News

Space.com • Josh Dinner

Firefly Alpha returns to flight with Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven', validating Block II upgrades

On March 11, Firefly Aerospace's Alpha returned to flight with the Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven' mission, lifting off from Vandenberg more than 10 months after Flight 6's failure. The launch validated Alpha Block II upgrades, achieved orbital insertion and delivered a Lockheed Martin demonstration payload ahead of Flight 8.

2026-03-11T18:18:46.292108-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Missile strike damages SES teleport in Israel as IRGC claims Haifa satellite comms hit; imagery firms delay Middle East releases

2026-03-11T12:09:05.609712-07:00

Universe Today

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

2026-03-11T03:38:46.974388-07:00

Payload

Anduril to acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions to bolster space-domain awareness and 'Golden Dome' missile‑defence

2026-03-10T21:04:15.119417-07:00

News Timeline

Space.com

❗️

Firefly Alpha returns to flight with Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven', validating Block II upgrades On March 11, Firefly Aerospace's Alpha returned to flight with the Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven' mission, lifting off from Vandenberg more than 10 months after Flight 6's failure. The launch validated Alpha Block II upgrades, achieved orbital insertion and delivered a Lockheed Martin demonstration payload ahead of Flight 8.

2026-03-11T18:18:46.292108-07:00

Firefly Alpha returns to flight with Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven', validating Block II upgrades

Space Intel Report

Rheinmetall, OHB and Airbus outline $10 billion JV to build Germany's sovereign military LEO satcom constellation Rheinmetall has outlined plans to form a joint venture with OHB, naming Airbus as a production partner, to build a sovereign low-Earth-orbit military communications constellation valued at about $10 billion. The company said it fully expects German government backing to field the system for the Bundeswehr.

2026-03-11T12:38:22.928226-07:00

Rheinmetall, OHB and Airbus outline $10 billion JV to build Germany's sovereign military LEO satcom constellation

SpaceNews.com

❗️

Missile strike damages SES teleport in Israel as IRGC claims Haifa satellite comms hit; imagery firms delay Middle East releases SES said a missile "targeted and struck" its Israel teleport on March 9, while Iran's IRGC claimed it hit a Haifa satellite communications centre and other regional targets. A U.S. commercial satellite firm has extended delays in releasing Middle East imagery, affecting military and commercial users.

2026-03-11T12:09:05.609712-07:00

Missile strike damages SES teleport in Israel as IRGC claims Haifa satellite comms hit; imagery firms delay Middle East releases

SpaceNews.com

Space Force terminates AeroVironment SCAR satellite‑control antenna contract; CEO confirms, AVAV shares fall The U.S. Space Force has officially terminated its SCAR contract with AeroVironment for satellite‑control antennas. CEO Wahid Nawabi confirmed the termination, which prompted investor concern and a sell‑off in AVAV shares as markets reassess the company’s near‑term revenue outlook.

2026-03-11T05:52:22.779709-07:00

Space Force terminates AeroVironment SCAR satellite‑control antenna contract; CEO confirms, AVAV shares fall

Space.com

DART images reveal asteroids ejecting 'cosmic snowballs' — ejecta dynamics force rethink of planetary‑defense models NASA's DART mission captured images showing the impacted asteroid ejecting large clumps of material — 'cosmic snowballs' — a phenomenon engineers initially mistook for a camera fault. The observed clumping and trajectories of ejecta alter assumptions about momentum transfer and debris dispersal used in planetary‑defense planning.

2026-03-11T05:01:36.027966-07:00

DART images reveal asteroids ejecting 'cosmic snowballs' — ejecta dynamics force rethink of planetary‑defense models

Aviation Week

Thales unveils SkyDefender — AI‑powered multi‑domain, multi‑layer air and missile defence 'dome' Thales launched SkyDefender, an AI‑powered, multi‑layer integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) "dome" that fuses terrestrial sensors, strategic radars, interceptors and space‑based early warning. The system is pitched as a multi‑domain shield against threats from slow drones to ballistic and hypersonic missiles and saturating attacks.

2026-03-11T03:39:37.996463-07:00

Thales unveils SkyDefender — AI‑powered multi‑domain, multi‑layer air and missile defence 'dome'

Universe Today

❗️

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push Beijing has published a stepped‑up 2026 spaceflight plan featuring two crewed missions, a cargo resupply, a planned year‑long solo endurance experiment and the first Tiangong flight carrying astronauts from Hong Kong or Macao; parallel hypersonic tests and reusable‑rocket trials accelerate Beijing’s timeline toward a crewed lunar landing.

2026-03-11T03:38:46.974388-07:00

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

CNBC

Anduril moves into space to pursue contracts tied to Trump’s 'Golden Dome' initiative Anduril, the defense‑tech firm founded by Palmer Luckey, is expanding into space to compete for contracts linked to President Trump’s 'Golden Dome' missile‑defense initiative. The move positions the company as a potential prime for on‑orbit intercept and lunar infrastructure elements underpinning Golden Dome.

2026-03-10T21:20:01.293777-07:00

Anduril moves into space to pursue contracts tied to Trump’s 'Golden Dome' initiative

Menu

Space Defense & Militarization News

Firefly Alpha returns to flight with Flight 7 'Stairway to Seven', validating Block II upgrades

Missile strike damages SES teleport in Israel as IRGC claims Haifa satellite comms hit; imagery firms delay Middle East releases

China lays out busiest 2026 space manifest — crewed flights, year‑long solo mission and lunar push

Anduril to acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions to bolster space-domain awareness and 'Golden Dome' missile‑defence

News Timeline