OST Staff

• 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

• MDA Space Launches Defence Variant of Aurora Software-Defined Satellite

  September 10, 2026

  MDA Space has introduced MDA Aurora Black, a defence-focused extension of its Aurora software-defined satellite product line built to deliver secure and resilient communications for government and military customers. The company announced the product on September 10, 2026, positioning it to address military satellite communications requirements in contested environments. The new product builds on the existing Aurora line's flexibility, scalability and performance features, adding layers of prot

• Space Force Moves Toward New GPS Ground Control Program Months After OCX Cancellation

  September 10, 2026

  The U.S. Space Force appears ready to launch a new program to modernize the GPS ground command-and-control segment, less than six months after canceling the troubled Next-Generation Operational Control System, known as OCX. The effort would upgrade the ground infrastructure that operates the GPS satellite constellation. The move follows the cancellation of the beleaguered OCX contract earlier this year. A notice dated Sept. 2 from the Space Enterprise Consortium, headlined "Coming," signaled th

• Space Force Picks Lake Kickapoo, Texas, To Complete DARC Radar Triad

  September 10, 2026

  The U.S. Space Force has selected a remote location near Lake Kickapoo in northern Texas as the third and final site for its next-generation ground-based space domain awareness network. The choice completes a three-site global triad designed to track objects in deep space, including in geostationary orbit. The decision, announced September 9, identifies Lake Kickapoo as the preferred location for the third Deep-space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC, installation. The program is run by the Sp

• DOT Creates SPACE Task Force to Speed Commercial Launch Approvals

  September 10, 2026

  The US Department of Transportation has launched a new SPACE Task Force intended to make space launches faster and more cost-effective while keeping the United States ahead in commercial space. Coverage published September 9 framed the initiative as an effort to unleash commercial space innovation. The task force arrives against a backdrop of persistent complaints from commercial operators over launch licensing and regulatory bottlenecks. A DOT-level body signals that the administration is movi

• IBM and NASA Open-Source First Lunar Foundation AI Model to Speed Moon Science

  September 10, 2026

  IBM and NASA released the NASA-IBM Lunar Foundation Model, one of the first publicly available foundation models built for scientific exploration of the Moon. Trained on an extensive lunar observation dataset curated by researchers from both organizations, the model turns decades of multi-instrument data into insights meant to support the establishment of a sustained human presence on the Moon. For decades, sensors and instruments have continuously observed the Moon, generating petabytes of dat