August 12, 2025

Space Florida Academy Program Aims to Credential Workforce for Expanding Job Market (Source: Space Florida)
Building the workforce of tomorrow starts with inspiring our students. Through the ongoing development of the Space Florida Academy Program, we aim to equip students with the education and pathways necessary to obtain regionally in-demand credentials and skills. Our Space Florida Academy Program connects career and technical education options that are in demand by the aerospace industry to students who desire a career path in the well-paying aerospace industry. Click here. (8/12)

UCF Launches New Space MBA, Plans November Space Week (Source: UCF)
The University of Central Florida (aka "Space U") is launching a new space-focused MBA as part of its online degree programs beginning with the Spring 2026 semester. This is a fully online, part-time MBA built for professionals in — or looking to break into — the space industry, With a flexible, asynchronous format, this program allows students to learn from anywhere on Earth…or even in orbit (WiFi permitting). With a curriculum focused on space commercialization, business strategy and innovation, graduates will be ready to lead in a fast-growing and high-impact global industry. Click here.

Also, on November 3-7, UCF plans its next Space Week, including a National Space Society Space Settlement Summit, the 3rd Annual Space Economy Summit, a SpaceU Awards Dinner, a SpaceU Symposium, and the annual UCF Space Game football battle against Houston (with UCF athletes wearing their space-themed uniforms. Click here. (8/11)

Florida Universities and Colleges Ratchet Up Space Business/Operations Programs (Source: SPACErePORT)
Aside from their growing involvement in aerospace engineering and space research institutes, several Florida universities are offering degree programs in space business and operations. UCF's new Space MBA is the latest example, joining Embry-Riddle's Space Operations master's degree and Florida Tech's Space Systems Management master's degree. Meanwhile, a variety of technical education programs -- many at Eastern Florida State College -- are offering certifications for aerospace manufacturing. These programs are an important part of Florida's development of a qualified workforce for the state's expanding space enterprise. (8/12)

NASA Loses International/Interagency Relations Chief (Source: NASA Watch)
Karen Feldstein, associate administrator for international and interagency relations, announced she is leaving the agency after more than 30 years of distinguished public service. She leaves behind a legacy of strong American leadership in the global space community. During her tenure, Karen forged trusted relationships, advanced high-value partnerships to meet NASA mission priorities, and championed the spirit of cooperation that has expanded the agency’s international reach. (8/1)

Niger Investigating $5 Million Sale of Largest Mars Rock (Source: ABC News)
It’s the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth — a 54-pound (25-kilogram) meteorite that fetched more than $5 million at a New York auction last month, setting a world record. But in the West African nation of Niger, where the rusty-red rock was unearthed in the Sahara Desert, officials have launched an investigation into what they call possible “illicit international trafficking,” claiming it may have been smuggled out of the country.

Sotheby's said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that the meteorite was exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedures. “As with everything we sell, all necessary documentation was in order at each stage of its journey, in accordance with best practice and the requirements of the countries involved." the statement read. (8/11)

Lockheed Martin Building Missile Plant the Size of a Costco in North Alabama (Source: AL.com)
Lockheed Martin is expanding its missile assembly campus on a former World War II U.S. Army Air Corps site in north Alabama. Lockheed-Martin Next Generation Interceptor and Space Vice President Sarah Reeves said the company expects to complete an 88,000 square-foot assembly plant in Courtland for the long-range ballistic missile defense interceptor by early next year. (8/12)

Anduril Opens Mississippi Solid Rocket Motor Factory Amidst Ongoing Chemical Chokepoint (Source: Tech Crunch)
Anduril has officially brought its high-volume solid rocket motor (SRM) factory online in Mississippi as it races to fulfill America’s demand for space and defense missions and challenge a decades-long duopoly between two major defense contractors.

