Equatys, the U.S.-based Viasat and Emirati satellite operator Space42’s shared space infrastructure joint venture for direct-to-device services, has gained its first mobile network partner as it seeks to challenge SpaceX’s growing lead in the emerging market.

The company procured a dedicated Falcon 9 rocket to prove its “one satellite design for all orbits” concept

In-space transportation company Impulse Space says it plans to develop a lunar lander to fill what it sees as a gap in missions to the moon.

We’re entering a new era of space. One defined not by exploration alone, but by the infrastructure that makes a sustained presence possible. For decades, our presence in space has been limited to short-term missions: land, explore and return. But now that’s changing. Artemis is preparing the moon as a steppingstone to Mars, shifting the United States’ national space strategy toward sustained presence and long-term infrastructure.

Space Pioneer has secured around $350 million in new funding rounds to support its Tianlong-3 rocket and next-generation launch vehicle and engine development.

The 4th Annual SmallSat Education Conference will take place on Saturday. Oct. 25 10am-5pm to Sunday Oct. 26, 2025 10am to 1pm at the Center for Space Education at Kennedy Space Center. Last year 600 participants learned about space education opportunities including cubesat projects, high altitude balloon projects, space debris mitigation, radio operations, and information about NASA, the U.S.S.F., AI, robotics, space journalism and space law. 

The SpaceNews Icon Awards celebrate the year’s most iconic achievements in shaping the future of the space industry. Today, we’re proud to announce the shortlist for 2025 — a selection of individuals, organizations, and missions that exemplify excellence in innovation, exploration and sustainability. This year’s honorees represent a range of accomplishments — from pioneering commercial ventures and groundbreaking technologies to industry-defining partnerships.

SpaceX successfully completed the final flight of version 2 of Starship on Oct. 13, performing in-flight tests as the company prepares to introduce an upgraded version of the reusable rocket.

China conducted an orbital launch Monday with no apparent advance indication, successfully sending the Shiyan-31 remote sensing test satellite into orbit.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will lay off 550 employees this week, the latest round of job cuts at the space science center.

(Houston) — Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, will be Honorary Chair of World Space Week 2026, it was announced today by World Space Week Association. Led by Bruno, ULA has served as the custodian of America’s national security space missions, flying to the most challenging and exotic orbits the nation requires, while delivering the most accurate payload insertions in the world. 

Will China beat America in returning astronauts to the moon? We hear this question time and again. It is a perennial concern, both from a prestige and national security standpoint. But it is the wrong question. What we really need to assess is whether or not China is on track to dominate America in space.

BRISBANE, Australia – Momentus and Solstar Space announced a three-year agreement Oct. 13 to expand communications, transportation and infrastructure services for government and commercial missions in low-Earth orbit. The reciprocal-services agreement is designed to combine “the respective strengths, products and services of each company to deliver comprehensive low-Earth orbit space capabilities to address a broad range of commercial, government and space-agency requirements,” according to the news release.

The Japanese space agency JAXA has selected Rocket Lab to launch a set of technology demonstration satellites on Electron rockets after continued delays with a Japanese launch vehicle.

SpaceX is set to conduct its next Starship test flight as the company continues to test the launch vehicle and play well with others in airspace.

The startup said it sought to position France at the forefront of space defense capabilities

Chinese launch startup Orienspace successfully conducted its second launch late Friday, with a Gravity-1 solid rocket lifting off from a barge in the Yellow Sea.

Planet has announced a new class of imaging satellites that will replace a line of spacecraft dating back to the company’s earliest days.

The New Zealand government is touting the progress it is making to grow the country’s aerospace industry.

The recommendation comes in a new report by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Momentus announced Oct. 9 two new contracts with NASA to carry payloads to test in-space manufacturing and an advanced propulsion system on its Vigoride spacecraft.

We’re excited to announce that Critical Software, in partnership with Airbus Ventures, has invested in Aerospacelab. This move strengthens our New Space strategy and builds on our recent activity - in particular our investment in Turion Space. Why this matters: European focus: Aerospacelab is a strategic partner for Europe, accelerating access to space through rapid satellite development. Speed to deliver: Their ability to design, build, and deploy satellites quickly aligns with our mission-critical mindset.

In this week’s episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss speaks with Robert Lightfoot, president, space at Lockheed Martin and former NASA associate administrator.

Stoke Space, a company developing a fully reusable launch vehicle, has raised $510 million to fund operations through its first launches, bringing its total capital raised to nearly $1 billion.

European rearmament and Trump’s Golden Dome drive surge in investments and valuations, executives say