This Week in Space Tech #23
Jan 19 to 25, 2026: A rocket test failure, more satellites in LEO, and startups pushing servicing, manufacturing, and European launch options.
Welcome to This Week in Space Tech, covering Jan 19 to Jan 25, 2026. Here are the developments that mattered across launch, policy, and space startups.
Launches and flight activity
SpaceX flew its first West Coast Starlink mission of 2026 on Jan 21, sending 25 satellites into a polar low Earth orbit from Vandenberg and keeping its constellation buildout on a steady, factory-like pace.
Rocket Lab opened its 2026 launch campaign on Jan 22, deploying two satellites for Open Cosmos and reinforcing its niche as the reliable “small payload, precise orbit” workhorse.
Launch hardware and the reality of development
Rocket Lab’s Neutron program took a hit on Jan 21 when a main-stage fuel tank ruptured during a hydrostatic pressure test, a setback that pushes schedule confidence further out and underscores how medium-lift development remains a brutal engineering grind even for experienced teams.
Space sustainability and on-orbit services
The Space Development Agency awarded Starfish Space a $52.5 million deal announced on Jan 21 for “disposal as a service,” a concrete step toward treating end-of-life satellite removal as a procured capability rather than a best-effort promise.
Startup capital and commercialization
Swiss satellite maker SWISSto12 announced a €73 million raise on Jan 21 to advance its compact HummingSat platform, signaling continued investor appetite for differentiated satellite manufacturing rather than pure software plays.
Japan’s Interstellar Technologies disclosed a major Series F round on Jan 19 to expand its launch and satellite business, highlighting how national ecosystems outside the US are now producing late-stage fundraising rounds that can finance hardware at scale.
Europe’s consolidation and strategic positioning
On Jan 20, The Exploration Company and Orbex said they entered exclusive discussions after signing a non-binding letter of intent, a potential tie-up that would blend cargo ambitions with a European launch pathway at a moment when regional autonomy is back in fashion.
Market pulse and investor narrative
Seraphim Space published its latest outlook on Jan 19 projecting space-tech investment growth in 2026, arguing that defense-linked demand and launch capacity expansion are becoming the sector’s most durable tailwinds.