.

Its four modular sections allow customers to install different types of experimental hardware without modifying the aircraft itself. A radio-transparent nose can house avionics, telemetry, communications equipment and cameras. Further sections can accommodate air inlets, control surfaces, wings, flaps and advanced materials, while the rear can be used to evaluate tail fins or ignition systems. (9/9)

NASA KSC Transitions 560 Contractors to Civil Service Workforce (Source: NASA)
In its move to increase civil service workforce skills and reduce contractor outlays, NASA has been recruiting contractors to join the NASA ranks. On Sep. 8 at KSC, the agency held the largest onboarding event in NASA history, swearing in 560 new employees to restore it's core competencies. (9/8)

GE Aerospace To Buy Consolidated Precision Products In $12B Deal (Source: Aviation Week)
GE Aerospace will buy key castings supplier Consolidated Precision Products for almost $12 billion in a deal that GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp said will provide both greater supply stability and allow for new airfoil developments. (9/8)

Boom Supersonic Nears Tests for In-House Engine Core (Source: Aviation Week)
Boom Supersonic has nearly completed a prototype of an in-house engine core for its supersonic aircraft and expects to start ground tests at the Watkins, Colo., facility within two months. The tests will help development of two more engine prototypes. (9/8)

Federal Waivers Cast Doubt on Starbase LA Environmental Promises (Source: Douglas Messier)
As SpaceX’s prepares to build the world’s largest spaceport on 125,000 acres of Louisiana land and marshes, Elon Musk’s company and state officials are saying all the right things about protecting the fragile coastal environment and the wildlife that live there. Louisiana’s coast is disappearing at one of the fastest rates in the country.

According to the state: “The project will go through all applicable environmental, wetlands, natural resource and launch-related reviews…From regulated activities related to site development to voluntary restoration plans across the entire property, the company has sought the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s (CPRA) input and guidance at every stage.”

That all sounds great. However, the phrase “all applicable environmental, wetlands, natural resource and launch-related reviews” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that statement. The fact is, there are about to be a lot fewer reviews. The Trump Administration plans to waive all or parts of 13 federal laws “applicable to licenses to operate a launch site, licenses to operate a reentry site, experimental permits, and licenses to operate launch and reentry vehicles.” (9/9)

Blue Origin Pursues Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) Opportunity (Source: Aviation Week)
To compliment traditional airborne sensing, the requirement for a layered, highly resilient tracking architecture is evident. SB-AMTI aims to enhance the Space Force’s capabilities to the Joint Force through the establishment of a persistent, global capability to sense and track airborne targets from space. Previously, SpaceX won a $4.16B contract. RocketLab, STR LLC, and an unnamed company won a combined $615M contract. (9/7)

The Missing Piece of America’s Supersonic Comeback Could Also Enable Inland Spaceports (Source: Space News)
Two recent FAA actions could reshape how the United States approaches high-speed aviation and spaceflight. In July, the FAA announced a rulemaking effort to allow supersonic overland flight, implementing Executive Order 14304. Then, in August, the FAA issued a request for information toward implementing Executive Order 14369, which calls for the development of new U.S. spaceports, including “priority airspace” for launch and reentry operations.

When the FAA opened low-altitude airspace to routine drone operations, it didn't do so by rule alone — it built a network of UAS test sites where operators, regulators, and controllers spent years building the operational data and procedures that later rules could be written around. A well-placed supersonic/hypersonic flight test corridor, straddling multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers and extending in altitude to above the Karman Line, would provide the same environment: a place to convert a paper compliance framework into an operating environment that regulators, operators, flight controllers, and the public can observe.

The corridor could serve civilian and military requirements for supersonic, hypersonic, launch, and reentry operations, and would give the multiple planned inland spaceports a usable path to orbit that doesn’t depend on a coastline. Supersonic advocates have proposed versions of this corridor before, and inland spaceport proponents have long sought FAA approval for access to orbit. What these efforts have thus far lacked the kind of momentum that these new FAA projects can provide. Click here. (9/9)

Out of Stealth Mode, Lunar Forge Progresses on Regolith Construction Opportunities (Source: Lunar Forge)
Two months out of stealth. Five signed LOIs. Estimated infrastructure value: $800M–$1.65B. Two cover fission reactor shielding. One covers a 60-meter structures that cannot be launched from Earth. One covers protective infrastructure around sensor nodes and power systems. One covers lunar habitats. These LOIs exist because the economics of lunar infrastructure point to one unavoidable conclusion: if you cannot launch it, you have to build it there.

