Inside the Gaganyaan-1 Uncrewed Mission Scheduled for March 2026
India’s Gaganyaan‑1 uncrewed test flight is slated for March 2026, using the human‑rated LVM3 (HLVM3) launch vehicle. The mission will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra to monitor cabin conditions and simulate astronaut activities in microgravity. It will execute a full launch‑orbit‑re‑entry‑recovery sequence, validating the crew module, service module, abort system, parachutes and thermal protection. A successful G1 will unlock the planned crewed Gaganyaan launch in 2027, positioning India among the world’s human‑spaceflight nations.
KSAT Rolls Out AI Driven Maritime Monitoring Platform
KSAT has launched the Vake Powered By KSAT platform, an AI‑driven maritime monitoring service that fuses optical, radio‑frequency and radar data from 15 satellite providers. The system detects, identifies and tracks dark vessels from space, delivering insights through a single...
SpaceX Grounds Falcon 9 Missions, Could Impact ISS Launch
SpaceX has grounded all Falcon 9 launches after a second-stage anomaly was observed during Monday’s routine Starlink mission. The pause comes as NASA evaluates potential delays to its next crew rotation to the International Space Station. The company will conduct...
Lufthansa Group to Retain Current IFC Until Starlink Pivot Is Complete
Lufthansa Group announced a fleet‑wide shift to SpaceX Starlink, planning rollout from late 2026 to 2029, while retaining its existing inflight connectivity (IFC) systems—Viasat’s European Aviation Network (EAN) on narrow‑bodies and Panasonic’s multi‑orbit solution on some A330s—until Starlink is fully...
TESS Observations Reveal Sustained Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in Multiple Blazars
A joint analysis of NASA's TESS optical data and Swift BAT hard‑X‑ray monitoring identified quasi‑periodic oscillations (QPOs) in several blazars. Out of 38 variable objects, four showed highly significant periodicity with cycles of five to ten days, and one signal...
FireSat Adds Orbit-Visualization Software to Help Firefighters Plan Around Satellite Passes
The Earth Fire Alliance has awarded ExoAnalytic Solutions a contract to build orbit‑visualization software for the FireSat wildfire‑detection constellation. The web‑based tools will display real‑time and forecasted satellite tracks, sensor swaths, and observation footprints for both public and secure users....
Asteroid Has 1‑in‑23 Chance to Strike Moon in 2032
This asteroid has a 1 in 23 chance of hitting the Moon in 2032! Astronomers just ran simulations to figure out what happens if it does… #space #asteroid #nasa #astronomy #astrokobi
Press Release: Panasonic to Explore LEO IFC Opportunities with Spacesail
Panasonic Avionics announced an MOU with Shanghai Spacesail Technologies to integrate Spacesail’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into its in‑flight connectivity (IFEC) network, enhancing global broadband coverage for airlines. The partnership aims to deliver higher speeds, lower latency, and...
Space Telescopes at Light Speed
NASA is accelerating the development of its astrophysics observatories, exemplified by the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope slated for a September 2026 launch—months ahead of its 2027 commitment and within its $4.3 billion budget. The agency also fast‑tracked a Swift gamma‑ray telescope reboost, targeting...
'Red Potato' Galaxy Discovered by Astronomers
An international team using JWST discovered a massive, quiescent red galaxy at redshift 3.25, dubbed the “Red Potato.” The galaxy, MQN01 J004131.9‑493704, has a stellar mass of 110 billion M☉, a half‑light radius of 3,260 light‑years, and a low molecular‑gas fraction (<0.06)....
Isar Aerospace to Expand Testing Facilities as It Prepares for Next Spectrum Flight
Isar Aerospace announced a purpose‑built acceptance test facility at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center, boosting its capacity to test over 30 Aquila engines per month and conduct full stage acceptance tests. The expansion comes as the company readies the second flight...
Feb. 4, 1906: The Birth of Clyde Tombaugh
Clyde Tombaugh was born on February 4, 1906, on farms in Illinois and Kansas and taught himself astronomy and optics despite lacking a college education. Using a homemade 9‑inch reflector built from farm machinery, he sent detailed planetary drawings to Lowell Observatory,...
Silicon as Strategy: The Hidden Battleground of the New Space Race
Custom silicon has become the launch‑pad, not the afterthought, for low‑Earth‑orbit satellite constellations. Industry leaders are investing in bespoke ASICs for beamformers and modems from day one, abandoning COTS and FPGA stopgaps that hurt power and price efficiency. A $50 million...
Exclusive: Viridian Space Signs CRADA Agreement with US Air Force
Viridian Space, a California satellite startup, has signed a five‑year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force to co‑develop its air‑breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) technology for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) missions. The partnership will be...
Senate Committee Delays Consideration of Bill to Streamline FCC Satellite Licensing
The Senate Commerce Committee delayed markup of the Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act (S.3639), a bipartisan bill that would require the FCC to decide satellite and ground‑station license applications within one year. Proponents argue the measure would eliminate regulatory bottlenecks...
