March 2, 2025

How Long-Term Space Travel Wears Down an Astronaut’s Mind and Body (Source: Discover)
Crewed space travel isn’t just an engineering feat. It’s a test of the endurance and resilience of the human body. In microgravity, astronauts' bodies undergo dramatic changes: muscles weaken, bones lose density, fluids shift, and vision can be affected. Beyond that, deep space exposes them to radiation, which can damage DNA and increase long-term health risks. Click here. (3/1)

SpaceX Launch Noise Affecting Texas Homes, Businesses (Source: KRGV)
New research released this week reveals just how loud the Starship launch is. At South Padre Island and Port Isabel, there are homes and business that when the launches happen, things can get very noisy. Mauricio Alaniz co-owns Shoreline Barbell Club in Port Isabel. "It's rumbly. We feel the whole building shake," Alaniz said. "You hear all the weights moving with it, too... We did have a situation where one of our windows did break,"

Experts advise people to use hearing protection above 130 decibels. Biologists are still trying to understand the impact on wildlife close to the launch site. "It's not all about hearing loss, but there's things like sleep disturbance, annoyance, all sorts of things, and different types of noise sources cause different effects," Gee said. (3/1)

Russian Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station with Science, Spacesuit and Supplies (Source: Space.com)
A new delivery of food, fuel and supplies has arrived at the ISS by way of a Russian supply ship. The uncrewed spacecraft is packed with about three tons (5,730 pounds or 2,599 kilograms) of deliveries for the station's Expedition 72 crew. In addition to clothing, food, medical and sanitary supplies, the Progress also has aboard a new Orlan-MKS spacesuit to be used on Russian spacewalks. (3/1)

Is it Time to Revisit What NASA's Viking Lander Found on Mars in 1976? (Source: Space.com)
Back in 1976, the dual NASA Viking landers came to full stop on the Red Planet. Their life detection experimental findings still reverberate within the scientific community – fueling the on-going discussion on a key question: Is there life on Mars? Fast forward to today, a new paper tackles and reconsiders the results of the Viking Biology experiments.

The most significant change since those 1970's experiments were conducted was the discovery of high levels of perchlorate on Mars. What this means is that the results of the Viking Biology experiments can’t be used to justify an approach to astronaut health and safety or a sample and/or astronaut quarantine policy for return to Earth that assumes no life on Mars. (3/2)

Firefly's Blue Ghost Lands on Moon and Will Attempt to Tap Into Earth GPS (Source: Florida Today)
Firefly's Blue Ghost lander touched down on the lunar surface early Sunday and one of the experiments mounted onboard will try to do something almost unimaginable — tap into Earth's GPS constellations all the way from the moon. If successful, this will be the first time this has ever been done from the lunar surface. (3/1)

Firings Sap NOAA Office Responsible for Licensing Remote Sensing Satellite Firms (Source: Breaking Defense)
Mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have resulted in what is essentially a shut down of the unit responsible for licensing US remote sensing satellites, according to multiple sources, with license holders receiving emails notifying them all correspondence would now be handled by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel. (2/28)

NASA Will Launch Dual Missions to Explore Solar Wind and the 'Origins of the Universe' (Source: Yahoo)
NASA is tentatively scheduled to launch two missions on Sunday: one to study the sun, the other to examine, oh, just the origins of the universe. “How does the universe work? How did we get here within that universe? And are we alone in that universe?” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of NASA's astrophysics division. “Those are big enough where we can’t answer them with one instrument. We can’t even answer them with one mission.”

Named for the space agency’s newest telescope, the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (or SPHEREx) mission, “will improve our understanding of how the universe evolved and search for key ingredients for life in our galaxy.” (2/28)

Private Odin Asteroid Probe is Tumbling in Space (Source: Space.com)
The world's first private spaceraft built to visit an asteroid is slowly tumbling in space and the outlook is dire. The spacecraft, called Odin, launched atop a SpaceX rocket on Wednesday on a mission to fly by the small asteroid 2022 OB5 for AstroForge, a company that aims to eventually mine the nearby space rock. But just hours after liftoff, Astroforge hit snags with the probe. The last contact was 20 hours after launch. "I think we all know the hope is fading as we continue the mission," AstroForge founder Matt Gialich said. (3/1)

Dying Starlink Satellites Don't Always Fully Burn Up (Source: PC Magazine)
SpaceX is warning that retired Starlink satellites might not always fully disintegrate upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Small remnants may survive and land on the ground. The company made the statement on Thursday as SpaceX has been de-orbiting and retiring hundreds of older Starlink satellites by plunging them back into the Earth’s atmosphere. (2/28)

Ariane 6 Set for First Commercial Launch (Source: AFP)
After several postponements, Europe's Ariane 6 launcher will carry out its first commercial mission on Monday when it puts a French military intelligence satellite into space. The launch from the Kourou base in French Guiana is key to Europe's efforts to build up its security autonomy amid the shocks caused by the US-Russia diplomatic rapprochement. (3/1)

New Theory Suggests Star Mergers Produce Universe's Highest-Energy Particles (Source: Phys.org)
"After six decades of effort, the origin of the mysterious highest-energy particles in the universe may finally have been identified," says Glennys Farrar. "This insight gives a new tool for understanding the most cataclysmic events of the universe: two neutron stars merging to form a black hole, which is the process responsible for the creation of many precious or exotic elements, including gold, platinum, uranium, iodine, and xenon." (3/1)

Intuitive Machines' Lunar Lander Readies for Landing (Source: Daily Galaxy)
A private lunar lander, Athena, has sent back breathtaking images of Earth from space, capturing a unique view of our planet shortly after its launch. Built by Intuitive Machines, the lander lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast on February 26, 2025.