We also prepared two proposals covering berms and landing pads. Both reached NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, who “visited the site recently and is supportive of your work happening there.” (9/8)

Eutelsat Taps Infinite Orbits for GEO Life Extension Mission (Source: Payload)
Eutelsat and Infinite Orbits announced an agreement today—on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris—paving a pathway for the French satellite-servicing company to increase the life span of at least one of Eutelsat’s GEO satellites. The mission is yet another example of the increasing demand from satellite-servicing missions from GEO operators. It is the third order for a life-extension mission for Infinite Orbits, following last year’s agreement with SES, and a similar agreement with Hispasat in 2024. (9/9)

Russia Undocks Cargo Craft From ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station amid rumored delays about the launch of its replacement. The Progress MS-33 spacecraft undocked from the station Monday and destructively reentered several hours later. A new cargo spacecraft, Progress MS-35, was scheduled for launch Wednesday, but there were reports the launch would be delayed because of an issue with the Soyuz rocket's third stage. A NASA website says only that the launch is "under review." (9/9)

India Approves Spectrum Plan to Allow Broadband Constellation Service (Source: India Today)
India is a step closer to allowing services like Starlink to operate in the country. The country's Digital Communications Commission has approved recommendations on allocation of satellite spectrum, allowing regulators to proceed with spectrum assignments to companies. Starlink and other foreign services seeking permission to operate in India will still need security clearances from the government. (9/9)

Pentagon Doubles NatSec Launch Plans (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has more than doubled the number of national security launch services it expects to procure. A new Pentagon assessment of the National Security Space Launch, or NSSL, program revealed that the Space Force expects to procure 337 launches over the course of the contract, up from 151 in its 2022 baseline estimate. The numbers highlight a challenge for the Space Force as demand for launches is expanding faster than the pool of rocket companies currently able to compete for much of that business. While seven companies are in Lane 1 of the current NSSL Phase 3 contract, 38 of the 39 missions awarded to date have gone to SpaceX. (9/9)

Paris Space Summit Attracts 2,000 From 120 Nations (Source: Space News)
A two-day space summit kicks off today in Paris featuring global and European space issues. The International Space Summit, organized by the French government, is expected to attract 2,000 delegates from as many as 120 nations. The French government plans to release several declarations at the summit on topics such as space sustainability, frequency coordination and sharing of space data, but the contents of the declarations remain under wraps.

While billed as an international event, the summit will have a strong European focus as countries discuss what Europe should do to enhance its space capabilities. ESA plans to use the summit to gain support from member states for proposals to be debated at a December meeting that could include starting work on a future reusable launch vehicle and a European human spaceflight program. (9/9)

Missile Interceptor Constellation Could Cost Hundreds of Billions (Source: Space News)
A proposed constellation of U.S. space-based missile interceptors could cost tens to hundreds of billions of dollars. A study released Tuesday by the Foreign Policy Research Institute raised doubts about the effectiveness of space-based interceptors for Golden Dome, arguing that even relatively limited missile threats could require thousands of interceptors in orbit. The system could also be vulnerable to relatively inexpensive countermeasures.

Their conclusions add to a longstanding debate over whether weapons stationed in orbit can provide an affordable and strategically stable defense against long-range missiles. Pentagon officials say advances in commercial launch, satellite manufacturing, automation and other technologies have changed the economics that doomed earlier efforts. (9/9)

Space Command Completes Satellite Maneuvers Exercise (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command says it has completed its first live exercise focused on how military satellites could move more dynamically in orbit. The exercise was part of a program called Apollo Maneuvers 2026 and was conducted during the first week of September, Space Command said Tuesday. The "live-fly" space exercise involved real spacecraft conducting operations in orbit, with spacecraft in low, medium and geosynchronous orbit coordinating maneuvers. Space Command said data from Apollo Maneuvers will be used to inform doctrine, operational plans and future logistics and servicing requirements. (9/9)

The 1962 Iowa Summer Study (Source: Space Review)
In the summer of 1962, scientists gathered at the University of Iowa to discuss the future of space research. Danny Robb examines the far-reaching impacts of that little-known event. Click here. (9/9)
 
Mission Impossible: How Star Trek Used the Aerospace Community to Try and Win an Emmy (Source: Space Review)
Like many TV producers, Gene Roddenberry lobbied 60 years to win awards for his new series, Star Trek. Glen Swanson examines the unusual approach he took to seek television’s highest honor. Click here. (9/9)
 
Space Academy (No, the Other One) (Source: Space Review)
The success of Star Wars triggered the development of imitators, including a short-lived TV series aimed at children. Dwayne Day discusses the good premise of Space Academy, albeit one undercut by low budgets. Click here. (9/9)
 
