On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS) announced it has received a contract from the Department of War’s Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO) to […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/18/kratos-awarded-contract-to-accelerate-hypersonic-material-development/

In 2026, the space sector is defined by a significant shift that industry analysts call “Utility Validation.” This movement transitions space from a realm of one-time scientific exploration to a […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/18/the-orbital-pivot-transitioning-from-exploration-to-global-utility/

While government mandates historically dictated the pace of space exploration, 2026 has solidified a new reality: the consumer is becoming the primary architect of orbital infrastructure. The “Symbiotic Nexus” between […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/18/the-consumer-determining-the-future-of-space-exploration/

BlackSky Technology Inc. announced the signing of a significant eight-figure international contract to provide a sovereign space-based intelligence solution to a global defense customer. The agreement includes the sale of […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/17/blacksky-secures-eight-figure-international-contract-for-sovereign-gen-3-satellite-solution/

French space logistics leader Exotrail announced three landmark contracts with prominent Indian space companies to provide dozens of its spaceware™ electric propulsion systems. The agreements were signed in Mumbai during […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/17/exotrail-secures-major-propulsion-contracts-with-indian-space-firms-during-presidential-visit/

A new analysis released February 17, 2026, highlights a decisive pivot among U.S. allies toward establishing independent, sovereign launch capabilities. Driven by the “SpaceX monopoly” on the commercial market and […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/17/global-shift-toward-sovereign-launch-gains-momentum-amid-geopolitical-tensions/

Targeting the growing gap in data regarding on-the-go satellite internet usage, TRIO Flatmount released its 2026 Mobile Starlink Survey on February 17. The report, which compiled data from approximately 600 […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/17/new-survey-highlights-shift-from-leisure-to-professional-mobile-starlink-use/

On February 12, 2026, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) awarded a framework contract to Thales Alenia Space to oversee the design, development, and deployment of the […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/17/euspa-selects-thales-alenia-space-to-develop-egnss-service-demonstrator/

February 16, 2026 — China has successfully concluded nine months of orbital testing for its “Three-Body” Computing Constellation, marking a significant milestone in the shift toward autonomous orbital edge computing. […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/16/china-completes-in-orbit-testing-of-three-body-ai-computing-constellation/

February 16, 2026 — Rakuten Mobile, Inc. and the University of Tokyo have been selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to lead a major research and development project […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/16/jaxa-awards-rakuten-mobile-71-9-million-to-advance-satellite-terrestrial-5g-integration/

February 16, 2026 — In response to the rapid expansion of counter-space capabilities by regional adversaries, the Indian government has initiated a multi-layered overhaul of its orbital defense strategy. Following […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/16/india-accelerates-military-space-architecture-amid-rising-orbital-weaponization-risks/

February 16, 2026 — LMT Group and Spanish satellite operator Sateliot have launched a 12-month joint initiative with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a universal dual-mode IoT module. […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/16/lmt-group-and-sateliot-partner-with-esa-to-advance-dual-mode-5g-satellite-iot/

Chris Forrester — You can almost smell the investment bankers and their tangible excitement over a probable SpaceX Initial Public Offering (IPO) this year. The current gossip points to a […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/16/bank-too-many-leo-constellations-but-18m-starlink-customers-by-end-2026/

CARLSBAD, California – A major new report from Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) reveals a rapidly closing window for industrial IoT (Internet of Things) transformation, as 91% of decision-makers now plan […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/13/viasat-report-signals-industrial-rush-toward-direct-to-device-d2d-connectivity/

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Taking the stage, Dr. Bryan Benedict, Senior Director of Innovation at SES Space & Defense, dismantled rather than defended the legacy model. He described the merger between satellite giants SES and Intelsat that created a fleet of over 100 operational spacecraft not as a strategic power

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. For decades the space industry measured ground segment power in rack units and heavy copper cabling. That model was effectively retired here at the SmallSat Symposium. Instead of bigger antennas or faster rockets, discussion on the floor focuses on the convergence of Silicon Valley software agility

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. Novaspace Partner Nathan De Ruiter presented staggering figures. Opening the floor with an exclusive forecast, he predicted that 70,000 small satellites launching over the next decade will represent an investment of roughly $134 billion. Yet the mechanism for getting those satellites’ data back to Earth

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. The visionaries pitching Mars colonies have largely left the building. In their place sit investment bankers, project finance lawyers, and strategic investors who are currently rewiring the architecture of the $613 billion space economy. At this year’s SmallSat Symposium, the speculative exuberance of the SPAC

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. The military doctrine of Dynamic Space Operations envisions satellites dodging interceptors, inspecting unresponsive objects, and performing orbital acrobatics. Yet inside the SmallSat Symposium’s session on Smart Mobility: Propulsion and Maneuverability for Agile Smallsats, the vibe waxed less cinematic. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. If there was any doubt that the center of gravity in the commercial space sector has shifted from venture capital speculation to kinetic necessity, that doubt was shattered by the final session, Smallsats at the Tactical Edge - Hybrid ISR and Defense Integration. SmallSat Symposium this

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A strategic examination of Iran’s aerospace trajectory in early 2026 reveals a sophisticated convergence between the nation’s nascent space program and its global sanctions-evasion architecture. Following the […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/12/space-as-a-sanctions-workaround-financial-engineering-shadow-procurement-networks/

SAN FRANCISCO, California – As the Earth Observation (EO) market enters a hyper-operational phase in 2026, the reliance on massive, multibillion-dollar satellites is rapidly giving way to agile “tiny” satellite […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/12/high-revisit-cubesats-drive-shift-from-raw-imagery-to-actionable-insights-in-2026/

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO – Addressing the critical “2% problem” in Earth observation, The Compression Company has closed a $3.4 million pre-seed round led by Long Journey Ventures. The funding, […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/12/software-defined-ai-compression-startup-secures-3-4m-to-unblock-the-space-to-ground-bottleneck/

MADRID, Spain – The European Union has officially entered the operational phase of its Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) program, marking a critical milestone in Europe’s push for strategic autonomy. Announced […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/12/eu-activates-govsatcom-operations-gmv-led-hub-secures-european-strategic-autonomy/

Dispatch from SmallSat Symposium. The era of cheap, plentiful, and diverse access to space was supposed to be here by now. Instead, the industry arrived at the 2026 SmallSat Symposium only to find itself trapped in a bottleneck of its own making. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/02/11/