NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Discovers Even Older Lost Rivers at Jezero Crater
NASA’s Perseverance rover used its ground‑penetrating radar to probe deeper than before in Jezero Crater. The instrument identified buried river‑carved slopes and a delta more than 35 meters below the surface. Analysis of the radar echoes indicates these features formed around 4.2 billion years ago, predating the previously known 3.7‑billion‑year‑old deltas. The discovery, published in Science Advances, pushes Mars’s window of fluvial activity and potential habitability further back in time.
9 New Faces for SATShow Week 2026
SATShow Week 2026 unveiled nine fresh leaders spanning investment, manufacturing, policy and operations, underscoring the event’s expanding GovMilSpace focus. Ellen Chang highlighted the need for terrestrial infrastructure financing, while Apex’s Ian Cinnamon disclosed a $400 million fundraising round to scale bus...
SpaceX’s Starlink Asks Ofcom for Permission to Build Two New Earth Stations in London and Essex
SpaceX’s Starlink has applied to Ofcom for two new Ka‑band Earth stations—one in London’s Mulberry Wharf and another in Harlow, Essex—targeting early 2026 deployment. The company says its current gateway network is nearing capacity, forcing it to limit service to...
Industry Roundtable With ’10 Hottest’ Executives
A roundtable of leaders from Viasat, SpinLaunch, Voyager Technologies, ArkEdge Space and Planet highlighted three dominant themes for SATShow Week 2026: the rise of multi‑orbit and hybrid satellite networks, the growing importance of dual‑use space systems for defense and commercial...
China’s Shenzhou‑21 Crew Completes 7‑Hour Spacewalk to Install Debris Shield
China’s Shenzhou‑21 crew performed a seven‑hour extravehicular activity on March 16, installing a space‑debris protection device on the Tiangong station. The EVA marks the mission’s second spacewalk, the 26th overall for Chinese astronauts, and brings commander Zhang Lu’s total to...
ALL.SPACE Achieves Industry-First Multi-Orbit Certification for SES O3b mPOWER
ALL.SPACE announced on March 18, 2026 that its electronically scanned antenna terminal received the industry’s first certification for simultaneous multi‑orbit connectivity on SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO constellation. The ESA can track GEO, MEO and LEO satellites concurrently without mechanical parts, offering...
Inside Space Systems Command: Col. Menschner | Spacepower Podcast
In this episode, Colonel Andrew Menchner, Deputy Commander of Space Systems Command (SSC), explains how SSC acquires, builds, and fields critical space capabilities—such as GPS, missile warning, and satellite communications—for the joint force, allies, and partners. He highlights the command’s...
Using Fiber-Optic Cables to Detect Moonquakes
Two Los Alamos studies show that fiber‑optic cables can be laid on the Moon’s surface to record moonquakes, eliminating the need for heavy, buried seismometers. Laboratory tests in simulated regolith found burial depth irrelevant, while stiffer, thicker fibers improved signal...
ESA to Incentivise the Use of European Launchers for LEO Cargo Return Initiative
The European Space Agency announced a €50 million incentive to encourage the use of Ariane 6 or other European launchers for its ALADDIN demonstration missions, part of the LEO Cargo Return Services program. Up to €420 million per contract will be awarded, split...
China’s Shenzhou‑21 Crew Completes 7‑Hour Spacewalk to Install Debris Shield on Tiangong
China’s Shenzhou‑21 crew performed a seven‑hour extravehicular activity on March 16, installing a space‑debris protection device on the Tiangong station. The operation, the 26th Chinese spacewalk and the sixth for commander Zhang Lu, underscores Beijing’s focus on shielding its only independently...
Thailand Could Send Its First Science Experiment to the Moon With Ispace
Japan’s lunar‑transport firm ispace and Thailand’s Geo‑Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) have signed an MOU to study a Thai‑built life‑science payload for delivery to the Moon. GISTDA will lead design, development and project management, while ispace will provide...
Frontier Justice: Navigating the Future Legal Landscape for Private Actors in Space Law
The global space economy is set to surge from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.7 trillion by 2035, yet the legal framework remains fragmented and largely government‑centric. Private actors face a regulatory vacuum that could trigger lunar land grabs, inflate costs, and...
March 18, 1965: The First Spacewalk
On March 18, 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performed the first human spacewalk during the Voskhod 2 mission. He spent roughly 12 minutes outside the capsule before a suit malfunction forced him to depressurize and crawl back, narrowly surviving. While in...
China Signals New Target for 2027 Asteroid Deflection Test
China’s space agency has identified Aten‑class asteroid 2016 WP8 as the target for its first planetary‑defense kinetic‑impact test, slated for a December 2027 launch on a Long March 3B from Xichang. The mission will deploy two spacecraft—a kinetic impactor that will strike the asteroid...
NASA Grappling with Planetary Science Funding Shortfall
NASA’s planetary science division received $2.54 billion for FY 2026, about $200 million less than the $2.72 billion allocated in the two prior years. The shortfall forces the agency to make "strategic choices" about which missions can continue, with particular uncertainty around the Venus...
