LEO News

Space Intel Report • Peter B. de Selding

Eutelsat FCC filing suggests its 440-satellite Airbus OneWeb order could add new capabilities

Eutelsat’s FCC filing tied to its Airbus Defence and Space order for 440 OneWeb satellites indicates the batch may not be a straight continuation of the current 640-satellite fleet. The filing points to potential additional features—such as optical inter-satellite links—that are not present across today’s satellites.

1 Source

2026-07-15T11:14:01.105739-07:00

Associated Press

Amazon Leo to start satellite broadband in South Africa by 2027 via Herotel deal

12 Sources

2026-07-15T08:30:36.897441-07:00

Reuters

SpaceX targets July 16 for Starship Flight 13, deploying Starlink from a v3 vehicle after schedule slips

32 Sources

2026-07-13T07:45:06.737977-07:00

SpaceNews.com

SDA awards $1.75B for Golden Dome Tranche 3 tracking satellites; L3Harris gets $955M for 18 spacecraft

39 Sources

2026-07-13T14:19:46.091532-07:00

Low Earth Orbit News Timeline

Space Intel Report

1 source

Eutelsat FCC filing suggests its 440-satellite Airbus OneWeb order could add new capabilities Eutelsat’s FCC filing tied to its Airbus Defence and Space order for 440 OneWeb satellites indicates the batch may not be a straight continuation of the current 640-satellite fleet. The filing points to potential additional features—such as optical inter-satellite links—that are not present across today’s satellites.

2026-07-15T11:14:01.105739-07:00

Eutelsat FCC filing suggests its 440-satellite Airbus OneWeb order could add new capabilities

Associated Press

12 sources

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Amazon Leo to start satellite broadband in South Africa by 2027 via Herotel deal Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit satellite internet venture, Amazon Leo, has signed an agreement with South Africa’s Herotel to distribute connectivity to residential customers and expand broadband access for underserved rural areas. Amazon says service is targeted for South Africa by 2027, positioning Leo in Africa’s competitive market alongside providers such as Starlink.

2026-07-15T08:30:36.897441-07:00

Amazon Leo to start satellite broadband in South Africa by 2027 via Herotel deal

SpaceNews.com

39 sources

SDA awards $1.75B for Golden Dome Tranche 3 tracking satellites; L3Harris gets $955M for 18 spacecraft The U.S. Space Development Agency awarded $1.75 billion for Tranche 3 Tracking Layer satellites supporting the Golden Dome missile defense shield. L3Harris received $955 million to produce 18 satellites, with Sierra Space getting $798 million, under fixed-price OTA rapid-prototyping contracts targeting Tranche 3 by end-2028.

2026-07-13T14:19:46.091532-07:00

SDA awards $1.75B for Golden Dome Tranche 3 tracking satellites; L3Harris gets $955M for 18 spacecraft

Reuters

32 sources

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SpaceX targets July 16 for Starship Flight 13, deploying Starlink from a v3 vehicle after schedule slips SpaceX is preparing Starship’s 13th test flight later this week, with a target no earlier than July 16. Flight 13 will use the rocket’s Version 3 configuration and is intended to be similar to Flight 12, while SpaceX also plans to test new Starlink satellites in orbit. The launch has seen at least one T-0 pushback.

2026-07-13T07:45:06.737977-07:00

SpaceX targets July 16 for Starship Flight 13, deploying Starlink from a v3 vehicle after schedule slips

Space.com

1 source

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Study finds 2-inch (5-cm) space-debris fragments forming a “minefield” in high-value, high-traffic orbit A new study reports a debris cloud made up of fragments as small as 2 inches (5 cm) in an orbital region populated by mission-critical satellites. The authors warn the concentration of tiny pieces in a high-traffic zone could pose escalating collision risk—effectively raising insurance and replacement costs for operators.

2026-07-13T05:14:11.600423-07:00

Study finds 2-inch (5-cm) space-debris fragments forming a “minefield” in high-value, high-traffic orbit

Via Satellite

1 source

Ovzon completes GEO connectivity and terminal trials in Arctic conditions Ovzon says it has completed multiple trials in the Arctic to validate its GEO connectivity and associated terminal technology in harsh polar environments, as it works to prove performance and readiness for deployment in similar operating conditions.

2026-07-10T11:30:15.234355-07:00

Ovzon completes GEO connectivity and terminal trials in Arctic conditions

Ars Technica

1 source

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NASA releases critical planning document for private space stations, clarifying requirements for commercial partners NASA has released a key planning document detailing what it wants from industry for private space-station efforts. The update provides the first consolidated clarity on the planning expectations facing commercial providers, reducing ambiguity for program schedules and downstream engineering decisions.

2026-07-10T08:30:39.371153-07:00

NASA releases critical planning document for private space stations, clarifying requirements for commercial partners

Space.com

1 source

Euclid telescope finds the oldest known quasar—black hole-powered beacon from the early universe Using the ESA’s Euclid space telescope, astronomers identified a large population of black hole–powered quasars in the early universe, including the most ancient and most distant quasar observed to date. The object’s brightness corresponds to energy output described as a “trillion suns.”

2026-07-09T14:14:03.753069-07:00

Euclid telescope finds the oldest known quasar—black hole-powered beacon from the early universe

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