Themis Stands on the Launch Pad
(Source: ESA)
The first model of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) reusable rocket
demonstrator Themis is standing at its launch pad in Kiruna, Sweden.
Themis is investigating technologies to demonstrate rocket stage
recovery and reuse. The first vehicle model – called T1H for Themis-1
engine-Hop – arrived at the Esrange Space Center over the summer, with
its landing legs shipped separately. The legs are now installed, and
T1H is standing tall. (9/19)
Ariane Themis Reusable Rocket 2025
Prototype Vs SpaceX Grasshopper 2012 (Source: Next Big Future)
Here is a comparison of Ariane’s Themis prototype in 2025 and SpaceX’s
Grasshopper tests (2012–2013) and the early Falcon 9 reusability
program (2013–2016). Ariane is 13 years behind SpaceX. Themis is
developed by ArianeGroup under ESA contract. It is Europe’s first
serious program for vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL)
reusability. It is a 30-meter-tall prototype and is a single-engine
demonstrator powered by the new Prometheus methalox engine, focused on
proving autonomous guidance, landing legs, and cryogenic propellant
management for future operational stages.
Themis copies Grasshoppers pad-based hops. Grasshopper had a 325 meter
max altitude but Themis is planning ~100 meters. Neither carries
payload, emphasizing structural integrity over performance. (9/19)
A New Generation Of Spacecraft Head To
The ISS (Source: Hackaday)
While Russia’s Progress and Soyuz vehicles would still be available in
an emergency situation, it’s in everyone’s best interest that there be
multiple backup vehicles that can bring critical supplies to the
Station. Which is precisely why several new or upgraded spacecraft,
designed specifically for performing resupply missions to the ISS and
any potential commercial successor, are coming online over the next few
years.
The Cygnus was the second commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the
ISS back in 2013, and like the Dragon, has gone through several
upgrades and revisions over the years. he HTV-X is an upgraded version
of a spacecraft which has already visited the ISS, namely the H-II
Transfer Vehicle (HTV). Designed and built by the Japan's JAXA, the
first flight of this upgraded cargo vehicle is tentatively scheduled
for late October. Far and away the most ambitious of these new
spacecraft is the Dream Chaser, developed by Sierra Space. Reminiscent
of a miniature version of the Space Shuttle, this winged vehicle is
designed to land like an airplane at the end of its mission. (9/18)
Rocket Lab, Blue Origin Eye Mars
Telecommunications Orbiters as NASA Revives Mission Concept
(Source: NSF)
Rocket Lab—the operator of the world’s second-busiest orbital
rocket—has been touting its vision for a Mars Telecommunications
Orbiter. Rocket Lab’s founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck, laid out a
compelling case during an exclusive interview with NSF on Wednesday.
The interest lies in a revived $700 million congressional push to
bridge Earth and the Red Planet with high-speed interplanetary
internet, and Rocket Lab wants in on the action. The company isn’t
alone in its enthusiasm. Blue Origin has already floated a proposal,
but Beck, a vocal advocate for planetary exploration, emphasized that
robust communications are the unsung hero of any Mars endeavor. (9/18)
Same-Day Delivery Comes to Space, as
Impulse Promises Satellite Transport in Hours, Not Months
(Source: Tech Crunch)
Amazon made same-day delivery the benchmark on Earth. Impulse Space is
pitching a similar concept for satellites bound for geostationary orbit
about 22,000 miles above Earth, compressing what is typically a
months-long transit into a matter of hours. In the span of a week, the
in-space propulsion startup announced a trio of deals aiming to unlock
geostationary orbit (GEO) for commercial and defense users. That
includes a demonstration mission with defense contractor Anduril
planned for 2026; a transportation deal with GEO communications startup
Astranis in 2027; and a multi-launch agreement to carry Infinite
Orbits’ servicing satellites to GEO starting the same year. (9/16)
Apple Partner Globalstar Bulks Up
Satellite Plans After SpaceX Snags Spectrum (Source: PC Mag)
As SpaceX pursues cellular satellite connectivity on par with 4G LTE,
Apple partner Globalstar is preparing to upgrade its own capabilities.
On Monday, Globalstar announced that it's tapping a satellite
application it filed years ago to bolster the company’s mobile
satellite services, which are used by Apple, among others. The
application involves a constellation called HIBLEO-XL-1, which would
join Globalstar’s existing plan to create another next-generation
satellite network called C-3 using over $1 billion in funding from
Apple. (9/15)
SpaceX is Partnering with Chipmakers
to Enable Starlink Satellite-to-Cell Service (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX is working with microchip manufacturers to integrate
satellite-connectivity hardware into smartphones, advancing its plan
for direct-to-device services through Starlink. “We’re working with
chip manufacturers to get the proper chips in phones,” the SpaceX
President stated. “We will now be initiating discussions with telcos in
a different way now. Now it’s our spectrum, but we want to work with
them, almost providing capacity and wholesaling capacity to their
customers.” (9/17)
Amazon Wants FCC to Drop Five-Year
Rule on Deorbiting Satellites (Source: Light Reading)
Back in 2022, the FCC set regulations requiring satellites operating in
low-Earth orbit (LEO) to deorbit within five years of completing their
mission, in order to reduce collisions and space debris. Now, Amazon,
which is working toward the commercial launch of its Project Kuiper LEO
service, wants to see that rule scrapped.
In a letter dated September 12, Amazon rehashed a recent meeting with
FCC Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz, in which the company said it
"discussed proposed reforms to the Commission's five-year post-mission
deorbit rule for space stations, and encouraged the Commission to adopt
a regulatory approach that better accommodates the realities of space
operations while maintaining robust safety standards." (9/18)
These 2 European Telescopes Use Lasers
to Track Potentially Dangerous Space Junk (Source: Space.com)
At a double observatory atop Mount Teide on the Spanish island of
Tenerife, a powerful laser is being deployed to track fragments of
space debris in orbit and warn when these fragments threaten
satellites. Soon, it could even be used to push space debris away from
a collision course with a satellite. The Izaña-1 and Izaña-2
laser-ranging stations are operated by ESA.
Izaña-1 has been active since 2021 and has already been employed in
satellite laser-ranging, but with Izaña-2 now complete, the pair of
telescopes have a much more ambitious task as part of ESA's Space
Safety Program. The two telescopes operate synchronously: Izaña-2 fires
laser pulses at a piece of space debris high overhead, and Izaña-1
detects the reflected light. In doing so, the system is able to track
the path of the debris, charting its orbit and determining whether it
could potentially collide with a satellite. (9/15)
Inside the Space Force as it Prepares
for a New Kind of War (Source: Washington Post)
This is how the next war could start: invisible shots fired in space on
the electromagnetic spectrum that could render U.S. fighter jets and
aircraft carriers deaf and blind, unable to communicate. In this case,
the “aggressors” targeting the U.S. satellite were not from China or
Russia, but rather an elite squadron of U.S. Space Force Guardians
mimicking how potential adversaries would act in a conflict that begins
in orbit.
The July combat training exercise marked the largest one led by the
Space Force, the highly secretive branch of the military with an
exclusive focus on combating threats in the vast expanse beyond Earth’s
atmosphere. Involving more than 700 service members and spanning 50
million square miles and six time zones, the training exercise, called
Resolute Space, offered a rare look into how the Pentagon is preparing
to fight the next war in space — an arena that for decades was regarded
as a peaceful sanctuary.
Resolute Space was its biggest training exercise to date. At its heart
were the units trained to play the role of the adversary, called “Red
Teams”— an apparently veiled stand-in for a hypothetical Chinese space
force — that would attempt to disrupt the “Blue Teams’” satellites,
meaning those run by the Space Force. Space Force officials would not
say which country or countries the Red Teams represented. They said
only that the exercise was focused on a conflict playing out in the
Pacific, where China has projected power in preparation for what many
fear could be an invasion of Taiwan. (9/19)
Meet the Team Tasked with Saving Earth
From World-Ending Asteroids (Source: BBC)
You're woken in the middle of the night by an urgent phone call. An
asteroid is headed straight for Earth and it's your job to find out if
it'll strike the planet and rain destruction down upon us all. It
sounds like an overly-dramatic movie trailer, but that’s the real-life
task of the people in the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Near-Earth
Objects Coordination Centre, or NEOCC – a multidisciplinary center
staffed by astronomers, mathematicians and engineers who work on
predicting asteroid impacts. (9/13)
New military Satcom Services Program to Focus on ‘Maneuverable’ Small
GEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is moving ahead with plans to tap commercial
geostationary small-satellite constellations to bolster military
communications, issuing a revised request for information on Sept. 15
for its Maneuverable Geosynchronous Orbit (MGEO) Commercial
Satellite-Based Services program. (9/18)
Will NASA Kill a Pair of Critical
Climate Satellites? (Source: Daily Kos)
As Congress returns to session this month, the fate of two satellites
that have become integral to climate science hangs in the balance. The
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and -3, or OCO-2 and -3, have been
circling the globe for years, gathering some of the best data available
on carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.
They are the “gold standard” for measuring the most abundant
climate-warming gas in the atmosphere from space, according to NASA.
Yet the space administration has proposed ending the satellites’
missions next year, part of the Trump administration’s proposed 24
percent reduction in the agency’s budget. (9/18)
NASA Confirms: 6,000 Planets Beyond
Our Solar System Discovered (Source: Science Alert)
The age of exoplanets began in 1992, when astronomers detected a pair
of planets orbiting a pulsar. Then, in 1995, astronomers discovered the
first exoplanet orbiting a main sequence star. As NASA's Kepler and
TESS missions got going, the number of confirmed exoplanets continued
to rise.
By 2015, NASA announced that Kepler had discovered its 1,000th
exoplanet. 2016 was a banner year for exoplanet detections with nearly
1,500 in that year alone. The total number reached 5,000 in March of
2022. Now, NASA has announced that there are 6,000 confirmed
exoplanets. (9/19)
Practicing for Mars Here on Earth (Source:
Universe Today)
The Mars Desert Research Station, operated by the Mars Society and
situated in Utah. Researchers spend rotations of up to a few months at
the station. It’s so rigorous that when participants want to step
outside, they have to put on a bulky and heavy space suit. The point of
this experiment is to see how well people can work together in
Mars-like conditions. And it’s also to develop…tactics, ideas,
workarounds.
Another experiment, SAM, for Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, takes
it one step further. Built and run by Kai Staats, it’s about as close
to the real deal you can get on the Earth. It’s a fully sealed
environment. To enter, you have to pass through an airlock. When you’re
inside, you’re breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water. Crew
rotations last for up to a few months, and they can only bring in new
materials through “resupply” missions. There’s even a Mars yard where
they can simulate field work both by themselves and with the help of
robotic rovers. (9/18)
Vortex Spaceplane Demo Targets Thermal
Protection, Controls (Source: Aviation Week)
The French Vortex spaceplane demonstrator program will aim to validate
heat shield technology and different control capabilities once it takes
flight in about three years. France in June disclosed a joint
investment with Dassault Aviation in the Vortex spaceplane
demonstrator, with an aim to get to orbit before the end of 2028. The
combined budget is about €70 million ($83 million), split equally
between the two sides. (9/18)
SpaceX Eyes 15,000 More Satellites for
Cellular Starlink, Hints at Carrier Plans (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX wants to launch as many as 15,000 next-generation satellites to
upgrade its cellular Starlink service for phones. On Friday, the
company filed a request with the FCC for the additional satellites,
which will harness the radio spectrum SpaceX is acquiring from Boost
Mobile's parent, EchoStar, in a $17 billion deal. "This new system of
up to 15,000 satellites will provide ubiquitous connectivity to
ordinary mobile handsets and a range of other devices and user
terminals,” the company wrote. (9/19)
NASA Scientist Convicted of Mortgage
Fraud After Fabricating Pay Stubs To Buy $850K Luxury Home and
Defaulting on the Loans (Source: Realtor.com)
A former NASA scientist has pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud after
fabricating income records to finance the purchase of an $850,000
luxury home in Texas. Noreen Khan, 52, and her husband, Christopher
Mayberry, 53, purchased the luxury home in Missouri City, TX, in 2017,
when Khan was working at NASA as a space toxicologist and Mayberry was
employed as a NASA contractor.
In plea agreements, Khan and Mayberry admitted to taking out numerous,
significant personal loans to cover the down payment on the home based
on falsified income documents, before defaulting on those loans and
falsely claiming identity theft. (9/18)
Ukraine Destroys Giant Radio Telescope
Used by Russian Military (Source: Space.com)
A giant radio telescope in Crimea used in the past to support missions
to Mars and Venus and attempt to contact alien civilizations has been
destroyed in a drone attack. Ukrainian defense forces took down the
230-foot (70 meters) antenna dish to prevent Russian forces from using
it to guide attacks on its territory. (9/18)
Viasat and Space42 to Pool Spectrum
for Direct-to-Device Services (Source: Space News)
Viasat and Space42 have agreed to pool their Mobile Satellite Services
spectrum, aiming to provide direct-to-device services from the world’s
largest coordinated block of D2D frequencies within three years. (9/16)
Why Does Pluto Have Such a Weird
Orbit? (Source: Live Science)
The dwarf planet's orbit has an eccentricity — how much it deviates
from a perfect circle — of 0.25. For comparison, Earth's orbit has an
eccentricity of 0.0167, meaning it's nearly circular. Saturn and Mars
have eccentricities of 0.054 and 0.093, respectively. Pluto's orbit is
tilted 17.4 degrees, compared with Earth's 1.5 degrees and Mercury's
roughly 2 degrees. Pluto's unusual eccentricity and tilt is likely due
to its interactions with neighboring Neptune and other giant planets,
said Renu Malhotra. (9/20)
Smaller Carriers Contemplate Their
Role in the New Satellite Universe (Source: Fierce Network)
Satellite connectivity is definitely on the minds of operators here at
the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) annual convention, and
they’re looking at CCA to lead the way. All the big wireless carriers –
Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T – have relationships with satellite
companies that give them access to satellite connectivity in cell
phones, either now or in the future.
Smaller operators – and we’re talking carriers with fewer than 1
million customers – are wondering how they can offer similar services.
Importantly, they’re not contemplating that satellites will make their
networks in remote areas obsolete. Rather, they’re thinking about how
they can use satellites to enhance their own coverage and/or economics.
(9/17)
Virginia Rezoning Request Intended for
Firefly Operations (Source: SPACErePORT)
According to paperwork submitted to local officials, the Virginia
Commercial Spaceflight Authority (VCSFA) seeks accelerated
consideration of their zoning-change request for to large parcels
acquired by VCSFA: "While acknowledging its uniqueness and rarity,
VCSFA, given the urgency to move forward with its mission and potential
high impact customers that are ready to commence operations in
Virginia, respectfully requests that the Planning Commission and Board
of Supervisors conduct a joint public hearing in order to save weeks,
if not months, for the approval process."
The request is intended to: "facilitate customer manufacturing and
processing, and provide infrastructure for various support operations.
Virginia is competing with multiple other states to add these
manufacturing jobs therefore it is at an advantage already having
proven its commitment to aerospace. ...
"As announced by Governor Youngkin on June 24, 2024, Firefly Aerospace
has selected Virginia as the new launch site of its two-stage orbital
Alpha rocket, attracted through a collaboration effort between the
Virginia Spaceport Authority, the Virginia Innovation Partnership
Corporation and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
The initial development of the subject parcels will include an
approximately 10-acre site for VCSFA’s newest customer, Firefly
Aerospace. Firefly Aerospace plans to begin launching Alpha in 2025."
(9/20)
SPACEPORT Act Reintroduced to Boost
STIM Spaceport Infrastructure Funding (Source: Sen. Hickenlooper)
U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, John Cornyn, Ben Ray Luján, and Roger
Wicker and U.S. Representatives Dale Strong, George Whitesides, and
Vince Fong reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Spaceport Project
Opportunities for Resilient Transportation (SPACEPORT) Act, which would
encourage the development of commercial spaceports through the
modernization of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Space
Transportation Infrastructure Matching (STIM) grant program.
With more commercial spaceports emerging across the U.S., there is a
growing need to establish a dedicated funding source from the
Department of Transportation to support the unique infrastructure needs
of the space transportation industry. The FAA’s STIM program promotes
the development of resilient U.S. space transportation capabilities by
providing federal grants for spaceport infrastructure projects.
However, the program has not been modernized since it was first created
in 1994, and the program has effectively lapsed since fiscal year 2012.
The SPACEPORT Act would reauthorize and update the STIM program to
reflect the growing demand for civil, commercial, and national security
launches. Editor's
Note: Working for Florida, I worked toward the STIM program's
creation and initial funding way back then, and the initial grants
helped fund the conversion of Launch Complex 46 from a Navy missile
test site into a multi-user commercial launch pad, which will have
Astra as its next user in 2026. (9/19)
Virginia Spaceport Authority Requests
Rezoning of Farmland Near Wallops (Source: WBOC)
The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority wants Accomack County to
rezone more than 400 acres of land near Wallops Island from
agricultural to industrial use. Accomack County officials received the
rezoning application for two properties, 54 acres near the village of
Mappsville and nearly 370 acres near the village of Assawoman. Virginia
Space purchased the 370 acres of undeveloped farmland across the road
from Rocket Lab's Neutron assembly buildings.
County Administrator Mike Mason said the Spaceport Authority acquired
the land to protect Wallops, which he called an economic powerhouse,
from encroachment. "Obviously, the aerospace presence on Wallops at
MARS [Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport] is significant," Mason said.
"There's over $210 million of Commonwealth investment on Wallops
Island, and just acquiring that property outright was necessary to
protect that." Editor's Note: Protecting the land from encroaching
agricultural use? (9/18)
UAE Leading $18b Middle East Space
Market Growth (Source: Gulf Today)
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) space market is valued at $18 billion,
according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled
“Governments in Space: A universe of opportunities”. The UAE, Saudi
Arabia, and Qatar represent the core of the region’s civil space
investments - each contributing actively to the GCC’s emergence as a
hub for space innovation and ambition. (9/18)
Axiom Space Launches Global University
Alliance (Source: Axiom)
Axiom Space is proud to announce the launch of the Axiom Space
University Alliance, a global initiative designed to elevate scientific
opportunities in microgravity research, technology development,
research and development (R&D), and commercial innovation in
low-Earth orbit (LEO).
