March 21, 2025

NASA: Astronauts Never Were ‘Stranded’ (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
After the safe return Tuesday of two astronauts left behind for months on the ISS , the White House characterized the pair as “stranded” and trumpeted their return as a “rescue.” Those are words that NASA has been resisting for months. It made for an awkward situation in a post-splashdown press conference, when NASA administrators insisted they could have brought Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home at any time, while also seeking not to contradict the president.

The two returned as part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, having been on board the station since June after flying up on Boeing’s Starliner. “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months,” was the message posted to the White House X account after the landing.

But NASA officials, though parsing their words carefully, stuck to a different narrative. “We always had a lifeboat, a way for them to come home,” NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said. (3/19)

Space Coast-Based CCT Wins Virginia Spaceport Contract (Source: CCT)
The Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority has awarded Command and Control Technologies Corporation (CCT) a contract for the modifications to Pad-0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island Virginia. CCT will design and implement pad modifications to support the new Northrop Grumman A330 launch vehicle and the new Firefly/Northrop Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV). CCT will update pad control hardware and software to process the new configurations.

The Pad-0A Universal Ground Control System (UGCS) is based on CCT’s Command and Control ToolkitTM product line and provides highly automated procedures for critical functions including vehicle fueling, cryogenic handling, high pressure gases, transporter erector supervisory control, and electrical ground Support equipment. Designed to be readily adaptable to new requirements, the UGCS provides a flexible environment for multi-vehicle processing and rapid response operations. (3/21)

AIA Priorities Include Space Exploration, Launch Licensing (Source: Payload)
The Aerospace Industries Association has outlined its top space priorities for 2025. The list includes nearly three dozen to-dos for government agencies ranging from the DoD to the FAA to NASA. The organization emphasizes the need for increased investment in technology and infrastructure to maintain US leadership in space. Click here. (3/20)

AIA Is Not Worried About Anything (Source: NASA Watch)
The Aerospace Industries Association just put their self-serving and totally anodyne “Space Priorities 2025“. Its all bland happy talk – as if nothing was really happening these days when it comes to the health and well being of the aerospace sector. With all of the swirling concern over budget cuts, program cancellations, and layoffs, you’d think that a non-profit established to be concerned about the aerospace sector would be a little more proactive in discussing these threats. Guess again. (3/20)

New Planet Named Enaiposha is Unlike Anything in Our Solar System (Source: Earth.com)
Enaiposha, that also goes by the identifier GJ 1214 b, was first placed in a category that normally describes small, gas-rich worlds. New observations, however, suggest that it is more like Venus but on a bigger scale. Researchers propose calling it a super-venus because it appears to have a thick atmosphere composed of hydrogen, helium, water, methane and carbon dioxide. This finding came from recent measurements that showed faint traces of molecules at key parts of the spectrum. (3/20)

'His Faith Kept Him Going': Houston Church Welcomes Starliner Astronaut Home (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Less than a day after arriving back on Earth, NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore called his pastor Tommy Dahn. At the time, the minister was preparing to lead his usual Wednesday evening Bible study at Providence Baptist Church. "He told me how much he wished he could be at the Bible study, that he misses fellowship and he'll be back in the church as soon as he can." (3/20)

Musk's Pentagon Visit Sparks More Questions About His Access to Sensitive Files (Source: NPR)
Elon Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday. But questions about why ignited a fresh storm of controversy surrounding his access to sensitive government information. The New York Times, citing unnamed officials, reported that Musk would receive a briefing on U.S. plans for any potential conflict with China, which involve some of the military's most closely guarded secrets.

