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Last week came with a lot of important updates in space governance, science and defense. Having trouble with links? Click the link below to read the unclipped publication. ↓

With a little ado, dive in.

For near-Earth asteroids larger than 100 meters, that is, large enough to cause regional or continental-scale destruction, kinetic impact and slow-push deflection methods may not deliver enough energy to work on short timelines. Nuclear detonation is the most viable option in those scenarios. A lot of the research has focused on slamming a warhead into the surface and detonating in the resulting shallow crater, which gives limited control over where the blast occurs and weak energy transfer into the asteroid.

A study from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, published in Space: Science & Technology, outlines and compares two nuclear‑based asteroid defense modes designed for large near‑Earth objects, exceeding 100 meters, with short warning times. The work compares a direct rendezvous impact detonation, i.e., slamming a warhead into the surface with a new flyby “pre‑excavation detonation” approach. The second approach proposes that a conventional penetration device first bores a deep crater, then a nuclear warhead is guided into it for subsurface detonation. Using a virtual threat-asteroid database with warning times from one to 20 years and hydrodynamic simulations, the researchers found the deep-crater approach produces velocity changes above 30 cm/s for kilometer-scale asteroids which is roughly three to four times the 8–9.2 cm/s achievable with shallow-crater detonation. At 1 m/s of velocity change, deflection can be achieved in as little as 60 days.

The tradeoff however is that the deep-crater method requires more warning time and a more complex mission architecture. The authors recommend it as the default when time permits, with the simpler shallow-crater mode reserved for emergency, short-notice scenarios.

Separately, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on International Asteroid Day (June 30) that it is developing a combined ground and space asteroid early‑warning network. Li Mingtao, chief scientist at CNSA's Asteroid Monitoring and Early Warning Research Center, said China will deploy multiple large aperture optical telescopes at selected sites alongside a space‑based monitoring constellation, with particular focus on detecting asteroids approaching from the sunward direction which happens to be a persistent blind spot that allowed the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor to go undetected until atmospheric entry.

A June 2026 paper in the Journal of Deep Space Exploration, co‑authored by Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, identifies four candidate orbital positions for the space segment: the Sun‑Earth L1 Lagrange point, an Earth‑leading or trailing orbit, a Venus‑like heliocentric orbit, and an Earth‑companion distant retrograde orbit. The Venus‑like option aligns with an earlier proposal called CROWN, a constellation of small satellites designed to survey the sunward sky. A 2025 COPUOS presentation described a basic configuration where a single L1 satellite paired with northern and southern ground stations, and an extended model incorporating all four orbits.

Timelines remain unclear, but China's 15th Five‑Year Plan, approved in March, lists an asteroid defense engineering project as under study. A kinetic‑impact and observation demonstration mission, analogous to NASA's DART, is scheduled to launch in 2027. China’s plans align with broader global efforts, including NASA’s NEO Surveyor and ESA’s NEOMIR.

7 July, 2026

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has awakened in good health after a 321‑day hibernation, its longest to date, while operating 9.5 billion kilometers / 5.9 billion miles from Earth in the Kuiper Belt. Flight controllers at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) confirmed the June 23 wake‑up, with radio signals requiring nearly nine hours to reach Earth.

During hibernation, the probe continued round‑the‑clock measurements using its plasma sensors, particle spectrometers and dust counter, reporting weekly “green” status beacons. The team will now downlink stored science data and conduct spacecraft checkouts as New Horizons resumes studies of the outer heliosphere and Kuiper Belt. The probe, launched in 2006, previously flew by Jupiter, Pluto in 2015 and Arrokoth in 2019, and continues to travel outward at roughly 300 million miles per year.

7 July, 2026

NASA awarded Firefly Aerospace a $13 million Jet Propulsion Laboratory subcontract to build the aeroshell for the SkyFall mission, a nuclear‑powered Mars probe slated for launch in 2028. An aeroshell is the protective outer structure that surrounds a spacecraft during entry, descent and landing at a planetary body. The backshell and heatshield will be developed at Firefly’s new Gloworks facility and manufactured and tested at Rocket Ranch in Briggs, Texas, using composite technologies from the company’s Blue Ghost lander, Elytra orbiters, and Alpha and Eclipse rockets.

