News

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Starcloud seeks FCC approval for up to 88,000‑satellite 'orbital data center' constellation

Starcloud, an orbital data‑center startup, has asked the FCC to authorize a constellation of as many as 88,000 satellites to host in‑orbit computing and storage. The filing pursues regulatory clearance for an unprecedentedly large network intended to shift cloud infrastructure into low Earth orbit.

2026-03-15T15:54:01.551217-07:00

SpaceNews.com

OSTP steps in to coordinate U.S. national space policy as National Space Council remains inactive

2026-03-15T09:37:31.753429-07:00

Financial Times

Musk's push for up to 1 million orbital AI data centres underpins $1.25T SpaceX–xAI merger and alarms astronomers

2026-03-12T21:17:57.395115-07:00

Business Wire

Eutelsat terminates RSCC capacity contracts for Express AT1 and AT2

2026-03-12T17:51:19.999375-07:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

❗️

Starcloud seeks FCC approval for up to 88,000‑satellite 'orbital data center' constellation Starcloud, an orbital data‑center startup, has asked the FCC to authorize a constellation of as many as 88,000 satellites to host in‑orbit computing and storage. The filing pursues regulatory clearance for an unprecedentedly large network intended to shift cloud infrastructure into low Earth orbit.

2026-03-15T15:54:01.551217-07:00

Starcloud seeks FCC approval for up to 88,000‑satellite 'orbital data center' constellation

SpaceNews.com

OSTP steps in to coordinate U.S. national space policy as National Space Council remains inactive With the National Space Council inactive, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has assumed lead responsibility for coordinating U.S. national space policy. The move centralizes interagency policy coordination within OSTP across civil, commercial and national-security space domains.

2026-03-15T09:37:31.753429-07:00

OSTP steps in to coordinate U.S. national space policy as National Space Council remains inactive

SpaceNews.com

Meridian’s 2026 Space Diplomacy Forum to convene policymakers and industry amid a multipolar, contested orbital environment On March 25, 2026 Meridian International Center hosts the 2026 Space Diplomacy Forum, “Shared Horizons,” convening diplomats, industry and policy makers to confront rising multipolarity, commercialization and contestation in orbit. The forum seeks practical steps to strengthen cooperation, norms and risk‑management across jurisdictions.

2026-03-13T14:18:23.082174-07:00

Meridian’s 2026 Space Diplomacy Forum to convene policymakers and industry amid a multipolar, contested orbital environment

Space.com

Russia targets 2036 Venera‑D Venus mission with orbiter, lander and balloon Russia has announced Venera‑D, a flagship Venus mission targeting a 2036 launch that would carry an orbiter, a surface lander and an atmospheric balloon. The plan frames Venera‑D as a strategic effort to revive Soviet‑era planetary exploration capabilities and national prestige.

2026-03-13T12:07:20.771853-07:00

Russia targets 2036 Venera‑D Venus mission with orbiter, lander and balloon

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

SpaceWatch Global

U.S. commercial diplomacy gap threatens commercial space competitiveness On March 10, 2026 the U.S. Department of State published a Federal Register notice that reads routine at first glance. An accompanying opinion warns a shortfall in U.S. commercial diplomacy is eroding international market access and could undercut the competitiveness of the commercial space sector.

2026-03-13T05:59:54.459856-07:00

U.S. commercial diplomacy gap threatens commercial space competitiveness

Payload

African states engage China on space cooperation while avoiding supplier lock‑in African states are engaging China on space cooperation while deliberately avoiding alignment with a single supplier, according to Mustapha Iderawumi of Space in Africa. That pragmatic stance leaves countries open to Chinese partnerships without excluding other international providers or vendors and preserves procurement flexibility.

2026-03-13T05:38:18.899539-07:00

African states engage China on space cooperation while avoiding supplier lock‑in

SpaceNews.com

Q&A: Rebecca Evernden on UK space strategy Rebecca Evernden discusses the UK's space strategy in a wide-ranging Q&A, outlining government priorities for industrial growth, regulatory and policy direction, international partnerships, and the sector's commercial opportunities. Her perspective highlights implications for industry stakeholders navigating funding, exports and evolving defence‑use debates.

2026-03-13T04:01:18.849008-07:00

Q&A: Rebecca Evernden on UK space strategy

Menu

Space Policy & International Cooperation News

Starcloud seeks FCC approval for up to 88,000‑satellite 'orbital data center' constellation

OSTP steps in to coordinate U.S. national space policy as National Space Council remains inactive

Musk's push for up to 1 million orbital AI data centres underpins $1.25T SpaceX–xAI merger and alarms astronomers

Eutelsat terminates RSCC capacity contracts for Express AT1 and AT2

News Timeline