US Aviation Sector Calls for Emergency
Funding for Air Traffic Technology, Staffing (Source: Reuters)
The U.S. aviation sector on Wednesday called for "robust emergency
funding" from Congress for air traffic control technology and staffing
after a series of crashes that have raised alarm. Airlines for America,
the Aerospace Industries Association, International Air Transport
Association and others including major aviation unions urged Congress
in a joint letter on Wednesday to take action, noting the FAA faces
serious technology needs and is about 3,500 air traffic controllers
short of targeted staffing levels. (2/19)
Report Questions Space Force Strategy
in Facing China (Source: Space News)
A new Mitchell Institute report critiques the US Space Force's current
strategy, arguing that its focus on competitive endurance and
deterrence may leave the US vulnerable. The report suggests that the
Space Force needs to adopt a more combat-ready approach to effectively
compete with China's expanding military capabilities in space. (2/19)
SDA Revokes Terran Orbital Contract
After Viasat Protest (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Development Agency (SDA) has revoked a contract for 10
satellites it awarded to Terran Orbital after a lawsuit by Viasat. The
SDA said it will recompete the contract for 10 Tranche 2 Transport
Layer Gamma satellites it awarded to Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a
subsidiary of Terran Orbital (now owned by Lockheed Martin), in August.
An Air Force review concluded that an SDA official improperly informed
Terran Orbital that its bid was too high to be selected. A separate
contract for Tranche 2 Transport Layer Gamma satellites awarded to York
Space Systems is not affected. SDA's director at the time of the award,
Derek Tournear, was placed on administrative leave last month,
reportedly because of the Viasat complaint. (2/20)
Luxembourg's OQ Technology Wins EU
Accelerator Funding (Source: Space News)
OQ Technology, a Luxembourg company developing an Internet of Things
constellation, has won funding from a European Union-backed
accelerator. The company could receive up to 17.5 million euros ($18.2
million) from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program
depending on its ability to raise money from other investors for a
Series B round worth 35-40 million euros. The company has launched 10
smallsats to provide IoT services and is working on technology for
direct-to-device services. (2/20)
Trump and Musk Continue to Politicize
ISS Astronaut "Rescue" (Source: Space News)
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk repeated unsupported claims about
the Starliner astronauts in a televised interview. In a Fox News
interview Tuesday night, both Musk and Trump claimed that astronauts
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were left on the ISS by the Biden
administration for political reasons. NASA said last August it would
return the Starliner spacecraft without the two astronauts on board for
safety reasons, stating then that the White House was not involved in
that decision.
NASA's independent safety board, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel,
supported that decision in its recent annual report, citing an
additional thruster failure during the spacecraft's return. The two
astronauts have also stated they do not feel "abandoned" on the ISS.
The two are expected to return by late March, a slip from February
because of delays building a new SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that led
the agency to swap spacecraft last week. (2/20)
That Asteroid Hurtling Toward Earth is
Starting to Look Scarier (Source: Quartz)
There’s a 3.1% chance an asteroid will hit Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. But
there’s no reason to panic — at least not yet. A space rock called 2024
YR4 is now the asteroid with the highest-ever chance of possibly
hitting Earth. Scientists don’t know exactly how big it is, but they
think it measures between 130 and 300 feet. They also aren’t sure
exactly what it’s made of. (2/19)
Asteroid 2024-YR4 Impact Odds Decrease
(Source: NASA)
The already small chance of an asteroid impact in December 2032 has
dramatically dipped. NASA said Wednesday that the latest observations
of 2024 YR4 show only a 1.5% chance of an impact after gradually rising
in recent weeks to as high as 3.1% on Tuesday. NASA noted it expects
the impact odds to continue to change in the coming weeks as more
observations of the asteroid allow astronomers to refine its orbit. The
asteroid also has a 0.8% chance of hitting the moon in December 2032.
(2/20)
Blurred Military Responsibilities in
Space (Source: Space News)
Defense industry executives are raising concerns about confusion among
agencies about space-related roles and responsibilities. At a Mitchell
Institute event Wednesday, executives noted that responsibilities
remain blurred among the Space Force, which is a military service; U.S.
Space Command, which is a unified combatant command; and intelligence
agencies operating in space.
That makes them worried about the service's ability to secure resources
and execute its mission effectively. They cited the recent announcement
of the "Iron Dome for America" initiative as an example, as it mandates
the acceleration of space technologies for missile defense without
clearly delineating the responsibilities of the Space Force versus
those of the Missile Defense Agency and other organizations.
The comments came at the rollout of a report that concludes the Space
Force lacks the resources and "warrior mentality" needed to compete
with China. The report by the Mitchell Institute's Spacepower Advantage
Center of Excellence takes direct aim at Space Force Chief Gen. Chance
Saltzman's "theory of success" framework, arguing that his emphasis on
competitive endurance over victory could leave America vulnerable in
the new space race. They said while other military branches embrace
their combat roles, the five-year-old Space Force has struggled to
develop a similar warfighting ethos. (2/20)
Trump Seeks $50 Billion DoD Cuts
(Source: Space News)
The White House is proposing to cut $50 billion from defense spending
in fiscal year 2026. The proposed cuts are part of plans to reduce
defense spending by 8% a year for the next five years, but will protect
some priority programs such as Iron Dome for America. The
administration has signaled that programs related to climate change and
what it describes as "excessive bureaucracy" will be first in line for
reductions. (2/20)
Free to Leave NASA (Source:
Space News)
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free is leaving the agency. NASA
announced Wednesday that Free, the highest-ranking civil servant at the
agency, would retire at the end of the week. Free has spent 30 years at
NASA in two stints, and has been associate administrator since the end
of 2023. The agency didn't disclose why Free was retiring now or his
future plans.
Free had been expected to become acting administrator at the start of
the new administration but the White House instead selected Janet
Petro, director of the Kennedy Space Center, to lead the agency on an
interim basis. The announcement came a day after NASA avoided, at least
temporarily, firings of probationary employees similar to those taking
place at other government agencies. (2/20)
True Anomaly Opens SoCal Factory
(Source: Space News)
Colorado-based True Anomaly has opened a factory in Southern
California. The company said the 90,000-square-foot factory in Long
Beach, California, will be dedicated to the design, development and
manufacturing of new products for the military market, including
classified Space Force programs. The new facility keeps True Anomaly
close to a major customer, Space Systems Command, which is
headquartered in Los Angeles. The company is maintaining its Colorado
headquarters and factory, where it produces its Jackal spacecraft for
proximity operations. (2/20)
These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already
Working Inside the FAA (Source: WIRED)
Engineers who work for Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been brought on as
senior advisers to the acting administrator of the FAA, sources said.
According to sources, SpaceX engineers were already being onboarded at
the agency under Schedule A, a special authority that allows government
managers to “hire persons with disabilities without requiring them to
compete for the job,” according to the Office of Personnel Management
(OPM).
Weeks earlier, President Trump was quick to blame “DEI” for air traffic
failures, railing against a decade-old program that helps the FAA
identify talent among populations with disabilities. People with
disabilities hired into the FAA and other federal agencies are often
accepted under the Schedule A authority—exactly the route these new
engineers have taken into the agency. These new hires come after the
terminations of hundreds of FAA probationary employees, and the most
deadly month of US aviation disasters in more than a decade. (2/19)
Air Force Launches Unarmed Nuclear
Missile From Vandenberg (Source: LA Times)
The Air Force launched an unarmed missile from Vandenberg Space Force
Base overnight, in a demonstration of the readiness of the U.S. nuclear
arsenal. The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was
launched from the Santa Barbara County base on Wednesday. The country
has performed more than 300 similar tests in the past. (2/18)
Blue Origin Promises to Land on the
Moon in 2025 (Source: BGNES)
In 2025, the Blue Moon Mark 1 module should make a soft landing on the
lunar surface, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp promised. Limp suggested that
one of the upcoming launches of the heavy-lift New Glenn rocket could
include the Blue Moon Mark 1 module, which is being developed by Blue
Origin under the Human Landing System (HLS) contract with NASA. "I
remain confident we can get to the moon this year," the company's chief
executive said. (2/18)
Airport Seeks Immediate Eviction of
Space Perspective; Orlando Firm Sues Company Over Bills (Source:
Florida Today)
Space Perspective officials want a judge to halt or delay their looming
eviction from Space Coast Regional Airport, citing "significant
investment and operational resources" at the airport and saying that
relocating their balloon-capsule tourism company is not immediately
viable. But the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority (TCAA) seeks to
repossess Space Perspective's trio of leased airport properties —
including a 700-foot-long balloon manufacturing facility — after the
company racked up $90,295 in unpaid rent in recent months, court
records show.
The Space Perspective eviction case remains underway in Brevard County
Circuit Court. In a motion last week, the TCAA asked a judge to
immediately issue an eviction default judgment. A hearing on the case
has been scheduled for March 5. In a separate lawsuit, an Orlando
executive search firm sued Space Perspective two weeks ago seeking
$29,000 plus interest in unpaid fees after allegedly referring two job
candidates who were hired by the balloon tourism company. No court date
has been scheduled in that case. (2/17)
Lunar Space Station Module Prepares
for US Transport Ahead of Artemis IV (Source: Space Daily)
A key component of NASA's Gateway lunar space station has completed
rigorous environmental tests and is now in the cleanroom for final
preparations before its journey to the United States.
When Artemis IV astronauts travel to the Moon, they will be the first
to visit Gateway, a space station orbiting the Moon designed to support
human exploration and scientific research. Currently, the Habitation
and Logistics Outpost (HALO), a foundational module of Gateway, is
being carefully positioned in a cleanroom at Thales Alenia Space in
Turin, Italy. The module's complex structure, built to sustain
astronauts and enable scientific operations in lunar orbit, has
successfully passed a series of demanding environmental stress tests.
(2/16)
SpaceX Debris Enters Atmosphere Over
Poland (Source: Space Daily)
Debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off in the United
States on February 1 entered the Earth's atmosphere over Poland on
Wednesday, the Polish space agency said. A 1.5 meter by one meter chunk
from an unidentified object was found Wednesday morning in the grounds
of a warehouse on the outskirts of the western city of Poznan, police
said. Police later said a second similar-sized object had been located
several hours afterwards in a forest a few kilometers from where the
first was discovered.
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) said a stage of the Falcon 9 R/B rocket
made "an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere" at about 0346 GMT.
It said the rocket was part of a Space X Starlink Group launch from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 1. No casualties or
damage were reported. (2/19)
Researchers Confirm Existence of
Habitable Sone Exoplanet (Source: Space Daily)
An international team of astronomers has validated the discovery of a
super-Earth positioned within the habitable zone of a nearby Sun-like
star. Initially detected two years ago by Oxford University scientist
Dr. Michael Cretignier, the planet's existence has now been confirmed
following an extensive analysis of observational data spanning more
than 20 years. The findings, which offer new opportunities to explore
potentially life-supporting exoplanets, have been published in
Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Named HD 20794 d, the planet possesses a mass six times that of Earth
and orbits a star located just 20 light-years away. The planet's orbit
places it within the habitable zone, meaning it occupies a region where
liquid water could potentially exist on its surface, an essential
criterion for life as we understand it. (2/18)
ESA Advances HydRON Project for
Next-Generation Space Communications (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has taken a significant step in
advancing space-based optical communications by signing a contract with
Thales Alenia Space to develop Element #2 of the High-throughput
Digital and Optical Network (HydRON). This initiative aims to deploy an
advanced laser satellite system that will revolutionize data
transmission across space. The newly planned satellite collector in low
Earth orbit (LEO) will facilitate seamless connectivity between
different orbital layers through cutting-edge optical communication
technologies. (2/16)
Karman Completes Expanded IPO with
Full Over-Allotment Option Exercise (Source: Space Daily)
Karman Holdings Inc., a leading provider of mission-critical systems
for defense and space applications, has successfully closed its initial
public offering (IPO), raising significant capital through an upsized
offering that included a full exercise of the underwriters'
over-allotment option. (2/16)
Star Catcher Secures AFWERX SBIR Phase
1 to Advance Space Power Beaming (Source: Space Daily)
Star Catcher Industries, Inc. (Star Catcher), a pioneer in
space-to-space power beaming, has been awarded a Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 contract by AFWERX. This initiative
aims to refine Star Catcher's technology for enhancing power
capabilities of spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The U.S. Department of the Air Force has an increasing demand for
enhanced satellite power capabilities to support real-time operations
and counter threats from strategic adversaries like China and Russia.
This SBIR Phase 1 effort will focus on validating and improving Star
Catcher's proprietary space-to-space power beaming technologies to
bolster military preparedness. (2/16)
February 19, 2025
ULA and Northrop Grumman Test SRM to
Investigate Vulcan Nozzle Anomaly (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com)
Northrop Grumman and ULA tested a solid rocket motor as part of the investigation into an anomaly on a Vulcan launch. The GEM 63XL booster was fired at a Northrop facility in Utah last week to support the investigation of the Cert-2 launch in October, when the nozzle of one of the two boosters fell off a little more than 30 seconds after liftoff. The launch was still successful but the study of the incident has delayed certification of Vulcan for national security launches. ULA said the booster was "modified" for the static-fire test but didn't state what had changed. (2/19)
Borisov to Focus on Space Cooperation (Source: Reuters)
The former head of Russia's space agency has a new space-related position. The Kremlin announced Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin had named Yuri Borisov as "special presidential representative for international space cooperation." That position was previously held by former cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev. Borisov was removed as the head of Roscosmos earlier in the month, although the Kremlin did not disclose its reasons for doing so. Dmitry Bakanov, the country's deputy transportation minister, was named as the new head of the space agency. (2/19)
COSMIC Finds No ET Signals (Source: Space.com)
Another search for signs of alien civilizations has come up empty. The Commensal Open-source Multi-mode Interferometric Cluster (COSMIC) piggybacked on other observations by the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope in New Mexico, analyzing the signals for anything that appeared to be artificial in nature. COSMIC collected data from nearly one million individual pointings of the VLA and detected thousands of candidate signals, but none of them survived more rigorous analysis. (2/19)
SES Downgraded (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator SES moved to reassure investors after receiving a downgrade from a major ratings agency. Moody's downgraded the Luxembourg-based satellite operator's outlook from stable to negative but kept its Baa3 long-term issuer rating, one notch above non-investment grade. Company leaders pointed to the expected rise in net debt at SES to finance its acquisition of Intelsat as a factor weakening SES's financial profile. In response, SES issued a financial update ahead of its earnings announcement next week, stating that revenue will be at the upper end of its forecast of 1.94-2 billion euros ($2-2.1 billion). Adjusted EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, is also set to surpass forecasts of 950 million to 1 billion euros. (2/19)
NASA Layoffs Delayed (Source: Space News)
Large-scale layoffs at NASA did not take place Tuesday as expected, but the reprieve may only be temporary. NASA was expected to fire 1,000 or more "probationary" civil servants, part of broader job cuts across the federal government instigated by the Trump administration. However, by the end of the day no major layoffs were reported throughout the agency. It was not immediately clear why the layoffs did not take place as similar firings continued at other agencies, like the National Science Foundation.
The firings, along with those leaving through a buyout program, would have cut the agency's civil servant workforce by 10%, the largest single cut since the end of the Apollo program. Sources said the layoffs could still take place to some degree later this month, and NASA, along with other federal agencies, has been instructed to prepare for larger-scale layoffs. (2/19)
Rocket Lab Launches BlackSky Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
A Rocket Lab Electron lifted off from the company's New Zealand launch site and placed into orbit the first Gen-3 imaging satellite for BlackSky. The satellite is capable of 35-centimeter imagery, among other improvements. BlackSky signed a contract with Rocket Lab in 2023 for five Electron launches. (2/19)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Booster Lands in Bahamas (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, placing 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. The first stage of the rocket landed on a droneship in The Bahamas, the first time the company conducted a landing there. SpaceX said droneship landings in The Bahamas allow for new trajectory options, including for the upcoming Fram2 private astronaut mission that will fly to polar orbit. (2/19)
Rubicon Wins NASA Contract for Green-Propellant Thrusters (Source: Space News)
Rubicon Space Systems won a NASA contract to develop a thruster that uses green propellant. The company said it won the contract, of unstated value, for a 110-newton thruster that uses ASCENT, a nontoxic propellant touted as a green alternative to hydrazine. The company believes this would be the most powerful thruster yet powered by ASCENT. (2/19)
Is Elon Musk Poised to Profit From New Layoffs at the FAA? (Source: Rolling Stone)
The FAA firings are also remarkable because the agency regulates Musk’s rocket company SpaceX — presenting a significant conflict of interest for the man who has recently been called out in court for exercising king-like powers from his post at DOGE. (The Trump White House has said that it’s up to Musk to decide when he has a conflict of interest that warrants his recusal.)
The FAA’s previous Senate-confirmed administrator Michael Whitaker abruptly left his post just as Donald Trump took office in January, under pressure from Musk, who had publicly demanded his resignation. Musk had clashed with Whitaker after the FAA fined SpaceX for regulatory and safety violations. Musk, who wants to colonize Mars, fumed in an X post last September that the agency was holding him back: “The fundamental problem is that humanity will forever be confined to Earth unless there is radical reform at the FAA!”
he administration’s invitation of SpaceX engineers to help re-imagine federal air-traffic control is giving fresh evidence to critics who believe that the end goal of DOGE is not to create efficiencies within government, but to degrade federal expertise within agencies like the FAA so they are forced to turn to for-profit companies, effectively privatizing essential government services. (2/17)
European Aviation ‘Dumbstruck’ by Musk’s Takeover of US Air Traffic Control (Source: Politico)
European aviation experts are aghast at the Trump administration's decision to have Elon Musk's employees investigate its troubled and understaffed air traffic control system following several high-profile air crashes. Aviation professionals, experts and politicians warn that the world's richest man doesn't have a good track record when it comes to safety and of the possible implications of involving his SpaceX company in U.S. air traffic safety.
Asked if the European aviation sector was concerned about the X boss' new task to fix U.S. air traffic management, Charlton said: “Yes, 100 percent. I think the word you're after is dumbstruck. I mean, they're freaking out. They're watching with slack-jawed amazement.” (2/18)
As Trump Slashes Federal Jobs, Alabama’s ‘Rocket City’ Braces for Impact (Source: New York Times)
There is no question that Huntsville, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center and a web of related businesses and research programs, has felt some tremors from the administration’s aggressive campaign to shrink the federal work force. The “Fork in the Road” resignation offers landed in email inboxes there, presenting NASA and other government employees with the difficult question of whether to stay in their jobs for now. There were reports of more traffic at the sprawling Redstone Arsenal military base after workers were mandated to be in person.