Athena’s launch was smooth, and within hours of deployment, the lander sent back its first images. Among the most striking shots is one that shows the Falcon 9’s upper stage still floating in space, with bright specks of other payloads that launched alongside it. These include NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter and Odin, a probe developed by the asteroid-mining company Astroforge.

Shortly after reaching space, Athena established stable communication, began charging its solar panels, and prepared for a series of engine burns. These maneuvers will refine its trajectory before entering lunar orbit on March 3. If all goes according to plan, Athena will make its landing attempt just three days later. (3/1)

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Lander Readies for Landing (Source: CBS News)
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander closed in on the moon Saturday, on course for a nail-biting automated descent to touchdown early Sunday, the first of three private-sector robotic moon landers to reach its target after launches earlier this year. The Blue Ghost lunar lander spent a month orbiting Earth after launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket in January, giving Firefly flight controllers in Austin, Texas, plenty of time to activate and test its systems and science payloads before heading to the moon. (3/1)

Private Space Stations of the Future Promise Luxury. But Can They Deliver? (Source: Scientific American)
Private space stations could house astronauts from the U.S. as well as other countries. NASA and the space station makers themselves are banking on the demand of other customers—private researchers, tourists and companies such as pharmaceutical firms—to stimulate a space economy that’s sustainable with or without NASA money.

So far, NASA has partnered with companies on three projects to design space stations as part of the program’s first phase. A second phase is on the way, and at least one competitor is nipping at these companies’ tail fins. Click here. (2/26) 

Trump Administration Retreats in Fight Against Russian Cyber Threats: 'Putin Is On The Inside Now' (Source: Guardian)
The Trump administration has publicly and privately signaled that it does not believe Russia represents a cyber threat against US national security or critical infrastructure, marking a radical departure from longstanding intelligence assessments. The shift in policy could make the US vulnerable to hacking attacks by Russia, experts warned, and appeared to reflect the warming of relations between Donald Trump and Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. Two recent incidents indicate the US is no longer characterizing Russia as a cybersecurity threat. Editor's Note: Thanks Tulsi Gabbard! (3/1)

Trump Layoffs Hit Key 'Air Traffic Control for Space' Unit (Source: Reuters)
The Trump administration this week fired employees who were building a system to manage satellite traffic in space, weakening a badly needed effort championed by the U.S. space industry and the president's first administration, according to people familiar with the move. Roughly a third of NOAA's 25-person Office of Space Commerce, a little-known body relied heavily upon by the space industry, were given a few hours' notice of their termination on Thursday and were forced out of the office by the end of the day, two of the sources said.

Their termination, the sources said, threatens to undermine efforts to complete what is essentially an air traffic coordination system for space, currently operating in a trial phase as growing global demand for crucial satellite services sharply increases the number of spacecraft in Earth's orbit. The layoffs were among hundreds of employees fired Thursday at NOAA. The chief of the Traffic Coordination System for Space, Dmitry Poisik, was among the employees fired. (3/1)

Amid Anti-Diversity Push, Trump Fires Black Female Chief of DoD Health Agency (Source: Reuters)
U.S. Army Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, the head of the military's health agency and one of the most senior Black female officers in the Army, was forced to retire on Friday, two sources told Reuters. The move comes just a week after President Donald Trump fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officers, in an unprecedented shake-up. She was forced to end her 32-year military career. (2/28)

Vandenberg Space Force Base Scrubbing Diversity-Related Content from Social Media Accounts (Source: Santa Barbara Independent)
President Trump’s anti-DEI sentiment did not spare Santa Barbara County, with Vandenberg Space Force Base issuing a statement on its social media channels that it will be reviewing and removing posts to “align with the President’s executive orders” and DoD priorities. A spokesperson for Vandenberg was clear that this is a mandatory order from very high up the food chain.

The directive cites a March 5 deadline to remove all DEI-related content, but “it’s a large, time-consuming task for people with full-time jobs,” the Vandenberg spokesperson said. The memorandum applies to all DoD components, including the U.S. Navy, Army, Marines, and other affiliated entities. (2/28)

Will Trump's War Against Diversity Axe DoD's DEOMI, Headquartered at Patrick Space Force Base? (Source: SPACErePORT)
DoD's Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) is in a tricky spot. It was established in 1971 as the Defense Race Relations Institute, with a mission "to address racial tensions and promote equal opportunity within the U.S. military." Now, although racial and equality problems may persist, dealing with them is far from a priority. Indeed, dealing with those issues is now largely forbidden.

