Rocket Lab secures 5-launch Neutron contract targeting Q4 2026 debut after tank test failure. SpaceX Booster 19 completes full-thrust 33-engine static fire; Ship 39 rollout imminent.
Russia launched its first 16 operational Rassvet broadband satellites on March 23, 2026, beginning a long climb toward a 900-satellite LEO constellation. Built by Bureau 1440 and funded by billions in government and private capital, Rassvet is a technological sovereignty project driven by a hard lesson from the war in Ukraine. When your military depends on someone else's satellites, they can turn them off.
SpaceX shifts launch priorities to Vandenberg as Falcon 9 era winds down, while Anthropic signs orbital data center deal with the company.
Rocket Lab secures five-launch Neutron contract ahead of Q4 2026 first flight. Medium-lift reusable rocket scheduled for recovery ops on mission two.
SpaceX's reported IPO structure grants Elon Musk unchecked control and forces 220,000-GPU Colossus AI deal into the spotlight.
U.S. Space Force increased Andromeda contract ceiling to $6.2 billion for next-generation space situational awareness satellites replacing GSSAP and SILENTBARKER programs.
