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Wall Street Journal • Micah Maidenberg

National satellite fleets surge as governments push for sovereign control

Governments worldwide are accelerating development and procurement of national satellite fleets to regain sovereign control over communications, sensing and space-based resilience. That demand is reshaping commercial markets, prompting defence-oriented architectures and raising new policy, spectrum and supply‑chain priorities for operators and contractors.

2026-01-26T22:39:17.745103-08:00

Via Satellite

Hanwha signs MOUs with Telesat and MDA to explore South Korea's K‑LEO defence constellation

2026-01-26T12:49:36.787103-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Proposal: 'Planetary Neural Network' to Defend AI‑Enabled Space Infrastructure

2026-01-26T06:22:57.671046-08:00

Space Intel Report

ESA and European Commission to fly four in‑orbit demonstrators for future intel/reconnaissance network

2026-01-26T01:35:46.186861-08:00

News Timeline

Wall Street Journal

National satellite fleets surge as governments push for sovereign control Governments worldwide are accelerating development and procurement of national satellite fleets to regain sovereign control over communications, sensing and space-based resilience. That demand is reshaping commercial markets, prompting defence-oriented architectures and raising new policy, spectrum and supply‑chain priorities for operators and contractors.

2026-01-26T22:39:17.745103-08:00

National satellite fleets surge as governments push for sovereign control

Via Satellite

Hanwha signs MOUs with Telesat and MDA to explore South Korea's K‑LEO defence constellation Hanwha Systems has signed memoranda of understanding with Canada's Telesat and MDA Space to explore collaboration on South Korea's sovereign low‑Earth‑orbit defence constellation, K‑LEO. The pacts signal closer ROK–Canada defence‑space cooperation and potential industrial cooperation on satellite development and operations.

2026-01-26T12:49:36.787103-08:00

Hanwha signs MOUs with Telesat and MDA to explore South Korea's K‑LEO defence constellation

SpaceNews.com

Proposal: 'Planetary Neural Network' to Defend AI‑Enabled Space Infrastructure A proposal calls for a 'Planetary Neural Network' — a distributed, AI‑driven system to detect, respond to and mitigate cyber and operational threats against AI‑enabled space assets. The plan urges coordinated defense across satellites, ground stations and operators to protect on‑orbit compute and services.

2026-01-26T06:22:57.671046-08:00

Proposal: 'Planetary Neural Network' to Defend AI‑Enabled Space Infrastructure

Payload

Pentagon selects Varda, Stratolaunch for MACH-TB Task Area 3 reusable hypersonic test flights The Pentagon last week awarded Task Area 3 contracts under the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH-TB) program to Varda Space Industries and Stratolaunch. Task Area 3 funds development of reusable flight concepts to support more frequent, lower-cost hypersonic missile test flights.

2026-01-26T05:07:21.216789-08:00

Pentagon selects Varda, Stratolaunch for MACH-TB Task Area 3 reusable hypersonic test flights

Space Intel Report

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ESA and European Commission to fly four in‑orbit demonstrators for future intel/reconnaissance network The European Space Agency and the European Commission are preparing four in‑orbit demonstrator missions to prototype a future intelligence and reconnaissance network, leveraging newly granted defence‑oriented mandates from member governments. The demonstrators are intended to accelerate capability development and interoperability for Europe’s military space architecture.

2026-01-26T01:35:46.186861-08:00

ESA and European Commission to fly four in‑orbit demonstrators for future intel/reconnaissance network

Reuters

Rheinmetall and OHB eye sovereign LEO comms constellation for German military; Airbus competing Rheinmetall is in talks with Bremen-based satellite manufacturer OHB to form a German joint venture to build a secure low-Earth-orbit communications constellation for the Bundeswehr. The proposal — pitched as a sovereign, military-grade 'Starlink' — has attracted Airbus interest and sent OHB shares up more than 35%.

2026-01-26T00:41:24.408792-08:00

Rheinmetall and OHB eye sovereign LEO comms constellation for German military; Airbus competing

Spaceflight Now

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USSF moves GPS III-9 onto SpaceX Falcon 9 after switch from ULA Vulcan The U.S. Space Force will launch its ninth GPS III navigation satellite into medium Earth orbit Monday night aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 after reassigning the mission from a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket. The transfer highlights schedule pressure and procurement flexibility in national GPS sustainment.

2026-01-25T17:12:43.968394-08:00

USSF moves GPS III-9 onto SpaceX Falcon 9 after switch from ULA Vulcan

SpaceNews.com

Golden Dome Forces Pentagon to Confront Missile‑Defense Economics The Pentagon is confronting the economic realities of Golden Dome — a sprawling air‑and‑space missile‑defense architecture whose projected scale, procurement and sustainment costs are forcing trade‑offs over scope, timelines and industrial participation. Affordability debates now risk reshaping acquisition strategy for the program.

2026-01-25T07:58:29.807586-08:00

Golden Dome Forces Pentagon to Confront Missile‑Defense Economics

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Space Defense & Militarization News

National satellite fleets surge as governments push for sovereign control

Hanwha signs MOUs with Telesat and MDA to explore South Korea's K‑LEO defence constellation

Proposal: 'Planetary Neural Network' to Defend AI‑Enabled Space Infrastructure

ESA and European Commission to fly four in‑orbit demonstrators for future intel/reconnaissance network

News Timeline