01
What changed in aerospace regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Boeing an exemption to continue producing the 777F freighter for three years beyond the 2027 deadline for new fuel-efficiency standards.
Read at theloadstar.com ↗03
The United States administration under President Donald Trump is preparing a $2.8 billion arms package for Israel, which includes 60,000 heavy bombs.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗04
The U.S. Department of State has initiated a new space-diplomacy effort to manage international relations in the space sector.
Read at payloadspace.com ↗05
On September 15, 2026, US Space Force General Douglas Schiess confirmed that the Pentagon has deployed active space-based weapons platforms.
Read at futurism.com ↗06
The United States military has officially acknowledged the presence of weapons in space.
Read at ft.com ↗07
US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed on September 14, 2026, at the Air, Space, Cyber Conference that the United States has deployed active space-control weapons into Earth's orbit.
Read at theguardian.com ↗What funding rounds and acquisitions happened in aerospace this week?
The week’s notable investments, financing rounds, acquisitions and strategic deals.
08
Tech.eu reported on over 70 European tech funding deals totaling more than €1.7 billion for the week of September 18, 2026.
Read at tech.eu ↗09
NASA has awarded SpaceX a contract modification for three additional crewed missions to the International Space Station, designated as Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17.
Read at nasa.gov ↗10
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Antares a $161 million contract to demonstrate the R1-S nuclear reactor for space flight certification.
Read at ans.org ↗11
Sophia Space and SLI have finalized terms for a satellite leasing agreement valued at $300 million.
Read at payloadspace.com ↗12
UK-based satellite startup Open Cosmos has raised €300 million in a new funding round.
Read at sifted.eu ↗What products launched in aerospace this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
13
Flexjet has taken delivery of its first Embraer Praetor 600E private jet as part of a $7 billion agreement to purchase 182 aircraft.
Read at thestreet.com ↗14
On September 17, 1976, NASA unveiled its first space shuttle orbiter, OV-101, named Enterprise, at a ceremony in Palmdale, California.
Read at nasa.gov ↗15
South Korean company Satrec Initiative is collaborating with its parent company, Hanwha Systems, to develop 10-centimeter-class optical satellites.
Read at spacenews.com ↗16
During European Mobility Week 2026, the EU Agency for the Space Programme highlighted the integration of Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus technologies into public transport systems across Europe.
Read at europa.eu ↗17
SEOPS launched its Books Five mission aboard an Isar Aerospace Spectrum rocket on September 16, 2026.
Read at payloadspace.com ↗18
MDA Space unveiled its three-tier CHORUS Earth observation software portfolio at the World Space Business Week conference in Paris on September 16, 2026.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗19
SpaceX has informed prospective commercial customers that the Falcon 9 rocket is no longer accepting new launch reservations.
Read at spaceintelreport.com ↗20
Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Sept. 4, 2026, to mass-produce the Arion-SMET, the South Korean military's first multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle.
Read at thelec.net ↗8 of 18 product launches events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What financial results were reported in aerospace this week?
Earnings, guidance and other financial results reported this week.
21
U.S. venture-backed technology companies have raised nearly $90 billion in domestic public offerings in 2026.
Read at crunchbase.com ↗22
AeroVironment's BlueHalo unit secured a Pentagon contract worth up to $99.8 million for space systems research.
Read at thestreet.com ↗What research was published in aerospace this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
23
Defence and tech companies are participating in the annual Jammertest exercise in Norway.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗24
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified a new 728-foot wide impact crater named McGetchin on the Moon.
Read at sciencedaily.com ↗25
New York-based startup Icarus Robotics has conducted testing of its Joy free-flying mobile robot platform in Canada.
Read at spacenews.com ↗26
On September 16, 2026, NASA released a new composite image of the spiral galaxy Messier 64, also known as the Black Eye Galaxy, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI instrument.
Read at nasa.gov ↗27
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has proposed building a self-growing city on the Moon within 10 years.
Read at gizmodo.com ↗28
A recent research paper published in September 2026 indicates that lunar water resources are insufficient to support a large metropolis, contrary to Elon Musk's vision of a self-growing city of millions.
Read at forbes.com ↗29
NASA's Curiosity rover conducted scientific investigations on Mars between Sols 5002 and 5009.
Read at nasa.gov ↗30
Brig. Gen. Steven P. Carpenter, commanding general of the U.S. Army's Multi-Domain Command – Europe, discussed the results of the Arcane Thunder 26 exercise.
Read at warontherocks.com ↗What incidents and outages hit aerospace this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
31
Debris identified as a Dongfeng-15 missile was discovered in the Yemeni desert.
Read at wsj.com ↗32
The United States military expended 70 or more Patriot and Thaad interceptor missiles to counter an attack on Jordan.
Read at wsj.com ↗What partnerships were announced in aerospace this week?
Partnerships, integrations and joint projects announced this week.
33
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) signed a memorandum of understanding on September 18, 2026, to collaborate on aerospace research and specialist training.
Read at thelec.net ↗34
Antares and Centrus have signed a multi-year contract for the supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to support Antares' advanced reactor projects.
Read at world-nuclear-news.org ↗35
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed a deeper partnership between Canada and the European Union during a visit to Strasbourg, France, which concluded on September 17, 2026.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗36
LIG Defense&Aerospace Co., Ltd. (LIG D&A) participated in the launch of the 'Defense Supply Chain Security Win-Win Partnership' on September 17, 2026, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul, South Korea.
Read at thelec.net ↗37
General Motors has agreed to manufacture components for Patriot missiles for Lockheed Martin.
Read at semafor.com ↗38
Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation, in partnership with the BMC3I TAP Lab, has officially selected the participant teams for Cohort 26.A.
Read at spacenews.com ↗39
Satellite D2D provider Elveo has selected Apex Space to manufacture its 320-satellite constellation.
Read at spaceintelreport.com ↗40
Hanwha Systems signed a contract on September 9, 2026, with the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) to develop a space-based surveillance satellite and a ground-linked situational awareness system.
Read at thelec.net ↗8 of 10 partnerships events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What else happened in aerospace this week?
Developments from the week that fit none of the other sections.
41
German Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Fort Worth, Texas, during the week of September 18, 2026, to inspect F-35 fighter jets destined for Germany.
Read at gmfus.org ↗42
Russia is deploying jet-powered drones in the conflict in Ukraine as a new innovation in robotic warfare.
Read at wsj.com ↗43
MIT Technology Review hosted a live roundtable event on September 16, 2026, featuring Will Douglas Heaven and Grace Huckins to discuss existential risks posed by artificial intelligence.
Read at technologyreview.com ↗44
The uncrewed Progress 96 cargo spacecraft launched on a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 16, 2026, carrying three tons of supplies to the International Space Station.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗45
Elon Musk discussed the potential merger of Tesla and SpaceX during the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
Read at thestreet.com ↗5 of 12 other developments events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.