DUBAI and KYIV — On Thursday, January 15, 2026, VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON) announced that its Ukrainian subsidiary, Kyivstar, has reached 3.0 million registered users for its Starlink Direct to Cell satellite connectivity service. This milestone represents more than 10% of Kyivstar’s total mobile subscriber base and highlights the rapid adoption of non-terrestrial network (NTN) solutions in contested environments.

Rapid Adoption and Regional Resilience

Since the service was launched on November 24, 2025, subscribers have exchanged more than 1.2 million SMS messages via satellite. The technology has proven most critical in Ukraine’s southern and eastern regions, where terrestrial infrastructure is frequently compromised. Usage is currently concentrated in five major urban hubs: Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Dnipro.

The service is currently accessible at no additional cost to all 15.5 million Kyivstar 4G smartphone users through their existing tariff plans. The technology utilizes Starlink’s “cell tower in space” architecture, which employs advanced phased array antennas to connect directly to standard LTE handsets without hardware modifications.

Leadership on Strategic Connectivity

“The rapid adoption of Starlink Direct to Cell services by Kyivstar subscribers demonstrates the critical importance of enhancing Ukraine’s resilience and our customers’ appreciation for the availability of satellite-based connectivity,” said Kaan Terzioğlu, VEON Group CEO and Executive Chairman of Kyivstar. “We will continue to lead the way in providing innovative services that Ukraine needs to build its digital future.”

Central Asian Expansion and Future Outlook

The success in Ukraine is serving as a blueprint for VEON’s broader regional strategy. In November 2025, VEON’s Beeline Kazakhstan successfully completed the first Direct to Cell WhatsApp call in Central Asia. Following this pilot, Beeline Kazakhstan expects to introduce commercial SMS services via satellite in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

Currently, SpaceX operates a constellation of approximately 650 Direct to Cell satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). To support increasing demand and reduce latency, SpaceX has filed with the FCC to orbit future cellular satellites at altitudes as low as 326 km. For Kyivstar, this partnership is a key component of VEON’s broader pledge to invest $1 billion in Ukraine’s digital infrastructure between 2023 and 2027.

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — Quantum imaging startup Diffraqtion has secured $4.2 million in pre-seed funding to deploy satellite constellations equipped with proprietary “quantum cameras” designed to bypass traditional optical limits.

The round, announced Jan. 13, was led by QDNL Participations, with additional backing from milemark•capital, Aether VC, ADIN, and Offline Ventures. The total capital includes a non-dilutive DARPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct-to-Phase 2 contract focused on space situational awareness (SSA).

Breaking the Diffraction Limit Diffraqtion’s payload targets the physical “diffraction limit” that restricts the resolution of conventional optical systems based on aperture size. The company’s technology utilizes photon-counting sensors and AI-driven processing to extract higher-fidelity data from incoming light. According to the company, the system offers up to 20 times the resolution and 1,000 times the processing speed of standard cameras.

This architecture is designed to enable small satellites to capture imagery comparable to much larger, heavier telescope systems. The technology aims to support both commercial Earth observation and defense applications, including orbital debris tracking and intelligence gathering.

Leadership and Heritage Spun out of MIT and the University of Maryland, Diffraqtion was co-founded by CEO Johannes Galatsanos, CTO Christine Wang, and Chief Scientific Advisor Saikat Guha. Guha, a professor at the University of Maryland, previously led research with NASA and DARPA that forms the basis of the company’s intellectual property.

The leadership team also includes Head of Product Mark Michael, the former CTO and co-founder of Kepler Communications, who brings operational experience from deploying low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations.

Operational Timeline Diffraqtion is currently refining its hardware as part of the U.S. Space Force Apollo Accelerator. The company plans to conduct “on-sky” demonstrations using ground-based telescopes at the University of California Observatories in early 2026. These tests will validate the sensor’s performance through atmospheric turbulence before the technology is integrated into a space-based platform for orbital demonstration.

