Top Stories

Space Force Targets On-Orbit Refueling and Space Tugs by 2030

Space Force’s new Objective Force plan commits to demonstrating on-orbit refueling and fielding operational space tugs within four years. The move reflects a shift from treating satellites as fixed assets to treating them as maneuverable elements in a contested environment.

For satellite trackers, this matters operationally. Space tugs extend the useful life of satellites and can reposition them on short notice — which complicates conjunction analysis and makes it harder to predict where a given asset will be. If you’re monitoring GEO or MEO objects, expect orbital behavior to get less predictable as these capabilities mature.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Raytheon, U.S. Agencies Push ‘Left of Launch’ Missile Disruption Tools

At the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Raytheon Intelligence and Space VP Erich Hernandez-Baquero confirmed that U.S. government agencies are actively developing capabilities to disrupt missiles before launch — a concept the defense community calls “left of launch.”

The approach leans heavily on space-based ISR to detect and characterize threats in pre-launch windows. It’s a direct driver of demand for low-latency overhead persistent surveillance assets, which feeds directly into the satellite architecture decisions Space Force and NRO are making right now.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Army Plans HADES Contract for 1,000 km Strike Capability

The Army expects to award an initial contract for the HADES long-range effects system within months. The program targets a launched capability with a range of up to 1,000 km, with a demonstration scheduled for later in 2026.

HADES would give ground forces a strike option deep enough to threaten targets well beyond the front line — a capability with obvious relevance to Pacific scenarios where standoff distance is a core tactical problem.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Australia Commits $53B AUD Increase, Targets 3% of GDP for Defense

Australia announced it will add $53 billion AUD in defense spending above earlier projections over the next decade, with a stated goal of reaching 3% of GDP. Officials confirmed the U.S. remains the primary partner in the buildup.

The increase comes amid broader allied efforts to harden Pacific deterrence. Australia’s space situational awareness cooperation with the U.S. — including the C-Band radar at Exmouth and Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station — is likely to benefit from expanded funding.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Army Divested Nearly 60% of Apache AH-64D Fleet in Past Year

Col. Tim Jaeger, director of Army aviation at the G3/5/7, confirmed the Army has divested close to 60% of its Apache D model fleet over the past 12 months as part of the Aviation Transformation Initiative. The older D variants are being phased out in favor of the E model and future rotorcraft concepts.

The divestiture pace is faster than most public timelines suggested. It reflects the Army’s push to shed legacy platforms before budgets tighten further under potential reconciliation constraints.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Army Secretary Calls Paladin Howitzer Too Slow, Requests Production Halt

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll asked lawmakers to back a halt to Paladin M109 howitzer production, citing lessons from Ukraine. “The Paladin is just incapable of it at speed,” Driscoll said, referring to the shoot-and-scoot demands of modern artillery warfare.

Halting Paladin production would free funding for next-generation indirect fire systems better suited to survivability in a drone-saturated environment — the same threat calculus driving investment in counter-UAS and long-range precision fires like HADES.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Senate Budget Chair Graham Signals Delay on Defense Reconciliation Funding

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said defense spending in the reconciliation bill may have to wait until after border security and ICE funding are resolved. “I’m trying to keep it as small and focused as possible,” Graham said, pushing back on defense hawks lobbying for a larger package.

Timing matters for Space Force and missile defense programs that are counting on reconciliation to bridge gaps in the base budget. A delay of several months could push contract awards and program starts into late 2026.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Satellite of the Day

PEARL WHITE 2

PEARL WHITE 2 was a 6U CubeSat developed by TIGER and launched by the U.S. Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) on August 19, 2019, aboard a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle from Launch Complex 1A in New Zealand. This compact 10-kilogram satellite was designed as a technology demonstrator, carrying out experimental missions to validate new concepts and systems in the orbital environment. Its modest dimensions—just 0.3 meters in length and span—made it an ideal candidate for the responsive, cost-effective launch capabilities that Rocket Lab’s small-lift vehicle provides.

