News

Reuters

SpaceX pivots from Mars to Moon settlement, pauses Mars emphasis, Musk says

Elon Musk said SpaceX is putting its long-standing goal of sending humans to Mars on the backburner to prioritise building a self-sustaining, "self-growing" lunar city. The company cites quicker access and feasibility, targeting a sub‑10‑year timeline for a Moon settlement versus multi‑decade Mars plans.

2026-02-08T15:59:33.293582-08:00

Space.com

US–China moon rivalry sparks private-sector scramble to build the lunar economy

2026-02-08T03:08:20.471850-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX Starbase approved to nearly double launch‑site footprint

2026-02-07T11:59:02.501994-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Space Force awards Starfish Space $54.5M for second Otter on‑orbit servicing vehicle

2026-02-07T08:07:20.728950-08:00

News Timeline

Reuters

❗️

SpaceX pivots from Mars to Moon settlement, pauses Mars emphasis, Musk says Elon Musk said SpaceX is putting its long-standing goal of sending humans to Mars on the backburner to prioritise building a self-sustaining, "self-growing" lunar city. The company cites quicker access and feasibility, targeting a sub‑10‑year timeline for a Moon settlement versus multi‑decade Mars plans.

2026-02-08T15:59:33.293582-08:00

SpaceX pivots from Mars to Moon settlement, pauses Mars emphasis, Musk says

Space.com

❗️

US–China moon rivalry sparks private-sector scramble to build the lunar economy As Washington and Beijing accelerate national lunar programs, private firms are racing to build the commercial infrastructure—landers, habitats, resource extraction and cislunar logistics—that will determine market positions and access on the Moon. The competition increasingly blurs civil, commercial and strategic lines for operators and suppliers.

2026-02-08T03:08:20.471850-08:00

US–China moon rivalry sparks private-sector scramble to build the lunar economy

SpaceNews.com

SpaceX IPO could drive investor interest across public-space sector An investor in two space companies that listed in the past year said a forthcoming SpaceX IPO could reignite investor appetite for commercial space. The listing may unlock fresh capital flows into satellite and launch firms, lifting valuations and liquidity for public and pre‑IPO peers.

2026-02-07T12:47:21.171500-08:00

SpaceX IPO could drive investor interest across public-space sector

NASA Spaceflight

❗️

SpaceX Starbase approved to nearly double launch‑site footprint Regulators have approved SpaceX’s plan to nearly double the footprint of its Starbase launch site, clearing space for expanded ground infrastructure and operational activity. The decision arrives as the company pushes to conduct Flight 12 from the Texas complex, advancing Starship test operations.

2026-02-07T11:59:02.501994-08:00

SpaceX Starbase approved to nearly double launch‑site footprint

SpaceNews.com

❗️

Space Force awards Starfish Space $54.5M for second Otter on‑orbit servicing vehicle The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command awarded Starfish Space $54.5 million to build a second Otter satellite‑servicing vehicle, funding a GEO‑capable on‑orbit servicing and mobility platform. Starfish says it leverages large‑scale simulations and Google Cloud machine learning to develop autonomous rendezvous, docking and mobility functions.

2026-02-07T08:07:20.728950-08:00

Space Force awards Starfish Space $54.5M for second Otter on‑orbit servicing vehicle

Spaceflight Now

❗️

SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 on a return-to-flight mission after a brief stand‑down, carrying the Starlink 17‑33 payload of 25 broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. The flight expands SpaceX's megaconstellation, pushing its operational fleet past 9,600 satellites as deployment continues.

2026-02-07T00:33:51.287105-08:00

SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation

Reuters

❗️

SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing SpaceX has shelved plans for 2026 Mars missions to concentrate on an uncrewed lunar landing now targeted for March 2027, a move attributed to NASA pressure and rising competition from Blue Origin while the company pursues a major xAI merger and a possible IPO.

2026-02-06T16:13:39.939476-08:00

SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing

Via Satellite

❗️

Blue Origin targets satellite constellations with TeraWave as analysts assess competitive positioning Blue Origin is entering the satellite constellation market with a new offering, TeraWave, marking one of the year's biggest strategic pivots. Analysts are assessing its competitive positioning against established constellation operators and suppliers as the company expands beyond launch into spacecraft and services.

2026-02-06T11:40:17.967884-08:00

Blue Origin targets satellite constellations with TeraWave as analysts assess competitive positioning

Menu

Commercial Space News

SpaceX pivots from Mars to Moon settlement, pauses Mars emphasis, Musk says

US–China moon rivalry sparks private-sector scramble to build the lunar economy

SpaceX Starbase approved to nearly double launch‑site footprint

Space Force awards Starfish Space $54.5M for second Otter on‑orbit servicing vehicle

News Timeline