Know What's Happening in SpaceTech
Know What's Happening in SpaceTech
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Every morning
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On March 16, 2026 Kepler Communications launched the first commercially operational Orbital Cloud, turning its satellite constellation into an in‑orbit data center. By embedding NVIDIA‑powered edge GPUs and optical inter‑satellite links, the Orbital Data Center (ODC) can run AI models on raw sensor data and downlink only actionable results, eliminating the traditional downlink bottleneck. The system uses 40 Jetson Orin modules, with future upgrades to H100 GPUs and 100 Gbps optical links, enabling real‑time analytics for applications such as wildfire detection and missile defense. This shift promises lower latency, reduced terrestrial power demand, and enhanced data sovereignty.
Saudi Arabia has partnered with Bengaluru‑based space startup Pixxel to embed its hyperspectral satellite data into the national UP42 geospatial platform. Pixxel’s Firefly constellation of 18 satellites captures imagery across more than 135 spectral bands, enabling detailed surface analysis. The...
SpaceX completed two Starlink missions within 24 hours, launching 25 satellites from Vandenberg and 29 from Cape Canaveral. Both Falcon 9 first stages were recovered, marking the 14th and 11th flights of the boosters after turn‑arounds of 32 and 27 days....
South Korean rocket startup Innospace released its investigation into the Hanbit‑Nano maiden‑flight failure on December 22, 2025. The probe identified a rupture in the first‑stage combustion‑chamber assembly 33 seconds after liftoff, caused by a leakage from improperly sealed components. The leakage stemmed...
NASA released X‑ray computed tomography scans of asteroid Bennu samples on March 17, 2026, revealing intricate crack networks inside the material. The scans show that Bennu’s boulders are highly porous, a property that accounts for the low thermal inertia measured...
Demand for satellite constellations, lunar missions and private launches is surging, but the space supply chain lags behind, creating costly delays. The Aerospace Industries Association and PwC released a report outlining gaps and policy fixes, including a two‑way demand‑signaling system...
2026 sees space companies chasing massive IPOs and multi‑billion deals, pulling the sector into mainstream media cycles. The author argues that most coverage of potential IPOs or acquisitions—citing Swissto12, Isar Aerospace, Iceye, HawkEye 360, York Space, and ULA—offers little substantive...
Viasat Inc. announced that its in‑flight connectivity solution has been selected for National Airlines’ three new Airbus A330 aircraft. The airline equipped the jets with Viasat’s GM‑40 Ka‑band terminal, delivering high‑capacity Wi‑Fi capable of HD video streaming and AI‑driven applications...
On March 17, 1958 the United States launched Vanguard 1, its second satellite and the world’s first solar‑powered spacecraft. The 3‑pound metal sphere, only 6.5 inches across, entered a high‑altitude orbit that has kept it aloft for more than six decades, making...
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. One thing that always fascinates me about space missions is this: SpaceX’s Starship does not fly to Mars in a straight line. It follows a Hohmann transfer orbit, an elliptical path around the Sun that...
In this episode, Shea Sabripour, founder of Cesium Astro, discusses the company’s recent $270 million funding round and XIM financing aimed at expanding U.S. manufacturing in Texas. He outlines Cesium Astro’s evolution from software‑defined radios to full‑scale satellite missions, emphasizing a...
Seven of the eight payloads from the KZ-11 launch cataloged in a 528 x 541 km x 97.5 deg sun synch orbit with 1030LT plane. The upper stage is in a 284 x 1059 km x 97.3 deg...
SpaceX valuation then: $200B SpaceX valuation today: $1.25T SpaceX proposed IPO valuation: $1.7T My 2035 target? $30-50T.
Astronomers have identified a planet 35 light‑years away that does not fit existing small‑planet categories. The world, L 98‑59 d, was first discovered in 2019 and observed by JWST in 2024 and ground facilities in 2025. Researchers used computer models to simulate...
For Saint Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite rocket launch photos… Black Rock Desert, NV The green glow comes from barium chloride mixed into the AP propellant. I planned the camera location in advance to bisect the moonrise, and then...
