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Defense Scoop • Mikayla Easley

Space Force makes Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo SDA director and assigns Missile Warning/Tracking PAE portfolio

Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo has been named permanent director of the Space Development Agency effective May 11, ending his acting tenure that began last September. In parallel, he becomes the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Force missile warning and tracking programs, broadening oversight across SDA and the new mission acquisition portfolio.

2026-05-19T13:25:44.979344-07:00

Payload

Vast pivots from private space stations to high-power satellite bus manufacturing

2026-05-19T06:03:59.513891-07:00

Via Satellite

Eutelsat Network Solutions adds Get SAT Aero Blade terminal to expand multi-orbit defense satcom options

2026-05-19T11:55:55.513264-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband

2026-05-19T08:11:47.729871-07:00

News Timeline

Defense Scoop

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Space Force makes Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo SDA director and assigns Missile Warning/Tracking PAE portfolio Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo has been named permanent director of the Space Development Agency effective May 11, ending his acting tenure that began last September. In parallel, he becomes the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Force missile warning and tracking programs, broadening oversight across SDA and the new mission acquisition portfolio.

2026-05-19T13:25:44.979344-07:00

Space Force makes Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo SDA director and assigns Missile Warning/Tracking PAE portfolio

Via Satellite

Eutelsat Network Solutions adds Get SAT Aero Blade terminal to expand multi-orbit defense satcom options Eutelsat Network Solutions says it has added the Get SAT Aero Blade terminal to its lineup, aiming to give US government and defense customers more multi-orbit connectivity choices. The move positions the terminal availability as part of Eutelsat’s broader effort to broaden satcom pathways for regulated users.

2026-05-19T11:55:55.513264-07:00

Eutelsat Network Solutions adds Get SAT Aero Blade terminal to expand multi-orbit defense satcom options

Wall Street Journal

$50M rocket deal backs Trump-era hypersonics push as Pentagon/VC appetite turns to startups A reported $50 million rocket transaction is being framed as fuel for Trump’s hypersonic ambitions, reflecting a broader shift in aerospace industrial strategy. The cluster highlights growing Pentagon and venture-capital interest in startups and faster, deal-driven pathways from investment to test and production.

2026-05-19T11:39:52.256342-07:00

$50M rocket deal backs Trump-era hypersonics push as Pentagon/VC appetite turns to startups

Space Intel Report

EU-backed funding unlocks Ukraine’s “UASAT” “Starlink-lite” broadband satellite constellation (GomSpace, Stetman LLC) A new EU initiative with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is set to provide €140 million in guarantees and €21 million in grants to advance Ukraine’s government broadband “Starlink-lite” satellite constellation. The effort, led by GomSpace and Stetman LLC, is positioned as a path to faster, resilient satcom deployment for government use.

2026-05-19T11:28:37.680935-07:00

EU-backed funding unlocks Ukraine’s “UASAT” “Starlink-lite” broadband satellite constellation (GomSpace, Stetman LLC)

SpaceNews.com

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband After SpaceX disrupted satellite communications with low-latency broadband from low Earth orbit, traditional satellite operators are promoting “multi-orbit” architectures that integrate LEO, MEO and geostationary capacity. The approach is pitched as a way to survive outages, attacks and congestion.

2026-05-19T08:11:47.729871-07:00

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband

SpaceNews.com

Portal Space Systems awards Quindar ground mission management for maneuverable spacecraft Portal Space Systems has signed an agreement with Quindar, a Denver-based satellite ground systems startup, to provide mission management services for upcoming missions using maneuverable spacecraft. The deal positions Quindar to support ground-side planning and control as spacecraft maneuvering drives higher operational complexity.

2026-05-19T07:26:05.975208-07:00

Portal Space Systems awards Quindar ground mission management for maneuverable spacecraft

Payload

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Vast pivots from private space stations to high-power satellite bus manufacturing Private space-station developer Vast says it is launching a new line of high-power satellite buses (Vast Satellite), extending beyond its Haven stations into orbital infrastructure. The buses are positioned for communications, Earth observation, national security, and “orbital data center” constellation architectures.

2026-05-19T06:03:59.513891-07:00

Vast pivots from private space stations to high-power satellite bus manufacturing

SpaceWatch Global

NATO GEOINT Mastermind: governs AI for geospatial intelligence using space-based sensors At GEOINT 2026, NATO policy leadership discussed how AI will be used for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and what governance and security controls are required for deployment. The alliance framed space-based sensors as central to modern GEOINT operations and tied AI adoption to safeguarding data and accelerating decision advantage.

2026-05-19T01:23:42.078337-07:00

NATO GEOINT Mastermind: governs AI for geospatial intelligence using space-based sensors

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Space Defense & Militarization News

Space Force makes Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo SDA director and assigns Missile Warning/Tracking PAE portfolio

Vast pivots from private space stations to high-power satellite bus manufacturing

Eutelsat Network Solutions adds Get SAT Aero Blade terminal to expand multi-orbit defense satcom options

Traditional satcom players pivot to multi-orbit architectures as SpaceX pushes low-latency LEO broadband

News Timeline