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Every morning
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Dhruva Space announced its Polar Access‑1 programme, enabling ten satellite missions on ISRO’s PSLV‑C62 launch scheduled for 12 January. The initiative bundles four satellites, separation systems and ground‑station services into a repeatable Sun‑Synchronous orbit access package. Missions span disaster communications, environmental monitoring and education, including first‑time satellites for Nepal and several Indian states. Dhruva’s full‑stack offering showcases India’s growing private‑space capabilities and a structured pathway for academia and emerging users.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited Rocket Lab’s Long Beach plant on Jan. 9, framing the stop as part of his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour that champions rapid, scalable production for the warfighter. He praised Rocket Lab as a model of...
NASA’s Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite recorded a high‑resolution view of the July 2025 Kamchatka‑origin tsunami, covering more than 120 km of ocean surface. Researchers combined this imagery with DART buoy data, revealing detailed wave patterns and challenging the long‑standing...
SpaceX’s Twilight rideshare mission, slated for Jan. 11 from Vandenberg, will launch ten 300‑kg Kepler Communications satellites into a dusk‑dawn Sun‑synchronous orbit. Each satellite carries at least four optical‑terminal lasers, forming the first tranche of Kepler’s next‑generation space‑based internet. The constellation...
Kepler Communications is set to launch ten AETHER optical relay satellites on SpaceX’s Twilight rideshare mission early Sunday, with a launch window opening at 8:19 a.m. ET from Vandenberg. The batch represents the first operational tranche following two pathfinder satellites that...
flyExclusive has become an authorized reseller and installer for SpaceX’s Starlink in‑flight connectivity, beginning installations on its Bombardier Challenger 350 fleet in early 2026. The private‑jet operator, which runs more than 90 aircraft and ranks as the fifth‑largest U.S. fleet,...
The episode examines the strategic ramifications of President Trump's recent executive order aimed at reviving a U.S. "Star Wars" space defense program, often dubbed the "Trump Corollary," and explores how this shift influences geopolitical tensions, particularly with Venezuela's growing interest...
Researchers at the Planetary Science Institute have released a preliminary, unfunded study mapping possible Mars helicopter landing sites inside SpaceX’s Starship candidate zone. Using five recent Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, they identified locations near the low Erebus mountain chain that...
Canada has closed the application window for its $105 million “Launch the North” sovereign launch challenge, with more than a dozen firms reportedly submitting proposals. The competition’s Phase 1 will award up to three organizations $25 million each to develop responsive light‑lift launch...
NASA’s Dragonfly mission is advancing toward its 2028 launch after successful full‑scale rotor testing at the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) at Langley Research Center. Engineers from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory fabricated the rotors from massive aluminum blocks, refined the...
China’s research team has completed a full data‑simulation workflow for the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), also known as the Xuntian Space Telescope, publishing the results on 7 January. The end‑to‑end suite generates realistic pixel‑level mock observations that mirror the telescope’s...
Landspace has secured formal launch contracts for China’s two flagship megaconstellations, Guowang and Qianfan, using its reusable Zhuque‑3 methane‑liquid oxygen vehicle. The contracts, detailed in the company’s Shanghai Stock Exchange IPO prospectus, include an 18‑satellite launch for Yuanxin Satellite in...
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced late Wednesday that @schmidtsciences, one of his philanthropies, would build the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System. https://t.co/MJJA9jqN9O
Chinese launch startup Space Epoch announced a 5.2 billion‑yuan ($740 million) factory to mass‑produce reusable, medium‑to‑large liquid‑fuel rockets that can land on sea platforms. The plant, slated to start operations soon, aims to build up to 25 rockets annually, targeting a launch...
NASA’s Pandora mission, accompanied by the BlackCAT and SPARCS CubeSats, is set to launch Jan. 11 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg. Pandora’s 45‑cm all‑aluminum telescope will observe visible and near‑infrared light to separate planetary atmospheric signals from stellar contamination during...
Researchers propose using honeybees as a proxy for alien intelligence, arguing that shared mathematical ability could underpin interstellar communication. Bees have demonstrated basic arithmetic, quantity discrimination, and symbol‑number associations in controlled experiments from 2016‑2024. The paper builds on historic attempts...