UK Deepens Ties with Ukraine Space Sector
The UK Space Agency and Ukraine’s State Space Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding, marking the first agency‑to‑agency space agreement between the two nations. The MoU commits both parties to collaborate on civil and commercial space projects, supporting the...
US-Israel Strike Destroys Iran's Space Research Centre Amid Escalating Conflict
The United States and Israel launched a coordinated airstrike on Feb. 28 2026 that reduced Iran's Space Research Centre to rubble, part of Operation Roaring Lion that also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strike removes a key node in Iran's...
ESA Impact: Our Story so Far This Year
In the first quarter of 2026 ESA demonstrated Europe’s autonomous heavy‑lift capability with the successful four‑booster Ariane 6 launch. Copernicus‑3 radar monitored severe flooding in Bordeaux, while astronaut Sophie Adenot joined the International Space Station. A student team prepared a CubeSat...
Astronauts Repair ISS Solar Arrays, Extending 2032 Mission
Today, high above your head, 2 human beings will be working outside in the eternal emptiness of the universe. astro_chrisw (1st spacewalk) & astro_jessica (4th) are improving solar arrays. Needed, as the International Space Station will be up & working through...
Artemis II Rollback to Launch Pad Tomorrow at 8 PM
Artemis II SLS/Orion rollback to the launch pad is now set for tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, at 8:00 *pm.* It'll stream on NASA's YouTube channel.
OHB Sweden to Build Sterna Weather Constellation
The European Space Agency awarded OHB Sweden a contract to build 20 satellites for the EPS‑Sterna weather constellation, with six operational units at any time and two spares. The first six satellites are targeted for launch in 2029, and the...
House Hearing Explores LEO's Future: ISS to Commercial Platforms
House SS&T will hold a hrg on Mar 25 at 10:00 am ET on The Future of LEO: From the ISS to Cmrcl Platforms. NASA's Joel Montalbano (Acting AA for Space Ops Mission Directorate), Dave Cavossa (CSF), Charlie Precourt (mbr,...
Congress to Examine LEO's Future Beyond the ISS
The House Science Committee's space subcommittee will hold a hearing next Wednesday on "The Future of Low Earth Orbit: From the ISS to Commercial Platforms". https://t.co/OyC3IQLGDd
NASA Successfully Tests 3D Printed Spring Mechanism in Low Earth Orbit
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully tested the Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), a 3‑D‑printed titanium spring mechanism, aboard Proteus Space’s Mercury One satellite in low Earth orbit. The compact device unfolded from a one‑inch stowed height to six inches, demonstrating that...
US EVA-94 Spacewalk Begins on ISS at 1246 UTC
Spacewalk US EVA-94 is underway on the ISS. Astronauts Meir and Williams, in suits 3015 and 3003 and with SAFER packs 15 and 18 depressurized the airlock past 50 mbar at 1246 UTC, opened the hatch at 1251 UTC and...
NanoAvionics Secures Solar Array Deal for Korean LEO Constellation
.@NanoAvionics books contract w/ Korea's #FlexellSpace to provide solar arrays for #HanwhaSystems sovereign LEO constellation, outlines expansion in Lithuania. https://t.co/exuih6qIYE https://t.co/oj4ge9ZhkE
Iran’s Space Research Centre Destroyed in Israeli Air Strikes
Israeli forces struck Iran’s primary Space Research Centre in Tehran on March 13, part of a broader wave of attacks on the capital. The centre, which oversees satellite design, propulsion and high‑resolution imaging, is a cornerstone of Iran’s dual‑use space...
Free Space Lecture by RAeS & IET, March 18
Free space lecture, RAeS Farnborough Branch, 18 March (with the IET) Skynet Stories https://t.co/cnpzx0gqO3 https://t.co/0kVai1yf4T
Watch Live Today: NASA Astronauts Conducting Spacewalk Delayed by ISS Medical Evacuation
NASA postponed a long‑delayed EVA after the International Space Station’s first medical evacuation forced a reshuffle of crew assignments. Astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams will now perform a 6.5‑hour spacewalk on March 18, marking the first EVAs of 2026 and...
That Time Wernher Von Braun’s Rocket Tried To Kill My Father (Repost)
On March 18, 1945, Germany’s Battery 485 launched a V‑2 missile from The Hague that struck London minutes later, narrowly missing the father of NASA Watch founder Keith Cowing. The V‑2’s groundbreaking propulsion and guidance technology was seized after the war and...
SpaceX Hits 10,000‑Active Starlink Satellites, Cementing LEO Broadband Dominance
On March 17, 2026, SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 missions that together placed 54 new Starlink satellites into low‑Earth orbit, taking the number of active units past the 10,000 mark. The first launch lifted 25 satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base,...
What Is Fractional Orbital Bombardment, and Why Is It Important?
The Soviet Union deployed a fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS) using the R‑36O missile from 1969 until the early 1980s, fielding a single regiment of 18 silos. Its chief value was geometric: delivering a nuclear warhead from unexpected southern azimuths...
