SpaceNews.com
• Andrew Jones
A Long March 6C rocket placed seven satellites into orbit Monday, while the Long March 5 assigned to China’s Chang’e-7 lunar mission was rolled back to its assembly building. The move is expected to delay the mission by about a year, adding uncertainty to China’s lunar exploration schedule.
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A Long March 6C rocket placed seven satellites into orbit Monday, while the Long March 5 assigned to China’s Chang’e-7 lunar mission was rolled back to its assembly building. The move is expected to delay the mission by about a year, adding uncertainty to China’s lunar exploration schedule.
A Washington Post account published May 6 offers the most complete public picture yet of what Iran’s missiles did to American bases in the Gulf. The report’s finding that shutter control worked underscores a vulnerability for commercial imagery providers and their customers.
Belgian manufacturer Simera Sense has delivered 10 hyperspectral imaging payloads to U.S. satellite services provider Loft Orbital over the past year. The disclosure underscores efforts to expand advanced Earth-observation capabilities for smaller spacecraft and broadens Simera Sense’s position in the smallsat imaging market.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored SpaceX owner Elon Musk with Ukraine’s Order of Freedom, citing his support for Ukraine and bilateral relations. The award comes as Kyiv lobbies Musk to expand Starlink terminal access, including potential use in drone operations against targets in Russia.
China deployed seven satellites into orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on Aug. 25, 2026, in a launch highlighting the continued growth of the country’s commercial space sector. The mission adds to China’s expanding orbital infrastructure and launch cadence.
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An analysis of Europe’s IRIS2 satellite initiative argues that the program’s strategic-autonomy framing also masks an effort to support the region’s space market. The assessment highlights the tension between political objectives and industrial policy as Europe develops its approach to space communications.
The U.S. Trustee is urging a bankruptcy court to appoint an examiner to investigate $1.5 billion in alleged “unusual transactions” between EchoStar Corp. and its bankrupt subsidiary, Hughes Satellite Systems Corp. The request places EchoStar’s intercompany dealings and governance under heightened legal scrutiny.
Impulse Space plans to increase the cadence of rideshare missions to geostationary orbit, citing strong commercial demand. The expansion signals continued customer interest in dedicated orbital transfer and deployment services for GEO-bound payloads, while adding another demand indicator for the emerging commercial space transportation market.
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