October 30, 2025

I Survived the Worst Fire in Space History – and Was Told to Keep it Secret (Source: BBC)
On 24 February 1997, Jerry Linenger and his five crewmates faced a danger they hoped they’d never meet: a fire aboard their space station, which, at present, was hundreds of kilometers above the surface of Earth. The blaze began shortly after dinner, when Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Lazutkin activated a solid-fuel oxygen generator designed to boost the air supply while the Mir station – Russia’s flagship space station at the time – was hosting more crew than usual.

The generator clicked on, ignited, and proceeded to spew a three-foot jet flame and sparks across the module. The station quickly filled with thick, dark smoke. The only evacuation route? Blocked by the flame itself. Immediately, the crew sprang into action, donning oxygen masks and getting to work battling the flames with fire extinguishers. A tense 14 minutes later, the fire was finally out; the crew was safe. Yet it would be hours before the smoke was fully cleared from the station’s air. (10/30)

Saudi's STC Picks AST for D2D (Source: Space News)
A Saudi Arabian telecommunications company has agreed to use AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-device services and made a $175 million prepayment. Saudi telecoms giant stc Group signed a 10-year agreement, AST SpaceMobile announced Wednesday, similar to deals the satellite operator has signed with AT&T and Verizon in the United States.

The companies plan to launch services before the end of 2026, subject to licensing and other regulatory approvals on a country-by-country basis. AST SpaceMobile has five satellites in orbit but needs between 45 and 60 to provide continuous coverage in key markets. Its sixth satellite, the first in a larger new generation of spacecraft, arrived in India earlier this month for a launch later this year. (10/30)

Bolden and Bridenstine Call for Artemis 3 Changes (Source: Space News)
Two former NASA administrators called for changes in NASA’s Artemis 3 lunar lander plans. Charlie Bolden and Jim Bridenstine said they were skeptical NASA’s approach, using SpaceX’s Starship for the Artemis 3 landing, could get astronauts on the moon before a projected first Chinese landing around 2030.

Bridenstine advocated for an accelerated program to develop a new lander, one that could make use of authorities under the Defense Production Act to prioritize work. Bolden said not getting back to the moon before China’s first landing might be acceptable if NASA’s approach is better in some way. Earlier in the conference, executives from Blue Origin and Lockheed Martin said they were studying concepts for accelerated lander development. (10/30)

China Confirms Lunar Crew Landing Goal of 2030 (Source: Space News)
Chinese officials confirmed their goal of a first crewed lunar landing by 2030. At a briefing Thursday, the China Manned Space Agency reaffirmed plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, but acknowledged significant challenges ahead. Those plans include a first flight of the Long March 10 rocket and Mengzhou crew spacecraft next year. China is also working on the Lanyue lunar lander and Wangyu lunar spacesuit. China has adopted a commercial competition model in areas such as low-cost cargo transportation to Tiangong, crewed lunar rovers and lunar remote sensing satellites, attracting commercial participation in those projects’ development. (10/30)

Investors Gravitate Toward Space Firms with Defense Applications (Source: Space News)
Growing government interest in commercial space capabilities is helping companies attract investment. Investors said there is a growing willingness to invest in space companies that are doing defense work, from Silicon Valley to Europe. That can lead to a cycle where companies raise money, do preliminary work, and then offer it to the government to win contracts. (10/30)

Space Cybersecurity Not an Option Despite Costs (Source: Space News)
Cybersecurity is no longer being treated as an afterthought for space systems. Industry officials said that operators had considered cybersecurity as non-revenue-generating and difficult to monetize, with limited direct return on investment. The cost of encryption technologies has also been a barrier. Panelists said commercial operators can no longer afford to treat cybersecurity as optional despite those cost issues, given growing threats. (10/30)

Japan's Cargo Craft Arrives at ISS (Source: Space.com)
A Japanese cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Wednesday. The station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm grappled the HTV-X1 spacecraft at 11:58 a.m. Eastern, three and a half days after its launch. The spacecraft is the first in a new line of cargo spacecraft with great payload capacity and the ability to perform missions after departing the ISS. (10/30)

SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites on Wednesday Mission From Florida (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Wednesday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and put 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the 90th so far this year from the Cape, just three shy of the record for most in a year set in 2024. SpaceX accounts for 85 of those 90 launches, with ULA performing four and Blue Origin one. (10/30)

