Taiwan’s Moonshot: Why ‘T-Dome’ Needs Systems Engineering, Not Just a Shopping List
Taiwan plans to allocate up to 5 % of GDP to defense by 2030, launching the T‑Dome integrated air‑and‑missile shield to counter a sophisticated Chinese barrage. Unlike Israel’s Iron Dome, the threat includes ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missiles, unmanned swarms, cyber and electronic warfare, demanding a system‑of‑systems approach. The article argues that success hinges on disciplined systems engineering, digital twins, and distributed command rather than a simple procurement list. Institutional reforms and private‑sector participation are essential to transform Taiwan’s defense industrial base into an engineering‑driven deterrent.
NASA Bids Farewell to Historic Test Stands That Built the Space Age
On January 10, 2026 NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center imploded two iconic test facilities—the Dynamic Test Stand and the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility (the T‑tower). Built in the 1950s‑60s, the stands verified Saturn V engines, Space Shuttle boosters, and later...
Jupiter's Hidden Depths: Simulation Suggests Planet Holds 1.5 Times More Oxygen than the Sun
A new simulation from the University of Chicago and JPL estimates Jupiter’s oxygen inventory at about 1.5 times that of the Sun. The model uniquely integrates 1‑D chemical kinetics with 2‑D hydrodynamic transport, producing the most comprehensive atmospheric profile to...
Do Even Low-Mass Dwarf Galaxies Merge? New Clues From the Outer Stars of a Milky Way Satellite
Astronomers using Subaru's Hyper Suprime‑Cam have mapped faint main‑sequence stars far beyond the nominal tidal radius of the Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The new data reveal an extended stellar structure along both the major and minor axes, with the minor‑axis...
What Happens when Fire Ignites in Space? 'A Ball of Flame'
Researchers funded by the European Research Council are studying how fire behaves in microgravity after a historic Apollo 1 disaster highlighted the danger of pure‑oxygen cabins. In weightless conditions flames form a spherical ball that spreads heat uniformly, challenging traditional suppression...
ThinkOrbital Raises Seed Funding to Advance X-Ray Space Inspection
ThinkOrbital, a Boulder‑based space‑infrastructure startup, closed an undisclosed seed round led by TFX Capital to accelerate its in‑space X‑ray inspection and autonomous construction technologies. The company will conduct two demonstration missions in 2026—one launching an X‑ray detector on an Argo...
Peering Below Callisto’s Icy Crust with ALMA
A team of planetary scientists analyzed six ALMA thermal images from 2012 to establish Callisto’s surface temperature at roughly 133 K and refine regolith composition across its varied terrains. By comparing these data with NASA’s Galileo measurements, they created a baseline...
Astronomers Discover 19 New Pulsars by Analyzing FAST Archival Data
Astronomers from Nanjing University re‑examined FAST Data Releases 1‑23 and uncovered 19 previously undetected pulsars, expanding the telescope's catalog beyond the thousand already known. The new objects lie within 5,500‑54,700 light‑years, with spin periods from 0.03 to 5.54 seconds, and include...
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...
Jan. 14, 2005: Huygens Lands on Titan
On Jan. 14, 2005 the Huygens probe survived its descent through Titan’s dense atmosphere and achieved the first soft landing on Saturn’s moon. After shedding its heat shield and executing a staged parachute sequence, it touched down on a sand‑like surface, avoiding...
The Possibility of Life on Mars: A Scientific Overview
Mars once hosted extensive liquid water, a thick atmosphere, and the chemical building blocks needed for life, making its early environment comparable to early Earth. Recent rover missions have confirmed the presence of essential CHNOPS elements, simple organics, and seasonal...
SkyFi Secures $12.7M Series A
Austin‑based SkyFi announced a $12.7 million Series A round co‑led by Buoyant Ventures and IronGate Capital Advisors, with participation from existing and new investors. The capital will enable SkyFi to transition from a pure Earth‑observation data provider to a platform delivering actionable...
