August 11, 2025

Safran DSI to Supply Electric Propulsion Systems for AstroForge’s Upcoming Vestri Asteroid Mission (Source: Safran)
Safran Defense & Space has been selected by AstroForge to manufacture and deliver two EPS X00 electric propulsion systems for the company's upcoming Vestri asteroid mining mission, scheduled to launch in early 2026. (8/11)

Dragon Splashes Down Off San Diego with ISS Crew (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down Saturday, concluding a five-month mission to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California, at 11:33 a.m. Eastern, more than 17 hours after undocking from the station. The splashdown completed the Crew-10 mission, returning NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese space agency JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov after nearly five months in space.

They were replaced by Crew-11, which launched at the beginning of August. NASA officials said after the Crew-10 splashdown they are still studying whether to extend the Crew-11 mission from six months to eight, which depends on certifying Crew Dragon for a longer on-orbit life, but are planning as though the mission will be extended. (8/11)

Intuitive Machines to Build In-House Lunar Comms Network (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines now plans to build its lunar communications in-house. The company said in an earnings call last week that it is investing in capabilities to produce on its own the five satellites it needs for a lunar communications network to support NASA and other customers. The company previously contracted with York Space Systems for those satellites. Building the satellites internally provides more control over cost and schedule, Intuitive Machines executives argued, and could create additional business.

The first of those satellites will launch as a rideshare on the IM-3 lunar lander mission, which will be pushed back to the second half of 2026. The company took a $19.8 million estimate-at-completion adjustment in the second quarter to reflect the impact of bringing satellite production in-house. (8/11)

Redwire's SpaceMD to Focus on Pharmaceutical Development (Source: Space News)
Redwire is making a bigger push into space pharmaceutical development with a new business entity devoted to the field. The company said last week it was standing up SpaceMD, an entity that will commercialize its Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory, or PIL-BOX, technology used on the ISS. Redwire said it has a licensing agreement in place with one pharmaceutical company to develop drugs to treat bone disease, and Redwire would receive royalties from commercial sales of any drugs developed through that agreement. Redwire argues that improvements in space access and in-space technologies, as well as growing awareness of the benefits of microgravity research, make space pharmaceutical work more commercially feasible. (8/11)

Industry Supports NASA Efforts Toward Lunar Reactors (Source: Space News)
A move to accelerate development of space nuclear reactors has industry support. A recent NASA directive calls for a new procurement to develop a 100-kilowatt reactor that would be ready to fly by 2030 and could be used on the moon for future Artemis missions. The plan enacts many of the recommendations of a recent report that called for accelerating work on space nuclear power and propulsion. Industry officials said they believe the plan is technically feasible, building on past work on smaller reactors. Some challenges the plan faces, though, include availability of a workforce to develop such reactors, untested regulatory frameworks and funding. (8/11)

China Sea-Launches 11 Geely-04 Constellation Satellites (Source: Space News)
A Chinese rocket placed 11 satellites into orbit for a commercial Internet of Things (IoT) constellation. A Jielong-3 solid propellant rocket lifted off at 12:31 p.m. Eastern Friday from a barge off the coast of the Chinese city of Rizhao. The launch sent 11 satellites into orbit for the Geely-04 constellation operated by Geespace, a private satellite maker and subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, an automotive conglomerate. The satellites are part of a planned 72-satellite first phase to provide near-global IoT connectivity services, with Geespace focusing on business opportunities in the Middle East, southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. (8/11)

India's Skyroot Tests Solid Rocket Motor (Source: Republic World)
Indian launch startup Skyroot Aerospace successfully tested the largest privately developed solid rocket motor in the country. The static-fire test of the Kalam 1200 motor took place at ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre as the motor ran for 110 seconds. The motor serves as the first stage of Skyroot’s Vikram-1 small launch vehicle, with a first launch planned by the end of the year. (8/11)

Texan Members Ask SCOTUS to Admonish Smithsonian for Fighting Shuttle Transfer (Source: CollectSpace)
The effort by Texas members of Congress to move a shuttle to Houston has taken another turn with a complaint to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts, who also serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) complained that the Smithsonian staff “has taken affirmative steps to oppose the passage and implementation” of a provision in the budget reconciliation bill that directs NASA to transfer a “space vehicle” to a NASA center involved in the commercial crew program.

