Space Force Modernization Push Runs Into Acquisition Workforce Shortfall
The Space Force’s push to modernize its space capabilities is being hampered by a critical shortage of contracting officers and financial managers. As the service moves from buying discrete hardware to fielding integrated warfighting systems, it needs acquisition professionals with new skill sets. A tailored training program has been launched, but hiring and onboarding remain slow. Recent civilian workforce cuts of roughly 14% have further strained the ability to execute fast‑track procurement despite ample funding.
Launch Tower Upgrades Needed for Rapid Artemis Missions
Problem with more rapid SLS launces in my mind is the ability to turn around the launch tower work quick enough. There was big damage after Artemis 1 to the tower and it took a lot of time (and $$$)...
And Now We Have “NASA Force”
NASA announced the launch of “NASA Force,” a two‑year term recruitment program in partnership with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The initiative will bring top aerospace, software, and systems engineers into the civil service workforce to restore core competencies...
Artemis II: What’s on the Menu?
NASA has finalized a shelf‑stable menu for Artemis II, the first crewed flight around the Moon, ensuring all meals are safe, nutrient‑dense, and ready‑to‑eat without refrigeration or resupply. The menu was co‑developed with the astronauts, who sampled and ranked each item...
United Semiconductors Reserves Payload Space with Starlab to Advance Commercial-Scale In-Space Semiconductor Manufacturing
United Semiconductors has secured payload space on Starlab’s commercial space station to transition its micro‑gravity semiconductor crystal growth from the International Space Station to sustained, commercial‑scale production in low Earth orbit. The partnership leverages Starlab’s rapid, no‑assembly launch architecture and...
Canada’s Space Commander on Protecting Satellites From Jamming and Potential Nuclear Risks
Brigadier‑General Christopher Horner, commander of Canada’s 3 Space Division, warned that a nuclear detonation in low‑Earth orbit would generate an electromagnetic pulse capable of crippling global satellite services. He highlighted that Russia’s electronic‑warfare jamming already extends into space, threatening commercial...
Senate Tees Up NASA Reauthorization, Deputy Hearings
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will markup the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025, a bipartisan reauthorization bill that extends the International Space Station to 2032 and directs NASA to build a permanent lunar base. A separate hearing...
NASA Invites Proposals to Lease Land Parcels at Sandusky Facility
NASA’s Glenn Research Center is inviting proposals to lease land parcels at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The agency offers five parcels totaling about 1,736 acres, ranging from 184 to 516 acres, under a Model Enhanced Use...
Galaxy 1 Partners with Viasat to Deliver Rapid, Scalable and Securecommunications for Uncrewed Aircraft
Galaxy 1 Communications has teamed with Viasat to extend the Velaris satellite service for uncrewed aerial vehicles and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) platforms. The partnership leverages Galaxy 1’s Distribution Partner‑as‑a‑Service (DPaaS) model, providing a managed layer that simplifies provisioning, billing,...
South Korean Launch Provider INNOSPACE Eyes Canadian Expansion via Spaceport Nova Scotia
South Korean launch provider INNOSPACE has signed a Letter of Intent with Maritime Launch Services to explore hosting its HANBIT hybrid‑rocket system at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The partnership aims to bypass Naro Space Center’s slot scarcity and trajectory restrictions, giving...
US Controls GPS, Prompting Rivals to Launch Independent Satellites
Umm… we own the GPS satellites. We can also just turn them off for non-military use. We did it in 2003 at the start of the Iraq war (although officially it was a “malfunction”) That’s the reason the EU, China and Russia built...
Five Moon Landings Target South Pole Water‑Rich Region
These 5 spaceships should land on the Moon this year; several near the South Pole, with rovers/hoppers to explore that little-known, always sunny, water-rich region. In order: @blueorigin's MK1 @intuitivemachines' IM-3 astrobotictechnology's Griffin-1 China's Chang'e 7 @fireflyaerospace's Blue Ghost Laying the groundwork for surveying, tech...
