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SpaceNews.com • Jason Rainbow

Cowboy Space files FCC plans for up to 20,000 LEO “Stampede” satellites, backed by $275M funding push and Seattle hub hiring

Cowboy Space has filed with the FCC for an orbital data-center constellation it calls “Stampede,” targeting up to 20,000 satellites for on-orbit compute services. The filing follows a $275 million fundraise aimed at developing rockets with upper stages designed to carry the computing payloads, alongside a planned Seattle-based expansion.

2026-05-14T15:06:34.545853-07:00

SpaceNews.com

China steps up Qianfan growth with improved Zhuque-2E Y5 return-to-flight and fresh Long March 6A satellite group

2026-05-14T03:09:16.277854-07:00

Space.com

Lasers used to study incoming space debris’s atmospheric impact

2026-05-13T08:39:11.333761-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight

2026-05-12T03:58:49.180951-07:00

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Cowboy Space files FCC plans for up to 20,000 LEO “Stampede” satellites, backed by $275M funding push and Seattle hub hiring Cowboy Space has filed with the FCC for an orbital data-center constellation it calls “Stampede,” targeting up to 20,000 satellites for on-orbit compute services. The filing follows a $275 million fundraise aimed at developing rockets with upper stages designed to carry the computing payloads, alongside a planned Seattle-based expansion.

2026-05-14T15:06:34.545853-07:00

Cowboy Space files FCC plans for up to 20,000 LEO “Stampede” satellites, backed by $275M funding push and Seattle hub hiring

SpaceNews.com

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China steps up Qianfan growth with improved Zhuque-2E Y5 return-to-flight and fresh Long March 6A satellite group LandSpace returned the upgraded Zhuque-2E (Y5) carrier rocket to flight after an inert customized test load, proving new systems during an orbital demonstration. Separately, China lofted a new batch of satellites for the Qianfan megaconstellation, underscoring accelerating commercial constellation deployment via both LandSpace’s vehicles and Long March 6A launches from Taiyuan.

2026-05-14T03:09:16.277854-07:00

China steps up Qianfan growth with improved Zhuque-2E Y5 return-to-flight and fresh Long March 6A satellite group

Ars Technica

US launches nuclear-in-orbit wargame to model how an LEO detonation could degrade orbit for up to a year U.S. officials say a simulated nuclear detonation in low Earth orbit could render portions of orbit “useless” for as long as a year, shaping degraded-operations scenarios for commanders. The new military wargame series tests consequences for space operations and decision-making under nuclear-induced orbital disruption.

2026-05-13T12:13:16.645141-07:00

US launches nuclear-in-orbit wargame to model how an LEO detonation could degrade orbit for up to a year

Space.com

Lasers used to study incoming space debris’s atmospheric impact Scientists are applying a new laser-based technique to observe incoming space debris and evaluate how it affects Earth’s atmosphere. The approach aims to improve understanding of debris-related “space junk air pollution” mechanisms rather than relying solely on orbital tracking and ground observations.

2026-05-13T08:39:11.333761-07:00

Lasers used to study incoming space debris’s atmospheric impact

Space.com

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SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight SpaceX has stacked and fueled a new Starship V3 configuration for the first time, including a full wet dress rehearsal of Ship 39 and Booster 19 on Starbase’s Pad 2. Separate reporting says all 33 Super Heavy engines were fired on the pad, with an anticipated first V3 flight in mid-May (May 15 or as soon as May 19).

2026-05-12T03:58:49.180951-07:00

SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight

SpaceNews.com

ESA and JAXA lock in joint Apophis close-flyby mission for 2029 ESA and JAXA have finalized an agreement to collaborate on a mission to study the Apophis asteroid during its close Earth flyby in 2029. The partnership formalizes international cooperation on near-Earth asteroid characterization around a high-profile encounter timeline.

2026-05-10T10:47:18.759164-07:00

ESA and JAXA lock in joint Apophis close-flyby mission for 2029

SpaceNews.com

Odin Space to open first U.S. office in Los Angeles to scale sub-centimeter orbital debris mapping British startup Odin Space plans to establish its first U.S. office in Los Angeles on May 7. The company focuses on mapping and analyzing sub-centimeter orbital debris—an increasingly critical capability as low Earth orbit congestion and conjunction risk rise.

2026-05-07T06:06:06.015254-07:00

Odin Space to open first U.S. office in Los Angeles to scale sub-centimeter orbital debris mapping

Via Satellite

Verizon expands satellite fleet for “satellite-everywhere” disaster-response failover Verizon is expanding its satellite fleet to support a “satellite-everywhere” approach for disaster response, moving toward a satellite-enabled failover strategy. A Verizon representative told Via Satellite that the expansion is designed to improve resilience when terrestrial networks are disrupted.

2026-05-06T13:46:09.767886-07:00

Verizon expands satellite fleet for “satellite-everywhere” disaster-response failover

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Cowboy Space files FCC plans for up to 20,000 LEO “Stampede” satellites, backed by $275M funding push and Seattle hub hiring

China steps up Qianfan growth with improved Zhuque-2E Y5 return-to-flight and fresh Long March 6A satellite group

Lasers used to study incoming space debris’s atmospheric impact

SpaceX stacks, fuels and runs full wet dress rehearsal for Starship V3 Super Heavy as Booster 19 eyes a May test flight

News Timeline