CMA CGM Group, Marlink, and Eutelsat Partnership
CMA CGM, Marlink, and Eutelsat have signed a multi‑year partnership to equip over 300 CMA CGM vessels with OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity. The rollout will be completed within nine months, using a hybrid LEO/GEO architecture via Marlink’s XChange NextGen edge platform. The high‑speed, low‑latency service aims to boost real‑time data exchange, crew welfare, and fuel‑efficiency. The move also supports European digital sovereignty and CMA CGM’s decarbonisation targets.
NASA Let AI Drive The Perseverance Rover For Two Days
NASA employed Anthropic’s Claude AI to generate waypoints for Perseverance, enabling the rover to travel 456 meters over two days without human control. The AI processed HiRISE orbital images and digital elevation models to identify hazards and plot a safe path....
Icy Hudson River
In late January 2026, Landsat 8’s Operational Land Imager captured a striking view of ice covering the Hudson River along Manhattan’s western shore. The false‑color image, taken on Jan 28, highlights light‑blue ice, red vegetation, and snow‑covered banks. Scientists attribute the ice...
FAKE Chandrayaan-2 Images of the Apollo 11 and 12 Landing Sites
A recent blog post debunks two circulating images that claimed India’s Chandrayaan‑2 lunar orbiter photographed the Apollo 11 and 12 landing sites. The author confirms the pictures are fabricated and do not match authentic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photos. Earlier reports had...
Using Foldable Structures To Guide Microwaves
Researchers at UIUC have created origami‑inspired electromagnetic waveguides that fold compactly for launch and expand in space. The paper‑based structures, coated with a 35 µm aluminum laminate, achieve up to 87 % reduction in stowed volume while preserving low signal loss. Prototypes...
NASA Provides Update on Artemis-2 Repairs for Future Dress Rehearsal Countdown
NASA posted an update on Artemis‑2 fuel‑leak repairs ahead of a second wet dress rehearsal. Engineers expect to reconnect the affected interfaces by Feb 9 and will test plate dynamics at Stennis Space Center. Countdown changes include a closed Orion hatch,...
A Long-Lost Soviet Spacecraft: AI Could Finally Solve the Mystery of Luna 9's Landing Site
Researchers from the UK and Japan used a machine‑learning model, YOLO‑ETA, to pinpoint possible landing locations for the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft, the first soft‑lander on the Moon. The algorithm, trained on Apollo site imagery, successfully identified known Soviet landers and...
Can Current Space Law Handle the New Space Age?
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, drafted during the Cold War, now underpins a space sector transformed by cheap launches, megaconstellations and commercial lunar missions. Rapid orbital growth has exposed gaps in debris mitigation, traffic coordination and liability, prompting calls for...
Third Exoplanet Detected in the Planetary System HD 176986
Astronomers using the HARPS and HARPS‑N spectrographs have identified a third planet orbiting the nearby K‑type star HD 176986. The new world, HD 176986 d, circles the star every 61.38 days at 0.28 AU and has a minimum mass of about 6.8 Earth masses. The discovery...
The Heart of a Giant Telescope | Space Photo of the Day for Feb. 9, 2026
The European Southern Observatory is advancing construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) on Chile’s Cerro Armazones, a 39‑meter primary mirror that will become the world’s largest optical instrument. The site, already home to the Very Large Telescope, positions the...
There’s a Way Forward for Sovereign European Space Intel, but Is There the Will?
German intelligence leaders are urging the creation of a European spy network to curb reliance on U.S. satellite intelligence after Washington halted data sharing with Ukraine. Europe currently operates only 17% of NATO’s military satellites, leaving a capability gap that...
The Dominance of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center set a 2025 record with 109 launches, driven largely by SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The Eastern Range’s “Drive for 48” initiative has far outpaced its original weekly launch goal, while Vandenberg Space Force...
