Commercial Space News

Payload

RATLOG targets a 90% reduction in rocket-engine parts as it joins Y Combinator

RATLOG, a heavy-lift rocket startup, debuted this week as part of Y Combinator’s Fall 2026 batch. The company says it wants to cut the number of parts in a rocket engine by about 90%, though the available report does not detail its design, funding or development timeline.

Bloomberg

Musk and SpaceX face a new challenge in US mobile services

Elon Musk’s move into US mobile-phone services would put SpaceX in a competitive arena distinct from its prior ventures. The shift brings the company’s ambitions beyond satellite connectivity and launch into a market with different competitive dynamics.

CNBC

Evercore ISI recommends buying SpaceX ahead of earnings

Evercore ISI has an outperform rating on SpaceX and is advising investors to buy the company ahead of its earnings report. The available report summary does not specify a price target, earnings date or the assumptions behind the recommendation.

SpaceNews.com

Three Chinese startups unveil reusable rocket plans and funding

Three newer Chinese launch companies announced rocket series or financing within a week, adding to an already crowded domestic launch market. Their varied vehicle designs and funding moves signal continued entry by private firms seeking a role in reusable launch, though the supplied reports provide no details on specific milestones or investment amounts.

Ars Technica

Stoke Space ships Nova’s reusable upper stage for testing

Stoke Space’s reusable upper stage for its Nova rocket has shipped out for testing, marking a step toward evaluating the stage’s design and performance. The available report does not specify the test location, schedule or results.

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

Book review argues team culture is a hidden risk in spacecraft design

Meidad Pariente’s *The Art of Robust Design: A Guide to Resilient Spacecraft Engineering in the New Space Era* contends that spacecraft risk extends beyond components and systems to the culture and practices of the teams designing them. The review frames organizational factors as a risk that conventional technical inspection may not reveal.

SpaceNews.com

Blue Origin plans more launch pads and landing ships to increase New Glenn flights from Florida

Blue Origin is investing in additional launch pads and landing platform ships to support more New Glenn launches from Florida. The infrastructure expansion is intended to increase the rocket’s launch cadence; the company has also outlined a second Cape Canaveral complex as part of its longer-term plans for New Glenn operations.

Ars Technica

High activity

SpaceX seeks more Starship launches as Blue Origin plans New Glenn ramp-up and Rocket Lab delays Neutron

SpaceX is seeking approval to sharply increase Starship launches from Texas as the FAA revises launch regulations. Blue Origin plans additional Florida pads and aims for multiple New Glenn flights per week by decade’s end, while Rocket Lab has pushed Neutron’s debut to 2027 after a manufacturing issue. The reports underscore competing launch-rate ambitions and execution constraints.