But Mr. Money’s conversations with customers during Mr. Trump’s first month in office suggest that despite much uncertainty, there is cautious optimism that his actions could help the Rocket City overall. “The defense budget is probably not going to shrink,” said Jake Griffin, a government contracting consultant there, “so overall, I don’t think we’re going to see a true economic downturn any time soon in Huntsville.” (2/19)
Orbex Builds UK Launch Workforce with Internships (Source: Orbex)
Orbex, the Scotland-based orbital launch services company, is today launching its annual internship program, recruiting nine individuals to support its team of experts working towards Orbex Prime’s inaugural launch later this year. The internship offers a unique opportunity for STEM and law students, to gain invaluable hands-on experience in Scotland’s space sector. The internships are hotly contested in the industry with over 1,650 registering their interest in the program over the last 12 months. (2/19)
Tomaszewski: Federal Investment Key to Space Innovation (Source: Aviation Week)
On the Aviation Week podcast, Aerospace Industries Association Vice President of Space Systems Steve Jordan Tomaszewski highlights the role of regulation, federal acquisitions and export control in supporting the space industry and innovation. "The federal government is an extremely important part of the space economy, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future," he says. (2/18)
Alaska Aerospace Sues Insurance Group Over Cleanup Costs at Kodiak Island Spaceport (Source: KMXT)
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation is suing an aviation insurance group for the roughly $3 million it spent cleaning up damages at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska on Kodiak Island last year. Last summer, California-based ABL Space Systems was doing a test on its RS1 rocket at the state-owned spaceport. The ground test caused 1,800 gallons of aviation fuel and other contaminants to spill at the spaceport according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Alaska Aerospace Corporation (AAC) is responsible for cleanup, the department says, and that process is still ongoing as of Feb. 18. The cost to repair the damages and cleanup at the spaceport has reached at least $3.1 million. ABL Space Systems was required to carry insurance that covered the spaceport, and had a policy for up to $50 million through the U.S. Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG) to cover the damages. AAC asked to USAIG for a copy of its policy and status on a filed claim, which allegedly existed but was never confirmed by the insurance group. (2/18)
Possible Big Cuts Coming to NASA? Where Marshall Space Flight Center Stands (Source: WHNT)
Last week, the president directed federal agencies to lay off their probationary employees. A spokesperson said NASA is complying with the U.S. Office of Personal Management (OPM), and at this point, it is too early to share what this will mean for the agency as a whole.
The buyout offers represented the first wave of job cuts. Now, thousands of other federal employees have been laid off as ordered by President Trump’s OPM. The New York Times has reported that emails sent by OPM are encouraging federal workers to move from the public to the private sector, calling private sector jobs higher in productivity. However, Huntsville has seen a shift in the private sector. Some of the area’s largest space contractors have announced layoffs. (2/19)
Houston's NASA Employees Spared From Latest Layoffs in Surprise Turn (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA employees at the Johnson Space Center learned Tuesday night that the center's probationary employees would be spared from the latest round of layoffs under the Trump administration — a surprise turn of events hours after many had been bracing to be fired. An internal NASA email reviewed by the Houston Chronicle — citing the most "current information" as of about 5 p.m. local time — said Johnson Space Center employees would be exempt from the "impending layoff plan."
It was not immediately clear why the Johnson Space Center's employees were exempt. Houstonians had been bracing for layoffs earlier in the day as managers told employees on probationary status, which most employees are on for at least their first year, that they should prepare to be let go as early as Tuesday. NASA would be the latest federal agency to face such layoffs as President Donald Trump works to shrink the federal workforce.
The reversal Tuesday night does not mean there won't be future layoffs at the agency — NASA has also announced a broader reduction in force that is expected to result in firings at some point in the future. Nearly 3,000 full-time-equivalent federal employees work at the Johnson Space Center, and NASA has just under 18,000 civil servants nationwide, according to 2023 figures. (2/8)
DOGE Auditing NASA: A Conflict of Interest with Big Consequences for Huntsville (Source: Huntsville Business Journal)
As Huntsville braces for sweeping federal workforce cuts under a new executive order from President Trump, another development is raising alarms across the city’s aerospace sector. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an oversight agency led by Elon Musk, is set to audit NASA’s financials and contractor payments, sparking concerns over a glaring conflict of interest. With thousands of NASA and defense-related employees in Huntsville at risk, the move could significantly alter the city’s economic landscape. (2/19)
KazSat, OneWeb May Replace Starlink in Kazakhstan (Source: Inform.KZ)
Last December, the ministry published a draft order prohibiting import and use of satellite communication systems of Thuraya, Iridium, Inmarsat and Starlink in Kazakhstan. In a reply to an official request from Kazinform, the ministry says that these measures are related to the threat to national security. Kazakhstan prohibits using the communication networks controlled from abroad. The draft order is under additional discussion now. (2/18)
Uncertainty Mounts at Space Development Agency as Air Force IG Prepares Probe (Source: Defense One)
The Air Force will send an inspection team to Space Development Agency facilities to comb through records and interview employees, according to a memo obtained by Defense One, amid growing concerns over the future of the Pentagon’s space-acquisition “constructive disruptor.” (2/18)
Mojave Air and Spaceport Honors First African American Astronaut (Source: Desert News)
The Mojave Air and Spaceport is honoring the first African American astronaut during Black History month by commemorating Major Robert Lawrence for his remarkable achievement in the United States Air Force. Major Lawrence was a aerospace engineer and made significant contributions to space exploration which paved a way to the future generations of African American astronauts. (2/18)
SpaceX’s Starship Starbase Construction Set to Begin in Florida (Source: WESH)
While it's listed as a "work in progress," construction for the SpaceX Gigabay is set to start on April 1, according to documents from the FAA. "This thing is huge. There’s no doubt about it," Don Platt said. "They definitely need a lot of space to do different types of maneuvering operations to configure the Starship and its various varieties for missions — both for Earth orbit and for lunar and Mars missions."
Platt is an associate professor of space systems at the Florida Institute of Technology. "They build a little, test a little, fail a little, and then try again," Platt said. "They’ll probably keep most of that in Texas because I don’t think the Space Coast is the right place for that type of development. Once it becomes more operational and they get some of the bugs out, I think you’ll see it here on a regular basis." Construction is scheduled to run from April 1, 2025, to Aug. 2, 2026. (2/19)
Reaction Dynamics Begins Aurora-8 Engine Testing (Source: SpaceQ)
Canadian launch company Reaction Dynamics (RDX) has made progress in the last year, and is looking to hit key milestones in 2025. RDX's Jesse Mikelberg will be pitching the company to venture capitalist Tim Draper to potentially win a $1 million prize. They’ve been busily developing their small Aurora launch vehicle, which features the RE-101 and RE-102 hybrid rocket engines. The engines are built using additive manufacturing.
In addition, the company has been developing an in-space propulsion version of their engine, and a small orbital transfer vehicle called Micro OTV that is “designed for cubesat and smallsat mobility”. They recently announced their participation in the NATO Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) accelerator program. (2/17)
SpaceX Employee Alleges She Was Terminated Over Ankle Injury (Source: MyNews LA)
A former SpaceX employee is suing Elon Musk’s space technology company, alleging she was terminated in 2023 for taking time off to heal from an ankle injury suffered in the workplace and for filing a workers’ compensation claim. Lauren Spotville seeks at least $3 million in damages and $500,000 in attorneys’ fees.
Spotville, 31, also alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that one of her managers told her to park in a handicapped parking spot while knowing the injury prevented the plaintiff from driving. Spotville alleges wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Labor and Government codes as well as the California Family Right Act. (2/18)
SpaceX Scores Win in Federal Court Case in Texas (Source: KUTNews)
A South Texas environmental group is dropping a lawsuit that alleged SpaceX illegally polluted the water around its Starbase launch site near Brownsville. Save RGV said in a two-page brief filed on Tuesday that it was voluntarily dismissing the case against SpaceX. One of the group’s lawyers, Lauren Ice, confirmed the dismissal but did not immediately explain why the decision was being made now. Save RGV "could decide to bring the claims again in the future (subject to other limitations that may exist at that time, of course, like statute of limitations),” Ice said. (2/18)
Musk Says US Astronauts Are Stranded On ISS For ‘Political Reasons’—As They Reject Claim (Source: Forbes)
Elon Musk suggested the two U.S. astronauts who have been on the International Space Station since June last year—due to safety issues with their return vessel, the Boeing Starliner—were left abandoned there for “political reasons,” reiterating a claim originally made by President Donald Trump that the astronauts themselves recently denied. (2/19)
Lubbock, San Angelo Receive Texas Funding for Space Projects (Source: Lubbock
In late January, the Texas Space Commission approved $21.5 million in awards from the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund to three cities — Lubbock, San Angelo and El Paso. Lubbock and San Angelo each received a half million, and El Paso received two grants totaling the rest. El Paso's allotment of about $20 million would help fund a Space Innovation Hub in that community, according to local media reports.
“The four awards approved today will support companies in Texas to partner with the U.S. Space Force, assess the feasibility of an aerospace corridor between El Paso and Midland, and understand how various regions in Texas can best engage with the burgeoning space economy,” said Gwen Griffin, chair of the TSC board, in a statement. (2/17)
Nokia is Putting the First Cellular Network on the Moon (Source: MIT Technology Review)
Later this month, Intuitive Machines will launch a second lunar mission, sending a lander, a rover, and hopper to explore a site near the lunar south pole that could harbor water ice, and to put a communications satellite on lunar orbit. But the mission will also bring something that’s never been installed on the moon or anywhere else in space before—a fully functional 4G cellular network.
Point-to-point radio communications, which need a clear line of sight between transmitting and receiving antennas, have always been a backbone of both surface communications and the link back to Earth, starting with the Apollo program. Using point-to-point radio in space wasn’t much of an issue in the past because there never have been that many points to connect. Usually, it was just a single spacecraft, a lander, or a rover talking to Earth. And they didn't need to send much data either. (2/18)
Turning the Moon Into a Fuel Depot Will Take a Lot of Power (Source: Ars Technica)
If humanity is ever to spread out into the Solar System, we're going to need to find a way to put fuel into rockets somewhere other than the cozy confines of a launchpad on Earth. One option for that is in low-Earth orbit, which has the advantage of being located very close to said launch pads. But it has the considerable disadvantage of requiring a lot of energy to escape Earth's gravity—it takes a lot of fuel to put substantially less fuel into orbit.
One alternative is to produce fuel on the Moon. We know there is hydrogen and oxygen present, and the Moon's gravity is far easier to overcome, meaning more of what we produce there can be used to send things deeper into the Solar System. But there is a tradeoff: Any fuel-production infrastructure will likely need to be built on Earth and sent to the Moon.
How much infrastructure is that going to involve? A study released today by PNAS evaluates the energy costs of producing oxygen on the Moon and finds that they're substantial: about 24 kWh per kilogram. This doesn't sound bad until you start considering how many kilograms we're going to eventually need. Click here. (2/17)
An Updated Strategy for GPS (Source: Space News)
Six GPS satellites still in orbit today were designed and built, launching into space from 1997 to 2004. Far exceeding their projected 7.5-year lifespan, the longevity of these and the seven GPS satellites that soon followed, is a testament to the skills and expertise of the engineers who crafted such marvels. However, it is long past time to replenish our GPS constellation with modern positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellites.
Attempts to save money in the short term by acquiring one GPS satellite per year (as Congress has proposed in the face of budget caps) rather than two results in long term pain for taxpayers, U.S. industry and the nation. The structure of the firm fixed price GPS contract makes clear that it is financially advantageous for the U.S. taxpayer to buy two satellites per year at a price of $250 million per satellite. The cost of buying one satellite per year increases the price to $350 million per satellite.
The US should adopt a “launch upon availability” strategy for GPS satellites. Storing completed, modern GPS satellites doesn’t make sense considering the vulnerabilities of single string on-orbit satellites, today’s threats, or Presidential directives to deliver financial and other efficiencies in government operations. Click here. (2/18)
Scientists Spot Alien World ‘Like Something Out of Science Fiction’ (Source: Independent)
Scientists have mapped the atmosphere a planet outside of our solar system in 3D for the first ever time. And they have found a world unlike anything we have ever seen: powerful winds that carry chemical elements in complicated, intricate patterns across the atmosphere. A vast jet stream reaches across half the planet, churning the atmosphere up as it crosses the side of the planet that it always facing its sun.
Scientists say that the new 3D understanding of the planet represents a major breakthrough for our understanding of the atmosphere and weather of alien worlds. But it also challenges our current understanding of weather, they say, because it is so unusual. (2/18)
Power Lifting: Cold War Satellite Reconnaissance and the Buran Space Shuttle (Source: Space Review)
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union developed Buran, its version of the space shuttle. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger examine how the CIA was likely able to track its development using satellite imagery. Click here. (2/17)
Czars Versus Councils: Organizing Space in the New Administration (Source: Space Review)
The new Trump Administration appears unlikely to continue the National Space Council that it revived in its first term. Jeff Foust reports on what alternatives might be considered to provide a “whole-of-government” approach to space. Click here. (2/17)
A Bold Frontier: Advancing America’s Space Leadership and Economic Power (Source: Space Review)
The space community is waiting to see what the new administration will do differently in space and what will stay the same. Karlton Johnson argues the administration should embrace innovation and regulatory reform in space. Click here. (2/17)
Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 30th Mission (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin today revealed the six people flying on its NS-30 mission. The crew includes: Lane Bess, Jesús Calleja, Elaine Chia Hyde, Dr. Richard Scott, Tushar Shah, and an undisclosed sixth crew member. Lane is flying on New Shepard for the second time, the fourth astronaut to do so. This mission is the 10th human flight for the New Shepard program and the 30th in its history. To date, the program has flown 47 humans above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. (2/18)
Under Trump, NASA Meetings are On Hold and Missions are Up in the Air (Source: Washington Post)
NASA is a methodical institution that plans its missions years or even decades in advance, enjoys a famously loyal workforce and carries out its tasks with the kind of precision required to hurl humans into orbit, drive rovers on Mars or build telescopes that can see nearly to the dawn of time. But at the moment, NASA employees and contractors don’t know what tomorrow will bring — or even if they’ll have jobs. With President Donald Trump’s return to power and the billionaire space entrepreneur Elon Musk patrolling government agencies, the world’s premier space agency has entered a murky realm.
In the days ahead, the agency’s expensive moon rocket, the Space Launch System, could be shelved. NASA’s ambitious plan to send astronauts back to the moon on multiple missions could be scaled back if Trump and Musk push for a rapid pivot to Mars. Even the long-term location of NASA headquarters is up in the air: The agency’s lease in Washington expires in three years, and the headquarters could soon be relocated, possibly to Florida or Texas.
Much of NASA’s immediate future may be in the hands of Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order saying a DOGE team lead will be installed at agencies, with authority over hiring decisions. Members of the space community have expressed fear that the administration could ask for deep cuts to the $25 billion agency when the president submits his budget request to Congress. “Our immensely successful research enterprise is under attack,” said Garth Illingworth. (2/16)
Indoors and in Cars: How Globalstar Plans to Upgrade iPhone Satellite Features (Source: PC Magazine)
Satellite connectivity on smartphones typically requires a clear view of the sky, but future iPhones may work from inside a car or even buildings, according to Apple partner Globalstar. In October, Globalstar revealed it had received $1.1 billion from Apple to develop a next-generation satellite network. In a new filing with the FCC, the company discloses more details, including how the so-called “C-3” constellation will span 48 satellites designed to operate at low-Earth orbit, with another six satellites to function as spares.
“The C-3 System, representing a more than $1 billion total investment in state-of-the-art satellites and associated ground infrastructure, will expand Globalstar’s ability to provide connectivity,” Globalstar says. Importantly, the satellites can beam a stronger radio signal to devices on the ground, according to the filing. "Given this greater signal strength and the availability of multiple satellites overhead, users will have access to much-improved in-building and in-vehicle connectivity with less dependency on antenna orientation," the company adds. (2/18)
New Mexico's Future in Space (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
Every industry—from green energy to quantum computing—has a stake in the new space domain. And yet, many of our leaders view space as a singular industry run by DOD, billionaires, and NASA. That mindset is outdated, and, frankly, dangerous. If New Mexico fails to shift its mindset and get behind this, we’ll watch other states and nations cash in while we’re left behind. New Mexico has an edge of which most states can only dream. From prehistoric observatories to the first rocket propulsion systems, its history is rooted in astronomical advancements and scientific breakthroughs. Its infrastructure is defined by leading research institutions.
Its landscape inspires bold ideas. Its culture fosters creative solutions. It has the potential to lead innovations in space exploration in a unique and unprecedented way, but this won’t happen without a vision, without a strategy, and without support. The problem? The state’s current nine-sector economic strategy—while logical when only the sky’s the limit— is missing the unique opportunity to declare to the world that space is rapidly becoming the connective tissue linking these industries.
Biosciences, cybersecurity, energy, and agriculture, among many others, all have massive stakes in space-related innovation. Yet without clear alignment and investment, New Mexico is leaving one of its strongest competitive advantages on the table. If we don’t make space a top priority now, we’ll lose our competitive advantage. The clock is running out. States with no significant relationship to space are already taking action on this potential. (2/18)
Northrop Grumman and ULA tested a solid rocket motor as part of the investigation into an anomaly on a Vulcan launch. The GEM 63XL booster was fired at a Northrop facility in Utah last week to support the investigation of the Cert-2 launch in October, when the nozzle of one of the two boosters fell off a little more than 30 seconds after liftoff. The launch was still successful but the study of the incident has delayed certification of Vulcan for national security launches. ULA said the booster was "modified" for the static-fire test but didn't state what had changed. (2/19)
Borisov to Focus on Space Cooperation (Source: Reuters)
The former head of Russia's space agency has a new space-related position. The Kremlin announced Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin had named Yuri Borisov as "special presidential representative for international space cooperation." That position was previously held by former cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev. Borisov was removed as the head of Roscosmos earlier in the month, although the Kremlin did not disclose its reasons for doing so. Dmitry Bakanov, the country's deputy transportation minister, was named as the new head of the space agency. (2/19)
COSMIC Finds No ET Signals (Source: Space.com)
Another search for signs of alien civilizations has come up empty. The Commensal Open-source Multi-mode Interferometric Cluster (COSMIC) piggybacked on other observations by the Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope in New Mexico, analyzing the signals for anything that appeared to be artificial in nature. COSMIC collected data from nearly one million individual pointings of the VLA and detected thousands of candidate signals, but none of them survived more rigorous analysis. (2/19)
SES Downgraded (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator SES moved to reassure investors after receiving a downgrade from a major ratings agency. Moody's downgraded the Luxembourg-based satellite operator's outlook from stable to negative but kept its Baa3 long-term issuer rating, one notch above non-investment grade. Company leaders pointed to the expected rise in net debt at SES to finance its acquisition of Intelsat as a factor weakening SES's financial profile. In response, SES issued a financial update ahead of its earnings announcement next week, stating that revenue will be at the upper end of its forecast of 1.94-2 billion euros ($2-2.1 billion). Adjusted EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, is also set to surpass forecasts of 950 million to 1 billion euros. (2/19)
NASA Layoffs Delayed (Source: Space News)
Large-scale layoffs at NASA did not take place Tuesday as expected, but the reprieve may only be temporary. NASA was expected to fire 1,000 or more "probationary" civil servants, part of broader job cuts across the federal government instigated by the Trump administration. However, by the end of the day no major layoffs were reported throughout the agency. It was not immediately clear why the layoffs did not take place as similar firings continued at other agencies, like the National Science Foundation.
