Quantum Space announced the successful completion of the Manufacturing Readiness Review (MRR) for its upcoming Ranger Prime mission, marking a key milestone toward the projected June 2026 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Ranger Prime mission will validate the on-orbit performance and remote proximity targeting operations of Quantum Space’s Ranger 500 spacecraft, one of the company’s Ranger Space Superiority vehicle product lines.Designed to deliver high maneuverability, large payload capacity, and unmatched propulsion performance, the Ranger fleet will provide the U.S. Space Force with the capability to maneuver without regret, substantially increasing the Warfighter’s strategic and tactical flexibility.“Our Ranger Space Superiority Vehicle fleet, with its game-changing propulsion capability and payload capacity, can form the backbone of America’s Golden Dome space element,” said Richard Matlock, Senior Vice President for National Security Space Programs at Quantum Space.The Ranger Prime mission precedes by six months the launch of Quantum Space’s flagship Ranger 2000 spacecraft, the largest and most capable of the company’s Ranger line.“Over the last three years, Quantum Space has focused research and development on designing, testing, and qualifying the Ranger fleet and stand ready to meet the President’s challenge to defend the nation from and within space,” said Phil Bracken, Chief Technology Officer of Quantum Space. “With the Manufacturing Readiness Review complete, our team will begin spacecraft assembly and testing ahead of shipment to the launch services contractor in early 2026.”
Each of the six companies will deliver studies exploring future application of orbital transfer vehicles for NASA missions:Arrow will partner with Quantum Space for its study. Quantum’s Ranger provides payload delivery service as a multi-mission spacecraft engineered for rapid maneuverability and adaptability, enabling multi-destination delivery for missions from low Earth orbit to lunar orbit.
Launch DateJun 2026EOL DateJun 2031Orbit Altitude900 kmOrbit Inclination 98.1 °
CAS500-4 promises to contribute significantly to forest Big Earth data production by swiftly detecting climate change anomalies and providing essential greenhouse gas inventory data through forest resource monitoring, revolutionizing Earth observation.
The two sides affirmed their desire to expand cooperation in exchanging satellite data, including from Compact Advanced Satellite 4 (CAS500-4) scheduled for launch in 2026, to enhance the usability of satellite data, increase the interoperability of satellites of both countries, and strengthen agricultural monitoring and real-time response capabilities to disasters and emergencies
The scheduled missions are as follows:GEN-1Q2 2026SSO (Fully Booked)GEN-2Q4 2026SSO (Fully Booked)GEN-3(p) Q4 2026 SSO (75g payload capacity)GEN-42027SSO (8kg payload capacity)GEN-52027SSO (20kg payload capacity)
With DSMC analysis now complete, we move into the next critical phase: manufacturing both Engineering Models (EMs) and Flight Models (FMs). The EMs will be used for mechanical fit checks with payload modules and internal hardware, while the FMs will undergo rigorous testing in plasma wind tunnels and simulated environmental conditions.
To support reliable operations of our GEN-1, GEN-2, and GEN-3(p) capsules during the upcoming 2026 missions, we at Genesis Space Flight Laboratories are expanding our ground segment infrastructure.[...]This expansion ensures robust connectivity with host satellites operating in Sun-Synchronous Orbit, reinforcing Genesis Space Flight Laboratories’ commitment to mission resilience and operational continuity.
The development team proudly announces that GEN-3(p), the third demonstrator reentry capsule in our GEN series, has successfully passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and secured a launch slot to Low Earth Orbit in 2026.Sharing the ride with GEN-2 and other payloads, GEN-3(p), in constellation with GEN-2, will join the earlier deployed GEN-1 in orbit, marking the next step in our effort to validate both the host satellite and the capsule itself before scaling up.All three capsules will operate simultaneously for approximately six months, after which GEN-1 will begin its deorbit phase, followed by the return of GEN-2 and GEN-3(p) a few months later. All three reentries are expected to occur in 2027.With a diameter of just 6.4 cm, GEN-1, GEN-2, and GEN3(p) capsules are likely the smallest reentry spacecraft ever flown, only slightly larger than a standard (1p) pico-satellite.[...]Our launch service provider will be unveiled soon, as we first await their announcement.
