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Universe Today • Matthew Williams

DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense

NASA's DART mission deliberately altered the Didymos binary system's orbit around the Sun, demonstrating that a kinetic impactor can measurably change an asteroid's trajectory and serve as an effective planetary-defense tool for deflecting near-Earth objects. The result validates kinetic-impact techniques used in deflection planning.

2026-03-14T14:53:34.901800-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Blue Origin unveils NEO Hunter — hybrid planetary‑defense concept to track and mitigate near‑Earth objects

2026-03-14T14:18:18.106713-07:00

Space Intel Report

Leonardo to test Michelangelo missile‑defence 'dome' in Ukraine; NATO trials planned for 2027

2026-03-13T08:54:44.628007-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Kazakhstan at a crossroads: Baikonur could make it Eurasia’s space‑tech broker or a geopolitical pawn

2026-03-13T06:09:22.797260-07:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

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DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense NASA's DART mission deliberately altered the Didymos binary system's orbit around the Sun, demonstrating that a kinetic impactor can measurably change an asteroid's trajectory and serve as an effective planetary-defense tool for deflecting near-Earth objects. The result validates kinetic-impact techniques used in deflection planning.

2026-03-14T14:53:34.901800-07:00

DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense

NASA Spaceflight

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Blue Origin unveils NEO Hunter — hybrid planetary‑defense concept to track and mitigate near‑Earth objects Blue Origin unveiled NEO Hunter, a mission concept combining space‑based surveillance and active mitigation to detect, track and neutralize potentially hazardous near‑Earth objects. The company frames the system as a commercial bridge between spacecraft operations, sensor constellations and deflection capabilities.

2026-03-14T14:18:18.106713-07:00

Blue Origin unveils NEO Hunter — hybrid planetary‑defense concept to track and mitigate near‑Earth objects

Via Satellite

ESA selects Terran Orbital's Tyvak to build 6U Farinella cubesat for Apophis planetary defense mission Tyvak International, a Terran Orbital subsidiary, has won an ESA contract to develop Farinella, a 6U cubesat that will fly on the agency's Planetary Defense Mission to monitor near‑Earth asteroid Apophis. The satellite will provide targeted reconnaissance and contribute to impact‑risk characterization.

2026-03-13T09:19:56.356187-07:00

ESA selects Terran Orbital's Tyvak to build 6U Farinella cubesat for Apophis planetary defense mission

Space Intel Report

Leonardo to test Michelangelo missile‑defence 'dome' in Ukraine; NATO trials planned for 2027 Leonardo plans operational tests of its Michelangelo integrated air- and missile-defence 'dome' in Ukraine by year-end, with NATO member trials slated from 2027. The system fuses the Guardian ISR constellation with terrestrial sensors, radars and C‑UAS/air-defence elements, CEO Roberto Cingolani said.

2026-03-13T08:54:44.628007-07:00

Leonardo to test Michelangelo missile‑defence 'dome' in Ukraine; NATO trials planned for 2027

SpaceNews.com

Kazakhstan at a crossroads: Baikonur could make it Eurasia’s space‑tech broker or a geopolitical pawn Kazakhstan must decide whether to commercialise and leverage Baikonur’s launch and infrastructure assets to position itself as an independent Eurasian hub for space technology and services, or cede influence to larger powers and be sidelined in the intensifying global space competition.

2026-03-13T06:09:22.797260-07:00

Kazakhstan at a crossroads: Baikonur could make it Eurasia’s space‑tech broker or a geopolitical pawn

Payload

Laurent Jaffart outlines ESA's plan to harden space resilience as Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity Laurent Jaffart, ESA's Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, sets out his strategy to harden the agency's defensive posture across navigation, secure communications and connectivity. In a Payload Q&A he explains near‑term priorities, capability gaps to address and how ESA will accelerate defence‑oriented space services for Europe.

2026-03-12T22:38:30.742389-07:00

Laurent Jaffart outlines ESA's plan to harden space resilience as Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

Via Satellite

U.S. must end strategic ambiguity and strengthen space domain awareness to secure space dominance Space is already a contested domain, and Washington must eliminate strategic ambiguity while investing in robust space domain awareness (SDA) to preserve U.S. space power. The piece links policy clarity to improved sensing, attribution and operational readiness — arguing those elements are essential to deterrence and resilient on‑orbit operations.

2026-03-12T12:23:09.208417-07:00

U.S. must end strategic ambiguity and strengthen space domain awareness to secure space dominance

SpaceNews.com

Voyager opens defense and space tech hub in Long Beach Voyager has opened a defense and space technology hub in Long Beach, establishing a new facility focused on defense- and space-related tech activity in Southern California. The hub expands Voyager’s local industrial presence to support the company’s growing work in defense and commercial space.

2026-03-12T11:08:44.434417-07:00

Voyager opens defense and space tech hub in Long Beach

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Space Defense & Militarization News

DART Alters Didymos System’s Solar Orbit, Validates Kinetic-Impactor Planetary Defense

Blue Origin unveils NEO Hunter — hybrid planetary‑defense concept to track and mitigate near‑Earth objects

Leonardo to test Michelangelo missile‑defence 'dome' in Ukraine; NATO trials planned for 2027

Kazakhstan at a crossroads: Baikonur could make it Eurasia’s space‑tech broker or a geopolitical pawn

News Timeline