Blue Origin and Nimbus Validate Fuel Cells for Lunar Life Support
Blue Origin and Nimbus Power Systems have completed rigorous shock and vibration testing of Nimbus’s advanced, gravity‑independent fuel‑cell hardware, confirming it meets performance targets for NASA Artemis lunar missions. The fuel cells generate electricity, heat and potable water, while a proprietary water‑management system operates without gravity, reducing system mass and complexity. Blue Origin plans to integrate the technology into its Blue Moon lunar lander to support crewed surface operations. Successful validation paves the way for broader use of the same hardware in terrestrial heavy‑duty and stationary‑power markets.
Davos WEF Week 2026: Space & Defense: Frontier Tech, Capital, and Deployment
The Davos WEF Week 2026 session on Space & Defense explored emerging trends in commercial space and dual‑use defense technologies, highlighting where capital is flowing and the hurdles to scaling startups in these high‑impact sectors. Panelists offered strategic insights on...
Space Force Overhauls Fitness Rules in Bold Push to Future-Proof Guardians
The U.S. Space Force is revamping its fitness program under a Holistic Health Approach, mandating two structured physical evaluations per year starting in 2026. The new system assesses aerobic capacity, muscular performance, core endurance, and body composition, with results appearing...
What Is Vacuum Welding?
Vacuum welding occurs when atomically clean, flat metal surfaces touch in a vacuum, allowing direct metallic bonds without heat or filler. First noted during early space missions, the effect can cause mechanical parts in spacecraft to seize, prompting extensive research...
The Orbiting Factories of the Future
In‑space manufacturing is emerging as a viable industry, especially for "space‑for‑Earth" products that are fabricated in orbit and returned to the planet. The microgravity environment eliminates convection, yielding higher‑quality fiber‑optic cables and enabling the production of niche pharmaceuticals, as demonstrated...
The Essential Reading Series: Cosmology
The Essential Reading Series: Cosmology curates a lineup of seminal popular‑science books that translate modern cosmology for non‑technical readers. It features Stephen Hawking’s clear‑language introductions, Brian Greene’s explorations of string theory and the multiverse, and works by Steven Weinberg, Sean...
Congressional Hearing Highlights Military’s Reliance on NOAA Weather Data
A House Science subcommittee hearing on Jan. 13 highlighted the U.S. Navy and Air Force’s heavy reliance on NOAA’s weather and ocean data for strategic, operational, and tactical missions. The Trump administration’s proposed budget would cut NOAA’s funding from $6.1 billion to...
Europe Gets Ready for a New Polar Satellite Constellation
Europe’s weather agency Eumetsat has secured near‑unanimous backing for EPS‑Sterna, a new polar‑orbiting satellite constellation slated to launch its first six spacecraft in 2029 and operate through 2042. The programme, valued at up to €30 billion over its lifetime, will deliver...
U.S. Space Force Switches Rockets for Upcoming GPS Satellite Launch
The U.S. Space Force has reassigned the GPS III‑9 satellite from United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, aiming for a launch within weeks. In exchange, ULA will now launch the GPS IIIF‑13 satellite on Vulcan, while the previously...
The Essential Reading Series: Space Exploration
The Essential Reading Series curates a dozen seminal books that chronicle the evolution of space exploration, from Apollo‑era memoirs and the early Mercury‑Gemini days to modern ISS life and deep‑space robotic missions. Each title delves into training, mission planning, human...
Firefly Aerospace Announces Alpha Block II Upgrade: Boosting Reliability and Responsive Space Capabilities
Firefly Aerospace unveiled the Alpha Block II configuration, slated for full rollout on Flight 8 after shadow‑mode testing on Flight 7. The upgrade lengthens the rocket by seven feet, integrates in‑house avionics, and adopts automated fiber placement for faster, lighter carbon‑composite structures. These...
ESA and ClearSpace Announce PRELUDE In-Orbit Servicing and Debris Removal Mission
European Space Agency and Luxembourg‑based ClearSpace have announced PRELUDE, an in‑orbit servicing and active debris removal demonstration slated for a 2027 launch. The mission will deploy two small spacecraft to autonomously rendezvous, track, and maneuver around a target using vision‑based...
