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Relativity Space to privately develop Mars orbiter mission

17 June 2026 at 21:45
Relativity Mars orbiter

Relativity Space plans to launch a Mars orbiter in 2028 as part of a new initiative to privately develop planetary missions.

The post Relativity Space to privately develop Mars orbiter mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

Upgraded Ariane 6 launches Amazon Leo satellites

17 June 2026 at 20:13
Ariane 6 VA269

An Ariane 6 with upgraded solid rocket boosters successfully launched three dozen Amazon Leo satellites June 17 as ESA weighs options for increasing the vehicle’s launch rate.

The post Upgraded Ariane 6 launches Amazon Leo satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

America’s next economic frontier is 240,000 miles away

17 June 2026 at 14:00
Firefly's Blue Ghost lander captured footage of the Moon during its third lunar orbit maneuver that inserted the spacecraft in a near-circular low lunar orbit on Feb. 24, 2025. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Humans have always gazed up at the moon in wonder. A generation ago, NASA astronauts did the extraordinary and touched down on its surface, planting an American flag and igniting […]

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Look Up and Skynopy partner on automated satellite collision avoidance service

17 June 2026 at 12:23

Space surveillance venture Look Up plans to use Skynopy’s ground station network to help automate its proposed low Earth orbit collision avoidance service, the French startups announced June 17.

The post Look Up and Skynopy partner on automated satellite collision avoidance service appeared first on SpaceNews.

Astrobotic unveils Griffin-1 lunar lander

16 June 2026 at 21:48
Griffin-1

Astrobotic showed off the lunar lander it plans to launch later this year that will be the vanguard of NASA’s new lunar base ambitions.

The post Astrobotic unveils Griffin-1 lunar lander appeared first on SpaceNews.

Swiss decision to not contribute to Copernicus tests program’s value model

16 June 2026 at 19:16
View of the Fagradalsfjall volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, acquired by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite less than 10 hours after its eruption began on Feb. 8, 2024, with the lava flow and smoke plume clearly visible near the city of GrindavΓ­k. Credit: European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery.

MILAN β€” Switzerland’s decision not to participate in the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program during the 2028–2034 funding cycle has revived a broader debate over the value of contributing […]

The post Swiss decision to not contribute to Copernicus tests program’s value model appeared first on SpaceNews.

Katalyst Space raises $12 million for GEO servicing demo mission

16 June 2026 at 16:30
Katalyst Nexus

Satellite servicing startup Katalyst Space Technologies has raised $12 million for a geosynchronous orbit demonstration as its mission to boost the orbit of a NASA observatory nears launch.

The post Katalyst Space raises $12 million for GEO servicing demo mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

A UN agency that works for US space

16 June 2026 at 14:00

If United States policymakers deride the wider United Nations, they still spend on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) because it amplifies the commercial reach of U.S. standards. This includes U.S. […]

The post A UN agency that works for US space appeared first on SpaceNews.

Deep Space Network antenna mishap blamed on poor training and procedures

16 June 2026 at 12:25
DSS-14

A NASA investigation blamed millions of dollars in damage to one of its largest Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas on poor training and procedures.

The post Deep Space Network antenna mishap blamed on poor training and procedures appeared first on SpaceNews.

Gilat to buy Comtech satcoms business six years after failed merger

15 June 2026 at 21:54
Gilat VSAT - Optus SC 4

Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks plans to expand its defense capabilities by acquiring most of Comtech’s space-related communications business, six years after the U.S. company’s own takeover bid collapsed.

The post Gilat to buy Comtech satcoms business six years after failed merger appeared first on SpaceNews.

Sustained maneuver has a propulsion problem

15 June 2026 at 14:00
A gridded ion thruster at NASA’s Glenn Research Center that was used on NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). Credit: NASA

For years, space architecture was treated mostly as a question of placement: where to put a spacecraft, and how reliably it could hold position. That framing is now too narrow. […]

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