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Deals•Feb 13, 2026
Chinese Rocket Startup iSpace Raises $729 Million in D++ Funding Round
Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd. (iSpace), a Chinese pseudo‑company rocket startup, announced on Feb 13 2026 that it raised $729 million in a D++ funding round. The round was co‑led by Tongchuang Weiye and Jingming Capital, with participation from CDH Baifu and Ganquan Capital, alongside state‑linked investors.
Behind the Black
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
Stoke Space Raises $350M in Private Investment Capital
Rocket startup Stoke Space announced an additional $350 million in private investment capital, boosting its funding to accelerate development of its next-generation reusable launch vehicle and expand launch capabilities.
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News•Feb 10, 2026
Has Roscosmos Gotten Its Baikonur Soyuz-2 Launchpad Fixed Already?
Roscosmos is said to have finished repairs on Baikonur Site 31, the Soyuz‑2 launchpad, by February 10, 2026. The pad was rendered inoperable after a service platform fell into the flame trench during the November launch, an incident attributed to improper attachment. Earlier...
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News•Feb 9, 2026
FAKE Chandrayaan-2 Images of the Apollo 11 and 12 Landing Sites
A recent blog post debunks two circulating images that claimed India’s Chandrayaan‑2 lunar orbiter photographed the Apollo 11 and 12 landing sites. The author confirms the pictures are fabricated and do not match authentic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photos. Earlier reports had...
By Behind the Black
News•Feb 9, 2026
NASA Provides Update on Artemis-2 Repairs for Future Dress Rehearsal Countdown
NASA posted an update on Artemis‑2 fuel‑leak repairs ahead of a second wet dress rehearsal. Engineers expect to reconnect the affected interfaces by Feb 9 and will test plate dynamics at Stennis Space Center. Countdown changes include a closed Orion hatch,...
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News•Feb 6, 2026
A New American Satellite Constellation Gets FCC Approval
Satellite startup Logos received partial FCC approval for its planned 4,178‑satellite internet constellation, authorizing use of K‑, Q‑ and V‑band frequencies. The network will span seven orbital shells between 870 km and 925 km with inclinations from 28° to 90°. FCC rules...
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News•Feb 6, 2026
Russia Launches Classified Nine Satellites
Russia successfully placed nine classified military satellites into orbit using a Soyuz‑2 rocket launched from the Plesetsk spaceport. The Fregat upper stage first released a primary payload at roughly 330 km before maneuvering to about 500 km to deploy the remaining eight...
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News•Feb 6, 2026
Voyager Technologies and Max Space Team up to Develop Inflatable Planetary Structures
Voyager Technologies, the lead of the Starlab consortium, and Max Space, developer of the Thunderbird inflatable station, have announced a partnership to co‑develop inflatable planetary habitats for lunar and Martian use. The collaboration will combine Voyager’s single‑module Starlab, slated for...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
French Startup The Exploration Company Completes First Splashdown Tests of Nyx Capsule Prototype
The Exploration Company, a French cargo‑capsule startup, completed its first splashdown tests of a 1:4‑scale Nyx prototype on 13‑28 January at the CNR‑INM towing tank in Rome. The 135‑kg mockup underwent 20 drops at varying heights and speeds, equipped with pressure...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
Israeli Weather Satellite Startup Raises $175 Million in Investment Capital
Israeli weather‑data startup Tomorrow.io announced a $175 million financing round to launch DeepSky, an AI‑native satellite constellation. The company has already deployed 13 smallsats that deliver a 60‑minute global revisit, feeding its AI‑driven analytics platform used across critical industries. DeepSky will...
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News•Feb 5, 2026
Astronomers Use SphereX Infrared Space Telescope to Study Interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas
NASA’s SphereX infrared space telescope has detected a suite of organic molecules—including methanol, cyanide and methane—in the coma of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas as it brightened in December 2025. The comet’s activity surged two months after perihelion, driven by the release of...
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News•Feb 4, 2026
SpaceX Wants Revisions to Federal Rural Grant Program that Has Awarded It $733 Million
SpaceX is requesting revisions to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which has awarded the company $733 million in rural broadband grants, including $109 million in Texas. BEAD, originally a $42 billion initiative under the bipartisan infrastructure law, was halved to...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
Isaacman: SLS Stands on Very Thin Ice
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman reaffirmed support for Artemis‑2’s March launch while warning that the Space Launch System (SLS) is not the most economical solution. He highlighted SLS’s historically low flight rate and the recent wet‑dress rehearsal that was aborted due...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
Dumb Science: Researchers Claim Jupiter Is 0.0028% Thinner than Previously Measured
Researchers using NASA's Juno spacecraft have refined Jupiter's dimensions, finding the planet’s equatorial radius is about 4 km smaller and its polar flattening 12 km less than previously reported. The new measurements place Jupiter’s mean radius at 71,484 km, a 0.0028% reduction at...
