Lunar Development Conference 2026

https://ldc.moonsociety.org/

Annual event hosted by the Moon Society focuses on the technologies and policies required to build a permanent lunar human presence. Topics to include multi-agent social robotics and human-AI coordination for lunar logistics, testing autonomous mining systems in analog lava tubes and embedding ergonomics into lunar habitat architecture, space law, and economic development roadblocks. $0-$35. Online. July 17-18, 2026.

The 2026 Humans to the Moon & Mars Summit

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2026-humans-to-the-moon-mars-summit-registration-1972668527669

Workshops and plenary sessions around the goal of achieving a permanent human presence on the Moon in this decade and Mars in the next. Topics to include Moon and Mars architecture and systems, science, human health, policy, STEM education, and more. From $160.94. Houston, TX. July 21-23, 2026.

Small Satellite Conference 2026

https://smallsat.org/

Explore the latest technologies driving constellation success under the theme, "The Clouds Above the Clouds" and help shape the future of small satellites as the 40th Annual Small Satellite Conference celebrates the vision and collaboration that propelled the industry forward over the past four decades. $350-$1000. Salt Lake City, UT. August 23-26, 2026.

SPACESCIENCE2026

https://spacescience.researchconnects.org

Sessions covering satellite technology, spacecraft propulsion, space robotics, AI applications in space, active debris remediation, and human spaceflight. $499-$1099. Venice, Italy. August 26-27, 2026.

Space for Inspiration 2026

https://bsgn.esa.int/s4i-2026/

The European Space Agency with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science Denmark will host companies, researchers and investors working at the front edge of commercial space exploration with the theme, "Scaling Research and Production in Space." The conference will highlight four markets with new opportunities for research and production in space. €289-€558. Copenhagen, Denmark. September 1-2, 2026.

3rd Space Visions Symposium 

https://cctsonline.org/space-visions-symposium-3/

The Canaveral Council of Technical Societies brings Karman Line Co-Founder Jim Thomas alongside other speakers to discuss requirements for structures and systems to support space exploration and settlement, construction of large structures in space, logistics support, and in-orbit spacecraft services. $20-$50. Rockledge, FL. September 11, 2026.

World Space Business Week

https://wsbw.com/

Connect with decision-makers, investors and partners in the global space ecosystem from over 600 organizations representing more than 60 countries. Speakers include Firefly CEO Jason Kim, Seraphim CEO and General Partner Mark Boggest, and Vast CEO Max Haot. Paris, France. €660-€3,740. September 14-17, 2026.

AMOS Conference

https://amostech.com/

The 2026 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference features a multi-day program on Space Situational/Domain Awareness including Technical Short Courses, the EMER-GEN® program for young professionals, Policy Forum discussions, featured presentations and technical sessions, plus poster sessions, exhibit receptions and special events. $150-$2,295. Virtual and in-person: Maui, HI. September 15-18, 2026.

Inaugural Texas Space Summit 2026

https://www.texasspacesummit.com/

This Texas-led effort to drive humanity's expansion into deep space emphasizes a collaborative environment for industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators while highlighting Texas's leadership in the space sector. $795. San Antonio, TX. September 21-23, 2026.

Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment 2026

https://www.ssgsconference.com/

SSGS, the only conference dedicated exclusively to the satellite ground segment, returns to explore opportunities and vendor capabilities, share insights and solutions revolutionizing bandwidth and connectivity, as well as celebrate Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment 2026 awardees. £220-£250. London, UK. September 30-October 1, 2026.

International Astronautical Congress 2026  

https://www.iac2026.org/

The 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026) is organized by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and will be hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). The event gathers over 6,000 space sector professionals and researchers, with 2026's core theme "The World Needs More Space" emphasizing international cooperation, space safety, accessibility, and peaceful exploration. €0-€1,950. Antalya, Turkey. October 5-9, 2026.

2026 Mars Society International Convention

https://convention.marssociety.org/

The International Mars Society Convention brings together scientists, engineers, and visionaries to advance human exploration and settlement of Mars. $0-$350. Los Angeles, CA. October 22-24, 2026.

Silicon Valley Space Week

https://svspaceweek.com/

This year's SVSW focuses on space defense tactics, secure satellite communications, and improving collaboration between commercial tech companies and government/military buyers. Professionals in the space sector are invited to the Satellite Innovation Conference targeting commercial space, and the MilSat Symposium, targeting national security and defense. $150-$1,895. Online and in-person in Mountain View, California. October 27-29, 2026.

Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge

https://rmpc.nasatechleap.org/

NASA Flight Opportunities is inviting applicants to propose payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit, to advance persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. Up to three winners will each receive up to $500,000 to develop a flight-ready payload and demonstrate it in orbit in early 2028. A virtual information session is available on June 18. Phase 1 deadline August 12, 2026.

