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Zac Aubert

Swissto12 Secures $70M Series C to Accelerate 3D Printed HummingSat GEO Production

by Zac Aubert July 16, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

Swissto12, a leading Swiss aerospace manufacturer specializing in 3D-printed satellite payloads and systems, has raised $70 million in a Series C funding round. The company announced the fresh capital injection July 16, 2026, aimed at scaling up production capacity to meet a surge in commercial and government demand for its signature “small GEO” satellite platform, the HummingSat.

The round closes as Swissto12 reports an active contract backlog exceeding $500 million. This portfolio includes subsystem orders, multi-orbit payloads, and agreements for complete satellite integrations.

The Rise of Small GEO

Historically, geostationary (GEO) communication satellites have been massive, school bus-sized machines requiring hundreds of millions of dollars to build and launch. However, the aggressive growth of low Earth orbit (LEO) mega-constellations has severely disrupted the market for traditional, legacy GEO spacecraft.

In response, legacy operators are shifting toward smaller, more targeted geostationary systems.

HummingSat, which is roughly the size of a household washing machine, leverages advanced 3D-printing technologies to drastically reduce production lead times, structural mass, and overall costs.

“Small GEO is increasingly viewed as a solution for multi-orbit, disaggregated constellations..There is huge interest here, both for targeted commercial missions and for governments seeking a sovereign strategic backbone for satellite communications.”

– Emile de Rijk, Swissto12’s Chief Executive

To date, Swissto12 has secured orders for seven HummingSats. The first unit is scheduled for completion in 2027 for the legacy global satellite operator SES.

HummingSat Backlog and Launch Pipeline

Swissto12 has cultivated a diverse mix of commercial, navigation, and data relay customers for its small GEO bus:

Customer	Satellite	Mission Profile	Planned Completion
SES	Intelsat-45	Ku-band FSS and BSS media services	2027
Viasat	4x Inmarsat-8	L-band safety communications & SBAS navigation	2028
Astrium Mobile	Neastar-1	L-band direct-to-device media broadcast	2028
Space Compass	SC-A	Commercial optical data relay	2029

Development of the HummingSat platform has been closely supported by European institutions. This includes an $84.8 million award announced in January 2026 from European Space Agency (ESA) member states through the agency’s ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) program.

A Unique Business Model

The fundraising announcement comes amid intensifying competition in the small GEO landscape. In May 2026, U.S.-based competitor Astranis raised $450 million to expand its own small GEO assembly lines.

However, Swissto12 and Astranis employ entirely different commercial strategies. While Astranis maintains ownership of its spacecraft and leases out functional capacity to customers under a “Satellite-as-a-Service” framework, Swissto12 operates as a traditional hardware supplier; its customers fully own and operate the HummingSats they purchase.

Swissto12 was spun out of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) in 2011. The firm originally made its mark by manufacturing highly complex, lightweight 3D-printed radio frequency (RF) components and antennas. Today, over 2,000 of its products are operational in space across various orbits.

This diversified portfolio is driving substantial financial momentum. The company generated $140 million in revenue in 2025 and expects its robust backlog to yield positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) by the end of 2026. Swissto12 has maintained a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 110% since 2022, when it booked its very first HummingSat order.

July 16, 2026 0 comments

Icarus Robotics Partners with KULR for ISS Robotic Helper Mission

by Zac Aubert July 16, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

Icarus Robotics, a New York-based startup developing advanced, dexterous robotic systems for space operations, has selected KULR Technology Group to supply the battery systems for its upcoming International Space Station (ISS) mission.

Under the agreement, KULR’s proprietary KULR One Space (K1S) lithium-ion battery architectures will power Icarus’s flagship Joy platform.

Joy is a highly maneuverable, free-flying robotic assistant designed to autonomously navigate the microgravity environment of the ISS. The spacecraft is slated to make its orbital debut assisting astronauts on the Joyride-1 technology demonstration mission, currently scheduled for early 2027.

