SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
Xona Space Systems has received federal approval to broadcast commercial navigation signals from a planned constellation of more than 250 satellites, removing a key regulatory hurdle as the startup prepares to begin deployment. The authorization advances Xona’s effort to develop a commercial space-based navigation network.
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Xona Space Systems has received federal approval to broadcast commercial navigation signals from a planned constellation of more than 250 satellites, removing a key regulatory hurdle as the startup prepares to begin deployment. The authorization advances Xona’s effort to develop a commercial space-based navigation network.
NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency selected Thales in Spain to supply Deployable Tactical Air Navigation systems to the Spanish Air and Space Force, while Hisdesat awarded Airbus Defence and Space the prime contract for SpainSat NG-III, a replacement secure communications satellite to be built with Thales Alenia Space.
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SpaceX is heading into its first earnings report as a public company against a deteriorating market backdrop: shares have reached a new all-time low, notional short interest has climbed to $23.6 billion—above Tesla’s—and investor lockups are nearing expiration, intensifying scrutiny of Elon Musk’s leadership and growth story.
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Planet is expanding its headquarters into the BERLIN DECKS innovation campus in Berlin, acquiring space for its first European production facility. The site will add manufacturing capacity to the satellite company’s European presence and marks a significant expansion of its headquarters footprint.
Earth observation companies increasingly present defense and security applications as a second market alongside climate and commercial work. But framing the capability as “dual-use” may leave governments controlling when and how it is deployed—potentially pushing commercial customers behind state priorities when strategic demands intensify.
Hughes Satellite Systems, an EchoStar subsidiary, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after warning it lacked the cash to meet $1.5 billion in debt obligations due Aug. 1. The filing adds pressure to EchoStar’s broader balance-sheet restructuring across its satellite broadcasting and wireless businesses.
The U.S. Space Force awarded K2 Space a $22.9 million contract to test optical communications terminals that transmit data directly between satellites in orbit. The demonstration will assess laser-based crosslinks, a technology intended to support faster and more resilient space-based data networks.
Engineers are preparing a capture—or attempted capture—of NASA’s Swift satellite in an effort to preserve the mission. The operation would rely on another spacecraft sent specifically to assist Swift, underscoring the technical complexity of extending the life of an established space observatory.
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