SpaceNews.com
• Debra Werner
HawkEye 360 announced multiple contracts worth approximately $18 million with customers in the Middle East. The agreements expand the commercial satellite company’s regional business, underscoring continued demand for space-based capabilities among customers in the region.
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HawkEye 360 announced multiple contracts worth approximately $18 million with customers in the Middle East. The agreements expand the commercial satellite company’s regional business, underscoring continued demand for space-based capabilities among customers in the region.
The UK has established its first dedicated space squadron within the Royal Air Force to protect satellites vital to everyday life. The unit will focus on disrupting, degrading and denying hostile activity targeting British interests in space, marking a significant expansion of the country’s space-defense posture.
U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said satellites are critical to national intelligence gathering and missile-warning capabilities, and now underpin almost one-fifth of the U.K. economy. His remarks frame space infrastructure as both a defense priority and an increasingly consequential component of national economic activity.
High activity
Google’s Project Suncatcher will launch an initial prototype satellite, followed by two experimental satellites with Planet by early 2027, to assess whether AI computing infrastructure can operate in low Earth orbit. The tests will examine Google’s AI hardware under launch loads, radiation and extreme temperatures.
High activity
Starfish Space has completed its first full-scale Otter spacecraft and assigned it to a customer mission, moving beyond scaled technology demonstrations. The vehicle will launch on Transporter-18 to test close inspection and docking capabilities, including work supporting NASA’s SSPICY mission to examine inoperable satellites.
Hubble Network has raised $200 million in Series C financing, bringing its total funding to $300 million and valuing the company at $1.6 billion. The round follows a $70 million Series B completed in September 2025, underscoring continued investor backing for the company’s development.
Direct-to-device satellite connectivity is approaching a market inflection point, but operators’ reliance on mobile network operators may constrain growth. Reaching customers beyond carrier distribution could determine whether D2D develops into a scalable extension of terrestrial cellular networks or remains a limited connectivity enhancement.
High activity
Saab says its RBS15 Mk4 anti-ship missile is ready for operational introduction with Sweden’s Gripen fighters, while the company signs space-focused MoUs with SSC Space, OHB Sweden and Ericsson. Separately, India has ordered additional SAT-SAAW glide bombs for its air force.
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