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: govconwire.com, Defense Daily and insidedefense.com
2026-04-09T04:38:15.725714-07:00
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