Making the Unprecedented EU Space Act Effective for All
The European Commission’s proposed EU Space Act, unveiled on June 25, 2025, seeks to embed safety, resilience and sustainability requirements across all space services operating in Europe. It mandates debris tracking, cybersecurity standards and environmental impact reductions for both EU and non‑EU operators. The act targets enforcement in 2028 with full implementation by January 1, 2030, but industry experts warn the timeline is overly aggressive. Stakeholders urge alignment with international standards and a longer transition to ensure technical feasibility and economic viability.
NASA-ISRO Radar Mission Peers Through Clouds to See Mississippi River Delta
NASA and ISRO’s NISAR satellite used its L‑band synthetic aperture radar to capture a cloud‑free image of the Mississippi River Delta on Nov. 29, 2025. The radar’s 24‑centimeter wavelength penetrates clouds, revealing land‑cover details from urban structures to wetlands and crops. The...
From Space to the Seabed, Critical Infrastructure Is Becoming More Vulnerable, Experts Warn: 'People Don't Realize How Dependent We Are'
Experts at the World Economic Forum warned that the critical infrastructure linking orbiting satellites and seabed cables is becoming increasingly vulnerable. With more than 15,000 active satellites today and proposals that could swell to half a million by the late...
Laurent Jaffart Appointed Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity
The European Space Agency Council approved Laurent Jaffart’s reassignment to the newly created Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity (D/RNC) role, effective 1 February 2026. The position reinforces ESA’s focus on resilience, navigation and connectivity to meet the security and defence priorities of...
SES to Extend EGNOS GEO 1 Payload Service for Precise Navigation over Europe Through 2030
SES and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme have renewed the EGNOS GEO 1 satellite service agreement through 2030, with an option to extend to 2032. The extension keeps the hosted payload on SES 5 operational, delivering high‑precision navigation corrections...
Lockheed Martin Launches Ninth GPS III Satellite to Boost Secure Navigation
Lockheed Martin placed its ninth GPS III satellite, SV09, into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral on Jan 30 2026. The spacecraft delivers three‑times the accuracy and up to eight‑times better anti‑jamming capability, reinforcing both military and civilian navigation services....
NASA Heat Shield Technology Enables Space Industry Growth
NASA’s C‑PICA heat‑shield material, developed at Ames Research Center, was licensed to Varda Space Industries and manufactured in‑house for the company’s W‑5 capsule. On Jan. 29, 2026 the capsule re‑entered Earth’s atmosphere and landed safely in South Australia, marking the first all‑Varda...
Rocket Lab Conducts Second Electron Mission in Eight Days to Orbit Korean Imaging Satellite
Rocket Lab completed its 81st Electron flight, deploying the NEONSAT‑1A Earth‑observation satellite for South Korea’s KAIST. The "Bridging The Swarm" mission lifted off from New Zealand on Jan 30, placing the payload into a 540 km low‑Earth orbit. This launch marks the company’s...
Earth From Space: Rudong Coast, China
The European Space Agency released a new Sentinel‑2 image of Rudong County’s coastline on China’s eastern seaboard. The high‑resolution optical data showcases the region’s shoreline, wetlands and nearby maritime traffic. ESA highlighted the image as part of its open‑access Copernicus...
EU Awards Three Contracts for Mobile Responsive Launch System Studies
The European Commission has awarded three parallel studies to examine a mobile responsive launch system capable of rapid satellite deployment from non‑permanent ground sites. Consortia led by PwC, GMV and Sirius Space Services will conduct the research over a ten‑month...
A Laser Ruler for Sharper Black Hole Images
KAIST researchers have replaced traditional electronic timing signals in Very Long Baseline Interferometry with optical frequency‑comb lasers, delivering atomic‑clock precision across radio telescopes. The laser comb feeds directly into each dish’s receiver, establishing phase alignment at the fundamental stability of...
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...
ESA Urges Europe to Keep Up the Momentum in Brussels
The European Space Agency closed 2025 with record funding commitments, yet its overall budget still lags far behind the United States and China. At the European Space Conference in Brussels, Director General Josef Aschbacher warned that past achievements are insufficient...
NASA Pushes SLS Tanking Test Back 48 Hours
NASA is reportedly delaying the wet dress rehearsal tanking test for the SLS rocket by at least 48 hours. Teams were expected to be called to stations shortly after 8 pm ET (0100 UTC). @NASA has made no comments and...
Testing Robotics in Space
The future of in-space robotics relies on testing operations in space.
A New Theory for What Really Powers a Flare
A new study using ESA’s Solar Orbiter data shows solar flares are powered by “magnetic avalanches” rather than the traditional current‑sheet reconnection model. The high‑resolution EUI imager captured 2‑second cadence magnetic strands forming, winding, and repeatedly reconnecting thirty minutes before...
AI Predicts Monster IPO, but Execution Risk Looms
How is enterprise-grade AI combined with X's API powerful for analyzing things? Here's how, I asked @blevlabs's to analyze the rumors that @elonmusk is thinking of joining his companies together into a monster new IPO. Here's the analysis. ++++++++++ xAI +...