The Stringent Safety Rules of Crewed Spaceflight

Designing batteries to operate alongside human crew members in closed, pressurized habitats like the ISS presents an entirely different class of engineering challenges compared to standard satellite applications.

“Batteries for systems that operate alongside people in space stations are much more expensive, and much more critical safety-wise and design-wise,”

– Ethan Barajas, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Icarus Robotics

Because battery malfunctions in a pressurized station can lead to catastrophic thermal runaway (where a cell overheats and triggers a chain reaction), safety margins are incredibly thin.

KULR’s K1S systems utilize specialized thermal management materials engineered to completely prevent cell-to-cell thermal propagation. These systems are specifically designed to comply with NASA’s stringent crewed-vehicle safety standards.

KULR already has considerable flight heritage; its technology was integrated into a CubeSat that launched aboard NASA’s Artemis 2 lunar mission. For the Joyride-1 mission, KULR will customize the K1S battery pack to align with Joy’s distinct electrical performance profiles, geometric constraints, and physical weight distribution.

Powering the Next Phase of Orbital Logistics

As commercial space stations, lunar bases, and orbital manufacturing hubs mature, the demand for sophisticated, mobile robotic labor is rising. However, traditional space systems are not designed to support high-power, dynamic electromechanical tasks.

“The next phase of space infrastructure won’t be defined by compute alone…Orbital systems can’t be serviced by technicians, so the robots that inspect, repair, and assemble them and the batteries that power them are essential to keeping that infrastructure running safely.”

– Michael Mo, CEO of KULR

The expansion of space-based infrastructure will require robust, specialized energy networks that traditional satellite supply chains are currently struggling to provide.

“Robotic labor, large deployables, and on-orbit compute are getting more and more important, but the supply chain hasn’t necessarily risen to meet that yet.”

— Jamie Palmer, Co-founder and CTO of Icarus Robotics

KULR is positioning its K1S battery line as a direct solution to this bottleneck. By providing high-power, energy-dense storage solutions tailored for autonomous space platforms, the company aims to become a foundational power supplier for the robotic systems that will soon build and maintain humanity’s off-world infrastructure.

July 16, 2026 0 comments

Contracts & Partnerships Space

Space Force Awards L3Harris & Sierra Space $1.75B Contract for 36 Missile Tracking Satellites

by Zac Aubert July 16, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded contracts totaling approximately $1.75 billion to defense industry stalwarts L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space. The contracts fund the development and manufacturing of 36 next-generation missile warning and missile tracking satellites, the agency announced on July 13, 2026.

These spacecraft represent the backbone of the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 (AMT3) program, an expansion of the Tracking Layer within the military’s larger Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).

Under the terms of the agreements, both prime contractors are on a strict timeline to make their respective batches of 18 satellites available for launch by the end of 2028.

Shielding Against Hypersonic Threats

The dual awards represent a significant escalation in the Pentagon’s efforts to establish a dense, resilient constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. This network is designed to detect, track, and intercept advanced adversaries’ hypersonic glide vehicles and ballistic missile systems.

Crucially, this expanded LEO constellation is expected to serve as a vital sensory anchor for the Trump administration’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative. By placing dozens of high-speed infrared trackers in low orbits, the system can continuously “hand off” tracking data across planes, maintaining a constant lock on highly maneuverable hypersonic missiles that traditional ground-based radars struggle to see.

The division of the $1.75 billion funding allocation is structured as follows:

Sierra Space ($798 million): Contracted to construct 18 missile warning and tracking satellites, also distributed across two orbital planes.

L3Harris Technologies ($955 million): Tasked with building 18 missile defense satellites across two orbital planes. These units will carry advanced optical sensors derived from the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program.

Strengthening the Tracking Layer

The Tracking Layer relies on wide-field-of-view infrared sensors to capture the thermal signatures of rocket plumes at launch. Once a missile is in flight, the satellites track its trajectory through the atmosphere and beam high-accuracy targeting data down to interceptor systems via a low-latency communications network.

