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04 Mar 26. Space firms to scale-up and thrive in Britain with government backing for bolder strategy. A bolder approach to space strategy will see £500m allocated to national programmes to back high-growth technologies and help British companies scale and compete on the international stage.
Speaking today at Space‑Comm Expo in London, Minister Liz Lloyd set out a clear vision to make Britain a competitive, agile space power.
A major package of investment and reform will ensure public funding is focused more sharply on four areas that drive economic growth and national security outcomes: Satellite Communications; In Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (such as refuelling and maintaining satellites and producing products like medicines and semiconductors in space); Space Domain Awareness (such as tracking spacecraft, debris and space weather); and Launch for assured access to space.
A range of practical tools and support schemes for high-potential companies will complement the record levels of public funding available, to improve access to finance, develop the skills and talent pipeline, and ensure space regulation and standards keep pace with innovation.
Ministers are also open to using the government’s buying power to help British space firms scale faster – driving growth, boosting revenues and bolstering national security and defence.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
The government recognises that the whole of the space sector – from curiosity driven science to commercial satellite services – makes an important contribution to the UK. But to deliver growth and security for the British people, we need to take a much bolder approach to how we prioritise public funding and support.
Our vision is clear – to make the UK a competitive, agile space power. We’re allocating £500 m today, on top of ESA funding, to drive forward our priorities and will continue to work closely with industry and investors to maximise private capital flows and unlock the full potential of commercial space.
This is just the start, as we prepare to publish our full Plan for Space later this year.
In addition to the £1.7bn committed to European Space Agency (ESA) programmes in November 2025, the government is allocating more than £500m to national space programmes:
- £105m to develop civil capabilities for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing (ISAM) – an emerging market where the UK has a strong competitive edge and opportunities to deliver significant commercial returns and strengthen national resilience
- £85m to develop the National Space Operations Centre, including £40m to build a new ground‑based sensing network, supporting the 24/7 requirement to protect satellites and manage an increasingly crowded space environment
- £80 m to deliver the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme, including for a new £30m funding call opened today to support UK businesses developing smarter satellites, advanced hardware and AI‑enabled data delivery
- £65m for the National Space Innovation Programme to accelerate breakthrough technologies and boost commercialisation
- £40m for the Unlocking Space Programme to drive market demand for space technology, develop national security capabilities and attract private investment to support the scale up of UK firms
- £37m to develop space clusters, building on local strengths and ensuring the benefits of space reach every corner of the UK
- £20m to accelerate spaceport infrastructure development in Scotland
Capitalising on the geographic advantage of UK spaceports and assuring access to space remains a key government priority. The UK committed a record £162 m to ESA launch programmes in November, primarily through the European Launcher Challenge, and the focus now is on accelerating launch from Scotland.
The UK’s world-leading expertise in space science and astronomy is also backed with a £91m injection into the UK Space Agency’s national space science programme.
A significant step towards improved coordination of the UK’s space endeavours is the merger of the UK Space Agency into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which will complete next month, bringing technical space expertise closer to central government. A full Plan for Space will follow, setting out in detail how government departments will work together to deliver the nation’s space priorities
Overall, the UK Space Agency’s budget grew by 8% last year, with £2.8 bn allocated until 2030. This funding supports the UK’s dynamic space sector, which employs more than 55,000 people across the country, and the development of national space capabilities that contribute to wider economic growth and national security. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 Mar 26. AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global defense technology leader, today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Space Force’s delivery of BADGER phased array antenna systems to support the Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (“SCAR”) program:
AV’s innovation and ability to scale ahead of manufacturing remains a key differentiator, giving us a competitive edge in the broader defense market. AV is confident in its ability to successfully deliver our systems ahead of competitors.
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We remain in active negotiations with the U.S. Space Force regarding AV’s contract to deliver ground stations to support the SCAR program. AV appreciates that the contract was temporarily paused while both parties work together on a firm-fixed-price contract that provides a commercialized product solution with an expedited delivery timeline. AV is focused on aligning to customer needs and, as separately announced, is actively investing in expanding manufacturing capacity in Albuquerque, New Mexico to support growth in our Space and Directed Energy platforms, including manufacturing for the SCAR program.
AV’s innovation and ability to scale ahead of manufacturing remains a key differentiator, giving us a competitive edge in the broader defense market. AV is confident in its ability to successfully deliver our systems ahead of competitors.
