LUXEMBOURG – GomSpace Luxembourg announced on Friday, January 9, 2026, that it has been selected by a leading North American space company to design two state-of-the-art spacecraft for a lunar exploration mission. The contract, valued at 2.9 million EUR (31.7 million SEK), tasks the small-satellite specialist with the initial design phase of the deep-space platforms.

The project will largely be executed at GomSpace’s Luxembourg facilities, expanding the nation’s specialized capabilities in delivering complex systems for exploration missions beyond Earth orbit.

Deep Space Heritage and Technical Foundation

The new spacecraft will leverage technology and expertise derived from GomSpace’s previous contributions to high-profile interplanetary programs. This includes the company’s work on the European Space Agency (ESA) HERA mission, specifically the Juventas CubeSat, which was designed to perform radar imaging of the Didymos asteroid system.

GomSpace is also a key partner in the ESA RAMSES mission, which targets the asteroid 99942 Apophis. For the lunar mission, GomSpace will apply these flight-proven modular architectures to meet the rigorous demands of the cislunar environment, focusing on:

• Advanced Propulsion and Navigation: Requirements for precise lunar orbit insertion and station-keeping.
• Modular Deep-Space Platforms: Utilizing low-cost, agile small-satellite designs to reduce mission overhead.
• Spacecraft Resiliency: Hardened subsystems capable of surviving the higher radiation levels found in deep space.

Strategic Partnerships in Lunar Exploration

“This partnership opens exciting possibilities for humankind, for our country, and for GomSpace,” said Edgar Milic, Managing Director of GomSpace Luxembourg. “It is a testament to the strength of our team, our deep-space heritage, and our growing ability to deliver complex missions with agility, precision, and purpose”.

The collaboration underscores a broader industry shift where commercial space agencies are increasingly utilizing small satellite platforms for secondary and primary science missions in the solar system.

Timeline to 2026

The initial design phase is scheduled for execution during the first half of 2026. Successful completion of this phase is expected to lead to subsequent hardware manufacturing and integration milestones as the North American partner moves toward its launch window.

MIAMI – KSF Space announced on Friday, January 9, 2026, the commercial availability of an expanded lineup of CubeSat structures, positioning the series as the most affordable solution currently on the global market. The new offerings include 1U, 2U, and 3U form factors specifically engineered to reduce financial barriers for university researchers and emerging national space programs.

The launch follows the company’s previous efforts to lower orbital access costs, including the development of the Jupiter Rocket suborbital testing platform and their Flexible CubeSat Kit 2.0.

Material Properties: PA11 vs. Aluminum 6061-T6

A central feature of the release is the option for mission prime contractors to choose between industrial-grade polymer and traditional aerospace metals. The polymer structures utilize PA11 processed through industrial HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology.

Technical specifications for the PA11 variants include:

• Mass Efficiency: PA11 provides an approximate 40% mass reduction compared to aluminum, allowing for increased battery density or payload capacity.
• Impact Resilience: The ductility of PA11 facilitates improved absorption of mechanical shocks and high-frequency vibrations during launch vehicle separation.
• Vacuum Stability: Verified Total Mass Loss (TML) of less than 1.0%, meeting requirements to protect sensitive optical sensors from molecular contamination.

For high-power missions, KSF Space continues to provide CNC-machined Aluminum 6061-T6/7075 structures. These metallic frames function as superior heat sinks for high-power transmitters and feature hard-anodized rails to prevent cold welding during deployment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Verification and Engineering Standards

Every unit is developed and verified under the NASA-GSFC-STD-7000 (GEVS) framework. KSF Space utilizes SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to ensure structural integrity at Max-Q (maximum dynamic pressure). The structures are designed to maintain a ±10°C thermal margin relative to predicted orbital temperatures, protecting internal avionics throughout the mission lifecycle.

[Image showing a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) thermal map of a CubeSat structure during orbital simulation]

Mission Readiness and Integration

“Our goal has always been to democratize space,” said Dr. Mohamed ElKayyali, Chairman of KSF Space. “By providing a CubeSat structure that is both affordable and technically rigorous, we are enabling the next generation of researchers to move from conceptual design to orbital reality faster.”

The structures are compatible with the PC/104 mounting standard and are available in two tiers: Educational Models for lab prototyping and Professional Flight Models, which are delivered clean-room ready with full flight qualification. KSF Space also offers these structures bundled with its NEP Certification program to support the training of university-level satellite engineers.

2026 Mission Timeline

The PA11 structures are currently available with a lead time of one to two weeks, while custom aluminum frames are shipping on a four-to-six-week cycle. KSF Space is now accepting technical quotes for 2026 mission integration.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – On Thursday, January 8, 2026, Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ: SATL) announced it has signed a new multi-year, seven-figure monitoring agreement with a strategic customer. The contract focuses on high-frequency satellite monitoring services, further expanding the company’s footprint in the commercial Earth Observation (EO) sector.

