Space Jam: NASA’s MADCAP Team Directs Traffic at the Moon
NASA’s Mission Analysis and Design for Cislunar and Planetary (MADCAP) team has been quietly tracking every spacecraft in lunar orbit for the past 15 years. In March 2025 the privately‑run Blue Ghost lander narrowly avoided a collision with another orbiter, prompting a red‑alert from the team. Today only 11 vehicles circle the Moon, but the fleet is expanding as the United States, China, India, Korea and commercial firms increase activity. The incident underscores the growing need for formal space‑traffic management around Earth’s satellite.
Cubesat Ultraviolet Space Telescope Achieves First Light
NASA’s SPARCS cubesat, roughly the size of a cereal box, has achieved first light by capturing both near‑ and far‑ultraviolet false‑color images of a nearby star. The mission is designed to monitor flare and sunspot activity on low‑mass stars that...
The First Commercial Space Telescope Just Achieved First Light
Mauve, the world’s first commercial space‑science telescope, recorded its first light on Feb. 9, 2026, capturing a UV spectrum of the star Alkaid. Launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 in November 2025, the 5‑inch CubeSat operates in low‑Earth orbit to study stellar flares...
ESA's Mars Orbiters Watch Solar Superstorm Hit the Red Planet
In May 2024 a massive solar superstorm struck both Earth and Mars, producing spectacular aurorae and intense radiation. ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter used a rare radio‑occultation technique to record the storm’s impact on Mars, finding electron densities...
NASA Targets April 1 for Artemis II Launch
NASA announced a target launch date of April 1 for Artemis II, the first crewed mission beyond low‑Earth orbit since 1972. The crew—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—will fly a 10‑day lunar flyby. After a series...
Fever Dreams: On Demand Launch, Daily Launches, Responsive Space
The March 2026 New Space Economy piece separates the hype of daily orbital launches from the emerging reality of responsive space. While on‑demand launch remains a niche tool, true responsiveness is being built through standby assets, modular spacecraft, and flexible licensing,...
This Top-Secret Satellite Spied on Enemy Weapons for the U.S. Air Force, Declassified Files Reveal
The National Reconnaissance Office declassified the JUMPSEAT satellite program, a covert U.S. space‑based intelligence system that operated from 1971 to 2006. Using highly elliptical Molniya orbits, the satellites intercepted signals, emissions, and imagery to monitor Soviet weapon development throughout the...
NASA Clears Its Artemis Moon Rocket for an April Launch with Four Astronauts Following Repairs
NASA announced that the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket has passed its final flight‑readiness review and is slated for a launch as early as April 1, following repairs that sealed hydrogen leaks and corrected a helium‑flow fault. The 322‑foot vehicle will...
NASA's Tiny Spacecraft Sends First Exoplanet Images
NASA's SPARCS CubeSat has returned its first ultraviolet images, proving the spacecraft’s camera and detectors work in orbit. The one‑year mission will continuously monitor far‑UV and near‑UV emissions from about 20 low‑mass stars, whose frequent flares influence the habitability of...
Exclusive: GalaxEye Raises ₹44 Cr In Ongoing Series A Funding Round
Indian spacetech startup GalaxEye announced it has secured about ₹44.2 cr (≈$4.8 m) in an extended Series A round. The round featured existing backers such as Mela Venture, Rainmatter, Mounttech Growth Fund and Speciale Invest, with institutional commitments ranging from ₹8 cr to ₹18 cr....
ALL.SPACE Signs Viasat Partnership Deal
ALL.SPACE announced a strategic partnership with Viasat, securing Category 4 certification for its Hydra electronically steered terminal on the Viasat Global Xpress (GX) Ka‑band network. The certification enables full‑performance operation across Viasat’s high‑capacity steerable beams for on‑move, on‑pause, and halt scenarios....
The Investment Theses Behind Vast and Sierra’s $500M+ Mega Rounds
Vast and Sierra each closed mega‑fundraising rounds exceeding $500 million, marking some of the largest venture capital commitments of the year. The capital will be deployed into deep‑tech sectors where both firms see outsized growth potential, such as AI‑driven data infrastructure...
