August 18, 2025

New ESA Business Incubator in Spain Opens First Call for Proposals (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency’s new Business Incubation Center in Spain has opened its first call for proposals, offering up to €60,000 to space startups in the region. Launched in 2003, the initiative is part of the agency’s efforts to commercialize national investments in its space programs. The initiative targets newly formed companies as well as startups that have been in business for no longer than five years, providing both financial support and access to expert ESA personnel. There are currently more than 30 BICs across Europe, which have supported approximately 1,500 startups. (8/18)

NASA Seeks Student Entries for Human Exploration Rover Challenge (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is accepting contest entries from student teams to design, build and test rovers on the moon and Mars.
In the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, students need to make models that are capable of going over a course while completing tasks for future Artemis missions, NASA said in a news release.

In the challenge, teams design projects that sample of soil, water and air over a half-mile course with a simulated field of asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses and an ancient streambed. There are remote-controlled and human-powered divisions. (8/15)

After Repeated Explosions, New Test for Musk's Megarocket (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX announced Friday that its Starship megarocket is scheduled to blast off on a new test flight next weekend after recent attempts have ended in fiery explosions. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle in history is planned to return Americans to the Moon -- and is central to the dreams of colonizing Mars envisioned by Musk, the world's richest person.

But repeated explosions that sent debris raining down over Caribbean islands and disrupted flights have piled pressure onto SpaceX to pull off a smoother trial run. The rocket's 10th test flight is set to launch as soon as August 24 from the company's Starbase facility in Texas. SpaceX has also been sharply criticized over the impact its launches have on people and the environment near where its rockets blast off. In June, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue SpaceX over falling debris and contamination from its launches. (8/15)

First Recorded Human Meteorite Strike Still a Wild Tale 70 Years On (Source: Science Alert)
Ann Hodges never intended to be famous, but in 1954 she found herself thrust into the national spotlight when her afternoon nap was interrupted by a falling meteorite. The Alabama woman has the distinction of being the first documented case of a person being struck by a meteorite. She survived with a bruised hip.

On the afternoon of November 30, 1954, locals in Sylacauga, Alabama, reported a bright streak in the sky. Ann Hodges, who was 34 at the time, had been home with her mother. The meteorite crashed through the roof of Hodges' home at 2:46 p.m. "The meteorite came down through the roof in the living room and it ricocheted off a stand-up console radio that was in the room and landed on her hip." It weighed around 8.5 pounds. (8/18)

Old Space Meets New Space (Source: Space News)
Old Space hasn’t faded; the long stagnant contractor ecosystem has been forced to adapt in an attempt to compete for the market it once dominated. NASA’s Artemis program is a prime example of an emerging synergy. The Artemis program unites traditional players like Boeing (with its SLS rocket and Starliner capsule) and newcomers like SpaceX (providing the Starship Human Landing System for Artemis III, now targeted for late 2026).

While it is unclear whether Old Space or New Space will reach the lunar surface first; it is clear that Old Space has been reinvigorated to some extent by the competition and New Space is only just beginning to unlock the high frontier with large volume spacecraft. In that spirit, SpaceX and Starship are paving the way not only for crewed lunar landings and colonies in the late 2020s but also for the first crewed Martian landings as soon as the 2030s. (8/18)

Hijacked Satellites and Orbiting Space Weapons: In the 21st Century, Space is the New Battlefield (Source: AP)
Disabling a satellite could deal a devastating blow without one bullet, and it can be done by targeting the satellite’s security software or disrupting its ability to send or receive signals from Earth. “If you can impede a satellite’s ability to communicate, you can cause a significant disruption,” said Tom Pace, CEO of NetRise, a cybersecurity firm focused on protecting supply chains.

