Space News

Satellite Defense Industry & Major Contractors Space Defense & Militarization Space Debris & Traffic Management

SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Pentagon selects three companies to study commercial satellite deorbiting services

The Pentagon has chosen three companies to examine options for providing satellite disposal services to the U.S. government. The study will assess whether aging spacecraft can be deorbited by commercial operators, potentially replacing a dedicated government capability with an externally procured service.

1 Source

2026-08-16T04:10:37.326689-07:00

China Moon Space Exploration & Science Missions Space Policy & International Cooperation

Space.com • Andrew Jones

China’s New Moon Map Signals Ambitions for Space Leadership

By Space.com: New chronology, data about the moon's far side and a homegrown cartographic standard signal China's ambitions for how the solar system gets mapped.

1 Source

2026-08-16T03:05:23.403048-07:00

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation

Space.com • Mike Wall

New record! SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart

By Space.com: SpaceX launched two of its Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart on Saturday evening (Aug. 15), setting a new spaceflight record.

3 Sources

2026-08-15T20:00:36.196382-07:00

Blue Origin Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation Commercial Space

NASA Spaceflight • Alejandro Alcantarilla Romera, Chris Bergin

Blue Origin overviews plan for dual pad ops at Cape Canaveral

By NASA Spaceflight: As Blue Origin continues restoring its primary launch pad at LC-36A, the company has released new renders of a second launch complex designed to support its larger New Glenn 9×4 variant.

2 Sources

2026-08-15T16:05:08.529142-07:00

Moon Space Exploration & Science Missions Commercial Space NASA

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders

By SpaceNews.com: NASA plans to award three more lunar missions this year through a commercial services program, including an orbiter that would replace LRO.

1 Source

2026-08-15T17:06:13.055030-07:00

Satellite Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation Space Policy & International Cooperation Space Defense & Militarization Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact

Bloomberg • Bloomberg News

Zelenskyy Claims Ukraine Struck Russian Space Facility in Samara

By Bloomberg: Ukraine said it attacked a production unit of the Roscosmos space agency as it continued strikes at military and related infrastructure deep within Russia.

RussianSpaceWeb

Ukrainian missiles reportedly strike Russia’s Soyuz rocket producer

Reuters

Ukraine says it hit Russian rocket centre linked to Starlink-style network

Also: militarnyi.com, The Independent, militarnyi.com and prm.ua

7 Sources

2026-08-15T04:35:40.085910-07:00

AI M&A Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation Commercial Space

Reuters • Akash Sriram, Suzanne McGee

2026-08-14T03:20:49.493049-07:00

Saudi Arabia Middle East Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation Commercial Space

Bloomberg • Janet Lorin

Harvard Endowment Discloses $2.2 Billion SpaceX Stake

By Bloomberg: Harvard Management Co. disclosed a $2.2 billion stake in SpaceX, showing how the university’s endowment has profited from an early bet on Elon Musk’s giant rocket company.

Also: Seeking Alpha

3 Sources

2026-08-14T14:35:49.267352-07:00

Pentagon selects three companies to study commercial satellite deorbiting services

China’s New Moon Map Signals Ambitions for Space Leadership

New record! SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart

Blue Origin overviews plan for dual pad ops at Cape Canaveral

Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders

Zelenskyy Claims Ukraine Struck Russian Space Facility in Samara

Ukrainian missiles reportedly strike Russia’s Soyuz rocket producer

Ukraine says it hit Russian rocket centre linked to Starlink-style network

Alphabet's SpaceX bet grows 100-fold over a decade to $94 billion

Nvidia Has $21 Billion SpaceX Stake, $30 Billion in Intel Shares

Nvidia discloses $21bn stake in SpaceX

Harvard Endowment Discloses $2.2 Billion SpaceX Stake

U.S. defense agencies tap three companies for satellite disposal study

China’s New Moon Map Signals Ambitions for Space Leadership

New record! SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart

Lunar orbiter among upcoming NASA CLPS task orders

Blue Origin overviews plan for dual pad ops at Cape Canaveral

Zelenskyy Claims Ukraine Struck Russian Space Facility in Samara

Nvidia discloses $21 billion stake in SpaceX at end of second quarter

Wallops gears up for an increase in launches

India-US space ties deepen as NASA invites ISRO to join moon base program

Orbital Data Centers Raise Urgent Questions About Traffic Rules in Sun-Synchronous Orbits

Stoke Space seeks $1 billion to accelerate development and production of fully reusable Nova rocket

SpaceX completes $60 billion Cursor acquisition as Alphabet’s stake rises to $94 billion

U.S. Space Command Elevates Anti-Satellite Weapons as a Top Priority

Elon Musk discloses 48.4% SpaceX stake, controlling more than 82% of voting power

The day’s aerospace signal, in one email.

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Avio Filings Shed Light on FD1 Rocket Demonstrator Test Flight

Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts

Stoke Space Is Raising $1 Billion to Fund Flagship Nova Rocket

Pixxel-Led Consortium Selected to Build India’s First Privately Operated Earth-Observation Constellation

Intuitive Machines wins contract for three GEO satellites

Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in.

4 Takeaways: Space Governance Meets the Realities of a New Space Era