The FAA has transitioned to the new Part 450 licenses for commercial space launch/reentry. https://t.co/HjK7RLvyJQ
Amazon’s Project Kuiper has written repeatedly to India’s Department of Telecommunications seeking an expedited satcom permit, as the company lags far behind its 3,200‑satellite launch schedule, having placed only about 200 LEO units to date. The firm hopes the clearance...
$ASTS just crossed the Rubicon With the largest commercial antenna ever deployed now operational, the technical risk is gone. Focus shifts to a production cadence of 6 satellites per month. Pitch by @CrossroadsOnX https://t.co/djAsgaqhct
Nvidia announces Vera Rubin Space-1 chip system for orbital AI data centers “Orbital data centers have been an increasingly popular proposition as AI demand tests Earth's energy constraints.” https://t.co/fWrKyLiAij #SpaceEconomy https://t.co/SBqD6vmYbz
AST SpaceMobile reported full‑year 2025 revenue of $70.9 million, hitting the top of its guidance, and disclosed a $1.2 billion minimum‑committed revenue backlog anchored by a $175 million prepayment from Saudi Arabia’s STC Group. The company raised over $3.5 billion, boosting cash to $3.9 billion,...
Falcon 9 now in parking orbit. There are now 10020 Starlinks in orbit (although 25 of them are still attached to the Falcon 9 for another 50 min or so, until the stage's circularization burn and satellite deployment).
Yaogan 50-02 cataloged in a 731 x 945 km x 142.0 deg orbit; upper stage did an orbit lowering burn to 573 x 836 km.
China’s Shenzhou‑21 crew completed a second seven‑hour EVA, installing a new space‑debris protection device on the Tiangong station. Astronauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei performed the walk with assistance from the station’s robotic arm and fellow crew member Zhang Hongzhan. The mission also...
A tweet‑sourced report claims that the Shahroud Space Center in northeastern Iran was heavily damaged by U.S. and Israeli air strikes, with 27 sites hit and roughly 70% of its facilities destroyed. Another tweet alleges that the Soviet Union’s 1974...
German startup Isar Aerospace is set for the second flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle, dubbed “Onward and Upward,” from Andøya Space in Norway on March 19. The mission marks the rocket’s first customer payload flight, carrying five CubeSats and a...
Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have harvested a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes grown in a small aeroponic cultivation system. The system uses a nutrient mist and full‑spectrum LEDs, enabling water‑efficient plant growth in micro‑gravity. This marks the...
Space Tech Expo USA announced its relocation to the Anaheim Convention Center for its 14th edition, scheduled for June 2‑4, 2026. The move to the West Coast’s largest venue aims to accommodate a larger footprint, with more than 350 exhibitors...
Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft retrieved Ryugu asteroid samples in 2020 after impacting the surface in 2018. Laboratory analysis has now identified all five nucleobase precursors needed for DNA and RNA within the debris. The discovery strengthens the hypothesis that asteroids delivered...
Rocket Lab’s Venus Life Finder (VLF) mission aims to drop a sub‑kilogram probe into the clouds of Venus for a brief 210‑second sampling window, targeting possible biosignatures. The entire venture is slated to cost under $17 million, dramatically cheaper than historic...
NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rovers have demonstrated advanced autonomous capabilities on Mars, prompting interest in hands‑on education. A new DIY kit, the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover by CircuitMess, lets enthusiasts build and program a functional replica of the Perseverance rover. The kit...
Canada's federal government has signed a ten‑year, C$200 million lease for a private launch facility on the east coast, aiming to develop an independent satellite launch capability. The agreement with Maritime Launch Services will give Canada direct access to sub‑orbital and...
NASA's Artemis II mission, slated for early April, will send four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar flyby, becoming the first humans to view the Moon’s far side since Apollo. The crew will operate within 6,400‑9,000 km of the surface, capturing wide‑angle imagery,...
The European Defence Agency has granted a €15.65 million research contract to a Sener‑led consortium to design the first military satellite optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO). VLEO, ranging from 150‑350 km, promises sharper imagery and lower communication latency but requires...
100 years since someone had a crazy idea and believed in it. Only Goddard, his wife Esther, and a couple of assistants witnessed it. It didn't even make the local newspapers, and Goddard kept details secret for years afterward due to...
