An artist's depiction of the Pentagon's Golden Dome concept. (Boeing) By Courtney Albon, Published by Air and Space Forces, 13 July 2026 The Space Development Agency announced contracts worth $1.75 billion to build 36 satellites in support of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense shield. The satellites will be part
Victus Haze Mission By Tim Fernholz, Published by Tech Crunch, 2 July 2026 Militaries routinely send satellites to fly by rival vehicles and suss out their capabilities, but scaling up this kind of reconnaissance is increasingly seen by the U.S. military as a challenge best handled by the private sector.
By Samanth Subramanian, Published by New Republic, 29 June 2026 Space exploration is a rapidly growing industry. But its goal is dominance, not discovery. Two versions of history began when, one fall night in 1957, a two-stage rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and deposited a Soviet satellite called
Iridium low-Earth orbit commercial satellite constellation: Iridium By Jeff Foust, Published by Space News, 29 June 2026 WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab is acquiring satellite telecommunications company Iridium for $8 billion as part of its effort to become an end-to-end space company. The companies announced an agreement June 29 under which
Artist's illustration of a Starfall reentry vehicle separating from a satellite in low-Earth orbit. SpaceX's Starship is in the background. Credit: SpaceX By Stephen Clark, Published by Ars Technica, 23 June 2026 The purpose of Starfall is to support the “transport and delivery of goods through space.” A SpaceX Falcon
A view of a Rocket Lab Electron Rocket.Photo: Rocket Lab By Courtney Albon, Published by Air and Space Forces, 22 June 2026 The Space Force started its second live Tactically Responsive Space mission June 19, working with a contractor to launch a satellite to low-Earth orbit in less than 17
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 1 November - REUTERS/Steve Nesius By Jeff Foust, Published by Space News, 3 January 2026 WASHINGTON — Orbital launch activity set another annual record in 2025, although future growth may depend on factors different from those that fueled the
llustration of Tracking Layer Tranche 3 spacecraft. Credit: Northrop Grumman By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 19 December 2025 L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab and Northrop Grumman won contracts to build 72 satellites WASHINGTON — The Space Development Agency announced Dec. 19 it awarded about $3.5 billion in contracts