SDA emphasized that these new AMT3 satellites will be fully interoperable with Tracking Layer spacecraft previously procured under Tranches 1, 2, and 3, and will integrate seamlessly into a common ground operational command system.

“With these awards, SDA is accelerating the deployment of the Tracking Layer to provide the homeland, our deployed forces, and allies with global, persistent indications, detection, identification warning, tracking, and defense against advanced and evolving missile threats.”

— Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo, Space Force’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Missile Warning and Tracking and Director of the SDA

Proven Prime Contractors

Both L3Harris and Sierra Space have established strong track records within the SDA’s vendor ecosystem.

L3Harris has participated in every phase of the program’s evolution. The company delivered four Tranche 0 testbed satellites currently in orbit and holds existing contracts for 14 Tranche 1, 18 Tranche 2, and 18 original Tranche 3 satellites. This latest contract elevates L3Harris’s total PWSA commitment to 72 spacecraft.

Sierra Space made its debut as an SDA prime contractor during Tranche 2 with an award for 18 satellites. This new agreement doubles its order book, bringing Sierra Space’s total PWSA constellation commitment to 36 satellites.

July 16, 2026 0 comments

Artificial Intelligence Technology

Space Force Awards Slingshot Aerospace $69M For TALOS AI-Powered Training Environment

by Zac Aubert July 15, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

In a push to modernize how military operators train for high-stakes conflicts in orbit, the U.S. Space Force has awarded Slingshot Aerospace a $69.2 million contract. The 4½-year Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 3 contract was announced July 15, 2026.

The contract is designed to fund the development of advanced, artificial intelligence-driven training simulations that allow guardians to rehearse complex satellite-defense scenarios and counter dynamic adversary maneuvers in real time. The contract directly supports the Space Force’s Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) program. The initiative aims to provide personnel with hyper-realistic digital sandboxes to practice protecting critical national security space assets without placing physical multi-million dollar systems at risk.

Rehearsing the Unpredictable: Meet TALOS

The core engine of this defense training initiative is Slingshot’s proprietary AI system named TALOS (Thinking Agent for Logical Operations and Strategy).

Traditionally, military space simulation scripts are static, forcing trainees to respond to pre-written, linear events. Under the new contract, TALOS will act as an autonomous, virtual adversary that dynamically alters its behavior based on the student’s choices.

If an operator maneuvers a target satellite to evade an intercept, TALOS’s neural network calculates real-time counter-strategies—such as adjusting its own trajectory, attempting communications jamming, or performing a mock close-approach intercept.

“TALOS models realistic spacecraft behaviors, generates strategic response options, processes vast amounts of complex data, and supports mission rehearsal across continuously evolving space scenarios”

– Slingshot Aerospace

The Safe Solution to Orbital War Games

Establishing realistic live-fire training programs in space is virtually impossible. Kinetic tests can create millions of pieces of long-lasting orbital debris, while moving actual spacecraft to practice defensive maneuvers expends finite onboard chemical propellants, dramatically reducing the operational lifespan of active military constellations.

Furthermore, space domain awareness requires recognizing extremely subtle changes in orbital variables. Guardians must learn to decipher whether an adjacent spacecraft’s shift in altitude is a routine drift correction or the beginning of a coordinated hostile rendezvous.

By building high-fidelity digital twins of these orbits, the Space Force can continually update training modules as new threat vectors, adversary capabilities, and hypersonic vehicles are identified in the field.

The massive SBIR Phase 3 award represents a significant maturation of the technology, which was initially incubated through a series of earlier, smaller-scale Phase 1 and Phase 2 SBIR pilot programs. The program will scale dramatically over the next four years to become a foundational component of the Space Force’s ongoing readiness pipeline.