Don't Expect a Quantum Computer in Space Some Time (Source: Space News)
It will be some time before quantum computers fly in space. Experts said that even with advances in quantum computing on the ground, it may be a long time before such systems are viable for use on satellites. In the nearer term, though, panelists saw opportunities for use of quantum technologies in sensors and for encrypted communications. (10/30)

Colorado Sues to Block Space Command Move to Alabama (Source: Reuters)
The state of Colorado is filing suit to block the move of Space Command headquarters to Alabama. The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court by Colorado’s attorney general, argues that the move is an unconstitutional retaliation for Colorado’s use of mail-in voting. President Trump, in remarks at an event announcing the move, said Colorado’s use of mail-in voting was a “big factor” in his decision. (10/30)

India Seeks Dramatic Launch Cadence Increase (Source: Times of India)
India wants to dramatically increase its launch rate. In an interview, V. Narayanan, chairman of the Indian space agency ISRO, said he has a goal of having 50 launches in 2029. That would be enabled by a third launch pad at the existing Satish Dhawan Space Center and a new spaceport designed for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). Narayanan said he expected 20 to 25 launches annually of the SSLV when the new spaceport in Tamil Nadu opens in late 2027; the SSLV has performed three launches since its introduction in 2022. A launch of a military communications satellite on an LVM-3 rocket this weekend would be India’s fourth launch of 2025. (10/30)

We're Putting Lots Of Transition Metals Into The Stratosphere. That's Not Good. (Source: Universe Today)
The total mass of material injected into the atmosphere from rockets and satellites is only about 7% of the mass of meteors that hit Earth annually. However, since the rockets and satellites are primarily made up of metals, whereas meteors are primarily made of up silicates, the amount of metal we inject into the atmosphere is around 16% that of natural causes.

That may not sound like much, but for a few particular elements it's much, much higher. In 2015, anthropogenic (i.e. human-made) sources were the highest contributor to 18 different elements in the atmosphere. In 2024 that number jumped to 24 different elements. That could grow to as much as 30 different elements that we will be the primary reason for their increased levels in the atmosphere in the coming decades. (10/30)

Leonardo and Unibap are Partnering to Develop Real-Time Intelligence in Space (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Leonardo and Unibap have announced a strategic cooperation to develop next generation of real-time space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. Under the agreement, Leonardo Space and Unibap will conduct a joint technical study focused on two main goals. This involves integrating Unibap’s high-performance edge computing solutions into Leonardo’s future EO space infrastructures. (10/30)

China Plans to Have a Pakistan Astronaut on Short-Term Missions (Source: Reuters)
China has announced it will arrange for a Pakistan astronaut to perform short-term missions as part of China's space station missions, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday. The astronaut from Pakistan will train alongside Chinese astronauts, Xinhua said. (10/29)

Texas Faces Talent Gap in Aerospace, Defense (Source: Fort Worth Inc.)
According to Texas Economic Development Corporation, the state is home to more than 1,400 aerospace and aviation establishments. The report further notes that Texas has a “large and diverse talent pool of over 150,000 skilled workers” in aerospace/aviation — and produces nearly 11,000 aerospace- and aviation-related degrees annually.

Nationally, while specific figures for engineers over 55 in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) membership are not publicly broken out in recent reports, the organization has repeatedly flagged an ageing workforce across aerospace engineering and related technical fields. For instance, the U.S. employment outlook for aerospace engineers lists about 71,600 jobs in 2024 and a projected job growth of 6 % through 2034. Combined, these indicators suggest that retirements are starting to outpace the pipeline of new entrants in the engineering side of aerospace.