The intent of the provision, its proponents state, is to move Discovery from the National Air and Space Museum to Space Center Houston. The letter claims that the Smithsonian was violating federal law by stating that the institution, not NASA, held the title to Discovery, and asked Roberts to investigate, what they argue, was lobbying by the Smithsonian when it made such statements. The Smithsonian stated it was confident it was in compliance with anti-lobbying laws. (8/11)

What is NASA's Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy? (Source: Space News)
Astronauts living and working on the Moon and Mars will rely on satellites to provide services like navigation, weather, and communications relays. While managing complex missions, automating satellite communications will allow explorers to focus on critical tasks instead of manually operating satellites. Long duration space missions will require teaming between systems on Earth and other planets. Satellites orbiting the Moon, Mars, or other distant areas face communications delays with ground operators which could limit the efficiency of their missions. (8/6)

NASA and Google Collaborate on AI Doctor for Mars Trip (Source: PC Mag)
As tech giants like Apple turn their eyes towards AI-powered healthcare, Google is now building a new AI doctor in collaboration with NASA. But you might never get a chance to use the new model, unless you're planning a trip to Mars. The project aims to tackle the problems of multi-year, long-distance space travel, dealing with issues like no real-time communication with Earth, no way to send medical samples back home, and the possibility of no evacuations in an emergency. (8/10)

Light Pollution is Encroaching on Observatories Around the Globe (Source: Space.com)
Outdoor lighting for buildings, roads and advertising can help people see in the dark of night, but many astronomers are growing increasingly concerned that these lights could be blinding us to the rest of the universe. An estimate from 2023 showed that the rate of human-produced light is increasing in the night sky by as much as 10% per year. (8/10)

No Interference? AST SpaceMobile Defends Use of Ham Radio Spectrum (Source: PC Mag)
Facing thousands of complaints, AST SpaceMobile is pushing back against concerns that the company’s giant satellites risk interfering with amateur “ham” radio operations across the globe. On Tuesday, the company sent a letter to the US Federal Communications Commission, defending its plan to use the 430 to 440MHz radio bands outside the US to track and control its proposed fleet of 248 satellites.

Those bands have long been allocated to amateur radio operations, including for emergency communications, so the community has been campaigning to stop AST from gaining access. It flooded the FCC's online system with over 2,500 comments, many of them protesting AST’s plan to use the spectrum. (8/6)

NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory: the Future (or End) of NASA Science (Source: Big Think)
At the end of July, a huge conference took place for planning the next NASA astrophysics flagship mission after the Nancy Roman Telescope: the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The #1 recommended mission by the National Academy of Sciences’ 2020 decadal survey, it will be the first mission to directly image Earth-sized worlds at Earth-like distances around Sun-like stars.

But the purpose of the mission isn’t just to help find our first inhabited worlds beyond Earth, it’s to usher in a new generation of astrophysics, surpassing all current capabilities. An enormous amount of uncertainty surrounds its sustained funding and ongoing support from the US government: vital if this telescope is to be brought into existence. (8/5)

All Points and Exolaunch Sign Multi-Year Payload Processing Agreement (Source: Exolaunch)
Exolaunch has selected All Points Logistics, LLC for spacecraft processing services at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Under the new agreement, All Points will provide its Space Prep launch site facilities and services for pre-launch integration and checkout of Exolaunch missions and spacecraft. (8/10)

Interstellar Technologies Signs Three-Party Business Alliance with Toyota Motor Corporation and Woven by Toyota (Source: Interstellar)
Japan's Interstellar Technologies signed a three-party business alliance with Toyota Motor Corp. and Woven by Toyota . The three parties will work together to establish a robust production system that enables frequent and cost optimized space transportation. Interstellar was the first domestic private company to reach space with its suborbital vehicle, MOMO. The company is currently developing ZERO, an orbital vehicle designed to launch small satellites.

As part of the new agreement, Toyota will dispatch personnel starting in August 2025 to support Interstellar in a wide range of manufacturing efforts, from the development of ZERO’s first flight unit to broader business commercialization. Additionally, Interstellar became the first startup to join “Toyota Woven City” as an Inventor, leveraging Toyota’s decades of manufacturing expertise and strengths. The development of ZERO will continue to be based on Interstellar’s facilities. (8/4)

South Korea's INNOSPACE Achieves Global Compliance Certification, Reinforcing Trust as a Launch Service Partner (Source: Innospace)
INNOSPACE announced today that it has been awarded the ISO 37301 certification for its compliance management system (CMS), the globally recognized standard established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). As the first private space launch vehicle company in South Korea to earn this certification, INNOSPACE demonstrates its ethical compliance systems meet global criteria, solidifying the company’s credibility with international customers, partners, and oversight organizations. (8/8)