July 15, 2026 0 comments

Finance Mergers & Acquisitions

Voyager Technologies Finalizes $162M Acquisition of Lunar Pioneer Astrobotic

by Zac Aubert July 13, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

Voyager Technologies has officially completed its acquisition of lunar infrastructure developer Astrobotic Technology. The closing of the transaction comes just weeks after Astrobotic clinched two major NASA commercial lunar lander contracts and represents a cornerstone of Voyager’s ambitious “LEO, Lunar, Lagrange” expansion strategy.

Under the terms of the deal initially announced on June 2; Voyager is paying $162 million in a combination of cash and stock. In addition, Voyager will assume $9 million of Astrobotic’s existing debt and has committed to up to $129 million in milestone-based performance earnout payments.

Following the finalization of the transaction, Astrobotic has been rebranded as Voyager Lunar Systems. John Thornton, who has spent years leading Astrobotic through the highs and lows of the commercial lunar lander market, will remain at the helm as the head of the newly formed division.

Acceleration Amid Key Missions

The finalization of the acquisition coincides with a flurry of high-stakes missions and contracts for the Pittsburgh-based team.

Just prior to the closing, Astrobotic shipped its large Griffin-1 lunar lander from its clean room in Pennsylvania to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The vehicle will undergo rigorous environmental testing before launching as early as the fourth quarter of this year. Griffin-1’s primary objective is to safely deliver Astrolab’s heavy FLIP rover, alongside several smaller payloads, to the lunar surface.

Credit: Voyager Lunar Systems (formerly Astrobotic)

Additionally, on June 30, NASA awarded Astrobotic a massive $298 million contract to fly two missions utilizing its smaller Peregrine lander platform. Set to launch in 2028, these landers are slated to deliver a matching suite of three NASA science payloads to key lunar coordinates.

“Astrobotic was built to make the moon accessible to the world, and joining Voyager will hit the accelerator on that mission for our customers…As Voyager Lunar Systems, we’ll continue building capabilities that advance both American leadership in space and our national interests.”

– John Thornton, Voyager Lunar Systems

Matthew Kuta, president of Voyager, confirmed that the parent company plans to actively expand Astrobotic’s existing Pittsburgh infrastructure and embark on a rapid localized hiring campaign.

Building a “LEO, Lunar, Lagrange” Powerhouse

While lunar surface access remains the crown jewel, Astrobotic’s diverse technology portfolio fits perfectly into Voyager’s broader deep-space portfolio. This includes Voyager’s strategic investment in Max Space; a pioneer in inflatable orbital, surface habitats, and proprietary in-house research into mitigating the destructive effects of abrasive lunar dust.

“You can start to see where this is going, where it’s a broader lunar strategy…It’s really starting to come together.”

– Matthew Kuta, President of Voyager

The acquisition also broadens Voyager’s reach into deep space and military propulsion markets:

Mars Exploration: On July 8, NASA selected Astrobotic as one of seven companies to receive funding through its $17 million Science Transport and Robotic Innovation for Deployment and Exploration (STRIDE) program, focusing on advanced robotic mobility for future Mars missions.
Next-Gen Propulsion: Astrobotic has pioneered testing on a highly efficient rotating-detonation rocket engine at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which could have immediate dual-use applications.
National Security: Voyager plans to leverage Astrobotic’s propulsion breakthroughs for defense applications, specifically targeting missile defense interceptor systems.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of mutual synergies there as we continue to expand that business line,”

– Matthew Kuta, President of Voyager

July 13, 2026 0 comments

Commercial Space Space

Reditus Space Completes Assembly of ENOS; First Reusable Reentry Spacecraft

by Zac Aubert July 13, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

Reditus Space, a space startup focused on recoverable orbital architectures, has completed assembling its maiden spacecraft, ENOS. The company announced July 13, 2026, that the 200-kilogram vehicle is now fully integrated and preparing for its inaugural orbital mission scheduled for later this fall.