Intuitive Machines Completes Lanteris Space Systems Acquisition
Intuitive Machines has finalized the $800 million purchase of Lanteris Space Systems, paying $450 million in cash and $350 million in stock. The deal adds a proven spacecraft manufacturing line to Intuitive Machines, expanding its portfolio beyond lunar landers to include GEO, MEO...
Lufthansa Group to Deploy Starlink Across Fleet
Lufthansa Group announced a multi‑year partnership with SpaceX to install Starlink satellite broadband on roughly 850 aircraft across its six carriers. The rollout begins this year and is slated for completion by 2029, making Lufthansa the largest European airline group...
NASA, Department of Energy to Develop Lunar Surface Reactor by 2030
NASA and the Department of Energy have formalized a renewed partnership to develop a fission surface power system for the Moon, aiming to launch a lunar surface reactor by 2030. The memorandum of understanding builds on decades of collaboration and...
Pentagon Commits $1 Billion to L3Harris Missile Unit as ‘Anchor Investor’
The Pentagon announced on Jan. 13 that it will become an anchor investor in L3Harris Technologies’ Missile Solutions unit, committing $1 billion to expand solid‑rocket‑motor production. The funding will be provided via a convertible preferred security that converts to equity only if...
'Death by a Thousand Cuts': James Webb Space Telescope Figures Out How Black Hole Murdered Pablo's Galaxy
Using JWST and ALMA, astronomers determined that the supermassive black hole in galaxy GS‑10578, known as Pablo’s Galaxy, starved it of cold gas, causing rapid quenching. The galaxy, seen as it was three billion years after the Big Bang, formed...
New Evidence That An Ancient Martian Ocean Covered Half The Planet
Scientists have identified scarp‑fronted deposits in southeast Coprates Chasma that function as ancient river deltas emptying into a standing body of water. High‑resolution images from CTX, HiRISE, and CaSSIS, combined with new DEMs, reveal a uniform high‑water mark across Valles Marineris. The...
Enthusiasts Used Their Home Computers to Search for ET—Scientists Are Homing in on 100 Signals They Found
After 21 years of volunteer computing, SETI@home has completed analysis of its 12 billion detections, narrowing them to roughly one million candidates and ultimately 100 promising signals. These 100 targets are now being observed with China’s Five‑hundred‑meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST)...
NASA Unveils Artemis 2 Launch Windows: What We Know
NASA announced three launch windows for Artemis 2, the first crewed deep‑space flight since Apollo, with the earliest opportunity on Feb 6, 2026. The mission will carry four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar flyby, testing Orion, the Space Launch System, and critical...
Op-Ed: Mars Sample Return May Be Canceled, But the Legal Questions It Leaves Behind Continue
NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission has been cancelled, leaving ten sealed sample tubes on the Martian surface. Under Article VIII of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the United States retains jurisdiction and control over those objects, even without a retrieval...
China Claims It Has Launched and Landed a New Suborbital Reusable Spacecraft
China’s state‑owned CAS Space announced that its PH‑1 suborbital reusable spacecraft completed a test flight on Jan. 13, reaching roughly 120 km altitude and crossing the Kármán line. After re‑entry, the capsule deployed a parachute at about 10 km and landed at a...
The Essential Reading Series: Satellites
The Essential Reading Series: Satellites curates a dozen titles that trace the evolution of satellite technology from Cold‑War origins to modern commercial and strategic uses. It covers GPS’s transformation into a backbone for logistics, finance and smartphones, the pioneering Corona...
'Backward and Upward and Tilted': Spaceflight Causes Astronauts' Brains to Shift Inside Their Skulls
A MIT study using MRI scans of 26 astronauts and 24 controls found that prolonged exposure to microgravity causes the brain to move backward, upward, and rotate within the skull. The positional shifts, measured up to 2.5 mm, were observed across...
Portugal Signs Artemis Accords
Portugal officially joined the Artemis Accords, becoming the 60th nation to endorse the U.S.-led lunar partnership. The signing completes a near‑full European roster, with only a few states yet to ratify. Earlier reports suggested Latvia had already signed, but NASA’s...
