NASA has launched the 2026 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC), inviting student teams across the United States to propose new solutions for advancing human landing system technologies. The initiative supports NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate in preparing for lunar missions under the Artemis program.
The competition seeks innovative ideas in known technology development areas that will improve lander systems used to transport astronauts to and from the Moon's surface. Through HuLC, students can directly contribute to NASA's long-term exploration goals while applying classroom learning to real-world aerospace engineering. (9/3)
MSBAI Wins DoD Contract to Accelerate OrbitGuard for Space Situational Awareness (Source: Space Daily)
MSBAI (Microsurgeonbot Inc.) has received a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract worth $1.2 million to advance its OrbitGuard hybrid-intelligence system for space domain awareness. The Department of Defense CDAO originated the opportunity, with selection by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and execution by the Air Force Digital Transformation Office. The 18-month effort positions OrbitGuard for operational use as satellite traffic is expected to surpass 17,000 active spacecraft by 2026. (9/3)
Taiwan Space Agency Unveils $81 Million LEO Satellite Manufacturing Program (Source: Mach 33)
Taiwan’s space agency has launched an $81 million initiative focused on communications satellite production to bolster local industry and strengthen its role in global LEO satellite manufacturing. The program aims to build domestic capacity and potentially attract commercial partnerships in the expanding satellite broadband market. For investors, it signals growing regional competition and Southeast Asia’s increasing relevance in space infrastructure supply chains. (8/28)
Firefly Aerospace Gets FAA Approval to Resume Alpha Rocket Testing (Source: Mach 33)
Firefly Aerospace has secured FAA approval to restart flight testing of its Alpha rocket after a ground-based mishap in May. Investigations found that the flight safety system responded correctly and identified excessive thermal stress from a high angle of attack as the root cause. Firefly has since enhanced the first stage thermal protection and adjusted flight profiles, clearing the way for upcoming missions including Alpha FLTA007 (Lockheed Martin) and VICTUS HAZE (True Anomaly) later in 2025. (8/28)
Wyoming Picks Amazon's Kuiper Over Starlink for Broadband Expansion (Source: PC Mag)
Amazon’s Starlink rival, Project Kuiper, still hasn’t launched. But that isn’t stopping Wyoming from selecting it to supply high-speed broadband to over 15,000 underserved locations. The proposal is part of Wyoming’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which will use federal funds to expand high-speed internet access and close coverage gaps in the state. Wyoming has selected Project Kuiper to deliver broadband to about 40% of 38,000-plus locations. It’s also awarding Amazon close to $10 million in subsidies. (9/2)
Gravitational Wave Research Is Advancing at an Astonishing Pace (Source: Extreme Tech)
In the grand scheme of things, the study of gravitational waves is very new; the first detection of a gravitational wave, by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, came less than a decade ago. The detectors that could discern new forms of gravitational waves also have construction timelines that end in the 2030s, making it reasonable to worry that the science has always been destined to advance at a snail's pace.
