NASA taps SpaceX Starlink lasers to relay 4K video from Artemis III Orion

[ 01 ]

The briefing

NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to deliver laser communications for Artemis III by installing two Starlink mini laser terminals on the Orion spacecraft, using the same crosslink technology that runs the Starlink constellation to relay 4K imagery and video from the 2027 ship-to-ship transfer demonstration back to Mission Control in Houston. It is a small line item, but it extends SpaceX's role in human spaceflight beyond transport and commits NASA further to buying commercial relay services as it retires the TDRS system.

The Space Force more than tripled the ceiling of its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 vehicle from $5.6 billion to $17 billion, expanding the task-order pool available through fiscal 2029 across SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Impulse Space and Relativity Space. In parallel, NASA and Draper mutually terminated the $73 million CP-12 Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) task order after redesigns pushed the Draper-ispace lunar lander mission to 2030 or 2031, with $43 million already paid and the three science payloads to be reflown on future landings.

India crossed a milestone as Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 reached a 450-kilometer orbit on its inaugural launch from Sriharikota, becoming the first fully commercial Indian rocket to make orbit. Two more Vikram-1 flights are planned this year before commercial service.

[ 02 / 6 items ]

The headlines

NASA taps SpaceX Starlink lasers to relay 4K video from Artemis III Orion

SpaceX

NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to install two Starlink mini laser terminals on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III, using the constellation's crosslink technology to send 4K imagery and video from the 2027 in-orbit ship-to-ship transfer back to Mission Control in Houston. The deal supplements Orion's existing communications system and extends NASA's shift from operating its own Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet toward buying commercial relay services under the Communications Services Project.

Space Force triples NSSL Lane 1 ceiling to $17 billion through FY29

SpaceX RKLB

The Space Force raised the maximum value of the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract vehicle from $5.6 billion to $17 billion in a July 17 notice, expanding task orders available through fiscal 2029 to a seven-company pool of SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Impulse Space and Relativity Space. The move follows April's identification of 25 additional Lane 2 missions beyond the 54 originally planned, indicating military launch demand has grown sharply since the Phase 3 strategy was set in 2024.

NASA and Draper terminate $73M CP-12 CLPS lunar lander mission

NASA and Draper mutually terminated the CP-12 Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order originally awarded in July 2022, after redesigns tied to the ispace-U.S. lander pushed the projected landing date to 2030 or 2031. NASA had paid $43 million of the $73 million contract to date. The three science instruments, including the Farside Seismic Suite, will be reassigned to future CLPS landings, and ispace confirmed its own subcontract for the mission is being canceled.

Skyroot's Vikram-1 reaches 450 km orbit on India's first private orbital launch

SpaceX

Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 lifted off from Sriharikota at 2:35 a.m. Eastern on July 18 after a 35-minute technical hold, with three solid stages and a liquid orbit adjustment module delivering the rocket to a 450-kilometer orbit about 15 minutes after liftoff. The debut carried two cubesats plus hosted payloads and made Skyroot the first Indian private company to reach orbit. CEO Pawan Kumar Chandana said Skyroot plans up to two more Vikram-1 flights this year before commercial service, with an upgraded Vikram-1U to lift 550 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO).

Pentagon puts $7.1M into US satellite cover-glass production

The Defense Department awarded $7.1 million on July 17 to Martin Materials Solutions under Title III of the Defense Production Act to expand US manufacturing of space-qualified solar-cell cover glass at the company's Twinsburg, Ohio facility. The thin radiation-resistant sheets shield satellite solar arrays and thermal-control mirrors, and Martin Materials is one of a limited number of US suppliers. The Pentagon framed the investment as reducing reliance on constrained domestic and foreign sources for a component considered essential to military and commercial spacecraft.

DIU opens power-beaming satellite prototype with 2030 operational target

The Defense Innovation Unit issued a Commercial Solutions Opening for a low Earth orbit space power-beaming prototype, with a lab demonstration within 12 months of award and an on-orbit demonstration within 24 months, aiming for an operational capability by fiscal 2030. DIU cited edge computing, in-space manufacturing and power delivery to forward operating locations and unmanned systems as target applications, and left the on-board power source open to keep vendor options flexible for both space-to-space and space-to-ground beaming.

[ 03 / +25 / -18 ]

Market pulse

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

Gainers+25

Decliners-18

Big mover LMT+10.7%

Lockheed Martin led the delayed public-market snapshot with LMT up 10.7%, alongside RTX at 7.2% and L3Harris at 4.5%, while AST SpaceMobile fell 4.2%.

Asset	Snapshot	Move
LMTLockheed Martin	$569.25	+10.7%
RTXRTX Corporation	$208.86	+7.2%
LHXL3Harris Technologies	$297.98	+4.5%
ASTSAST SpaceMobile	$59.32	-4.2%
LUNRIntuitive Machines	$13.71	-2.7%
PLPlanet Labs	$22.05	-2.5%

[ 04 / 4 tracked ]

Launch watch

Schedule and countdowns as recorded in the 2026-07-20 edition.

T-3D 12H

Long March 3B/E | Tianlian 2-06

CASC · Long March 3B/E · LC-2 (LC-2) · Xichang Satellite Launch Center · GTO

T-3D 23H

Starship | Flight 13

SpaceX · Starship V3 · Orbital Launch Pad 2 · SpaceX Starbase, TX · Suborbital

T-4D 00H

Kinetica 1

CAS Space · Kinetica 1 · Launch Area 130 · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

T-5D 14H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-51

SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · SLC-4E · Vandenberg SFB · LEO

[ 05 / 8 in window ]

Filings

424B3

Spire Global, Inc. · 424B3

2026-07-17 · Spire Global filed a 424B3 prospectus supplement updating information in a prior resale registration by incorporating its July 17 disclosure of Eric Mellinger's appointment as chief commercial officer.

424B3

Spire Global, Inc. · 424B3

2026-07-17 · Spire Global filed a second 424B3 prospectus supplement updating a separate PIPE-related resale registration with the same July 17 disclosure regarding Mellinger's chief commercial officer appointment.

8-K

Spire Global, Inc. · 8-K

2026-07-17 · Spire Global disclosed that its board appointed Eric Mellinger as chief commercial officer effective August 3, 2026, with a $385,000 base salary, an 80% target bonus and a 150,000 restricted stock unit grant vesting quarterly over four years.

Form 4 x2

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. · Form 4 x2

2026-07-17 · Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. grouped 2 Form 4 ownership updates: Marie Mendoza (SVP & General Counsel) sold 1,013 shares at $51.79 (63,666 shares after); Phillip D. Carrai (President, STC Division) sold 6,500 shares at $49.79-$53.85 (208,624 shares after). These filings are routine insider-ownership disclosures, not operating updates.

424B7

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. · 424B7

2026-07-17 · Virgin Galactic filed a 424B7 prospectus supplement updating selling stockholders for the resale of shares tied to its December 2025 private placement, which included about $212.5 million of 9.80% first lien notes due 2028 and warrants for roughly 31.7 million shares at $6.696.

Form 4

Spire Global, Inc. · Form 4

2026-07-17 · Spire Global, Inc. filed a Form 4 ownership update: William Porteous (director) received 1,516 Class A shares (129,019 shares after). These filings are routine insider-ownership disclosures, not operating updates.

[ End of Issue 036 ]

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