FCC Rewrites Satellite Licensing as Eutelsat Files for 528-Satellite Constellation and Starship Flight 13 Targets Friday

[ 01 ]

The briefing

The FCC's July 22 vote to replace Part 25 with a new Part 100 licensing framework is now landing on operators. License terms extend to 20 years for most space and earth stations, blanket nationwide earth-station licensing is allowed, and multiple satellites can co-locate at a single orbital slot. In exchange, space station licensees must share situational awareness data continuously, and the FCC is reviewing the World Trade Organization entry presumption that long gave foreign operators a fast path into the US market. Non-US operators now face reciprocity checks and data-sharing mandates alongside that faster domestic path.

Eutelsat used that same Ku- and Ka-band processing round to file for a 528-satellite low Earth orbit constellation called Eutelsat Next, separate from the OneWeb fleet it is already replenishing with 440 new satellites from Airbus. Eutelsat described Next as still under design and part of long-term LEO planning, and declined to say whether its funded-through-2030 plan covers Next or the OneWeb refresh, or how it relates to Europe's IRIS² program. Airbus, meanwhile, told investors the turnaround of its space business has arrived just as European demand for IRIS², military constellations and Earth observation accelerates.

SpaceX is now targeting a 90-minute Starship Flight 13 window opening at 5:45 p.m. CDT Friday from Starbase, after Tropical Storm Bertha forced a Thursday scrub and a week of engine work following the July 16 post-ignition abort. Booster 20 returned to Pad 2 on July 21, was loaded and drained with liquid oxygen and methane, and cleared additional preflight tests before SpaceX signed off on another attempt.

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The headlines

FCC replaces Part 25 with Part 100 satellite licensing framework

The FCC voted unanimously on July 22 to replace its legacy Part 25 satellite rules with a new Part 100 licensing framework, extending license terms to 20 years for most space and earth stations, allowing nationwide blanket licensing for earth stations, and letting multiple satellites co-locate at a single orbital slot. Space station licensees will have to share space situational awareness data on a continuous basis, and the agency is reviewing the World Trade Organization presumption of entry that has given foreign operators a fast path into the US market.

Eutelsat files for 528-satellite Eutelsat Next LEO constellation

ETL

Eutelsat submitted an application in the FCC's latest Ku- and Ka-band processing round for a 528-satellite low Earth orbit constellation called Eutelsat Next, separate from its existing 600-plus OneWeb fleet, which the operator is already replenishing with 440 new satellites from Airbus. Eutelsat told Payload the system is still under design and manufacture and part of long-term LEO planning, and declined to say whether its funded-through-2030 investment plan covers Next or only the OneWeb refresh, or how Next relates to Europe's IRIS² program.

SpaceX resets Starship Flight 13 for Friday after Raptor rework

SpaceX

SpaceX is targeting a new 90-minute Starship Flight 13 window opening at 5:45 p.m. CDT on Friday from Starbase after Tropical Storm Bertha forced a Thursday wave-off. The attempt follows a July 16 post-ignition abort in which four Super Heavy Raptor engines apparently failed to ignite. Booster 20 was returned to the production site, at least two Raptors were removed and replaced, and B20 was rolled back to Pad 2 on July 21, loaded and drained with liquid oxygen and methane, and cleared additional preflight testing before SpaceX signed off on a second try.

L3Harris wins battery monitoring work for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines

LHX

L3Harris Technologies secured a contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat to supply battery monitoring systems for the US Navy's Virginia-class fast-attack and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine programs. The systems provide continuous battery health assessments to help commanders manage mission profiles and are positioned by L3Harris as part of the Columbia program's future architecture, extending a submarine relationship the company has held across the Ohio and Los Angeles classes.

Thales space division grows on defense demand despite SES cancellation hit

HO AIR

Thales Group's space business, run mainly through Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, reported growing sales and profit in the three months ended June 30 despite a €153 million ($174.5 million) sales reduction from SES's May cancellation of the IS-41 and IS-44 satellites, both based on the SpaceInspire software-defined platform. Airbus separately told investors its space unit has stabilized after nearly €2 billion of program charges in 2023 and 2024 and is now positioned for record ESA funding, IRIS² and European military constellation orders.

France and Germany push to reserve 2 GHz spectrum for IRIS²

Following the July 17 Franco-German Council of Ministers in Brühl, both governments signed language calling IRIS² crucial for a resilient European space infrastructure and backing efforts to reserve 2 GHz spectrum for the multi-orbit secure connectivity system. The endorsement is notable because Germany has been publicly skeptical of IRIS² and continues to pursue its own all-military constellation in parallel.

[ 03 / +30 / -16 ]

Market pulse

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

Gainers+30

Decliners-16

Big mover LMT+10.5%

On the market snapshot, Lockheed Martin closed up 10.5%, RTX up 7.3% and L3Harris up 5.1% after all three primes filed quarterly disclosures or booked new defense work, while AST SpaceMobile slipped 4.5% and Eutelsat traded off 2.3% on the day it disclosed the 528-satellite Eu...

Asset	Snapshot	Move
LMTLockheed Martin	$568.59	+10.5%
RTXRTX Corporation	$209.16	+7.3%
LHXL3Harris Technologies	$299.67	+5.1%
ASTSAST SpaceMobile	$59.18	-4.5%
SPCEVirgin Galactic	$2.58	-3.4%
LUNRIntuitive Machines	$13.71	-2.7%

[ 04 / 6 tracked ]

Launch watch

Schedule and countdowns as recorded in the 2026-07-24 edition.

T+0D 12H

Long March 3B/E | Tianlian 2-06

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

T+0D 00H

Kinetica 1 | 5 satellites

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

T-0D 23H

Starship | Flight 13

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

T-1D 14H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-51

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

T-5D 02H

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-52

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

T-5D 12H

Long March 7A

CASC · Long March 7A · 201 · Wenchang Space Launch Site

[ 05 / 5 in window ]

Filings

10-Q

RTX Corporation · 10-Q

2026-07-23 · RTX Corporation filed its 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, covering the Collins Aerospace, Pratt and Whitney and Raytheon segments and confirming the June 19 divestiture of Blue Canyon Technologies from the Raytheon segment.

10-Q

Lockheed Martin Corporation · 10-Q

2026-07-23 · Lockheed Martin filed its 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2026, disclosing segment results across Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems and Space under a mix of fixed-price and cost-reimbursable US government contracts.

S-8

Sidus Space, Inc. · S-8

2026-07-23 · Sidus Space filed a Form S-8 to register an additional 4 million Class A shares under its 2021 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan after shareholders approved raising the plan's share pool from 800,000 to 4.8 million on June 18, 2026.

DEFA14A

BlackSky Technology Inc. · DEFA14A

2026-07-23 · BlackSky filed additional proxy materials tied to its September 10 annual meeting, with no fee required and no change to the underlying proposals.

DEF 14A

BlackSky Technology Inc. · DEF 14A

2026-07-23 · BlackSky Technology set its 2026 annual meeting for September 10 as a virtual meeting, asking stockholders to elect three Class II directors, ratify Deloitte and Touche as auditor and hold a non-binding say-on-pay vote.

[ End of Issue 040 ]

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