Their work has paid real dividends. The new catalog of observations adds 128 new collision events between two black holes or between a black hole and a neutron star. Not so long ago, proving that such an event could exist at all was a big deal. This catalog is quite a remarkable achievement. Recent upgrades have improved sensitivity by as much as 25%. This not only makes it possible to pull fainter signals out of background noise, fundamentally increasing the number of events that can be seen, but also unlocks new forms of investigation into the nature of spacetime itself. (9/3)
True Anomaly Hires Former York Space Executive as Chief Operating Officer (Source: Space News)
True Anomaly, a defense-focused space technology startup based in Colorado, hired satellite industry executive Sarah Walter as chief operating officer, the company announced Sep. 2. Walter was most recently vice president of engineering at satellite manufacturer York Space Systems. (9/2)
Canada's First Lunar Rover Looks to Future Space Exploration (Source: BBC)
At Canadensys Aerospace, Canada is charting its first trip to the Moon. Canadensys is developing the first-ever Canadian-built rover for exploring the Earth's only natural satellite, in what will be the first Canadian-led planetary exploration endeavor. The Canadian vehicle is part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. (8/31)
Trump Moves Space Command to Alabama (Source: WFED)
President Donald Trump has announced that US Space Command will be permanently located in Huntsville, Ala., reversing a decision by former President Joe Biden to keep it in Colorado Springs, Colo. Trump says Huntsville was chosen because it "fought harder for it than anybody else," while Colorado Gov. Jared Polis says the move will "weaken national security and readiness." (9/2)
Viasat's HaloNet Targets Near-Earth Communications (Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics)
Viasat's HaloNet is a modular portfolio designed to unify space-to-ground and terrestrial communications. Developed by Viasat Government and its Defense and Advanced Technologies segment, the portfolio aims to provide a cohesive connectivity solution for the evolving needs of space operators. (9/3)
General Atomiccs and Kepler Demonstrate Satellite to Aircraft Laser Link (Source: Space News)
Two companies have successfully demonstrated a laser communications link between an aircraft and a satellite. In a demonstration announced Tuesday, an optical terminal made by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems mounted on a Twin Otter aircraft communicated with a Kepler Communications satellite in low Earth orbit. The test was designed to prove that optical terminals built to the Space Development Agency’s Optical Communications Terminal standard could communicate across vendors. Laser links offer very high data rates but interoperability has been a longstanding challenge. (9/3)
Israeli Shavit Rocket Launches Reconnaissance Satellite (Source: Globes)
Israel launched a reconnaissance satellite Tuesday. A Shavit rocket lifted off from Palmachim Airbase and placed the Ofek-19 satellites into orbit. Israeli officials said the satellite, designed to take high-resolution optical imagery, was operating as expected after launch. The unannounced launch alarmed some local residents who thought it was part of a missile attack. (9/3)
SpaceX Launches California and Florida Starlink Missios on Tuesday and Wednesday (Sources: Space.com, Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX carried out two Starlink launches just about eight hours apart. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday night, carrying 24 Starlink satellites. The launch was a rare flight of a new booster, designated B1097. A second Falcon 9 lifted off Wednesday morning from the Cape Canaveral Spacepor with 28 Starlink satellites on board. (9/3)
Gilmour Space's ElaraSat MMS-1 Satellite Working as Planned (Source: Gilmour Space)
The first launch by Gilmour Space may not have gone according to plan, but its first satellite is working well. The Australian company said Wednesday that its ElaraSat MMS-1 satellite, launched on the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission in June, is working well in orbit, with controllers completing commissioning of the satellite bus. The 100-kilogram satellite is intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the spacecraft and carries a hyperspectral sensor from the Australian science agency CSIRO. The company performed the first launch of its Eris rocket in July, which malfunctioned seconds after liftoff. (9/3)
India and Japan to Collaborate on Lunar Lander (Source: India TV)
India and Japan have formally confirmed plans to collaborate on a lunar lander mission. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a visit to Japan last week, announced that ISRO and JAXA will work together on the Chandrayaan-5 mission. That mission will launch on a Japanese H3 rocket in 2027 or 2028, using an Indian lander carrying a Japanese rover. The two agencies had been planning to work together on the mission, also known as Lunar Polar Exploration or LUPEX, for some time before Modi’s announcement. (9/3)
SATIM and ICEYE Announce 'Detect & Classify' AI-Powered Analysis of SAR Imagery (Source: SATIM)
The companies are introducing Detect & Classify, an AI-powered solution that automatically detects and classifies vessels, vehicles, and aircraft in ICEYE’s high-resolution SAR imagery with over 90% accuracy. This breakthrough for defense and intelligence communities eliminates the bottleneck of manual SAR analysis, enabling faster and more informed decisions. (9/3)
Back in the Win Column (Source: Space Review)
After three consecutive launches that suffered mission-ending failures, SpaceX’s Starship successfully completed a test flight last week. Jeff Foust reports on the success but also the challenges the company faces catching up from the delays caused by its previous failures. Click here. (9/3)
The Intersection of Cultural Beliefs and Mythos with National Interests and Great Power Competition (Source: Space Review)
A commercial lunar lander launched last year included cremated remains, prompting an effort by the Navajo Nation to block the mission. Michael Listner discusses the legal issues involved in that dispute and how they could be weaponized to stymie future lunar missions. Click here. (9/3)
India Unveils its Space Vision to 2040 (Source: Space Review)
The Indian government used its second National Space Day last month to announce plans for the next 15 years in space, including a space station and human missions to the Moon. Ajey Lele examines the plans and their feasibility. Click here. (9/3)
We Led NASA’s Human Exploration Program. Here’s What Artemis Needs Next (Source: Space News)
Metaphorically, we as a nation now stand at that same moment. Over the past decade, as critical delay after critical delay has slowed NASA’s Artemis schedule. Irrespective of Flight 10’s success, it has become clear that we are once again about to lose America’s leadership in space. All three of us support President Trump’s vision that we must reform NASA and move off the old, expensive ways of doing business.
