Port Canaveral has had such a busy year supporting SpaceX’s rocket recovery efforts, it brought in a new crane to assist in the launch parade on the Space Coast. Port CEO Capt. John Murray said the third mobile harbor crane operated by the port arrived on Aug. 3.
“We had this crane modified somewhat to accommodate Relativity Space’s rocket that they may be modifying and it may not work as we originally intended.” he said. “They may have a different booster now.” Murray did note that all of the port’s cranes, two of which top 320 feet tall, had been modified for the space industry. (10/1)
Midland City Council Approves AST SpaceMobile Footprint Expansion (Source: Mach 33)
The Midland, Texas, City Council unanimously approved amendments to AST’s economic development agreement, allowing expansion into the full MDC facility, renewing leases, and adding ~50 jobs on top of ~200 existing. This boosts AST’s production and operational capacity for its satellite / communications hardware. It signals strong local government support, which may smooth permitting and scale execution. However, the expansion must be matched by capital and revenue to pay off scaling risk. (9/26)
Space Force Declares ATLAS Operational for Space Monitoring (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force has declared the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System operational, marking a significant upgrade from the outdated Space Defense Operations Center. ATLAS, developed by L3Harris, will enhance the Space Force's ability to monitor satellites and space debris. (9/30)
Beyond Gravity Wins Order to Build Robotic Thruster Mechanisms for HummingSat Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Beyond Gravity has secured a contract to supply robotic thruster pointing mechanisms for five HummingSat geostationary telecommunications satellites being developed by Swiss satellite manufacturer SWISSto12. The multi-axis robotic arms will control the satellites' electric propulsion systems, keeping them on station 35,786 kilometers above Earth. (9/30)
Themis Reusable Rocket Demonstrator Stands Ready in Sweden (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency's first full-scale reusable rocket demonstrator, Themis, is now positioned on its launch pad at the Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. The milestone marks the start of preparations for low-altitude flight tests designed to validate vertical take-off and landing operations using cryogenic propulsion.
The vehicle incorporates the Prometheus engine, a restartable liquid oxygen and methane engine that can throttle thrust to ensure controlled landings. Comparable in power to Ariane 6's main engine, Prometheus is a key step in Europe's effort to develop cost-effective and reusable launch technologies. (9/25)
Venus' Cloud Aerosols Contain Reservoirs of Water and Iron (Source: Space Daily)
A new analysis of the aerosols in Venus' clouds, from data originally collected in 1978 during the Pioneer Venus mission, has found evidence for substantial water and iron. (9/30)
Technique Could Reveal Hidden Habitats on Moon and Mars (Source: Space Daily)
With repeated strikes of a 10-pound sledgehammer, a team of NASA-supported researchers has demonstrated a low-tech but powerful method to locate caves that may one day provide shelter for astronauts on the Moon and Mars. The experiments, conducted in Arizona and California, used terrain with geologic features similar to those of planetary lava fields. By hitting a metal plate on the surface, the team generated seismic vibrations, then measured how those waves bounced back from underground structures. The approach mimics a medical CT scan, revealing hidden voids beneath the ground. (9/30)
Arianespace Partners with BULL to Advance Space Debris Prevention Measures on Ariane 6 (Source: Space Daily)
Arianespace and French start-up BULL are strengthening their cooperation on sustainable spaceflight through joint work on space debris mitigation technology for the Ariane 6 launcher. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 to explore the integration of BULL's HORN Post Mission Disposal (PMD) device onto the Ariane 6 Dual Launch System.
Initial feasibility
studies confirmed the effectiveness of deploying the system on Ariane 6. The HORN PMD features a large deployable sail that accelerates
atmospheric re-entry once missions are complete, thereby preventing the
creation of orbital debris. Arianespace and BULL are now preparing a
flight demonstration of the system, with potential launch slots from
2027. (9/30)
Canadian Space Agency Offers Funding for Dual-Use Technologies (Source: Space News)
Canada’s recently announced defense industrial strategy provides funding for space technologies with civil and military applications, Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said at the International Astronautical Congress.
