Author: starpathwp-production
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Open Cosmos Raises $348 Million, Reaches $1 Billion Valuation
UK-based satellite manufacturer and operator Open Cosmos closed a €300 million ($348 million) Series C round on September 14, 2026, lifting its valuation above $1 billion and making it Europe’s newest space unicorn. The company plans to use the capital to expand satellite production, ground infrastructure and its proprietary Earth observation and broadband constellations for…
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US Space Force Operating On-Orbit Space Control Weapons, Air Force Secretary Says
The U.S. Space Force is operating on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending American and allied forces from hostile action, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said September 14 during the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The disclosure is the Pentagon’s most explicit public acknowledgment that…
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Sophia Space and SLI Outline $300 Million Financing for Orbital Compute Constellation
Sophia Space and aerospace leasing specialist SLI have outlined a $300 million asset-financing framework for a planned 10-satellite edge computing constellation, the companies announced September 13. The non-binding arrangement would fund spacecraft construction and deployment against defined milestones, with launches beginning as early as 2028. The proposed structure adapts operating leases widely used for aircraft,…
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Satellite Data Reveals Hidden Patterns of War in Ukraine and Myanmar
Satellite observations can expose wartime destruction overlooked by conventional reporting and help researchers build more complete records of armed conflict, according to an international study published in Nature on September 9, 2026. The research combines satellite-derived damage assessments with media-based conflict data, using case studies from Ukraine and Myanmar to show how Earth observation can…
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SpaceX Sets USSF-259 Launch, Second Classified Space Force Mission in Six Days
SpaceX is preparing to launch the classified USSF-259 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 16, marking the company’s second national security flight from the base in six days. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East during a four-hour window…
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Mitsubishi Electric Orders SWISSto12 Phased-Array Antennas for Japanese Government GEO Program
SWISSto12 and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on September 14 covering advanced satellite payloads, radio-frequency products and market development in Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region, while Mitsubishi Electric placed a separate order for phased-array antenna products supporting a Japanese government secure communications program in geostationary orbit. The companies did not disclose…
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Elveo Selects Apex to Establish Production for 320-Satellite D2D Network
Elveo Mobile has selected Apex to help establish a dedicated U.S. factory for its planned 320-satellite low-Earth-orbit direct-to-device constellation, the companies announced September 14. The partnership will use Apex’s Factory X model to transfer spacecraft-platform technology and high-rate manufacturing expertise to an Elveo-controlled production operation. Under the agreement, Apex will supply productized spacecraft platforms and…
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Xiopm SPACE’s Qin Jing: What Is the Real Commercial Value of Space-Based Computing?
In 2026, space-based computing emerged as a major new direction for the commercial space industry. What problems is it meant to solve, and where is the industry heading? Hello Space has launched the Space-Based Computing Interview Series, speaking with leading Chinese companies to examine the real progress being made in this emerging field. Our guest…
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Inside the Global Reusable Rocket Engine Race: Who Is Defining the Next-Generation Heart of Spaceflight?
If rocket engines could only be used once, the space economy would remain an expensive one-way journey. But as Falcon 9 first stages repeatedly return to their landing sites and Raptor engines fire again and again aboard Starship, that logic has been fundamentally rewritten: engine reusability is becoming a decisive factor in launch costs, flight…
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SpaceX Launches Final O3b mPOWER Satellites on 700th Falcon Mission (Video)
SpaceX launched three Boeing-built O3b mPOWER communications satellites for SES on September 13, completing the Luxembourg-based operator’s 13-satellite medium Earth orbit constellation while marking the 700th mission by SpaceX’s Falcon rocket family. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:49 p.m. EDT, or…