SkyFall will deploy three Ingenuity‑class helicopters during atmospheric descent through a mid‑air “SkyFall Maneuver” to conduct airborne subsurface mapping and resource prospecting, including scouting for water ice. Firefly, which recently doubled its Texas footprint and is supporting multiple CLPS and JPL missions, will deliver the aeroshell to JPL for final environmental testing and integration.

10 July, 2026

China completed its first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket, becoming the second country to achieve this feat and joining the exclusive ranks of the United States, SpaceX, and Blue Origin. China's Long March 10B rocket, launched from Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site on July 10 and its first stage was successfully recovered via a sea-based net capture system. According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) the method was a world’s first, where the booster descended under powered flight roughly six minutes after stage separation, with hooks on the stage caught by a hydraulically damped tensioned net aboard the recovery vessel Linghang Zhe.

This new recovery method diverges from the landing-legs approach SpaceX and Blue Origin have established. On a Falcon 9, the four carbon-fiber-and-aluminum legs add roughly 2,400 kilograms / 5,300 pounds to the booster, mass that also increases the fuel required for landing. Both factors eat into payload capacity on every flight.

China's design moves that the engineering complexity from the vehicle to the ship, which must hold position in open ocean precisely enough to receive a booster descending from altitude while the rocket targets the net. However, the legs approach makes the rocket self-sufficient: it can land on a drone ship, a launch pad, or potentially any flat surface without specialized infrastructure. The net system trades that autonomy for a lighter booster, but ties every recovery to a purpose-built vessel and favorable sea conditions.

CASC confirmed full mission success, including insertion of an unnamed satellite into orbit, more than 90 minutes after liftoff. The 63-meter, two-stage rocket has a liftoff mass of 760,000 kg and delivers 16,000 kg to LEO in reusable configuration. Its first stage uses seven YF-100K kerosene-LOX engines producing 890 tons of thrust; the second stage is believed to be the first flight of CASC's YF-219 methane-LOX engine. CASC said it intends to refly the recovered booster before year's end.

The flight doubles as a full-profile validation of the first stage for the Long March 10A crew variant, which will launch China's Mengzhou spacecraft, the successor to Shenzhou. An uncrewed Mengzhou orbital test flight is expected later in 2026. The successful debut places CASC alongside SpaceX and Blue Origin as operators of recoverable orbital boosters. Meanwhile, Landspace's Zhuque-3, which failed its first recovery attempt in December, may attempt a second launch later this month following a recent static fire at Jiuquan.

6 July, 2026

Australia is investigating metallic spherical objects that washed ashore July 5 on Forrest Beach in Queensland, assessing them as likely space‑launch pressure vessels. The Australian Space Agency said the debris’ location and characteristics match those of a foreign rocket body that recently re‑entered from orbit and advised residents not to handle the material while authorities work to confirm the launch vehicle and state of origin.

The agency is coordinating with Queensland officials and the National Emergency Management Agency and is engaging international partners for identification. No foreign operator has acknowledged ownership, and independent debris analysts have not yet released assessments. China conducted multiple launches July 4–5, including Long March 6 and Long March 8A missions, though orbital and re‑entry data remain unverified. The incident follows recent scrutiny of China’s practice of leaving rocket stages in orbit.

6 July, 2026

Singapore’s newly formed National Space Agency of Singapore signed its first cooperation agreement July 6, establishing a memorandum with Japan’s JAXA to explore joint work in space technology, science, applications and industry development. The agencies will also promote collaboration between Japanese and Singaporean companies, with NSAS emphasizing satellite and satellite‑related technologies as priority areas.

NSAS leaders said the partnership will support efforts to grow Singapore’s space sector, which currently includes about 70 companies and 2,000 workers, and to develop national capabilities in satellites, Earth observation and space situational awareness. The agency, created April 1, is also planning national space legislation within three to five years. Singapore maintains existing bilateral agreements with India, Thailand and the UAE and aims to expand its international partnerships.

7 July, 2026

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a July 7 request for information seeking concepts for conducting commercial rocket launches, spacecraft reentries and recoveries from the Outer Continental Shelf, citing potential benefits for capacity, operational flexibility and national security. The RFI asks industry to propose uses for existing offshore oil and gas platforms or new purpose‑built facilities across the 3.2 billion‑acre region and will inform future interagency policy work tied to a 2025 executive order on expanding U.S. launch infrastructure.

