Miliband Targets The Sky With Radical Plan To Beam Energy From Space
Britain’s new net‑zero roadmap, championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, proposes orbiting solar power stations to supply the UK with continuous, large‑scale electricity. The government‑commissioned study outlines ultra‑light satellites that convert sunlight to microwave beams, received by ground rectennas. Early deployment would require substantial public backing, but cost forecasts suggest by 2040 prices could fall to £87‑£129 per MWh, comparable to offshore wind and below projected new nuclear costs. The plan positions the UK to become a leader in space‑based renewable energy.
Report: Crowded Orbits – A Call to Action on Space Debris
The World Economic Forum and the Center for Space Futures released a report warning that orbital congestion has surged as commercial launches multiply, raising collision risk to 29% in certain altitude bands by 2032. The study, produced with the Saudi...
Trump's Greenland Grab Is Part of a New Space Race – and the Stakes Are Getting Higher
President Trump’s push to expand U.S. presence in Greenland highlights the island’s emerging role as a strategic gateway for space operations. High‑latitude launch sites in Greenland enable efficient polar and sun‑synchronous orbits, making the territory attractive to private launch firms...
The New Space Station Gold Rush: Which Companies Are Actually Ready for LEO?
The International Space Station will retire by 2030, prompting a surge of private firms racing to build replacement outposts in low‑Earth orbit. Vast Space plans to launch its single‑module Haven‑1 in early 2027, while Axiom Space is incrementally adding modules...
What Are the Dangers of Moon Dust?
Moon dust, the fine fraction of lunar regolith, is uniquely sharp, abrasive, chemically reactive, and electrostatically charged, making it a multi‑domain hazard for human health and hardware. Apollo missions documented irritation to eyes, lungs, and skin, as well as accelerated...
What Are the Impacts of GNSS Outages?
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) outages are emerging as a systemic risk for modern infrastructure, affecting both positioning and, critically, precise timing. Interference such as jamming and spoofing can disrupt multiple constellations simultaneously, while system‑level faults can degrade services worldwide....
Best-Selling Nonfiction Books About Space Stations
The article surveys the most popular nonfiction titles that focus on space stations, highlighting memoirs, human‑factors science, and technical “how‑it‑works” books. It explains how these works prioritize lived experience, routine operations, and system explanations over pure engineering detail. The piece...
NASA Launches Twin Rocket Missions From Alaska to Study Mysterious Black Auroras
NASA launched two sub‑orbital sounding rockets from Alaska’s Poker Flat Research Range to investigate the electrical dynamics of auroras. The BADASS mission reached 224 miles altitude to study rare black auroras, while the GNEISS mission deployed twin rockets to 198...
A Million-Satellite Constellation, and Tough Sledding for Space Tourism
The episode explores SpaceX’s ambitious filing to launch up to one million satellites as an orbital data center, positioning the company toward a Kardashev Type II vision and highlighting regulatory waivers and the link to Elon Musk’s AI venture. It then...
China Launches AI-Driven Satellite Constellation to Transform Space Computing
China’s Zhejiang Lab has deployed a 12‑satellite AI‑driven constellation, the first phase of its Three‑Body Computing Constellation. The satellites host two 8‑billion‑parameter AI models for remote sensing and astronomical analysis, and have demonstrated inter‑satellite networking and on‑orbit data processing. In...
SpaceX Dragon as a Rescue Vehicle for Artemis
SpaceX is evaluating a modified Dragon capsule, dubbed “Dragon Block R,” as a dedicated lifeboat for NASA’s Artemis program. The concept adds a propulsive “Super Trunk” service module, a fifth crew seat, and an Umbilical Interface Adapter kit to accommodate Orion...
$1.5-Billion NISAR Satellite Powers Near-Real-Time Soil Moisture Tracking Across India
The $1.5 billion NASA‑ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, launched in July 2025, now delivers 100 m resolution soil‑moisture products across India on a 12‑day repeat cycle. Using dual‑frequency S‑ and L‑band radar, the mission provides near‑real‑time moisture maps for irrigated, rain‑fed...
What Medicines Are Kept on the International Space Station, and Why?
The International Space Station maintains a structured “space pharmacy” organized into color‑coded medical kits that address convenience care, minor illnesses, and emergency stabilization. Medications are selected for stability in radiation‑rich microgravity, versatility across multiple symptoms, and ease of use by...
What Is Space Adaptation Syndrome?
Space adaptation syndrome (SAS) afflicts roughly 60‑70 % of astronauts during the first days of a low‑Earth‑orbit mission. The condition stems from a sensory conflict between visual cues and a vestibular system that no longer senses gravity, producing nausea, disorientation and...
Questioning Transfer Costs and Feasibility of Permanent Base
Thought about this for more than a day now and still don’t know if it’s a good plan. What does each transfer stage cost? It seems like this is a plan to be “first”, but not much more. Will it be feasible...
