Space Business News
March 09, 2026
MISSILE DEFENSE
Japan to deploy counter-strike missiles closer to China



Tokyo (AFP) Mar 9, 2026
Japan will deploy a batch of long-range, counter-strike missiles in a southwest region near China by the end of March, officials said Monday. The Ground Self-Defense Force plans to position its Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles, with a reported range of 1,000 kilometres (620 miles), in Kumamoto, Kyushu region, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular briefing. "I have been told that once the necessary preparation has been made, the ministry of defence will brief local residents" about ... read more

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Previous Issues Mar 06 Mar 05 Mar 04 Mar 03 Mar 02
MISSILE DEFENSE
NATO intercepts second Iran missile in Turkish airspace
Ankara (AFP) Mar 9, 2026
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran in Turkish airspace on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkey to Tehran not to take 'provocative steps'. ... more
UAV NEWS
Zelensky says 11 countries asking Ukraine for drone help against Iran
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) Mar 9, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that 11 countries had tapped Kyiv for help in how to counter Iranian drones being fired by Tehran in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Left, right and faithful unite to demand human control over AI
Washington, United States (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
A coalition spanning US conservative figure Steve Bannon, progressives, labor unions and faith groups announced Wednesday a joint declaration of principles on artificial intelligence, framing the effort as a pushback against what they called Silicon Valley's reckless deployment of AI. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Europe should focus on industrial AI, SAP says
Walldorf, Germany (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
Europe should focus on competing in industrial AI, a top executive at German software giant SAP said, as the continent plays catch-up in the race for the cutting-edge technology against the United States and China. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Questions over AI capability as tech guides Iran strikes
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 7, 2026
The latest bout of fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran has seen AI deployed as never before to sift intelligence and select targets, although the technology's use in war remains hotly debated. ... more
GPS NEWS
Why have 1,000 ships at times lost their GPS in the Mideast?
Washington, United States (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
The global positioning system (GPS) capabilities of cargo ships, oil tankers and other vessels stuck in the Middle East because of the widening war are likely worse than those in your cell phone. ... more
ROBO SPACE
OpenAI senior robotics exec resigns over Pentagon deal; Anthropic formally designated as supply-chain risk
Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
OpenAI's top robotics executive said Saturday she had resigned over the artificial intelligence giant's deal with the US government to allow its technology's deployment for war and domestic surveillance. ... more
UAV NEWS
Drone strikes on Sudan markets kill 33: medical source
Khartoum (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
A drone attack hit two markets in paramilitary-controlled towns in southwest Sudan, killing 33 people, a medical source told AFP on Sunday. ... more

