Climate change effects on the Earth’s water cycle and the availability of water on our planet are the missions of the first European Space Agency Scout mission.

Launched from Vandenberg SFB, the twin HydroGNSS smallsats were launched on November 28, 2025, as a payload within a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as a member of the Transporter-15 rideshare flight.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), this missions prime, has received signals from the satellites, indicating that both of them are safely in their assigned orbits.around Earth.

A technique—GNSS reflectometry—finds these satellites, which orbit the Earth with 180 degrees of separation, capturing L-band signals from navigation systems, such as GPS and Galileo, and then transmit L-band microwave signals that change when reflected off the Earth’s surface. These signals are then compared with the signals received from the navigation satellite and uncover the valuable information about water cycle properties and more. These systems gather high-quality data and capture more detailed and definitive data from ground-based GPS-reflection sites, more accurately than has previously been available.

In order to accomplish these tasks, each of the HydroGNSS smallsats carry a zenith and nadir antenna that comprise a delay doppler mapping receiver. The received signals are processed into delay Doppler maps.

Simonetta Cheli, the ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programs, said, “HydroGNSS marks an important milestone for this new family of rapid, low-cost, Earth observation missions, and we extend our thanks to the missions prime, SSTL. We look forward to seeing how HydroGNSS will employ reflectometry to deliver valuable insights into key, hydrological variables that shape Earth’s water cycle.”

ST Engineering has been selected by FADA, the space-focused entity under EDGE Group, to deliver a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite as part of the UAE National SAR Constellation Program, Sirb.

This project is aimed at enhancing the UAE’s Earth Observation (EO) capabilities and includes the design and delivery of the satellite and the mission control infrastructure necessary to capture high-resolution radar images for critical applications such as disaster response, environmental monitoring and national security.

The satellite will have state-of-the-art imaging with sub-meter resolution and a high-speed downlink. Beyond the SAR satellite, ST Engineering will design and deliver the infrastructure required for its operation. This mission control system will enable flexible and real-time satellite monitoring, ensuring that the satellite provides reliable day-and-night, all-weather imaging.

The satellite will align with FADA’s roadmap, enhancing UAE’s space-based capabilities for government and commercial use. The program will draw on EDGE Group’s depth of expertise in advanced technologies across defence and commercial fields.

The project moves into its next phase after completing the SAR system design review, with assembly and integration of the satellite to follow, along with rigorous operational testing. The collaboration will continue to strengthen the UAE’s position as a global leader in space technology.

Mr. Low Jin Phang, President of ST Engineering’s Digital Systems business, said, “FADA’s selection of ST Engineering for this strategic project underscores our proven leadership in space technology and our ability to design and produce commercial Earth observation satellites. We are committed to delivering end-to-end solutions that meet the UAE’s strategic needs and contribute to its vision of building a resilient, self-sustaining space ecosystem.”

Amazon LEO is a simple nod to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation that powers the network.

Seven years ago, Amazon set out to design the most advanced satellite communications network ever built. The company’s vision was simple: There are still billions of people on the planet who lack high-speed internet access, and millions of businesses, governments, and other organizations operating in places without reliable connectivity. With a constellation of satellites in LEO, the company could help bridge that gap and extend fast, reliable internet to those beyond the reach of existing networks.

Amazon LEO started small, with a handful of engineers and a few designs on paper. Like most early Amazon projects, the program needed a code name, and the team began operating as “Project Kuiper”—inspired by the Kuiper Belt, a ring of asteroids in our outer solar system.

The code name stuck through many of the early milestones: filing and receiving initial licenses, signing the largest set of launch contracts in history, completing a successful prototype mission, and deploying our first full batch of production satellites earlier this year.

The company is now ready to share the permanent brand for the program: Amazon Leo.

The long-term mission remains the same and the company now operates one of the largest satellite production lines on the planet. Some of the most advanced customer terminals ever built, including the first commercial phased array antenna to support gigabit speeds, have been built by the company.

There are now more than 150 satellites in orbit, and customers and partners such as JetBlue, L3Harris, DIRECTV Latin America, Sky Brasil, and NBN Co., Australia’s National Broadband Network operator, have already signed up to deploy the service.

The initial satellite constellation continues to be built out and service will be initiated once more coverage and capacity to the network has been added.

Two sub-orbital rockets from NASA Wallops have been installed on the pads at Andøya Space, ready for their launch campaign.

Kolbjørn Blix, VP Sub-Orbital at Andøya Space, said, “I must admit that I am especially proud of the GHOST mission, of which I have the honor of being one of the principal investigators, together with my American friend and colleague – Christopher Koehler. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank NASA Headquarters, NASA Wallops, Andøya Space and the Norwegian Space Agency for their support of the project. Without this, it would not have been possible to carry out such transatlantic student rocket projects.”

GHOST is a two-stage vehicle carrying experiments onboard made by students from USA, Puerto Rico and Norway.

