The demo is part of France’s DESIR program, which is intended to widen the pool of EO capabilities available to the French defense sector. The post Loft Orbital Wins €50M Contract to Build French SAR Sat appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/loft-orbital-wins-e50m-contract-to-build-french-sar-sat/

Haven-1, which was expected to launch in 2026, will now launch no earlier than Q1 2027—and it could be significantly longer before the station gets its first crew. The post Vast Delays Haven-1 Launch to 2027 appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/vast-delays-haven-1-launch-to-2027/

Canada Rocket Company announced a $6.2M CDN ($4.5M) seed round, and unveiled plans to create sovereign light- and medium-lift launch capabilities for Canada. The post Canada Rocket Company Emerges from Stealth appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/canada-rocket-company-emerges-from-stealth/

The satellite bus builder is expecting to validate its tech in orbit imminently. The post Samara Closes $10M Seed Round appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/samara-closes-10m-seed-round/

In its push to double down on its national security and defense clientele, spacecom firm CesiumAstro has secured $200M in government financing. The post CesiumAstro Secures $200M Government Financing appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/cesiumastro-secures-200m-government-financing/

Satellites don’t have many options when they run out of fuel, but a wave of startups are attempting to crack refueling on orbit. Aule Space is taking a straightforward approach: jetpacks. The post Aule Space Raises $2M to Build Life Extension Jet Packs appeared first on Payload. Source: https:

It’s rare for space operators to cross their fingers, hoping their sat will get hit with a piece of space debris. But that’s exactly what Atomic-6 CEO Trevor Smith is doing.  The post Atomic-6 Space Armor to Fly in October With Portal appeared first on Payload. Source: https:

There’s no shortage of EO imagery these days, and SkyFi wants to make sure customers can access that data as easily as clicking “add to cart.” The post SkyFi Secures $12.7M Series A appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/skyfi-secures-12-7m-series-a/

To keep the lights on through the night, NASA is exploring putting a nuclear fission reactor on the Moon’s surface. The idea has been around for years, but the agency appointed new executive leadership for the Fission Surface Power Project last year—and committed to seeing it through. The

With Mars Sample Return canceled, the question is no longer how to bring samples home—but how far existing space law can stretch before its gaps become consequential. The post Op-ed: Mars Sample Return May Be Canceled, But the Legal Questions It Leaves Behind Continue appeared first on Payload. Source:

Despite ISRO's PSLV failing during launch, Orbital Paradigm's KID reentry vehicle survived long enough to transmit valuable data. The post Exclusive: Orbital Paradigm Emerges as the Lone Survivor of Failed PSLV Launch appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/exclusive-orbital-paradigm-emerges-as-the-lone-survivor-of-failed-pslv-launch/

Diffraqtion is looking to see farther in space, and to understand its environment faster. The MA-based startup emerged from stealth today with a $4.2M pre-seed round. The post Quantum Imaging Startup Diffraqtion Emerges from Stealth appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/quantum-imaging-startup-diffraqtion-emerges-from-stealth/

This morning, Satellogic ($SATL) announced that it is building two satellites for a Portuguese engineering firm, the Centre of Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA, to use its Portuguese acronym). CEiiA paid $18M for a speedy delivery on its new tech. The post Portuguese Firm Buys Two EO Sats for $18M

Aspiring lunar tourists can place a $1M deposit to reserve a spot in the company’s planned lunar hotel, which aims to open its airlocks in 2032. The post GRU Space Opens Bookings for Planned Lunar Hotel appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/gru-space-opens-bookings-for-planned-lunar-hotel/

In the first major transaction of 2026, L3Harris Technologies ($LHX) is shedding the bulk of its propulsion business—and Rocketdyne is so back. The post L3Harris Sells Majority of Propulsion Business to AEI for $845M appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/l3harris-sells-majority-of-propulsion-business-to-aei-for-845m/

Around the world, rockets attempted to lift off 329 times—with 321 of these attempts reaching orbit or near orbit—according to data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The post 2025 Orbital Launch Attempts by Country appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/2025-orbital-launch-attempts-by-country/

NASA is starting off the year hot, with a positive budget proposal—as well as a permanent administrator at the helm, after nearly a year of interim leadership.  The post NASA Starts 2026 With Budget Plan, Administrator appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/nasa-starts-2026-with-budget-plan-administrator/

Forget offshoring—the future of manufacturing is off-world. The post United Semiconductors, Aegis Aerospace Partner on In-Space Manufacturing Platform appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/united-semiconductors-aegis-aerospace-partner-on-in-space-manufacturing-platform/

Golden Dome’s first fight will be won or lost on its ability to see.  The post Op-ed: Golden Dome Will Stand or Fall on Its Sensors. Here’s How to Make Them Endure appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/op-ed-golden-dome-will-stand-or-fall-on-its-sensors-heres-how-to-make-them-endure/

The dozens of tubes of Martian dust collected so far by the Perseverance rover are waiting for a ride that may never come.  The post House Minibus Bill Would Kill Mars Sample Return appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/house-minibus-bill-would-kill-mars-sample-return/

2026 has a chance to become an inflection point where commercial expansion, AI integration, and sovereign partnerships could collide to redefine what the next decade of space looks like. The post Op-Ed: Space Trends to Watch in 2026 appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/op-ed-space-trends-to-watch-in-2026/

In a press conference at ESA HQ in Paris, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher laid out the agency's plan for 2026. The post ESA Outlines a Busy Year Ahead appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/esa-outlines-a-busy-year-ahead/

For decades, space launch providers have faced the same persistent challenge: intermittent loss of telemetry data when rockets travel out of range of ground stations. These “blackouts” can last for minutes—leaving long and critical periods when vehicle health, performance, and safety information go dark. Viasat’s HaloNet Launch Telemetry

Billionaire backers have already taken the launch sector by storm. Now, one is getting into the space-science game. The post Former Google Chief Building Private Space Telescopes appeared first on Payload. Source: https://payloadspace.com/former-google-chief-building-private-space-telescopes/