Impulse and Anduril Industries partner for RPO mission in GEO

"UK Space Agency Fuels Defence Tech Breakthrough with Lodestar Space & US Partners." The UK Space Agency is taking a bold step in strengthening space security, backing Lodestar Space through its International Bilateral Fund to advance defence technology for orbit. In partnership with University College London (UCL) and US based Impulse Space, the project marks a major milestone for transatlantic space collaboration. At the core of the initiative is Lodestar’s Mithril avionics stack, which will be integrated with Impulse’s Mira spacecraft, a highly manoeuvrable platform already proven in orbit. Together, they aim to showcase real time autonomy and manoeuvrability for missions where rapid response and situational awareness are critical. “This is a critical integration de-risking opportunity,” said Thomas Santini, CTO at Lodestar Space. “By aligning our technologies, we’re proving the readiness of autonomous Protect & Defend systems in orbit.” The project will culminate in a live demonstration at Impulse Space’s California HQ, validating the technology before a planned UK-US orbital mission. By combining the strengths of UK innovation, US agility, and UCL’s academic expertise, this trilateral effort is expected to advance space domain awareness (SDA), a capability essential not just for national defence, but also for commercial resilience in orbit. As Eric Romo, COO at Impulse Space, noted: “Mira’s agility paired with Mithril’s AI software unlocks entirely new mission profiles for space security.” This initiative underscores the UK’s ambition to build sovereign payloads for on-orbit awareness and protection, positioning Britain at the forefront of sustainable, assured, and collaborative space operations. #UKSpace #DefenceTech #OrbitalSecurity #SpaceInnovation #cxolanes #AI #Aerospace #Collaboration #SpaceDomainAwareness #FutureOfDefence

Today at #WSBW, Redwire announced that it has reached an agreement with Thales Alenia Space with the support of the European Space Agency - ESA to become the prime contractor for Skimsat, an ESA technology demonstration mission for a small satellite to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). The Skimsat mission leverages Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft, an advanced European VLEO platform designed to operate in the lower reaches of Earth's atmosphere. The Skimsat mission aims to improve satellite sustainability and mission performance while reducing spacecraft mass and mission cost by enabling sustainable operational capability at lower altitudes. “Redwire is a global leader in VLEO capabilities and we are grateful for the trust from ESA to accelerate development of the Skimsat mission, as the prime contractor, which could unlock critical infrastructure in VLEO for a wide array of future intelligence, Earth science, and communications missions,” said Marc Dielissen, General Manager of Redwire Space Belgium. “Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft is built on five decades of satellite manufacturing experience and flight heritage and offers a flexible and resilient design to tackle this pioneering mission.” Read here for more: https://bit.ly/3K8vgfU

Today at #WSBW, Redwire announced that it has reached an agreement with Thales Alenia Space with the support of the European Space Agency - ESA to become the prime contractor for Skimsat, an ESA technology demonstration mission for a small satellite to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). The Skimsat mission leverages Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft, an advanced European VLEO platform designed to operate in the lower reaches of Earth's atmosphere. The Skimsat mission aims to improve satellite sustainability and mission performance while reducing spacecraft mass and mission cost by enabling sustainable operational capability at lower altitudes. “Redwire is a global leader in VLEO capabilities and we are grateful for the trust from ESA to accelerate development of the Skimsat mission, as the prime contractor, which could unlock critical infrastructure in VLEO for a wide array of future intelligence, Earth science, and communications missions,” said Marc Dielissen, General Manager of Redwire Space Belgium. “Redwire’s Phantom spacecraft is built on five decades of satellite manufacturing experience and flight heritage and offers a flexible and resilient design to tackle this pioneering mission.” Read here for more: https://bit.ly/3K8vgfU

South Korea sets November 27 for landmark Nuri rocket launch. South Korea has confirmed the fourth launch of its homegrown Nuri rocket for November 27. The Korea AeroSpace Administration and Hanwha Aerospace are finalizing preparations for liftoff from the Naro Space Center, with 12 satellites onboard. The mission marks the first under KASA leadership and highlights rising national capabilities in orbital satellite deployment. https://lnkd.in/guPv-Gru #southkorea #koreaaerospaceadministration #kasa #hanwhaaerospace #nurirocket #narospacecenter #rocketlaunch #satellitepayload #spaceprogram #spaceindustry #spacelaunch MENA Newswire EuroWire Newswire #contentsyndicationservices

