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

Portal Space raises $50M Series A to scale highly maneuverable on‑orbit spacecraft and commercial debris‑removal infrastructure

Seattle‑based Portal Space Systems closed a $50 million Series A led by Geodesic Capital and Mach33, with participation from Booz Allen Ventures, Ark Invest, AlleyCorp and FUSE. The funding will accelerate development of Portal's highly maneuverable on‑orbit vehicle and deploy commercial debris‑removal infrastructure via a Paladin partnership.

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  
NEW
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 and insidedefense.com
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
Satellite   BizAv   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Commercial Space   Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection)  
Runway Girl • Mary Kirby

ST Engineering iDirect: How LEO-led Satcom Disruption Creates Risks and Opportunities for Aviation, Defense and Enterprise

By Runway Girl: Vertically integrated LEO satellite operators are shaking up business models. But for ST Engineering iDirect, this industry inflection point is “a glass‑half‑full moment” for all markets that rely on satcom.

2026-04-09T05:06:53.295641-07:00