Before we dream of floating data centers, we must understand why the SmallSat is the only laboratory that matters. Welcome to The Fractal Lab:  a three-part series on why orbital computing succeeds or fails first at 10 kilograms, not 10,000. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/the-fractal-lab/

Targeting the growing gap between encrypted application layers and vulnerable terrestrial infrastructure, Spacecoin and the Midnight Foundation announced a partnership on January 29, 2026, to develop a private peer-to-peer (P2P) […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/midnight-and-spacecoin-partner-to-secure-global-communications-via-decentralized-satellite-network/

On January 29, 2026, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and Oxford Space Systems (OSS) confirmed the successful in-orbit deployment of the Wrapped Rib Antenna aboard the CarbSAR In-Orbit Demonstration mission. […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/sstl-and-oxford-space-systems-achieve-successful-in-orbit-deployment-of-carbsar-antenna/

High-resolution satellite imagery has become a prerequisite for modern geospatial analysis, yet resolution alone often fails to address the operational friction between raw data and actionable decisions. Addressing this gap, EOS […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/eosda-landviewer-expands-high-resolution-portfolio-and-adds-satellite-tasking/

On January 28, 2026, Astroscale France and Exotrail announced a strategic partnership to develop and demonstrate controlled deorbiting capabilities for satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The collaboration aims to […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/astroscale-france-and-exotrail-join-forces-to-build-deorbiting-capability-for-leo/

Speaking at the Space Mobility Conference in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 2026, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, delivered a blunt […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/29/capitalism-should-be-faster-than-communism-chairman-babin-targets-space-bureaucracy/

This is the second in a continuing series on the strategic evolution of space regulation. Part one, “The 200,000-Satellite Filing: When Commercial Loopholes Become State Weapons,” examined how speculative filings distort global coordination. Part two examines the U.S. regulatory response. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/28/

On January 28, 2026, Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), delivered a keynote address at the Space Mobility Conference in Orlando, Florida, calling for a foundational shift […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/28/u-s-space-command-urges-pentagon-pivot-to-sustained-on-orbit-logistics-and-maneuver/

Targeting a growing gap between commercial LEO deployment and space sustainability, a new study led by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has found that Amazon’s Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo) satellites […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/28/astronomers-flag-amazons-kuiper-constellation-for-exceeding-satellite-brightness-limits/

Dr. Gladys West, the visionary mathematician whose complex calculations of the Earth’s shape provided the essential foundation for the Global Positioning System (GPS), passed away on January 17, 2026, at […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/28/mathematical-architect-of-gps-dr-gladys-west-passes-away-at-95/

On January 28, 2026, Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd announced the appointment of Bizmile Co. Ltd as its exclusive distributor in South Korea, marking the company’s first official entry into the […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/28/silicon-sensing-expands-into-south-korea-with-exclusive-bizmile-distribution-agreement/

In a move to formalize the military’s reliance on private-sector orbital assets, the U.S. Space Force has established a timeline to operationalize the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) by September […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/space-force-accelerates-commercial-reserve-fleet-integration-for-2026-operations/

Amazonia-1B is a critical component of Brazil’s national AQUAE program, which focuses on the strategic monitoring of the country’s vast water resources. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/inpe-awards-spacelaunch-contract-for-amazonia-1b-mission-on-vega-c/

In a statement released Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Nigrán-based UARX Space detailed the final integration phase of its first Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), named OSSIE. After operating in a “stealth” […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/uarx-space-details-logistics-expansion-and-maiden-ossie-otv-flight-for-2026/

In a statement released Tuesday, January 27, 2026, French antenna manufacturer Anywaves and Luxembourg-based electronics specialist EmTroniX announced a strategic merger to form a unified industrial group. The new entity […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/anywaves-and-emtronix-merge-to-form-integrated-space-rf-and-payload-subsystem-group/

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) and HEO (formerly HEO Robotics) announced the successful sale and transfer of NewSat-34™, an operational Earth Observation (EO) satellite. The transaction […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/australia-secures-first-sovereign-sub-meter-imaging-capability-via-satellogic-asset-sale/

In a strategic move to evolve Europe’s global navigation satellite system, GMV and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a contract in Lisbon, Portugal, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, for […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/gmv-and-esa-sign-achilles-contract-to-modernize-galileo-ground-infrastructure/

The presentation will focus on the company’s strategic expansion into defense and government sectors, highlighting the rapid deployment capabilities of its iNetVu® mobile auto-deploying antenna systems. Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/27/c-com-to-showcase-defense-and-government-satcom-innovations-at-small-cap-growth-conference/

On Monday, Jan. 26, Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) announced the launch of “Vake Powered by KSAT,” a consolidated maritime situational awareness platform designed to detect, identify, and track non-cooperative or […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/26/ksat-launches-integrated-vake-platform-to-monitor-dark-vessels-via-multi-sensor-fusion/

The defense landscape is undergoing a structural pivot toward integrated Radio Frequency (RF) and autonomous sensing systems, moving away from isolated point-defense toward wide-area, theater-scale awareness. This shift was underscored […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/26/kratos-expands-hypersonic-infrastructure-as-visionwave-unveils-space-based-counter-uas-architecture/

In a move to accelerate the deployment of Europe’s third flagship space program, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced on Monday, January 26, 2026, a significant expansion of the IRIS² […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/26/esa-expands-iris%c2%b2-low-leo-component-and-introduces-industrialization-cost-reimbursements/

To address the computational bottleneck in analyzing massive Earth observation datasets, researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University have developed a lightweight machine learning framework that enables satellites to quantify uncertainty […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/26/efficient-probabilistic-framework-accelerates-satellite-trace-gas-retrieval-and-uncertainty-quantification/

On Monday, January 26, 2026, Oman’s MB Group and San Francisco-based Astranis Space Technologies Corp. announced a nine-figure agreement for the procurement of a dedicated, sovereign communications satellite. This deal […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/26/oman-secures-dedicated-orbital-asset-in-nine-figure-deal-with-astranis/

In the aerospace sector, the success of orbital delivery and recovery cycles is fundamentally dependent on the equilibrium between Newtonian mechanics and Pascal’s principle. During the launch phase, Isaac Newton’s […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/25/force-and-pressure-the-interplay-of-newtonian-mechanics-and-pascals-law-in-modern-rocketry/

The final week of January 2026 presents a critical intersection of legislative deadlines and high-level industry dialogue as the U.S. Congress faces a February 1 deadline to pass the second […] Source: https://news.satnews.com/2026/01/25/legislative-deadlines-and-high-level-industry-summits-dominate-space-policy-outlook/