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SpaceNews.com • Jason Rainbow

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

The FCC has approved SpaceX’s acquisition of EchoStar spectrum to expand U.S. direct-to-device services, contingent on a $2.4 billion escrow arrangement linked to disputes over EchoStar’s abandoned terrestrial 5G buildout. Separately, the FCC’s FCC 26-26 report formalizes a broader shift to spectrum sharing and mandates auctions of remaining Upper C-band by mid-2027.

2026-05-12T16:35:38.746696-07:00

Flying Magazine

Collins Aerospace expands Largo, Florida site with $26.5M to boost FAA radar replacement output

2026-05-11T08:26:46.063389-07:00

The Air Current

FAA ATC modernization sparks “America first” backlash over foreign-owned contractor involvement

2026-05-11T14:07:58.312996-07:00

Ars Technica

Starlink ends its GPS-style “location” feature, but researchers say GPS alternatives could remain viable

2026-05-11T13:54:47.492712-07:00

News Timeline

Breaking Defense

Latvia tests UGV comms in dense forest where Starlink-linked systems falter Latvian reports say unmanned ground vehicles encountered significant communication problems while operating in densely forested areas, with many incidents involving systems relying on Starlink. The episode highlights a practical connectivity gap for ground robotics in challenging terrain, with potential operational impacts during decentralized missions.

2026-05-13T01:57:09.373330-07:00

Latvia tests UGV comms in dense forest where Starlink-linked systems falter

SpaceNews.com

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran The FCC has approved SpaceX’s acquisition of EchoStar spectrum to expand U.S. direct-to-device services, contingent on a $2.4 billion escrow arrangement linked to disputes over EchoStar’s abandoned terrestrial 5G buildout. Separately, the FCC’s FCC 26-26 report formalizes a broader shift to spectrum sharing and mandates auctions of remaining Upper C-band by mid-2027.

2026-05-12T16:35:38.746696-07:00

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

The Air Current

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FAA ATC modernization sparks “America first” backlash over foreign-owned contractor involvement The FAA’s selection and consideration of foreign-owned contractors for work to modernize the U.S. air traffic control system has triggered fresh criticism from U.S. stakeholders. The controversy centers on how national-security and procurement “America first” expectations intersect with needed modernization capacity.

2026-05-11T14:07:58.312996-07:00

FAA ATC modernization sparks “America first” backlash over foreign-owned contractor involvement

Ars Technica

Starlink ends its GPS-style “location” feature, but researchers say GPS alternatives could remain viable Starlink is shutting down a GPS-style “location” feature that some users may have relied on as a navigation aid. The move is unlikely to stall broader experimentation: researchers say the underlying mechanisms may be replicable, keeping momentum around non-GPS location and timing approaches.

2026-05-11T13:54:47.492712-07:00

Starlink ends its GPS-style “location” feature, but researchers say GPS alternatives could remain viable

Flying Magazine

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Collins Aerospace expands Largo, Florida site with $26.5M to boost FAA radar replacement output Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, is investing $26.5 million to expand its Largo, Florida facility to accelerate production of commercial aviation radars and defense multi-domain security solutions. The work will support the FAA’s Radar System Replacement Program, including Condor Mk3 and ASR-XM production.

2026-05-11T08:26:46.063389-07:00

Collins Aerospace expands Largo, Florida site with $26.5M to boost FAA radar replacement output

FlightGlobal

Delta warns ITC investigation into Joby trade practices could jeopardize air-taxi partnership Delta Air Lines says an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into Joby Aviation’s trade practices could disrupt its air-taxi partnership. Delta’s concern adds regulatory and legal headwinds to Joby’s commercialization push, even as Joby’s Q1 results show near-term revenue still depends largely on Blade rather than eVTOL operations.

2026-05-08T20:47:21.813008-07:00

Delta warns ITC investigation into Joby trade practices could jeopardize air-taxi partnership

Payload

South Korea outlines commercialization push for quantum communications research South Korea announced a new plan to expand its research into quantum communications technology, explicitly targeting commercialization. The initiative signals a step from lab work toward scalable deployment of quantum communications capabilities as the country seeks near-term pathways to market-ready applications.

2026-05-07T06:03:12.554782-07:00

South Korea outlines commercialization push for quantum communications research

Via Satellite

Verizon expands satellite fleet for “satellite-everywhere” disaster-response failover Verizon is expanding its satellite fleet to support a “satellite-everywhere” approach for disaster response, moving toward a satellite-enabled failover strategy. A Verizon representative told Via Satellite that the expansion is designed to improve resilience when terrestrial networks are disrupted.

2026-05-06T13:46:09.767886-07:00

Verizon expands satellite fleet for “satellite-everywhere” disaster-response failover

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Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection) News

FCC greenlights SpaceX’s EchoStar spectrum purchase for US direct-to-device—ties approval to $2.4B escrow amid upper C-band tran

Collins Aerospace expands Largo, Florida site with $26.5M to boost FAA radar replacement output

FAA ATC modernization sparks “America first” backlash over foreign-owned contractor involvement

Starlink ends its GPS-style “location” feature, but researchers say GPS alternatives could remain viable

News Timeline