With 15 current partners across the U.S., Europe, and Australia, the
Alliance is expanding rapidly to become the world’s leading network of
academic institutions focused on advancing space science during the
transition from government-led to commercially-owned and operated space
stations. (9/18)
Construction Officially Begins on
Multi-User Launch Facility in French Guiana (Source: European
Spaceflight)
The French space agency CNES has officially begun construction of a new
multi-user commercial launch facility on the grounds of the Guiana
Space Centre in French Guiana. In early 2021, CNES announced plans to
convert the old Diamant launch site at the Guiana Space Centre into a
new multi-user facility for commercial launch providers operating
rockets capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,500 kilograms. The site
is designed to host up to five launch providers with a combined annual
capacity of 40 launches. (9/18)
No, SpaceX Won't Become the 4th US
Mobile Operator (Source: Fierce Network)
No, despite multiple breathless posts on LinkedIn, SpaceX won’t become
the fourth mobile network operator in the United States, even with its
$17 billion purchase of wireless spectrum from EchoStar, according to
analysts. After AT&T’s surprise purchase of EchoStar's mid-band
3.45 GHz and low-band 600 MHz spectrum for $23 billion in late August,
SpaceX followed that up by scooping up EchoStar’s AWS-4 and H-block
spectrum for $17 billion last week.
This has led many commentators to speculate that SpaceX will become the
interstellar version of a fourth national mobile network operator (MNO)
for the U.S., now that EchoStar/Dish can no longer fulfill that role.
This, however, will not be the case. “There are multiple issues,
including penetration of buildings for indoor services, limited
capacity and the high cost of space-based bandwidth," says Joe Madden.
(9/17)
Why Vermont's Broadband Chief Favors
Giving Federal Funds to Fiber Over Starlink (Source: PC Mag)
Should federal funds go to fiber installations or satellite internet
services such as Starlink? That question is playing out across the US
as states submit plans on how to spend $42.5 billion from the Broadband
Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which is designed to
expand high-speed internet access in rural and remote areas.
In June, the Trump administration overhauled the program to encourage
"technology neutrality," meaning satellite and wireless providers could
also receive BEAD subsidies. SpaceX has even told several US states to
revise their BEAD proposals, calling fiber investments “wasteful” and
"unnecessary,” citing the lower costs to deploy Starlink.
Still, some states have prioritized fiber over satellite in their
funding proposals. In Vermont’s case, the state’s $120 million plan
includes subsidizing fiber in over 85% of underserved locations, while
Starlink will only be used for 11% with a $2.5 million subsidy grant.
SpaceX has called on the Commerce Department to intervene. Christine
Hallquist, the executive director for Vermont’s broadband office,
pushed back on the notion that fiber is more expensive than satellite
internet. “This focus on low-Earth orbit satellites, that’s not
infrastructure, that’s renting space,” she said. (9/18)
China Could Overtake the US as Top
Nation in Space 'in 5-10 Years' (Source: Live Science)
A new report warns that China's rapid and unrelenting growth within the
space sector will see the country overtake the U.S. in the "new space
race" to become the world's leading space-faring nation in as little as
"five or 10 years," experts say. The stark warning comes less than two
weeks after a Senate Commerce Committee hearing discussed the
increasing likelihood of China beating the U.S. in a race to return
humans to the moon unless the recent record-breaking cuts to NASA's
budget are reversed.
The new report, titled "Redshift," was published on Tuesday (Sep. 16)
by the Commercial Space Federation — an advocacy group that supports
investment in the U.S. commercial space industry. It details how
China's space infrastructure and capability of exploring the solar
system has rapidly grown over the last decade, and its improvements
show no signs of slowing down. (9/18)
Canadian Company Hopes to Help NASA
Combat Space Waste (Source: Global News)
Waste Parrot, a University of Alberta spinoff company, recently beat
out 1,200 international projects to be one of 17 finalists in a NASA
competition to address waste in space. The 30-member team includes
professors, masters and PhD students in various fields including
robotics, computer vision, AI, plastic recycling and engineering. They
work out of the university’s Smart Lab and are the only Canadian group
to make the short list. (9/18)
Trump’s Golden Dome Will Cost 10 to
100 Times More Than the Manhattan Project (Source: Ars Technica)
One thing that's evident about President Donald Trump's proposal for
the Golden Dome missile defense shield is that designing, deploying,
and sustaining it will cost a lot of money, at least several hundred
billion dollars, over the course of several decades. Beyond that, it's
really anyone's guess. That doesn't sit well with some lawmakers, but
the Republican-controlled Congress committed $25 billion in July as a
down payment for new missile-defense technologies.
The White House stated in May that Golden Dome will cost $175 billion
over three years, but a new study from a center-right think tank
concludes that it is simply not enough to develop the kind of
multi-layer shield Trump described in a January executive order. It's
also clear that it will take longer than three years to implement the
full spectrum of defense capability envisioned for Golden Dome.
"Its cost hinges on the level of geographic coverage, the types and
numbers of threats it must address, and the degree of resilience it is
expected to achieve," Harrison writes. "As this analysis shows, even
slight changes in these parameters can alter costs by hundreds of
billions of dollars. "As long as these requirements remain undefined,
it is fair to say that Golden Dome can cost as much or as little as
policymakers are willing to spend." Cost projections for all but the
narrowest Golden Dome architecture also surpass the total cost of the
Apollo Moon program. (9/18)
No Workforce Shortage for NRO
(Source: FNN)
The National Reconnaissance Office is one of the most secretive of the
intelligence agencies. But NRO Director Chris Scolese gave a peek
behind the curtain during a conversation at the Intelligence and
National Security Summit on Thursday. And Scolese said that despite
hiring freezes and other changes, the NRO is doing well on the
workforce front. “We really don't have a problem in recruiting,” he
said.
“We have a very exciting mission. We can't talk about it a lot, but we
can give people an idea about what we do.” The spy satellite agency has
approval from the Defense Department to hire for some mission-critical
positions. And Scolese confirmed NRO will soon be posting new
positions, including for its vaunted summer internship program. (9/19)
At Least 35 Russian Companies to Move
to Newly Created National Space Center (Source: TASS)
Over 30 enterprises of Russia’s rocket and space industry, based in
Moscow, will move their production sites to the newly created National
Space Center, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov said. "We now have a
single platform, where 35 enterprises will be concentrated in one
area," Bakanov said in the National Space Center, visited by Russian
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
The National Space Center opened in Moscow on Saturday. A complex of
building with the total area of 276,000 square meters, is located in
the West of Moscow. It’s a joint project of the Moscow Government and
Roscosmos. he new center will house, among other things, control
centers for Russia’s entire orbital constellation, including
communication, navigation and remote sensing satellites. It will also
house laboratories and design bureaus. (9/13)
Russia's Bion-M Biological Research
Module Returns to Earth (Source: TASS)
The descent module of the Bion-M No. 2 biological satellite,
transporting living organisms, has landed in Russia’s Orenburg Region.
"The spacecraft was launched from Baikonur on August 20, and 30 days
later it returned safely to Earth with living organisms on board. After
landing, they will be sent to Moscow for detailed study," a statement
said.
Project Bion-M No. 2 is designed to study how living organisms tolerate
flight in high-latitude orbit, where radiation levels are about
one-third higher than in the International Space Station’s orbit. The
6.4-ton spacecraft carried 75 male mice, approximately 1,500 common
fruit flies, cell cultures, plants, and samples of cereals, legumes,
and industrial crops. In addition, fungi, lichens, cell materials, and
seeds of plants grown from seeds previously flown on Bion-M No. 1
(2013) and Foton-M No. 4 (2014) were also launched into space. (9/19)
September 19, 2025
Ursa Major Receives $35M Order for
Draper Engine (Source: Flight Global)
Ursa Major has secured a $35 million contract from an unnamed US defense and aerospace company for its Draper rocket engine, aimed at national security applications such as hypersonic flight and space vehicles. The Draper engine, based on Ursa Major's hypersonic-capable Hadley engine, uses advancements such as a closed catalyst cycle design and significant use of additive manufacturing, with two-thirds of its components 3D-printed. The reusable engine operates without cryogenic propellants, can be stored for up to 10 years and offers restart and throttle control. (9/17)
Leonardo USA Opens Support Center Near Pensacola (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
Leonardo USA has opened a 73,000-square-foot support center at Whiting Aviation Park in Florida. The center will primarily service military aircraft, especially those from Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and is expected to employ about 150 people. The center will also maintain about 1,000 Leonardo helicopters operating in the region. (9/19)
Interlune Signs Bluefors as Helium-3 Customer (Source: Washington Post)
Interlune has announced a new customer for helium-3 it plans to extract from the moon. Bluefors, a Finnish company that makes refrigeration systems for quantum computers, said it will buy tens of thousands of liters of helium-3 from Interlune, a deal that could potentially be worth more than $300 million. The deal covers helium-3 sales between 2028 and 2037. Interlune previously announced other customers for helium-3, but called this the biggest sale yet involving resources extracted from space. Interlune has yet to mine any helium-3 from the moon and will fly its first prospecting instrument, a camera, on a rover launching as soon as late this year. (9/19)
JAXA's Target for Asteroid Landing Smaller Than Thought (Source: Space.com)
It may be much harder than previously expected for a Japanese spacecraft to land on an asteroid. The Japanese space agency JAXA is sending the Hayabusa2 spacecraft on an extended mission to the asteroid 1998 KY26, arriving in 2031 to touch down on the asteroid’s surface. The asteroid was initially estimated to be about 30 meters across, but new observations of 1998 KY26 show it is instead only about 11 meters across. The asteroid is also spinning faster than first estimated, with a period of just five minutes. The new observations raise concerns about the ability of Hayabusa2 to touch down safely on the asteroid. (9/19)
US and UK Militaries Coordinate Satellite Maneuvers (Source: Space News)
The United States and United Kingdom militaries have conducted their first coordinated satellite maneuvers. U.S. Space Command said Thursday the maneuvers with the United Kingdom took place Sept. 4 through 12, when a U.S. satellite repositioned into close range of a U.K. spacecraft to inspect, monitor and validate its status. No further details about the spacecraft were disclosed.
The operation marks an expansion of allied cooperation in the increasingly militarized space domain, where nations are developing capabilities to protect critical satellite infrastructure from potential threats. This operation occurred just months after the U.S. revealed it had conducted similar operations with France, and is part of Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at bolstering international cooperation in space defense. (9/19)
Space Force Moving Forward with Commercial Satellite Use (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to tap commercial geostationary small satellite constellations to bolster military communications. The service released this week an updated request for information for its Maneuverable Geosynchronous Orbit (MGEO) Commercial Satellite-Based Services program. The MGEO program seeks to support mobile ground forces that may find themselves in battlefields where satellite communications signals are being jammed or disrupted. The MGEO program specifically seeks solutions across both widely available and traditionally scarce spectrum, including bands difficult to secure commercially. (9/19)
Educating Customers May Be Half the Battle for Nascent Hyperspectral Sector (Source: Space News)
Companies developing hyperspectral satellite services say one of their biggest challenges is making customers aware of applications of such imagery. Hyperspectral datasets can reveal atmospheric greenhouse gases, identify stores of lithium and other high-value minerals, measure nitrogen in agricultural fields and pinpoint the telltale signs of biological, nuclear and chemical weapons, but satellite operators said at World Space Business Week that awareness of those capabilities remains limited. To help the market mature, startups are offering training online, working directly with customers to demonstrate potential use cases and employing artificial intelligence to simplify queries of hyperspectral data cubes. (9/19)
Space Norway and SSTL Partner for Radar Maritime Awareness (Source: Space News)
Space Norway and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) are partnering on a radar satellite program for maritime domain awareness. The companies said Friday they are developing a synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite optimized for tracking ships. The first spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2027 and will be used by the Norwegian military to monitor the North Atlantic. The companies say they are considering a six-satellite constellation to provide rapid revisits of that region as well as others of potential interest to customers. (9/19)
China's iSpace Raises $98 Million for Medium-Lift Rocket (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch startup iSpace has raised $98 million. The company, formally known as Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd., will put the funding towards development of the medium-lift Hyperbola-3 launcher. The company raised several tens of millions of dollars earlier this year. Hyperbola-3 is a methane-liquid oxygen rocket that can put 8,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit in reusable mode and 13,400 kilograms when expended. In March, iSpace stated it was targeting December for an inaugural flight, and did not provide an update in this funding announcement. (9/19)
Blue Origin Retires New Shepard Capsule (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin is retiring a New Shepard capsule after a 12th flight on Thursday. The New Shepard vehicle lifted off at 9 a.m. Eastern from the company’s West Texas launch site on the NS-35 mission, carrying several dozen research payloads. The capsule landed a little more than 10 minutes later after completing a typical flight profile to about 105 kilometers. The capsule, called RSS H.G. Wells, will be retired after this flight, the company said, after making 12 suborbital trips since its introduction in 2017. Blue Origin has two other New Shepard capsules it currently uses for crewed suborbital flights. (9/19)
Stratospheric "Satellites" Gain Popularity (Source: Space News)
Stratospheric “pseudo-satellites” are winning more business from governments and industry. Such vehicles, known as high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), are being flown regularly by companies such as Aalto, Aerostar and Sceye. Following an investment from Japanese internet giant Softbank, Sceye is planning a commercial pilot next year that would see its stratospheric vehicle take off from New Mexico to provide mobile broadband over Japan. Aalto is gearing up for a commercial demonstration of its Airbus-backed solar-powered, fixed-wing Zephyr platform over Japan in 2026. While current interest is primarily from governments, HAPS companies say commercial use cases, particularly direct-to-device connectivity, are catching up. (9/19)
Building a Lunar Network: Johnson Tests Wireless Technologies for the Moon (Source: NASA)
NASA engineers are strapping on backpacks loaded with radios, cameras, and antennas to test technology that might someday keep explorers connected on the lunar surface. Their mission: test how astronauts on the Moon will stay connected during Artemis spacewalks using 3GPP (LTE/4G and 5G) and Wi-Fi technologies.
With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require astronauts to communicate seamlessly with each other and with science teams back on Earth.
“We’re working out what the software that uses these networks needs to look like,” said Raymond Wagner, principal investigator in NASA’s Lunar 3GPP project and member of Johnson Space Center’s Exploration Wireless Laboratory (JEWL) in Houston. “We’re prototyping it with commercial off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software to show what pieces are needed and how they interact.” (9/18)
NATO’S DIANA Accelerator Selects Reaction Dynamics for Phase 2 (Source: SpaceQ)
Reaction Dynamics (RDX) is one of two Canadian companies to make it to Phase 2 of NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). In the first phase 73 companies from 20 countries from over 2600 entries were selected including seven Canadian companies. In Phase 2, 15 companies from 10 countries were selected including RDX. NATO said that each company will receive “€300,000 in non-dilutive funding, as well as continued access to NATO test centers, and tailored support to accelerate adoption.” (9/17)
Trump’s Golden Dome: Golden Dream or Black Nightmare? (Source: Space News)
With great fanfare, the newly installed American President Donald Trump launched the idea of the United States creating an "Iron Dome" to protect America against aerial threats, similar to how the Iron Dome provides security to Israel. However, I find that the Golden Dome will bring the opposite of what the president thinks it will deliver. (9/17)
Amazon Set to Launch 27 Kuiper Satellites with ULA (Source: Aviation Week)
Amazon is set to launch its fifth group of Kuiper broadband satellites next week, with 27 satellites set to be deployed via a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Amazon plans three more missions for Kuiper this year, aiming for over 200 satellites in orbit, and expects to start broadband services in the US, Canada, Germany, France and the UK early next year. (9/17)
Space Force Integrates Commercial Data for Battlefield (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force's Joint Commercial Operations cell is undergoing a reorganization to integrate space domain awareness data from commercial operators into military operations across all combatant commands. The reorganization aims to transform the JCO from a test bed into an enduring unit. (9/17)
Blue Origin Completes 35th New Shepard Mission (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin successfully completed its 35th New Shepard flight and 15th payload mission in West Texas. The flight carried more than 40 payloads from students, NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies, bringing the total number of science payloads flown on New Shepard to more than 200. Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s nonprofit, flew thousands of postcards as part of its Postcards to Space program. (9/18)
New Software Tool Aims to Democratize Access to Space Camera Development (Source: University of Glasgow)
A powerful software tool capable of accurately modelling how cameras capture light could help democratize the development of new imaging systems for use in space. The open-source tool, called SIMply, is available as a free download on the online code repository GitHub.
SIMply aims to provide scientists and engineers with easy access to a level of sophisticated image simulation that is traditionally available only to large corporations or other highly-funded research and development organizations with access to specialized tools. (9/18)
Blue Origin's New Marketing/Comms Chief Based at Space Coast Campus (Source: PR Week)
Blue Origin has hired Christopher Fuller as head of marketing and communications. Fuller started at Blue Origin on Monday and is based at the Rocket Factory in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He is leading all marketing and communications and coordinating with government relations, sales and strategy. Fuller was previously chief communications officer for Inspire Brands, which includes restaurant brands Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's and Sonic Drive-In. (9/16)
India-US Space Partnership Expands From Satellites to Moon, Mars (Source: The Federal)
India and the US signaled a new phase of space partnership at a special event hosted by the Embassy of India in Washington DC earlier this week. Officials and astronauts highlighted how decades of cooperation paved the way for missions to the Moon and Mars. (9/18)
ISRO Chief Narayanan Opens Spacetech Startup OrbitAID’s R&D Facility (Source: Economic Times)
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday opened space technology startup OrbitAID Aerospace’s research and development (R&D) facility in Bengaluru, which will serve as a hub for providing lifetime refueling services to current and upcoming satellites. (9/17)
Hungary and Japan to Deepen Cooperation in Space (Source: Hungary Today)
Japan is ready to develop cooperation in areas of critical importance to Hungary, such as peacebuilding, space exploration, and the nuclear industry, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday in Tokyo. Following his meetings, the Minister stated that during his talks with his Japanese counterpart, he was convinced that the East Asian country is ready to strengthen cooperation with Hungary in these areas. (9/17)
Rocket Lab Looks To Raise $750M In Share Sale (Source: Aviation Week)
Space access and satellite provider Rocket Lab is looking to raise $750 million gross from a share sale, according to a securities filing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing said the company on Sept. 15 entered into “at-the-market” share sale agreements with several investment firms. (9/17)
Poland to Commission Six Satellites as Added IRIS2 Contribution (Source: European Spaceflight)
Poland’s Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy has announced that the country has allocated 2 billion PLN (€470 million) for the purchase of six secure communications satellites and the construction of the associated ground infrastructure. Announced on 11 September, the new project is part of the final revision of Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, a program designed to strengthen the Polish economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. (9/17)
Starbase Borrows Another $1 Million From SpaceX (Source: Valley Central)
The city of Starbase plans to borrow another $1 million from SpaceX. During a meeting on Wednesday night, the City Commission agreed to borrow $1 million from SpaceX at 0% interest. The city plans to pay SpaceX back in 2026, when Starbase collects property taxes. Every member of the City Commission is a current or former SpaceX employee. They voted 3-0 to approve the deal.