Backfire to Space: The Backfire Bomber and Skif Rocket System (Source: Space Review)
In the early 2000s, Russian engineers proposed converting the Backfire bomber into an air-launch platform. Dwayne Day examines the details of that concept. Click here. (9/9)
 
ISRO’s Comeback with the Successful Launch of EOS-05 (Source: Space Review)
What was a small building in a forgotten corner of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station used for decades ago? James Behling uncovers the mystery of facility number 49941 at the Cape. Click here. (9/9)

Starfighters Space and Vaya to Collaborate on Air-Launch and Hypersonic Projects (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space and Vaya Defense & Space will collaborate on supersonic captive-carry flight testing and air-launch propulsion. The MOU includes two collaboration tracks: 1) evaluate flying Vaya hypersonic test articles and other payloads on Starfighters’ F-104-based Wind Tunnel in the Sky service; and 2) assess Vaya’s hybrid propulsion technology for STARLAUNCH air-launch capability, beginning with suborbital missions. (9/9)

NASA Prepares Demo of Dual-Mode Satellite Propulsion with Green Propellant (Source: Aerospace America)
Among the payloads scheduled for the next SpaceX rideshare mission is a shoebox-sized spacecraft for NASA’s latest flight demonstration of a low-toxicity propellant the agency has been studying for at least a decade. This spacecraft, dubbed GPDM for Green Propulsion Dual Mode, is to spend nine months in low-Earth orbit testing a new dual-mode propulsion system with ASCENT propellant. (9/9)

Space City™ Makes Its Case: Inside the IAC 2029 Houston Bid Site Visit (Source: AIAA)
There are many reasons Houston is known around the world as Space City™. During the official site visit for AIAA’s bid to host the 80th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Houston in 2029, we had the opportunity to demonstrate exactly why. IAF Executive Director Christian Feichtinger visited Houston before providing his assessment to the IAF Congress and Symposia Advisory Committee. IAF members will decide the host city at the General Assembly during IAC 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 October. (9/9)

Space Force Expects to Spend $17B More on Launch as Demand Soars (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force expects the scope of its main launch program to grow by 91 missions and nearly $17 billion by fiscal 2032 as demand for national security space capabilities soars. Those increases are revealed in the latest version of the National Security Space Launch program’s selected acquisition report, drafted in April and published in September. The update brings NSSL’s total expected procurement to $76 billion for 337 launches between fiscal 2004 and 2032. (9/8)

Eutelsat Taps Infinite Orbits for GEO Life Extension Mission (Source: Payload)
Eutelsat and Infinite Orbits announced an agreement today—on the sidelines of the International Space Summit in Paris—paving a pathway for the French satellite-servicing company to increase the life span of at least one of Eutelsat’s GEO satellites. (9/9)

Stoke's New Nova Block-2 Rocket Would Expand LC-14 for 2027 Debut Launch (Source: Space.com)
Stoke is expanding its operations at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The company was selected by the U.S. Space Force in 2023 to manage Launch Complex-14, where it’s now building a new payload processing facility sized to accommodate both Nova Pathfinder and Block-2 vehicles. And to complete its full reusability system, the company is also developing an offshore recovery platform.

Pathfinder has a much shorter timeline to the launch pad. Stoke is targeting early 2027 for Pathfinder’s debut launch, which the company plans to send to orbit with a customer payload. If that’s successful, Stoke hopes to fly multiple Pathfinder missions throughout 2027 and 2028 while Block 2 development and testing continue in parallel. (9/9)

BESXAR Completes First Suborbital Semiconductor-Manufacturing Demonstration (Source: Space News)
BESXAR has flown its first mission, demonstrating that its semiconductor-manufacturing technology can operate above the Kármán line. The suborbital flight marks an initial in-space validation of a manufacturing concept aimed at using the space environment for semiconductor production. (9/9)

AvL Technologies Awarded $31 Million Contract for WGS-Certified Satellite Terminals to Support Polish Armed Forces (Source: SatNews)
On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, satellite communications terminal manufacturer AvL Technologies, Inc. announced the signing of a $31 million contract with Polish defense supplier GISS Sp. z o.o. Under the terms of the agreement, Asheville-based AvL will deliver 2.4-meter trailer-mounted driveaway satellite terminals to support tactical communications for Poland’s Ministry of National Defense. (9/8)

Eclipse Space Unveils Three Satellite Platforms and Gama Power Partnership (Source: Space News)
Manufacturing startup Eclipse Space has unveiled its CitraSat, SliceSat, and SurgeSat product lines. These flat-panel and high-power satellite architectures provide sovereign and commercial buyers with turnkey infrastructure to own and operate their own customized orbital constellations. (9/9)

Hermeus Unveils Air-Launched Ramjet-X Test Vehicle (Source: Aviation Week)
High-speed aircraft maker Hermeus has revealed a ramjet-powered test vehicle that can be launched from under the wing of its supersonic Quarterhorse aircraft. The unveiling of the Ramjet-X concept reveals a low-cost, expendable vehicle capable of high-speed flight to complement the reusable, Pratt & Whitney F100-229-powered Quarterhorse.