Telesat’s Lightspeed Service Launch Slips to 2028
Telesat announced that its Lightspeed low‑Earth‑orbit satellite service will now enter commercial operation in the first quarter of 2028, slipping from the end‑2027 target due to delays in the ASIC chips supplied by SatixFy. The first batch of satellites is...
Lite Coms Executives Talk Multi-Orbit Innovation and the Future of Tactical VSAT
Lite Coms, a seven‑year‑old satcom firm, has deployed almost 1,000 tactical VSAT terminals for U.S. and allied forces. Its core strategy centers on multi‑orbit, constellation‑agnostic terminals that operate across GEO, MEO and LEO networks, highlighted by the upcoming 2026 Ku/Ka...
China’s Space Program Past, Present, and Future
China’s space program has transformed into a full‑spectrum state system by March 2026, operating the Tiangong space station, a growing satellite‑internet fleet, and advanced lunar and deep‑space missions. Recent milestones include Chang’e‑6’s far‑side sample return and Tianwen‑2’s asteroid‑return flight, while reusable...
What Specifications Does a Space Telescope Need to See the Earliest Light in the Universe
Detecting the universe’s first light demands a cold, space‑based infrared telescope with a large aperture. JWST’s 6.5‑m mirror and 0.6‑28 µm coverage have already revealed galaxies at redshift > 14, but its sensitivity limits studies beyond z ≈ 16. Future concepts call for 12‑15 m mirrors, sub‑40 K...
Ursa Major Company Profile
Ursa Major has shifted from a launch‑engine startup to a diversified propulsion supplier focused on defense and hypersonics. Its Hadley engine achieved repeated Mach‑5 reusable flights with Stratolaunch and secured a $32.9 million follow‑on contract, while the Draper storable liquid engine...
Space Force Overhauls Buying Structure with New Mission Portfolios
The U.S. Space Force is introducing Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) to manage groups of systems tied to specific missions rather than individual programs. Four initial portfolios—infrastructure, battle management, satellite communications/positioning, navigation and timing, and missile warning and tracking—will give PAEs...
Samples From Asteroid Ryugu Contain All Five Nucleobases
In December 2020 Hayabusa2 returned 20 mg of Ryugu dust to Earth, and a Japanese‑U.S. team has now identified all five DNA/RNA nucleobases in the material. Using a refined extraction protocol and high‑resolution mass spectrometry, the researchers detected adenine, guanine, cytosine,...
SLS/Orion May Return to Pad Thursday, Decision Tomorrow
Looks like SLS/Orion MIGHT roll back to pad on Thursday after all. They’ll decide tomorrow (Wed.).
Office of Space Commerce Weighing Options for TraCSS User Fees
The Office of Space Commerce is weighing user‑fee options for the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) after a December executive order stripped the “free of direct user fees” language from Space Policy Directive 3. Officials say no decision has been...
Voyager-2’s only Close-Up Image of Uranus’s Moon Umbriel
Voyager‑2’s 1986 flyby produced the sole close‑up photograph of Uranus’s moon Umbriel, captured from 346,000 miles away with roughly 6‑mile resolution. The image reveals a heavily cratered, ultra‑dark surface that reflects only 16% of sunlight, similar to lunar highlands. A...
Why Novaspace Says In-Orbit Refuelling Is Vital for Space Superiority
Novaspace’s new white paper argues that the United States and Europe must prioritize in‑orbit satellite refuelling to secure space superiority. The paper, based on a 2025 conference of defense, commercial and investment leaders, warns that current propellant limits constrain satellite...
Telesat Allocates 25% of Lightspeed Capacity to Defense
.@Telesat: Lightspeed constellation to have 500 MHz of mil-Ka-band, about 25% of total capacity, to meet surging defense interest. 1st 2 sats launch in Dec, with 96 in orbit by end 2027, commercial service starts spring 2028. @MDA_space @SatixFy_satcom @NationalDefence....
Soyuz‑5 Test Launch Set for March 27, Officials Warn of Debris
Soyuz-5 rocket to fly its inaugural test mission on March 27, according to local authorities in the Yugra Region, warning population on fragments' impact; no confirmation from Roskosmos yet: https://t.co/DBcHRiQe36 https://t.co/wHpGAkKqBV
The First Artemis Lunar Landings Might Not Go to the Moon’s South Pole
NASA is reconsidering the south‑pole for Artemis’s first crewed landing, exploring alternative sites to reduce risk and accelerate timelines. Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said performance specs are being opened to allow different lunar orbits and constraints. Administrator Jared Isaacman pushes...
ISPTech Raises €5.5M Seed Round to Redefine How Spacecraft Manoeuvre in Orbit
ISPTech, a German spin‑off from the DLR, announced a €5.5 million seed round led by Join Capital and backed by several European venture funds. The capital will fund expanded manufacturing, critical‑infrastructure testing, and the commercial rollout of its non‑toxic propulsion suites,...
The Rise of the Orbital Data Center: Solving the Space Data Bottleneck
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...
Saudi Arabia Takes Indian Startup’s Help for Satellite Images
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 Completes Two Launches Since Yesterday
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....