As previously announced, AV will report its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 after the market closes on March 10, 2026. Management will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time that same day to discuss the results. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 Mar 26. Aussie hypersonic aircraft achieves first flight in major breakthrough. An Australian-developed hypersonic aircraft has successfully completed its first flight, reaching speeds above Mach 5 and marking a significant milestone for Australia’s emerging hypersonic technology sector.
Brisbane-based aerospace company Hypersonix Launch Systems confirmed that its DART AE hypersonic test aircraft completed the mission following launch from Wallops Flight Facility in the United States.
The mission, dubbed “That’s not a knife”, launched at 7pm Eastern Time on Friday, 27 February (11am AEDT Saturday, 28 February). The test vehicle was carried to altitude aboard the Rocket Lab HASTE rocket launched from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.
Once released in the upper atmosphere, the DART AE vehicle conducted its hypersonic flight profile, gathering critical technical data before completing the mission.
The flight was conducted under the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit, which partners with industry to accelerate emerging defence technologies.
Hypersonic flight refers to speeds exceeding Mach 5 – more than five times the speed of sound. Hypersonix is developing a new class of autonomous aircraft capable of sustained flight at speeds of up to Mach 12.
The company’s flagship vehicle, DART AE, is a 3.5-metre autonomous aircraft designed to test propulsion systems, materials, sensors and guidance technologies under genuine hypersonic conditions.
Hypersonix co-founder Dr Michael Smart, a former NASA research scientist and former chair of hypersonic propulsion at the University of Queensland, said the successful mission validates years of development work.
“This mission allowed us to test propulsion, materials and control systems in real hypersonic conditions,” Smart said.
“At these speeds and temperatures, there is no substitute for real flight data. The information gathered will directly inform the design of future operational hypersonic aircraft.”
Hypersonix chief executive Matt Hill said the successful flight represents a defining moment for both the company and Australia’s advanced aerospace industry.
“This flight reflects years of focused engineering work and the confidence placed in us by our partners,” Hill said.
“Successfully flying DART AE in a true hypersonic environment demonstrates that an Australian company can design, build and operate technology in one of the most demanding flight regimes on Earth. It is an important step toward delivering operationally relevant hypersonic systems for Australia and its allies.”
The milestone follows a recent $46 m Series A funding round secured by Hypersonix. The investment was backed by the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation and Queensland Investment Corporation.
The round was led by High Tor Capital, with additional support from European defence firm Saab and Polish investment group RKKVC.
The funding will support an expanded flight test program, scale up advanced manufacturing in Queensland and accelerate development of the company’s next hypersonic platform, known as VISR – Velos Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
Hypersonix currently employs more than 50 staff in Brisbane across aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing and testing roles.
The company specialises in the design, manufacture and operation of autonomous hypersonic aircraft powered by scramjet engines, capable of sustained flight at extreme speed, range and altitude.
02 Mar 26. Danish satellite manufacturer Space Inventor is partnering with Austrian propulsion specialist GATE Space on the BEACONSAT mission – Austria’s largest domestically developed satellite and the country’s first military satellite.
Space Inventor will deliver the complete satellite platform and core mission engineering required to bring the satellite safely into orbit and ensure long-term operational performance.
BEACONSAT, scheduled for launch in February 2027 is designed to detect and analyse interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including jamming and spoofing.
The mission directly addresses the growing security challenge often referred to as “navigation warfare” and contributes to European resilience, defence readiness and technological sovereignty.
Commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and supported at European level through ESA’s Marketplace programme as a dual-use technology demonstration mission, BEACONSAT will provide critical data on GNSS interference to support both military and civilian situational awareness.
In addition to advancing GNSS intelligence capabilities, BEACONSAT will demonstrate an in-orbit chemical propulsion system developed by GATE Space. The Austrian company is responsible for the overall mission and is developing the satellite’s chemical propulsion system, thermal control system and structural subsystem.
Space Inventor is responsible for all satellite-related systems and mission engineering. The company has adapted its platform to accommodate propulsion components positioned externally in non-traditional configurations and has developed control algorithms capable of maintaining precise attitude control despite moving liquid mass within the spacecraft.
From a satellite engineering perspective, BEACONSAT presents significant technical challenges. Integrating a liquid-fuel propulsion system into a compact small satellite platform introduces complex dynamic and structural considerations.
Jan Smolders, Chief Commercial Officer, Space Inventor commented on the announcement: “Space-based infrastructure is fundamental to national security and strategic autonomy. BEACONSAT helps strengthen Europe’s ability to detect and respond to navigation interference – a threat that is growing in both scale and sophistication. Just as importantly, this mission proves that European industry has the capability to design, build and operate advanced defence space systems independently. BEACONSAT is a clear demonstration of sovereign European space capacity in action – operationally ready, technologically advanced and built in Europe for Europe.”
