Outer Space Today

Markets

Fisica Wins Space Force DARC Contract for UK Radar Site

Fisica, Inc. has been awarded a contract supporting the U.S. Space Force's Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability program, the company announced October 7, 2026. The award covers work on the program's second site, in the United Kingdom, following completed construction at the first site in

Policy

US and Japan Elevate AST SpaceMobile, Rakuten Satellite Network to Sovereign Infrastructure Status

The United States and Japan have formally designated the low Earth orbit satellite network built by AST SpaceMobile and Rakuten Group as strategic infrastructure under the U.S.–Japan Technology Prosperity Deal. The joint promotion, confirmed on October 7, 2026, frames the companies' direct-to-device cellular constellation as

Policy

NASA Frames European-Led Gravitational Wave Mission as a Model "Good Deal"

NASA is holding onto its partnership on the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, the European-led gravitational wave observatory, as a template for international cooperation under a new agency philosophy that prioritizes cost-effective arrangements. The mission's US science lead calls LISA "a very good deal for the

Satellites

LeoLabs Flags New Breakup of Soviet-Era Meteor 2-7 Weather Satellite

LeoLabs said it detected a new debris-generating event involving the defunct Soviet-era Meteor 2-7 weather satellite, identifying multiple objects near the spacecraft on October 5. The event marks the latest in a series of fragmentations the company's radar network has tracked. The detection adds to

Launch

Nuri Achieves First On-Time Liftoff, Deploys All 15 Satellites on Fifth Flight

South Korea's homegrown Nuri launch vehicle reached its target orbit and separated all 15 payload satellites on its fifth spaceflight, launching from the Naro Space Center in Goheung on October 7. All flight procedures and engine burns proceeded normally, and for the first time the rocket lifted off

Launch

SpaceX Plans Roads, Bridge and Wharf at Vermilion Parish Site in Louisiana

SpaceX is planning a package of infrastructure including roads, a bridge, and a wharf for a site in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. The buildout points to a significant new SpaceX footprint in the state. The plans were detailed in local reporting carried October 7. The inclusion of a wharf and a

Policy

FCC Clears SpaceX to Launch 15,000 Satellites for Next-Gen Starlink Mobile

The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to launch and operate 15,000 next-generation satellites for Starlink Mobile, the company's service delivering satellite connectivity directly to phones. The approval, issued Tuesday, creates a regulatory path for SpaceX to position Starlink Mobile as a competitor to AT&

Europe Rehearses Mars Rover Mission in Spanish Desert Ahead of 2030 Landing

An Airbus-built prototype tested autonomous driving and remote science operations as ESA prepares Rosalind Franklin to search beneath the Martian surface. Europe has put its next Mars rover mission through a desert rehearsal, testing how scientists will guide a robotic explorer and choose where to search for evidence of

SpaceX Calls for Better Satellite Coordination in New Space Safety Update

The company says unannounced orbital maneuvers are creating preventable collision risks, detailing an incident that left a Starlink satellite just 30 minutes to respond. SpaceX published a new space safety update on October 6, urging satellite operators to share their planned movements before changing orbit. The company argues that gaps

Markets

Redwire Lands Follow-On Deal to Power Axiom Station's Second Module

Redwire Corporation has been awarded a contract by Axiom Space to develop and deliver two Roll-Out Solar Array wings for the second module of Axiom Station. The company characterized the award as a follow-on contract, signaling a continuation of prior solar array work for the commercial station. The

Launch

NASA, SpaceX Target Oct. 7 for Crew-12 Undocking From Space Station

NASA and SpaceX are aiming for no earlier than 1:05 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to undock the agency's Crew-12 mission from the International Space Station. The target follows a review of weather and splashdown conditions off the coast of California and sets up

Defense

Army Stands Up First Permanent Enlisted Space Operations Workforce

More than 600 soldiers have joined the U.S. Army's new space operations career field, establishing the service's first permanent enlisted workforce dedicated to the space domain. The move formalizes a dedicated cadre of space specialists within the Army. The creation of the career field gives

