Isar Aerospace has secured two launch service agreements with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission as part of the Flight Ticket Initiative. The contracts mark the first launch agreements between a privately funded European launch service provider and European institutions, setting a precedent for future institutional launches aboard Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle ‘Spectrum’. (8/27)
Pentagon R&D Chief: Defense Needs to Expand Industrial Base (Source: Space.com)
The Defense Department wants to improve how it works with emerging companies, including in the space sector. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said Wednesday that the Pentagon has to change how it builds relationships with industry, “especially with new entrants.” He said the DOD must make it easier for new companies to work with it, citing how companies such as SpaceX had to file lawsuits to win their first contracts. Michael said the space industry is one sector in which the Pentagon can ride a wave of private investment because of the dual-use nature of many space technologies. (8/28)
New Cause Considered for "Wow!" Signal (Source: Space.com)
A signal detected nearly 50 years ago that has become legendary among SETI researchers may instead have a natural origin. The signal was detected by an Ohio State University radio telescope in 1977 and is known as the “Wow!” signal from the annotation an astronomer made on a computer printout. Some scientists speculated the signal could be a transmission from an extraterrestrial intelligence, but has not been detected since; others think it may have just been terrestrial interference. New analysis suggests the signal may instead be an astronomical phenomenon where high-energy radiation from a source like a magnetar causes a brightening in a hydrogen line in interstellar clouds. (8/28)
Isar and Avio Picked by ESA for Launch Demos (Source: Space News)
Two European companies won contracts to launch technology demonstration missions. ESA announced Wednesday it selected Avio and Isar Aerospace for the first awards in the Flight Ticket Initiative it runs in collaboration with the European Commission. Avio will launch three technology demonstration payloads as rideshares on a future Vega C launch, while Isar will carry two payloads on a Spectrum launch. ESA and the EU created the Flight Ticket Initiative to provide ways for European companies and organizations to test technologies in orbit. It also provides new competitive opportunities for European launch companies. (8/28)
NASA Hoping to Gain Mars Orbiter with Budget Reconciliation Funds (Source: Space News)
NASA is still working on a strategy for acquiring a Mars telecommunications orbiter funded in the budget reconciliation bill. That bill provided NASA with $700 million for a communications relay satellite at Mars, requiring that spacecraft, competitively selected, to be delivered by the end of 2028. Kevin Coggins, NASA's deputy associate administrator for space communications and navigation, said this week that the agency was still developing a strategy to acquire the spacecraft. That approach stands in contrast to efforts by NASA to move to a services model, working with industry to purchase communications services for operations in Earth orbit and out to the moon. (8/28)
Is NASA’s Nuclear Moon Plan Sheer Lunacy? (Source: The New World)
The first thing to say about the suggestion by Sean Duffy, the former lumberjack champion who is now the current acting administrator of NASA, that the US space program intends to build a nuclear reactor on the moon by 2030 is that not everything about this idea is gold-plated lunacy. Nuclear power may be essential for a future lunar base, but NASA’s latest announcement looks more like a flag-planting contest than a serious mission plan. (8/27)
Satlyt Gains $25K Grant From San Jose (Source: Space News)
A space startup is one of four to win funding from the city of San Jose, California, as part of an AI incentive program. One-year-old Satlyt will receive $25,000 from the initiative, city officials announced Wednesday. The company is developing software to turn satellites into virtual data centers, taking advantage of unused onboard computing capacity on spacecraft. The San Francisco-based company, which has raised $1 million in venture funding, will use the award to establish an office in San Jose. Satlyt and the other winners will also receive professional services such as real estate consulting, legal support and IT expertise. (8/28)
SpaceX Launches Thursday Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX reached a new milestone in booster reuse with a Starlink launch early Thursday morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape, putting 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. The first stage used for this launch, designated B1067, made its 30th flight, a record for the company. (8/28)
Air Guard Transfers to Space Force Appear Likely as Senators Backtrack on Effort to Stop It (Source: Military.com)
Senators are backing down from efforts to block a transfer of Air National Guard personnel to the Space Force. Amendments submitted this month by Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) would permit the transfer of nearly 600 Guardsmen to the Space Force on a “one-time, voluntary” basis. There had been bipartisan efforts to block that transfer and President Trump said while campaigning last year he supported the creation of a Space National Guard, which the Pentagon opposed. The senators said they still backed a Space National Guard but introduced the amendments to ensure the transfer does not set a precedent. (8/28)
SNS Insider Forecasts $4.2B Space Semiconductor Market by 2032 (Source: SNS Insider)
