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Aerospace Corp. continues testing four DiskSat satellites built in an unconventional disk-shaped configuration after their launch aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, with plans to lower their orbits to below 300 kilometers using electric propulsion. The experiment revealed thermal- and power-management challenges, including the failure of three batteries, but it still aims to complete its mission objectives.
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is preparing for a major increase in launch frequency, with the number expected to rise from 17 operations in 2025 to 44 in 2030. The increase is prompting companies and local officials to call for improvements to the site’s infrastructure and the surrounding area, from roads and power to housing and services.
The U.S. Space Force has awarded $60 million to Amazon LEO for Government, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rocket Lab, and York Space Systems to test connecting their systems to the Space Data Network, whose core is being provided by SpaceX. The tests aim to develop standardized interfaces and space-based exchange points that reduce reliance on a single provider.
The Pentagon has launched the “Golden Dome for America Ecosystem Hub” to give startups, contractors, investors, and universities an unclassified channel for submitting ideas and accessing information about the missile defense program’s needs. The initiative includes a shared data environment and testing spaces for analytics and artificial intelligence applications, while restrictions related to classified information remain in place.