Kentucky farmer plants 850 acres with no one in the seat
Quint Pottinger became the first Kentucky farmer to autonomously plant his entire crop, joining fewer than 50 U.S. farms using driverless equipment, and slashing capital costs by 70 percent.
SpaceX goes public as Falcon 9 hits 662 launches, reshaping sector capital
SpaceX listed on Nasdaq June 12, 2026, becoming the first publicly traded vertically integrated launch operator, while simultaneously flying a Falcon 9 mission and executing 69 launches year-to-date.
Pentagon picks Viasat, Intelsat to build military SATCOM swarm
U.S. Space Force awards $437.7M to Viasat and Intelsat for first production mini-GEO satellites, signaling shift from monolithic AEHF constellation to proliferated commercial architecture.
SpaceX booster hits 35 flights, shatters reuse record
Falcon 9 booster B1067 completed its 35th orbital flight today, becoming the first rocket booster ever to reach that reuse milestone and validating SpaceX's durability engineering.
FCC moves to treat Starlink as substitute for fiber in $4.5B rural subsidy
The FCC's May 20 NPRM proposes treating LEO satellite broadband as a sufficient substitute for terrestrial infrastructure in the High-Cost program, potentially redirecting billions in federal subsidies away from fiber and fixed-wireless providers.
Starship V3 scrubs on pad mechanics, targets second attempt today
SpaceX's first V3 launch attempt failed due to a hydraulic pin on new Pad 2; Flight 12 reattempts May 22 with redesigned Raptor 3 engines and new Ship architecture.
Starship V3 launches May 21 with new engines, new pad, new propulsion guts
SpaceX's Starship Flight 12 targets May 21 with Block 3 vehicles, Raptor 3 engines, and orbital Pad 2 debut, the first flight of a clean-sheet upper-stage propulsion system designed for off-Earth refueling.
FCC Abolishes 30-Year Spectrum Cap, Clears SpaceX $17B D2D Network
FCC approved SpaceX's $17B EchoStar spectrum buy and replaced decades-old EPFD limits with performance rules, enabling commercial smartphone-to-satellite messaging by late 2026.
Cowboy Space raises $275M to build its own heavy-lift rocket
A space data center startup closes $275M Series B to develop dedicated launch vehicle and engine, targeting 2028 first launch as SpaceX and Blue Origin struggle with commercial availability.
SpaceX's Starship V3 Booster Aces 33-Engine Static Fire, May Launch Window Set
SpaceX completed the first full-thrust 33-engine static fire of Booster 19 at new Pad 2, validating Version 3 hardware targeting 100+ metric tons reusable LEO capacity, nearly three times Flight 11's payload.
EarthDaily deploys six satellites, Atlas V ties record for Amazon
EarthDaily Analytics launched six Earth observation satellites May 3; the same week, Atlas V set a payload record lifting 18 tons for Amazon's constellation, which now totals 270 satellites.
AST wins 248-satellite license as its prime launch partner gets grounded
The FCC authorized AST SpaceMobile's full 248-satellite constellation on April 21, but three days earlier New Glenn suffered an upper-stage failure that will ground the rocket, the vehicle designed to deploy most of AST's satellites by 2026.
SpaceX Launches ViaSat-3 F3, Completing Terabit Constellation
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy delivered ViaSat-3 F3 to geosynchronous transfer orbit on April 29, finishing a three-satellite terabit-class constellation redesigned after a 2023 antenna failure. The launch proves GEO broadband can still compete against Starlink.
FAA's First Payload Fee Lands as Amazon Leo Launches Accelerate
The FAA activated a 25-cent-per-pound user fee on all commercial launches starting 2026, retroactive to January 1, with operators owing fees on flights already completed. The timing adds immediate cost pressure as ULA and Arianespace execute back-to-back Amazon Leo constellation missions.
FCC Greenlights AST SpaceMobile's 248-Satellite Constellation
The FCC approved AST SpaceMobile to deploy 248 satellites for direct-to-smartphone broadband using 700/800 MHz spectrum in partnership with AT&T and Verizon, just days after the company lost a $23 million satellite to a launch failure.
Blue Origin's New Glenn launches first booster reuse with AST's record antenna
Blue Origin's NG-3 rolls to pad today for hotfire ahead of April 16 launch, carrying AST SpaceMobile's 2,400-square-foot phased array — the largest commercial antenna ever deployed to orbit — atop a flight-proven, refurbished booster.
Amazon Leo's FCC Gamble: 210 Satellites, July Deadline, $10B Launch Bill
Amazon's Leo satellite internet entered enterprise beta on April 8, 2026, but faces a critical FCC milestone: deploy 1,618 satellites by July 30 or lose its spectrum authorization. The company has roughly 210 in orbit and needs an approved extension.
Amazon Leo Hits Atlas V Record as $9B Globalstar Gambit Unfolds
Amazon deployed 29 satellites on April 4 — the heaviest payload ever flown on Atlas V — but still sits at just 15% of its July 2026 FCC mandate, forcing a simultaneous $9 billion acquisition play for spectrum access and immediate orbital relief.
Atlas V Hits Payload Record: Amazon Leo's Path to Scale
ULA's Atlas V 551 launched 29 Amazon Leo satellites on April 4—the heaviest payload in the rocket's history—via an RL10C engine upgrade and four-tier dispenser. Amazon is now deploying at scale, but remains 1,300+ satellites behind Starlink.
SpaceX Files for IPO: $1.75 Trillion Valuation, National Security Moat
SpaceX submitted a confidential IPO filing to the SEC on April 1, seeking a $1.75 trillion valuation and up to $75 billion in capital. The filing values a merged aerospace-AI enterprise built on military launch dominance and Starlink's near-10-million-user base.