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New York Times • Kenneth Chang

NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a

NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies will launch an orbital-servicing mission on June 30, 2026 to arrest the atmospheric decay of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The Pegasus XL rocket will be released from a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Stargazer on a racetrack approach from Kwajalein Atoll—its final operational flight.

2026-06-29T10:55:39.248124-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications for $8B in cash-and-stock deal to build an end-to-end satellite services network

2026-06-29T00:06:44.285921-07:00

SpaceNews.com

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations

2026-06-29T02:04:09.779514-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch

2026-06-28T14:55:25.575585-07:00

News Timeline

New York Times

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NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies will launch an orbital-servicing mission on June 30, 2026 to arrest the atmospheric decay of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The Pegasus XL rocket will be released from a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Stargazer on a racetrack approach from Kwajalein Atoll—its final operational flight.

2026-06-29T10:55:39.248124-07:00

NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a

SpaceNews.com

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations China has established a national Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) industry alliance, backed by recent evidence that satellites are demonstrating sustained operations below 300km. The move also reflects growing investment interest in propulsion startups aimed at making low-orbit operations more viable.

2026-06-29T02:04:09.779514-07:00

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations

SpaceWatch Global

#SpaceWatchGl Opinion: ISOS4I as Europe’s autonomous in-orbit servicing enabler for space resilience The #SpaceWatchGl opinion argues that ISOS4I could become Europe’s “active operational element” for space resilience by enabling autonomous in-orbit servicing. It also highlights that major technical hurdles remain before such capabilities can be fielded, despite the resilience benefits envisioned for on-orbit assets.

2026-06-29T01:11:45.788193-07:00

#SpaceWatchGl Opinion: ISOS4I as Europe’s autonomous in-orbit servicing enabler for space resilience

SpaceWatch Global

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Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications for $8B in cash-and-stock deal to build an end-to-end satellite services network Rocket Lab agreed to acquire Iridium Communications in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at about $8 billion—at $54 per share—aiming to expand into satellite telecommunications services and challenge SpaceX’s Starlink. The deal would give Rocket Lab control of Iridium’s satellite fleet and access to wireless resources to compete in space-based connectivity.

2026-06-29T00:06:44.285921-07:00

Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications for $8B in cash-and-stock deal to build an end-to-end satellite services network

NASA Spaceflight

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Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch Euclid has been operating outside its regular survey in support of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s exoplanet program. The Roman observatory has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where technicians will prepare it for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch no earlier than Aug. 30.

2026-06-28T14:55:25.575585-07:00

Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch

Space.com

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NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk NASA is launching the Swift Boost rescue mission on June 27 to save the nearly 22-year-old Swift observatory, which is being pulled down by Earth’s atmosphere. The agency will pay $30 million for a first-of-its-kind effort to restore the telescope’s orbit before it falls from space.

2026-06-26T05:13:34.708563-07:00

NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk

Breaking Defense

LeoLabs: China rocket-body breakups are creating long-lived debris risks for low Earth orbit A LeoLabs study cited by Breaking Defense says three Chinese rocket bodies have exploded over the last four years, generating debris that “will linger for decades to centuries” and could collide with operational objects in low Earth orbit. The assessment underscores how breakups compound conjunction risk as LEO traffic grows.

2026-06-25T13:56:05.299208-07:00

LeoLabs: China rocket-body breakups are creating long-lived debris risks for low Earth orbit

Space.com

SpaceX plans a Falcon 9 upper-stage crash into the Moon in August—observer campaign gauges visibility A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is scheduled to impact the Moon in August, prompting an “impact observer campaign” to assess whether the event will be visible from Earth. Experts say the key unknown is detectability, not the planned lunar impact itself.

2026-06-25T09:27:10.725972-07:00

SpaceX plans a Falcon 9 upper-stage crash into the Moon in August—observer campaign gauges visibility

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Space Debris & Traffic Management News

NASA’s Swift Observatory orbital rescue: Katalyst Space Tech mission to be air-launched on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL from a

Rocket Lab to buy Iridium Communications for $8B in cash-and-stock deal to build an end-to-end satellite services network

China launches a national VLEO industry alliance as satellites sustain sub-300km operations

Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch

News Timeline