These challenges aren’t unique to Texas, but their impact here is magnified because of the state’s scale and momentum. Texas ranks among the top five states for aerospace employment and continues to attract major investments in both commercial aviation and defense systems. That growth, while promising, requires intentional planning to ensure the workforce doesn’t become the constraint. Texas has always been a state that builds, innovates, and leads. By investing in its engineering and technical pipeline now, it can ensure that the next chapter of its aerospace story continues to soar — not stall — for decades to come. (10/29)

ULA Set to Launch Atlas V Rocket for Nov. 5 From Florida (Source: Space Coast Daily)
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is set to launch the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft, built for Viasat, will enhance global connectivity for businesses, governments, and communities worldwide. Liftoff is scheduled for Nov. 5, during a launch window between 10:24 and 11:08 p.m. ET. (10/29)

10th Annual Rocket Ranch Reunion Will Bring Together Space Program Alumni Nov. 22 (Source: Space Coast Daily)
The Rocket Ranch Reunion celebrates the people who have been part of America’s space program. The 10th annual event will take place on Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. at the Merritt Island Moose Lodge. Since its inception, the reunion has served as a way for space workers, contractors, and their families to come together, honor their shared history, and celebrate the community that helped drive the nation’s achievements in space.

This free event is open to anyone who has worked in, supported, or been connected to the space program while living in the area. It’s an afternoon of friendship, storytelling, and reconnecting with those who helped shape our nation’s legacy in space exploration. (10/29)

Momentus Vigoride-7 to Fly DPhi Space Hosted Payload (Source: Space News)
Momentus plans to launch DPhi's Clustergate-2 payload aboard its Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle targeted for launch in early 2026, to deliver dynamic compute capabilities in orbit. Clustergate is a is a self-contained payload bay designed to turn any host spacecraft into a shared, high-performance hub. (10/30)

Infostellar to Bring Leaf Space’s Ground-as-a-Service to Japanese Market (Source: Via Satellite)
Leaf Space and Infostellar have signed a new agreement to make Infostellar the exclusive representative of Leaf Space to the Japanese market for its ground segment as-as-a-service (GSaaS) offering. Under the memorandum of understanding announced Tuesday, Infostellar, headquartered in Tokyo, will be responsible for marketing, business development, and channel engagement with satellite operators in Japan, leveraging its relationships and insight into the local market. (10/29)

Artemis Spacesuits Tested as Existing ISS Suits are Showing Their Age (Source: NSF)
As the Artemis program works toward its first lunar landing on the Artemis III mission later this decade, new lunar spacesuits are finally being tested by Axiom Space. Meanwhile, the existing EMU spacesuits aboard the ISS are showing their age. A new inspector general report detailed risks to the Station’s extra vehicular activity (EVA) capability caused by contractor and suit issues.

The STS-6 crew aboard Challenger completed the first Shuttle spacewalk in April 1983. NASA continues to use the same basic design, with enhancements, to this day. In 2019, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel recommended replacing the EMU with a new spacesuit “before the risk to EVA becomes unmanageable”. After serious cost overruns and schedule issues with NASA’s own next-generation spacesuit development, the agency contracted Collins Aerospace to develop a new spacesuit for low-Earth orbit as part of the fixed-price Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services contract awarded in 2022.

Axiom Space was awarded the contract to develop lunar suits for Artemis landings under the same acquisition. While Axiom is still working on the lunar suits, Collins terminated its effort to develop the replacement ISS suit in June 2024. The termination was characterized as a “mutual agreement” between Collins Aerospace and NASA because the contractor could not meet the required timelines. (10/29)

JWST Supports First 3D Map of Exoplanet (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have produced the first-ever three-dimensional map of a planet outside our solar system — WASP-18b — marking a major leap forward in exoplanet research. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers applied a new technique called 3D eclipse mapping, or spectroscopic eclipse mapping, to track subtle changes in various light wavelengths as WASP-18b moved behind its star. These variations allowed scientists to reconstruct temperature across latitudes, longitudes and altitudes, revealing distinct temperature zones throughout the planet's atmosphere. (10/29)

Europe's GovSatCom to Deploy This Year, Ukraine Invited to Join It and Iris2 (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said he remained committed to deploying Europe’s GovSatCom program by the end of this year and accelerating the development schedule of the Iris2 secure communications constellation. GovSatCom is a long-planned effort to pool and share existing milsatcom capacity of EU member states, allowing smaller nations and those without their own national assets to access this capacity in geostationary orbit. Ukraine is invited to participate in both. (10/29)

Threat Posed by Deepfake Satellite Images (Source: TIME)
You open social media to see a startling satellite image: a military base on fire. But is it real? The rise of AI has made it easier than ever to generate fakes. Since the Cold War, images captured from space have served as a method of verification for media, governments, and the public. Now, technology has placed this once seemingly irrefutable source of truth under threat.

