Normalization of Deviance
The Space Review highlights NASA’s Orion heat‑shield issue as a classic case of normalization of deviance, where repeated acceptance of performance shortfalls erodes safety standards. After a design change post‑EFT‑1, the shield failed to ablate on Artemis 1, prompting a costly mitigation rather than a full redesign. This decision delays the crewed Artemis 2 launch and underscores gaps in leadership accountability within the lunar program. The article argues that true safety requires adhering to standards even when inconvenient or expensive.
Dragonship: China Builds a Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier While Satellites Watch
China is reportedly constructing its first nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier, dubbed the Type 004, at the Dalian shipyard. Satellite photos captured in 2025 show two large square sections consistent with reactor compartments, suggesting a shift from the conventionally powered Fujian and Shandong...
From Pacifism to Pragmatism: Japan's Evolving Space Security Policy
Japan has shifted from strict pacifism to a pragmatic space security stance, codified by the 2008 Basic Space Law. The law, prompted by North Korea’s 2006 missile launches and China’s 2007 anti‑satellite test, authorized non‑aggressive military space capabilities and centralized...
Bright Streak Lights Up New Zealand Sky: Was It A Meteor?
On 30 January 2026 a bright green fireball streaked across the night sky above Wellington, New Zealand, and was recorded by a webcam at the Heretaunga Boating Club. Eyewitness videos quickly spread on social media, prompting experts to debate whether the phenomenon was...
Transcelestial to Provide Satellite Laser Communication Terminals to Gilmour Space
Transcelestial has signed a strategic partnership with Australian launch‑vehicle maker Gilmour Space to integrate its optical‑laser communication terminal onto a Gilmour satellite launching on SpaceX’s Transporter‑18 rideshare later this year. The demonstration will test gigabit‑per‑second space‑to‑ground data links, a capability...
Singapore to Launch Its National Space Agency in April 2026
Singapore announced the creation of a National Space Agency (NSAS) that will begin operations on 1 April 2026. The agency will consolidate the duties of the Office of Space Technology & Industry and drive R&D, industry growth, and regulatory reform. Singapore’s space...
Case of Rocket Debris in Poland Under Scrutiny Once Again
On 19 February 2025 a Falcon 9 booster fragment re‑entered uncontrolled and landed on Polish soil, prompting a police seizure and a prosecutor’s decision to drop criminal charges. The European Space Agency has now issued a €200‑500 k tender to independently reconstruct the breakup,...
China’s Belt and Road Initiative Reaches Into Space
China has expanded its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) into space, integrating communication, navigation and remote‑sensing satellites to complement its terrestrial infrastructure. The Beidou navigation system and a growing fleet of communication satellites now provide internet, precise positioning and Earth‑observation...
Indian FY27 Budget Pushes Space Companies to Look at Defence Sector for Demand
India’s FY27 Union Budget omitted direct fiscal incentives for the space sector, prompting private firms to pivot toward the defence market, which saw a 15% allocation increase to ₹7.85 lakh crore. While sector‑specific demands such as GST rationalisation and a dedicated...
Don’t Watch the Artemis Moon Landing Until You’ve Read These Apollo Masterpieces
An expanding body of non‑fiction captures the Apollo program from multiple angles, blending astronaut memoirs, journalist investigations, and technical histories. The curated list of ten titles—ranging from Chaikin’s comprehensive *A Man on the Moon* to Shetterly’s *Hidden Figures* and Kranz’s...
NASA Inventions That Revolutionized Everyday Life
NASA’s research has produced a suite of consumer‑grade technologies, from memory foam mattresses to GPS accuracy enhancements. The article lists ten spin‑offs that began as solutions for spaceflight safety, health, and efficiency, and are now embedded in everyday products. These...
Major Solar Flare Strikes as Giant New Sunspot Erupts
An unprecedented sunspot, designated 4366, emerged over the weekend and rapidly expanded to nearly ten times Earth's diameter. The region unleashed a prolonged flare sequence—M7, X1, and M6—lasting over six hours, delivering intense extreme ultraviolet radiation that triggered a shortwave...
