Essay and Book Chapter Review: 2025
The 1996 foresight book *2025* imagined a space landscape dominated by strong UN cooperation, early moon bases, and a steady rise in government‑run programs. By the end of 2025, those predictions proved largely inaccurate: international institutions remain weak, commercial players like SpaceX now lead launch activity, and lunar or Martian habitats are still years away. The review highlights where the authors got it right—such as the exponential growth in launch frequency—and where they missed, including the rise of space‑based militarization and China’s emergence as a top launch power. Overall, the analysis underscores how geopolitical shifts and rapid commercial innovation reshaped space far beyond the book’s scenario assumptions.
The Guardian View on the New Space Race: Humanity Risks Exporting Its Old Politics to the Moon | Editorial
The editorial warns that the emerging US‑China space race risks transplanting Earth’s geopolitical rivalries onto the Moon. Both superpowers are targeting the lunar south‑pole’s “peaks of eternal light” and water ice, with NASA’s Artemis II and China’s Chang’e 7 slated for 2026...
The 7 Top Space and Defense Tech Startups From Disrupt Startup Battlefield
TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield has shortlisted 200 space and defense innovators, highlighting seven standout companies ranging from electric vertical take‑off aircraft to AI‑driven edge solutions. Airbility showcases a fixed‑wing eVTOL with distributed fan‑jet propulsion, while Astrum Drive Aerospace offers a propellant‑less...
Was 2025 the Year We Found Signs of Past Life on Mars?
In 2025 NASA’s Perseverance rover uncovered millimeter‑scale “leopard spots” on Martian rocks, patterns that on Earth are linked to fossilized microbes. The rover cached these rock and regolith samples for future retrieval, marking the most compelling geological hint of past...
A Protocol for First Contact: A Guide for the Individual Encountering Extraterrestrial Intelligence
A new guide outlines how an ordinary person should act if they encounter extraterrestrial intelligence in person. The protocol stresses extreme caution, urging witnesses to keep distance, avoid contact, and meticulously record all sensory data before reporting through official channels...
The Expanding Horizon of Starship Applications: A Paradigm Shift in Logistics
SpaceX’s Starship is reshaping space logistics by offering fully reusable, high‑capacity lift that can deliver over 100 tons to low‑Earth orbit. The vehicle underpins NASA’s Artemis lunar lander, accelerates mega‑constellation deployments, and introduces concepts such as sub‑orbital Earth‑to‑Earth transport and rapid...
NSS Applauds New Executive Order Advancing American Space Leadership
The White House issued the *Ensuring American Space Superiority* executive order, reaffirming U.S. leadership across exploration, science, commercial development, and sustainability. It sets a timeline to return humans to the Moon by 2028, build a permanent lunar outpost by 2030,...
Japan’s H3 Rocket Suffers Major Setback in Latest Launch Failure
Japan’s next‑generation H3 launch vehicle suffered a critical failure on Dec. 22, 2025 when its second‑stage engine shut down early, preventing the Michibiki 5 navigation satellite from reaching orbit. The anomaly left the satellite’s whereabouts unknown, effectively delaying the expansion of the Quasi‑Zenith...
The Best Space Pictures of 2025, From Supernovae to Moon Landings
The 2025 roundup of space photography showcases a rare double‑detonating supernova captured by ESO’s Very Large Telescope, a historic private moon landing, and a striking lunar eclipse. The supernova, a white‑dwarf that siphoned helium from a companion, exploded roughly 300 years...
White House Executive Order Bolsters U.S. Space Force’s Counterspace Mission Amid Rising Global Threats
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Dec. 18, 2025 titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority,” revamping U.S. space policy and elevating the Space Force’s counter‑space mission. The order sets a 2028 deadline for a sustainable lunar return, commits to nuclear‑propulsion development,...
Safety Panel Says NASA Should Have Taken Starliner Incident More Seriously
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel warned that the agency should have formally declared the Starliner crewed‑flight anomalies a high‑visibility close call. In June 2024, Starliner’s thrusters overheated and helium leaks threatened docking, forcing astronauts Wilmore and Williams to stay on...
H3 Rocket Suffers Upper Stage Anomaly, Fails to Correctly Deploy Navigation Satellite
Japan’s H3 launch on Dec. 22 failed when the LE-5B-3 upper‑stage engine did not ignite properly, causing a premature shutdown. The second‑stage anomaly prevented the QZS‑5 navigation satellite from reaching its intended orbit, resulting in mission failure. This is the...
CEO of SpaceX Rival United Launch Alliance Resigns
United Launch Alliance chief executive Tory Bruno announced his resignation after a 12‑year tenure, citing a new opportunity. The board thanked him for his service as the company navigates a launch market increasingly dominated by SpaceX and an emerging Blue...
NASA Rewraps Boeing Starliner Astrovan II for Artemis II Ride to Launch Pad
NASA rewrapped Boeing’s Astrovan II, an Airstream motorhome, with Artemis II graphics for the crew’s ride to the launch pad during a December 2025 rehearsal. The vehicle, originally used for Boeing’s Starliner crew transport, replaces the three Canoo electric vans NASA received...