The company stated the technology is also being integrated into military defense architectures in collaboration with Space Systems Command.

HERNDON, Va. — On Thursday, January 15, 2026, TrustPoint announced the first successful demonstration of its Low Earth Orbit Navigation System (LEONS), transmitting time-transfer and tracking signals from a compact ground node to an orbiting spacecraft.

This milestone marks a significant step in the company’s mission to provide a commercial, GPS-independent positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capability for satellite operators.

Ground-to-Space Validation via SpaceWERX

The demonstration was conducted as part of the SpaceWERX AltPNT Challenge, a program designed to rapidly field resilient alternatives to legacy Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). TrustPoint was previously awarded two Direct-to-Phase II contracts by SpaceWERX to accelerate the transition of its C-band LEO architecture from concept to operational deployment. The successful signal transmission validates the “LEONS” ground infrastructure, which is designed to be a rapidly deployable and scalable solution for global PNT coverage.

Addressing Orbital Vulnerabilities

Most Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft currently rely on GPS or other Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) signals for orbital state and timing data. However, the increasing prevalence of jamming and electronic interference in LEO has created a critical vulnerability, often degrading or completely denying these essential links. TrustPoint’s architecture aims to eliminate this single point of failure by providing an independent, high-performance PNT layer that remains operational in contested environments. This development follows the company’s successful launch and contact with its third satellite in 2023, which served as the primary testbed for these core technologies.

Leadership on Resilient Capabilities

“With the pace of modern threats accelerating, the difference between concepts and capabilities matters,” said Nicole Hilliard, Director of Government Programs at TrustPoint. “This milestone demonstrates that commercial partners can field resilient, GPS-independent PNT capabilities that strengthen national security architectures and justify continued investment in companies that deliver.”

Commercial and Defense Implications

The transition to a GPS-independent architecture is a priority for the U.S. Space Force as it seeks to operationalize the “Proliferated Warfighter” concept. TrustPoint’s C-band service is designed to provide secure, high-precision timing that is less susceptible to the vulnerabilities of heritage L-band signals. Beyond defense applications, the technology is targeted at the emerging autonomous navigation and smart infrastructure markets, where sub-meter precision and high availability are mandatory requirements.

Scaling Toward a 300-Satellite Constellation

Following this successful ground-to-space transmission, TrustPoint plans to scale its LEONS infrastructure to support other LEO operators seeking resilient timing. The company is currently moving out of its internal R&D phase and into broader operational testing with both government and commercial partners. Long-term, TrustPoint aims to deploy a constellation of approximately 300 spacecraft to provide global, commercial GPS-equivalent services with improved security and lower latency.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Hydrosat announced the closing of a €51 million ($60 million) Series B funding round. The capital is designated to accelerate the global deployment of the company’s thermal infrared satellite constellation and its AI-driven geospatial analytics platform.

Capital to Combat Global Water Stress

The investment round was led by Hartree Partners, Subutai Capital Partners, and Space 4 Earth, with new participation from Truffle Capital and follow-on support from the Luxembourg Future Fund, OTB Ventures, and Statkraft Ventures. The funding follows an increase in demand for “decision-grade” thermal data as climate change intensifies water scarcity and agricultural volatility. Hydrosat currently serves a range of high-stakes clients, including the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The company previously secured a NOAA grant in early 2024 and has active contracts with the U.S. Air Force to improve weather modeling for national defense.

Expanding High-Frequency Thermal Collection

Hydrosat currently operates two thermal infrared satellites on-orbit, providing a daily collection capacity of more than 10 million square kilometers of imagery. Unlike traditional Earth observation data, which can be infrequent or low-resolution, Hydrosat’s sensors deliver high-frequency, field-level insights into soil moisture, crop health, and surface temperature. These data sets are processed through proprietary machine learning models to provide predictive analytics for agribusinesses and government agencies. This operational capacity was bolstered by the company’s 2023 acquisition of IrriWatch, which integrated advanced irrigation management software into the Hydrosat ecosystem.