When Allies Can’t Count on U.S. ISR, Commercial Space Becomes Strategic
Allies are confronting a growing gap as U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites become increasingly prioritized for high‑end threats. The 2025 National Security Strategy signals a shift toward greater partner burden‑sharing, leaving European and other allies to consider alternatives....
NASA Pessimistic About Odds of Recovering MAVEN
NASA announced on Jan. 13 that recovering the MAVEN orbiter is "very unlikely" after the spacecraft lost contact on Dec. 6 and telemetry indicated it is tumbling out of its planned orbit. Attempts to locate MAVEN using Curiosity’s camera and to re‑establish...
Open Cosmos Awarded Liechtenstein Spectrum Filings for LEO Broadband Constellation
Open Cosmos has been awarded Liechtenstein’s priority Ka‑band spectrum filings to build a sovereign low‑Earth‑orbit broadband constellation for Europe. The company will launch the first two 100‑150 kg satellites by the end of Q1 2026 using Rocket Lab from New Zealand. Open Cosmos,...
Space Operations Will Become More Dynamic This Year
2026 will see a surge of dynamic space operations driven by on‑orbit refueling and servicing capabilities. The U.S. Space Force and DARPA are fielding missions such as Tetra‑5, Victus Haze, Surgo, and Salo to prove autonomous docking, rapid‑response launches, and...
Damaged Shenzhou‑20 Set for Uncrewed Reentry Jan 19
Shenzhou-20 update: there's an airspace closure notice suggesting the damaged Shenzhou-20 crew spacecraft will attempt reentry and landing between 0120-0150 UTC on Jan. 19. Will be uncrewed, of course, but will be interesting to see how it holds up.
China’s 2026 Launches Place Yaogan Into Unusual Orbit, Deploy Guowang
China’s first launches of 2026 send Yaogan spacecraft into unusual orbit, loft Guowang satellites https://t.co/tqUqmewOs3 https://t.co/OZTi6ecDQY
New Orbital Mapping System Targets Earth Moon Libration Traffic
A research team at the National University of Defense Technology has introduced a six‑parameter orbital mapping system for objects near the Earth‑Moon collinear Lagrange points. By applying canonical transformations and center‑manifold theory to the circular restricted three‑body problem, the framework...
Blue Origin and Nimbus Validate Fuel Cells for Lunar Life Support
Blue Origin and Nimbus Power Systems have completed rigorous shock and vibration testing of Nimbus’s advanced, gravity‑independent fuel‑cell hardware, confirming it meets performance targets for NASA Artemis lunar missions. The fuel cells generate electricity, heat and potable water, while a...
Multiple Satellite Filings Demonstrate Transparency, Responsibility and Ambition: China Daily Editorial
China’s space regulator submitted ITU filings covering more than 200,000 satellites across 14 constellations, including two networks of over 90,000 satellites. The filings follow the ITU’s first‑come‑first‑served allocation rules and are required two to seven years before launch. China frames...
Fueling Research in Nuclear Thermal Propulsion
MIT graduate student Taylor Hampson is leading NASA‑sponsored research into nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), a technology that heats hydrogen with nuclear energy to generate thrust. NTP promises double the specific impulse of conventional chemical rockets, potentially halving travel time to...
Nullspace Speeds Antenna and Radar Simulations with New EM Software Tools
Nullspace Inc. unveiled an upgraded electromagnetic simulation suite aimed at large‑scale antenna and radar projects, featuring AI‑assisted CAD cleanup and a Fast Adaptive Frequency Sweep engine. The new Nullspace Prep tool automates removal of non‑RF mechanical details, while Nullspace EM...