Starbase had no sales tax and SpaceX, the city’s largest landowner, wouldn’t pay any property taxes until January 2026. That left Starbase strapped for cash. The City Commission, though, didn’t want to wait more than six months to provide residents with basic services. Many people in Starbase, which is located in a rural part of Cameron County near Boca Chica, had concerns about safety. To address concerns about safety, Starbase inked a five-year, $3.5 million contract with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office for extra law enforcement. (9/18)
New Mexico's Spaceport is Key to Continued Economic Growth and Diversification (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
The Spaceport Development Act, passed by the Legislature in 2005, created a statutory framework to empower New Mexico to blaze the trail in this burgeoning new industry, while also making key investments in the necessary infrastructure and workforce training to support it. This work ultimately supported the building of a world-renowned, purpose-built facility in Spaceport America.
The facility’s success does not hinge on one tenant. Regardless of whether Virgin Galactic is ultimately able to increase its commercial flights in New Mexico from once a month to twice a week, Spaceport America is currently home to six other innovative space technology companies that offer exciting opportunities for aerospace development. This, in turn, supports good jobs and economic growth in the state. (9/15)
Groundbreaking Spaceport America is Hitting its Stride (Source: Santa Fe New Mexican)
To the many skeptics of Spaceport America, good news. The commercial spaceport, paid for by New Mexico taxpayers, is realizing its potential, producing an economic impact of some $240 million for New Mexico in 2024. The figure comes from New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center and the Center for Border Economic Development, which conducted a study from 2019 to 2024 to dig deep into how Spaceport America was impacting New Mexico.
Contained within the $240 million figure are 790 total jobs, 313 of them direct, with $24.4 million paid in taxes. Economic output increased from $72.3 million in 2019, and total jobs expanded from 396. Numbers in 2024 are down slightly from 2023, when economic impact was $266 million. (9/17)
Ursa Major has secured a $35 million contract from an unnamed US defense and aerospace company for its Draper rocket engine, aimed at national security applications such as hypersonic flight and space vehicles. The Draper engine, based on Ursa Major's hypersonic-capable Hadley engine, uses advancements such as a closed catalyst cycle design and significant use of additive manufacturing, with two-thirds of its components 3D-printed. The reusable engine operates without cryogenic propellants, can be stored for up to 10 years and offers restart and throttle control. (9/17)
Leonardo USA Opens Support Center Near Pensacola (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
Leonardo USA has opened a 73,000-square-foot support center at Whiting Aviation Park in Florida. The center will primarily service military aircraft, especially those from Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and is expected to employ about 150 people. The center will also maintain about 1,000 Leonardo helicopters operating in the region. (9/19)
Interlune Signs Bluefors as Helium-3 Customer (Source: Washington Post)
Interlune has announced a new customer for helium-3 it plans to extract from the moon. Bluefors, a Finnish company that makes refrigeration systems for quantum computers, said it will buy tens of thousands of liters of helium-3 from Interlune, a deal that could potentially be worth more than $300 million. The deal covers helium-3 sales between 2028 and 2037. Interlune previously announced other customers for helium-3, but called this the biggest sale yet involving resources extracted from space. Interlune has yet to mine any helium-3 from the moon and will fly its first prospecting instrument, a camera, on a rover launching as soon as late this year. (9/19)
JAXA's Target for Asteroid Landing Smaller Than Thought (Source: Space.com)
It may be much harder than previously expected for a Japanese spacecraft to land on an asteroid. The Japanese space agency JAXA is sending the Hayabusa2 spacecraft on an extended mission to the asteroid 1998 KY26, arriving in 2031 to touch down on the asteroid’s surface. The asteroid was initially estimated to be about 30 meters across, but new observations of 1998 KY26 show it is instead only about 11 meters across. The asteroid is also spinning faster than first estimated, with a period of just five minutes. The new observations raise concerns about the ability of Hayabusa2 to touch down safely on the asteroid. (9/19)
US and UK Militaries Coordinate Satellite Maneuvers (Source: Space News)
The United States and United Kingdom militaries have conducted their first coordinated satellite maneuvers. U.S. Space Command said Thursday the maneuvers with the United Kingdom took place Sept. 4 through 12, when a U.S. satellite repositioned into close range of a U.K. spacecraft to inspect, monitor and validate its status. No further details about the spacecraft were disclosed.
The operation marks an expansion of allied cooperation in the increasingly militarized space domain, where nations are developing capabilities to protect critical satellite infrastructure from potential threats. This operation occurred just months after the U.S. revealed it had conducted similar operations with France, and is part of Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at bolstering international cooperation in space defense. (9/19)
Space Force Moving Forward with Commercial Satellite Use (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to tap commercial geostationary small satellite constellations to bolster military communications. The service released this week an updated request for information for its Maneuverable Geosynchronous Orbit (MGEO) Commercial Satellite-Based Services program. The MGEO program seeks to support mobile ground forces that may find themselves in battlefields where satellite communications signals are being jammed or disrupted. The MGEO program specifically seeks solutions across both widely available and traditionally scarce spectrum, including bands difficult to secure commercially. (9/19)
Educating Customers May Be Half the Battle for Nascent Hyperspectral Sector (Source: Space News)
Companies developing hyperspectral satellite services say one of their biggest challenges is making customers aware of applications of such imagery. Hyperspectral datasets can reveal atmospheric greenhouse gases, identify stores of lithium and other high-value minerals, measure nitrogen in agricultural fields and pinpoint the telltale signs of biological, nuclear and chemical weapons, but satellite operators said at World Space Business Week that awareness of those capabilities remains limited. To help the market mature, startups are offering training online, working directly with customers to demonstrate potential use cases and employing artificial intelligence to simplify queries of hyperspectral data cubes. (9/19)
Space Norway and SSTL Partner for Radar Maritime Awareness (Source: Space News)
Space Norway and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) are partnering on a radar satellite program for maritime domain awareness. The companies said Friday they are developing a synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite optimized for tracking ships. The first spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2027 and will be used by the Norwegian military to monitor the North Atlantic. The companies say they are considering a six-satellite constellation to provide rapid revisits of that region as well as others of potential interest to customers. (9/19)
China's iSpace Raises $98 Million for Medium-Lift Rocket (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch startup iSpace has raised $98 million. The company, formally known as Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Ltd., will put the funding towards development of the medium-lift Hyperbola-3 launcher. The company raised several tens of millions of dollars earlier this year. Hyperbola-3 is a methane-liquid oxygen rocket that can put 8,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit in reusable mode and 13,400 kilograms when expended. In March, iSpace stated it was targeting December for an inaugural flight, and did not provide an update in this funding announcement. (9/19)
Blue Origin Retires New Shepard Capsule (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin is retiring a New Shepard capsule after a 12th flight on Thursday. The New Shepard vehicle lifted off at 9 a.m. Eastern from the company’s West Texas launch site on the NS-35 mission, carrying several dozen research payloads. The capsule landed a little more than 10 minutes later after completing a typical flight profile to about 105 kilometers. The capsule, called RSS H.G. Wells, will be retired after this flight, the company said, after making 12 suborbital trips since its introduction in 2017. Blue Origin has two other New Shepard capsules it currently uses for crewed suborbital flights. (9/19)
Stratospheric "Satellites" Gain Popularity (Source: Space News)
Stratospheric “pseudo-satellites” are winning more business from governments and industry. Such vehicles, known as high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), are being flown regularly by companies such as Aalto, Aerostar and Sceye. Following an investment from Japanese internet giant Softbank, Sceye is planning a commercial pilot next year that would see its stratospheric vehicle take off from New Mexico to provide mobile broadband over Japan. Aalto is gearing up for a commercial demonstration of its Airbus-backed solar-powered, fixed-wing Zephyr platform over Japan in 2026. While current interest is primarily from governments, HAPS companies say commercial use cases, particularly direct-to-device connectivity, are catching up. (9/19)
Building a Lunar Network: Johnson Tests Wireless Technologies for the Moon (Source: NASA)
NASA engineers are strapping on backpacks loaded with radios, cameras, and antennas to test technology that might someday keep explorers connected on the lunar surface. Their mission: test how astronauts on the Moon will stay connected during Artemis spacewalks using 3GPP (LTE/4G and 5G) and Wi-Fi technologies.
With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require astronauts to communicate seamlessly with each other and with science teams back on Earth.
“We’re working out what the software that uses these networks needs to look like,” said Raymond Wagner, principal investigator in NASA’s Lunar 3GPP project and member of Johnson Space Center’s Exploration Wireless Laboratory (JEWL) in Houston. “We’re prototyping it with commercial off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software to show what pieces are needed and how they interact.” (9/18)
NATO’S DIANA Accelerator Selects Reaction Dynamics for Phase 2 (Source: SpaceQ)
Reaction Dynamics (RDX) is one of two Canadian companies to make it to Phase 2 of NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). In the first phase 73 companies from 20 countries from over 2600 entries were selected including seven Canadian companies. In Phase 2, 15 companies from 10 countries were selected including RDX. NATO said that each company will receive “€300,000 in non-dilutive funding, as well as continued access to NATO test centers, and tailored support to accelerate adoption.” (9/17)
Trump’s Golden Dome: Golden Dream or Black Nightmare? (Source: Space News)
With great fanfare, the newly installed American President Donald Trump launched the idea of the United States creating an "Iron Dome" to protect America against aerial threats, similar to how the Iron Dome provides security to Israel. However, I find that the Golden Dome will bring the opposite of what the president thinks it will deliver. (9/17)
Amazon Set to Launch 27 Kuiper Satellites with ULA (Source: Aviation Week)
Amazon is set to launch its fifth group of Kuiper broadband satellites next week, with 27 satellites set to be deployed via a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Amazon plans three more missions for Kuiper this year, aiming for over 200 satellites in orbit, and expects to start broadband services in the US, Canada, Germany, France and the UK early next year. (9/17)
Space Force Integrates Commercial Data for Battlefield (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force's Joint Commercial Operations cell is undergoing a reorganization to integrate space domain awareness data from commercial operators into military operations across all combatant commands. The reorganization aims to transform the JCO from a test bed into an enduring unit. (9/17)
Blue Origin Completes 35th New Shepard Mission (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin successfully completed its 35th New Shepard flight and 15th payload mission in West Texas. The flight carried more than 40 payloads from students, NASA, research institutions, and commercial companies, bringing the total number of science payloads flown on New Shepard to more than 200. Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s nonprofit, flew thousands of postcards as part of its Postcards to Space program. (9/18)
New Software Tool Aims to Democratize Access to Space Camera Development (Source: University of Glasgow)
A powerful software tool capable of accurately modelling how cameras capture light could help democratize the development of new imaging systems for use in space. The open-source tool, called SIMply, is available as a free download on the online code repository GitHub.
SIMply aims to provide scientists and engineers with easy access to a level of sophisticated image simulation that is traditionally available only to large corporations or other highly-funded research and development organizations with access to specialized tools. (9/18)
Blue Origin's New Marketing/Comms Chief Based at Space Coast Campus (Source: PR Week)
Blue Origin has hired Christopher Fuller as head of marketing and communications. Fuller started at Blue Origin on Monday and is based at the Rocket Factory in Cape Canaveral, Florida. He is leading all marketing and communications and coordinating with government relations, sales and strategy. Fuller was previously chief communications officer for Inspire Brands, which includes restaurant brands Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's and Sonic Drive-In. (9/16)
India-US Space Partnership Expands From Satellites to Moon, Mars (Source: The Federal)
India and the US signaled a new phase of space partnership at a special event hosted by the Embassy of India in Washington DC earlier this week. Officials and astronauts highlighted how decades of cooperation paved the way for missions to the Moon and Mars. (9/18)
ISRO Chief Narayanan Opens Spacetech Startup OrbitAID’s R&D Facility (Source: Economic Times)
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan on Wednesday opened space technology startup OrbitAID Aerospace’s research and development (R&D) facility in Bengaluru, which will serve as a hub for providing lifetime refueling services to current and upcoming satellites. (9/17)
Hungary and Japan to Deepen Cooperation in Space (Source: Hungary Today)
Japan is ready to develop cooperation in areas of critical importance to Hungary, such as peacebuilding, space exploration, and the nuclear industry, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday in Tokyo. Following his meetings, the Minister stated that during his talks with his Japanese counterpart, he was convinced that the East Asian country is ready to strengthen cooperation with Hungary in these areas. (9/17)
Rocket Lab Looks To Raise $750M In Share Sale (Source: Aviation Week)
Space access and satellite provider Rocket Lab is looking to raise $750 million gross from a share sale, according to a securities filing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing said the company on Sept. 15 entered into “at-the-market” share sale agreements with several investment firms. (9/17)
Poland to Commission Six Satellites as Added IRIS2 Contribution (Source: European Spaceflight)
Poland’s Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy has announced that the country has allocated 2 billion PLN (€470 million) for the purchase of six secure communications satellites and the construction of the associated ground infrastructure. Announced on 11 September, the new project is part of the final revision of Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, a program designed to strengthen the Polish economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. (9/17)
Starbase Borrows Another $1 Million From SpaceX (Source: Valley Central)
The city of Starbase plans to borrow another $1 million from SpaceX. During a meeting on Wednesday night, the City Commission agreed to borrow $1 million from SpaceX at 0% interest. The city plans to pay SpaceX back in 2026, when Starbase collects property taxes. Every member of the City Commission is a current or former SpaceX employee. They voted 3-0 to approve the deal.
Starbase had no sales tax and SpaceX, the city’s largest landowner, wouldn’t pay any property taxes until January 2026. That left Starbase strapped for cash. The City Commission, though, didn’t want to wait more than six months to provide residents with basic services. Many people in Starbase, which is located in a rural part of Cameron County near Boca Chica, had concerns about safety. To address concerns about safety, Starbase inked a five-year, $3.5 million contract with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office for extra law enforcement. (9/18)
New Mexico's Spaceport is Key to Continued Economic Growth and Diversification (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
The Spaceport Development Act, passed by the Legislature in 2005, created a statutory framework to empower New Mexico to blaze the trail in this burgeoning new industry, while also making key investments in the necessary infrastructure and workforce training to support it. This work ultimately supported the building of a world-renowned, purpose-built facility in Spaceport America.
The facility’s success does not hinge on one tenant. Regardless of whether Virgin Galactic is ultimately able to increase its commercial flights in New Mexico from once a month to twice a week, Spaceport America is currently home to six other innovative space technology companies that offer exciting opportunities for aerospace development. This, in turn, supports good jobs and economic growth in the state. (9/15)
Groundbreaking Spaceport America is Hitting its Stride (Source: Santa Fe New Mexican)
To the many skeptics of Spaceport America, good news. The commercial spaceport, paid for by New Mexico taxpayers, is realizing its potential, producing an economic impact of some $240 million for New Mexico in 2024. The figure comes from New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center and the Center for Border Economic Development, which conducted a study from 2019 to 2024 to dig deep into how Spaceport America was impacting New Mexico.
Contained within the $240 million figure are 790 total jobs, 313 of them direct, with $24.4 million paid in taxes. Economic output increased from $72.3 million in 2019, and total jobs expanded from 396. Numbers in 2024 are down slightly from 2023, when economic impact was $266 million. (9/17)
September 18, 2025
Space Florida Opens Next Round of
Israel/Florida Grant Program (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida entered into an innovative bi-lateral partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority (OCS) to support joint aerospace research & development projects. Since 2013, Space Florida and Israel Innovation Authority have jointly funded aerospace companies in their research and development to cultivate an aerospace ecosystem and further strengthen the economic relationship between Florida and Israel.
Each year, the research and development funding available is valued at $2 million. To date, Florida and Israel have helped fund more than $22 million in valuable and innovative research. Click here for information on the 2026 Call for Projects. (9/18)
Rocket Lab Establishes $750 Million Stock Offering (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has launched a new at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program allowing up to $750 million in stock to be sold over time through multiple investment banks. This replaces a prior ATM program capped at $500 million, under which Rocket Lab had already raised about $396.6 million before terminating that earlier facility. The stock reacted negatively: shares dropped about 3.5-4.2% in premarket trading on the announcement and is currently down over 10%.
For investors, the larger ATM provides Rocket Lab with additional capital flexibility—likely aimed at supporting growth initiatives, manufacturing expansion (including its planned acquisition of Mynaric), launch capacity build-out, and potentially other M&A. But the price action indicates market concern over dilution and how aggressively the company might draw on this capacity. (9/16)
Court Rejects Challenge to FAA’s Approval of Expanded SpaceX Operations in South Texas (Source: Mach33)
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed a lawsuit by conservation groups challenging the FAA’s 2022 approval for expanded SpaceX launch/test operations in South Texas (Starbase area), finding the FAA had adequately addressed environmental impacts, especially light pollution to nearby wildlife. This removes a lingering legal risk to SpaceX’s expansion plans. (9/16)
NATO Officials Say Space has Become a War-fighting Domain (Source: Defense News)
NATO countries are shifting their perception of space from a domain of potential conflict to an active war-fighting domain, as officials discussed at the Space Defense and Security Summit in Paris. "We have to accept that space is a tested domain, is a war-fighting domain, is becoming a war-fighting domain," says German Brig. Gen. Jürgen Schrödl. Officials highlighted the rapid development of anti-satellite weapons and the need for rapid response capabilities. (9/17)
Ground-Based GPS Jamming Now Reaches Satellites; Experts Call for Europe-Wide Adoption of Jamming-Resistant Technology (Source: Astrolight)
GPS jamming and spoofing is no longer just a problem in war zones. On August 12, Latvia’s Electronic Communications Office confirmed that Russia is disrupting satellite navigation systems from three permanent sites in Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Pskov Oblasts, creating widespread risks for civil aviation and critical infrastructure across the Baltic Sea region.
