Space Intelligence Briefing: March 16, 2026

Daily briefing for March 16, 2026.

Top 5 Space News

Starcloud files plans for 88,000-satellite constellation

An orbital data center startup is asking for approval to launch up to 88,000 satellites. This could significantly expand satellite-based services in space.

Source: SpaceNews

What’s Happening in Space Policy March 15-22, 2026

A new listing of space policy events is available for the upcoming week. Insights into key activities and meetings in space policy are included.

Source: SpacePolicyOnline.com

OSTP taking on space policy coordination work in place of National Space Council

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is now leading space policy coordination. This change follows the absence of the National Space Council.

Source: SpaceNews

Strait of Hormuz crisis drives demand for commercial geospatial intelligence

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is increasing reliance on commercial geospatial intelligence tools. These tools combine satellite imagery and other data for real-time insights.

Source: SpaceNews

Raytheon contract for protected satellite communications terminals raised by $2 billion

Raytheon has received a $2 billion increase for a contract related to satellite communications terminals. This contract supports the U.S. nuclear command-and-control infrastructure.

Source: SpaceNews

Cosmic Curiosity

NGC 1566: The Spanish Dancer Galaxy

NGC 1566 is a stunning spiral galaxy located about 40 million light-years away. It features two prominent spiral arms with bright star clusters and an active central supermassive black hole.

Source: NASA APOD

Why These Sources

This briefing uses public source data from space news feeds, NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, and NASA's near-Earth object feed.