Global Footprint and Workforce Growth

With the close of this Series B, which follows a $20 million funding round in 2023, the company plans to deepen its presence in key regions including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Central Asia, India, and Latin America. Additionally, Hydrosat intends to double its workforce of remote sensing and machine learning specialists at its Luxembourg headquarters by the end of 2026 to support its next phase of constellation development.

VANDENBERG SFB, Calif. — On Sunday, January 11, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched the “Twilight” rideshare mission, delivering a diverse manifest of commercial and government payloads to a dawn-dusk Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E at 5:44 a.m. PT, marking a major initial milestone for the 2026 small satellite launch calendar.

Berlin-based Exolaunch coordinated the deployment sequence for 22 spacecraft, representing the integrator’s 42nd mission to date. The deployment phase commenced approximately one hour after liftoff, successfully separating payloads for several high-profile constellation operators.

Strategic Dawn-Dusk Orbital Regime

The mission targeted a specific dawn-dusk SSO, an orbital regime where satellites ride the terminator line between day and night. This positioning ensures near-continuous sunlight for solar power generation, which is essential for energy-intensive operations.

Satellites in this orbit benefit from:

• Continuous Power: Steady solar exposure for high-performance payloads.
• Thermal Stability: Reduced thermal cycling compared to standard LEO orbits.
• Mission Optimization: Ideal conditions for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical communications systems.

Payload and Manifest Breakdown

The manifest included critical infrastructure for four major organizations, ranging from industrial telecommunications to exoplanet research:

• Kepler Communications: Launched its first tranche of 10 optical relay satellites to establish a real-time, SDA-compatible data network.
• HawkEye 360: Deployed “Cluster 13,” a trio of formation-flying satellites designed for global radio frequency (RF) geolocation and ISR requirements.
• DCUBED: Launched Araqys-D1, a 3U CubeSat intended to demonstrate in-space manufacturing by constructing a 30-centimeter truss in orbit.
• NASA: Deployed the Pandora SmallSat, a mission dedicated to studying the atmospheric compositions of exoplanets.

Perspective on In-Space Manufacturing

The DCUBED demonstration represents a technical shift toward orbital construction capabilities. By manufacturing structural components in space, the industry aims to bypass the size constraints imposed by rocket fairings.

“We want to make unlimited power in space a reality,” said Thomas Sinn, CEO of DCUBED. “That’s the whole idea: to bring the dollar per watt down into the double digits“.

Post-Deployment and 2026 Outlook

Following the successful separation, mission operators have established contact with their respective assets and commenced the commissioning phase. Kepler Communications confirmed that its initial 10 optical satellites are healthy and transitioning into operational service.

Exolaunch has indicated that this mission is the first of more than 20 deployments planned for its 2026 manifest. The company is currently scaling its Berlin operations to accommodate the increasing global demand for rideshare launch slots.

The term isotherm—a line on a map or chart connecting points of equal temperature—is a critical concept in the satellite industry, serving two distinct but equally vital roles: atmospheric remote sensing for weather prediction and the thermal engineering of the spacecraft itself.

Isotherms in Remote Sensing and Meteorology

In satellite-based Earth observation, isotherms are primarily used to analyze the thermal structure of the atmosphere. Infrared sounders and imagers, such as those on the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) or JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) constellations, detect emitted thermal radiation to map temperature gradients.

One of the most significant metrics for satellite operators is the 0°C Isotherm Height (also known as the freezing level). Identifying this boundary is crucial for:

• Predicting Rain Attenuation: For satellite communications operating at high frequencies (above 10 GHz, such as Ka-band and the emerging Q/V-bands for 5G/NTN), rainfall is the primary cause of signal degradation. The height of the 0°C isotherm determines the “rain height,” allowing engineers to calculate how much a signal will fade as it passes through the melting layer of the atmosphere.
• Weather Forecasting: Meteorologists use “isotherm extraction” from infrared satellite cloud images to identify the centers of storm systems and predict the development of convective weather.
• Climate Monitoring: Tracking the movement of isotherms over decades provides direct evidence of global temperature shifts, particularly in the cryosphere (polar ice and snow).