The agency described the issue as a “growing problem” that has outgrown national borders, forcing pilots to rely on fallback navigation methods and even grounding flights. Estonian ministers have previously called the interference a “deliberate hybrid attack” reaching into everyday life. (9/17)
Beijing Company Sets New Thrust Record in Rocket Engine Test (Source: Space Daily)
Space Pioneer, a Beijing-based private launch firm, has completed a major ignition test of its TL 3 rocket, establishing a national record for thrust produced by any Chinese privately developed launch vehicle. The test took place Monday on an offshore platform. Nine TH-12 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines fired for 30 seconds, generating around 840 metric tons of thrust.
The trial confirmed the TL 3 first-stage design and subsystem integration, while also marking China's first sea-based engine ignition test. The previous record of 769 tons was set in June by LandSpace's TQ-12A engines at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. (9/17)
China Launches Yaogan 45 Satellite on Long March 7A Rocket (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully launched the Yaogan 45 remote-sensing satellite into orbit aboard a Long March 7A carrier rocket, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. reported. The rocket lifted off at 10 am Tuesday from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province and delivered its payload to the designated orbit. (9/17)
China's Kinetica 2 Rocket On Track for Inaugural Mission in 2025 (Source: Space Daily)
CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is completing development of its new Kinetica 2 rocket and aims to launch it before the end of 2025. The company confirmed that the first vehicle has been assembled and is undergoing integrated testing ahead of its debut flight in the fourth quarter. That mission will also introduce a new robotic cargo ship named Qingzhou, or Light Ship, designed to resupply the Tiangong space station.
The 52-meter-tall Kinetica 2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel launcher and the successor to CAS Space's Kinetica 1. Featuring a 3.35-meter-diameter core booster, two side boosters, and a liftoff mass of 625 metric tons, the rocket can generate up to 766 tons of thrust. It is capable of carrying 8 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tons to low-Earth orbit, making it suitable for major satellite deployments and cost-effective supply missions. (9/17)
Infinite Orbits Secures Multiple GEO Launches with Impulse Space (Source: Space Daily)
Impulse Space, a leading provider of in-space mobility solutions, has signed a multi-launch agreement with France-based in-orbit services company Infinite Orbits. The agreement, beginning in 2027, will use Impulse's Caravan rideshare program to deliver multiple Infinite Orbits spacecraft directly to geostationary orbit (GEO). Initial flights will deploy several satellite servicers for orbital life extension missions and a fleet of inspection and surveillance microsatellites. At least three spacecraft are slated to launch in 2027, with further missions planned annually thereafter, strengthening the companies' partnership. (9/17)
Ohio State Scientists Advance Focus on Nuclear Propulsion (Source: Space Daily)
New developments in nuclear thermal propulsion technologies may soon enable advanced space missions to the farthest reaches of the solar system. Leading these advances are researchers at The Ohio State University: Engineers are developing a nuclear propulsion system that uses liquid uranium to directly heat rocket propellant as an alternative to solid fuel elements used by traditional nuclear propulsion systems. (9/17)
SDA Taps GMV to Build Space Safety Portal for Next Era of Spaceflight Safety (Source: Space Daily)
The Space Data Association has chosen GMV to develop its next generation Space Safety Portal, a safety of flight system designed to support mission critical operations. The new platform will extend SDA's role as an integration hub for global space traffic coordination by enabling agile capabilities and deeper collaboration with operators and SSA agencies.
The SSP will draw on sixteen years of SDA operational experience and incorporate emerging technologies, expanded space situational awareness data, and new concepts for coordination. The aim is to address risks from the rapidly rising satellite population in orbit and in launch pipelines while preserving data integrity and secure information sharing. (9/17)
Alien Civilizations May Be far Rarer Than Hoped Study Suggests (Source: Space Daily)
New research indicates that the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way could be about 33,000 light years from Earth, and that such a society would need to have survived at least 280,000 years - potentially millions - to coexist with us in time. The odds of finding advanced life are severely constrained by planetary conditions. Specifically, worlds require active plate tectonics to regulate carbon dioxide and maintain long-term biospheres. Without this mechanism, atmospheres can become either depleted or toxic.
This statistical framework suggests that if extraterrestrial intelligences exist, they are likely to be far older than humans. It also places the closest advanced civilization on the far side of the galaxy. Manuel Scherf cautions that these results depend on poorly understood variables such as the likelihood of life's origin, photosynthesis, multicellularity, and technological development. (9/17)
NASA Begins Testing PExT Wideband Communications System in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
Payload commissioning has started for NASA's Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), a pioneering wideband space communications technology designed to connect spacecraft with both government and commercial networks. The demonstration rides aboard York Space Systems' Bard satellite, launched on July 23. The satellite completed its bus commissioning within four weeks, validating key systems such as flight computers and navigation controls. With Bard fully operational, the PExT payload is now entering its own commissioning phase through September. (9/17)
78 Million Years Ago, an Asteroid Hit Earth. Then Life Grew in The Crater (Source: Science Alert)
78 million years ago, a 1.6 km asteroid slammed into what is now Finland, creating a crater 23 km (14 mi) wide and 750 km deep. The catastrophic impact created a fractured hydrothermal system in the shattered bedrock under the crater. There's evidence from other impact structures that in the aftermath of a collision, life colonized the shattered rock and heated water that flowed through it. But determining when the colonization happened is challenging.
New research shows for the first time exactly when that colonization happened. A team of researchers has zeroed in on the date that microbial life populated the hydrothermal system under the 78 million year old Lappajärvi impact structure. (9/18)
Artemis 2 Astronauts Will Double as Human Science Experiments on Their Trip Around the Moon (Source: Space.com)
Artemis 2 astronauts will be studied for how sleep, stress and radiation shape human health in deep space during their moon mission next year.
The second installment of NASA's Artemis program to return to the moon and establish a sustained human presence in deep space is set to be the first crewed flight test of its Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The four-person crew is tasked with putting the vessel through its paces in the cislunar environment, and performing several science experiments during their mission. (9/17)
Axiom Space Aims for Orbit with its Orbital Data Center Node (Source: The Register)
Axiom Space and Spacebilt have announced plans to add optically interconnected Orbital Data Center (ODC) infrastructure to the ISS. The company plans to launch two Axiom Orbital Data Center (AxODC) Nodes by the end of 2025, with at least three running by the end of 2027. It all sounds very exciting until you consider that Axiom Data Center Unit One (AxDCU-1), which eventually launched to the ISS in August, was a prototype that was roughly the size of a shoebox. (9/17)
Space Force Wants Faster Space Object Tracking (Source: Space News)
The Space Force’s top general says the service’s ability to track objects in space is dangerously outdated. Gen. Chance Saltzman said the military’s space surveillance systems, built for a more peaceful orbital environment, are struggling to keep pace with the explosive growth in satellites and space debris as well as the deployment of anti-satellite weapons by rivals such as China and Russia. He said the military can’t be satisfied if it takes hours to track on-orbit activity and weeks to months to fully characterize it. He called for “a more comprehensive program to avoid operational surprise” rather than make incremental improvements to space domain awareness systems. (9/18)
Space Force Speeds Acquisition Reform (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is speeding up its reorganization of acquisition units. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of the Space Systems Command, said the restructuring, centered on “System Deltas” that pair acquisition officers with operational commanders, is progressing at a fast pace. In recent months the command activated new system deltas focused on missile warning, space-based sensing, space domain awareness, and training infrastructure. Garrant said the remaining units will be established in the next two months. The goal is to eliminate bureaucratic seams that historically slowed acquisitions and sometimes produced systems that didn’t fully meet operational needs. (9/18)
Small GEO Comsat Developers Differ in Strategy (Source: Space News)
Companies developing small GEO communications satellites are taking different strategies regarding vertical integration. At one sits Switzerland’s Swissto12, which recently expanded downstream by acquiring Ku-band terminal assets from Hanwha Phasor. At the other end is ReOrbit of Finland, which is committed to leaving hardware to third parties even after recently raising more than $50 million in a funding round announced earlier this month. In between the two is AscendArc, which plans to vertically integrate around a novel payload design while sourcing more standard spacecraft components off the shelf. (9/18)
Arianespace Looks to Expand Ariane 6 Launch Rate (Source: Space News)
Arianespace is considering ways to expand the launch rate of its Ariane 6 beyond its current limit of 10 per year. Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès said the company is exploring options to ramp up production if enough demand emerges from government and commercial constellations. Those plans involve increasing capacity for producing the vehicle’s solid rocket boosters as well as spaceport improvements that could include a second launch pad. Cavaillolès said the company would need to decide on any upgrades in the next year or two so that additional capacity could be available by 2030, when demand from new constellations may emerge. (9/18)
Astra Targets Summer 2026 for Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Sources: Space News, SPACErePORT)
Astra is targeting the summer of next year for the first launch of its Rocket 4 vehicle. Astra CEO Chris Kemp said the company was on track for a first launch of the vehicle, capable of placing 750 kilograms into low Earth orbit, from Cape Canaveral, at Space Florida's Launch Complex 46. Kemp said Astra is seeing demand from customers looking for alternatives to SpaceX for launches. Astra announced Rocket 4 in 2022 but ran into technical challenges with the earlier Rocket 3.3 and financial problems that caused the company to go private last year. (9/18)
NATO Fund Taps Spanish Startup for VLEO Satellite Investment (Source: Bloomberg)
Spain's Kreios has raised €8M to bring satellites closer to Earth, with support from the NATO Innovation Fund. Kreios is opening up an orbit once thought impossible, keeping satellites flying at 200 km altitude for years instead of days to unlock unmatched capabilities for Earth observation, communications, and security. They plan to launch the first in-orbit demonstration of our VLEO satellite powered by an Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion engine. (9/18)
Geopolitical Tensions Drive Rise in Earth Observation Revenues (Source: Space News)
Defense and security applications accounted for nearly half of commercial Earth observation revenue last year. A study by Novaspace found that geopolitical tensions have become the major driver for sales of Earth observation data and services, outpacing commercial and civil government demand. Novaspace found that commercial Earth observation generated about $6 billion in annual revenue in 2024 and projects that to nearly triple to $17 billion over the next decade. (9/18)
Cygnus Glitch Solved, Allowing Cargo Arrival at ISS (Source: Space News)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the ISS Thursday morning after a one-day delay. The station’s robotic arm grappled the NG-23 Cygnus spacecraft at 7:24 a.m. Eastern, and will berth the spacecraft to the Unity module later today. The Cygnus was scheduled to arrive at the station Wednesday morning but suffered early shutdowns of its main engine during two orbit-raising maneuvers on Tuesday. NASA and Northrop Grumman later found that a “conservative safeguard in the software settings” caused the shutdowns and not a problem with the thruster itself. (9/18)
SpaceX Launches Thursday Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Thursday morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern and put 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch came after another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from California on Wednesday was scrubbed because of weather. (9/18)
France Backs Military Reusable Spaceplane (Source: Space News)
The French military is backing development of a reusable spaceplane. Dassault Aviation announced in June a contract with the French armament agency DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028. VORTEX will launch on a small rocket, reach hypersonic speeds, perform atmospheric reentry and validate key technologies including thermal protection systems. DGA sees potential military uses of spaceplanes like VORTEX that include in-space servicing and return of cargo. (9/18)
Hubble Network Raises $70 Million for Bluetooth Constellation (Source: GeekWire)
Hubble Network has raised $70 million to advance its plans for a constellation of satellites using Bluetooth protocols. The Series B round, announced Wednesday, builds upon $30 million in earlier funding announced by the company. Hubble is planning a constellation of satellites that will be able to communicate with devices and sensors on the ground using Bluetooth. Hubble recently announced a contract with Muon Space for two satellites to launch in 2027, part of a constellation of 60 proposed to be in orbit as soon as 2028. (9/18)
Maxar Offers 3D Map Imagery (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence released a new product that turns satellite imagery into 2D and 3D maps. Vivid Features combines Maxar’s satellite imagery archive with artificial intelligence software from Ecopia AI to automatically identify and outline buildings, roads, vegetation, water bodies and other features in satellite imagery. The companies said the product should be able to reduce the time it takes to create new vector-based maps from such imagery. (9/18)
Space Florida entered into an innovative bi-lateral partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority (OCS) to support joint aerospace research & development projects. Since 2013, Space Florida and Israel Innovation Authority have jointly funded aerospace companies in their research and development to cultivate an aerospace ecosystem and further strengthen the economic relationship between Florida and Israel.
Each year, the research and development funding available is valued at $2 million. To date, Florida and Israel have helped fund more than $22 million in valuable and innovative research. Click here for information on the 2026 Call for Projects. (9/18)
Rocket Lab Establishes $750 Million Stock Offering (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has launched a new at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program allowing up to $750 million in stock to be sold over time through multiple investment banks. This replaces a prior ATM program capped at $500 million, under which Rocket Lab had already raised about $396.6 million before terminating that earlier facility. The stock reacted negatively: shares dropped about 3.5-4.2% in premarket trading on the announcement and is currently down over 10%.
For investors, the larger ATM provides Rocket Lab with additional capital flexibility—likely aimed at supporting growth initiatives, manufacturing expansion (including its planned acquisition of Mynaric), launch capacity build-out, and potentially other M&A. But the price action indicates market concern over dilution and how aggressively the company might draw on this capacity. (9/16)
Court Rejects Challenge to FAA’s Approval of Expanded SpaceX Operations in South Texas (Source: Mach33)
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed a lawsuit by conservation groups challenging the FAA’s 2022 approval for expanded SpaceX launch/test operations in South Texas (Starbase area), finding the FAA had adequately addressed environmental impacts, especially light pollution to nearby wildlife. This removes a lingering legal risk to SpaceX’s expansion plans. (9/16)
NATO Officials Say Space has Become a War-fighting Domain (Source: Defense News)
NATO countries are shifting their perception of space from a domain of potential conflict to an active war-fighting domain, as officials discussed at the Space Defense and Security Summit in Paris. "We have to accept that space is a tested domain, is a war-fighting domain, is becoming a war-fighting domain," says German Brig. Gen. Jürgen Schrödl. Officials highlighted the rapid development of anti-satellite weapons and the need for rapid response capabilities. (9/17)
Ground-Based GPS Jamming Now Reaches Satellites; Experts Call for Europe-Wide Adoption of Jamming-Resistant Technology (Source: Astrolight)
GPS jamming and spoofing is no longer just a problem in war zones. On August 12, Latvia’s Electronic Communications Office confirmed that Russia is disrupting satellite navigation systems from three permanent sites in Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Pskov Oblasts, creating widespread risks for civil aviation and critical infrastructure across the Baltic Sea region.
The agency described the issue as a “growing problem” that has outgrown national borders, forcing pilots to rely on fallback navigation methods and even grounding flights. Estonian ministers have previously called the interference a “deliberate hybrid attack” reaching into everyday life. (9/17)
Beijing Company Sets New Thrust Record in Rocket Engine Test (Source: Space Daily)
Space Pioneer, a Beijing-based private launch firm, has completed a major ignition test of its TL 3 rocket, establishing a national record for thrust produced by any Chinese privately developed launch vehicle. The test took place Monday on an offshore platform. Nine TH-12 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines fired for 30 seconds, generating around 840 metric tons of thrust.
The trial confirmed the TL 3 first-stage design and subsystem integration, while also marking China's first sea-based engine ignition test. The previous record of 769 tons was set in June by LandSpace's TQ-12A engines at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. (9/17)
China Launches Yaogan 45 Satellite on Long March 7A Rocket (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully launched the Yaogan 45 remote-sensing satellite into orbit aboard a Long March 7A carrier rocket, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. reported. The rocket lifted off at 10 am Tuesday from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province and delivered its payload to the designated orbit. (9/17)
China's Kinetica 2 Rocket On Track for Inaugural Mission in 2025 (Source: Space Daily)
CAS Space, a subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is completing development of its new Kinetica 2 rocket and aims to launch it before the end of 2025. The company confirmed that the first vehicle has been assembled and is undergoing integrated testing ahead of its debut flight in the fourth quarter. That mission will also introduce a new robotic cargo ship named Qingzhou, or Light Ship, designed to resupply the Tiangong space station.
The 52-meter-tall Kinetica 2 is a medium-lift, liquid-fuel launcher and the successor to CAS Space's Kinetica 1. Featuring a 3.35-meter-diameter core booster, two side boosters, and a liftoff mass of 625 metric tons, the rocket can generate up to 766 tons of thrust. It is capable of carrying 8 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 12 tons to low-Earth orbit, making it suitable for major satellite deployments and cost-effective supply missions. (9/17)
Infinite Orbits Secures Multiple GEO Launches with Impulse Space (Source: Space Daily)
Impulse Space, a leading provider of in-space mobility solutions, has signed a multi-launch agreement with France-based in-orbit services company Infinite Orbits. The agreement, beginning in 2027, will use Impulse's Caravan rideshare program to deliver multiple Infinite Orbits spacecraft directly to geostationary orbit (GEO). Initial flights will deploy several satellite servicers for orbital life extension missions and a fleet of inspection and surveillance microsatellites. At least three spacecraft are slated to launch in 2027, with further missions planned annually thereafter, strengthening the companies' partnership. (9/17)
Ohio State Scientists Advance Focus on Nuclear Propulsion (Source: Space Daily)
New developments in nuclear thermal propulsion technologies may soon enable advanced space missions to the farthest reaches of the solar system. Leading these advances are researchers at The Ohio State University: Engineers are developing a nuclear propulsion system that uses liquid uranium to directly heat rocket propellant as an alternative to solid fuel elements used by traditional nuclear propulsion systems. (9/17)
SDA Taps GMV to Build Space Safety Portal for Next Era of Spaceflight Safety (Source: Space Daily)
The Space Data Association has chosen GMV to develop its next generation Space Safety Portal, a safety of flight system designed to support mission critical operations. The new platform will extend SDA's role as an integration hub for global space traffic coordination by enabling agile capabilities and deeper collaboration with operators and SSA agencies.