NASA Pushes Wet Dress Rehearsal to Feb 2, Launch Feb 8
This morning, NASA confirmed that teams were not called to stations last night and that the simulated T-0 for the wet dress rehearsal is now Feb. 2. This is due to cold weather conditions. The NET date for launch is...
NASA Considering Alternatives for Gateway Logistics
NASA is at a crossroads over how to provide cargo services for the lunar Gateway, reassessing the original SpaceX Dragon XL contract and weighing a potential shift to SpaceX’s Starship. The agency authorized the first logistics mission for 2023 but...
NASA Remains Silent, Artemis II Launch Likely Delayed
It's 7:30 am ET January 30. Still no official word from NASA about the Artemis II WDR. Pretty clear it's delayed. Bill Harwood @cbs_spacenews posted that unofficial news last night around 11:00 pm. Bewildering as to why NASA remains silent.
Artemis 2 Moon Rocket Fuel Test Delayed 48 Hours
Good morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The countdown clock should be ticking right now for a crucial fueling test of the Artemis 2 moon rocket. According to multiple sources, the test has been delayed 48 hours but still no...
JAXA Taps Warpspace to Develop Open Laser Communications in Space
Japan’s Warpspace Inc. has been selected for JAXA’s Space Strategy Fund to develop open‑laser communication technologies that enable seamless inter‑satellite links across different vendors. The company will create the HOCSAI multi‑protocol optical modem to provide interoperability, and a Digital Twin...
Falcon 9 Upright Timelapse Prepares for Starlink Launch
A timelapse of SpaceX's Falcon 9 going upright at pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station around 10 p.m. tonight. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-101 mission is scheduled for 2:22 a.m. EST (0722 UTC). Read more: https://t.co/4qeVAXF2ky 📹: @ABernNYC https://t.co/dKrtCSnAv1
NASA WDR and Senate Minibus Vote Both Stalled
So…apparently no NASA WDR, and no Senate vote on the minibus. Time to call it a day.
China’s Micius Satellite Operational Status: What Have You Done Lately?
The Chinese Micius satellite, launched in 2016 for the QUESS quantum‑experiments program, was designed for a two‑year mission but remains operational in 2025. It continues to host quantum key distribution and entanglement experiments, proving the durability of space‑based quantum hardware....
Rocket Lab Pauses Countdown, Targets 2:21 Pm NZDT Window
During the countdown of the mission ‘Bridging The Swarm’, @RocketLab had to pause the count at T-00:08:59 and recycled the clock. Teams are now aiming for the end of the window at 2:21 pm NZDT (8:21 pm EST / 0121...
Lightning Tower and SLS Rocket Form Giant Sundial
The shadow from a lightning tower and NASA's SLS moon rocket create a giant sundial at launch complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. https://t.co/DehX6uR5mZ
Lockheed Martin Space Sales Grew 4% in 2025
Lockheed Martin reported a 4% year‑over‑year increase in its Space segment, delivering $13 billion in revenue for 2025. Growth was driven by $380 million from strategic and missile‑defense programs such as Next Generation Interceptor and Fleet Ballistic Missile, and $255 million from the...
Maj. Gen. Grisham Leads USSP
USSPACECOM Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting has named Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham to lead the transition team to move USSPACECOM's HQ from Colorado Springs, CO to Hunstville, AL as directed by President Trump. https://t.co/7iABjLrtf8
NASA Grants $5M to 29 Institutions for STEM Education
NASA has awarded a bit more than $5 million to 29 institutions for STEM education. https://t.co/oWyhCJKQQr
NASA Researchers Probe Tangled Magnetospheres of Merging Neutron Stars
NASA’s Goddard team leveraged the Pleiades supercomputer to run over 100 high‑resolution simulations of two 1.4‑solar‑mass neutron stars merging. The models reveal how tangled magnetospheres reconnect and generate rapidly varying electromagnetic emission in the final 7.7 ms before coalescence. Emission intensity...
New Map of the Milky Way's Magnetism Offers Insights Into Cosmic Evolution
A UBC Okanagan‑led team released the first broadband Faraday‑rotation map of the northern sky, called DRAGONS, using the DRAO 15‑meter telescope. The survey reveals that more than half of the sky exhibits intricate magnetic structures, overturning the notion of a largely...
What Does It Really Take to Make Space Work for Your World?
In a 50‑minute Better Satellite World Awards roundtable, SSPI’s Tamara Bond‑Williams convenes leaders from Astroscale, INTEGRASYS, and River Advisers to discuss how satellite systems impact daily life on Earth. The panel delves into orbital sustainability, interference protection, spectrum access, and...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI in Talks to Merge, Report Says
SpaceX and Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI are reportedly in merger talks ahead of a planned SpaceX IPO later this year, according to Reuters. Two Nevada entities, K2 Merger Sub Inc. and K2 Merger Sub 2 LLC, were filed in January, signaling...