The ENOS spacecraft will launch into low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission. Following a planned two-month orbital stay to conduct technology validation and host microgravity payloads, the vehicle will perform a deorbit burn, reenter the atmosphere, and splash down under parachutes off the coast of Florida.

A Singletary Design Paradigm

Reditus Space is entering a rapidly expanding market of logistics companies targeting space manufacturing and pharmaceutical research. However, while most competitors rely on a classic modular configuration; where a standard satellite service bus ejects a small, heavy capsule to make the fiery journey home; Reditus is attempting a far more integrated architecture.

“In contrast to a more traditional reentry mission where you would have a big satellite and a small capsule attached to it that makes its reentry, this is a singular system where more than 80% of the mass of the actual system makes its way back down to Earth to have the ability to be launched again in the future,”

– Stef Crum, Reditus Space Chief Executive

Returning the vast majority of the spacecraft creates a “step change” in performance. First, it greatly simplifies recovery operations and vehicle refurbishment. Second, it yields an exceptionally high payload-to-mass ratio; the 200-kilogram ENOS vehicle is rated to safely return up to 60 kilograms of customer cargo back to Earth.

The upcoming mission is primarily a technology demonstration, but it is already carrying active customer payloads. The company reports strong initial interest from pharmaceutical corporations interested in microgravity crystallization, semiconductor companies researching advanced materials, and defense contractors looking to test materials under hypersonic conditions during atmospheric reentry.

Overcoming the “Thermos” Challenge

Engineering the spacecraft from a clean sheet in just 15 months with a lean team of roughly 12 employees was an impressive feat made possible by a $7.1 million seed funding round closed in December 2025.

One of the greatest technical hurdles the startup faced was thermal management. To survive the extreme friction of atmospheric reentry, ENOS uses a proprietary thermal protection system material named RHEA, developed with engineering support from NASA. However, the exact insulating qualities that protect the spacecraft during descent create a “thermos effect” during normal space operations, trapping internal heat generated by onboard avionics.

“It was an engineering challenge that was simultaneously very fun and frustrating,”

– Stef Crum, Reditus Space Chief Executive

To dump heat while in orbit, ENOS utilizes external radiators, solar panels, and specialized sensors mounted on an external “backpack.” This service module will be jettisoned and incinerated in the atmosphere just prior to reentry. Crum noted that as the company iterates the spacecraft’s design, future models will minimize this expendable hardware.

“That backpack will continue to grow smaller and, at some point, cease to exist altogether,”

– Stef Crum, Reditus Space Chief Executive

Welcoming SpaceX’s “Starfall

Reditus Space’s looming launch comes during a period of intense activity in the orbital cargo recovery sector. The commercial sector is keeping a close watch on SpaceX, which recently debuted Starfall; a major reusable down mass vehicle on a test flight in June.

While some analysts fear SpaceX’s immense scale could stifle smaller competitors, Crum views the development as a positive validation for the entire industry.

“Starfall’s introduction is going to play a big role in providing an infrastructure on which we all can benefit. Having an entity the size of SpaceX underwrite the tremendous potential of this is a good thing for everyone in the reentry world.”

— Stef Crum, Chief Executive of Reditus Space

While Reditus does not expect to refly much of the physical hardware from the first ENOS prototype, the flight telemetry will serve as the baseline for a series of mission-specific variants optimized for rapid-cadence assembly, paving the way for the company’s next phase of aggressive commercial scaling.

July 13, 2026 0 comments

Policy & Law Space Law & International Treaties

Poland to Host New ESA Center Dedicated to Civil Security and Resilience

by Zac Aubert July 13, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

WARSAW, Poland — In a major geopolitical and industrial milestone, Poland has been selected to host the European Space Agency’s (ESA) first-ever facility located in an Eastern European member state. The new center will focus specifically on civil security and resilience, marking Poland’s rapid transition into one of Europe’s most ambitious space-tech hubs.

