SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
SpaceX plans to wind down commercial Falcon 9 launches in the next few years, forcing satellite operators and launch customers to reassess access to orbit. The shift could reshape launch procurement, scheduling and competitive dynamics across the commercial space market.
Commercial Space
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
SpaceX plans to wind down commercial Falcon 9 launches in the next few years, forcing satellite operators and launch customers to reassess access to orbit. The shift could reshape launch procurement, scheduling and competitive dynamics across the commercial space market.
Exolaunch has signed an agreement to support customer payloads on SpaceX’s Starfall reentry mission, scheduled to launch on Starship no earlier than 2029. The deal marks Exolaunch’s first Starfall mission and expands the company’s role in arranging access to emerging space transportation services.
GHGSat’s second-generation satellite is designed to detect methane emissions with twice the sensitivity of the Canadian company’s original spacecraft while doubling monitoring capacity. The upgrade strengthens the firm’s ability to identify and track methane sources from orbit, supporting emissions measurement and climate-monitoring efforts.
The return to the Moon could support a lunar economy worth $566 billion by 2050, according to Deloitte. Reaching that figure will require building the transportation, surface systems and other infrastructure needed to make sustained lunar activity commercially viable.
Valour Consultancy forecasts that Amazon Leo, Amazon’s satellite connectivity network, will serve more than 5,000 commercial and business aviation aircraft by 2035. The projection points to a potentially significant aviation market for satellite-enabled onboard connectivity over the next decade.
High activity
Synspective successfully deployed its 12th StriX synthetic-aperture radar satellite on Rocket Lab’s Electron, expanding its Earth-observation constellation. The Japanese company also signed a launch service agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a future StriX launch aboard Japan’s H3 rocket.
Pixxel’s early investment in hyperspectral Earth observation has helped it build a global business, prompting a closer look at how the company’s rise could shape Europe’s position in the commercial space sector. Its trajectory underscores the strategic importance of advanced satellite data and analytics.
The U.S. Space Force is soliciting commercial satellites capable of locating and inspecting objects in orbit on short notice while expanding commercial tracking of GPS jamming and other electronic interference. New optical satellites from South Korea’s Satrec Initiative and persistent legacy spacecraft underscore the demand for orbital awareness.
Create a free account to see more recent Commercial Space stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
