Elon Musk Dreams of Epic Lunar Mass Driver
“I just want to live long enough to see the mass driver on the moon. Because that’s going to be incredibly epic.” — @ElonMusk tonight https://t.co/gnYf3oEXdP
Trillion‑Watt Compute Demands Push Tesla, Space
SpaceXAI + Tesla TERAFAB Project Goal is a trillion watts of compute/year Most must necessarily go to space, as US electricity is only 0.5TW
Satellite Operators Can't Match Launch Providers' Internal Pricing Advantage
This is the wrong framing. The correct framing is "it's only reasonable to ask whether any satellite operators can compete with launch providers that build their own constellations and charge *prices* to third parties that are much higher than their...
SpaceX and Tesla Launch TERAFAB: Terawatt‑scale Compute
Formal announcement of the TERAFAB project, which will be done jointly by @SpaceX and @Tesla, tonight around 8pm CT. Livestream on 𝕏. The goal is to produce over a TERAWATT of compute per year (logic, memory & packaging) with ~80% for...
First Cargo Launch From Repaired Site 31 Tomorrow
A cargo mission to lift off from the repaired pad at Site 31 tomorrow for the first time (details, updates): https://t.co/U0Mzlpkmer
Redundancy Wins: Embrace Failures in Space Systems
Almost everything in space involves tradeoffs because: physics. “Failures happen no matter what you do. That means the software and systems you use has to cope. That means replicate everything. Two pieces of crap are better than one.” Rob...
Iran's Solid‑propellant SLVs Could Launch Sizable Payloads
While I can't rule out a low-payload stunt, Iran has several SLVs (including solid propellants) that could deliver a significant payload to these distances.
COTS Electronics Survive
Operators can use commercial off the shelf [COTS] electronics in satellites, with a mission life of 3-7 years. A radiation-hardened part can last 15 years. Many modern satellites use radiation tolerant parts. SpaceX, Planet Labs and Kuiper/LEO all...
Optimus+PV: First Self‑Replicating Von Neumann Space Probe
Optimus+PV will be the first Von Neumann probe, a machine fully capable of replicating itself using raw materials found in space
ITU Lacks Power; National Regulators Face Crowded LEO Orbit
The ITU is a UN treaty organization which has zero power to create or enforce rules. Regulators from specific countries (eg FCC) are tasked with enforcement. The treaties never contemplated tens of thousands of satellites in a small number of...
Safety Margins, Not Altitude, Limit Low‑Earth Satellite Density
The barrier to how many satellites can be in a particular low Earth orbit is effectively the distance required to provide a "margin of safety" to avoid collisions. Filing with the ITU before others allows the system to claim a...
Starlink 2025 Revenue Forecast Vastly Overstated
This is way too high, but that's unsurprising since the starting point used for Starlink in 2025 ($14B+) is completely out of line with the known revenue for the year (<$12B)
SpaceX Snags GPS III, ULA Must Accelerate Vulcan
SpaceX looks to have picked up this GPS III launch off ULA . It is absolutely critical ULA drastically up the pace of Vulcan otherwise it is hard to see them being able to stay a thing. Add New Glenn...
From Patent Lawyer to Space CEO: Sleeping on Factory Floors
Before Elon Musk famously slept on the Tesla factory floor, Star Catcher CEO @theandrewrush was doing it at his previous company, Made In Space, as they worked to build the first space-ready 3D printer. "I hope that Elon has had better...
White House Omits Gateway in Trump-Japan Lunar Cooperation Brief
WH fact sheet on Trump’s mtg with Japanese prime minister mentions lunar cooperation on pressurized rover and “the NASA-led Moon base,” but nothing about Gateway.
Rocket Lab Launches Japan's Synspective Radar Satellite
LAUNCH at 1810 UTC Mar 20 of a Rocket Lab Electron from Mahia, New Zealand, with a radar satellite for Japan's Synspective (probably the StriX-6 satellite).