The official announcement was made during a joint press conference in Warsaw on July 13, 2026, by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher. While a formal opening date has not yet been set, preparations are scheduled to begin next year, with pre-operational activities starting in 2027.

“Poland is becoming… one of the European leaders in the broadly understood field of space activity…This covers the development of science, technology, and also business and security. Here in Poland, this space center will be, among others, responsible for dual-use research and activities.”

– Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister

By establishing the center, Poland joins a select group of European nations hosting major ESA sites, including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Poland’s Massive Financial Commitment

The selection of Warsaw for the new facility is directly tied to a dramatic funding increase from the Polish government. Recognizing space technology as a key economic and defensive driver, Poland has vastly scaled its financial contributions to the agency.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Poland’s total contribution to ESA’s budget will surge to €731 million ($833 million USD) for the 2026–2028 period. To put this in perspective, Poland committed a modest €51 million during the 2023–2025 cycle.

Out of this newly expanded budget, Poland will dedicate €550 million to ESA’s optional programs, focusing heavily on robotics, earth observation, and satellite data-based services.

Additionally, Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced the creation of a new, state-run venture fund valued at more than 500 million zloty ($132 million USD). This fund will inject capital directly into promising domestic space startups to accelerate their commercial scaling.

“I have no doubt that… the space industry will become another engine of the Polish economy in the coming decades,”

– Andrzej Domański, Polish Finance Minister

Poland aims to double its space sector expenditures again in the coming years.

Boosting Eastern Europe’s Space Ecosystem

The influx of capital and the establishment of the security center are expected to act as rocket fuel for Poland’s domestic aerospace sector. Polish companies like Creotech Instruments, Eycore, and SatRev have already established international credibility, securing a growing roster of foreign defense and commercial clients.

The new center’s focus on civil security and resilience comes at a vital geopolitical moment for Eastern Europe. It will focus on protecting infrastructure, monitoring environmental threats, and developing dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and national defense functions.

“The new ESA Centre will mark a new chapter for ESA and a major step for Poland, which has rapidly become one of the driving forces in Europe’s space sector. As Europe continues to strengthen its resilience in an increasingly challenging environment, the Centre will help build the capabilities we need to protect our interests, support our citizens, and act with confidence.”

— Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General

With initial groundwork commencing in 2027, the facility is poised to secure Poland’s place on the front line of Western Europe’s sovereign space defense strategy.

July 13, 2026 0 comments

Launch Mission Updates Space

China Recovers Orbital Rocket Booster; First With Sea-Based Net

by Zac Aubert July 11, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

China has successfully launched its new Long March 10B rocket and recovered its first stage at sea. The achievement officially makes China only the second nation in history, following the United States, to successfully recover an orbital class rocket booster intact.

The maiden flight of the Long March 10B lifted off at 12:15 a.m. Eastern (0415 UTC) on Friday, July 10, 2026, from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan. More than 90 minutes later, the state-owned main space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), confirmed the full success of the mission after an undisclosed satellite payload was cleanly deployed into its predetermined orbit.

However, the true centerpiece of the mission occurred just 11 minutes after liftoff, when the rocket’s massive first stage completed a controlled, powered descent over the South China Sea.

A New Era: Reusability Without Landing Legs

While American systems like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rely on heavy, deployable landing legs to touch down vertically on solid pads, CASC engineers chose a completely different technological path.

Approximately six minutes after stage separation, the five-meter-diameter booster performed a precise vertical descent toward a specialized offshore recovery vessel named the Linghangzhe (“Navigator”). Rather than landing on struts, the booster deployed four specialized hooks near its grid fins. These hooks engaged with a high-tech, flexible net capture system strung across the deck of the vessel, which utilized hydraulic damping to safely absorb the rocket’s remaining kinetic energy.

CASC claimed the operation to be the world’s first successful net-system recovery of a carrier rocket. By eliminating the necessity for heavy landing legs, the design slashes dead weight from the vehicle, allowing more mass to be allocated directly to payload capacity.