The Mississippi factory will be able to produce 6,000 tactical motors a year by the end of 2026, enough volume to position Anduril as the United States’ “third” SRM supplier. More than 700 motors have already passed static test firing. These motors are used for a range of kinetic weapons, like missile interceptors, and even deep-space probes. (11/12)

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Solves Solar Mystery (Source: Union Rayo)
Thanks to the Parker Solar Probe, scientists have discovered that near the Sun there is an invisible boundary that prevents the turbulent energy of the plasma from dissipating. Under normal conditions, that energy mixes, spreads, and dissolves. But here, when plasma waves move in opposite directions, this barrier prevents them from mixing. This solves a decades-long mystery of why the outermost part of the Sun (the corona) is much hotter than its surface. No one had a clear explanation. Until now. (8/11)

Rocket Lab Closes Acquisition of Geost (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has completed the acquisition of the parent holding company of Geost, a developer of electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensor systems for national security space missions, from Lightridge Solutions, a portfolio company of ATL Partners. The acquisition was completed for $275 million before closing adjustments, comprising approximately $125 million in cash and 3,057,588 shares of Rocket Lab common stock, with an additional potential earnout of up to $50 million tied to future revenue targets of Geost’s business. (8/12)

Fast Radio Burst Source Traced Record Distance Across The Universe (Source: Science Alert)
Researchers announced the discovery of FRB 20240304B which lies at a redshift of 2.148 +/- 0.001, corresponding to just 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The burst, designated FRB 20240304B, was first detected on March 4, 2024, by South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope array. What makes this discovery extraordinary is its incredible distance, at a whopping redshift of z = 2.148±0.001, or about 3 billion years after the Big Bang. This means we're observing light that traveled for over 11 billion years to reach Earth. (8/12)

Umbra Diversifies to Component Sales (Source: Space News)
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) company Umbra is expanding into the satellite components business. Umbra announced Monday it was creating a new business unit, Space Systems, that will sell components it makes for its own SAR satellites. Those components cover subsystems such as power, attitude control, communications and separation systems. All components have either flown on orbit or are scheduled to fly in upcoming missions. Umbra said it created the new business line to address persistent supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. satellite industry, where buyers often face limited qualified suppliers, long lead times and reliance on foreign vendors. (8/12)

Booz Allen Increases Venture Investments (Source: Space News)
Booz Allen Hamilton’s venture capital arm is seeking to ramp up space investments after tripling its funding pool to $300 million. The company said last month it was increasing its venture capital investments after deploying nearly all of its original pool of $100 million created in 2022. Although just three of its 17 portfolio companies currently focus on space, Booz Allen Ventures sees growing opportunity in the sector, from improving space domain awareness to bolstering border security and modernizing the U.S. military. Now, it is looking for infrastructure opportunities that support the shift toward proliferated systems of small satellites that promise greater resilience and real-time responsiveness. (8/12)

NOVI Plans Earth Observation Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer NOVI plans to develop spacecraft for Earth observation services. The company said Monday that its first two Geospatial Ecosystem for Near Real-Time Information at the Edge, or GENIE, spacecraft are scheduled to fly in early 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-16 and Transporter-17 rideshare missions to low Earth orbit. NOVI builds satellites equipped with onboard computers that analyze data directly in space, reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to the ground. The company aims to serve a mix of customers, he said, including those who need quickly analyzed satellite data and those who want to develop and test artificial intelligence algorithms on NOVI’s orbital platforms. (8/12)

Europe's Smallsat Companies Expect More Defense Contracts (Source: Space News)
Geopolitical shifts are creating new opportunities but also new problems for European smallsat manufacturers. A surge in defense spending in Europe is expected to translate into more satellite contracts for those companies, executives said at a recent conference. They noted, though, that companies have to navigate procurement processes that vary from country to country within Europe and often show a preference for firms based in their home nation. An emerging challenge for those companies is tariffs levied by the U.S. on imports of European satellites and components. That creates problems for their supply chains and increased costs that often are passed on to customers. (8/12)

France's Anywaves Plans US Subsidiary, Conducting Site Selection (Source: Space News)
French satellite antenna manufacturer Anywaves is setting up a U.S. subsidiary. Anywaves US, led by former Mangata Networks vice president of global strategy Nicolas Hine, is evaluating potential sites for offices and, eventually, manufacturing facilities. The creation of Anywaves US is part of a multinational strategy by Anywaves to better serve customers in their local markets. (8/12)

Aerospace Corp. DiskSats to Launch on Virginia Rocket Lab Mission (Source: Space News)
The first DiskSats are scheduled to launch later this year. The Aerospace Corporation, which developed the smallsat bus that, as the name suggests, is shaped like a disk, said four DiskSats will launch on a Rocket Lab Electron from Wallops Island, Virginia, before the end of the year. That launch was scheduled for 2026 but moved up at the request of the customer, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The DiskSat design is intended to optimize satellite volume and surface area. (8/12)