GHOST is a successor to a similar student-oriented rocket which launched from Andøya in 2019, G-CHASER,” Blix said. “This is all about giving the next generation space professionals a chance to participate in a real mission, showcasing their own experiments. These young people will be the ones building our future earth observation satellites and interplanetary probes. Many of the students will be here to witness the launch of the rocket carrying their experiments up to space. Earlier this year, we did a song contest for the GHOST mission in collaboration with Ghost Rocket Music and The Hollywood Independent Music Award. The winning song will be played during the launch live stream on our YouTube-channel.”

RENU-3 is the third vehicle in the RENU-project, which is an abbreviation for Rocket Experiment for Neutral Upwelling. It is a four-stage vehicle and its mission is to investigate a region of the Arctic atmosphere where the air is leaking into space. RENU-3 aims to travel up to 500 kilometers altitude in its 16 minute flight, while the GHOST mission will reach an apogee of about 250 kilometers and end its flight after nine minutes.

Earth is essentially a large magnet,” said Blix. “And around the magnetic poles, we see that air is escaping to space, creating a well-known speed bump for satellites. We are of course talking about a very small amount here, but enough for the satellites to feel the effect. RENU-3 will land in the ocean north of Svalbard. And the GHOST rocket will land 150 kilometers north-west of Andøya.”

The launch period is from November 13th to 27th, and the daily launch window is between 07 and 12, local time. The launch campaign will be live streamed on Andøya Space’s YouTube-channel.

INNOSPACE (KS:462350) has begun functional checks and satellite–launch vehicle interface tests for customer satellites and experimental payloads as part of the operational procedures for its first commercial launch mission SPACEWARD of the ‘HANBIT-Nano’.

This procedure verifies the electrical and mechanical connections between the payload adapter (PLA) and other integration hardware with the satellites and payloads. It is an essential pre-launch step to ensure stable mounting and integrated operation.

With its first commercial launcher HANBIT-Nano, INNOSPACE plans to deploy five customer satellites into LEO at 300 km altitude and 40° inclination, while simultaneously performing missions for three non-separating experimental payloads and one branding payload.

The target launch time is November 22 at 3:00 PM (BRT), from the Alcantara Launch Center in Brazil. The launch window runs from October 28 to November 28.

On the same day, three Brazilian customers—Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), and Castro Leite Consultoria LTDA (CLC)—visited the launch site to conduct functional checks and interface testing. UFMA completed pre-launch procedures for two small satellites for technology development and education; AEB completed checks for two small satellites for climate and environmental data collection and one inertial navigation system (INS); and CLC completed procedures for one GNSS unit and one INS payload.

One small satellite from the Indian customer Grahaa SPACE is scheduled to follow the sequential integration process. In addition, one highball-can branding model from Korean company BREWGURU will be placed separately onboard as a symbolic participatory payload.

Following the completion of these functional checks and interface tests, INNOSPACE will proceed with final integration to mount the satellites onto the launch vehicle. Once completed, the process will move on to payload fairing installation, pre-launch rehearsal (dry run), comprehensive weather and environmental assessments, and finally the joint flight-safety and integrated-operations procedures with the Brazilian Air Force leading up to the final launch countdown.

INNOSPACE’s satellite–launch vehicle interface test marks a significant step, as it is the first time a Korean private company has independently carried out the integration procedures required for commercial launch services in line with customer requirements. This is symbolic of Korea’s private launch service industry entering true commercialization, supported by practical preparations to serve satellite customers,” said Soojong Kim, Founder and CEO of INNOSPACE.

Voyager Technologies [NYSE: VOYG] recently acquired ExoTerra Resource, a developer of electric propulsion systems.

ExoTerra’s proprietary technology delivers precise maneuvering, extended lifetimes and high efficiency delta-V – essential for spacecraft across national defense architecture layers that must be able to reposition, avoid threats and sustain mission advantage.

ExoTerra’s Halo thruster technology is proven aboard DARPA Blackjack ACES spacecraft. The company also has contracts with commercial companies and organizations such as NASA. Combining ExoTerra’s capabilities with its deep portfolio of mission-critical technologies, Voyager is well positioned for strategic initiatives such as Golden Dome.

We bridge innovation with industrial scale, turning technologies into capabilities that fill gaps and actually move missions forward,” said Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager. “We’re amplifying our collective mission capability with ExoTerra, accelerating delivery across defense and commercial markets. As freedom of maneuver becomes central to space control and deterrence, it’s imperative that reliable propulsion systems are built, tested and qualified right here in the United States.”

We’ve spent years developing efficient, compact and reliable electric propulsion systems, and joining forces with Voyager allows us to enhance and deliver these systems at scale,” said Mike VanWoerkom, CEO of ExoTerra. “Together, we’ll manufacture flight-proven propulsion technologies that fortify the nation’s ability to manufacture and field spacecraft with speed, resilience and cost efficiency.”

GomSpace North America, a subsidiary of GomSpace Group AB, has received a component purchase order valued at $1.5 million from a leading global service provider.

The order includes advanced spacecraft subsystem components to support an upcoming satellite mission. Delivery is scheduled for the first half of 2026.

GomSpace will supply components from its established line of high-performance nanosatellite power and command systems, known for their flight heritage and suitability for complex commercial and government applications.

