Tag: satellite manufacturing
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NASA Administrator Backs Solar-Powered AI Data Centers in Earth Orbit
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has endorsed placing artificial intelligence data centers in Earth orbit, arguing that space-based computing could draw directly on abundant solar energy while reducing pressure on terrestrial power grids, water supplies and land. Isaacman outlined the concept in an August 26, 2026, interview with Nexstar DC. He described the sun as a…
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NASA Chief Floats Orbital Data Centers as AI Infrastructure Push Extends Into Space
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has publicly endorsed the idea of placing data centers in orbit, arguing that space-based computing infrastructure could eventually address growing concerns over the energy consumption, land use, and local opposition associated with terrestrial AI facilities. Speaking on a recent podcast appearance, Isaacman suggested that future data centers could take advantage of…
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Rassvet Satellite Failures Expose Challenges Facing Russia’s Starlink Alternative
Russia’s effort to build a sovereign low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation has suffered a setback after the apparent loss of one operational Rassvet satellite and growing concerns that two additional spacecraft may soon reenter the atmosphere, raising questions about the pace and reliability of the country’s emerging Starlink competitor. According to orbital tracking data cited by multiple…
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Multi-Satellite Launches: Why Satellites Are “Riding Together” Into Space
In recent years, rockets around the world have increasingly carried several satellites on a single launch. China’s commercial space sector, for example, recently used a “one rocket, seven satellites” mission to launch the GalaxySpace Lingzhi-09 Thai CubeSat for Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency. So why are satellites increasingly “riding together” into space? What…
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Ares Shield Wins Initial Contract to Protect Lonestar’s Orbital Data Center Satellites
Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings has selected Polish space security startup Ares Shield to provide protective systems for satellites supporting the company’s emerging orbital data storage infrastructure, marking one of the first publicly disclosed commercial agreements focused specifically on active satellite protection for space-based data centers. Under the agreement, Ares Shield will initially equip three Lonestar…
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China’s Race for Orbit and Spectrum: Hainan’s New Factory Targets 1,000 Satellites a Year
The successful recovery of Zhuque-3 was celebrated across China. From state-owned aerospace organizations to private companies, China’s commercial space sector has achieved a historic breakthrough in rocket recovery technology. Yet while everyone was looking up at the sky, another, less visible part of China’s space strategy was quietly taking shape. June 2026, Wenchang, Hainan Province.…
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Muon Space Raises $250 Million to Scale Satellite Constellation Production
Muon Space has raised $250 million in a Series C financing round as the California satellite developer moves to expand spacecraft production, broaden its dual-use satellite platforms and support a growing pipeline of commercial, government and international sovereign customers. The oversubscribed financing, announced Aug. 20, brings Muon Space’s total equity funding to more than $386…
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Intuitive Machines’ Maxar Acquisition Gains Momentum With $600 Million Satellite Order and Orbital Data Center Ambitions
Intuitive Machines’ decision to acquire the former Maxar satellite manufacturing business is beginning to look less like a bet on traditional spacecraft production and more like a strategy to build a vertically integrated space infrastructure company. The clearest evidence came in August 2026, when Intuitive Machines disclosed that it had secured a commercial contract worth…
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Rwanda and Planet Labs Launch National Satellite Data Program for Government, Universities and Startups
The Government of Rwanda has partnered with Planet Labs to establish a national satellite data program that will provide near-daily Earth observation imagery to government agencies, public universities, selected startups and strategic development partners. Managed by the Rwanda Space Agency, the program is designed to make satellite imagery a more routine component of national decision-making,…
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Pentagon Awards $7.1M to Scale Satellite Cover Glass in Ohio
Is U.S. Satellite Solar Cell Glass a National Security Vulnerability? $7.1 million. That is what the Pentagon judged it worth to shore up domestic supply of one of the most overlooked consumables in spacecraft manufacturing: radiation-resistant cover glass for satellite solar arrays. The award, made July 17 under Title III of the Defense Production Act,…