New Glenn Vs. Nova
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket completed its first flawless propulsive landing in November 2025, cementing the company’s entry into the operational, partially reusable heavy‑lift market. The launch delivered NASA’s ESCAPADE probes and demonstrated a rapid test‑fix cycle after a failed first attempt...
China Designates Satellite Broadband as Top Priority
China’s premier Li Qiang has elevated satellite broadband to a national priority, placing it alongside semiconductors and cloud‑computing in the government work report. The National Development and Reform Commission will treat satellite Internet as a "large‑scale major project," unlocking hundreds...
Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk
The FAA withdrew a 2023 proposal that would have forced commercial launch providers to remove upper‑stage rocket debris within 25 years, after industry pushback over cost and authority concerns. The rule aimed to curb a growing orbital junk problem that...
AIRMO Raises €5M for Airborne and Space-Based GHG Monitoring
AIRMO announced a €5 million seed round led by Ananda ImpactVentures, with participation from several venture firms and strategic investors. The funding will finance its first satellite mission slated for 2027 and broaden its airborne monitoring footprint across Europe, MENA and...
Loft Orbital Aims To Launch AI-Processing Satellites Later This Year
Loft Orbital, a San Francisco‑based space startup, announced plans to launch an AI‑processing satellite constellation later this year. The fleet will run a lightweight, low‑power AI model directly on board, sidestepping the energy demands of large terrestrial models. By analyzing...
New National Timing Centre to Protect Critical Services
The UK government is allocating £180 million to build a National Timing Centre (NTC) that will safeguard critical services such as mobile networks, banking and emergency response from GNSS disruptions. Led by the National Physical Laboratory, the NTC will employ atomic...
Teen Discovers 1.5 Million Unidentified Space Objects Based On NASA Data
Matteo Paz, a high‑school student at Caltech’s Planet Finder Academy, built an AI system to scan NASA’s NEOWISE infrared archive. The algorithm, dubbed VARnet, processed over 200 billion detections and uncovered roughly 1.5 million previously unidentified celestial objects, ranging from binary stars...
The Post-Capacity Era of Satellite Connectivity
Novaspace’s eighth Capacity Pricing Trends report declares a Post‑Capacity Era for satellite connectivity, where bandwidth is no longer the primary differentiator. Starlink’s sub‑$0.30 per GB pricing is driving a structural decline in capacity costs and forcing the industry to compete...
Rheinmetall Withdraws From Mynaric Bidding Process; Rocket Lab Acquisition Clears Major Competitive Hurdle
Rheinmetall AG announced it will not submit a formal bid for laser‑communications specialist Mynaric AG, ending a brief period of speculation about a German “national solution” to block Rocket Lab’s $150 million acquisition. The withdrawal leaves Rocket Lab as the sole...
New Study Says There's a Way to Make Dyson Bubbles and Stellar Engines Stable
Physicist Colin R. McInnes has shown that Dyson Bubbles and flat‑disk Stellar Engines can be engineered for passive stability, countering long‑standing claims of inherent gravitational instability. By concentrating mass at the rim of a reflective disc, radiation pressure and gravity can...
SpaceBridge CEO David Gelerman Explains Why UniHub Is a Pivotal Launch for Company
SpaceBridge is set to unveil UniHub at SATShow 2026, a software‑defined, modular VSAT hub packaged in a compact 3RU enclosure. The all‑in‑one solution promises up to five‑fold performance gains over the legacy ASAT‑II architecture and dramatically faster field deployment. CEO...
Contrivian Becomes Authorized Reseller of Amazon Leo for State, Local Governments
Contrivian announced it has become an authorized reseller of Amazon’s Leo low‑Earth‑orbit satellite service, extending its portfolio of multi‑modal connectivity for U.S. state and local governments. The partnership allows Contrivian to embed Leo’s satellite links into its software‑defined network platform,...
ST Engineering iDirect Forms African Connectivity Partnership With Q-KON
ST Engineering iDirect and African satellite services firm Q‑KON announced a partnership to launch the Intuition Unbound platform across Africa. Q‑KON will provide satellite capacity and teleport facilities in South Africa, while iDirect supplies its scalable ground connectivity solution. The...
