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Breaking Defense • Theresa Hitchens

Space Force’s 2040 vision: growth to ~30,000 satellites amid rising China/Russia orbital threats

U.S. Space Force officials’ planning projections for 2040 point to a force size of about 30,000 satellites—more than double today—while the service confirms it is pursuing new capabilities for orbital warfare, including classified “Objective Force” needs for on-orbit/electronic warfare.

2026-04-15T17:43:13.938759-07:00

Inflight Online

Gogo spotlights multi-orbit, multi-band inflight connectivity for business aviation at AIX debut

2026-04-15T16:35:18.297198-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA solicits proposals for commercial replacement of TDRSS communications network

2026-04-15T13:43:22.676521-07:00

Via Satellite

Lonestar sets launch timeline for StarVault sovereign orbital data storage; Sidus Space expands payload deal

2026-04-15T11:01:08.256241-07:00

News Timeline

Runway Girl

Copa projects 2026 growth and signs Starlink deal for onboard Wi-Fi rollout Copa Airlines says it is turning to SpaceX’s Starlink for inflight Wi-Fi as it maps growth projections for 2026. The press release frames the connectivity upgrade as part of Copa’s broader demand strategy, building on its earlier decision to bring passenger Wi-Fi to its fleet.

2026-04-15T19:38:53.644234-07:00

Copa projects 2026 growth and signs Starlink deal for onboard Wi-Fi rollout

Breaking Defense

SECAF launches AMTI satellite acquisition with base contract for first space-based aircraft tracking increment The Department of the Air Force has awarded the base contract for new space-based air moving target indication (AMTI) systems, kicking off the program’s competition for the first operational “increment” of satellites capable of tracking aircraft from space. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said awards are expected “fairly shortly.”

2026-04-15T17:43:15.259368-07:00

SECAF launches AMTI satellite acquisition with base contract for first space-based aircraft tracking increment

Breaking Defense

Space Force’s 2040 vision: growth to ~30,000 satellites amid rising China/Russia orbital threats U.S. Space Force officials’ planning projections for 2040 point to a force size of about 30,000 satellites—more than double today—while the service confirms it is pursuing new capabilities for orbital warfare, including classified “Objective Force” needs for on-orbit/electronic warfare.

2026-04-15T17:43:13.938759-07:00

Space Force’s 2040 vision: growth to ~30,000 satellites amid rising China/Russia orbital threats

Inflight Online

Gogo spotlights multi-orbit, multi-band inflight connectivity for business aviation at AIX debut At AIX, Gogo unveiled an expanded satellite communications portfolio built around integrated solutions that combine Low Earth Orbit through geostationary connectivity. The company cited fast, low-latency service delivery via the Eutelsat OneWeb network (using Galileo), alongside geo-antenna offerings developed with Viasat and SES.

2026-04-15T16:35:18.297198-07:00

Gogo spotlights multi-orbit, multi-band inflight connectivity for business aviation at AIX debut

SpaceNews.com

NASA solicits proposals for commercial replacement of TDRSS communications network NASA has issued a request for proposals seeking industry input on replacing its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) with a commercial alternative. The effort targets approaches for sustaining communications and data-relay services for NASA missions while transitioning away from TDRSS.

2026-04-15T13:43:22.676521-07:00

NASA solicits proposals for commercial replacement of TDRSS communications network

Via Satellite

Lonestar sets launch timeline for StarVault sovereign orbital data storage; Sidus Space expands payload deal Lonestar says it will give a launch date for StarVault, billed as the first commercially operational space-based sovereign data storage platform. Sidus Space, meanwhile, is expanding its existing agreement with Lonestar Data Holdings to support additional StarVault Orbital Data Storage payloads, reinforcing momentum toward deployment.

2026-04-15T11:01:08.256241-07:00

Lonestar sets launch timeline for StarVault sovereign orbital data storage; Sidus Space expands payload deal

SpaceNews.com

Novaspace and OGC launch China Space Industry Intelligence Catalog to centralize market, company and project data Novaspace and OGC have unveiled a China Space Industry Intelligence Catalog aimed at consolidating space-industry information into a single reference resource. The release signals continued commercialization of space market intelligence in China as the ecosystem expands across launches, on-orbit services and data infrastructure.

2026-04-15T06:43:19.158442-07:00

Novaspace and OGC launch China Space Industry Intelligence Catalog to centralize market, company and project data

SpaceNews.com

Digital Networks Act: new compliance and governance requirements for satellite operators The Digital Networks Act introduces regulatory reforms that require satellite operators to rethink strategic priorities. For operators, the change elevates compliance and governance planning, with implications for how services are managed and how operators position resilience across their networks.

2026-04-15T06:09:16.348365-07:00

Digital Networks Act: new compliance and governance requirements for satellite operators

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Satellite News

Space Force’s 2040 vision: growth to ~30,000 satellites amid rising China/Russia orbital threats

Gogo spotlights multi-orbit, multi-band inflight connectivity for business aviation at AIX debut

NASA solicits proposals for commercial replacement of TDRSS communications network

Lonestar sets launch timeline for StarVault sovereign orbital data storage; Sidus Space expands payload deal

News Timeline