Wednesday, April 15, 2026

A new blueprint for the Space Force - Space Symposium 2026

Plus: A push to restore Mars Sample Return funding
 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
SpaceNews coverage from Space Symposium 2026

04/15/2026  |  READ IN BROWSER


All of our latest reporting from the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs


SPONSORED BY

Sponsored by SSC

The latest from the 41st Space Symposium: Gen. Chance Saltzman released a blueprint for the future of the Space Force, Senators push to restore Mars Sample Return funding, Vast unveiled a new docking adapter for future space stations and more.


Thursday is your last chance to visit SpaceNews at booth #1331. Don’t miss out on subscription discounts only available during Symposium. Get our best rates of the season on individual subscriptions or find out how to save on getting your whole team or organization set up with unlimited access to our coverage all year long.


If you’re at the show, be sure to pick up a copy of our April magazine, which features the debut edition of our SN Focus section on space investment opportunities in North America. Stop by the booth or reach out to sales@spacenews.com to discuss how to partner with us on upcoming SN Focus reports on economic development opportunities around the globe and sections featuring higher education and professional development programs


SPONSORED

When satellite operators scale from single missions to growing fleets, the ground segment quickly becomes a strategic constraint. Coverage, throughput, integration, and data latency all become as critical as the spacecraft itself.

“SSC Space Go is designed with a cloud-based delivery mechanism to fit modern cloud workflows, enabling rapid access to payload data and seamless operational integration without the friction of legacy systems”, says Viktor Pankov, Product Owner SSC Space Go.

Saltzman unveils blueprint for Space Force’s future

By Sandra Erwin

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman released a warfighting blueprint for the U.S. Space Force, and asked the audience to critique it.


In a keynote address April 15, Saltzman unveiled unclassified versions of two foundational documents, the Future Operating Environment 2040 and the Objective Force 2040, framing them as a paired construct that defines both the problem and the solution for the U.S. Space Force.


Meink: Space Force must ‘execute’ as budget set to surge

The U.S. Space Force is poised to receive the largest funding increase in its short history, a windfall that is shifting attention inside the Pentagon from strategy to whether the service can actually spend the money fast enough, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said.


NASA seeks proposals for commercial TDRSS replacement

NASA issued April 10 a draft solicitation for Project NEXUS, a part of the broader Commercial Services Project. That document is an effort by the agency to move from traditional government owned and operated communications systems to commercial services. The goal is to replace the existing Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.


Senators seek increased funding for NASA Mars missions

Several senators are asking appropriators to increase funding for NASA’s robotic Mars exploration efforts to at least $400 million, fearing “severe and irreversible harm” if funding is not restored.

$25/month – or less than $5/week

Subscribe to SpaceNews for a clear, curated view of what matters most across the industry. Get access now

Vast offers new docking adapter for large space stations

Commercial space station developer Vast unveiled a new docking interface called the Large Docking Adapter, which the company is offering to the broader industry for future large stations and spacecraft.


Turion Space raises $75 million to expand maneuverable satellite fleet

The California-based startup, which develops satellites and payloads focused on space domain awareness and non-Earth imaging, said it raised more than $75 million in a Series B funding round.


Kepler to lead interoperability tests for ESA’s HydRON optical relay network

The European Space Agency has awarded a $22 million contract to Kepler Communications, a Canadian small satellite operator, to lead a hosted payload mission to test terminal interoperability for HydRON, ESA’s flagship optical relay network program.

Blue Origin moves toward launch at Vandenberg

Blue Origin moved a step closer to launching New Glenn rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base with a U.S. Space Force decision to conduct final negotiations of a lease for Space Launch Complex (SLC)-14.


NRO highlights government and industry partnerships

The National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for U.S. spy satellites, put out a call for partners to accelerate its adoption of state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.


SES and Boeing move toward factory-installed multi-orbit inflight connectivity

SES announced an agreement with Boeing April 14 to start integrating multi-orbit hardware during aircraft production, marking a key step away from retrofit installations to incorporate low Earth orbit broadband.


Commentary: Defining acquisition on a wartime footing

Space Force Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant writes about how Space Systems Command is working to adapt acquisition practices to the pace of modern military operations.

FROM SPACENEWS

SpaceNews is an official partner of SmallSat Europe - register today

In the latest episode of Space Minds, recorded at Space Symposium, Mike Gruss talks with Nightwing’s Joe Mazur to discuss the intersection of cyber and space. They chat about the acceleration of cyber operations, the role of offensive cyber capabilities and how acquisition is evolving. Watch now.

Subscribe to SpaceNews



No comments:

Post a Comment

A new blueprint for the Space Force - Space Symposium 2026

Plus: A push to restore Mars Sample Return funding  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌...