Commercial Space News

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX looks beyond Falcon 9 as Starfall targets in-space logistics and Boeing advances Starliner cargo plans

SpaceX is positioning its Starfall capsule to address microgravity access and point-to-point cargo delivery while the company considers life after Falcon 9. Separately, Boeing says redesign work on CST-100 Starliner is progressing ahead of a potential 2026 cargo mission to the International Space Station.

New York Times

Companies and governments vie for increasingly valuable space-spectrum rights

As radio spectrum becomes more scarce and strategically valuable, private operators including SpaceX are competing with governments for greater control of the frequencies that enable satellite communications. The contest is turning access to invisible orbital real estate into a critical commercial and policy battleground.

Reuters

SpaceX’s first public-company results will test investor focus on Starlink, AI spending and lunar ambitions

SpaceX’s inaugural earnings call as a public company is expected to center on profitability, AI investment and Starlink’s satellite communications business. Retail shareholders, however, are submitting questions ranging from Starship’s lunar mission and orbital refueling to the possibility of painting the company’s rockets pink.

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX Advances Starbase Pad 1 Retrofit as Block 3 Flights Begin

SpaceX has begun flying Block 3 missions from its newly redesigned Starbase Pad 2 while crews continue retrofitting Pad 1. The work is intended to bring Pad 1 to the same configuration as Pad 2, Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A and the SLC-37 pad still under construction.

Bloomberg

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SpaceX shares hit new low ahead of first public-company earnings report and major share unlock

SpaceX stock has fallen below its June IPO price and swung sharply in the run-up to its first earnings report as a public company on Aug. 4. Investors are also preparing for the release of hundreds of millions of locked-up shares and updates on Starship, Starlink and AI initiatives.

Space.com

SpaceX captures Starship’s soft ocean landing after 13th test flight

SpaceX released drone and “buoy cam” footage showing Starship’s upper stage making a soft landing in the ocean after its 13th test flight on July 24. The imagery offers a detailed view of the vehicle’s post-flight recovery and landing performance.

NASA Spaceflight

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NASA deal adds Stennis test capacity as Blue Origin rebuilds New Glenn pad after explosion

NASA and Blue Origin have agreed to test New Glenn engines at NASA’s historic Stennis Space Center stand, giving the company an alternative to capacity constrained by the May static-fire explosion at Launch Complex 36 as it works toward a return to flight before the end of 2026.

SpaceWatch Global

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Spain advances sovereign military satcom with €2 billion IRIS² commitment and SpainSat NG-III contract

Spain plans to invest €1.6 billion to €2 billion in a national military satellite communications constellation potentially integrated with IRIS², while Airbus will build the secure SpainSat NG-III for Hisdesat. The developments coincide with strong Leonardo Space results and new work on sovereign broadband and direct-to-device payloads.