Tag: United Kingdom
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DMU41 IMU Recovers From Proton Strikes and Withstands 30 kRad Radiation Test
Silicon Sensing said on September 23 that eight DMU41 inertial measurement units returned to normal operation after single-event effects testing with protons at energies from 50 to 200 MeV, while separate total ionizing dose trials exposed the units to as much as 30 kRad(Si). Post-test acceptance procedures found no significant performance drift, providing satellite developers…
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Open Cosmos Raises $348 Million, Reaches $1 Billion Valuation
UK-based satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos closed a €300 million ($348 million) Series C round on September 14, 2026, lifting its valuation above $1 billion and making it Europe’s newest space unicorn. The company plans to use the capital to expand satellite production, ground infrastructure and its proprietary Earth observation and broadband constellations for…
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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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UK Launches £7.8 Billion Space Strategy Focused on Defence and Resilient Satellite Communications
The UK government launched a new national space strategy on September 8, bringing £7.8 billion in planned investment through 2030 under a single framework covering economic growth, defence and national security. The plan prioritises military space capabilities and calls for a resilient, integrated national satellite communications system to support government and defence operations. The strategy…
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MeerKAT Detects Ancient Hydrogen Signal, Advancing Three-Dimensional Cosmic Mapping
Astronomers using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope have detected faint hydrogen emissions that travelled roughly four to five billion years to Earth, demonstrating a way to study cosmic structure without relying on optical galaxy surveys. Announced on September 1, 2026, the result draws on approximately 96 hours of observations and measures hydrogen at two redshifts,…
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HyImpulse Raises More Than €50 Million Ahead of Second SR75 Launch
German launch vehicle developer HyImpulse announced September 2, 2026, that it had raised more than €50 million, approximately $58 million, in a Series A extension to advance its suborbital SR75 and orbital SL1 rockets. The financing comes as the company prepares for a second SR75 flight from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland before the end of…
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Wildfire Smoke from Canada Crosses into the United States: How Satellite Data Supports Wildfire Monitoring and Environmental Management
In mid-July 2026, smoke from wildfires burning across central Canada continued spreading southeast across the U.S.-Canada border, pushing Detroit’s Air Quality Index to its highest reported level since monitoring began in 1999. Several cities were listed among the most polluted major cities in the world during this period. A watercraft sits in the Detroit River…
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UK Space Agency Delays £75.6 Million Active Debris Removal Contract Award
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has delayed awarding a contract for the next phase of the United Kingdom’s first active orbital debris removal mission, missing its original deadline for the £75.6 million program. Astronomy The contract for Phase 3 of the Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission was initially scheduled to be awarded by March 30,…
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Amazon Leo Expands Into Construction Sector Through Hitachi Machinery Connectivity Deal
Amazon Leo has entered the construction sector through a new agreement with Hitachi Construction Machinery, as Amazon prepares for the initial rollout of its low Earth orbit satellite internet service later this year. The companies announced on Wednesday that Hitachi Construction Machinery will begin deploying portable Amazon Leo satellite terminals at construction sites in the…
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NewOrbit Raises $18.5 Million to Commercialize Very Low Earth Orbit Satellite Operations
European satellite manufacturer NewOrbit has closed an oversubscribed $18.5 million Series A funding round to accelerate the commercialization of very low Earth orbit (VLEO), a region of space that has historically been considered too challenging for long-term commercial operations. The funding round was led by Voyager Ventures and included participation from several new and existing…