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SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Firefly unveils Alpha Block II upgrade to boost reliability, production and responsiveness

Firefly Aerospace announced an Alpha Block II configuration upgrade—due to debut on Alpha Flight 8—designed to improve reliability, streamline production and expand operational flexibility for commercial, civil and national‑security missions. The move follows recent Alpha anomalies and ongoing return‑to‑flight corrective work.

2026-01-13T17:50:34.502644-08:00

Spaceflight Now

Space Force reassigns GPS III SV09 launch from ULA Vulcan to SpaceX Falcon 9

2026-01-13T15:45:40.357541-08:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

2026-01-13T14:11:09.329340-08:00

Payload

Orbital Paradigm's KID Reentry Vehicle Survives Failed ISRO PSLV Launch, Returns Critical Data

2026-01-13T06:03:43.914346-08:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

Firefly unveils Alpha Block II upgrade to boost reliability, production and responsiveness Firefly Aerospace announced an Alpha Block II configuration upgrade—due to debut on Alpha Flight 8—designed to improve reliability, streamline production and expand operational flexibility for commercial, civil and national‑security missions. The move follows recent Alpha anomalies and ongoing return‑to‑flight corrective work.

2026-01-13T17:50:34.502644-08:00

Firefly unveils Alpha Block II upgrade to boost reliability, production and responsiveness

Spaceflight Now

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Space Force reassigns GPS III SV09 launch from ULA Vulcan to SpaceX Falcon 9 The U.S. Space Force has moved the upcoming GPS III Space Vehicle 09 (SV09) mission from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan to a SpaceX Falcon 9, Space Systems Command’s Delta 80 said. SpaceX could launch SV09 within weeks, shifting a national-security navigation payload to a commercial Falcon 9.

2026-01-13T15:45:40.357541-08:00

Space Force reassigns GPS III SV09 launch from ULA Vulcan to SpaceX Falcon 9

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights SpaceX is accelerating Starship ground‑infrastructure upgrades at Starbase and Cape Canaveral, advancing construction and integration to support planned 2026 orbital flights. Work at both sites shortens the critical path to orbital tests and signals growing pad capability for frequent heavy‑lift operations.

2026-01-13T14:11:09.329340-08:00

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

SpaceNews.com

Space "nuclear renaissance" accelerates — propulsion, power and defense implications A renewed global push for nuclear technologies in space — from reactors for spacecraft power to nuclear thermal and electric propulsion — is accelerating, with growing investment and program activity. The trend carries substantial implications for launch architecture, on‑orbit capabilities and military applications.

2026-01-13T08:11:07.539773-08:00

Space "nuclear renaissance" accelerates — propulsion, power and defense implications

Universe Today

Can philanthropy and New Space fast‑track a flagship observatory? A new arXiv preprint from Schmidt Space and academic partners proposes the Lazuli Space Observatory: a philanthropy‑backed, New Space‑style flagship telescope that applies Silicon Valley 'move fast' development and smallsat launch cost efficiencies to cut schedule and cost for large science missions.

2026-01-13T07:10:35.272046-08:00

Can philanthropy and New Space fast‑track a flagship observatory?

Payload

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Orbital Paradigm's KID Reentry Vehicle Survives Failed ISRO PSLV Launch, Returns Critical Data Orbital Paradigm says its KID reentry vehicle survived long enough to transmit valuable telemetry after ISRO's PSLV experienced a launch failure, providing time‑stamped flight and reentry data for post‑flight analysis. The partial success gives engineers empirical test data despite the rocket anomaly.

2026-01-13T06:03:43.914346-08:00

Orbital Paradigm's KID Reentry Vehicle Survives Failed ISRO PSLV Launch, Returns Critical Data

SpaceNews.com

2026: space nuclear power and surviving the lunar night set the agenda for a busy lunar year 2026 is shaping up as a turning point: space nuclear power and solutions for surviving the lunar night will drive mission architecture and payload priorities, even as governments and commercial players accelerate cislunar infrastructure, launch cadence and policy work to support expanded lunar activity.

2026-01-13T04:11:55.781016-08:00

2026: space nuclear power and surviving the lunar night set the agenda for a busy lunar year

Reuters

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Pentagon to invest $1B in L3Harris Missile Solutions to scale solid‑rocket motor production ahead of 2026 IPO The Department of Defense will make a $1 billion equity investment in L3Harris's Missile Solutions unit via a convertible preferred security, supporting a spin‑off that will scale production of solid rocket motors for guided weapons and space systems. The standalone company is slated for an IPO in H2 2026.

2026-01-13T03:15:43.320245-08:00

Pentagon to invest $1B in L3Harris Missile Solutions to scale solid‑rocket motor production ahead of 2026 IPO

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Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

Firefly unveils Alpha Block II upgrade to boost reliability, production and responsiveness

Space Force reassigns GPS III SV09 launch from ULA Vulcan to SpaceX Falcon 9

SpaceX speeds Starship pad and ground‑system work at Starbase and Cape Canaveral ahead of 2026 flights

Orbital Paradigm's KID Reentry Vehicle Survives Failed ISRO PSLV Launch, Returns Critical Data

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