The mission date for Artemis III has been pushed back year after year since it began and the success of a single Starship flight does little to assure a lander will be ready within the next five years. In fact, the number of technical hurdles SpaceX has thus far overcome pales in number and complexity to those that lay ahead. While SpaceX has proven time and again to be able to conquer tough technical issues, it’s the scale and number of challenges still to go that make this time different.
First and foremost, we need ground truth – someone to “check our homework.” NASA’s Artemis program lacks any true mechanism of public scrutiny needed to verify its status, especially for its landers. So, while to us the predicament is crystal clear – that alone can’t be the basis for the bold action that will be required if we are right. NASA needs to stand up a truly independent review team immediately to provide an assessment to the acting administrator, the president, and Congress within the next 45 days because, if a “Plan B” is needed, that planning needs to start now. (9/2)
Indian Prodigy Leaves SpaceX (Source: Times of India)
Teen prodigy Kairan Quazi is trading rocket science for Wall Street, leaving SpaceX to join billionaire Ken Griffin's Citadel Securities as a quantitative developer at just 16 years old. The move marks a significant career pivot for the engineering wunderkind who became the youngest employee in company history. (9/2)
Colorado Vows to Challenge Space Command Move to Alabama (Source: Axios)
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is vowing to challenge President Trump's decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from its temporary home in Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. The move announced Tuesday sets the stage for a high-stakes legal showdown with huge economic implications. Trump's decision comes as a major blow to Colorado's status as the No. 1 state per capita for aerospace employment, threatening more than 2,000 related businesses and 55,000 employees. (9/2)
SpaceX Looking to Expand Starbase Launch Site (Source: KRGV)
SpaceX filed plans with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expand the launch site at Starbase. As part of the proposal, the launch site near Boca Chica would expand by 21 acres. The plans show new roads, new storage tanks and staging pads are just some of what the company is hoping to add at the site. The project would impact about 18 acres of wetlands and tidal flats.
SpaceX said it plans to offset those impacts by purchasing environmental credits and paying into wetland restoration projects elsewhere. Editor's Note: This is kind of a trend with SpaceX. They get their initial approvals and then push for more, sometimes asking for forgiveness rather than permission. (8/29)
European Customer Leases SI Imaging Services’ SpaceEye-T (Source: Space News)
South Korea’s SI Imaging Services announced a contract Sept. 2 to lease the capacity of Earth-observation satellite SpaceEye-T to a European customer under a contract with a value of more than 10 million euros ($11.7 million). SpaceEye-T, an optical satellite offering native resolution of 25 centimeters per pixel, reached orbit in March on a SpaceX Transporter-13 rideshare.