Ocean‑advocacy groups criticized the effort, warning of environmental harm and increased marine debris. Interest in offshore launch has grown as land‑based sites face congestion, with companies such as Seagate Space developing floating platforms and planning responses to the RFI.

The initiative stems from a December 2025 White House executive order titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” which seeks to expand U.S. space‑industry investment and support new commercial infrastructure.The comment period closes Aug. 7 as the White House continues work on an updated national space transportation policy.

8 July, 2026

Environmental and scientific organizations petitioned the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on July 8 to halt licensing of proposed orbital data centers and conduct a full environmental review, citing plans from multiple companies to deploy more than a million satellites in low Earth orbit. The coalition, represented by Earthjustice a nonprofit public interest environmental law organization, requested a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA (a 1969 law mandating federal agencies assess the environmental impacts of their actions), arguing the projects could increase collision risks, generate debris, alter the stratosphere, and intensify light pollution affecting wildlife and dark‑sky conditions. Members of the coalition include Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the Environment America network, and DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to combating light pollution.

SpaceX alone has applied to operate up to one million satellites, while Orbital, Starcloud, Blue Origin and Cowboy Space seek approvals for nearly 260,000 more. The FCC has tightened debris rules but has not revisited its NEPA exclusion for satellite licensing. The petition arrives as the agency prepares to vote on measures to streamline licensing and processes a new round of Ku, Ka and V‑band constellation applications totaling nearly 140,000 satellites. The petition comes in the wake of a study that warns that large planned satellite constellations could render ground‑based astronomy ineffective.

9 July, 2026

SpaceX filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a 100,000‑satellite “Gen3” constellation in low Earth orbit, a major expansion of its Starlink network. The company currently has nearly 10,800 satellites in orbit and authorization for about 4,000 more. The proposed Gen3 spacecraft would be substantially larger, weighing 2,000 to 2,500 kilograms and spanning 300 to 400 square meters with solar arrays deployed, a scale likely requiring launches on Starship rather than Falcon 9.

SpaceX is pursuing a separate plan for a one million satellite Starmind data‑center constellation, while other companies, including Amazon and Blue Origin, are also advancing large LEO networks.

10 July, 2026

Meanwhile, the FCC on July 9 authorized Reflect Orbital’s Eärendil‑1 satellite, which will test an 18 meter thin‑film reflector designed to redirect sunlight to specific nighttime locations from a 600–650‑kilometer orbit. The 142 kilogram spacecraft is slated to launch later this year to demonstrate applications including supplemental lighting for construction, search‑and‑rescue and solar‑farm augmentation. The approval follows nearly 1,900 public comments, most opposing the system over concerns that reflected light could disrupt wildlife, alter diurnal cycles and interfere with optical astronomy.

Astronomers warned that a proposed 50,000‑satellite constellation could significantly increase sky brightness, with ESO estimating a three‑ to four‑fold rise at its Chilean observatories. The FCC said such impacts fall outside its licensing authority and emphasized support for testing new space technologies. The decision came one day after environmental and scientific groups petitioned the FCC to conduct a programmatic environmental review of orbital data‑center constellations.

The rapid growth of planned constellations has drawn objections from scientists and environmental groups concerned about orbital crowding, debris risks, atmospheric impacts and increased light pollution affecting astronomy, wildlife and night‑sky visibility. However, there have been no formal statements issued by international governing bodies. The FCC and broader U.S. regulators have yet to articulate any formal position on the worldwide consequences of large‑scale private satellite activity pursued for commercial gain.

6 July, 2026

BAE Systems, the aerospace and defense contractor said its Endura space microprocessor has passed testing that simulates both natural and strategic radiation environments, a key requirement for national security spacecraft seeking more capable onboard computing. Endura, a system‑on‑chip built with the company’s radiation‑hardened 45 nanometer process and manufactured at GlobalFoundries’ New York facility, integrates processing, memory and communications functions traditionally spread across multiple devices.

BAE said the chip, a rebranding of its RAD510 microprocessor, has already been adopted for classified missions and is being evaluated with multiple primes for missile defense applications. The company is positioning Endura as the foundation for a new family of space‑grade computing products and is accepting orders for Software Development Units introduced in 2024.