“Satellite servicing, refueling, sustainable access to orbit, advanced robotics, artificial intelligence applications, critical deep space systems and cybersecurity have applications for defense but also on the civil side,” Campbell said. “In many of these areas, civil and defense needs naturally converge.” (10/1)
Satellite Operators Seek Help From ITU to Improve Coordination for Space Safety (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators are looking to an international regulator for help in avoiding collisions in orbit. American and Chinese satellite operators said one of their biggest problems is finding contact information for operators of satellites that approach their fleets. While the major operators work well with each other, in many cases smaller operators are difficult to contact. They said that the ITU could help by asking member states and operators to submit contact information to them, serving as a trusted third party to facilitate those communications. The ITU plans to discuss the issue at a space sustainability forum it is hosting next week. (10/1)
Australia and UK Commit to Space Cooperation (Source: Space News)
Australia and the United Kingdom renewed their commitment to space-related cooperation. The two countries signed at the IAC Wednesday an extension of the Space Bridge Framework Arrangement. That agreement, first signed in 2021, supports investment, research and cooperation between the two countries in space. One example of that cooperation is AquaWatch, a space and ground-based initiative focused on water-quality monitoring that includes companies and organizations in both countries. (10/1)
New Study Suggests Enceladus Could Host Life (Source: Scientific American)
A new study boosts the chances that Saturn’s moon Enceladus could host life. The study, published Wednesday, reanalyzed data from the Cassini mission to Saturn, looking for organic compounds in plumes ejected from the icy surface of Enceladus. The data showed evidence of complex organic molecules that, on Earth, are associated with life. Scientists said the research suggests there is complex chemistry taking place in the subsurface oceans of Enceladus that are worth examining in greater detail on any future missions there. (10/1)
Australian and Japanese Organizations Join Forces on Optical Communications (Source: Space News)
The University of South Australia is partnering with Australian and Japanese companies on laser communications systems for space. Japan’s Warpspace will integrate its optical modem with the Australasian Optical Ground Station Network, led by the university, while Warpspace expands other work in Australia. The network is designed to support space-to-ground high-speed communications. (10/1)
OQ Technology Expands Satellite IoT Services to Australia (Source: Space News)
OQ Technology has expanded its satellite connectivity services for remote Internet of Things (IoT) devices to Australia, the Luxembourg-based low Earth orbit operator announced Sept. 30. OQ Technology founder and CEO Omar Qaise said the company has also opened an office in the country after securing a license to use S-band spectrum for non-terrestrial 5G IoT services from its constellation of 10 small satellites. (10/1)
Japan Plans Power Beaming Demo (Source: Power Info Today)
Japan is preparing to beam solar power from space to Earth in 2025 with a demonstration mission called OHISAMA. The purpose is to demonstrate the feasibility of solar power beam technology. Thirteen ground receivers covering a 600-square-meter area will capture a satellite's microwaves beamed down. The project is led by Japan Space Systems, with support from Japanese researchers. The small satellite, weighing about 180 kg (≈400 lbs) and equipped with a 2-square-meter solar panel, will be launched into low Earth orbit at about 400 km altitude.
It will collect sunlight in space—unaffected by weather or clouds—convert it into electricity, and then into microwaves. These microwaves will beam about 1 kilowatt of power (enough to run a small appliance like a coffee maker) to receiving antennas in Japan, such as those planned in Suwa. (9/24)
Varda Space and Southern Launch Agree to More Capsule Landings in Australia (Source: Space News)
Varda Space Industries has signed a new agreement with an Australian range for capsule landings. Varda and Southern Launch announced a deal Tuesday to allow Varda to reenter up to 20 capsules at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range through 2030. Varda landed its W-2 and W-3 capsules there earlier this year, with two more reentries planned before the end of the year. Varda said the Australian site can support the higher cadence of missions it has planned after the company struggled to win approvals last year to land a capsule in Utah. (10/1)
Maldives Plots $50 Million Fund for Sovereign Space Capabilities (Source: Space News)
The Maldives is looking to raise $50 million for a space agency fund that will address climate and security challenges. The Maldives Space Fund (MSF), based in the United Arab Emirates for regulatory oversight, was announced Wednesday during the IAC. The $50 million fund represents an initial phase designed to support the Maldives Space Research Organization on its priorities, which include marine conservation, illegal fishing detection and broader support for small island developing states. The fund will invest in infrastructure, applications and “frontier innovation” areas. (10/1)
ViaSat-3 in Florida for ULA Launch After Antenna Fixes (Source: Space News)
The second ViaSat-3 satellite has arrived in Florida for launch preparations. The Boeing-built ViaSat-3 F2 satellite is scheduled to launch later this month on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5. The satellite was to launch in 2023 but was delayed after an antenna deployment problem on ViaSat-3 F1. The companies have not detailed the corrective actions that have been taken to avoid repeating the issue with the ViaSat-3 F1 antenna supplied by Northrop Grumman. (10/1)
