Government & Regulation
EU Activates GOVSATCOM Operations; GMV-Led Hub Secures European Strategic Autonomy
MADRID, Spain – The European Union has officially entered the operational phase of its Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) program, marking a critical milestone in Europe’s push for strategic autonomy. Announced on Thursday, Feb. 12, the activation provides EU Member States ...
The FCC Is Converting Space Regulation Into an Assembly Line
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Dr. Jay Schwarz, Chief of the FCC Space Bureau, delivered a direct message to the industry during the Navigating Global Space Regulations session this afternoon. The Bureau is pivoting its operational philosophy from adjudication to mass ...
FCC Proposes Assembly Line Licensing to Replace Decades-Old Space Rules
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Speaking at the SmallSat Symposium, Sheppard Mullin partner Drew Svor outlined the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to retire legacy Part 25 rules in favor of a modular system under Part 100. This proposal seeks to modernize ...
The End of the Open Range: LEO’s Spectrum Crunch Hits Home
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. With over 14,000 satellites in orbit and filings for hundreds of thousands more flooding the International Telecommunication Union [ITU], the industry has hit a wall. Success is no longer determined by who can launch the fastest ...
The Empire Strikes Back: Europe’s Defense Giants Are Done Playing Catch-Up
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Dr. Marco Brancati, newly minted Technical Director of the Leonardo Space Division, took the stage for the Keynote By Leonardo. Brancati didn't come to Mountain View to talk about democratizing space but to describe a fortress ...
The $175 Billion Shadow: Inside the Golden Dome’s Identity Crisis
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Even here in the heart of Silicon Valley, the conversation has pivoted aggressively toward the Pentagon. The topic is the Golden Dome, the administration’s missile defense architecture mandated by Executive Order 14186 and funded at $175 ...
US-India Space Forum Convenes in Bengaluru to Solidify TRUST Initiative Framework
BENGALURU, India – Key government officials and industry leaders from the United States and India met in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Feb. 10, for the inaugural US-India Commercial Space Forum of 2026. The high-level summit aims to operationalize the TRUST (Technology ...
The Commercial Mask Slips: Space is Now a Sovereign Arms Race
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. The polite fiction that the commercial space industry exists primarily for crop yields and climate monitoring has ended. During the symposium’s Future of Geospatial Intelligence session, industry titans stopped pretending their product is intended for sale ...
From SmallSat Gold Rush to Fortress: The Militarization of Commercial Space
Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium: The era of the slide-deck billionaire is dead. Attendees entering the Small Satellites: Trends and Opportunities session expecting standard futurism about connecting the unconnected or democratizing the stars were likely disappointed. The mood at SmallSat Symposium ...
Untrusted Satcom: Dangers for Indian Tele-Education
In early 2026, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) released a critical analysis regarding the "untethered" expansion of foreign Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations into India’s critical social infrastructure. The report specifically highlights the potential dangers of integrating foreign, "untrusted" ...
FCC Authorizes Logos Space to Deploy 3,960-Satellite Mega-Constellation for Enterprise Connectivity
On February 5, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially granted Logos Space Services, Inc. the authority to construct, launch, and operate a major new non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system. The approval clears the path for the company to deploy ...
Amazon Leo seeks 24-month extension from FCC due to launch shortages
On January 30, 2026, Amazon formally requested a 24-month extension from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to meet a critical deployment milestone for its satellite broadband network, now rebranded as Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper). Citing a "near-term shortage of ...
Universal Seamless Connectivity: The OTI’s Vision for a Frictionless 6G Future
On February 3, 2026, the Open Technology Institute (OTI) report, titled “What 6G Should Be: Ubiquitous and Seamless Connectivity, Not Just Another ‘G’,” argues that the industry’s current obsession with raw speed—potentially reaching 1 Tbps—should take a backseat to achieving ...
India’s private space industry sector finds indirect growth triggers in Union Budget 2026-27
On February 1, 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented India’s Union Budget for 2026-27, allocating ₹13,705.63 crore (approximately $1.64 billion) to the Department of Space (DoS). While the 2% increase over the previous year's budget estimate is modest, industry leaders ...
The Radio Regulations Treaty: Setting the Rules for International Satellite Connectivity
While the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is often associated with "licensing," its primary responsibility is the global coordination of radio-frequency spectrum and orbital resources rather than the direct issuance of operating licenses. Direct licensing remains the sovereign jurisdiction of individual ...
“Capitalism Should Be Faster Than Communism”: Chairman Babin Targets Space Bureaucracy
Speaking at the Space Mobility Conference in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 2026, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, delivered a blunt assessment of the regulatory hurdles facing the U.S. space industry ...
GAO Report Warns of Technological and Schedule Risks in SDA Missile Tracking Program
On January 28, 2026, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a critical report titled "Missile Warning Satellites: Space Development Agency Should Be More Realistic and Transparent About Risks to Capability Delivery" (GAO-26-107085). The congressional watchdog warned that the Space Development ...
ESA Expands IRIS² Low-LEO Component and Introduces Industrialization Cost Reimbursements
In a move to accelerate the deployment of Europe’s third flagship space program, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Monday, January 26, 2026, a significant expansion of the IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite) network's low-LEO ...
Oman Secures Dedicated Orbital Asset in Nine-Figure Deal with Astranis
On Monday, January 26, 2026, Oman’s MB Group and San Francisco-based Astranis Space Technologies Corp. announced a nine-figure agreement for the procurement of a dedicated, sovereign communications satellite. This deal marks a significant expansion of Oman’s National Space Program and ...
Legislative Deadlines and High-Level Industry Summits Dominate Space Policy Outlook
The final week of January 2026 presents a critical intersection of legislative deadlines and high-level industry dialogue as the U.S. Congress faces a February 1 deadline to pass the second "minibus" of FY2026 appropriations. This funding package includes essential budgets ...
