L3Harris, Sierra Space to build 36 satellites to expand U.S. missile-tracking network

The Space Development Agency awarded L3Harris and Sierra Space a combined $1.75 billion to build 36 satellites for the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 program, expanding the Tracking Layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. L3Harris will build 18 satellites with HBTSS-like sensors and Sierra Space will build 18 missile warning and tracking satellites, with all spacecraft scheduled to be ready for launch by the end of 2028. The awards deepen the Pentagon's low-Earth-orbit missile warning network for ballistic and hypersonic threats and are expected to support the administration's proposed Golden Dome missile defense effort. SDA said the new spacecraft will interoperate with earlier Tracking Layer tranches through a common ground system.

Space tag: Jackal, Puma spacecraft to chase each other Victus Haze demo

Rocket Lab and True Anomaly will now carry out the maneuver phase of the Space Force's Victus Haze mission, using Jackal and Puma spacecraft to practice rendezvous and proximity operations. Unlike earlier highly scripted demos, the companies will alternate roles and respond to unscripted on-orbit behavior inside mission boundaries set by the service. The effort is part of the Tactically Responsive Space program, where the Space Force says at least three more Victus demonstrations are planned with $300 million requested from fiscal 2027 through 2031.

Inflation fell in June after short-lived Iran deal brought energy prices down

The consumer price index fell 0.4 percent in June, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by The Hill, after a temporary U.S.-Iran deal lowered energy prices. The drop was the sharpest monthly decline in years and briefly eased pressure on household costs. But because the deal has already unraveled, the report also underscores how quickly renewed Middle East tensions could reverse the energy-price relief.

US, Iran trade strikes after Trump blockade threat

The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire after President Trump threatened to reimpose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and levy a 20 percent toll on vessels using the waterway. The Hill reported that the clash follows the collapse of the recent ceasefire and puts one of the world's most important energy chokepoints back at the center of U.S. policy. The episode raises immediate political and economic stakes in Washington as lawmakers confront both military escalation and market fallout.

Flexell Space raises $20 Million in Series A round

South Korea's Flexell Space said it closed a $20 million Series A round about two years after its founding, bringing cumulative funding to roughly $25 million. The company is developing flexible perovskite and CIGS solar technologies for satellites, high-altitude UAVs, orbital data centers, and other space systems. Flexell said the new capital will support reliability testing, in-orbit demonstrations, commercialization, and production scale-up alongside a separate five-year government-backed R&D project.

German UAV firm Helsing picks West Virginia for first US manufacturing

German defense company Helsing plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with an initial $50 million investment. The plant will begin by producing HX-2 strike drones, with state officials and company executives saying output could reach as many as 2,000 drones a month after initial operating capability this November and full-rate production within a year. The expansion extends Helsing's battlefield-proven drone business into the U.S. industrial base and comes alongside a new $1.8 billion funding round that values the company at $18 billion.

U.S. Reinstates Naval Blockade in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command said it will resume the blockade of Iranian ports, coasts, and ships, ending the 60-day ceasefire that had paused the operation in June. USNI News reported the blockade will restart Tuesday, with neutral transit to non-Iranian destinations still permitted but vessels heading toward Iranian ports subject to interception and capture. The move returns one of the world's most sensitive maritime choke points to crisis footing after the previous blockade period saw nine non-compliant ships disabled.