The Exploration Company considers Orbex and The Exploration Company to be complementary businesses.

The Exploration Company is working closely with the UK government to ensure that a combined business reinforces the UK’s launcher roadmap.

Orbex was founded in 2015.

On 21 January Orbex published a press release that a letter of intent had been signed, that negotiations had begun, and that transaction details remain confidential.

The Exploration Company is developing a high-thrust reusable rocket engine called Typhoon under a CNES-financed project.

The Exploration Company will respect the confidentiality of the sale process.

The Exploration Company has raised €225 million since its founding in 2021.

The memorandum of understanding provides the Qatar Armed Forces with satellite communication services, ground infrastructure, and secure, flexible network solutions to support sovereign and operational requirements for government and military entities.

Es’hailSat entered an enhanced partnership with the Qatar Armed Forces to provide industry experience and knowledge that complements the Qatar Armed Forces’ sovereign role in protecting national security, supporting defense capabilities, and ensuring operational readiness under all circumstances.

The Qatar Amiri Signal Corps oversees and maintains secure, sovereign, and resilient communications systems that underpin command, control, and mission continuity across Qatar’s defense sector.

Es’hailSat and the Qatar Armed Forces signed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 21 to provide satellite communications and ground networks for sovereign requirements.

Es’hailSat and the Qatar Armed Forces will strengthen frameworks for joint cooperation and exchange of technical and technological expertise to serve their national and strategic interests.

The Qatar Amiri Signal Corps advances field operations support, delivers technical and operational expertise, and enables sustainable communications in both routine and emergency environments.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) explained the investigation status of the H3 rocket No. 8 launch failure on January 20.

The H3 rocket No. 8 second stage engine's second burn did not properly start and terminated early.

Video of the first-stage/second-stage separation shows an object resembling a satellite.

H3 rocket No. 8 failed to place the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System satellite Michibiki-5 into its planned orbit.

JAXA estimates that second stage ignition created a relative distance between the second stage vehicle and the satellite.

Telemetry items from the satellite separation section (acceleration and temperature) were acquired normally until first stage engine shutdown and then experienced a line break at the first-stage/second-stage separation point.

While the first stage engine was still firing, the first stage continued to push the satellite and they flew together as one unit.

The second stage engine's first burn produced thrust 20–35% lower than expected but its burn time was only about 5% longer and it reached the planned parking orbit.

When the first stage engine shut down, the force pushing the satellite from the first stage disappeared and the satellite separated from the vehicle.

JAXA will continue investigating the cause of the launch failure, focusing on the event immediately after fairing separation and working with organizations related to Michibiki-5 while considering all possibilities.

During fairing separation, part of the satellite mounting structure was damaged or destroyed by an unknown factor.

H3 rocket No. 8 launched on December 22, 2025.

The telemetry break at separation indicates that part of the satellite mounting structure likely detached from the rocket while remaining attached to the satellite.

JAXA concluded that the observed second stage performance is consistent with the satellite being absent and the second stage being lighter at the time of second-stage ignition.

CATALYST demonstration systems are supported on x86 platforms and ARM architectures.

CATALYST processes imagery from raw sensor data to analysis-ready products in seconds rather than hours.

CATALYST supports emergency response, intelligence and surveillance operations, and commercial use cases that require rapid access to accurate data.

PCI Geomatics operates under the CATALYST brand and delivers in-orbit edge data processing capabilities to optimise satellite performance and reduce time to generate usable Earth observation imagery.

PCI Geomatics has deployed over 30,000 CATALYST licences across more than 150 countries worldwide.

CATALYST Edge Processing transforms imagery into analysis-ready, map-accurate products while still in orbit.

The solution supports full multispectral processing across eight bands.

Shifting orthorectification and geolocation from the ground segment to space reduces reliance on downlink bandwidth and ground infrastructure.

CATALYST integrates advanced orthorectification and geolocation algorithms into an onboard processing pipeline optimised for modern radiation-tolerant processors.

Kevin Jones is chief product officer of PCI Geomatics.

CATALYST Edge Processing enables near real-time orthorectification and geolocation to be performed directly onboard satellites.

CATALYST filters and prioritises onboard data so that only the most critical information is transmitted to Earth.

CATALYST’s edge processing capabilities draw on more than four decades of photogrammetric expertise.

CATALYST Edge Processing is available for integration during satellite design or build phases.

The ability to discard unusable data onboard before it consumes storage or downlink bandwidth delivers operational cost savings and improves overall mission efficiency.

CATALYST Edge Processing is intended to support time-critical applications across defence, disaster response, maritime domain awareness, and commercial Earth observation markets.

CATALYST is designed to leave sufficient power and compute capacity available for onboard artificial intelligence analytics, including tip-and-cue operations and direct-to-customer data delivery.

CATALYST uses a sensor-agnostic architecture with configurable workflows to support a wide range of satellite platforms from small satellite constellations to government missions.

CATALYST builds on processing heritage from more than 70 aerial and satellite sensors.

June McAlarey is chief executive officer of PCI Geomatics.

Carlos Fernández de la Peña is the chief executive officer of Telespazio Ibérica.

Telespazio Ibérica won a contract from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide secure, high-capacity satellite connectivity to ships patrolling the European Union’s maritime borders.

Telespazio Ibérica plans to expand its satellite connectivity offering by 2026 into new maritime segments including ferries, recreational vessels, yachts, and large sailing vessels.