Space News for Wednesday, July 29, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:22) Boeing still working with NASA to schedule next Starliner flight(00:57) Chinese startup raises funds for space situational awareness constellation, joining commercial SSA rush(01:34) Swift reboost mission encounters attitude control problems(02:12) ESA opens call to repurpose Gateway communications module(02:50) NASA selects successor to CAPSTONE lunar mission(03:25) Impulse Space Unveils In-House Electra Electric Propulsion System for Orbital Maneuvering(04:03) EchoStar Faces Mounting Financial Pressure on Hughes Satellite Unit Amid Corporate Reorganization(04:39) Space Force Awards $287 Million Software Contract to Sphinx Defense for Strategic SATCOM Ground Segment(04:58) Optical Zonu Debuts Miniature Ku-Band RF-over-Fiber Transmitter for Space-Constrained Defense Platforms(05:48) Resecurity Joins Space ISAC to Expand Cyber Threat Intelligence Across Space Assets(06:25) Amazon Joins the Direct-to-Device Race(07:10) Rocket Lab Expands to Alaska with $266M Launch Contract(07:26) DJI Lito 1 drone review(07:36) NASA fuels its next-gen Roman Space Telescope for August launch(08:23) Our Milky Way galaxy appears to have flipped 90 degrees long ago. But why?(09:00) SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites to orbit in wake of Starship test flight (video)(09:33) On this day in space! July 28, 1851: The 1st photo of a total solar eclipse was taken by a Prussian daguerreotypist(10:16) Reaction wheel failures leave Swift rescue mission spinning in orbit(10:49) Study: Dinosaurs were charbroiled after Chicxulub impact