Commercial space industry — launch providers, satellite operators, space tourism, and private funding.
Sept. 21: What Comes Next for On-Orbit Servicing?
# What Comes Next for On-Orbit Servicing? The space industry stands at a pivotal moment. On-orbit servicing, the practice of repairing, refueling, an…
Space’s growing billion-dollar club
# Space's Growing Billion-Dollar Club The commercial space sector has crossed a threshold. More private companies now exceed $1 billion in valuation …
SpaceX launches 3 telecom satellites to orbit on 700th Falcon mission of all time (video)
SpaceX marked a historic milestone today, September 13, when its Falcon rocket family achieved its 700th orbital launch. The mission carried three tel…
Rocket Lab launches mystery satellite to orbit for secret customer (photo)
Rocket Lab conducted a secretive orbital launch on Thursday evening, September 10, deploying an Earth-observation satellite for an undisclosed custome…
2 private spacecraft zoom within 650 feet of each other to showcase 'advanced capabilities' in orbit (photos)
Impulse Space executed a close-proximity spacecraft operation this week, maneuvering two of its orbital vehicles to within 650 feet of each other in s…
LatConnect 60 Expands India Market Presence for SWIRSAT With NSIL Agreement and GeoSyze Partnership
LatConnect 60, a satellite communications operator, has secured two major partnerships to expand its footprint in the Indian market. The company signe…
LINK spacecraft gets close to NASA's Swift Observatory, but not close enough to save it
Katalyst Space's LINK spacecraft conducted a proximity operation near NASA's Swift Observatory but ultimately failed to execute the orbital reboost th…
NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to Launch Services Contract
NASA has added Relativity Space's Terran R rocket to its Launch Services II (NLS II) contract, expanding the agency's roster of certified commercial l…
On this day in space! Sept. 9, 1982: The 1st private rocket, called Conestoga 1, launches from a Texas cattle ranch
On September 9, 1982, a converted grain silo became a launchpad when Conestoga 1 blasted skyward from a cattle ranch near Matagorda, Texas. That fligh…
Stoke Space raises $1 billion for fully reusable rockets, targets 'early 2027' for 1st-ever launch
Stoke Space has secured $1 billion in new funding to accelerate development of Nova, a fully reusable rocket system designed to operate at launch cade…
The World's First Spacefaring Commercial Cardiologist Has Lessons for Would-Be Astronauts
Dr. Eiman Jahangir, a cardiologist from Houston, crossed the Kármán line aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard vehicle in August 2024, becoming the world's…
The future of Earth observation: Private satellites and AI bring benefits but also pose risks
The Earth observation landscape has transformed fundamentally over the past five years. Commercial satellite operators now collect vast quantities of …
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites, lands on ship at sea (video)
SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites on September 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's central coast aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mis…
Private German rocket makes history, reaches orbit from European soil
Isar Aerospace achieved a landmark milestone on September 5 when its Spectrum rocket became the first privately-developed launch vehicle to reach orbi…
Rocket issues delay 1st-ever private mission to Venus: 'We are awaiting Neutron readiness'
Rocket Lab's Neutron launcher continues to block humanity's first private venture to Venus, marking a critical juncture for commercial deep-space expl…
Galaxia Takes Next Step in Earth Observation with purchase of Simera Sense Hyperspectral Imager
Galaxia, an earth observation startup, has acquired Simera Sense's hyperspectral imaging technology in a move to expand its remote sensing capabilitie…
China's private, reusable Pallas-1 rocket aces debut launch (video)
Galactic Energy's Pallas-1 rocket completed its maiden flight on August 31, lifting off successfully and reaching orbit. The Chinese commercial launch…
Agile Space Industries Celebrates Durango Headquarters Expansion with Ribbon Cutting
Agile Space Industries marked a milestone in its growth trajectory with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its expanded headquarters in Durango, Colorado. T…
'Orbitals' is a co-op sci-fi adventure that recaptures the magic of Saturday morning cartoons
# 'Orbitals' Brings Cooperative Space Adventure to Gaming Space.com has spotlighted "Orbitals," a new cooperative sci-fi game that channels the spiri…
Commercial Space Federation (CSF) Welcomes Two New Associate Members
The Commercial Space Federation has added two new associate members to its roster, expanding its advocacy network as the industry organization marks t…
SpaceX, NASA delay next astronaut launch to ISS due to leak on Dragon spacecraft
SpaceX and NASA have postponed Crew-13, their next crewed mission to the International Space Station, after engineers discovered an oxidizer leak on t…
Watch Rocket Lab launch Japanese radar satellite to orbit early on Sept. 1
Rocket Lab is poised to loft a Japanese synthetic aperture radar satellite into orbit on the morning of September 1, marking another commercial missio…
'Star Wars: Zero Company' recaptures the magic of your favorite Star Wars films (review)
# 'Star Wars: Zero Company' Brings Military Sci-Fi Strategy to Life Bitreactor's new game "Star Wars: Zero Company" channels the tactical depth of XC…
Relive private Chinese rocket's explosive 1st landing attempt (video)
LandSpace's maiden attempt to land its Zhuque-3 rocket became a high-stakes spectacle of engineering ambition and explosive consequence. Newly release…
