[FREE DOWNLOAD] Understanding the hype and opportunities for on-orbit computing

Get the recap report from our April event on orbital data centers

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READ THIS EMAIL IN YOUR BROWSER Download our 'Opportunities for On-Orbit Computing Event' recap Orbital data centers are one of those topics where everyone in the space community seemingly holds a strong opinion.  In April, SpaceNews convened industry leaders in Washington D.C. to help separate hype from reality. We wanted to break down the business cases that are driving both the surge in interest and in financial backing. And we wanted to understand the very real technical and economic challenges and the assumptions they're based on. Perhaps, most importantly, we wanted to know where is this technology going next.  In this recap, we cover the top takeaways, including: What specialized applications already make sense for orbital data centers The key role launch costs play in making this technology a success Why one of the biggest driver may be energy constraints on Earth Download the report Download the PDF for helpful context in understanding why some of the space industry’s biggest names are pouring billions of dollars into this technology.  50% OFF SALE ENDS SOON: Through Friday, use code SUMMER50 at checkout to save on your first year of unlimited access to SpaceNews. Subscribe now. This email has been sent to generalastronomy110.stnirp@blogger.com because you previously opted in to receive emails from SpaceNews. Unsubscribe here. Sign up for other SpaceNews newsletters.  SpaceNews.com  |  Advertise with SpaceNews Contact us  |  Privacy policy  |  Terms and conditions SpaceNews.com  |  Advertise with SpaceNews  |  Contact us  |  Privacy policy  |  Terms and conditions © 2026, SpaceNews, 100 Fillmore Street, 5th Floor, Denver, CO 80206, United States