The satellite operated in a low Earth orbit inclined at approximately 44.98 degrees and was designed for a one-year operational lifetime, powered by solar cells and batteries. While PEARL WHITE 2 has now decayed and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, it represents an important chapter in the growing trend of military and government agencies using CubeSats for rapid, affordable technology validation. Its mission exemplifies how small satellites continue to play a crucial role in space domain awareness and advanced testing programs.

Learn more about this satellite: View PEARL WHITE 2

Upcoming Space Launches

April 18

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-22
  • Starlink Group 17-22 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Launch Complex 4E, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. The first stage booster, tail number 1080, launching for a 26th time, will land on the drone ship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 19

• Blue Origin New Glenn: BlueBird Block 2 #2
  • BlueBird Block 2 #2 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Launch Complex 36A, FL, USA (10:45 UTC) Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite into low Earth orbit. This is the second satellite in AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation constellation, designed to support space-based cellular broadband for commercial and government customers. This marks the third flight of a New Glenn rocket overall. Booster recovery intentions have not been confirmed. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 20

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: GPS III SV10
  • GPS III SV10 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40, FL, USA (06:57 UTC) The tenth and final mission in the GPS III series, launching for the United States Space Force. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based radio navigation system operated by the United States Space Force, providing geolocation and time information to receivers anywhere on or near Earth. The Falcon 9 Block 5 is designed for rapid and reliable reusability. Watch Live

April 22

• Rocket Lab HASTE: Bubbles

  • Bubbles from Wallops Flight Facility, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 (Launch Area 0 C), Virginia, USA (00:00 UTC) A sub-orbital launch under Rocket Lab’s Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) program. The HASTE vehicle is derived from the Electron rocket and serves as a suborbital testbed for hypersonics research. Further mission details are to be determined.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-14

  • Starlink Group 17-14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Launch Complex 4E, CA, USA (02:00 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. The first stage booster, tail number 1080, launching for a 26th time, will land on the drone ship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch Live

April 23

• Rocket Lab Electron: Kakushin Rising (JAXA Rideshare)
  • Kakushin Rising (JAXA Rideshare) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (03:09 UTC) A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-manifested rideshare mission carrying eight spacecraft, including educational small satellites, an ocean monitoring satellite, a demonstration satellite for ultra-small multispectral cameras, and OrigamiSat-2, featuring a deployable antenna that unfurls to 25 times its packed size using origami folding techniques. The satellites were originally planned to fly on a Japanese Epsilon-S rocket but were transferred to Electron following Epsilon-S test firing failures. The eight payloads are: MAGNARO-II, KOSEN-2R, WASEDA-SAT-ZERO-II, FSI-SAT2, OrigamiSat-2, Mono-Nikko, ARICA-2, and PRELUDE.

April 25

• Agency for Defense Development South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV: Demo Flight

  • Demo Flight from ADD Offshore Launch Platform, Sea Launch (05:00 UTC) The first orbital full-version launch of South Korea’s military small satellite launch vehicle, following two sub-orbital stage tests in March and December 2022 and one orbital test flight without the second stage in December 2023. This vehicle is capable of delivering up to 500 kg to low Earth orbit. Further details are to be determined. Note: Launch vehicle name is provisional.

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5: Starlink Group 17-16

  • Starlink Group 17-16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Launch Complex 4E, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) A batch of 25 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s space-based internet communication system. Watch Live

• Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz 2.1a: Progress MS-34 (95P)

  • Progress MS-34 (95P) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, 31/6, Republic of Kazakhstan (22:21 UTC) A Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Schedule Changes

• New Glenn | BlueBird Block 2 #2: Status updated from “To Be Confirmed” to “Go for Launch.”
• South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV | Demo Flight: Status updated from “To Be Confirmed” to “Go for Launch.”
• Falcon 9 Block 5 | GPS III SV10: Status updated from “To Be Confirmed” to “Go for Launch.”
• Long March 4C | Daqi-2 (AEMS): Status updated from “Go for Launch” to “Launch Successful” — removed from the upcoming launch calendar.
• Soyuz 2.1b/Volga | Kosmos (Unknown Payload): New launch added to the manifest, currently listed as “Launch in Flight” with a scheduled date of April 16, 2026 at 21:00 UTC.

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