KSAT Plans Space-Based Hyper Expansion (Source: Space News)
Kongsberg Satellite Services, or KSAT, announced plans Monday to extend its ground-based communications network into space. Satellites called Hyper, currently being developed, will be added to KSAT’s communications infrastructure to reduce latency for time-sensitive data. KSAT said the satellites will be deployed into orbital planes, or “Loops,” intended to serve as extensions of KSAT’s ground network. KSAT called the satellite system a “precision augmentation layer” to close coverage gaps and reduce latency. Details on the Hyper rollout, including the number of satellites to be sent to low Earth orbit, will be disclosed in the fall. (8/12)

SpaceX Launches Another Batch of Kuiper Satellites From Florida (Source: Space News)
A Falcon 9 launched a second batch of Project Kuiper satellites as SpaceX nears that vehicle’s peak launch date. The Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Monday, putting 24 Kuiper satellites into orbit. The launch was the second of three under a contract between SpaceX and Amazon. SpaceX has performed nearly 100 Falcon 9 launches this year and is on track for about 160 launches in 2025. A company executive said at a conference last month that this year and next will be the peak of Falcon launches as SpaceX expects to start moving launches to its Starship vehicle after that. (8/12)

SEOPS to Offer Satellite ID and Tracking Services (Source: Space News)
Smallsat launch services provider SEOPS will offer customers on-orbit spacecraft identification and tracking services. Two months of satellite identification, tracking and collision-avoidance services will be provided free of charge by India-based space situational awareness specialist Digantara, the companies announced Monday. The service will help customers identify and establish contact with their satellites 24 to 48 hours after deployment, a critical phase in those satellites’ missions. SEOPS said many of its customers have had difficulties making early contact with their satellites, particularly on rideshare missions when dozens of spacecraft are deployed at once. (8/12)

NASA to Use LeoLabs Data for Collision Avoidance R&D (Source: Space News)
LeoLabs has signed an agreement with NASA where the agency will evaluate the use of LeoLabs data in its collision avoidance processes. Under the agreement, NASA’s Conjunction Assessment Risk Analysis (CARA) program will review LeoLabs’ satellite tracking data and test whether the data can be combined with tracking information from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Surveillance Network (SSN) to improve the accuracy of close-approach risk assessments. NASA currently relies on SSN data for its CARA program, which provides collision risk assessments and maneuver recommendations for the agency’s spacecraft, including crewed missions. (8/12)

Belgium's Edgx Raises $2.7 Million for Space Based AI (Source: Space News)
Belgian startup Edgx has raised a seed round for work on onboard artificial intelligence systems. The company announced 2.3 million euros ($2.7 million) in venture funding Monday, supporting an in-orbit demonstration slated to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in February. Edgx is developing Sterna, an artificial intelligence computer designed to run complex algorithms onboard satellites to speed decisions and use limited bandwidth more efficiently. Sterna can be used on spacecraft as small as 12U cubesats, helping spacecraft process data in real time and transmit only valuable information to optimize scarce spectrum. (8/12)

Ascending Node Offers Constellation Design Tool (Source: Space News)
Ascending Node Technologies has added a constellation-design tool to its Spaceline mission-planning software. Spaceline’s constellation tool can accomodate customers sending satellites into multiple orbits around Earth or other planets. The company, founded by three people who worked on the design of the NASA OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, is also testing optimization algorithms to help users design the right constellation for their mission needs. (8/12)

Astronauts Will Return to the Moon Wearing Gold-Plated Oakleys (Source: Core77
"In space the sun is really harsh, it feels as if it's piercing through your eyes," says Koichi Wakata, an astronaut and the Chief Technology Officer for Axiom Space. "We need an exceptional visor system to protect [our] eyes and [offer] maximum visibility to enable [astronauts] to work in the challenging lunar environment." The Texas-based company, which is making the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit that astronauts on NASA's Artemis III mission will wear, turned to Oakley to develop the visor. (8/11)

NASA Takes a Trip to Seattle Area to Thank Suppliers for Work on the Next Moonshot (Source: Geekwire)
The first crewed flight around the moon in more than 50 years is still months away, but NASA is already saying thank you to L3Harris Technologies’ Aerojet Rocketdyne segment and other suppliers who are making the trip possible. Today, NASA’s road trip brought agency officials — plus astronaut Woody Hoburg — to the L3Harris facility in Redmond, which has contributed propulsion systems to NASA missions ranging from space shuttle flights to the Voyager probes’ journeys to the edge of the solar system. (8/11)