Germany Prepares for Orbital Conflict With Lasers, Spy Satellites and €35bn War Chest
Germany has allocated €35 billion to expand its military role in space, launching the SATCOM Stage 4 network of over 100 low‑Earth‑orbit satellites and investing in laser‑based jamming and other non‑kinetic tools. The programme reflects a shift away from viewing space as...
The Solar System Internet: Envisioning a Networked Future Beyond Earth
As lunar and Martian missions accelerate, NASA’s Deep Space Network is proving inadequate for the growing demand. Researchers are championing a Solar System Internet built on Delay‑Tolerant Networking and the Bundle Protocol to create a store‑and‑forward overlay that tolerates minutes‑long...
Review: To See Far
James Van Laak’s new book *To See Far* offers a candid, insider account of the International Space Station’s early years, chronicling his roles on Space Station Freedom, the Shuttle‑Mir partnership, and the ISS assembly phase. He details technical hurdles, but emphasizes the...
AI Is Here to Replace Nuclear Treaties. Scared Yet?
The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired on February 5, 2026, leaving the world without its primary nuclear‑arms‑control framework. Researchers at the Federation of American Scientists propose a "cooperative technical means" system that leverages existing satellite constellations...
AXA Digital Commercial Platform Strikes A Deal With ICEYE
AXA Digital Commercial Platform announced a partnership with ICEYE, granting the insurer access to the world’s largest synthetic‑aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. The collaboration enables AXA’s clients to receive near‑real‑time Earth observation data for tracking extreme weather and natural hazards....
Development Of Rolls-Royce Lunar Nuclear Reactor On Hold
Rolls‑Royce has suspended work on its 100 kW mini nuclear reactor intended for lunar habitats after the UK government contract that funded the project expired last year. The initiative, launched in 2023 with £9 million of public money, aimed to deliver a...
SpaceX Shifts Focus From Mars to Moon, Musk Says
SpaceX announced it is de‑prioritizing its long‑term Mars ambitions to focus on building a self‑sustaining city on the Moon. Elon Musk highlighted that lunar missions can launch every ten days, compared with Mars’ 26‑month alignment windows, allowing a settlement in...
Passing of Steve Durst: “Galactically Aloha”
Steve Durst, founding director of the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) and longtime publisher of Space Age Publishing, died in early February 2026. Durst was instrumental in fostering U.S.–China space collaboration, notably securing a wide‑field telescope (ILO‑C) as a payload...
Scientists Use Lunar Observations To Study Earth’s Radiation Patterns
Chinese Academy of Sciences researchers propose using lunar observations to overcome the limitations of low‑Earth‑orbit satellites for studying Earth’s radiation patterns. From the Moon, Earth appears as a full disk, allowing scientists to capture planet‑scale signals while filtering out localized...
The 'Little Red Dots' Observed by Webb Were Direct-Collapse Black Holes
The James Webb Space Telescope uncovered a population of bright, red point sources in the early universe that were initially labeled "Little Red Dots." Follow‑up spectroscopy and modeling now identify these objects as direct‑collapse black holes, a hypothesized pathway for...
Scientists Say Heck, Just Nuke a Killer Asteroid Heading for Earth
A new Nature Communications paper reports that metal‑rich asteroid material becomes stronger after exposure to intense proton pulses, suggesting nuclear blasts could deflect large asteroids without shattering them. Researchers at CERN used the Super Proton Synchrotron and HiRadMat facilities to...
China’s Space Station Crew: Onboard Experiments
China’s Shenzhou‑21 crew, now three months into their Tiangong stay, has been busy conducting a suite of scientific and maintenance tasks. The trio of astronauts—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang—collected biomedical samples, ran microgravity physics experiments, and performed extensive cabin upkeep. Their...
What Americans Lose if Their National Center for Atmospheric Research Is Dismantled
The Trump administration is moving to fragment the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a unique NSF‑funded hub that blends observation, supercomputing, and applied research. While Congress rejected outright budget cuts, the latest spending bill lacks language protecting NCAR as...
