Space
Where it stands
As of 20 July 2026
Orbit is getting crowded faster than the rules that govern it, while the ability to reach it spreads to more countries and defence budgets pay for most of the growth.
Forces in tension
each Starlink satellite swerved 40+ times last year; working satellites rose from 10,000 to 16,000 in two years
no manoeuvre-disclosure requirement, TraCSS still standing up, and a space mirror cleared because the harm fell outside the agency's remit
US launch contract ceiling tripled to $17bn; $8.1bn into satellite firms in six months, much of it against NATO backlogs
Japan hopped and landed its RV-X prototype; China landed a stage during an orbital launch; Rocket Lab test-fired Archimedes
a lunar lander cancelled after slipping from 2025 to 2031; Starship Flight 13 aborted with the clock at zero
India's first private orbital rocket flew; seven firms including three newcomers now eligible for US national-security launch
What to watch
Whether licensing decisions start asking operators for their expected collision-avoidance load before approval, instead of after a near miss.
This board is the synthesized picture of 9 recent Space editions. It describes where things stand — the forces, not a forecast, and never advice on what to do.