NASA announced that the current International Space Station expedition will end more than a month early, bringing home four crew members ahead of schedule. The decision follows health concerns for one astronaut, who remains stable but would face increased risk...
.@EutelsatGroup names Eva Birgitte Bisgaard president of Connectivity Business Unit and member, executive committee. She's former CCO of @MaerskTankers. https://t.co/oThKZWvHSz
The UK‑based CarbSAR satellite is set to launch this Sunday, featuring a revolutionary mesh radar antenna woven from tungsten wire coated in gold. The antenna is produced on a standard industrial knitting machine that has been adapted for aerospace use....
The Royal Observatory’s ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition opened for entries on 5 January 2026 and will close at noon GMT on 2 March. The contest accepts adult and youth submissions across eight themed adult categories and a single youth...
Rhea Space Activity, a Washington‑based startup, was selected by SpaceWERX’s Sustained Space Maneuver Challenge and awarded a $1.9 million SBIR Phase‑2 contract to adapt NASA’s AutoNav optical navigation for military use. The company is developing Vanguard, a software suite that adds...
In this episode, Tom Patton interviews Kirk Konert, Managing Partner at AE Industrial Partners, about the firm’s role in advancing the space industrial base and its view of space as essential infrastructure for the global economy. Konert explains AEI’s investment...
Viasat's HaloNet launch telemetry data relay service uses its global L‑band geostationary network to provide uninterrupted, real‑time telemetry from lift‑off through early orbit. By routing data through multiple satellites and employing beam‑hopping resource management, the system eliminates traditional line‑of‑sight blackouts...
The episode explores NASA's latest autonomous lunar landing technologies, focusing on the SPLICE system that integrates advanced sensors, AI navigation, and precision thrusters to enable safe, unmanned Moon landings. Hosts discuss how these innovations reduce risk, accelerate mission timelines, and...
Astronomy’s next era hinges on ultra‑large telescopes, yet the Northern Hemisphere lacks a 30‑meter‑class optical instrument. A recent paper argues that relocating the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) to La Palma would fill this gap, enabling rapid follow‑up of multi‑messenger events....
The U.S. House passed the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act with a 397‑28 vote, preserving core NASA funding and rejecting most OMB‑proposed cuts. The bill sustains the NASA Science Mission Directorate...
Crew 11 returning early “in the next few days” because of the ongoing medical issue of one Astronaut. I sure hope everything is OK!
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says Crew-11 will depart the ISS "in the coming days" because of the medical concern with a crew member announced yesterday.
SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on August 21, 2020, deploying three Planet SkySat imaging satellites followed by 58 Starlink broadband satellites. The mission marked the rocket’s sixth flight, a record for reusability, and saw the first stage...
NASA’s Crew-11 astronaut crew will return to Earth earlier than planned because of an unspecified medical issue with an astronaut
The U.S. Space Force unveiled its inaugural doctrine, the “Spacepower” report, outlining a comprehensive vision for space as a distinct warfighting domain. The document stresses the need for both defensive and offensive capabilities to protect critical assets such as communications...
NASA’s OSIRIS‑REx spacecraft performed its final “Matchpoint” rehearsal, descending to about 40 meters above asteroid Bennu and then backing away as planned. The successful test confirms the navigation and autonomous systems needed for the Touch‑and‑Go sampling maneuver. Engineers now have confidence...
On August 22, 2020, Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from Kourou, deploying the Galaxy 30, MEV‑2 and BSAT‑4b satellites into geostationary transfer orbit. The launch marked the first Ariane 5 mission since February, after a pandemic‑related shutdown and earlier scrub due to...
The Arecibo Observatory’s 305‑meter dish was rendered inoperable after a support cable snapped, gouging a 30‑meter tear in the primary reflector. The incident occurred early Monday morning, prompting an immediate shutdown of the telescope’s scientific programs. Officials are evaluating the...