An AI-generated satellite image posted on social media is unlikely to spark a war on its own or dupe the military of a well-resourced country like the U.S.—which can double-check any claims with its own fleet of satellites. But they can nonetheless be potent tools to influence public opinion in ways that undermine our information ecosystem. (10/27)

How Far American Women Astronauts Have Soared Since Sally Ride (Source: Smithsonian)
American women were excluded from the necessary training for early spaceflights. In a 1962 letter, a NASA official stated that “while many women are employed in other capacities in the space program—some of them in extremely important scientific posts—we have no present plans to employ women on spaceflights because of the degree of scientific and flight training, and the physical characteristics, which are required.”

Women finally joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 1978, 20 years after the agency’s creation. Astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983. Prior to her history-making flight, and in response to all the conversation about her gender, Ride said at a news conference, “It’s too bad this is such a big deal. It’s too bad our society isn’t further along.”

“When I talked to people, I would ask them, ‘How many American women do you think have been astronauts?’ And they would typically say, ‘Hmm, maybe five,’ and I think the largest number I got was 10 to 20,” Neal says. “The number is 61, and very few people outside the space community could name more than a handful. Sally Ride, yes, Eileen Collins, maybe, Mae Jemison, maybe, Ellen Ochoa, maybe, because they had certain other marks of distinction that made them memorable.” (10/28)

ESA Eyes 2028 For First European Resilience From Space Launches (Source: Aviation Week)
The European Resilience from Space (ERS) initiative, aimed at building the region’s autonomy in key security-related areas, could see its first space launches take place in 2028, ESA Director General Joseph Aschbacher said Oct. 28. The effort aims to pool national resources to develop secure satellite communications, high-precision navigation, and earth observation capabilities to monitor threats, respond to crises, and safeguard critical infrastructure. The program is designed for both civil and defense applications, and its initial phase could see its first launches around 2028, with a budget of €1 billion. (10/28)

Besxar's Plans Include Suborbital Test Within Falcon 9 Booster (Source: Aviation Week)
Before year’s end, a startup plans to launch inside a SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage a manufacturing pod that would briefly experience the vacuum of space and then return to Earth inside the booster. (10/28)

Starlink Marks 5-Year Anniversary (Source: USA Today)
Elon Musk and SpaceX are commemorating a major milestone in the commercial spaceflight company's satellite internet service, known as Starlink. The growing satellite constellation, which SpaceX has been building for years, recently marked its five-year anniversary of providing internet to millions of customers around the world. (10/28)

Rocket Lab CEO Reviews Successes as Company Turns 20 (Source: Newstalk ZB)
Rocket Lab is celebrating 20 years in operation this week. The company has become the fastest in history to launch 50 rockets into space. Now valued at over $20billion, Rocket Lab's portfolio includes missions for NASA and the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Click here. (10/29)

Musk Says China’s ZQ-3 Could Surpass Falcon 9—But Starship Will Eclipse Both (Source: Mach 33)
Elon Musk acknowledged that China’s ZQ-3 rocket, developed by LandSpace, could eventually outperform Falcon 9, citing its use of stainless steel and methalox propulsion, design traits borrowed from Starship. Musk added, however, that it would take LandSpace over five years to reach Falcon 9’s current reliability and production cadence, by which point SpaceX expects Starship to deliver 100× Falcon 9’s annual payload.

For investors, Musk’s comments highlight China’s accelerating progress in reusable launch technology but reaffirm SpaceX’s technological lead and scaling advantage. LandSpace’s adoption of Starship-like materials and fuels suggests the global launch market is coalescing around methane-based, stainless-steel architectures, yet SpaceX’s iteration speed and manufacturing scale remain unmatched. If Starship’s rapid upgrades from V2 to V3 to V4 proceed as stated, the competitive gap could widen rather than narrow. (10/24)

Trump Administration’s Shutdown Layoffs Remain On Hold, Following Court Ruling (Source: FNN)
The Trump administration’s latest round of federal employee layoffs will remain on hold, for now. A federal judge in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that will indefinitely block the Trump administration from proceeding with widespread reductions-in-force for about 4,000 federal employees, or issuing new RIF notices, while the case proceeds through the court. (10/28)

Will the Race to the Moon Run Through Texas or Washington? (Source: Fast Company)
Congressional delegations have previously advocated for Artemis contracts to come to their states. Back when SpaceX first won the lunar lander contract, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) pushed for NASA to give a second company a lunar contract, including through legislation. Even amid doubts with SpaceX, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has said it’s too late for the U.S. to leave Starship behind.

