Boulder-based startup plans 2026 demonstrations tied to space domain awareness

The post ThinkOrbital raises seed funding to advance X-ray space inspection appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX’s 2026 IPO plans were an early Christmas present for space investors who were already bullish about the year ahead. The move helps push the industry further into the mainstream investment and public consciousness. It also paves the way for others to go public in a capital-intensive business. Despite ongoing financial uncertainty, demand for sovereign […]

The post Bringing outsiders into the space fold appeared first on SpaceNews.

The global security environment is becoming more volatile, not less. The war in Ukraine grinds on. China is increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific. The Middle East remains unstable. North Korea continues to test missiles and challenge regional stability. Together, these dynamics are straining the international system in ways not seen since the early Cold War. […]

The post When allies can’t count on U.S. ISR, commercial space becomes strategic appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA says it is “very unlikely” the agency will be able to recover a Mars spacecraft that has been out of contact for more than a month.

The post NASA pessimistic about odds of recovering MAVEN appeared first on SpaceNews.

From civil science and exploration missions to national security, there are many space activities to look forward to in 2026. There will be at least three missions heading to the moon, Vast’s Haven-1 is scheduled to launch as the first prospective commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) destination. But perhaps more importantly, there will be a […]

The post Space operations will become more dynamic this year appeared first on SpaceNews.

Funding backs expansion of “virtual constellation” that aggregates imagery from commercial operators

The post SkyFi raises $12.7 million to scale satellite data marketplace appeared first on SpaceNews.

China conducted a pair of Long March rocket launches Tuesday, kicking off what is likely to be a record-breaking year for the country.

The post China’s first launches of 2026 send Yaogan spacecraft into unusual orbit, loft Guowang satellites  appeared first on SpaceNews.

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.

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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 […]

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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.