'Back to the Moon': Time Magazine Salutes Artemis 2 Astronauts in Special Commemorative Cover Issue
Time magazine released a special commemorative issue on Jan 30 featuring the Artemis 2 crew on its cover, marking the upcoming first crewed lunar mission in over five decades. The cover underscores NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the...
Bye-Bye Corporate Conglomerates. Hello Personal Conglomerates.
Elon Musk is reportedly exploring a merger of Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, creating a personal conglomerate that mirrors the historic rise of General Electric under Jack Welch. Musk's empire now spans automotive, aerospace, AI, neural interfaces, tunneling and social media,...
A 'Cosmic Clock' In Tiny Crystals Has Revealed the Rise and Fall of Australia's Ancient Landscapes
A novel geochronology technique uses cosmogenic krypton trapped in zircon crystals to date surface exposure for up to hundreds of millions of years. By analyzing zircon from buried Nullarbor Plain beach sands, researchers determined that erosion rates around 40 million years...
This Photo of Mars at Night Is Straight Up Haunting
Mars experiences night cycles of roughly 12 hours, with winter nights lengthening and temperatures plunging to –100 °F near the equator. NASA’s Curiosity rover, equipped with white and UV LEDs on its robotic arm, can illuminate the otherwise pitch‑black surface, allowing...
The Pelican Nebula Shines Near the Las Vegas Strip in Gorgeous Deep Space Photo
NASA network engineer and amateur astrophotographer Jason Livingston captured a vivid image of the Pelican Nebula, a stellar nursery in Cygnus, from his backyard in Henderson, Nevada, just nine miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Using a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera...
Gladys West, GPS Pioneer and One of NASA's Famed 'Hidden Figures,' Dies at 95
Gladys West, the Black mathematician whose Earth‑shape models underpinned modern GPS, died at 95 from natural causes. Over a 42‑year tenure at the Naval Proving Ground, she programmed the IBM 7030 and developed algorithms that corrected gravitational, tidal and other distortions,...
February 2026: What’s in the Sky This Month? Jupiter Continues to Dominate the Night; Mercury, Venus, and Saturn Are Visible
February 2026 offers a rich celestial lineup, with Mercury reaching its greatest eastern elongation on Feb 19 and Venus brightening the western twilight. Jupiter dominates the night after its recent opposition, providing multiple moon transits and shadow events throughout the month. Saturn...
NASA's Artemis II Mission Will Redefine What American Astronauts Look Like
NASA has postponed the Artemis II launch after a cold snap threatened the launch pad’s systems. The mission, scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B, will be the first crewed flight of the Orion capsule and will circle the...
NASA Perseverance Rover Might Have Uncovered Proof Of Life On Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover drilled a mudstone core in Sapphire Canyon, Neretva Vallis, revealing the presence of Vivianite and Greigite—minerals on Earth commonly associated with microbial processes. The rover's SHERLOC and PIXL instruments identified these minerals, marking the closest detection of...
Varda’s W-5 Mission Lands in Australia
Varda Space Industries successfully completed its W‑5 mission, landing the capsule at Australia’s Koonibba Test Range on Jan. 29. The flight, launched on SpaceX’s Transporter‑15 rideshare in November, carried a U.S. Navy payload under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Prometheus program...
Russia in Discussions with Malaysian Province About Potential Spaceport
Russia’s commercial space arm Glavcosmos is negotiating with Sabah, Malaysia, to build a new spaceport. Technical studies cite the province’s geography as ideal for low‑earth and sun‑synchronous launches, and the project could generate over 2,000 high‑income jobs. The move follows...
China Plans Deep Space L5 Probe
China’s space agency announced the Xihe‑2 deep‑space probe, slated for launch between 2028 and 2029, to station at the Sun‑Earth L5 Lagrange point. From this unique viewpoint the spacecraft will capture three‑dimensional solar data across new wavelengths, extending observation time...
Top 20 Most Hyped Chinese Commercial Space Companies
The Chinese commercial space sector has transformed from a state monopoly into a vibrant ecosystem of private firms, spurred by the 2014 Document 60 policy. Twenty leading companies now span launch services, satellite constellations, and specialized infrastructure, with pioneers like LandSpace...
