https://spacewatch.global/space-economy-1/space-economy-news/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:23:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/space-economy-1/space-economy-news/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/from-prototype-to-capability-europes-defence-tech-builders-gather-at-neuhardenberg/ Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76792 The first European Defence Tech Hub Festival opened at Neuhardenberg with more than 200 founders, engineers, soldiers and investors in one hangar. The recurring theme was not invention but translation - how Europe turns prototypes into fielded military capability. The Bundeswehr's Cyber Innovation Hub confirmed an expanded mandate to invest in scaling proven prototypes, while a serving colonel set out three tests every defence product must pass.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/hawkeye-360-secures-nros-augmentation-contract-on-commercial-radio-frequency-capability/ Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76794 HawkEye 360 has won a contract to provide commercial radio frequency data to support U.S. national security missions under the National Reconnaissance Office’s Commercial Radio Frequency Capability Augmentation program.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/uk-space-agency-announces-new-13m-investment-in-satellite-technology-for-rail-agriculture-and-communications/ Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76753 The UK Space Agency has announced £13 million across 16 projects bringing satellite technology into rail, agriculture, and communications, including CGI's SODOR rail-digitalisation project.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/germanys-new-drone-security-centre-runs-on-space-even-if-nobody-says-so/ Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76738 Germany opened its Technology Centre for Drone Security at Cochstedt on 18 August, backed by a first-ever institutional funding line from the interior ministry. Beneath the counter-drone architecture sits an unacknowledged dependency: without satellite georeferencing, none of the situational awareness works - which is also where it is most exposed.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/space-tech-expo-europe-is-moving-to-frankfurt-after-11-years-in-bremen/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76697 After eleven successful years, Space Tech Expo Europe is moving from Bremen to Frankfurt, with Bremen no longer able to provide sufficient space to accommodate the steadily increasing number of national and international exhibitors. Since its inception in 2015, the trade fair has held particular significance for Bremen as a hub for the aerospace industry.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/first-eight-globalstar-constellation-replenishment-satellites-reach-orbit-marking-mda-space-milestone/ Mon, 17 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76641 MDA Space has confirmed the first eight Globalstar replenishment satellites reached orbit, launched Saturday 15 August on a Falcon 9 and built in Montréal, now entering in-orbit commissioning.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/pixxel-led-consortium-to-build-indias-first-privately-led-national-earth-observation-constellation/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76575 The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) has selected a consortium of Indian space companies to design, build, own, and operate the country's first privately led national Earth Observation (EO) constellation under the Public-Private Partnership (EO-PPP) model.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/impulse-space-selected-by-space-systems-command-to-support-additional-victus-salo-missions/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76580 Impulse Space has secured a $28 million SBIR Phase III extension from Space Systems Command for the VICTUS SALO 2 and 3 missions, building on its existing responsive-space work.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/blacksky-wins-international-contract-for-combined-assured-and-on-demand-subscriptions/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76586 BlackSky has won a seven-figure, multi-year international contract for combined Assured and On-Demand imagery, delivering integrated Gen-2 and Gen-3 imagery and AI-enabled analytics.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/with-ghost-rocket-lab-sounds-the-death-knell-for-horizontal-launch/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76449 Rocket Lab has unveiled GHOST, a move the company frames as a decisive turn away from horizontal launch. SpaceWatch.Global examines what it signals for the sector.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/rocket-lab-establishes-rocket-lab-germany-to-deliver-sovereign-space-and-launch-capabilities-to-europe/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76409 Rocket Lab has established Rocket Lab Germany to scale domestic satellite and component manufacturing and offer launch on Electron and Neutron, giving European programmes assured access to space.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/neuraspace-secures-e15-6m-to-scale-ai-driven-space-traffic-management-and-defense-grade-space-domain-awareness/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76393 Neuraspace has secured €15.6 million - private investment plus Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan - to scale its AI-driven space-traffic management and defence-grade space domain awareness.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/hispasat-confirms-spanish-commitments-to-iris%c2%b2-as-ground-segment-prime-contractor-with-the-program-targeting-2029-for-initial-launches/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76336 The European Commission and ESA have concluded IRIS² negotiations with the SpaceRISE consortium (Eutelsat, HispaSat, SES), naming HispaSat prime contractor for the ground segment, with initial launches targeted for 2029.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/endurosat-is-partnering-with-the-bulgarian-government-on-europes-newest-space-defense-development-center/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76368 EnduroSat and the Bulgarian government have signed an MoU to redevelop the former Dobroslavtsi airbase into a 290-hectare space and defence development centre 15km from Sofia, bringing manufacturing, R&D, testing, and logistics together.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/iceye-draws-scaleup-europe-funds-first-cheque-as-gulf-footprint-deepens/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76230 The Scaleup Europe Fund has made its first investment, co-leading ICEYE's €1 billion Series F at a valuation exceeding €10 billion - one day after the European Commission completed the legal steps establishing the €5 billion vehicle. The Finnish SAR operator has separately named former JPMorgan managing director Christos Kolimenakis as CEO of ICEYE UAE.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/telesat-secures-record-1-64-billion-arctic-military-satcom-contract-from-canadas-defense-investment-agency/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76249 Telesat has signed a C$2.3 billion (US$1.64 billion) Lightspeed contract with Canada's Defence Investment Agency for secure military Ka-band Arctic connectivity - the largest in its history.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/kongsberg-nanoavionics-bus-tapped-for-kreios-spaces-vleo-orbital-demonstrator/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76182 Kongsberg NanoAvionics will supply a modified MP42 microsatellite bus for Kreios Space's Very Low Earth Orbit demonstrator, the first orbital test of an air-breathing electric propulsion system. CEO Atle Wøllo told SpaceWatch.Global how the platform's attitude control and mass properties are being reworked to survive aerodynamic torques at altitudes between 150 and 300 km.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/rocket-lab-wins-397-million-contract-to-build-and-launch-flatellites-for-the-u-s-space-forces-sb-amti-program/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76185 Rocket Lab has won a $397 million U.S. Space Force contract under the SB-AMTI programme to build, launch on Neutron, and operate a fleet of next-generation 'Flatellites'.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/intuitive-machines-completes-acquisition-of-goonhilly-earth-station-and-comsat-positioning-itself-as-a-vertically-integrated-prime/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76198 Intuitive Machines has completed its acquisition of Goonhilly Earth Station and COMSAT, adding a global deep-space ground-station network as it positions itself as a vertically integrated prime.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2026/08/liveeo-secures-german-space-agency-grant-to-build-a-multimodal-vision-foundation-ai-model-for-earth-observation/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=76210 LiveEO has received a high six-figure grant from the German Space Agency at DLR, funded by the BMFTR, for an 18-month feasibility study into a Vision Foundation Model that detects change across both optical and SAR satellite imagery in a single architecture - a shift from narrow, task-specific Earth observation AI toward general-purpose models.]]>