Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

SpaceNews.com • Andrew Parsonson

The Exploration Company forms US entity to pursue government space contracts

Germany-based space transportation firm The Exploration Company has established TEC Federal, a US entity, to position itself for participation in US government programs and related contracting opportunities. The move is intended to broaden its ability to compete for public-sector work.

1 Source

2026-07-09T13:29:01.924634-07:00

European Spaceflight

ArianeGroup shares details of an upgraded Ariane 6 upper-stage rocket engine test campaign

1 Source

2026-07-09T11:59:12.192966-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Pentagon accelerates directed-energy: Lockheed/nLIGHT high-energy lasers; Space Force funds Pulse Space $40M for laser power and

18 Sources

2026-07-09T06:15:31.858085-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Blue Origin launches first-ever outside fundraising round, seeking up to $10B at a reported $130B valuation

7 Sources

2026-07-09T05:14:36.745101-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

1 source

US Interior Department seeks industry input on offshore orbital launch concepts The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued a request for information on concepts for performing offshore orbital launches. The effort is aimed at collecting options and considerations that could shape how orbital launch activities are conducted over maritime areas, before follow-on policy or regulatory steps.

2026-07-09T16:24:43.015369-07:00

US Interior Department seeks industry input on offshore orbital launch concepts

SpaceNews.com

1 source

The Exploration Company forms US entity to pursue government space contracts Germany-based space transportation firm The Exploration Company has established TEC Federal, a US entity, to position itself for participation in US government programs and related contracting opportunities. The move is intended to broaden its ability to compete for public-sector work.

2026-07-09T13:29:01.924634-07:00

The Exploration Company forms US entity to pursue government space contracts

SpaceNews.com

None source

The Exploration Company establishes US entity to pursue government contracts

2026-07-09T13:29:01.924634-07:00

The Exploration Company establ

European Spaceflight

1 source

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ArianeGroup shares details of an upgraded Ariane 6 upper-stage rocket engine test campaign ArianeGroup has disclosed a previously unannounced test campaign for an upgraded Ariane 6 upper-stage rocket engine. The announcement adds concrete progress markers to the engine’s development trajectory ahead of Ariane 6’s operational readiness and mission ramp-up.

2026-07-09T11:59:12.192966-07:00

ArianeGroup shares details of an upgraded Ariane 6 upper-stage rocket engine test campaign

Space.com

2 sources

US pushes for offshore rocket-launch sites amid public and environmental backlash The US administration is advancing plans to build offshore rocket launch sites, drawing criticism from opponents who argue the initiative would turn public waters into development areas for unverified “pipe dreams” and profit motives. The dispute centers on coastal and public-waters protection versus expanded domestic launch capacity.

2026-07-09T06:17:30.420548-07:00

US pushes for offshore rocket-launch sites amid public and environmental backlash

SpaceNews.com

18 sources

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Pentagon accelerates directed-energy: Lockheed/nLIGHT high-energy lasers; Space Force funds Pulse Space $40M for laser power and The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin and nLIGHT Defense contracts to transition high-energy laser weapon systems into field-ready, production-oriented platforms to defeat drones and cruise missiles. Separately, the Space Force funded Pulse Space’s $40 million effort for laser-based power beaming and orbital tracking. The Space Force also finalized an acquisition-structure reform creating nine mission-area portfolio acquisition executives.

2026-07-09T06:15:31.858085-07:00

Pentagon accelerates directed-energy: Lockheed/nLIGHT high-energy lasers; Space Force funds Pulse Space $40M for laser power and

SpaceNews.com

7 sources

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Blue Origin launches first-ever outside fundraising round, seeking up to $10B at a reported $130B valuation Blue Origin has initiated its first external private financing effort, aiming to raise as much as $10 billion at a reported $130 billion valuation, according to reporting cited across the cluster. The move follows intense capital inflows to the space sector but highlights a persistent constraint: limited launch capacity.

2026-07-09T05:14:36.745101-07:00

Blue Origin launches first-ever outside fundraising round, seeking up to $10B at a reported $130B valuation

Space.com

6 sources

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Hidden orbital threats surface: new debris scans reveal dozens of previously undetected fragments near critical satellite orbits New observation techniques are uncovering small, previously unseen space-debris fragments—dozens of them—raising concerns about a “potential minefield” near valuable satellite regions, including objects as small as ~5 cm. Separate work outlines ways to detect hidden nuclear-weapon material in orbit, and reporting also highlights China’s Tianwen-2 probe imaging an Earth ‘quasi-moon’.

2026-07-09T05:14:13.339467-07:00

Hidden orbital threats surface: new debris scans reveal dozens of previously undetected fragments near critical satellite orbits

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