Commercial space station developer Vast enters satellite manufacturing market with line of high-power satellite platforms. 19 May 2026 In 2018, the company announced Vast Satellite, a line of satellite platforms, optimized for a wide range of tasks: from providing broadband to deploying orbital data centers. Platform mass 700 kilograms, which provides 15 kilowatt of power, can carry a payload at least […]

Global satellite operators generally support a multi-satellite approach. Companies across the industry are integrating new capabilities in low Earth orbit (LEO) with existing fleets of medium satellites (MEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO). At the same time, the chief executive officer of the telecommunications software company Contrivian Grant Kirkwood claims, that such architectures create performance problems, which have their roots in basic physics. According to specialists […]

The US Army tested a new missile for air defense, which should replace one of the most famous Stinger complexes in the world. During flight tests, the guidance system showed 100% success in capturing the target. Lockheed Martin has successfully completed flight tests of the QuadStar missile guidance system. It is created within the framework of the NGSRI program (Next Generation Short Range Intercepto) on the development of an interceptor […]

21 May 2026 year Fr. 10:04 (UTC) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, with the help of the "Falcon" launch vehicle 9 Block 5 ”was launched 29 US spacecraft "Starlink Group 10-31". Satellites "Starlink v2" – these are larger and more powerful communication satellites of SpaceX. They weigh approx 750 kg and have a design with two solar panels to increase the number […]

Ground satellite systems developer Quindar has entered into an agreement with Portal Space Systems. As part of the collaboration, Quindar will provide operational support and control for future missions of Portal maneuverable spacecraft — the Starburst satellite platform and the Supernova orbiter. The first launch of Starburst is scheduled for later this year during the SpaceX Transporter-18 mission, and the debut flight of Supernova on solar-thermal thrust […]

18 May 2026 2018, the US Senate confirmed Matt Anderson as the deputy administrator of NASA, the second most important person in the space agency. Matt Anderson, retired Air Force colonel, was first nominated by the Donald Trump administration in May 2025 year. At the end of the year, the Senate returned the nomination without consideration, but already in January 2026 year White House again […]

The three largest US mobile operators AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon announced an agreement to pool spectrum resources to improve D2D services (technologies of direct communication between devices), including standardization of approach, to help rural mobile operators reduce coverage gaps. Head of AT&T John Stankey emphasized, that the companies' partnership and their shared experience will allow customers to get a reliable and […]

20 May 2026 year Fr. 02:46 (UTC) from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA, with the help of the "Falcon" launch vehicle 9 Block 5 ”was launched 24 US spacecraft "Starlink Group 17-42". Satellites "Starlink v2" – these are larger and more powerful communication satellites of SpaceX. They weigh approx 750 kg and have a design with two solar panels to enlarge […]

The Chinese start-up Zenk Space attracted 26 million dollars ahead of the flight of its kerosene-oxygen-fueled Zhihang-1 rocket, scheduled for June 2026 year. This will be the company's first attempt at an orbital launch. For reference: Zenk Space (Beijing Space Zhihang Technology Co., Ltd.) is a young private aerospace company, which develops reusable launch vehicles. Its main purpose is to launch cargo into orbit. […]

NASA has issued a final request for proposals (RFP) on a telecommunications system for Mars (Mars Telecommunications Network — MTN), after confirming the requirements, which limit the range of companies, that can participate in the tender. Offers will be accepted until 15 June 2026 year, and the contract with the selected company is planned to be signed by 1 October. MTN was created to maintain communications with Mars missions, because […]

19 May 2026 year Fr. 03:52 (UTC) from the Kuru spaceport, French Guiana, the "SMILE" mission was launched using the "Vega-C" launch vehicle. Mission "Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)» – it is a joint project of the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, created to study the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. The main objective of the mission […]

According to NASA, engineers are already considering ambitious mission goals to Saturn's moon Titan. According to experts' calculations, the use of nuclear propulsion systems makes such a mission feasible. In particular, the concept of a space vehicle with a nuclear-thermal propulsion unit called Copernicus, which uses liquid hydrogen and uranium-235 as fuel, allows you to fly to Titan for 220 days. Total duration of the mission, […]

The US Space Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build a prototype communications satellite, intended for demonstration of jamming protection technologies during military operations in the conditions of electronic warfare. The agreement supports the Enhanced Protected Tactical Satellite Communications-Prototype program (Enhanced PTS-P), which is part of a broader effort to develop more sustainable satellite communications systems, able to work in electronic conditions […]

After ten years of preparation, the groundbreaking scientific mission Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE), developed jointly by the European Space Agency (THIS) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), to be launched by a Vega C rocket from Kourou in French Guiana (South America) 19 May 2026 year. The mission is aimed at improving the understanding of the Earth's magnetosphere and the peculiarities of its interaction with the solar one […]

Chinese satellite manufacturer MinoSpace has received approval for an initial public offering (IPO) and plans to attract 736 million dollars to develop the constellation and expand the product line. The prospectus mentions defense agencies as clients, and the chapter on remote sensing of the Earth lists military intelligence as one of the key applications. For reference: MinoSpace, founded in 2017 year, […]

NASA released new details of the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027 year. It was supposed to end with the landing of astronauts on the moon, but in February 2026 year, the agency changed its plans. Now, within the limits of this flight, the docking in the Earth's orbit will be worked out, which will be a preparatory step for the actual lunar expedition of Artemis IV. Four astronauts will go into orbit around the Earth on board the ship […]

14 May 2026 year Iridium Communications reported, that concluded an agreement to purchase the rest 61% tracking company Aireon, which is already operating on its constellation of communications satellites, to go even deeper into the field of aviation security, surveillance and data services. The satellite operator bought the rest of the company for approx 367 million dollars from five air navigation service providers (ANSP): […]

13 May 2026 China launched a Zhuque-2E rocket fueled by methane and liquid oxygen from the special Landspace site in the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area (Jiuquan launch site). The rocket successfully launched a mass payload into a 900-kilometer polar orbit 2800 Kg, which Landspace called a large-scale constellation deployment experiment. The mission demonstrated the ability to withdraw a large load and the readiness of the company […]

Navigation is becoming more and more of a challenge for spacecraft, operating outside the Earth's orbit, where GPS coverage weakens. Northrop Grumman adapts technology, developed for the James Webb Space Telescope, into a smaller navigation system, aimed at medium-sized satellites. The defense contractor reported, that developed a navigation system for spacecraft called LR-450, which allows transport […]

15 May 2026 year Fr. 04:33 (UTC) from the center of launch of Juzuan satellites, China was launched using the "Kinetica 1" launch vehicle 5 Kita. It is reported, that the launch payloads were probably commercial or technological devices: Taijing-3-05A, Taijing-3-05B, Tianyi-50, Tianyan-27, Jilin-1 HR-03D-55. China has been actively using Kinetica-1 for cluster launches of small remote sensing satellites in recent years […]