Under the terms of the deal, Satellogic will provide persistent monitoring capabilities, leveraging its constellation to deliver high-resolution imagery and data. The agreement highlights a growing market trend where sovereign and commercial entities require reliable, continuous data for applications ranging from national security to environmental oversight.

High-Frequency Revisit and Resolution Capabilities

The monitoring service is powered by Satellogic’s vertically integrated satellite constellation, which is designed to provide:

• Daily Revisits: Capability to capture images of specific points of interest on a daily basis to track changes over time.
• Sub-Meter Resolution: High-resolution coverage that supports proactive decision-making and situational awareness for defense and security operations.
• Scalable Data Access: Integration of satellite-based monitoring into existing customer workflows for environmental and infrastructure management.

Market Shift Toward Persistent Earth Observation

This agreement validates the increasing demand for persistent EO capabilities as the industry shifts away from sporadic imaging toward continuous monitoring. By securing a seven-figure commitment, Satellogic reinforces its position as a key provider of the “sovereign-commercial nexus,” where private satellite operators support government-level requirements for high-cadence data.

“The announcement of a seven-figure agreement is a significant financial event for a publicly traded space company,” noted industry observers regarding the NASDAQ-listed firm. The contract underscores the viability of high-frequency revisit models in meeting the evolving needs of global strategic customers.

SpaceX successfully initiated its 2026 flight manifest with the deployment of 29 Starlink satellites, marking a rapid start to a year defined by high-cadence orbital operations.

This mission, launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, serves as a technical precursor to a significant week in the launch sector. While SpaceX continues the internal expansion of its low-Earth orbit constellation, the company is also preparing for a collaborative rideshare window that aligns with the upcoming Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) mission scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12.

The upcoming ISRO mission, designated PSLV-C62, will carry the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite alongside 18 secondary payloads from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This flight follows a period of organizational transition for the Indian agency, now led by Chairman V. Narayanan, who assumed the role in early 2025 to oversee the expansion of India’s commercial launch services. The PSLV-C62 mission is notable for its use of the PS4 fourth stage as an orbital platform, which will host the Kestrel Initial Demonstrator capsule, a technology developed in partnership with Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm.

Historical Context of SmallSat Rideshare Growth

SpaceX and ISRO have increasingly found common ground in the Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) market, where the demand for precise Earth observation windows has created a backlog of smallsat customers. To address this, SpaceX has maintained its Transporter series, most recently highlighted by the success of Transporter-12 in early 2025, which deployed 131 payloads.

The current coordination between these two entities illustrates a shift toward a globalized rideshare infrastructure where commercial customers can choose between the high-volume capacity of the Falcon 9 and the cost-effective, dedicated orbit-insertion capabilities of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Technical Specifications for SSO Missions

The technical advantages of SSO remain the primary driver for these concurrent missions. By placing satellites in an orbit where they pass over any given point of the Earth’s surface at the same local solar time, operators of Earth observation and meteorological constellations can maintain consistent lighting conditions for imagery and data collection.

The Starlink satellites launched on Jan. 4 utilize this orbital characteristic to optimize their laser cross-link efficiency, ensuring that the network maintains high throughput even as the constellation grows toward its second-generation capacity of over 9,000 active units.

Rationale Behind Strategic Cooperation

Strategic competition and cooperation in the launch sector have intensified as ISRO moves to privatize its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and PSLV production lines. This effort to increase launch frequency is a direct response to the “Musk Stack” model, where SpaceX dominates the vertical integration of launch and satellite manufacturing. Under the management of President Gwynne Shotwell,

SpaceX has leveraged its reusable booster technology to lower the price floor for SSO access, forcing international competitors to innovate in both propulsion and payload integration. The ISRO PSLV-C62 mission serves as a counterpoint, offering a proven, reliable track record that dates back to historic successes like the PSLV-C58 mission, which demonstrated India’s ability to support complex scientific payloads alongside commercial rideshares.

Looking forward to the remainder of January 2026, the industry anticipates a sustained surge in activity. Following the Jan. 12 ISRO launch, SpaceX is expected to conduct two additional Falcon 9 missions within the same seven-day window, further populating the Starlink v2-mini shells. These operations are critical for maintaining the bandwidth requirements of global defense and civil contracts. As both agencies refine their rideshare protocols, the availability of frequent, predictable access to SSO is expected to reduce the time-to-orbit for emerging space startups in the Asian and North American markets.