What Happened When ESA Simulated a Mission to Mars on Earth
The European Space Agency partnered with Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems to run MARS500, a ground‑based simulation of a 520‑day crewed Mars mission from 2010‑2011. Six international participants lived in sealed modules, experienced realistic communication delays, and followed a scripted...
MTN Launches Click-to-Deploy StarEdge Horizon Satellite Service on AWS Marketplace
MTN has launched StarEdge Horizon, a private LEO satellite service, on the AWS Marketplace, allowing enterprises to provision global satellite links as a native cloud resource. The solution delivers a true Layer 2 network over SpaceX’s Starlink constellation with static IP...
Stasis Pods and Deep Space Exploration
Stasis research, building on therapeutic hypothermia and animal hibernation, aims to place astronauts in a torpor‑like state for long‑duration spaceflight. NASA’s NIAC program funded SpaceWorks Enterprises, whose 2016 Torpor Inducing Transfer Habitat study suggested a torpor‑based Mars transit could reduce...
Europe’s RLV C5 Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle
Europe’s German Aerospace Center is proposing the RLV C5, a heavy‑lift launch vehicle that pairs a winged, reusable first stage with an expendable upper stage. By switching to liquid hydrogen/oxygen propulsion, the C5 can deliver roughly 76 t to orbit while weighing...
Airbus and B2Space Team Up for Advanced Stratospheric Missions
Airbus and Spanish HAPS specialist B2Space have signed a strategic partnership to develop end‑to‑end stratospheric missions. B2Space will design, launch and operate high‑altitude balloon platforms, while Airbus will provide payloads, sensors and data‑management capabilities. The collaboration targets applications such as...
ATLAS Space Operations Establishes South Pacific Hub with New Ground Station in American Samoa
On March 10, 2026 ATLAS Space Operations and the American Samoa Port Administration signed an agreement to install a 3.7‑meter S/X‑band antenna at Pago Pago International Airport. Construction began March 2 as part of the Territory’s Vision 2030 Airport Master Plan, with lease revenues earmarked...
United Semiconductors Secures Starlab Payload Capacity for In-Space Semiconductor Crystal Production
United Semiconductors has signed a payload reservation with Starlab Space to shift its microgravity semiconductor crystal growth from the ISS to the commercial Starlab station in low‑Earth orbit. The agreement gives United access to internal and external platforms, including pure‑vacuum...
How Robert Goddard’s Self-Reliance Crashed His Rocket Dreams
On March 16, 1926 Robert Goddard launched the world’s first liquid‑fuel rocket, lifting 12.5 meters before crashing after 2.5 seconds. Despite early successes and funding from the Guggenheim family and the Smithsonian, Goddard’s distrust of collaboration kept his work isolated. The...
Space Force Officially Terminates AeroVironment Contract for Satellite Control Antennas
The U.S. Space Force has terminated its roughly $1.7 billion contract with AeroVironment for the Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) program, ending work on the mobile BADGER phased‑array antennas. The termination follows failed renegotiations and reflects a shift toward an open‑competition...
NASA Disqualifies X-Ray Telescope From Probe Mission Competition
NASA announced that the Advanced X‑Ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) has been disqualified from the Astrophysics Probe Explorer competition after failing to meet the program’s cost and schedule thresholds. The decision follows a series of internal disruptions at NASA, including a...
Telesat Expands Canadian Landing Station Footprint for Lightspeed
Telesat announced new Canadian landing‑station sites in Estevan and Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, and Papineauville, Quebec, expanding its ground footprint ahead of Lightspeed pathfinder launches in December. The company aims to operate 24 landing stations worldwide by the start of global services...
Ground Control: The Strategic Backbone for Telcos’ Space-Based Infrastructure
Telcos are transforming ground infrastructure into the operational backbone of space‑based connectivity, merging teleports, gateway stations and edge data centers with cloud and 5G networks. e& showcased this shift by delivering the Middle East’s first 1.25 Gbps satellite link from its...
