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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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 says its TROOP-F6 spacecraft will fly 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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The FAA has certified Gogo Galileo HDX for Textron Aviation’s Citation Longitude and Latitude, with eligible customers able to install the system at no cost. Fractional operator PlaneSense plans to equip its PC-12 and PC-24 fleet with Gogo Galileo satellite connectivity by the end of 2027.
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