February 18, 2025

The Dream of Offshore Rocket Launches is Finally Blasting Off (Source: MIT Technology Review)
To relieve the congestion, some mission planners are looking to the ocean as the next big gateway to space. China has sent more than a dozen space missions from ocean platforms since 2019, most recently in January 2025. Italy’s space program has announced it will reopen its ocean launchpad off the coast of Kenya, while German space insiders envision an offshore spaceport in the North Sea. In the US, the idea of sea launches has attracted attention from heavyweights like SpaceX and inspired a new startup called the Spaceport Company.

“The best way to build a future where we have dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of spaceports is to build them at sea,” says Tom Marotta, CEO and founder of the Spaceport Company, which is working to establish offshore launch hubs. “It’s very hard to find a thousand acres on the coast over and over again to build spaceports. It’s very easy to build the same ship over and over again.”

"If the US imposes strict oversight on launches, other nations might apply different standards to licensing agreements with launch providers. “I can imagine that some unauthorized projects may become possible simply because they are on the seas and there is no real authority—by contrast to land-based space launches—to supervise those kinds of launches,” Alla Pozdnakova says. (2/11)

Hundreds of FAA Employees are Let Go as Trump's Mass Layoffs Continue (Source: NBC News)
The Trump administration fired hundreds of employees with the FAA over the weekend, just weeks after a fatal crash over Washington, D.C., exposed understaffing at the agency. The union representing the employees called the firings a “hastily made decision” that would increase the workload of a workforce already stretched thin. The union statement referred to the Washington crash as well as two others in recent weeks across the country as evidence that it was not the time to cut personnel at the agency. (2/17)

NOAA, NASA Brace for Major Job Cuts (Source: Axios)
The layoffs of thousands of government workers are likely to expand — possibly as soon as Tuesday — to two key climate science and extreme weather agencies: NOAA and NASA. These are two agencies where Musk has conflicts of interest given the activities of his company SpaceX. The agencies keep tabs on the planet's weather and climate and are considered to be in the top tier of such government departments worldwide. In keeping with the size of cuts to other government departments, NOAA is thought to be in line for as much as a 10% reduction in staff, which would amount to about 1,000 workers.

NOAA is a small organization, with only about 12,000 employees spread across functions from climate and weather forecasting to oceans research and fisheries regulation. Deep cuts could imperil some of its work, particularly that of the National Weather Service, which has been short-staffed in recent years. Editor's Note: A colleague at NASA KSC tells me they expect serious difficulty completing their tasks after key personnel are driven from the agency. I think the full effects of the DOGE purge across the government will manifest after the next two months, when public services are seriously curtailed and the administration of existing contracts becomes chaotic. Expect a lot of churn among contractors as their services are sought to backfill capabilities eviscerated by DOGE. (2/18)

Ursa Major Rocket Engine Could Support US Iron Dome (Source: Space News)
Ursa Major is accelerating work on a rocket engine it believes could play a role in the proposed "Iron Dome for America" missile defense system. The company argues the Draper liquid-propulsion engine it is developing fits the need for the kind of better propulsion technology required for high-performance interceptor missiles, ones that can operate from the ground or from space. Draper relies on kerosene and hydrogen peroxide propellants, allowing it to be used in missiles that are stored for long periods. Ursa Major performed ground tests of the 4,000-pound-force engine last year and is planning a flight-testing campaign to further mature the design and explore military applications, as well as commercial uses in space tugs and in-space transportation. (2/18)

AAC Clyde Space Begins Developing INFLECION Maritime Awareness Constellation (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer AAC Clyde Space is starting work on a constellation for maritime domain awareness. Satellites in the INFLECION constellation will be equipped with signals intelligence and synthetic aperture radar payloads to track shipping. The company plans to operate the constellation, expected to be deployed by 2028, as part of efforts to grow its services business. Initial work on INFLECION is supported by an 850,000 euro ($890,000) contract from ESA, while the total constellation is estimated to cost 30.7 million euros. (2/18)

US and India Explore More Space Collaboration (Source: Space News)
The United States and India are expanding a technology innovation partnership to include space. The two countries announced last week the creation of INDUS Innovation, an "innovation bridge" between the two countries to support work on space, energy and other emerging technologies. It is based on INDUS-X, which has assisted cooperation between American and Indian companies in the defense sector, including some space applications. INDUS Innovation was announced as part of a joint statement between the two countries that also highlighted continued cooperation in civil and commercial space. (2/18)

China Scales Up Commercial Space Support (Source: Space News)
Beijing is scaling up its commercial space ambitions with new policies, infrastructure investments and potentially record-setting launch targets. A conference last week announced the creation of eight labs for space-related research in the city, part of efforts to bolster the commercial space ecosystem in the region. Beijing hosts the headquarters of companies such as Landspace, Galactic Energy, iSpace and Space Pioneer and has the highest concentration of commercial internet satellite companies in China. These efforts are part of a wider range of local and provincial-level initiatives across China to help spur the growth of the commercial space sector. (2/18)

Vietnam Changes Rules to Allow Starlink Service (Source: Reuters)
The government of Vietnam is changing its rules to allow Starlink to operate in the country. Discussions between SpaceX and Vietnam broke down in late 2023 because of restrictions on foreign control of satellite internet providers in the country. However, revisions to those rules set to be adopted this week would allow foreign companies to maintain control of operations in the country as part of a pilot program that would run through 2030. That would open the door for Starlink to provide services in the country without giving up control to local interests. (2/18)