Space Inventor’s scope of work covers delivery of the complete satellite bus, including the onboard computer (OBC), attitude determination and control systems, reaction wheels, magnetorquers and power systems.
Beyond the platform itself, the company is responsible for end-to-end system engineering and mission analysis, including orbital and performance calculations, as well as full mechanical and structural integration. This includes adapting the satellite design to accommodate GATE Space’s liquid-fuel thruster and tank within a highly constrained smallsat architecture, and providing mission operations support to ensure stable flight, precise orbital behaviour and long-term operational reliability. The project underscores Space Inventor’s expanding role in European defence and security space missions. As European security increasingly depends on reliable, sovereign space capabilities, BEACONSAT demonstrates how European companies can jointly deliver advanced, operational space systems – from propulsion and payloads to complete satellite platforms.
02 Mar 26. U.S. Space Force Strengthens Partnerships at 45th Cobra Gold. Space Force guardians are participating in the 45th iteration of Cobra Gold for the first time in the exercise’s history, marking a milestone for the service and further integrating space as a warfighting domain within one of the Indo-Pacific’s largest multinational exercises, Feb. 23 to March 6.
The presence of guardians at Cobra Gold signals the continued evolution of the Space Force. It reinforces the U.S.-Thai alliance by enhancing multinational crisis response, mission effectiveness and capability across all domains.
“This marks a significant milestone for the United States Space Force,” said Space Force Maj. Jonathan Brydie, a military exchange program embed assigned to the Joint Force Space Component, Headquarters Joint Operations Command. “As our service continues to mature, our participation demonstrates that we can support real-world operations and major multinational exercises simultaneously. It reinforces that space is a warfighting domain. Integrating space from the outset ensures the joint force operates with synchronized effects across air, land, maritime, cyber and space.”
As the Air Force’s newest military service, the Space Force was established to organize, train and equip forces to protect the United States and allied interests in, from and to space. Its integration into Cobra Gold reflects both operational necessity and the evolving character of warfare.
“Integrating space into Cobra Gold enhances the exercise by educating Indo-Pacific partners on the operational role of the space domain during conflict,” said Space Force Capt. Nicholas Braga, Space Forces Korea chief of future operations. “It also opens dialogue on how nations can responsibly develop and integrate space capabilities that contribute to regional stability.”
In support of Cobra Gold, guardians contributed expertise in space domain awareness, defensive and offensive space operations and operational-level space planning required to maintain space superiority. Rather than operating in isolation, Space Force personnel are embedded alongside air, land, maritime and cyber planners to integrate space effects into decision-making processes.
“We are ensuring space is a deliberate consideration at every decision point,” Braga said. “Branch plans and contingency options are developed with space effects integrated from the beginning, giving commanders greater clarity and flexibility in achieving mission objectives.”
The operational importance of space domain awareness was a central theme throughout the exercise.
“Most command and control systems rely on satellites and space-enabled networks,” Brydie said. “Space superiority is now as vital as air superiority in modern conflict. Maintaining awareness of the space environment allows us to protect those systems and ensure the joint force can operate without disruption.”
Beyond operational integration, Cobra Gold provided an opportunity for the Space Force to deepen relationships with regional allies actively developing their own space competencies.
“It has been a tremendous opportunity to collaborate with partner nations,” Braga said. “The United States is not the only space-capable entity in this region. Working alongside the Republic of Korea and other allies strengthens trilateral and multilateral integration. The cohesion built here enhances deterrence and reinforces our collective posture across Indo-Pacom.”
Coalition partners emphasize shared responsibility in the space domain is essential to regional stability.
“Participating in Cobra Gold demonstrates a shared commitment to the responsible and secure use of space,” said Royal Australian Air Force Staff Officer Mark Wilson, wing commander of Joint Force Space Component, Headquarters Joint Operations Command. “It shows we are willing and capable of sharing information and operational experience to achieve common security objectives.”
“For the U.S. Space Force, Cobra Gold 2026 serves as both a milestone and platform to demonstrate the service’s ability to integrate seamlessly within a complex multinational environment while delivering operational advantage to the joint force,” Braga said.
From space domain awareness to operational-level planning, guardians ensured space effects were integrated at every stage of execution reinforcing deterrence, strengthening alliances and advancing the service’s role as an essential component of joint and coalition operations in the Indo-Pacific. (Source: U.S. DoD)
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