New Glenn forced an explosive rewrite for NASA’s plans to build a moon base

NASA is moving from broad lunar-base concepts to a more concrete architecture built around commercial vehicles and hardware. The updated plan pairs lunar rovers from Astrolab and Lunar Outpost with Blue Moon Mark 1 deliveries and Firefly-built hopping scouts to map candidate sites near the south pole. Together, the awards show NASA leaning harder on commercial partners while locking in a more detailed timeline for surface operations later this decade. The revised approach also underscores how launch vehicle readiness is now shaping the pace and structure of Artemis-era planning.

FCC lets Amazon Leo miss deployment deadline with temporary spectrum penalty

The FCC granted Amazon a waiver from its near-term Kuiper deployment deadline after the company had launched only 331 of the 3,232 satellites planned for its first-generation system. In exchange, Amazon temporarily loses some spectrum priority, a concession that could strengthen rivals such as SpaceX while Kuiper catches up. The decision shows regulators balancing schedule realism against pressure to keep licensed spectrum and broadband constellations moving toward service.

Ken Paxton's attorney in his impeachment trial endorses James Talarico in US Senate race

A lawyer who defended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his impeachment fight endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race instead of his former client. The move gives Talarico a high-profile validator from inside Paxton’s past legal orbit and adds a new line of attack around ethics and corruption allegations. It also signals that one of the cycle’s biggest Senate contests is drawing unusually personal breaks within Texas Republican circles.

Iceye raises 1 billion euros to expand SAR satellite systems

Finnish radar-imaging company Iceye announced a financing round worth more than 1 billion euros, including 450 million euros in new Series F capital. The company said the raise supports expansion of its synthetic-aperture-radar satellite business, which already sells spacecraft and imagery access to governments. The scale of the round shows strong investor appetite for dual-use space firms that can serve both commercial customers and defense buyers.

Isar Aerospace raises 270 million euros for global launch expansion

Isar Aerospace closed a 270 million euro Series D round to scale production of its Spectrum small launch vehicle and support broader expansion. The company said the funding will help its factory near Munich move toward a target of 40 rockets a year while it prepares for another launch attempt. The raise reinforces how European launch startups are racing to industrialize capacity as defense and sovereign access demands grow.

Chinese Flotilla Surges East of Taiwan Amid Spat with the Philippines, Japan

China sent a six-ship law-enforcement flotilla east of the Luzon Strait after tensions with the Philippines and Japan, prompting Taiwan to describe the move as a threat to regional stability. The formation included coast guard, maritime safety and rescue vessels, showing Beijing using multiple civilian-maritime agencies to project pressure around Taiwan. The deployment broadens the pattern of gray-zone operations that complicate allied responses without crossing into open naval conflict.

Report to Congress on Defense of Taiwan

A new Congressional Research Service report reviewed Taiwan’s defense posture and the long U.S. effort to deter a Chinese attack across the strait. The report notes that Beijing still prefers peaceful unification rhetorically but continues military modernization aimed at giving it the option to seize Taiwan by force. Its publication keeps congressional attention on arms, training and broader deterrence measures as lawmakers assess whether current support remains sufficient.