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The U.S. Space Force is increasingly relying on commercial data and artificial intelligence to track foreign satellites and assess threats to American spacecraft. The effort is coordinated through the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing (SDA TAP) Lab, which runs three‑month accelerator cohorts for private firms. Over 400 companies have participated in the past two years, feeding the Kronos program’s modernized battle‑management suite. Moving the lab under Kronos aims to transition unclassified commercial tools into operational use faster.
Great to see @FT exploring the complexities of orbital data centres & our work w/ @Google on Suncatcher. Just a quick response here. Generally, space-based AI is a lofty goal, but it's a more sustainable long-term solution in comparison to...
I'm still scratching my head over these pipes. They're not part of the stand. Definitely a part of Ship 39. I've heard all sorts of theories. A new Flap drive. Chill lines. Vent lines. But none of it really fits, especially...
SpaceX successfully lofted 25 additional Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking another milestone for its broadband constellation. The Falcon 9’s first stage completed its 20th flight and returned to a drone ship in the Pacific. With 26 launches so...
Recall that two years ago Rivada blamed Oct 7 for delays in securing funding for their contract with Terran Orbital. I'm wondering which space company will be the first to use the current Middle East conflict as an excuse for...
NASA’s Curiosity rover’s ChemCam system autonomously flagged a patch of tiny, evenly spaced parallel lines on a Martian boxwork outcrop. The pattern, described as “unnatural,” prompted the rover to target the feature for high‑resolution imaging and laser spectroscopy. Researchers are...
The European Space Agency has signed a data‑procurement contract with Munich‑based Vyoma to receive space‑based observations of small, fast‑moving debris. Vyoma’s Flamingo‑1 satellite, orbiting at 510 km, will deliver bulk traffic data that ESA will use to validate and enhance its...
On March 1 1966 the Soviet probe Venera 3 slammed into Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet’s surface. The mission followed a series of earlier Venera attempts, many of which failed to leave Earth orbit or transmit data. Weighing roughly...
PeakDo unveiled the LinkPower 2, a compact battery pack engineered for the Starlink Mini, delivering up to five hours of continuous operation—one hour longer than its predecessor. The device combines a full‑metal heat sink for superior thermal management with dual charging...
Scientists using Chang’e-6 far-side samples have shown that lunar impact fluxes are statistically identical on the near and far hemispheres, validating a global cratering chronology. Radiometric ages of 2.8 Ga basalt and 4.247 Ga norite, combined with local crater densities, fit within...
The United Arab Emirates announced a three‑year extension of its Hope Mars probe, keeping the mission active until 2028. The orbiter has already transmitted ten terabits of atmospheric data, far surpassing its original one‑terabit target, and has also studied Deimos...
Skyrora, a Glasgow‑based small‑satellite launch provider, announced a preliminary interest in acquiring select Orbex assets, including the Sutherland Spaceport, for up to £10 million. Orbex, the Inverness‑based micro‑launcher developer, entered administration after unsuccessful fundraising and merger attempts. The potential deal could...
Rebecca Evernden has been appointed Director of the newly restructured UK Space Agency, which will merge into the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in April. A decade‑long space policy specialist, she previously led legislation for vertical launches, helped...
Chinese commercial launch provider CAS Space is set to fly its reusable Kinetica‑2 rocket in late March from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying a prototype of the Qingzhou‑1 cargo spacecraft. The 53‑metre, three‑stage vehicle uses three YF‑102 kerosene‑LOX engines per...
Julio M. Ottino argues that true innovation emerges when art and science intersect, citing origami‑inspired NASA hardware as a modern example. He frames creativity as "cloud" thinking and execution as "clock" thinking, urging leaders to bridge these modes. Ottino offers...
Elon Musk unveiled a lunar base concept that doubles as a massive satellite factory, powered by solar energy and using an electromagnetic catapult to launch payloads. The plan targets 1,000 terawatts of computing power in space, leveraging the Moon’s low...
SpaceX will lift off a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:10 a.m. PST on March 1, 2026, delivering 25 Starlink V2 Mini satellites for its global broadband network. The mission, designated Starlink 17‑23, uses booster B1082, which is on its 20th flight after...
Third try for Kairos tonight. Let's see if it goes any better than the last two times...
Citi Research has identified L3Harris Technologies, Iridium Communications, and Lockheed Martin as the top satellite stocks poised to benefit from a proposed U.S. defense budget increase to $1.5 trillion for FY2027, emphasizing the Pentagon’s “Golden Dome” space‑based defense architecture. L3Harris recently...
Germany announced a €35 billion investment through 2030 to build sovereign military space capabilities, marking a shift from purely defensive postures toward contested orbital operations. The plan includes the SATCOM Stage 4 architecture, a proliferated low‑Earth‑orbit constellation of more than 100 satellites...
Starcloud and SpaceX have each submitted FCC applications to launch orbital data centers, outlining satellite constellations, orbital parameters, communication architectures, and disposal strategies. The filings reveal Starcloud’s plan for a 120‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) network and SpaceX’s proposal for a 300‑satellite...
Scientists have identified HD 137010 b, an exoplanet roughly Earth‑sized with an orbital period close to one year, orbiting a Sun‑like star. Unlike most known worlds, the planet lies near the edge of its star’s habitable zone but is extremely cold, with...
The future growth of Starlink revenues is absolutely *not* just a matter of "math and physics". SpaceX can provide ample capacity, they don't even need Starship to do that. It's now a matter of competing with terrestrial providers, which has...
NASA’s Cargo Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific on Feb. 26, 2026 after a six‑month stint on the International Space Station. During its stay the vehicle fired its thrusters six times, raising the station’s orbit and proving a commercial...
