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NASDAQ:PL News 29 May 2025 - 7 February 2026

Defense and space stocks rally, but Trump’s buyback-dividend squeeze is the next test

Defense and space stocks rally, but Trump’s buyback-dividend squeeze is the next test

U.S. space and defense stocks rose Friday, with sector ETFs gaining up to 4.8% and Lockheed Martin up 2.4%. Investors are awaiting a Pentagon list that could restrict buybacks and dividends at underperforming contractors under a Trump executive order. Companies named would have 15 days to submit remediation plans. Lockheed’s board approved a $3.45 per share dividend for Q1 2026.
7 February 2026
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AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumps 6% as SpaceX-xAI merger lifts U.S. space shares

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) stock jumps 6% as SpaceX-xAI merger lifts U.S. space shares

AST SpaceMobile shares rose 6.3% to $111.11 Tuesday after a sector rally triggered by SpaceX’s planned merger with xAI. About 11.5 million shares traded as investors focused on AST’s upcoming BlueBird 7 satellite launch and a new U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract. Scotiabank recently downgraded the stock, citing valuation concerns and lack of retail customers.
3 February 2026
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SpaceX buys Musk’s xAI in record $1.25 trillion deal as space stocks jump premarket

SpaceX buys Musk’s xAI in record $1.25 trillion deal as space stocks jump premarket

SpaceX acquired xAI, valuing the combined company at $1.25 trillion, according to sources. U.S.-listed space stocks rose in premarket trading after the news. xAI investors will receive 0.1433 SpaceX shares per xAI share, with some executives able to cash out at $75.46 per share. Attention has shifted to the timing of SpaceX’s IPO, which could come as soon as June.
3 February 2026
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Planet Labs stock jumps again on Slovenia deal, with earnings clock ticking

Planet Labs stock jumps again on Slovenia deal, with earnings clock ticking

Planet Labs shares jumped about 9% Tuesday after announcing a satellite imagery agreement with Slovenia’s national surveying authority. The deal gives Slovenian agencies access to Planet’s high-resolution data, though financial terms were not disclosed. The stock traded near $28.20 in afternoon action. Investors are watching for late-March earnings to gauge how quickly new contracts convert to revenue.
27 January 2026
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Space and Defense Stocks to Watch: AST SpaceMobile spikes on SHIELD slot as Northrop sets a high

Space and Defense Stocks to Watch: AST SpaceMobile spikes on SHIELD slot as Northrop sets a high

AST SpaceMobile surged 14.3% Friday after landing a prime contract slot on the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD program. Northrop Grumman closed at a record $666.90, while Lockheed Martin and RTX also rose ahead of the U.S. holiday weekend. York Space Systems filed for a U.S. IPO targeting $544 million. U.S. markets reopen Tuesday, with defense earnings starting Jan. 27.
18 January 2026
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Space & Satellite Tech Stocks Week Ahead: Rocket Lab’s $816M Space Force Win, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 6 Launch, and EchoStar’s Spectrum Spotlight

Space & Satellite Tech Stocks Week Ahead: Rocket Lab’s $816M Space Force Win, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 6 Launch, and EchoStar’s Spectrum Spotlight

The U.S. Space Development Agency awarded about $3.5 billion to Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab for 72 missile-tracking satellites, with launches set for fiscal 2029. Rocket Lab called the $805 million deal its largest contract yet. U.S. stock markets will close early Dec. 24 and remain shut Dec. 25, thinning liquidity and amplifying moves in space sector stocks.
21 December 2025
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Space & Satellite Stocks Today: Rocket Lab (RKLB), Viasat (VSAT), Planet Labs (PL), Spire (SPIR), Iridium (IRDM) and Globalstar (GSAT) — News, Forecasts and Analysis for Dec. 17, 2025

Space & Satellite Stocks Today: Rocket Lab (RKLB), Viasat (VSAT), Planet Labs (PL), Spire (SPIR), Iridium (IRDM) and Globalstar (GSAT) — News, Forecasts and Analysis for Dec. 17, 2025

Rocket Lab advanced its next Electron launch for the U.S. Space Force to December 18, highlighting demand for rapid government missions. Space and satellite stocks fell midday as the Nasdaq dropped and Fed comments signaled continued restrictive policy. Shares of major defense contractors also declined after reports of possible White House action on shareholder payouts.
17 December 2025
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Watch Earth Live from Space – Your Ultimate Guide to Real-Time Satellite Imagery