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News•Feb 3, 2026
Fuel Leaks Cause Artemis-2 Dress Rehearsal Countdown to Terminate at T-5:15, Several Minutes Early
NASA terminated the Artemis‑II wet dress rehearsal at T‑5:15 after two separate liquid hydrogen leaks were detected. The first leak forced a hold and a recycle of the countdown, while the second leak prevented the planned run to T‑33 seconds...
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News•Jan 31, 2026
Russia in Discussions with Malaysian Province About Potential Spaceport
Russia’s commercial space arm Glavcosmos is negotiating with Sabah, Malaysia, to build a new spaceport. Technical studies cite the province’s geography as ideal for low‑earth and sun‑synchronous launches, and the project could generate over 2,000 high‑income jobs. The move follows...
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News•Jan 31, 2026
Amazon Asks FCC for Time Extension for Launching Its Leo Constellation
Amazon has filed a request with the FCC to extend the July 30, 2026 deadline for deploying half of its Leo satellite internet constellation. The company currently operates 181 satellites, far short of the 1,616‑satellite interim milestone. Amazon blames launch‑vehicle...
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News•Jan 30, 2026
Russian Defunct Military Satellite Breaks up in Graveyard Orbit
A Russian military geosynchronous satellite launched in 2014 was moved to a graveyard orbit in 2025 after its fuel depleted. On 30 January 2026 the defunct spacecraft spontaneously fragmented, an event captured on video by Swiss tracking firm S2A Systems....
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News•Jan 30, 2026
Orbex Failure Occurred Partly because UK Government Withheld Promised Funding
Orbex, a UK‑based small‑sat launch startup, collapsed after the British government delayed launch licences and withheld most of the promised £100 million grant. The company shifted from the Sutherland to the Saxavord spaceport, incurring extra costs, and ultimately received only €34.9 million...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 30, 2026
Russian Official Says Soyuz Launchpad Repair Likely Delayed
Russia’s sole Soyuz launchpad at Baikonur, essential for ISS crew and cargo flights, will likely miss the promised late‑March completion deadline, according to Roscosmos infrastructure chief Barmin. The delay stems from harsh winter conditions and a patchwork of components, including...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 30, 2026
Two American Launches This Evening
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand, delivering South Korea’s first test smallsat for a planned observation constellation over the Korean peninsula. Later, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, with the booster completing its fifth...
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Deals•Jan 30, 2026
French Startup The Exploration Company Acquires Assets of UK Rocket Maker Orbex
The article reports that British rocket startup Orbex was forced to shut down and sell its assets to French startup The Exploration Company after the UK government withheld promised funding. The sale follows years of regulatory delays and a shortfall...
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News•Jan 28, 2026
Ariane-6 Gets a New Government Launch Contract
Ariane-6 secured a new launch contract to deploy the Galileo L18 pair of second‑generation navigation satellites for the European Union. This marks the rocket’s fifth GPS‑type mission for the EU, underscoring Brussels’ commitment to European launch sovereignty despite higher costs...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 28, 2026
Webb Finds Another Unexpected Galaxy in the Very Early Universe
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a galaxy, MoM‑z14, that existed just 280 million years after the Big Bang. The object is unexpectedly bright—about 100 times brighter than models predicted for such an early epoch—and shows unusually high...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 28, 2026
Scientists Produce New Estimate of the Thickness of Europa’s Icy Crust
Scientists analyzing Juno’s 2022 Europa flyby have refined the moon’s ice‑shell thickness to roughly 29 ± 10 km (about 18 ± 6 miles). The study finds that surface fractures and shallow scatterers are too small and shallow to channel nutrients from the surface to the subsurface...
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News•Jan 27, 2026
Musk: Next Starship/Superheavy Test Launch in Mid-March
Elon Musk announced that SpaceX plans a Starship/Superheavy test launch in roughly six weeks, targeting mid‑March. The statement implies that engineers have fixed the tank‑rupture problems that plagued recent Superheavy tests and that a new version‑3 booster is ready. Launch‑pad...