DSIT Says Gov’t Should “Provide Clarity” Regarding UK Launch
On 30 January the Department for Space, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) published a response to the House of Lords Engagement with Space Committee's 40‑point report on the UK space economy. The most debated item was Recommendation 13, which questioned the commercial...
Amazon Asks FCC for Time Extension for Launching Its Leo Constellation
Amazon has filed a request with the FCC to extend the July 30, 2026 deadline for deploying half of its Leo satellite internet constellation. The company currently operates 181 satellites, far short of the 1,616‑satellite interim milestone. Amazon blames launch‑vehicle...
Earth to MAVEN? Re-Contact Effort Underway with Mars Orbiter
NASA’s Deep Space Network is actively trying to re‑establish contact with the MAVEN orbiter after telemetry ceased on Dec. 4, 2025, with a brief tracking fragment received on Dec. 6 suggesting the spacecraft rotated unexpectedly and may have shifted orbit. The Goldstone...
New 3D Map of the Sun's Magnetic Interior Could Improve Predictions of Disruptive Solar Flares
Scientists have produced the first three‑dimensional map of the Sun’s interior magnetic field using data from multiple space‑based observatories. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the model reveals the hidden magnetic architecture that drives solar activity. The breakthrough promises more...
The Art of Invisibility: How Satellites Evade Detection in an Era of Total Surveillance
Stealth satellites blend advanced materials, geometry, and orbital tactics to shrink their optical, radar, and infrared signatures. Vantablack coatings and radar‑absorbent composites mute reflections, while faceted shapes and directional radiators steer heat away from Earth‑based sensors. Laser communication links and...
The Chinese Space Industry Plagued By Launch Cancellations For February
China’s Wenchang Space Centre abruptly cancelled almost all February launches, leaving only the Long March‑10A test flight scheduled for 11 February. The move follows high‑profile failures of the Long March 3B and Ceres‑2 rockets, fueling speculation about safety reviews and a strategic shift toward...
What Actually Happens to a Spacecraft During Its Fiery Last Moments? Here's Why ESA Wants to Find Out
The European Space Agency’s Draco mission will deliberately re‑enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2027, carrying a suite of 200 sensors and four cameras to record the fiery breakup of a satellite‑sized capsule. Over a 20‑minute telemetry window after parachute deployment, the...
China Launches AlSat-3B for Algeria, Further Launches Delayed Ahead of Key Human Spaceflight Test
China successfully launched Algeria's AlSat‑3B remote‑sensing satellite on a Long March 2C from Jiuquan, following the earlier AlSat‑3A mission. The launch adds to China’s aggressive 2026 schedule, which aims to exceed 100 orbital attempts. Meanwhile, Long March 7A and 8A flights have been postponed...
A Series of Webinars About How Venture Capital Works by a U.S. VC
In this three‑week webinar series launching on February 16, Denis Kalyshkin—a principal at a U.S. venture capital firm and former aerospace engineer—explains how VC funds operate, covering market analysis, deal terms, due diligence, and financial modeling for startups. He breaks...
EUMETSAT & ESA Next Step With EPS-Sterna
On 27 January, EUMETSAT and ESA signed a cooperation agreement to move the EPS‑Sterna microsatellite constellation from approval to development. The programme, funded by EUMETSAT and managed by ESA for satellite procurement, will deploy six sun‑synchronous microsatellites equipped with microwave sounders...
An Analysis of International Space Station Experiments
The International Space Station has hosted over 3,800 experiments across 80 expeditions, with NASA sponsoring 56% and the other four agencies contributing the remainder. Research spans six categories, led by technology development (28.6%) and biology (27.2%), and has shifted from...
Another Partial Government Shutdown This Weekend, but Could Be Short
A Continuing Resolution expires at midnight, threatening a partial government shutdown this weekend. The Senate passed an amended six‑bill "minibus" that funds Defense, NASA, NOAA, the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation and other agencies, but the text must return...
