Space.com
• Mike Wall
Newly released video revisits Starship’s first-ever orbital flight, showing the upper stage separate from its booster and deploy Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The footage offers a visual record of key vehicle and payload milestones during the flight.
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BlackSky Technology said it has secured a six-figure pilot contract with an international intelligence agency for global, on-demand, high-resolution imagery. The announcement signals a trial engagement for the company’s satellite-imagery services, but the agency and the contract’s duration were not identified.
Los Angeles-based Fortastra raised $30 million in a Series A round to develop its next-generation spacecraft for on-orbit security. The company says the funding will support development as government demand grows for space-based security systems.
Newly released video revisits Starship’s first-ever orbital flight, showing the upper stage separate from its booster and deploy Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The footage offers a visual record of key vehicle and payload milestones during the flight.
Fortastra raised $30 million to develop maneuverable space-defense satellites, while defense technology startup Furientis secured $25 million in seed funding for manufacturing, flight testing and team expansion. Estonia’s Golbriak Space raised €4 million to increase production of laser communications systems for satellites and non-terrestrial networks.
York Space Systems will support a set of future U.S. Space Force missions in geosynchronous orbit, according to a report on its Nemesis demonstration. Separately, the satellite manufacturer is expanding its Austin operations with a new office for software developers.
Space-based systems could detect and track incoming missile threats, with interception carried out from land or space, a satellite company CEO says. The argument links concerns over Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles to a broader role for satellites in missile-warning and defense architectures.
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The FCC approved SpaceX’s plan for a 15,000-satellite Starlink Mobile system and granted spectrum flexibility for satellite-to-phone services. The decision moves the service closer to operating as a standalone wireless offering, with potential to reshape how satellite connectivity reaches mobile devices.
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