PLD Space Inspires a Hundred Children in Space Exploration at Space Camp 2025 (Source: PLD)
PLD Space, an international space transportation company, and Space Camp, Spain’s most professional aerospace training program for children, have successfully concluded the latest edition of Space Camp. PLD Space participated as a Technology Driver in the ninth edition of Space Camp Valencia, which brought together 100 students aged 10 to 17 from across Spain and other countries, including France, the United States, and Australia. (8/4)

Intuitive Machines Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results (Source: Intuitive Machines)
Intuitive Machines announced its financial results for the second quarter 2025: 1) Signed purchase agreement to acquire KinetX for Earth Orbit, Moon, and Mars constellation management; 2) Strategically invested in in-house satellite production to control delivery of our satellites to support the Near Space Network Services (NSNS) contract; 3) Expanded our production footprint at Houston Spaceport by 140,000 square feet to support in-house satellite and spacecraft production, testing, and mission operations...

4) Achieved $50.3 million of revenue in Q2, up 21% vs. Q2 of prior year; 5) Awarded $9.8 million for a phase two contract from a National Security customer for Orbital Transfer Vehicle; 6) Coupled with the $10 million Texas Space Commission Q2 award for our Earth Reentry Program, Intuitive Machines partnered with Space Forge to enable space-based semiconductor manufacturing; 7) Ended Q2 debt-free, with $345 million cash. (8/7)

Voyager Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies announced financial results for the second quarter 2025: 1) Completed IPO, raising proceeds of $409.4 million, net of underwriting fees; 2) Delivered record net sales of $45.7 million, up 25% year over year, including 85% growth from the Defense and National Security segment; 3) Starlab met four NASA milestones and received cash proceeds of $22.5 million; 4) Incurred net loss of $(31.4) million; 5) Acquired Optical Physics Company to strengthen the Company’s optical guidance technology. (8/4)

America’s Space Vulnerability in a Taiwan Crisis (Source: Washington Times)
The satellites go dark. That’s how it would begin. Not with missiles, not with amphibious landings on Taiwan’s shores, but with a blackout in space. U.S. satellites, the eyes and ears of the modern battlefield, silenced or shattered. Communications scrambled. Surveillance gaps exposed. Missile warning systems blinking red or not at all. Before the first American warship could respond, China would already be moving in.

This scenario should chill every policymaker in Washington. It’s not a theory; it’s a plan, likely the plan, and we are dangerously close to being caught flat-footed. For years, China has been preparing for a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The country has watched, learned and zeroed in on our most critical vulnerability: our near total dependence on space to fight, see and communicate. Our constellation of military satellites enables GPS-guided weapons and coordinated operations across thousands of miles. (8/4)

NASA Rovers Keep Getting Stuck, And We Finally Know Why (Source: Science Alert)
"In retrospect, the idea is simple: We need to consider not only the gravitational pull on the rover but also the effect of gravity on the sand to get a better picture of how the rover will perform on the Moon," explains mechanical engineer Dan Negrut. "Our findings underscore the value of using physics-based simulation to analyze rover mobility on granular soil." (8/10)

Evidence of World-Changing Comet Explosion 12,800 Years Ago Found in The Ocean (Source: Science Alert)
Microscopic grains of alien dust buried in the sediment at the bottom of the ocean could be evidence of a comet that exploded in Earth's atmosphere 12,800 years ago. This hypothetical event, known as the Younger Dryas impact, was invoked to explain a sudden, 1,200-year period of rapid cooling to near-glacial conditions during a time when Earth's climate was on a warm upswing. (8/7)

Astronomers Use Starlight to Measure Greenhouse Gases in Earth's Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
Scientists from the University of Warwick, in collaboration with Spanish institutions, have developed an algorithm that transforms stargazing instruments into climate sensors. Called Astroclimes, the algorithm uses starlight observations to measure greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. (8/7)

Green Bank Observatory Works with Local School to Allow WiFi in the “Quiet Zone” (Source: NSF)
The U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Observatory (NSF GBO) is entering a new era for the “Quiet Zone”— allowing the use of WiFi at the Green Bank Elementary and Middle School, which sits next door to the NSF Green Bank Telescope. The Observatory exists within two “Quiet Zones” that protect its scientific research. Up till now, the WVRAZ has prohibited the use of devices that create emissions— like WiFi routers—in this area. (8/5)