Policy

A collection of 83 posts

Launch

French Launcher Latitude Picks Oman's Etlaq Spaceport for 2027 Debut

Latitude will stage the debut launch of its rocket from Oman's Etlaq Spaceport in late 2027 under an agreement announced this week. The deal is the latest in a growing set of partnerships linking European space organizations with operators in the Middle East, a region offering European firms

Policy

France's Vast Deal Triggers Internal Revolt at Space Agency CNES

France's agreement to fly two of its astronauts on a commercial space station built by the American company Vast has provoked an unprecedented backlash from within CNES, the French national space agency. Staff and stakeholders inside the agency are objecting to a deal that would route government astronauts

Launch

Firefly and SSC Space Target 2028 for First Orbital Launch from Sweden's Esrange

Firefly Aerospace and SSC Space have set 2028 as the target for the first orbital launch from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, using Firefly's Alpha rocket. The companies announced the timeline during a press briefing in Stockholm on June 30, citing progress on infrastructure, regulatory agreements, and

Satellites

Five-Month-Old Startup Orbital Files for 100,000 Data Center Satellites

Los Angeles startup Orbital has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy up to 100,000 data center satellites, targeting 10 gigawatts of computing power from space to meet rising artificial intelligence demand. The filings, submitted June 24, build on a constellation the five-month-old venture first

Satellites

Four Satellite Operators Form NGSO Trade Group as Rocket Lab Moves to Buy Iridium

Amazon, Iridium, Globalstar and Telesat launched the SpaceConnect Association in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2026, creating a new international trade body for the non-geostationary orbit satellite sector. The group will advocate globally for regulatory frameworks, market access and spectrum allocations specific to NGSO architectures. The launch coincides

Markets

Canadian Firms Land $1.7 Billion in Japanese Space Deals Days After New Transfer Pact Takes Effect

A Canadian trade mission to Japan concluded with Canadian companies securing $1.7 billion in commercial agreements, with MDA Space (NYSE: MDA) and RSAT Space signing satellite technology contracts with Japanese defense partners. The deals followed the entry into force of a new bilateral framework just days earlier, marking its

Policy

NGSO Operators Form SpaceConnect Association in Washington Without SpaceX

A new trade association representing non-geostationary satellite operators launched in Washington this week with Amazon, Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat as founding members and a conspicuous absence where SpaceX should be. The group, called SpaceConnect Association, says its mission is to give NGSO operators a dedicated voice on licensing rules,

Defense

Senate Committee Blocks Space Force Bid to Cancel Polar Missile Warning Satellite

The Senate Armed Services Committee rejected a Space Force proposal to cancel the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared-Polar program, becoming the third of four defense committees to push back on the move. The Senate bill includes $500 million for the program, deepening a standoff between lawmakers and the service

Launch

South Korea Launches Search for Second Spaceport to Handle Reusable Rocket Surge

South Korea will open a nationwide search for the site of a second spaceport, the Korea AeroSpace Administration said, preparing for an expected jump in launch activity driven by reusable rockets. The agency announced Sunday it would accept bids from local governments through August 6 to host the facility, which

Policy

Texas Supreme Court Blocks Beach Access Lawsuits Against SpaceX Launch Closures

The Texas Supreme Court ruled on June 19, 2026, that private environmental groups have no legal remedy to sue over public beach closures near SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site. The decision allows SpaceX to continue closing the beach during rocket launches and removes one of the few remaining

Defense

DARPA Asks Industry How to Rebuild Satellite Networks Within Hours of an Attack

DARPA issued a request for information on June 12 seeking industry ideas for rapidly restoring space systems after damage, destruction, or on-orbit accidents. The agency wants to reconstitute essential space services within hours to weeks, a timeline that signals the U.S. military is preparing for scenarios in which

Markets

Intuitive Machines Left Out of NASA's First Lunar Rover Awards

NASA selected Astrolab and Lunar Outpost for its initial major lunar rover contracts, leaving Intuitive Machines out of the first round. The company, which trades publicly as LUNR and has positioned itself as a core player in the emerging lunar economy, was not among the initial awardees, a direct setback

Satellites

State Department Signs Two-Year Starlink Agreement for Global Disaster Response

The U.S. Department of State has signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding with SpaceX to use the Starlink satellite internet system for international disaster preparedness and U.S. humanitarian response. The department revealed the agreement on June 11, formalizing a cooperation framework with the commercial satellite operator. The

