April 11, 2025

Sierra Space Teams with Honda and Tec-Masters for ISS Clean Energy Test (Source: Space Daily)
Sierra Space has announced a strategic partnership with Honda and Tec-Masters to conduct in-orbit testing of Honda's advanced water electrolysis system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The initiative, enabled by Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane, represents a major milestone in developing sustainable energy technologies for lunar habitats and Earth-based applications.

The focus of the collaboration is Honda's high-differential pressure water electrolysis system, a component of a regenerative fuel cell platform designed to produce oxygen, hydrogen, and electricity in a closed-loop cycle. Drawing on its long-standing expertise in hydrogen fuel cells, Honda aims to demonstrate the technology's performance in microgravity, a crucial step toward future deployment on the lunar surface.

Sierra Space will manage the mission in coordination with NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS). The Dream Chaser will deliver the experimental hardware to the ISS, while Tec-Masters will oversee payload integration and certification. With years of experience supporting ISS missions, Tec-Masters adds critical technical depth to the project. (4/10)

Spanish Technologies Developed to Clean Up Orbits and Enhance Satellite Longevity (Source: Space Daily)
A Spanish start-up with roots in Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is developing advanced space tether systems aimed at tackling orbital debris and supporting satellite servicing. The company, PERSEI Space, co-founded by two UC3M researchers, is pioneering electrodynamic tether technology designed to both remove defunct satellites and enable in-orbit support services such as refueling and orbital repositioning. (4/10)

A Step Closer to Martian Habitability as Lichens Endure Simulated Surface Conditions (Source: Space Daily)
In a breakthrough experiment, scientists have demonstrated that some species of lichens can survive conditions that mimic those on Mars, including intense ionizing radiation, while continuing to function metabolically. The research offers compelling evidence that lichens could potentially endure the extreme surface environment of Mars. This finding challenges longstanding beliefs about the Red Planet's hostility to life and opens new possibilities for astrobiological exploration. (4/10)

Aitech Launches Compact AI-Powered Satellite Platform for Next-Gen Earth and Space Intelligence (Source: Space Daily)
Built upon more than three decades of space-proven electronic systems and trillions of miles of cumulative flight heritage, Aitech has introduced the IQSat, an ultra-compact, AI-enabled picosatellite platform capable of forming large-scale constellations. The new system enables broad, persistent coverage of the Earth, offering real-time insights into life patterns, environmental change, and strategic activity.

At the heart of IQSat is embedded artificial intelligence and machine learning powered by Intuidex's Watchman for Space (W4S), a tool designed to identify anomalies and discern patterns across numerous domains such as agriculture, climate monitoring, defense operations, biology, and public safety. (4/10)

New Zealand, Colorado Partner to Boost Space Industry (Source: The Gazette)
New Zealand and Colorado have agreed to jointly enhance investments in aerospace and quantum technologies. The deal, signed by Gov. Jared Polis and New Zealand Space Minister Judith Collins at the 40th Space Symposium, aims to leverage New Zealand as a launch location. (4/10)

Vast Signs Three More Payload Partners for Haven-1 (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast has signed three more payload customers for its Haven-1 station set to launch in a little more than a year. Vast announced April 8 that Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS), Interstellar Lab and Exobiosphere will fly research payloads on the Haven-1 station launching no earlier than May 2026. They join Redwire and Yuri as payload partners for the station.

