Author: starpathwp-production
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Impulse Space Miras Approach Within 200 Meters in Orbital Rendezvous Demonstration
Two Impulse Space Mira orbital transfer vehicles approached within approximately 200 meters of each other in low Earth orbit during a July 2026 rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration, the California-based company announced September 8. The maneuver involved spacecraft launched on the LEO Express 2 and LEO Express 3 missions and demonstrated controlled orbit matching, close…
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NOAA Selects 14 Commercial Satellite Data Providers for Expanded Weather Contract
NOAA has selected 14 commercial satellite companies to compete for orders across seven environmental-observation categories under a new Space-Based Environmental Monitoring contract. Announced on September 10, 2026, the procurement expands NOAA’s use of privately operated constellations to support weather forecasting, climate monitoring, space-weather services and satellite orbit prediction. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract began its five-year…
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European Commission Targets €65 Billion for Space in 2028–2034 EU Budget
The European Commission wants space activities to receive half of a proposed €131 billion defense, security and space funding envelope for 2028–2034, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said in Paris. The proposed split would direct approximately €65.5 billion to space programs over seven years, substantially elevating space within the European Union’s next…
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Antares Wins $161 Million Space Force Award to Advance Orbital Nuclear Reactor
Antares has received a $161 million Strategic Breakthrough award to conduct a ground demonstration of its R1-S nuclear reactor and integrate the system with a spacecraft for flight certification, the company announced September 11. The award, issued through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, moves Antares…
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Both Bound for the Moon: Why Are NASA’s SLS and SpaceX’s Starship So Different?
On one side is the orange-and-white SLS. On the other is Starship, resembling a stainless-steel tower. Both are part of the United States’ architecture for returning humans to the Moon, yet they have almost nothing in common—from their appearance and engines to how they are intended to operate. Their respective roles: SLS Block 1 and…
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From Precision Landings to Rapid Turnaround: Key Technologies Behind Reusable Rocket Engines
With the successful recoveries of the Long March 10B and Zhuque-3, rocket recovery and reuse have become one of the hottest topics in the space industry. Yet the real value lies not in the dramatic moment of recovery, but in the underlying economics: reducing the cost per launch by reusing high-value components. As the most…
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MDA Space Introduces Aurora Black Satellite Platform for Secure Military Communications
MDA Space introduced MDA Aurora Black on September 10, 2026, extending its software-defined Aurora satellite product line into the defence market with anti-jamming, GPS spoofing resistance and proximity-monitoring capabilities intended to protect military communications in contested environments. The defence-focused configuration is available across MDA Space’s Aurora broadband and direct-to-device product lines. It combines the existing…
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Space Force Prepares New GPS Ground Control Program Less Than Six Months After OCX Cancellation
The U.S. Space Force is preparing a new effort to modernize the ground command-and-control system for the Global Positioning System, less than six months after the Pentagon canceled the troubled Next Generation Operational Control System, or OCX. A September 2 notice from the Space Enterprise Consortium marked “Coming” provides the clearest indication that the service…
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U.S. Space Force Selects Lake Kickapoo, Texas, for Final DARC Radar Site
The U.S. Space Force selected a remote location near Lake Kickapoo in northern Texas on September 9 as the preferred site for the third Deep-space Advanced Radar Capability installation, completing the planned geographic footprint of a three-nation radar network designed to provide persistent surveillance of objects in geosynchronous orbit. DARC is a next-generation ground-based space…
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DOT Forms SPACE Task Force, but Authority to Cut Launch Approval Times Remains Unclear
The US Department of Transportation established the Space Policy Administration, Coordination, and Execution Task Force on September 9 to accelerate commercial launch approvals, expand spaceport capacity and improve launch integration with the national airspace system. However, DOT did not announce approval-time targets, implementation deadlines or new licensing authority, leaving unresolved whether the group can remove…