What Medicines Are Kept on the International Space Station, and Why?
The International Space Station maintains a structured “space pharmacy” organized into color‑coded medical kits that address convenience care, minor illnesses, and emergency stabilization. Medications are selected for stability in radiation‑rich microgravity, versatility across multiple symptoms, and ease of use by non‑physician crew members. Inventory is tightly tracked, rotated with each cargo resupply, and continuously refined based on usage data and stability research. While the ISS can rely on frequent resupply, the model informs pharmaceutical planning for future deep‑space missions where resupply is limited.
What Is Space Adaptation Syndrome?
Space adaptation syndrome (SAS) afflicts roughly 60‑70 % of astronauts during the first days of a low‑Earth‑orbit mission. The condition stems from a sensory conflict between visual cues and a vestibular system that no longer senses gravity, producing nausea, disorientation and...
NASA Has a New Problem to Fix Before the Next Artemis II Countdown Test
NASA is confronting a recurring hydrogen fuel leak on the Space Launch System ahead of Artemis II’s second countdown rehearsal. Technicians replaced seals on the Tail Service Mast Umbilicals, but a confidence test revealed reduced flow, prompting a filter swap before...
Decoding China's New Space Philosophy
China’s fifteenth five‑year plan (2026‑2030) places space at the heart of its national agenda, as highlighted by a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) press release. The plan outlines ambitious targets, including a lunar research station, a Mars sample‑return...
Feb. 14, 1980: SolarMax Launches
On February 14, 1980 the Solar Maximum Mission (SolarMax) lifted off from Cape Canaveral to study solar flares, the solar constant, and the Sun’s atmosphere in X‑ray, gamma‑ray, and ultraviolet wavelengths. Early in its flight the spacecraft suffered a coronagraph electronics glitch...
Senate Committee Advances FCC Satellite Licensing Bill After Changes
The Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance a revised Satellite and Telecommunications Streamlining Act, softening the original bill's automatic‑approval clause for satellite licenses. The amendment, crafted by Ranking Member Maria Cantwell and Chairman Ted Cruz, requires the FCC to develop...
Rocket Storms Are Stripping Mars of Its Water
A 2023 "rocket dust storm" in Mars' northern summer lifted water vapor to about 60 km, triggering a hydrogen escape flux of 5 × 10⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹—roughly 50 times the seasonal baseline. Instruments on the Trace Gas Orbiter and the UAE Hope probe recorded 70 ppm...
Top 10 Space Stories of 2025
The 2025 roundup of space headlines highlighted a volatile commercial launch market, lingering federal budget uncertainty, and two landmark scientific milestones. Private providers experienced both record‑breaking crewed flights and costly setbacks, while Congress debated the next round of NASA and...
Telesat Government Solutions Wins Spot on U.S. Missile Defense Agency SHIELD Contract
Telesat Government Solutions, the U.S. arm of Canada’s Telesat, has been awarded a position on the Pentagon’s $1.51 billion Missile Defense Agency SHIELD contract, a 10‑year IDIQ program. The win places the company’s upcoming Lightspeed low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite constellation as a...
Space Emerges as New Front in Great Power Competition, Officials Warn
At the Munich Cyber Security Conference officials warned that space has shifted from a neutral commons to a frontline of great‑power competition, with satellites now integral to banking, military, and weather systems. The vulnerability of undersea cables, which underpin the...
Startup Bets on New Approach to Space-Based Missile Defense
California startup Wardstone has closed a $5 million seed round to develop space‑based kinetic interceptors. The company plans to test its first prototype on a suborbital sounding rocket in late April, employing a novel “buckshot” particle‑cloud approach to counter hypersonic missiles....
Axiom Space Raises $350M to Fuel Station, Suit Development
Axiom Space announced a $350 million capital raise, co‑led by Type One Ventures and Qatar Investment Authority, to accelerate its commercial space‑station program and the development of NASA‑contracted AxEMU spacesuits. The funding will finance the design, testing and launch of two...
Direct-to-Device Connectivity Set to Underpin Next Generation of Industrial IoT
Viasat’s latest survey of 600 IoT decision‑makers across agriculture, energy, transport, mining and utilities finds direct‑to‑device (D2D) connectivity is poised for mass adoption within 18 months. Ninety percent of respondents say D2D will accelerate the global rollout of industrial IoT,...
Eutelsat “on Track”, LEO Revenues up 60%
Eutelsat’s mid‑year update highlighted a 60% surge in LEO (OneWeb) revenue, now accounting for more than one‑third of its Connectivity earnings. Overall revenue slipped to €574 million, while the Video division fell 12.3% amid continued Russian sanctions. Fixed Connectivity, Government services...
Vulcan, Ariane 64 Blast Off
On Thursday, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket lifted off from Florida carrying the USSF‑87 payload to geosynchronous orbit, marking its second National Security Space Launch mission. The launch suffered a significant performance anomaly in one of its four solid rocket...
NASA Selects Vast for Sixth Private Mission to Space Station
NASA has awarded Vast the contract for its sixth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, with a launch no earlier than summer 2027. The mission, slated for up to 14 days aboard the ISS, will be flown on...
