Reuters
Commercial satellite imagery analyzed by Reuters shows a site in Russia’s Rostov region transformed from an empty field on Aug. 31 into a sprawling drone facility by Oct. 14. The base is positioned near Ukraine and is intended to launch jet-powered drones, underscoring the rapid expansion of Russia’s strike infrastructure.
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Satellites help Ukraine detect when Russian missiles and drones have been launched and provide information that can support interception, making space-based surveillance a key part of the country’s defense alongside weapons. The article describes the role of U.S. space-based capabilities in that effort.
Commercial satellite imagery analyzed by Reuters shows a site in Russia’s Rostov region transformed from an empty field on Aug. 31 into a sprawling drone facility by Oct. 14. The base is positioned near Ukraine and is intended to launch jet-powered drones, underscoring the rapid expansion of Russia’s strike infrastructure.
Comtech leadership said this week that the divestiture of its satellite business to Gilat Satellite Networks is expected to close by the end of the calendar year. The update sets a near-term timeline for the transaction, though no further terms or operational details were provided.
China’s representative to the ITU Space Sustainability Forum proposed equipping every low Earth orbit satellite with radio-frequency identification beacons, likening the approach to aviation’s ADS-B and maritime AIS. He argued that universal beacons would be the most effective measure against orbital crowding and collision risk, even more so than sharing ephemeris data among satellite operators.
The publicly traded fund, which invests in privately owned early-stage space companies, gained 119.4% in the year ended June 30. Seraphim called satellite-imaging company Iceye its brightest portfolio performer, while saying several other holdings also recorded explosive growth.
SpaceX launched a classified U.S. Space Force mission from California on Oct. 15, its 114th Falcon 9 flight of the year, and landed the booster on a droneship. Separately, NearSpace Launch plans to fly its TROOP-F6 spacecraft on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-6 rideshare mission in April 2027 for space-weather and space situational-awareness missions.
China launched 10 satellites aboard a Zhuque-2E Y4 rocket, including eight intended to advance AI computing in orbit. The mission is part of a week of launches that also added to the Guowang constellation and tested orbital computing and laser links, according to the reports.
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