Maxar Units Change Names to Vantor and Lantaris (Source: Space News)
The two Maxar businesses in geospatial intelligence and space systems are changing their names. Maxar Intelligence is now known as Vantor while Maxar Space Systems has become Lantaris, name changes that took effect Wednesday. The two companies were created from Maxar Technologies after private equity firm Advent International acquired it for $6.4 billion in 2023. The name changes are intended to help make clear that the two companies are separate, as many assumed they were divisions within the same company rather than distinct entities. For Vantor, the new name also signals a strategic pivot from primarily providing Earth imagery from satellites and data analytics to becoming what executives describe as a software and data-focused company centered on intelligence solutions. (10/1)
China's 4th Quarter Includes Launches and Testing Toward Lunar Crewed Mission (Source: Space News)
China is preparing a series of tests and launches in the final quarter of 2025 that are crucial to its crewed moon program and commercial rocket plans. This includes new tests of the Long March 10, the launch vehicle China is developing for sending astronauts to the moon. Another expected test is an in-flight escape test at maximum dynamic pressure of the Mengzhou crew spacecraft. Chinese launch will also enter a crucial period in the final months of 2025, with multiple new rockets close to debut flights including the Long March 12A, Zhuque-3, Tianlong-3 and Gravity-2. (10/1)
Gravitino Emerges as Contender in Dark Matter Search (Source: Space Daily)
Dark matter continues to puzzle physicists, despite decades of experiments and many competing theories. A recent study introduces a striking alternative candidate: supermassive charged gravitinos. Their findings suggest that new underground neutrino detectors may be uniquely equipped to spot these elusive particles.
Traditionally, dark matter candidates have been neutral, such as axions or weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Yet none have been found. In contrast, gravitinos are predicted to be extraordinarily heavy, close to the Planck mass-around a billion billion times heavier than a proton-and, unusually, electrically charged. Although extremely rare, their sheer mass and stability make them viable dark matter candidates. (9/22)
New Mars Research Reveals Multiple Episodes of Habitability in Jezero Crater (Source: Space Daily)
New research using NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered strong evidence that Mars' Jezero Crater experienced multiple episodes of fluid activity - each with conditions that could have supported life. By analyzing high-resolution geochemical data from the rover, scientists have identified two dozen types of minerals, the building blocks of rocks, that help reveal a dynamic history of volcanic rocks that were altered during interactions with liquid water on Mars. (9/19)
Taiwan Running Out of Time for Satellite Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Taiwan's space chief Wu Jong-shinn says the "clock is ticking" for the democratic island to launch its own satellites to secure internet and phone services during a potential conflict with China. The island faces the constant threat of an invasion by Beijing, which claims the island is part of its territory and in recent years has intensified military pressure. Taiwan needs 150 of its own low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for "basic communication resilience" in case the subsea telecoms cables connecting the island with the rest of the world are damaged or cut, Wu said. It currently has none. (9/19)
Rocket Lab Test Flight to Aid US Hypersonic Research (Source: Astronomy)
Rocket Lab is set to launch the Justin mission using its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron rocket, a modified version of the Electron, from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The mission aims to test advanced hypersonic technologies for the US military, including air-breathing engines and thermal protection systems. (9/29)
Rocket Lab and Synspective Strike Another 10-Launch Deal, Boosting Contracted Missions to 21 Electron Launches (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab announced it has secured a second multi-launch contract with Synspective, a leading Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data and analytics company from Japan. The new contract for a further 10 dedicated Electron launches brings the total number of upcoming Synspective missions to 21 – marking the largest order of dedicated Electron missions with a single customer to date.
Following the first launch agreement announced in June 2024, this second multi-launch contract within 18 months further solidifies Electron’s international expansion. Rocket Lab has been Synspective’s sole launch provider to-date, successfully deploying six StriX satellites across six dedicated launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. (9/30)
Eutelsat Needs to Close Funding Gap to Gain Ground on Starlink (Source: Reuters)
Satellite operator Eutelsat must secure investment from more European countries to bolster its efforts to challenge Starlink, EU lawmakers and analysts say following a commitment by France. The debt-laden Franco-British company has gained unprecedented attention this year from European governments as the policies of President Donald Trump have raised concern about their reliance on U.S. satellite companies. (9/30)
New Florida Investment Matches Blue Origin's Ambitious Growth Plans (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin now employs nearly 4,000 people in Brevard County and has invested over $2.3 billion with 500 suppliers in Florida, generating significant economic growth and employment in the region. We're currently the only company manufacturing and launching rockets in Cape Canaveral, contributing to the development of additional skillsets in the growing technical workforce of Florida.