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ROCKET SCIENCE
Japan startup's space rocket fails for third time
Tokyo (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
A Japanese startup's third attempt to put a satellite in orbit failed on Thursday after its rocket spiralled back to Earth shortly after take-off. ... more
UAV NEWS
EU's Kallas warns anti-drone stock 'limited' as Mideast, Ukraine wars rage
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday the bloc was looking to help Gulf nations fend off Iranian drone strikes, but warned supplies of relevant kit might be limited. ... more
MISSILE DEFENSE
Italy to send air-defence aid to Gulf countries; France allowing US aircraft on some Mideast bases
Rome (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
Italy will send air-defence assistance to Gulf countries hit by Iranian strikes launched in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday. ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
LizzieSat 3 hosts HEO USA non Earth imaging payload in orbit
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 09, 2026
Sidus Space and HEO USA have reported a new on orbit imagery milestone with the Holmes Mk1 non Earth imaging camera operating aboard the LizzieSat 3 multi mission spacecraft. The mission has returne ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
UK and Saudi partners design climate focused Earth observation mission
London, UK (SPX) Mar 09, 2026
The University of Portsmouth, working within the Space South Central regional space cluster, has launched a new international partnership with Saudi space-tech company SARsatX to design an Earth obs ... more
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DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Residents warned 'crocs everywhere' after north Australia floods
Sydney (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
Police in Australia's Northern Territory warned of 'crocs everywhere' on Sunday and said they had moved more than a thousand people across the state into shelter after massive floods. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Shelter rankings and shower-timing apps: Israelis, Palestinians adjust to Iranian rockets
Jerusalem (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
What is Israel's best bomb shelter? And when is the best time of day to shower without interruption from a missile alert? ... more
ROBO SPACE
AI evolved legged robots reconfigure run and survive damage
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 09, 2026
Northwestern University engineers have created modular legged robots with what they describe as athletic intelligence, capable of operating outdoors, adapting to damage and reshaping themselves into ... more
ENERGY TECH
US fusion report urges new diagnostics for commercial plasma power
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 09, 2026
To operate fusion systems safely and reliably, scientists must monitor plasma fuel conditions and measure properties such as temperature and density that influence fusion reactions. This work depend ... more
UAV NEWS
EDA taps Airbus to broaden Capa-X drone mission roles
Paris, France (SPX) Mar 09, 2026
Airbus Helicopters, through its subsidiary Survey Copter, has been selected by the European Defence Agency for the Multi Mission Unmanned Aircraft System project, which aims to develop a hybrid uncr ... more
TRADE WARS
Equities plunge as energy prices soar on Mideast crisis
Hong Kong (AFP) Mar 9, 2026
Stock markets plunged Monday as oil and gas prices soared on fears about supplies from the Middle East with the US-Israeli war against Iran continuing into a second week with no sign of letting up. ... more
TRADE WARS
Nobel economist Aghion says no repeat 2008 financial crisis; France to host G7 finance meeting on Mideast
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 9, 2026
The war in the Middle East is unlikely to trigger a collapse of the world economy on the scale of the 2008 global financial crisis, Nobel prize-winning economist Philippe Aghion said Monday. ... more
TRADE WARS
China says 'clearly aware' of economic risks, vows to boost spending
Beijing (AFP) Mar 6, 2026
China's leaders are 'clearly aware' of challenges facing growth, the head of the country's top economic planning body said on Friday, vowing to boost sluggish domestic consumption. ... more
TRADE WARS
Greek ship workers strike to support of stranded Gulf crews
Athens (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
Greek ships were confined to port on Thursday, the coastguard confirmed, as workers staged a 24-hour strike in support of crews stranded in the Gulf by the Middle East war. ... more
TRADE WARS
China sets lowest growth target in decades as consumption lags
Beijing (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
China set its lowest annual growth target in decades on Thursday, at 4.5-5 percent, as the government outlined plans to tackle sluggish consumption and a flagging property market. ... more
TRADE WARS
Global economic resilience 'tested yet again' by Mideast war: IMF chief
Bangkok (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
Global economic resilience was being tested yet again by the latest war in the Middle East, the head of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva warned Thursday. ... more
AEROSPACE
Dubai airport briefly suspends operations after interception
Dubai (AFP) Mar 7, 2026
Dubai airport, the world's busiest for international traffic, suspended operations Saturday before partially resuming services, after an air defence interception in the area during attacks from Iran. ... more
TRADE WARS
China FM urges US to manage differences in face of trade woes
Beijing (AFP) Mar 8, 2026
China's top diplomat urged the United States Sunday to iron out its differences with Beijing, as the world's two largest economies lock horns over trade tariffs and geopolitical issues. ... more
TRADE WARS
Chinese firms slam EU's 'protectionist' 'Made in Europe' plan
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
A group representing Chinese companies slammed an EU plan to bolster the bloc's industries against fierce competition from China on Thursday, labelling it a shift towards protectionism that could affect trade cooperation between the two giants. ... more
TRADE WARS
Bolivians scramble to exchange banknotes after money plane crash
La Paz (AFP) Mar 3, 2026
Thousands of Bolivians rushed to banks on Tuesday to exchange banknotes at risk of being mistaken for money stolen from a military plane that crashed at the weekend, AFP reporters said. ... more
TRADE WARS
France says planning G7 finance meeting on Mideast
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
France said Wednesday it is planning a meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis for early next week, as the war fuels fears for the global economy. ... more
TRADE WARS
Asian equities in freefall as oil extends gains on Middle East crisis
Hong Kong (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
Stock markets across Asia were pummelled Wednesday as investors began panic-selling on fears the Israel-US war on Iran will fan inflation and hammer the global economy. ... more
TRADE WARS
China's factory activity slump deepens; Chinese consumers scout lower prices, secondhand goods as spending sputters
Beijing (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
China's factory activity slowed in February, official data showed on Wednesday, missing forecasts and extending a slump just ahead of closely watched announcements on policy planning. ... more
TRADE WARS
Chinese shipping giant Cosco halts services to and from Gulf
Beijing (AFP) Mar 4, 2026
Chinese shipping giant Cosco, which operates one of the world's biggest oil tanker fleets, announced it was suspending services to and from Gulf countries from Wednesday, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Miniature quadruped robot achieves record performance and resilience
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 15, 2025
Researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology have developed a centimeter-scale quadruped piezoelectric robot that combines compact design, high durability, and advanced mobility. The new proto ... more
SPACE TRAVEL
Tourism on hold as Middle East war casts uncertainty
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
Cancelled flights, postponed trips and a great deal of uncertainty: the war in the Middle East is casting a long shadow over the tourism outlook for a region that has become a prized destination for travellers worldwide. ... more
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