OUTERSPACE TODAYNEWS
← All editionsThursday, September 17, 2026 / Issue 079
[ OST Daily ]

Viasat and Space42 Commit Up to $1B to Equatys, Space Force Names Northrop's RRS-G as Its Space-Based Radar, and EnduroSat Raises $205M

Outerspace Today5 min read / 2026-09-17
OST Daily September 17, 2026 — Viasat and Abu Dhabi's Space42 agreed to formally establish Equatys, a shared direct-to-device and mobile satellite infrastructure company with up to $1 billion in equity commitments and $800 million funded at formation; Space Force Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon named Northrop Grumman's Resilient Radar System-Ground (RRS-G) as the ground moving target indicator constellation set to begin launching within two years; and Bulgaria's EnduroSat raised $205 million, pushing European NewSpace funding past €1 billion for September.
The daily pictureOST editorial illustration · 2026-09-17
[ 01 ]

The briefing

Viasat and Abu Dhabi's Space42 agreed to formally establish Equatys, a shared satellite-and-ground infrastructure company for direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and mobile satellite services, with up to $1 billion in equity committed and $800 million funded at formation, $400 million from each partner pending regulatory approvals and Viasat's appointment as prime technology contractor. European capital kept pace: Bulgaria's EnduroSat closed a $205 million round co-led by Riot Ventures and Atreides Management to build a high-volume US plant and expand near Sofia, taking European NewSpace funding announced since September 1 to about €1.03 billion across five companies.

In defense, Space Force Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon disclosed that the space-based ground moving target indicator (GMTI) program is named RRS-G, that Northrop Grumman builds the satellites and that launches begin within two years. Space Development Agency (SDA) Director G.P. Sandhoo acknowledged the agency has yet to start building the optical mesh network for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, roughly a year behind plan, and called starting it in the next three to four months his top priority. In Maui, Space Command's General Stephen Whiting said the command still lacks the targeting capabilities it needs against adversary space systems.

The launch squeeze kept shaping European deals. SEOPS booked five dedicated Spectrum launches with Isar Aerospace for 2028 to 2030 from Andøya and the planned Nova Scotia pad for its Waymaker rideshare program, on top of a November 2025 booking, as SpaceX ramps down Transporter. Avio CEO Giulio Ranzo said customers SpaceX has turned away are asking Avio for Vega C rides and lobbied European institutions in Paris for help with the higher European price. ESA signed 18 consolidation contracts worth €20 million with nearly 80 companies for the Low-LEO evolution of IRIS², a lower low Earth orbit (LEO) layer.

[ 02 / 6 items ]

The headlines

01

Viasat and Space42 commit up to $1B to Equatys shared D2D infrastructure venture

SpaceX VSAT

Viasat and Abu Dhabi-based Space42 agreed on Monday to formally establish Equatys, a shared satellite-and-ground infrastructure company for direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and mobile satellite services, with up to $1 billion in equity commitments and $800 million funded at formation, Space42 managing director Karim Michel Sabbagh told reporters at World Space Business Week in Paris. Each partner will contribute $400 million upon formation, pending regulatory approvals and Viasat's appointment as prime technology contractor, and Space42 expects to add a further $200 million in a later round open to outside investors.

02

Space Force names Northrop's RRS-G as the ground moving target constellation launching by 2028

NOC

Space Force Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon told reporters at the AFA conference that the service's space-based ground moving target indicator (GMTI) program has been named RRS-G, that Northrop Grumman is building the satellites and that launches begin in the next two years, by 2028.

03

EnduroSat raises $205M as September European NewSpace funding tops €1B

Bulgarian satellite manufacturer EnduroSat announced a $205 million (€178 million) round on September 16 co-led by US investment firms Riot Ventures and Atreides Management, with participation from the European Innovation Council, its second major round in under a year after a $104 million raise in October 2025.

04

SEOPS books five more Spectrum launches with Isar for 2028 to 2030 under its Waymaker program

SpaceX

Launch integrator SEOPS signed a multiple launch service agreement with Isar Aerospace covering five dedicated Spectrum flights between 2028 and 2030 from Andøya in Norway and the Nova Scotia pad under development with Maritime Launch Services, adding to the first dedicated Spectrum launch it bought in November 2025. President Evan Hoyt said the contract was signed the day before Isar's first orbital flight and that the missions feed SEOPS' Waymaker rideshare program as SpaceX ramps down Transporter, with Isar one piece of a deliberately diverse portfolio of rockets.

05

SDA says its optical mesh network is a year behind as optical terminal supply constrains the build

The Space Development Agency has yet to start building the satellite-to-satellite optical mesh network planned for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, Director G.P. Sandhoo told reporters at AFA, putting the effort roughly a year behind the original plan and past the six-month start deadline he set just over six months ago at the Satellite 2026 conference. Sandhoo cited multiple issues, including getting enough of the finely engineered optical heads that must send and receive clear signals yet survive launch, and said starting the build in the next three to four months is the agency's number one priority.

06

ESA signs 18 IRIS² Low-LEO consolidation contracts worth €20M with 80 companies

The European Space Agency signed 18 consolidation contracts on September 17 at ESAC in Madrid totaling €20 million, bringing together nearly 80 companies to study secure connectivity services and mission concepts for the Low-LEO evolution of the EU's IRIS² constellation. ESA Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity Laurent Jaffart said the studies will validate governmental services including secure broadband, maritime, aviation, data relay, and tasking, with outputs feeding potential integration into the operational IRIS² baseline.

[ 03 / +34 / -11 ]

Market pulse

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

Gainers+34
Decliners-11
Big mover FJET+20.1%
AssetSnapshotMoveTrend
FJETStarfighters Space$1.97+20.1%
YSSYork Space Systems$9.76+14.2%
LUNRIntuitive Machines$15.72+12.9%
RBCRBC Bearings$492.56-1.7%
KRMNKarman Space$35.21-1.5%
HXLHexcel$86.94-1.4%
[ 04 / 2 tracked ]

Launch watch

Schedule and countdowns as recorded in the 2026-09-17 edition.

Long March 8A

CASC · Long March 8A · Commercial LC-1 · Wenchang Space Launch Site

Long March 6A

CASC · Long March 6A · LC-9A · Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center

[ 05 / 5 in window ]

Filings

[ End of Issue 079 ]

Back to the bigger picture.

Explore the archive →