NASA Demonstrates New Prescribed Burn Capability for Spaceport
NASA teamed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct two prescribed burns covering roughly 2,600 acres at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 9, 2026, marking the first time a controlled fire was set during an active launch countdown. The burns targeted the Happy Creek habitat and a second area near key launch facilities, reducing vegetation fuel that could threaten rockets. NASA’s Spaceport Integration Directorate coordinated safety measures, including smoke warnings, road closures, and remote work for personnel. The operation supports both launch reliability and the health of the surrounding Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
China Ramps Up Commercial Space Race with Lijian-2 “Super Factory”
China has finished construction of a massive Lijian-2 liquid‑propellant rocket "super factory" in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, marking a pivotal step in its commercial space agenda. The facility is designed to mass‑produce the Lijian‑2 family, with the Y1 carrier rocket already launched...
Plasma-Hot Space Rider Tests for Belly and Flaps
Space Rider is Europe’s first reusable, uncrewed laboratory spacecraft, designed to spend up to two months in low‑Earth orbit before returning via an automated parafoil glide. Its thermal‑protection system relies on 21 lightweight ISiComp ceramic tiles that shield the belly...
April 29, 2003: BeppoSAX’s Journey Ends
BeppoSAX, the Italian‑Dutch X‑ray astronomy satellite launched on April 30, 1996, concluded its seven‑year mission when it re‑entered Earth’s atmosphere on April 29, 2003. The observatory delivered unprecedented spectral coverage, enabling the study of faint X‑ray sources and pioneering arc‑minute localizations of Gamma‑Ray Bursts...
Help Scientists Find Spacetime Warps in These Euclid Space Telescope Images
The European Space Agency has launched Space Warps, a citizen‑science effort that asks volunteers to scan Euclid Space Telescope images for strong gravitational lenses. Euclid streams roughly 100 GB of data each day, and the project will present 300,000 AI‑preselected cutouts...
Stunning Images From Biomass Mark Its One Year in Orbit
The European Space Agency celebrated the one‑year anniversary of its Biomass satellite, the first mission equipped with a P‑band synthetic aperture radar that can see through dense forest canopies. Launched on 29 April 2025, the satellite began delivering openly available data in...
A Falcon 9 Rocket Will Hit the Moon This Summer at Seven Times the Speed of Sound
Astronomers led by Bill Gray confirm that the upper stage of a Falcon 9 that launched the Blue Ghost mission on Jan. 15, 2025 will strike the Moon on Aug. 5, 2025 at 2:44 am ET. The 13.8‑meter stage will hit near the Einstein crater at...
Optimized Electrotech Raises ₹35 Cr To Expand Into Space Imaging
Optimized Electrotech, a deep‑tech startup focused on electro‑optical defense systems, secured ₹35 Cr ($3.7 M) in a round led by Exfinity Ventures. The capital will fund satellite development and the launch of a real‑time imaging constellation for defence and security customers. The...
DPhi’s Second Demo Brings Compute Space to Orbit
Swiss startup DPhi Space demonstrated in‑orbit artificial‑intelligence compute by running Liquid AI’s large language model on its Clustergate‑2 payload, hosted on a Momentus Vigoride 7 satellite. The LLM described an Earth observation image without transmitting the data to ground, proving...
Syensqo Strengthens Partnership with Avio Through New Long-Term Space Materials Agreement
Syensqo and Avio have signed a new long‑term supply agreement for ablative materials, RTM resins and adhesives used in space launch systems. The deal expands Syensqo’s role in Avio’s Vega‑C program and other launch‑vehicle projects, ensuring a steady supply of...
Satellite Connected Cattle Collars Expand Remote Ranching
Halter, a Colorado ag‑tech firm, has launched satellite‑connected cattle collars that link directly to Starlink, removing the need for cellular or on‑site radio infrastructure. The solar‑powered, GPS‑enabled devices enable virtual fencing across remote terrain, expanding the addressable U.S. beef cattle...