Blue Origin still has a lot catching up to do. The company has yet to build a similarly large low Earth orbit satellite network, or to send manned space missions into orbit. But Blue Origin has also won lunar lander work from NASA for the Artemis V mission, a later phase of the new moon program. In the past, NASA has expressed interest in maintaining at least two options to ensure “a regular cadence of moon landings,” a NASA official said when the government announced an award for Blue Origin’s lunar platform.

There’s also Lockheed Martin, which might put its hat in the ring. Editor's Note: Maybe a little unfair to exclude Florida in this article. Much -- if not most -- of Blue Origin's lunar hardware will be built on the Space Coast, and likely all of the Artemis missions will launch from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (10/28)

NordSpace Leans Into AI with Advanced Manufacturing for Aerospace Lab (Source: SpaceQ)
NordSpace has announced the creation of the Advanced Manufacturing for Aerospace Lab (AMA Lab) which it says will could reduce the development time by 15-20% for its Hadfield rocket engine. NordSpace said it had received funding from the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) through its Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative. (10/28)

SETI Institute Accelerates the Search for Life Beyond Earth with NVIDIA AI (Source: SETI)
The SETI Institute announced that it will incorporate the new NVIDIA IGX Thor platform to enhance its real-time search for signals from space at the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) in Northern California. The collaboration brings cutting-edge AI technology—built for demanding real-world environments—into radio astronomy for the first time at this scale.

The ATA’s 42 antennas scan the sky for radio signals that may reveal cosmic events or, one day, evidence of intelligent life. Using the NVIDIA IGX Thor platform, the SETI Institute will be able to process and interpret these signals directly at the telescope, dramatically reducing the time it takes to recognize unusual or promising data. (10/28)

AI-Driven Propulsion Design Advances Spacecraft Engineering at Northrop Grumman (Source: Space Daily)
Northrop Grumman Corporation and Luminary Cloud are working together to apply artificial intelligence to spacecraft propulsion, implementing a new physics AI foundation model specifically for thruster nozzle design. The collaboration leverages Northrop Grumman's expertise in propulsion physics and Luminary Cloud's AI platform with NVIDIA's support to enable rapid hardware development for spacecraft. (10/29)

Samsung Reportedly Developing AI-Driven Modem Chip for Starlink Direct-to-Cell (Source: Mach 33)
Samsung Electronics is reportedly developing an AI-powered Exynos modem for SpaceX, designed to enable direct LEO satellite connections from Starlink satellites to consumer devices—potentially bypassing traditional ground station relays. The chip reportedly integrates a neural processing unit (NPU) to handle real-time satellite tracking and beam alignment, boasting 55× better beam identification and 42× improved channel prediction compared to existing models. The report remains unconfirmed by Samsung, SpaceX, or Elon Musk. (10/28)

Orbit Saturation: Still Centuries Away (Source: Mach 33)
Orbit saturation remains a distant concern. Even in the most aggressive “bull” satellite proliferation scenario, total orbital objects by 2100 remain below 50% of the Lifson sustainability limit (2.9 million), while the base and bear cases stay near 10–11%, showing that LEO has vast untapped capacity.

Mach33’s volumetric model demonstrates that LEO is about 250× larger than the atmospheric layer where aircraft fly. Under assumptions of a 10-second safe crossing window, 70–80 km satellite separation, and uniform orbital distribution, the model finds a geometric capacity of ~6.3 million satellites, serving as a physical but not operational upper bound. (10/29)

Globalstar Shares Jump on Rumors of $10 Billion Sale Talks (Source: Mach 33)
Globalstar surged 8% after reports from The Information indicated that Chairman James Monroe has privately discussed selling the company for over $10 billion, nearly double its current market capitalization of ~$5.3 billion. The rumored price reflects speculation that both Globalstar and its main customer Apple may be exploring ways to reduce mutual dependency, given Apple’s ~$2 billion investment in the firm over the past three years to support iPhone satellite emergency messaging. (10/23)