Via Satellite
• Rachel Jewett
Xona says it is preparing to begin initial beta service for its commercial satellite navigation offering in early 2027. The company this week marked two milestones: a launch carrying six satellites and a $250 million Series D funding round.
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Thaicom has returned to the International Telecommunication Union with additional evidence that the delay to its Thaicom-9 geostationary satellite followed a March incident at manufacturer Astranis. The operator says the cause was beyond its control as it seeks more time to meet the satellite’s regulatory deadline.
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Xona says it is preparing to begin initial beta service for its commercial satellite navigation offering in early 2027. The company this week marked two milestones: a launch carrying six satellites and a $250 million Series D funding round.
Washington says a Russian military satellite with an undisclosed mission moved close to a U.S.-registered satellite linked to Ukraine last week, describing the approach as deliberate. The episode highlights the growing strategic stakes around satellites supporting Ukraine and the risks posed by close approaches in orbit.
The Space Force is seeking deeper stocks of satellite-jamming equipment to absorb combat losses and plans an initial military capability for cislunar space by late 2029. The Army, meanwhile, aims to make its space-warfare systems remotely operable and networked with battlefield command by 2027.
Ukraine is considering ICEYE-Nokia communications satellites as questions over Starshield access sharpen the case for sovereign connectivity. Separately, the U.S. Space Force has awarded initial Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve contracts, while U.K. officials are exploring lightweight satellite links for UAVs and U.S. contractors are advancing counter-drone weapons and systems.
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PhillipCapital upgraded SpaceX from sell to buy and tripled its price target to $250, implying about 70% upside, citing the potential of its AI business. Bernstein says Starlink’s improving profitability could support aggressive broadband pricing and competition with established U.S. telecom operators, despite slowing subscriber growth.
Two U.S. researchers analyzing more than a year of commercial satellite imagery say Saudi Arabia appears to be expanding its ballistic-missile factory to make larger solid-fuel missiles. The weapons could potentially fly farther or carry heavier payloads, though the reported assessment is based on imagery analysis.
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