NASA would need to complete ongoing testing, resolve technical issues, complete a Certification Review, and fly a crewed Starliner-2 mission before Starliner can receive human-rating certification.

NASA authorized work and began paying milestones for Boeing's Starliner-3 in November 2018 before any Starliner flight test had occurred.

NASA awarded Boeing a $4.2 billion Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract in 2014.

The OIG questioned $127.9 million in Boeing milestone payments for Starliner-3 made since 2019.

The OIG assessed NASA's fall 2026 Starliner certification target as unrealistic.

SpaceX earned human-rating certification in November 2020.

NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.6 billion Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract in 2014.

Boeing's Starliner certification is expected to slip to 2027 at the earliest.

As of March 2026, Boeing remained outside the 12-month lead-time window for Starliner-3.

The Crew Flight Test mission's Type A mishap status was not formally recognized until February 2026, 21 months after the June 2024 mission failed to return crew to Earth.

Boeing had not earned human-rating certification as of June 30, 2026.

NASA's next Starliner flight is planned as an uncrewed cargo run with no launch date set.

NASA needs to procure at least three additional flights to crew the International Space Station through its likely late-2030 deorbit.

NASA can maintain ISS crew rotations into spring 2029 under the current contract structure using Boeing's four contracted flights and SpaceX's three remaining contracted missions.

NASA's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract requires at least 12 months of lead time between authorization to proceed and launch.

NASA's Office of Inspector General released a report on June 30, 2026 that found NASA is operationally dependent on a single commercial crew provider through at least 2027.

The Starlink mini laser terminals on Orion will deliver 4K imagery and video to NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas.

SpaceX demonstrated laser communications capabilities during Fram2 as part of an agreement with NASA.

NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to deliver laser communications capabilities for the Artemis III mission using Starlink.

SpaceX has used Starlink to provide real-time flight video and telemetry data during Starship flight tests.

SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander are among the landers involved in future Artemis missions.

Artemis II used Orion’s own laser terminal to transmit HD videos, photos, and other data from the spacecraft to Earth when Orion had line of sight with ground terminals.

NASA is retiring the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system and shifting toward commercial satellite relay services for near-Earth missions through its Communications Services Project.

NASA will install two Starlink mini laser terminals on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III.

NASA’s Artemis III laser communications capabilities will support astronaut rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and future lunar landers.

The Commercial Space Federation created a State and Local Council to coordinate how states build and connect their commercial space economies.

Membership in the Commercial Space Federation’s State and Local Council is open to state and regional space organizations.

The State and Local Council launched with four founding members: the Texas Space Commission, the Arizona Space Commission, Space Florida, and Space Northwest.

VSMPO-AVISMA accounted for an estimated 25 to 30 percent of the titanium used in Western aerospace manufacturing.

VSMPO-AVISMA remains legally reachable by Western buyers because the United States has not placed the company on the Specially Designated Nationals list.

Boeing cut direct purchases of titanium from Russian sources in 2022.

Airbus drew a larger share of its titanium from VSMPO-AVISMA than Boeing did.

Western aerospace manufacturers still obtain some VSMPO-linked titanium through European mills and pre-war supply agreements.

Airbus continued to honor existing titanium contracts before phasing in diversification of its supply base.

Boeing suspended purchases of titanium from Russian sources in March 2022.

China launched two Saudi remote sensing satellites into low Earth orbit on a Long March 2D mission in 2018.

The China National Space Administration manages China’s civil space activities.

China National Space Administration and Saudi officials held discussions on the China-Saudi Arabia Space Cooperation Agreement, deep-space exploration, space debris, and communications satellites.

The Saudi delegation met with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation President Zhou Jie, Chief Accountant Chen Lin, China National Space Administration Administrator Shan Zhongde, and Chief Engineer Li Guoping.

The BRICS remote sensing satellite constellation currently includes data gathered by China, Russia, Brazil, and India.

China and Saudi Arabia discussed space cooperation while the Saudi announcements placed greater emphasis on artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

Saudi Arabia could both add to and receive data from the BRICS group’s remote sensing satellite constellation if added.

Abdullah Alswaha met with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation President Zhou Jie to strengthen cooperation in localizing space technologies, developing national capabilities in satellite manufacturing, and advancing knowledge transfer.

China contributed a camera to one of the secondary satellites on the Chang’e 4 mission.

The Long March 2D mission that launched the two Saudi remote sensing satellites was a rideshare with twelve total satellites.

Abdullah Alswaha met with officials from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and the China National Space Administration on the sidelines of meetings about artificial intelligence and other technological innovations.

As of a June meeting in Bengaluru, Saudi Arabia was under consideration for addition to the BRICS group’s remote sensing satellite constellation.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is China’s dominant state-owned space contractor.

China National Space Administration and Saudi officials reached broad consensus on cooperation in deep-space exploration, space debris, and communications satellites.

Saudi Arabia and China have a China-Saudi Arabia Space Cooperation Agreement.