"The top-secret briefing that exists for the China war plan has about 20 to 30 slides that lay out how the United States would fight such a conflict," the Times reported. "It covers the plan beginning with the indications and warning of a threat from China to various options on what Chinese targets to hit, over what time period, that would be presented to Mr. Trump for decisions, according to officials with knowledge of the plan." (3/21)

DoD Plans Thousands of Civilian Job Cuts (Source: AP)
Roughly 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut in the Defense Department, but fewer than 21,000 workers who took a voluntary resignation plan are leaving in the coming months, a senior defense official told reporters Tuesday. To reach the goal of a 5% to 8% cut in a civilian workforce of more than 900,000, the official said, the Pentagon aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by simply not replacing workers who routinely leave. (3/18)

General Atomics Marks Completion of OTB Satellite Mission Ahead of Deorbit Phase (Source: Space Daily)
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced the successful conclusion of its Orbital Test Bed (OTB) satellite's primary mission, which began with its June 2019 launch. The satellite has now transitioned into its projected 20-year deorbit trajectory. The OTB platform was designed to accommodate various payloads, among them NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC). (3/19)

Space Solar Teams with MagDrive to Boost In-Orbit Solar Power Systems (Source: Space Daily)
Space Solar, a leading force in the field of space-based solar power (SBSP), has formed a strategic alliance with UK propulsion technology company Magdrive to enhance the deployment of large-scale infrastructure in orbit. The agreement, unveiled during the Farnborough International Space Show (FISS), is formalized under the Space Propulsion and Infrastructure Innovation Initiative (SPI3), reflecting a concerted push to realize space-driven clean energy.

SPI3 is designed to help fulfil the UK's long-term goal of producing scalable, sustainable energy directly from space. By integrating Magdrive's advanced propulsion systems, the initiative addresses the complex challenge of transporting, assembling, and managing substantial SBSP infrastructure in orbit. (3/20)

ATLAS Joins Viasat to Enhance NASA's Satellite Ground Services (Source: Space Daily)
ATLAS Space Operations has partnered with satellite communications leader Viasat, Inc. to deliver essential support for NASA's current and future missions. Viasat, among the initial group of four firms awarded Task Orders under NASA's Near Space Network (NSN) Services contract, will deploy its Real-Time Earth (RTE) network globally to boost NASA's Direct-to-Earth (DTE) communications capabilities. ATLAS, recognized as the largest U.S.-owned federated ground network and an innovator in Ground Software as a Service (G-SaaS), will enhance Viasat's offering by adding network capacity and integrating its proprietary Freedom GSaaS platform. (3/19)

From Contract to Orbit in Record Time for OroraTech Satellite Deployment (Source: Space Daily)
Rocket Lab has confirmed the rapid scheduling of an Electron mission for OroraTech, a Germany-based specialist in wildfire detection and monitoring technologies. The mission, titled "Finding Hot Wildfires Near You," is slated for liftoff during a window beginning March 27th UTC from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Remarkably, this launch was arranged just four months following the signing of the contract, underscoring Rocket Lab's capability to meet tight deadlines for time-sensitive satellite missions. (3/19)

Oxygen Detected in Most Distant Galaxy: 'Astonished' Astronomers (Source: Space Daily)
Oxygen has been detected in the most distant galaxy ever discovered, surprised astronomers said Thursday, offering further evidence that stars in the early universe matured far quicker than had been thought possible. The galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, which was discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope last year, is so far away that its light took 13.4 billion years to reach Earth. (3/20)

Space Forge Secures UK Approval to Launch First Orbital Manufacturing Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
Space Forge has achieved a historic milestone in the UK space industry by securing a launch license from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its ForgeStar-1 satellite, the nation's first in-orbit advanced manufacturing platform. Scheduled for deployment later in 2025, ForgeStar-1 will mark Wales' inaugural ISAM (In-Space Advanced Manufacturing) mission and reinforce Space Forge's leadership in orbital material production and return systems.

This regulatory greenlight enables Space Forge to proceed with its debut in-orbit demonstration, which aims to showcase the feasibility of its reusable, scalable satellite designed to produce advanced semiconductor materials in space environments. The company leverages the distinct advantages of the space environment-such as zero gravity, vacuum conditions, and dramatic temperature variations-to fabricate materials that cannot be created on Earth. (3/20)

T2S Solutions Acquires Blue Marble to Bolster Space Technology Portfolio (Source: Space Daily)
T2S Solutions ("T2S"), a founder-led enterprise focused on delivering advanced technologies for U.S. defense, intelligence, and national security, has announced the acquisition of Blue Marble Communications, a specialized developer of space-grade communication and computing solutions.

