small satellites

NASA has launched a set of small satellites designed to advance science, test new technologies and refine orbital operations. The SmallSats will support research missions and demonstrate capabilities that could shape future spacecraft operations. Further details on the missions, payloads and launch vehicle were not immediately available beyond the agency's announcement.

Latvian mobile operator LMT Group and space consultancy Novaspace have agreed to develop a strategy for a 5G/6G satellite communications hub in Latvia. The partnership aims to position the country in next-generation satellite connectivity, combining LMT's telecom operations with Novaspace's market and technology expertise in the satellite sector.

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Transporter-18 rideshare mission, carrying more than 100 spacecraft to orbit on a single Falcon 9 rocket. The mission continues the company's regular small-satellite rideshare program, giving operators of small satellites and hosted payloads shared access to space at lower cost. Coverage is focused on the launch preview and the growing number of spacecraft being packed onto each rideshare flight.

Portuguese aerospace firm Omnidea has acquired Orbex, the British launch startup that ceased operations after struggling to develop its Prime rocket for launches from Scotland's Spaceport Sutherland. The deal hands Orbex's assets and technology to a new owner, and industry observers are weighing what the takeover means for the UK's ambitions to build a domestic small-satellite launch industry.

SpaceX has launched its Transporter-18 rideshare mission, sending a large batch of small satellites into orbit on a single Falcon 9 flight. The Transporter missions are SpaceX's recurring dedicated launches for small satellite operators, offering shared rides to orbit at lower cost. Further details on the payloads and launch outcome were not immediately available.

SpaceX is preparing its Transporter-18 rideshare mission, carrying a varied payload that includes prototypes for orbital AI datacenters and demonstrators for energy redirection technology, according to Spaceflight Now's live coverage. The flight highlights growing commercial interest in testing unconventional space infrastructure concepts alongside more traditional small satellite deployments.

Nautilus has published a photographic retrospective of Sputnik 1, the Soviet satellite launched on October 4, 1957, roughly 69 years ago. The piece revisits the polished metal sphere whose beeping radio signals shocked the world and triggered the space race. The feature combines archival imagery with reflections on how a small satellite reshaped science, politics and technology.

Military space systems are shrinking, and the smaller spacecraft get, the tougher the engineering problems become. A new analysis examines how electronics designers balance size, weight, power and radiation hardening when building for defense missions, where compact satellites must survive harsh physics without the bulk of traditional shielding. The piece argues these tradeoffs now define what military space capabilities are possible.

SpaceX is set to launch a satellite carrying Google's AI technology into orbit, along with 129 other payloads, in a ride-sharing mission today. The flight highlights the growing role of commercial space launches in deploying artificial intelligence hardware and small satellites. Spectators can watch the liftoff live as the Falcon rocket carries the diverse cargo stack to orbit.

Google has sent AI chips into space aboard SpaceX's Transporter-18 rideshare mission, extending its effort to run artificial intelligence workloads off Earth. The launch pairs Google's tensor processing units with SpaceX's small-satellite rideshare program, and the move is drawing attention as tech companies explore orbital data centers and space-based computing to reduce terrestrial energy demands. Details on the chips' in-orbit testing and performance have not yet been released.

Investopedia is examining how large a share of an investment portfolio should be allocated to thematic ETFs — funds built around trends like artificial intelligence, clean energy or healthcare innovation. The guidance being discussed is that these focused, often volatile funds work best as a small satellite allocation, with advisors commonly suggesting a limited percentage of overall holdings rather than a core position, balanced against broad diversified index funds.