Space News for Wednesday, July 08, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!
(00:10) Podcast Introduction
(00:23) Space Force adds Relativity, Impulse Space to national security launch program
(00:39) Skyroot prepares for first orbital launch attempt
(01:29) D-Orbit signs launch-services contract with ArkEdge Space
(02:22) Orbit Fab hires new CEO and raises funding to support satellite refueling business
(03:14) Spirit Electronics Announces Managed Access to U.S.-Based Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Programs
(03:52) Fire detectors, military tech demos, 3D printers among SpaceX rideshare payloads launching on midnight Falcon 9 flight
(04:14) Securities Law Investigation Targets York Space Systems Following Pentagon Constellation Contract Concerns
(04:33) Bangladesh Authorizes Starlink for Transborder Bandwidth Exports, Creating Subcontinent Connectivity Routing
(05:15) Astrolight Framework Urges Industrialized Laser Backbone to Protect European Space Autonomy
(05:47) ESA CyberCUBE In-Orbit Laboratory Deployed via SpaceX Transporter-17 Rideshare
(06:08) ESA Backs TUSK IC to Commercialize Made-in-Europe Ka-Band Flat-Panel Antenna Silicon
(06:41) Cottonwood Fire Chars Utah
(07:35) Artemis II Crew and Apollo 14 Moon Tree
(08:08) July 2026 Satellite Puzzler
(08:45) FCC Poised To Advance Sat Licensing Reform
(09:24) Transporter-17 Sends the First Commercial Nuclear Sat to Orbit
(10:23) NASA Releases CLD Draft RFP
(11:02) James Webb Space Telescope celebrates its 4th birthday with stunning image of a galaxy crash site
(11:46) Our Milky Way galaxy might be larger than we thought
(12:16) Artemis 2's Jeremy Hansen stepping down from active astronaut duty after epic moon mission
(12:59) China releases 1st photo of Earth's elusive 'quasi-moon' Kamo'oalewa