As China and the US Vie for the Moon, Private Companies Are Locked in Their Own Space Race
Private companies are reshaping the space frontier as launch costs fall, turning low‑Earth orbit into a bustling commercial marketplace. Meanwhile, the United States and China are locked in a geopolitical race to return humans to the lunar south pole by...
Scientists Intrigued by Possible Hollow Structures Under Surface of Venus
An international research team has modeled Venusian lava tubes, suggesting they could be up to 0.62 miles (one kilometer) wide and remain structurally stable under the planet’s 91%‑Earth gravity. Using Finite Element Limit Analysis, the study links these potential voids...
SpaceX Test Fires Its Falcon 9 Rocket Ahead of Midweek Launch of Crew-12 to the Space Station
SpaceX performed a ten‑second static fire of the Falcon 9’s nine Merlin 1D engines on Feb 8, 2026, confirming vehicle readiness for the upcoming Crew‑12 launch. The mission will send NASA, ESA and Roscosmos astronauts on an eight‑month stay aboard the International Space...
A Single Space Image Reveals the Scale and Sprawl of Italy’s Olympic Games
A newly released Copernicus Sentinel‑2 satellite image captures the full footprint of the 2026 Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics, showing venues spread across northern Italy from the Alpine valleys to the urban sprawl of Milan. The picture highlights the Games’ lack of...
The Essential Reading Series: Emerging Space Economy
The Emerging Space Economy reading series maps the shift from government‑run space programs to a vibrant private sector, highlighting how reusable launchers, satellite miniaturization, and evolving regulations are unlocking new markets. It categorises the growing literature into billionaire rivalries, investment...
Indian Company Enters Non-Earth Imaging Arena With ISS Photos
Azista Space’s 80‑kg Azista First Runner (AFR) satellite captured the International Space Station from 250‑300 km away, delivering 2.2‑metre sampling resolution across 15 frames. The privately built, Indian‑operated satellite performed two independent imaging attempts with 100% success, validating its indigenous tracking...
India Has Changed Its Startup Rules for Deep Tech
India has overhauled its startup framework, extending deep‑tech status to 20 years and raising the revenue eligibility threshold to ₹3 billion. The change dovetails with a ₹1 trillion Research, Development and Innovation fund and the $1 billion‑plus India Deep Tech Alliance, aimed at easing...
DLR Plans New Control Center for Future Moon and Mars Missions
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) will build a new Human Exploration Control Center (HECC) at Oberpfaffenhofen, expanding the existing German Space Operations Center. Bavaria is contributing €58 million and DLR €20 million, bringing total funding to €78 million. The facility will manage European...
Gilat Books Multimillion Order for Sidewinder Inflight ESA Terminals
Israeli satellite‑communications firm Gilat Satellite Networks has landed a multimillion‑dollar contract with a leading global avionics manufacturer for its Sidewinder electronically steered antenna (ESA) inflight connectivity terminals. Deliveries will begin within six months, covering commercial, business, VIP, government and military...
Britain Launches Secure Satellite Timing System to Guard Critical Services
Britain has awarded GMV a contract to develop a Two‑Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer (TWSTFT) system under the TOUCAN project, aiming to provide assured position, navigation and timing (PNT) services for critical national infrastructure. The system will create a...
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4788-4797: Welcome Back From Conjunction
Curiosity has reestablished contact after the recent solar conjunction and resumed surface operations on Mars. The rover spent the first planning day conducting instrument checks on a fractured white rock and imaging a nearby sand patch before moving to a...
NASA Study: Non-Biologic Processes Don't Fully Explain Mars Organics
NASA researchers report that non‑biological processes cannot fully account for the decane, undecane and dodecane detected by Curiosity in Gale Crater. By combining radiation‑damage experiments, mathematical modeling, and rover data, they estimate pre‑exposure organic inventories far exceeding what meteorite delivery...