The firings, along with those leaving through a buyout program, would have cut the agency's civil servant workforce by 10%, the largest single cut since the end of the Apollo program. Sources said the layoffs could still take place to some degree later this month, and NASA, along with other federal agencies, has been instructed to prepare for larger-scale layoffs. (2/19)
Rocket Lab Launches BlackSky Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
A Rocket Lab Electron lifted off from the company's New Zealand launch site and placed into orbit the first Gen-3 imaging satellite for BlackSky. The satellite is capable of 35-centimeter imagery, among other improvements. BlackSky signed a contract with Rocket Lab in 2023 for five Electron launches. (2/19)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Booster Lands in Bahamas (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, placing 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. The first stage of the rocket landed on a droneship in The Bahamas, the first time the company conducted a landing there. SpaceX said droneship landings in The Bahamas allow for new trajectory options, including for the upcoming Fram2 private astronaut mission that will fly to polar orbit. (2/19)
Rubicon Wins NASA Contract for Green-Propellant Thrusters (Source: Space News)
Rubicon Space Systems won a NASA contract to develop a thruster that uses green propellant. The company said it won the contract, of unstated value, for a 110-newton thruster that uses ASCENT, a nontoxic propellant touted as a green alternative to hydrazine. The company believes this would be the most powerful thruster yet powered by ASCENT. (2/19)
Is Elon Musk Poised to Profit From New Layoffs at the FAA? (Source: Rolling Stone)
The FAA firings are also remarkable because the agency regulates Musk’s rocket company SpaceX — presenting a significant conflict of interest for the man who has recently been called out in court for exercising king-like powers from his post at DOGE. (The Trump White House has said that it’s up to Musk to decide when he has a conflict of interest that warrants his recusal.)
The FAA’s previous Senate-confirmed administrator Michael Whitaker abruptly left his post just as Donald Trump took office in January, under pressure from Musk, who had publicly demanded his resignation. Musk had clashed with Whitaker after the FAA fined SpaceX for regulatory and safety violations. Musk, who wants to colonize Mars, fumed in an X post last September that the agency was holding him back: “The fundamental problem is that humanity will forever be confined to Earth unless there is radical reform at the FAA!”
he administration’s invitation of SpaceX engineers to help re-imagine federal air-traffic control is giving fresh evidence to critics who believe that the end goal of DOGE is not to create efficiencies within government, but to degrade federal expertise within agencies like the FAA so they are forced to turn to for-profit companies, effectively privatizing essential government services. (2/17)
European Aviation ‘Dumbstruck’ by Musk’s Takeover of US Air Traffic Control (Source: Politico)
European aviation experts are aghast at the Trump administration's decision to have Elon Musk's employees investigate its troubled and understaffed air traffic control system following several high-profile air crashes. Aviation professionals, experts and politicians warn that the world's richest man doesn't have a good track record when it comes to safety and of the possible implications of involving his SpaceX company in U.S. air traffic safety.
Asked if the European aviation sector was concerned about the X boss' new task to fix U.S. air traffic management, Charlton said: “Yes, 100 percent. I think the word you're after is dumbstruck. I mean, they're freaking out. They're watching with slack-jawed amazement.” (2/18)
As Trump Slashes Federal Jobs, Alabama’s ‘Rocket City’ Braces for Impact (Source: New York Times)
There is no question that Huntsville, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center and a web of related businesses and research programs, has felt some tremors from the administration’s aggressive campaign to shrink the federal work force. The “Fork in the Road” resignation offers landed in email inboxes there, presenting NASA and other government employees with the difficult question of whether to stay in their jobs for now. There were reports of more traffic at the sprawling Redstone Arsenal military base after workers were mandated to be in person.
But Mr. Money’s conversations with customers during Mr. Trump’s first month in office suggest that despite much uncertainty, there is cautious optimism that his actions could help the Rocket City overall. “The defense budget is probably not going to shrink,” said Jake Griffin, a government contracting consultant there, “so overall, I don’t think we’re going to see a true economic downturn any time soon in Huntsville.” (2/19)
Orbex Builds UK Launch Workforce with Internships (Source: Orbex)
Orbex, the Scotland-based orbital launch services company, is today launching its annual internship program, recruiting nine individuals to support its team of experts working towards Orbex Prime’s inaugural launch later this year. The internship offers a unique opportunity for STEM and law students, to gain invaluable hands-on experience in Scotland’s space sector. The internships are hotly contested in the industry with over 1,650 registering their interest in the program over the last 12 months. (2/19)
Tomaszewski: Federal Investment Key to Space Innovation (Source: Aviation Week)
On the Aviation Week podcast, Aerospace Industries Association Vice President of Space Systems Steve Jordan Tomaszewski highlights the role of regulation, federal acquisitions and export control in supporting the space industry and innovation. "The federal government is an extremely important part of the space economy, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future," he says. (2/18)
Alaska Aerospace Sues Insurance Group Over Cleanup Costs at Kodiak Island Spaceport (Source: KMXT)
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation is suing an aviation insurance group for the roughly $3 million it spent cleaning up damages at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska on Kodiak Island last year. Last summer, California-based ABL Space Systems was doing a test on its RS1 rocket at the state-owned spaceport. The ground test caused 1,800 gallons of aviation fuel and other contaminants to spill at the spaceport according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Alaska Aerospace Corporation (AAC) is responsible for cleanup, the department says, and that process is still ongoing as of Feb. 18. The cost to repair the damages and cleanup at the spaceport has reached at least $3.1 million. ABL Space Systems was required to carry insurance that covered the spaceport, and had a policy for up to $50 million through the U.S. Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG) to cover the damages. AAC asked to USAIG for a copy of its policy and status on a filed claim, which allegedly existed but was never confirmed by the insurance group. (2/18)
Possible Big Cuts Coming to NASA? Where Marshall Space Flight Center Stands (Source: WHNT)
Last week, the president directed federal agencies to lay off their probationary employees. A spokesperson said NASA is complying with the U.S. Office of Personal Management (OPM), and at this point, it is too early to share what this will mean for the agency as a whole.
The buyout offers represented the first wave of job cuts. Now, thousands of other federal employees have been laid off as ordered by President Trump’s OPM. The New York Times has reported that emails sent by OPM are encouraging federal workers to move from the public to the private sector, calling private sector jobs higher in productivity. However, Huntsville has seen a shift in the private sector. Some of the area’s largest space contractors have announced layoffs. (2/19)
Houston's NASA Employees Spared From Latest Layoffs in Surprise Turn (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA employees at the Johnson Space Center learned Tuesday night that the center's probationary employees would be spared from the latest round of layoffs under the Trump administration — a surprise turn of events hours after many had been bracing to be fired. An internal NASA email reviewed by the Houston Chronicle — citing the most "current information" as of about 5 p.m. local time — said Johnson Space Center employees would be exempt from the "impending layoff plan."
It was not immediately clear why the Johnson Space Center's employees were exempt. Houstonians had been bracing for layoffs earlier in the day as managers told employees on probationary status, which most employees are on for at least their first year, that they should prepare to be let go as early as Tuesday. NASA would be the latest federal agency to face such layoffs as President Donald Trump works to shrink the federal workforce.
The reversal Tuesday night does not mean there won't be future layoffs at the agency — NASA has also announced a broader reduction in force that is expected to result in firings at some point in the future. Nearly 3,000 full-time-equivalent federal employees work at the Johnson Space Center, and NASA has just under 18,000 civil servants nationwide, according to 2023 figures. (2/8)
DOGE Auditing NASA: A Conflict of Interest with Big Consequences for Huntsville (Source: Huntsville Business Journal)
As Huntsville braces for sweeping federal workforce cuts under a new executive order from President Trump, another development is raising alarms across the city’s aerospace sector. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an oversight agency led by Elon Musk, is set to audit NASA’s financials and contractor payments, sparking concerns over a glaring conflict of interest. With thousands of NASA and defense-related employees in Huntsville at risk, the move could significantly alter the city’s economic landscape. (2/19)
KazSat, OneWeb May Replace Starlink in Kazakhstan (Source: Inform.KZ)
Last December, the ministry published a draft order prohibiting import and use of satellite communication systems of Thuraya, Iridium, Inmarsat and Starlink in Kazakhstan. In a reply to an official request from Kazinform, the ministry says that these measures are related to the threat to national security. Kazakhstan prohibits using the communication networks controlled from abroad. The draft order is under additional discussion now. (2/18)
Uncertainty Mounts at Space Development Agency as Air Force IG Prepares Probe (Source: Defense One)
The Air Force will send an inspection team to Space Development Agency facilities to comb through records and interview employees, according to a memo obtained by Defense One, amid growing concerns over the future of the Pentagon’s space-acquisition “constructive disruptor.” (2/18)
Mojave Air and Spaceport Honors First African American Astronaut (Source: Desert News)
The Mojave Air and Spaceport is honoring the first African American astronaut during Black History month by commemorating Major Robert Lawrence for his remarkable achievement in the United States Air Force. Major Lawrence was a aerospace engineer and made significant contributions to space exploration which paved a way to the future generations of African American astronauts. (2/18)
SpaceX’s Starship Starbase Construction Set to Begin in Florida (Source: WESH)
While it's listed as a "work in progress," construction for the SpaceX Gigabay is set to start on April 1, according to documents from the FAA. "This thing is huge. There’s no doubt about it," Don Platt said. "They definitely need a lot of space to do different types of maneuvering operations to configure the Starship and its various varieties for missions — both for Earth orbit and for lunar and Mars missions."
Platt is an associate professor of space systems at the Florida Institute of Technology. "They build a little, test a little, fail a little, and then try again," Platt said. "They’ll probably keep most of that in Texas because I don’t think the Space Coast is the right place for that type of development. Once it becomes more operational and they get some of the bugs out, I think you’ll see it here on a regular basis." Construction is scheduled to run from April 1, 2025, to Aug. 2, 2026. (2/19)
Reaction Dynamics Begins Aurora-8 Engine Testing (Source: SpaceQ)
Canadian launch company Reaction Dynamics (RDX) has made progress in the last year, and is looking to hit key milestones in 2025. RDX's Jesse Mikelberg will be pitching the company to venture capitalist Tim Draper to potentially win a $1 million prize. They’ve been busily developing their small Aurora launch vehicle, which features the RE-101 and RE-102 hybrid rocket engines. The engines are built using additive manufacturing.
In addition, the company has been developing an in-space propulsion version of their engine, and a small orbital transfer vehicle called Micro OTV that is “designed for cubesat and smallsat mobility”. They recently announced their participation in the NATO Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) accelerator program. (2/17)
SpaceX Employee Alleges She Was Terminated Over Ankle Injury (Source: MyNews LA)
A former SpaceX employee is suing Elon Musk’s space technology company, alleging she was terminated in 2023 for taking time off to heal from an ankle injury suffered in the workplace and for filing a workers’ compensation claim. Lauren Spotville seeks at least $3 million in damages and $500,000 in attorneys’ fees.
Spotville, 31, also alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that one of her managers told her to park in a handicapped parking spot while knowing the injury prevented the plaintiff from driving. Spotville alleges wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of the state Labor and Government codes as well as the California Family Right Act. (2/18)
SpaceX Scores Win in Federal Court Case in Texas (Source: KUTNews)
A South Texas environmental group is dropping a lawsuit that alleged SpaceX illegally polluted the water around its Starbase launch site near Brownsville. Save RGV said in a two-page brief filed on Tuesday that it was voluntarily dismissing the case against SpaceX. One of the group’s lawyers, Lauren Ice, confirmed the dismissal but did not immediately explain why the decision was being made now. Save RGV "could decide to bring the claims again in the future (subject to other limitations that may exist at that time, of course, like statute of limitations),” Ice said. (2/18)
Musk Says US Astronauts Are Stranded On ISS For ‘Political Reasons’—As They Reject Claim (Source: Forbes)
Elon Musk suggested the two U.S. astronauts who have been on the International Space Station since June last year—due to safety issues with their return vessel, the Boeing Starliner—were left abandoned there for “political reasons,” reiterating a claim originally made by President Donald Trump that the astronauts themselves recently denied. (2/19)
Lubbock, San Angelo Receive Texas Funding for Space Projects (Source: Lubbock
In late January, the Texas Space Commission approved $21.5 million in awards from the Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund to three cities — Lubbock, San Angelo and El Paso. Lubbock and San Angelo each received a half million, and El Paso received two grants totaling the rest. El Paso's allotment of about $20 million would help fund a Space Innovation Hub in that community, according to local media reports.
“The four awards approved today will support companies in Texas to partner with the U.S. Space Force, assess the feasibility of an aerospace corridor between El Paso and Midland, and understand how various regions in Texas can best engage with the burgeoning space economy,” said Gwen Griffin, chair of the TSC board, in a statement. (2/17)
Nokia is Putting the First Cellular Network on the Moon (Source: MIT Technology Review)
Later this month, Intuitive Machines will launch a second lunar mission, sending a lander, a rover, and hopper to explore a site near the lunar south pole that could harbor water ice, and to put a communications satellite on lunar orbit. But the mission will also bring something that’s never been installed on the moon or anywhere else in space before—a fully functional 4G cellular network.
Point-to-point radio communications, which need a clear line of sight between transmitting and receiving antennas, have always been a backbone of both surface communications and the link back to Earth, starting with the Apollo program. Using point-to-point radio in space wasn’t much of an issue in the past because there never have been that many points to connect. Usually, it was just a single spacecraft, a lander, or a rover talking to Earth. And they didn't need to send much data either. (2/18)
Turning the Moon Into a Fuel Depot Will Take a Lot of Power (Source: Ars Technica)
If humanity is ever to spread out into the Solar System, we're going to need to find a way to put fuel into rockets somewhere other than the cozy confines of a launchpad on Earth. One option for that is in low-Earth orbit, which has the advantage of being located very close to said launch pads. But it has the considerable disadvantage of requiring a lot of energy to escape Earth's gravity—it takes a lot of fuel to put substantially less fuel into orbit.
One alternative is to produce fuel on the Moon. We know there is hydrogen and oxygen present, and the Moon's gravity is far easier to overcome, meaning more of what we produce there can be used to send things deeper into the Solar System. But there is a tradeoff: Any fuel-production infrastructure will likely need to be built on Earth and sent to the Moon.
How much infrastructure is that going to involve? A study released today by PNAS evaluates the energy costs of producing oxygen on the Moon and finds that they're substantial: about 24 kWh per kilogram. This doesn't sound bad until you start considering how many kilograms we're going to eventually need. Click here. (2/17)
An Updated Strategy for GPS (Source: Space News)
Six GPS satellites still in orbit today were designed and built, launching into space from 1997 to 2004. Far exceeding their projected 7.5-year lifespan, the longevity of these and the seven GPS satellites that soon followed, is a testament to the skills and expertise of the engineers who crafted such marvels. However, it is long past time to replenish our GPS constellation with modern positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellites.
Attempts to save money in the short term by acquiring one GPS satellite per year (as Congress has proposed in the face of budget caps) rather than two results in long term pain for taxpayers, U.S. industry and the nation. The structure of the firm fixed price GPS contract makes clear that it is financially advantageous for the U.S. taxpayer to buy two satellites per year at a price of $250 million per satellite. The cost of buying one satellite per year increases the price to $350 million per satellite.
The US should adopt a “launch upon availability” strategy for GPS satellites. Storing completed, modern GPS satellites doesn’t make sense considering the vulnerabilities of single string on-orbit satellites, today’s threats, or Presidential directives to deliver financial and other efficiencies in government operations. Click here. (2/18)
Scientists Spot Alien World ‘Like Something Out of Science Fiction’ (Source: Independent)
Scientists have mapped the atmosphere a planet outside of our solar system in 3D for the first ever time. And they have found a world unlike anything we have ever seen: powerful winds that carry chemical elements in complicated, intricate patterns across the atmosphere. A vast jet stream reaches across half the planet, churning the atmosphere up as it crosses the side of the planet that it always facing its sun.
Scientists say that the new 3D understanding of the planet represents a major breakthrough for our understanding of the atmosphere and weather of alien worlds. But it also challenges our current understanding of weather, they say, because it is so unusual. (2/18)
Power Lifting: Cold War Satellite Reconnaissance and the Buran Space Shuttle (Source: Space Review)
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union developed Buran, its version of the space shuttle. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger examine how the CIA was likely able to track its development using satellite imagery. Click here. (2/17)
Czars Versus Councils: Organizing Space in the New Administration (Source: Space Review)
The new Trump Administration appears unlikely to continue the National Space Council that it revived in its first term. Jeff Foust reports on what alternatives might be considered to provide a “whole-of-government” approach to space. Click here. (2/17)
A Bold Frontier: Advancing America’s Space Leadership and Economic Power (Source: Space Review)
The space community is waiting to see what the new administration will do differently in space and what will stay the same. Karlton Johnson argues the administration should embrace innovation and regulatory reform in space. Click here. (2/17)
Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 30th Mission (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin today revealed the six people flying on its NS-30 mission. The crew includes: Lane Bess, Jesús Calleja, Elaine Chia Hyde, Dr. Richard Scott, Tushar Shah, and an undisclosed sixth crew member. Lane is flying on New Shepard for the second time, the fourth astronaut to do so. This mission is the 10th human flight for the New Shepard program and the 30th in its history. To date, the program has flown 47 humans above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. (2/18)
Under Trump, NASA Meetings are On Hold and Missions are Up in the Air (Source: Washington Post)
NASA is a methodical institution that plans its missions years or even decades in advance, enjoys a famously loyal workforce and carries out its tasks with the kind of precision required to hurl humans into orbit, drive rovers on Mars or build telescopes that can see nearly to the dawn of time. But at the moment, NASA employees and contractors don’t know what tomorrow will bring — or even if they’ll have jobs. With President Donald Trump’s return to power and the billionaire space entrepreneur Elon Musk patrolling government agencies, the world’s premier space agency has entered a murky realm.
