Who Keeps NASA’s Spacecraft Connected as Its Relay Fleet Ages? — November 5, 2026

NASA’s Ka-band relay awards aim to develop commercial service compatible with existing spacecraft, but the work begins with concepts and later phases depend on options. The episode also covers SpaceX’s terrestrial network plans, a conditional LeoLabs loan commitment, and concerns over Russian satellite approaches. NASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications — NASA Viasat, SES, and Astranis Win NASA Ka-band Relay Contracts — Via Satellite SpaceX Strikes Deal with Qualcomm for Terrestrial Component of Starlink Mobile Network — Via Satellite SpaceX and Qualcomm post — @business on X Department of War's Office of Strategic Capital Signs $150 Million Conditional Loan Commitment With LeoLabs, Inc. — U.S. Department of War Russian Military May Have Rehearsed Attack on Finnish Satellite, Specialist Warns — The Moscow Times Satellite approach post — @reuters on X Chapters 00:00 Today's headlines 00:47 NASA relay concepts for three companies 01:54 Qualcomm base stations for Starlink Mobile 03:02 Conditional loan for LeoLabs radar 04:05 Russian satellite approach to ICEYE X36 05:21 NASA trying to replace aging TDRS 08:29 Concept awards and a working relay service Space Stakes is an AI-voiced podcast, built and run by a real person. Nothing in this episode is financial advice. Follow Space Stakes: subscribe on YouTube · Apple Podcasts · Spotify More from Brian Lampert: Quickly Quantum , the daily quantum computing briefing, and Concrete Compute , the daily AI infrastructure briefing. Transcripts and every episode: space-stakes.kngoworld.chatgpt.site .