News

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Astroscale funding boost to move from on-orbit servicing tech demos toward a recurring mission cadence

Astroscale says it is using a recent capital infusion to transition from technology demonstration flights to a regular series of on-orbit servicing missions. The funding is intended to support its growth strategy as the company works to operationalize spacecraft-servicing operations rather than one-off experiments.

2026-06-22T05:26:54.035653-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX debuts Starlink “Starfall” reentry vehicle as Starlink surpasses 10,000 operational satellites

2026-06-22T05:09:06.282451-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Look Up and Skynopy team on automated LEO collision-avoidance using ground-station network

2026-06-17T04:46:48.352582-07:00

SpaceNews.com

FCC authorizes 15,000 Starlink Gen2 satellites as “orbital data center” filings accelerate—Starcloud 88,000 and SpaceX 1 million

2026-06-18T06:19:27.978596-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

China spaceplane: LeoLabs reports orbital object release during 4th mission China’s secretive spaceplane has released an object into orbit during its fourth mission, according to commercial space surveillance firm LeoLabs. The observation reinforces the program’s ongoing testing cadence and provides externally observed performance data for a vehicle that has limited public transparency.

2026-06-22T10:47:40.197588-07:00

China spaceplane: LeoLabs reports orbital object release during 4th mission

SpaceNews.com

Astroscale funding boost to move from on-orbit servicing tech demos toward a recurring mission cadence Astroscale says it is using a recent capital infusion to transition from technology demonstration flights to a regular series of on-orbit servicing missions. The funding is intended to support its growth strategy as the company works to operationalize spacecraft-servicing operations rather than one-off experiments.

2026-06-22T05:26:54.035653-07:00

Astroscale funding boost to move from on-orbit servicing tech demos toward a recurring mission cadence

Space.com

SpaceX debuts Starlink “Starfall” reentry vehicle as Starlink surpasses 10,000 operational satellites SpaceX says its disk-shaped Starfall reentry vehicle is debuting as Starlink reaches 10,671 working satellites in low Earth orbit. The milestone reinforces the company’s rapidly widening gap in launches and raises the operational stakes for end-of-life disposal and collision risk in a denser LEO shell.

2026-06-22T05:09:06.282451-07:00

SpaceX debuts Starlink “Starfall” reentry vehicle as Starlink surpasses 10,000 operational satellites

SpaceNews.com

FCC authorizes 15,000 Starlink Gen2 satellites as “orbital data center” filings accelerate—Starcloud 88,000 and SpaceX 1 million In January 2026, the FCC authorized 15,000 Starlink Gen2 satellites. Starcloud has filed for an 88,000-satellite orbital “data center” concept, while SpaceX has filed for 1 million satellites—fueling a servicing-economy debate around on-orbit maintenance, logistics and long-duration operations.

2026-06-18T06:19:27.978596-07:00

FCC authorizes 15,000 Starlink Gen2 satellites as “orbital data center” filings accelerate—Starcloud 88,000 and SpaceX 1 million

SpaceNews.com

Northrop Grumman to Fly Pegasus Intercept Mission to Raise NASA’s Swift Observatory from Decaying Orbit Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket is scheduled for a time-critical rescue mission in June to prevent NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from making an uncontrolled re-entry. The plan will use Katalyst Space’s LINK spacecraft to intercept Swift in a decaying orbit and boost it to a higher altitude.

2026-06-18T05:17:07.837992-07:00

Northrop Grumman to Fly Pegasus Intercept Mission to Raise NASA’s Swift Observatory from Decaying Orbit

Via Satellite

Bezos Earth Fund joins FireSat wildfire-monitoring satellite coalition Jeff Bezos’ philanthropic Bezos Earth Fund is joining an investment coalition backing the FireSat constellation’s build-out, expanding the pool of supporters for space-based wildfire monitoring. The move underscores accelerating private and philanthropic capital flows into Earth-observation constellations focused on disaster response.

2026-06-17T13:02:11.797792-07:00

Bezos Earth Fund joins FireSat wildfire-monitoring satellite coalition

SpaceNews.com

Look Up and Skynopy team on automated LEO collision-avoidance using ground-station network Space surveillance venture Look Up said June 17 it will use Skynopy’s ground-station network to automate key parts of its proposed low-Earth-orbit collision-avoidance service. The partnership targets faster, more repeatable conjunction management support by leveraging Skynopy’s station infrastructure.

2026-06-17T04:46:48.352582-07:00

Look Up and Skynopy team on automated LEO collision-avoidance using ground-station network

SpaceWatch Global

Legal gaps over orbital solar farms’ contribution to Kessler Syndrome risk #SpaceWatchGL analysis argues that space-based solar farms and orbital data centers could introduce new debris-generation pathways, but the current legal framework lacks clear, enforceable duties for “due regard” and space-sustainability risk management. The piece calls for tighter interpretation and stronger governance to address emerging Kessler Syndrome threats.

2026-06-12T01:12:57.665062-07:00

Legal gaps over orbital solar farms’ contribution to Kessler Syndrome risk

Menu

Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Astroscale funding boost to move from on-orbit servicing tech demos toward a recurring mission cadence

SpaceX debuts Starlink “Starfall” reentry vehicle as Starlink surpasses 10,000 operational satellites

Look Up and Skynopy team on automated LEO collision-avoidance using ground-station network

FCC authorizes 15,000 Starlink Gen2 satellites as “orbital data center” filings accelerate—Starcloud 88,000 and SpaceX 1 million

News Timeline