At CES 2026, the relationship is no longer a one-way street; it has evolved into a symbiotic loop where neither can reach its $1 trillion potential without the other. However, as of this week’s kickoff in Las Vegas, Satellite Technology is currently the primary driver of consumer hardware cycles, while Consumer Electronics (CE) acts as the engine of scale.

How Satellite Tech Drives CES

For the 2026 product cycle, satellite connectivity has transitioned from a “niche emergency feature” to a baseline consumer expectation.

Major OEMs are using satellite integration to differentiate their hardware. We are seeing the launch of “Satellite-First” laptops and ruggedized wearables that offer Direct-to-Device (D2D) messaging as a standard service, not just for emergencies but for routine travel.

Aand the mass adoption of GaN-based amplifiers (like those from Mission Microwave has allowed satellite hardware to shrink enough to fit into standard consumer form factors without sacrificing battery life.

How CES Drives Satellite Tech

Conversely, the massive scale of the consumer market is forcing satellite operators to abandon “old space” business models.

Satellite constellations like Starlink, AST SpaceMobile, and Telesat Lightspeed require millions of users to be financially viable. The “Consumer” in CES provides the volume that justifies the multi-billion dollar cost of these LEO (Low Earth Orbit) fleets.

Coupled with the demand for satellite features, CES is forcing the industry to adopt unified standards (like 3GPP Release 17/18), allowing satellites to function as “cell towers in the sky” that work with the phone already in your pocket.

The 2026 Verdict: A “Symbiotic Nexus”

As the world moves toward a $1 trillion space economy, the “vice versa” argument is resolved by the Sovereign-Commercial Nexus. Governments are now piggybacking on consumer tech—such as the UK’s Emergency Services Network (ESN) eye-ing D2D satellite tech to fill coverage gaps—demonstrating that consumer demand at CES is actually hardening national infrastructure.

Consider the Following Three Products To Be Featured

Samsung: The Satellite-Native Galaxy S26

Samsung took the stage to announce that the entire Galaxy S26 lineup now features the Exynos 6000 chipset, which includes a native Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) modem.

• The Capability: Unlike previous generations limited to emergency SOS, the S26 allows for standard 2-way SMS and low-resolution photo sharing through its partnership with Skylo and the Telesat Lightspeed network.
• The “Always-On” Promise: Samsung’s “Ubiquity Mode” automatically switches to satellite when 5G signal drops below a specific threshold, ensuring zero coverage gaps during international travel.

Apple: iPhone 17 “Satellite Live”

While the iPhone 17 launched late last year, Apple will use CES to debut “Satellite Live,” a software-hardware integration leveraging Globalstar’s newest LEO satellites.

• Real-Time Video SOS: This feature enables high-compression Live Video streaming during emergency calls in remote areas, providing first responders with immediate visual context.
• Find My Anywhere: Apple has expanded its “Find My” network to utilize a low-power heartbeat signal that can be picked up by satellites even when the device is powered down.

SpaceX / Starlink: “Starlink Direct” Goes Global

SpaceX uses a side-event at CES to announce that “Starlink Direct” (Direct-to-Cell) has officially exited beta and is now live for unmodified 5G phones across its partner carriers, including T-Mobile (USA), KDDI (Japan), and Optus (Australia).

• Broadband-Lite Performance: Testing at the show demonstrated speeds of 15-20 Mbps downlink, sufficient for HD video streaming and full web browsing in previously total “dead zones”.
• OEM Agility: SpaceX confirmed that any smartphone utilizing a 3GPP Release 17 compliant modem—which includes most flagship devices launched at CES this week—is now “Starlink-ready” without a hardware upgrade.

In short: Satellite Tech provides the “Where,” but Consumer Electronics provides the “Who.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) released its draft National Spectrum Roadmap for 2025–2030 on Friday, December 26, 2025, outlining a strategic shift toward satellite-integrated mobile services. The five-year plan prioritizes the commercialization of Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) to eliminate “signal blackspots” in the country’s rural and riverine regions.

The roadmap, made public through a regulatory notice and a concurrent industry briefing, represents the first formal integration of D2D protocols into Nigeria’s national infrastructure baseline. By pivoting toward satellite-powered mobile connectivity, the NCC aims to achieve universal broadband coverage by 2030 through a hybrid model that fuses Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary (GEO) satellite capabilities with existing terrestrial grids.

Strategic Integration of Satellite and Terrestrial Networks

The 2025–2030 roadmap provides the regulatory framework for Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS), allowing standard smartphones to connect directly to satellite constellations without specialized hardware. This policy shift follows the December 16, 2025, announcement of a major expansion by Airtel Africa and Starlink to deploy satellite-to-cellular services across the continent, including Nigeria.

