From Bone Health to Space Debris: Crew-11’s Quietly Powerful ISS Legacy
SpaceX Crew‑11 returned after a long‑duration ISS stay, delivering a suite of experiments that span human health, orbital cleanup, and Earth observation. Astronauts logged over 850 hours of scientific work, including bone‑stem‑cell studies to combat microgravity‑induced bone loss and an inflatable capture bag trial for space‑debris removal. The mission also supported JAXA’s HTV‑X1 cargo delivery and pioneered on‑board yoghurt production for future nutrition needs. Crew‑11’s flight coincided with the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence on the station, underscoring the platform’s enduring international value.
UK Advances Navigation Security with New PNT Hub, Presents SPARK Report
The UK Space Agency has launched a new Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) landing page that centralises information on the nation’s navigation initiatives. The site aligns with the UK’s broader PNT framework and the recently published Framework for Greater PNT...
Why Is SpaceX Lowering Its Starlink Satellites?
SpaceX will lower roughly 4,400 Starlink satellites from about 550 km to 480 km by 2026. The move leverages the upcoming solar minimum, which will contract the upper atmosphere and increase drag at higher altitudes, helping clear debris faster. A tighter orbital...
China And Algeria Strengthen Space Alliance With AlSat-3A Satellite Launch
China launched AlSat-3A, an optical Earth‑observation satellite for Algeria, on 15 January using a Long March‑2C rocket. Built by the China Academy of Space Technology, the spacecraft will deliver civilian imagery for land‑use planning and disaster mitigation. The launch fulfills the...
Billionaire Fight Night: Insults Fly as Musk Takes on Ryanair
Elon Musk and Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary have turned a technical debate over Starlink satellite Wi‑Fi into a public feud, trading barbs on social media. Ryanair estimates the equipment would increase fuel burn by about 2%, costing roughly $250 million annually,...
Mitsubishi Joins Starlab as Key Customer, Expands Space Station Partnership
Mitsubishi Corporation has reserved and pre‑purchased payload capacity on Starlab’s upcoming commercial space station, becoming a key customer and board member. The deal expands Mitsubishi’s equity stake, giving Japanese research institutions guaranteed access to microgravity labs aboard the AI‑enabled platform....
Dcubed to Supply Solar Panels for Lunar Rover on Blue Ghost 3 Mission
Blue Origin’s Honeybee Robotics has chosen Dcubed to provide five body‑mounted solar array panels for its lunar rover, which will ride aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 3 lander in 2028. The rover will explore the previously unvisited Gruithuisen Domes, operating...
FZ Scraps Major Proposal to Prevent Space Debris
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the withdrawal of its 2023 proposed rule that would have mandated the removal of launch vehicle upper stages from orbit within 25 years. The decision follows a limited comment period in which industry stakeholders highlighted...
US Office of Space Commerce Seeks Industry Feedback on Indian Space Market
The U.S. Office of Space Commerce has issued a formal request for input from American space firms about the regulatory landscape and competitiveness of the Indian market. The solicitation focuses on the 2023 India Space Policy, the 2024 Non‑Governmental Entity...
Ispace Expands to Saudi Arabia as Lunar Race Draws in the Middle East
Japanese lunar explorer ispace announced the formation of a Saudi Arabian subsidiary, following the Saudi‑Japan Ministerial Investment Forum. The company has obtained an Investment Registration Certificate and is completing commercial registration, enabling direct operations in the Kingdom. The new entity...
Titan Isn’t What We Thought: New Evidence Wipes Out the Case for a Buried Ocean
A new Nature study reexamines Cassini radio‑tracking data and finds Titan’s interior dissipates far more tidal energy than previously thought. The measured 3–4 TW of heat loss cannot be reconciled with a global subsurface ocean, prompting a shift to a model...
Astroscale Wins ESA Backing For World-First Plan To Repair Satellites In Orbit
Astroscale UK has secured a €399,000 Phase A contract from the European Space Agency to design the In‑Orbit Refurbishment and Upgrading Service (IRUS), a world‑first capability to repair satellites in space. The eight‑month study will evaluate technical feasibility and commercial viability,...
Navy Trains F-35 Pilots To Fly With Uncrewed Wingmen
The US Navy completed a major training milestone by using the Joint Simulation Environment to develop tactics for F‑35 pilots operating alongside Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the service’s uncrewed wingmen. In the virtual exercises at Patuxent River, pilots used tablet controls...
Space Force Overhauls Fitness Rules in Bold Push to Future-Proof Guardians
The U.S. Space Force is revamping its fitness program under a Holistic Health Approach, mandating two structured physical evaluations per year starting in 2026. The new system assesses aerobic capacity, muscular performance, core endurance, and body composition, with results appearing...
Studying Space Science Today: Tools and Technologies Students Should Know
The article outlines the essential digital and observational tools that modern space‑science students must master, from Python and MATLAB programming to high‑performance computing, ground‑ and space‑based telescopes, remote‑sensing satellites, AI, and virtual labs. It emphasizes hands‑on experience with mission archives,...