A new report forecasts the space semiconductor sector will exceed $4.22 billion by 2032, growing at a 6% CAGR. Accelerated satellite constellation deployment and in-space systems demand drive this upside. Investors may view this as a positive indicator for component suppliers positioning in next-generation space hardware. (8/20)
These Stars Don’t Burn – They Annihilate Dark Matter (Source: SciTech Daily)
Astronomers may have discovered a whole new type of star — mysterious “dark dwarfs” that could glow forever by feeding on dark matter, the invisible substance thought to make up most of the universe. Using theoretical models, the scientists suggest that dark matter could become trapped inside young stars, generating enough energy to prevent them from cooling down. This process could transform them into long-lived, stable objects known as dark dwarfs. (8/27)
Unusual Characteristics for Interstellar Comet (Source: Gizmodo)
JWST has revealed even more of 3I/ATLAS’s distinctive features. Most comets have comas dominated by water, but this one is chock-full of carbon dioxide, according to the study. In fact, the researchers found that its ratio of carbon dioxide to water is among the highest ever observed in any comet. These new findings suggest the comet formed under conditions far different from those in our corner of the galaxy, adding to a growing list of traits that make it unlike any seen before. (8/27)
What's Next for Starship (Source: Space.com)
The company plans to continue iterating with Starship, which checked
all of its boxes during its 10th-ever test flight on Tuesday evening.
The current Starship variant, known as Version 2, stands 397 feet tall
and features a total of 39 Raptors — 33 on Super Heavy and six on Ship.
Its successors will be even bigger and more powerful. Musk said that
the next iteration, V3, will be 408 feet tall. One of his slides also
depicted a variant described as "Future Starship," which will tower at
a whopping 466 feet.
"Starship V4 will have 42 engines when 3 more Raptors are added to a significantly longer ship. That will fly in 2027. Starship V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year," Musk wrote. Some of those V3 flights will head to Mars, if all goes to plan: SpaceX is targeting 2026 for its first-ever Starship Red Planet missions, which will be uncrewed, stripped-down test flights.
"We'll attempt to land the initial infrastructure [on Mars] and start delivering more equipment while evaluating available resources on the planet," said SpaceX's Amanda Lee. "And we'll also have Optimus on board for the ride, designed to do the initial heavy lifting," she noted, referring to the humanoid robot built by Tesla, one of Musk's other companies. (8/27)
15 Animals Most Likely to Be the First Colonists on Mars (Source: AOL)
Life on Mars is still a big maybe, but if humans ever manage to settle there, they won’t go alone. Any future colony will need organisms that can tolerate intense radiation and a serious lack of oxygen. Scientists already have a shortlist of Earth species that might actually stand a chance. Here’s a look at animals that could call Mars their second home. Click here. (8/27) https://www.aol.com/15-animals-most-likely-first-133122567.html
NASA Seeks Volunteers to Track Artemis II Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA seeks volunteers to passively track the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as the crewed mission travels to the Moon and back to Earth. The Artemis II test flight, a launch of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.
The mission, targeted for no later than April 2026, will rely on NASA’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network for primary communications and tracking support throughout its launch, orbit, and reentry. However, with a growing focus on commercialization, NASA wants to further understand industry’s tracking capabilities. (8/27)
Starlink, T-Mobile Eye EchoStar’s Spectrum After AT&T Deal (Source: Semafor)
Starlink and T-Mobile have separately expressed interest in acquiring some or all of the spectrum controlled by struggling DISH Network-parent EchoStar, according to people familiar with the matter.
At stake is one of the largest pots of underused airwaves, which are owned by the public but licensed to telecom companies. EchoStar’s chairman, Charlie Ergen, has hoarded his spectrum holdings with the unfulfilled ambition to build a national network, but has come under pressure from Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr, among others, to find a buyer to put that bandwidth to work. (8/26)
Polish President’s Veto Threatens Ukraine’s Starlink Access (Source: European Interest)
A veto by Poland’s right-wing President Karol Nawrocki threatens Ukraine’s access to the strategically vital Starlink satellite internet service, says Krzysztof Gawkowski, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister. Poland underwrites Ukraine’s use of the Elon Musk Starlink internet link that is crucial to Kyiv’s fight to repel Russia’s invading forces. A Digital Affairs Ministry statement noted that, thanks to the veto, Warsaw will be unable to authorize further payments for the Starlink service from 1 October onwards. (8/27)
'Terrified it’ll Destroy My House’: SpaceX Plans Concern Space Coast Residents (Source: WESH)
SpaceX expects its Starship super-heavy-lift rocket to take us back to the moon and, eventually, to Mars. It is also looking to launch the rocket from Florida’s Space Coast. However, back-to-back failed test flights have drawn criticism and local pushback. “I live straight across the Indian River in Titusville. My house — right now — during a regular SpaceX launch, I can sleep through it. A heavy, I hear it,” Charlene Melcher said. “This one — I’m terrified it’s gonna destroy my house.”
