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• Jeff Foust
German launch startup Isar Aerospace says it is ready to begin commercial launches of its Spectrum rocket after a successful test flight earlier this month, marking a transition from development testing toward operational launch services in Europe’s emerging commercial space market.
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KSAT will operate Intuitive Machines’ EAGLE spacecraft under a new collaboration and assess integrating PierSight’s synthetic aperture radar and automatic identification system data into its Vake maritime platform, expanding the companies’ efforts to combine spacecraft operations with commercial maritime intelligence services.
German launch startup Isar Aerospace says it is ready to begin commercial launches of its Spectrum rocket after a successful test flight earlier this month, marking a transition from development testing toward operational launch services in Europe’s emerging commercial space market.
HawkEye 360 is deepening its European footprint through a partnership with Leonardo, the creation of its first Luxembourg subsidiary and a separate collaboration with ERA. The moves broaden the company’s regional industrial and commercial relationships around satellite-based radio-frequency intelligence and geospatial data services.
Planet Labs Germany will provide dedicated Earth-observation capacity to Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior under a contract announced Sept. 16. The agreement gives the ministry access to dedicated constellation services, expanding commercial satellite support for German government applications.
Hydrosat announced at World Space Business Week that it will provide thermal intelligence using a combination of commercial data and sovereign satellite systems. The approach positions the company across both commercial and government-oriented space markets, linking satellite-derived thermal information with national capabilities.
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SpaceX has told multiple prospective customers that it is no longer accepting new commercial Falcon 9 launch reservations, according to industry officials. The move appears to mark a gradual preparation for retiring the workhorse rocket in favor of the super-heavy Starship vehicle.
Direct-to-device satellite services are attracting partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite companies, promising broader coverage without terrestrial infrastructure in remote areas. As these relationships multiply, unresolved questions around deployment, commercial models and service execution will shape whether D2D becomes a scalable network extension.
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SpaceX said it is targeting Sept. 22 for Starship’s first attempt to reach orbit. The roughly 10-hour mission is also expected to deploy 26 V3 Starlink satellites, combining a major test of the vehicle’s orbital capability with the first launch of a new-generation constellation spacecraft.
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