Our manufacturing and operations footprint has more than doubled in eight years to 11 sites across Brevard and Orange Counties, including Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Titusville, Melbourne, and Orlando, as we build a road to space for the benefit of Earth. This represents an investment of more than $3 billion in facilities and infrastructure, including rebuilding historic Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Click here. (9/29)
Blue Origin Plans "New Armstrong" to Counter SpaceX's Starship Super-Heavy Rocket (Source: Geekwire)
Blue Origin is already planning something to rival Starship, the super-rocket built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Bezos simply isn’t ready to share those plans yet. A super-heavy-lift rocket concept known as New Armstrong has been talked about for almost as long as New Glenn. Bezos mentioned the idea way back in 2016. (9/26)
NASA Tweaks Artemis II Reentry To Address Heatshield Concerns (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA is opting for a new flight trajectory for the next Artemis mission to reduce risks to astronauts as the agency gears up to return to the lunar surface in 2027. To address the concern, managers for next year's Artemis II mission have changed the Orion crew capsule's reentry profile. (9/29)
Whistleblowers: NASA Cuts Having Safety Impacts (Source: Geekwire)
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, released a report that quotes NASA whistleblowers as saying they’ve “already seen safety impacts” affecting the space agency, due to budget cuts that are canceling out previously appropriated funding. One whistleblower is quoted as voicing concern “that we’re going to see an astronaut death within a few years” because of the Trump administration’s “chainsaw approach.”
“Like other premier science agencies, NASA has thrived on consistent, bipartisan investments, which are essential to America’s economic prosperity and technological supremacy. But today, NASA faces an existential threat under the Trump administration,” the report says. The report, titled “The Destruction of NASA’s Mission,” says the White House Office of Management and Budget directed NASA in early summer to begin implementing cutbacks called for in President Trump’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year — even though those proposed cuts go far beyond what’s in effect for the fiscal year that’s about to end. (9/26)
Axiom Space Taps Portuguese Physiologist as First ‘Project Astronaut’ (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Axiom Space is gearing up to launch the first module of its commercial space station as soon as next year, but it is also refining how it will train future crews to head into low Earth orbit. Axiom Space announced that Emiliano Ventura, a Portuguese physiologist and director of the Motor & Sport Institute (MSI) Bio Performance Center, will be spearheading a new training program for Axiom Space called “Project Astronaut.” This pilot program is designed to test out a six-month astronaut training protocol, stemming from his background in physiology and sports science. (9/30)
Mystery of Dark Matter Can Be Unraveled Using Radio Telescopes (Source: Tel Aviv University)
A new study has predicted, for the first time, the groundbreaking results that can be obtained from detecting radio waves coming to us from the early Universe. The findings show that during the cosmic dark ages, dark matter formed dense clumps throughout the Universe, which pulled in hydrogen gas and caused it to emit intense radio waves. This leads to a novel method to use the measured radio signals to help resolve the mystery of dark matter. (9/29)
ESA Will Pay an Italy's Avio Nearly $50 Million to Design a Mini-Starship (Source: Ars Technica)
The European Space Agency signed a contract Monday with Avio, the Italian company behind the small Vega rocket, to begin designing a reusable upper stage capable of flying into orbit, returning to Earth, and launching again. This is a feat more difficult than recovering and reusing a rocket's booster stage, something European industry has also yet to accomplish. SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket has a recoverable booster, and several companies in the United States, China, and Europe are trying to replicate SpaceX's success with the partially reusable Falcon 9.
At the end of the two-year contract, Avio will deliver a preliminary design for the reusable upper stage and the ground infrastructure needed to make it a reality. The preliminary design review is a milestone in the early phases of an aerospace project, typically occurring many years before completion. For example, Europe's flagship Ariane 6 rocket passed its preliminary design review in 2016, eight years before its first launch. (9/29)
How Would a Government Shutdown Affect NASA? (Source: Space.com)
A government shutdown would force NASA to scale back most of its activities, sending the majority of its workforce home without pay. Only a small number of essential personnel would remain, tasked with protecting mission-critical assets such as spacecraft in orbit, astronauts aboard the ISS and other safety operations, while most research and development would come to a halt.
NASA’s contingency plan, as outlined in its shutdown FAQs from 2018, emphasizes that only "activities which are necessary to prevent harm to life or property" are exempt from being affected. So, without a funding bill by the end of Sep. 30 — the end of the current fiscal year — agency offices will close, labs will go quiet and most of NASA's employees will find themselves facing a furlough.