JAMSS, which has supported research on Japan’s Kibo module on the International Space Station, will provide a multi-purpose payload facility for microgravity research on Haven-1. Interstellar Lab, a French company, will provide an advanced life sciences research facility called Eden 1.0 that will be used for experiments such as plant growth. Exobiosphere, based in Luxembourg, will fly a biotechnology payload to perform pharmaceutical and healthcare experiments. (4/10)

TraCSS Moves Into Next Phase of Development (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce's space traffic coordination system has moved into its next step in development. The office said at Space Symposium this week that TraCSS, or Traffic Coordination System for Space, moved into version 1.1 in March, with upgrades that include taking in satellite position data directly from satellite operators. The office is also moving ahead on the "presentation layer" or web interface for TraCSS after a GAO protest from a company that lost the competition for that contract. That interface will begin beta testing in August and enter full service by January 2026. (4/10)

Space Forge Sees LEO as Key to Strengthening US Chip Independence (Source: Space News)
Space manufacturing startup Space Forge believes space could be key to advancing domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. The company said Thursday it hired technology veteran Atul Kumar to set up a semiconductor business in the United States [it already has a presence on Florida's Space Coast]. Kumar said Space Forge's long-term goal is to establish in-space manufacturing of semiconductors, making use of potential advantages of the space environment, but will also develop terrestrial production of high-quality semiconductor substrates. The company is working on ForgeStar-1, a spacecraft to test in-space manufacturing technologies, with launch planned for later this year. (4/10)

Indian Propulsion Maker Joins US Expansion Push (Source: Space News)
Bellatrix Aerospace, a startup developing satellite electric and chemical propulsion systems, said Thursday it hired a former Astra and Terran Orbital executive as the head of a new U.S. subsidiary, with plans to establish a facility in the United States to produce thrusters. That facility would support localized production, testing and delivery of propulsion systems to enable faster turnaround times and closer collaboration with U.S.-based customers. Bellatrix said it is in "advanced discussions" with several satellite manufacturers in the U.S. about using Bellatrix thrusters. (4/10)

True Commercial Alternatives for Strategic Communications and PNT Don’t Exist — Yet (Source: Space News)
For some capabilities, such as strategic communications and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), commercial alternatives may not exist. Space Systems Command officials said at Space Symposium that while the service is looking for commercial capabilities wherever possible, those options won't fit "every single need." They cited the "stringent requirements" of communications needed for nuclear command and control, as well as the challenge of creating a fully commercial alternative to GPS. (4/10)

Female Greenland US Space Force Base Commander Fired After VP Vane Visit (Source: New York Times)
The Defense Department has relieved a Space Force colonel of command of a Greenland base. The Pentagon said Thursday that Col. Susan Meyers was removed from her post commanding Pituffik Space Base for "loss of confidence in her ability to lead." That came after a report revealed an email she sent after the visit to the base last month by Vice President JD Vance, where he said that Denmark was not doing enough to protect Greenland. Meyers, in her email to base staff, said his comments "are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base." The base, previously known as Thule Air Base, plays a key role in missile and space object tracking. (4/11)

Texas Senators Want Discovery Space Shuttle Moved From Virginia to Houston (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Texas senators want to move a space shuttle to Houston. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Thursday they introduced a bill that would require NASA and the Smithsonian to move the shuttle Discovery, currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, to Houston.

The senators argued that Houston was shortchanged when NASA failed to pick Houston nearly 15 years ago as one of the homes for the shuttle orbiters as they were retired, claiming political interference kept Houston from being selected. A report by NASA's inspector general found no evidence for political interference, with NASA instead prioritizing how many people would see the orbiters in its selection decision. (4/11)

Saltzman: Golden Dome is a Combination of Programs (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's top general says the Golden Dome missile defense initiative will not be a single system but instead a combination of programs. Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said there will not be a single contract for Golden Dome, instead bringing in multiple programs. The Pentagon is working on the architecture of Golden Dome to show how a comprehensive shield protecting the United States against an array of missile threats could be created, but Saltzman said the Defense Department is "nowhere near" completing that plan. (4/11)

China Launches Another Experimental GEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched the third in a series of classified experimental GEO satellites Thursday. A Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and placed the TJS-17 satellite into orbit. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, which built the satellite, said it will be used to test multi-band high-speed satellite communications, but offered few other details. TJS-17 appears linked to TJS-15 and TJS-16, two other satellites launched last month, with signs a fourth satellite could join them. (4/11)

Saturn's Moon Titan Could Harbor Life, but Only a Tiny Amount (Source: Space Daily)
Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is a strange, alien world. Covered in rivers and lakes of liquid methane, icy boulders and dunes of soot-like "sand," its topography has long fascinated scientists and invited speculation on whether lifeforms might lurk beneath the moon's thick, hazy atmosphere. An international team set out to develop a realistic scenario of what life on Titan might look like if it does exist, where it is most likely to occur and how much of it might be present.