Isothermal Design in Spacecraft Engineering

In satellite manufacturing, particularly for the rapidly growing SmallSat and CubeSat sectors, “isothermal” refers to a design philosophy where the entire structure of the satellite is maintained at a nearly uniform temperature.

Unlike large satellites, which can be divided into distinct “hot” and “cold” thermal zones, small satellites are highly power-dense and have limited surface area for radiators. Thermal engineers strive for an isothermal state to prevent sensitive electronic components from overheating while ensuring batteries stay above freezing.

Key technologies used to achieve an isothermal satellite include:

• Isothermal Structural Panels (ISPs): These are structural panels embedded with high-conductivity materials or “flat heat pipes” that rapidly spread heat from internal components across the entire outer skin of the spacecraft.
• Thermal Modeling: Engineers use “single-node” isothermal analysis for initial design phases, assuming the satellite is a single mass. This simplifies the calculation of the satellite’s “gross temperature” along its orbit before moving to complex finite element models.
• Passive Control: Materials like black smooth vapor-honed finishes (used by companies like KSF Space) are applied to improve thermal emissivity, helping the isothermal structure radiate heat efficiently into the -270°C vacuum of space.

Current Industry Relevance (2026)

As of early 2026, the study of isotherms has gained renewed importance due to the deployment of Direct-to-Device (D2D) and High Throughput Satellite (HTS) networks. Because these systems use complex modulation schemes that are highly sensitive to “fade,” real-time data on atmospheric isotherms is becoming a standard requirement for dynamic power allocation and gateway switching in modern ground segments.

Furthermore, as startups like Reflect Orbital begin testing sunlight-reflecting satellites in 2026, the localized thermal impact and resulting isotherm shifts in the upper atmosphere are being closely monitored by atmospheric scientists to assess potential long-term environmental consequences.

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted authorization for the deployment of SpaceX’s second-generation (Gen2) Starlink satellite constellation. This regulatory milestone facilitates the continued expansion of large-scale commercial satellite networks and the reinforcement of global broadband infrastructure.

The approval follows a series of technical reviews regarding orbital safety and spectrum interference, marking a significant step in the evolution of low Earth orbit (LEO) communications.

Gen2 Technical Specifications and Capacity

The Gen2 Starlink system is designed to provide significantly higher capacity and lower latency compared to the original constellation. Key technical parameters include:

• Increased Throughput: Hardware upgrades allow for greater data density per satellite to meet rising global demand.
• Direct-to-Cell Capability: Integration of specialized payloads to enable satellite-to-device connectivity for unmodified cellular handsets.
• Orbital Maneuverability: Enhanced autonomous collision avoidance systems to mitigate space debris risks in increasingly crowded LEO shells.

Strategic Market Rationale

The FCC’s decision arrives as the “sovereign-commercial nexus” becomes a dominant theme in the space industry. By securing the rights to deploy thousands of additional satellites, SpaceX strengthens its position as a primary provider of critical connectivity infrastructure for both commercial and defense sectors.

Regulatory approvals of this scale are pivotal for the industry, as they establish the legal and business frameworks required for long-term capital investment in mega-constellations. This move further consolidates SpaceX’s vertical integration strategy, often referred to as the “Musk Stack,” by aligning launch capability with global service delivery.

Regulatory Outlook and Spectrum Sustainability

While the Gen2 authorization provides a path for near-term expansion, it also introduces more stringent requirements for spectrum sharing and orbital sustainability. Moving forward, the FCC and international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are expected to increase scrutiny on LEO traffic management to ensure long-term access to orbital shells.

SpaceX will be required to provide periodic reports on satellite health and deorbiting performance to maintain its license status through the next decade of operations.