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News•Jan 24, 2026
Dragonfly’s Rotors Complete Testing
The Applied Physics Lab announced that Dragonfly’s rotor system has completed its first round of testing in Titan‑like conditions, evaluating stress, vibration, and aeromechanical performance. The next steps involve fatigue and cryogenic trials to simulate the harsh environment of Saturn’s...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 24, 2026
ESA Awards Startup Rocket Factory Augsburg a Two-Launch Contract
The European Space Agency awarded German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) a two‑launch contract under its Flight Ticket Initiative, targeting the Lurbat demonstrator mission and a CubeSat launch for Indra Space. The agreement signals ESA’s confidence in RFA as a...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 22, 2026
Isar Postpones 2nd Spectrum Rocket Launch Attempt, No New Date Set
Isar Aerospace cancelled its second attempt to launch the Spectrum rocket from Norway’s Andoya spaceport after detecting a pressurization‑valve fault. The company said it will assess a new launch window but gave no specific date, suggesting a delay that could...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 21, 2026
French Startup The Exploration Company Negotiating Purchase of UK Rocket Startup Orbex
Orbex, the UK‑based small‑sat rocket developer, has signed a letter of intent with French startup The Exploration Company to sell its assets. The move follows years of delays caused by the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s licensing hurdles, which forced Orbex...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 21, 2026
JAXA Releases Preliminary Results of Investigation Into December 2025 H3 Rocket Launch Failure
JAXA released preliminary findings on the December 2025 H3 launch failure, pinpointing premature fairing separation that damaged the satellite mounting section and ruptured the second‑stage fuel tubing. The damage halted engine combustion and caused the Michibiki‑5 satellite to detach when...
By Behind the Black
Deals•Jan 21, 2026
The Exploration Company in Talks to Acquire Orbex
French startup The Exploration Company has entered negotiations to acquire UK rocket maker Orbex, following a letter of intent signed on 21 January. Orbex, which has faced regulatory delays and financial strain, is looking to sell its assets. Details of...
Behind the Black
News•Jan 20, 2026
New Spaceport Proposed in India Independent of Its Space Agency ISRO
Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu announced preliminary talks with Greenko Group to develop a commercial spaceport on Hope Island near Kakinada. The site offers a more efficient launch trajectory for polar orbits, reducing fuel compared with ISRO's Sriharikota facility....
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 20, 2026
Another Zimmerman Op-Ed Today at PJ Media
Robert Zimmerman’s latest PJ Media op‑ed condemns mainstream coverage of NASA’s Artemis II rollout as propaganda, arguing that nearly twenty outlets praised the mission without addressing critical safety concerns. He points out that only a single article mentioned Orion’s heat‑shield issues,...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 19, 2026
China Launches More Satellites in Its Guowang Satellite Constellation
China successfully placed the 19th group of Guowang (SatNet) satellites into orbit using a Long March 12 launch from the Wencheng coastal spaceport. The launch brings the constellation to roughly 150 satellites, positioning it as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 19, 2026
Japan’s Government Gives Ispace a $125 Million Contract to Build a High-Precision Lunar Lander
Japan’s government awarded lunar‑exploration startup Ispace a $125 million contract under the second phase of the Space Strategy Fund to develop a high‑precision lander aimed at a 2029 launch to the Moon’s polar regions. The agreement also funds a lunar orbiter...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 19, 2026
China’s Damaged Shenzhou-20 Manned Capsule Successfully Returned Unmanned Today
China successfully recovered the Shenzhou-20 crew capsule unmanned after a reported window breach, touching down in Inner Mongolia. State media released only distant photos, showing a damaged window but no clear view of the alleged debris impact. The limited visual...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 16, 2026
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High Resolution Camera Is Showing Its Age
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera is showing clear signs of aging, with new vertical data gaps and color drop‑outs appearing in recent images. Engineers identified two primary faults: intermittent RED4 sensor failures that erase color data, and increasing bit‑flip‑induced...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 16, 2026
Astronomers Detect a Bar of Iron in the Center of the Ring Nebula
Astronomers using the new WEAVE spectrograph on the Herschel Telescope in Chile have identified a narrow bar of ionised iron (Fe V and Fe VI) crossing the inner cavity of the Ring Nebula (M57). The structure stretches roughly 500 times the orbital...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 16, 2026
The Recent Computer Hack of the European Space Agency Was Bigger than It Admitted
