June 28, 2025

UK Space Command Rises to Meet Challenges (Source: The National)
When Britain’s military realized it had to have much better “situational awareness” in space, it set up Space Command in 2021. It has since grown to a force of more than 600 personnel, three quarters from the RAF, based at former Bomber Command headquarters near High Wycombe, housed in a series of unremarkable 1930s redbrick buildings that had been designed to resemble a village to put off German bombers in the Second World War. (6/27)

Japan Launches GOSAT-GW on 50th and Final Liftoff of the H-2A Rocket (Source: Space.com)
JAXA on Saturday conducted its 50th and final launch of the H-2A rocket, taking the GOSAT-GW dual-purpose satellite to space. The mission lifted off from the Tanegashima spaceport in Japan. The Greenhouse Gas and Water Cycle Observation Satellite (GOSAT-GW) is the latest in Japan's efforts to observe changes in water cycles and greenhouse gases. (6/28)

Musk Rips Into ‘Utterly Insane’ Trump-Backed Megabill (Source: CNBC)
Elon Musk said that President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” will “destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk’s prior criticisms of the spending package triggered a public feud between the two men even though the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had been the president’s biggest financial backer. (6/28)

SpaceX Sends Two Batches of Starlink Satellites on Saturday Doubleheader (Source: Space.com)
Two Falcon 9 rockets carrying the broadband internet satellites lifted off Saturday, the first from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and the second from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (6/28)

Confirmed – First Animal on Earth to Live Without Oxygen (Source: Union Rayo)
Henneguya salminicola is a very small parasite that lives inside certain fishes. At first sight, it might not seem like a big deal because it has less than 10 cells, it doesn’t move on its own and it needs to live inside another organism to survive. However, it is a radical change in animal biology.

What’s peculiar about Henneguya salminicola is that it doesn’t have mitochondrial genes, this means that it lacks genetic instructions so that its cells use oxygen as an energy source. Every animal that has been known, mitochondria is the one in charge of processing oxygen and nutrients to generate this energy, but the Henneguya salminicola doesn’t.

Basically, this animal does all its cycle of life without needing oxygen, something never seen before. This was something scientists couldn’t believe and they have come up with some theories. This has been relevant for astrobiology, the science studying the possibility of life out of Earth. So, another question is set out about animals living without oxygen on other planets, with different atmospheres. If there is one on Earth, why wouldn’t the presence of this animal or a similar one that doesn’t need oxygen to live possible in other parts of the universe? (6/27)

New Propulsion Systems Could Enable a Mssion to Sedna (Source: Phys.org)
In the outer reaches of our solar system, far beyond the orbit of Pluto, lies Sedna, one of the most mysterious objects ever discovered. This reddish dwarf planet follows such an extreme orbit that it takes more than 11,000 years to complete a single journey around the sun. Now, scientists are proposing a new mission to reach this distant world using a revolutionary propulsion technology.

A new feasibility study has examined two cutting-edge approaches to technology that would reach Sedna within this narrow window of opportunity. The first involves the direct fusion drive (DFD), a conceptual nuclear fusion engine, designed to produce both thrust and electric power. For the DFD, researchers assume a 1.6 MW system with constant thrust and specific impulse, representing a massive leap beyond current propulsion technology. (6/27)

AST SpaceMobile Pitches US Military on Using Its Satellites for 'Tactical Communication' (Source: PC Magazine)
Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile is pitching its satellite-to-phone technology to US military groups, a sign that AST and SpaceX are poised to go head-to-head in competing for defense contracts. Texas-based AST SpaceMobile has already demonstrated that its giant satellites can power voice and video calls on consumer smartphones in cellular dead zones.

But on Thursday, the company touted a successful demo of its technology for "tactical satellite communication" purposes. The demo, conducted in Hawaii, involved using AST's BlueBird satellites to beam communications to a Tactical Assault Kit (TAK), which is usually mapping-related software designed for military operations. TAK can also be installed on smartphones. (6/26)

NASA Is in Full Meltdown (Source: Futurism)
Along with staring down the barrel of major program and staffing cuts, Janet Petro may also have to serve out the rest of the year as an acting administrator. Despite her well-regarded reputation as the first woman to lead the Kennedy Space Center, Petro isn't tight with the Trump crowd and is unable to make big decisions for the agency — including about its forthcoming budget.

The White House seems disinterested in appointing a new administrator after rescinding the nomination of Jared Isaacman, the billionaire space tourist who Elon Musk put up for the job, over his past donations to Democrats. "I think the best guess would tell you that it's hard to imagine it happening before the next six months, and could perhaps go longer than that into the eight- or nine-month range," the chief of staff said. "But that's purely speculation."

One of the agency's leaders perhaps put it best when, in an interview with Ars on condition that their name be withheld, they succinctly quipped that "NASA is f**ked." (6/27)

SpaceX Reacts to Mexico President’s Comment on Debris Contamination From Latest Explosion (Source: Valley Central)
On Wednesday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was studying contamination from the Starbase facility near the Mexican border. Sheinbaum responded to a reporter’s question during her daily news briefing, saying, “There is a general review underway of the international laws that are being violated.” She added that her administration would then see what steps to take with the company, because “there is contamination.”

On Thursday, SpaceX took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to quote-tweet an article from Bloomberg that reported the Mexican President’s remarks. “As previously stated, there are no hazards to the surrounding area. Previous independent tests conducted on materials inside Starship, including toxicity analyses, confirm they pose no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks,” SpaceX began.