11 July, 2026

Spacecraft mobility startup, Parabilis Space Technologies completed hot‑fire testing of its Dense Orbital Transfer System, a 2U hybrid‑propulsion module designed to give small satellites maneuvering capability in orbit. The U.S. Space Systems Command, which is evaluating DOTS for future military use, said the system’s solid‑fuel and liquid‑oxidizer design offers controllability while remaining safe to handle.

The module provides “cold start” ignition for rapid response and could support debris avoidance, formation flying, mission repositioning and operations in very low Earth orbit. Parabilis said ground testing is finished and it is seeking a partner for an on‑orbit demonstration, which could occur within a year once a flight opportunity is secured. The company described DOTS as a significant performance improvement for cubesat‑class spacecraft.

7 July, 2026

Isar Aerospace, the German launch service provider, signed a 10‑year agreement with Maritime Launch Services (MLS) to develop and operate a Spectrum launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia. Spaceport Nova Scotia, operated by MLS, the Canadian aerospace company, is Canada's first commercial orbital launch complex. The new agreement expands the German company’s overseas footprint and links to industrial offset commitments tied to Canada’s submarine procurement. The $150 million lease allows Isar to design pad infrastructure, with MLS providing facilities for integration, testing and mission control.

Development begins later this year, with first orbital launches targeted for 2028 and a goal of supporting up to 40 annual missions by 2029. The deal follows Canada’s selection of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems as preferred submarine supplier and the military’s separate 10‑year lease for its own dedicated pad. Canada also awarded C$8.3 million each to three domestic launch startups. Spectrum flew once in 2025 but failed shortly after liftoff; subsequent attempts have been delayed.

9 July, 2026

Pulse Space secured a $40 million U.S. Space Force contract to develop laser systems designed to transmit power and data between spacecraft, expanding earlier government support that included a $1.9 million Small Business Innovation Research award. The Bellevue‑based startup, founded in 2022, is developing high‑power optical systems intended to enable long‑range energy beaming and high‑bandwidth communications for resilient space networks.

Pulse Space is also among hundreds of vendors eligible to compete for task orders under the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD contract, which funds technologies contributing to the Pentagon’s Golden Dome architecture. The company previously partnered with Scout Space to demonstrate laser‑enabled energy transfer between spacecraft and has outlined plans for a low Earth orbit constellation equipped with directed‑energy links.

ESA authorized Airbus Defence and Space to begin development of the Aeolus‑2 wind‑monitoring satellite, awarding a €51 million / $58.3 million initial contract for the mission’s early phases. Aeolus‑2 succeeds the 2018 Aeolus spacecraft, which operated for nearly five years and used space‑based Doppler lidar wind measurements before reentering in 2023. The new mission, now planned for a 2034 launch, shifts from a two‑satellite concept to a single operational spacecraft developed with Eumetsat. Aeolus‑2 will carry an upgraded lidar system with two more powerful lasers and an added aerosol‑measuring instrument, collecting wind profiles from the surface to 30 kilometers every 0.01 seconds and providing global coverage every seven days. ESA officials said the mission will supply high‑quality wind data for meteorological services, while the U.K. government noted Airbus will build the satellite at its U.K. facilities, continuing its role from the original Aeolus program.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program added eight new providers on June 23, including three European firms, Kuva Space of Finland, OroraTech of Germany and Satlantis of Spain, expanding the program to 25 total vendors. The companies, specializing in hyperspectral, thermal infrared and optical multispectral data, join Airbus and Iceye US as European participants.

NASA said the firm‑fixed‑price IDIQ contract, valued up to $476 million through 2028, provides researchers and authorized U.S. government users access to commercial datasets that complement agency Earth science missions. Selection does not guarantee purchases but designates the companies as approved suppliers. An example of increased governmental reliance on commercial remote‑sensing data, CSDA is similar to Europe’s Copernicus Contributing Missions.

China published a vetted roster of 271 members of its national commercial space consortium July 1, offering a rare view of which firms the state considers established actors. The list spans satellite development, data applications, launch, TT&C, innovation, emerging fields, industry promotion and financial services. Of the 271 organizations, 79 are focused on satellite development, 44 on data applications, 41 on rockets and launch, 31 on comprehensive services, 23 on TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking, and Command) and operations, 18 on technology innovation, 15 on emerging fields, 13 on industry promotion and 7 on financial services.