A 690-Million-Kilometer Journey Through Space Ends for Australia's SpIRIT Mission
Australia’s University of Melbourne‑led SpIRIT nanosatellite has concluded its on‑orbit phase after more than 25 months, traveling roughly 690 million kilometres – the distance to Jupiter – and completing about 16,000 Earth orbits. The 11.5‑kg spacecraft outperformed its two‑year design life,...
NASA Officially Drops EUS and ML‑2 From Roadmap
This NASA press release is the first time I've seen them say explicity that EUS and ML-2 are no longer part of the plan. It was implied before, but not stated. https://t.co/dszeLdwLOG https://t.co/M5G9X3Kejl
SLS Fixed, New Rollout Begins April 1
SLS repaired ✅ New rollout in the coming weeks ✅ Launch window: starts April 1st ✅
Asteroid Ryugu Samples Offer New Insights Into Early Solar System Magnetism
Japanese researchers led by Masahiko Sato have measured natural remanent magnetization in 28 Ryugu asteroid particles, expanding previous work from seven samples. Twenty‑three particles show stable magnetic components, with evidence pointing to chemical remanent magnetization acquired during framboidal magnetite formation....
Artemis II Fixes Helium Blockage, Validates Repairs, Replaces Batteries
Artemis II update: engineers determined that a quick disconnect seal obstructed the flow of helium in the ICPS upper stage. Repairs have been made and are now being validated. They're also replacing batteries, and a seal on the core stage...
Next‑Gen Space Station Gets Major Life‑Support Upgrade
For our subscribers, a long read with exclusive details on the latest upgrades of the life-support system and food/water supply proposed for the next-generation space station. Full story is on the site... https://t.co/URv1wBb2k4
Japan to Do Vertical Tests of Its Own Grasshopper-Type Demo Stage This Month
Japan’s space agency JAXA is set to conduct two vertical take‑off and landing (VTVL) test flights of its 24‑foot RV‑X demonstrator later this month. The first hop, scheduled for March 6, will take place at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center on...
Winter Breakthrough with Limited Resources Boosts NASA and ISS
This is legitimately impressive, in the dead of winter, with limited resources. It's also good for NASA and the ISS in general.
Thales Space Targets 7% EBIT Margin Amid Merger
.@thalesgroup: @Thales_Alenia_S rev rose 7.6% in 2025, on pace for 7%+ EBIT margin in 2027; merger w/ @AirbusSpace & @LDO_Space on track; @industriAll_EU unions pose conditions for accepting the deal. @esa @defis_eu.https://t.co/GarzC7tTBf https://t.co/8oHhgoms52
When Space Is Hot, Washington Holds a Match
Private equity is pouring capital into space and defense, reviving investor enthusiasm, but firms still depend on steady government funding to realize long‑term value. AE Industrial Partners, which backs Redwire, Firefly Aerospace and York Space Systems, highlighted that government contracts...
Abandoned Soyuz Pad Finds New Tenant After Four Years
It looks like four years of disuse have taken its toll on the Soyuz launch pad in French Guiana. Now, it has new tenant.
Kongsberg Discovery and Silicon Sensing Unveil Tactical-Grade North-Seeking MEMS Gyroscope
Silicon Sensing and Kongsberg Discovery have unveiled a tactical‑grade north‑seeking MEMS gyroscope, the SGH03, delivering navigation‑grade performance in a compact, solid‑state package. The device operates without GNSS or magnetometer assistance, making it resilient in GPS‑denied or magnetically hostile environments. Developed...
Russia Completes Repairs to Soyuz-2 Launchpad at Baikonur
Roscosmos announced that repairs to the Soyuz‑2 launchpad at Baikonur’s Site 31 are complete, enabling a Progress MS‑33 cargo flight to the International Space Station on March 22, 2026. The refurbishment involved 150 workers from four contractors, who painted 2,350 m², replaced attachment devices, overhauled...
