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How Chinese satellites filled the US imagery gap for Iran during Operation Epic Fury

Since Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, China has taken a careful approach to supporting Iran, including using satellite capabilities to sustain visibility and intelligence when American imagery coverage reportedly went dark. The cluster traces how Chinese alternatives helped keep Iran’s war effort informed.

2026-04-19T20:51:28.498430-07:00

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US Space Force explores Vulcan Centaur flights without solid rocket boosters under investigation

2026-04-19T11:04:27.649286-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX to launch advanced US GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on April 20

2026-04-19T09:15:49.893578-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Rhea Space Activity raises $6M Series A for GPS-free spacecraft navigation software

2026-04-19T04:04:27.650723-07:00

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The Economist

How Chinese satellites filled the US imagery gap for Iran during Operation Epic Fury Since Operation Epic Fury began Feb. 28, China has taken a careful approach to supporting Iran, including using satellite capabilities to sustain visibility and intelligence when American imagery coverage reportedly went dark. The cluster traces how Chinese alternatives helped keep Iran’s war effort informed.

2026-04-19T20:51:28.498430-07:00

How Chinese satellites filled the US imagery gap for Iran during Operation Epic Fury

SpaceNews.com

US Space Force explores Vulcan Centaur flights without solid rocket boosters under investigation The U.S. Space Force is considering a workaround to resume United Launch Alliance Vulcan missions while solid rocket boosters remain under investigation. The approach would fly Vulcan without the troubled boosters for certain national-security launches, potentially preserving some on-orbit delivery cadence during the grounding.

2026-04-19T11:04:27.649286-07:00

US Space Force explores Vulcan Centaur flights without solid rocket boosters under investigation

Space.com

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SpaceX to launch advanced US GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on April 20 SpaceX is scheduled to launch an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force early Monday, April 20. The mission continues ongoing replenishment of U.S. GPS capabilities and will be covered live as the satellite is inserted into orbit.

2026-04-19T09:15:49.893578-07:00

SpaceX to launch advanced US GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on April 20

SpaceNews.com

Rhea Space Activity raises $6M Series A for GPS-free spacecraft navigation software Rhea Space Activity, a Washington, D.C. startup, raised $6 million in a Series A round to develop navigation software that can operate without GPS. The funding is intended to advance GPS-denied spacecraft positioning and guidance, shifting onboard navigation closer to software-defined resilience.

2026-04-19T04:04:27.650723-07:00

Rhea Space Activity raises $6M Series A for GPS-free spacecraft navigation software

SpaceNews.com

Col. Tim Trimailo details Space Force’s “commercial first” approach in shaping space capabilities In an interview, Col. Tim Trimailo discusses how the Space Force is putting its “commercial first” strategy into practice—leveraging the commercial space sector to accelerate delivery of space capabilities and manage modernization needs. The discussion frames how Space Force leadership evaluates what to buy, how to integrate, and how to scale outcomes.

2026-04-17T17:42:41.533122-07:00

Col. Tim Trimailo details Space Force’s “commercial first” approach in shaping space capabilities

Breaking Defense

Space Force selects nine firms for orbital AMTI contracts, without award timing or pricing disclosure The U.S. Space Force announced that nine companies won orbital AMTI-related deals, but provided no details on when the contracts were awarded or the individual contract values. The disclosure underscores ongoing competition for space-based sensing and tracking capabilities supporting missile and space-domain awareness needs.

2026-04-17T15:37:15.423677-07:00

Space Force selects nine firms for orbital AMTI contracts, without award timing or pricing disclosure

Breaking Defense

Lockheed Martin wins up to $105M Space Force contract to modernize U.S. GPS ground control network The U.S. Space Force awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $105 million to continue modernizing and sustaining the GPS ground control network. The work supports resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services for military and civilian users as the Next-Generation Operational Control Segment (OCX) winds down, including an upgrade to enable replacement of RTX’s troubled OCX program for future GPS IIIF spacecraft.

2026-04-17T15:37:15.080655-07:00

Lockheed Martin wins up to $105M Space Force contract to modernize U.S. GPS ground control network

Breaking Defense

US Air Force seeks multi-year procurement authority spanning satellites, aircraft and munitions Pentagon officials are asking lawmakers for authorization to buy weapons systems through multi-year deals that cover not only munitions, but also the production of aircraft and spacecraft, per Air Force Secretary Troy Meink. The proposal targets a broader, more stable funding and industrial approach for space- and air-delivered capability.

2026-04-17T15:37:14.693819-07:00

US Air Force seeks multi-year procurement authority spanning satellites, aircraft and munitions

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Space Defense & Militarization News

How Chinese satellites filled the US imagery gap for Iran during Operation Epic Fury

US Space Force explores Vulcan Centaur flights without solid rocket boosters under investigation

SpaceX to launch advanced US GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on April 20

Rhea Space Activity raises $6M Series A for GPS-free spacecraft navigation software

News Timeline