In the days ahead, the agency’s expensive moon rocket, the Space Launch System, could be shelved. NASA’s ambitious plan to send astronauts back to the moon on multiple missions could be scaled back if Trump and Musk push for a rapid pivot to Mars. Even the long-term location of NASA headquarters is up in the air: The agency’s lease in Washington expires in three years, and the headquarters could soon be relocated, possibly to Florida or Texas.
Much of NASA’s immediate future may be in the hands of Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order saying a DOGE team lead will be installed at agencies, with authority over hiring decisions. Members of the space community have expressed fear that the administration could ask for deep cuts to the $25 billion agency when the president submits his budget request to Congress. “Our immensely successful research enterprise is under attack,” said Garth Illingworth. (2/16)
Indoors and in Cars: How Globalstar Plans to Upgrade iPhone Satellite Features (Source: PC Magazine)
Satellite connectivity on smartphones typically requires a clear view of the sky, but future iPhones may work from inside a car or even buildings, according to Apple partner Globalstar. In October, Globalstar revealed it had received $1.1 billion from Apple to develop a next-generation satellite network. In a new filing with the FCC, the company discloses more details, including how the so-called “C-3” constellation will span 48 satellites designed to operate at low-Earth orbit, with another six satellites to function as spares.
“The C-3 System, representing a more than $1 billion total investment in state-of-the-art satellites and associated ground infrastructure, will expand Globalstar’s ability to provide connectivity,” Globalstar says. Importantly, the satellites can beam a stronger radio signal to devices on the ground, according to the filing. "Given this greater signal strength and the availability of multiple satellites overhead, users will have access to much-improved in-building and in-vehicle connectivity with less dependency on antenna orientation," the company adds. (2/18)
New Mexico's Future in Space (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
Every industry—from green energy to quantum computing—has a stake in the new space domain. And yet, many of our leaders view space as a singular industry run by DOD, billionaires, and NASA. That mindset is outdated, and, frankly, dangerous. If New Mexico fails to shift its mindset and get behind this, we’ll watch other states and nations cash in while we’re left behind. New Mexico has an edge of which most states can only dream. From prehistoric observatories to the first rocket propulsion systems, its history is rooted in astronomical advancements and scientific breakthroughs. Its infrastructure is defined by leading research institutions.
Its landscape inspires bold ideas. Its culture fosters creative solutions. It has the potential to lead innovations in space exploration in a unique and unprecedented way, but this won’t happen without a vision, without a strategy, and without support. The problem? The state’s current nine-sector economic strategy—while logical when only the sky’s the limit— is missing the unique opportunity to declare to the world that space is rapidly becoming the connective tissue linking these industries.
Biosciences, cybersecurity, energy, and agriculture, among many others, all have massive stakes in space-related innovation. Yet without clear alignment and investment, New Mexico is leaving one of its strongest competitive advantages on the table. If we don’t make space a top priority now, we’ll lose our competitive advantage. The clock is running out. States with no significant relationship to space are already taking action on this potential. (2/18)
February 18, 2025
The Dream of Offshore Rocket Launches
is Finally Blasting Off (Source: MIT Technology Review)
To relieve the congestion, some mission planners are looking to the ocean as the next big gateway to space. China has sent more than a dozen space missions from ocean platforms since 2019, most recently in January 2025. Italy’s space program has announced it will reopen its ocean launchpad off the coast of Kenya, while German space insiders envision an offshore spaceport in the North Sea. In the US, the idea of sea launches has attracted attention from heavyweights like SpaceX and inspired a new startup called the Spaceport Company.
“The best way to build a future where we have dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of spaceports is to build them at sea,” says Tom Marotta, CEO and founder of the Spaceport Company, which is working to establish offshore launch hubs. “It’s very hard to find a thousand acres on the coast over and over again to build spaceports. It’s very easy to build the same ship over and over again.”
"If the US imposes strict oversight on launches, other nations might apply different standards to licensing agreements with launch providers. “I can imagine that some unauthorized projects may become possible simply because they are on the seas and there is no real authority—by contrast to land-based space launches—to supervise those kinds of launches,” Alla Pozdnakova says. (2/11)
Hundreds of FAA Employees are Let Go as Trump's Mass Layoffs Continue (Source: NBC News)
The Trump administration fired hundreds of employees with the FAA over the weekend, just weeks after a fatal crash over Washington, D.C., exposed understaffing at the agency. The union representing the employees called the firings a “hastily made decision” that would increase the workload of a workforce already stretched thin. The union statement referred to the Washington crash as well as two others in recent weeks across the country as evidence that it was not the time to cut personnel at the agency. (2/17)
NOAA, NASA Brace for Major Job Cuts (Source: Axios)
The layoffs of thousands of government workers are likely to expand — possibly as soon as Tuesday — to two key climate science and extreme weather agencies: NOAA and NASA. These are two agencies where Musk has conflicts of interest given the activities of his company SpaceX. The agencies keep tabs on the planet's weather and climate and are considered to be in the top tier of such government departments worldwide. In keeping with the size of cuts to other government departments, NOAA is thought to be in line for as much as a 10% reduction in staff, which would amount to about 1,000 workers.
NOAA is a small organization, with only about 12,000 employees spread across functions from climate and weather forecasting to oceans research and fisheries regulation. Deep cuts could imperil some of its work, particularly that of the National Weather Service, which has been short-staffed in recent years. Editor's Note: A colleague at NASA KSC tells me they expect serious difficulty completing their tasks after key personnel are driven from the agency. I think the full effects of the DOGE purge across the government will manifest after the next two months, when public services are seriously curtailed and the administration of existing contracts becomes chaotic. Expect a lot of churn among contractors as their services are sought to backfill capabilities eviscerated by DOGE. (2/18)
Ursa Major Rocket Engine Could Support US Iron Dome (Source: Space News)
Ursa Major is accelerating work on a rocket engine it believes could play a role in the proposed "Iron Dome for America" missile defense system. The company argues the Draper liquid-propulsion engine it is developing fits the need for the kind of better propulsion technology required for high-performance interceptor missiles, ones that can operate from the ground or from space. Draper relies on kerosene and hydrogen peroxide propellants, allowing it to be used in missiles that are stored for long periods. Ursa Major performed ground tests of the 4,000-pound-force engine last year and is planning a flight-testing campaign to further mature the design and explore military applications, as well as commercial uses in space tugs and in-space transportation. (2/18)
AAC Clyde Space Begins Developing INFLECION Maritime Awareness Constellation (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer AAC Clyde Space is starting work on a constellation for maritime domain awareness. Satellites in the INFLECION constellation will be equipped with signals intelligence and synthetic aperture radar payloads to track shipping. The company plans to operate the constellation, expected to be deployed by 2028, as part of efforts to grow its services business. Initial work on INFLECION is supported by an 850,000 euro ($890,000) contract from ESA, while the total constellation is estimated to cost 30.7 million euros. (2/18)
US and India Explore More Space Collaboration (Source: Space News)
The United States and India are expanding a technology innovation partnership to include space. The two countries announced last week the creation of INDUS Innovation, an "innovation bridge" between the two countries to support work on space, energy and other emerging technologies. It is based on INDUS-X, which has assisted cooperation between American and Indian companies in the defense sector, including some space applications. INDUS Innovation was announced as part of a joint statement between the two countries that also highlighted continued cooperation in civil and commercial space. (2/18)
China Scales Up Commercial Space Support (Source: Space News)
Beijing is scaling up its commercial space ambitions with new policies, infrastructure investments and potentially record-setting launch targets. A conference last week announced the creation of eight labs for space-related research in the city, part of efforts to bolster the commercial space ecosystem in the region. Beijing hosts the headquarters of companies such as Landspace, Galactic Energy, iSpace and Space Pioneer and has the highest concentration of commercial internet satellite companies in China. These efforts are part of a wider range of local and provincial-level initiatives across China to help spur the growth of the commercial space sector. (2/18)
Vietnam Changes Rules to Allow Starlink Service (Source: Reuters)
The government of Vietnam is changing its rules to allow Starlink to operate in the country. Discussions between SpaceX and Vietnam broke down in late 2023 because of restrictions on foreign control of satellite internet providers in the country. However, revisions to those rules set to be adopted this week would allow foreign companies to maintain control of operations in the country as part of a pilot program that would run through 2030. That would open the door for Starlink to provide services in the country without giving up control to local interests. (2/18)
India's Privatized PSLV Heading Toward 2025 Launch (Source: Times of India)
The first privately built Indian PSLV rocket is scheduled to launch later this year. The rocket, scheduled to launch in the third quarter, will carry an experimental spacecraft called TDS-1 to test 35 satellite technologies, from propulsion to quantum payloads. A consortium that includes Indian companies HAL and L&T is building PSLV vehicles as part of efforts by Indian to privatize elements of its space program. (2/18)
Malaysia Moves Forward on Remote Sensing, Outer Space Treaty Ratification (Source: The Vibes)
Malaysia is moving ahead with a remote sensing satellite program. A government minister said Tuesday that the National Remote Sensing Satellite Development Program is scheduled to begin operations in 2028, reducing the country's reliance on data from foreign satellites. The government also stated it plans to ratify the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention. (2/18)
Long March 8A Rocket Successfully Completes Maiden Flight (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully launched its Long March 8A carrier rocket for the first time, sending a group of satellites into orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) announced. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, delivering the second batch of low-orbit satellites for China's State-owned internet network into their designated trajectory. This mission marks the 559th launch in the Long March rocket series. With this flight, Long March 8A becomes the latest operational member in the Long March family, which plays a crucial role in China's space missions. (2/16)
Jumping Workouts Could Help Astronauts on the Moon and Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new Johns Hopkins University study suggests. The research adds to ongoing efforts by space agencies to protect astronauts against deconditioning/getting out of shape due to low gravity, a crucial aspect of their ability to perform spacewalks, handle equipment and repairs, and carry out other physically demanding tasks. The study, which shows knee cartilage in mice grew healthier following jumping exercises, appears in the journal npj Microgravity. (2/16)
K2 Space Secures $110M and Achieves First in-Space Demonstration (Source: Space Daily)
K2 Space has announced the successful completion of a $110 million Series B funding round aimed at scaling up production of its advanced, high-power satellite platform. The investment, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital, also included participation from existing stakeholders such as Alpine Space Ventures and First Round Capital.
This achievement coincides with the company's expansion into a new 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Torrance, California, and the success of its inaugural in-space demonstration, which tested key in-house-developed components. To date, K2 Space has raised $180 million in equity and secured over $50 million in contracts from government and commercial entities. (2/16)
New Research Explores CubeSat Swarms for Spacecraft Servicing and Repair (Source: Space Daily)
As space agencies and private companies design satellites and telescopes with repairability in mind, the need for efficient servicing trajectories becomes crucial. Researchers have developed a new method enabling multiple CubeSats to coordinate in servicing and assembling space telescopes. Their approach optimizes fuel use, maintains a minimum separation of five meters between spacecraft, and has potential applications beyond space missions. (2/16)
Public Offerings Take the Stage as the Space Industry Learns From the SPAC Boom and Bust (Source: Space News)
The space industry is preparing for an uptick in stock listings, even as the sour legacy of SPAC deals in the sector continues to leave a bad taste in public investors’ mouths. While this once-booming trend offered a faster and less scrutinized path to the public markets, many space SPACs ultimately underperformed, weighed down by missed targets and overinflated projections.
Of the dozen or so space companies that went public via SPAC in recent years, four are currently trading above their initial $10-a-share offer price, and another two or three are showing promise. Now that SPACs have fallen out of favor, IPOs are taking center stage as a wave of growth-oriented space firms enters the spotlight.
U.S.-based space and defense companies Voyager and Karman announced separate plans to go public. More IPO announcements will likely follow, given declining interest rates, strong equity markets, and expectations of a more business-friendly regulatory environment under the Trump administration. Among the many reasons to be optimistic about the space sector in 2025 is increasing access to launch services and technological advances that are driving down costs. (2/17)
Orbex Betting the Farm on Its European Launcher Challenge Bid (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based rocket builder Orbex has revealed that it is counting on a positive outcome from its European Launch Challenge bid to fund the development of its medium-lift rocket, Proxima, citing a “challenging investment climate.” The European Space Agency initiated the European Launcher Challenge in November 2023 to support the development of sovereign launch capabilities and, ultimately, a successor to the Ariane 6.
While the exact format of the challenge has not yet been confirmed, initial reports have indicated that it will include multiple awards of €150 million each. Orbex CEO Phil Chambers said the company’s abrupt decision to pause work on its own spaceport at Sutherland and move the initial operation of its Prime rocket to SaxaVord would allow it to “direct more funding to the development of a new, medium-sized launch vehicle called Proxima.”
When asked how the company could justify dedicating resources to a larger, second launcher while walking away from its commitments to Sutherland, Chambers explained that the development of Proxima was “targeted” at the ESA European Launcher Challenge. He cited the potential €150 million award as a key factor and added that, if successful, the bid would “positively affect the business moving forward.” (2/17)
'Remarkable' Cosmic Explosion Discovered in Decades-Old X-Ray Data (Source: Phys.org)
The "needle in the haystack" discovery of a powerful explosion from a mysterious unknown object outside our galaxy has excited astronomers. It went unnoticed for years within a vast, two decade-long archive of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, before being unearthed.
On 15 May 2020, while Chandra was observing the remains of an exploded star in the LMC (a small galaxy neighboring our Milky Way), it accidentally captured a bright and extremely fast X-ray flash of unknown origin. This flash appeared and disappeared within a few seconds, went unnoticed during the initial observation, and so was stored in the large Chandra archive. (2/17)
To relieve the congestion, some mission planners are looking to the ocean as the next big gateway to space. China has sent more than a dozen space missions from ocean platforms since 2019, most recently in January 2025. Italy’s space program has announced it will reopen its ocean launchpad off the coast of Kenya, while German space insiders envision an offshore spaceport in the North Sea. In the US, the idea of sea launches has attracted attention from heavyweights like SpaceX and inspired a new startup called the Spaceport Company.
“The best way to build a future where we have dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of spaceports is to build them at sea,” says Tom Marotta, CEO and founder of the Spaceport Company, which is working to establish offshore launch hubs. “It’s very hard to find a thousand acres on the coast over and over again to build spaceports. It’s very easy to build the same ship over and over again.”
"If the US imposes strict oversight on launches, other nations might apply different standards to licensing agreements with launch providers. “I can imagine that some unauthorized projects may become possible simply because they are on the seas and there is no real authority—by contrast to land-based space launches—to supervise those kinds of launches,” Alla Pozdnakova says. (2/11)
Hundreds of FAA Employees are Let Go as Trump's Mass Layoffs Continue (Source: NBC News)
The Trump administration fired hundreds of employees with the FAA over the weekend, just weeks after a fatal crash over Washington, D.C., exposed understaffing at the agency. The union representing the employees called the firings a “hastily made decision” that would increase the workload of a workforce already stretched thin. The union statement referred to the Washington crash as well as two others in recent weeks across the country as evidence that it was not the time to cut personnel at the agency. (2/17)
NOAA, NASA Brace for Major Job Cuts (Source: Axios)
The layoffs of thousands of government workers are likely to expand — possibly as soon as Tuesday — to two key climate science and extreme weather agencies: NOAA and NASA. These are two agencies where Musk has conflicts of interest given the activities of his company SpaceX. The agencies keep tabs on the planet's weather and climate and are considered to be in the top tier of such government departments worldwide. In keeping with the size of cuts to other government departments, NOAA is thought to be in line for as much as a 10% reduction in staff, which would amount to about 1,000 workers.
NOAA is a small organization, with only about 12,000 employees spread across functions from climate and weather forecasting to oceans research and fisheries regulation. Deep cuts could imperil some of its work, particularly that of the National Weather Service, which has been short-staffed in recent years. Editor's Note: A colleague at NASA KSC tells me they expect serious difficulty completing their tasks after key personnel are driven from the agency. I think the full effects of the DOGE purge across the government will manifest after the next two months, when public services are seriously curtailed and the administration of existing contracts becomes chaotic. Expect a lot of churn among contractors as their services are sought to backfill capabilities eviscerated by DOGE. (2/18)
Ursa Major Rocket Engine Could Support US Iron Dome (Source: Space News)
Ursa Major is accelerating work on a rocket engine it believes could play a role in the proposed "Iron Dome for America" missile defense system. The company argues the Draper liquid-propulsion engine it is developing fits the need for the kind of better propulsion technology required for high-performance interceptor missiles, ones that can operate from the ground or from space. Draper relies on kerosene and hydrogen peroxide propellants, allowing it to be used in missiles that are stored for long periods. Ursa Major performed ground tests of the 4,000-pound-force engine last year and is planning a flight-testing campaign to further mature the design and explore military applications, as well as commercial uses in space tugs and in-space transportation. (2/18)
AAC Clyde Space Begins Developing INFLECION Maritime Awareness Constellation (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer AAC Clyde Space is starting work on a constellation for maritime domain awareness. Satellites in the INFLECION constellation will be equipped with signals intelligence and synthetic aperture radar payloads to track shipping. The company plans to operate the constellation, expected to be deployed by 2028, as part of efforts to grow its services business. Initial work on INFLECION is supported by an 850,000 euro ($890,000) contract from ESA, while the total constellation is estimated to cost 30.7 million euros. (2/18)
US and India Explore More Space Collaboration (Source: Space News)
The United States and India are expanding a technology innovation partnership to include space. The two countries announced last week the creation of INDUS Innovation, an "innovation bridge" between the two countries to support work on space, energy and other emerging technologies. It is based on INDUS-X, which has assisted cooperation between American and Indian companies in the defense sector, including some space applications. INDUS Innovation was announced as part of a joint statement between the two countries that also highlighted continued cooperation in civil and commercial space. (2/18)
China Scales Up Commercial Space Support (Source: Space News)
Beijing is scaling up its commercial space ambitions with new policies, infrastructure investments and potentially record-setting launch targets. A conference last week announced the creation of eight labs for space-related research in the city, part of efforts to bolster the commercial space ecosystem in the region. Beijing hosts the headquarters of companies such as Landspace, Galactic Energy, iSpace and Space Pioneer and has the highest concentration of commercial internet satellite companies in China. These efforts are part of a wider range of local and provincial-level initiatives across China to help spur the growth of the commercial space sector. (2/18)
Vietnam Changes Rules to Allow Starlink Service (Source: Reuters)
The government of Vietnam is changing its rules to allow Starlink to operate in the country. Discussions between SpaceX and Vietnam broke down in late 2023 because of restrictions on foreign control of satellite internet providers in the country. However, revisions to those rules set to be adopted this week would allow foreign companies to maintain control of operations in the country as part of a pilot program that would run through 2030. That would open the door for Starlink to provide services in the country without giving up control to local interests. (2/18)
India's Privatized PSLV Heading Toward 2025 Launch (Source: Times of India)
The first privately built Indian PSLV rocket is scheduled to launch later this year. The rocket, scheduled to launch in the third quarter, will carry an experimental spacecraft called TDS-1 to test 35 satellite technologies, from propulsion to quantum payloads. A consortium that includes Indian companies HAL and L&T is building PSLV vehicles as part of efforts by Indian to privatize elements of its space program. (2/18)
Malaysia Moves Forward on Remote Sensing, Outer Space Treaty Ratification (Source: The Vibes)
Malaysia is moving ahead with a remote sensing satellite program. A government minister said Tuesday that the National Remote Sensing Satellite Development Program is scheduled to begin operations in 2028, reducing the country's reliance on data from foreign satellites. The government also stated it plans to ratify the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention. (2/18)
Long March 8A Rocket Successfully Completes Maiden Flight (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully launched its Long March 8A carrier rocket for the first time, sending a group of satellites into orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) announced. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, delivering the second batch of low-orbit satellites for China's State-owned internet network into their designated trajectory. This mission marks the 559th launch in the Long March rocket series. With this flight, Long March 8A becomes the latest operational member in the Long March family, which plays a crucial role in China's space missions. (2/16)
Jumping Workouts Could Help Astronauts on the Moon and Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new Johns Hopkins University study suggests. The research adds to ongoing efforts by space agencies to protect astronauts against deconditioning/getting out of shape due to low gravity, a crucial aspect of their ability to perform spacewalks, handle equipment and repairs, and carry out other physically demanding tasks. The study, which shows knee cartilage in mice grew healthier following jumping exercises, appears in the journal npj Microgravity. (2/16)
K2 Space Secures $110M and Achieves First in-Space Demonstration (Source: Space Daily)
K2 Space has announced the successful completion of a $110 million Series B funding round aimed at scaling up production of its advanced, high-power satellite platform. The investment, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital, also included participation from existing stakeholders such as Alpine Space Ventures and First Round Capital.
