Satellite   Commercial Space   Policy & Regulation  
Via Satellite • Rachel Jewett

Convergence Comes of Age: 2026 Turns Direct-to-Device Satellites and 3GPP NTNs into Commercial Reality

With the first commercial direct-to-device constellations scaling into service and 3GPP non‑terrestrial network standards reaching maturity, 2026 marks the year connectivity between satellites and cellular networks begins to blur. Operators and telcos will increasingly deploy integrated NTN-D2D solutions that make terrestrial versus space links functionally indistinguishable.

2026-01-16T12:11:31.570302-08:00
Satellite   North America   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Defense & Militarization  
Spaceflight Now • Will Robinson-Smith

NRO, SpaceX to launch reconnaissance satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base

By Spaceflight Now: ![](http://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/20260116_NROL-105_F9_pad.jpeg) SpaceX is preparing for a late night Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday, which will carry an undisclosed number of intelligence-gathering satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Also: Space.com
2026-01-16T09:07:06.409528-08:00
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Human Spaceflight & Space Stations   Space Policy & International Cooperation   NASA  
Bloomberg

Artemis II: NASA’s Upcoming Crewed Lunar Flyby Faces Unnecessary Safety Risks

By Bloomberg: Wish them well. Next month, four astronauts are expected to board a space capsule called Orion, blast off on a rocket known as the Space Launch System, and exit low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972, en route to a 10-day flyby of the moon.

Also: NASA, SpaceQ, miragenews.com, Scientific American, CBS News, indiatoday.in, BBC and NASA
2026-01-16T04:53:03.590998-08:00