SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
Telesat will add 69 Ka-band satellites and expand its Lightspeed constellation to 225 spacecraft under a Canadian military contract for secure Military Ka-band Arctic connectivity. The deal, reported at $1.9 billion to $2.3 billion, increases network capacity by 44% and comes as NATO seeks additional commercial satcom capacity.
Space Defense & Militarization
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An increasingly competitive market is forming around in-orbit propulsion, a capability military satellites have historically used sparingly. Growing defense demand is creating new commercial opportunities for propulsion technologies that can extend satellite maneuverability and expand the operational utility of space assets after launch.
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Rocket Lab has secured its largest-ever contract, a $266 million multi-launch agreement with the U.S. Space Force for suborbital missions, alongside three dedicated Electron launches for Japanese satellite operator iQPS. The deals underscore Rocket Lab’s push to broaden launch demand and challenge SpaceX in commercial and defense markets.
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Telesat will add 69 Ka-band satellites and expand its Lightspeed constellation to 225 spacecraft under a Canadian military contract for secure Military Ka-band Arctic connectivity. The deal, reported at $1.9 billion to $2.3 billion, increases network capacity by 44% and comes as NATO seeks additional commercial satcom capacity.
K2 has been selected to test satellite-to-satellite optical communications for the U.S. Space Force, a technology central to planned missile-warning and tracking networks. The capability is also expected to support the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile-defense architecture.
True Anomaly said it became the first company to conduct an in-space pursuit of an evading target, as part of VICTUS HAZE. The U.S. Space Force mission is intended to demonstrate operational capabilities for tracking and pursuing maneuvering objects in orbit.
Hisdesat selected Airbus and Thales Alenia Space to build SpainSat NG-III, while Eutelsat and Poland advanced cooperation on Europe’s IRIS² secure communications program. Separately, SES agreed to support Starlab’s commercial space station and provide multi-orbit connectivity across LATAM Airlines’ Airbus and Embraer fleet.
Earth observation companies increasingly present defense and security applications as a second market alongside climate and commercial work. But framing the capability as “dual-use” may leave governments controlling when and how it is deployed—potentially pushing commercial customers behind state priorities when strategic demands intensify.
The U.S. Space Force awarded K2 Space a $22.9 million contract to test optical communications terminals that transmit data directly between satellites in orbit. The demonstration will assess laser-based crosslinks, a technology intended to support faster and more resilient space-based data networks.
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