March 31, 2025

Extremely Weird Rock Found on Mars Looks Like Nothing Else Around It (Source:  Science Alert)
Once again, Mars has presented us with an example of something it seems to have in abundance: extremely peculiar and baffling rocks. As the Perseverance rover trundled about Broom Point, on the lower slopes of Witch Hazel Hill on the rim of Jezero Crater, it came across a rock that looks all bubbly and weird, like a deposition of frogspawn. It consists of hundreds of tiny dark gray spherules, each a millimeter or so across, all clumped together in a formation. (3/30)

UK Firm Replaces Russia in Search for Life on Mars (Source: BBC)
A UK space firm has replaced a Russian corporation in a European project to search for signs of life on Mars. Airbus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, will work on the ExoMars lander which will place the Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface of the planet. Russian state space agency Roscosmos had worked on a landing platform called Kazachok, but the mission was postponed after the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (3/31)

Former NASA KSC Engineer Says He’s Found a Way to Overcome Earth’s Gravity (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Discovering a machine that could somehow produce thrust without releasing propellant would be a game-changer for human space travel. There’s just one problem—such a device would defy the laws of physics. This limitation has not stopped people from investigating the possibility, and the latest addition to the propellant-less club is an electrostatic design developed by a former NASA engineer.

While the company behind the drive, Exodus Propulsion Technologies, says that the drive can achieve a thrust to counteract Earth’s gravity, such a claim still needs independent verification and a healthy dose of skepticism. While at NASA, Charles Buhler helped establish the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center in Florida—a very important lab that basically ensures rockets don’t explode.

Now, as co-founder of the space company Exodus Propulsion Technologies, Buhler told the website The Debrief that they’ve created a drive powered by a “New Force” outside our current known laws of physics, giving the propellant-less drive enough boost to overcome gravity. (3/30)

Nelson Concerned About NASA Layoffs and Other Changes (Source: Space News)
Former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says he is concerned about some of the recent changes at the agency, such as the firing of its chief scientist. Speaking on a panel March 29 as part of the Kennedy Center’s “Earth to Space” festival here, Nelson expressed his concerns that the agency’s work on Earth science might be affected by policy changes by the new administration.

“Now I take the long view,” he said. “I think compared to other agencies, NASA is not getting it nearly as bad.” He praised Janet Petro, NASA’s acting administrator, for efforts to stave off bigger cuts and other changes. “I do understand that Janet is trying to hold them off on some things,” he said, allowing NASA to move ahead with the Artemis 2 mission scheduled for launch in about a year. (3/31)

China's Bluelink Raises Funds for Bluetooth Signal Detection Satellites (Source: Space News)
Chinese startup Bluelink Satcom has raised early-stage funding to build a satellite network capable of detecting Bluetooth signals from space. Bluelink Satcom announced an "angel+" funding round worth somewhere between $3 million and $13 million. The company says it has technology that can provide a cost-effective solution for low-speed, wide-area Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity using Bluetooth, allowing satellites to detect signals from IoT devices on the ground. However, the technology cannot be used to transmit signals to those devices from satellites. Bluelink Satcom expects to have its first payload in orbit around the middle of this year with plans for a 72-satellite constellation by 2028. (3/31)

NASA's Next-Gen Landing Navigation Tech (Source: Space Daily)
A cutting-edge navigation system developed by Psionic, Inc. took to the skies over California recently, riding aboard an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft to undergo rigorous testing at speeds approaching Mach 1. The trials marked a major milestone in NASA's efforts to advance technologies crucial for safe and precise landings on the Moon and Mars.

The Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system, an innovation derived from NASA's original technology and enhanced by Psionic, was the focus of the test campaign. The Hampton, Virginia-based company miniaturized and ruggedized the system for space applications, integrating added features like cameras and an inertial measurement unit. This fusion creates a fully functional navigation platform capable of determining a spacecraft's exact speed and location in real time. (3/30)

A Turning Point for China's Megaconstellations (Source: Space News)
This year should be a turning point for two Chinese megaconstellations. The first launch for the Guowang ("national net") megaconstellation, aimed at global broadband coverage, took place in December, and the project must have 10% of its 13,000 satellites in orbit by September 2029, requiring a rapid increase in launches this year. The Shanghai-backed Qianfan ("Thousand Sails") megaconstellation saw the launch of its fifth batch of 18 satellites earlier this month, with a goal of 600 in orbit by the end of the year as part of a 14,000-satellite system. (3/31)

China Launches Classified Satellite on Long March 7A (Source: Space News)
China launched a classified satellite Saturday. A Long March 7A rocket lifted off at 12:05 p.m. Eastern and placed the TJS-16 satellite into orbit. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation described the TJS-16 satellite as mainly used to verify multi-band and high-speed satellite communication technology, but provided few other details.

The TJS series is seen by Western analysts as likely carrying out classified missions in GEO including signals intelligence, early warning missions and satellite inspection activities. The launch of TJS-16 follows the March 9 launch of TJS-15, now in GEO. The apogee kick motor that delivered TJS-15 to GEO has since made a series of small changes to its orbit, suggesting tests of low-thrust propulsion. (3/31)

European Satellite Companies Advance Merger Talks (Source: Reuters)
Three European satellite manufacturers have started preliminary talks about a merger. Airbus Defense and Space, Leonardo and Thales Alenia Space have initiated talks with European Union antitrust regulators about a merger of their space businesses. A source familiar with the talks emphasized the preliminary nature of the discussions, with no final outcome until "well into next year." The companies have been discussing for months the possibility for a joint venture of some kind to make their satellite businesses more competitive. (3/31)

Hera Spacecraft Trials Autonomous Navigation During Mars Encounter (Source: Space Daily)
As ESA's Hera spacecraft passed close to Mars, it carried out a successful test of its autonomous navigation system, locking onto dozens of surface landmarks such as craters and other geological formations to track them over time. This experiment marked the first large-scale validation of a self-driving technique that Hera will later use when navigating around its asteroid targets.

"There was no time to test this autonomous surface feature tracking as thoroughly as the rest of Hera's autonomous functions before we left Earth," said Jesus Gil Fernandez, ESA's guidance, navigation and control engineer. (3/30)