Outer Space Today - News, Research, & Insights for the Space Economy

Institutional-grade space intelligence. Launches, defense contracts, venture rounds, and market coverage for the orbital economy.

• Blue Origin Gains Access to Historic Air Force Propulsion Hardware Under Expanded CRADA

  September 15, 2026

  Blue Origin and the Air Force Research Laboratory's Rocket and Space Propulsion Division at Edwards Air Force Base have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to transfer advanced rocket propulsion hardware and engineering artifacts to the company. The agreement gives Blue Origin access to material from AFRL's Hydrocarbon Boost and Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator programs to inform its commercial engine development. The HCB and IPD programs, developed decades ago, pioneered o

• Open Cosmos Hits $1 Billion Valuation With $348 Million Series C

  September 15, 2026

  UK-based satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos closed a €300 million ($348 million) Series C financing round on September 14, 2026, pushing its valuation past $1 billion and making it Europe’s newest space unicorn. The capital will fund expansion of both commercial spacecraft manufacturing and proprietary satellite constellation operations for international enterprise and defense clients. The funding follows continuous growth in building and operating dedicated smallsat platforms for

• Air Force Secretary Confirms US Has On-Orbit Space Control Weapons

  September 14, 2026

  The U.S. Department of the Air Force has deployed on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced Monday. The statement marks the most direct public acknowledgment by a U.S. official to date regarding space control weapons. Meink made the announcement in a keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association's 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. He framed the deployment as a response to evolving thre

• Sophia Space and SLI Set $300M Terms to Finance Orbital Compute Constellation

  September 14, 2026

  Orbital compute startup Sophia Space and space asset leasing company SLI have set terms for a $300 million asset-financing deal to fund a 10-satellite edge computing constellation, the companies announced today. The framework treats satellites as leasable assets, applying financing tools built for aviation and shipping to a new class of orbital infrastructure. Both companies are betting that space is entering what they describe as its infrastructure capital era. That shift, they argue, calls fo

• SWISSto12 Deepens Japan Ties With Mitsubishi Electric Through MoU and Antenna Contract

  September 14, 2026

  SWISSto12 and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding alongside a specific antenna contract, expanding an existing relationship between the Swiss additive-manufacturing space firm and the Japanese electronics company. The agreements target joint work on advanced payloads, radio-frequency products, and business development across Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region. The deal builds on ties already established between the two companies. Rather than a single o

• Elveo Taps Apex Space to Build 320-Satellite Direct-to-Device Fleet

  September 14, 2026

  Satellite direct-to-device startup Elveo Mobile has selected Apex Space to produce its planned 320-satellite constellation, handing the California manufacturer a major platform order. The decision sets the production path for Elveo's D2D network and validates Apex's high-rate manufacturing model. Elveo Mobile is the result of the merger of Lynk Global and Omnispace. The company announced on September 14 that it had chosen Apex's "Factory X" satellite-production model to build the constellation

• SpaceX Set for Larger Nasdaq 100 Weighting in Month-End Rebalance

  September 13, 2026

  SpaceX is poised to receive a larger weighting in the Nasdaq 100 later this month following an index rebalance. The change could trigger billions of dollars of mechanical buying by passive funds tied to the benchmark, independent of any company news. The adjustment stems from a scheduled Nasdaq 100 rebalance set to take effect later in September. Index-tracking funds that follow the benchmark would be required to adjust their holdings to match the new weighting, a process driven entirely by ind

• Chinese Tourist Charged Over Drone Flight Near Kennedy Space Center Launch Pads

  September 12, 2026

  A Chinese tourist faces two federal charges after flying a drone in restricted airspace above NASA's Kennedy Space Center, coming within 1.56 miles of the Artemis-based pad 39B. The device captured footage of launch pads 39A and 39B before KSC police seized it, according to a court affidavit. On the evening of July 25, KSC police responded to Playalinda Beach Access #8 at Canaveral National Seashore and saw Xiaodong He operating the drone. The drone had flown for 12 minutes and 24 seconds and r

• Air-Breathing Plasma Thruster Aims to Keep Satellites Aloft in Very Low Earth Orbit Indefinitely

  September 12, 2026

  A new plasma engine design uses the thin atmosphere itself as propellant, potentially allowing satellites to remain in Very Low Earth Orbit without carrying fuel. The concept, developed by Francesco Romano as part of his PhD thesis at the University of Stuttgart, addresses the persistent drag problem that forces spacecraft in these low orbits to fire engines almost constantly. Very Low Earth Orbit, between 100 and 450 km, offers distinct advantages. Remote sensing cameras capture sharper images

• Impulse Space's Twin Mira Vehicles Close to 650 Feet in Orbital Rendezvous

  September 12, 2026

  Two Mira orbital transfer vehicles operated by California startup Impulse Space maneuvered within 650 feet (200 meters) of each other in low Earth orbit, a demonstration the company says proves the agility and propulsion needed for a new class of on-orbit operations. Both spacecraft photographed the encounter, capturing images of each other during the approach. Impulse describes the operation as a showcase of capabilities that could serve customers across multiple sectors. Tom Mueller, CEO and

• NOAA Names 14 Commercial Providers to Five-Year Weather Data Contract

  September 12, 2026

  NOAA has selected 14 commercial satellite companies to supply weather data across seven categories under an expanded procurement aimed at improving forecasting. The move deepens the agency's reliance on privately operated constellations to gather environmental observations rather than building all the capability in house. NOAA announced the partner companies for the Space-Based Environmental Monitoring indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract on September 10. The award represents an ex

• Rocket Lab Launches 16th Electron of 2026 on Dedicated Flight for Undisclosed Customer

  September 11, 2026

  Rocket Lab launched its 16th Electron mission of the year on September 11, carrying a dedicated payload for a confidential customer from its New Zealand launch complex. The company said the flight solidifies its status as the world's leading small-launch provider. The mission continues a steady Electron launch cadence that Rocket Lab has maintained through 2026. The company, listed on the Nasdaq under RKLB and based in Auckland, New Zealand, disclosed the flight in a company release. The Septe

• EU Commission Seeks to Devote Half of 131-Billion-Euro Defense and Space Budget to Space

  September 11, 2026

  The European Commission wants space programs to receive 50 percent of its proposed seven-year military and space budget of 131 billion euros ($152.3 billion), Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in Paris. The allocation would channel roughly 65 billion euros to space over the 2028 to 2034 period. The proposal is part of the Commission's Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) budget covering 2028 to 2034. That budget is still under debate by the European Parliament and the Europ

• Antares Wins $161M Space Force Award to Demonstrate Nuclear Reactor in Orbit

  September 11, 2026

  Antares has been selected for a $161 million Strategic Breakthrough award to advance nuclear power for space, the company announced September 11. The selection, made by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, marks the largest current Department of War award in space nuclear power. The award directs Antares to carry a nuclear-powered spacecraft toward flight qualification. It supports goals set in Executive Order 14369, "Ensuring American Sp

• NASA Opens State Competition to Host New U.S. Space Academy

  September 11, 2026

  NASA issued a Request for Information on September 10 inviting governors to indicate interest in hosting and sponsoring the new U.S. Space Academy proposed in President Trump's recent Executive Order. States have until 6:00 pm ET on Monday, October 26, to respond. The move turns site selection for the proposed federal institution into a competition among states. The academy stems from an Executive Order Trump signed on August 28 at Johnson Space Center, where he presented the Congressional Spac