In addition to keeping the ISS operational and monitoring satellites that provide things like weather and climate data, the agency can also request exceptions for other activities deemed critical. Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s acting deputy administrator for exploration systems, said the agency expects to win such exceptions for Artemis 2. (9/29)
CASIS and NSS Pool $3.6 Million for ISS Research Projects (Source: CASIS)
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the ISS National Laboratory announce up to $3.6 million in total funding available for multiple projects to advance transport phenomena research using the orbiting laboratory. Since the partnership began in 2015, NSF has allocated more than $40 million in funding to support projects leveraging the ISS National Lab. Forty-five of these investigations have already launched to the space station, with dozens more slated for future missions. More than 200 peer-reviewed articles related to these studies have been published, furthering scientific knowledge for the research community, with dozens more slated for future missions. (9/30)
Astronaut-Senator to Appropriators: Leave Discovery in Smithsonian (Source: CollectSpace)
A former NASA astronaut-turned-U.S. Senator has joined with other lawmakers to insist that his twice ride to space remain grounded and on display in the Smithsonian. Mark Kelly, who today represents the state of Arizona, has joined with fellow Democrat Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both of Virginia, and Dick Durbin of Illinois to try to halt the move of space shuttle Discovery to Houston, as enacted into law earlier this year. Kelly flew two of his four missions aboard Discovery. (9/29)
Agency Layoffs, Shutdown Create ‘Perfect Storm’ for Contractors (Source: FNN)
Amid federal staffing reductions, a looming shutdown and the threat of more mass firings, contractors are wondering who will be left to answer the phone. Federal contractors are preparing for a particularly difficult government shutdown if Congress doesn’t pass a funding agreement, with agency staffing reductions compounding the usual strains during a lapse in appropriations. If a shutdown were to happen Wednesday, the Professional Services Council is advising companies to continue working until they receive a stop work order from the government. (9/29)
Canadian Space Agency Offers Funding for Dual-Use Technologies (Source: Space News)
Canada’s recently announced defense industrial strategy provides funding for space technologies with civil and military applications, Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell said at the International Astronautical Congress.
“Satellite servicing, refueling, sustainable access to orbit, advanced robotics, artificial intelligence applications, critical deep space systems and cybersecurity have applications for defense but also on the civil side,” Campbell said. “In many of these areas, civil and defense needs naturally converge.” (10/1)
Satellite Operators Seek Help From ITU to Improve Coordination for Space Safety (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators are looking to an international regulator for help in avoiding collisions in orbit. American and Chinese satellite operators said one of their biggest problems is finding contact information for operators of satellites that approach their fleets. While the major operators work well with each other, in many cases smaller operators are difficult to contact. They said that the ITU could help by asking member states and operators to submit contact information to them, serving as a trusted third party to facilitate those communications. The ITU plans to discuss the issue at a space sustainability forum it is hosting next week. (10/1)
Australia and UK Commit to Space Cooperation (Source: Space News)
Australia and the United Kingdom renewed their commitment to space-related cooperation. The two countries signed at the IAC Wednesday an extension of the Space Bridge Framework Arrangement. That agreement, first signed in 2021, supports investment, research and cooperation between the two countries in space. One example of that cooperation is AquaWatch, a space and ground-based initiative focused on water-quality monitoring that includes companies and organizations in both countries. (10/1)
New Study Suggests Enceladus Could Host Life (Source: Scientific American)
A new study boosts the chances that Saturn’s moon Enceladus could host life. The study, published Wednesday, reanalyzed data from the Cassini mission to Saturn, looking for organic compounds in plumes ejected from the icy surface of Enceladus. The data showed evidence of complex organic molecules that, on Earth, are associated with life. Scientists said the research suggests there is complex chemistry taking place in the subsurface oceans of Enceladus that are worth examining in greater detail on any future missions there. (10/1)
Australian and Japanese Organizations Join Forces on Optical Communications (Source: Space News)
The University of South Australia is partnering with Australian and Japanese companies on laser communications systems for space. Japan’s Warpspace will integrate its optical modem with the Australasian Optical Ground Station Network, led by the university, while Warpspace expands other work in Australia. The network is designed to support space-to-ground high-speed communications. (10/1)
OQ Technology Expands Satellite IoT Services to Australia (Source: Space News)
OQ Technology has expanded its satellite connectivity services for remote Internet of Things (IoT) devices to Australia, the Luxembourg-based low Earth orbit operator announced Sept. 30. OQ Technology founder and CEO Omar Qaise said the company has also opened an office in the country after securing a license to use S-band spectrum for non-terrestrial 5G IoT services from its constellation of 10 small satellites. (10/1)
Japan Plans Power Beaming Demo (Source: Power Info Today)
Japan is preparing to beam solar power from space to Earth in 2025 with a demonstration mission called OHISAMA. The purpose is to demonstrate the feasibility of solar power beam technology. Thirteen ground receivers covering a 600-square-meter area will capture a satellite's microwaves beamed down. The project is led by Japan Space Systems, with support from Japanese researchers. The small satellite, weighing about 180 kg (≈400 lbs) and equipped with a 2-square-meter solar panel, will be launched into low Earth orbit at about 400 km altitude.