China Urges Transparency and Coordination for Massive Satellite Fleets
China, w/ recent @ITU filings for >200,000 sats in 14 constellations, calls for greater transparency/coordination between fleet operators. The question is what method/venue to use that can generate mutual trust. @ChinaDaily @Starlink @FCC.https://t.co/fu7thlYN3R
Davos WEF Week 2026: Space & Defense: Frontier Tech, Capital, and Deployment
The Davos WEF Week 2026 session on Space & Defense explored emerging trends in commercial space and dual‑use defense technologies, highlighting where capital is flowing and the hurdles to scaling startups in these high‑impact sectors. Panelists offered strategic insights on...
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...
Trapped in the Lunar Dust
The episode explores the MSOLO mission’s plan to land on the Moon and analyze lunar regolith for traces of helium-3, a potential clean‑energy fuel. It explains how helium-3 could be trapped in the fine dust and why detecting it is...
What Is Vacuum Welding?
Vacuum welding occurs when atomically clean, flat metal surfaces touch in a vacuum, allowing direct metallic bonds without heat or filler. First noted during early space missions, the effect can cause mechanical parts in spacecraft to seize, prompting extensive research...
The Orbiting Factories of the Future
In‑space manufacturing is emerging as a viable industry, especially for "space‑for‑Earth" products that are fabricated in orbit and returned to the planet. The microgravity environment eliminates convection, yielding higher‑quality fiber‑optic cables and enabling the production of niche pharmaceuticals, as demonstrated...
The Essential Reading Series: Cosmology
The Essential Reading Series: Cosmology curates a lineup of seminal popular‑science books that translate modern cosmology for non‑technical readers. It features Stephen Hawking’s clear‑language introductions, Brian Greene’s explorations of string theory and the multiverse, and works by Steven Weinberg, Sean...
Congressional Hearing Highlights Military’s Reliance on NOAA Weather Data
A House Science subcommittee hearing on Jan. 13 highlighted the U.S. Navy and Air Force’s heavy reliance on NOAA’s weather and ocean data for strategic, operational, and tactical missions. The Trump administration’s proposed budget would cut NOAA’s funding from $6.1 billion to...
Europe Gets Ready for a New Polar Satellite Constellation
Europe’s weather agency Eumetsat has secured near‑unanimous backing for EPS‑Sterna, a new polar‑orbiting satellite constellation slated to launch its first six spacecraft in 2029 and operate through 2042. The programme, valued at up to €30 billion over its lifetime, will deliver...
U.S. Space Force Switches Rockets for Upcoming GPS Satellite Launch
The U.S. Space Force has reassigned the GPS III‑9 satellite from United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, aiming for a launch within weeks. In exchange, ULA will now launch the GPS IIIF‑13 satellite on Vulcan, while the previously...
The Essential Reading Series: Space Exploration
The Essential Reading Series curates a dozen seminal books that chronicle the evolution of space exploration, from Apollo‑era memoirs and the early Mercury‑Gemini days to modern ISS life and deep‑space robotic missions. Each title delves into training, mission planning, human...
New NASA A.I. Effort For Mars Exploration Ignores The Search For Life (E.g. Astrobiology)
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate announced the Foundational Artificial Intelligence for the Moon and Mars (FAIMM) program, a ROSES‑2025 amendment that funds open‑source foundation models for planetary science. The initiative invites researchers of any background to develop AI applications such as...
Firefly Aerospace Announces Alpha Block II Upgrade: Boosting Reliability and Responsive Space Capabilities
Firefly Aerospace unveiled the Alpha Block II configuration, slated for full rollout on Flight 8 after shadow‑mode testing on Flight 7. The upgrade lengthens the rocket by seven feet, integrates in‑house avionics, and adopts automated fiber placement for faster, lighter carbon‑composite structures. These...
ESA and ClearSpace Announce PRELUDE In-Orbit Servicing and Debris Removal Mission
European Space Agency and Luxembourg‑based ClearSpace have announced PRELUDE, an in‑orbit servicing and active debris removal demonstration slated for a 2027 launch. The mission will deploy two small spacecraft to autonomously rendezvous, track, and maneuver around a target using vision‑based...