The electronics ‘under the hood’ of space networking
# The Electronics Driving Space Networking Revolution The infrastructure enabling satellites to communicate across orbital networks depends on specia…
LatConnect 60 and Phi Earth Partner to Connect Space and Soil
LatConnect 60, a Latin American satellite constellation operator, has partnered with Phi Earth to integrate space-based Earth observation data with so…
RTX’s Blue Canyon Technologies introduces new spacecraft mission enabler
RTX's Blue Canyon Technologies has unveiled a new spacecraft mission enabler designed to streamline the development and deployment of satellites for g…
The threat environment and processing at the edge
# Edge Computing in Space: How Satellites Process Data Where It Matters The space industry faces a mounting challenge. Ground stations cannot process…
Space Angel secures $1.75m WA Government backing to advance Western Australian spaceport plans
Space Angel, an Australian space technology company, secured A$1.75 million in funding from the Western Australian Government to advance development o…
Tendeg Launches NewTEN Steerable Compact Antenna at SmallSat
Tendeg, a space hardware manufacturer, unveiled the NewTEN steerable compact antenna at the SmallSat conference, advancing communications capabilities…
Aerospace demonstrates DiskSats in low-Earth orbit
Aerospace Corporation has successfully demonstrated DiskSat technology in low-Earth orbit, validating a radically compact satellite design that could …
Spirit Electronics Adds Texas Instruments and Microchip Technology Space Grade Components to Online Store Ahead of SmallSat 2026
Spirit Electronics expanded its space-qualified component catalog by adding flight-proven parts from Texas Instruments and Microchip Technology to its…
The Fuel for the Next Generation of Cislunar Exploration? Technology and Talent.
# The Infrastructure Challenge Behind Cislunar Expansion The next phase of lunar exploration depends less on rockets than on the unglamorous work of …
Tory Bruno Named Honorary Chair Of World Space Week 2027
Tory Bruno, chief executive officer of United Launch Alliance, has accepted the position of honorary chair for World Space Week 2027. The World Space …
TechnoMile’s Five-Year Sustained Growth Recognized with Place on the 2026 Inc. 5000 List
TechnoMile, a space technology company, has secured placement on Inc. Magazine's 2026 Inc. 5000 list, marking recognition of five consecutive years of…
Why Golden Dome Demands a Reimagined and Revitalized Industrial Base
# Golden Dome Project Demands Overhaul of U.S. Space Industrial Capacity The Golden Dome initiative exposes critical gaps in America's space manufact…
Proteus Space Names Maj. Gen. Kim Crider (USAF, Ret.) to Board of Directors
Proteus Space, a commercial space technology company, appointed Maj. Gen. Kim Crider (USAF, Ret.) to its board of directors. Crider brings decades of …
Rock West Composites® Is Premiering Its New STRATOPultrusion™ Product Line at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference
Rock West Composites is launching STRATOPultrusion, a new line of composite materials engineered for small satellite construction. The company will de…
LatConnect 60 selects Transcelestial’s Space Optical Network for SWIRSAT imaging constellation
LatConnect 60, a Latin American Earth observation constellation under development, has selected Transcelestial's optical communication technology to e…
Draper Selects Proteus Space for Advanced On-Orbit Mission
Draper Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center, has selected Proteus Space as its partner for an advanced on-orbit mission. Thi…
Moog Inc. Expands METEORITE Satellite Bus Capacity for High-Maneuverability Missions
Moog Inc., a major supplier of spacecraft components and systems, has expanded the payload capacity of its METEORITE satellite bus platform to serve m…
Eoptic, Inc. Selected to Supply DeepScan™ Imaging Payloads Scheduled for Launch in 2027
Eoptic, Inc. has secured a contract to manufacture and deliver DeepScan imaging payloads for orbital deployment in 2027, marking the company's entry i…
How will NASA's astronaut training hub change with commercial space stations?
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston stands at a crossroads. For decades, the facility trained astronauts exclusively for government missions. That …
New Novaspace forecast: 6,500+ EO satellites to launch by 2035
Novaspace released a forecast projecting more than 6,500 Earth observation satellites will launch by 2035, a dramatic expansion that reflects the comm…
What’s next for ISR in space
# Commercial Intelligence Satellites Reshape Global Monitoring Capabilities The space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance market ent…
Moog Highlights Huntsville Expansion and New Hardware-in-the-Loop Lab During Space and Missile Defense Symposium
Moog Inc. announced a major expansion of its Huntsville, Alabama operations and the opening of a new hardware-in-the-loop laboratory during presentati…
NASA Selects Companies to Provide Payload Processing Services
NASA selected four commercial companies to provide payload processing services under an expanded Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract on-ramp pro…
HEO to use Planet satellites for non-Earth imaging
HEO, a company focused on space-based observation systems, has partnered with Planet Labs to leverage Planet's satellite constellation for imaging bey…
U.S. defense agencies tap three companies for satellite disposal study
The U.S. Defense Department and Space Force have contracted three companies to study satellite disposal and orbital debris mitigation technologies. Th…
Stomp Rockets: The perfect start to model rocketry for kids?