“An alternative has to be found,” Kremer said. “This is just focused on 39A, but there’s also a possibility of 37, and I think that would vastly minimize the impacts on Playalinda Beach and the other communities.” Under the current FAA proposal, up to 44 Starship Super Heavy launches could occur each year. This would prompt temporary airspace closures, maritime closures and Playalinda Beach closures for an estimated 60.5 days annually. (8/27)
A Trump Grab For Stakes In Defense Firms Could Be A Nightmare For Musk's SpaceX (Source: Forbes)
The U.S. government spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year with defense companies. The Trump administration seems to think it deserves something more in return than goods and services: equity. The Defense Department is considering taking ownership stakes in defense contractors, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said.
Unlike the ailing chipmaker and rare earths mine developer MP Materials, both of which gave the government equity stakes in return for badly needed funding, SpaceX and other major defense contractors have robust balance sheets. If Trump started making eyes at companies like SpaceX or Lockheed Martin, it's unclear that the administration has any legal authority to seize stakes “in perfectly healthy defense companies,” noted Todd Harrison, a defense analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
Musk, who comfortably controls the majority of SpaceX’s voting shares, is unlikely to give the government a stake, said Kimberly Siversen Burke, director of government affairs at the consultancy Quilty Space, for the same reason that he hasn’t taken the company public – he doesn’t need the money and he doesn’t want outside scrutiny. “The second outside shareholders — let alone Uncle Sam — get a look under the SpaceX hood, the whole game changes,” she said. “Transparency, board seats, GAO audits ... Elon’s worst nightmare.” (8/27)
CPR in Space Could Be Made Easier by Chest Compression Machines (Source: New Scientist)
NASA’s CPR protocol for the International Space Station demands that you wedge yourself and the patient between two hard surfaces, do a handstand on their chest and push with your legs to provide compression.
In search of a better way, Nathan Reynette at the University of Lorraine in France and his colleagues tested various CPR methods in an Airbus A310 airplane flying parabolic curves, a maneuver that creates 22 seconds of microgravity. They also tested three different chest compression machines that are commonly used in cramped environments on Earth, such as in the back of air ambulance helicopters. (8/27)
With Starship, SpaceX Encounters an Obstacle That Haunted NASA’s Space Shuttles (Source: Art Technica)
"There are thousands of engineering challenges that remain for both the ship and the booster, but maybe the single biggest one is the reusable orbital heat shield," said Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, on Monday.
SpaceX started off flying Starships with roughly 18,000 hexagonal tiles, each about the size of a dinner plate. These tiles were made of ceramic material, similar to the design of the heat shield tiles that flew on NASA's space shuttles. Beginning with a test flight in January, SpaceX introduced its "latest generation tiles" and added a backup layer between the tiles and Starship's underlying stainless steel structure to protect it from heat shield damage.
Returning from space, the ship sees temperatures up to 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius), hot enough to melt aluminum. One of the reasons SpaceX chose stainless steel for Starship's primary structure is because of the metal's higher melting point. "The space shuttle heat shield would come back essentially partially broken and would require many months of refurbishment in order to fly again," Musk said. "What we’re trying to achieve here with Starship is to have a heat shield that can be reflown immediately." (8/27)
Avio and Isar Aerospace Win ESA Flight Ticket Initiative Launch Contracts (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded launch service contracts to Avio and Isar Aerospace under its Flight Ticket Initiative. Announced in October 2023, the Flight Ticket Initiative is a program run jointly by ESA and the European Union that offers subsidized flight opportunities for European companies and organizations seeking to demonstrate new satellite technologies in orbit.