Why Aren’t Any Stars Visible in Photos Taken in Space or on the Moon?
Apollo and modern lunar photos show a black sky because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, not because stars are absent. Photographers set exposure for bright foregrounds—sunlit regolith, suits, and spacecraft—using fast shutter speeds, which washes out faint stars. When exposure...
Eutelsat “US Demand Is Resiliant”
Eutelsat CEO Jean‑François Fallacher pushed back against SpaceX’s call for the FCC to limit non‑U.S. satellite capacity, asserting that demand from U.S. customers remains resilient. SpaceX’s April 16 letter warned that European operators like SES benefit from U.S. market access and...
Data: Starlink’s Airline Connection Speeds Rise
SpaceX’s Starlink now commands 47.8% of commercial inflight connectivity traffic in Q4 2025, according to Ookla measurements, outpacing Viasat (25.1%) and Panasonic Avionics (12.8%). The LEO‑based service delivers over‑90% speed consistency for airlines such as airBaltic, WestJet and Hawaiian, while its...
Report: UK the World’s Third-Largest D2D Market in March
Virgin Media O2’s February launch of O2 Satellite propelled the United Kingdom into the global spotlight, making it the world’s third‑largest direct‑to‑device (D2D) market by unique‑user count as of March 2026. The UK trails only the United States and Australia in...
Golden Dome Will Use COTS Parts, Space Execs Say
Industry leaders said the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile‑defense program will lean heavily on commercial‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) satellite parts to keep costs down. Apex Space CEO Ian Cinnamon, Impulse Space COO Eric Romo and K2 Space CEO Karan Kunjur made the remarks...
Key Senators Agree NASA FY2027 Budget Request Inadequate
Senate appropriators from both parties joined House members in rejecting President Trump’s proposed 23% cut to NASA’s FY2027 budget, arguing that the $18.8 billion request – unchanged from FY2026 – is far too low to sustain current and newly announced programs....
Space Force Proposes Canceling Polar Missile Warning Program
The Space Force is proposing to cancel the $3.4 b Next‑Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Polar program in its FY27 budget, opting instead for coverage from proliferated low‑Earth and medium‑Earth orbit constellations. Northrop Grumman, which is building two polar satellites, says...
US Spectrum Shuffle Could Earn SES Billions
SES CEO Adel Al‑Saleh met FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to discuss a new C‑band spectrum reallocation aimed at U.S. cellular operators. The FCC’s plan could net SES between $1.5 billion and $3.4 billion, far less than the $8.7 billion it earned in the...
HTX and ST Engineering Launch Space Tech Program for Singapore Public Safety
Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and ST Engineering signed a five‑year MoU to launch a dedicated public‑safety satellite, Xplorer, slated for a 2029 launch. The 100‑kg spacecraft will orbit near the equator, delivering high‑revisit coverage for the...
NASA Connects Little Red Dots with Chandra, JWST
NASA has leveraged the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope to study faint, red‑shifted galaxies—dubbed “little red dots”—in the early universe. The joint observations captured X-ray signatures of nascent black holes alongside JWST’s infrared images of star-forming...
MaiaSpace CEO Says “Start Later, Run Faster” As Launcher Works Toward First Mission
MaiaSpace, an ArianeGroup subsidiary, aims to fly its first launcher by the end of 2026, well before its five‑year target of April 2027. The company recently secured a multi‑launch contract with Eutelsat OneWeb, which will account for more than half...
Amazon Accelerates Its New Home Internet Ambitions as It Launches 29 New Satellites
Amazon’s Leo constellation added 29 new low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, bringing the total launched by United Launch Alliance to 168. The expanded network moves the company closer to a summer 2026 launch of its direct‑to‑home broadband service aimed at underserved areas. Leo’s...
The Brutal Reality of Trying to Build a Home on Mars
Building a habitat on Mars faces lethal environmental challenges. The thin, CO₂‑rich atmosphere provides less than 1% of Earth’s pressure and extreme cold, while perchlorate‑laden dust is toxic and pervasive. Communication delays of up to 48 minutes and 0.38 g gravity...