The list, published under the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), which sits above CNSA and under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), includes major launch companies that have reached orbit, such as Expace, CAS Space, China Rocket, Landspace, iSpace, Galactic Energy, Orienspace and Space Pioneer, and firms in areas China signals for future support, such as direct‑to‑device and non-terrestrial networks or NTN, commercial human spaceflight, hypersonic vehicles and orbital computing. Founding members include Spacesail, GalaxySpace and Changguang Satellite Technology. The consortium, created in 2025, is intended to coordinate policy, standards and sector development as China accelerates commercial space activity.

Major deals spanned aviation tracking, satellite refueling, hypersonic propulsion, launch services and Earth‑observation analytics as Iridium bought Aireon, Orbit Fab secured interim funding, Venus Aerospace raised a Series B, Blue Origin seeking $10 billion in outside capital and MDA Space acquired CLS.

6 July, 2026

Iridium Communications completed its acquisition of Aireon, the air traffic surveillance provider, buying the remaining 61% stake from air navigation service providers in Canada, England, Denmark, Ireland and Italy ahead of Iridium’s planned $8 billion sale to Rocket Lab. Aireon, which has provided global ADS‑B‑based aircraft surveillance since 2019 using Iridium’s satellite network, will remain a wholly owned subsidiary under the $367 million deal.

Iridium said Aireon will continue supporting its aviation strategy, including work on a space‑based VHF system to extend pilot‑controller communications into remote airspace. Rocket Lab has not detailed plans for Aireon but called the venture central to Iridium’s positioning, navigation and timing and communications roadmap. Aireon CEO Don Thoma will remain in place. Rocket Lab expects to close its acquisition of Iridium in mid‑2027, pending regulatory and shareholder approval.

7 July, 2026

Orbit Fab, the ‘gas station in space’ startup, appointed Peter Shaper as chief executive and raised more than $25 million in interim funding as the company moves from technology development to operational satellite refueling services. Shaper, formerly a private‑equity executive and CEO of CapRock Communications and Speedcast, was brought in by lead investor Stride Capital after founder Daniel Faber stepped down.

Orbit Fab is preparing three hydrazine‑delivery demonstration missions over the next 18–24 months to validate its RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface) refueling interface and unlock more than $40 million in contracted government work. The company is also developing service timelines and pricing ahead of a planned Series B raise of $30–50 million. Orbit Fab expects initial demand from the U.S. military, with interest in the U.K., Europe and commercial operators following.

8 July, 2026

Hypersonic engine developer, Venus Aerospace raised $91 million in a Series B round to accelerate development and production of its rotating detonation rocket engine, the company said July 8. The funding, led by Mercury Fund with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures and other investors, will support scaling the 3D‑printed, throttleable engine toward operational use across hypersonic systems, space launch, orbital transfer vehicles and lunar landers.

Venus recently completed what it described as the first U.S. flight test of a 2,000‑pound‑thrust RDRE (Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine) at Spaceport America and added former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy to its board. Founded in 2020, the company has also secured $3.9 million from the Texas Space Commission for a Houston test facility. Venus said the Pentagon’s pursuit of next‑generation propulsion continues to drive demand for RDRE technology.

8 July, 2026

Blue Origin is seeking its first outside investment, planning to raise $10 billion in a round reportedly led by Coatue Management that would value the company at $130 billion, according to a July 8 employee memo from Chief Executive Dave Limp. Jeff Bezos has funded Blue Origin privately since its founding, but said earlier this year the company now has sufficient visibility to bring in external investors.

The capital push comes as Blue Origin rebuilds Launch Complex 36 after a May 28 New Glenn explosion and works to scale the rocket toward a stated goal of up to 50 launches annually by 2030 and more than 120 by 2035. The company is also advancing seven Blue Moon lunar landers and expanding into satellite services, including the planned 5,400‑satellite TeraWave broadband network and Project Sunrise, a proposed 51,600‑satellite orbital data‑center constellation.

8 July, 2026

Aerospace and defense company, MDA Space agreed to acquire 70% of French Earth‑data analytics firm CLS for €567 million / $648 million, marking its second major deal in three weeks and adding downstream analytics and distribution capabilities to its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) business. CNES, the French space agency, will retain a 30% stake, and the transaction is expected to close late this year or early 2025.

