Space News Digest 5 November 2026
This is SpaceEconomy's automated daily digest of the most interesting news related to our project. Published daily for your information and entertainment.
Thursday 5 November 2026
1. Japan's defence ministry hosts ICEYE's CEO and already uses its SAR satellites
State Minister for Defence Odawara received ICEYE CEO Rafał Modrzewski on 4 November; the ministry said it already draws on ICEYE and other satellites for a continuous intelligence picture.
https://x.com/ModJapan_jp/status/2118199454398636250
2. NASA's Swift observatory has re-entered over Indonesia after almost 22 years
U.S. Space Force tracking put the plunge at 12:39 UTC on 4 November over North Sumatra; most of the gamma-ray burst hunter should have burned up after a failed rescue attempt earlier this year.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/11/02/nasas-swift-observatory-to-re-enter-atmosphere/
3. SpaceX taps Qualcomm to build Starlink Mobile's terrestrial 5G network
A multiyear deal will put Qualcomm Dragonwing gear in tens of thousands of base stations that complement Starlink satellites, with rollout planned from 2027 as SpaceX takes on U.S. mobile carriers.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/04/spacex-strikes-deal-with-qualcomm-for-mobile-network-infrastructure.html
4. OHB wins a 554 million euro ESA contract for Sentinel-3 Next Generation Topography
The Bremen prime will build the next Copernicus altimetry satellites, with an option for a second spacecraft, improving sea-level, ice and inland-water measurements for climate monitoring.
https://www.ohb.de/en/news/ohb-awarded-eur-554-million-contract-for-new-copernicus-sentinel-3-next-generation-topography-satellite
5. Pentagon offers LeoLabs a 150 million dollar loan to expand space-tracking radars
The Office of Strategic Capital's conditional commitment, matched by private co-investment for 300 million dollars in total, would scale LeoLabs' phased-array and mobile Scout radar network.
https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4641087/department-of-wars-office-of-strategic-capital-signs-150-million-conditional-lo/
Image: Japanese Ministry of Defence