The SSP will draw on sixteen years of SDA operational experience and incorporate emerging technologies, expanded space situational awareness data, and new concepts for coordination. The aim is to address risks from the rapidly rising satellite population in orbit and in launch pipelines while preserving data integrity and secure information sharing. (9/17)
Alien Civilizations May Be far Rarer Than Hoped Study Suggests (Source: Space Daily)
New research indicates that the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way could be about 33,000 light years from Earth, and that such a society would need to have survived at least 280,000 years - potentially millions - to coexist with us in time. The odds of finding advanced life are severely constrained by planetary conditions. Specifically, worlds require active plate tectonics to regulate carbon dioxide and maintain long-term biospheres. Without this mechanism, atmospheres can become either depleted or toxic.
This statistical framework suggests that if extraterrestrial intelligences exist, they are likely to be far older than humans. It also places the closest advanced civilization on the far side of the galaxy. Manuel Scherf cautions that these results depend on poorly understood variables such as the likelihood of life's origin, photosynthesis, multicellularity, and technological development. (9/17)
NASA Begins Testing PExT Wideband Communications System in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
Payload commissioning has started for NASA's Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT), a pioneering wideband space communications technology designed to connect spacecraft with both government and commercial networks. The demonstration rides aboard York Space Systems' Bard satellite, launched on July 23. The satellite completed its bus commissioning within four weeks, validating key systems such as flight computers and navigation controls. With Bard fully operational, the PExT payload is now entering its own commissioning phase through September. (9/17)
78 Million Years Ago, an Asteroid Hit Earth. Then Life Grew in The Crater (Source: Science Alert)
78 million years ago, a 1.6 km asteroid slammed into what is now Finland, creating a crater 23 km (14 mi) wide and 750 km deep. The catastrophic impact created a fractured hydrothermal system in the shattered bedrock under the crater. There's evidence from other impact structures that in the aftermath of a collision, life colonized the shattered rock and heated water that flowed through it. But determining when the colonization happened is challenging.
New research shows for the first time exactly when that colonization happened. A team of researchers has zeroed in on the date that microbial life populated the hydrothermal system under the 78 million year old Lappajärvi impact structure. (9/18)
Artemis 2 Astronauts Will Double as Human Science Experiments on Their Trip Around the Moon (Source: Space.com)
Artemis 2 astronauts will be studied for how sleep, stress and radiation shape human health in deep space during their moon mission next year.
The second installment of NASA's Artemis program to return to the moon and establish a sustained human presence in deep space is set to be the first crewed flight test of its Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The four-person crew is tasked with putting the vessel through its paces in the cislunar environment, and performing several science experiments during their mission. (9/17)
Axiom Space Aims for Orbit with its Orbital Data Center Node (Source: The Register)
Axiom Space and Spacebilt have announced plans to add optically interconnected Orbital Data Center (ODC) infrastructure to the ISS. The company plans to launch two Axiom Orbital Data Center (AxODC) Nodes by the end of 2025, with at least three running by the end of 2027. It all sounds very exciting until you consider that Axiom Data Center Unit One (AxDCU-1), which eventually launched to the ISS in August, was a prototype that was roughly the size of a shoebox. (9/17)
Space Force Wants Faster Space Object Tracking (Source: Space News)
The Space Force’s top general says the service’s ability to track objects in space is dangerously outdated. Gen. Chance Saltzman said the military’s space surveillance systems, built for a more peaceful orbital environment, are struggling to keep pace with the explosive growth in satellites and space debris as well as the deployment of anti-satellite weapons by rivals such as China and Russia. He said the military can’t be satisfied if it takes hours to track on-orbit activity and weeks to months to fully characterize it. He called for “a more comprehensive program to avoid operational surprise” rather than make incremental improvements to space domain awareness systems. (9/18)
Space Force Speeds Acquisition Reform (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is speeding up its reorganization of acquisition units. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of the Space Systems Command, said the restructuring, centered on “System Deltas” that pair acquisition officers with operational commanders, is progressing at a fast pace. In recent months the command activated new system deltas focused on missile warning, space-based sensing, space domain awareness, and training infrastructure. Garrant said the remaining units will be established in the next two months. The goal is to eliminate bureaucratic seams that historically slowed acquisitions and sometimes produced systems that didn’t fully meet operational needs. (9/18)
Small GEO Comsat Developers Differ in Strategy (Source: Space News)
Companies developing small GEO communications satellites are taking different strategies regarding vertical integration. At one sits Switzerland’s Swissto12, which recently expanded downstream by acquiring Ku-band terminal assets from Hanwha Phasor. At the other end is ReOrbit of Finland, which is committed to leaving hardware to third parties even after recently raising more than $50 million in a funding round announced earlier this month. In between the two is AscendArc, which plans to vertically integrate around a novel payload design while sourcing more standard spacecraft components off the shelf. (9/18)
Arianespace Looks to Expand Ariane 6 Launch Rate (Source: Space News)
Arianespace is considering ways to expand the launch rate of its Ariane 6 beyond its current limit of 10 per year. Arianespace CEO David Cavaillolès said the company is exploring options to ramp up production if enough demand emerges from government and commercial constellations. Those plans involve increasing capacity for producing the vehicle’s solid rocket boosters as well as spaceport improvements that could include a second launch pad. Cavaillolès said the company would need to decide on any upgrades in the next year or two so that additional capacity could be available by 2030, when demand from new constellations may emerge. (9/18)
Astra Targets Summer 2026 for Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Sources: Space News, SPACErePORT)
Astra is targeting the summer of next year for the first launch of its Rocket 4 vehicle. Astra CEO Chris Kemp said the company was on track for a first launch of the vehicle, capable of placing 750 kilograms into low Earth orbit, from Cape Canaveral, at Space Florida's Launch Complex 46. Kemp said Astra is seeing demand from customers looking for alternatives to SpaceX for launches. Astra announced Rocket 4 in 2022 but ran into technical challenges with the earlier Rocket 3.3 and financial problems that caused the company to go private last year. (9/18)
NATO Fund Taps Spanish Startup for VLEO Satellite Investment (Source: Bloomberg)
Spain's Kreios has raised €8M to bring satellites closer to Earth, with support from the NATO Innovation Fund. Kreios is opening up an orbit once thought impossible, keeping satellites flying at 200 km altitude for years instead of days to unlock unmatched capabilities for Earth observation, communications, and security. They plan to launch the first in-orbit demonstration of our VLEO satellite powered by an Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion engine. (9/18)
Geopolitical Tensions Drive Rise in Earth Observation Revenues (Source: Space News)
Defense and security applications accounted for nearly half of commercial Earth observation revenue last year. A study by Novaspace found that geopolitical tensions have become the major driver for sales of Earth observation data and services, outpacing commercial and civil government demand. Novaspace found that commercial Earth observation generated about $6 billion in annual revenue in 2024 and projects that to nearly triple to $17 billion over the next decade. (9/18)
Cygnus Glitch Solved, Allowing Cargo Arrival at ISS (Source: Space News)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the ISS Thursday morning after a one-day delay. The station’s robotic arm grappled the NG-23 Cygnus spacecraft at 7:24 a.m. Eastern, and will berth the spacecraft to the Unity module later today. The Cygnus was scheduled to arrive at the station Wednesday morning but suffered early shutdowns of its main engine during two orbit-raising maneuvers on Tuesday. NASA and Northrop Grumman later found that a “conservative safeguard in the software settings” caused the shutdowns and not a problem with the thruster itself. (9/18)
SpaceX Launches Thursday Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Thursday morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern and put 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch came after another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from California on Wednesday was scrubbed because of weather. (9/18)
France Backs Military Reusable Spaceplane (Source: Space News)
The French military is backing development of a reusable spaceplane. Dassault Aviation announced in June a contract with the French armament agency DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028. VORTEX will launch on a small rocket, reach hypersonic speeds, perform atmospheric reentry and validate key technologies including thermal protection systems. DGA sees potential military uses of spaceplanes like VORTEX that include in-space servicing and return of cargo. (9/18)
Hubble Network Raises $70 Million for Bluetooth Constellation (Source: GeekWire)
Hubble Network has raised $70 million to advance its plans for a constellation of satellites using Bluetooth protocols. The Series B round, announced Wednesday, builds upon $30 million in earlier funding announced by the company. Hubble is planning a constellation of satellites that will be able to communicate with devices and sensors on the ground using Bluetooth. Hubble recently announced a contract with Muon Space for two satellites to launch in 2027, part of a constellation of 60 proposed to be in orbit as soon as 2028. (9/18)
Maxar Offers 3D Map Imagery (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence released a new product that turns satellite imagery into 2D and 3D maps. Vivid Features combines Maxar’s satellite imagery archive with artificial intelligence software from Ecopia AI to automatically identify and outline buildings, roads, vegetation, water bodies and other features in satellite imagery. The companies said the product should be able to reduce the time it takes to create new vector-based maps from such imagery. (9/18)
September 17, 2025
Russia Developing Starlink Rival at
'Rapid Pace' (Source: Reuters)
Russia will soon have a rival to Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink, as it tries to shift away from outdated thinking that has allowed SpaceX to win the crown of satellite dominance, Russia's space chief said on Wednesday. Starlink says it operates the world’s largest satellite constellation with more than 8,000 satellites, and Musk is credited by Russian officials with revolutionizing the launch of space vehicles - to Russia's cost. (9/17)
NASA Analysis Shows Sun’s Activity Ramping Up (Source: NASA)
It looked like the Sun was heading toward a historic lull in activity. That trend flipped in 2008, according to new research. The Sun has become increasingly active since 2008, a new NASA study shows. Solar activity is known to fluctuate in cycles of 11 years, but there are longer-term variations that can last decades. Case in point: Since the 1980s, the amount of solar activity had been steadily decreasing all the way up to 2008, when solar activity was the weakest on record. At that point, scientists expected the Sun to be entering a period of historically low activity. (9/15)
How Will SpaceX’s Massive Starship Affect You When it Comes to Florida? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The most dire predictions in two federal reports on the proposal could mean nearly 12,000 delayed commercial flights each year with more than 60 days of denied access to Playalinda Beach on Canaveral National Seashore and half of the launches and landings taking place while residents are asleep.
“Where does the space center program end and the access to the public rights start?” wrote area resident William Gee as part of the public comment period for the proposal. “You’ve constantly taken more and more … We want our kids to be able to enjoy the piece of land we all grew up on before corruption and greed takes over. Shame on all of you in favor.”
Starship's west-to-east landing trajectory could shut down southbound U.S. as well as international air traffic headed for airports in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami. It could also affect airspace over Mexico, Central America and Cuba. Landing approaches would prompt a minimum of 40 minutes and up to one hour of airspace closure, impacting 400 to 600 commercial aircraft during peak daily travel periods, which is from 8,800 to 13,200 per year. That’s not great news for Orlando International, which already has its hands full juggling delays. (9/17)
Cygnus Engine Trouble Forces Northrop Grumman to Delay Supply Delivery to ISS (Source: AP)
A newly launched supply ship has run into engine trouble that is preventing it from reaching the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman’s capsule rocketed into orbit Sunday from Florida aboard SpaceX. But less than two days later, the capsule’s main engine shut down prematurely while trying to boost its orbit. This marked the debut of Northrop Grumman’s newest, extra large model, known as Cygnus XL, capable of ferrying a much bigger load. (9/17)
Finland's ReOrbit Raises $53 Million for Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Finnish satellite manufacturer ReOrbit has raised 45 million euros ($53 million). This will allow it to expand production of LEO and small GEO satellites. ReOrbit is seeing strong demand for those satellites from governments. The company is moving into a new Helsinki facility that will allow it to work on eight small GEO satellites in parallel. The firm is differentiating itself by bucking the trend for vertical integration, instead taking on more of a systems integration and design role to provide more flexibility in the suppliers it works with. (9/17)
GHGSat Raises $34 Million for Constellation (Source: Space News)
GHGSat raised $34 million in debt and equity to expand its constellation of satellites monitoring greenhouse gases. Yaletown Partners joined previous GHGSat investors Fonds de solidarite FTQ and BDC Capital in the equity portion of the funding round. National Bank of Canada, with support from Export Development Canada, provided debt financing. The company will use the funds to grow its constellation of 13 satellites that track methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. It will also use the funding for developing advanced analytics capabilities. (9/17)
Impulse Space and Anduril to Demo Autonomous Rendezvous (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space announced an agreement with Anduril to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations in GEO. The companies said Tuesday they will partner on a mission in 2026 using Impulse’s Mira spacecraft and Anduril’s software-defined payloads. Impulse Space will send Mira to GEO on its Helios tug, and once there Mira will conduct tests such as capturing images of designated objects, analyzing them onboard and autonomously executing maneuvers to observe the targets from different angles. The companies are funding the mission internally, demonstrating capabilities that could be offered to military customers. (9/17)
Axiom and Spacebilt to Send Data Center to ISS (Source: Space News)
Axiom Space and Spacebilt will send a data center to the ISS. The Axiom Orbital Data Center Node on ISS, called AxODC Node ISS, is being developed in collaboration with Spacebilt and will feature an optical communications terminal from Skyloom plus hardware from Phison Electronics and Microchip Technology. The device will provide high-performance computing services for research and other activities on the station, working with two other data storage and processing devices there. (9/17)
Astro Digital to Use Star Catcher's Orbital Energy Grid (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturer Astro Digital will purchase and distribute power from Star Catcher’s future space-based energy grid. The goal is to enable ESPA-class satellites like Astro Digital’s Corvus XL to obtain more power than they could generate on their own. Star Catcher announced plans last year to develop a network of satellites that can beam sunlight to other spacecraft, boosting the amount of power their solar panels can generate. It conducted a terrestrial test of the technology earlier this year with an on-orbit demonstration planned for next year. (9/17)
Viasat and Space42 to Pool Spectrum for D2D Service (Source: Space News)
Viasat and Space42 will pool their spectrum for their own direct-to-device (D2D) services. The GEO operators said this week their Equatys joint venture involves well over 100 megahertz of L- and S-band spectrum already allocated across more than 160 countries. Equatys will leverage their existing GEO fleets in addition to new LEO satellites. The companies said Equatys will adopt an investment model similar to the one used by cell tower companies, pooling spectrum and satellite assets under a neutral entity to lower unit costs. Equatys is positioning itself as a sovereignty-friendly D2D alternative, committing to work within existing national spectrum allocations and closely with countries to give them access to a coordinated global system. (9/17)
Kuiper to Start Broadband Service in Five Countries by March 2026 (Source: Space News)
Amazon expects to begin providing broadband services through Project Kuiper in five countries by next March. Ricky Freeman, president of the constellation’s Kuiper Government Solutions division, said at World Space Business Week that the company expected to have enough satellites in orbit to provide service in Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States in the first quarter of next year.
Amazon expects to have Kuiper services in 26 countries by the end of 2026. There are about 100 Kuiper satellites in orbit now, but that total will double by the end of the year with three upcoming launches. Amazon, though, is far short of meeting a July 2026 FCC deadline of having half its 3,200-satellite constellation in orbit, and Freeman said access to launch was the project’s biggest issue. (9/17)
SES and K2 Space Plan MEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
SES announced plans Tuesday to work with startup satellite manufacturer K2 Space on medium Earth orbit satellites. SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said his company’s new meoSphere concept will use an iterative design approach that evolves in shorter innovation cycles rather than large, one-off deployments. The plan is to develop and deploy new MEO satellites each year, linking investments and scaling of the network directly to market demand and customer needs. That will start with a satellite co-developed with K2 Space launching next year to test the concept. (9/17)
BlackSky Wins Another NGA Contract (Source: Space News)
BlackSky said Tuesday it won a second contract from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the Luno A program. Under the new contract, BlackSky will fuse data from its Gen-3 and Gen-2 imaging satellites with other commercial sources to detect areas of the Earth undergoing human-caused change. That includes shifts in natural resources, climate effects, infrastructure growth, and both economic and military activity. The award, confirmed by NGA to be worth $24.4 million, brings BlackSky’s total orders under Luno A to nearly $50 million in three months. Luno A is specifically focused on commercial analytic services powered by machine learning and computer vision, while a companion Luno B program examines directly integrating commercial AI tools into NGA’s own analytic processes. (9/17)
Mynaric Delivers Laser Terminals for SDA Transport Layer Satellites (Source: Space News)
Mynaric has made key deliveries of laser terminals to satellite manufacturers as it recovers from business setbacks. Mynaric provided 84 of its terminals to Northrop Grumman and York Space Systems for use on spacecraft those companies are building for the Space Development Agency. That includes 42 satellites on satellites built by York and launched last week for the SDA’s Transport Layer Tranche 1. The shipments reflect momentum for Mynaric after a difficult 2024, when supplier shortages of critical components stalled production and required the company to slash its financial guidance. Mynaric was forced to restructure and is now in the process of being acquired by Rocket Lab. (9/17)
Does Europe Need a Spaceplane? (Source: Space News)
Europe should be investing in disruptive capabilities like spaceplanes, a French military official said Sep. 17 at the Space Defense & Security Summit. “A spaceplane is maneuverable, reusable and flexible, so it can deliver payload in orbit, recover critical assets, conduct reconnaissance and intervene against threats in orbit,” said Maj. Gen. Philippe Koffi, the strategic lead for air, land and naval combat at the French armament agency DGA.
At the Paris Air Show in June, Dassault Aviation announced an agreement with DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028. (9/17)
Barbie Honors Ellen Ochoa, First Hispanic Woman in Space, With Doll (Source: CollectSpace)
As the first Hispanic woman to fly into space, Ellen Ochoa has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Now, she is joining an even more elite group of honorees: space travelers with their own Barbie doll.