The 90-Year-Old Who Became the Oldest Person in Space — and What He Said when He Came Back
In October 2021, 90‑year‑old William Shatner became the oldest person to travel to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard sub‑orbital rocket. The ten‑minute flight left him visibly moved, and he later described the experience as a funeral rather than a...
Grain Aiming to Lease Direct-to-Device Spectrum 90 Days After Deal Closing
Investment firm Grain Management plans to lease the 800 MHz low‑band spectrum it bought from T‑Mobile for $2.9 billion to satellite operators within 90 days, pending FCC approval. Grain met with FCC Chair Brendan Carr and senior advisor Arpan Sura to outline...
True Anomaly Raised $1 Billion to Build Weapons for a Programme the Pentagon Has Not Committed to Building
True Anomaly, a Colorado startup focused on autonomous spacecraft for orbital combat, closed a $650 million Series D round, bringing total capital raised to $1 billion and valuing the company at $2.2 billion. The funding arrived days after the U.S. Space Force named the...
Government of Canada Terminates Spire Global Canada’s $72 Million WildFireSat Contract
The Canadian government terminated its $71.8 million CAD (≈$52 million USD) Phase B‑C contract with Spire Global Canada for the WildFireSat satellite constellation, effective immediately. The agreement, signed in February 2025, would have funded design and development of ten small satellites aimed at real‑time...
AI That Accelerated Webb Data Will Now Sharpen Rubin Observatory Images
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, now generating about 20 TB of nightly imaging data, is turning to AI to handle its massive data stream. Researchers at UC‑Santa Cruz have adapted the machine‑learning tools that cut James Webb analysis from years to...
NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully fired a 10‑kilowatt lithium‑fed Hall thruster, delivering 200 mN of thrust for a 30‑minute duration. The test recorded a specific impulse of roughly 2,500 seconds, about 30% higher efficiency than traditional xenon‑based electric thrusters. Lithium’s higher density...
EraDrive and Northrop Grumman Collaborate on AI-Enabled Autonomy
Silicon Valley startup EraDrive has signed a teaming agreement with Northrop Grumman to embed artificial‑intelligence into the autonomy stack of the defense contractor’s spacecraft. The partnership will demonstrate AI‑enabled rendezvous, proximity operations and onboard decision‑making, targeting pose estimation, GNC integration...
CNES Calls for a Space Kitchen
France’s space agency CNES has issued a public tender for a fully functional onboard kitchen designed for deep‑space missions. The prototype must fit within a 2 m × 2.3 m × 2.3 m envelope, operate continuously for five years, and enable crews to produce at least half...
A Search Engine for the Planet Opens to the Public
Earth Genome has launched Earth Index, a public search engine that lets anyone query satellite imagery by visual similarity. The platform uses foundation models trained on massive Earth observation archives, turning raw pixels into searchable patterns. An “Open” tier now...
ULA Launches 29 Amazon LEO Satellites on Atlas V From Cape Canaveral
United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully lifted off 29 Amazon Kuiper low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellites aboard an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral. The launch marked ULA's second Atlas V mission this month and set a new turnaround...
FAA to Begin Taxing Launches by Payload Weight
The Federal Aviation Administration announced it will begin charging user fees based on payload weight, set at 25 cents per pound and capped at $30,000 per launch or re‑entry. The fee, authorized by last year’s reconciliation budget bill, is earmarked for...
ULA Launches 29 Leo Satellites
United Launch Alliance (ULA) lifted off an Atlas‑V rocket from Cape Canaveral, deploying 29 Amazon Leo satellites. The launch comes as ULA accelerates its dwindling Atlas‑V inventory, with only eight rockets left and the next‑generation Vulcan still grounded. Amazon’s low‑Earth‑orbit...
