Commercial Space News

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

NASA selects Advanced Space to fly successor to CAPSTONE for cislunar rendezvous and proximity testing

NASA has selected Advanced Space to build and fly a successor mission to CAPSTONE, targeting cislunar smallsats. The effort will test rendezvous and proximity operations around the Moon, validating mission techniques needed for future lunar logistics and more complex spacecraft interactions.

1 Source

2026-07-28T05:22:11.627763-07:00

Space.com

China to fly Africa’s first lunar science probes aboard Chang’e 8 to target the lunar south pole in 2029

2 Sources

2026-07-28T06:41:48.916561-07:00

Payload

Amazon files with the FCC to launch a direct-to-device LEO constellation of more than 5,000 satellites

1 Source

2026-07-28T06:47:04.117930-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 test flight recap highlights on the megarocket’s progress

2 Sources

2026-07-27T15:06:24.692742-07:00

Commercial Space Industry (New Space) News Timeline

Bloomberg

6 sources

SpaceX shares slump: valuation down $1.2T+, stock hits new lows ahead of Aug. 6 lock-up expiry SpaceX’s listed shares slid to new all-time lows and erased roughly $1.2 trillion in market value since its record IPO, falling about 20% below the IPO price. The selloff intensified as investors priced in risk ahead of an Aug. 6 lock-up expiration releasing up to 911.5 million shares.

2026-07-28T06:57:04.971216-07:00

SpaceX shares slump: valuation down $1.2T+, stock hits new lows ahead of Aug. 6 lock-up expiry

Payload

1 source

Amazon files with the FCC to launch a direct-to-device LEO constellation of more than 5,000 satellites Amazon has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to operate a direct-to-device network in low Earth orbit, targeting a constellation sized at more than 5,000 satellites. The filing signals Amazon’s entry into the direct-to-device satellite communications race and escalates competitive pressure in LEO broadband.

2026-07-28T06:47:04.117930-07:00

Amazon files with the FCC to launch a direct-to-device LEO constellation of more than 5,000 satellites

Space.com

2 sources

China to fly Africa’s first lunar science probes aboard Chang’e 8 to target the lunar south pole in 2029 China plans to launch Africa’s first space exploration mission using a trio of spherical probes carried on the Chang’e 8 lander. The mission is scheduled for 2029 and aims to conduct lunar-south-pole science as part of Chang’e 8 operations.

2026-07-28T06:41:48.916561-07:00

China to fly Africa’s first lunar science probes aboard Chang’e 8 to target the lunar south pole in 2029

SpaceNews.com

1 source

NASA selects Advanced Space to fly successor to CAPSTONE for cislunar rendezvous and proximity testing NASA has selected Advanced Space to build and fly a successor mission to CAPSTONE, targeting cislunar smallsats. The effort will test rendezvous and proximity operations around the Moon, validating mission techniques needed for future lunar logistics and more complex spacecraft interactions.

2026-07-28T05:22:11.627763-07:00

NASA selects Advanced Space to fly successor to CAPSTONE for cislunar rendezvous and proximity testing

Space.com

2 sources

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 test flight recap highlights on the megarocket’s progress SpaceX’s Starship completed its 13th test flight, described as going “pretty well,” with an accompanying set of highlights from the mission. A separate weekly recap also points to broader momentum around moon-lander/rover concepts, AI-enabled engineering, and large-scale launch and communications funding.

2026-07-27T15:06:24.692742-07:00

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 test flight recap highlights on the megarocket’s progress

Via Satellite

1 source

Inside the smallsat manufacturing market: assembling faster with tighter tradeoffs across speed, cost, quality and mission flexi A look at how smallsat assembly is evolving into a more industrial, production-line model—expanding capabilities for a more diverse customer base while forcing manufacturers to balance speed, cost, quality and mission flexibility. The report outlines the process constraints shaping today’s smallsat build cycle.

2026-07-27T06:38:44.643905-07:00

Inside the smallsat manufacturing market: assembling faster with tighter tradeoffs across speed, cost, quality and mission flexi

Via Satellite

3 sources

New Space’s LEO scaling stress-tests satellite architecture and shifts bandwidth from RF to laser—and toward lunar connectivity As LEO megaconstellations and in-orbit computing projects accelerate data generation, the brief highlights how subsystem design and payload integration determine platform scalability. Separately, Astrolight positions end-to-end lasercom to relieve RF spectrum congestion and throughput limits, while NASA/ESA work to establish communications “connectivity backbones” for lunar and cislunar ecosystems.

2026-07-27T06:38:43.510663-07:00

New Space’s LEO scaling stress-tests satellite architecture and shifts bandwidth from RF to laser—and toward lunar connectivity

Payload

5 sources

Orbes unveils Exo-ORB free-flying ~12U “maintenance spacecraft” under an agreement to image Symphony Space station Orbes has announced an agreement (July 27) to send Exo-ORB—an approximately 12U, under-26kg, free-flying satellite—on-board customer infrastructure to gather imagery of an uncrewed Symphony Space station. The company positioned Exo-ORB as a “ready-to-go” inspection platform launched via customer systems.

2026-07-27T06:06:43.755953-07:00

Orbes unveils Exo-ORB free-flying ~12U “maintenance spacecraft” under an agreement to image Symphony Space station

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