Satrec Initiative, SI Imaging Services’ parent company, developed and owns SpaceEye-T. The lease to the undisclosed European customer is the latest example of the growing popularity of the Satellite-as-a-Service model. (9/2)
NASA Finds Titan’s Alien Lakes May Be Creating Primitive Cells (Source: Science Daily)
Saturn’s moon Titan may be more alive with possibilities than we thought. New NASA research suggests that in Titan’s freezing methane and ethane lakes, simple molecules could naturally arrange themselves into vesicles—tiny bubble-like structures that mimic the first steps toward life. These compartments, born from splashing droplets and complex chemistry in Titan’s atmosphere, could act like primitive cell walls. (9/1)
EU to Boost Satellite Defenses Against GPS Jamming (Source: Reuters)
The European Union will deploy additional satellites in low Earth orbit to strengthen resilience against GPS interferences and will improve capabilities to detect it, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said. His remarks followed an incident on Sunday in which the GPS system aboard European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft was jammed en route to Bulgaria. Bulgarian authorities suspect the jamming was due to due to interference by Russia, an EU spokesperson said. (9/1)
Voyager Heading Toward Oort Cloud. What is it? (Source: WION)
The Oort Cloud is a giant spherical shell of icy objects that surrounds our solar system, believed to be the birthplace of long-period comets. It stretches from about 2,000 AU (astronomical units) to possibly 100,000 AU from the Sun. Scientists think the Oort Cloud contains billions of frozen remnants from the early solar system. Studying it could reveal how planets and comets formed, making it a cosmic time capsule.
Voyager-1, launched in 1977, is currently over 162 AU from Earth, already in interstellar space. But it’s still nowhere near the Oort Cloud, at its speed, it will take about 300 years just to reach the inner edge. (9/1)
How Magnets Could Help Astronauts Explore the Moon and Mars (Source: Space.com)
Scientists have developed a more efficient way to generate oxygen for astronauts that could help with future missions into deep space. Current life-support systems on the ISS rely on bulky centrifuges to separate the oxygen and hydrogen bubbles created when water is split by electricity, a process known as electrolysis. On Earth, bubbles rise away from electrodes, but in microgravity, spinning is required to separate them.
This method works, but the equipment is heavy, power-hungry and is ill-suited for long-duration missions to the moon or Mars. Researchers have demonstrated a simpler, lighter and more sustainable solution in the form of magnets. The team has shown that magnetic forces can guide gas bubbles in microgravity to collection spots, eliminating the need for mechanical spinning from heavy centrifuges. (9/2)
Honeywell-Led Consortium Wins UK Funding for Aerospace Additive Manufacturing (Source: 3D Natives)
Good news for additive manufacturing in aerospace! A Honeywell-led consortium comprising 3T Additive Manufacturing, BeyondMath, Qdot Technology, and the Oxford Thermofluids Institute, has received £14.1 million in funding from the UK government to accelerate its work. The goal is to understand how 3D technologies can be used for cabin pressurization systems and environmental control systems. (9/2)
SpaceX McGregor Looks to the Future, From Raptor 3 to Potential HLS Testing (Source: NSF)
SpaceX’s engine development and testing site in McGregor—the world’s most active rocket engine test facility—continues to be a hive of activity. Recent updates reveal intensified Raptor engine trials and the construction of a large-scale rig, the latter having ignited speculation about its potential ties to Starship’s Human Landing System (HLS) for NASA’s Artemis program. Since the last major update on the facility, SpaceX has conducted 55 tests on its Raptor engines, including several relight tests performed on the Raptor Vertical Stand on August 11 and August 27. (9/2)
NASA Seeks Industry Insights on Recovering Helium for Spaceport Operations (Source: NASA)
NASA/KSC would like to gain insight from industry on means to increase, or improve upon, its primary method of obtaining high-pressure helium to support KSC and CCSFS operations. NASA is currently able to recover approximately 150-200 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) of gaseous helium from the liquid pumping system through the scavenger compressor. The Government estimates greater than 15% inefficiencies, mostly attributed to startup processes. Click here. (9/2)
Space Kinetic Joins DraperSPARX Partnership to Advance National Security Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
Draper has added Space Kinetic Corp. to its DraperSPARX program, an initiative that accelerates emerging technologies from startups and small businesses to address pressing national security challenges. Space Kinetic recently secured more than $12 million in venture funding to expand its work in space superiority and missile defense. Its proprietary electromechanical system can deploy smaller payloads from satellites without thrusters or fuel, enabling a range of defense and commercial missions. (9/1)
NUVIEW Wins $5M Pentagon Funding Boost for Orbital LiDAR Project (Source: Space Daily)
NUVIEW has secured an additional $5 million award from the Department of Defense's National Security Innovation Capital program to accelerate development of its space-based LiDAR technology. The funding follows earlier NSIC investment and supports the company's mission to deliver high-resolution, three-dimensional mapping of Earth from orbit.