It will collect sunlight in space—unaffected by weather or clouds—convert it into electricity, and then into microwaves. These microwaves will beam about 1 kilowatt of power (enough to run a small appliance like a coffee maker) to receiving antennas in Japan, such as those planned in Suwa. (9/24)
Varda Space and Southern Launch Agree to More Capsule Landings in Australia (Source: Space News)
Varda Space Industries has signed a new agreement with an Australian range for capsule landings. Varda and Southern Launch announced a deal Tuesday to allow Varda to reenter up to 20 capsules at Southern Launch’s Koonibba Test Range through 2030. Varda landed its W-2 and W-3 capsules there earlier this year, with two more reentries planned before the end of the year. Varda said the Australian site can support the higher cadence of missions it has planned after the company struggled to win approvals last year to land a capsule in Utah. (10/1)
Maldives Plots $50 Million Fund for Sovereign Space Capabilities (Source: Space News)
The Maldives is looking to raise $50 million for a space agency fund that will address climate and security challenges. The Maldives Space Fund (MSF), based in the United Arab Emirates for regulatory oversight, was announced Wednesday during the IAC. The $50 million fund represents an initial phase designed to support the Maldives Space Research Organization on its priorities, which include marine conservation, illegal fishing detection and broader support for small island developing states. The fund will invest in infrastructure, applications and “frontier innovation” areas. (10/1)
ViaSat-3 in Florida for ULA Launch After Antenna Fixes (Source: Space News)
The second ViaSat-3 satellite has arrived in Florida for launch preparations. The Boeing-built ViaSat-3 F2 satellite is scheduled to launch later this month on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5. The satellite was to launch in 2023 but was delayed after an antenna deployment problem on ViaSat-3 F1. The companies have not detailed the corrective actions that have been taken to avoid repeating the issue with the ViaSat-3 F1 antenna supplied by Northrop Grumman. (10/1)
Maxar Units Change Names to Vantor and Lantaris (Source: Space News)
The two Maxar businesses in geospatial intelligence and space systems are changing their names. Maxar Intelligence is now known as Vantor while Maxar Space Systems has become Lantaris, name changes that took effect Wednesday. The two companies were created from Maxar Technologies after private equity firm Advent International acquired it for $6.4 billion in 2023. The name changes are intended to help make clear that the two companies are separate, as many assumed they were divisions within the same company rather than distinct entities. For Vantor, the new name also signals a strategic pivot from primarily providing Earth imagery from satellites and data analytics to becoming what executives describe as a software and data-focused company centered on intelligence solutions. (10/1)
China's 4th Quarter Includes Launches and Testing Toward Lunar Crewed Mission (Source: Space News)
China is preparing a series of tests and launches in the final quarter of 2025 that are crucial to its crewed moon program and commercial rocket plans. This includes new tests of the Long March 10, the launch vehicle China is developing for sending astronauts to the moon. Another expected test is an in-flight escape test at maximum dynamic pressure of the Mengzhou crew spacecraft. Chinese launch will also enter a crucial period in the final months of 2025, with multiple new rockets close to debut flights including the Long March 12A, Zhuque-3, Tianlong-3 and Gravity-2. (10/1)
Gravitino Emerges as Contender in Dark Matter Search (Source: Space Daily)
Dark matter continues to puzzle physicists, despite decades of experiments and many competing theories. A recent study introduces a striking alternative candidate: supermassive charged gravitinos. Their findings suggest that new underground neutrino detectors may be uniquely equipped to spot these elusive particles.