Under the guidance of NCC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Dr. Aminu Maida, the commission is moving to authorize spectrum-sharing agreements between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and satellite providers. The roadmap identifies D2D as a critical resiliency measure against terrestrial infrastructure vulnerabilities, such as fiber-optic cuts and power outages, which frequently disrupt service in West Africa.

Technical Parameters and Service Verticals

The NCC’s technical strategy for the 2025–2030 period includes:

• Multi-Orbit Synergy: Utilizing LEO constellations for low-latency broadband and GEO satellites for wide-area broadcast and backhaul.
• Spectrum Allocation: Re-evaluating the use of the 60 GHz band for multi-gigabit wireless systems and optimizing C-band holdings to balance 5G capacity with satellite service requirements.
• IoT and Agriculture: Targeting “dead zones” to enable smart agriculture, disaster response, and remote Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring.

This regulatory evolution follows previous efforts to modernize Nigeria’s orbital assets. In December 2025, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy confirmed plans to replace the aging NigComSat-1R—active since 2011—with two next-generation High-Throughput Satellites (HTS). These new spacecraft are expected to carry 77 transponders across multiple frequency bands to support the increased data demands of a D2D-enabled ecosystem.

Regulatory Rationale

The commission stated that the roadmap is essential to accommodate the rapid transition from legacy 3G networks to 5G and future 6G standards. By removing the requirement for terrestrial-only towers in geographically challenging areas, the NCC intends to reduce the capital expenditure burden on domestic telcos while expanding the national subscriber base.

“The draft roadmap provides the green light for partnerships that were previously hindered by rigid licensing boundaries,” the document noted. “By formally recognizing D2D and NTN as integral components of the national network, we are ensuring that connectivity is determined by geography, not just population density.”

Timeline to 2030

The NCC has scheduled a public inquiry and stakeholder roundtable for early 2026 to finalize the implementation guidelines for the 2025–2030 roadmap. Immediate milestones include the launch of a public network map to track service transparency and the commencement of formal spectrum-leasing applications for D2D providers. The commission expects the first commercial D2D pilot programs under this new framework to begin by mid-2026, aligning with the scheduled deployment of advanced LEO shells by global operators.

CAIRO, Egypt – In a move that significantly recalibrates the geopolitical landscape of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) officially confirmed the successful orbital insertion and stable telemetry reception for its SPNEX satellite on December 14, 2025.

This milestone marks the operational debut of a spacecraft that was domestically assembled and integrated within Egypt, signaling a profound shift in the nation’s pursuit of technological autonomy. The achievement is not merely a technical triumph for the EgSA but serves as a high-fidelity accelerant for the emerging trend of sovereign LEO constellations, often referred to as the “Splinternet” in space.

The SPNEX mission is designed to provide critical scientific data regarding the ionosphere and regional climate patterns, yet its strategic value far outweighs its sensor payload. By operationalizing indigenous manufacturing capabilities, Egypt has demonstrated its ability to manage the entire lifecycle of a sophisticated satellite, from integration to orbital management.

This development validates a growing movement among regional powers to secure “Digital Sovereignty” over their own atmospheric and environmental data. For Egypt, this means bypassing the traditional reliance on Western commercial hyperscalers and established aerospace giants, ensuring that the nation’s strategic data remains under local control and free from the influence of external corporate or political agendas.

Furthermore, the launch of SPNEX highlights the intensifying Tri-Polar Divergence within the global space economy. While the spacecraft itself is a product of Egyptian engineering and software development, its journey to orbit was facilitated by Chinese launch infrastructure. The satellite was deployed via a Lijian-1 carrier rocket, illustrating a pragmatic and sophisticated geopolitical strategy.

By leveraging Chinese delivery systems while maintaining absolute control over the spacecraft’s proprietary software and sensor architecture, Egypt is navigating a middle path in the global “space race.” This approach allows regional powers to utilize competitive launch markets without ceding the intellectual property or the “digital keys” of their sovereign assets to the providers.

This event earns a significant score of 75 on the industry impact scale, reflecting its role as a catalyst for a more fragmented yet resilient global space architecture. As more nations follow Egypt’s lead, the centralized dominance of a few spacefaring superpowers is being challenged by a patchwork of sovereign systems. This transition toward “The Rise of Sovereign LEOs” suggests that the future of space will be defined by localized control and strategic partnerships rather than a single, unified global network.

The success of SPNEX also provides a blueprint for other African and Middle Eastern nations aiming to transition from passive consumers of satellite data to active participants in space manufacturing. As the Egyptian Space Agency continues to monitor the satellite’s health and data output, the international community is witnessing the practical application of a new doctrine: that true digital sovereignty in the 21st century requires a presence in the stars. Egypt has now firmly established itself as a leader in this new era of orbital independence, proving that the path to the future is paved with indigenous innovation and strategic alignment.