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Italian startup ORiS raises funding for laser power-beaming technology
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-21 04:01
Italian startup ORiS has raised €5 million in a pre‑seed round led by Earlybird to develop laser‑based wireless power beaming for satellites. The Turin‑based firm has already tested ground‑level power transfer to drones and plans a 10‑meter space demonstration in 2027 with Dcubed, aiming to let existing satellites receive power through their solar panels without modification. ORiS positions itself against competitors such as Star Catcher, which uses lenses, by offering a more compact laser system that can work with any solar panel. In addition to space, the company is pursuing a terrestrial line of business called LOONA, supported by NATO, and envisions future lunar applications to help missions cope with the 14‑day lunar night.
Pipelines to payloads: risk management lessons for the space economy
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 13:00
The space industry can learn a great deal from the energy sector’s long‑standing experience with complex disputes that span sovereign power, geopolitics, regulation, and private capital. In this SpaceNews piece, analysts explain how the same risk‑management frameworks that keep pipelines running can be adapted to launch and operate commercial payloads. By applying proven strategies for stakeholder coordination, regulatory compliance, and financial structuring, the space economy can navigate its own unique geopolitical and market challenges. These lessons offer a roadmap for building a more resilient and profitable space sector.
AI rocket engine startup LegendSpace raises $29.5 million angel round
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 11:18
LegendSpace, a six‑month‑old Chinese startup, is using artificial intelligence to shorten rocket engine development cycles. The Beijing‑based company just secured $29.5 million in an angel funding round. The capital will help accelerate its AI‑driven design platform, according to SpaceNews.
SpaceX suffers rare, last-second Falcon 9 rocket launch abort
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 12:38
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was aborted after its nine Merlin engines briefly ignited and shut down during a post‑ignition test on Monday, July 20, 2026, marking the company’s second launch scrub in less than a week. The aborted Starlink 17‑39 mission, which aimed to deploy 24 new Starlink V2 Mini satellites, was scheduled for a 7:49 a.m. PDT liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base. SpaceX confirmed the vehicle and payload remained safe and has postponed the next launch to Tuesday, July 21, 2026, while investigating the cause of the abort.
Commercial Launch Providers Advance Next-Generation Heavy and Medium-Lift Vehicle Milestones Ahead of 2026 Debuts
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 20:38
Three leading launch providers have announced that they have reached major technical milestones for their upcoming medium‑ and heavy‑lift rockets, a move aimed at addressing the global shortfall in commercial launch capacity and the high cost of heavy‑lift services.
SSPI Launches Collateral Risk Series Addressing Civil Spillover in Contested Space Domains
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 19:28
Space & Satellite Professionals International has launched the inaugural episode of its new Collateral Risk podcast, focusing on the widening governance gap in the militarization of commercial orbital assets.
ThinKom GT2517 Terminal Achieves SES Government Technology Certification for O3b mPOWER Operation
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 15:51
ThinKom Solutions, Inc. Announced on July 20, 2026 that its ThinAir GT2517 airborne terminal has successfully completed the SES Government Technology Certification (GTC) program. This achievement marks the terminal as fully compliant with stringent government security and performance standards. The certification positions ThinAir GT2517 to compete for federal contracts and expands its market reach in defense and public safety sectors.
Avealto Opens $50 Million Funding Round to Launch Stratospheric Broadband Production
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 14:34
Avealto, a British aerospace firm, announced on July 20, 2026 that it has opened a $50 million funding round. The capital injection is earmarked to finance the establishment of a new aerospace manufacturing facility. The company plans to use the funds to expand production capabilities and support advanced research and development. This move is expected to strengthen the UK’s position in the global aerospace market.
NASA Sets Briefings for SpaceX Crew-13 Mission to Space Station
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 20:00
NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 crew—astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Joshua Kutryk, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov—are finishing final training in a mock Dragon at SpaceX’s Hawthorne HQ. They will give two live news conferences on Monday, Aug. 3, before heading to Kennedy Space Center for launch on a Falcon 9 no earlier than mid‑September. Watkins, a geologist who flew on Crew‑4, becomes the first NASA astronaut to launch twice on a Dragon, while Delaney, Kutryk, and Teteryatnikov are all making their first spaceflight.
NASA, GE Aerospace Work Enables Hybrid-Electric Flight Demonstration
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 18:54
NASA and GE Aerospace unveiled a megawatt‑class hybrid‑electric engine on a Saab 340B at Farnborough, marking the first time a hybrid aircraft flew above 30,000 feet. The system blends electric motors, a gas turbine and energy storage to cut fuel burn and operating costs for regional jets. This milestone follows more than a decade of research, including NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration and Subsonic Vehicle Technologies projects, and showcases a breakthrough that could reshape commercial aviation. The flight demonstrates that bold ideas can become practical, bringing tangible benefits to airlines and the public.