ICEYE Launches SAR-Powered Deforestation Monitoring to Counter Tropical Forest Loss
ICEYE launched a dedicated deforestation monitoring solution on March 3, 2026, using its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation. The SAR‑based service delivers near‑real‑time, cloud‑penetrating imagery for the Amazon, Congo and other tropical basins, filling the gap left by optical satellites....
The World's 1st Private Space Telescope Just Spotted Its 1st Star. Here's What It Saw.
London‑based Blue Skies Space launched Mauve, the world’s first privately funded space telescope, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in November. On Feb 9 the satellite recorded its inaugural five‑second observation of the bright UV‑rich star η Ursa Majoris, demonstrating its capability to capture visible...
Top Trump Ally Threatens Retaliation over EU Space Tech Law
Washington signaled it will retaliate if the EU adopts a Space Act that favors European satellite operators over U.S. firms. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned that the United States would mirror any restrictive EU measures, potentially barring European satellites from...
PwC Projects $127 Billion Moon Economy by 2050; Energy Infrastructure Cited as Primary Bottleneck
PwC’s latest Lunar Market Assessment projects the Moon’s annual revenue will reach $127.3 billion by 2050, roughly the size of Poland’s GDP. The report highlights that energy infrastructure, not transportation, is the chief obstacle to scaling surface operations. NASA’s Artemis program...
NASA Stalls on Promised Artemis 2 Seal Images
At a Feb. 20 briefing, NASA officials promised to release images of the seals that had caused problems in the first Artemis 2 WDR. A week and a half later... 🤷♂️
The Coldest "Stars" In the Galaxy Might Actually Be Alien Megastructures
Physicist Freeman Dyson’s megastructure concept gains fresh focus as a new arXiv pre‑print by Amirnezam Amiri identifies red dwarfs and white dwarfs as the most promising hosts. The study shows that a Dyson swarm would absorb visible light and re‑radiate it...
March 3, 1959: Pioneer 4 Launches
On March 3 1959 the United States launched Pioneer 4, the first American spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity and enter heliocentric orbit. Intended to fly by the Moon and capture images, a prolonged second‑stage burn diverted it 60,000 km beyond the lunar surface, preventing...
SES Faces 2025 EBITDA Shortfall, Growth Slated for 2027
.@SES_Satellites: Rev & EBITDA 2025 shortfall mainly from short-term events, growth to resume in 2027. 2 yrs after filing $472M claim for glitches on 4 mPower sats, only 40% has been paid. Co plans MEO-orbit network serving US & European...
Infinite Orbits Goes on Spending Spree After Securing €40 Million
Infinite Orbits announced back‑to‑back acquisitions of LMO’s Luxembourg operations and UK‑based Lúnasa Space within a week, leveraging the €40 million financing it raised in November 2025. The deals add advanced space‑situational‑awareness software and autonomous rendezvous capabilities to its Endurance and Orbit...
Marlink Rolls Out Fleet-Wide Multi-LEO Hybrid Connectivity Service
Marlink launched Sealink Multi-LEO, a hybrid connectivity service that unifies Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb low‑Earth‑orbit satellite networks under a single managed data allowance. The offering provides 500 GB to 10 TB of monthly data, with carrier‑agnostic orchestration that dynamically selects the best...
Starlink’s MWC Push Aims EU 2 GHz Spectrum, yet AST
Wondering if the big @SpaceX #Starlink presence at #MWC26 is basically an attempt to persuade European policymakers to allow it access to 2GHz MSS spectrum - despite all the #sovereignty concerns in Brussels Seems that AST/VF is likely a more...
GSMA Calls for Regulatory Readiness for Direct-to-User LEO Satellite Services
The GSMA released a position paper urging governments to modernise regulatory frameworks for direct‑to‑user Low‑Earth‑Orbit (LEO) satellite services. It highlights that existing rules are fragmented and often unsuitable for new satellite‑only offerings, creating uncertainty for operators and investors. The paper...
