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This Week in Spacetime

Issue #1 · Week ending August 16, 2026
Spotlight
Astranis · San Francisco, California

Astranis unveils a satellite built to watch other satellites in geostationary orbit

Astranis introduced Perceptor, a spacecraft designed to assess objects and activity around geostationary orbit. It carries an onboard sensor suite, can make multi-angle flybys to size up another spacecraft or help troubleshoot a friendly one, and can react to nearby activity in real time. Its electric propulsion lets it move across the full geostationary arc and reposition dozens of times over its life. Perceptor is built on Astranis's MicroGEO platform and comes off the same production line as satellites already flying. CEO John Gedmark said the means to detect and respond to threats to high-orbit infrastructure are "sorely lacking."

Read the full story at Via Satellite Aug 14
Astranis
Headlines
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    Golden Dome · U.S. Space Force · Fort Story, Virginia

    Golden Dome says it has its first operational site and has run two tests

    Golden Dome program manager Gen. Michael Guetlein said the missile-defense effort has its first operational site at Fort Story, Virginia, and has completed two tests, one of them at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. He would not say where the other sites are or what was tested, and called White Sands a fraction of the work needed for 2028. The program is on track for 2028, ahead of the president's goal of operational capability before early 2029. In the space-based interceptor competition, 12 companies are vying for contracts worth up to $3.2 billion combined, and the first of four milestones has closed. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman say they are on track to demonstrate their technology in orbit by the end of 2027.

    Read the full story at Aerospace America Aug 11
    Northrop Grumman
  2. 02
    SpaceX · Globalstar · U.S. Space Force · Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the West Coast

    SpaceX launches two Falcon 9 rockets 38 minutes apart, a new record

    On the evening of August 15, SpaceX flew two Falcon 9 rockets from opposite coasts just 38 minutes apart, beating its old record, set on August 31, 2024, by 27 minutes. The first lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 9:12 p.m. EDT with eight satellites for Globalstar. The second flew a classified Space Force mission called USSF-366. Both first stages landed, the first on its 14th flight and the second on its 18th, touching down on a droneship in the Pacific. The pair brought SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches for 2026 to 96.

    Read the full story at Space.com Aug 16
    SpaceXGlobalstar
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Also this week
International Spotlight
  1. 01
    NASA · ISRO · Bengaluru, India

    NASA invites India to join its Moon Base program

    The invitation came at the ninth India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting in Bengaluru. NASA describes the program as building humanity's first outpost on another celestial body, near the lunar south pole. The two sides also agreed to advance talks on open scientific data sharing under the Artemis Accords.

    Read the full story at The Hindu Aug 11
    ISRO
  2. 02
    Skyroot Aerospace · HEX20 · Hyderabad, India

    Skyroot signs HEX20 for three dedicated Vikram launches

    HEX20 will fly its Earth-observation constellation and in-orbit demonstration missions on Vikram rockets starting in the last quarter of 2027, with room for third-party rideshare payloads. The deal follows Vikram-1, India's first privately built orbital-class rocket, which reached orbit on its first try last month. Skyroot says it is scaling toward 12 launches a year.

    Read the full story at Deccan Chronicle Aug 10
    Skyroot Aerospace
  3. 03
    Avio · Sardinia, Italy

    Avio filings reveal how its FD1 methane rocket demonstrator will fly

    The 6.3-tonne single-stage vehicle will launch from a temporary pad at the Salto di Quirra test range, climb about 40 kilometers on its MR10 engine, coast to roughly 70 kilometers, then restart the engine at partial thrust during descent and splash down about 400 seconds after liftoff. It is funded by a 181.6 million euro Italian contract. No launch date is given, but Avio has expected the flight in 2026.

    Read the full story at European Spaceflight Aug 14
    Avio

Summaries are written by From Blue to Black. Headlines and reporting belong to the linked publications.