NRO awards three commercial satellite contracts, expanding scope to dynamic military target tracking. Former NASA chief Bridenstine joins Quantum Space for cislunar operations.
On April 22, 2026, the FAA published a final rule implementing per-launch user fees for commercial space transportation — the first time the U.S. government has charged payload-based fees for rocket launches. Starting at 25 cents per pound with a $30,000 cap, the fees are modest today. By 2033, they won't be.
In 2024, China launched 68 orbital missions. In 2025, the number jumped to 97. In 2026, state media and Western analysts agree the target is 140 or more. Most of that growth is being driven by two state-backed mega-constellations, a half-dozen private launch companies hitting stride, and a deliberate national pivot toward commercial space. Beijing is no longer trying to catch SpaceX. It is trying to build an industrial base that outlasts one.
Space Force selects 14 companies for $1.8 billion Andromeda program to replace GSSAP geosynchronous surveillance satellites with commercial alternatives through 2036.
A startup built on Cold War-era radar science now tracks 25,000 objects in orbit - and the Pentagon can't get enough of it. But can its radars really compete with the Space Surveillance Network?
SpaceX confidentially files for a record-breaking IPO targeting a $1.75T valuation and $80B raise, while a Starlink satellite breaks apart in orbit.