Science in Space
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot conducted the DNA Nano Therapeutics‑3 experiment in the Kibo laboratory’s Life Science Glovebox aboard the International Space Station. The study explores DNA‑inspired assembly techniques to fabricate nanostructured cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and...
Report: Data Centers in Space – Key Takeaways
A new GAO Science & Tech Spotlight report examines the prospect of placing data‑processing and storage systems on satellites. Proponents argue space‑based data centers could slash the land, electricity, and water footprints of terrestrial facilities. However, the report flags formidable engineering...
AIAA Public Review
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has issued draft S‑159, a standard for power and data interfaces between servicing spacecraft and client space objects, and opened it for public review until 30 June 2026. The document outlines functional requirements, best‑practice...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Leiden University
The European Commission introduced the EU Space Act on June 25, 2025 to replace a fragmented set of national space laws with a single framework covering licensing, debris mitigation and spectrum coordination for all 27 EU members. Draft amendments by rapporteur Elena...
BAE Systems Enters Production for NavGuide M-Code GPS Receiver
BAE Systems announced full‑rate production and initial deliveries of its NavGuide GPS receiver, a portable M‑Code solution that replaces the legacy DAGR handheld. The new unit is a drop‑in upgrade, maintaining the same form factor and mounting hardware while adding...
Another One: Ariane 6 Flies with Four Boosters Once More
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is set for its seventh flight, VA268, on 30 April 2026, this time using four P120C solid boosters. The launch will deliver 32 Amazon Leo satellites to low‑Earth orbit, employing a 20‑metre fairing and a 114‑minute mission timeline. Four...
Cislunar Space: The Next Strait of Hormuz Situation?
The U.S. Space Force is launching a dedicated acquisition office to evaluate the cislunar region—space between Earth and the Moon—for warfighting and national‑security purposes. This move follows growing expert warnings that cislunar space could become a strategic chokepoint akin to...
Isaacman Continues to Defend Budget Cuts to Congress
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended a Trump‑era proposal to slash $5.6 billion from the agency’s FY2026 budget, arguing the cuts will sharpen focus on returning to the Moon. He highlighted a $10 billion appropriation in the One Big Beautiful Bill and a...
The Space Economy: How to Invest in Space and SpaceX
The space economy is projected to reach $626 billion by 2025, with private capital now supplying roughly 70% of funding and driving rapid growth in lunar projects, satellite constellations, and emerging applications like orbital data centers. Reusable rockets have slashed launch...
Perseverance and Curiosity Panoramas Reveal Dual Sides of Mars
NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers have each produced a massive 360‑degree panorama, stitching together over a thousand high‑resolution images to reveal contrasting Martian landscapes. Curiosity’s view of boxwork formations, captured between Nov. 9 and Dec. 7 2025, spans 1.5 billion pixels, while Perseverance’s “Lac de Charmes”...
True Anomaly Closes $650M Series D
True Anomaly closed a $650 million Series D round, valuing the space‑defense startup at $2.2 billion. The financing, co‑led by Eclipse and Riot Ventures and supplemented by a $50 million debt facility, brings new capital from Paradigm, Atreides, G Squared, the Private Shares Fund and...
Analysis-SpaceX Ties Musk Compensation to Mars Colonization Goal
SpaceX’s board approved a compensation plan that could grant Elon Musk up to 260.4 million super‑voting restricted shares if the company reaches a $7.5 trillion market value, establishes a permanent Mars colony of at least one million people, and operates space‑based data...
Could the Moon Ever Be Blockaded? Experts Predict Cislunar Space Could Be the Next Strait of Hormuz
Experts warn that cislunar space – the region between Earth and the Moon – could become a strategic chokepoint akin to the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Space Force has set up a dedicated acquisition office to assess warfighting needs...
Startup Targets Radio Segment of Golden Dome Missile-Defense Network
Tensor, a Los Angeles‑based startup, is developing compact radio‑frequency units that can transmit targeting data for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile‑defense program. The Space Force’s next‑generation space data network will rely on the Link‑182 waveform, and Tensor aims to supply...