SN Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com/tag/sn/ Covering the business and politics of space Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:03:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-SN_forza_star-32x32.png SN Archives - SpaceNews https://spacenews.com/tag/sn/ 32 32 80681979 Sophia and Kepler to marry orbital compute with optical links https://spacenews.com/sophia-and-kepler-to-marry-orbital-compute-with-optical-links/ https://spacenews.com/sophia-and-kepler-to-marry-orbital-compute-with-optical-links/#respond Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:01:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=586233

COLORADO SPRINGS – Sophia Space will begin deploying edge compute nodes on Kepler Communications satellites in late 2026, under a strategic pact announced April 13. Through the partnership, Sophia Space […]

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Rocket Lab wins contract for three more iQPS launches https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-wins-contract-for-three-more-iqps-launches/ https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-wins-contract-for-three-more-iqps-launches/#respond Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:43:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=586032 Electron launch

Rocket Lab has won a contract from Japanese radar satellite company iQPS for three additional Electron launches.

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Falcon 9 launches Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-cygnus-cargo-spacecraft-to-the-iss/ https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-cygnus-cargo-spacecraft-to-the-iss/#respond Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:28:21 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585925 Falcon 9 NG-24 launch

A Falcon 9 launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft April 11 as Northrop Grumman continues its dependence on a competitor to fly resupply missions to the International Space Station.

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Orion splashes down to successfully end Artemis 2 mission https://spacenews.com/orion-splashes-down-to-successfully-end-artemis-2-mission/ https://spacenews.com/orion-splashes-down-to-successfully-end-artemis-2-mission/#respond Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:16:13 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585799 Artemis 2 splashdown

The first human mission beyond Earth orbit in more than 50 years successfully concluded with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean April 10.

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HawkEye 360 files to go public https://spacenews.com/hawkeye-360-files-to-go-public/ https://spacenews.com/hawkeye-360-files-to-go-public/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:36:54 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585732

Based in Herndon, Virginia, the company specializes in space-based radio-frequency signals intelligence for government agencies

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Spacety raises $190 million to scale satellite manufacturing, plans IPO https://spacenews.com/spacety-raises-190-million-to-scale-satellite-manufacturing-plans-ipo/ https://spacenews.com/spacety-raises-190-million-to-scale-satellite-manufacturing-plans-ipo/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:59:12 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585725 An image returned by the Hisea-1 C-band Chinese SAR satellite in December 2020.

Chinese satellite maker Spacety has completed multiple rounds of equity financing worth $190 million to scale its vertically integrated satellite manufacturing and data services model.

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Commerce Department budget proposal revives concerns about TraCSS https://spacenews.com/commerce-department-budget-proposal-revives-concerns-about-tracss/ https://spacenews.com/commerce-department-budget-proposal-revives-concerns-about-tracss/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:10:21 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585662 The TraCSS logo. Credit: NOAA

A budget proposal for the Department of Commerce raises new doubts about the future of a civil space traffic management system under development there.

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China’s Chang’e-7 arrives at spaceport for lunar south pole exploration mission https://spacenews.com/chinas-change-7-arrives-at-spaceport-for-lunar-south-pole-exploration-mission/ https://spacenews.com/chinas-change-7-arrives-at-spaceport-for-lunar-south-pole-exploration-mission/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:52:13 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585655

China’s multi-element Chang’e-7 lunar spacecraft has arrived at Wenchang spaceport for launch preparations ahead of a planned liftoff in the second half of 2026.

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NASA prepares for Artemis 2 return https://spacenews.com/nasa-prepares-for-artemis-2-return/ https://spacenews.com/nasa-prepares-for-artemis-2-return/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:31:26 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585646 Orion moon

The Artemis 2 mission is set for a final, fiery test when the spacecraft reenters April 10 ahead of a splashdown off the California coast.

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PLD Space secures $35 million European Investment Bank loan for MIURA 5 launcher https://spacenews.com/pld-space-secures-35-million-european-investment-bank-loan-for-miura-5-launcher/ https://spacenews.com/pld-space-secures-35-million-european-investment-bank-loan-for-miura-5-launcher/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:34:17 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585484 Miura 1 launch

MILAN – PLD Space signed a 30 million euro ($35 million) venture debt loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on April 7, a move to support the final development […]

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China conducts pair of Long March launches for Thousand Sails and Guowang megaconstellations https://spacenews.com/china-conducts-pair-of-long-march-launches-for-thousand-sails-and-guowang-megaconstellations/ https://spacenews.com/china-conducts-pair-of-long-march-launches-for-thousand-sails-and-guowang-megaconstellations/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:23:45 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585267

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.

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A new kind of arsenal: commercial satellites https://spacenews.com/a-new-kind-of-arsenal-commercial-satellites/ https://spacenews.com/a-new-kind-of-arsenal-commercial-satellites/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=584604

he Pentagon is no longer asking whether commercial space will matter in future conflicts. It is building a strategy around the assumption that it will.

