September 8, 2026 — Orbit vs. Capital: Isar Flies, Stoke Bets Big Before Liftoff
Two very different bets against SpaceX's reusable-launch dominance landed the same day: Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket reached orbit on its second flight, the first commercial orbital launch from We...
8 Sep 11min
September 7, 2026 — Europe's First Commercial Orbital Launch: Hype vs. Manifest
Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket reached orbit from Norway, becoming the first fully commercial European launch to make it to space — plus Cape Canaveral pad progress from Stoke Space and Relativity, ...
7 Sep 12min
September 6, 2026 — Is Satellite Data's Biggest Beneficiary Also Its Biggest Risk?
Planet Labs posts a record quarter fueled by a defense and intelligence surge, but the four-billion-dollar pipeline behind it is still mostly a promise. Plus: NASA adds a new dish to its strained Deep...
6 Sep 10min
September 5, 2026 — Rockets, Rockets, and a Diplomatic Rupture in Paris
The weekly recap: Roman's flagship launch, Blue Origin's Mars comms win, Europe's billion-euro IRIS2 order, Orion's heat shield vindication, Isar Aerospace's latest scrub, China's new listing rules fo...
5 Sep 12min
September 4, 2026 — Isaacman vs. McAlister: How Much of NASA Should Be Commercial?
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly clashes with former commercial-space chief Phil McAlister over how far NASA should push commercialization as Falcon 9's retirement looms and Starliner stays ...
4 Sep 11min
September 3, 2026 — Blue Origin's $700 Million Mars Bet
NASA hands Blue Origin a $700 million fixed-price contract to build the Mars Telecommunications Network — but the rocket that will presumably launch it, New Glenn, exploded on the pad in May. Plus: Ch...
3 Sep 11min
September 2, 2026 — The Funding Keeps Growing, The Rocket Still Hasn't Flown
PLD Space piles another €108 million onto its already-growing Series C round as it races toward Miura 5's first flight, plus a new Chinese liquid-fueled rocket, a German launch startup's fresh raise, ...
2 Sep 12min
September 1, 2026 — Inside the FAA's Power to Ground a Rocket Company
Today's episode is an Orbit 101 on the Federal Aviation Administration's role as the safety gatekeeper for commercial launch and reentry — what its licensing power actually covers, why a suspended lic...
1 Sep 11min