GEN-1, in addition to environmental sensors, will test an in-house developed NDVI camera module to analyze biomass growth and chlorophyll changes in onboard samples, while the main payload of the GEN-2 capsule will conduct microfluidics experiments in low Earth orbit. GEN-2 will follow GEN-1 into LEO a few months later and will operate simultaneously for approximately half a year.
This week, our team has been focused on 3D printing, assembling, and preparing the GEN-1 prototypes and engineering models for the upcoming environmental and separation mechanism testing campaign.
The GEN-1 Sample Return Capsule Separation System has successfully completed a series of qualification tests powered by Dcubed’s nD3RN release actuator. The test campaign was conducted at Dcubed’s headquarters in Germering, Germany, under representative operational conditions.The qualification campaign comprised two key test types: Vertical Loading (Lifting) Tests, applying up to 10 N of axial tension to verify structural performance and actuator strength, and Floor-Facing (Drop) Tests, assessing mechanical integrity and release reliability.
GEN-1 & GEN-2 Reentry Capsules, System-Level Integration CompletedEarlier, we shared the integration of GEN-1p, our PocketQube-class host satellite. This update is different, it’s the first look at the GEN return capsule subsystems.Smallest in its class: With a maximum diameter of just 5.9 cm, capsules within the GEN-P series are (to the best of our knowledge), the smallest reentry vehicles to reach system-level integration. This is an important milestone, highlighting the potential of ultra-small reentry vehicles to provide a frequent and cost-effective pathway to space and back.Despite extreme volume and power constraints, the capsule now integrates all core flight subsystems: • OBC • Power supply • Communications • Active research payloadGEN-P capsules can carry up to 25 active biosamples, monitored via a 10-bit IR sensing system to track biomass and chlorophyll-related changes in low Earth orbit.Next and final steps: parachute system integration and completion of full environmental testing reports.
NEXT LAUNCHES: Q2 and Q4 2026. 2027Orbit: SSOAltitude: 510 km
Rahul 🍁@astrorahul_·NordSpace’s space systems division comes out of the shadows later this month. The team has quietly been cooking up our first batch of dual-use satellites for wildfires and SDA, with first launch next summer on Transporter-17. Big things coming
The two Kita spacecraft will demonstrate simultaneous bidirectional optical Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) with each other as well as space to ground communication via the Laser Communication Terminal (LCT) payload designed and built by Sony Space Communications Corporation (SSCC). The spacecraft bus is based on the Astro Digital Corvus-Micro+ design, a standardized satellite bus uses reaction wheels, magnetic torque coils, star trackers, magnetometers, sun sensors, and gyroscopes to enable precision 3-axis pointing. Additionally, an electric propulsion thruster provided by ThrustMe is integrated into the Kita bus to provide maneuver capability.Proposed Initial Launch Date Q2 CY2026, SpaceX Transporter-17Operational Orbit • Average Orbital Altitude: 510 km • Eccentricity: 0.0000 to 0.004 • Inclination: 97.4° (SSO)Total Satellite Wet MassThe current best estimate for total satellite wet mass for both satellites is 47.1 kg.
By utilizing the optical disc technology pioneered by Sony Group Corporation for CD players and other products, SSCC aims to develop optical communications devices that are ultra-compact, lightweight, able to be mass produced, and capable of withstanding harsh operational environments such as space. For its Kita-36 and Kita-53 mission, SSCC will leverage lessons learned and technological insight gained from an earlier mission conducted by Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. in collaboration with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. There, SCSL deployed its experimental Small Optical Link for International Space Station (“SOLISS”) payload on a module aboard the International Space Station.[...]During the Kita mission, SSCC will conduct in-situ demonstrations of μSOLSOL’s optical space-to-ground and ISL capabilities for technological research purposes in order to optimize, fine-tune, and troubleshoot optical terminals that will be brought to market in the future. These demonstrations will involve establishing optical links between the two satellites at different ranges and between each of the satellites and the ground.