From Hampton to Mars: How NASA Langley Helped Land on the Red Planet
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 15:47
NASA’s Langley Research Center was the driving force behind the 1976 Viking 1 and 2 landings, the first successful missions to touch down on Mars and ushering in a new era of planetary exploration. Engineers at Langley pioneered the entry, descent and landing systems—protective aeroshells, heat shields and supersonic parachutes—through extensive wind‑tunnel testing and rigorous engineering reviews.
Launch Preview: Falcon 9, Starship, and Chinese rockets scheduled to launch
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 20:53
SpaceX has set a new launch window for the aborted Starship Flight 13 as early as Thursday, July 23, with the rocket slated to lift off from Starbase, Texas, after a week of rescheduling.
Skyroot Aerospace Reaches Orbit with Vikram-1 Rocket
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 12:45
India’s private space company Skyroot Aerospace has made history by sending its Vikram‑1 rocket into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Saturday. The rocket reached a 450‑km orbit 15 minutes after liftoff, deploying several payloads and experiments as part of the Aagaman mission, which means “arrival” in Sanskrit. Founded in 2018 by former ISRO scientists, Skyroot has already become India’s first space unicorn with a $1.1 billion valuation and plans to double production while developing larger launch vehicles. This milestone underscores the rapid growth of India’s commercial space sector, projected to expand from $8.4 billion to $44 billion by 2033.
DoD Adds $11.4B to NatSec Launch Contracts
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 12:27
The Department of Defense has raised its national‑security space launch budget by $11.4 billion, more than tripling the total available contracts from $5.6 billion to $17 billion. The increase will benefit the seven launch providers already selected for the NSSL Phase 3 program, including Blue Origin, Impulse, Space Relativity, SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space and United Launch Alliance. This move is part of a broader strategy to counter Russian and Chinese advances in space, with the Space Force’s 2027 budget proposal up 124% and a $2.2 billion investment in U.S. Launch infrastructure. It also highlights the growing dependence of U.S. Defense on commercial space companies.
SpaceX targets July 23 for crucial Starship Flight 13 test launch after abort
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 21:00
SpaceX has rescheduled its Starship Flight 13 test launch to Thursday, July 23, with a 6:45 p.m. ET window from its Starbase site in South Texas. The 408‑foot V3 megarocket will carry 20 new Starlink V3 satellites on a suborbital flight before both the Super‑Heavy booster and upper stage splash down. This marks the second attempt after a last‑minute abort on July 16, when two Raptor engines failed to ignite properly. Fans can watch the launch live on Space.com as Elon Musk refines Starship for future lunar and Martian missions.
Scientists discover mystery molecule on Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan: 'We cannot say what it is'
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 20:00
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified an identical, unexplained infrared absorption feature on both Pluto and Saturn’s moon Titan, hinting at a common, mysterious compound in their atmospheres. The signal, detected by two different JWST instruments, does not match any known spectra and could belong to a family of hydrocarbons called allenes or to a shifted known molecule. Researchers believe the compound forms via photochemical reactions in the nitrogen‑methane dominated atmospheres before snowing onto the surfaces, suggesting similar prebiotic chemistry on these vastly different worlds. While it is not a biosignature, the discovery underscores the surprising chemical links between the cold dwarf planet and the hazy, methane seas of Titan.
50 years after Viking 1's historic Mars landing, NASA is looking to the Red Planet's skies
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 18:00
Half a century after Viking 1 first touched down on Mars, NASA is turning its attention to the planet’s skies with the upcoming Sky
Twice in a row: SpaceX rocket aborts launch at last second again (video)
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 16:09
SpaceX faced two last‑second aborts in quick succession, first the Falcon 9 on July 20 and then the Starship test flight on July 16. The Falcon 9, which has flown 84 times this year without a failure, was aborted just as its nine Merlin engines fired, while the Starship, still in development, halted moments after its Super‑Heavy booster began firing 33 Raptors.
Four astronauts, 3 spacecraft, 2 weeks in orbit: Artemis III will be NASA's most complicated mission ever
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 16:00
NASA’s Artemis III, slated for next year, will launch a four‑person Orion crew on the Space Launch System into Earth orbit and then rendezvous with two commercial lunar landers—SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. The mission is the most complex NASA has ever undertaken, requiring three separate rocket launches from different pads and a tightly choreographed sequence to dock each lander for about two days.
The Space Force is now seeking to buy up to $30 billion in rocket launches
Original Publication Date: 2026-07-20 20:30
On Friday the U.S. Space Force announced it will triple the cap on its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 contract to $17 billion, citing growing demand for military satellite launches. The NSSL program, overseen by Space Systems Command, lets the Space Force pick from a pool of commercial launch providers for missions ranging from medium‑lift rideshares to high‑priority spy and hardened communications satellites. The expansion reflects the Pentagon’s push to secure more launch capacity for both routine and critical national‑security payloads. This move underscores the increasing importance of space in U.S. Defense strategy.