Another look at sea-based launch

Plus: Another startup pursuing orbital data centers

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06/10/2026 READ IN BROWSER Hire the space industry’s top talent: Need to grow your team quickly? Reach qualified candidates on the SpaceNews Job Exchange. Post your job now. By Jeff Foust In today's edition: NASA names the crew for the next Artemis mission, another startup pursues orbital data centers, growing interest in sea-based launch and more.  If someone forwarded you this edition, sign up to receive it in your inbox every weekday. Have thoughts or feedback? You can hit reply to let me know. Top Stories NASA announced Tuesday the crew of Artemis 3 and revealed more details about the low Earth orbit test flight of lunar landers. The mission, slated to launch in mid-2027, will be commanded by NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik with ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano as pilot. NASA astronauts Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio will be mission specialists. Artemis 3 will fly Orion in low Earth orbit, where it will first dock with a prototype of Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 lander. Orion will later dock with a SpaceX Starship vehicle during the two-week flight. The mission is designed to test both landers in Earth orbit before using them for crewed lunar landings starting with Artemis 4 in 2028. [SpaceNews] LeoLabs has deployed a mobile space-tracking radar in the Indo-Pacific region that is being used to monitor Chinese satellites and other spacecraft. The Scout-S system is tracking maneuvering spacecraft in low Earth orbit, including Chinese surveillance satellites and China’s reusable spaceplane, LeoLabs announced Wednesday. Scout-S is the first operational system in a planned family of transportable sensors that LeoLabs says can be rapidly deployed to locations where military operators need additional coverage, supplementing its network of fixed radars. [SpaceNews] A startup is joining the race to develop orbital data centers. Orbital, founded earlier this year by electric scooter entrepreneur Euwyn Poon, announced raising $5 million in a pre-seed round Tuesday to fund its first purpose-built orbital compute satellite, Orbital-1, scheduled to launch in 2028. The venture has plans to deploy more than 100,000 satellites, each with 100 kilowatts of compute power. The startup has not disclosed engineering details such as spacecraft mass, solar array size and the radiator area needed to support a 100-kilowatt orbital compute node. While Poon has no space experience, he said he is assembling a team of experts to help develop the technology at Factory-1, a satellite assembly and testing facility in Los Angeles. [SpaceNews] Spanish propulsion startup Arkadia Space won a contract to provide thrusters for a German company's spacecraft. Arkadia announced Tuesday an agreement with Reflex Aerospace, a Berlin-based satellite manufacturer, to deliver thrusters that will be used for orbital maneuvering and end-of-life disposal for an unnamed 200-kilogram spacecraft launching next year. Arkadia produces thrusters that use high-test peroxide as propellant, and the Reflex deal comes after signing contracts to provide reaction control system thrusters for MaiaSpace's small launch vehicle and VORTEX-D, a technology demonstrator for a proposed spaceplane being built by Dassault Aviation. [SpaceNews] Congested spaceports are driving new interest in sea-based launch. Long viewed as a technically difficult niche with a history of commercial failure, companies and defense officials are giving offshore launch a second look as they search for ways to expand United States launch capacity given strains at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg. National security concerns are also at play as officials warn that space launch sites could become targets in an armed conflict. Among the companies working on sea-based launch is Seagate Space, which has agreements with Firefly Aerospace and Lockheed Martin to examine launches from platforms Seagate is developing. [SpaceNews] Other News A Chinese commercial rocket launched two satellites Tuesday. Landspace's Zhuque-2E rocket lifted off at 4:23 a.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan spaceport, placing into orbit the Spacesail DTC 01 and China Mobile 02. Both satellites are technology demonstrators for direct-to-device communications. [Xinhua] SpaceX has hit a speed bump in its efforts to win approval to provide Starlink services in India. The Indian government reportedly has delayed final clearances for Starlink at the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, based on reports that Starlink was used in the ongoing Middle East conflict despite not having a license to operate in Iran. That has raised concerns in India about SpaceX's ability to comply with Indian government security requirements. A SpaceX official dismissed the report as "unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources" and said the company remains in "active and productive" talks with the Indian government. [ThePrint] Amazon Leo satellites could interfere with astronomical observations. A study of the brightness of the more than 300 Amazon Leo satellites launched to date found they have an average magnitude of 6.3, well above the limit of 7.2 recommended by the International Astronomical Union to avoid interference with astronomy. In one quarter of the observations, the satellites were brighter than magnitude 6, which meant they could be seen by the naked eye in skies not affected by terrestrial light pollution. [Sky & Telescope] ESA's Proba-3 mission is back in service. ESA announced Tuesday that the two-spacecraft mission is ready to resume formation flying, using one spacecraft to block the disk of the sun as seen by the other spacecraft. One of the spacecraft malfunctioned in February, failing to respond to ground commands. Controllers restored contact a month later, using images from the other Proba-3 spacecraft to help diagnose the problem. Proba-3 is a mission to demonstrate precision formation flying, while also monitoring the sun's corona. [ESA] Mostly Sweat "The opportunity to represent the astronaut corps and every single person in NASA, ESA, our industry partners, our international partners, whose blood, sweat and tears — hopefully not blood, and very few tears." – Artemis 3 commander Randy Bresnik discussing the work being put into the mission at an event Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center to name the crew. FROM SPACENEWS The June 2026 issue of SpaceNews magazine is out now: Once rare beasts, billion-dollar startups are multiplying across new orbital markets. Read Jason Rainbow's analysis of the 30 privately held space companies with unicorn status. Also in this issue: How New Glenn forced an explosive rewrite for NASA’s plans to build a moon base and why proponents see offshore launch as a possible answer to crowded ranges, military resilience concerns. Read the issue now. 📨 Don't miss what's next. Sign up for other SpaceNews newsletters: NEW SpaceNews Mission Brief: Orbital Data Centers: A series explaining the latest developments in the rapid race to conceive, finance, develop and launch the future of on-orbit computing. Europe Report: Tracking the policy landscape, investment climate and regional priorities driving Europe’s space ambitions. First Up: Every weekday morning, Jeff Foust delivers the day's most important industry headlines. Military Space: Veteran defense journalist Sandra Erwin with weekly news and insights for the military space professional. China Report: Biweekly news and analysis from correspondent Andrew Jones on business, politics and technology in the Chinese space industry. SpaceNews Mission Brief: Golden Dome: Explaining the Golden Dome initiative and what it means for the space industry. Marketing Minute: Covering PR, marketing and advertising trends for industry communications leaders.  Editor’s Choice: Our most important recent stories you may have missed, with background and insights from editors, reporters and contributors. Opinions: A weekly digest of the latest commentary and analysis. SpaceNews This Week: The week’s top headlines and our conference coverage. Subscribe to SpaceNews This email has been sent to generalastronomy110.stnirp@blogger.com because you previously opted in to receive First Up from SpaceNews. Unsubscribe here. Sign up for other SpaceNews newsletters.  SpaceNews.com  |  Advertise with SpaceNews Contact us  |  Privacy policy  |  Terms and conditions SpaceNews.com  |  Advertise with SpaceNews  |  Contact us  |  Privacy policy  |  Terms and conditions © 2026, SpaceNews, 100 Fillmore Street, 5th Floor, Denver, CO 80206, United States