SpaceX stated that despite its attempts to recover the anomaly-related debris, “which is and remains the tangible property of SpaceX, these attempts have been hindered by unauthorized parties trespassing on private property.” SpaceX reported that it has requested local and federal assistance from the Mexican government in the recovery of the debris. They claim to have offered resources and assistance in the cleanup and have sought validation of their right to conduct recovery operations. (6/26)

Trump Wants 3000+ NASA Workers to Leave (Source: NASA Watch)
"I have heard from 6 senior people today that RIFs at NASA are openly discussed – now – as a distinct possibility. Indeed NASA management is being told to urge more people to leave in advance. Casey, Janet, Vanessa et al are playing with semantics as they did today at the Town Hall when they try and convince you otherwise. NASA Needs at least 3,000+ more people to be gone according to existing downsizing plans." (6/27)

Italy Approves Space Economy Law (Source: ITA)
In June 2025, Italy approved the country’s first space economy framework law that fills a regulatory gap in private sector space activities and aligns with international standards.  The law mandates both national and foreign operators to obtain authorization to operate from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MiMiT, delegated authority for space) through the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the regulatory and enforcement authority with oversight of the registration of space objects launched from Italy. (6/25)

Kongsberg Completes N3X Satellite Network for Maritime Surveillance (Source: Space Daily)
Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace has finalized its N3X satellite constellation with the successful launch of two new microsatellites, ARVAKER 2 and ARVAKER 3, aboard SpaceX's Transporter-14 mission from California. The N3X network is engineered to strengthen Norway's maritime domain awareness. (6/26)

Varda Unveils W4 Spacecraft with First FAA Part 450 Reentry License and New Satellite Bus (Source: Space Daily)
Varda Space Industries launched its fourth mission, W-4, on Sunday, marking the inaugural flight of a fully integrated spacecraft built entirely in-house at its El Segundo facility. The mission, which took off aboard a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:25 pm PT, represents several operational milestones for the company.

Unlike prior missions, Varda independently developed and operates every component of the W-4 spacecraft aside from the launch vehicle. This includes the capsule, heatshield, satellite bus, and pharmaceutical payload. The mission architecture remains consistent with earlier flights, involving in-orbit pharmaceutical processing followed by high-speed Earth reentry and recovery. (6/26)

Six Satellites Launched for ICEYE as Constellation Expansion Gains Momentum (Source: Space Daily)
Six new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites built by ICEYE have successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission, marking the company's largest single deployment to date. The launch raises ICEYE's total number of deployed satellites to 54 and strengthens its position as the operator of the world's largest SAR satellite constellation.

The satellites, featuring 25 cm resolution class technology, represent the most advanced imaging capabilities in the industry. All units were integrated through Exolaunch and lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on June 23. ICEYE confirmed that each satellite has achieved communication and commissioning procedures are in progress. (6/26)

UC Davis and Proteus Space to Launch First-Ever Dynamic Digital Twin Into Space (Source: Space Daily)
The Center for Space Exploration Research at the University of California, Davis, has partnered with Proteus Space to launch a US government-sponsored satellite into space with a custom AI-enabled payload in a brand-new, first-ever rapid design-to-deployment small satellite. From the time the project was fully approved, the design and launch will occur within an unprecedented 13 months.

The satellite, which includes multiple commercial and research payloads, will monitor its own health in space using sensors that assess voltage and measurements of the batteries it is running on. The digital twin software will continually analyze the health and charge capacity of the battery. Using artificial intelligence, the digital twin will be aware of its own state and learn to predict its future state. (6/26)

With SLS Rocket Future Uncertain, L3Harris Still Cranking Out Engines (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The first engine produced for the fifth mission, which was built from scratch after the depletion of the space shuttle supply, is now in NASA’s hands. On Friday, the engine, dubbed No. 20001, underwent an 8 1/2-minute hot fire on a test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

While the future of Artemis may shift, L3Harris will continue to build engines for which it has contracts. Manufacturing of the RS-25s happens in California. The newly manufactured engines cost 30% less than those produced and refurbished for the shuttle program, according to L3Harris, using updated processes such as 3D printing. A test version of the new engine design went through a 12-step certification series completed last year to pave the way for operational engine production.

NASA has already ordered up to 24 of the new engines on top of the 16 refurbished shuttle-era engines that would support flights through the ninth Artemis. The order totals $3.5 billion, which is about $145 million per engine. (6/24)

ULA Manages 2nd Launch of Year Hours After SpaceX’s 50th (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance took a week to reset, but was able to send up its second launch of the year, carrying more Amazon satellites to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation. The launch came just hours after SpaceX sent up its 50th rocket from the Space Coast in 2025. (6/23)

Kennedy Space Center Goes Retro for Y2K After-Hours Event (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Kennedy Under the Stars, an after-hours event at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will carry a theme from a quarter-century ago. It’s set up for Y2K nostalgia. The event, set for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30, allows access to many of the attraction’s exhibits, including Spaceport KSC, the Shuttle Launch Experience and Space Shuttle Atlantis plus a stargazing experience through telescopes provided by Ortega Observatory of Florida Tech.

On top of that are the most recent turn-of-the-century-inspired activities, including a video DJ in the Rocket Garden, a techno DJ dance party in NASA Central, mini-golf beneath the Saturn 1B rocket, science experiments, live entertainment and glowing lounge and bar areas. (6/26)