The state contractor has wasted no time outlining its next objectives. CASC announced that the development team intends to refurbish and refly the exact first-stage booster recovered from Friday’s mission before the end of 2026.

“Going forward, the Long March 10B carrier rocket development team will continue to optimize rocket performance and accelerate the iterative upgrade of reusable rocket technology.”

— China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Measuring 63 meters long with a liftoff mass of 760,000 kilograms, the two-stage Long March 10B is capable of lifting 16,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO) in its reusable configuration. CASC noted that the rocket will serve as a low-cost workhorse for deploying commercial hardware and large satellite internet constellations.

Propelling China’s Crewed Lunar Ambitions

Beyond the immediate economic benefit to commercial satellite deployment, the successful recovery marks an aggressive leap forward for China’s human spaceflight and crewed lunar programs.

Friday’s flight served as a full-profile validation mission for the first stage of the upcoming Long March 10A; a closely related configuration designed to carry the Mengzhou crew spacecraft to orbit. Mengzhou is a larger, partially reusable successor to the legacy Shenzhou capsule.

The ultimate evolution of this rocket line, the triple-core Long March 10 heavy-lifter, will eventually be tasked with launching Chinese astronauts and a lunar landing stack to the moon. Beijing remains strictly committed to landing a pair of astronauts on the lunar surface before 2030.

Structurally, the Long March 10B’s first stage utilizes seven YF-100K kerosene-liquid oxygen (kerolox) engines, generating 890 tons of liftoff thrust. In a notable architectural hybrid, the 10B’s upper stage features a liquid methane and liquid oxygen (methalox) propulsion system, marking the suspected flight debut of CASC’s new YF-219 methalox engine.

The success of the 10B follows a successful in-flight abort test of the Mengzhou escape system in February, which utilized a single-stage demonstrator that also performed a controlled propulsive splashdown. With the critical validation of the net-capture system now secure, the stage is set for the debut of the crew-rated Long March 10A.

While CASC did not declare a formal launch date, the previous unveiling of an official “Mengzhou-1” mission patch strongly hints at a full, uncrewed orbital flight test arriving later in 2026.

July 11, 2026 0 comments

Contracts & Partnerships Space

ElevationSpace Secures European Payload Partner for Reentry Vehicle

by Zac Aubert July 11, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

TOKYO, Japan – Japanese orbital return startup ElevationSpace has taken a step toward commercialization by landing a prominent European customer for its precision reentry platform, just as the industry braces for a major competitive push from SpaceX.

ElevationSpace announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Space Cargo Unlimited, a Luxembourg-based space manufacturing firm during a panel discussion at the Spacetide space conference in Tokyo on July 9, 2026, .

Under the agreement, the two entities will study integrating Space Cargo Unlimited’s automated microgravity manufacturing platform, called “BentoBox,” into ElevationSpace’s reentry vehicles to return delicate biological materials to Earth.

“By combining Space Cargo Unlimited’s microgravity production platform with ElevationSpace’s innovative return capabilities, we ensure that highly sensitive payloads, such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology samples, can be returned safely to Earth,”

– Nicolas Gaume, chief executive of Space Cargo Unlimited

Precision Landing via Lift-Controlled Reentry

Headquartered in Sendai, Japan, ElevationSpace is developing two distinct lines of orbital return hardware: the ELS-R, a free-flying satellite that hosts experiments in low Earth orbit before bringing them down, and the ELS-RS, a vehicle designed to dock with space stations, gather completed payloads, and return them to Earth.

A core technological discriminator for ElevationSpace is its use of lift-controlled reentry. Unlike traditional ballistic capsules that fall through the atmosphere like a dropped rock, lift-controlled vehicles can adjust their aerodynamic lift during descent. This drastically lowers peak g-forces on the payload and allows for incredibly precise touchdown zones.