Intuitive Machines Completes Lanteris Space Systems Acquisition
Intuitive Machines has finalized the $800 million purchase of Lanteris Space Systems, paying $450 million in cash and $350 million in stock. The deal adds a proven spacecraft manufacturing line to Intuitive Machines, expanding its portfolio beyond lunar landers to include GEO, MEO...
Lufthansa Group to Deploy Starlink Across Fleet
Lufthansa Group announced a multi‑year partnership with SpaceX to install Starlink satellite broadband on roughly 850 aircraft across its six carriers. The rollout begins this year and is slated for completion by 2029, making Lufthansa the largest European airline group...
NASA, Department of Energy to Develop Lunar Surface Reactor by 2030
NASA and the Department of Energy have formalized a renewed partnership to develop a fission surface power system for the Moon, aiming to launch a lunar surface reactor by 2030. The memorandum of understanding builds on decades of collaboration and...
Pentagon Commits $1 Billion to L3Harris Missile Unit as ‘Anchor Investor’
The Pentagon announced on Jan. 13 that it will become an anchor investor in L3Harris Technologies’ Missile Solutions unit, committing $1 billion to expand solid‑rocket‑motor production. The funding will be provided via a convertible preferred security that converts to equity only if...
'Death by a Thousand Cuts': James Webb Space Telescope Figures Out How Black Hole Murdered Pablo's Galaxy
Using JWST and ALMA, astronomers determined that the supermassive black hole in galaxy GS‑10578, known as Pablo’s Galaxy, starved it of cold gas, causing rapid quenching. The galaxy, seen as it was three billion years after the Big Bang, formed...
New Evidence That An Ancient Martian Ocean Covered Half The Planet
Scientists have identified scarp‑fronted deposits in southeast Coprates Chasma that function as ancient river deltas emptying into a standing body of water. High‑resolution images from CTX, HiRISE, and CaSSIS, combined with new DEMs, reveal a uniform high‑water mark across Valles Marineris. The...
Enthusiasts Used Their Home Computers to Search for ET—Scientists Are Homing in on 100 Signals They Found
After 21 years of volunteer computing, SETI@home has completed analysis of its 12 billion detections, narrowing them to roughly one million candidates and ultimately 100 promising signals. These 100 targets are now being observed with China’s Five‑hundred‑meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST)...
Boeing Adds Strakes to SLS to Curb Unexpected Vibrations
Don't remember hearing about this before, but Boeing says on Artemis I, SLS "faced higher-than-expected vibrations" near the SRB attach points. They've fixed it by adding "four strakes--thin fin-like metal structures" as shown in photo. https://t.co/0lj4l5SpIH https://t.co/SYAXk6i2Q9
ISRO's PSLV Suffers Anomaly, 16 Satellites at Risk
.@isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) suffered an anomaly six minutes after launch Sunday, falling into a tumble at the end of the third stage engine burn. Many speculated that all 16 satellites on board had been lost. https://t.co/H39Q4O6g0H
NASA Unveils Artemis 2 Launch Windows: What We Know
NASA announced three launch windows for Artemis 2, the first crewed deep‑space flight since Apollo, with the earliest opportunity on Feb 6, 2026. The mission will carry four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar flyby, testing Orion, the Space Launch System, and critical...
ArianeGroup Appoints Anne Quillon as New CPO
.@ArianeGroup names Anne Quillon Chief Procurement Officer. She's former CPO for GE Renewable Energy Hydro and for @Alstom Power Europe, Middle East and Africa. https://t.co/QkfA5z0caa
Ship 39 Secured to Megabay Crane, Ready for Lift
Ship 39 has been attached to the Megabay gantry crane. Lifting soon? 📸: @jordanguidry6 https://t.co/pmI4FsY6qF
Op-Ed: Mars Sample Return May Be Canceled, But the Legal Questions It Leaves Behind Continue
NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission has been cancelled, leaving ten sealed sample tubes on the Martian surface. Under Article VIII of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the United States retains jurisdiction and control over those objects, even without a retrieval...