Historic MSFC 4670 Test Stand Revives Space Launches
Awesome to see the historic MSFC 4670 test stand helping to make space happen again https://t.co/WwjjIcnBik
Blue Origin Plans 51,600‑satellite Orbital Data Center
"Blue Origin is the latest company to propose an orbital data center system, filing plans for a constellation of up to 51,600 satellites." via @SpaceNews_Inc https://t.co/yssLQmxsL8
OHB Projects Double‑Digit Growth Across All 2025 Metrics
.@OHB reports double-digit percentage increases in rev, backlog, profit for 2025 and sees four aces in the coming budgets at @esa @defis_eu @bundeswehrInfo and @NATO. Not to mention US and @ArianeGroup launcher component orders, and Digital division.https://t.co/MIRKGHICwc https://t.co/Y5An8jqVWd
Bezos Invests in Terminator SSO Sunlit Space Gold Rush
Jeff Bezos joins the gold rush to Terminator SSO (and permanent sunlight in space near Earth). https://t.co/QyGifj6ehT
SpaceX Begins 1 Million‑Satellite Orbiting Data Center Initiative
SpaceX To Start “Small” With 1 Million Satellite Plan for Orbiting Data Centers https://t.co/HCh6cfWm1c #SpaceEconomy https://t.co/PNf86RkEJs
Legacy Satellite Makers Idolized Tradition, Ignored Cost Savings
Old school GEO satellites were assembled in a facility that housed the product in a "high bay" as if it was a giant religious icon. PhDs in bunny suits assembled the satellite piece by piece. The legacy manufacturers didn't believe...
Reviving Apollo's Rare 8‑Ball Navigation Instrument
🎱 Peering inside the Apollo Lunar Module 8-Ball There are just two known examples in private hands, and Curious Marc's intrepid crew are trying to revive the remains of a damaged one (left). Mine is on the right, and the image...
Seven Cubesats Deployed by D_Orbit Since Nov 28
I had missed that @D_Orbit had deployed seven cubesats from the IONs launched Nov 28; deployment dates not given but 2 Lacuna and 2 Lemur were ejected on or before Feb 16 from Stellar Stephanus, and 2...
Space Force Still Lists Deorbited Haven Demo as Orbiting
Space Force failed to issue a decay notice for VAST's Haven Demo, which was removed from orbit on Feb 5. It's still in the US satellite catalog as 'in orbit'.
True Ambition Means Launching Thousands of Space Data Centers
If you don't plan to launch tens of thousands of data centers in space are you even trying? https://t.co/8d1zTwMr7A
Space Warfare Mirrors 1930s Air Superiority Era
“Where we are today in space warfare is very similar to where air superiority was in the 1930s.” https://t.co/vdPDSKfwkt
Obsessed with the Name of China's Lunar Rocket
Speaking of going insanely hard, I’m obsessed with the name of the rocket that will take the first Chinese astronauts to the moon https://t.co/62ZZ4ZV2lS
ESA Cancels Mars Return Orbiter After US Budget Cut
.@ESA to shut down Mars Earth Return Orbiter after US budget decision; will meet @NASA next week on Artemis status; ESA-@defis_eu Iris2 negotiations with @SES @Eutelsat @Hispasat to wind up late April; ESA Launcher Challenge adapts to @orbexspace exit.https://t.co/TINqTgL6lQ https://t.co/uSutmbuWTG
ESA Chief Welcomes NASA's International Artemis Briefing in DC
At the ESA press briefing this morning, DG Aschbacher said NASA is bringing the international community together here in DC next week. He's looking fwd to learning about the new Artemis architecture incl Gateway. "A welcome opportunity" to see what...
ESA Restores Contact with Proba-3 Coronagraph After Month‑Long Silence
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher says at a press briefing that controllers have just managed to restore contact with the Proba-3 coronagraph spacecraft, which had been out of contact since last month. Recovery efforts underway.
SwissTo12 Scales to Eight HummingSats Annually with ESA Funding
Small-GEO sat builder @Swissto12, now w/ 7 sats in production (2 unnamed), uses @ESA investment to expand production capacity. Goal is 8 HummingSats/year. @SES_Satellites @viasat.https://t.co/9uOrjCLVKk https://t.co/bM1pA0m3hY
NATO Pledges Swift Space Contracts, Bureaucracy Stalls Progress
.@NATO to commercial space: We're ready to move quickly on multi-orbit, multi-frequency and other fronts with contracts that spend years in our bureaucracy before closing. @NCIAgency @govsatcom @defis_eu.https://t.co/5dHFzsqHN6 https://t.co/9FZlet5yQq
Nihon University's Tenkoh
Nihon University's Tenkoh-2 cubesat, deployed from the HTV-X1 cargo ship on Mar 11, has been cataloged as object 68261, in a 495 x 501 km x 51.6 deg orbit.