“In terms of gentleness, it is suitable for any payload…It enables a reliable landing anywhere”

– Kazunari Miyamaru, chief operating officer of ElevationSpace

The company is currently manufacturing its first atmospheric reentry demonstrator, named AOBA, which is scheduled for a mid-2027 launch. The startup’s momentum is backed by a fresh $40 million Series B funding round closed on June 19, bringing the 90-person company’s total capitalization to $63.5 million.

July 11, 2026 0 comments

Contracts & Partnerships Space

Isar Aerospace Secures $112.5M Deal for Canada Spaceport

by Zac Aubert July 11, 2026

written by Zac Aubert

CANSO, Nova Scotia — German rocket manufacturer Isar Aerospace has finalized a ten-year contract with Maritime Launch Services (MLS) to build a dedicated launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The landmark $112.5 million USD agreement directly follows the Canadian government’s selection of a German consortium to build the military’s next-generation submarine fleet.

Announced on July 7, 2026, during a NATO defense summit in Ankara, Turkey, the contract transitions a previous letter of intent into a binding commercial framework. Under the agreement, Isar Aerospace will manage the end-to-end space access chain for its two-stage Spectrum rocket, designed to deploy small- and medium-sized satellite constellations. MLS will supply the fully licensed launch site, including the launch pad, an assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) facility, a payload processing complex, and a launch operations center.

The partnership represents a massive step toward giving Canada domestic access to orbit.

“Canada is the next step in our roadmap to bring full end-to-end launch capability to sovereign nations, and we are proud to be doing it here…this makes launch capacity one of the most consequential bottlenecks in defense and intelligence today, and we are here to close it.”

– Alexandre Dalloneau, Vice President of Mission and Launch Operations at Isar Aerospace

The Submarine Connection

The financial engine behind the spaceport expansion stems from one of the largest defense procurement programs in Canadian history. Just one day prior to the spaceport announcement, on July 6, the Canadian government officially named German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as its preferred supplier for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), an initiative to acquire up to 12 conventional diesel-electric attack submarines.

To sweeten its multi-billion-dollar naval bid, TKMS constructed a robust industrial offset package designed to inject money back into Canadian technology sectors. By partnering with Isar Aerospace, TKMS effectively tied the purchase of its Type 212CD submarines to the creation of a sovereign Canadian space industry.

As part of the deal, Isar Aerospace has established a domestic subsidiary, Isar Aerospace Canada Inc., and plans to begin construction on the Canso complex later this year. The base financial structure mandates that Isar pay MLS $3.75 million USD per quarter, though the agreement includes a 30-month fee-waiver period beginning after the first year of the contract.

“By combining Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle, Spectrum, with Spaceport Nova Scotia’s licensed infrastructure, we are creating the conditions for reliable orbital launch services from Canada,”

– Stephen Matier, President and Chief Executive of MLS.

The spaceport expects to host initial orbital launches in 2028, with plans to rapidly scale operations up to 40 launches annually by 2029.

Building a Dual-Use Defense Hub

The arrival of Isar Aerospace rounds out a rapid series of investments positioning Spaceport Nova Scotia as a critical national security asset for both Canada and its NATO allies.

In March 2026, the Canadian military signed its own 10-year, $200 million CAD ($141 million USD) lease agreement with MLS for a dedicated, state-run pad at the facility. Simultaneously, the Department of National Defence awarded $8.3 million CAD each to three domestic rocket startups; Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace, and Reaction Dynamics, to accelerate the engineering of homegrown small-satellite launch vehicles.

With three of its four planned launch pads already fully allocated to Isar, the Canadian military, and Reaction Dynamics, Spaceport Nova Scotia is transitioning from an ambitious regional project into a crucial link for international defense.

By pairing European launch hardware with Canada’s strategic Atlantic coastline, the site will soon offer seamless, rapid-response orbital access over open waters; perfect for deploying the critical observation and communications networks that modern militaries rely on.

July 11, 2026 0 comments

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