Weird Blobs And Ribbons May Help Reveal The Secrets Of Solar Flares
Solar flares unleash massive energy that can disrupt GPS, telecoms and power grids. New high‑resolution images from ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter reveal tiny bead‑like blobs and dynamic flare ribbons within the Sun’s chromosphere. These structures, only a few hundred kilometres across,...
Royal Astronomical Society Announces 2026 Award Winners
The Royal Astronomical Society unveiled its 2026 award winners at the A&G Highlights Meeting on 9 January. Professor Shrinivas Kulkarni received the Gold Medal in Astronomy for pioneering work in time‑domain and multi‑wavelength transient astrophysics, while Professor Andrew Jackson earned the...
Indian Rocket To Orbit A Temple and Spanish KID. KID To Reenter Earth Atmosphere
India’s PSLV‑C62 mission on 12 January 2026 will loft Spain’s KID re‑entry demonstrator, Brazil’s Orbital Temple, and 13 other satellites, including India’s EOS‑N1 earth‑observation payload. KID will separate at about 504 km, re‑enter after 108 minutes, and transmit data without a parachute. The Orbital...
What Happened To Four Mice In Orbit Could Change Deep-Space Missions Forever
Four laboratory mice flew aboard China’s Shenzhou‑21 mission for a 14‑day stay on the Tiangong space station. After returning to Earth, a female mouse gave birth to nine pups, six of which are thriving. The experiment demonstrated that short‑term microgravity...
Leonid Space Releases Deorbit Forecast Validation
Leonid Space completed a comprehensive validation of its deorbit forecasting workflow, testing 934 non‑maneuvering satellites that reentered between 1961 and 2024 across six solar cycles. The company reports median one‑year deorbit errors of 6.0 days with perfect knowledge, 18.6 days...
Dhruva Space to Enable 10 Missions on ISRO’s PSLV-C62 Rocket
Dhruva Space announced its Polar Access‑1 programme, enabling ten satellite missions on ISRO’s PSLV‑C62 launch scheduled for 12 January. The initiative bundles four satellites, separation systems and ground‑station services into a repeatable Sun‑Synchronous orbit access package. Missions span disaster communications, environmental...
NASA SWOT Satellite Recorded A Tsunami From Space
NASA’s Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite recorded a high‑resolution view of the July 2025 Kamchatka‑origin tsunami, covering more than 120 km of ocean surface. Researchers combined this imagery with DART buoy data, revealing detailed wave patterns and challenging the long‑standing...
China Reports Progress On Xuntian Telescope Data Simulations
China’s research team has completed a full data‑simulation workflow for the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), also known as the Xuntian Space Telescope, publishing the results on 7 January. The end‑to‑end suite generates realistic pixel‑level mock observations that mirror the telescope’s...
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2026: How to Apply?
The Royal Observatory’s ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition opened for entries on 5 January 2026 and will close at noon GMT on 2 March. The contest accepts adult and youth submissions across eight themed adult categories and a single youth...
Astronomy’s Northern Blind Spot — And the Canary Island Giant That Could Fix It
Astronomy’s next era hinges on ultra‑large telescopes, yet the Northern Hemisphere lacks a 30‑meter‑class optical instrument. A recent paper argues that relocating the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to La Palma would fill this gap, enabling rapid follow‑up of multi‑messenger events....
Mysterious Star That Vanished For 130 Years Has Been Found
In 1892 Edward Emerson Barnard reported a bright, seventh‑magnitude star near Venus that seemingly vanished on a second look, sparking over a century of speculation. Recent amateur astronomers Tim Hunter and Roger Ceragioli revisited the region with a vintage eyepiece...
Alaska Airlines Accelerates Starlink Wi-Fi Rollout
Alaska Airlines is accelerating the rollout of SpaceX’s Starlink in‑flight Wi‑Fi across its entire fleet, following successful testing on Embraer E175 aircraft. The airline plans to install the system on its E175, 737 and 787 jets through 2026, with full...
Hubble Captures Stunning and Dramatic Blue Gas Outflow From Galaxy NGC 4388
Hubble’s newest multi‑wavelength images of the edge‑on spiral NGC 4388 reveal a vivid blue plume of ionized gas extending from the galaxy’s core. The outflow appears to be energized by radiation from the central supermassive black hole and shaped by ram‑pressure...
Starfighters Space Completes Supersonic Flight Test
Starfighters Space announced a successful supersonic flight test using its F‑104 platform under GE Aerospace’s ATLAS program, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The aircraft carried an advanced propulsion test vehicle three times at Kennedy Space Center, demonstrating solid‑fuel...
DEX Logs Dust Signals In Space: ISRO
India's space agency ISRO announced that its Dust Experiment (DEX) instrument successfully logged orbital debris impacts from 1 January to 9 February 2024. The 140‑degree wide‑view detector, mounted on the PSLV‑C58 XPoSat mission, recorded a hit roughly every thousand seconds while skimming the...
These Strategic ISRO Missions Are Set For 1Q 2026
India’s space agency ISRO will launch two strategic satellites in the first quarter of 2026. On 12 January, PSLV‑C62 will lift the DRDO‑built hyperspectral Earth‑observation satellite EOS‑N1 (Anvesha) alongside 18 small‑satellite co‑passengers. Later in Q1, GSLV‑F17 will place the GISAT‑2 (EOS‑05)...