As global demand intensifies for robust, high-speed technologies in satellite and spaceflight applications, Blue Marble has emerged as a key provider of systems including onboard processors, optical terminals, RF modems and transceivers, network routers, and edge processors. These tools enable next-generation satellite constellations to operate with enhanced data processing efficiency and resilience, meeting growing requirements from U.S. National Security interests and commercial space ventures worldwide. (3/19)

South Africa China Achieve Milestone with 12900 km Quantum Satellite Connection (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists from South Africa and China have achieved a historic milestone in quantum communication by creating the world's longest ultra-secure quantum satellite link, spanning an unprecedented 12,900 km. This link, established using the Chinese quantum microsatellite Jinan-1 in low Earth orbit, is also the first of its kind ever implemented in the Southern Hemisphere.

The collaboration between Stellenbosch University in South Africa and the University of Science and Technology of China enabled the real-time generation of quantum keys through Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). These keys facilitated the transmission of encrypted images between ground stations in both countries using one-time pad encryption, a method regarded as virtually unbreakable. (3/20)

SpaceX Sets Nine-Day Booster Turnaround Record (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Falcon 9 set a booster turnaround record with the launch of an NRO mission. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2:49 a.m. Eastern Friday on the NROL-57 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The first stage used for the launch last flew just nine days ago, deploying NASA's SPHEREx and PUNCH satellites. That is the shortest turnaround between flights of the same booster to date. The launch was the 450th overall for the Falcon 9 and the eighth for the NRO's proliferated satellite constellation. (3/21)

China Sets Quantum Communication Distance Record (Source: Nature)
A Chinese satellite set a new record for quantum communications. In a test published this week, researchers used the Jinan-1 smallsat as a relay for laser communications between China and South Africa, demonstrating the use of quantum key distribution over a distance of nearly 13,000 kilometers. That technology offers the promise of "unbreakable" encryption of messages, but terrestrially works only over short distances in fiber optics. (3/21)

Japan's Astroscale Teams with Indian Companies for On-Orbit Services (Source: Reuters)
Space sustainability company Astroscale is partnering with two Indian companies. Astroscale will work with Digantara, which provides space situational awareness services, and spacecraft propulsion company Bellatrix Aerospace on providing on-orbit services for the Indian government. Astroscale sees the partnership as an opportunity to grow in the Asia-Pacific region outside of its home in Japan. (3/21)

Space Force Budget Decreases with CR (Source: Space News)
The Space Force will have less money than requested this year because of the continuing resolution (CR) funding the federal government. The service will receive $28.7 billion in fiscal year 2025, less than the $29.5 billion it requested. The reduction is linked to the CR that Congress passed last week to fund the government at 2024 levels for the rest of 2025, rather than pass appropriations bills for 2025. The CR grants the Pentagon flexibility to reprogram up to $8 billion and initiate select new programs. That includes a transfer of $30 million from the Protected Tactical Satellite program to fund a new procurement of Resilient GPS (R-GPS) satellites. (3/21)

ESA Strategy Aims Toward Space Autonomy (Source: Space News)
ESA released a new strategy document with a greater emphasis on autonomy. The Strategy 2040 document, published by ESA Thursday, outlines five goals for the agency for the next 15 years. One of the goals is to "strengthen European autonomy and resilience," with an emphasis on space transportation. At a briefing Thursday, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the agency was working with member states to revise a package of programs for this fall's ministerial meeting on "what is required to strengthen Europe and make Europe more autonomous and more independent," citing the changing geopolitical landsape. He added, though, that there are no changes in ESA's cooperation with NASA, including on the Artemis lunar exploration effort. (3/21)

