Global Scans · Geospatial · Weekly Summary

• [New] Artemis II will validate the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule with humans aboard for the first time, testing life support systems, navigation, and communication in the deep space environment. FMN News
• [New] In response, 2026 will see the first full scanning system capable of detecting weapons from a 20-foot standoff built and beta-tested in K-12 schools, providing a potential new layer of protection for students and staff. Interesting Engineering
• [New] Looking to in 2026, AI will move from powering discrete interventions to supporting more longitudinal navigation. Mobihealthnews
• [New] The growing amount of space debris in Earth's orbit poses a real and current threat to vital satellite services, such as telecommunications and navigation, as well as crucial weather and climate data collection. earth.com
• [New] From the Department of Defense to the Federal Communications Commission and Congress, officials reinforced the urgent need to address GPS vulnerabilities at the policy level. NextNav
• [New] Shipping companies NewNew Shipping Line and Sea Legend have already signaled plans to further expand their Arctic container offerings in 2026, aiming to add sailings and improve schedule reliability during the limited summer navigation window. gCaptain
• [New] Canada is rapidly accelerating its digital border strategy, announcing today that mandatory facial recognition and biometric scanning will be phased in at three major international airports starting mid-December. Caribbean News Digital
• Predictive Analysis: The S-300 will likely achieve initial operational capability with European naval forces by late 2026, with subsequent variants incorporating AI-enhanced autonomous navigation and multi-domain sensor fusion. Drone Warfare
• Predictive Analysis: By 2027-2028, expect Chinese integration of satellite-independent navigation into operational drone swarms and autonomous maritime systems deployed in South China Sea operations, with hybrid sensor fusion becoming standard across PLA precision strike platforms. Drone Warfare
• China's development of satellite-independent navigation threatens to neutralize Western electromagnetic warfare dominance and undermine deterrence credibility in contested Indo-Pacific environments where GPS denial is assumed to provide strategic advantage. Drone Warfare
• Next-generation systems will likely incorporate AI-enabled autonomous engagement, swarm coordination for multi-target scenarios, and enhanced electronic warfare payloads to counter GPS-denied operations, potentially reaching 2,000+ daily production rates by late 2026. Drone Warfare
• Future variants will likely incorporate active protection systems against FPV drones and autonomous navigation capabilities to operate in GPS-denied environments, potentially appearing in Syrian or African theaters within 18-24 months. Drone Warfare
• Ukraine has achieved the first confirmed underwater drone strike against a Russian submarine in a heavily defended naval base, demonstrating unprecedented autonomous navigation capabilities and cyber-physical integration that fundamentally threatens traditional naval sanctuary doctrine. Drone Warfare
• By 2026-2030, production systems will routinely maintain multiple knowledge representations: vector embeddings for semantic search, knowledge graphs for relationship reasoning, and hierarchical indexes for categorical navigation. NStarX Inc.
• Uzbekistan and China to Launch Joint Satellite in 2026 Tashkent confirmed plans for Uzbekistan and China to launch a joint remote-sensing satellite named Samarkand-2028 in 2026. Uzbek.Review is a publication by EUROUZ.eu
• 2026 is likely to see an acceleration in the race for satellites, navigation systems, and the militarization of space technology. Modern Diplomacy
• A bipartisan bill has been reintroduced to help commercial satellite owners and operators defend against growing cybersecurity threats to the satellites that support GPS navigation, weather forecasts, agriculture, scientific research, global communications, and more. Industrial Cyber
• The DHS and Customs and Border Protection have implemented more comprehensive biometric tools, remote sensing, and AI biometric risk evaluation along the U.S.-Mexico border. New York Center For Foreign Policy Affairs
• Precision farming is one of the most promising agriculture business ideas for 2026, leveraging technologies such as GPS, IoT sensors, drones, and AI-powered analytics to monitor crop health, soil conditions, and water usage. Farmonaut
• By using GIS models, authorities can simulate flood paths, temperature gradients, and soil erosion to mitigate risks and help Indian cities build resilience. Mapex
• Federal leadership in data and mapping - Programs like FEMA's updated flood-risk maps and NOAA's homeowner resilience grants are reshaping how carriers price and underwrite risk. VIU by HUB

Last updated: 04 January 2026