April 13, 2025

Ecuador is Attractive to the Global Aerospace Industry (Source: El Oriente)
Ecuador could become a key player in the global aerospace industry with the construction of a spaceport planned for 2030. The initiative, led by Leviathan Space and supported by the Guayaquil Space Society , seeks to leverage the country's strategic location near the equator to improve the efficiency of rocket launches. This geographic advantage would save fuel and transport heavier payloads, making the country an attractive destination for launch companies from around the world.

The project not only represents a technological leap forward for Ecuador , but also opens up new opportunities for scientific development, space tourism, and international cooperation, notes La República de Colombia . Being so close to the Earth's equator , the country offers optimal conditions for space missions, a quality that was crucial to its selection as the site of the future spaceport. If implemented, Ecuador would be the first in South America to have this type of infrastructure.

On the equator , the Earth rotates at a speed of 1,650 km/h, which increases launch efficiency. This location allows for more economical takeoffs with a larger payload, aspects highly valued by the space industry. The combination of these factors makes Ecuador an ideal location for developing global space infrastructure. (4/7)

Energy Department Reduces Funding for Grants to Colleges and Universities (Source: Washington Post)
The Energy Department announced Friday that it is wiping an estimated $405 million from grant funding for colleges and universities, as the Trump administration continues its sweeping overhaul of the United States’ scientific research apparatus. The move at the Energy Department restricts to 15 percent what are known as indirect costs, which cover the infrastructure and operations that many scientists say are crucial to conducting their work. The average rate of indirect costs by grant recipients at colleges and universities is more than 30 percent. (4/12)

Trump and Musk's Planned Mission to Mars Could Actually Happen, Experts Say (Source: Newseek)
Trump previously pledged to send astronauts to Mars during his inaugural address without elaborating on a time frame, but regularly referenced the fourth planet from the sun while campaigning last fall. At a rally in October in Reading, Pennsylvania, Trump promised the United States would "reach Mars" by the end of his presidency in January 2029.

Trump has not specified what a Mars mission would mean for Artemis. Musk, meanwhile, wants to colonize the planet as soon as possible, characterizing the moon as a "distraction" in early January.

Musk believes Mars represents humanity's answer to inevitable existential threats, including rogue asteroids, nuclear warfare or cataclysmic natural disasters. "So, I think we at least want to build a city on Mars and become a multiplanet civilization, which I think would be incredibly important in ensuring the long-term survival of civilization," Musk told podcast host Joe Rogan in late February. The Trump administration and SpaceX did not return repeated requests for comment. NASA, which has invested more than $15 billion in SpaceX, remains steadfastly committed to lunar exploration, insisting the choice as posited by Musk isn't binary. (4/2)

RFA and SaxaVord Target UK’s First Vertical Orbital Launch (Source: NSF)
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is determined to debut its RFA One rocket by the end of this year. Applying industrialization techniques to building low-cost, high-performance rockets, the flight could become the first vertical orbital launch from UK soil. Progress on two further pads is underway at the SaxaVord spaceport, as the two organizations count down together to a historic maiden launch. NSF caught up with RFA’s chief operating officer, Stefan Brieschenk, and SaxaVord’s COO, Debbie Strang, to discuss how the collaboration will help to drive Europe’s future in space. (4/11)

Commercial Space Companies are Ready for the Next Stage of Lunar Exploration (Source: The Hill)
Recently, some of the players in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program met with the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, part of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. The witnesses included representatives from NASA administration, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Astrobotic Technology, Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace. Click here. (4/13)

The Case for a U.S.-Led Military Alliance in Space (Source: Time)
Far out in geosynchronous orbit, a Russian satellite moves through deep space. Cosmos 2533, nicknamed “Sput-nuke,” is designed to carry a nuclear payload that could render most satellites unusable. Meanwhile, China is pouring billions of dollars into developing advanced space capabilities, including anti-satellite weapons. These weapons, known as ASATs, could change modern life on Earth as we know it—threatening GPS, weather forecasting, geospatial intelligence, and more. Also at stake is the burgeoning $1.8 trillion space economy that relies on open and free access to space.

It is time for the U.S. to lead a new military alliance—an Artemis Alliance, or Allied Space Forces. China’s space ambitions are hegemonic and virtually limitless. “To explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry, and build China into a space power is our eternal dream,” Xi Jinping said in China’s most recent space strategy. According to the Pentagon, Beijing has devoted “significant resources” to all aspects of its space program, including counter-space weapons. (4/13)

NASA Nominee Should Resist Musk’s Pull Toward Mars (Source: Japan Times)
Isaacman danced uncomfortably around pointed questions about whether he would stick to the space agency’s plan to first establish a permanent presence on the moon with the continuing Artemis program or prioritize the big challenge of sending a human to Mars, as his close associate Elon Musk would prefer.

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which oversees NASA — who is also a resident of Houston, where NASA has large operations — was able to pry from Isaacman that he would pursue both goals simultaneously. This was after the nominee raised some alarm in his opening remarks by saying that sending U.S. astronauts to Mars was a priority "and along the way, we will inevitably have the capabilities to return to the moon.”

Lawmakers are wary that Isaacman will be swayed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Musk to steer more of NASA’s $25 billion budget to the Mars mission instead of the moon. The commercial and even tourism potential of the moon, though, pales in comparison to its national security value. It would be foolish to cede the moon to China, which is determined to catch and surpass the U.S. on space capabilities. (4/13)

Russian Direct Investment Fund Chief Convinced Russia-US Space Cooperation Will Prevail (Source: TASS)
The cooperation between Russia and the United States in space will eventually prevail, special envoy of the Russian president and chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev said. "NASA celebrating Gagarin. Cooperation will prevail," he wrote. (4/12)