Italy's 'Space Industries' Plans Daily Minisatellite Production (Source: Space News)
A European startup has plans to mass-manufacture satellites. Space Industries, based in Turin, Italy, has a goal of producing one minisatellite each day by 2030. The company, founded by former Tyvak International executive Giuseppe Santangelo, is funded by the Micelli family, owners of the Comat Group, an Italian company that provides energy services, facilities management and space technology. Space Industries plans to do business with other companies and not government agencies. (3/21)

France's CTO Teams with TDF for VLEO Cellular Service (Source: Space News)
French satellite broadband startup Constellation Technologies & Operations (CTO) is teaming up with a telecom company. The partnership with TDF, which operates France's largest network of carrier-neutral hosting sites, will examine how to test the feasibility of using cellular frequencies from telecom partners to deliver services from CTO's satellites in very low Earth orbit. CTO secured about $10 million from France's state-backed Expansion Ventures fund last year toward plans to deploy 1,500 small satellites 335 kilometers above Earth. Satellites at this altitude could enable faster communications and smaller user terminals compared to other constellations in LEO, but have to contend with drag. (3/21)

Spacecraft Speedometer Promises Precise Satellite Positioning, No GPS Required (Source: TechSpot)
The Los Alamos National Laboratory has introduced the "Spacecraft Speedometer," a novel technology for tracking satellites in low Earth orbit. This compact, resource-efficient device can precisely measure a satellite's speed as it orbits the planet. Researchers believe it could also serve as a tracking solution for deep-space missions.

Designed to provide onboard, real-time velocity measurements, the Spacecraft Speedometer enables space agencies and commercial operators to predict satellite positions and execute orbital maneuvers to avoid collisions with other satellites or space debris. (3/18)

Lesbians in Space - Can Trump Save NASA (Again)? (Source: Mike Howard - LinkedIn)
What’s the big deal with female astronauts, and does it matter that Anne McClain is a lesbian? NASA has had mixed experiences with its female astronauts – dating from their “first woman in Space” Sally Ride (who didn’t “come out” as a lesbian until retiring from the agency to write children books), to Jan Davis, Lisa Novak, Serena Aunon-Chancellor, and most recently, Anne McClain. McClain courted controversy when she refused to participate in the first “all-female” space walk with astronaut Christina Koch because she (McClain) didn’t like the fit of her space suit.

Currently, NASA has 46 active astronauts on its rolls: 14 white females, 6 females “of color,” 11 males “of color,” and 15 “white” males. That’s around 46 percent female, 35 percent “of color,” and 33 percent “white male.” Is that a problem? It is when you look at how NASA got there.

Editor's Note: This misogynist piece fails to acknowledge that a candidate's qualifications and aptitude are the primary gate of entry. If another candidate appears better qualified but is an asshole, does that still make them a better choice for the job? Promoting diversity does not equal selecting candidates who are not up to the task, it means bringing valuably different perspectives and experiences to the astronaut corps, and ensuring its members are an inspiration to historically under-represented people. (3/17)

Trump Saved Our Astronauts - Can He Save NASA? (Source: Mike Howard - LinkedIn)
When President Obama killed the Space Shuttle program without a viable replacement, he doomed NASA to over a decade of reliance on Soviet rockets. Time-on-station for U.S. astronauts plummeted, and rosters dropped to pre-Shuttle lows. President Obama’s NASA slowly began turning the taps back on, but with a difference. Command and flight skills became secondary, first to demonstrable “equality of opportunity,” and then to “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”

Astronaut Class 21 of 2013 drew headlines for “the most ever” female astronauts: four men, four women (out of 6,300 applicants). Astronaut Class 22 of 2017 drew 18,300 applicants. Eleven astronauts made the cut: six males and five females. The Trump/Pence administration was able to save NASA and restore U.S. manned launch capability by putting teeth in the toothless Obama commercial space program.

Mankind is entering a new and extremely challenging phase of space exploration – permanent habitations on the Moon and Mars – and exploration of gas giant moons. The Biden NASA’s commitment to “Land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon” won’t get us there. President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Elon Musk, can fix this. (3/20)