SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
Northrop Grumman has delivered 21 satellites to Vandenberg Space Force Base for launch, marking its entry alongside York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin into the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The satellites are intended to advance space-based military data relay capabilities.
LEO
Latest source-backed stories
Northrop Grumman has delivered 21 satellites to Vandenberg Space Force Base for launch, marking its entry alongside York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin into the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The satellites are intended to advance space-based military data relay capabilities.
High activity
Starship reached orbit on its 14th test flight, completing its most ambitious mission yet and deploying 26 next-generation Starlink satellites through its “Pez dispenser” system over roughly 30 minutes. The flight marks a significant operational milestone for SpaceX’s largest launch vehicle and satellite deployment architecture.
High activity
Google plans to launch prototype satellites with Planet by early 2027 to test whether orbital infrastructure can support large-scale AI computing. The Project Suncatcher experiments will evaluate TPU performance, radiation exposure, cooling and launch survival—early steps toward potential space-based data centers.
Planet Labs plans to launch its first German-built satellite on a German rocket in early 2027, supported by expanded Berlin production. Separately, Exolaunch has contracted a dedicated SpaceX Starship mission for 2029, while China completed four orbital launches in 45 hours to advance competing LEO broadband constellations.
High activity
Eutelsat demonstrated OneWeb LEO connectivity on Poland’s live PKP Intercity rail network, while Sateliot joined ESA’s IRIS² consolidation phase for the low-LEO layer. Separately, ESA and Axiom Space signed an MoU aimed at expanding Europe’s access to low Earth orbit and related capabilities.
SES will oversee construction and provide payloads for 18 MEO satellites in Europe’s secure Iris² constellation, while U.S. agencies advance contracts and infrastructure for missile-warning and tracking systems, including BAE Systems’ 10-spacecraft MEO Epoch 2 program and new resilient LEO ground entry points.
Pharmaceutical companies are preparing to move drug research and manufacturing into commercial low Earth orbit platforms as the International Space Station approaches the end of its operational life. The industry is also working with regulators to establish rules for producing medicines in space.
The U.S. Space Force will let SpaceX determine the number and configuration of spacecraft for a new $2.3 billion low-Earth-orbit satellite network, specifying required performance rather than prescribing the system’s architecture. The approach gives the contractor greater flexibility in designing the military constellation.
Create a free account to see more recent LEO stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