Europe’s Orion service module for Artemis‑4 arrived at Kennedy Space Center for testing and integration, marking a key European contribution to NASA’s next lunar landing slated for no earlier than 2030. Russia announced it will rely on legacy Proton and...
Catalyst Campus has opened applications for Cohort 4 of the SDA TAP Lab Mini Accelerator, a two‑month program beginning February 17, 2026. Selected early‑stage and dual‑use companies will receive technical workshops, one‑on‑one mentorship, and direct collaboration with Space Development Agency (SDA) and defense stakeholders. An...
Planetary scientist Alian Wang’s latest study demonstrates that friction‑driven electric discharges in Martian dust storms produce volatile chlorine, perchlorates, and airborne carbonates. Using two custom simulation chambers, her team quantified reaction products and measured heavy‑isotope depletion in chlorine, oxygen and...
The United States has spent seven decades alternating between overt debunking of UFO sightings and covert disinformation, from Project Blue Book’s public‑relations focus to Cold‑War counter‑intelligence operations. Recent whistleblowers, including former AATIP director Luis Elizondo and intelligence officer David Grusch, allege a secret crash‑retrieval...
Hubble Network announced a partnership with Texas Instruments at CES 2026 to embed its satellite‑backed Bluetooth service into TI’s CC2340 and CC2755x wireless microcontrollers. The integration delivers device location plus up to 13 bytes of sensor data—temperature, motion, diagnostics, or...
The U.S. House approved the FY2026 Commerce‑Justice‑Science appropriations bill, preserving NASA’s budget at roughly $24.4 billion—far above the Trump administration’s proposed $18.8 billion cut. The measure passed with a strong bipartisan majority (397‑28) and now moves to the Senate for final approval....
OQ Technology announced a partnership with Monogoto at CES 2026, integrating its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into Monogoto’s hybrid IoT connectivity platform. The deal expands Monogoto’s ecosystem, which already includes GEO satellite links, to offer a true multi‑layer...
Astronomers using Keck, JWST and the VLA have identified a precessing, galaxy‑wide jet from the supermassive black hole in the disk galaxy VV 340a. The jet drives a stream of super‑heated gas that reaches roughly 20,000 light‑years, the most extended outflow...
The episode discusses NASA's consideration of ending Crew‑11’s mission early due to a medical issue aboard the ISS, while also covering corporate moves such as Karman Space & Defense’s acquisition of Seemann Composites and MSC, and the launch of PowerBank...
Space Launch Delta 30 has issued a Request for Information to commercial launch providers to develop Space Launch Complex‑14 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The proposed pad would be the first dedicated super‑heavy launch complex on the West Coast, capable of...
Researchers at SLAC and the European XFEL have shown that superionic water can host multiple atomic packing structures under identical temperature‑pressure conditions. Using laser‑driven shock compression and ultrafast X‑ray diffraction, they detected simultaneous BCC, FCC and HCP lattices within the...
.@esa 2026 budget up 7.6% on effect of Nov ministerial; Earth obs, nav lead spending categories; @spacegovuk under pressure to decide on unallocated Euro Launch Challenge funding. @defis_eu @orbexspace @PLD_Space @rfa_space @isaraerospace @MaiaSpaceOff.https://t.co/USZeN1eUR1 https://t.co/ouL619DeZe
NASA is holding a briefing at 5pm EST today to provide an update on the ISS after a "medical concern" reported with a crewmember. https://t.co/lat1JNoGy3
South Korean rocket startup Innospace has signed a five‑year agreement to use Portugal’s proposed Santa Maria spaceport in the Azores, beginning in 2026. The company aims to complete launch infrastructure and conduct its first commercial flight in the fourth quarter...
NASA will have a press conference at 5:00 pm ET today (Thursday) re the situation on the ISS. NASA Admin Isaacman will participate along with Assoc Admin Amit Kshatriya and James Polk, Chief Health and Medical Officer. Watch...
The article presents a comprehensive overview of the multiple taxonomies that structure today’s multi‑trillion‑dollar space economy. It details economic frameworks such as the OECD and BEA SESA models, technical classifications ranging from orbital regimes to technology readiness levels, and market...