Alfven Waves Drive Stable Electric Fields that Power Auroras
A study led by University of Hong Kong and UCLA researchers demonstrates that Alfvén waves act as a persistent energy source for the stable electric fields that accelerate electrons and create auroral arcs. Using coordinated measurements from NASA’s Van Allen...
China Prepares Starlink Kill Weapon as Space War Heats Up
Chinese engineers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology have unveiled the TPG1000Cs, a compact high‑power microwave system capable of delivering 20 gigawatts in 60‑second bursts. Weighing about five tonnes and measuring four metres, the device can be mounted on trucks,...
SpaceX Crew-12 Will Study How Microgravity Affects the Human Body
NASA’s Crew‑12 mission will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on Feb. 11, carrying two NASA astronauts, an ESA specialist, and a Russian cosmonaut. While aboard the ISS, the crew will conduct the Venous Flow study to assess blood‑clot risk and a...
NASA’s Isaacman: Call for Restoring the Space Agency’s Core Smarts
After just 50 days as NASA's chief, Jared Isaacman has toured every NASA center, conducted a dozen town‑hall meetings, and sifted through thousands of workforce submissions. He concluded that the agency must better empower its people and concentrate resources on...
Are There Hidden Dimensions to the Universe? Part 1: Kaluza and Klein
The article revisits the origins of extra‑dimensional physics, beginning with Theodor Kaluza’s 1919 proposal to add a fifth dimension for unifying gravity and electromagnetism, and Oskar Klein’s 1926 compactification idea that hides the dimension at the Planck scale. It explains...
SpaceX IPO Could Drive Investor Interest in Other Space Companies
Investor Kirk Konert said a potential SpaceX IPO this summer could unlock unprecedented capital for the space sector, with the launch expected to raise tens of billions at a valuation above $1.5 trillion. Recent IPOs of Firefly Aerospace and York Space...
Planetary Parade 2026: How to See Six Planets Align in February Night Sky
On 28 February 2026 six planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—will form a visible arc across the evening sky. Four of the planets are bright enough to see with the naked eye, while the two outer giants require binoculars or a...
A Giant Star Is Changing Before Our Eyes and Astronomers Are Watching in Real Time
Astronomers monitoring the Large Magellanic Cloud’s red supergiant WOH G64 have recorded a rapid decline in visual brightness, a modest temperature rise, and an unprecedented surge in dust ejection over the past decade. High‑resolution imaging in 2024 revealed a fresh dust...
Pulsar Timing Hints at a Nearby Dark Matter 'Sub-Halo'
A team led by Sukanya Chakrabarti reported in Physical Review Letters that timing measurements of a nearby pulsar binary and solitary pulsars show a subtle acceleration inconsistent with known masses. The distortion implies an invisible object of roughly tens of...
Space Force Awards $54.5 Million Contract to Starfish Space for GEO Servicing Vehicle
The U.S. Space Force awarded Starfish Space a $54.5 million contract to build and operate its Otter space‑tug for geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) missions. The five‑year contract, with two optional extension years, covers manufacturing, testing, launch and on‑orbit commissioning of a...
Feb. 7, 1984: First Untethered Spacewalk
On February 7, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless II performed the first untethered spacewalk, drifting away from the Space Shuttle Challenger using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). He reached a maximum distance of 320 feet (98 meters) and stayed outside for 1 hour 22 minutes, testing the nitrogen‑propelled...
Butterfly Emerges From Chrysalis in Zero Gravity
Chinese astronauts on the Tiangong space station successfully hatched a butterfly from a chrysalis in zero‑gravity, using a self‑sustaining 14.2‑liter capsule that lacked radiation shielding or human oversight. The insect navigated the chamber, fluttered its wings and rested on leaves...
POLARIS Wins BAAINBw Contract To Develop A Reusable Hypersonic Vehicle
German aerospace startup POLARIS has secured a contract from the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In‑Service Support (BAAINBw) to develop, manufacture and operate a two‑stage, horizontal‑take‑off reusable hypersonic vehicle. The vehicle, called HYTEV, will integrate twin turbofans,...