This order contributes to GomSpace’s ongoing footprint expansion in the Americas and strengthens its role enabling resilient multi-satellite mission architectures around the world.

This order reflects the continued confidence global space industry partners place in GomSpace’s flight-proven hardware portfolio,” said Slava Frayter, Chief Executive Officer, GomSpace North America. “We are committed to supporting our customers’ mission success with reliable technology and responsive technical collaboration.”

Reflex Aerospace has successfully closed a €50 million Series A funding round—this funding round is the largest Series A in the European New Space sector to date.

The funding, led by Human Element together with Alpine Space Ventures, Bayern Kapital, HTGF, Renovatio Financial Investments, as well as additional German and European investors, will accelerate the development, production, and deployment of sovereign satellite constellations providing Optical, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Space Domain Awareness (SDA), and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities.

Part of the financing round will be used to expand existing manufacturing capacity in Bavaria to manufacture satellite constellations for intelligence and communications purposes. Reflex Aerospace aims to have all capabilities ready for deployment and demonstrated in orbit by 2027.

Europe cannot afford to remain reliant on external actors for space-based intelligence,” said Walter Ballheimer, CEO of Reflex Aerospace. “We will invest our own capital, we will work with the best partners in their respective domains, and we will act now because in the current environment, there is no time to waste.”

About Reflex Aerospace
Reflex Aerospace is a manufacturer of high-performance, payload-specific platforms for commercial and defense applications. Based in Berlin and Munich, the company specializes in applying modern manufacturing techniques to reduce lead times and improve performance for critically important space infrastructure. Reflex Aerospace is committed to enhancing Europe’s strategic autonomy through innovation, speed, and sovereign capability development.

The research with Institute of Science, Tokyo, reveals DMU41 is well suited to LEO missions

After announcing a research partnership in April of 2024, Silicon Sensing and the Institute of Science, Tokyo, have now completed a test program evaluating the performance and durability of the DMU41 tactical-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) in radiation environments similar to those found in space.

The results show that the DMU41 continues to perform well even when exposed to cumulative radiation doses as high as 10 kRad, which exceeds the usual radiation levels encountered during small satellite missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Testing of a large sample of DMU41 IMUs took place at the Institute of Science Tokyo’s Wakasa Wan Energy Research Centre in Fukui City. The program evaluated Single Event Effect (SEE) and Total Ionizing Dose (TID) on DMU41 units. SEE verified resilience to ionizing particles, while TID assessed long-term reliability under radiation.

All testing used dose and exposure levels at or above key industry standard thresholds—much harsher than normal operational conditions at LEO.

The DMU41 is a robust, 9 degrees of freedom, high performance IMU. It operates in temperatures ranging from -40oC to +85oC, delivering outstanding low noise performance, bias instability and angle random walk.

Offering performance comparable to typical fiber-optic gyro IMUs, it comes in a far more compact package—measuring just 50.5×50.5x51mm, weighing under 180g and consuming less than 1.8W. The DMU41 is designed to streamline system integration and help satellite developers shorten their certification process.

David Somerville, General Manager, Silicon Sensing, said, “This is an important partnership for us, and these are strong results for our IMU. In this fast-evolving sector performance, size, endurance, power consumption – and cost – are all crucial and these results validate the choice of DMU41 by a growing number of satellite manufacturers. We are confident our technology will significantly improve LEO operations.”

Link to the Silicon Sensing and Science Tokyo case study…

Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) has executed a Commercial Pathfinder Mission Agreement with Lonestar Data Holdings, Inc. (“Lonestar”) for the design and integration of Lonestar’s high-capacity Digital Data Storage Payload, featuring edge processing capabilities, onto LizzieSat®-5, a LEO satellite within Sidus’ LizzieSat® micro-constellation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sidus will design, develop, and integrate one Lonestar payload onto LizzieSat®-5, along with arranging deployment and payload commissioning in coordination with Lonestar. The mission serves as the roll out of Lonestar’s commercial offering for in-space data storage and edge processing technologies, designed to establish sovereign, secure, and scalable orbital data infrastructure where data from Earth can be uplinked, stored long-term, processed, and downlinked as needed from onboard a spacecraft.

In accordance with the agreement, the mission aims to validate long-term, sovereign data retention and near real-time analytics capabilities from space. Sidus will maintain operational control of the satellite through Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and commissioning at an orbital altitude of approximately 500-550 km.

The LizzieSat®-5 mission builds upon the growing collaboration between Sidus and Lonestar, following the companies’ earlier preliminary $120 million agreement for future lunar data storage spacecraft, underscoring Sidus’ expanding role as a trusted mission enabler across both LEO and cislunar domains.

This mission exemplifies how modular satellite design and integrated partnerships can rapidly advance commercial space innovation,” said Carol Craig, Founder and CEO of Sidus Space. “By hosting Lonestar’s Data Storage Payload on LizzieSat®-5, we’re not only enabling new applications for edge computing in orbit but also strengthening the foundation for secure, scalable data networks across LEO.”

After our successful test flights earlier this year, this mission with Sidus represents the perfect next step for our commercial service.” said Chris Stott, CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings.