Space Industry Innovations: In-Orbit Servicing, New Constellations, and Lunar Reactors

In-Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading

• 🚀 Astroscale UK has received a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to design the In-Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS) mission concept.
• 💡 The IRUS mission aims to enable satellites to be upgraded, repaired, and extended while in orbit, reducing the need for replacement launches and mitigating debris.
• 🛠️ This initiative will explore robotic servicing technologies to safely connect with and refurbish existing satellites, assessing the technical feasibility and commercial viability of such services.

Satellite Constellations and Data Services

• 🛰️ Planet Lab has secured a multi-year, nine-figure agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces to provide satellites, space-based data, and awareness solutions.
• 🌍 Aerospacelab will produce eight additional satellites for Xona Space Systems' Pulsar constellation, a next-generation navigation system expected to deploy starting in late 2026.
• 📡 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX to launch an additional 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing their total to 15,000, and allowing for direct-to-cell connectivity and enhanced internet speeds.

Emerging Space Technologies and Infrastructure

• ⚛️ Merrick & Company, through its Head of Aerospace Strategy Mark Lester, is leveraging its expertise in nuclear engineering and high-containment facilities to support spaceport infrastructure for returning pharmaceuticals and integrating nuclear reactors for lunar and Mars missions.
• 🌕 NASA is seeking industry input on 32 critical technology shortfalls to inform national space technology priorities, with feedback due by February 20, 2026.
• 🧠 A study published in PNAS found that astronauts' brains physically shift within their skulls during spaceflight, with regions like the supplementary motor cortex showing larger shifts after longer missions, though brains largely return to normal after returning to Earth.