NANA Space Roboticist Challenge

https://spaceroboticistchallenge.com/

Selected researchers will run experiments on the Fly Foundational Robots' 7-Degree-of-Freedom robotic arm mission in low Earth orbit. Teams gain access to simulation and validation facilities at Goddard Space Flight Center, working directly with NASA engineers on your experiment design. Launch Webinar: June 24, 2026. Registration Close Date: September 23, 2026.

Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge

https://www.herox.com/NASARockandRoll

NASA is seeking innovative designs for a lightweight, compliant and durable rover wheel capable of carrying heavy cargo, handling freezing lunar nights and sprinting across sharp regolith at 24 km/h. The phased challenge is open to students, independent inventors and aerospace firms. The current phase Involves live physical prototype testing at the NASA Johnson Space Center Rock Yard. Prize: $155,000. Submission Deadline: November 4, 2025.

NASA TechPort

https://techport.nasa.gov/help/fundingOpportunities

TechPort is designed to help external innovators, companies, researchers, and students find appropriate avenues to fund and develop technology in collaboration with NASA. The Interactive Funding Locator Tool allows users to scan open or upcoming NASA opportunities while the Direct Access to Official Space Agency Portals point users to the selection, evaluation, and proposal submission frameworks across NASA's primary directorates. 

SpaceNews Job Exchange

https://jobs.spacenews.com/

Find jobs, post openings and connect at this launchpad for space industry careers.

The solar system's biggest space jobs site | Space Crew

https://spacecrew.com/

Accelerate your space career with email alerts for key space industry insights and over 4000 space company jobs.

Jobs in the Space Field & Tech Industry | Space Talent

https://www.spacetalent.org/

Space Talent is a resource for careers at the intersection of space and tech. They match employers with top talent while providing insights and resources to grow your career.

Add your event or campaign. Contact us for details.

Blue Origin, for the first time, is expected to raise private capital

https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/07/blue-origin-for-the-first-time-is-expected-to-raise-private-capital/

Blue Origin is raising external private capital for the first time since its founding in 2000. The company is in talks to secure $10 billion in outside funding at a pre-money valuation of $130 billion. Coatue Management is expected to lead the round with a $4 billion investment and Jeff Bezos will add $2 billion of his own capital. Blue Origin has announced two megaconstellation projects – TeraWave Internet to provide high-speed connectivity for enterprise customers, and Project Sunrise, a space-based data center constellation of up to 51,600 satellites.

Helsing raises $1.8 billion in Europe’s biggest defense-startup round

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2026/07/13/helsing-raises-18-billion-in-europes-biggest-defense-startup-round/

European defense technology company Helsing raised $1.8 billion in a Series E round valuing the company at $18 billion, the largest private funding round for a European defense startup to date. The oversubscribed round included Lightspeed Venture Partners, General Catalyst, Accel, ICONIQ, Goldman Sachs Alternatives, JPMorgan, and CPP Investments, underscoring growing investor confidence in Europe's defense technology sector.

TerraFirma Raises $115M to Accelerate Construction on Earth and Beyond

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260714397606/en/TerraFirma-Raises-%24115M-to-Accelerate-Construction-on-Earth-and-Beyond

Founded by two former SpaceX engineers, construction tech startup TerraFirma raised $115 million including a $100M Series A led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Glade Brook Capital Partners, PEAK6, Magnetar Capital, and others. The Austin-based company aims to cut costs and improve safety to remotely operate heavy equipment on Earth. TerraFirma intends to use the capital to build a Texas factory and a mission control center as part of its long-term vision to build interplanetary infrastructure on Mars.

Venus Aerospace raises $90M Series B to build a new kind of rocket engine

https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/08/venus-aerospace-raises-90m-series-b-to-build-a-new-kind-of-rocket-engine/

Venus Aerospace closed a $91 million Series B round led by Houston-based Mercury Fund, with backing from Lockheed Martin Ventures, PEAK6, Draper Associates, MESH, and others. The round will go towards scaling the company's domestic supply chain, expanding its Texas-based engineering team, and building a much larger test stand to push full-scale, mass production of its highly efficient, supersonic Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE). 

GV backs new space fintech Nebex in $30m seed round

https://www.fintechfutures.com/venture-capital-funding/nebex-30m-seed-round

New York-based startup Nebex secured $30 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Google Ventures and Eniac Ventures, with participation from 2048 Ventures, Better Tomorrow Ventures, and Trajectory Capital Management among others. The funding is slated for development and scaling of Nebex's flagship platform, Nebra Exchange, a B2B digital marketplace connecting rocket and satellite manufacturers, private space investors, and foreign governments looking to procure space capabilities.

Southern Launch closes $25 million funding round lead by Australia’s leading National Security Investment Firm Brindabella and Company and the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation

https://www.southernlaunch.space/news-feed/southern-launch-closes-25-million-funding-round

Aerospace firm Southern Launch closed a $25 million Series A round aimed at accelerating Australia’s sovereign launch and space return infrastructure. The round was led by Brindabella and Company with a $10 million direct equity investment from the Australian government's National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. Other investors include former Macquarie Group executives Nicholas Moore and Alex Harvey, and Coupland Asset Management. 