India's Privatized PSLV Heading Toward 2025 Launch (Source: Times of India)
The first privately built Indian PSLV rocket is scheduled to launch later this year. The rocket, scheduled to launch in the third quarter, will carry an experimental spacecraft called TDS-1 to test 35 satellite technologies, from propulsion to quantum payloads. A consortium that includes Indian companies HAL and L&T is building PSLV vehicles as part of efforts by Indian to privatize elements of its space program. (2/18)

Malaysia Moves Forward on Remote Sensing, Outer Space Treaty Ratification (Source: The Vibes)
Malaysia is moving ahead with a remote sensing satellite program. A government minister said Tuesday that the National Remote Sensing Satellite Development Program is scheduled to begin operations in 2028, reducing the country's reliance on data from foreign satellites. The government also stated it plans to ratify the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention. (2/18)

Long March 8A Rocket Successfully Completes Maiden Flight (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully launched its Long March 8A carrier rocket for the first time, sending a group of satellites into orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) announced. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, delivering the second batch of low-orbit satellites for China's State-owned internet network into their designated trajectory. This mission marks the 559th launch in the Long March rocket series. With this flight, Long March 8A becomes the latest operational member in the Long March family, which plays a crucial role in China's space missions. (2/16)

Jumping Workouts Could Help Astronauts on the Moon and Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Jumping workouts could help astronauts prevent the type of cartilage damage they are likely to endure during lengthy missions to Mars and the Moon, a new Johns Hopkins University study suggests. The research adds to ongoing efforts by space agencies to protect astronauts against deconditioning/getting out of shape due to low gravity, a crucial aspect of their ability to perform spacewalks, handle equipment and repairs, and carry out other physically demanding tasks. The study, which shows knee cartilage in mice grew healthier following jumping exercises, appears in the journal npj Microgravity. (2/16)

K2 Space Secures $110M and Achieves First in-Space Demonstration (Source: Space Daily)
K2 Space has announced the successful completion of a $110 million Series B funding round aimed at scaling up production of its advanced, high-power satellite platform. The investment, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital, also included participation from existing stakeholders such as Alpine Space Ventures and First Round Capital.

This achievement coincides with the company's expansion into a new 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Torrance, California, and the success of its inaugural in-space demonstration, which tested key in-house-developed components. To date, K2 Space has raised $180 million in equity and secured over $50 million in contracts from government and commercial entities. (2/16)

New Research Explores CubeSat Swarms for Spacecraft Servicing and Repair (Source: Space Daily)
As space agencies and private companies design satellites and telescopes with repairability in mind, the need for efficient servicing trajectories becomes crucial. Researchers have developed a new method enabling multiple CubeSats to coordinate in servicing and assembling space telescopes. Their approach optimizes fuel use, maintains a minimum separation of five meters between spacecraft, and has potential applications beyond space missions. (2/16)

Public Offerings Take the Stage as the Space Industry Learns From the SPAC Boom and Bust (Source: Space News)
The space industry is preparing for an uptick in stock listings, even as the sour legacy of SPAC deals in the sector continues to leave a bad taste in public investors’ mouths. While this once-booming trend offered a faster and less scrutinized path to the public markets, many space SPACs ultimately underperformed, weighed down by missed targets and overinflated projections.

Of the dozen or so space companies that went public via SPAC in recent years, four are currently trading above their initial $10-a-share offer price, and another two or three are showing promise. Now that SPACs have fallen out of favor, IPOs are taking center stage as a wave of growth-oriented space firms enters the spotlight.

U.S.-based space and defense companies Voyager and Karman announced separate plans to go public. More IPO announcements will likely follow, given declining interest rates, strong equity markets, and expectations of a more business-friendly regulatory environment under the Trump administration. Among the many reasons to be optimistic about the space sector in 2025 is increasing access to launch services and technological advances that are driving down costs. (2/17)

Orbex Betting the Farm on Its European Launcher Challenge Bid (Source: European Spaceflight)
UK-based rocket builder Orbex has revealed that it is counting on a positive outcome from its European Launch Challenge bid to fund the development of its medium-lift rocket, Proxima, citing a “challenging investment climate.” The European Space Agency initiated the European Launcher Challenge in November 2023 to support the development of sovereign launch capabilities and, ultimately, a successor to the Ariane 6.

While the exact format of the challenge has not yet been confirmed, initial reports have indicated that it will include multiple awards of €150 million each. Orbex CEO Phil Chambers said the company’s abrupt decision to pause work on its own spaceport at Sutherland and move the initial operation of its Prime rocket to SaxaVord would allow it to “direct more funding to the development of a new, medium-sized launch vehicle called Proxima.”

When asked how the company could justify dedicating resources to a larger, second launcher while walking away from its commitments to Sutherland, Chambers explained that the development of Proxima was “targeted” at the ESA European Launcher Challenge. He cited the potential €150 million award as a key factor and added that, if successful, the bid would “positively affect the business moving forward.” (2/17)

'Remarkable' Cosmic Explosion Discovered in Decades-Old X-Ray Data (Source: Phys.org)
The "needle in the haystack" discovery of a powerful explosion from a mysterious unknown object outside our galaxy has excited astronomers. It went unnoticed for years within a vast, two decade-long archive of observations by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, before being unearthed.

On 15 May 2020, while Chandra was observing the remains of an exploded star in the LMC (a small galaxy neighboring our Milky Way), it accidentally captured a bright and extremely fast X-ray flash of unknown origin. This flash appeared and disappeared within a few seconds, went unnoticed during the initial observation, and so was stored in the large Chandra archive. (2/17)