SpaceNews

Space Systems Command awarded an IDIQ for space-based space domain awareness on April 7, 2026. The 14-company pool spans traditional primes (Lockheed, Northrop, L3Harris, BAE Systems) and commercial-native companies (Anduril, True Anomaly, Turion Space, Quantum Space, Astranis, Intuitive Machines, Redwire). 32 companies competed. Task order details not disclosed. Work completion targeted April 2036.

Bloomberg reports SpaceX boosted its IPO target above $2T by April 2 after investor testing-the-waters feedback. Senior bankers are hosting meetings ahead of the formal roadshow. The post-xAI merger entity now spans rockets, Starlink (6M+ subscribers), and AI infrastructure. Valuation implies an 87x revenue multiple compared to $15-16B annual revenue.

The Indian startup’s electric propulsion technology targets the booming smallsat and OTV market.

Starcloud’s $170M round values the orbital compute pioneer at $1.1B as the company prepares to launch its first in-space data center prototypes.

Xona closed $170M to accelerate Pulsar deployment, positioning the company as a leader in resilient space-based PNT.

Arinna’s TMD-based panels promise higher efficiency and durability, addressing a key bottleneck for proliferating LEO constellations and in-orbit compute.

The joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission, launched July 2025, continues delivering powerful dual-frequency SAR data for Earth observation.

Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines express readiness for NASA’s proposed monthly lunar lander cadence starting in 2027 under CLPS 2.0.

Dr. V. Narayanan inaugurated the fourth edition of ISRO’s student awareness training programme on 11 March 2026, emphasizing nation-building through space exploration.

SpaceX has filed regulatory paperwork indicating IFT-10 will fly in May 2026, featuring the first ever ship-to-ship propellant transfer.

AFRL's Center for Rapid Innovation awarded BlackSky a sole-source SBIR Phase III IDIQ contract capped at $99M to develop a segmented-mirror large-aperture optical imaging testbed. Initial obligation is $2.1M; additional task orders will fund development through 2032. Satellites built under the program will also serve as on-orbit data storage and processing hubs compatible with emerging orbital data centers.

SpaceNews reports on the $550M raise led by LuminArx at an $8B valuation. Highlights the strategic pivot from commercial space infrastructure to national security, the appointment of Dan Jablonsky (ex-Maxar CEO) in late February, and the NASA rebaselining of Dream Chaser from ISS resupply to a free-flight demonstration slated for late 2026.

Liftero will supply BOOSTER propulsion systems to OrbitAID’s upcoming in-orbit servicing spacecraft.

PLD Space closed a €180M round to prepare for the first flight of its Miura 5 rocket.

LandSpace confirmed Q2 2026 for the second ZQ-3 orbital flight and recovery attempt, with first-stage reuse targeting Q4. Company plans to manufacture 10 rockets and 100 engines this year, and has secured Guowang constellation launch contracts.

SpaceNews analysis: Amazon is behind FCC deadline pace (212 of ~1,616 needed by July 2026), and has filed a request to extend that deadline by two years. Amazon adding 10 more Falcon 9 launches, doubling New Glenn orders to 24. Arianespace expects 7-8 Ariane 6 launches in 2026. ESA Director Tolker-Nielsen: "Europe can now transport small to large payloads to close or faraway orbits with our complete fleet."

Official NASA press release on Crew-12 launch at 5:15 a.m. EST Feb 13. Crew: Meir (commander, second flight), Hathaway (pilot, first flight), Adenot (ESA Epsilon mission, first flight), Fedyaev (Roscosmos, second flight). ISS restored to standard 7-person crew after Crew-11's early medical evacuation in January. Eight-month science mission including bacteria cardiovascular research, IV fluid generation for deep space, and plant health monitoring.

SpaceNews reports Axiom's $350M round led by Type One Ventures and QIA. Highlights the 4iG relationship (Hungarian telecom, $100M commitment linked to Ax-4 flight of cosmonaut Tibor Kapu). CEO Cirtain confirmed AxEMU spacesuit delivery on track for 2027 and NASA CLD solicitation expected later in 2026. Station Module 1 (PPTM) targets 2028 ISS attachment. Axiom has not disclosed valuation.

Space.com analysis: the LM-10 first stage's powered vertical splashdown at sea is directly analogous to Falcon 9 first stage ocean recovery. China combining a safety system test with first-stage recovery in a single flight represents a compressed development timeline. Mengzhou has now completed both zero-altitude and maximum dynamic pressure abort tests. Uncrewed demonstration mission to Tiangong Space Station expected later in 2026.

Global Times reports from Wenchang. Four technical firsts confirmed: first LM-10 prototype ignition, first maximum dynamic pressure abort test in Chinese space history, first maritime splashdown of both crewed capsule and rocket first stage, first use of the new Wenchang lunar launch pad. LM-10 adopts "three-and-a-half-stage" configuration, 90m tall, 2,700 tons liftoff thrust — China's largest vehicle and only one capable of translunar crewed missions.

Satlyt and Orbotic Systems become the first commercial licensees of Aerospace's DiskSat platform. Satlyt will use it for edge computing and autonomous operations in LEO.

The Artemis II SLS/Orion stack rolled to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center on January 18 — the first human-rated deep space vehicle at that pad since the Space Shuttle era. The rollout marked a significant program milestone ahead of planned launch windows in February 2026.

ISRO’s first launch of 2026 deployed the EOS-N1 satellite and multiple co-passengers, showcasing continued PSLV reliability for Earth observation and rideshare missions.

Analysis frames Space Forge as operating at the intersection of space manufacturing and the semiconductor supply chain. The plasma test proves the manufacturing environment is achievable on an autonomous, free-flying commercial satellite. Long-term vision: orbital foundry manufacturing seed crystals returned to Earth for terrestrial scaling — a hybrid model that complements rather than replaces existing fabs. Materials advantages: no convection, near-zero nitrogen contamination, stable thermal conditions.