News

SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Space Force awards SpaceX $57M crosslink demo using Link-182 for MILNET data relay

The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX a $57 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182. The radio-frequency data-link standard has been adopted for the MILNET data relay network.

2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00

collectSPACE

Vast unveils custom flight suit and wearable timepiece for commercial space-station crews

2026-04-22T19:50:53.912897-07:00

Payload

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power

2026-04-23T05:20:30.703779-07:00

European Spaceflight

The Exploration Company signs MoU with OCCAM Space to develop clampband separation system for Nyx capsule

2026-04-23T04:06:44.828915-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

❗️

Space Force awards SpaceX $57M crosslink demo using Link-182 for MILNET data relay The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX a $57 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182. The radio-frequency data-link standard has been adopted for the MILNET data relay network.

2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00

Space Force awards SpaceX $57M crosslink demo using Link-182 for MILNET data relay

SpaceNews.com

Space Systems Command awards SpaceX $57.3M for Link-182 space-to-space military comms Space Systems Command awarded SpaceX a $57,303,302 firm-fixed-price contract to develop and demonstrate the Link-182 Space-to-Space Communications System in Hawthorne, California. The award underscores ongoing Pentagon investment in resilient, space-based crosslink capabilities for defense missions.

2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00

Space Systems Command awards SpaceX $57.3M for Link-182 space-to-space military comms

Payload

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power Astrobotic tested one of its two Chakram engine prototypes with a continuous 300-second hot-fire at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The run is part of a broader prototype test campaign intended to validate power-plant performance for future Moon missions.

2026-04-23T05:20:30.703779-07:00

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power

European Spaceflight

The Exploration Company signs MoU with OCCAM Space to develop clampband separation system for Nyx capsule The Exploration Company has signed an MoU with OCCAM Space to develop a clampband separation system for its Nyx capsule. The agreement centers on the capsule separation mechanism—an enabling subsystem for safe separation and spacecraft mission operations.

2026-04-23T04:06:44.828915-07:00

The Exploration Company signs MoU with OCCAM Space to develop clampband separation system for Nyx capsule

The Economist

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX emerge as “neo-primes” reshaping how the US wages war as Iran war refines requirements An opinion piece argues the Trump administration is aligning with a “neo-prime” circle—Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX—to change US force employment. It frames the Iran war as a pressure test that is reshaping defense-tech priorities, operational concepts and the balance between autonomy/AI and space-enabled capabilities.

2026-04-23T00:06:11.258886-07:00

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX emerge as “neo-primes” reshaping how the US wages war as Iran war refines requirements

SpaceNews.com

Univity raises ~$32M Series A to field two 5G VLEO demonstrators in 2027, scaling toward 1,600+ satellites French startup Univity says it has raised around $32 million in a Series A to launch a pair of 5G very-low-Earth-orbit (VLEO) demonstrators next year. The funding supports plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites aimed at extending 5G coverage from space for telecom operators.

2026-04-22T23:05:44.348378-07:00

Univity raises ~$32M Series A to field two 5G VLEO demonstrators in 2027, scaling toward 1,600+ satellites

collectSPACE

Vast unveils custom flight suit and wearable timepiece for commercial space-station crews Vast says it has adopted a custom approach to astronaut apparel, unveiling its astronaut flight suit for use in commercial space-station operations. The company also revealed it is testing a timepiece tailored for the same program, continuing its push to standardize crew gear for in-orbit missions.

2026-04-22T19:50:53.912897-07:00

Vast unveils custom flight suit and wearable timepiece for commercial space-station crews

New York Times

Elon Musk recasts SpaceX’s roadmap—moon ambitions, Mars delay and AI-driven priorities As SpaceX prepares for an IPO, Elon Musk is proposing “moonshots” that move away from the company’s original Mars-centric framing. The shift adds AI as a central theme, signaling a changing long-term strategy even as SpaceX’s public-market push accelerates attention on its next investment narrative.

2026-04-22T17:57:39.994931-07:00

Elon Musk recasts SpaceX’s roadmap—moon ambitions, Mars delay and AI-driven priorities

Menu

Commercial Space News

Space Force awards SpaceX $57M crosslink demo using Link-182 for MILNET data relay

Vast unveils custom flight suit and wearable timepiece for commercial space-station crews

Astrobotic conducts NASA Marshall hot-fire tests of Chakram engine prototype for lunar lander power

The Exploration Company signs MoU with OCCAM Space to develop clampband separation system for Nyx capsule

News Timeline