Bidding War Intensifies for Mynaric as Rheinmetall Challenges Rocket Lab Acquisition
In a significant shift for the European space industry, German defense giant Rheinmetall is reportedly preparing a competing bid for Mynaric, the Munich-based laser communications specialist. This move, reported on February 22, 2026, directly threatens the acquisition agreement previously signed ...
Google Spinout Aalyria Achieves $1.3 Billion Valuation in Series B Round
LIVERMORE, Calif. — In an announcement released Monday, February 23, 2026, the aerospace communications firm Aalyria confirmed it has secured $100 million in Series B funding, propelling the company to a $1.3 billion valuation. The round was led by Battery ...
“It’s a GEO, Jim, but not as we know it”
Chris Forrester — There were more than a few episodes of Star Trek when seemingly Mr Spock would tell Captain Kirk of that week’s challenge that the life form wasn’t one they were familiar with. In reality, neither Spock nor ...
Latest Stories
Where the Money is in Space
In the current landscape (early 2026), the "money" in the satellite industry is split between two distinct but increasingly intersecting models: the high-margin, mission-driven contracts of the Space Development Agency (SDA) and the high-volume, recurring revenue of LEO constellations like ...
Beyond the Stovepipe: Why SDR Technology Marks the End of Single-Mission Ground Infrastructure
The satellite ground segment has reached a digital inflection point mirroring the telecommunications revolution of two decades ago. As mega-constellations and dynamic beam-hopping satellites become the industry standard, the traditional "stovepipe" model—defined by one-to-one hardware chains—has become an economic and ...
SpaceX Unveils 150Mbps Performance Target for Upgraded Direct-to-Cell Starlink
During the ITU Space Connect conference on February 24, 2026, SpaceX announced an ambitious roadmap for its Direct-to-Cell (D2C) service, targeting user speeds of up to 150Mbps. This performance goal represents a significant evolution from the current 4Mbps text-and-emergency capability, ...
AIRMO and EnduroSat Partner to Launch High-Precision Methane Monitoring Mission
On February 25, 2026, Berlin-based AIRMO and Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat announced a strategic partnership to deploy a dedicated methane monitoring satellite in early 2027. The mission aims to address a critical gap in greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting by providing ...
Seekr and Wyvern Partner to Launch AI-Driven Hyperspectral Reasoning Engine
Targeting the growing gap between raw satellite data and usable intelligence, Seekr announced on Wednesday the launch of SeekrGeo, a geospatial reasoning engine designed for both commercial and national security applications. The platform debuts with a strategic licensing agreement with ...
The Fractal Lab – Part III
SatNews Editorial Analysis Before we dream of floating data centers, we must understand why the SmallSat is the only laboratory that matters. Welcome to The Fractal Lab: a three-part series on why orbital computing succeeds or fails first at 10 ...
SECAF Meink Unveils ‘Ringleader’ Exercise to Test Satellite Sensor Fusion for Tactical Battle Management
On February 23, 2026, Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Dr. Troy E. Meink unveiled a major technical initiative titled "Ringleader" during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Warfare Symposium. Note: This corrects a previous ...
Iridium Unveils Iridium 9604: First Unified Three-in-One IoT Module
On February 24, 2026, Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) announced the launch of the Iridium 9604, a compact hardware solution designed to unify satellite, cellular, and positioning services. The module represents a significant shift in Iridium’s industrial strategy, moving from ...
Global Defense Modernization Drives Major Awards for BlackSky and Redwire
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, a series of global defense announcements highlighted an accelerating shift toward sovereign, AI-integrated space assets. As nations like India unveil record $87 billion defense budgets and the EU mobilizes $178 billion for its SAFE initiative, ...
The New Space Race: Industrial Integration Redefines the Market Lead
On February 24, 2026, the aerospace sector saw a series of strategic consolidations and leadership shifts that signal a transition from a focus on launch frequency to a race for manufacturing dominance. Central to this shift is the emergence of ...
Technical Anomaly During USSF-87 Launch Prompts Manifest Review for ULA Vulcan
United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the U.S. Space Force (USSF) are investigating a technical anomaly that occurred during the launch of the USSF-87 mission on February 12, 2026. While the mission successfully deployed its primary payloads—the seventh and eighth satellites ...
Rohde & Schwarz, NVIDIA Unveil Digital Twin Testbed for AI-RAN at MWC 2026
MUNICH and BARCELONA — In an announcement released Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with NVIDIA, revealed a new milestone in AI-driven wireless system testing. The latest testbed, scheduled for live demonstration at MWC Barcelona 2026, integrates ...
SDA Awards $30 Million to AST SpaceMobile for Direct-to-Device Tactical SATCOM
WASHINGTON — In a statement released Monday, February 23, 2026, the Space Development Agency (SDA) announced it has awarded a $30 million prototype agreement to AST SpaceMobile, Inc. for on-orbit tactical satellite communications (SATCOM) demonstrations. The contract falls under the ...
Securing the Future of the Orbital Environment
AUSTIN, Texas — In a series of recent industry briefings and podcasts under the Securing the Future of Space campaign, leading experts have highlighted the critical "sovereign-commercial nexus" required to manage an increasingly congested and contested Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ...
ArianeGroup and ESA Target Spring 2026 for First Themis Reusable Launcher Hop Test
KIRUNA, Sweden — The European Space Agency (ESA) and prime contractor ArianeGroup are preparing for the first low-altitude "hop test" of the Themis reusable launcher demonstrator, currently scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. In an update provided on Monday, ...
Boeing Scaling Satellite Production in El Segundo to Support Space Force Missile Warning
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — In a statement released Friday, February 20, 2026, Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced the opening of a new 9,000-square-foot production line dedicated to manufacturing electro-optical infrared (EO/IR) sensors. Located within the company’s primary satellite factory in El ...
Market Insight: The Indo-Pacific Space Security Boom
NEW DELHI — In a strategic analysis published Monday, February 23, 2026, industry analyst Omkar Nikam detailed a profound shift in the Indo-Pacific’s defense architecture, where space has moved from a support function to the "nervous system" of modern warfare ...
Tory Bruno Leads Blue Origin’s National Security Push Following ULA Departure
KENT, Wash. — In his first public address since transitioning to the private sector, Tory Bruno, the former CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA), confirmed on Saturday, February 21, 2026, that his move to Blue Origin was driven by a ...
Deep Space Energy Secures Funding for High Efficiency Lunar Nuclear Power
RIGA, Latvia — Latvian startup Deep Space Energy (DSE) announced on Saturday, February 21, 2026, that it has raised nearly 1 million Euro in combined private investment and public contracts. The funding is earmarked to accelerate the development of a ...
HEO and UNSW Partner for Australia’s First Active Propulsion RPO Mission
CANBERRA — In a major advancement for sovereign space capability, HEO and UNSW Canberra Space researchers have partnered to execute Australia’s first Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) mission featuring an active propulsion system. Supported by funding from the Defence Trailblazer’s ...
