Space.com
• Mark Piesing
Shield Space is developing swarms of up to 100 autonomous cubesats intended to defend Western satellites in orbit. The U.K. startup is applying lessons from drone warfare in Ukraine to the effort, with the proposed spacecraft described as capable of firing lasers.
Satellite
Latest source-backed stories
Orbital Matter and EnduroSat will partner on a mission planned for 2028 to deploy a 5 kW solar array using Orbital Matter’s 3D-printing capabilities. The announcement links in-space manufacturing to the deployment of a sizable power-generating structure, with the companies targeting an on-orbit mission in three years.
Qualcomm will provide hardware components for SpaceX’s planned nationwide terrestrial wireless network, according to a report. The deal adds a major semiconductor supplier to SpaceX’s effort to enter the US mobile market, alongside its existing satellite business, though the article provides no details on equipment, timing or commercial plans.
Shield Space is developing swarms of up to 100 autonomous cubesats intended to defend Western satellites in orbit. The U.K. startup is applying lessons from drone warfare in Ukraine to the effort, with the proposed spacecraft described as capable of firing lasers.
An experimental on-orbit demonstration showed a satellite responding to a voice command, marking a first for the technology. The available report does not identify the satellite, the command or the system used, limiting conclusions about the demonstration’s scope and operational readiness.
Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft has switched off its communications link after a problem with its fault-protection system, ending its mission to inspect inoperable satellites. The loss of contact cuts short a NASA-funded demonstration of the company’s satellite-servicing vehicle.
High activity
Starfish Space says it can no longer receive data from its first full-scale Otter servicing spacecraft after a fault-protection issue disrupted communications. The failure prematurely ended SSPICY, a NASA-funded, $15 million mission to inspect inoperable satellites, shortly after the vehicle’s launch.
High activity
International regulators have granted Europe’s Open Cosmos more time to deploy its planned low Earth orbit broadband network, but effectively limited the constellation to half its intended size. The decision is a setback to the company’s deployment plans and constrains the scale of its proposed satellite service.
Chinese commercial firm Star Vision has signed agreements covering the development, launch and operation of an AI-enabled satellite constellation for Oman. The announcement signals a commercial space partnership between a Chinese provider and an Omani customer, though the agreements’ scope, schedule and constellation size were not specified in the article.
Create a free account to see more recent Satellite stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
