August 23, 2025

Scientists May Have Found Evidence of Life Beyond Earth (Source: Popular Mechanics)
One of the most mind-blowing recent scientific developments is the repeated detection of something called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) on a faraway exoplanet called K2-18b. DMS is a gas that, on Earth, is only produced by living organisms. In 2023, JWST’s instruments picked up hints of DMS alongside methane and carbon dioxide.

Then, earlier this year, JWST’s follow-up observations provided updated evidence for DMS and/or its cousin, DMDS. When we reported on the finding, we literally said, “This Is Not a Drill,” because even though no one is using the “aliens” word just yet, this biosignature might be our first solid clue that something—something!—is alive on another world. (8/22)

SpaceX Tries to Prove Starship Isn’t a Total Flop With Flight 10 (Source: Gizmodo)
SpaceX is gearing up for the tenth test flight of its megarocket following a streak of failures that have cast doubt on Starship’s ability to fly to Mars in 2026. Starship is slated for lift-off on Sunday, August 24, during a launch window that opens at 7:30 p.m. ET. (8/23)

Avionics Issue Delays Launch of Blue Origin's 200th Payload on 35th New Shepard Spaceflight (Source: Space.com)
Blue Origin planned to launch its 35th New Shepard mission on Saturday (Aug. 23), but had to delay. Blue plans to send its 200th payload above the Kármán line on this uncrewed suborbital flight, which will include experiments and research designed by students, teachers and university teams. When ready, the NS-35 flight, will liftoff from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in West Texas. (8/23)

Abu Dhabi’s Starlink Competitor has Big Plans for Africa - Including Better Maps (Source: News24)
Abu Dhabi's Space42 is in talks to raise funds to help the satellite communications company expand its mapping initiative in Africa. Space42 is having early discussions with potential backers including the African Union Development Agency and financial firms about the project. (8/23)

South Texans Fear SpaceX Could Take Over Land at Boca Chica State Park (Source: Houston Chronicle)
SpaceX could swallow up land at Boca Chica State Park in South Texas after a Thursday decision by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. SpaceX approached the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with an offer to buy four non-contiguous parcels totaling 1.9 acres. SpaceX said it aims to use the land to expand employee housing around its launch facilities, a move that would transform a segment of the state park the department acquired in 1994. (8/22)

WilCo Partners with Cedar Park to Create Central Texas Spaceport Development Corporation (Source: Liberty Hill Independent)
The Williamson County Commissioners Court approved the creation of the Central Texas Spaceport Development Corporation (CTSDC) and its by-laws with the city of Cedar Park as its partner on Aug. 19. The CTSDC is a non-profit entity that will focus on infrastructure and development in the fields of specialized launch and landing facilities for space crafts, rockets and satellites in Williamson County and Cedar Park, near Austin.

Williamson County appointed Dr. Julie Lessiter, Ed Trevis, Dave Porter and Dr. Lori Magruder to the seven-member CTSDC Board of Directors. Cedar Park appointed Jana Spruce, Han Kim and Mark Burgett. The board will have the powers and authority granted to Space Development Corporations under Chapter 507 of the Texas Local Government Code. (8/22)

Japan to Launch New ISS Resupply Vehicle in October (Source: Japan Times)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch the first HTV-X new resupply vehicle to the ISS on Oct. 21. The new vehicle is scheduled to be launched on the seventh H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. It is a successor to the HTV, or Kounotori, which carried out nine missions until 2020. The new vehicle is about 8 meters long and can carry approximately 5.8 tons of cargo, up from about 4 tons with Kounotori. (8/23)

Extraterrestrial Mineral Found in a Meteorite Breaks Known Laws (Source: Union Rayo)
There is something that has the entire scientific community on edge because there is absolutely nothing like it on Earth. It is an extraterrestrial mineral, or at least that is what they believe in the article published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and it all comes from a meteorite that fell in what is now Germany in 1724!!!

It is called silica tridymite, a very rare form of silicon dioxide that has nothing similar on our planet, and the most curious thing about this element is that it has the ability to maintain a constant thermal conductivity!! And now they believe new ways of working with this material could open up in industries where high temperatures are needed (such as steel production). (8/22)

Starlink Power Cuts Reveal Vulnerabilities of Space-Based Internet Systems (Source: The National)
Two major power cuts on Elon Musk's Starlink have shown how vulnerable satellite internet systems can be, especially when compared to the more resilient fiber and mobile networks most people rely on. Even though these systems, which Jeff Bezos's Amazon is also developing through its Project Kuiper constellation, are helping to revolutionize global connectivity by reaching remote areas, the recent blackouts show they are still prone to disruptions.

Starlink users across several continents lost service in July for more than an hour after a technical issue in the company’s network software. Another power cut on Monday left thousands of customers in North America without internet access until engineers restored the system. (8/21)

SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites on Falcon-9 From Vandenberg (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday. The Starlink 17-6 mission will add another 24 satellites to the low Earth orbit constellation. With a successful completion of this mission, SpaceX will have launched more than 1,800 of its Starlink satellites in 2025 alone. (8/22)

NASA’s Artemis II Lunar Science Operations to Inform Future Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Artemis II mission, set to send four astronauts on a nearly 10-day mission around the Moon and back, will advance the agency’s goal to land astronauts at the Moon’s south polar region and will help set the stage for future crewed Mars missions. While the Artemis II crew will be the first humans to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft in space, they will also conduct science investigations that will inform future deep space missions, including a lunar science investigation as Orion flies about 4,000 to 6,000 miles from the Moon’s surface. (8/21)

Linde Announces Florida and Texas Expansion to Support Commercial Space Sector (Source: Linde)
Linde announced ambitious new investments to fuel the next frontier of space exploration. With two new long-term agreements to supply bulk industrial gases for rocket launches, Linde is strengthening its leadership in the rapidly expanding U.S. space industry. As part of these agreements, Linde will significantly expand its industrial gases facility in Mims, Florida. This site will provide critical liquid oxygen and nitrogen to support rocket launches at nearby space facilities.

The additional capacity is expected to start up in the first quarter of 2027, marking the latest phase in Linde’s growth at Mims, following expansions in 2020 and 2024 driven by robust demand for industrial gases in the region.

Further amplifying its leading role in the U.S. space sector, Linde will build, own and operate a new air separation unit (ASU) in Brownsville, Texas, under a separate agreement. Expected to start up in the first quarter of 2026, this new facility will deliver liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon, addressing the needs of its customer’s space operations in the region. Beyond supporting space exploration, the Brownsville ASU will enhance Linde’s extensive network of industrial gas infrastructure and expand merchant capacity across Texas. (8/20)

L3Harris Expands Satellite Integration Facility on Space Coast, Eyes Golden Dome Business (Source: L3Harris)
L3Harris has completed a $100 million expansion at its satellite integration and test facility in Palm Bay to support DoD's urgent need for on-orbit technology for the Golden Dome for America. L3Harris has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure and manufacturing processes across the United States to deliver national defense capabilities at the pace and scale required. (8/21)