Hermeus launched operations in 2018 with the goal of delivering a hypersonic aircraft powered by the Chimera, a turbine-based, combined-cycle (TBCC) propulsion system featuring a high-mach turbine engine that transitions to a ramjet. The turbine-powered Quarterhorse and the ramjet-powered Ramjet-X repackages that TBCC into separately powered aircraft, while still building the company’s experience with both forms of propulsion. (9/9)

ICEYE, Arianespace Explore Ariane 6 Launches for European Missions (Source: AeroTime)
Finnish synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operator ICEYE and launch services provider Arianespace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the use of Ariane 6 for future missions carrying ICEYE satellites. The arrangement targets European governmental and institutional missions. ICEYE said the two companies are discussing booking launch services in the coming years.

The MoU could address a gap in ICEYE’s sovereignty proposition. The company sells constellations that governments own and operate, and says its systems carry no ITAR restrictions, but its satellites have reached orbit almost entirely on US vehicles. (9/9)

Loft and Marlan Plan 50-Satellite Constellation for Earth Observation with $1 Billion From Abu Dhabi (Source: LeMonde)
Loft Orbital and Marlan Space will develop a 50-satellite constellation combining optical and radar imaging with AI-enabled Earth observation products for Europe and the United Arab Emirates. The investment comes from Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group, while International Holding Company is preparing to acquire 80% of Marlan Space. (9/9)

BepiColombo Separates From Propulsion Stage Ahead of Mercury Orbital Insertion (Source: Universe Today)
After an eight-year journey to the innermost planet, the BepiColombo spacecraft has separated from its propulsion stage and entered the final phase of its mission. The European-Japanese probe will now prepare for orbital insertion at Mercury, a critical milestone in its long-delayed arrival sequence. (9/9)

National Security Launch Forecast Surges as New Rockets Struggle to Break SpaceX's Grip (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon now expects to procure 337 national-security launch services, up from 151 in its 2022 baseline, as the U.S. military and intelligence community expand satellite deployments. The increase underscores rising demand for launch capacity while newer providers struggle to displace SpaceX’s dominant position. (9/8)

AFRL Seeks Payload-Agnostic, Affordable Hypersonic Cruise Missile (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Air Force Research Laboratory has signaled to industry it wants to develop a low-cost hypersonic cruise missile to deliver a wide range of payloads at a range up to 500 nautical miles. In a brief one-page notice released Sep. 1, posted on Sam.gov, AFRL gave the broad outlines of its new project, which falls under the broader Pioneering Aerospace Capabilities, Engineering & Research program. (9/2)

Hypersonix and Gilmour Team Up on Hypersonic Flight-Test Options (Source: Australian Aviation)
Queensland-based aerospace companies Gilmour Space Technologies and Hypersonix have signed an agreement to develop hypersonic flight-test options for defence and commercial programs in Australia and overseas. The partnership brings together Gilmour Space’s rocket propulsion, launch, mission integration and flight-test capabilities with Hypersonix’s scramjet propulsion and hypersonic vehicle technology.

Hypersonic flight generally refers to speeds of Mach 5 and above, or at least five times the speed of sound. Growing demand for hypersonic testing is being driven by the development of systems and enabling technologies including advanced sensors, communications, guidance systems and high-temperature materials.
(9/8)

Trump Administration’s 1,000-Launches-a-Year Ambition Faces Infrastructure and Funding Constraints (Source: Breaking Defense)
The space industry welcomed a new Trump administration policy targeting 1,000 launches annually, but experts questioned whether current launch infrastructure can support that pace. Expanding capacity would require substantial investment, with unresolved questions over who would pay for the facilities and systems needed to reach the goal.

“Show me the money,” quipped Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Aerospace Security Project, echoing seven other expert, industry, and government sources. The FAA asks for input on criteria, including investment requirements and safety considerations, for new sites. It also asks for insights on three specific potential locations in Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico that previously were proposed by outside organizations, as well as the option of using either repurposed oil rigs or new offshore platforms as is being considered by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Oceans Management. (9/8)

Satellogic Names Former NGA Director Frank Whitworth as President (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Satellogic appointed Frank “Trey” Whitworth, the former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, as its president on Sept. 8. The leadership change brings a former senior U.S. geospatial-intelligence official into a top executive role at the satellite operator. (9/8)