Satellite   Supply Chain   Commercial Space   Space Debris & Traffic Management  
SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Portal Space raises $50M to advance maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure

Portal Space Systems raised $50 million in a Series A led by Geodesic Capital and Mach33, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures and Ark Invest. The Seattle‑area startup will use the funding to scale Bothell manufacturing, accelerate its highly maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft, and commercialize Paladin‑partnered debris‑removal services with Starlab.

Payload • Jacqueline Feldscher

Portal Closes $50M Series A

Also: GeekWire and portalsystems.space
2026-04-09T08:07:25.018387-07:00
China   Satellite   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space  
SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

China conducts pair of Long March launches for Thousand Sails and Guowang megaconstellations

By SpaceNews.com: China conducts pair of Long March launches for Thousand Sails and Guowang megaconstellations China carried out separate Long March 8 and Long March 6A launches this week, adding new batches of satellites to the country’s megaconstellation projects.

2026-04-09T07:32:22.318213-07:00
Satellite   Space Force   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Space Defense & Militarization  
SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Space Force taps 14 firms for $1.8 billion GEO surveillance program

By SpaceNews.com: Space Force taps 14 firms for $1.8 billion GEO surveillance program Space Force taps 14 firms for $1.8 billion GEO surveillance program.

Also: Defense Daily, insidedefense.com and Air & Space Forces Mag
2026-04-09T04:38:15.725714-07:00
Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Sustainability & Climate Initiatives  
Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Scientific roadmap assesses feasibility and risks of terraforming Mars

By Universe Today: Reading the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson brings the benefits and pitfalls of efforts to terraform the Red Planet into sharp relief. Since the 1970s, when Carl Sagan first suggested the possibility that we could make Mars more Earth-like, that process has been a staple of science fiction.

2026-04-09T06:56:08.988040-07:00