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Portal Space Systems raises $50 million to accelerate spacecraft development https://spacenews.com/portal-space-systems-raises-50-million-to-accelerate-spacecraft-development/ https://spacenews.com/portal-space-systems-raises-50-million-to-accelerate-spacecraft-development/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585202 Portal spacecraft

Space mobility company Portal Space Systems has raised $50 million to scale up development of its highly maneuverable spacecraft.

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What returning to lunar space means for human health https://spacenews.com/what-returning-to-lunar-space-means-for-human-health/ https://spacenews.com/what-returning-to-lunar-space-means-for-human-health/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585008 Artemis 2 earthset

Preparing to send astronauts back to the moon is no small feat. Spaceflight exposes the body to both known and unknown risks, some of which are subtle, cumulative and difficult […]

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Space Force taps 14 firms for $1.8 billion GEO surveillance program https://spacenews.com/space-force-taps-14-firms-for-1-8-billion-geo-surveillance-program/ https://spacenews.com/space-force-taps-14-firms-for-1-8-billion-geo-surveillance-program/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:26:24 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585218

The companies will compete for contracts to build ‘neighborhood watch’ satellites

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Albedo prepares second VLEO mission for 2027 launch https://spacenews.com/albedo-prepares-second-vleo-mission-for-2027-launch/ https://spacenews.com/albedo-prepares-second-vleo-mission-for-2027-launch/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585102

SAN FRANCISCO – Albedo, the former Earth-observation startup now focused on satellite manufacturing, announced plans April 9 to send its second spacecraft into very low-Earth orbit (VLEO). Vicinity, scheduled to […]

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Lockheed Martin wins $105 million contract for GPS ground control system as OCX winds down https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-wins-105-million-contract-for-gps-ground-control-system-as-ocx-winds-down/ https://spacenews.com/lockheed-martin-wins-105-million-contract-for-gps-ground-control-system-as-ocx-winds-down/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:26:44 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585206

The contract supports next-generation GPS IIIF satellites through 2030

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Vantor to expand imaging satellite fleet, adding smallsats to increase revisit rates https://spacenews.com/vantor-to-expand-imaging-satellite-fleet-adding-smallsats-to-increase-revisit-rates/ https://spacenews.com/vantor-to-expand-imaging-satellite-fleet-adding-smallsats-to-increase-revisit-rates/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585103

The new architecture combines high resolution with rapid revisit

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Apex to develop larger satellites for missile defense, space-based computing https://spacenews.com/apex-to-develop-larger-satellites-for-missile-defense-space-based-computing/ https://spacenews.com/apex-to-develop-larger-satellites-for-missile-defense-space-based-computing/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585123

‘Comet Mini’ and ‘Comet XL’ target energy-intensive missions

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Improved thresholds and SSA accuracy can reduce most satellite collision risk https://spacenews.com/improved-thresholds-and-ssa-accuracy-can-reduce-most-satellite-collision-risk/ https://spacenews.com/improved-thresholds-and-ssa-accuracy-can-reduce-most-satellite-collision-risk/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:15:46 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=585081

Improving the accuracy of space situational awareness data and using tighter thresholds for potential conjunctions can help retire most satellite collision risk in LEO, a new study concludes.

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Preparing for the next NASA budget battle https://spacenews.com/preparing-for-the-next-nasa-budget-battle/ https://spacenews.com/preparing-for-the-next-nasa-budget-battle/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=584602 Illustration of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Credit: NASA/CXC & J. Vaughan

When Congress passed a fiscal year 2026 “minibus” appropriations bill in January, much of the space community breathed a sigh of relief. Congress had rejected the steep cuts proposed by […]

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A lunar base or a lunar economy? https://spacenews.com/a-lunar-base-or-a-lunar-economy/ https://spacenews.com/a-lunar-base-or-a-lunar-economy/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=584539 NASA lunar base

We applaud the lunar base vision laid out by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on March 24. Placing this stake in the lunar regolith is long overdue. What is missing from […]

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LeoLabs debuts space monitoring tool for military users https://spacenews.com/leolabs-debuts-space-monitoring-tool-for-military-users/ https://spacenews.com/leolabs-debuts-space-monitoring-tool-for-military-users/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=584633

LeoLabs ‘Delta’ moves beyond collision warnings to identify potential adversarial activity

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Industry navigates NASA’s start-and-stop approach to commercial space stations https://spacenews.com/industry-navigates-nasas-start-and-stop-approach-to-commercial-space-stations/ https://spacenews.com/industry-navigates-nasas-start-and-stop-approach-to-commercial-space-stations/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=584584 Illustration of the Orbital Reef space station. Credit: Blue Origin

(Note: This article went to press for the April issue of SpaceNews Magazine before NASA announced potential changes to the CLD program.) NASA signaled last summer it planned to accelerate […]

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