Top Stories

Agentic AI and the Speed Problem in Space Warfare

SpaceNews lays out the core argument: whoever can sense, analyze, and act faster in the space domain wins. Agentic AI — autonomous systems that can execute multi-step decisions without continuous human input — is the next step beyond current AI-assist tools already used in military space operations.

The driver is math. Proliferated constellations mean more objects, more data, and more decision points than human operators can handle at relevant speed. Adversary counterspace capabilities — jamming, spoofing, co-orbital threats — compound the time pressure. Agentic systems are being evaluated to close that loop. For KeepTrack users tracking conjunction events or maneuvering satellites, this is the doctrinal framing behind why automated space domain awareness matters.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

EU Space Funding Grows, Defense Focus Sharpens

An Aerospace Corporation report finds European Union space funding increasing alongside a sharper emphasis on defense applications. The EU is redirecting investment toward capabilities that serve both civil and military users — a structural shift from its historically civilian-dominant space posture.

This has direct implications for the satellite catalog. EU-backed constellations and defense satellites from ESA member states are expanding the tracked object population. Users monitoring European orbital assets should expect more entries from programs funded under the EU’s evolving defense budget lines.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Navy’s Fleet Forces Commander: Iran Operations Reduce China Deterrence Capacity

Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, stated directly that consuming naval assets against Iran mathematically reduces available force for Pacific deterrence. “If you consume a fixed resource, then your ability to bring that to bear on another problem set is diminished by the amount you subtract it,” Caudle said.

This is the clearest senior-leader acknowledgment yet of the two-front resource strain on the Navy. Space-based ISR and communications assets supporting both theaters face the same fixed-resource logic Caudle described.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Unistellar Telescopes Recruited for Artemis 2 Light Curve Science

Unistellar is coordinating citizen scientists to track the Artemis 2 rocket’s light curve using its smart telescope network. The campaign doubles as planetary defense training — the same observation techniques used to characterize near-Earth objects apply to tracking large space vehicles.

For amateur satellite trackers, this is a practical entry point into photometric observation. Measuring brightness variations over time can reveal an object’s rotation rate and shape — data that complements the orbital elements available through tools like KeepTrack.

Read the full story: Space.com

U.S. Defense Secretary Publicly Questions NATO Access and Burden-Sharing

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that U.S. requests for assistance or access within NATO have been met with “questions or roadblocks or hesitation.” The remarks came alongside reports that Spain has restricted airspace access.

The friction has space-layer implications. NATO’s integrated air and missile defense architecture depends on shared satellite communications and ISR. If access agreements tighten, the interoperability of allied space assets becomes a live operational question rather than a planning assumption.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Army’s ITEP Engine Now Targeting 2028 Qualification, Six Years Behind Schedule

The Improved Turbine Engine Program was originally scheduled for delivery in 2022. Supply chain failures tied to COVID-19 and manufacturing problems with advanced components pushed the timeline. Senior Army leaders are now targeting full qualification by 2028.

ITEP is not a space program, but it illustrates the broader defense industrial base stress affecting programs across all domains — including satellite production and launch vehicle manufacturing that share supplier networks with rotary aviation.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Analyst: Caudle’s ‘Fighting Instructions’ Avoids the Hard Force-Design Choices

Defense analyst Bruce Stubbs writes in Breaking Defense that Adm. Caudle’s Fighting Instructions document — intended to frame the Navy’s future — stops short of making actual tradeoffs or force-design decisions. Without those choices, the document functions as vision statement rather than strategy.

The critique matters for space planners watching how the Navy integrates space-based capabilities into its warfighting concept. A strategy that defers hard decisions on force structure also defers clarity on which space assets get prioritized for contested environments.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Satellite of the Day

TIANQI 25

TIANQI 25 (Tianqi Xingzuo 25) is a compact communication satellite launched on May 29, 2024, as part of China’s growing constellation of Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication platforms. Operated by GUOG and manufactured by ASES, this lightweight 40-kilogram satellite represents the miniaturization trend in commercial space—a box-shaped craft measuring just 50 cm in length with a 30 cm diameter. It was deployed via the Gushenxing 1 launch vehicle from YSLA Launch Site LP6, joining an expanding network designed to provide global connectivity for IoT devices and remote M2M applications where traditional terrestrial infrastructure falls short.

