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SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Portal Space raises $50M to advance maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure

Portal Space Systems raised $50 million in a Series A led by Geodesic Capital and Mach33, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures and Ark Invest. The Seattle‑area startup will use the funding to scale Bothell manufacturing, accelerate its highly maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft, and commercialize Paladin‑partnered debris‑removal services with Starlab.

2026-04-09T08:07:25.018387-07:00

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China launches twin Long March missions to expand GuoWang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations

2026-04-09T07:32:22.318213-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Space Force awards $1.843B Andromeda IDIQ to 14 firms for GEO space-domain awareness

2026-04-09T04:38:15.725714-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Commercial Satellites as the New Arsenal: Defense and Industry Implications

2026-04-09T07:11:17.822866-07:00

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Portal Space raises $50M to advance maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure Portal Space Systems raised $50 million in a Series A led by Geodesic Capital and Mach33, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures and Ark Invest. The Seattle‑area startup will use the funding to scale Bothell manufacturing, accelerate its highly maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft, and commercialize Paladin‑partnered debris‑removal services with Starlab.

2026-04-09T08:07:25.018387-07:00

Portal Space raises $50M to advance maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure

SpaceNews.com

China launches twin Long March missions to expand GuoWang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations China launched two Long March missions this week — a Long March‑8 from Hainan carrying 18 communications satellites for the Thousand Sails project, and a modified Long March‑6A from Taiyuan that delivered five satellites as the 21st group for the state‑backed GuoWang low‑Earth‑orbit internet constellation.

2026-04-09T07:32:22.318213-07:00

China launches twin Long March missions to expand GuoWang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations

SpaceNews.com

Commercial Satellites as the New Arsenal: Defense and Industry Implications Commercial satellites are evolving from civilian infrastructure into instruments of national power, supplying communications, sensing and targeting capabilities that militaries and adversaries can access rapidly. That shift forces armed forces, regulators and space companies to rethink procurement, resilience, and legal frameworks for warfighting in orbit.

2026-04-09T07:11:17.822866-07:00

Commercial Satellites as the New Arsenal: Defense and Industry Implications

Runway Girl

ST Engineering iDirect: LEO disruption creates risks — and new ground-segment opportunities for satcom users Vertically integrated LEO operators are reshaping satcom business models, compressing margins and altering service delivery. ST Engineering iDirect calls the shift “a glass-half-full moment,” saying the disruption presents both risks and commercial openings for aviation, defense and enterprise customers reliant on satellite connectivity.

2026-04-09T05:06:53.295641-07:00

ST Engineering iDirect: LEO disruption creates risks — and new ground-segment opportunities for satcom users

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Space Force awards $1.843B Andromeda IDIQ to 14 firms for GEO space-domain awareness The U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command awarded a firm-fixed-price, multiple-award IDIQ worth up to $1.843 billion to 14 companies under the Andromeda program to develop geostationary space-domain awareness satellites and services, positioned as a next-generation GSSAP replacement.

2026-04-09T04:38:15.725714-07:00

Space Force awards $1.843B Andromeda IDIQ to 14 firms for GEO space-domain awareness

SpaceNews.com

Albedo gears up for second VLEO mission, targets 2027 launch Albedo is preparing its second Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) mission for launch in 2027. The flight follows the firm's inaugural demonstrator and is intended to expand in‑orbit testing of systems and operational concepts specific to sustained VLEO operations.

2026-04-09T04:02:29.550260-07:00

Albedo gears up for second VLEO mission, targets 2027 launch

SpaceNews.com

Lockheed wins $105M GPS ground control contract as OCX winds down Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $105 million contract to deliver a GPS ground control system as the Next-Generation Operational Control Segment (OCX) program winds down, continuing the company's role in sustaining and modernizing U.S. GPS ground infrastructure for military and civil users.

2026-04-09T03:27:22.860540-07:00

Lockheed wins $105M GPS ground control contract as OCX winds down

Payload

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Vantor unveils hybrid imaging constellation with Vantage high-res and Pulse smallsats Vantor introduced two electro‑optical satellite classes — Vantage (high‑resolution) and Pulse (smallsat) — to create a hybrid constellation that combines high‑ and low‑resolution imagery, boosting revisit rates and enabling near‑real‑time global monitoring for its spatial‑intelligence products.

2026-04-09T03:00:37.624166-07:00

Vantor unveils hybrid imaging constellation with Vantage high-res and Pulse smallsats

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Satellite News

Portal Space raises $50M to advance maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure

China launches twin Long March missions to expand GuoWang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations

Space Force awards $1.843B Andromeda IDIQ to 14 firms for GEO space-domain awareness

Commercial Satellites as the New Arsenal: Defense and Industry Implications

News Timeline