Hackers typically look for the weakest link in the software or hardware that supports a satellite or controls its communications with Earth. The actual orbiting device may be secure, but if it’s running on outdated software, it can be easily exploited. As Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, someone targeted Viasat, the U.S.-based satellite company used by Ukraine’s government and military. The hack, which Kyiv blamed on Moscow, used malware to infect tens of thousands of modems, creating an outage affecting wide swaths of Europe. (8/18)

SDL to Support Space Force (Source: Space News)
The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) has new ties with the U.S. Space Force. SDL announced last week that the Space Force, through the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, is the new sponsor of the lab in its role as a University Affiliated Research Center. SDL says the new sponsorship will allow the lab, affiliated with Utah State University, to align its expertise with key Space Force priorities in areas such as dynamic space operations and small satellites. (8/18)

Joint US/India NISAR Satellite Deploys Radar Antenna (Source: NASA)
The NISAR Earth science satellite has successfully deployed its large radar antenna. JPL announced Friday that the spacecraft, launched July 30, had deployed its 12-meter radar antenna at the end of a 9-meter boom. The antenna will be used by the dual-band radars on NISAR for synthetic aperture radar imaging of land and sea surfaces. NISAR was jointly developed by NASA and the Indian space agency ISRO. The radar antenna is one of NASA’s contributions. (8/18)

China Launches Two Rockets on Sunday (Source: Space News)
China conducted a pair of launches Sunday, including another set of Guowang megaconstellation satellites. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center carrying the 09 group of satellites for Guowang. The U.S. Space Force cataloged five satellites in roughly 985 by 1,010-km orbits inclined by 86.5 degrees. This was the fifth launch of Guowang satellites within 21 days, with a potential further mission before the end of August.

Separately, a Long March 4C rocket lifted off at 4:55 a.m. Eastern from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It placed the Shiyan-28B (02) experimental satellite into an orbit similar to Shiyan-28B (01), launched last month. No details about the mission of the satelite were disclosed. (8/18)

Chinese Astronauts Perform TSS Spacewalk (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese astronauts performed a spacewalk outside the Tiangong station Friday. Astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie spent six and a half hours outside the station, installing debris protection devices and other equipment while also performing inspections of the station’s exterior. The spacewalk was the third for the Shenzhou-20 mission since its arrival at the station in April and the sixth overall for Chen, the most experiences Chinese spacewalker. (8/18)

India Picks Pixxel Team to Develop Earth Imaging Constellation (Source: Times of India)
The Indian government has picked a team led by startup Pixxel to develop an Earth imaging satellite constellation. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre announced lats week it picked the bid submitted by Pixxel and its partners for a 12-satellite constellation to be built as a public private partnership. Pixxel’s bid was for 0 rupees, meaning it will fund the entire constellation, estimated to cost 12 billion rupees ($138 million), on its own. The constellation will include radar, hyperspectal and high-resolution optical satellites. Pixxel’s team includes PierSight, SatSure and Dhruva. (8/18)

Agile Thrusters to Propel Nyx (Source: European Spaceflight)
Agile Space will provide thrusters for The Exploration Company’s Nyx spacecraft. The Exploration Company said last week it selected Agile Space’s DS250 hypergolic bipropellant thrusters for Nyx Earth. That is a spacecraft The Exploration Company is developing to transport cargo to low Earth orbit destinations, with a demonstration mission to the International Space Station planned for 2028. (8/18)

Space Force, Gravitics Partner on Orbital Carrier (Source: SlashGear)
The US Space Force has partnered with Seattle-based startup Gravitics to develop the Orbital Carrier, funded by a SpaceWERX Strategic Funding Increase award of up to $60 million. The carrier aims to serve as an orbital launch platform, allowing rapid spacecraft deployment without ground-based delays. The project is intended to enhance the US' ability to respond to threats and satellite network gaps, although it has drawn international concern about potential militarization of space. (8/17)   

Airbus Chooses Teledyne Imaging Sensors for MetOp-SG-A1 (Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics)
Airbus Defense and Space selected Teledyne Space Imaging to supply the imaging sensors for the MetOp-SG-A1 Earth-observation satellites. This partnership highlights Airbus's reliance on specialized sensor technology to deliver advanced imaging capabilities for the next-generation weather satellites, launched from Kourou, French Guiana. The collaboration is part of a broader European effort to maintain leadership in meteorological data acquisition through the MetOp-SG program. (8/18)