Mattel on Monday (Sep. 15) revealed the "Barbie Inspiring Women Ellen Ochoa" set modeled after the former NASA astronaut. It is only the fifth time that the iconic fashion doll has honored a real-life space explorer and only the third such doll to be offered for sale to the public. (9/15)
Columbia Learning Center to Expand Access to Shuttle Tragedy Debris at KSC (Source: CollectSpace)
NASA is changing the way that its employees come in contact with and remember one of its worst tragedies. In the wake of the 2003 loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its STS-107 crew, NASA created a program to use the orbiter's debris for research and education. Agency employees were invited to see what remained of the space shuttle as a powerful reminder as to why they had to be diligent in their work.
Access to the Columbia Research and Preservation Office, though, was limited as a result of its location and related logistics. To address that and open up the experience to more of the workforce at Kennedy, the agency has quietly begun work to establish a new facility. After the investigation into what caused the disaster was complete, NASA established the Preservation Office on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the voluminous facility that was used to assemble the space shuttles for launch. (9/16)
NASA Supporters Fight Giant Leap Back Budget Cuts (Source: DC Media Group)
Current and former NASA employees, contractors, and supporters founded the group ‘NASA Needs Help’ to expose the planned budget cuts to the agency. Although NASA Needs Help includes many NASA employees, they stressed that it wasn’t an “employee group trying to save jobs, it’s a NASA fan group trying to save NASA.” They rallied outside of the agency’s headquarters for roughly five hours to highlight the critical work at risk. All those in attendance did so on their own personal time, and spoke in their capacity as private citizens, not on behalf of NASA. (9/15)
Fire Damages American Space Museum in Titusville (Source: American Space Museum)
On September 11 the nonprofit American Space Museum in Titusville, Florida, experienced an unexpected kitchen fire that forced a temporary closure of the facility. No injuries occurred, but fire and smoke damage will require investment for repairs while no visitor revenues will be available. The museum seeks donations to cover the insurance deductible and to fund restoration expenses not covered by insurance. Click here. (9/16)
Sidus Space Raises ~$10 Million in Stock Sale (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has closed its public offering of 9,800,000 shares of stock. Each share was sold at a price of $1.00 for gross proceeds of approximately $9.8 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and offering expenses. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. (9/16)
Starlink Hits Capacity in Nigeria’s Largest Cities, Raising Questions About Musk’s Africa Ambitions (Source: Business Insider)
Starlink has stopped accepting new orders in some of Nigeria’s busiest urban hubs after its satellite internet network hit capacity, putting a spotlight on the challenges of scaling in Africa’s largest market. In some locations in Nigeria's commercial nerve center such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Ikeja and Surulere, as well as the nation's capital Abuja, Starlink’s website now displays “Sold Out” notices. Prospective customers are pushed onto a waitlist and asked to pay a deposit before they can be notified when slots reopen. (9/16)
Colorado Springs Looks to Rebound After Trump Pulls Space Command (Source: Washington Examiner)
The mayor of Colorado Springs, the current but not long-term base for U.S. Space Command, is already looking for more aerospace opportunities just weeks after President Donald Trump announced the military would be moving the command’s headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade traveled to Washington D.C. this week for an annual trip that includes private sector, nonprofit, and government officials from his city. “We are advocating for new opportunities for Colorado Springs,” Mobolade said. “We want to understand what’s available, the opportunity in front of us, perhaps opportunities that we’re not taking advantage of, but ultimately, we want to position Colorado Springs and make noise that we’re here.” (9/16)
Colorado’s Republican U.S. Representatives Risk Voter Fallout After Declining to Fight Trump on Space Command (Source: Colorado Sun)
When U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, took office in January, he promised to battle the Trump administration if it decided to move the headquarters of U.S. Space Command to Alabama from his 5th Congressional District. “The fight is going to be on if that happens,” he said as he began his first term in Congress. But after President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the relocation was happening — saying a big factor was Colorado’s broad use of mail ballots — Crank appears to be choosing flight over fight.
That’s in contrast to Democrats, like Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is planning a lawsuit to stop the move. Crank’s reaction underscores the highly charged political dynamics at play. If they’re too critical of Trump, Colorado’s Republican members of Congress risk political fallout — lost endorsements, primary challenges, fewer campaign donations — but they also could put future federal projects in jeopardy. (9/16)
Spaceport America Marks 20 Years, Renews Economic Development Partnership (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
Leadership and business allies of New Mexico’s publicly owned commercial spaceport gathered Monday to mark 20 years since Sir Richard Branson and then-Gov. Bill Richardson announced that Virgin Galactic would establish launch operations at the Sierra County facility.
The announcement came in December 2005, after the state Legislature created the Spaceport America Regional District to collect and distribute a 0.25% local gross receipts tax supporting the design, engineering and construction of the spaceport. Voters in Doña Ana County approved the tax in 2007 by a margin of 270 votes, followed by Sierra County in 2008. Otero County voters rejected the spaceport GRT in 2008. (9/15)
NASA Awards $400 Million Safety, Mission Assurance Contract (Source: Aviation Week)
Houston-based Bastion Technologies Inc. has been awarded a $400 million contract by NASA to provide safety and mission assurance services for Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. (9/16)
GHGSat Secures $47M in New Financing (Source: SpaceQ)
GHGSat followed up a flurry of business activity in recent weeks with an announcement of $47 million in new financing on Monday. The Montreal-based company, which searches for emissions of methane and other forms of greenhouse gas using satellites, said the money would be used to “fuel its rapid global expansion. (9/15)
Northrop Grumman’s New ISS Cargo Spacecraft is a Real Chonker (Source: Ars Technica)
Northrop's upgraded Cygnus spacecraft, called Cygnus XL, is the heaviest cargo load transported to the ISS by a commercial resupply mission. It carries 10,827 pounds (4,911 kilograms) of cargo to sustain the lab and its seven-person crew.
Cargo modules for Northrop's Cygnus spacecraft are built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, employing a similar design to the one Thales used for several of the space station's permanent modules. Officials moved forward with the first Cygnus XL mission after the preceding cargo module was damaged during shipment from Italy to the United States earlier this year. (9/15)
UK-Based Hyperspectral Data Analytics Startup Messium Raises £3.3M (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based startup Messium has raised £3.3 million in seed funding to accelerate the rollout of its agricultural analytics platform, which uses AI to analyze hyperspectral satellite data to track nitrogen levels in crops. The analysis can then be used by farmers to more efficiently fertilize crops, minimizing waste and maximizing yield. (9/15)
DoD Envisions Prize Competition for Boost-Phase SBI Prototypes (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Pentagon has proposed an unusual plan to develop boost-phase space-based interceptors (SBIs) that would require firms to build and launch prototypes to compete for relatively small prize awards — in the hopes that winning the trials will lead to big production contracts post-2028. (9/15)
Russia will soon have a rival to Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink, as it tries to shift away from outdated thinking that has allowed SpaceX to win the crown of satellite dominance, Russia's space chief said on Wednesday. Starlink says it operates the world’s largest satellite constellation with more than 8,000 satellites, and Musk is credited by Russian officials with revolutionizing the launch of space vehicles - to Russia's cost. (9/17)
NASA Analysis Shows Sun’s Activity Ramping Up (Source: NASA)
It looked like the Sun was heading toward a historic lull in activity. That trend flipped in 2008, according to new research. The Sun has become increasingly active since 2008, a new NASA study shows. Solar activity is known to fluctuate in cycles of 11 years, but there are longer-term variations that can last decades. Case in point: Since the 1980s, the amount of solar activity had been steadily decreasing all the way up to 2008, when solar activity was the weakest on record. At that point, scientists expected the Sun to be entering a period of historically low activity. (9/15)
How Will SpaceX’s Massive Starship Affect You When it Comes to Florida? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The most dire predictions in two federal reports on the proposal could mean nearly 12,000 delayed commercial flights each year with more than 60 days of denied access to Playalinda Beach on Canaveral National Seashore and half of the launches and landings taking place while residents are asleep.
“Where does the space center program end and the access to the public rights start?” wrote area resident William Gee as part of the public comment period for the proposal. “You’ve constantly taken more and more … We want our kids to be able to enjoy the piece of land we all grew up on before corruption and greed takes over. Shame on all of you in favor.”
Starship's west-to-east landing trajectory could shut down southbound U.S. as well as international air traffic headed for airports in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami. It could also affect airspace over Mexico, Central America and Cuba. Landing approaches would prompt a minimum of 40 minutes and up to one hour of airspace closure, impacting 400 to 600 commercial aircraft during peak daily travel periods, which is from 8,800 to 13,200 per year. That’s not great news for Orlando International, which already has its hands full juggling delays. (9/17)
Cygnus Engine Trouble Forces Northrop Grumman to Delay Supply Delivery to ISS (Source: AP)
A newly launched supply ship has run into engine trouble that is preventing it from reaching the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman’s capsule rocketed into orbit Sunday from Florida aboard SpaceX. But less than two days later, the capsule’s main engine shut down prematurely while trying to boost its orbit. This marked the debut of Northrop Grumman’s newest, extra large model, known as Cygnus XL, capable of ferrying a much bigger load. (9/17)
Finland's ReOrbit Raises $53 Million for Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Finnish satellite manufacturer ReOrbit has raised 45 million euros ($53 million). This will allow it to expand production of LEO and small GEO satellites. ReOrbit is seeing strong demand for those satellites from governments. The company is moving into a new Helsinki facility that will allow it to work on eight small GEO satellites in parallel. The firm is differentiating itself by bucking the trend for vertical integration, instead taking on more of a systems integration and design role to provide more flexibility in the suppliers it works with. (9/17)
GHGSat Raises $34 Million for Constellation (Source: Space News)
GHGSat raised $34 million in debt and equity to expand its constellation of satellites monitoring greenhouse gases. Yaletown Partners joined previous GHGSat investors Fonds de solidarite FTQ and BDC Capital in the equity portion of the funding round. National Bank of Canada, with support from Export Development Canada, provided debt financing. The company will use the funds to grow its constellation of 13 satellites that track methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. It will also use the funding for developing advanced analytics capabilities. (9/17)
Impulse Space and Anduril to Demo Autonomous Rendezvous (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space announced an agreement with Anduril to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations in GEO. The companies said Tuesday they will partner on a mission in 2026 using Impulse’s Mira spacecraft and Anduril’s software-defined payloads. Impulse Space will send Mira to GEO on its Helios tug, and once there Mira will conduct tests such as capturing images of designated objects, analyzing them onboard and autonomously executing maneuvers to observe the targets from different angles. The companies are funding the mission internally, demonstrating capabilities that could be offered to military customers. (9/17)
Axiom and Spacebilt to Send Data Center to ISS (Source: Space News)
Axiom Space and Spacebilt will send a data center to the ISS. The Axiom Orbital Data Center Node on ISS, called AxODC Node ISS, is being developed in collaboration with Spacebilt and will feature an optical communications terminal from Skyloom plus hardware from Phison Electronics and Microchip Technology. The device will provide high-performance computing services for research and other activities on the station, working with two other data storage and processing devices there. (9/17)
Astro Digital to Use Star Catcher's Orbital Energy Grid (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturer Astro Digital will purchase and distribute power from Star Catcher’s future space-based energy grid. The goal is to enable ESPA-class satellites like Astro Digital’s Corvus XL to obtain more power than they could generate on their own. Star Catcher announced plans last year to develop a network of satellites that can beam sunlight to other spacecraft, boosting the amount of power their solar panels can generate. It conducted a terrestrial test of the technology earlier this year with an on-orbit demonstration planned for next year. (9/17)
Viasat and Space42 to Pool Spectrum for D2D Service (Source: Space News)
Viasat and Space42 will pool their spectrum for their own direct-to-device (D2D) services. The GEO operators said this week their Equatys joint venture involves well over 100 megahertz of L- and S-band spectrum already allocated across more than 160 countries. Equatys will leverage their existing GEO fleets in addition to new LEO satellites. The companies said Equatys will adopt an investment model similar to the one used by cell tower companies, pooling spectrum and satellite assets under a neutral entity to lower unit costs. Equatys is positioning itself as a sovereignty-friendly D2D alternative, committing to work within existing national spectrum allocations and closely with countries to give them access to a coordinated global system. (9/17)
Kuiper to Start Broadband Service in Five Countries by March 2026 (Source: Space News)
Amazon expects to begin providing broadband services through Project Kuiper in five countries by next March. Ricky Freeman, president of the constellation’s Kuiper Government Solutions division, said at World Space Business Week that the company expected to have enough satellites in orbit to provide service in Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States in the first quarter of next year.
Amazon expects to have Kuiper services in 26 countries by the end of 2026. There are about 100 Kuiper satellites in orbit now, but that total will double by the end of the year with three upcoming launches. Amazon, though, is far short of meeting a July 2026 FCC deadline of having half its 3,200-satellite constellation in orbit, and Freeman said access to launch was the project’s biggest issue. (9/17)
SES and K2 Space Plan MEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
SES announced plans Tuesday to work with startup satellite manufacturer K2 Space on medium Earth orbit satellites. SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said his company’s new meoSphere concept will use an iterative design approach that evolves in shorter innovation cycles rather than large, one-off deployments. The plan is to develop and deploy new MEO satellites each year, linking investments and scaling of the network directly to market demand and customer needs. That will start with a satellite co-developed with K2 Space launching next year to test the concept. (9/17)
BlackSky Wins Another NGA Contract (Source: Space News)
BlackSky said Tuesday it won a second contract from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the Luno A program. Under the new contract, BlackSky will fuse data from its Gen-3 and Gen-2 imaging satellites with other commercial sources to detect areas of the Earth undergoing human-caused change. That includes shifts in natural resources, climate effects, infrastructure growth, and both economic and military activity. The award, confirmed by NGA to be worth $24.4 million, brings BlackSky’s total orders under Luno A to nearly $50 million in three months. Luno A is specifically focused on commercial analytic services powered by machine learning and computer vision, while a companion Luno B program examines directly integrating commercial AI tools into NGA’s own analytic processes. (9/17)
Mynaric Delivers Laser Terminals for SDA Transport Layer Satellites (Source: Space News)
Mynaric has made key deliveries of laser terminals to satellite manufacturers as it recovers from business setbacks. Mynaric provided 84 of its terminals to Northrop Grumman and York Space Systems for use on spacecraft those companies are building for the Space Development Agency. That includes 42 satellites on satellites built by York and launched last week for the SDA’s Transport Layer Tranche 1. The shipments reflect momentum for Mynaric after a difficult 2024, when supplier shortages of critical components stalled production and required the company to slash its financial guidance. Mynaric was forced to restructure and is now in the process of being acquired by Rocket Lab. (9/17)
Does Europe Need a Spaceplane? (Source: Space News)
Europe should be investing in disruptive capabilities like spaceplanes, a French military official said Sep. 17 at the Space Defense & Security Summit. “A spaceplane is maneuverable, reusable and flexible, so it can deliver payload in orbit, recover critical assets, conduct reconnaissance and intervene against threats in orbit,” said Maj. Gen. Philippe Koffi, the strategic lead for air, land and naval combat at the French armament agency DGA.
At the Paris Air Show in June, Dassault Aviation announced an agreement with DGA to develop VORTEX, a four-meter-long spaceplane demonstrator with a mass of less than one metric ton. A first flight is expected in 2028. (9/17)
Barbie Honors Ellen Ochoa, First Hispanic Woman in Space, With Doll (Source: CollectSpace)
As the first Hispanic woman to fly into space, Ellen Ochoa has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Now, she is joining an even more elite group of honorees: space travelers with their own Barbie doll.
Mattel on Monday (Sep. 15) revealed the "Barbie Inspiring Women Ellen Ochoa" set modeled after the former NASA astronaut. It is only the fifth time that the iconic fashion doll has honored a real-life space explorer and only the third such doll to be offered for sale to the public. (9/15)
Columbia Learning Center to Expand Access to Shuttle Tragedy Debris at KSC (Source: CollectSpace)
NASA is changing the way that its employees come in contact with and remember one of its worst tragedies. In the wake of the 2003 loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its STS-107 crew, NASA created a program to use the orbiter's debris for research and education. Agency employees were invited to see what remained of the space shuttle as a powerful reminder as to why they had to be diligent in their work.
Access to the Columbia Research and Preservation Office, though, was limited as a result of its location and related logistics. To address that and open up the experience to more of the workforce at Kennedy, the agency has quietly begun work to establish a new facility. After the investigation into what caused the disaster was complete, NASA established the Preservation Office on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the voluminous facility that was used to assemble the space shuttles for launch. (9/16)
NASA Supporters Fight Giant Leap Back Budget Cuts (Source: DC Media Group)
Current and former NASA employees, contractors, and supporters founded the group ‘NASA Needs Help’ to expose the planned budget cuts to the agency. Although NASA Needs Help includes many NASA employees, they stressed that it wasn’t an “employee group trying to save jobs, it’s a NASA fan group trying to save NASA.” They rallied outside of the agency’s headquarters for roughly five hours to highlight the critical work at risk. All those in attendance did so on their own personal time, and spoke in their capacity as private citizens, not on behalf of NASA. (9/15)
Fire Damages American Space Museum in Titusville (Source: American Space Museum)
On September 11 the nonprofit American Space Museum in Titusville, Florida, experienced an unexpected kitchen fire that forced a temporary closure of the facility. No injuries occurred, but fire and smoke damage will require investment for repairs while no visitor revenues will be available. The museum seeks donations to cover the insurance deductible and to fund restoration expenses not covered by insurance. Click here. (9/16)
Sidus Space Raises ~$10 Million in Stock Sale (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has closed its public offering of 9,800,000 shares of stock. Each share was sold at a price of $1.00 for gross proceeds of approximately $9.8 million, before deducting the placement agent’s fees and offering expenses. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. (9/16)
Starlink Hits Capacity in Nigeria’s Largest Cities, Raising Questions About Musk’s Africa Ambitions (Source: Business Insider)
Starlink has stopped accepting new orders in some of Nigeria’s busiest urban hubs after its satellite internet network hit capacity, putting a spotlight on the challenges of scaling in Africa’s largest market. In some locations in Nigeria's commercial nerve center such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Ikeja and Surulere, as well as the nation's capital Abuja, Starlink’s website now displays “Sold Out” notices. Prospective customers are pushed onto a waitlist and asked to pay a deposit before they can be notified when slots reopen. (9/16)
Colorado Springs Looks to Rebound After Trump Pulls Space Command (Source: Washington Examiner)
The mayor of Colorado Springs, the current but not long-term base for U.S. Space Command, is already looking for more aerospace opportunities just weeks after President Donald Trump announced the military would be moving the command’s headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade traveled to Washington D.C. this week for an annual trip that includes private sector, nonprofit, and government officials from his city. “We are advocating for new opportunities for Colorado Springs,” Mobolade said. “We want to understand what’s available, the opportunity in front of us, perhaps opportunities that we’re not taking advantage of, but ultimately, we want to position Colorado Springs and make noise that we’re here.” (9/16)
Colorado’s Republican U.S. Representatives Risk Voter Fallout After Declining to Fight Trump on Space Command (Source: Colorado Sun)
When U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs, took office in January, he promised to battle the Trump administration if it decided to move the headquarters of U.S. Space Command to Alabama from his 5th Congressional District. “The fight is going to be on if that happens,” he said as he began his first term in Congress. But after President Donald Trump announced earlier this month that the relocation was happening — saying a big factor was Colorado’s broad use of mail ballots — Crank appears to be choosing flight over fight.