Roskosmos Preps Progress MS-33 for Site 31 Return
Roskosmos resumes processing of the Progress MS-33 cargo ship in Baikonur in anticipation of the return to flight from the restored Site 31 after the service platform collapse last year: https://t.co/mN4Hi2mIUG https://t.co/dpnK9COwOB
NASA Has a New Problem to Fix Before the Next Artemis II Countdown Test
NASA is confronting a recurring hydrogen fuel leak on the Space Launch System ahead of Artemis II’s second countdown rehearsal. Technicians replaced seals on the Tail Service Mast Umbilicals, but a confidence test revealed reduced flow, prompting a filter swap before...
NASA Withholds SLS Confidence Test Details Until Evening
NASA Admin Isaacman replying to Eric Berger @SciGuySpace about the "confidence test" they did on SLS on Thursday (Feb 12) and why NASA didn't share info until last night (Friday, at 7:51 pm ET) about it or the problem they...
NASA Let Hydrogen Leak Grow During Artemis Gap
It turns out NASA used the three-year interim between Artemis I and Artemis II to get comfortable with a more significant hydrogen leak, instead of fixing the leaks themselves. https://t.co/XX1eeIJnR0
Decoding China's New Space Philosophy
China’s fifteenth five‑year plan (2026‑2030) places space at the heart of its national agenda, as highlighted by a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) press release. The plan outlines ambitious targets, including a lunar research station, a Mars sample‑return...
Legacy GEO Giant Eutelsat Shifts Focus to LEO
This is pretty remarkable. Eutelsat is one of the big three legacy GEO operators, now pivoting to LEO.
NASA Tests SLS LH2 Flow, Fixes Equipment Issue
As reported by Bill Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) and others, on Thurs NASA flowed LH2 thru the new seals on SLS. Now there's a blog post explaining that ground support equipment problem reduced the flow. Working on it this weekend. https://t.co/PbuyJHZMNV
Feb. 14, 1980: SolarMax Launches
On February 14, 1980 the Solar Maximum Mission (SolarMax) lifted off from Cape Canaveral to study solar flares, the solar constant, and the Sun’s atmosphere in X‑ray, gamma‑ray, and ultraviolet wavelengths. Early in its flight the spacecraft suffered a coronagraph electronics glitch...
SLS Costs 23× XB‑1, Draining Private Innovation Potential
The NASA SLS costs 23X the entire XB-1 program. Every time it launches. What could private innovators create had this capital not been confiscated by gov’t and pissed away? Each time SLS launches 23 XB-1s go up in smoke. We don’t...
NASA's $650M SLS Ground System Overdue After Artemis I
NASA had literally three years after Artemis I to work on, and improve the SLS rocket ground systems. The annual budget for SLS "Ground Support Equipment" is around $650 million. It's completely unacceptable.
Senate Committee Advances FCC Satellite Licensing Bill After Changes
The Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance a revised Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, softening the original bill's automatic‑approval clause for satellite licenses. The amendment, crafted by Ranking Member Maria Cantwell and Chairman Ted Cruz, requires the FCC to develop...
NASA's SLS Test Fails, Delayed Update on Ground‑system Issue
Yikes. NASA couldn’t even complete a test of the SLS rocket’s ground system seal for liquid hydrogen because something else broke with the ground systems. And they wait until 8 pm ET Friday to send an update on something they...
Proton Rocket Launches Russia Weather Satellite with Iran TV Payload
The Proton launch of Russia's Elektro-L No. 5 weather satellite carried a secondary payload, Iran's Jam-e Jam 1 television broadcasting sat, also called Iran-DBS. Elektro-L-5 has a mass of 2120 kg; Jam-e Jam 1 is likely only 150 kg...
Rocket Storms Are Stripping Mars of Its Water
A 2023 "rocket dust storm" in Mars' northern summer lifted water vapor to about 60 km, triggering a hydrogen escape flux of 5 × 10⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹—roughly 50 times the seasonal baseline. Instruments on the Trace Gas Orbiter and the UAE Hope probe recorded 70 ppm...
Iridium Leverages L‑Band Spectrum to Counter Competitors
.@IridiumComm to market: Don't like our growth story? Well, I do happen to have some L-band spectrum here... @SpaceX @EchoStar @Viasat @space42ai @AST_SpaceMobile.https://t.co/Dl5XyXjk6X https://t.co/BvsN3zA7Q1
Top 10 Space Stories of 2025
The 2025 roundup of space headlines highlighted a volatile commercial launch market, lingering federal budget uncertainty, and two landmark scientific milestones. Private providers experienced both record‑breaking crewed flights and costly setbacks, while Congress debated the next round of NASA and...
Telesat Government Solutions Wins Spot on U.S. Missile Defense Agency SHIELD Contract
Telesat Government Solutions, the U.S. arm of Canada’s Telesat, has been awarded a position on the Pentagon’s $1.51 billion Missile Defense Agency SHIELD contract, a 10‑year IDIQ program. The win places the company’s upcoming Lightspeed low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite constellation as a...