This achievement coincides with the company's expansion into a new 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Torrance, California, and the success of its inaugural in-space demonstration, which tested key in-house-developed components. To date, K2 Space has raised $180 million in equity and secured over $50 million in contracts from government and commercial entities. (2/16)
New Research Explores CubeSat Swarms for Spacecraft Servicing and Repair (Source: Space Daily)
As space agencies and private companies design satellites and telescopes with repairability in mind, the need for efficient servicing trajectories becomes crucial. Researchers have developed a new method enabling multiple CubeSats to coordinate in servicing and assembling space telescopes. Their approach optimizes fuel use, maintains a minimum separation of five meters between spacecraft, and has potential applications beyond space missions. (2/16)
Public Offerings Take the Stage as the Space Industry Learns From the SPAC Boom and Bust (Source: Space News)
The space industry is preparing for an uptick in stock listings, even as the sour legacy of SPAC deals in the sector continues to leave a bad taste in public investors’ mouths. While this once-booming trend offered a faster and less scrutinized path to the public markets, many space SPACs ultimately underperformed, weighed down by missed targets and overinflated projections.
Of the dozen or so space companies that went public via SPAC in recent years, four are currently trading above their initial $10-a-share offer price, and another two or three are showing promise. Now that SPACs have fallen out of favor, IPOs are taking center stage as a wave of growth-oriented space firms enters the spotlight.
U.S.-based space and defense companies Voyager and Karman announced separate plans to go public. More IPO announcements will likely follow, given declining interest rates, strong equity markets, and expectations of a more business-friendly regulatory environment under the Trump administration. Among the many reasons to be optimistic about the space sector in 2025 is increasing access to launch services and technological advances that are driving down costs. (2/17)
Orbex Betting the Farm on Its European Launcher Challenge Bid (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based rocket builder Orbex has revealed that it is counting on a positive outcome from its European Launch Challenge bid to fund the development of its medium-lift rocket, Proxima, citing a “challenging investment climate.” The European Space Agency initiated the European Launcher Challenge in November 2023 to support the development of sovereign launch capabilities and, ultimately, a successor to the Ariane 6.
While the exact format of the challenge has not yet been confirmed, initial reports have indicated that it will include multiple awards of €150 million each. Orbex CEO Phil Chambers said the company’s abrupt decision to pause work on its own spaceport at Sutherland and move the initial operation of its Prime rocket to SaxaVord would allow it to “direct more funding to the development of a new, medium-sized launch vehicle called Proxima.”
When asked how the company could justify dedicating resources to a larger, second launcher while walking away from its commitments to Sutherland, Chambers explained that the development of Proxima was “targeted” at the ESA European Launcher Challenge. He cited the potential €150 million award as a key factor and added that, if successful, the bid would “positively affect the business moving forward.” (2/17)
'Remarkable' Cosmic Explosion Discovered in Decades-Old X-Ray Data (Source: Phys.org)
The "needle in the haystack" discovery of a powerful explosion from a mysterious unknown object outside our galaxy has excited astronomers. It went unnoticed for years within a vast, two decade-long archive of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, before being unearthed.
On 15 May 2020, while Chandra was observing the remains of an exploded star in the LMC (a small galaxy neighboring our Milky Way), it accidentally captured a bright and extremely fast X-ray flash of unknown origin. This flash appeared and disappeared within a few seconds, went unnoticed during the initial observation, and so was stored in the large Chandra archive. (2/17)
February 17, 2025
SpaceX Team Visits FAA to Offer Air
Traffic Improvements (Source: AOL)
Officials from Elon Musk’s SpaceX are visiting the FAA, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced. In a lengthy post on the social platform X, Duffy said the country deserves top-of-the-line air travel, and he will comply with President Trump’s order to revamp the industry. “To do that, I need advice from the brightest minds in America. I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country,” Duffy said.
Duffy then said employees from SpaceX, Musk’s space technology company, will be visiting the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to “get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current roles, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.” (2/17)
Eutelsat Pivots Away From Consumer Broadband (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat is moving away from consumer broadband as Starlink's dominance in that sector grows. Eutelsat announced Friday it is repurposing Konnect VHTS, the 500-gigabit-per-second satellite launched to GEO in 2022 for consumer broadband over Europe and Africa, to serve higher-paying mobility customers in other markets. Eutelsat is closely reviewing future GEO investment needs amid a general shift in the market toward LEO for connectivity. Eutelsat owns OneWeb, the only meaningful competitor today for Starlink in LEO, but a global rollout of OneWeb services continues to be delayed by ground infrastructure and regulatory issues. (2/17)
Firefly's Blue Ghost Enters Lunar Orbit (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander has entered orbit around the moon. The lander performed a maneuver late last week to enter an elliptical orbit around the moon and will maneuver in the coming days to move into a circular orbit. The lander is scheduled to touch down early March 2 near Mare Crisium on the near side of the moon. Blue Ghost 1 launched last month on the same Falcon 9 as ispace's Resilience lander, which made a flyby of the moon on Friday. Resilience is following a low-energy trajectory and the flyby put it on course to return and enter lunar orbit in early May. (2/17)
China Seeks Bids for Lunar Imager Satellite (Source: Space News)
China is seeking bids for a lunar imaging satellite. The China Manned Space Engineering Office released a call for proposals Friday for what it described as a "lunar remote sensing satellite" that would provide high-resolution images of the moon, map mineral distributions and support future crewed landings. The mission will focus on low-latitude regions of the moon, suggesting that China's first crewed mission to the moon will go to equatorial regions and not the poles as NASA is targeting with Artemis. (2/17)
Disabled Astronaut Cleared for ISS Missions (Source: Space News)
A European astronaut with a physical disability has been medically cleared for long-duration missions to the International Space Station. A multinational medical board has certified John McFall, an ESA reserve astronaut who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 and wears a prosthesis. ESA selected McFall in its 2022 astronaut class as part of an effort to see if people who have certain disabilities but who would otherwise qualify to be astronauts could fly in space. ESA officials said Friday that while McFall is approved medically for a flight, the agency has not assigned him to a mission yet and he will have to compete for limited opportunities to send ESA astronauts to the station. (2/17)
Ravyn Aims to Distrupt Missile Sector (Source: Space News)
Startup Ravyn Technology is trying to enter the market for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors. The company aims to bring down the cost of missiles tenfold with its Mobile Mass Missile System. Ravyn missiles are designed to travel 1,600 kilometers in space, reaching speeds of Mach 10 or higher, before gliding on reentry for extended range. It wants to cut the cost of missiles through design simplification, economies of scale and vertical integration. (2/17)
Redwire Wins ESA Study Contract for Astrophysics Mission (Source: Redwire)
Redwire has won a study contract for an ESA astrophysics mission. The company's Belgian subsidiary received a contract from ESA for initial work on the Analysis of Resolved Remnants for Accreted galaxies as a Key Instrument for Halo Surveys (ARRAKIHS) spacecraft, which would study dark matter. Another company, AVS, also received a study contract from ESA for the ARRAKIHS mission, and the agency will later pick one of the companies to build the spacecraft. (2/17)
Apollo Film Offers Immersive Experience (Source: CollectSpace)
A film that offers an immersive experience about the Apollo missions is now screening in Houston. The Moonwalkers, narrated by Tom Hanks, premiered in London in late 2023 and started playing earlier this month at Space Center Houston, the visitors' center for the Johnson Space Center. The film uses not just a single screen in front but also screens on the side and extending onto the floor to tell the story of Apollo. Houston The movie will also be screened this spring at the Kennedy Center's Earth to Space Festival in Washington. (2/17)
Officials from Elon Musk’s SpaceX are visiting the FAA, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced. In a lengthy post on the social platform X, Duffy said the country deserves top-of-the-line air travel, and he will comply with President Trump’s order to revamp the industry. “To do that, I need advice from the brightest minds in America. I’m asking for help from any high-tech American developer or company that is willing to give back to our country,” Duffy said.
Duffy then said employees from SpaceX, Musk’s space technology company, will be visiting the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to “get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current roles, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system.” (2/17)
Eutelsat Pivots Away From Consumer Broadband (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat is moving away from consumer broadband as Starlink's dominance in that sector grows. Eutelsat announced Friday it is repurposing Konnect VHTS, the 500-gigabit-per-second satellite launched to GEO in 2022 for consumer broadband over Europe and Africa, to serve higher-paying mobility customers in other markets. Eutelsat is closely reviewing future GEO investment needs amid a general shift in the market toward LEO for connectivity. Eutelsat owns OneWeb, the only meaningful competitor today for Starlink in LEO, but a global rollout of OneWeb services continues to be delayed by ground infrastructure and regulatory issues. (2/17)
Firefly's Blue Ghost Enters Lunar Orbit (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander has entered orbit around the moon. The lander performed a maneuver late last week to enter an elliptical orbit around the moon and will maneuver in the coming days to move into a circular orbit. The lander is scheduled to touch down early March 2 near Mare Crisium on the near side of the moon. Blue Ghost 1 launched last month on the same Falcon 9 as ispace's Resilience lander, which made a flyby of the moon on Friday. Resilience is following a low-energy trajectory and the flyby put it on course to return and enter lunar orbit in early May. (2/17)
China Seeks Bids for Lunar Imager Satellite (Source: Space News)
China is seeking bids for a lunar imaging satellite. The China Manned Space Engineering Office released a call for proposals Friday for what it described as a "lunar remote sensing satellite" that would provide high-resolution images of the moon, map mineral distributions and support future crewed landings. The mission will focus on low-latitude regions of the moon, suggesting that China's first crewed mission to the moon will go to equatorial regions and not the poles as NASA is targeting with Artemis. (2/17)
Disabled Astronaut Cleared for ISS Missions (Source: Space News)
A European astronaut with a physical disability has been medically cleared for long-duration missions to the International Space Station. A multinational medical board has certified John McFall, an ESA reserve astronaut who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 and wears a prosthesis. ESA selected McFall in its 2022 astronaut class as part of an effort to see if people who have certain disabilities but who would otherwise qualify to be astronauts could fly in space. ESA officials said Friday that while McFall is approved medically for a flight, the agency has not assigned him to a mission yet and he will have to compete for limited opportunities to send ESA astronauts to the station. (2/17)
Ravyn Aims to Distrupt Missile Sector (Source: Space News)
Startup Ravyn Technology is trying to enter the market for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors. The company aims to bring down the cost of missiles tenfold with its Mobile Mass Missile System. Ravyn missiles are designed to travel 1,600 kilometers in space, reaching speeds of Mach 10 or higher, before gliding on reentry for extended range. It wants to cut the cost of missiles through design simplification, economies of scale and vertical integration. (2/17)
Redwire Wins ESA Study Contract for Astrophysics Mission (Source: Redwire)
Redwire has won a study contract for an ESA astrophysics mission. The company's Belgian subsidiary received a contract from ESA for initial work on the Analysis of Resolved Remnants for Accreted galaxies as a Key Instrument for Halo Surveys (ARRAKIHS) spacecraft, which would study dark matter. Another company, AVS, also received a study contract from ESA for the ARRAKIHS mission, and the agency will later pick one of the companies to build the spacecraft. (2/17)
Apollo Film Offers Immersive Experience (Source: CollectSpace)
A film that offers an immersive experience about the Apollo missions is now screening in Houston. The Moonwalkers, narrated by Tom Hanks, premiered in London in late 2023 and started playing earlier this month at Space Center Houston, the visitors' center for the Johnson Space Center. The film uses not just a single screen in front but also screens on the side and extending onto the floor to tell the story of Apollo. Houston The movie will also be screened this spring at the Kennedy Center's Earth to Space Festival in Washington. (2/17)
February 16, 2025
Chinese Developer Delivers Liqing-2
Rocket Engine (Source: Space Daily)
China's CAS Space has successfully completed the delivery of its Liqing-2 liquid oxygen kerosene engine, the company announced. The Liqing-2, a first-stage engine for the Lijian series rockets, features a 110-tonne thrust capacity utilizing pin injection technology in both its gas generator and thrust chamber. CAS Space noted that the engine's thrust ratio can be adjusted between 50 to 100 percent, with a maximum ground thrust of 110 tons. (2/12)
COMSAT Backs Astranis From-One-Many Mission with TT&C Services (Source: Space Daily)
COMSAT, a leading satellite ground station service provider, has announced its instrumental role in supporting the Astranis: From One Many mission, which aims to enhance global broadband connectivity. The mission, spearheaded by San Francisco-based satellite company Astranis, is designed to deliver broadband services to key customers such as inflight connectivity provider Anuvu and Philippine internet provider HTechCorp. (2/6)
NASA Awards SpaceX Launch Contract for Pandora Mission (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has awarded a launch service contract to SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, for the upcoming Pandora mission. Pandora is set to investigate at least 20 known exoplanets and their respective host stars, focusing on how stellar variations impact the analysis of exoplanetary atmospheres. The selection falls under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This agreement allows the agency to issue fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task orders over a five-year period, with an overall contract ceiling of $300 million. (2/6)
Probationary Employee Firings Across NASA (Source: NASA Watch)
Multiple NASA centers will be announcing probationary employee “terminations” on Tuesday. A quick look at the news will show that this is happening across the entire Federal government. And this is just the pre-game show, folks. There is still a RIF to look forward to. As for the contractor community – things will probably suck even more. (2/15)
Scientists Just Found a Hidden Planet That’s Absolutely Massive (Source: SciTech Daily)
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of exoplanet Gaia-4b, one of the most massive planets known to orbit a low-mass star. This discovery was made in part using the NEID spectrograph, which is mounted on the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Kitt Peak National Observatory. (2/15)
VIPER Moon Rover’s Commercial Revival Signals a New Era (Source: The Hill)
Last year, NASA canceled the VIPER (“Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover”) in a move that scandalized proponents of a return to the moon. The agency is now requesting comprehensive plans from industry to fly VIPER to the moon. NASA will make a final decision in the summer. The selected company would be required to accept VIPER as is and not dismantle the rover and incorporate its instruments into another vehicle. It would bear the cost of transporting it to the lunar surface and operating it. (2/16)
Evolving Intelligent Life Took Billions of Years − But it May Not Have Been as Unlikely as Many Scientists Think (Source: The Conversation)
A popular model of evolution concludes that it was incredibly unlikely for humanity to evolve on Earth, and that extraterrestrial intelligence is vanishingly rare. But as experts on the entangled history of life and our planet, we propose that the coevolution of life and Earth’s surface environment may have unfolded in a way that makes the evolutionary origin of humanlike intelligence a more foreseeable or expected outcome than generally thought. Click here. (2/14)
China's CAS Space has successfully completed the delivery of its Liqing-2 liquid oxygen kerosene engine, the company announced. The Liqing-2, a first-stage engine for the Lijian series rockets, features a 110-tonne thrust capacity utilizing pin injection technology in both its gas generator and thrust chamber. CAS Space noted that the engine's thrust ratio can be adjusted between 50 to 100 percent, with a maximum ground thrust of 110 tons. (2/12)
COMSAT Backs Astranis From-One-Many Mission with TT&C Services (Source: Space Daily)
COMSAT, a leading satellite ground station service provider, has announced its instrumental role in supporting the Astranis: From One Many mission, which aims to enhance global broadband connectivity. The mission, spearheaded by San Francisco-based satellite company Astranis, is designed to deliver broadband services to key customers such as inflight connectivity provider Anuvu and Philippine internet provider HTechCorp. (2/6)
NASA Awards SpaceX Launch Contract for Pandora Mission (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has awarded a launch service contract to SpaceX of Starbase, Texas, for the upcoming Pandora mission. Pandora is set to investigate at least 20 known exoplanets and their respective host stars, focusing on how stellar variations impact the analysis of exoplanetary atmospheres. The selection falls under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This agreement allows the agency to issue fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task orders over a five-year period, with an overall contract ceiling of $300 million. (2/6)
Probationary Employee Firings Across NASA (Source: NASA Watch)
Multiple NASA centers will be announcing probationary employee “terminations” on Tuesday. A quick look at the news will show that this is happening across the entire Federal government. And this is just the pre-game show, folks. There is still a RIF to look forward to. As for the contractor community – things will probably suck even more. (2/15)
Scientists Just Found a Hidden Planet That’s Absolutely Massive (Source: SciTech Daily)
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of exoplanet Gaia-4b, one of the most massive planets known to orbit a low-mass star. This discovery was made in part using the NEID spectrograph, which is mounted on the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Kitt Peak National Observatory. (2/15)
VIPER Moon Rover’s Commercial Revival Signals a New Era (Source: The Hill)
Last year, NASA canceled the VIPER (“Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover”) in a move that scandalized proponents of a return to the moon. The agency is now requesting comprehensive plans from industry to fly VIPER to the moon. NASA will make a final decision in the summer. The selected company would be required to accept VIPER as is and not dismantle the rover and incorporate its instruments into another vehicle. It would bear the cost of transporting it to the lunar surface and operating it. (2/16)
Evolving Intelligent Life Took Billions of Years − But it May Not Have Been as Unlikely as Many Scientists Think (Source: The Conversation)
A popular model of evolution concludes that it was incredibly unlikely for humanity to evolve on Earth, and that extraterrestrial intelligence is vanishingly rare. But as experts on the entangled history of life and our planet, we propose that the coevolution of life and Earth’s surface environment may have unfolded in a way that makes the evolutionary origin of humanlike intelligence a more foreseeable or expected outcome than generally thought. Click here. (2/14)
February 15, 2025
SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket for
Record Time Saturday From Florida (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX launched a record-setting rocket early Saturday. This rocket was flying for the 26th time, as SpaceX continues to push reusability to new records. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship. This shattered the record this particular booster set back in January for launches and landings. As SpaceX continues to push the reusability of its boosters, it remains to be seen just how many refights its Falcon 9 booster can reach. (2/15)
Former SpaceX Engineer Files to Challenge Sen. Susan Collins (Source: WMTW)
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is up for reelection in 2026, and there is already someone making moves to challenge her. Phillip Rench filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission this week to run as an independent for Collins' seat. As an independent, he would not face a primary.