A Quarter-Century in Orbit: Science Shaping Life on Earth and Beyond
Over 25 years, the International Space Station has become a unique microgravity laboratory, enabling breakthroughs in protein crystallization, disease research, and space agriculture. Experiments such as Angiex Cancer Therapy and NanoRacks‑PCG have produced higher‑quality crystals that inform targeted cancer drugs,...
The Essential Reading Series: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
The Essential Reading Series curates a diverse collection of books that explore the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) from scientific, cultural, and philosophical angles. Titles range from Carl Sagan’s fictional dramatization in *Contact* to Paul Davies’ analytical works on the...
The Path to Solar Weather Forecasts Is Paved with Drops in Cosmic Rays
Researchers from the University of Tokyo and partner agencies have demonstrated a new way to monitor coronal mass ejections by tracking drops in cosmic‑ray intensity, known as Forbush decreases, using instruments not originally designed for science on multiple spacecraft. In...
Blast From the Past: A Rocket History Quiz
Space.com released a rocket‑history quiz that walks readers from ancient gunpowder experiments to today’s reusable launchers. The interactive format highlights milestones such as Tsiolkovsky’s liquid‑propellant theory, Goddard’s 1926 flight, the V‑2 missile, and the Saturn V moon rocket. It also spotlights...
The Essential Reading Series: Elon Musk
The Essential Reading Series compiles ten recent books that chronicle Elon Musk’s rise from a South African youth to the architect of Tesla, SpaceX, and multiple disruptive ventures. The titles range from Walter Isaacson’s comprehensive biography to niche studies of...
Bright Supernova Offers New View of Black Hole Birth
Astronomers observed supernova SN 2022esa, a type Ic‑CSM event, capturing the collapse of a massive Wolf‑Rayet star that formed a black hole. The team combined rapid Seimei and deep Subaru data to track its evolution, revealing a one‑month stable brightness plateau...
PH-1 Test Flight Advances Chinese Reusable Suborbital Spacecraft Plans
Chinese commercial aerospace firm CAS Space successfully flew its PH-1 suborbital vehicle, marking the first reusable test flight in the nation’s push toward low‑cost microgravity research and space tourism. The flight demonstrated autonomous navigation, thermal protection and a controlled splash‑down,...
Ancient Impact May Explain Moons Contrasting Sides
Scientists have long debated why the Moon’s near side is covered by dark volcanic maria while the far side remains a rugged highland. New research using Chang’e 6 far‑side samples reveals an enrichment of heavy potassium isotopes, a fingerprint of a...
Spaceflight Causes Astronauts' Brains to Shift, Stretch and Compress in Microgravity
A new study published in PNAS reveals that microgravity reshapes astronauts’ brains. Imaging of crew members before and after flight shows the brain shifts upward, stretches, and experiences compression of certain regions. The changes include enlarged ventricles and altered tissue...
New Massive Hot Subdwarf Binary Discovered
Astronomers have identified LAMOST J065816.72+094343.1 (J0658) as a massive hot subdwarf binary with a 0.32‑day orbital period. The visible primary is a 0.82 M☉, 0.31 R☉ sdOB star at 35,800 K, while the unseen companion weighs about 30 % more than the Sun, approaching the...
Exclusive: Orbital Paradigm Emerges as the Lone Survivor of Failed PSLV Launch
India’s PSLV suffered a catastrophic anomaly six minutes after liftoff, leaving 16 satellites stranded. Orbital Paradigm’s Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) managed to separate around 18 minutes into flight, endure up to 28 g, and transmit roughly 190 seconds of re‑entry telemetry...
Space Force Wants Competition. Satellite Makers Want Stability.
The Space Development Agency is pushing a commercial‑style, competitive procurement model for low‑Earth‑orbit constellations, aiming for faster delivery and lower costs. By issuing two‑year contract cycles, the SDA has brought newcomers like York Space and Rocket Lab into the same...
Turion Space Corp. Acquires Tychee Research Group to Accelerate Autonomous Space Operations and Mission Engineering
Turion Space Corp. announced the acquisition of Los Angeles‑based Tychee Research Group, bringing its high‑performance Tychee Mission Planning Library (TMPL) into Turion’s Starfire software ecosystem. TMPL spans the full mission lifecycle, from concept design to embedded flight‑software execution, enabling real‑time maneuver...
