Vast delayed the launch of its commercial space station Haven-1 to no earlier than Q1 2027.

Vast is on track to finish all three integration phases of Haven-1 and complete environmental tests this year.

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will transport astronauts to Haven-1 and provide the station’s life support and power.

Vast requires SpaceX to be convinced of Haven-1’s safety through contractual agreements and verification events before SpaceX will place a crew on Dragon to visit the station.

Haven-1 had been expected to launch in 2026 before its schedule was moved to no earlier than Q1 2027.

Starlab is planning to launch a two-module commercial space station in 2029.

Haven-1 is expected to be able to host a maximum of four commercial astronauts for missions lasting up to two weeks.

The appropriations bill allocates approximately $13 billion for missile defense and space programs to support the Golden Dome initiative.

The Space Force’s original Fiscal Year 2026 budget request eliminated funding for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer.

The House and Senate leadership negotiated an agreement that fully funds the Department of Defense’s pivot toward space-based interceptors and integrated sensor networks.

Congressional appropriators released the Joint Explanatory Statement for the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act.

The appropriations bill reflects a view that reliance on ground-based radars is insufficient against maneuvering hypersonic threats.

The House is expected to vote on the consolidated appropriations package that includes the Defense and Homeland Security division titles before the measure moves to the Senate for final approval and then to the President for signature.

The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act prioritizes the Golden Dome missile defense architecture and reverses proposed cuts to the Space Development Agency’s proliferated constellations.

Golden Dome is a multi-layered missile defense shield established by Executive Order 14186 issued by President Trump.

The final Joint Explanatory Statement adds $500 million to keep the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 3 Transport Layer on schedule.

Gen. Michael Guetlein is the program director for the Golden Dome architecture.

The Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer is a mesh network of low Earth orbit data relays intended to expand without production gaps.

The Joint Explanatory Statement restores funding for the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

The $500 million restoration of Tranche 3 funding aligns with Space Development Agency contract awards to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab.

Sam Wilson is the director of strategy at The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy.

The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act topline is $838.7 billion.

BlackSky’s Gen-3 monitoring services provide high-cadence, low-latency imagery and analytics.

BlackSky began launching its upgraded Gen-3 satellites in early 2025.

BlackSky launched its latest Gen-3 satellite in November 2025.

BlackSky customers are prioritizing time-sensitive imagery and analytics.

Customers that participated in BlackSky’s early access pilot programs for Gen-3 are converting those pilots into renewal deals.

BlackSky did not name specific customers in the company’s announcement about Gen-3 expansion contracts.

Eighty-five percent of BlackSky’s funded backlog reported in last year’s financial report was from international customers.

BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellites are designed to deliver 35-centimeter imagery with sub-hourly image collection speeds.

BlackSky has secured multiple expansion contracts for its Gen-3 satellite program from customers in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

BlackSky’s expansion in international deals aligns with global trends in defense spending.

OQ Technology’s satellite layer complements Eseye’s terrestrial network partnerships to provide consistent, always-on data transmission across both infrastructures.

OQ Technology’s S-band LEO satellites are designed to deliver low-latency, high-reliability connectivity for IoT and machine-to-machine applications.

OQ Technology formed a partnership with Eseye on Jan. 20.

The OQ Technology and Eseye partnership targets industries including maritime, logistics, energy, mining, agriculture, and environmental monitoring.

The 3GPP Release 17-based integration enables IoT devices to automatically roam between cellular and satellite coverage.

The partnership leverages the 3GPP Release 17 standard to extend multi-RAT connectivity to non-terrestrial networks.

OQ Technology’s LEO satellites operate in S-band spectrum.

The partnership integrates OQ Technology’s Low-Earth Orbit satellite constellation with Eseye’s AnyNet Connectivity Hub to create a unified ecosystem that bridges terrestrial and satellite networks through a single SIM solution.

Eseye is a U.K.-based provider of global Internet of Things connectivity solutions.

SLS is a super-heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA to support the Artemis program.

Successful completion of Artemis II will certify the integrated launch system consisting of SLS, Orion, and the European Service Module for future lunar crewed missions.

The European Service Module will provide propulsion for the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission.

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is positioned on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral for the Artemis II mission.

Artemis II will carry four astronauts inside the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day circumlunar mission with return to Earth.

Airbus Space posted on X on 19 January 2026 an image confirming the SLS rocket on the launch pad and the readiness of the launch system for Artemis II.

The SLS configuration used for Artemis II is designed to support crewed flight following the uncrewed Artemis I test.

Artemis II is the first crewed flight of the Artemis program.

The four astronauts aboard Orion on Artemis II will test life support, navigation, and communication systems in operational conditions during a circumlunar flight.