Bloomberg
• Daryna Krasnolutska, Kira Zavyalova
Ukraine said overnight testing showed limits on the speed of its Starlink terminal connections had been lifted. The change could ease the latest tensions between Kyiv and Washington, though the report provides no details on the scope of the testing or whether the change is permanent.
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Ukraine said overnight testing showed limits on the speed of its Starlink terminal connections had been lifted. The change could ease the latest tensions between Kyiv and Washington, though the report provides no details on the scope of the testing or whether the change is permanent.
China conducted two launches on Friday, sending a highly retrograde Yaogan-50 spacecraft into orbit aboard a Long March 6A from Taiyuan, then deploying six remote-sensing satellites for the Yaogan-53 and Yaogan-56 groups aboard a Long March 4B from Jiuquan. The missions add three spacecraft to each group.
The European Commission, ESA and the SpaceRISE consortium signed an implementation agreement on Aug. 7, 2026, for IRIS², a sovereign communications network of 348 spacecraft in low and medium Earth orbit. Separately, Airbus says it is fielding interest in HBCplus, an inflight-connectivity solution supporting GEO and Lightspeed LEO services.
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.
High activity
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 plans to buy electronic-warfare equipment beyond its units’ routine needs to prepare for losses in conflict. Separately, the Army is targeting 2027 experiments to network space-warfare systems for remote operation, while the Pentagon aims to field an initial capability for cislunar space by late 2029.
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