Quantum Imaging Startup Diffraqtion Emerges From Stealth
Quantum imaging startup Diffraqtion announced its emergence from stealth with a $4.2 million pre‑seed round led by QDNL Participations and backed by DARPA’s $1.5 million SBIR contract. The company is developing quantum‑enhanced cameras that fuse AI to deliver high‑resolution space imagery at...
Jan. 13, 1920: The New York Times Doubts Spaceflight
Robert Goddard’s pioneering rocketry faced harsh media skepticism in 1920 when the New York Times called his lunar‑rocket proposal “a severe strain on credulity.” Despite this, Goddard demonstrated rockets operate in vacuum in 1915, secured a Smithsonian grant, and during WWI contributed...
2026 Will Be the Year of Space Nuclear Power and Surviving the Lunar Night
In 2026 the lunar surface agenda pivots from short‑term landings to surviving the two‑week, –250 °C night, making reliable power essential. Zeno Power’s CEO Tyler Bernstein says radioisotope power systems (RPS) are now the preferred solution for both lunar and future...
Orbion Delivers 33 Electric Thrusters to York Space for U.S. Military Constellation
Orbion delivered 33 Aurora Hall‑effect electric thrusters to York Space Systems, marking York's first public acknowledgment of the propulsion supplier. The units will likely power a U.S. Space Development Agency satellite constellation supporting data transport, tracking, and missile‑defense missions. Orbion...
Studying Space Science Today: Tools and Technologies Students Should Know
The article outlines the essential digital and observational tools that modern space‑science students must master, from Python and MATLAB programming to high‑performance computing, ground‑ and space‑based telescopes, remote‑sensing satellites, AI, and virtual labs. It emphasizes hands‑on experience with mission archives,...
Weird Blobs And Ribbons May Help Reveal The Secrets Of Solar Flares
Solar flares unleash massive energy that can disrupt GPS, telecoms and power grids. New high‑resolution images from ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter reveal tiny bead‑like blobs and dynamic flare ribbons within the Sun’s chromosphere. These structures, only a few hundred kilometres across,...
Aerospacelab to Build Eight Satellites for Xona’s Navigation Constellation
Aerospacelab has secured a contract to build eight low‑Earth‑orbit satellites for Xona Space Systems' Pulsar navigation constellation. The Belgian manufacturer will act as Xona's transition partner, delivering platforms and integration while Xona develops its own production line in California. Four...
Swedish Armed Forces Sign Sovereign Satellite Deals with Planet and Iceye
Sweden’s Armed Forces have signed sovereign satellite contracts with Planet Labs and Iceye, granting the nation dedicated access to high‑resolution optical and synthetic‑aperture‑radar (SAR) imagery. The Planet agreement is a multi‑year, low nine‑figure deal that provides a suite of cutting‑edge...
Aetherflux Hires Joe Yaffe as COO and Chief Legal Officer
Aetherflux, the space‑solar startup founded by Baiju Bhatt, appointed Joe Yaffe as chief operating officer and chief legal officer. Yaffe arrives from Skadden, where he led the Palo Alto office, bringing deep operational and regulatory expertise. The hire follows a...
Tiny Mars's Big Impact on Earth's Climate: How the Red Planet's Pull Shapes Ice Ages
New research published in the *Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific* shows that Mars, despite its small size, plays a measurable role in Earth's Milankovitch cycles. Simulations indicate that removing Mars eliminates the 100,000‑year eccentricity cycle and a...
Hubble Spies Stellar Blast Setting Clouds Ablaze
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a new image of the Herbig‑Harbor objects HH 80/81. These jets, driven by the massive protostar IRAS 18162‑2048, extend 32 light‑years and represent the largest known protostellar outflow. Measurements show parts of the jet moving faster than...
NASA Welcomes Portugal as 60th Artemis Accords Signatory
Portugal signed the Artemis Accords on Jan. 11, becoming the 60th nation to join the framework for responsible lunar and deep‑space exploration. The signing ceremony in Lisbon featured Portuguese Space Agency director Hugo Costa and U.S. Ambassador John J. Arrigo,...