Rocket Lab completed its seventh HASTE suborbital mission, repurposing the first stage of an Electron rocket to launch an Australian Hypersonix test vehicle from Wallops Island. The flight marks the company’s second Department of Defense hypersonic test in three months...
NASA is racing to finish repairs on the Space Launch System’s upper stage within roughly three weeks to meet the Artemis 2 early‑April launch window. The work follows a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a helium‑flow interruption in the...
Seems like we had this debate before re Starlink and Ukraine...so how does it play into the DoW's ~$1B per year contract with Starlink? https://t.co/vRYy6SwnTe
SES announced a strategic partnership with K2 Space to launch three demo MEO‑Sphere satellites, beginning with a Spring 2026 flight on SpaceX Transporter 16. The Mega‑class buses cost about $15 million each and can be built in three months, promising faster, cheaper...
SpaceX on 21 February 2026 set a new reuse milestone as a Falcon 9 first‑stage booster completed its 33rd successful flight, surpassing its own previous record. The dual launch from California and Florida deployed 53 new Starlink satellites, expanding the broadband constellation. Reusing...
Apollo moon rocks remain U.S. government property, making their purchase or sale illegal under federal law. A 2002 theft of 8 kg of lunar material resulted in an eight‑year prison term, underscoring the seriousness of the offense. NASA’s Lunar Sample Laboratory...
On February 28 1997 the BeppoSAX satellite recorded gamma‑ray burst GRB 970228, an 80‑second flash that was quickly localized. The precise coordinates enabled observatories worldwide to launch coordinated, multi‑wavelength follow‑up campaigns. A month later the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the fading afterglow and...
British Airways will launch its first aircraft equipped with high‑speed Starlink Wi‑Fi in March, though the broader rollout timetable remains vague. CEO Sean Doyle highlighted "excellent progress" despite the system not yet being installed on any plane. The IAG‑wide contract...
Researchers have built the most detailed computer model of a lifeless Earth, reproducing 19 pre‑industrial benchmarks over 4.5 billion years. The model shows that geological processes alone can maintain temperate surface conditions and liquid water without any biology. It also generates...
In this episode of T‑Minus, host Maria Varmazas interviews Troy Morris, CEO and co‑founder of KMI, about the company’s successful in‑space demonstration of its articulated “tow‑truck” arms aboard the ISS. The demo involved over 200 days of testing, capturing unprepared...
The 2026 commercial space logistics market now comprises three segments—ISS cargo resupply, lunar payload delivery, and orbital transfer services—each with distinct business models and risk profiles. As the International Space Station approaches deorbit around 2030, providers are scrambling for post‑ISS...
Bummer. No unique views that we would have loved to see in this mission around stage sep. I thought they would cut away but had hoped we would see a little more.
Suborbital LAUNCH of Rocket Lab HASTE with the Australian DART-AE Scramjet at about 0000:00 UTC Feb 28 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia
Bipartisan senators have reintroduced the Satellite Cybersecurity Act to address growing cyber and electronic‑warfare threats against commercial satellite constellations. Low‑cost systems such as Starlink now underpin military command, intelligence, logistics and civilian services, making them attractive targets. The article highlights...
The Startup Space pitch competition celebrated its 10th anniversary at SATShow Week, cementing its role as a premier on‑ramp for emerging space companies. Founded in 2015 to fill a gap for early‑stage firms, the event now draws about 400 attendees...
Medium‑lift launch vehicles consistently miss original timelines, slipping two to seven years before first flight, with operational maturity typically requiring an additional 18 to 36 months. The article traces this pattern across four decades, highlighting Atlas V, Delta IV Medium, Delta II, Falcon 9,...
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, home to the 3.2‑gigapixel LSST Camera, has begun its operational phase, issuing 800,000 real‑time scientific alerts in a single night. Its ten‑year Legacy Survey of Space and Time will image the entire southern sky every...
I see stories out today saying that China has 1,900 satellites. That's not true. Even if you include all Chinese satellites (commercial, military, civil), it only adds up to 1,187 operational satellites. In comparison, the US has 11,323 operational satellites....
I guess we know who successfully placed the anti-SpaceX provision in the Cruz reauthorization legislation for NASA. https://t.co/O05CGCT5vM
NASA’s Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) successfully used a solar concentrator, mirrors and software to heat simulated lunar regolith and generate carbon monoxide, a precursor to oxygen. The test confirmed that sunlight‑driven chemistry can extract usable gases from moon‑soil without Earth‑supplied...
For comparison, here is the number of US operational satellites over time. (As of today, 9,814 of these are Starlink satellites.) US Operational Satellites https://t.co/9TBifWiomp
Key elements of NASA's lunar exploration architecture and milestones: (three dissimilar super-heavy launchers, two piloted lunar landers, one crew transport):
The article warns that the rapid expansion of satellite megaconstellations, highlighted by SpaceX's request to launch up to one million new satellites, could turn Earth's upper atmosphere into a massive incinerator for spacecraft debris. As satellites are deliberately de‑orbited, their...
Tokyo‑based Space One has set a third attempt to launch its Kairos small‑rocket for Sunday, March 1, 2026, from the private Spaceport Kii in Wakayama. The mission will loft five satellites, including one built by the Taiwan Space Agency, after two earlier...
Canada and Japan have signed an Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement (ETTA) to co‑develop defence projects and share technology, including space‑related capabilities. The deal aligns with Canada’s push to diversify away from US‑centric procurement and Japan’s move to expand its...
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) has released its first image of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, captured on 6 November 2025, seven days after the comet’s perihelion. The picture shows a bright coma, an extended tail and fine structures such as jets, rays and...