Astroscale has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with High Earth Orbit Robotics Pty Ltd (“HEO”) intended to deepen an existing partnership to develop and deliver critical capabilities for monitoring, assessing and ultimately servicing allied defense, government and commercial assets. Much like how traffic cameras and roadside assistance keep highways clear, Astroscale and HEO are building the tools to track, manage and service spacecraft in orbit, enhancing the resilience of satellites that underpin daily life on Earth, from GPS navigation and national defense operations to weather forecasting. “Through this partnership, we are strengthening the connection between monitoring and managing orbital risks, advancing essential SDA capabilities, and supporting mission success across all orbits,” said Mike Lindsay, CTO at Astroscale. Hiranya "HJ" Jayakody, Co-Founder & CTO of HEO also commented... Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBFNU6GT #MemorandumofUnderstanding #MoU #Space_Monitoring #partnership #defense #spacecraft #satellites

Astroscale Holdings Inc., founded in 2013 by Nobu Okada in Singapore and now headquartered in Tokyo, has become the global leader in on-orbit servicing and active debris removal. Under Okada’s leadership, the company has built a portfolio of technologies – from autonomous rendezvous spacecraft to patented magnetic docking plates – that directly address one of the most pressing challenges for Europe’s strategic autonomy: safeguarding satellites and mitigating the risks of debris collisions. Through Astroscale Ltd. in the UK and its new office in Toulouse, the company is embedding itself in the European ecosystem, supplying Airbus with docking plates and partnering with BAE Systems on ESA-funded refurbishment studies. For industry, Astroscale represents a rare case of a listed, venture-backed space firm that has already demonstrated key technologies in orbit, such as the ELSA-d mission, reaching TRL 7–9 on multiple assets. For finance, its combination of Japanese capital markets access and European contracts offers resilience and growth, supported by ESA, UKSA, and DSTL funding. Defence Finance Monitor notes that Astroscale, though non-EU in origin, has through its founder Nobu Okada and its European subsidiaries positioned itself as a significant contributor to Europe’s space sovereignty and NATO’s resilience in the contested space domain. #DefenceFinance #Astroscale #NobuOkada #ELSA #SpaceDebris #ESA #Airbus #BAESystems #StrategicAutonomy #DefenceFinanceMonitor https://lnkd.in/dD59xU9y

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 11, 2025 Space Systems Command's Assured Access to Space has successfully placed 21 Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Transport Layer satellites into orbit, marking the first launch of Tranche 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission, supported by Space Launch Delta 30, flew aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and delivered York Space Systems-built data transport satellites. #SpaceLaunch #Falcon9 #SpaceX #Satellite #SpaceDevelopment

'China sends experimental Shiyan-30 satellites into orbit as launch cadence intensifies' "The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced complete success of the launch, revealing the payloads to be the Shiyan-30 (01) and (02) satellites. As is typical for Shiyan missions, no images and few details were released." https://lnkd.in/gyEeauS3 #china #spacetech #spacelaunch #satellites #technews

China Calls X-37B a “Space Killer” as U.S. Spaceplane Lifts Off Again The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B just began its eighth mission atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 to test next-gen tech, including laser communications and a record-grade quantum inertial sensor that could one day complement or back up GPS. https://lnkd.in/gRydC7zq

Chinese commercial satellites from Changguang Satellite Technology recently captured detailed images of a Maxar Space Systems WorldView Legion spacecraft, demonstrating China’s growing ability to conduct Non-Earth Imaging (NEI) for tracking, stabilization, and potential counterspace purposes. At the same time, a Chinese Shiyan-12 satellite in geostationary orbit made a close approach to a US Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) missile early-warning satellite, continuing a pattern of “cat and mouse” maneuvers between U.S., Chinese, and Russian spacecraft in GEO. Analysts note that the expanding Shiyan series including one satellite in a rare, inclined orbit above GEO highlights China’s focus on developing advanced space situational awareness, intelligence gathering, and experimental proximity operations. United States Space Force #rpo #imagery #nationalsecurity https://lnkd.in/gM7mygSq