April 14, 2025

Spain's Pangea Developing Aerospike Engine (Source: Pangea)
The aerospike engine has long been seen as the holy grail of rocket propulsion—an elegant idea stalled by real-world complexity. But now, a young European company might be close to cracking the code.

On April 9, Barcelona-based startup Pangea Aerospace secured €7.27 million in public funding as part of Spain’s 2024 Space Technology Program (PTE). The grant, awarded to a consortium led by ITP Aero and involving partners like Sener and Aenium Engineering, will fund the development and testing of ARCOS, an advanced aerospike engine that Pangea claims will be the first of its kind to fly. (4/14)

Axiom Space to Launch its 1st Orbiting Data Centers This Year (Source: Space.com)
Axiom Space will launch two orbiting data center nodes into low Earth orbit by the end of this year, as the first step in the development of off-planet computing infrastructure. The two satellites will be part of the upcoming optical relay constellation by Canada-headquartered Kepler Communications, which is expected to begin launching in late 2025.

The pioneering satellites will be used to process data from Earth-observation satellites, using complex AI and machine-learning algorithms to speed up the delivery of valuable insights to users on the ground. (4/14)

Hundreds of Lotus Seeds from Vietnam Head to Space with All-Female Blue Origin Crew (Source: VN Express)
A total of 169 lotus seeds from Vietnam will join an all-female crew on a Blue Origin suborbital flight on Monday, in a symbolic mission linking cultural heritage with space exploration.

The seeds, provided by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, will be carried by Amanda Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American scientist and civil rights advocate. They are expected to be used in post-flight research to examine how space travel affects plant growth. The lotus, Vietnam's national flower, is widely regarded as a symbol of resilience and purity. Its inclusion on the mission serves as a cultural gesture and a scientific opportunity. (4/14)

Is it Time to Invest in Space Tourism? (Source: This is Money)
Virgin Galactic and Boeing are both listed on the US stock exchange, so you can choose to buy those shares directly to get a 'hit' of space tourism. If you buy Boeing, however, you are really investing in a defense and aerospace company with a bit of space tourism on the side.

Virgin Galactic is lossmaking, and its next flight isn't scheduled until summer 2026. The income it makes is from people reserving seats on planned flights, so there's already a backlog of customers. The company's shares have declined by nearly 90 per cent in the last year – but just because something is cheap that doesn't make it a bargain. (4/14)

3 Big Hunks of Space Junk Crash to Earth Every Day — and it's Only Going to Get Worse (Source: Space.com)
At least three old satellites or rocket bodies fall back to Earth every day, a new report reveals. And experts warn that the number of objects returning from space is set to increase, a possible concern for the health of Earth's atmosphere and for the safety of humans on the ground.

The Space Environment Report, released by the European Space Agency, found that some 1,200 "intact objects" reentered the atmosphere in 2024, in addition to countless space debris fragments. Despite this incessant rain of junk battering the atmosphere, the amount of space debris increased over the course of 2024, with an estimated 45,700 objects larger than 3 inches (10 centimeters) now orbiting the planet. (4/14)

US and Russia Extend ISS Seat Barter Agreement (Source: Space News)
NASA and Roscosmos have extended an agreement to barter seats on missions to the ISS. NASA confirmed last week that it extended that agreement, which allows NASA astronauts to fly on Soyuz missions to the ISS while Roscosmos cosmonauts go on commercial crew vehicles, into 2027. One change is that Soyuz missions, starting with this month's launch of Soyuz MS-27 to the station, will spend eight months there rather than six. (4/14)

SpaceX Launches Twice Within 24 Hours at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX launched two sets of Starlink satellites a little more than 24 hours apart this weekend. One Falcon 9 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 8:53 p.m. Eastern Saturday after two days of scrubs for undisclosed reasons. It placed 21 satellites into orbit, 13 with direct-to-cell payloads. Another Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12 a.m. Eastern Monday, putting 27 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the 27th for this particular booster, B1067, a record for the company. (4/14)