The Essential Guide to Proving We’ve Found Alien Life
The article outlines a practical framework for confirming extraterrestrial life, ranging from atmospheric biosignatures on exoplanets to fossilized microbes on Mars and technosignatures such as laser pulses. It reviews historical false alarms—like the 1996 Martian meteorite claim and the recent...
Companies Compete to Develop Next Generation Lunar Rover for NASA
NASA is launching a competitive procurement for a next‑generation lunar rover slated for the Artemis 5 mission, targeted for 2030. Three aerospace firms have been shortlisted to design a vehicle capable of extended crew excursions, scientific payloads, and cargo transport on...
Patches of the Moon to Become Spacecraft Graveyards, Say Researchers
Researchers warn that the rapid growth of lunar satellite constellations will turn patches of the Moon into spacecraft graveyards. By 2045, more than 400 missions are slated, many of which will end without fuel for controlled de‑orbit. Operators currently have...
The Artemis Accords at Five
The Artemis Accords celebrated their fifth anniversary, now counting 59‑60 signatory nations after a rapid expansion from the original nine. Latvia has announced its intent to join but has not yet completed the signing, leaving the exact tally ambiguous. Recent...
State-Owned Enterprises and Commercial Space in China
China’s commercial space sector has accelerated since the 2014 Document 60 reforms, but it remains tightly coupled with state‑owned enterprises (SOEs). The two aerospace giants, CASC and CASIC, continue to dominate launch vehicle production, R&D, and financing while acting as anchors...
Black Hole Stars Really Do Exist in the Early Universe
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified a population of compact, red, star‑like objects in the first billion years of cosmic history. New research shows these “little red dots” are actually black holes surrounded by massive, glowing gas...
Artemis 2 Astronauts Rehearse Countdown for Upcoming Moon Launch
NASA’s Artemis 2 crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—completed a full countdown rehearsal inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, strapping into Orion atop the SLS rocket. The test simulated launch‑day procedures and stopped just before zero, confirming crew‑in‑capsule integration....
Apollo in December: How Apollo 8 and Apollo 17 Still Shape Us
Apollo 8’s December 1968 launch became humanity’s first crewed mission beyond low‑Earth orbit, proving the Saturn V rocket and deep‑space navigation. Its Earthrise photograph reshaped public perception and helped spark the environmental movement. Apollo 17 in December 1972 delivered the most scientifically ambitious...
German Engineer Becomes First Wheelchair User Launched Into Space
German aerospace engineer Sabine Müller became the first wheelchair‑bound person to travel to space, completing a ten‑minute sub‑orbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. The mission, launched from West Texas, marked a historic accessibility milestone for commercial space tourism....
First Wheelchair-Using Astronaut Touches Down After Ride to Edge of Space
Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer from Germany, became the first wheelchair‑using astronaut when she flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard sub‑orbital capsule on Dec. 20, 2025. The ten‑minute flight reached an altitude of about 105 km, giving her and five other...
First Wheelchair User Flies to Space
Michi Benthaus, an aerospace engineer who uses a wheelchair, flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard‑37 suborbital mission, becoming the first wheelchair‑bound passenger to cross the Kármán line. The flight launched from West Texas on December 20, 2025, with five other...
Rocket Lab Wins Another Defense-Related Space Contract
Rocket Lab has been awarded an $816 million contract by the U.S. Space Development Agency to design and build 18 defense‑focused satellites. The deal, the company’s largest ever, adds to an existing $515 million award for the SDA’s Transport Layer‑Beta Tranche 2 program....
An Asteroid Could Hit the Moon in 2032, Scattering Debris Toward Earth
A building‑sized asteroid, 2024 YR4, has a roughly 4 percent chance of striking the Moon in December 2032, with a 1 percent chance that the impact will eject debris into near‑Earth space. The collision could unleash energy comparable to 6 million metric tons of TNT—about...
Two Asteroids Crashed Around a Nearby Star, Solving a Cosmic Mystery
Astronomers using Hubble have captured two fresh dust clouds around the nearby star Fomalhaut, each created by the collision of ~60‑km asteroids. The new source, designated Fomalhaut cs2, replaces the previously debated Fomalhaut b, which likely was an older dust...
New Hubble Images May Solve the Case of a Disappearing Exoplanet
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a bright dust cloud around the nearby star Fomalhaut, indicating a collision between two asteroid‑sized planetesimals about 30 km in diameter. The impact provides the first direct observation of colliding planetesimals outside the Solar System and...
NASA Will Soon Find Out if the Perseverance Rover Can Really Persevere on Mars
NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) program remains in limbo as costs balloon to $11 billion, pushing a likely launch into the 2030s. Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover, five years on Mars, is in excellent health and has traveled 40 km—double its original mobility...
TDK Ventures, Accel Set to Back India’s EtherealX in Reusable Launch Vehicle Push: Sources
EtherealX, an Indian startup developing a fully reusable medium‑lift launch vehicle, is close to closing a $21 million funding round led by TDK Ventures with participation from Accel and BIG Capital. The round, up from an initial $15 million target, follows a...
