New York Times
• Kenneth Chang
NASA and Katalyst Space have abandoned an attempt to dock with and raise the orbit of the aging Swift observatory after persistent attitude-control problems disabled the LINK servicing spacecraft. The decision ends a low-cost effort to extend Swift’s operational life and preserve its gamma-ray science mission.
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NASA and Katalyst Space have abandoned an attempt to dock with and raise the orbit of the aging Swift observatory after persistent attitude-control problems disabled the LINK servicing spacecraft. The decision ends a low-cost effort to extend Swift’s operational life and preserve its gamma-ray science mission.
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Globalstar deployed all eight replacement satellites built by Rocket Lab and MDA Space, while Eutelsat completed the first rendez-vous for Europe’s IRIS² programme. Separately, Viasat selected Rocket Lab for a U.S. Space Force GEO satellite, and Finland’s ReOrbit launched a €4.6 million connectivity R&D programme.
NASA is testing technologies aimed at reducing dependence on Earth-based infrastructure and improving mobility beyond Earth. The agency demonstrated GPS-free optical navigation on its Starling CubeSat swarm, evaluated wheel designs for lunar bases, and developed a fabric-based ground-penetrating-radar antenna for SkyFall Mars helicopters.
Telesat says it is pursuing good-faith negotiations with bondholders suing to reverse a 2025 transfer of funds to its dedicated Telesat LEO subsidiary. The satellite operator is also confronting a $1.7 billion debt payment due in December, adding financial pressure to its LEO strategy.
SpaceMD will use Starfall for a space-based pharmaceutical manufacturing mission, positioning low Earth orbit as a potential production environment for treatments targeting diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s. The effort underscores the expanding commercial-space sector’s interest in translating orbital manufacturing into medical applications.
The push to build data centers is extending into lower Earth orbit, creating a potential new market for insurers. Orbital facilities would introduce unfamiliar exposure across launch, spacecraft operations, infrastructure resilience and the increasingly complex risk environment of commercial space.
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Bluebox and SkyFive are partnering to help airlines convert air-to-ground connectivity into stronger ancillary revenue and passenger-experience offerings. Separately, Blue Origin has selected RBC Signals to support its Quartz global ground-station network, which is expected to include nine sites by year-end for missions in low Earth orbit and beyond.
The U.S. Space Force is funding five companies to demonstrate interoperability across commercial satellite systems for its open-architecture Space Data Network, whose proliferated low-Earth-orbit backbone is being supplied by SpaceX. Separately, Impulse Space received a $28 million SBIR Phase III extension supporting two VICTUS SALO missions.
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