The award will allow NUVIEW to rapidly prototype its next-generation LiDAR payload, advancing toward the first operational commercial system. This hardware forms the basis of a planned satellite constellation designed to provide continuous, high-precision 3D data for defense, civil, and commercial users worldwide. (9/1)
Recommendations for Protecting the Indian River Lagoon From Starship Impacts (Source: SPACErePORT)
Local residents fighting for the Indian River Lagoon plan to meet with Space Florida soon to seek the agency's support for a cautious approach to accommodating Starship operations at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. They're also awaiting a response from the state's Lieutenant Governor to their appeal for his support. Meanwhile, in response to recent FAA public meetings about the Starship plans, the 'Save Our Indian River Lagoon' group offered a list of refinements for proposed environmental monitoring of launch industry's lagoon impacts.
They call for various air quality and nitrogen deposition measurements to track impacts on vital seagrasses and habitats, including for fish, manatees, birds, and other wildlife. They call for reconsideration of the impact of noise and vibration from launches, landings, and test firings on wildlife like nesting birds, nesting sea turtles, and fish populations. And they call for consideration of the impacts of increased barge traffic, emergency response requirements, and hazardous materials usage. Overall, they seek a science- and data-driven "effective stewardship of natural resources." (9/2)
SpaceX Board Member and MDMA Executive Left DOGE After Union Objections (Source: The Guardian)
Months before Antonio Gracias took a leading role in the dismantling of the federal government by DOGE, he was at Burning Man. Gracias arrived at DOGE as a longtime friend and business associate of Musk, taking illegal drugs together, as reported in the Wall Street Journal. Multiple news outlets have reported that Musk has himself used MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as recreationally used ketamine.
As one of Musk’s most prominent staffers at Doge, Gracias began working at the Social Security Administration and led a taskforce that involved accessing immigration data at the Department of Homeland Security. He appeared on stage alongside Musk in March to present misleading claims about immigrants and public benefits, and then in April on the All-In podcast promoted the conspiracy theory that Democrats were attempting to “import voters”, a favorite theory of Musk’s.
Gracias’s time in government ended in July, after his presence at Doge caught the attention of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of unions. An AFL-CIO report in June raised questions about Gracias’s fiduciary responsibilities as CEO of Valor as the private equity firm manages retirement plans for public employees. In late July, a group of workers from the Service Employees International Union. Two demonstrators carried a banner with a message painted in bold white letters: “Antonio Gracias we will not forget your cruelty.” (8/28)
Existing Space Probes Could Be Tasked to Investigate 31/ATLAS (Source: Space.com)
New research investigates the possibility that different spacecraft could visit Comet 3I/ATLAS, giving scientists a unique on-location view of the interstellar visitor, or even offering the chance to collect material that could be much older than the bodies of our solar system. 3I/ATLAS will pass within the orbit of Mars, which will allow several spacecraft from Earth to catch a glimpse of it. Two interplanetary voyagers are in prime position to observe 3I/ATLAS: NASA's Psyche, heading to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter; and ESAs Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) heading to the Jovian system.
3I/ATLAS will also pass through the fields of view of the ESA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), NASA's PUNCH solar monitoring spacecraft, and the Parker Solar Probe as the comet passes near the sun. That means these spacecraft will provide scientists the opportunity to monitor the day-by-day behavior of 3I/ATLAS, albeit at larger distances and lower resolutions. (9/2)
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