Rocket Lab Lands Three-Electron NASA Award, Boeing 702MP Picked for MUOS, NorthStar F-4 Details Spire Dispute

[ 01 ]

The briefing

NASA selected Rocket Lab to fly two Earth and solar science missions on three Electron rockets in 2027 under its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare contract, which carries a $300 million ceiling over 10 years. The PolSIR ice-cloud mission, built on two Blue Canyon 16U cubesats in 52-degree orbits, flies on back-to-back Electrons no earlier than June 2027 from Mahia. The General Atomics TSIS-2 solar irradiance spacecraft flies on a separate Electron in early 2027, moved from a planned Falcon 9 rideshare.

Boeing disclosed that the two new MUOS narrowband satellites it won this week will use its 702MP bus, the medium-power geostationary platform also flown for Intelsat, Viasat and Wideband Global Satcom. The $2 billion award displaced Lockheed Martin, with launches slated for 2031 and 2032. Separately, NorthStar Earth & Space filed its F-4 for a $300 million SPAC merger, disclosing arbitration with Spire Global over three of four host satellites it says missed quotas and a $10.2 million CAD 2024 impairment.

MDA Space added another Japan defense win, contracted by Mitsubishi Electric to build the digital payload, antennas and subsystems for the Kirameki-2 replacement satellite under Mitsubishi's 123.5 billion yen Ministry of Defense prime, due March 2030. A Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL is set to air-launch this weekend from Kwajalein Atoll with Katalyst Space's LINK servicer to reboost NASA's Swift observatory. SpaceX is no longer taking Falcon 9 Transporter bookings beyond late 2028, and the House Appropriations Committee approved $55.5 billion for the Space Force while flagging acquisition cost growth.

[ 02 / 6 items ]

The headlines

Rocket Lab wins three-Electron NASA award for PolSIR and TSIS-2

SpaceX RKLB

NASA selected Rocket Lab under its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare contract to fly the PolSIR ice-cloud mission on two back-to-back Electrons no earlier than June 2027 and the TSIS-2 solar irradiance spacecraft on a third Electron in early 2027, all from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia. PolSIR uses two Blue Canyon 16U cubesats in separate 52-degree orbits, and TSIS-2, built by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, was moved off a previously planned Falcon 9 rideshare after years of schedule slippage on the spacecraft side.

Boeing picks 702MP bus for next MUOS satellites after $2B Lockheed displacement

BA LMT

Boeing said the two new Mobile User Objective System narrowband communications satellites it was awarded this week will use its 702MP medium-power geostationary platform, the same bus that flies commercial Intelsat and Viasat spacecraft and the Space Force's Wideband Global Satcom fleet. The $2 billion award displaced original prime Lockheed Martin, which built the existing five MUOS satellites, with the new spacecraft slated to launch in 2031 and 2032 to extend a constellation that troops and special operations forces rely on for UHF voice, data and messaging.

NorthStar F-4 details Spire arbitration and slipped sensor roadmap

SPIR

Montreal-based NorthStar Earth & Space filed its F-4 registration statement for a proposed $300 million merger with Viking Acquisition Corp. I, with a Q3 2026 NYSE debut and a pursued Toronto dual-listing. The 600-plus page document disclosed an ongoing commercial arbitration with Spire Global, which NorthStar alleges failed to properly operate three of its four initial host satellites, leading to a $10.2 million CAD 2024 impairment.

MDA Space wins Mitsubishi Electric payload work for Japan defense satellite

MDA

Mitsubishi Electric contracted MDA Space to build the digital payload, antennas and various subsystems for a new X-band Japan Ministry of Defense communications satellite that will replace Kirameki-2 with stronger anti-jam protection and larger capacity. MDA's UK team leads the multi-beam digitally beamformed payload, with antenna manufacturing and test in Montreal. Mitsubishi's prime contract with Japan's MoD is worth 123.5 billion yen with a March 29, 2030 delivery date; MDA Space's award value was not disclosed.

Pegasus XL set for June 27 launch of Katalyst LINK to reboost Swift

NOC

Northrop Grumman's Pegasus XL air-launched rocket is targeted for June 27 release from the Stargazer L-1011 over Kwajalein Atoll, carrying Katalyst Space's LINK robotic servicer to rendezvous with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and raise its decaying orbit. NASA awarded Katalyst the $30 million contract in September 2025, and the agency says success would mark the first time a commercial robotic spacecraft captures a government satellite that is uncrewed and not designed for in-space servicing. This is Pegasus's first flight since 2021 and its last planned mission.

SpaceX Transporter slots full into 2029, leaving smallsats searching for rides

SpaceX

At least nine SpaceX partners and customers say the company is no longer accepting Falcon 9 Transporter reservations beyond late 2028 or early 2029, with the manifest for the next couple of years nearly full and available slots potentially as few as half of recent levels. SEOPS sold out its 2028 Waymaker mission within three weeks and built a waitlist of about 30 customers. Industry executives are urging smallsat operators to book launches roughly 36 months ahead, up from 12 as supply lags satellite production rates.

[ 03 / +19 / -27 ]

Market pulse

Archived snapshot from this edition. Prices and moves are not live.

Gainers+19

Decliners-27

Big mover FJET+9.1%

Rocket Lab traded up 3.7% to about $83.69 in delayed quotes alongside NASA's three-Electron award announcement.

Asset	Snapshot	Move
FJETStarfighters Space	$4.78	+9.1%
SPCEVirgin Galactic	$2.705	+7.5%
RKLBRocket Lab	$83.69	+3.7%
GLWCorning	$215.69	-5.5%
CRSCarpenter Technology	$583.39	-2.6%
APHAmphenol	$161.24	-2.4%

[ 04 / 6 tracked ]

Launch watch

Schedule and countdowns as recorded in the 2026-06-26 edition.

T-0D 17H

Filings

8-K

EchoStar Corporation · 8-K

2026-06-25 · EchoStar Corporation filed 8-K through EDGAR.

Form 4 x2

RBC Bearings Incorporated · Form 4 x2

2026-06-25 · RBC Bearings Incorporated filed 2 grouped Form 4 ownership updates; no operating, financing, or governance event is attached to the filings.

[ End of Issue 020 ]

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