York Drops Protest of Apex’s SBIR Award
York Space Systems withdrew its protest of the Department of Defense’s $45.9 million Phase II SBIR award to Apex Space, and a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice on Jan. 30. The motion to dismiss was filed a day before York’s planned...
Voyager Outlines Infrastructure-Led Roadmap for Long-Term US Lunar Presence
Voyager Technologies unveiled an infrastructure‑centric lunar roadmap that aligns with the White House’s Securing American Space Superiority order. The strategy emphasizes durable habitats, power, communications and autonomous logistics to support long‑term human and robotic presence on the Moon. Voyager will...
Lunar Soil Test Chamber Paves Way for Future Moon Construction
Engineers need reliable geotechnical data before building on the Moon, and a new ESA‑funded project led by Norway’s NGI has delivered a laboratory chamber that mimics lunar vacuum and temperature for cone‑penetration testing. The Environment Controlled Calibration Chamber uses lunar...
ExLabs Taps SpacePilot Autonomy for Apophis Asteroid Mission
ExLabs has chosen CUS‑GNC’s SpacePilot autonomy software to guide its upcoming commercial mission to asteroid Apophis, slated for launch during the 2029 close‑approach window. The onboard guidance, navigation and control system will operate beyond 100 million kilometres from Earth, where communication...
SmallSat Alliance Shifts Focus From Proliferation to Coordination
The SmallSat Alliance, which spent a decade lobbying for proliferated low‑Earth‑orbit constellations, is now pivoting to coordinate those networks as a unified system. At its Miami Space Summit, the group of more than 50 members will discuss how the Space...
Neutron Scans Reveal Hidden Water in Famous Martian Meteorite
Researchers applied both X‑ray and neutron computed tomography to the Martian meteorite NWA 7034, known as Black Beauty, revealing hydrogen‑rich iron oxyhydroxide clasts that make up about 0.4 % of the scanned volume. These clasts account for roughly 11 % of the sample’s water,...
A 'Cold Earth' Exoplanet Just 146 Light-Years Away Might Be in Its Star's Habitable Zone — if It Exists
Astronomers have identified a possible rocky exoplanet, HD 137010b, orbiting a K‑type dwarf 146 light‑years away. The planet, about 1.06 times Earth’s diameter, receives roughly 29 % of Earth’s solar flux and completes an orbit in about 355 days, placing it on the...
Explore Mars’s Flaugergues Crater
The European Space Agency released a new Mars Express video that flies around Flaugergues Crater in the planet’s southern highlands. The footage is accompanied by a detailed map showing the spacecraft’s camera path and high‑resolution stills of the crater’s interior....
Departure Delay
NASA announced that the Artemis 2 crewed lunar flyby will not launch before March, after the mission’s first wet‑dress rehearsal revealed multiple technical issues. The delay pushes back the departure from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, originally slated for early...
AFRL Oracle Program for Cislunar Space Situational Awareness (SSA)
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Oracle program extends space domain awareness beyond geosynchronous orbit into the cislunar region, targeting objects up to 380,000 km from Earth. The spacecraft uses the non‑toxic ASCENT green propellant to achieve high‑Δv maneuvers and operates in...
The Crawler
In this brief 1‑minute‑30‑second episode, the host explains the engineering marvel of the massive crawler‑transporter that moves an eleven‑million‑pound rocket from the Vehicle Assembly Building to a launch pad over four miles away. The discussion highlights the crawler’s massive weight,...
U.S. Space Force Activates Northern Unit to Advance Space-Based Defense Capabilities
The U.S. Space Force officially activated its Northern component on Jan. 30, placing it under U.S. Northern Command to bolster homeland defence. The new Space Forces Northern unit, the seventh regional field component, will focus on space domain awareness, missile...
Crew‑12 Launch Moves to Feb 11 Amid Artemis Delay
Not so good news for Artemis II is good news for Crew-12, which can launch on Feb 11 now. One wrinkle, tho, could be Falcon 9 second stage “off nominal” performance yesterday on the Starlink launch. NASA’s Amit Kshatriya said...
Reproduction in Space, an Environment Hostile to Human Biology
A new study in Reproductive Biomedicine Online warns that space’s radiation, microgravity and circadian disruption create a hostile environment for human reproduction. It highlights the absence of industry‑wide standards for managing fertility risks, early pregnancy, and ethical dilemmas as commercial...
One-of-a-Kind 'Plasma Tunnel' Recreates Extreme Conditions Spacecraft Face upon Reentry
University of Colorado Boulder has launched an inductively coupled plasma tunnel that reproduces the extreme heat and velocity of spacecraft re‑entry. The facility can generate plasma flows up to 9,000 °F and accelerate gases at thousands of miles per hour, matching...
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...
Satlyt to Integrate Edge Computing Into Aerospace Corp DiskSat Platform
Satlyt has signed a commercial license with The Aerospace Corporation to embed its edge‑computing framework into the DiskSat platform, a novel one‑meter‑diameter, 2.5‑centimeter‑thick satellite architecture. The first four DiskSats were launched on a Rocket Lab mission in December 2025, marking...
