Commercial Space News

Reuters

SpaceX IPO boosts US Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s investment, netting millions after nomination A Reuters review of U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s financial disclosures found her investment in Elon Musk’s SpaceX rose sharply following the company’s IPO, generating millions of dollars. The gains reportedly followed her nomination for the SBA role, elevating scrutiny of her post-nomination financial position tied to SpaceX.

2026-07-17T03:27:17.334873-07:00

SpaceX IPO boosts US Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s investment, netting millions after nomination

Via Satellite

2 sources

AST SpaceMobile pushes Direct-to-Device commercial launch to early 2027; raises $1B via share sale and flags potential vertical AST SpaceMobile has rescheduled its commercial Direct-to-Device (D2D) service launch to early 2027, moving it from a prior late-2026 timeline. The company also launched a share sale to raise $1 billion and said it may consider vertical integration in its launch efforts.

2026-07-16T13:50:47.084854-07:00

AST SpaceMobile pushes Direct-to-Device commercial launch to early 2027; raises $1B via share sale and flags potential vertical

Space Intel Report

None source

ESA assessment: European space private investment fell 8% in 2025 but remains on a 37% five-year growth track Private investment in Europe’s space sector dropped 8% in 2025, according to an ESA market assessment, though activity continues to interest venture capital firms. Despite the year-over-year decline, the sector preserved a five-year average growth rate of 37% and is up roughly 2X since 2021.

2026-07-16T11:57:29.800384-07:00

ESA assessment: European space private investment fell 8% in 2025 but remains on a 37% five-year growth track

Via Satellite

8 sources

❗️

Space Development Agency restarts Falcon 9 launch campaign, placing 21 data-transport satellites into low Earth orbit SpaceX launched 21 satellites for the Space Development Agency (SDA) aboard a Falcon 9 on July 16, resuming the Pentagon’s first operational low-Earth-orbit military data network after a months-long pause. SDA cited software and hardware issues discovered on in-orbit units and delayed launches to address known problems.

2026-07-16T09:14:01.263011-07:00

Space Development Agency restarts Falcon 9 launch campaign, placing 21 data-transport satellites into low Earth orbit

European Spaceflight

3 sources

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ESA selects Ariane 6 for HENON CubeSat launch to demonstrate future solar storm monitoring ESA has chosen Ariane 6 to launch its HENON CubeSat mission, aimed at demonstrating a future capability to monitor solar storms. The launch will carry a deep-space smallsat payload designed to validate space-weather observation concepts.

2026-07-16T08:16:12.287228-07:00

ESA selects Ariane 6 for HENON CubeSat launch to demonstrate future solar storm monitoring

Payload

2 sources

Mission Authorization Hearing Puts Office of Space Commerce Framework Costs Under Scrutiny A hearing on the Office of Space Commerce’s framework for novel mission authorization turned into a debate over whether the office can afford to implement the approach. The proceedings highlighted funding and budget constraints as a central gating factor for execution of the authorization process.

2026-07-16T05:51:40.939117-07:00

Mission Authorization Hearing Puts Office of Space Commerce Framework Costs Under Scrutiny

Space.com

4 sources

❗️

SpaceX Starship Flight 13: launches 21 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites for U.S. military and deploys first Starlink V3 SpaceX carried out a Starship Flight 13 mission launching 21 U.S. military “Tranche 1 Transport Layer” satellites from California and said it would deploy the first Starlink V3 satellites for the first time. The mission also comes as SpaceX approaches 10,839 working satellites across its Starlink fleet.

2026-07-16T03:17:02.860166-07:00

SpaceX Starship Flight 13: launches 21 Tranche 1 Transport Layer satellites for U.S. military and deploys first Starlink V3

Space.com

None source

SpaceX will launch Starship, the world's largest rocket, on critical Flight 13 test today. Here's what to expect.

2026-07-16T03:17:02.860166-07:00

SpaceX will launch Starship, t

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Commercial Space News

SpaceX IPO boosts US Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s investment, netting millions after nomination

AST SpaceMobile pushes Direct-to-Device commercial launch to early 2027; raises $1B via share sale and flags potential vertical

Space Development Agency restarts Falcon 9 launch campaign, placing 21 data-transport satellites into low Earth orbit

ESA selects Ariane 6 for HENON CubeSat launch to demonstrate future solar storm monitoring

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