Policy

NASA Selects Four-Person Crew for Artemis III as Moon Program Pivots to Earth Orbit Testing

NASA has announced the four-person crew for Artemis III, a critical orbital mission that will not reach the moon despite its name. The spacecraft will launch in 2027 to conduct rendezvous and docking operations with lunar landers built by SpaceX and Blue Origin, testing the choreography essential before attempting

Policy

India Halts Starlink Approvals Over Military Conflict Security Risks

India has frozen commercial approvals for SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, citing security concerns about the terminals' use in active military conflicts. The regulatory hold arrives at a critical moment for SpaceX, which is preparing for a public offering while banking on rapid international expansion to drive

Policy

Russia Deploys First Orbital GPS Jammer, Raising Specter of Space-Based Electronic Warfare

Russia has deployed a space-based platform to jam GPS signals across Eastern Europe, marking the first confirmed use of an orbital asset to conduct large-scale navigation warfare. The interference, detected by multiple independent monitoring stations, affects both civilian and military receivers across several NATO member states and threatens

Policy

Amazon Wins FCC Deployment Waiver for Kuiper But Faces Spectrum Restrictions

The FCC granted Amazon a 50 percent deployment waiver for its Kuiper satellite constellation on June 5, allowing the company until the end of July 2026 to launch half of its planned satellites. The relief comes with significant conditions tied to spectrum priority, meaning Amazon risks losing critical frequencies if

Policy

NASA's X-59 Breaks Sound Barrier in Bid to Remake Supersonic Flight Rules

NASA's X-59 experimental aircraft crossed Mach 1.1 on June 5, marking the first supersonic flight of a jet specifically engineered to produce a quieter sonic boom. The milestone opens a critical testing phase that will determine whether the decades-old ban on overland supersonic flight can

Defense

Canada Commits $18.8 Billion to Military Space Capabilities in Strategic Pivot

Canada is reshaping its space defense posture with an $18.8 billion multi-year investment announced June 3, marking what military leadership describes as a fundamental shift in how the country approaches space as a contested operational domain. The announcement, delivered by Brigadier General Brendan Cook at the 41st Space

Policy

U.S. Spaceports Win Access to Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds, Reshaping Launch Infrastructure Finance

The United States has formally authorized spaceports to issue tax-exempt municipal bonds, the same financing tool that built the nation's airport and highway systems. The law, signed in June 2026, removes a critical barrier that has kept spaceport development dependent on speculative private capital and allows launch

Policy

House Democrats Propose Dismantling Two Space Force Acquisition Offices

House Armed Services Committee lawmakers have drafted language to eliminate the Space Development Agency and Space Rapid Capabilities Office as separate entities in the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill, folding their functions into broader Space Force organizations. The move would upend the two offices most directly responsible for delivering space

Policy

FAA Grounds SpaceX Starship After Super Heavy Booster Crashes During Landing

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered SpaceX to halt all Starship launches indefinitely after the company's upgraded V3 variant experienced a catastrophic booster failure during its May 22 test flight from Texas. The Super Heavy booster lost control during its landing sequence and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico,

Markets

SpaceX's Path to Public Markets Could Unlock European Space Investment

European space companies are positioning themselves to benefit from SpaceX's expected initial public offering, viewing the milestone as a test case that could unlock billions in institutional investment across the continent's emerging commercial sector. Industry executives and investors gathered at the SmallSat Europe conference in Amsterdam

Markets

NASA Taps Blue Origin for First Moon Base Lander, Beating SpaceX to Inaugural Contract

NASA awarded approximately $1 billion in lunar infrastructure contracts on May 26, selecting Blue Origin to deliver the first uncrewed cargo lander to the Moon's South Pole region. The decision marks a significant competitive win for Blue Origin over SpaceX and represents the initial hardware commitments for NASA&

Policy

China's Rising Debris Problem in High Orbit Threatens Long-Term Access to Space

China is depositing spent rocket stages into high Low Earth Orbit at an accelerating rate, creating a growing hazard that could persist for decades or centuries. The upper stages, left above 800 kilometers altitude, represent one of the most dangerous forms of space debris because of their mass and the