Traditionally, dark matter candidates have been neutral, such as axions or weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). Yet none have been found. In contrast, gravitinos are predicted to be extraordinarily heavy, close to the Planck mass-around a billion billion times heavier than a proton-and, unusually, electrically charged. Although extremely rare, their sheer mass and stability make them viable dark matter candidates. (9/22)
New Mars Research Reveals Multiple Episodes of Habitability in Jezero Crater (Source: Space Daily)
New research using NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered strong evidence that Mars' Jezero Crater experienced multiple episodes of fluid activity - each with conditions that could have supported life. By analyzing high-resolution geochemical data from the rover, scientists have identified two dozen types of minerals, the building blocks of rocks, that help reveal a dynamic history of volcanic rocks that were altered during interactions with liquid water on Mars. (9/19)
Taiwan Running Out of Time for Satellite Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Taiwan's space chief Wu Jong-shinn says the "clock is ticking" for the democratic island to launch its own satellites to secure internet and phone services during a potential conflict with China. The island faces the constant threat of an invasion by Beijing, which claims the island is part of its territory and in recent years has intensified military pressure. Taiwan needs 150 of its own low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites for "basic communication resilience" in case the subsea telecoms cables connecting the island with the rest of the world are damaged or cut, Wu said. It currently has none. (9/19)
Rocket Lab Test Flight to Aid US Hypersonic Research (Source: Astronomy)
Rocket Lab is set to launch the Justin mission using its Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron rocket, a modified version of the Electron, from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The mission aims to test advanced hypersonic technologies for the US military, including air-breathing engines and thermal protection systems. (9/29)
Rocket Lab and Synspective Strike Another 10-Launch Deal, Boosting Contracted Missions to 21 Electron Launches (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab announced it has secured a second multi-launch contract with Synspective, a leading Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite data and analytics company from Japan. The new contract for a further 10 dedicated Electron launches brings the total number of upcoming Synspective missions to 21 – marking the largest order of dedicated Electron missions with a single customer to date.
Following the first launch agreement announced in June 2024, this second multi-launch contract within 18 months further solidifies Electron’s international expansion. Rocket Lab has been Synspective’s sole launch provider to-date, successfully deploying six StriX satellites across six dedicated launches from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. (9/30)
Eutelsat Needs to Close Funding Gap to Gain Ground on Starlink (Source: Reuters)
Satellite operator Eutelsat must secure investment from more European countries to bolster its efforts to challenge Starlink, EU lawmakers and analysts say following a commitment by France. The debt-laden Franco-British company has gained unprecedented attention this year from European governments as the policies of President Donald Trump have raised concern about their reliance on U.S. satellite companies. (9/30)
New Florida Investment Matches Blue Origin's Ambitious Growth Plans (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin now employs nearly 4,000 people in Brevard County and has invested over $2.3 billion with 500 suppliers in Florida, generating significant economic growth and employment in the region. We're currently the only company manufacturing and launching rockets in Cape Canaveral, contributing to the development of additional skillsets in the growing technical workforce of Florida.
Our manufacturing and operations footprint has more than doubled in eight years to 11 sites across Brevard and Orange Counties, including Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Titusville, Melbourne, and Orlando, as we build a road to space for the benefit of Earth. This represents an investment of more than $3 billion in facilities and infrastructure, including rebuilding historic Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Click here. (9/29)
Blue Origin Plans "New Armstrong" to Counter SpaceX's Starship Super-Heavy Rocket (Source: Geekwire)
Blue Origin is already planning something to rival Starship, the super-rocket built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Bezos simply isn’t ready to share those plans yet. A super-heavy-lift rocket concept known as New Armstrong has been talked about for almost as long as New Glenn. Bezos mentioned the idea way back in 2016. (9/26)
NASA Tweaks Artemis II Reentry To Address Heatshield Concerns (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA is opting for a new flight trajectory for the next Artemis mission to reduce risks to astronauts as the agency gears up to return to the lunar surface in 2027. To address the concern, managers for next year's Artemis II mission have changed the Orion crew capsule's reentry profile. (9/29)
Whistleblowers: NASA Cuts Having Safety Impacts (Source: Geekwire)
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, released a report that quotes NASA whistleblowers as saying they’ve “already seen safety impacts” affecting the space agency, due to budget cuts that are canceling out previously appropriated funding. One whistleblower is quoted as voicing concern “that we’re going to see an astronaut death within a few years” because of the Trump administration’s “chainsaw approach.”
