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NASA Spaceflight • Haygen Warren

Eight orbital launches planned Jan. 12–18; SpaceX to fly classified NRO satellite plus three Starlink batches

Eight orbital launches are scheduled Jan. 12–18, including SpaceX missions from the U.S. that will carry a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload and three Starlink batches. International activity this week includes planned launches from China and Norway, underscoring sustained high global launch cadence.

2026-01-12T15:29:35.669006-08:00

Airbus

Eutelsat orders 340 Airbus-built OneWeb satellites, taking total to 440

2026-01-12T01:29:23.622502-08:00

Via Satellite

Aetherflux hires Joe Yaffe as COO and chief legal officer

2026-01-12T13:11:56.349437-08:00

AeroTime

Researchers beam power from moving aircraft to ground receivers in first airborne wireless power transmission

2026-01-12T10:56:58.983757-08:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

Eight orbital launches planned Jan. 12–18; SpaceX to fly classified NRO satellite plus three Starlink batches Eight orbital launches are scheduled Jan. 12–18, including SpaceX missions from the U.S. that will carry a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload and three Starlink batches. International activity this week includes planned launches from China and Norway, underscoring sustained high global launch cadence.

2026-01-12T15:29:35.669006-08:00

Eight orbital launches planned Jan. 12–18; SpaceX to fly classified NRO satellite plus three Starlink batches

Via Satellite

Aetherflux hires Joe Yaffe as COO and chief legal officer Aetherflux, the space‑solar startup founded by Baiju Bhatt, has hired Joe Yaffe as chief operating officer and chief legal officer. Yaffe will serve in a dual COO/CLO role overseeing the startup’s operational and legal affairs and expands Aetherflux’s leadership team.

2026-01-12T13:11:56.349437-08:00

Aetherflux hires Joe Yaffe as COO and chief legal officer

Space Intel Report

Sweden orders sovereign SAR and optical ISR satellites from ICEYE and Planet Labs (≈$141M) Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed multi‑year contracts with ICEYE and Planet Labs to field sovereign SAR and high‑resolution optical satellites, a roughly $141m ISR award. Deliveries are slated to begin in 2026, creating an all‑weather national imaging capability.

2026-01-12T11:44:00.869810-08:00

Sweden orders sovereign SAR and optical ISR satellites from ICEYE and Planet Labs (≈$141M)

AeroTime

Researchers beam power from moving aircraft to ground receivers in first airborne wireless power transmission Researchers have successfully transmitted power wirelessly from a moving aircraft to ground receivers, marking the first demonstration of airborne wireless energy transfer. The flight test validates beaming power from a mobile airborne source to terrestrial receivers and extends prior ground-based demonstrations into a moving-platform environment.

2026-01-12T10:56:58.983757-08:00

Researchers beam power from moving aircraft to ground receivers in first airborne wireless power transmission

SpaceNews.com

GEOINT industry poised to provide the spatial intelligence AI needs AI systems increasingly require spatial context to interpret the world and make operational decisions. The GEOINT industry — commercial and government geospatial-intelligence providers — is positioned to supply the high-resolution imagery, mapping and analytics that give AI the spatial intelligence it lacks.

2026-01-12T07:12:08.540699-08:00

GEOINT industry poised to provide the spatial intelligence AI needs

Space Intel Report

EUMETSAT approves $1B EPS–Sterna polar microsatellite constellation to measure atmospheric temperature and humidity EUMETSAT's Council has approved the EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna, a $1 billion constellation of polar-orbiting microsatellites to deliver atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. The 30-nation programme cleared funding after months of delay and targets operational meteorological soundings from polar orbits.

2026-01-12T07:06:08.093304-08:00

EUMETSAT approves $1B EPS–Sterna polar microsatellite constellation to measure atmospheric temperature and humidity

SpaceNews.com

Industry urges accelerated collaboration to tackle orbital congestion Industry and regulators must accelerate collaboration to confront growing orbital congestion, the article argues. Coordinated improvements in debris mitigation, tracking and traffic‑management are needed to protect operational safety, preserve orbital sustainability and maintain the economics of satellite deployments as launch and constellation activity expands.

2026-01-12T04:06:57.636028-08:00

Industry urges accelerated collaboration to tackle orbital congestion

SpaceWatch Global

GomSpace Luxembourg picked for lunar exploration satellite contract by major North American company GomSpace Luxembourg announced it has been selected by a leading North American space company to provide a satellite for a lunar exploration mission. The contract tasks GomSpace's small-satellite capabilities with supporting lunar-focused payloads and operations under the North American prime's mission architecture.

2026-01-12T03:11:56.151040-08:00

GomSpace Luxembourg picked for lunar exploration satellite contract by major North American company

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Satellite News

Eight orbital launches planned Jan. 12–18; SpaceX to fly classified NRO satellite plus three Starlink batches

Eutelsat orders 340 Airbus-built OneWeb satellites, taking total to 440

Aetherflux hires Joe Yaffe as COO and chief legal officer

Researchers beam power from moving aircraft to ground receivers in first airborne wireless power transmission

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