Europe is racing to fill a gap in defense and space capabilities. In this week’s Focus on Defense lead story, Tereza Pultarova spoke to European space startups like Iceye, Endurosat, and Nanoavionics that have seen a recent spike in demand and say they’re ready to fill the gap. But startup leaders and industry-watchers say Europe needs to rethink its procurement mechanisms and preference for traditional primes.

Also in this edition, special delivery! This week, York Space Systems delivered 21 communication satellites to the Space Development Agency, which will be the first non-prototype satellites in the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, set to launch later this summer. 

And, I recently interviewed the new director of Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, Lt. Col. Tim Trimailo, about how COMSO is focusing on delivering operational capabilities to the warfighter, rather than just tech demonstrations. The interview was part of the GovMilSpace Digital Series, and you can listen in the On Orbit podcast.

GovMilSpace 2026 is the only satellite-focused event designed for government and military stakeholders. Connect with defense leaders to explore secure communications, AI in defense, and quantum technologies, which are critical to empowering the warfighter. This trusted forum offers a unique space for mission-critical dialogue, discovery, and collaboration, addressing the most urgent defense challenges today.