01
What changed in aerospace regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
The U.S. Army is establishing a new autonomous systems command to oversee robotic warfare initiatives.
Read at techmeme.com ↗03
Ukraine is seeking to procure tens of thousands of 20mm shells to defend against Russian jet-powered drones.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗04
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command and Project Meridian during a speech at Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday.
Read at gizmodo.com ↗05
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced the rebranding of the company's AI division from SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI.
Read at foxbusiness.com ↗06
On September 29, 2026, the Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee requested that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth conduct a review of the Pentagon's supply chain.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗07
NASA and Boeing announced plans to continue the Starliner program, including adding two additional crewed missions to the International Space Station.
Read at nasa.gov ↗What funding rounds and acquisitions happened in aerospace this week?
The week’s notable investments, financing rounds, acquisitions and strategic deals.
08
German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced funding for tens of thousands of interceptor drones for Ukraine as part of a winter 2026/2027 military aid package.
Read at tech.eu ↗09
Regional officials in Toulouse, France, have officially endorsed a proposed merger between Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo.
Read at spaceintelreport.com ↗10
Satlyt has raised USD 8 million in a seed funding round to develop technology that transforms satellites into virtual AI data centers.
Read at spaceinafrica.com ↗11
London-based space technology company Foundational has emerged from stealth mode, securing £8.2 million in pre-seed funding.
Read at tech.eu ↗12
Space insurance startup Charter Space has successfully raised $5 million in a seed funding round.
Read at payloadspace.com ↗13
Satlyt, a startup co-founded by Rama Afullo, has raised $8 million in a seed funding round.
Read at techcrunch.com ↗14
The US Department of Defense has awarded a $20 billion contract to Boeing for the development of a new stealth fighter jet for the US Navy.
Read at ft.com ↗15
Astranis Space Technologies, based in San Francisco, secured a $468 million credit facility from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗8 of 10 funding and m&a events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What products launched in aerospace this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
16
SpaceX is scheduled to launch 21 Northrop Grumman-manufactured satellites for the U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA) on the T1TL-A mission.
Read at spaceflightnow.com ↗17
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has deployed a domestically produced ballistic missile for the first time.
Read at wsj.com ↗18
SpaceX is preparing to launch the Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the classified NROL-97 payload.
Read at nasaspaceflight.com ↗19
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled for an uncrewed test flight no earlier than December 2026.
Read at gizmodo.com ↗20
Airbus successfully completed the first test flight of its new A350 freighter on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in Toulouse, France.
Read at freightwaves.com ↗21
On September 28, 2026, SpaceX is attempting to launch 26 Starlink V3 satellites into orbit using the Starship rocket.
Read at theverge.com ↗22
SpaceX successfully launched its Starship rocket from South Texas on Monday morning, reaching Earth orbit for the first time.
Read at techcrunch.com ↗23
SpaceX is preparing for the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, scheduled for September 28, 2026, from Starbase.
Read at gizmodo.com ↗8 of 24 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.
24
Montreal-based space-tracking firm NorthStar Earth & Space became a public company on October 2, 2026, following a merger with Viking Acquisition Corp. I. The company began trading on the NYSE American under the ticker NSTR, with a valuation of $300 million and a $30 million private placement.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗25
SpaceX successfully achieved the first orbital flight of its Starship rocket on September 28, 2026, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites.
Read at thestreet.com ↗26
Mizuho Securities analyst Brett Linzey maintained a Buy rating and a $200 price target for SpaceX on September 25, 2026.
Read at thestreet.com ↗27
The UK Financial Conduct Authority is investigating the potential market impact of a $1.8 trillion SpaceX listing.
Read at politico.eu ↗What research was published in aerospace this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
28
Google launched four Tensor processing units into orbit on October 1, 2026, via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to test space-based AI computing under its Project Suncatcher initiative.
Read at fastcompany.com ↗29
The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) released the EU Space Market Report 2026, detailing growth projections for Europe's space economy.
Read at europa.eu ↗30
The National Reconnaissance Office recently declassified information regarding a series of secret electronic intelligence satellites, including URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH, which operated from the 1970s into the 21st century.
Read at thespacereview.com ↗31
NASA has selected three new scientific payload suites under its PRISM program to support the development of a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole.
Read at nasa.gov ↗What incidents and outages hit aerospace this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
32
A Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bomber crashed during a training flight on September 30, 2026.
Read at businessinsider.com ↗33
SpaceX ended its Starship mission after 90 minutes instead of the planned 10 hours.
Read at bbc.co.uk ↗34
The U.S. intelligence satellite USA-32, also known as FARRAH III, unexpectedly broke apart in low-Earth orbit on September 13, 2026.
Read at gizmodo.com ↗What partnerships were announced in aerospace this week?
Partnerships, integrations and joint projects announced this week.
35
On September 29, 2026, NASA officially added Blue Origin's New Glenn 9x4 launch vehicle to its existing NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract.
Read at nasa.gov ↗36
The Africa Space Expo (ASPEX) concluded in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, serving as a marketplace for space applications in agriculture and climate monitoring.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗What people moved in and out of aerospace roles this week?
Executive appointments and departures reported this week.
37
Agile Space Industries announced on September 28, 2026, that Jason Wright will join the company as President.
Read at spacenews.com ↗38
NorthStar Earth & Space, a Montreal-based space intelligence company, promoted Peter Klimas from Executive Director of Engineering to Chief Technology Officer, effective September 24, 2026.
Read at spaceq.ca ↗What else happened in aerospace this week?
Developments from the week that fit none of the other sections.
39
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk publicly criticized Delta Air Lines on X, stating the airline will lose customers for choosing Amazon's Leo satellite service over Starlink.
Read at thestreet.com ↗40
Mike Pyle, CEO of Exchange Income, and Gren Schoch, Chairman and CEO of AirBoss of America, discussed the impact of increased defense spending on Canadian aerospace and manufacturing sectors.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗41
MIT Technology Review announced its 2026 list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch, scheduled for publication on October 6, 2026.
Read at technologyreview.com ↗42
The US interagency counter-drone task force, JIATF-401, is focusing on developing and deploying systems to neutralize small uncrewed aerial systems.
Read at businessinsider.com ↗43
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, is celebrating its 80th anniversary, tracing its origins to the arrival of five NACA engineers at Muroc Army Airfield on September 30, 1946.
Read at nasa.gov ↗44
Defense companies in the United States are struggling to increase missile production due to long-term underinvestment and inconsistent government contracting.
Read at wsj.com ↗45
The Pentagon is developing 'Golden Dome,' an integrated air and missile defense architecture with cost estimates ranging from $252 billion to $3.6 trillion.
Read at warontherocks.com ↗7 of 14 other developments events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.