NASA Advances Space Based Tracking of Marine Debris
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has adapted its land‑based plastic‑detection remote‑sensing system to monitor marine debris from orbit. The new algorithm leverages high‑resolution multispectral satellite imagery to identify floating plastic patches and shoreline accumulation. Early tests over the Pacific have successfully...
Leonardo DRS Infrared Payloads Selected for SDA Tracking Layer Tranche 3
Leonardo DRS has secured a subcontract to supply advanced infrared mission payloads for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3). The new payloads will provide persistent, global coverage to detect and track ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons from launch...
NASA Delays Moon Mission over Frigid Weather
NASA has delayed the Artemis 2 lunar flyby to February 8, pushing the earliest launch window back two days because forecasted near‑freezing temperatures at Cape Canaveral would breach launch criteria. The postponement narrows February’s viable launch days to just three, tightening the...
NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory Catalogue Contains Over 1.3 Million Detections
NASA’s Chandra X‑ray Observatory, launched in 1999, has compiled over 1.3 million individual X‑ray detections into the Chandra Source Catalogue (CSC) 2.1. The catalogue, released in 2024, lists more than 400,000 unique compact and extended sources gathered through 2021. Data primarily stem...
For the First Time, Scientists Detect Molecule Critical to Life in Interstellar Space
Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute and Spain's Centro de Astrobiología have identified thiepine (C₆H₆S), a six‑membered sulfur‑bearing molecule, in the star‑forming cloud G+0.693–0.027 near the Milky Way’s center. The detection, confirmed by laboratory‑generated spectra and observations from the IRAM...
Cracks on Europa Sport Traces of Ammonia
NASA/JPL scientist Al Emran re‑examined Galileo’s near‑infrared spectra and identified faint ammonia absorption bands at 2.2 µm along Europa’s surface cracks. The ammonia, likely delivered by recent cryovolcanic eruptions, indicates that nitrogen‑rich brines are actively reaching the moon’s exterior. Because ammonia lowers...
NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station
NASA has awarded Axiom Space its fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, with a launch window opening no earlier than January 2027 from Kennedy Space Center. The 14‑day flight will carry up to four crew members who...
L3Harris Reaffirms Commitment to Space Business Amid Missile Sector Expansion
The Pentagon is committing $1 billion to L3Harris’s Missile Solutions unit through a convertible preferred security, paving the way for a spinoff IPO slated for the second half of 2026. Management projects the new entity will generate at least $4 billion in...
NASA Earth Energy Instrument Completes Testing, Ready for Delivery
NASA’s Libera instrument, designed to sustain the global Earth radiation budget record, has successfully completed comprehensive environmental testing, including thermal vacuum simulations. The instrument, built by the University of Colorado Boulder’s LASP, will fly aboard the JPSS‑4 satellite—later named NOAA‑22—targeted...
Novaspace Report Predicts Global Space Economy Market Could Top $1 Trillion by 2034
Novaspace’s latest Space Economy Report projects the global space market to exceed $1 trillion by 2034, up from roughly $625 billion in 2025. The forecast attributes growth to sector maturation, increased financing, and the softwarization of space infrastructure. Government spending, especially on...
Blue Origin Pauses Space Tourism Flights to Focus on the Moon
Blue Origin announced it will suspend its New Shepard space tourism flights for a minimum of two years to redirect resources toward lunar missions. The pause comes just weeks before the scheduled third launch of its New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket,...
L3Harris Space Business Flat in ‘25, Projects Growth in ‘26 With Reorganized Segments
L3Harris reported that its Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) segment posted flat revenue in 2025, reaching $6.9 billion, as a government shutdown delayed fourth‑quarter contracts. The segment improved its operating margin by 50 basis points to 12.3% thanks to steadier program...
Russian Defunct Military Satellite Breaks up in Graveyard Orbit
A Russian military geosynchronous satellite launched in 2014 was moved to a graveyard orbit in 2025 after its fuel depleted. On 30 January 2026 the defunct spacecraft spontaneously fragmented, an event captured on video by Swiss tracking firm S2A Systems....