Large Series C Signals Scale-Up of China’s Laser Satellite Communications Sector
Shanghai‑based BlueStar Optical Domain announced a Series C round of roughly 500 million yuan ($72 million). The capital will fund a production‑line upgrade aimed at delivering 1,000 laser communication terminals annually by mid‑2026. The move positions BlueStar as a mass‑production supplier for China’s...
Reading the Sun's Mind Weeks Before It Erupts
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute and NCAR unveiled PINNBARDS, a physics‑informed neural network that reconstructs the Sun’s deep‑layer magnetic activity from Solar Dynamics Observatory data. By mathematically inverting surface magnetic patterns, the tool can identify emerging flare‑producing regions weeks before...
Anduril To Acquire ExoAnalytic
Anduril Industries announced it will acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions, effectively doubling its space workforce. The deal adds ExoAnalytic’s 130‑plus engineers and a network of over 400 telescopes, enhancing Anduril’s space‑situational‑awareness (SSA) offerings for Department of Defense and Space Force customers. Anduril...
What the Moon Rocks Were Hiding
Oxford researchers have linked the magnetic strength of Apollo Moon rocks to their titanium content, revealing that only titanium‑rich basalts recorded intense magnetic fields. The study shows the Moon’s magnetic history was dominated by a weak field, punctuated by brief,...
ESA Readies Self-Healing Materials For Use On Spacecraft
The European Space Agency (ESA) is advancing Project Cassandra, a collaboration with CompPair, CSEM and Com&Sens to adapt self‑healing carbon‑fibre composites for spacecraft. The HealTech material, originally developed by CompPair, uses embedded fibre‑optic sensors and 3D‑printed aluminium grids to detect...
US Space Force Clears Design Milestone, Advances Missile-Warning Constellation
The U.S. Space Force has cleared the preliminary design review for Epoch 2, a ten‑satellite medium‑Earth‑orbit missile‑warning constellation. The milestone, achieved nine months after awarding a $1.2 billion firm‑fixed‑price contract to BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, paves the way for a...
Starlab Space Fully Books Commercial Payload Space on Planned Space Station
Starlab Space announced that its commercial payload capacity is fully booked ahead of its planned launch, despite the station not reaching orbit for another 36 months. Voyager Technologies, the lead developer, reported a $6 million backlog tied to these reservations, including...
Viasat Wins $14 Million Contract to Provide In-Flight Satcom for Navy Executive Aircraft
Viasat has been awarded a $14 million contract to provide in‑flight satellite communications for the U.S. Navy’s C‑37 executive transport aircraft. The two‑year sole‑source agreement, issued by the Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office, will equip the Gulfstream‑based jets with Viasat’s...
Astronauts and Space Leaders to Appear at the 2026 International Space Development Conference
The National Space Society will host the 44th International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in McLean, Virginia, from June 4‑7, 2026. The agenda features high‑profile NASA astronauts and industry leaders, including former shuttle commander Michael López‑Alegria, planetary scientist Lindy Elkins‑Tanton of the...
Space RCO Adopts New Approach to Fielding Cloud-Based, Consolidated C2 System
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office has pivoted to an incremental strategy for migrating both new and legacy orbital‑warfare systems onto the cloud‑based Rapid Resilient Command and Control (R2C2) platform. The revised plan shortens delivery cycles to two weeks, enlists Space...
Space Force Surveying Industry on Collaboration With Canada on Allied Space Domain Awareness C2
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has issued a solicitation for industry input, including Canadian firms, on a joint command‑and‑control (C2) system for allied space domain awareness (SDA). A letter of offer and acceptance with Canada’s Department of National...
The WMO OSCAR Database: How the World Tracks Its Weather-Watching Machines
The World Meteorological Organization’s Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review (OSCAR) database now serves as the definitive inventory linking quantitative weather‑and‑climate observation requirements to the actual capabilities of satellites and surface networks. Version 3.0, released in early 2026, adds advanced gap‑analysis tools...
Equatys D2D Venture Targets Up to 2,800-Satellite Constellation
Viasat and Space42 detailed their Equitays direct‑to‑device venture, outlining a potential constellation of up to 2,800 satellites spread across 60 orbital planes and three altitude layers. The network will operate in globally harmonized L‑ and S‑band mobile satellite service spectrum,...