Sony Space Communications Corporation and Astro Digital US, Inc. today announced that they have signed a contract for the design, manufacture and launch of two micro-satellites. These satellites will each carry an SSCC optical terminal and will showcase SSCC's optical communications technology by establishing high data-rate Lasercom links with each other, as well as with terminals on the Earth. These satellites are expected to be launched in 2026.
MARINA is a 1U CubeSat mission to support the global amateur radio community with various HAM services and activities. The MARINA nanosatellite will serve exclusively to support the global amateur radio community.The nanosatellite is designed as an experimental and communication platform that will provide amateur radio operators around the world with the opportunity to communicate with each other via a digital transponder, while also enabling the reception of images of Earth distributed in SSDV mode. The mission is designed with an emphasis on accessibility for the widest possible amateur radio community. The satellite will operate in low orbit with a planned lifetime of 5 years. [...]Planning a Transporter 17 launch Q2/Q3 2026 into a 500-550 km SSO.
GomSpace is happy to share that it has been selected by Apolink as the RF subsystem provider for its upcoming IPoS-TDsM (Interoperability Protocol over Satellite – Technology Demonstration Mission), a significant step toward enabling real-time, simplified in-orbit communications.Set to launch aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-17 mission in 2026, Apolink’s IPoS-TDsM will validate new receive-only S-band relay capabilities that allow existing satellites to downlink telemetry in real time, with no hardware changes required.By leveraging GomSpace’s modular, flight-proven nanosatellite technology, this mission will showcase how hybrid optical-RF networks can reshape how spacecraft communicate, paving the way for more responsive and scalable satellite operations in LEO.“Real-time relay capabilities that work with existing spacecraft are a game-changer for operators, and we are proud that GomSpace technology will help enable this mission and the broader constellation vision that follows.”, said Slava Frayter, CEO of GomSpace North America.
The overall goal of the Interoperability Protocol over Satellite (IPoS) experiment is to demonstrate Apolink’s first passive reception of a telemetry signal from another satellite.The satellite will be launched as a secondary payload aboard Falcon 9 - Transporter 17, from Vandenburg AFB, No Earlier Than June 1st, 2026. It will be inserted into an orbit at 590 km apogee and 590 km perigee, on an inclination from the equator of 98 degrees. Transmission will begin 3 minutes after deploy, and cease at the end of the mission. Atmospheric friction will slow the satellite and reduce the altitude of the orbit, until de-orbiting occurs about 7 years after the end of the mission. See the Orbital Debris Assessment Report for details.The spacecraft is a single unit with the dimensions of three stacked 10 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm CubeSat modules, with an overall dimension of 10 cm X 10 cm X 30 cm for the spacecraft body. 20cm x 30 cm solar panel “wings” will deploy from either side as shown in Figure 1. The total mass is about 4.3 Kg.
We are pleased to announce that MARMOTSat has officially committed to launching on SpaceX’s Transporter 17 mission! The mission will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than June 2026, deploying MARMOTSat to a sun synchronous orbit (SSO). [...]By committing to this launch, the team has committed to meeting the requirements for MARMOTSat set by SpaceX and ExoLaunch, who is providing the CubeSat deployer, and having the flight spacecraft completed and tested on time for launch. Our roadmap to launch includes assembling the flight spacecraft in January and finishing environmental testing by March, to be ready for integration in April at the headquarters of the Canadian Space Agency in Montreal and launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in June. We are working hard to make this happen so stay tuned for more updates!
MARMOTSat is a 3U CubeSat (a satellite 340 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm), that is designed and built in-house by students at the University of Victoria (UVic) Centre for Aerospace Research.The MARMOTSat mission has two primary objectives:1.) Train Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in space science and technology by providing an unrivaled, hands-on learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students. 2.) Facilitate the University of Victoria Propagation Laboratory’s research into the correlation between the composition and structure of the ionosphere and human made climate change related activities.
Planning a CSA Exolaunch from Vandenberg NET June 2026 into a 500-620km SSO.
Planned to be ready to launch no earlier than June 2026, SunCET’s core objective is to determine what physical mechanisms dominate CME acceleration as a function of both altitude and time.