That’s in contrast to Democrats, like Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who is planning a lawsuit to stop the move. Crank’s reaction underscores the highly charged political dynamics at play. If they’re too critical of Trump, Colorado’s Republican members of Congress risk political fallout — lost endorsements, primary challenges, fewer campaign donations — but they also could put future federal projects in jeopardy. (9/16)
Spaceport America Marks 20 Years, Renews Economic Development Partnership (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
Leadership and business allies of New Mexico’s publicly owned commercial spaceport gathered Monday to mark 20 years since Sir Richard Branson and then-Gov. Bill Richardson announced that Virgin Galactic would establish launch operations at the Sierra County facility.
The announcement came in December 2005, after the state Legislature created the Spaceport America Regional District to collect and distribute a 0.25% local gross receipts tax supporting the design, engineering and construction of the spaceport. Voters in Doña Ana County approved the tax in 2007 by a margin of 270 votes, followed by Sierra County in 2008. Otero County voters rejected the spaceport GRT in 2008. (9/15)
NASA Awards $400 Million Safety, Mission Assurance Contract (Source: Aviation Week)
Houston-based Bastion Technologies Inc. has been awarded a $400 million contract by NASA to provide safety and mission assurance services for Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. (9/16)
GHGSat Secures $47M in New Financing (Source: SpaceQ)
GHGSat followed up a flurry of business activity in recent weeks with an announcement of $47 million in new financing on Monday. The Montreal-based company, which searches for emissions of methane and other forms of greenhouse gas using satellites, said the money would be used to “fuel its rapid global expansion. (9/15)
Northrop Grumman’s New ISS Cargo Spacecraft is a Real Chonker (Source: Ars Technica)
Northrop's upgraded Cygnus spacecraft, called Cygnus XL, is the heaviest cargo load transported to the ISS by a commercial resupply mission. It carries 10,827 pounds (4,911 kilograms) of cargo to sustain the lab and its seven-person crew.
Cargo modules for Northrop's Cygnus spacecraft are built by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, employing a similar design to the one Thales used for several of the space station's permanent modules. Officials moved forward with the first Cygnus XL mission after the preceding cargo module was damaged during shipment from Italy to the United States earlier this year. (9/15)
UK-Based Hyperspectral Data Analytics Startup Messium Raises £3.3M (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based startup Messium has raised £3.3 million in seed funding to accelerate the rollout of its agricultural analytics platform, which uses AI to analyze hyperspectral satellite data to track nitrogen levels in crops. The analysis can then be used by farmers to more efficiently fertilize crops, minimizing waste and maximizing yield. (9/15)
DoD Envisions Prize Competition for Boost-Phase SBI Prototypes (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Pentagon has proposed an unusual plan to develop boost-phase space-based interceptors (SBIs) that would require firms to build and launch prototypes to compete for relatively small prize awards — in the hopes that winning the trials will lead to big production contracts post-2028. (9/15)
September 16, 2025
Can NASA Fill Their Expertise Gap With
Interns? (Source: NASA Watch)
NASA has pushed a huge portion of its science and engineering workforce out the door. Now NASA Johnson Center director Vanessa Wyche wants to hire people as interns (students). Internships are great – but they usually embody a chance to eventually land a permanent job at NASA. Given all the firings, that is not likely. But if you look at the work descriptions it sounds like the things that departed employees used to do albeit more cheaply.
According to one commenter: "NASA had Pathways interns performing mission critical work on numerous programs and elected to terminate them over the last six months. In many cases these interns had performed 3 or 4 intern sessions at NASA and turned down numerous better-paying opportunities assuming they’d be hired like 99% of Pathways in the past. Instead we screwed them over, screwed our projects out of cheap already-trained labor, and now have the gall to advertise for more." (9/14)
Federal Hiring Freeze Ends Next Month (Source: FNN)
There is less than one month to go until the end of President Donald Trump's government-wide hiring freeze. By the time the freeze lifts on Oct. 15, as currently planned, many agencies will have been largely blocked from recruiting for nine months. Agencies have faced stagnating staffing numbers for virtually the entire year. And even once the hiring freeze lifts, the White House still plans to limit agencies to one new hire for every four federal employees who leave the civil service. (9/16)
Viasat and Space42 to Pool Satellite Spectrum for Direct-to-Device Services (Source: Space News)
Viasat and Space42 will launch a joint venture, Equatys, to pool their Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum, creating a combined block of over 100 MHz for Direct-to-Device (D2D) services with a commercial rollout targeted in three years. This venture aims to be the industry's first "space tower company," utilizing shared infrastructure to lower costs and improve spectrum utilization for global 5G-ready connectivity. (9/16)
SpaceX Planning First Tests of New Direct-to-Device Spectrum Next Year (Source: Space News)
SpaceX expects to begin testing direct-to-device services using newly acquired spectrum from EchoStar as soon as the end of next year. SpaceX said the new spectrum will enable upgraded satellites with "more than 100 times" the capacity of first-generation Starlink direct-to-cell satellites. This represents a major step forward for SpaceX's direct-to-cell technology, which has already been in beta testing with partners like T-Mobile earlier in 2025. (9/16)
Space Applications Supports ESA Astronaut Training at EAC (Source: Space Applications)
For almost two decades, Space Applications Services has been a key contributor to the design, development, and delivery of the ESA Basic Astronaut Training program at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. Following the successful completion of 12 months training for ESA’s new astronaut class in 2024, we are proud to announce that on 2 September 2025 began the second phase of the ESA Astronaut Reserve Corps training. This marks another important milestone in our ongoing partnership with ESA and our commitment to advancing human spaceflight. (9/16)
I’m a Former Astronaut: NASA Workers are Afraid, and Safety is At Risk (Source: Space Review)
Policy changes, including voluntary departures and fears of layoffs, have reshaped NASA’s workforce and culture. Former astronaut Garrett Reisman warns that it could also jeopardize safety at NASA. Click here. (9/16)
Gemini’s Wing and a Prayer: Parachutes, Paragliders, and More Crashes in the Desert (Source: Space Review)
As Gemini approached its first flight, NASA continued to study how to incorporate a deployable wing for its landing. Dwayne Day discusses that meant more crashes of test vehicles. Click here. (9/16)
The Greatest Story on Planet Mars: the Sequel (Source: Space Review)
Nearly 30 years before last week’s NASA Mars announcement, the agency also held a briefing about the discovery of evidence of past Martian life. Dwayne Day recalls who that news had already leaked out through both conventional and unconventional channels. Click here. (9/16)
Finding Organics on Mars Means Absolutely Nothing for Life (Source: Big Think)
In common parlance, “organic” is synonymous with life: implying creation through biological processes. But in science, an “organic” molecule is just a carbon atom bonded to almost any other atom. “Organic molecules” include methane, cyanide, benzene, and alcohols. 256 unique organic compounds have been found in interstellar dust clouds. Denser, solid bodies, like asteroids, contain highly complex organics. (9/15)
New Space Junk Removal Idea: Using Ion Engine Exhaust to Knock Debris Out of the Sky (Source: Space.com)
Over 14,000 pieces of junk are clogging up low Earth orbit, but this number could be reduced by a new invention that involves a satellite using the plasma exhaust of its ion engine to knock dangerous chunks of space junk into the atmosphere where they can burn up safely. This non-contact method would gradually but firmly push against a piece of space debris, slowing the debris down until it falls out of orbit and into the atmosphere. (9/16)
US Satellite Spies on Chinese Space Station and More. China Spies Back (Source: SCMP)
In a notable display of reconnaissance capabilities, a Chinese satellite has observed an American satellite that was itself monitoring China’s space station and high-value satellite, a move analysts described as a strategic tit-for-tat in an increasingly contested space domain. China’s Jilin-1 satellite constellation, operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology, seized a favorable orbital window on Sep. 8 to capture four images of the WorldView Legion satellite from distances ranging between 40 and 50km.
The incident follows a social media post by US commercial remote sensing company Maxar Intelligence in early July, featuring images of China’s Shijian-26 satellite taken by its own high-resolution WorldView Legion satellite on June 3. Those photographs, captured from distances of 29km and 74km with resolutions of 1.9cm and 4.9cm respectively, revealed the satellite’s structure in sharp detail. (9/16)
Bluefors to Source Helium-3 from the Moon with Interlune to Power Next Phase of Quantum Industry Growth (Source: Bluefors)
Bluefors has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with space resource company Interlune. Interlune’s first-of-its-kind helium-3 harvesting missions to the Moon will help supply one of the most critical elements for powering our cooling systems. This collaboration marks a transformative moment for the quantum industry—uniting advanced cryogenics with lunar harvesting innovation to accelerate quantum computing and contribute to building a secure and resilient industrial supply chain for the future.
Bluefors has agreed to purchase up to ten thousand liters of helium-3 annually, for delivery from 2028 to 2037. Unlike Earth, which is protected by its magnetic field, the Moon contains large quantities of helium-3 deposited by the solar wind—a fact first revealed through samples returned by NASA’s Apollo missions. (9/16)
SpaceX Built a ISS Docking Prototype From Bike Parts (Source: Washington Post)
The prototype was so rudimentary it looked like it had been built by a hobbyist in a garage with spare parts — because it essentially had been. In 2013, SpaceX engineers developed a prototype docking system for the Dragon spacecraft using mountain bike shocks and parts from an industrial supplier. This simplified mechanical design, known as the "McDocker," was quickly approved by Elon Musk and exemplified SpaceX's culture of rapid reinvention compared to more complex, outsourced designs. (9/15)
NASA’s GUARDIAN Tsunami Detection Tech Catches Wave in Real Time (Source: NASA)
A massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami off Russia in late July tested an experimental detection system that had deployed a critical component just the day before. A recent tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula sent pressure waves to the upper layer of the atmosphere, NASA scientists have reported. While the tsunami did not wreak widespread damage, it was an early test for a detection system being developed at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Called GUARDIAN (GNSS Upper Atmospheric Real-time Disaster Information and Alert Network), the experimental technology “functioned to its full extent,” said Camille Martire, one of its developers at JPL. The system flagged distortions in the atmosphere and issued notifications to subscribed subject matter experts in as little as 20 minutes after the quake. (9/12)
Satlink Joins Rivada to Deliver Secure Satellite Connectivity for Defense and Enterprise (Source: Space Daily)
Satlink, a Madrid-based provider of satellite telecommunications, has formed a partnership with Rivada Space Networks to deliver advanced connectivity solutions designed for Spain's defense and enterprise sectors. Rivada has already secured more than $17 billion in global business commitments for its planned low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. (9/11)
ICEYE Unveils ISR Cell to Deliver Space Intelligence at Tactical Scale (Source: Space Daily)
ICEYE introduces the ISR Cell, a containerized system that gives defense organizations direct, on-site access to tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) from space in near-real-time. The new unit is designed to accelerate decision-making in high-risk environments by shifting satellite intelligence from centralized hubs directly to the tactical edge. By combining tasking, downlink, AI-enabled analysis, and secure dissemination, the system eliminates the delays that typically limit ISR to higher-level commands. It is deployable as a resilient backup when fixed ground segments are disrupted. (9/11)
NASA Responds To Claims That Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Is An Advanced Alien Spacecraft (Source: IFL Science)
While there is plenty of online interest in Loeb's claims, there is little in the way of scientific interest. This is because, while it is certainly an interesting object, the more we look at it on approach, the more it looks like a comet. “It looks like a comet. It does comet things. It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know,” Tom Statler, NASA’s lead scientist for Solar System small bodies, said to The Guardian about such claims.
“It has some interesting properties that are a little bit different from our solar system comets, but it behaves like a comet. And so the evidence is overwhelmingly pointing to this object being a natural body. It’s a comet.” (9/15)
How SpaceX Acquired Its Starbase Land (Source: Space News)
SpaceX relied on careful planning, and subterfuge, to acquire the land for Starbase. The company was initially skeptical that it could develop a launch site adjacent to Boca Chica Beach on the Gulf coast of Texas, given limited infrastructure and conditions there. When the company decided to proceed, it studied county property rolls, cold-calling owners to offer to buy their property. They did not disclose they were working for SpaceX, using shell companies with names like Dogleg Park LLC and The Flats at Mars Crossing to buy the land. Local residents later found out SpaceX was behind the property purchases. To conceal the people behind the purchases, one SpaceX official showed up to a county property auction in disguise. (9/16)
China Launches Demo Comsat on Long March 2C (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a communications demonstration satellite Monday night. A Long March 2C lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:06 p.m. Eastern and put the unnamed satellite into low Earth orbit. Chinese media described the satellite as one that will test satellite internet technologies. (9/16)
Isar's Spectrum Rocket Failure Blamed on Attitude Control System (Source: Space News)
The first launch of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket failed because the vehicle could not maintain attitude control. The rocket launched from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport in late March, but malfunctioned and fell to Earth seconds later. Company executives said an investigation concluded the rocket’s attitude control system wasn’t properly programmed to handle certain modes of the rocket right after liftoff, causing the vehicle to lose control and go outside its safety corridor. That triggered its flight termination system. The rocket also had a valve in a vent that was left open, allowing cryogenic vapors to escape, which would have caused problems if the flight continued. Isar said it is working to prepare for the second Spectrum launch, likely late this year or early next year. (9/16)
Defense Spending and Direct-to-Device Are Driving Space Growth (Source: Space News)
Expanding defense budgets and the direct-to-device race are driving growth in the global space economy. At its World Space Business Week conference Monday, Novaspace said it expects the 2024 space economy, which it values at $596 billion, to grow to $944 billion in 2033. Satellite services are responsible for much of that growth. Demand for sovereign space capabilities continues to broaden, the company says, and direct-to-device services could gain more than 300 million monthly subscribers by 2030. (9/16)
ESA Narrows Launcher Challenge From 12 to 5 Candidates (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency will look to strengthen Europe’s autonomy in launch, security and exploration. Director General Josef Aschbacher said Europe is accelerating the link between space and defense. He also said ESA has narrowed its European launcher challenge from 12 to five candidates, with a goal of ultimately fostering competition between two providers. The full interview is available online. (9/16)
Spain's GMV to Upgrade and Operate Traffic Coordination Platform (Source: Space News)
The Space Data Association selected Spanish company GMV to upgrade and operate its global space traffic coordination platform. The upgrades will support the Space Safety Portal (SSP), which ingests flight dynamics information from members of the association as well as other public sources to provide conjunction assessment and warning services. The upgrades include more realistic assessments of collision probabilities and working around companies that fail to share maneuver data. The upgrades will allow SSP to better handle increasingly congested orbits and heightened collision risks. (9/16)
EchoStar's Big Pivot (Source: Space News)
EchoStar plans to pursue new opportunities as an “asset-light growth company” after selling key spectrum assets. At a briefing Monday, company executives said they will use the capital from selling spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX to “expand our aperture” but provided few specifics about what markets it might pursue. Executives described the spectrum sale as a “forced pivot” after the FCC opened investigations into its use of S-band satellite spectrum and buildout of 5G terrestrial networks. EchoStar cofounder and chairman Charlie Ergen praised SpaceX, which paid $17 billion in cash and stock for EchoStar’s S-band spectrum, as a company taking the lead in launch and satellite services. (9/16)
Telesat Offers Lightspeed to Bridge Europe's IRIS² Capability (Source: Space News)
Telesat says its Lightspeed constellation could help Europe bridge the gap to its IRIS² constellation. Speaking at World Space Business Week Monday, Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg argued there was an opportunity for the government of Canada to work with Europe on using Lightspeed for secure connectivity while IRIS² is in development. Telesat has yet to launch any Lightspeed satellites but expects to start providing services in 2027, at least three years before IRIS². The offer comes as traditional satellite operators like Telesat pivot from video to broadband services given the pressures on the companies caused by declining video revenues. (9/16)
Launch Cadence Ramp-Up... Next Year (Source: Space News)
Launch providers have reiterated plans to sharply increase launch rates despite falling short of earlier projections. Officials from several providers said they expect to ramp up launch rates of new vehicles in the next year, although in many cases they are falling short of launch goals they set at last year’s conference. Blue Origin vowed to be “launching multiple times per month” next year with its New Glenn rocket, which has only flown once. Arianespace has also cut back slightly its launch projections, with the company now planning four Ariane 6 launches this year versus the five it stated it would conduct as recently as June. (9/16)
Swissto12 Completes Review of GEO Direct-to-Device Satellite (Source: Space News)
Swissto12, a manufacturer of small GEO satellites, has completed a key review for its first direct-to-device spacecraft. The company announced a contract in March to deliver the 1,000-kilogram Neastar-1 satellite for Singapore’s Astrum Mobile, which aims to provide low-bandwidth multimedia and connectivity services across Asia. That satellite has now passed its preliminary design review, Swissto12 announced Monday. The company did not disclose when it expects to complete Neastar-1. It is based on Swissto12’s HummingSat platform, which will fly for the first time in early 2027. (9/16)
York's Production-Capacity Increase Paid Off with SDA Transport Layer Delivery (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems says the delivery of a batch of Space Development Agency (SDA) satellites is the result of years of investment in production capabilities. The 21 satellites, launched last week, are the first plane of the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer communications constellation. York CEO Dirk Wallinger said the delivery comes after extensive work to scale up satellite production at the company, with two factories now in “rapid production” of satellites for SDA and others. The company can produce a single satellite in weeks, and York hopes to leverage that capability into a role on the Golden Dome missile defense system. (9/16)
Industry Leaders at Summit Urge Zero Tariffs on Aerospace (Source: Leeham News and Analysis)
Aerospace industry leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Aerospace Summit have called for "zero for zero" trade in the ongoing trade negotiations to eliminate tariffs on aerospace goods. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury highlighted the agreement's role in strengthening US aerospace, while Embraer Commercial Aviation CEO Arjan Meijer criticized tariffs for distorting the market. Rep. Troy Nehls acknowledged the political controversy surrounding tariffs but described them as a bargaining tool to boost domestic investment. Dorothy Reimold of the Aerospace Industries Association drew attention to the importance of aviation manufacturing to the American economy. (9/16)
Boeing Engineering Center in Florida Focuses on Advanced Aerospace (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design)
Boeing has opened a 65,000-square-foot engineering center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, expected to create 400 jobs and support Boeing Defense, Space and Security Air Dominance programs. "This engineering center will accelerate Boeing's work on critical defense programs and deepen our partnership with Embry‑Riddle, giving us access to an exceptional talent pipeline and enabling collaboration to drive aerospace innovation," says Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Boeing Air Dominance. (9/16)
Industrial Base Key to US Space Leadership (Source: Space News)
Commercial innovation is transforming the US space industry, necessitating urgent integration to maintain national defense and economic competitiveness. Acquisition reform is crucial, with legislation like the SPEED Act and FORGED Act aimed at cutting red tape, writes Casey Anglada DeRaad CEO of NewSpace Nexus. (9/15)
NASA has pushed a huge portion of its science and engineering workforce out the door. Now NASA Johnson Center director Vanessa Wyche wants to hire people as interns (students). Internships are great – but they usually embody a chance to eventually land a permanent job at NASA. Given all the firings, that is not likely. But if you look at the work descriptions it sounds like the things that departed employees used to do albeit more cheaply.