Italian @MinisteroDifesa to launch Sicral 3A & 3B milsatcom satellites on @SpaceX Falcon 9s in mid- and late-2027, asks @ITU for deadline extension following loss of gapfiller sat in 2025 that was to have reserved the spectrum. @Thales_Alenia_S @telespazio.https://t.co/JAq9HbXWwy https://t.co/fNQxtLFeoI
L3Harris Technologies commemorated Robert Goddard’s 100‑year rocket milestone by accelerating next‑generation propulsion, including 3D‑printed RS‑25 engines, advanced electric thrusters, and nuclear thermal concepts. The company is hot‑fire testing new RS‑25 units that cut production costs by 30 percent while delivering...
Space computing is moving from concept to reality 🛰️ #NVIDIAGTC news: NVIDIA is collaborating with @AetherfluxUSA, @Axiom_Space, @KeplerComms, @planet, Sophia Space and Starcloud to bring AI and accelerated computing into orbit, powering geospatial intelligence and autonomous space operations. Learn more → https://t.co/YLdtwTat7C @nvidianewsroom @NVIDIAGTC
This shortlist for Satellite Executive of the Year makes me feel that SatShow no longer has its finger on the pulse of the most significant industry developments... (yes the SES-Intelsat merger is a big deal but shouldn't Charlie Ergen be...
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) created a probabilistic method to estimate the risk of reducing nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspections on spaceflight hardware. Using a historic database of 33,630 bolt‑hole inspections that yielded six crack‑like findings, the team derived...
Lynk: "We want to build the most cost-effective constellation in the world. We need to build partnerships to compete against some of the bigger guys who seem to have endless money and ambition" https://t.co/HQZGajsIqU via Michelle Donegan
Spain's @Defensagob, #Hisdesat on verge of selecting @AirbusSpace to replace Airbus SpainSat NG2 sat, which failed 5 wks after launch from 'impact of high-energy space particle in critical area of satellite.' SpainSat NG3 replacement could launch in 2030.https://t.co/l5TJ7Tc01C https://t.co/nHIzh6iWXD
The Overwatch specification describes a defense‑focused service built on a reusable satellite‑imagery change‑detection platform. The platform consists of five modular layers—data acquisition, preprocessing, detection/classification, alert management, and reporting—allowing the same core engine to be re‑configured for multiple markets. The paper...
"Operations on T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service powered by Starlink will be supported immediately, but it also is designed to work with AST SpaceMobile—the satellite D2D provider for AT&T and Verizon in the U.S." https://t.co/FBUFQLhMfg Noteworthy that enterprise devices have this
Astronauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei made a spacewalk from the Chinese Space Station from about 0430 UTC until 1135 UTC Mar 16, continuing installation of external debris protection panels https://t.co/GKPg66uFEF
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) unveiled a free, curated collection of 100 technical papers on rocket propulsion to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Robert H. Goddard’s first liquid‑fuel rocket test in 1926. The anthology pulls from AIAA’s...
Progress MS-31 undocks from ISS to clear the way for the next resupply mission: https://t.co/8NFAf26ZvR https://t.co/rvJcBU6rTq
The Progress MS-31 cargo ship undocked from the ISS Poisk module at about 1324:12 UTC Mar 16
China is targeting a crewed lunar landing by 2030, positioning itself to be the first nation on the Moon since Apollo. The United States, under the Artemis program, has pledged to beat that deadline but still lacks an operational lander...
Connected seatback IFE is on the horizon and @united, which is installing @Starlink across its fleet, is leading the charge. "They're starting to lead this industry in digital engagement," says Andy Masson of @PanasonicAero, United's IFE provider. https://t.co/WJIZdT2yiC #PaxEx https://t.co/LrBgB4gR44
@astroscale_HQ: record rev, reduced loss for 9 months to Jan. 31; commercial GEO life-extension mission looks uncertain; contract w/@isaraerospace for ELSA-M to deorbit @EutelsatGroup OneWeb sat, in 2028. Security/military is where main market is now.https://t.co/qQthiO1SI0 https://t.co/8lBc4kQgMD