Watch Earth Live from Space – Your Ultimate Guide to Real-Time Satellite Imagery

Near-real-time satellite imagery is common: Landsat 8 images can appear within seconds of downlink, NASA Worldview layers update within about 3 hours, and geostationary weather satellites refresh every 5–15 minutes. The ISS HD Earth Viewing Experiment streams live video of Earth from about 400 km up with roughly 1-second latency, and the view shifts as the station orbits about 16 times per day. NOAA’s Earth in Real-Time weather map updates GOES-East and GOES-West every 5 minutes for cloud imagery, with full-hemisphere views about every 15 minutes and resolutions around 0.5–2 km. NASA Worldview offers more than 1,000 imagery layers updated
6 August 2025
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Live Satellite Views on the Internet: Platforms, Tools, and Trends

Live Satellite Views on the Internet: Platforms, Tools, and Trends

NASA Worldview offers over 1,000 imagery layers from NASA and partner satellites, with a typical 60–125 minute delay after capture. NOAA GOES weather satellites update the continental United States every 5 minutes or less and the full hemisphere every 15 minutes, enabling near real-time weather loops. Landsat 8 imagery is available on the USGS server within seconds of downlink in some cases. Sentinel-2 imagery provides new images of any location roughly every 5 days at 10-meter resolution. Planet Labs operates about 200 Dove nanosatellites that image the entire land surface daily at 3–4 meter resolution, and also runs SkySat satellites
28 July 2025
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See Your House from Space? Inside the World of Live Satellite Maps and Weather from Orbit

See Your House from Space? Inside the World of Live Satellite Maps and Weather from Orbit

Google Earth was downloaded over one billion times in its first six years. Google Earth’s Time Machine covers 1984 to 2022 in a 4D interactive map built from millions of satellite photos. The Landsat program began in 1972 and offers a 50+ year global land-surface data record, with Landsat 8 and 9 providing 30-meter resolution imagery. Sentinel-2A and 2B image the entire Earth’s land every 5 days at 10-meter resolution (20 meters for some infrared bands). Maxar’s WorldView-3 and WorldView-4 offer 30-centimeter imagery, and the upcoming WorldView Legion aims for up to 15 revisits per day at 30 cm. Planet
28 July 2025
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From Battlefields to Space: How Ukraine’s Satellite Program Skyrocketed in 2024-2025

From Battlefields to Space: How Ukraine’s Satellite Program Skyrocketed in 2024-2025

In March 2025 Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense created a Space Policy Directorate to coordinate military space efforts. The crowdfunded ICEYE SAR satellite nicknamed the “People’s Satellite” remained Ukraine’s only satellite under national control, since 2022. Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernohorenko outlined a 2030 roadmap to deploy Ukrainian defense satellites and an air-launch early-warning system. In June 2025 the European Space Agency council reinforced collaboration with Ukraine’s SSAU, providing technical assistance on Earth observation, space weather, and exploration. In April 2025 the EU Commission and Ukraine signed an agreement enabling participation in the EU Space Programme with access to Copernicus data
16 July 2025
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Eyes in the Sky, Data in the Cloud – Satellite Downlink & Cloud Integration Market Skyrockets by 2032

Eyes in the Sky, Data in the Cloud – Satellite Downlink & Cloud Integration Market Skyrockets by 2032

The market is projected to grow from $14.44 billion in 2025 to $55.17 billion by 2032, a CAGR of 21.1%. In 2025, agriculture accounts for about 40% of revenue, while government and military end-users account for about 46.8%. North America leads with about 44–45% of global market share in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region at about 37% share. By 2032, Asia-Pacific is projected to approach or surpass North America in market size, with North America and APAC each around one-third of the market and Europe near 20%. The number of active satellites is projected to rise to 58,000+
25 June 2025
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Bunker‑Buster Earthquake: New Satellite Images Expose Fordow’s Ruin—What the Bombs Hit, What Survived, and Why It Matters

Bunker‑Buster Earthquake: New Satellite Images Expose Fordow’s Ruin—What the Bombs Hit, What Survived, and Why It Matters

Shortly after 02:00 local time on 22 June, seven U.S. B‑2 Spirit bombers dropped 14 MOPs on Fordow with Tomahawks suppressing Iranian SAM sites. Maxar/Planet imagery shows six precisely spaced entry craters along the ridge above the centrifuge halls, forming a textbook double‑tap pattern consistent with the MOP fuse sequence. Damage signatures include collapsed tunnel portals, landslide debris, scorched support buildings, and dust plumes obscuring the cliff face and vent shafts. Fordow is carved 80–100 m inside Kuh‑e‑Fordow mountain, reinforced by concrete and IRGC air‑defence rings, and was designed for 3,000 centrifuges with IR‑6 cascades enriching to 60%. IAEA Director‑General
23 June 2025
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Sky Watchers: The 2025–2033 Boom in Weather & Climate Satellite Constellations