DEOMI employs over 100 military, civilian, and contractor personnel on Patrick Space Force Base's Tuskegee Airmen Drive. Whether the entire organization will be shuttered as SecDef Pete Hegseth eliminates diversity programs remains to be seen. What has happened thus far is a mild scrubbing of DEOMI's website to remove several mentions of diversity and inclusion.

Among these deletions are references to DEOMI as a "Diversity & Inclusion Center for Excellence" with a "mission to develop and train DoD-wide curriculum on diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness." Also removed are several pages devoted to a DEOMI program for distributing posters and display materials to DoD installations. These featured materials on DoD racial and gender integration, religious diversity, and other civil rights achievements and progress. (3/1)

Is Musk Using DOGE Data to Train His Grok-3 AI? (Sources: Futurism, FirstPost)
While making a show of feeding a government agency "into the wood chipper," Elon Musk's lackeys have secretly been feeding sensitive data into AI software. Representatives at DOGE — some of whom are literal teenagers — have used the technology to investigate federal programs and spending. The White House rejected allegations that Musk may be using DOGE data to train his Grok AI.

The concerns are such that even some Republicans are saying there need to be guardrails. Ryan Girdusky, a pro-Trump conservative strategist, said "there seems to be no effective, or very few effective, guardrails in obtaining and holding and using federal data.” Politico reported that Grok replied “it’s plausible that data Doge accessed could have flowed to xAI projects like Grok 3”. Pascal Hetzscholdt said that the “hypothetical scenario of a powerful AI like Grok 3, raises serious concerns about the potential for data to be used to assess individuals’ loyalty and suppress dissent”.

Editor's Note: My opinion is that Musk intends Grok to ultimately become the US Government's preferred AI, allowing Grok to replace federal workers and make decisions intended to make the Government more efficient. Is this appropriate? (3/1)

SpaceX Launches Japanese Star Ado’s Music Into Orbit, En Route to Moon (Source: Variety)
Reclusive Japanese singing sensation Ado is reaching astronomical new heights — literally — as her music travels beyond Earth’s atmosphere in an initiative backed by Elon Musk‘s SpaceX. The 22-year-old J-pop phenomenon recently broke attendance records with a 33-show international tour spanning 30 countries. She has become the first artist selected for Cannes Gala’s “BandWagon2” project, which aims to — eventually — bring music to the lunar surface. (2/28)

FAA Clears SpaceX To Resume Starship Flight Tests (Sources: Aviation Week, CNN)
The FAA on Feb. 28 cleared SpaceX to resume flights tests of the Starship-Super Heavy reusable launch system while an investigation into the Jan. 16 breakup of the upper stage remains underway. “The FAA issued a license modification authorizing the SpaceX Starship Flight 8 launch,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.” (2/28)

Pakistan to Send First Astronaut to Space Station Soon (Source: Dawn)
Pakistan, in collaboration with China, will send its first space manned mission to China’s space station. Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad after witnessing the exchange of a cooperation agreement between Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the prime minister said that this was yet another wonderful gesture from the Chinese government to further deepen bilateral cooperation in this field. (2/28)

NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Workshop Held in Dubai (Source: Emirates 24/7)
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) hosted NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Workshop at the Etihad Museum in Dubai on February 25 and 26, bringing together global space leaders to discuss the future of human space exploration. The workshop convened representatives from major space agencies, including NASA, ESA, French national space agency (CNES), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and other international partners, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a strategic hub for collaboration in space science and technology. (2/28)

Texas and Florida Rocket Toward Faceoff Over NASA HQ (Source: Politico)
Texas and Florida shine as two of the brightest stars in the conservative universe. But the two are on a collision course as they eye one possible prize of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting blitz: The next location of NASA’s new headquarters. The space agency’s Washington lease expires in 2028. And a move to the Lone Star or Sunshine State would not only require NASA employees to relocate, but potentially transform how the agency operates and what its priorities should be.

Their battle also serves as a proxy war for a broader struggle to claim conservative supremacy among the states through policy moves and symbolic signs of loyalty to the Trump administration. The ruby-red states’ governors are already fueling their nascent campaigns. (2/28)

NordSpace Plans to Launch Rockets From Newfoundland and Labrador (Source: SpaceQ)
A month after NordSpace said it had successfully static-tested its Canadian-built, fully integrated Taiga suborbital rocket at its Canadian Space Research Range in Ontario, the company has announced plans to build its own launch facility in St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador. (The community is located on the southeastern Atlantic shore of the province, just across from the French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.)

Known as ‘Spaceport Canada’, the proposed St. Lawrence site will have at least two launch pads and a launch control center, said Rahul Goel, CEO and Founder of NordSpace. It will be able to support the launch of the company’s Taiga suborbital and Tundra orbital rockets, both of which will use NordSpace’s in-house designed and 3D printed single-piece Hadfield engines. (2/28)

Merck Partners With Sierra Space For Dream Chaser Mission (Source: Aviation Week)
Sierra Space has announced pharmaceutical giant Merck as its first commercial rideshare partner for the inaugural flight of the Dream Chaser spaceplane on a NASA mission later this year. The Merck payload, which will be an experiment focused on the development of cancer treatments. (2/28)