Space Emerges as New Front in Great Power Competition, Officials Warn
At the Munich Cyber Security Conference officials warned that space has shifted from a neutral commons to a frontline of great‑power competition, with satellites now integral to banking, military, and weather systems. The vulnerability of undersea cables, which underpin the...
FAA Clears New Airspace for Starship Launches
FAA has completed the Final Tiered Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for updates to airspace closures for additional launch trajectories and Starship landings at Starbase, TX. https://t.co/WvzFoXualX
OneWeb Boost
.@EutelsatGroup: OneWeb rev up 59.7% in 6M to Dec. 31; 600 aircraft have our connectivity hardware; hosted payloads, ground segment seen as fresh revenue sources; cancelling @Thales_Alenia_S GEO sat saves EUR 100M in capex, costs 60M in impairment charges.https://t.co/f8cngyWfes https://t.co/iWpscm5aIi
From Warehouses to Low-Earth Orbit: The Next Logistics Frontier
Inversion has unveiled Arc, a low‑Earth‑orbit delivery vehicle that can drop cargo anywhere on Earth in under an hour, bypassing traditional ground and air infrastructure. The system pre‑positions payloads in orbit and triggers on‑demand deliveries, promising minute‑scale lead times. Arc...
Crew‑12 Soars to ISS on SpaceX Falcon 9
Crew-12 Launches https://t.co/PlDPhkPt1o NASA/Aubrey Gemignani A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Ha… https://t.co/XmbMWYpRhE
Blue Origin Unveils Ambitious New Lunar Mission Roadmap
I got a peek at Blue Origin’s new lunar plans. Here’s what I found: https://t.co/cOEKOK9aKd
Startup Bets on New Approach to Space-Based Missile Defense
California startup Wardstone has closed a $5 million seed round to develop space‑based kinetic interceptors. The company plans to test its first prototype on a suborbital sounding rocket in late April, employing a novel “buckshot” particle‑cloud approach to counter hypersonic missiles....
SpaceX's 20th Crew Flight Delivers Valentine's to ISS
🚀❣️ Cupid's Crew is delivering the Valentines to the ISS. Dragon Freedom is en route for a Feb 14 arrival with NASA's Crew-12 astronauts. This is SpaceX's 20th flight of humans to orbit. https://t.co/MpufCmPn1J
Falcon 9 Booster B1101 Achieves First RTLS Landing
SpaceX's Falcon9 Booster B1101 successfully completes first Return To Launch Site, RTLS, landing at LC-40 at CCSFS, FL. 📷by @rpg571 https://t.co/uKq0saMaYW
Axiom Space Raises $350M to Fuel Station, Suit Development
Axiom Space announced a $350 million capital raise, co‑led by Type One Ventures and Qatar Investment Authority, to accelerate its commercial space‑station program and the development of NASA‑contracted AxEMU spacesuits. The funding will finance the design, testing and launch of two...
Starlink Shutdown Blinds Russian Drones and Command Posts
“The shutdown didn’t only reduce Russian drone strikes. On the front lines, it also partially blinded Russian command posts and drone crews that relied on Starlink for communication, livestreams and more-precise control of assaults as commanders got real-time footage of...
Direct-to-Device Connectivity Set to Underpin Next Generation of Industrial IoT
Viasat’s latest survey of 600 IoT decision‑makers across agriculture, energy, transport, mining and utilities finds direct‑to‑device (D2D) connectivity is poised for mass adoption within 18 months. Ninety percent of respondents say D2D will accelerate the global rollout of industrial IoT,...
ESA Astronaut Sophie Adenot Launches Aboard SpaceX Crew-12 Mission
French Air Force colonel Sophie Adenot became the first member of ESA’s 2022 career astronaut class to launch to the International Space Station, riding SpaceX’s Crew‑12 mission on 13 February 2026. The Falcon 9‑launched Crew Dragon will dock with the ISS...
Falcon‑9/Dragon Launches First 2026 ISS Crew
Falcon-9/Dragon lifts off from Cape Canaveral carrying the first International Space Station crew of 2026 (USCV-12). It is 303rd mission of the ISS poject: https://t.co/z0hQPyE0Zn https://t.co/113UjWl1F5
Eutelsat “on Track”, LEO Revenues up 60%
Eutelsat’s mid‑year update highlighted a 60% surge in LEO (OneWeb) revenue, now accounting for more than one‑third of its Connectivity earnings. Overall revenue slipped to €574 million, while the Video division fell 12.3% amid continued Russian sanctions. Fixed Connectivity, Government services...
Sunlight Converts Lunar Regolith Into Usable Oxygen
Sunlight Extracts Oxygen From Regolith Using Solar Chemistry https://t.co/7D6ySKDwz4 A solar concentrator is tested as part of the Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project, which aims to produce oxygen from simulated lunar regolith for use a… https://t.co/oJ9ElSXJi0