The TIANQI constellation is part of a broader international push toward mega-constellations and specialized communication networks. With an orbital inclination of 44.98°, TIANQI 25 serves mid-latitude regions effectively and contributes to coverage redundancy across the TIANQI fleet. The satellite’s reliance on solar arrays and battery power systems is typical of modern small-satellite design, enabling sustained operations despite its compact form factor. For those tracking emerging Chinese space initiatives and the competitive landscape of commercial IoT connectivity from orbit, TIANQI 25 exemplifies how rapid launch cadences and small-satellite platforms are democratizing access to global communication infrastructure.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track TIANQI 25

Upcoming Space Launches

April 1

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Launch System Block 1:
  • Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA (22:24 UTC) NASA’s Space Launch System will launch an Orion spacecraft on the first crewed flight of the Artemis program. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch (NASA), along with Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency), will perform a lunar flyby during a roughly 10-day mission, with their capsule — named Integrity — splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 2

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 10-58 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (11:52 UTC) A batch of 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites launching to low Earth orbit. Booster B1067 will fly for its 34th time, targeting a landing on drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-35 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (23:03 UTC) A batch of 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites launching to low Earth orbit. Booster B1067 will fly for its 34th time, targeting a landing on drone ship Just Read the Instructions. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 3

• Space Pioneer Tianlong-3:

  • Demo Flight from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (03:52 UTC) First test launch of Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 rocket, a reusable vehicle capable of lifting 17,000 kg to low Earth orbit. Reports indicate this mission may carry a batch of satellites for the SpaceSail/G60/Qianfan LEO communications constellation. Launch Preview

• RKK Energiya Soyuz-5:

  • Demo Flight from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan (11:00 UTC) Inaugural demonstration flight of Russia’s new Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) launch vehicle, carrying a mass simulator. Developed to replace the Zenit-2 and Proton Medium, the Soyuz-5 is powered by an RD-171MV engine on its first stage and two RD-0124MS engines on its second stage, with a capacity of 17,000 kg to low Earth orbit. This flight marks a major milestone in Russia’s next-generation launch vehicle program. Launch Preview

April 4

• United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551:
  • Amazon Leo (LA-05) from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (05:45 UTC) The sixth of nine Atlas V rockets contracted by Amazon will launch a batch of broadband satellites for the Amazon Leo (Kuiper) low Earth orbit constellation, which aims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to underserved and remote regions worldwide. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 7

• Northrop Grumman Space Systems Minotaur IV:

  • STP-S29A from Space Launch Complex 8, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (TBD) A U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program mission delivering up to 200 kg of cubesats to low Earth orbit. The primary payload is STPSat-7, an ESPA-class satellite hosting multiple technology demonstration payloads for the DoD. Instruments include the Naval Research Laboratory’s LARADO (Lightsheet Anomaly Resolution and Debris Observation) system, designed to detect and characterize lethal non-trackable orbital debris using lasers. The Minotaur IV is derived from decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBM stages.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-21 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (02:39 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s broadband mega-constellation. Watch Live

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8:

  • Unknown Payload from Commercial LC-1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (13:00 UTC) Details of the payload are currently unavailable. The Long March 8 is capable of delivering up to 8,100 kg to low Earth orbit and up to 5,000 kg to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit.

Schedule Changes

• Minotaur IV | STP-S29A has been newly added to the manifest, scheduled for April 7, 2026, with a status of To Be Determined.
• Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-21 has been newly added, scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 02:39 UTC from Vandenberg SFB.
• Long March 8 | Unknown Payload has been newly added, scheduled for April 7, 2026, with a window opening at 13:00 UTC from Wenchang Space Launch Site.
• Soyuz-5 | Demo Flight has had its status upgraded from To Be Confirmed to Go for Launch, confirming the planned inaugural flight of Russia’s new Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) launch vehicle.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.