There's a growing understanding that space-based capabilities are critical for national defense strategies, and defense demand for commercial space systems has been a key trend in 2025 influencing both satellite communications, manufacturing, and imagery and sensing.

2025 brought the announcement of the Golden Dome planned missile defense architecture, and a steep ramp-up in space investment in nations around the globe. Nations are working to secure sovereign communications and access to space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data.

This episode of On Orbit shares a webinar Via Satellite editors hosted in December on space and defense trends for 2026. Experts from Lanteris Space Systems and BlackSky shared some of the key takeaways from this trend in 2025, how commercial companies are evolving their offerings to answer the call, and what's ahead in defense adoption of commercial satellite technologies in 2026.

This episode features Krupal Patel, senior director of National Security Space Business Development for Lanteris Space Systems and Scot Currie, vice president of Geospatial Solutions for BlackSky.

The webinar was sponsored by Lanteris and BlackSky.

Forecasts on the arrival time for quantum computing vary greatly – from "it will be here in a decade" to "it's already here." There is consensus on the fact that it's coming, and when it does, it will change the way we build and protect networks in space.

In this episode of our Future Space Economy webcast series, we're joined by experts in the field to help understand how quantum computing and quantum encryption will most likely work according to the research that is being conducted today. This episode covers the concept and definition of quantum resiliency and how that will be determined in an unknown future. Experts also discuss what quantum computing could accomplish in space if these powerful systems are able to survive the harsh environment.

This is hosted by Jeffrey Hill, executive editor of Via Satellite and features Capella Space CEO Frank Backes and Joe Touch, principal scientist in the Information Systems and Cyber Division of The Aerospace Corporation.

This is the last episode of On Orbit for 2025. See you next year!

Is space crowded? Although there's been such a large increase in satellites in orbit, it's not a simple question. On Orbit revisits the question with Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Portugal-based space traffic management company Neuraspace. Chiara emphasizes the need for better coordination on space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic management (STM) and the evolving landscape of standards and regulations.

This episode also covers how nations have taken a greater interest in working with commercial operators for SSA capabilities, and why strong SSA is critical for ensuring peace as space becomes more contested.