Space as a Sanctions Workaround: Financial Engineering & Shadow Procurement Networks
Iran’s civil space program is now a conduit for evading UN sanctions, channeling billions through a shadow banking network to acquire dual‑use microelectronics. FinCEN estimates the covert financial system handles over $9 billion annually, laundering oil revenues via Hong Kong, UAE and...
Chief Science Advisor Urges Canada to Double Down on Quantum as Conservatives Question Advisor Role
Canada’s new Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, told parliament that the country is among the world’s top five quantum research nations and called for a renewed, amplified investment in quantum technologies. She highlighted quantum’s potential to transform sectors such...
Calian Group Expands Defence and Space Footprint in Record First Quarter
Calian Group posted a record Q1 2026 revenue of $208 million, up 12% year‑over‑year, driven by recent acquisitions and organic defence growth. The company secured $171 million of new contracts, including a November 2025 deal to build four Ka/Q/V‑band RF gateway stations for a...
High-Revisit CubeSats Drive Shift From Raw Imagery to Actionable Insights in 2026
The 2026 Earth Observation market is rapidly shifting from costly, large satellites to high‑revisit CubeSat constellations that deliver real‑time, actionable insights. 3U and 6U nanosatellites now provide sub‑daily coverage for weather, agriculture and maritime logistics, enabled by falling launch costs...
Soft Power and the Race to the Moon: Why Cislunar Norms Are the Next Hill to Hold
The United States is positioning cislunar space as the next geopolitical arena, leveraging NASA’s Artemis program and the Artemis Accords to set soft‑power norms. Cislunar real estate near the lunar south pole is scarce, and early standards for communications, navigation,...
ESA Will Engage Global Leaders at the Munich Security Conference 2026
The European Space Agency will attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) from 13‑15 February 2026, with Director General Josef Aschbacher joining heads of state, industry CEOs and security experts. ESA aims to showcase how space systems underpin Europe’s competitiveness,...
Watch Vulcan Centaur Rocket Launch 'Neighborhood Watch' Satellites for the US Military Early on Feb. 12
ULA’s Vulcan Centaur will launch early on Feb 12 from Cape Canaveral on the USSF‑87 mission, carrying two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The payloads will monitor the crowded geostationary orbit, providing “neighborhood watch” data...
NASA Administrator Eyes Greater Collaboration with Pentagon
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman urged deeper collaboration between NASA and the Department of Defense, highlighting their historic partnership and the national‑security dimensions of the Artemis lunar program. He pointed to an executive order that tasks the White House Office of...
Galaxia Selects Impulso.Space to Support Launch for Its MissionOne Program
Galaxia Mission Systems announced a multi‑launch agreement with Italy’s Impulso.Space to support its MissionOne turnkey satellite program. The partnership, formalized at Space Tech Expo Europe and revealed on Feb. 5, gives Galaxia access to Impulso’s end‑to‑end launch services from a U.S....
Canadian Space Institute Targets Continental Workforce with US Expansion
The North American Space Institute (NASI), a Canadian‑origin space technician school, has announced partnerships with U.S. firms Learning Exchange Inc. (LEXX) and Alliance Cyber to launch a continent‑wide training standard. Its flagship Space Systems Technician (SST) program, the first certified...
Space Force Is Moving to Acquire by Mission Area, Service Official Says
The U.S. Space Force announced a shift from program‑based buying to aligning acquisitions with specific mission areas, a change championed by Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr. at the Defense and Intelligence Space Conference. Miller warned that speed alone without clear...
Latvian Deep Space Energy Raises €930K Pre-Seed to Develop Radioisotope Power for Moon and Satellites
Latvian deep‑tech startup Deep Space Energy has closed a €930 k pre‑seed round, led by Outlast Fund and supplemented by ESA, NATO DIANA and Latvian government grants. The capital will accelerate development of a radioisotope power generator that uses Americium‑241, delivering...
KBR Secures $103m USSF Analysis Task Orders Under HQ Contract
KBR has been awarded two firm‑fixed‑price task orders totaling $103 million under the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Decision Support for Headquarters Analysis contract. The three‑year effort, based in Chantilly, Virginia, will deliver data analysis, AI‑driven analytics, workforce design and interactive dashboards...
Spacetech Startup EtherealX’s Valuation Jumps 6X in Series A
Indian spacetech startup Ethereal Exploration Guild (EtherealX) announced a $20.5 million Series A round led by BIG Capital, issuing 9,763 preference shares at Rs 1,87,920 each. The financing lifts its post‑money valuation to roughly $80 million, a six‑fold jump from the $12 million seed round....
D2D’s Hype Hangover: The Physics Finally Bite Back
The SmallSat Symposium highlighted that direct‑to‑device (D2D) satellite connectivity, once touted as a breakthrough, is now confronting hard limits of physics, spectrum allocation, and regulatory hurdles. Panelists warned that consumer phones lack the antenna gain and power to reliably link...