Defense

Army Commits $67 Million to Shield Ground Forces From Space-Based Surveillance

The U.S. Army is investing nearly $67 million in electromagnetic warfare prototype systems designed to make it harder for adversaries to use space-based surveillance to find and target American forces. The award signals the service's effort to blunt what enemy satellites can see from orbit rather

Pyramid Habitat From Lunar Soil Holds Up in Early Structural Tests

A preprint posted October 1 proposes a hollow pyramid assembled from sintered lunar regolith, soil heated into solid blocks, as a possible habitat on the Moon. Early computer simulations found the structure retained integrity even with a block missing, though the work is preliminary and does not demonstrate a functioning

Markets

US Carriers Formalize Satellite Direct-to-Device Joint Venture, Name Interim CEO

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have formally established the direct-to-device joint venture the three carriers first announced in May. Wireless industry executive Paul Roth will serve as interim CEO while the partners search for a permanent leader. The joint venture focuses on satellite-to-phone connectivity,

Defense

Rheinmetall and Argotec Launch First Satellite in Planned Air-Defense Constellation

Rheinmetall and Argotec have launched the first satellite developed under a new partnership, marking the two companies' entry into space-based defense infrastructure. The spacecraft is designed to help military forces spot activity on the ground that could signal an emerging airborne threat. The launch represents the first step

Policy

NASA Funds Study to Probe Whether a Lunar Pit Hides a Larger Cave

NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal to investigate whether a potentially large underground cave extends beyond the opening of a known lunar pit. The study will examine whether the void could one day shelter astronauts from radiation and extreme temperature swings at the lunar surface, tying the

Launch

Falcon Heavy Flies First Mission for U.S. Spy Satellite Agency

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office from Florida on Thursday night, the first time the agency has flown on the heavy-lift vehicle. The mission, codenamed NROL-97, marked a milestone for both SpaceX and the NRO, America's spy satellite

Satellites

SpaceX Launches Starlink for Communities, Letting Local Hosts Resell Internet Access

SpaceX is introducing Starlink for Communities, a program that lets local hosts earn income by providing paid internet access to people nearby. Users can purchase access by the hour, day, week or month, while hosts earn money from the connections they serve. The model could bring satellite broadband to people

Defense

Space Force Retires Decades-Old Missile Warning Satellites After 50 Years

The Space Force has officially decommissioned the Defense Support Program missile-warning satellite constellation, closing out one of the longest-running U.S. military space programs more than 50 years after the first DSP satellite reached orbit. The retirement arrives as the service prepares to field a next-generation missile-

Launch

Canada Rocket Company Breaks Ground Plans for National Engine Test Site in London, Ontario

Canada Rocket Company will build Canada's first large-scale rocket engine test facility at London International Airport, a $30 million complex for static firing of its methalox engines. The company describes the site as a foundational step toward sovereign Canadian launch capability, with full operations expected by 2028.

Satellites

Nokia and Iceye Partner on Low-Orbit Satellite Systems for Defense

Nokia and Iceye announced on October 1 that they will jointly develop low-orbit satellite communications systems aimed at governments and defense contractors. The partnership pairs a major telecom equipment maker with a satellite constellation operator to target defense and security communications markets. The companies said the systems will support

Markets

Honda and Redwire Team Up on Robots for Commercial Space Stations

Honda announced October 1 that it will work with Redwire to develop robots designed to assist crews aboard commercial space stations. The collaboration pairs Honda's robotics capability with Redwire's space infrastructure work. The companies disclosed the partnership as commercial station operators begin planning for automated operations

Markets

Satlyt Raises $8 Million to Run AI Across Satellites as an Open Orbital Computing Layer

Satlyt, a startup founded in 2024 to build software that runs artificial intelligence models directly on satellites, has raised an $8 million seed round, co-founder Rama Afullo told TechCrunch. The company aims to let many satellites share large computing jobs in orbit, positioning itself as an open alternative to

Defense

Space Force Taps Northrop Grumman and True Anomaly for GEO-Watching Reconnaissance Satellites

The Space Force and the Pentagon have commissioned two companies to build new reconnaissance satellites capable of delivering high-resolution space-to-space imagery of objects more than 22,000 miles above Earth. Space Systems Command awarded the prototype contracts on September 18 under the Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-