Odin Space is developing a grid of sub-millimeter sensors for on-orbit monitoring to illuminate blind spots in orbital maps.

The Space Domain Awareness panel at the SmallSat Symposium retired the "Big Sky" theory that space is too vast for collisions to matter.

LeoLabs and commercial startups are addressing tracking limits that currently stem from legacy hardware constraints in the Department of Defense Space Surveillance Network.

Commercial companies are deploying sensors directly in orbit as an alternative to relying solely on legacy ground-based radar systems.

Orbion Space Technology supplies propulsion systems that increase satellite maneuverability, which makes satellites harder to predict and drives demand for improved tracking data.

On-orbit visual sensors provide video-based attribution of collisions and debris sources, analogous to dashcams for Earth vehicle incidents.

Dr. Ed Lu, CTO of LeoLabs, supports a clear separation between space safety/commercial uses and defense/intel/military usages.

The U.S. Department of Commerce handles civil space traffic coordination while the Department of Defense and its commercial partners focus on high-fidelity tracking for defense requirements.

The ApoStructura X account outlined a progressive human-expansion sequence: Moon, Mars, asteroid belt, outer planets, and then the stars.

Elon Musk’s message distinguishes between program start timing and operational priority for SpaceX’s lunar and Martian efforts.

Elon Musk posted on X on 9 February that missions to Mars will start in five or six years and will be developed in parallel with lunar missions, with the Moon as the initial focus.

The available information about SpaceX’s roadmap in this context derives solely from a direct communication on X and not from official documents or technical briefings.

Elon Musk’s roadmap message on X did not include detailed operational deadlines or technical specifications.

SpaceX’s roadmap, as described by Elon Musk, assigns the Moon the role of initial priority while placing Mars on a parallel but initially lower-intensity development trajectory.

The communication on X indicates a different initial allocation of resources between lunar activities and Mars development within SpaceX’s roadmap.

In July 2024, STMD released the 2024 Civil Space Shortfall Ranking document that integrated input from NASA mission directorates and centers, small and large industry organizations, other government agencies, academia, and individuals.

The 2026 effort consolidates the previous list of shortfalls into 32 broader, integrated categories while maintaining the original content’s depth.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate leads the development, demonstration, and infusion of transformational technologies to enhance NASA’s space exploration, benefit life on Earth, and address critical stakeholder needs.

NASA is inviting the public to contribute to the prioritization of technology shortfalls critical to civil space by February 20, 2026.

STMD will use the results of the shortfall ranking to inform the development of technology roadmaps.

NASA identified a list of 32 technology shortfalls that require further development to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs.

STMD’s investment strategy empowers a broad community of innovators and academia through emphasis on early-stage investments.

STMD’s investment strategy aligns with the Presidential Administration and the NASA Administrator’s priorities, including NASA’s Moon to Mars Strategy and Objectives.

STMD’s investment strategy engages NASA’s workforce to deliver innovative solutions to the nation’s toughest technology challenges.

STMD will use the integrated ranked list and annual updates as one of several factors in its investment decision-making.

NASA is collecting feedback through February 20, 2026 about which shortfalls are most important to the aerospace community.

STMD’s investment strategy aims to foster creation and growth of the space economy through partnering with industry and supporting small business innovation.

NASA’s prioritization framework will guide evaluation of current technology development efforts and may inspire new investments within NASA or partnerships with external organizations.

NASA is encouraging all U.S. businesses, organizations, agencies, and individuals with a vested interest in space technology to review the shortfall list and submit feedback.

STMD’s investment strategy encourages transformative, cross-cutting technologies that benefit NASA and other government agencies.

STMD’s investment strategy focuses on investments that support science priorities identified in the Decadal Surveys.

Each of the 32 shortfalls includes a subset of specific functions that must be achieved to overcome that shortfall.

In spring 2024, STMD initiated a collaborative process and published a document overviewing 187 shortfalls and requested the aerospace community to rate their importance.

Dr. Tim Farrar of TMF Associates presided over a panel discussing direct-to-device (D2D) engineering and market challenges at the SmallSat Symposium.

Greg Pelton described Low Earth Orbit satellites as offering intermittent coverage over countries where they lack landing rights, effectively limiting service availability during portions of each orbit.

Skylo operates a network with 13 million connected devices focused on low-bandwidth messaging and asset tracking.

Panelists at the SmallSat Symposium expressed uncertainty about the ultimate global market size for consumer satellite connectivity, citing ranges from $1 billion to $100 billion.

Emergency SOS functionality is valuable from a utility perspective but is unlikely to be monetized as a standalone subscription according to the panel discussion.

Cobham Satcom merged with Gatehouse Satcom, representing a consolidation in the satellite communications supply chain.

Supplemental coverage strategies that do not clear spectrum globally cannot scale to global service.

LEO satellites provide better look angles than geostationary satellites but cannot overcome the limited uplink power of consumer devices.

Industry participants have spent billions launching satellite constellations based on forecasts of a trillion-dollar connectivity market.

Industry engineering solutions to Doppler shifts and timing advances are being developed as commercial products resembling NodeBs in the sky.

The SmallSat Symposium session Cracking the D2D Code: Engineering Solutions to Power, Doppler & Spectrum Locks took place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.

Panel discussion participants advocated for moving away from proprietary technology stacks toward standardization efforts in satellite D2D systems.

Panelists pivoted attention toward Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) for reliable low-bandwidth messaging and asset tracking rather than consumer broadband.

Holding a phone attenuates its RF signal due to body blockage, which reduces uplink performance to satellites.

Iridium CTO Greg Pelton argued that trying to deliver service without dedicated global spectrum is inefficient for LEO satellite operators.

Antennas on commercially available cell phones and smartwatches have insufficient gain for reliable uplink to LEO satellites according to industry engineers.

The merger of Cobham Satcom and Gatehouse Satcom reflects a shift toward industrialized, standardized infrastructure and away from bespoke architectures.