“Like other premier science agencies, NASA has thrived on consistent, bipartisan investments, which are essential to America’s economic prosperity and technological supremacy. But today, NASA faces an existential threat under the Trump administration,” the report says. The report, titled “The Destruction of NASA’s Mission,” says the White House Office of Management and Budget directed NASA in early summer to begin implementing cutbacks called for in President Trump’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year — even though those proposed cuts go far beyond what’s in effect for the fiscal year that’s about to end. (9/26)
Axiom Space Taps Portuguese Physiologist as First ‘Project Astronaut’ (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Axiom Space is gearing up to launch the first module of its commercial space station as soon as next year, but it is also refining how it will train future crews to head into low Earth orbit. Axiom Space announced that Emiliano Ventura, a Portuguese physiologist and director of the Motor & Sport Institute (MSI) Bio Performance Center, will be spearheading a new training program for Axiom Space called “Project Astronaut.” This pilot program is designed to test out a six-month astronaut training protocol, stemming from his background in physiology and sports science. (9/30)
Mystery of Dark Matter Can Be Unraveled Using Radio Telescopes (Source: Tel Aviv University)
A new study has predicted, for the first time, the groundbreaking results that can be obtained from detecting radio waves coming to us from the early Universe. The findings show that during the cosmic dark ages, dark matter formed dense clumps throughout the Universe, which pulled in hydrogen gas and caused it to emit intense radio waves. This leads to a novel method to use the measured radio signals to help resolve the mystery of dark matter. (9/29)
ESA Will Pay an Italy's Avio Nearly $50 Million to Design a Mini-Starship (Source: Ars Technica)
The European Space Agency signed a contract Monday with Avio, the Italian company behind the small Vega rocket, to begin designing a reusable upper stage capable of flying into orbit, returning to Earth, and launching again. This is a feat more difficult than recovering and reusing a rocket's booster stage, something European industry has also yet to accomplish. SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket has a recoverable booster, and several companies in the United States, China, and Europe are trying to replicate SpaceX's success with the partially reusable Falcon 9.
At the end of the two-year contract, Avio will deliver a preliminary design for the reusable upper stage and the ground infrastructure needed to make it a reality. The preliminary design review is a milestone in the early phases of an aerospace project, typically occurring many years before completion. For example, Europe's flagship Ariane 6 rocket passed its preliminary design review in 2016, eight years before its first launch. (9/29)
How Would a Government Shutdown Affect NASA? (Source: Space.com)
A government shutdown would force NASA to scale back most of its activities, sending the majority of its workforce home without pay. Only a small number of essential personnel would remain, tasked with protecting mission-critical assets such as spacecraft in orbit, astronauts aboard the ISS and other safety operations, while most research and development would come to a halt.
NASA’s contingency plan, as outlined in its shutdown FAQs from 2018, emphasizes that only "activities which are necessary to prevent harm to life or property" are exempt from being affected. So, without a funding bill by the end of Sep. 30 — the end of the current fiscal year — agency offices will close, labs will go quiet and most of NASA's employees will find themselves facing a furlough.
In addition to keeping the ISS operational and monitoring satellites that provide things like weather and climate data, the agency can also request exceptions for other activities deemed critical. Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA’s acting deputy administrator for exploration systems, said the agency expects to win such exceptions for Artemis 2. (9/29)
CASIS and NSS Pool $3.6 Million for ISS Research Projects (Source: CASIS)
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the ISS National Laboratory announce up to $3.6 million in total funding available for multiple projects to advance transport phenomena research using the orbiting laboratory. Since the partnership began in 2015, NSF has allocated more than $40 million in funding to support projects leveraging the ISS National Lab. Forty-five of these investigations have already launched to the space station, with dozens more slated for future missions. More than 200 peer-reviewed articles related to these studies have been published, furthering scientific knowledge for the research community, with dozens more slated for future missions. (9/30)
Astronaut-Senator to Appropriators: Leave Discovery in Smithsonian (Source: CollectSpace)
A former NASA astronaut-turned-U.S. Senator has joined with other lawmakers to insist that his twice ride to space remain grounded and on display in the Smithsonian. Mark Kelly, who today represents the state of Arizona, has joined with fellow Democrat Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both of Virginia, and Dick Durbin of Illinois to try to halt the move of space shuttle Discovery to Houston, as enacted into law earlier this year. Kelly flew two of his four missions aboard Discovery. (9/29)
Agency Layoffs, Shutdown Create ‘Perfect Storm’ for Contractors (Source: FNN)
Amid federal staffing reductions, a looming shutdown and the threat of more mass firings, contractors are wondering who will be left to answer the phone. Federal contractors are preparing for a particularly difficult government shutdown if Congress doesn’t pass a funding agreement, with agency staffing reductions compounding the usual strains during a lapse in appropriations. If a shutdown were to happen Wednesday, the Professional Services Council is advising companies to continue working until they receive a stop work order from the government. (9/29)
No comments:
Post a Comment