Alameda-based startup Longshot Space Technology, led by CEO Mike Grace and CTO Nato Saichek, is developing a multi-stage gun system that accelerates projectiles toward orbit instead of using rockets. The company has raised roughly $20 million from venture investors and is currently testing a 70-foot, six-inch-diameter gun that has fired projectiles at speeds up to Mach 4. Longshot plans to present its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-13
The US military has officially ended its long-standing program using infrared satellites to monitor missile launches, a mission that began in the early 1970s. These satellites, part of the Defense Support Program, were crucial for detecting nuclear and conventional missile launches worldwide, with the last operational units reportedly retired last month. The program's conclusion marks the end of an era in space-based missile detection technology that has supported national security for over five decades.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-02
Satellite operators are finding it harder to book rides to orbit as SpaceX scales back its workhorse rocket in favor of newer vehicles, while competing launch companies have yet to ramp up capacity to match demand. The resulting supply crunch is forcing smaller satellite makers and researchers to compete more aggressively for limited slots.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-22
China's space agency announced it has scrubbed the planned 2025 launch of its Chang'e 7 lunar south pole mission from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, citing that conditions for launch had not been met. The mission, comprising an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper probe atop a Long March 5 rocket, was likely delayed due to Typhoon Narra churning near Hainan island, though officials gave no official cause.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-23
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