According to one commenter: "NASA had Pathways interns performing mission critical work on numerous programs and elected to terminate them over the last six months. In many cases these interns had performed 3 or 4 intern sessions at NASA and turned down numerous better-paying opportunities assuming they’d be hired like 99% of Pathways in the past. Instead we screwed them over, screwed our projects out of cheap already-trained labor, and now have the gall to advertise for more." (9/14)
Federal Hiring Freeze Ends Next Month (Source: FNN)
There is less than one month to go until the end of President Donald Trump's government-wide hiring freeze. By the time the freeze lifts on Oct. 15, as currently planned, many agencies will have been largely blocked from recruiting for nine months. Agencies have faced stagnating staffing numbers for virtually the entire year. And even once the hiring freeze lifts, the White House still plans to limit agencies to one new hire for every four federal employees who leave the civil service. (9/16)
Viasat and Space42 to Pool Satellite Spectrum for Direct-to-Device Services (Source: Space News)
Viasat and Space42 will launch a joint venture, Equatys, to pool their Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum, creating a combined block of over 100 MHz for Direct-to-Device (D2D) services with a commercial rollout targeted in three years. This venture aims to be the industry's first "space tower company," utilizing shared infrastructure to lower costs and improve spectrum utilization for global 5G-ready connectivity. (9/16)
SpaceX Planning First Tests of New Direct-to-Device Spectrum Next Year (Source: Space News)
SpaceX expects to begin testing direct-to-device services using newly acquired spectrum from EchoStar as soon as the end of next year. SpaceX said the new spectrum will enable upgraded satellites with "more than 100 times" the capacity of first-generation Starlink direct-to-cell satellites. This represents a major step forward for SpaceX's direct-to-cell technology, which has already been in beta testing with partners like T-Mobile earlier in 2025. (9/16)
Space Applications Supports ESA Astronaut Training at EAC (Source: Space Applications)
For almost two decades, Space Applications Services has been a key contributor to the design, development, and delivery of the ESA Basic Astronaut Training program at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. Following the successful completion of 12 months training for ESA’s new astronaut class in 2024, we are proud to announce that on 2 September 2025 began the second phase of the ESA Astronaut Reserve Corps training. This marks another important milestone in our ongoing partnership with ESA and our commitment to advancing human spaceflight. (9/16)
I’m a Former Astronaut: NASA Workers are Afraid, and Safety is At Risk (Source: Space Review)
Policy changes, including voluntary departures and fears of layoffs, have reshaped NASA’s workforce and culture. Former astronaut Garrett Reisman warns that it could also jeopardize safety at NASA. Click here. (9/16)
Gemini’s Wing and a Prayer: Parachutes, Paragliders, and More Crashes in the Desert (Source: Space Review)
As Gemini approached its first flight, NASA continued to study how to incorporate a deployable wing for its landing. Dwayne Day discusses that meant more crashes of test vehicles. Click here. (9/16)
The Greatest Story on Planet Mars: the Sequel (Source: Space Review)
Nearly 30 years before last week’s NASA Mars announcement, the agency also held a briefing about the discovery of evidence of past Martian life. Dwayne Day recalls who that news had already leaked out through both conventional and unconventional channels. Click here. (9/16)
Finding Organics on Mars Means Absolutely Nothing for Life (Source: Big Think)
In common parlance, “organic” is synonymous with life: implying creation through biological processes. But in science, an “organic” molecule is just a carbon atom bonded to almost any other atom. “Organic molecules” include methane, cyanide, benzene, and alcohols. 256 unique organic compounds have been found in interstellar dust clouds. Denser, solid bodies, like asteroids, contain highly complex organics. (9/15)
New Space Junk Removal Idea: Using Ion Engine Exhaust to Knock Debris Out of the Sky (Source: Space.com)
Over 14,000 pieces of junk are clogging up low Earth orbit, but this number could be reduced by a new invention that involves a satellite using the plasma exhaust of its ion engine to knock dangerous chunks of space junk into the atmosphere where they can burn up safely. This non-contact method would gradually but firmly push against a piece of space debris, slowing the debris down until it falls out of orbit and into the atmosphere. (9/16)
US Satellite Spies on Chinese Space Station and More. China Spies Back (Source: SCMP)
In a notable display of reconnaissance capabilities, a Chinese satellite has observed an American satellite that was itself monitoring China’s space station and high-value satellite, a move analysts described as a strategic tit-for-tat in an increasingly contested space domain. China’s Jilin-1 satellite constellation, operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology, seized a favorable orbital window on Sep. 8 to capture four images of the WorldView Legion satellite from distances ranging between 40 and 50km.
The incident follows a social media post by US commercial remote sensing company Maxar Intelligence in early July, featuring images of China’s Shijian-26 satellite taken by its own high-resolution WorldView Legion satellite on June 3. Those photographs, captured from distances of 29km and 74km with resolutions of 1.9cm and 4.9cm respectively, revealed the satellite’s structure in sharp detail. (9/16)
Bluefors to Source Helium-3 from the Moon with Interlune to Power Next Phase of Quantum Industry Growth (Source: Bluefors)
Bluefors has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with space resource company Interlune. Interlune’s first-of-its-kind helium-3 harvesting missions to the Moon will help supply one of the most critical elements for powering our cooling systems. This collaboration marks a transformative moment for the quantum industry—uniting advanced cryogenics with lunar harvesting innovation to accelerate quantum computing and contribute to building a secure and resilient industrial supply chain for the future.
Bluefors has agreed to purchase up to ten thousand liters of helium-3 annually, for delivery from 2028 to 2037. Unlike Earth, which is protected by its magnetic field, the Moon contains large quantities of helium-3 deposited by the solar wind—a fact first revealed through samples returned by NASA’s Apollo missions. (9/16)
SpaceX Built a ISS Docking Prototype From Bike Parts (Source: Washington Post)
The prototype was so rudimentary it looked like it had been built by a hobbyist in a garage with spare parts — because it essentially had been. In 2013, SpaceX engineers developed a prototype docking system for the Dragon spacecraft using mountain bike shocks and parts from an industrial supplier. This simplified mechanical design, known as the "McDocker," was quickly approved by Elon Musk and exemplified SpaceX's culture of rapid reinvention compared to more complex, outsourced designs. (9/15)
NASA’s GUARDIAN Tsunami Detection Tech Catches Wave in Real Time (Source: NASA)
A massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami off Russia in late July tested an experimental detection system that had deployed a critical component just the day before. A recent tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula sent pressure waves to the upper layer of the atmosphere, NASA scientists have reported. While the tsunami did not wreak widespread damage, it was an early test for a detection system being developed at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Called GUARDIAN (GNSS Upper Atmospheric Real-time Disaster Information and Alert Network), the experimental technology “functioned to its full extent,” said Camille Martire, one of its developers at JPL. The system flagged distortions in the atmosphere and issued notifications to subscribed subject matter experts in as little as 20 minutes after the quake. (9/12)
Satlink Joins Rivada to Deliver Secure Satellite Connectivity for Defense and Enterprise (Source: Space Daily)
Satlink, a Madrid-based provider of satellite telecommunications, has formed a partnership with Rivada Space Networks to deliver advanced connectivity solutions designed for Spain's defense and enterprise sectors. Rivada has already secured more than $17 billion in global business commitments for its planned low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation. (9/11)
ICEYE Unveils ISR Cell to Deliver Space Intelligence at Tactical Scale (Source: Space Daily)
ICEYE introduces the ISR Cell, a containerized system that gives defense organizations direct, on-site access to tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) from space in near-real-time. The new unit is designed to accelerate decision-making in high-risk environments by shifting satellite intelligence from centralized hubs directly to the tactical edge. By combining tasking, downlink, AI-enabled analysis, and secure dissemination, the system eliminates the delays that typically limit ISR to higher-level commands. It is deployable as a resilient backup when fixed ground segments are disrupted. (9/11)
NASA Responds To Claims That Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Is An Advanced Alien Spacecraft (Source: IFL Science)
While there is plenty of online interest in Loeb's claims, there is little in the way of scientific interest. This is because, while it is certainly an interesting object, the more we look at it on approach, the more it looks like a comet. “It looks like a comet. It does comet things. It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know,” Tom Statler, NASA’s lead scientist for Solar System small bodies, said to The Guardian about such claims.
“It has some interesting properties that are a little bit different from our solar system comets, but it behaves like a comet. And so the evidence is overwhelmingly pointing to this object being a natural body. It’s a comet.” (9/15)
How SpaceX Acquired Its Starbase Land (Source: Space News)
SpaceX relied on careful planning, and subterfuge, to acquire the land for Starbase. The company was initially skeptical that it could develop a launch site adjacent to Boca Chica Beach on the Gulf coast of Texas, given limited infrastructure and conditions there. When the company decided to proceed, it studied county property rolls, cold-calling owners to offer to buy their property. They did not disclose they were working for SpaceX, using shell companies with names like Dogleg Park LLC and The Flats at Mars Crossing to buy the land. Local residents later found out SpaceX was behind the property purchases. To conceal the people behind the purchases, one SpaceX official showed up to a county property auction in disguise. (9/16)
China Launches Demo Comsat on Long March 2C (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a communications demonstration satellite Monday night. A Long March 2C lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:06 p.m. Eastern and put the unnamed satellite into low Earth orbit. Chinese media described the satellite as one that will test satellite internet technologies. (9/16)
Isar's Spectrum Rocket Failure Blamed on Attitude Control System (Source: Space News)
The first launch of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket failed because the vehicle could not maintain attitude control. The rocket launched from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport in late March, but malfunctioned and fell to Earth seconds later. Company executives said an investigation concluded the rocket’s attitude control system wasn’t properly programmed to handle certain modes of the rocket right after liftoff, causing the vehicle to lose control and go outside its safety corridor. That triggered its flight termination system. The rocket also had a valve in a vent that was left open, allowing cryogenic vapors to escape, which would have caused problems if the flight continued. Isar said it is working to prepare for the second Spectrum launch, likely late this year or early next year. (9/16)
Defense Spending and Direct-to-Device Are Driving Space Growth (Source: Space News)
Expanding defense budgets and the direct-to-device race are driving growth in the global space economy. At its World Space Business Week conference Monday, Novaspace said it expects the 2024 space economy, which it values at $596 billion, to grow to $944 billion in 2033. Satellite services are responsible for much of that growth. Demand for sovereign space capabilities continues to broaden, the company says, and direct-to-device services could gain more than 300 million monthly subscribers by 2030. (9/16)
ESA Narrows Launcher Challenge From 12 to 5 Candidates (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency will look to strengthen Europe’s autonomy in launch, security and exploration. Director General Josef Aschbacher said Europe is accelerating the link between space and defense. He also said ESA has narrowed its European launcher challenge from 12 to five candidates, with a goal of ultimately fostering competition between two providers. The full interview is available online. (9/16)
Spain's GMV to Upgrade and Operate Traffic Coordination Platform (Source: Space News)
The Space Data Association selected Spanish company GMV to upgrade and operate its global space traffic coordination platform. The upgrades will support the Space Safety Portal (SSP), which ingests flight dynamics information from members of the association as well as other public sources to provide conjunction assessment and warning services. The upgrades include more realistic assessments of collision probabilities and working around companies that fail to share maneuver data. The upgrades will allow SSP to better handle increasingly congested orbits and heightened collision risks. (9/16)
EchoStar's Big Pivot (Source: Space News)
EchoStar plans to pursue new opportunities as an “asset-light growth company” after selling key spectrum assets. At a briefing Monday, company executives said they will use the capital from selling spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX to “expand our aperture” but provided few specifics about what markets it might pursue. Executives described the spectrum sale as a “forced pivot” after the FCC opened investigations into its use of S-band satellite spectrum and buildout of 5G terrestrial networks. EchoStar cofounder and chairman Charlie Ergen praised SpaceX, which paid $17 billion in cash and stock for EchoStar’s S-band spectrum, as a company taking the lead in launch and satellite services. (9/16)
Telesat Offers Lightspeed to Bridge Europe's IRIS² Capability (Source: Space News)
Telesat says its Lightspeed constellation could help Europe bridge the gap to its IRIS² constellation. Speaking at World Space Business Week Monday, Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg argued there was an opportunity for the government of Canada to work with Europe on using Lightspeed for secure connectivity while IRIS² is in development. Telesat has yet to launch any Lightspeed satellites but expects to start providing services in 2027, at least three years before IRIS². The offer comes as traditional satellite operators like Telesat pivot from video to broadband services given the pressures on the companies caused by declining video revenues. (9/16)
Launch Cadence Ramp-Up... Next Year (Source: Space News)
Launch providers have reiterated plans to sharply increase launch rates despite falling short of earlier projections. Officials from several providers said they expect to ramp up launch rates of new vehicles in the next year, although in many cases they are falling short of launch goals they set at last year’s conference. Blue Origin vowed to be “launching multiple times per month” next year with its New Glenn rocket, which has only flown once. Arianespace has also cut back slightly its launch projections, with the company now planning four Ariane 6 launches this year versus the five it stated it would conduct as recently as June. (9/16)
Swissto12 Completes Review of GEO Direct-to-Device Satellite (Source: Space News)
Swissto12, a manufacturer of small GEO satellites, has completed a key review for its first direct-to-device spacecraft. The company announced a contract in March to deliver the 1,000-kilogram Neastar-1 satellite for Singapore’s Astrum Mobile, which aims to provide low-bandwidth multimedia and connectivity services across Asia. That satellite has now passed its preliminary design review, Swissto12 announced Monday. The company did not disclose when it expects to complete Neastar-1. It is based on Swissto12’s HummingSat platform, which will fly for the first time in early 2027. (9/16)
York's Production-Capacity Increase Paid Off with SDA Transport Layer Delivery (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems says the delivery of a batch of Space Development Agency (SDA) satellites is the result of years of investment in production capabilities. The 21 satellites, launched last week, are the first plane of the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer communications constellation. York CEO Dirk Wallinger said the delivery comes after extensive work to scale up satellite production at the company, with two factories now in “rapid production” of satellites for SDA and others. The company can produce a single satellite in weeks, and York hopes to leverage that capability into a role on the Golden Dome missile defense system. (9/16)
Industry Leaders at Summit Urge Zero Tariffs on Aerospace (Source: Leeham News and Analysis)
Aerospace industry leaders at the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Aerospace Summit have called for "zero for zero" trade in the ongoing trade negotiations to eliminate tariffs on aerospace goods. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury highlighted the agreement's role in strengthening US aerospace, while Embraer Commercial Aviation CEO Arjan Meijer criticized tariffs for distorting the market. Rep. Troy Nehls acknowledged the political controversy surrounding tariffs but described them as a bargaining tool to boost domestic investment. Dorothy Reimold of the Aerospace Industries Association drew attention to the importance of aviation manufacturing to the American economy. (9/16)
Boeing Engineering Center in Florida Focuses on Advanced Aerospace (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design)
Boeing has opened a 65,000-square-foot engineering center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, expected to create 400 jobs and support Boeing Defense, Space and Security Air Dominance programs. "This engineering center will accelerate Boeing's work on critical defense programs and deepen our partnership with Embry‑Riddle, giving us access to an exceptional talent pipeline and enabling collaboration to drive aerospace innovation," says Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Boeing Air Dominance. (9/16)
Industrial Base Key to US Space Leadership (Source: Space News)
Commercial innovation is transforming the US space industry, necessitating urgent integration to maintain national defense and economic competitiveness. Acquisition reform is crucial, with legislation like the SPEED Act and FORGED Act aimed at cutting red tape, writes Casey Anglada DeRaad CEO of NewSpace Nexus. (9/15)
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