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NASA Spaceflight • Justin Davenport

Firefly returns with 'Stairway to Seven' as SpaceX deploys 29 more Starlink satellites

Firefly Aerospace returns to flight this week with its Alpha 'Stairway to Seven' mission from California, while SpaceX sustains a rapid Starlink cadence, most recently deploying 29 satellites on the Starlink 6-103 mission and scheduling additional launches in the same period.

2026-02-16T15:09:48.885902-08:00

SpaceWatch Global

OroraTech’s dual-use wildfire-monitoring satellites — interview with co‑founder Thomas Grübler at MSC 2026

2026-02-16T11:55:18.351656-08:00

Space Intel Report

Synspective opens Munich subsidiary as SAR constellation growth points to operating profit in 2026

2026-02-16T11:53:06.611350-08:00

Bloomberg

SpaceX and xAI enter classified Pentagon contest for voice‑controlled autonomous drone swarms

2026-02-16T11:04:25.060566-08:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

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Firefly returns with 'Stairway to Seven' as SpaceX deploys 29 more Starlink satellites Firefly Aerospace returns to flight this week with its Alpha 'Stairway to Seven' mission from California, while SpaceX sustains a rapid Starlink cadence, most recently deploying 29 satellites on the Starlink 6-103 mission and scheduling additional launches in the same period.

2026-02-16T15:09:48.885902-08:00

Firefly returns with 'Stairway to Seven' as SpaceX deploys 29 more Starlink satellites

SpaceWatch Global

OroraTech’s dual-use wildfire-monitoring satellites — interview with co‑founder Thomas Grübler at MSC 2026 At MSC 2026, Torsten Kriening sat down with OroraTech co‑founder Thomas Grübler for an up‑close look at the company's dual‑use wildfire‑monitoring satellites. The interview profiles OroraTech as one of Germany's most dynamic New Space firms and outlines the operational role of its sensors for fire detection.

2026-02-16T11:55:18.351656-08:00

OroraTech’s dual-use wildfire-monitoring satellites — interview with co‑founder Thomas Grübler at MSC 2026

Space Intel Report

Synspective opens Munich subsidiary as SAR constellation growth points to operating profit in 2026 Synspective will establish a European subsidiary in Munich to expand sales of SAR data and analytics as it accelerates deployment of its radar-satellite constellation. The provider, which reported a doubling of revenue, now forecasts it will reach operating profit in 2026 on higher data sales and scale.

2026-02-16T11:53:06.611350-08:00

Synspective opens Munich subsidiary as SAR constellation growth points to operating profit in 2026

Bloomberg

SpaceX and xAI enter classified Pentagon contest for voice‑controlled autonomous drone swarms SpaceX and its wholly owned AI subsidiary xAI are competing in a classified Pentagon contest to develop voice‑controlled, autonomous drone‑swarm technology, people familiar with the matter say. The entry brings Musk’s space and AI capabilities into a sensitive U.S. defence autonomy competition against traditional contractors.

2026-02-16T11:04:25.060566-08:00

SpaceX and xAI enter classified Pentagon contest for voice‑controlled autonomous drone swarms

Space.com

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SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral; second Falcon 9 lifted from California SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:59 a.m. EST on Feb. 16, following a separate Falcon 9 launch from California two days earlier; the booster landed on a droneship despite challenging weather, continuing rapid constellation expansion.

2026-02-16T07:50:54.045309-08:00

SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral; second Falcon 9 lifted from California

European Spaceflight

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Rocket Factory Augsburg readies SaxaVord for inaugural RFA ONE orbital launch Rocket Factory Augsburg has begun commissioning its SaxaVord launch pad as it prepares for the inaugural orbital flight of its RFA ONE rocket, advancing the German small‑launcher toward its first UK launch campaign. Teams are completing ground checks and pad integration ahead of liftoff.

2026-02-16T07:19:49.282076-08:00

Rocket Factory Augsburg readies SaxaVord for inaugural RFA ONE orbital launch

SpaceNews.com

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The space nuclear power bottleneck — and how to fix it This analysis identifies bottlenecks constraining spacecraft nuclear power — limited production of reactors and radioisotope sources, constrained test facilities, and regulatory hurdles — and proposes steps to expand manufacturing, testing and licensing. Accelerating these fixes is framed as essential to enable high‑power satellites, nuclear propulsion and future deep‑space missions.

2026-02-16T06:12:44.830314-08:00

The space nuclear power bottleneck — and how to fix it

SpaceWatch Global

18th European Space Conference: Europe shifts focus from sustainability to security At the 18th European Space Conference, discussions moved beyond sustainability and debris mitigation toward geopolitics-driven priorities: defence-oriented capabilities, sovereign intelligence and resilience of space infrastructure. The shift signals potential reallocation of funding, procurement focus and industry requirements across European agencies and contractors.

2026-02-16T04:15:46.035106-08:00

18th European Space Conference: Europe shifts focus from sustainability to security

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Commercial Space News

Firefly returns with 'Stairway to Seven' as SpaceX deploys 29 more Starlink satellites

OroraTech’s dual-use wildfire-monitoring satellites — interview with co‑founder Thomas Grübler at MSC 2026

Synspective opens Munich subsidiary as SAR constellation growth points to operating profit in 2026

SpaceX and xAI enter classified Pentagon contest for voice‑controlled autonomous drone swarms

News Timeline