Stomp Rockets offer an accessible entry point for children into model rocketry without requiring traditional engines or complex launch systems. These …
Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders
NASA has included a lunar orbiter among the upcoming task orders for its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, broadening the agency's approach t…
Cards Against Humanity wants to erect a monument to 'honor' Elon Musk
Cards Against Humanity, the popular adult party card game company, has launched a provocative campaign targeting SpaceX and Elon Musk by planning to e…
The Brightened Night Sky Nobody Actually Wanted
Orbital light pollution threatens to dwarf natural moonlight across vast terrestrial areas, according to new research evaluating Reflect Orbital's pro…
U.S. Space Force adds second surveillance sensor to Japanese constellation
The U.S. Space Force has deployed a second surveillance satellite to a Japanese-operated constellation, expanding American military reconnaissance cap…
In-Orbit Services Market to Generate $3 Billion in Revenue Over the Next Decade
# In-Orbit Services Market Poised to Reach $3 Billion Over Next Decade The in-orbit services sector is entering a growth phase that will reshape how …
Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts
# Commercial Satellites Will Transform Weather Forecasting Under New NOAA Contracts The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded radio…
Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in.
The economics of spaceflight have fundamentally shifted. Plummeting launch costs, driven by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rideshare missions and similar services …
Intuitive Machines wins contract for three GEO satellites
Intuitive Machines has secured a contract to build and deploy three geostationary orbit satellites, expanding the Houston-based company's portfolio be…
Bulgaria advances project to launch new space, defense innovation hub
Bulgaria is advancing plans to develop a space and defense innovation hub at Dobroslavtsi Air Base, a former military installation in the country's no…
CesiumAstro buys semiconductor specialist to boost constellation plans
CesiumAstro, a satellite communications startup, has acquired Shey Semiconductor, a firm specializing in custom chip design and RF components. The mov…
Space Force awards five companies $60 million for multi-vendor satellite network tests
# Space Force Awards $60 Million to Five Companies for Multi-Vendor Satellite Network Tests The United States Space Force has distributed $60 million…
China’s iSpace raises first batch of series E funding for reusable rocketry
China's private space company iSpace has secured its first tranche of Series E funding to accelerate development of reusable rocket technology. The fi…
An optical link ‘internet’ to connect networks in space
# Optical Links Transform Space Networks Into Unified Internet Infrastructure A revolution in space-based communications is taking shape. Optical las…
Maritime Satellite Service Revenues to Reach $3.79 Billion by 2035 as NGSO Reshapes Maritime Connectivity
# Maritime Satellite Service Revenues to Reach $3.79 Billion by 2035 as NGSO Reshapes Connectivity The maritime satellite communications market will …
Astranis unveils geostationary surveillance satellite
Astranis Space Technologies unveiled Perceptor, a geostationary surveillance satellite designed to deliver persistent Earth observation from fixed orb…
NASA Data Helps Commercial Space Plan Living Off Our Moon
Lunar Station Corp. is tapping NASA's decades of orbital and surface reconnaissance data to map resource extraction sites on the moon, accelerating co…
Virgin Galactic delays resumption of commercial flights to 2027
Virgin Galactic announced a substantial delay to its commercial spaceflight operations, pushing the resumption of tourist flights to 2027. The suborbi…
Space Force orders two more Impulse Space vehicles for maneuvering demonstrations
The U.S. Space Force has ordered two additional Mira spacecraft from Impulse Space, expanding its investment in commercial orbital maneuvering technol…
Pentagon missile buildup changing the factory floor
# Pentagon Missile Buildup Reshaping Defense Manufacturing The Pentagon's accelerated procurement of missiles and related defense systems is forcing …
Firefly increases vehicle production even as launches lag
Firefly Aerospace is ramping up production of its Alpha launch vehicle despite a gap between manufacturing capacity and actual flight operations. The …
BlackSky wins seven-figure, multiyear international contract
BlackSky, the commercial Earth observation company, secured a multiyear international contract worth seven figures. The deal represents growing demand…
Webinar on MOSA Interoperability Standards for Space Systems – August 26, 2026
The Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) initiative is hosting a webinar on August 26, 2026 to advance interoperability standards across space systems…
Rocket Lab builds deployable infrastructure for Electron launches
Rocket Lab is developing portable launch infrastructure to expand operational flexibility for its Electron small-lift vehicle. The company has built d…
Katalyst Space makes progress in restoring control of Swift servicing spacecraft
Katalyst Space has restored partial control of Link, a servicing spacecraft designed to extend the operational life of orbiting satellites. The compan…
Think tank warns Europe’s orbital compute gap is widening
A European research organization has flagged a growing disparity between the continent's orbital computing capabilities and those of rival spacefaring…
Rocket Lab, STR win Space Force contracts for airborne-target tracking
Rocket Lab and Space Technology Research have secured Space Force contracts to develop airborne target-tracking systems for military operations. The a…
FCC Space Bureau deputy takes the reins amid licensing overhaul
The Federal Communications Commission's Space Bureau has appointed a new deputy director to oversee a comprehensive overhaul of satellite licensing pr…