The Policy Questions Facing a Lunar Economy
Once engineers solve the technical problems that stand in the way of a thriving lunar economy, it’s up to policymakers to set industry up for success on the Moon’s surface.
Exolaunch to Deploy 22 Sats on SpaceX Twilight Mission
SpaceX is ready to bring customers on a sunset cruise.
SDA Awards $3.5B in Tranche 3 Tracking Layer Contracts
The Space Development Agency awarded $3.5B in contracts on Friday to continue building the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA)—-a missile-tracking, military-supporting, multi-layer constellation that’s been several years in the making.
Space Missions Are Getting More Complex – Ops Software Must Keep Up
As space missions evolve beyond single-satellite deployments to multi-vehicle constellations, in-space servicing, and lunar exploration, the operational burden placed on engineering teams has grown exponentially. With that shift comes a new imperative: Mission operations software must be as advanced and agile as the hardware it supports.
HawkEye 360 Closes $150M Financing Round, Acquires Innovative Signal Analysis
HawkEye 360 has been using its eyes in space for years to provide valuable insights on radio frequency (RF) sensing data for the defense sector. Now, as demand signals from the military are on an upswing, the company is taking growth even more seriously
2025 Europe in Review
We built a word cloud based on the 100+ stories Payload ran on the European space industry this year, and one theme jumped out immediately: a lot of forward-looking language.
ICEYE, Rheinmetall Land €1.7B German Defense Contract
The joint venture owned by Finnish EO firm ICEYE and German arms maker Rheinmetall has turned on its money-printing machine.
Trump Signs Space Superiority Executive Order
President Donald Trump laid out a clear vision—and timeline—for America’s next steps in space in an executive order signed Thursday afternoon.
Reentry: 2025 Wrapped
In a magic trick, making something disappear is only part of the act—bringing it back is what earns the applause.
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator
At long last, NASA has a head again. That someone will be Jared Isaacman—now that the Senate has confirmed the billionaire private astronaut and entrepreneur—for whom the second time was the charm. The Senate voted 67–30 in favor of the appointment.
How Space RCO Wants to Go Faster
The Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO) was established in 2018 to buy space tech and get it into troops’ hands as fast as possible—but according to its director, it’s not going fast enough thanks to barriers outside the organization.
Common Sense: Avoiding Single-Source Dependency in Government Contracts
Today, as the U.S. Department of War increasingly relies on critical space assets—from satellite communications to reconnaissance platforms—officials should heed Paine’s timeless advice: apply common sense. Entrusting national security capabilities to a single commercial provider contradicts that wisdom, creating vulnerabilities where strategic stability depends on private agendas or individual personalities. Avoiding single-source dependency is not just a strategic choice—it’s a national security imperative.