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as Next Head of NASA
U.S. Senate confirmed billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as the next NASA administrator, finalizing a nomination that President Trump withdrew and later reinstated. Isaacman, founder of Shift4 Payments and a private astronaut, steps into leadership as the agency pivots toward a...
Jared Isaacman, Billionaire Who's Flown with SpaceX, Confirmed to Lead NASA
The Senate confirmed billionaire Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator in a 67‑to‑30 vote. Isaacman, a former SpaceX space‑tourist who has flown on commercial missions and performed a private citizen spacewalk, will lead the agency during a critical period. He pledged...
A New Hunt for an Earth Analog Begins
The Terra Hunting Experiment, launching in the Canary Islands, will deploy the HARPS3 spectrograph to conduct a decade‑long radial‑velocity survey of up to 50 Sun‑like stars. Led by Nobel laureate Didier Queloz, the project aims to detect at least two...
Space Force Wants Advanced Tech for Space-Based Interceptors
The U.S. Space Force has launched an SBIR solicitation to develop compact, high‑performance boost‑phase interceptors that can destroy ballistic missiles within the atmosphere. The program seeks high‑G propulsion, advanced seekers, and low‑SWaP designs capable of intercepting missiles below 120 km in...
India’s Digantara Raises $50M for Space-Based Missile Defense Tech
Digantara, an Indian space‑surveillance startup, secured a $50 million Series B round to broaden its portfolio from debris tracking to missile detection. The funding, led by new investors 360 ONE Asset and SBI Investment of Japan, brings total capital to $64.5 million and will...
Interstellar Comet Is Making Its Closest Approach to Earth
A stray comet from another star, designated 3I/Atlas, will make its closest approach to Earth this week, passing within 167 million miles. Discovered in July by NASA’s Atlas telescope in Chile, the object is estimated to be between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles...
"Sovereign Capacity" Of Private and Public Space Programs
The article defines “sovereign capacity” as a space program’s economic, legal and political leverage over its supply chain, a concept now driving both state and corporate strategies. Geopolitical tensions are prompting nations to reduce dependencies, while private firms like SpaceX...
"Wet Lava Ball" Exoplanet May Have an Atmosphere, Evidence Shows
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has identified the ultra‑hot super‑Earth TOI‑561b as a potential "wet lava ball" with a thick, volatile‑rich atmosphere. The planet, 1.4 times Earth’s size and orbiting its Sun‑like star every 11 hours, shows a dayside temperature...
How A New Economic Stack Is Being Built In Space
The episode outlines how the emerging space economy mirrors the early internet by requiring a foundational "economic stack" of infrastructure across four pillars: orbital logistics, robotics and automation, next‑generation energy, and advanced computing and communications. It highlights the dramatic drop...
NASA Just Lost Contact with a Mars Orbiter, and Will Soon Lose Another One
NASA announced loss of contact with the MAVEN orbiter after it emerged from behind Mars, raising concerns about the agency's aging communications fleet. MAVEN, launched in 2014, has been a critical relay for rover data and atmospheric science, but its...
NASA Says Maven Spacecraft that Was Orbiting Mars Has Gone Silent
NASA announced that the MAVEN spacecraft, orbiting Mars since 2014, went silent after emerging from a planetary occultation on Dec 6. The probe, which has been measuring atmospheric loss and serving as a communications relay for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers,...
Nasa Loses Contact with Spacecraft Orbiting Mars for More than a Decade
NASA announced that its Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter went silent after re‑emerging from a Mars occultation, despite telemetry showing all subsystems normal before the event. The spacecraft, launched in 2013 and operating since 2014, has been a...
Overview Energy Wants to Beam Energy From Space to Existing Solar Farms
Overview Energy emerged from stealth with a plan to harvest sunlight in geosynchronous orbit and beam it to existing utility‑scale solar farms using infrared lasers. The startup has raised $20 million and already demonstrated a 5‑kilometre laser power‑transfer flight from an...
OSHA Investigating New Crane Accident at SpaceX’s Starbase Facility
A construction worker at SpaceX's Starbase was crushed by a 1,200‑pound crane support in November, prompting a rapid‑response OSHA investigation. The injured worker, Eduardo Cavazos, has filed a lawsuit against SpaceX and subcontractor CCC Group, alleging negligence and reckless crane...
Chance of a Devastating Asteroid Impact Briefly Spiked in 2025
Astronomers detected asteroid 2024 YR4, a 40‑90 metre object, in late 2024 and initially estimated a 1‑in‑83 chance of striking Earth in 2032. As observations refined its orbit in early 2025, the impact probability rose to a peak of 1‑in‑32 in February. Continued tracking later...
Kongsberg, Helsing Team up for European Satellite-Intel Constellation
Norway’s Kongsberg and Germany’s Helsing have signed a teaming agreement to build a sovereign European satellite constellation for intelligence, surveillance and targeting, targeting operational capability by 2029. The fleet will combine Kongsberg’s satellite platforms with Helsing’s AI‑driven image analysis, while...