The European Space Agency (ESA) disclosed a December‑era hack that it described as limited, but new reports reveal a far larger breach. Security researchers say attackers gained initial access in September via an unpatched public CVE and exfiltrated roughly 500 GB...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 16, 2026
China Launches Four Satellites for Another Chinese Constellation
Galactic Energy successfully placed four additional satellites into its Tianqi internet‑of‑things constellation using a Ceres‑1 solid‑fuel rocket launched from a sea platform off China’s northeast coast. The mission marks the sixth launch for Tianqi, bringing the total to 41 satellites,...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 15, 2026
Lockheed Martin and General Electric Complete Tests of a Rotating-Detonation Engine
Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace announced successful tests of a liquid‑fuel rotating‑detonation ramjet (RDR) designed for hypersonic missiles. The joint effort proved the engine can generate high thrust at super‑ and hypersonic speeds while being smaller and lighter than conventional...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 15, 2026
The European Space Agency and China Hold the First Joint Meeting in Almost a Decade
The European Space Agency hosted China National Space Administration leaders in Paris, marking the first joint meeting since 2017. Delegates highlighted recent technical milestones, including the Tianguan (Einstein Probe) launch with ESA hardware, progress on the SMILE mission, and ESA’s...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 15, 2026
China Launches Classified Military Satellite in Partnership with Algeria
China launched a classified military remote‑sensing satellite on a Long March 2C from Jiuquan, marking the first payload under its joint remote‑sensing program with Algeria. The satellite, built by the China Academy of Space Technology, is intended for land‑planning, disaster prevention...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 13, 2026
China Claims It Has Launched and Landed a New Suborbital Reusable Spacecraft
China’s state‑owned CAS Space announced that its PH‑1 suborbital reusable spacecraft completed a test flight on Jan. 13, reaching roughly 120 km altitude and crossing the Kármán line. After re‑entry, the capsule deployed a parachute at about 10 km and landed at a...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 13, 2026
Portugal Signs Artemis Accords
Portugal officially joined the Artemis Accords, becoming the 60th nation to endorse the U.S.-led lunar partnership. The signing completes a near‑full European roster, with only a few states yet to ratify. Earlier reports suggested Latvia had already signed, but NASA’s...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 12, 2026
Space Station Starlab Gets Major New Investor
Voyager Technologies‑led consortium building Starlab announced a major new investor, Seven Grand Managers, a New York firm with over $1 billion in assets. While the exact amount was not disclosed, the investment is described as “significant,” adding to Starlab’s existing $383 million...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 12, 2026
India’s PSLV Rocket Experiences the Second Launch Failure in a Row
India’s ISRO attempted its first 2026 launch using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), but the rocket’s third stage failed again near the end of its burn. The malfunction caused the stage to tumble, aborting engine thrust and resulting in...
By Behind the Black
Deals•Jan 12, 2026
Starlab Secures Major New Investor Seven Grand Managers in Strategic Funding Deal
The Starlab space station consortium, led by Voyager Technologies, announced it has secured a major new investor, Seven Grand Managers, in a strategic funding round. While the exact amount was not disclosed, the investment adds to Starlab’s prior $383 million public...
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News•Jan 11, 2026
SpaceX Launches NASA’s Pandora Exoplanet Space Telescope
SpaceX successfully launched NASA’s Pandora exoplanet telescope aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg, marking the rocket’s fifth first‑stage recovery and a landing on the West Coast. Pandora, a smallsat designed to repeatedly observe 20 known transiting exoplanet host stars, flew alongside...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 9, 2026
The First Preliminary Research Into Landing a Mars Helicopter in the Starship Landing Zone
Researchers at the Planetary Science Institute have released a preliminary, unfunded study mapping possible Mars helicopter landing sites inside SpaceX’s Starship candidate zone. Using five recent Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, they identified locations near the low Erebus mountain chain that...
By Behind the Black
News•Jan 9, 2026
Chinese Pseudo-Company Building 3/4 Billion Dollar Rocket Factory
Chinese launch startup Space Epoch announced a 5.2 billion‑yuan ($740 million) factory to mass‑produce reusable, medium‑to‑large liquid‑fuel rockets that can land on sea platforms. The plant, slated to start operations soon, aims to build up to 25 rockets annually, targeting a launch...
By Behind the Black
Deals•Jan 6, 2026
L3Harris Sells 60% of Civilian Rocket Engine Division to AE Industrial Partners for $845M
L3Harris announced the sale of a 60% stake in its civilian rocket engine division to private‑equity firm AE Industrial Partners for $845 million, retaining a 40% share. The transaction revives the historic Rocketdyne name for the new entity, while the RS‑25...
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