Sky Watchers: The 2025–2033 Boom in Weather & Climate Satellite Constellations

Over 5,400 Earth observation satellites are projected to be launched globally from 2024 to 2033, nearly triple the previous decade. NOAA’s GeoXO program will deploy at least three geostationary satellites (with options up to four more) to upgrade GOES-R and extend Western Hemisphere coverage, following a $2.27 billion contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2024. NOAA/NASA plan JPSS-3 for 2027 and JPSS-4 for 2032 to provide critical morning-orbit polar data for numerical weather models. Europe’s MTG and MetOp-SG programs will deliver six MTG satellites (four MTG-I imagers and two MTG-S sounders) and the MetOp-SG A1/B1 pair by 2025, with MTG
21 June 2025
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Live Satellite Images and Real-Time Maps: Top Platforms for Web & Mobile

Live Satellite Images and Real-Time Maps: Top Platforms for Web & Mobile

NOAA Earth in Real-Time offers an interactive, real-time global weather map with live imagery from GOES geostationary satellites, updated continuously and accessible free via nesdis.noaa.gov. NASA Worldview provides more than 1,000 global image layers (MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-2, etc.) with many layers updated within three hours of observation, plus animation, date comparison, and data download, all in a free web app. Zoom Earth aggregates imagery from NOAA GOES-East/West, EUMETSAT Meteosat, JMA Himawari, and NASA Terra/Aqua MODIS, updating as frequently as every 10–15 minutes and offering a free web and mobile app service. Google Earth provides high-resolution imagery from Landsat-8 and aerial
20 June 2025
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How Satellite Technologies Are Transforming Ukraine: From Warzones to Wheat Fields

How Satellite Technologies Are Transforming Ukraine: From Warzones to Wheat Fields

In August 2022, a Ukrainian charity crowdfunded access to an ICEYE SAR satellite, providing 24/7 all-weather imaging from one satellite and access to ICEYE’s full constellation for over a year. Commercial high-resolution imagery from Maxar, Planet Labs, and BlackSky documented battlefield events such as Russian troop buildups and missile strikes. Analysts have described the Russia-Ukraine war as the most documented conflict in history thanks to the avalanche of satellite data. After the 2022 invasion, SpaceX shipped thousands of Starlink user terminals to Ukraine, and by 2024 Starlink was a reliable frontline communications partner. In February 2022, commercial satellites captured a
14 June 2025
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Satellite Imagery: Principles, Applications, and Future Trends

Satellite Imagery: Principles, Applications, and Future Trends

The first space images were captured in 1946 from a sub-orbital U.S. V-2 rocket at about 105 km altitude. The first actual satellite photograph of Earth was taken on August 14, 1959 by the U.S. Explorer 6 satellite. In 1960, TIROS-1 transmitted the first television image of Earth from orbit, a milestone for weather observation. Landsat 1, launched in 1972, began the longest-running civilian Earth-observation program with a 50-year archive, and Landsat 9 was launched in 2021 to continue it. The KH-11 KENNEN program began near-real-time digital imaging in 1977, eliminating the need for film return. IKONOS, launched in 1999,
7 June 2025
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Satellite Technology in Military and Defense: A Global Overview

Satellite Technology in Military and Defense: A Global Overview

The United States operates roughly 120–130 dedicated military satellites, spanning KH-11 imaging, SBIRS/DSP early warning, AEHF/Milstar communications, and the Wideband Global SATCOM network. Russia maintains about 70–80 active military satellites, including the Persona and Bars-M reconnaissance systems, the Liana ELINT network, the GLONASS navigation constellation, and the Tundra early-warning fleet. China operates approximately 60–70 military satellites, featuring the Yaogan reconnaissance fleet, the Beidou 35-satellite GNSS, and the Shentong/Tianlian military communications satellites, along with an active ASAT program. India demonstrated an ASAT capability in March 2019 with Mission Shakti, destroying a satellite in low Earth orbit. Israel’s Ofek series has operated
29 May 2025
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Stock Market Today

REA Group share price slides after $200m buyback plan — what ASX investors watch next

REA Group share price slides after $200m buyback plan — what ASX investors watch next

8 February 2026
REA Group shares fell 7.8% to A$168.10 after its half-year update showed a 6% rise in EBITDA and a 9% gain in core net profit, but a 24% drop in reported net profit. The company flagged softer listing volumes and announced a A$200 million buyback starting Feb. 23. Interim dividend is A$1.24 per share, ex-dividend March 3. Investors cited pressure from weaker listings and rising costs.
NAB share price in focus after Friday slide as rate rises and bank updates loom

NAB share price in focus after Friday slide as rate rises and bank updates loom

8 February 2026
National Australia Bank shares closed down 1.6% at A$43.36 on Friday after the S&P/ASX 200 fell nearly 2%, its worst session in almost a year. NAB, CBA, and Westpac will raise variable mortgage rates by 0.25% following the Reserve Bank’s hike to 3.85%. Key sector results are due from CBA on Feb. 11, Westpac on Feb. 13, and NAB on Feb. 18.
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