The White House released a new space transportation policy today, the first since 2013. The new policy has a strong emphasis on government support for the commercial space industry and space superiority, but what may get the most attention is the stated goal of 1,000 launches and reentries per year by 2030.
The Administration is requesting $71 billion for the U.S. Space Force in FY2027, more than twice what it has now. An analysis by the Aerospace Corporation concludes it is the highest proposed budget increase for any military service in 75 years. Congress still has to allocate the money, however, a combination of funding through the appropriations process plus a yet-to-be introduced reconciliation bill. Meanwhile, with FY2026 quickly coming to an end without congressional action on either appropriations or reconciliation, the Space Force could be constrained to a much lower level.
Katalyst Space and NASA concluded today that reboosting the Swift Observatory with Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft will not be possible due to attitude control problems. They still plan to conduct some rendezvous and proximity operations, but not to capture Swift to prevent it from reentering later this year.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the weeks of August 16-30, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess except for pro forma sessions. The House returns on August 31, the Senate on September 14 (after the Labor Day holiday).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed today that Ukrainian Flamingo missiles hit Russia’s Progress production facility in Samara. He cited the Progress Center’s role in producing electronics, but Soyuz rockets also are built there. Soyuz rockets launch crews and cargo to the International Space Station among other purposes.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said today he’s “extremely confident” Artemis III will launch next year to test rendezvous and docking operations between Orion and test versions of the two human lunar landing systems. A Wet Dress Rehearsal for Artemis III is planned for November, around the same time as a Max Power event at Kennedy Space Center that will highlight American aeronautics and space innovation.
China experienced a launch failure today of their relatively new Long March 7A rocket. Introduced in 2020, the first launch failed, but the track record since then has been perfect. The cause is under investigation.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the two weeks August 9-22, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess except for pro forma sessions.
During its first earnings call since going public, SpaceX officials said today the next Starship test flight, IFT-14, will put operational Starlink Version 3 satellites into orbit. If they get regulatory approval, they also will try to catch the Starship upper stage back at the launch site for the first time.
NASA and SpaceX are getting ready to launch Crew-13 to the International Space Station in September. For the first time, if an emergency occurs on the launch pad and the crew needs to escape, Tesla Cybertrucks will be waiting for them instead of the usual Mine-Resistent Ambush Protected vehicles or MRAPs.