Rench is a former senior engineer at SpaceX and played a key role in the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Commercial Crew programs. He is currently a member of the Maine Space Commission Board of Directors and is owner of the Ossipee Hill Farm & Observatory in Waterboro. (2/14)
Future of U.S. Space Policy Unclear as National Space Council Might Close (Source: Washington Times)
Rumors are circulating that President Trump might shutter the National Space Council as his administration moves to slash federal spending, a move that could have wide-ranging effects on U.S. policy toward the stars. The council helps craft space policy directives and has been significantly involved in U.S. space activities in national security and commercial space. The council is chaired by the vice president. (2/4)
Alabama Poised to Gain as Spy Satellite Launches Ramp Up, but Questions Remain (Source: AL.com)
With the Defense Department moving to put more satellites into orbit this year, the stakes are rising for two space launch companies with millions invested in north Alabama. One of them, United Launch Alliance, has a long history of carrying satellites into orbit under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which funds the launch of high-value military and intelligence satellites. The company assembles some of its rockets in a 2-million-square-foot facility in Decatur.
The other, Blue Origin, is a relative newcomer, but one that has built a large and growing footprint in Huntsville. In the past month, Blue Origin has launched the 29th mission of its suborbital New Shepard rocket and completed the first successful orbit of its New Glenn heavy-lift platform. (2/15)
Whitesides/Begich Aims to Advance NASA Missions to Mars, Beyond (Source: Alaska Watchman)
Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, a member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, introduced The Dept. of Energy and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by California Congressman George Whitesides, to formally strengthen collaboration between the DOE and NASA.
The bill aims to ensure continued U.S. leadership in space exploration and energy innovation by codifying a long-standing partnership between the two agencies with the ultimate aim of long-term exploration of the Moon and a future mission to Mars. (2/14)
Musk and Space Travel Skewered in S. Korean Director Bong's Latest (Source: Hindustan Times)
Interplanetary space travel and the vanities of tech billionaires like Elon Musk are the subject of acclaimed South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's satirical new film "Mickey 17" which will be shown at the Berlin film festival on Saturday. The writer and director of the Oscar-winning 2019 hit "Parasite" returns to screens with a darkly comic take on the sci-fi genre starring British actor Robert Pattinson as Mickey, an intrepid but accident-prone space explorer.
The plot revolves around a megalomaniac billionaire with a resemblance to Musk played with brio by "Avengers" star Mark Ruffalo who boards a spaceship travelling to colonise an icy planet in a not-too-distant future. Mickey is a struggling working-class passenger known as an "expendable" who is chosen to undertake all the most dangerous missions aboard the vessel.
Blue Origin Wants Fewer Middle Managers (Source: Business Insider)
Jeff Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin, said on Thursday that it was laying off about 10% of its workers and thinning out management layers. "We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," CEO David Limp said. "Sadly, this resulted in eliminating some positions in engineering, R&D, and program/project management and thinning out our layers of management," Limp added. (2/14)
Firefly Aerospace Picked to Launch Space Force VICTUS SOL Tactically Responsive Space Mission (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace, Inc., the leader in responsive space launch services, today announced the company was awarded a $21.81 million contract to launch the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) VICTUS SOL Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission. VICTUS SOL is an early operational capability to enable the United States to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs and provide flexibility to Combatant Commanders. (2/14)
Eutelsat Logs $560M Impairment on GEO Assets in First Half of 2024-25 (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat’s total revenue grew by nearly 6% in the first half of its 2024-25 fiscal year with growth in Connectivity, but the operator also took a 535 million euro ($560 million) goodwill impairment on its Geostationary Orbit (GEO) assets, expecting lower future cashflow from GEO. (2/14)
British-Backed Challenger to Musk’s Starlink Plunged Into Turmoil (Source: The Telegraph)
A venture backed by British taxpayers that is attempting to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink has been plunged into turmoil after a €873m (£728m) loss triggered a collapse in its share price. Eutelsat, a Paris-listed satellite business which includes the British state as a key shareholder, has turned to the French government for support as it hunts for fresh funding.
Shares in the company plunged by more than 19pc on Friday after Eutelsat reported steep losses, including a €535m impairment. The British state owns around 10pc of Eutelsat following a merger with OneWeb, a UK satellite company rescued under Boris Johnson’s government in 2020. (2/14)
Texas Approves Wastewater Permit for SpaceX at Starbase (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Texas’ environmental regulator has closed a chapter in the saga of the industrial wastewater permit SpaceX needed for its South Texas launch site. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Thursday denied requests from a dozen area residents and several groups to reconsider the commercial space company’s permit to dump as much as 358,000 gallons of water into wetlands during tests and launches of its Starship rocket from its Starbase east of Brownsville. (2/14)
SpaceX’s First International Rocket Landing Will Be in The Bahamas (Source: Caribbean Journal)
SpaceX is making history next week with the first-ever international landing of one of its rockets. The Falcon 9 rocket will be launching from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 18, before taking an eight-minute trip over Atlantic to the Bahamas, where its first phase will be landing on SpaceX’s autonomous drone ship. The drone ship will be stationed off the coast of the Exuma archipelago of the Bahamas.
Aisha Bowe, a Bahamian-American former NASA scientist, worked with SpaceX to help develop space protocols in the Bahamas. The Bahamas has approved 18 more landings throughout 2025, subject to regulatory approval. It’s not just a rocket, though. SpaceX will also be holding quarterly STEM and space-focused seminars in the Bahamas, along with giving a $1 million donation to the University of the Bahamas for STEM education. (2/13)
Improving Spaceport Infrastructure Could Ease Strain at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg (Source: Space News)
“Amateurs talk strategy while professionals talk logistics.” The phrase, often attributed to U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley, highlights how newcomers to a field will promote big plans while those with more experience will focus on the nitty-gritty details needed to turn any plan into reality. That was on display at the annual Spaceport Summit, where members were given the opportunity to take two minutes to discuss what was happening at their spaceports.
Proposed spaceports in places ranging from Paso Robles, California, and Yuma, Arizona, to Nigeria and Uruguay outlined their visions to develop launch sites, offering visions of economic windfalls from capturing a portion of the growing space industry, someday. Then Dale Ketcham of Space Florida stepped up to talk about Cape Canaveral. “We’re going to do well over 100 launches to orbit this year,” he projected, a safe bet given there were 93 launches from the Cape in 2024. “Our priority is on basic meat-and-potatoes, blocking-and-tackling infrastructure.”
By infrastructure he did not mean launch pads or other facilities associated with spaceports but far more mundane, yet essential, items: “everything from wastewater and power to liquified natural gas.” Also on his list were roads, bridges and additional wharf space at Port Canaveral, a port where space companies compete with cruise lines for access. Click here. (2/14)
Musk Pulled Several SpaceX HR People Into DOGE (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk appeared in the Oval Office to defend DOGE, which has ricocheted across Washington identifying spending cuts, accessing public data and screening federal workers in a chaotic blitz that critics have blasted as illegal. “We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes,” Musk said Tuesday, adding that “we will fix the mistakes very quickly.” But who is “we?”
Musk asserted that no “organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization,” but neither Musk nor Trump officials have provided much public information about DOGE’s structure, operations or workforce. DOGE staff member Katie Miller referred questions to the White House. White House spokesman Harrison Fields said its work falls under the Presidential Records Act, which shields presidential records from public disclosure until five years after the president leaves office. She declined to respond to detailed questions.
Among over a dozen DOGE employees identified through paperwork reviews, at least six have worked for SpaceX. Four of those six held human-resources roles at SpaceX: Brian Bjelde, Stephen Duarte, Christina Hanna, and Bryanne-Michelle Mlodzianowski. Mark Elez and Christopher Stanley worked in engineering at SpaceX. (2/24)
How Elon Musk Plans to Upend NASA (Source: Disconnect)
It should come as no surprise that there are concerns about what Elon Musk plans to do with NASA given the power he’s seized over the US federal government. The ranking members of the Congressional committees dealing with space and science have already sent a letter to Petro expressing concern about Musk’s conflicts of interests and the potential for sensitive NASA data to be accessed by people who run SpaceX, but that’s unlikely to stop DOGE. Despite relying so much on NASA for SpaceX contracts, Musk wants to transform the agency and better align it with his own priorities.
Jared Isaacman is poised to help Musk achieve his vision and make sure the US space program becomes more dependent on his company. NASA has long understood that to maintain its funding, it needed to keep lawmakers happy. For that reason, it has facilities in many parts of the United States and its contractors ensure production is widely distributed as well. For example, the Space Launch System (SLS) is responsible for 28,000 jobs across 44 US states, making it so many Congresspeople will defend the agency and its funding to avoid the risk of losing the work being done in their jurisdictions.
Last year, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz called for the government to stop favoring large incumbents for contracts in favor of those associated with the modern tech industry. Musk does not want to see the United States turn its ambitions away from the stars; he just wants to see his own priorities adopted as those of the entire nation. (2/14)
Spaceport Puerto Rico: The New Exploration Frontier in the Caribbean (Source: LinkedIn)
Puerto Rico is emerging as the next pivotal hub for commercial space launches in the Caribbean. Thanks to its strategic location, robust aerospace heritage, and recent initiatives by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA), the Island is positioning itself to host a state‐of‐the‐art spaceport at the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba.
It is a project that promises not only to unlock new economic opportunities but also to forge a transformative partnership between public and private sectors in the realm of space exploration. Situated just off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba benefits from proximity to the equator—a critical asset that enables efficient access to a wide range of orbital inclinations. This geographical advantage is coupled with the Island’s status as a U.S. jurisdiction, which guarantees a stable legal and financial framework and streamlined access to American markets. (2/14)
SpaceX launched a record-setting rocket early Saturday. This rocket was flying for the 26th time, as SpaceX continues to push reusability to new records. The first-stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship. This shattered the record this particular booster set back in January for launches and landings. As SpaceX continues to push the reusability of its boosters, it remains to be seen just how many refights its Falcon 9 booster can reach. (2/15)
Former SpaceX Engineer Files to Challenge Sen. Susan Collins (Source: WMTW)
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is up for reelection in 2026, and there is already someone making moves to challenge her. Phillip Rench filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission this week to run as an independent for Collins' seat. As an independent, he would not face a primary.
Rench is a former senior engineer at SpaceX and played a key role in the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Commercial Crew programs. He is currently a member of the Maine Space Commission Board of Directors and is owner of the Ossipee Hill Farm & Observatory in Waterboro. (2/14)
Future of U.S. Space Policy Unclear as National Space Council Might Close (Source: Washington Times)
Rumors are circulating that President Trump might shutter the National Space Council as his administration moves to slash federal spending, a move that could have wide-ranging effects on U.S. policy toward the stars. The council helps craft space policy directives and has been significantly involved in U.S. space activities in national security and commercial space. The council is chaired by the vice president. (2/4)
Alabama Poised to Gain as Spy Satellite Launches Ramp Up, but Questions Remain (Source: AL.com)
With the Defense Department moving to put more satellites into orbit this year, the stakes are rising for two space launch companies with millions invested in north Alabama. One of them, United Launch Alliance, has a long history of carrying satellites into orbit under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which funds the launch of high-value military and intelligence satellites. The company assembles some of its rockets in a 2-million-square-foot facility in Decatur.
The other, Blue Origin, is a relative newcomer, but one that has built a large and growing footprint in Huntsville. In the past month, Blue Origin has launched the 29th mission of its suborbital New Shepard rocket and completed the first successful orbit of its New Glenn heavy-lift platform. (2/15)
Whitesides/Begich Aims to Advance NASA Missions to Mars, Beyond (Source: Alaska Watchman)
Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, a member on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, introduced The Dept. of Energy and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by California Congressman George Whitesides, to formally strengthen collaboration between the DOE and NASA.
The bill aims to ensure continued U.S. leadership in space exploration and energy innovation by codifying a long-standing partnership between the two agencies with the ultimate aim of long-term exploration of the Moon and a future mission to Mars. (2/14)
Musk and Space Travel Skewered in S. Korean Director Bong's Latest (Source: Hindustan Times)
Interplanetary space travel and the vanities of tech billionaires like Elon Musk are the subject of acclaimed South Korean director Bong Joon Ho's satirical new film "Mickey 17" which will be shown at the Berlin film festival on Saturday. The writer and director of the Oscar-winning 2019 hit "Parasite" returns to screens with a darkly comic take on the sci-fi genre starring British actor Robert Pattinson as Mickey, an intrepid but accident-prone space explorer.
The plot revolves around a megalomaniac billionaire with a resemblance to Musk played with brio by "Avengers" star Mark Ruffalo who boards a spaceship travelling to colonise an icy planet in a not-too-distant future. Mickey is a struggling working-class passenger known as an "expendable" who is chosen to undertake all the most dangerous missions aboard the vessel.
Blue Origin Wants Fewer Middle Managers (Source: Business Insider)
Jeff Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin, said on Thursday that it was laying off about 10% of its workers and thinning out management layers. "We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," CEO David Limp said. "Sadly, this resulted in eliminating some positions in engineering, R&D, and program/project management and thinning out our layers of management," Limp added. (2/14)
Firefly Aerospace Picked to Launch Space Force VICTUS SOL Tactically Responsive Space Mission (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace, Inc., the leader in responsive space launch services, today announced the company was awarded a $21.81 million contract to launch the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) VICTUS SOL Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) mission. VICTUS SOL is an early operational capability to enable the United States to rapidly respond to on-orbit needs and provide flexibility to Combatant Commanders. (2/14)
Eutelsat Logs $560M Impairment on GEO Assets in First Half of 2024-25 (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat’s total revenue grew by nearly 6% in the first half of its 2024-25 fiscal year with growth in Connectivity, but the operator also took a 535 million euro ($560 million) goodwill impairment on its Geostationary Orbit (GEO) assets, expecting lower future cashflow from GEO. (2/14)
British-Backed Challenger to Musk’s Starlink Plunged Into Turmoil (Source: The Telegraph)
A venture backed by British taxpayers that is attempting to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink has been plunged into turmoil after a €873m (£728m) loss triggered a collapse in its share price. Eutelsat, a Paris-listed satellite business which includes the British state as a key shareholder, has turned to the French government for support as it hunts for fresh funding.
Shares in the company plunged by more than 19pc on Friday after Eutelsat reported steep losses, including a €535m impairment. The British state owns around 10pc of Eutelsat following a merger with OneWeb, a UK satellite company rescued under Boris Johnson’s government in 2020. (2/14)
Texas Approves Wastewater Permit for SpaceX at Starbase (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Texas’ environmental regulator has closed a chapter in the saga of the industrial wastewater permit SpaceX needed for its South Texas launch site. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Thursday denied requests from a dozen area residents and several groups to reconsider the commercial space company’s permit to dump as much as 358,000 gallons of water into wetlands during tests and launches of its Starship rocket from its Starbase east of Brownsville. (2/14)
SpaceX’s First International Rocket Landing Will Be in The Bahamas (Source: Caribbean Journal)
SpaceX is making history next week with the first-ever international landing of one of its rockets. The Falcon 9 rocket will be launching from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 18, before taking an eight-minute trip over Atlantic to the Bahamas, where its first phase will be landing on SpaceX’s autonomous drone ship. The drone ship will be stationed off the coast of the Exuma archipelago of the Bahamas.
Aisha Bowe, a Bahamian-American former NASA scientist, worked with SpaceX to help develop space protocols in the Bahamas. The Bahamas has approved 18 more landings throughout 2025, subject to regulatory approval. It’s not just a rocket, though. SpaceX will also be holding quarterly STEM and space-focused seminars in the Bahamas, along with giving a $1 million donation to the University of the Bahamas for STEM education. (2/13)
Improving Spaceport Infrastructure Could Ease Strain at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg (Source: Space News)
“Amateurs talk strategy while professionals talk logistics.” The phrase, often attributed to U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley, highlights how newcomers to a field will promote big plans while those with more experience will focus on the nitty-gritty details needed to turn any plan into reality. That was on display at the annual Spaceport Summit, where members were given the opportunity to take two minutes to discuss what was happening at their spaceports.
Proposed spaceports in places ranging from Paso Robles, California, and Yuma, Arizona, to Nigeria and Uruguay outlined their visions to develop launch sites, offering visions of economic windfalls from capturing a portion of the growing space industry, someday. Then Dale Ketcham of Space Florida stepped up to talk about Cape Canaveral. “We’re going to do well over 100 launches to orbit this year,” he projected, a safe bet given there were 93 launches from the Cape in 2024. “Our priority is on basic meat-and-potatoes, blocking-and-tackling infrastructure.”
By infrastructure he did not mean launch pads or other facilities associated with spaceports but far more mundane, yet essential, items: “everything from wastewater and power to liquified natural gas.” Also on his list were roads, bridges and additional wharf space at Port Canaveral, a port where space companies compete with cruise lines for access. Click here. (2/14)
Musk Pulled Several SpaceX HR People Into DOGE (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk appeared in the Oval Office to defend DOGE, which has ricocheted across Washington identifying spending cuts, accessing public data and screening federal workers in a chaotic blitz that critics have blasted as illegal. “We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes,” Musk said Tuesday, adding that “we will fix the mistakes very quickly.” But who is “we?”