"In our study, we focus on what makes Titan unique when compared to other icy moons: its plentiful organic content," said Affholder. The team found that Titan's subsurface ocean, estimated to be as deep as about 300 miles, may support lifeforms that consume organic material. Published in The Planetary Science Journal, their study concludes that while Titan could possibly harbor simple, microscopic life, it likely could support only a few pounds of biomass overall. (4/10)

What Null Results in the Search for Life Could Still Reveal (Source: Space Daily)
What if, after decades of scanning the cosmos with cutting-edge telescopes, we still detect no signs of extraterrestrial life? A new study explores this possibility and argues that such null results can still offer profound insights. Using Bayesian statistical methods, the researchers aimed to determine how many exoplanets must be studied before scientists can make meaningful statements about the abundance or scarcity of life in the universe.

"Even a single positive detection would change everything-but until then, we need to make sure we're learning as much as possible from what we don't find," said Angerhausen. Null results, often viewed as disappointing, can actually inform researchers about the likelihood of life existing elsewhere. When scientists search for biosignatures-such as oxygen, methane, or water vapor-and find none, those absences can help define statistical limits on life's prevalence.

If life is absent from 40 to 80 carefully selected planets, researchers could infer that fewer than 10 to 20 percent of similar worlds are home to life. This marks a significant step forward in turning absence into information. "This kind of result would be a turning point. Even if we don't find life, we'll finally be able to quantify how rare - or common - planets with detectable biosignatures really might be." (4/10)

Ukraine Shift May Stir Market Headwinds for US SAR-Sat Operators (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Trump administration’s potential strategic shift away from military and economic support to Ukraine may result in financial fallout for US-based commercial providers of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery — which could leave those firms scrambling to find alternative sources of income, according to market watchers.

Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the single biggest buyer of commercial SAR data has been the US government, especially the National Reconnaissance Office, according to a handful of industry officials and market analysts. (4/8)

The Plans to Put Data Centers in Orbit and on the Moon (Source: BBC)
While space-based data centers may sound far-fetched, it's an idea that's really starting to take off. Part of the reason is rocketing demand and the difficulty of finding suitable sites on Earth. The need for data centers has shot up, with annual demand set to rise between 19% and 22% by 2030, according to global management consultants McKinsey.

New facilities are springing up all the time - but it's getting hard to find places to put them. Data centers are large and sprawling, and use enormous amounts of power and water for cooling. And increasingly local people don't want them built nearby. Last month, Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings claimed to have successfully tested a tiny data center the size of a hardback book that hitched a ride to the Moon on the Athena Lunar Lander.

Lonestar says that putting them on the Moon will offer customers secure, reliable data processing, while taking advantage of unlimited solar energy to power them. (4/9)

Rocket Lab "Flatellites" to Leverage Neutron Launcher for TBD Constellation (Source: Aviation Week)
Rocket Lab is accumulating a production capacity for critical satellite constellation components, including their launch. The company announced their 'flatellites' in February, a strategic move toward becoming a truly end-to-end space company. The plan includes a constellation of 5G satellites, though the company has also talked about telecommunications and remote sensing for the flat-packed birds (a design similar to SpaceX's Starlink).

Rocket Lab says a stack of the flatellites would fill up a Neutron's 5.5-meter diameter payload fairing. Rocket Lab plans to use in-house parts for much of the flatellites. The company agreed in March to acquire Mynaric for $75 million, providing tech for satellite laser links. (4/19)