News

Reuters • Mike Stone

Space Force awards SpaceX $2.29B for Space Data Network Backbone to build a LEO “military internet”

The US Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to develop the Space Data Network Backbone—an LEO satellite network designed to function as a military data communications layer. The backbone will support the broader Space Data Network, including the SDA’s Transport layer satellites.

2026-05-26T14:43:28.561315-07:00

CNBC

SpaceX pursues mega-IPO—positioning Starlink as an AI-driven Connectivity business ahead of a public-market valuation

2026-05-21T07:31:02.113895-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Lynk Global and Anterix win FCC experimental license for satellite direct-to-device tests in 900 MHz spectrum

2026-05-19T06:10:13.907601-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch

2026-05-18T11:09:35.504992-07:00

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Reuters

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Space Force awards SpaceX $2.29B for Space Data Network Backbone to build a LEO “military internet” The US Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to develop the Space Data Network Backbone—an LEO satellite network designed to function as a military data communications layer. The backbone will support the broader Space Data Network, including the SDA’s Transport layer satellites.

2026-05-26T14:43:28.561315-07:00

Space Force awards SpaceX $2.29B for Space Data Network Backbone to build a LEO “military internet”

Payload

Op-ed: LEO in-space manufacturing lacks self-sustaining commercial demand—policy support is the bridge An op-ed argues that low Earth orbit (LEO) remains a compelling market for in-space manufacturing, but current commercial demand is insufficient to support durable, market-led operations. It contends government support is required to close the gap until scalable revenue models emerge.

2026-05-26T10:51:23.043170-07:00

Op-ed: LEO in-space manufacturing lacks self-sustaining commercial demand—policy support is the bridge

Universe Today

Study: Sunspot activity can accelerate LEO reentries, raising collision/debris-management pressure as constellations grow A new study links increased sunspot activity to faster atmospheric reentries, implying more frequent return of low Earth orbit objects. The finding lands as mega-constellation growth (e.g., Starlink and others) adds exponential orbital debris load, intensifying the operational burden of avoiding hazards in a more crowded LEO environment.

2026-05-21T07:38:54.449478-07:00

Study: Sunspot activity can accelerate LEO reentries, raising collision/debris-management pressure as constellations grow

CNBC

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SpaceX pursues mega-IPO—positioning Starlink as an AI-driven Connectivity business ahead of a public-market valuation SpaceX’s IPO filing and investor marketing frame the company as a three-part platform—Connectivity (Starlink), Space, and AI—despite only one segment being profitable today. The company targets a very large raise/valuation and signals it will compete for investor capital with AI-focused peers while losses accelerate alongside an “AI expansion” pitch.

2026-05-21T07:31:02.113895-07:00

SpaceX pursues mega-IPO—positioning Starlink as an AI-driven Connectivity business ahead of a public-market valuation

SpaceNews.com

The “cardinality wall” highlights the data bottleneck as LEO constellations scale to thousands of satellites As low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations move into an era of concurrency—potentially thousands of spacecraft operating at once—industry is running into a “cardinality wall”: a hidden data management bottleneck tied to tracking and handling the sheer number of objects and connections in near-real time.

2026-05-20T06:10:24.394943-07:00

The “cardinality wall” highlights the data bottleneck as LEO constellations scale to thousands of satellites

European Spaceflight

The Exploration Company completes Nyx test model vibration testing as ESA evaluates LEO cargo return service proposals The Exploration Company has completed Nyx test-model vibration testing, ahead of ESA’s evaluation of proposals for a LEO Cargo Return Service. The milestone supports the program’s design validation and readiness for the qualification and integration steps that follow ESA’s assessment phase.

2026-05-20T04:40:27.322294-07:00

The Exploration Company completes Nyx test model vibration testing as ESA evaluates LEO cargo return service proposals

SpaceNews.com

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband After SpaceX disrupted satellite communications with low-latency broadband from low Earth orbit, traditional satellite operators are promoting “multi-orbit” architectures that integrate LEO, MEO and geostationary capacity. The approach is pitched as a way to survive outages, attacks and congestion.

2026-05-19T08:11:47.729871-07:00

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband

SpaceNews.com

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Lynk Global and Anterix win FCC experimental license for satellite direct-to-device tests in 900 MHz spectrum Lynk Global secured FCC approval to run experimental tests of its satellite direct-to-device (D2D) network over Anterix’s licensed 900 MHz broadband spectrum in the United States, targeting enterprise communications for critical infrastructure sectors. The trial is positioned as a proof point for terrestrial-spectrum reuse with satellite-enabled connectivity.

2026-05-19T06:10:13.907601-07:00

Lynk Global and Anterix win FCC experimental license for satellite direct-to-device tests in 900 MHz spectrum

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LEO News

Space Force awards SpaceX $2.29B for Space Data Network Backbone to build a LEO “military internet”

SpaceX pursues mega-IPO—positioning Starlink as an AI-driven Connectivity business ahead of a public-market valuation

Lynk Global and Anterix win FCC experimental license for satellite direct-to-device tests in 900 MHz spectrum

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch

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