Musk asserted that no “organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization,” but neither Musk nor Trump officials have provided much public information about DOGE’s structure, operations or workforce. DOGE staff member Katie Miller referred questions to the White House. White House spokesman Harrison Fields said its work falls under the Presidential Records Act, which shields presidential records from public disclosure until five years after the president leaves office. She declined to respond to detailed questions.
Among over a dozen DOGE employees identified through paperwork reviews, at least six have worked for SpaceX. Four of those six held human-resources roles at SpaceX: Brian Bjelde, Stephen Duarte, Christina Hanna, and Bryanne-Michelle Mlodzianowski. Mark Elez and Christopher Stanley worked in engineering at SpaceX. (2/24)
How Elon Musk Plans to Upend NASA (Source: Disconnect)
It should come as no surprise that there are concerns about what Elon Musk plans to do with NASA given the power he’s seized over the US federal government. The ranking members of the Congressional committees dealing with space and science have already sent a letter to Petro expressing concern about Musk’s conflicts of interests and the potential for sensitive NASA data to be accessed by people who run SpaceX, but that’s unlikely to stop DOGE. Despite relying so much on NASA for SpaceX contracts, Musk wants to transform the agency and better align it with his own priorities.
Jared Isaacman is poised to help Musk achieve his vision and make sure the US space program becomes more dependent on his company. NASA has long understood that to maintain its funding, it needed to keep lawmakers happy. For that reason, it has facilities in many parts of the United States and its contractors ensure production is widely distributed as well. For example, the Space Launch System (SLS) is responsible for 28,000 jobs across 44 US states, making it so many Congresspeople will defend the agency and its funding to avoid the risk of losing the work being done in their jurisdictions.
Last year, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz called for the government to stop favoring large incumbents for contracts in favor of those associated with the modern tech industry. Musk does not want to see the United States turn its ambitions away from the stars; he just wants to see his own priorities adopted as those of the entire nation. (2/14)
Spaceport Puerto Rico: The New Exploration Frontier in the Caribbean (Source: LinkedIn)
Puerto Rico is emerging as the next pivotal hub for commercial space launches in the Caribbean. Thanks to its strategic location, robust aerospace heritage, and recent initiatives by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA), the Island is positioning itself to host a state‐of‐the‐art spaceport at the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba.
It is a project that promises not only to unlock new economic opportunities but also to forge a transformative partnership between public and private sectors in the realm of space exploration. Situated just off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba benefits from proximity to the equator—a critical asset that enables efficient access to a wide range of orbital inclinations. This geographical advantage is coupled with the Island’s status as a U.S. jurisdiction, which guarantees a stable legal and financial framework and streamlined access to American markets. (2/14)
February 14, 2025
Space Force Aims for Stricter
Acquisition Accountability (Source: Air & Space Forces)
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy is intensifying acquisition reforms initiated by Frank Calvelli, emphasizing accountability for contractors and program managers. Purdy supports buying smaller satellites and using fixed-price contracts but acknowledges industry resistance, particularly from legacy space companies. "From May 2022 to today, we're at about 14 major acquisition programs that have had contracts or entire programs restructured or canceled," Purdy says. (2/13)
Cruz Creates List of "Woke" Science (Source: NPR)
Corinne Brevik, a physicist at Southern Illinois University, used money from a National Science Foundation grant to help middle schoolers host a live, interactive broadcast that brought together kids within a solar eclipse path of totality with those around the country outside the path. It meant thousands of students could share the experience. On Tuesday, Brevik was surprised to learn that her grant was one of over 3,400 NSF grants labeled by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, as "woke DEI" research that may be advancing "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."
A database released by Cruz this week formed the basis of an October report claiming over $2 billion of NSF's $9 billion budget went to "left-wing ideological crusades masked as 'academic research.'" The report also includes an appendix containing hundreds of DEI-related words. Parts of that appendix are currently being used by NSF staff to screen thousands of their active grants for compliance with President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion measures across the government. (2/13)
KSC-Led Polar Ice Experiment Paves Way for Future Moon Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is preparing to explore the Moon’s subsurface and analyze where lunar resources may reside. The experiment’s two key instruments will demonstrate our ability to extract and analyze lunar soil to better understand the lunar environment and subsurface resources, paving the way for sustainable human exploration under the agency’s Artemis campaign for the benefit of all.
Its two instruments will work in tandem: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) will drill into the Moon’s surface to collect samples, while the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) will analyze these samples to determine the gas composition released across the sampling depth. The PRIME-1 technology will provide valuable data to help us better understand the Moon’s surface and how to work with and on it.
“The ability to drill and analyze samples at the same time allows us to gather insights that will shape the future of lunar resource utilization,” said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Human exploration of the Moon and deep space will depend on making good use of local resources to produce life-sustaining supplies necessary to live and work on another planetary body.” (2/12)
Blue Origin Bracing for Job Cuts After Years of Expansion (Sources: Bloomberg, Space News)
Blue Origin is bracing for a large reduction in its workforce, in a sign the Jeff Bezos-backed space company is looking to cut costs and focus resources on ramping up rocket launches after years of R&D work. Blue Origin is laying off 10% of its workforce, or more than 1,000 employees.
Dave Limp, chief executive of Blue Origin, notified employees Feb. 13 the layoffs, which he said would be spread across the company, including management. “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed,” he wrote in an email to employees, sent after a meeting where he announced the layoffs. (2/13)
Outrage After Elon Musk's SpaceX Awarded $38M Government Contract (Source: Daily Mail)
The federal government awarded Elon Musk's company a $38.85 million contract on Monday as the billionaire works to slash other contracts. Critics were not happy to find out that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation – otherwise known as SpaceX – got a multi-million-dollar NASA contract at the same time Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is slashing billions in other government contracts.
'If you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for the taxpayer, let me know – because every one of them was,' Musk challenged. One X user wrote: 'This is a cartoonishly stupid answer.' 'So let me get this straight, he wants contracts for cancer research cancelled but says let keep contracts for his company Spacex to do research,' Rep. Ilhan Omar posted. (2/12)
Trump Should Patch the Holes in US-Africa Space Cooperation (Source: Atlantic Council)
As US President Donald Trump gets settled in Washington, he has a pivotal opportunity to strengthen space cooperation between the United States and Africa. Africa’s space sector presents significant opportunities for the United States. The sector is projected to generate over twenty billion dollars in direct revenue annually. Meanwhile, it serves as a platform to advance broader US foreign policy objectives related to national security, space diplomacy, sustainability, and global influence.
Uncertainty lingers among African leaders about which US institution would lead this charge: NASA, the Office of Space Commerce under NOAA, or the National Space Council (if the second Trump administration keeps it). Much of the implementation has been thus far led by the Office of Space Commerce. The Trump administration can help address this uncertainty by establishing a dedicated task force within an appropriate US space entity to oversee US-Africa space collaboration. (2/12)
Could This Space Oven Allow Astronauts to Finally Cook in Space? (Source: Smithsonian)
Without gravity, natural convection cooking cannot occur. Food served on the International Space Station is heat-treated to be shelf stable. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods warmed with water are standard fare. Breakfast might look like cereal flakes with dried milk that can be rehydrated with water along with dried strawberries. For dinner, astronauts might warm a packet of chicken and veggies in a tortilla to create a fajita wrap. The availability of water and storage, as well as flammability concerns, seriously limit the length of space missions.
“It would change everything if they just had a way to cook,” says aerospace engineer Jim Sears. Sears, of Boulder, Colorado, has developed a solution with his new space oven, SATED. An acronym for “safe appliance, tidy, efficient and delicious,” his invention can whip up a savory quiche in minutes or cook a perfectly crisp pizza in a low- to no-gravity environment. Just slightly larger than a toaster, the appliance uses a cylinder, spinning at several hundred rotations per minute, to create its own artificial gravity through centrifugal force. (2/12)
Laser Lab Stashed Beneath the University of Texas Could Power Future Space Travel (Source: KXAN)
Deep beneath the surface in a quiet corner of the basement of the Physics, Math and Astronomy building of the University of Texas at Austin, lasers blast electronics with simulated cosmic rays. TAU Systems builds laser-plasma accelerators, capable of stripping atoms of their electrons. Across the lab they share with UT Professor Mike Downer, a laser system takes a beam of light and alters it.
“You start with a really, really short laser pulse, something like 25 femtoseconds, which is 25 times 10 to the minus 15 seconds,” team lead Philip Franke said. It is his job to get this pulse across the room and to a target. After bouncing across mirrors, being split apart, put back together and growing the beam from a hair’s width to a couple of inches – the laser strikes a puff of gas and is stripped of its electrons. Carried like a wave, the electrons strike a piece of electronics. If fried, the electronics will likely not survive a trip to space.
By testing electronics, engineers can determine if their shielding is working. Testing can also help guide construction of microchips, to prevent damage on a smaller level. They’ll soon open a service center in Carlsbad, California, where companies like Space X can send their electronics for testing. Eventually, they plan to sell their accelerator to companies, giving them the option to build their own laser system and strip atoms of electrons themselves. (2/12)
Arizona Competes for $160 million Grant to Launch Inland Spaceport (Source: KYMA)
Several local Arizona state lawmakers sent a letter asking for Yuma to be the next U.S. commercial spaceport. Local Arizona State Representatives Michele Peña and Tim Dunn from Yuma support this collaboration and encourage its selection, and the City of Yuma says the project could bring jobs, businesses, and innovation to the area.
The City of Yuma is competing for a $160 million federal grant to build Arizona's first commercial spaceport. Representative Justin Wilmeth says this project aligns with the nations priorities for space exploration and economic growth. (2/12)
Democrat Calls On NASA Administrator to Revoke Musk’s Access to Headquarters (Source: The Hill)
Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) on Tuesday urged the acting head of NASA to revoke tech billionaire Elon Musk’s access to the space agency’s headquarters, citing an extreme conflict of interest. “Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest — exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” she wrote. (2/12)
KARI Develops Solar Sail Technology to Enhance Korea's Deep Space Navigation Capabilities (Source: Chosun)
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has developed a solar sail deployment device that can be applied to a spacecraft traveling with solar wind as its power source. KARI noted that it successfully developed a prototype of the solar sail deployment device through its research on 'solar diffraction propulsion technology' that began in June last year.
The solar sail is a technology that allows a spacecraft to navigate in outer space for an extended period without fuel, using the principle of reflecting photons emitted by the sun off the sail, much like how a sailboat navigates using the wind. (2/13)
Rocket Lab Delivers Third In-Orbit Manufacturing Spacecraft for Varda Space Industries (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has delivered another Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. It’s Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft produced for Varda, and the second the Company has delivered for launch within a month. (2/12)
UK MOD Taps Airbus to Build £127M Spy Satellite Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has awarded Airbus a £127 million contract to develop two reconnaissance satellites. The two satellites will make up the country’s Oberon Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation, which is a small part of the country’s larger ISTARI reconnaissance constellation. (2/12)
Chinese Space Firm Showcases Mobile-to-Satellite Communication Tech (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese space firm GalaxySpace successfully demonstrated mobile-to-satellite communication technology based on the country's first low-Earth orbit broadband communication test constellation at a commercial space conference held in Beijing.
At 10:28 a.m., a satellite from the constellation passed over the conference venue in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. On-site staff used their mobile phones to connect to the satellite via a terminal device installed on the rooftop. Through a gateway station in Beijing, they established a connection with personnel in Beijing and Thailand. (2/12)
Detector on Sea Floor Spots Highest Energy Neutrino (Source: Cosmos)
A detector sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Italy has made a remarkable discovery: the first observation of an ultra-high energy neutrino. The kilometer cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) spotted the neutrino in 2023. The event, dubbed KM3-230213A, was subject to meticulous analysis before being confirmed as the highest energy neutrino observed. (2/13)
After Putin Sacked Russia’s Space Chief, the Rumor Mill is Running Red-Hot (Source: Ars Technica)
After a relatively short period of just two and a half years, the chief of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, was dismissed from his position last week. In the wake of Borisov's seemingly sudden removal—there was no readily apparent public controversy, and he was still fairly early into his tenure—the real question is why Borisov was dismissed.
After combing through Russian news reports and Telegram channels to try to determine what happened. Although we don't have absolute answers, there is plenty of intrigue. One of the most common theories is that Borisov was fired after a recent test of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile failed. A wilder theory involves Borisov's son. There is unverified information that suggest Borisov's son had begun selling off the family-owned business (NTTs-Module), which made space components for the Russian government, to move funds abroad.
It is also possible that Borisov was simply fired because of the generally poor state of affairs at Roscosmos, which is saddled with myriad problems, including: corruption, a lack of investment, low wages and poor employee morale, Russia's war against Ukraine draining talent, a reliance on technology half a century old, and shrinking commercial markets. The bottom line is that Russia simply does not have the state budget to support significant investments in its space programs. (2/12)
Cutting Moon Rocket Would Test Musk's Power to Slash Jobs in Republican States (Source: Bloomberg)
Six space industry representatives advising Elon Musk, the billionaire SpaceX CEO with a tight grip on U.S. space policy, and Trump have told Reuters they want NASA's $24 billion Space Launch System (SLS) program canceled or at least phased out over several years, eyeing what has long been a major cost burden on the agency - but a crucial pillar of its moon program.
Scaling back the SLS, which is being developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, could offer a boost to Musk's SpaceX, which is developing its own cheaper rocket. Employing 28,000 workers across roughly 44 U.S. states, SLS, which launched for the first time in 2022 after years of development delays, is one of a few space programs Musk and Trump's pick to head NASA, Jared Isaacman, have criticized as an overpriced vestige of outdated rocket technology.
Canceling SLS could be a major litmus test for Trump and Musk's effort to streamline government. DOGE representatives have entered NASA headquarters in Washington and are examining its contracts, two sources said. If SLS ends up on the chopping block, Musk will struggle to overcome political hurdles, since canceling large projects has ripple effects across other areas of the federal bureaucracy including widespread job cuts. SLS, whose workforce is most concentrated in the Republican strongholds of Alabama and Texas, is a prime example. (2/13)
Boeing Scales Back Plans for Artemis/SLS Layoffs (Source: Bloomberg)
Boeing managed to preserve half of the 400 jobs it previously considered eliminating at its moon-rocket program following talks with NASA, potentially pointing to greater certainty over future funding despite concerns over a potential shake-up by Donald Trump. Boeing is “working hard to finalize contract actions” that directly impact its work, Space Launch System Vice President and Program Manager David Dutcher told employees. Dutcher said the company will issue 60-day layoff notices to fewer than 200 teammates.
'It Was a Miracle.' Amazing Tales of Dead Spacecraft That Came Back to Life (Source: Space.com)
CIRBE (Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Electron Experiment) was a 3-unit cubesat that launched in April 2023 to monitor charged particles in the inner Van Allen radiation belt. It was so successful that NASA granted it an extension after its nominal 4-month mission ended, but on April 15 something happened to the little satellite as it circled 316 miles (509 kilometers) above our heads.
Despite the last vestiges of its battery having been drained, suddenly, from somewhere, there was a spark of life. As a failsafe, its computer was tasked with rebooting the spacecraft once the battery was empty — there was always more energy to garner from its solar arrays. Suddenly, the small satellite's various sub-systems began waking up. The flight computer reactivated, reaction wheels began spinning, instruments began sensing and its radio antenna began broadcasting once more. (2/13)
York Space Expands Into Satellite Services for U.S. Government (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems, a rising player in satellite manufacturing, is making a strategic move to expand beyond hardware production into satellite-based services for the U.S. government. The Denver-based company on Feb. 13 announced a new commercial services program aimed at delivering “critical national security capabilities as a service.”
With the capacity to manufacture up to 1,000 satellite buses annually, York has been supplying hardware to government agencies, including the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA). Now the company is looking to move further up the value chain, offering fully integrated satellites and services such as rendezvous and proximity operations, space domain awareness, communications and Earth observation. (2/13)
K2 Space Raises $110 Million for Large Satellites (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturing startup K2 Space has raised $110 million. K2 is developing large satellite buses intended to take full advantage of heavy-lift, low-cost launch options, betting that as launch costs continue to decline, the industry will move toward larger satellites, countering the recent trend favoring small satellite constellations. K2 Space is developing its first government mission, dubbed Gravitas, under a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreement, with the Space Force and venture investors each contributing $30 million. (2/14)
Lynk Global Raises $85 Million for Direct-to-Device Constellation (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global has raised more than $85 million to help develop its direct-to-device satellite constellation. The venture disclosed the Series B funding in a regulatory filing this week that showed plans to raise a total of $215 million, more than double the amount sought last year. Lynk needs additional capital to scale a constellation that uses cellular spectrum to extend the reach of partner mobile operators in areas terrestrial infrastructure doesn't reach. The company has five satellites in orbit but plans a constellation of 5,000 satellites. Lynk is still in the process of going public through a SPAC merger, but most of the funds of the SPAC have been redeemed by shareholders, with only $23 million remaining. (2/14)
BlackSky and Thales Alenia to Develop Indian Remote Sensing Constellation (Source: Space News)
BlackSky is working with Thales Alenia Space to develop a remote sensing satellite constellation for an Indian company. Thales Alenia will produce a high-resolution optical satellite, the first of what is expected to be a larger constellation designed to provide critical intelligence for India's national security and defense agencies, for Nibe Ltd., a growing player in the country's aerospace and defense industry. BlackSky will supply satellite imagery, analytics services, and a high-resolution optical satellite as part of the venture. The BlackSky-Thales Alenia collaboration in India mirrors a similar agreement the two companies forged last year with the Republic of Indonesia. (2/14)
NASA Authorization, Commercial Space Legislation Top Senate Committee Priorities (Source: Space News)
A NASA authorization bill and commercial space legislation are priorities for the leaders of two key congressional committees. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), chairman of the House Science Committee, outlined their plans for legislation at a conference Wednesday. They are both interested in a NASA authorization that would ensure no gaps in human presence in low Earth orbit for the U.S. as NASA moves from the International Space Station to commercial stations. They are also interested in legislation that would address "mission authorization" for commercial space activities not currently licensed by other agencies. (2/14)
House Committee Asks GAO to Examine FAA Launch Licensing (Source: Space News)
The House Science Committee is asking the GAO to examine the FAA's implementation of launch licensing regulations. In a letter this week, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), ranking member of the committee, requested the GAO examine if regulations known as Part 450 are "effectively and efficiently accommodating United States commercial launch and reentry operations." Many in the launch industry have criticized Part 450, intended to streamline the licensing process, stating that the rules have instead made it more difficult to get approvals for launches and reentries. The FAA noted it was able to approve licenses for some recent launches well ahead of need and that a rule-making committee is studying ways to improve the regulations. (2/14)
Greenland Plays Key Space Role in Arctic Security (Source: Space News)
President Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland comes as the Arctic region is playing a growing role in space. The cornerstone of U.S. space operations in the region is Pituffik Space Base, a critical node in its space infrastructure and missile defense network in northern Greenland. Climate change has transformed the Arctic from an impenetrable barrier into a new frontier of great power competition, and recent reports argue Western nations are lagging Russia and China in establishing a presence in a region that has strategic value in areas ranging from missile warning to satellite ground stations. (2/14)
Karman Shares Rise in Public Offering (Source: Reuters)
Shares in Karman Space and Defense rose in its public debut Thursday. Shares in the company closed up more than 36% in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. That IPO raised $506 million for the company, which works on missile systems and space components. Investors had previously said the performance of Karman's IPO could influence plans by other space companies to go public or improve their ability to raise larger private rounds. (2/14)
NEO Surveyor Passes Design Review (Source: NASA)
NASA's Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission has passed its critical design review. The review, completed last week, allows the mission to proceed into construction and testing. NEO Surveyor is an infrared space telescope designed to search for near Earth objects that could pose a potential impact risk for the Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch as soon as late 2027. (2/14)
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy is intensifying acquisition reforms initiated by Frank Calvelli, emphasizing accountability for contractors and program managers. Purdy supports buying smaller satellites and using fixed-price contracts but acknowledges industry resistance, particularly from legacy space companies. "From May 2022 to today, we're at about 14 major acquisition programs that have had contracts or entire programs restructured or canceled," Purdy says. (2/13)
Cruz Creates List of "Woke" Science (Source: NPR)
Corinne Brevik, a physicist at Southern Illinois University, used money from a National Science Foundation grant to help middle schoolers host a live, interactive broadcast that brought together kids within a solar eclipse path of totality with those around the country outside the path. It meant thousands of students could share the experience. On Tuesday, Brevik was surprised to learn that her grant was one of over 3,400 NSF grants labeled by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, as "woke DEI" research that may be advancing "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."
