Vol 45, Week 6: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition
Body. (Image Credits: )

The small satellite sector has matured into industrial-scale deployment, with LEO constellations resulting from explosive growth. Market forecasts show the smallsat industry continuing to expand rapidly, with projections pointing to US$10s of billions in value by 2030 amid falling launch costs and reusable systems. Over 2,500 small satellites are expected to launch annually in coming years to support mega-constellations. Key players are scaling fast: Astranis advances its MicroGEO lineup, with Omega broadband satellites entering production in 2026. Capella Space continues expanding its SAR imaging constellation, delivering all-weather, high-resolution data for defense and commercial users. Planet Labs operates one of the largest Earth imaging constellations in the world—hundreds of Dove and SuperDove satellites—providing daily Earth imagery. Muon Space has multiple government and commercial missions launching in 2026, including wildfire detection and RF analytics. In this innovation epicenter, startups and established firms form new partnerships, business models and architectures. With 900+ expected attendees, 125+ presenters including U.S. Space Development Agency keynote, Amazon LEO leadership, former DARPA Director Victoria Coleman and 100+ exhibitors, the SmallSat Symposium at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View CA offers deep technical insights, market analysis and high-stakes networking as smallsats help shape the future of space. (Image Credits: SmallSat Symposium)
International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 operating with crew of 3 ….
Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew ….
Lunar Enterprise News: Blue Origin pauses space tourism to concentrate on Moon missions, redirecting resources toward human lunar capabilities for at least the next 2 years to assist USA goals of establishing a sustained lunar presence.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Feb 9: Apollo Asteroid 2026 BY1 (0.025 AU); Thu Feb 12: Apollo Asteroid 2022 DV (0.039 AU); Sat Feb 14: Aten Asteroid 1999 AO10 (0.026 AU)
The First Woman FLYS to the Moon …
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First Women LAND on the Moon …
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