Chinese startup Mega Engine advances reusable staged-combustion rocket engine

China’s Mega Engine says its new oxygen-rich staged-combustion kerolox engine has now logged 1,000 seconds on a single long-duration hot-fire run and 2,000 seconds across the program. The result is an early sign that China’s commercial launch sector is pushing deeper into reusable propulsion technology normally associated with top-tier rocket programs.

Trump friction with GOP senators may imperil his agenda, say senators

The Hill reports that Senate Republicans see growing tension with President Trump as a risk to the rest of his legislative agenda, including a budget package tied to immigration enforcement. The split suggests White House pressure may not be enough to hold every Senate faction together when lawmakers return to major fiscal fights.

At the Races: Choosin’ Texas

Roll Call’s Texas runoff briefing says Sen. John Cornyn’s renomination fight grew much tougher after Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton. The contest has become a clean test of how far Trump’s backing can still reshape Republican primaries late in the 2026 cycle.

U.S.-Iran talks face strain as military pressure and diplomacy run in parallel

The Hill’s live coverage says U.S. strikes in southern Iran landed even as peace talks continued, leaving the emerging diplomatic track on uncertain footing. The overlap between negotiations and force posture is likely to keep foreign-policy risk at the center of the day’s Washington agenda.

Regulations and access to capital continue to hinder Europe’s smallsat industry

Executives at SmallSat Europe said fragmented rules and thin capital markets still weigh on Europe’s smallsat sector despite new defense spending and proposed legislation. The gap matters because Europe can incubate new space companies, but scaling them remains harder than in the United States.

Exolaunch and SEOPS buy Falcon 9 missions for dedicated rideshare demand

Exolaunch and SEOPS each bought Falcon 9 capacity for future dedicated rideshare missions, betting that customer demand will remain strong into 2027 and 2028. The purchases show how the secondary launch market is maturing beyond single-booking brokerage into scheduled mission ownership.

Orbital AI data centers still look premature for national-security buyers

Breaking Defense reports that orbital data centers are attracting heavy AI-era hype, but Pentagon and intelligence customers still appear unconvinced. For now, the concept remains more of a speculative infrastructure bet than a near-term national-security procurement priority.

Japan announces two major Western Pacific exercises with the United States

Japan says it will host Resolute Dragon 26 and the Japan leg of Valiant Shield 2026 in late June, expanding joint military activity with U.S. forces across the Western Pacific. The exercise plan points to deeper allied integration around missile deployments, island defense, and regional deterrence.

Congressional report keeps focus on Chinese-linked nuclear and missile proliferation

A new Congressional Research Service report says Chinese entities remain a concern in proliferation-sensitive exports even after Beijing ended direct state involvement. The finding keeps attention on links to Iran and North Korea as Washington weighs the broader strategic costs of Chinese-enabled transfer networks.