Spanish IoT Startup FOSSA Secures $10M in Funding

https://www.satellitetoday.com/finance/2026/06/24/spanish-iot-startup-fossa-secures-10m-in-funding/

Spanish satellite IoT startup FOSSA Systems secured €9.25 million ($10.5 million) in growth capital to expand its operations and accelerate its planned 80-satellite constellation, which will provide low-latency, real-time data coverage globally. The round was co-led by Nabtesco Technology Ventures and Indico Capital Partners, with participation from Newmind Venture and Sabadell Venture Capital.

Polish SpaceTech startup Sybilla exits bootstrapped orbit with over €8 million to strengthen space monitoring

https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/06/polish-spacetech-startup-sybilla-exits-bootstrapped-orbit-with-over-e8-million-to-strengthen-space-monitoring/

Polish SpaceTech company Sybilla Technologies closed its first external funding round exceeding €8 million (over $9 million) led by TCEE Fund IV and Vinci. The startup operates 50 robotic optical Space Situational Awareness and Space Traffic Management sensors deployed across six continents. The capital injection will go towards scaling its infrastructure and expanding into international markets, including a push into the US.

SpaceX targets July 16 for Starship Flight 13, reveals what went wrong on previous launch

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-targets-july-16-for-starship-flight-13-reveals-what-went-wrong-on-previous-launch

SpaceX is targeting July 16 for Starship Flight 13, following the FAA's completion of its investigation into Flight 12. The mission will be the second flight of the upgraded Starship Version 3 vehicle. It is expected to deploy 20 operational Starlink V3 satellites, which will test new communications capabilities before intentionally reentering the atmosphere after about 20 minutes due to Starship's suborbital trajectory on this launch. Flight 13 will also continue testing Starship's reusability, including another attempt at controlled booster recovery and in-space engine relight.

Amazon Leo Constellation Ready to Support Initial Service After ULA Mission

https://www.satellitetoday.com/connectivity/2026/07/02/amazon-leo-constellation-ready-to-support-initial-service-after-ula-mission/

Following a successful ULA mission on July 2 deploying 29 satellites and reaching 396 satellites in total, Amazon Leo is officially ready to support initial continuous internet connectivity services for early beta customers and enterprise partners within targeted geographic zones. Amazon is aggressively scaling toward building out a network of over 3,200 satellites over the coming years to achieve high-speed, low-latency commercial internet coverage across the globe to compete with SpaceX's Starlink network.

OPTIMISM (Operational Perseverance Twin for Integration of Mechanisms and Instruments Sent to Mars), the full-scale engineering model of NASA's Perseverance rover at the Mars Yard at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

'PROMISE' me the moon? NASA wants to send spare nuclear-powered Mars rover to the lunar surface

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/promise-me-the-moon-nasa-wants-to-send-spare-nuclear-powered-mars-rover-to-the-lunar-surface

NASA is evaluating a plan to send a spare, nuclear-powered Mars rover to the lunar south pole to accelerate its Moon Base program. Full-scale Curiosity and Perseverance engineering model OPTIMISM has been renamed PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration) for its proposed lunar flight. PROMISE is built to run on a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, rather than solar power, an advantage at the lunar south pole. NASA also announced $600 million in commercial contracts through CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) alongside the PROMISE proposal.

SpaceX just launched the 1st-ever nuclear-powered commercial satellite

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-just-launched-the-1st-ever-nuclear-powered-commercial-satellite

SpaceX launched the world’s first commercially built satellite to carry a nuclear-powered payload. CubeSat BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) houses a proprietary NanoTritium betavoltaic micropower source that captures high-energy electrons (beta particles) emitted by the natural decay of tritium and converts them directly into electricity. BOHR's primary satellite functions still rely on traditional solar panels, but the tritium payload operates independently to prove that small, privately built nuclear batteries can survive launch and function reliably in space. 

Webb’s First Deep Field, a composite of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago, taken by JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Image Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

Astrophysicists Puzzle Over Webb’s New Universe

https://www.quantamagazine.org/astrophysicists-puzzle-over-webbs-new-universe-20260702/

Since beginning operations in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered surprisingly massive galaxies, supermassive black holes, and "little red dots" that appear far earlier in cosmic history than standard models predict. While Webb has not disproven the standard cosmological model, it has revealed that the earliest billion years of the universe were far more dynamic and complex than previously thought.

Many black holes had past lives, new research shows

https://news.mit.edu/2026/many-black-holes-had-past-lives-new-research-shows-0707

MIT physicists analyzed 155 binary black hole mergers using gravitational wave data from LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA observatories. They found that about 14% of merging black holes are actually the products of previous black hole collisions, rather than forming directly from the collapse of massive, dying stars. The findings suggest that black holes often form family trees, where the remnants of earlier mergers remain bound in dense stellar environments such as globular clusters, and help explain the unexpectedly massive black holes detected through gravitational waves.