Spectrum Showdown
Satellite communications constellations are crowding the microwave bands used for weather monitoring, raising concerns about radio‑frequency interference (RFI). NOAA scientists warn that emissions from broadband satellites could corrupt data from instruments like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on JPSS...
SDA And The Outer Space Treaty: Why Worry About Legal Gaps In Space Tech?
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, drafted when space activity was limited, now faces criticism for its vague language amid exploding low‑Earth‑orbit constellations, AI‑driven satellite services, and emerging directed‑energy weapons. Legal scholar Cybel Ekpa argues that these technological advances create gaps...
Semiconductors, Satellites, and Scale With Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy
In this episode, Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy explains how her company provides end‑to‑end semiconductor services—from custom ASIC design and foundry access to wafer processing, packaging, board assembly, and final box builds—for aerospace, defense, and the rapidly growing new‑space sector....
How Russia Is Intercepting Communications From European Satellites
Russia’s secret Luch 1 and 2 satellites have been conducting prolonged proximity and rendezvous operations (RPOs) against European geostationary communications satellites since 2014. By positioning themselves within five kilometres of targets, they can intercept downlink signals and potentially capture command uplinks. While...
Scaling Earth and Space AI Models with Red Hat AI Inference Server and Red Hat OpenShift AI
Red Hat announced that its AI Inference Server now natively serves Earth and space foundation models such as NASA’s Prithvi‑EO, Prithvi‑WxC, and IBM’s TerraTorch models. The server leverages a hardened vLLM distribution and integrates with OpenShift AI to provide dynamic...
NASA's Blue Ring Passes Load Test, Shows Strength
You guys liked the last Blue Ring picture so much, I felt that you deserve another one. This is the dedicated Structural Test Asset (STA) undergoing load testing at NASA's awesome Marshall Space Flight Center. So far...
Space Habitation Report – Mar.2.2026
NASA’s SpaceX CRS‑33 Dragon spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station on Feb. 26, returning valuable microgravity biology experiments. The crew‑12 expedition arrived in mid‑February, expanding the ISS’s research agenda with European‑led experiments. Axiom Space announced a $350 million funding round to...
Semiconductors, Satellites, and Scale With Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy
Spirit Electronics CEO Marti McCurdy discussed how the company’s semiconductor expertise underpins modern satellite operations, from communications payloads to propulsion control. The firm offers end‑to‑end services including ASIC design, foundry work, wafer processing and qualification, traditionally serving defense customers but...
FCC Calls for Reciprocity as EU Barriers Threaten U.S. Satellites
For decades, the U.S. has welcomed foreign satellite operators into our market. But restrictions on U.S. operators in other countries have persisted. And now, new barriers are emerging that constrain U.S. businesses operating abroad, including in the draft E.U. Space...
IEC Telecom Establishes Malaysia Hub to Accelerate Starlink-Powered Digital Inclusion
On March 3 2026 IEC Telecom Group launched its first operations centre in Kuala Lumpur, becoming an authorized Starlink reseller for Malaysia. The hub targets the persistent “last‑mile” connectivity gap in rural Sarawak and Sabah and supports the country’s maritime and energy...
Jeremy Hansen on Dealing with Artemis 2 Emergencies
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen outlined Artemis 2’s emergency protocols, emphasizing two pre‑launch abort options: a rapid egress from the launch pad or an abort‑seat‑style capsule ejection within five minutes of liftoff. He detailed post‑abort survival steps, including suit donning,...
ASTS Delays Satellite Timeline, Offers No Clarity
What a debacle. They can't even promise to complete the "40 satellites equivalent of microns" until "first half of 2026" compared to "early 2026" previously. With no clarity on when any completed satellites will be ready to ship. Also dropped...
Combined Business of SES and Intelsat Dips 1.6% in 2025
SES reported 2025 revenue of €2.6 billion, a 34% increase over its own prior year, but when the Intelsat acquisition is factored in the combined revenue would have been €3.5 billion – a 1.6% decline versus the two firms’ 2024 total. The...