A database released by Cruz this week formed the basis of an October report claiming over $2 billion of NSF's $9 billion budget went to "left-wing ideological crusades masked as 'academic research.'" The report also includes an appendix containing hundreds of DEI-related words. Parts of that appendix are currently being used by NSF staff to screen thousands of their active grants for compliance with President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion measures across the government. (2/13)
KSC-Led Polar Ice Experiment Paves Way for Future Moon Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is preparing to explore the Moon’s subsurface and analyze where lunar resources may reside. The experiment’s two key instruments will demonstrate our ability to extract and analyze lunar soil to better understand the lunar environment and subsurface resources, paving the way for sustainable human exploration under the agency’s Artemis campaign for the benefit of all.
Its two instruments will work in tandem: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) will drill into the Moon’s surface to collect samples, while the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) will analyze these samples to determine the gas composition released across the sampling depth. The PRIME-1 technology will provide valuable data to help us better understand the Moon’s surface and how to work with and on it.
“The ability to drill and analyze samples at the same time allows us to gather insights that will shape the future of lunar resource utilization,” said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Human exploration of the Moon and deep space will depend on making good use of local resources to produce life-sustaining supplies necessary to live and work on another planetary body.” (2/12)
Blue Origin Bracing for Job Cuts After Years of Expansion (Sources: Bloomberg, Space News)
Blue Origin is bracing for a large reduction in its workforce, in a sign the Jeff Bezos-backed space company is looking to cut costs and focus resources on ramping up rocket launches after years of R&D work. Blue Origin is laying off 10% of its workforce, or more than 1,000 employees.
Dave Limp, chief executive of Blue Origin, notified employees Feb. 13 the layoffs, which he said would be spread across the company, including management. “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed,” he wrote in an email to employees, sent after a meeting where he announced the layoffs. (2/13)
Outrage After Elon Musk's SpaceX Awarded $38M Government Contract (Source: Daily Mail)
The federal government awarded Elon Musk's company a $38.85 million contract on Monday as the billionaire works to slash other contracts. Critics were not happy to find out that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation – otherwise known as SpaceX – got a multi-million-dollar NASA contract at the same time Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is slashing billions in other government contracts.
'If you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for the taxpayer, let me know – because every one of them was,' Musk challenged. One X user wrote: 'This is a cartoonishly stupid answer.' 'So let me get this straight, he wants contracts for cancer research cancelled but says let keep contracts for his company Spacex to do research,' Rep. Ilhan Omar posted. (2/12)
Trump Should Patch the Holes in US-Africa Space Cooperation (Source: Atlantic Council)
As US President Donald Trump gets settled in Washington, he has a pivotal opportunity to strengthen space cooperation between the United States and Africa. Africa’s space sector presents significant opportunities for the United States. The sector is projected to generate over twenty billion dollars in direct revenue annually. Meanwhile, it serves as a platform to advance broader US foreign policy objectives related to national security, space diplomacy, sustainability, and global influence.
Uncertainty lingers among African leaders about which US institution would lead this charge: NASA, the Office of Space Commerce under NOAA, or the National Space Council (if the second Trump administration keeps it). Much of the implementation has been thus far led by the Office of Space Commerce. The Trump administration can help address this uncertainty by establishing a dedicated task force within an appropriate US space entity to oversee US-Africa space collaboration. (2/12)
Could This Space Oven Allow Astronauts to Finally Cook in Space? (Source: Smithsonian)
Without gravity, natural convection cooking cannot occur. Food served on the International Space Station is heat-treated to be shelf stable. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods warmed with water are standard fare. Breakfast might look like cereal flakes with dried milk that can be rehydrated with water along with dried strawberries. For dinner, astronauts might warm a packet of chicken and veggies in a tortilla to create a fajita wrap. The availability of water and storage, as well as flammability concerns, seriously limit the length of space missions.
“It would change everything if they just had a way to cook,” says aerospace engineer Jim Sears. Sears, of Boulder, Colorado, has developed a solution with his new space oven, SATED. An acronym for “safe appliance, tidy, efficient and delicious,” his invention can whip up a savory quiche in minutes or cook a perfectly crisp pizza in a low- to no-gravity environment. Just slightly larger than a toaster, the appliance uses a cylinder, spinning at several hundred rotations per minute, to create its own artificial gravity through centrifugal force. (2/12)
Laser Lab Stashed Beneath the University of Texas Could Power Future Space Travel (Source: KXAN)
Deep beneath the surface in a quiet corner of the basement of the Physics, Math and Astronomy building of the University of Texas at Austin, lasers blast electronics with simulated cosmic rays. TAU Systems builds laser-plasma accelerators, capable of stripping atoms of their electrons. Across the lab they share with UT Professor Mike Downer, a laser system takes a beam of light and alters it.
“You start with a really, really short laser pulse, something like 25 femtoseconds, which is 25 times 10 to the minus 15 seconds,” team lead Philip Franke said. It is his job to get this pulse across the room and to a target. After bouncing across mirrors, being split apart, put back together and growing the beam from a hair’s width to a couple of inches – the laser strikes a puff of gas and is stripped of its electrons. Carried like a wave, the electrons strike a piece of electronics. If fried, the electronics will likely not survive a trip to space.
By testing electronics, engineers can determine if their shielding is working. Testing can also help guide construction of microchips, to prevent damage on a smaller level. They’ll soon open a service center in Carlsbad, California, where companies like Space X can send their electronics for testing. Eventually, they plan to sell their accelerator to companies, giving them the option to build their own laser system and strip atoms of electrons themselves. (2/12)
Arizona Competes for $160 million Grant to Launch Inland Spaceport (Source: KYMA)
Several local Arizona state lawmakers sent a letter asking for Yuma to be the next U.S. commercial spaceport. Local Arizona State Representatives Michele Peña and Tim Dunn from Yuma support this collaboration and encourage its selection, and the City of Yuma says the project could bring jobs, businesses, and innovation to the area.
The City of Yuma is competing for a $160 million federal grant to build Arizona's first commercial spaceport. Representative Justin Wilmeth says this project aligns with the nations priorities for space exploration and economic growth. (2/12)
Democrat Calls On NASA Administrator to Revoke Musk’s Access to Headquarters (Source: The Hill)
Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) on Tuesday urged the acting head of NASA to revoke tech billionaire Elon Musk’s access to the space agency’s headquarters, citing an extreme conflict of interest. “Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest — exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” she wrote. (2/12)
KARI Develops Solar Sail Technology to Enhance Korea's Deep Space Navigation Capabilities (Source: Chosun)
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has developed a solar sail deployment device that can be applied to a spacecraft traveling with solar wind as its power source. KARI noted that it successfully developed a prototype of the solar sail deployment device through its research on 'solar diffraction propulsion technology' that began in June last year.
The solar sail is a technology that allows a spacecraft to navigate in outer space for an extended period without fuel, using the principle of reflecting photons emitted by the sun off the sail, much like how a sailboat navigates using the wind. (2/13)
Rocket Lab Delivers Third In-Orbit Manufacturing Spacecraft for Varda Space Industries (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has delivered another Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. It’s Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft produced for Varda, and the second the Company has delivered for launch within a month. (2/12)
UK MOD Taps Airbus to Build £127M Spy Satellite Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has awarded Airbus a £127 million contract to develop two reconnaissance satellites. The two satellites will make up the country’s Oberon Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation, which is a small part of the country’s larger ISTARI reconnaissance constellation. (2/12)
Chinese Space Firm Showcases Mobile-to-Satellite Communication Tech (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese space firm GalaxySpace successfully demonstrated mobile-to-satellite communication technology based on the country's first low-Earth orbit broadband communication test constellation at a commercial space conference held in Beijing.
At 10:28 a.m., a satellite from the constellation passed over the conference venue in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. On-site staff used their mobile phones to connect to the satellite via a terminal device installed on the rooftop. Through a gateway station in Beijing, they established a connection with personnel in Beijing and Thailand. (2/12)
Detector on Sea Floor Spots Highest Energy Neutrino (Source: Cosmos)
A detector sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Italy has made a remarkable discovery: the first observation of an ultra-high energy neutrino. The kilometer cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) spotted the neutrino in 2023. The event, dubbed KM3-230213A, was subject to meticulous analysis before being confirmed as the highest energy neutrino observed. (2/13)
After Putin Sacked Russia’s Space Chief, the Rumor Mill is Running Red-Hot (Source: Ars Technica)
After a relatively short period of just two and a half years, the chief of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, was dismissed from his position last week. In the wake of Borisov's seemingly sudden removal—there was no readily apparent public controversy, and he was still fairly early into his tenure—the real question is why Borisov was dismissed.
After combing through Russian news reports and Telegram channels to try to determine what happened. Although we don't have absolute answers, there is plenty of intrigue. One of the most common theories is that Borisov was fired after a recent test of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile failed. A wilder theory involves Borisov's son. There is unverified information that suggest Borisov's son had begun selling off the family-owned business (NTTs-Module), which made space components for the Russian government, to move funds abroad.
It is also possible that Borisov was simply fired because of the generally poor state of affairs at Roscosmos, which is saddled with myriad problems, including: corruption, a lack of investment, low wages and poor employee morale, Russia's war against Ukraine draining talent, a reliance on technology half a century old, and shrinking commercial markets. The bottom line is that Russia simply does not have the state budget to support significant investments in its space programs. (2/12)
Cutting Moon Rocket Would Test Musk's Power to Slash Jobs in Republican States (Source: Bloomberg)
Six space industry representatives advising Elon Musk, the billionaire SpaceX CEO with a tight grip on U.S. space policy, and Trump have told Reuters they want NASA's $24 billion Space Launch System (SLS) program canceled or at least phased out over several years, eyeing what has long been a major cost burden on the agency - but a crucial pillar of its moon program.
Scaling back the SLS, which is being developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, could offer a boost to Musk's SpaceX, which is developing its own cheaper rocket. Employing 28,000 workers across roughly 44 U.S. states, SLS, which launched for the first time in 2022 after years of development delays, is one of a few space programs Musk and Trump's pick to head NASA, Jared Isaacman, have criticized as an overpriced vestige of outdated rocket technology.
Canceling SLS could be a major litmus test for Trump and Musk's effort to streamline government. DOGE representatives have entered NASA headquarters in Washington and are examining its contracts, two sources said. If SLS ends up on the chopping block, Musk will struggle to overcome political hurdles, since canceling large projects has ripple effects across other areas of the federal bureaucracy including widespread job cuts. SLS, whose workforce is most concentrated in the Republican strongholds of Alabama and Texas, is a prime example. (2/13)
Boeing Scales Back Plans for Artemis/SLS Layoffs (Source: Bloomberg)
Boeing managed to preserve half of the 400 jobs it previously considered eliminating at its moon-rocket program following talks with NASA, potentially pointing to greater certainty over future funding despite concerns over a potential shake-up by Donald Trump. Boeing is “working hard to finalize contract actions” that directly impact its work, Space Launch System Vice President and Program Manager David Dutcher told employees. Dutcher said the company will issue 60-day layoff notices to fewer than 200 teammates.
'It Was a Miracle.' Amazing Tales of Dead Spacecraft That Came Back to Life (Source: Space.com)
CIRBE (Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Electron Experiment) was a 3-unit cubesat that launched in April 2023 to monitor charged particles in the inner Van Allen radiation belt. It was so successful that NASA granted it an extension after its nominal 4-month mission ended, but on April 15 something happened to the little satellite as it circled 316 miles (509 kilometers) above our heads.
Despite the last vestiges of its battery having been drained, suddenly, from somewhere, there was a spark of life. As a failsafe, its computer was tasked with rebooting the spacecraft once the battery was empty — there was always more energy to garner from its solar arrays. Suddenly, the small satellite's various sub-systems began waking up. The flight computer reactivated, reaction wheels began spinning, instruments began sensing and its radio antenna began broadcasting once more. (2/13)
York Space Expands Into Satellite Services for U.S. Government (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems, a rising player in satellite manufacturing, is making a strategic move to expand beyond hardware production into satellite-based services for the U.S. government. The Denver-based company on Feb. 13 announced a new commercial services program aimed at delivering “critical national security capabilities as a service.”
With the capacity to manufacture up to 1,000 satellite buses annually, York has been supplying hardware to government agencies, including the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA). Now the company is looking to move further up the value chain, offering fully integrated satellites and services such as rendezvous and proximity operations, space domain awareness, communications and Earth observation. (2/13)
K2 Space Raises $110 Million for Large Satellites (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturing startup K2 Space has raised $110 million. K2 is developing large satellite buses intended to take full advantage of heavy-lift, low-cost launch options, betting that as launch costs continue to decline, the industry will move toward larger satellites, countering the recent trend favoring small satellite constellations. K2 Space is developing its first government mission, dubbed Gravitas, under a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreement, with the Space Force and venture investors each contributing $30 million. (2/14)
Lynk Global Raises $85 Million for Direct-to-Device Constellation (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global has raised more than $85 million to help develop its direct-to-device satellite constellation. The venture disclosed the Series B funding in a regulatory filing this week that showed plans to raise a total of $215 million, more than double the amount sought last year. Lynk needs additional capital to scale a constellation that uses cellular spectrum to extend the reach of partner mobile operators in areas terrestrial infrastructure doesn't reach. The company has five satellites in orbit but plans a constellation of 5,000 satellites. Lynk is still in the process of going public through a SPAC merger, but most of the funds of the SPAC have been redeemed by shareholders, with only $23 million remaining. (2/14)
BlackSky and Thales Alenia to Develop Indian Remote Sensing Constellation (Source: Space News)
BlackSky is working with Thales Alenia Space to develop a remote sensing satellite constellation for an Indian company. Thales Alenia will produce a high-resolution optical satellite, the first of what is expected to be a larger constellation designed to provide critical intelligence for India's national security and defense agencies, for Nibe Ltd., a growing player in the country's aerospace and defense industry. BlackSky will supply satellite imagery, analytics services, and a high-resolution optical satellite as part of the venture. The BlackSky-Thales Alenia collaboration in India mirrors a similar agreement the two companies forged last year with the Republic of Indonesia. (2/14)
NASA Authorization, Commercial Space Legislation Top Senate Committee Priorities (Source: Space News)
A NASA authorization bill and commercial space legislation are priorities for the leaders of two key congressional committees. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), chairman of the House Science Committee, outlined their plans for legislation at a conference Wednesday. They are both interested in a NASA authorization that would ensure no gaps in human presence in low Earth orbit for the U.S. as NASA moves from the International Space Station to commercial stations. They are also interested in legislation that would address "mission authorization" for commercial space activities not currently licensed by other agencies. (2/14)
House Committee Asks GAO to Examine FAA Launch Licensing (Source: Space News)
The House Science Committee is asking the GAO to examine the FAA's implementation of launch licensing regulations. In a letter this week, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), ranking member of the committee, requested the GAO examine if regulations known as Part 450 are "effectively and efficiently accommodating United States commercial launch and reentry operations." Many in the launch industry have criticized Part 450, intended to streamline the licensing process, stating that the rules have instead made it more difficult to get approvals for launches and reentries. The FAA noted it was able to approve licenses for some recent launches well ahead of need and that a rule-making committee is studying ways to improve the regulations. (2/14)
Greenland Plays Key Space Role in Arctic Security (Source: Space News)
President Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland comes as the Arctic region is playing a growing role in space. The cornerstone of U.S. space operations in the region is Pituffik Space Base, a critical node in its space infrastructure and missile defense network in northern Greenland. Climate change has transformed the Arctic from an impenetrable barrier into a new frontier of great power competition, and recent reports argue Western nations are lagging Russia and China in establishing a presence in a region that has strategic value in areas ranging from missile warning to satellite ground stations. (2/14)
Karman Shares Rise in Public Offering (Source: Reuters)
Shares in Karman Space and Defense rose in its public debut Thursday. Shares in the company closed up more than 36% in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. That IPO raised $506 million for the company, which works on missile systems and space components. Investors had previously said the performance of Karman's IPO could influence plans by other space companies to go public or improve their ability to raise larger private rounds. (2/14)
NEO Surveyor Passes Design Review (Source: NASA)
NASA's Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission has passed its critical design review. The review, completed last week, allows the mission to proceed into construction and testing. NEO Surveyor is an infrared space telescope designed to search for near Earth objects that could pose a potential impact risk for the Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch as soon as late 2027. (2/14)
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