York Space Systems For Sale (Source: Bloomberg)
AE Industrial Partners (AEI) is considering selling satellite manufacturer York Space Systems. AEI, which acquired a majority stake in York in 2022, is seeking a deal that would value the satellite company at $2 billion. Among the companies reportedly interested in York is Canadian manufacturer MDA Space. (4/14)

Canada's MOPITT Instrument Shut Down on Terra Earth Science Satellite (Source: Globe and Mail)
A Canadian instrument on an aging NASA Earth science satellite has been turned off. The Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere, or MOPITT, instrument was turned off last week on the Terra spacecraft as controllers seek to conserve power on Terra, which has been in orbit since late 1999. MOPITT far exceeded its five-year lifetime, providing data on carbon monoxide pollution. (4/14)

Heat Shields Emerging as Crucial Enabler of Reusable Spacecraft (Source: Space Daily)
Surviving re-entry into Earth's atmosphere is among the most technically demanding tasks in spaceflight. During low-Earth orbit returns, spacecraft experience searing temperatures up to 1,600oC. This figure skyrockets to over 16,000oC in extreme cases, such as the Galileo probe's plunge into Jupiter. Heat shields are indispensable for protecting both payloads and human passengers from this intense thermal stress.

Complicating the challenge is the need to keep shields lightweight to preserve payload capacity. IDTechEx's new study, "Heat Shields and Thermal Protection Systems for Spacecraft 2025-2035: Technologies and Market Outlook," evaluates the evolving landscape of thermal protection systems (TPS), from traditional ablators to novel deployable designs. (4/14)

Vast to Collaborate with CASIS on ISS Research Access (Source: Space Daily)
Vast, a leader in orbital habitation systems, has finalized a strategic partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to enable new research initiatives aboard the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. This collaboration strengthens Vast's standing in NASA's private astronaut mission (PAM) ecosystem and underscores its dedication to advancing space-based science and commercial development.

The agreement, awarded by CASIS, recognizes Vast for its cutting-edge spacecraft platforms and its commercially driven approach to expanding human activity in low-Earth orbit. These innovations aim to broaden in-orbit servicing capabilities and extend ISS access to new participants in space research. (4/14)

How Alien Energy Patterns May Reveal Extraterrestrial Life (Source: Space Daily)
A new theoretical approach suggests we might be looking in the wrong place for extraterrestrial life. Mikhail Tikhonov argues that instead of focusing solely on specific biological molecules, we should search for distinctive patterns of energy usage as indicators of life. Tikhonov, who studies microbial ecosystems, explains that alien organisms may not exhibit familiar characteristics such as recognizable fossils or traditional biomarkers. He makes a bold proposal: examine the energy landscape of chemical compounds to uncover signs of life. The approach shifts focus from molecular composition to the organization of molecules by their energy content. (4/14)

SwRI Links Solar Jet to Unprecedented Helium-3 Surge (Source: Space Daily)
The Solar Orbiter mission, a collaboration between NASA and ESA, has detected the most intense concentration of the rare helium-3 (3He) isotope ever recorded from the Sun, sparking new interest in the origin of solar energetic particles (SEPs). Scientists led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have now traced the source of this extraordinary event to a diminutive solar jet on the Sun's surface. (4/14)

Space Collision Threat Fuels Urgency in Orbital Safety Market (Source: Space Daily)
A new analysis from Novaspace warns that the rapidly expanding satellite population is pushing orbital collision risk toward a critical tipping point. To confront this growing challenge, the firm has launched its inaugural Space Situational and Domain Awareness (SSDA) Market Intelligence Report. The study projects that global investment in SSDA will climb from $4.8 billion in 2024 to $6.2 billion by 2030. (4/14)

Trace Wins Major Army Network Contracts Worth $373 Million (Source: Space Daily)
Trace Systems has landed a $352 million contract to support the U.S. Army's Project Manager Tactical Network (PM TN) through the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) IV initiative. Trace will be tasked with upgrading and sustaining the Army's A/N TSC-198 SIPR/NIPR Access Point (SNAP) terminals. These systems are critical for delivering secure and agile satellite-based connectivity in high-demand operational settings. (4/10)