Aviation Week — As the U.S. Space Force embraces commercial technology, in-space servicing companies are urging the Pentagon to consider a logistics layer. The Defense Department is partnering with Astroscale U.S. to develop a 660-lb. satellite to refuel two Space Force assets in geostationary orbit next summer.

Aerospace America — Aerospace’s Marty Ross commented on a project that will study the mesosphere: “The space enterprise will have to better understand mesospheric dynamics and variability as well as mysterious clouds at the edge of space caused by rocket exhaust and meteoroid and space debris ablation.”

Air and Space Forces — The Space Force expects to award $905 million in contracts over the next five years through a new Maneuverable GEO program, which aims to form a commercial fleet of communication satellites that can shift around in geosynchronous orbit.

SpaceNews — Quantum Space says it plans to launch its first Ranger spacecraft in mid-2026 to demonstrate its capabilities for national security missions.

Aviation Week — After a 5.5-year hiatus, JAXA is poised to debut the HTV-X spacecraft, which can carry 6.5 tons of cargo. It can also be loaded 24 hours before launch, compared with 80 hours for its predecessor.

Via Satellite — The second batch of U.S. Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 1, Transport Layer communications satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the 21 Lockheed Martin satellites.

MeriTalk — The Space Force activated a new acquisition unit tasked with advancing its efforts across narrowband, tactical, and strategic satellite communications (SATCOM) systems. The new unit falls under Space Systems Command (SSC), and is the latest “System Delta” created to integrate acquisition personnel and Space Force operators into unified teams.

Ars Technica — The Orion spacecraft, which will fly four people around the Moon, arrived inside the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 16, ready to be stacked on top of its rocket for launch early next year.

Air and Space Forces — At AFA’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including deepening connections between operational units and acquisition teams, scouring procurement plans to find ways to integrate commercial capabilities, and investing in its military and civilian workforce.

The Hill — The U.S. Space Force announced that SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have been given contracts for high-priority national security missions budgeted in fiscal year 2026.