In May 2024, ESA and the European Union selected Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, PLD Space, Orbex, and Rocket Factory Augsburg as part of a pool of launch service providers for Flight Ticket Initiative missions. On 27 August 2025, ESA announced that it had awarded Avio and Isar Aerospace the first launch contracts under the Flight Ticket Initiative. (8/27)
Space Force Advances Ground, Space Surveillance (Source: Aviation Week)
The US Space Force is enhancing space domain awareness with new ground-based capabilities and satellites as well as future surveillance plans. L3Harris Technologies has upgraded the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with similar upgrades planned for Maui, Hawaii. Northrop Grumman has advanced the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability program by integrating seven antennas at the first site in Australia, and the Space Force plans to launch new Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites by year-end. (8/27)
LeoLabs Pivots to Defense Tech Amid Geopolitical Tensions (Source: Wall Street Journal)
LeoLabs has shifted its focus to defense technology amid rising geopolitical tensions, resulting in increased demand for its radar and analytics services. Originally tracking objects in low Earth orbit, LeoLabs now helps countries assess space threats. (8/26)
"Starship V4 will have 42 engines when 3 more Raptors are added to a significantly longer ship. That will fly in 2027. Starship V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year," Musk wrote. Some of those V3 flights will head to Mars, if all goes to plan: SpaceX is targeting 2026 for its first-ever Starship Red Planet missions, which will be uncrewed, stripped-down test flights.
"We'll attempt to land the initial infrastructure [on Mars] and start delivering more equipment while evaluating available resources on the planet," said SpaceX's Amanda Lee. "And we'll also have Optimus on board for the ride, designed to do the initial heavy lifting," she noted, referring to the humanoid robot built by Tesla, one of Musk's other companies. (8/27)
15 Animals Most Likely to Be the First Colonists on Mars (Source: AOL)
Life on Mars is still a big maybe, but if humans ever manage to settle there, they won’t go alone. Any future colony will need organisms that can tolerate intense radiation and a serious lack of oxygen. Scientists already have a shortlist of Earth species that might actually stand a chance. Here’s a look at animals that could call Mars their second home. Click here. (8/27) https://www.aol.com/15-animals-most-likely-first-133122567.html
NASA Seeks Volunteers to Track Artemis II Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA seeks volunteers to passively track the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as the crewed mission travels to the Moon and back to Earth. The Artemis II test flight, a launch of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.
The mission, targeted for no later than April 2026, will rely on NASA’s Near Space Network and Deep Space Network for primary communications and tracking support throughout its launch, orbit, and reentry. However, with a growing focus on commercialization, NASA wants to further understand industry’s tracking capabilities. (8/27)
Starlink, T-Mobile Eye EchoStar’s Spectrum After AT&T Deal (Source: Semafor)
Starlink and T-Mobile have separately expressed interest in acquiring some or all of the spectrum controlled by struggling DISH Network-parent EchoStar, according to people familiar with the matter.
At stake is one of the largest pots of underused airwaves, which are owned by the public but licensed to telecom companies. EchoStar’s chairman, Charlie Ergen, has hoarded his spectrum holdings with the unfulfilled ambition to build a national network, but has come under pressure from Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr, among others, to find a buyer to put that bandwidth to work. (8/26)
Polish President’s Veto Threatens Ukraine’s Starlink Access (Source: European Interest)
A veto by Poland’s right-wing President Karol Nawrocki threatens Ukraine’s access to the strategically vital Starlink satellite internet service, says Krzysztof Gawkowski, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister. Poland underwrites Ukraine’s use of the Elon Musk Starlink internet link that is crucial to Kyiv’s fight to repel Russia’s invading forces. A Digital Affairs Ministry statement noted that, thanks to the veto, Warsaw will be unable to authorize further payments for the Starlink service from 1 October onwards. (8/27)
'Terrified it’ll Destroy My House’: SpaceX Plans Concern Space Coast Residents (Source: WESH)
SpaceX expects its Starship super-heavy-lift rocket to take us back to the moon and, eventually, to Mars. It is also looking to launch the rocket from Florida’s Space Coast. However, back-to-back failed test flights have drawn criticism and local pushback. “I live straight across the Indian River in Titusville. My house — right now — during a regular SpaceX launch, I can sleep through it. A heavy, I hear it,” Charlene Melcher said. “This one — I’m terrified it’s gonna destroy my house.”