The New Space Playbook Faces a Physics Cliff at the Moon
The SmallSat Symposium highlighted a looming “physics cliff” as commercial space shifts from LEO to lunar operations. Engineers warned that the fail‑operational models and automotive‑grade components that powered mega‑constellations cannot survive the intense radiation of deep space, especially during Solar...
SpaceX's Next-Gen Super Heavy Booster Aces Four Days of "Cryoproof" Testing
SpaceX announced that its upgraded Super Heavy V3 booster successfully completed a four‑day cryogenic proof‑test campaign at Texas’ Massey Test Site. The test involved multiple liquid‑nitrogen fills and pressure cycles that mimic the ultra‑cold methane and liquid‑oxygen loads planned for...
Satellite Manufacturers See Emerging Market for ‘Mini-Constellations’
Small‑sat manufacturers are reporting a surge in interest for “mini‑constellations” ranging from a handful to a few hundred satellites, aimed at governments and enterprises that want tailored services without relying on megaconstellations like Starlink. Executives at the SmallSat Symposium highlighted...
Peering Into the Energetic Turbulence Around Supermassive Black Holes
New XRISM observations have directly measured turbulent gas motions driven by supermassive black holes in the M87 galaxy and the Perseus Cluster. The Nature paper on Perseus and the Astrophysical Journal paper on M87 reveal two distinct velocity components—a small‑scale,...
The Golden Dome Grinds Into Gear: SDA Acting Chief Sovereign over the Supply Chain
At the SmallSat Symposium, Space Development Agency Acting Director Dr. GP Sandhoo admitted that commercial satellite buses are not the commoditized components the agency had assumed, causing delays in Tranche 0 and pushing stricter validation for Tranche 1. He outlined a $3.5 billion...
Laser-Linked Satellite Networks Moving From Concept to Capability
Laser‑linked satellite constellations are transitioning from theory to operational capability, highlighted by Kepler Communications' recent deployment of ten optical‑relay satellites. The network pairs high‑capacity laser terminals with on‑orbit computing, allowing hosted payloads—such as OroraTech's wildfire‑monitoring sensors—to stream thermal data in...
Airbus Awarded Eutelsat Contract for Further 340 Low Earth Orbit OneWeb Satellites
Airbus Defence and Space has secured a contract from Eutelsat to manufacture an additional 340 low‑Earth‑orbit OneWeb satellites, bringing the total order to 440 units after a 100‑satellite batch in 2024. Production will run on a new line at Airbus’s...
Expanding 5G Connectivity with the Airbus UpNext SpaceRAN Demonstrator
Airbus’s UpNext SpaceRAN demonstrator will showcase a software‑defined satellite that processes 5G signals on‑board, cutting latency and boosting throughput. The program includes a ground‑based LEO constellation simulation and an in‑orbit payload slated for launch in 2027 with testing in 2028....
Airbus Launches Demonstrator to Test Global 5G Connectivity in Orbit
Airbus UpNext has launched the SpaceRAN demonstrator, a software-defined satellite payload that will test 5G non-terrestrial network capabilities in low-Earth orbit. The system processes data onboard, aiming to reduce latency, increase throughput and enable direct user-to-user connectivity for commercial, defence...
The First Airbus Pléiades Neo Next Satellite Will Be Launched Early 2028
Airbus Defence and Space will launch the first Pléiades Neo Next satellite in early 2028 from Kourou on a Vega C rocket. The new platform adds 20‑cm native resolution and higher revisit rates to the existing Pléiades Neo constellation. Enhanced ground‑segment tools, including Direct...
Airbus and Hisdesat Sign a Commercialisation Agreement for PAZ-2 Satellite Imagery
Airbus Defence and Space and Hisdesat have signed a commercialisation agreement to market imagery from the upcoming PAZ‑2 radar satellites, extending their partnership that already includes TerraSAR‑X/TanDEM‑X. PAZ‑2 will consist of twin satellites delivering up to 10 cm resolution, 6.7 million km²...
HEO, SatVu, Sierra Nevada Nab First of NRO’s New Commercial Imagery Contracts
The National Reconnaissance Office awarded its first three contracts under the new Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) to Australian start‑up HEO, British start‑up SatVu, and U.S. firm Sierra Nevada Corporation. HEO will deliver close‑up imagery of other satellites, SatVu will provide...
Australia Space Innovation Institute Applies Space Technologies to Address Terrestrial Challenges
The Australasian Space Innovation Institute (ASII) launched in January, inheriting intellectual property from the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre as its $270 million, six‑year Australian government funding cycle ends in June. ASII will act as a not‑for‑profit backbone for Australia’s sovereign space...
ULA Seeks to Rebuild Launch Cadence After CEO’s Exit
United Launch Alliance announced the departure of longtime CEO Tory Bruno after a 12‑year tenure, appointing former Boeing executive John Elbon as interim chief. Elbon stressed that ULA’s strength lies in its 3,000‑person engineering and production workforce rather than any...
Stoke Space Technologies Nabs $860M Series D
Stoke Space Technologies announced an extension to its Series D round, bringing total capital raised to $860 million, up from the $510 million disclosed in October 2025. The infusion will fund activation of Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral and expand production capacity...
