SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
The U.S. Space Force’s first operational missile-tracking satellites are now expected to launch in spring 2027, nearly two years behind the original plan. The delay comes as the Space Development Agency considers additional flight demonstrations before committing to large purchases of next-generation sensors.
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Ukraine has no reliable alternative to Starlink, and experts warn it cannot sustain operations for long without the service. The outage has also angered U.S. allies, raising questions about the reliability of commercial satellite services used in conflict and the implications for the broader U.S. space industry.
The U.S. Space Force’s first operational missile-tracking satellites are now expected to launch in spring 2027, nearly two years behind the original plan. The delay comes as the Space Development Agency considers additional flight demonstrations before committing to large purchases of next-generation sensors.
Canadian mobile satellite services operator Terrestar Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding to join Equatys’ shared-infrastructure approach for direct-to-device services. The announcement adds Terrestar to an effort to pool infrastructure for D2D connectivity, though the article provides no further details on the agreement or implementation timeline.
The U.S. Space Force plans to award Boeing a contract worth up to $945.9 million to maintain and modernize military communications satellites and ground systems. The service cites Boeing’s ownership of proprietary technical data and software required for the work.
President Vladimir Putin said Russia is coordinating on low-Earth-orbit satellite networks with Elon Musk and other U.S. partners, despite political tensions between Moscow and Washington. He praised Musk as a “genius” as Russia begins developing and rolling out its own answer to Starlink.
Astroscale’s UK subsidiary will lead Project LEDA, a Ministry of Defence programme to strengthen the UK’s ability to understand, protect and operate in space. The £15 million contract builds on Astroscale’s space capabilities and includes partners BAE Systems and Open Cosmos, according to one report.
South Korea’s Kompsat-6 radar-observation satellite has become an example of the risks of launching as a co-passenger rather than buying a dedicated mission. The case highlights the tradeoff satellite operators face between the lower cost of a shared ride and the greater control of a dedicated launch.
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