“An alternative has to be found,” Kremer said. “This is just focused on 39A, but there’s also a possibility of 37, and I think that would vastly minimize the impacts on Playalinda Beach and the other communities.” Under the current FAA proposal, up to 44 Starship Super Heavy launches could occur each year. This would prompt temporary airspace closures, maritime closures and Playalinda Beach closures for an estimated 60.5 days annually. (8/27)
A Trump Grab For Stakes In Defense Firms Could Be A Nightmare For Musk's SpaceX (Source: Forbes)
The U.S. government spends hundreds of billions of dollars a year with defense companies. The Trump administration seems to think it deserves something more in return than goods and services: equity. The Defense Department is considering taking ownership stakes in defense contractors, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said.
Unlike the ailing chipmaker and rare earths mine developer MP Materials, both of which gave the government equity stakes in return for badly needed funding, SpaceX and other major defense contractors have robust balance sheets. If Trump started making eyes at companies like SpaceX or Lockheed Martin, it's unclear that the administration has any legal authority to seize stakes “in perfectly healthy defense companies,” noted Todd Harrison, a defense analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
Musk, who comfortably controls the majority of SpaceX’s voting shares, is unlikely to give the government a stake, said Kimberly Siversen Burke, director of government affairs at the consultancy Quilty Space, for the same reason that he hasn’t taken the company public – he doesn’t need the money and he doesn’t want outside scrutiny. “The second outside shareholders — let alone Uncle Sam — get a look under the SpaceX hood, the whole game changes,” she said. “Transparency, board seats, GAO audits ... Elon’s worst nightmare.” (8/27)
CPR in Space Could Be Made Easier by Chest Compression Machines (Source: New Scientist)
NASA’s CPR protocol for the International Space Station demands that you wedge yourself and the patient between two hard surfaces, do a handstand on their chest and push with your legs to provide compression.
In search of a better way, Nathan Reynette at the University of Lorraine in France and his colleagues tested various CPR methods in an Airbus A310 airplane flying parabolic curves, a maneuver that creates 22 seconds of microgravity. They also tested three different chest compression machines that are commonly used in cramped environments on Earth, such as in the back of air ambulance helicopters. (8/27)
With Starship, SpaceX Encounters an Obstacle That Haunted NASA’s Space Shuttles (Source: Art Technica)
"There are thousands of engineering challenges that remain for both the ship and the booster, but maybe the single biggest one is the reusable orbital heat shield," said Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, on Monday.
SpaceX started off flying Starships with roughly 18,000 hexagonal tiles, each about the size of a dinner plate. These tiles were made of ceramic material, similar to the design of the heat shield tiles that flew on NASA's space shuttles. Beginning with a test flight in January, SpaceX introduced its "latest generation tiles" and added a backup layer between the tiles and Starship's underlying stainless steel structure to protect it from heat shield damage.
Returning from space, the ship sees temperatures up to 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius), hot enough to melt aluminum. One of the reasons SpaceX chose stainless steel for Starship's primary structure is because of the metal's higher melting point. "The space shuttle heat shield would come back essentially partially broken and would require many months of refurbishment in order to fly again," Musk said. "What we’re trying to achieve here with Starship is to have a heat shield that can be reflown immediately." (8/27)
Avio and Isar Aerospace Win ESA Flight Ticket Initiative Launch Contracts (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded launch service contracts to Avio and Isar Aerospace under its Flight Ticket Initiative. Announced in October 2023, the Flight Ticket Initiative is a program run jointly by ESA and the European Union that offers subsidized flight opportunities for European companies and organizations seeking to demonstrate new satellite technologies in orbit.
In May 2024, ESA and the European Union selected Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, PLD Space, Orbex, and Rocket Factory Augsburg as part of a pool of launch service providers for Flight Ticket Initiative missions. On 27 August 2025, ESA announced that it had awarded Avio and Isar Aerospace the first launch contracts under the Flight Ticket Initiative. (8/27)
Space Force Advances Ground, Space Surveillance (Source: Aviation Week)
The US Space Force is enhancing space domain awareness with new ground-based capabilities and satellites as well as future surveillance plans. L3Harris Technologies has upgraded the Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with similar upgrades planned for Maui, Hawaii. Northrop Grumman has advanced the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability program by integrating seven antennas at the first site in Australia, and the Space Force plans to launch new Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program satellites by year-end. (8/27)
LeoLabs Pivots to Defense Tech Amid Geopolitical Tensions (Source: Wall Street Journal)
LeoLabs has shifted its focus to defense technology amid rising geopolitical tensions, resulting in increased demand for its radar and analytics services. Originally tracking objects in low Earth orbit, LeoLabs now helps countries assess space threats. (8/26)
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