TECHNOLOGY · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Rocket Report: FAA Eyes More Starbase Traffic; India's Skyroot Snares US Customer
WHY IT MATTERS
This development highlights the growing interest in private space launch capabilities and the increasing demand for space-based services, such as in-space mirrors for solar power.
What happened
The FAA is considering increased traffic at Starbase, a private spaceport in Texas. Meanwhile, Indian launch provider Skyroot Aerospace has secured a US customer, Reflect Orbital, for two launches.
Reflect Orbital plans to use the launches for its in-space mirrors, which will provide sunlight on-demand. The first launch will use Skyroot's Vikram-1 rocket, while the second will fly on an upgraded Vikram-1U rocket.
The Martian Moons Exploration mission is also set to launch soon, visiting Phobos and Deimos, the two asteroid-like moons of Mars.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Rocket Report: FAA eyes more Starbase traffic; India's Skyroot snares US customer
Ars Technica · Stephen Clark · Discovery only; Condé Nast copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 16, 2026, 11:30 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 16, 2026, 11:30 AM