The satellite will carry Electro-Optical and LongWave Infrared sensor payloads. During the mission, Anduril will test and demonstrate the geospatial awareness and space domain awareness sensing capabilities of the payloads.[...]The ANDURIL-216 satellite will launch onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare as part of the Transporter-17 mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch is currently planned for the second quarter of 2026. The target orbit is a circular orbit with a nominal altitude of 550 km and a ±20 km orbital altitude error, with an inclination of 97.7°. The insertion orbit that is ultimately realized is subject to change by the launch provider, SpaceX.
The ANDURIL-216 satellite is based on Apex’s Aries spacecraft bus platform. Basic physical dimensions are 249 x 88 x 117 cm (solar arrays deployed). The satellite is composed of the Aries spacecraft bus, two deployable solar panels, exterior optical sensor payloads, a payload data processor, and miscellaneous support elements.Total spacecraft mass at launch, including all propellants and fluids. 208.8 kilograms. This mass included 2.5 kilograms of launch leave-behind mass, resulting in a spacecraft fly-away mass of 206.3 kilograms.
Anduril is integrating multiple mission payloads - including its edge processor for mission autonomy, as well as its infrared imager, onto Apex’s Aries bus for a LEO Space Domain Awareness technology maturation demo launching in 2026.
Anduril Industries, Inc. seeks approval to launch and operate the ANDURIL-216 NGSO satellite
The Experimental Albertan #3 (Ex-Alta 3) is part of the CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS). CUBICS is an initiative from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), designed to provide post-secondary institutions the opportunity to develop a CubeSat. Like its predecessors Ex-Alta 1 and Ex-Alta 2, Ex-Alta 3 will fly a digital fluxgate magnetometer (DFGM) to measure magnetic fields in the Earth’s ionosphere; as well as carry the next generation of AlbertaSat’s multi-spectral imager, Iris, to characterize ice and snow coverage. Ex-Alta 3 is expected to launch into a high inclination sun synchronous orbit in 2026. Mass4.613 kgDimensions109.4 mm x 124.1 mm x 340.5 mmOrbit500–600 kmLaunch Provider ExoLaunchRocketFalcon 9
Planning an ExoLaunch deployment in summer 2026 into a high inclination 550-600km orbit.
Flight hardware in our cleanroom, component testing underway. We are launching SENTINEL-1 and SENTINEL-2 in June. Two more launches in August. Five total in 2026. #spaceweather measurements in real time from LEO.
Every spacecraft component goes through full testing to GEVS-STD-7000 Appendix B standards. Our mechanical engineering lead is busy ensuring that our instruments will be ready to provide the observations required to protect billions of dollars of assets in space and on Earth that are impacted by #spaceweather 1st launch is 1Q2026 unless we get an earlier ride!
Ethereal Space’s constellation will serve as the deployment platform for these instruments, ensuring continuous, real-time coverage of the space environment. “By flying ASRO’s particle sensors on our satellites, we will provide datasets that are essential for both government and commercial users,” said Shawn Cochran, CEO of Ethereal Space.
This groundbreaking project integrates four distinct payloads, each designed to push the boundaries of satellite innovation and redefine future capabilities in space exploration. More than 60 students, faculty, and industry professionals over 2 years and multiple classes have contributed to the design, development, and testing of MAVERIC, making it a true collaborative achievement.[...]The MAVERIC payloads are scheduled for launch in June 2026, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of academic-industry partnerships and the future of satellite technology.
MAVERIC is a science and technology test Cubesat designed and built by students at USC. It will test out magnetics in orbit, as well as two different technology payloads for both 2D and 3D visualization from an LCD screen for space applications.
MAVERIC will be deployed by the launch vehicle directly into a sun-synchronous orbit where imaging operations will begin after commissioning, approximately two weeks after launch. The operation of the satellite is manually intensive as commands to be sent for specific actions must be pre-set on the ground, calculated over time and then sent up to the satellite multiple orbits prior to the desired operation. The USC GS is intended to be the only station enabled to uplink commands to the MAVERIC satellite thus is critical to the entire experiment and operation.