CLS, founded 40 years ago, provides SAR and ocean‑topography analytics, maritime monitoring and other services, reporting €203 million in 2025 revenue. The deal follows MDA’s June 19 agreement to buy smallsat manufacturer Blue Canyon Technologies from RTX for $620 million, both backed by committed bank financing. The acquisitions come amid a surge in space‑sector consolidation, including announced deals involving Amazon, Rocket Lab, Gilat, Voyager Technologies and Mitsubishi Electric’s purchase of Japanese ground‑station provider Infostellar.

Four companies, Apolink, D‑Orbit, City Labs and Xona announced new commercial space capabilities this week, debuting inter‑satellite relay operations, new constellation deployment services, tritium‑powered nuclear micropower systems and LEO navigation hardware certification systems, across U.S., European and Asia‑Pacific markets.

7 July, 2026

U.S.-based Space-based relay network startup, Apolink established first contact with its IPoS‑TDsM cubesat after launching on SpaceX’s July 7 Transporter‑17 mission, enabling an FCC‑authorized demonstration of S‑band inter‑satellite relay operations.

Apolink’s space-based relay network expects to provide continuous, real-time connectivity for satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and eliminate communication dead zones so satellite operators can receive telemetry and send commands 24/7 without waiting for a ground station to pass overhead.

The experimental license allows the 3U spacecraft to receive unprotected, non‑interference S‑band signals from designated partner satellites and forward them to approved ground stations. The mission will test low‑power links at ranges up to 150 kilometers during conjunctions expected from July through November. Singapore‑based NuSpace is the primary partner, using its NuLink‑1 and NuLink‑2 satellites, following earlier lab and beacon tests. Apolink is seeking additional compatible satellites ahead of a planned 32‑satellite relay network and has a 2027 mission with Canada‑based Galaxia to further mature the technology.

Italy-based, “in-orbit shipping service” provider and space logistics company, D‑Orbit signed a launch services contract with Japanese microsatellite developer ArkEdge Space to provide multiple ION (InOrbit NOW) Satellite Carrier missions to sun‑synchronous orbit in 2027 and 2028, securing recurring deployment capacity for ArkEdge’s constellation programs.

The agreement, supported by investor‑partner Marubeni Corp., is a key step in D‑Orbit’s expansion in Japan and broader Asia‑Pacific markets. D‑Orbit said the deal reflects a shift toward constellation architectures requiring precise orbital slots rather than opportunistic rideshare access. ION is a space logistics and orbital transfer vehicle. It acts as a "space tug" that rides aboard larger rockets, then uses its own propulsion to place multiple satellites into specific orbital slots and provides a platform to test third-party hardware in space.

ArkEdge, founded in 2018, supports constellations across maritime communications, PNT, Earth observation and lunar infrastructure. D‑Orbit’s ION has now completed 23 missions, including its latest launch on SpaceX’s Transporter‑17, deploying 144 satellites and hosting 83 payloads to date.

8 July, 2026

The first commercial in‑orbit demonstration of a nuclear‑powered satellite technology is underway as Florida‑based nuclear battery startup City Labs launched its BOHR cubesat July 7 on SpaceX’s Transporter‑17 mission. The spacecraft is testing the company’s NanoTritium betavoltaic system, designed to generate microwatt‑level electrical power independently of sunlight for long‑duration operations in deep space or permanently shadowed lunar regions.

According to City Labs, their proprietary NanoTritium batteries harness the radioactive decay of tritium (a safe, low-energy isotope of hydrogen) to continuously generate electricity for over two decades without needing a recharge.

The payload, funded in part by NASA and Pentagon programs, is powered separately from the solar‑driven satellite bus to validate the tritium‑based device in orbit. City Labs says BOHR is the first commercial nuclear mission approved under the U.S. FAA framework for radioactive payloads. The company plans a 2027 demonstration of a tritium‑powered Radioisotope Heater Unit to support future lunar surface missions.