NASA's Juno Spacecraft Spots the Largest Volcanic Eruption Ever Seen on Jupiter's Moon Io
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured the most energetic volcanic eruption ever observed on Io, covering 40,400 sq mi and releasing 140‑260 terawatts of power. The event, recorded on Dec. 27, 2024 during a close fly‑by, involved multiple volcanoes igniting simultaneously, hinting at a hidden network of...
Eutelsat’s Ground Infrastructure Sale Falls Through
Eutelsat announced that its planned €550 million sale of passive ground infrastructure to EQT Partners has been cancelled after regulatory and security approvals were not secured. The deal would have created SatPort Infrastructure, the world’s largest neutral ground‑station‑as‑a‑service platform. The cancellation...
Secure World Foundation Seeks Chris Johnson Successor
Job opportunity at Secure World Foundation for what sounds like a successor to Chris Johnson.
UK Astronomy Faces Catastrophe Under Funding Cuts
The Royal Astronomical Society warns that proposed cuts from the Science and Technology Facilities Council could slash the combined budget for astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics by roughly 30%, with some projects facing up to 60% reductions. The society...
SpaceX Reuses Starship Heat‑shield Tiles on Falcon 9
SpaceX once again is flying what appear to be Starship thermal protection system tiles on the Falcon 9 payload fairing. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-19 mission from Vandenberg SFB at 9:53:20 a.m. PST (12:53:20 p.m. EST / 1753:20 UTC). Watch live:...
Oxford Space Systems Wrapped Rib Antenna Successfully Deployed In-Orbit on CarbSAR Mission
Oxford Space Systems and SSTL announced the successful in‑orbit deployment of the Wrapped Rib Antenna on the CarbSAR demonstration mission launched by SpaceX on 11 January 2026. The antenna, a large deployable X‑band SAR reflector, unfolded in two stages, confirming its dual‑deployment...
Did Earth’s Water Really Come From Meteorites?
A new study using triple oxygen isotopes in Apollo lunar‑regolith samples shows that only about 1 percent of the Moon’s soil is derived from carbon‑rich meteorites, implying a similarly modest contribution to Earth’s water. Even assuming Earth captured roughly twenty times...
Clear Orbit, Secure Future: Urgent Call on Space Debris
The World Economic Forum came out with a report, produced in partnership with the @spacefutures_sa, the @saudispace, @LeoLabs_Space, and @Novaspace_ , titled “Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris.” https://t.co/wA8ze2X66x
The Future of Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG)
NASA’s Planetary Science Division announced it will cease formal support for all Analysis and Assessment Groups, including ExMAG, effective May 2026. Despite losing PSD funding, the Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group pledges to keep serving as the conduit between the sample‑science...
Do You Have Ideas About How to Improve America's Space Program?
The Space Ideation Challenge, launched by U.S. academic and defense leaders, offers a $125,000 prize pool to surface fresh concepts for America’s space program. It arrives as China’s capabilities close the gap with the United States and commercial firms like...
How Tree Rings Help Scientists Understand Disruptive Extreme Solar Storms
A new study in New Phytologist reveals that tree species record radiocarbon spikes from extreme solar storms—known as Miyake events—differently due to variations in carbon uptake, storage, and allocation. These biological nuances can shift the timing and intensity of the...
Tomorrow.io Announces DeepSky a New AI Satellite Constellation Privatizing Precision Weather
Tomorrow.io unveiled DeepSky, an AI‑native satellite constellation designed to deliver high‑frequency, customized weather and ocean data for enterprise and government users. The company received operational‑grade validation from NOAA, which praised the microwave sounders’ radiometric accuracy and cross‑satellite consistency. DeepSky builds...
Polish Satellites Are Working Properly in Orbit
Creotech Instruments announced that the HyperSat platform on Poland’s PIAST constellation is fully operational after successful commissioning of the PIAST‑S1 and PIAST‑S2 satellites. The three‑satellite fleet, launched on SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 mission on 28 November 2025, has received NORAD identifiers and has already...
SpaceX Pushes Starlink 17‑19 Launch to 9:53 A.m. PST
SpaceX adjusted the T-0 liftoff time for the Starlink 17-19 mission. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is now scheduled for 9:53:20 a.m. PST (12:53:20 p.m. EST / 1753:20 UTC). Read more: https://t.co/Gr4Hp5pOSh
Behind-the-Scenes Look at Artemis II Astronauts' Training for Flight Around the Moon
NASA is gearing up for Artemis II, its first crewed lunar flyby in over half a century. The four‑person crew—three Americans and a Canadian—will spend about ten days orbiting the Moon aboard the Orion capsule. Astronauts are undergoing intensive training that...
A Massive Clump of Dark Matter May Lurk in the Milky Way
Scientists have identified a massive dark‑matter clump roughly ten million times the Sun’s mass located about a kiloparsec (3,260 light‑years) from Earth. The discovery emerged from precise timing measurements of a pair of nearby pulsars, whose pulse‑rate shifts indicated an...