MasOrange to Trial Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Spain
MasOrange has secured regulator approval to pilot SpaceX’s Starlink Direct‑to‑Cell service in Spain’s Valladolid province. The trial will test satellite‑based supplemental coverage for remote, mountainous and coastal areas, positioning the service as a network complement rather than a full replacement....
Why SpaceX Bought xAI: Data Centers in Space Aren't the only Reason
Elon Musk merged SpaceX with his AI startup xAI, creating a privately‑owned entity valued at roughly $1.25 trillion. Musk argues the deal is driven by the massive electricity demand of AI and a long‑term vision of orbital AI data centers, backed...
Cosmic Radiation Brought to Light: Researchers Measure Ionization in Dark Cloud for the First Time
An international team used the James Webb Space Telescope to directly detect three faint infrared H₂ emission lines in the dark molecular cloud Barnard 68, marking the first observational confirmation of cosmic‑ray‑excited gas. The measurements provide a direct estimate of the...
Telespazio and Italian Space Agency to Upgrade Historic Fucino Antenna
Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency announced the "Response" programme to modernise the 27‑metre FOC‑1A antenna at Italy’s Fucino Space Centre, a facility that has operated since 1967. The upgrade will retrofit the historic dish with hardware capable of near‑Earth...
CNES to Fill Commercial Launch Facility Vacancy Left by MaiaSpace
The French space agency CNES announced a fresh call for launch operators to occupy the vacancy left by MaiaSpace at its new multi‑user ELM (Ensemble de Lancement Multilanceurs) facility in French Guiana. The site, built on the former Diamant launch...
Did We Just See a Black Hole Explode? Physicists Think So—And It Could Explain (Almost) Everything
Physicists at UMass Amherst propose that a quasi‑extremal primordial black hole (PBH) can undergo a runaway Hawking‑radiation explosion, releasing ultra‑high‑energy particles. Their model explains the PeV‑scale neutrino detected by the KM3NeT collaboration in 2023, an event far beyond any known...
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...
Artemis 2 Launch Pushed to March Launch Window
NASA concluded its Artemis 2 wet‑dress rehearsal early after encountering multiple technical setbacks, including a liquid hydrogen leak and a valve that required retorquing. The countdown was automatically aborted when leak rates spiked, and cold‑weather conditions further complicated camera operations. As...
Artemis Launch Delayed to March for Safety Preparations
Launch delayed 'til March due to hydrogen leaks, a balky hatch, need to launch a crew to Space Station, and geometry with the Moon. Next opportunities: March 6, 7, 8, 9, 11. For the familes & friends it's a big...
Trump Signs FY2026 Funding, 11 of 12 Bills Enacted
This afternoon the House passed and then President Trump quickly signed into law a bill that funds Defense, THUD (incl the FAA and its Office of Commercial Space Transportation) and 3 others for FY2026. Now 11 of the 12 FY2026...
NASA Space to Soil Challenge
NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office has opened the Space‑to‑Soil Challenge, inviting teams to design SmallSat missions that embed adaptive sensing and onboard AI. The competition emphasizes real‑time interpretation of land‑surface data to support regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, and broader land‑resilience...
Data Needed Before New WDR; March Delay Triggers VAB Rollback
Post-WDR news conference key takeaways: need to look at data before determining next steps and setting date for new WDR; if can't launch by end of March window, probably have to roll back to VAB to replace batteries in the...
Lori Glaze Named Moon-To
NASA's news conf post-WDR is underway (watch on YouTube). Lori Glaze is introduced as Moon to Mars Mission Manager, not Acting AA for ESDMD. https://t.co/67JSPovRN0
ESA's Sustainability Ambition
The European Space Agency (ESA) is foregrounding sustainability across its portfolio, from clean‑space initiatives and zero‑debris targets to eco‑design of missions. Recent milestones include a metal 3D printer’s first product on the International Space Station and the upcoming EarthCARE satellite...
CesiumAstro Secures $270M to Boost Defense Contracts
Spacecom company @CesiumAstro announced that it closed a $270M round of funding—which will help the company to cement further contracts in the defense sector, and build out its natsec business. https://t.co/yg15DTFTWo
Musk's Data Centers Leverage SpaceX Launch and Starlink Economics
The SpaceX-era economy is evolving yet again. Understand the launch and Starlink economics behind Elon Musk’s data center push in our report. https://t.co/mGgSQMqdpH
Flight Heritage? It Isn’t What You Think
Brad King, CEO of Orbion Space Technology, warns that the term “flight heritage” is often misused in space procurement. While a hardware unit that has reached orbit reduces perceived risk, heritage does not automatically transfer to later versions that differ...
Feb. 3, 1966: Luna 9 Successfully Lands
On February 3, 1966 the Soviet Luna 9 probe achieved the first soft landing on the Moon after a series of failed attempts. The 100‑kg lander descended from orbit, firing retrorockets at 75 km altitude and touching down in the Oceanus Procellarum. Its petal‑opened capsule...