9 July, 2026

Xona, the independent, high-performance global navigation network provider introduced its Pulsar Verified program July 9, naming Trimble, Septentrio, STMicroelectronics, Safran, StarNav and Keysight as partners developing equipment compatible with its low‑Earth‑orbit positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) constellation. It is a certification program that validates receivers, chipsets and test equipment for interoperability with Xona’s Pulsar low‑Earth‑orbit PNT signal

Safran’s Skydel and Keysight’s PNT X simulators have completed verification, and the first Pulsar‑compatible receivers are beginning to ship. Xona’s Pulsar‑0 satellite, launched in 2025, has supported more than 350 transmission passes and 22 terabytes of collected data; six additional satellites scheduled to reach orbit later this year will enable beta‑level service testing. In short, the partner’s hardware or simulation tools have been technically validated to interoperate with Xona’s Pulsar signals exactly as the constellation will broadcast them. The company expects to provide centimeter‑level precision and stronger, more resilient signals than GPS. Xona opened a Burlingame, California, integration facility in April after raising $170 million in Series C funding.

8 July, 2026

ispace, the Japanese lunar transport firm is rolling out a lunar rideshare offering supported by SpaceX’s Starship lander. ispace will buy 500 kilograms / 1,100 pounds of payload capacity on a future SpaceX Starship lunar lander to debut a Mobile Cargo System capable of transporting several hundred kilograms of customer payloads across the lunar surface. The rover‑based system, planned for no earlier than 2030, will carry payloads a few kilometers from the lander and be developed internally using technologies from ispace’s European subsidiary.

The agreement expands the companies’ existing launch relationship and supports ispace’s shift toward becoming a “lunar access integrator” alongside its own Ultra lander program, which includes three missions between 2028 and 2030. The Starship‑based cargo system will operate in addition to ispace’s landers, which failed in 2023 and 2025, and may support demand linked to NASA’s planned lunar base initiative.

Meanwhile, SpaceX launched its latest, Transporter‑17 rideshare mission July 7 on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, carrying 81 payloads including South Korea’s 514 kilogram CAS500‑4 imaging satellite and constellation spacecraft from Iceye, Spire and Axelspace. The flight comes in the wake of mounting industry concern that SpaceX is limiting future rideshare availability, with partners reporting no new reservations beyond 2028–2029 and near‑full manifests.

Launch brokers such as Exolaunch and SEOPS have begun purchasing dedicated Falcon 9 rideshare missions. Rocket Lab CFO Adam Spice said customers are increasingly anxious about long‑term access to Falcon 9 as SpaceX shifts capacity toward Starlink and future orbital data‑center satellites. He said the tightening market is driving demand for longer‑term launch agreements and informing development of Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket.

9 July, 2026

German-French space transportation company, the Exploration Company established TEC Federal, a U.S.‑based entity, and opened a Rapid Innovation Lab in Houston to support bids for American government programs. The lab, located near NASA’s Johnson Space Center, includes a full‑scale mockup of the crewed version of Nyx to advance crew‑interface development. Nyx is the company’s flagship spacecraft: a reusable, modular orbital capsule designed to fly on heavy-launch rockets and service space stations, and is explicitly positioned to compete against SpaceX's Dragon capsule for low-Earth orbit cargo and future crewed contracts.

The company said the expansion provides engineering and testing capabilities needed for U.S. contracts as agencies and commercial LEO destinations prepare for post‑ISS human operations. The Exploration Company is targeting a 2028 orbital test of the cargo Nyx capsule, funded through ESA’s LEO Cargo Return initiative, which awarded €25 million / $28.6 million for Phase 1 and is weighing €200 million / $228.5 million for Phase 2. The U.S. presence positions the firm closer to NASA and larger human‑spaceflight funding streams.

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X‑ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM‑Newton have determined that two of the Milky Way’s outer spiral arms extend about 10% farther than previous estimates. The team measured distances to dust clouds in the Perseus, Outer and Outer Scutum-Centaurus arms by analyzing X‑ray rings formed when gamma‑ray burst light scattered off interstellar dust, a geometric method that avoids assumptions about galactic rotation.

The results, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, also show the most distant arm contains a dust cloud roughly 3,500 light‑years wide, indicating the measurements capture full arm thickness. Researchers say the revised distances may affect estimates of the galaxy’s mass and structure, though future observations will be limited by the rarity of suitable gamma‑ray bursts.

Despatch Out. 👽🛸