Firefly Aerospace says it will upgrade its Alpha launch vehicle, making changes intended to improve the reliability of a rocket that has experienced several failures.

The post Firefly to upgrade Alpha rocket to improve reliability appeared first on SpaceNews.

SAN FRANCISCO – A Jan. 13 hearing underscored the importance of ongoing collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. armed services. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy witnesses discussed their heavy reliance on datasets and weather models provided by NOAA and said their agencies are working closely to ensure NOAA’s […]

The post Congressional hearing highlights military’s reliance on NOAA weather data appeared first on SpaceNews.

MILAN — The European Space Agency and Luxembourg’s ClearSpace announced Jan. 12 a new collaboration on an in-orbit servicing and active debris removal mission called PRELUDE, one that will involve two small spacecraft designed to test close-proximity operations and could eventually enable satellite life extension, repair and removal in orbit. Officials are targeting a 2027 […]

The post ESA and ClearSpace announce PRELUDE in-orbit servicing and debris removal mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

Deal tied to planned IPO aims to expand solid rocket motor capacity

The post Pentagon commits $1 billion to L3Harris missile unit as ‘anchor investor’ appeared first on SpaceNews.

A widespread demand for nuclear power has led some to call this period a “nuclear renaissance,” one that will continue to build momentum in 2026. This growing need is being driven by two primary use cases: small modular nuclear reactors for cloud infrastructure and terrestrial data center needs, and nuclear electric reactors for lunar surface […]

The post There’s no end in sight for a space ‘nuclear renaissance’ appeared first on SpaceNews.

IRVINE, Calif. & LOS ANGELES, Calif. — January 13, 2026 — Turion Space Corp. (“Turion”), a space infrastructure company that builds and operates mission-grade spacecraft and space operations software, today […]

The post Turion Space Corp. Acquires Tychee Research Group to Accelerate Autonomous Space Operations and Mission Engineering appeared first on SpaceNews.

Behind the rhetoric about competition and innovation, not everyone is convinced SDA’s approach is a win-win

The post Space Force wants competition. Satellite makers want stability. appeared first on SpaceNews.

Michigan-based supplier cites rising government and commercial demand amid tight smallsat supply chain

The post Orbion delivers 33 electric thrusters to York Space for U.S. military constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Lunar night survival becomes an imperative “Surviving the lunar night has crossed a critical threshold: what was once a ‘nice-to-have’ is now the imperative for any serious lunar mission. We’re seeing this ‘survive, operate, thrive’ progression play out in real time: we’ve proven we can land repeatedly, now we’re focused on surviving that brutal two-week […]

The post 2026 will be the year of space nuclear power and surviving the lunar night appeared first on SpaceNews.

Eutelsat has ordered the remaining 340 satellites needed to replenish its OneWeb satellite constellation from Airbus Defence and Space.

The post Eutelsat orders 340 additional satellites to replenish OneWeb constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Belgian manufacturer to support early rollout as U.S. commercial PNT startup builds in-house production

The post Aerospacelab to build eight satellites for Xona’s navigation constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Portugal has become the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords outlining best practices for responsible space exploration, beating out another European country to be the 60th to join.

The post Portugal signs the Artemis Accords appeared first on SpaceNews.

Turin, Italy — Jan. 11, 2026 — The 12U CubeSat LIDE (LIve DEmonstration) has successfully completed its first months of on-orbit operations following its launch July 23, 2025, aboard a […]

The post Tyvak International’s LIDE satellite completes initial on-orbit 5G tests appeared first on SpaceNews.

Former House Defense Appropriations aide takes on day-to-day leadership role at U.S. spy satellite agency

The post NRO taps Capitol Hill staffer Bill Adkins as principal deputy director appeared first on SpaceNews.

For several years, the space-based geospatial intelligence industry has been chasing a logical vision for AI: use it to make our existing systems faster and smarter. Train models to detect objects. Automate change detection. Speed up analysis. These capabilities have delivered operational benefits. But they’ve also kept us focused on a specific paradigm — collect […]

The post AI needs spatial intelligence. The GEOINT industry will deliver it. appeared first on SpaceNews.

Shortly after space week in October, investment firm JP Morgan announced a $10 billion investment plan targeting industries critical for United States national security. In addition to things like nanomaterials, autonomous robotics and solar power, the announcement also focused on funding spacecraft and space launches. JP Morgan’s emphasis on space-related “frontier” technologies is significant, because it signals an acknowledgment that space is becoming an investable sector. What remains unclear is […]

The post Space is becoming an industrial economy appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA has provided a long-awaited update on plans for the Artemis 2 launch, including a Jan. 17 rollout of the launch vehicle to the pad.

The post NASA outlines path to Artemis 2 launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

It took a year, but the Jared Isaacman era at NASA finally started. Sworn in Dec. 17, the new administrator spoke at a NASA town hall the next day to take questions about his plans for the agency. He offered few specifics about those plans, saying he had to learn about agency activities. But he […]

The post Applied lessons for NASA’s science programs appeared first on SpaceNews.

The problem of overcrowding orbits and increasing space debris has never been more urgent. International organizations, policy makers, regulators, space operators and researchers are recognizing how critical this issue is and how it could impact all space services and operations, including, but not limited to, satellite broadband, global navigation satellite systems, scientific research and space […]

The post This year must bring greater collaboration against orbital congestion appeared first on SpaceNews.

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle failed late Sunday during ascent, resulting in the loss of a primary Earth observation satellite and 15 smaller co-passenger spacecraft.

The post India’s PSLV launch fails during ascent, 16 satellites lost appeared first on SpaceNews.

China has submitted two filings for huge non-geostationary satellite networks to the International Telecommunication Union, indicating moves to secure options for next-generation megaconstellations.

The post China files ITU paperwork for megaconstellations totaling nearly 200,000 satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

MILAN — OroraTech has entered a multi-year partnership with Kepler to supply thermal sensors for Kepler’s new optical communications constellation.  The first four SAFIRE Gen4 sensors under the agreement launched Jan. 11 aboard a Falcon 9, flying as part of the constellation’s initial deployment. “With Kepler, we are doing something completely new that will revolutionize […]

The post Kepler network to link OroraTech sensors for Earth monitoring appeared first on SpaceNews.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a trio of NASA astrophysics small satellites along with dozens of commercial spacecraft on a rideshare mission Jan. 11.

The post NASA astrophysics, commercial satellites launch on SpaceX rideshare mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA plans to return four astronauts from the ISS to Earth early Jan. 15, about a week after one of them experienced a medical issue that prompted the shortened mission.

The post Crew-11 to make early return Jan. 15 appeared first on SpaceNews.