Rocket Lab Scores Timely Capability Win
Impressive win here for Rocket Lab: delivering the right capability at the right time. https://t.co/8vUinNNlgG
Spacewalk Safety Tech Stuns While Working on Laptop
Doin some laptop work and watching the latest ISS space walk. Amazing how much tech goes into the safety of it. https://t.co/2vpLaqhNEd
MDA to Add Three Optical Sensors by 2028
@MDA_space to build/maintain 3 ground-based optical space surveillance sensors by 2028 to complement current 150-kg Sapphire sat, launched in 2013. Valued at CAD 32M ($23.4M), it's part of CAD 375M @NationalDefence Surveillance of Space 2 program, to include Sapphire successor....
Artemis II Rollback to Launch Pad Tomorrow at 8 PM
Artemis II SLS/Orion rollback to the launch pad is now set for tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, at 8:00 *pm.* It'll stream on NASA's YouTube channel.
House Hearing Explores LEO's Future: ISS to Commercial Platforms
House SS&T will hold a hrg on Mar 25 at 10:00 am ET on The Future of LEO: From the ISS to Cmrcl Platforms. NASA's Joel Montalbano (Acting AA for Space Ops Mission Directorate), Dave Cavossa (CSF), Charlie Precourt (mbr,...
Congress to Examine LEO's Future Beyond the ISS
The House Science Committee's space subcommittee will hold a hearing next Wednesday on "The Future of Low Earth Orbit: From the ISS to Commercial Platforms". https://t.co/OyC3IQLGDd
US EVA-94 Spacewalk Begins on ISS at 1246 UTC
Spacewalk US EVA-94 is underway on the ISS. Astronauts Meir and Williams, in suits 3015 and 3003 and with SAFER packs 15 and 18 depressurized the airlock past 50 mbar at 1246 UTC, opened the hatch at 1251 UTC and...
NanoAvionics Secures Solar Array Deal for Korean LEO Constellation
.@NanoAvionics books contract w/ Korea's #FlexellSpace to provide solar arrays for #HanwhaSystems sovereign LEO constellation, outlines expansion in Lithuania. https://t.co/exuih6qIYE https://t.co/oj4ge9ZhkE
Astronauts Repair ISS Solar Arrays, Extending 2032 Mission
Today, high above your head, 2 human beings will be working outside in the eternal emptiness of the universe. astro_chrisw (1st spacewalk) & astro_jessica (4th) are improving solar arrays. Needed, as the International Space Station will be up & working through...
Free Space Lecture by RAeS & IET, March 18
Free space lecture, RAeS Farnborough Branch, 18 March (with the IET) Skynet Stories https://t.co/cnpzx0gqO3 https://t.co/0kVai1yf4T
SLS/Orion May Return to Pad Thursday, Decision Tomorrow
Looks like SLS/Orion MIGHT roll back to pad on Thursday after all. They’ll decide tomorrow (Wed.).
Telesat Allocates 25% of Lightspeed Capacity to Defense
.@Telesat: Lightspeed constellation to have 500 MHz of mil-Ka-band, about 25% of total capacity, to meet surging defense interest. 1st 2 sats launch in Dec, with 96 in orbit by end 2027, commercial service starts spring 2028. @MDA_space @SatixFy_satcom @NationalDefence....
Soyuz‑5 Test Launch Set for March 27, Officials Warn of Debris
Soyuz-5 rocket to fly its inaugural test mission on March 27, according to local authorities in the Yugra Region, warning population on fragments' impact; no confirmation from Roskosmos yet: https://t.co/DBcHRiQe36 https://t.co/wHpGAkKqBV
SpaceX Valuation Soars Toward $30‑50 Trillion by 2035
SpaceX valuation then: $200B SpaceX valuation today: $1.25T SpaceX proposed IPO valuation: $1.7T My 2035 target? $30-50T.
Green Rocket Glow Meets Moonrise in Desert Launch
For Saint Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite rocket launch photos… Black Rock Desert, NV The green glow comes from barium chloride mixed into the AP propellant. I planned the camera location in advance to bisect the moonrise, and then...
FAA Adopts Part 450 for Commercial Space Launches
The FAA has transitioned to the new Part 450 licenses for commercial space launch/reentry. https://t.co/HjK7RLvyJQ
