November 13, 2025

Ancient Martian Groundwater May Have Prolonged Habitability Beyond Previous Estimates (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi have discovered evidence that water once permeated beneath the surface of Mars, indicating the red planet may have remained suited for life longer than scientists previously believed. Researchers examined data collected by NASA's Curiosity rover in Gale Crater, focusing on sedimentary structures formed billions of years ago. By comparing these Martian rocks with similarly lithified sand dunes found in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates, the scientists reconstructed how water once moved through the Martian crust.

Their research revealed that groundwater from neighboring highlands gradually migrated upward through the dunes, filling tiny cracks and pore spaces. This process left behind minerals such as gypsum, which are known on Earth to preserve organic material for millions of years. The presence of these minerals on Mars provides a strong scientific basis for targeting subsurface deposits in future missions searching for traces of ancient life. (11/13)

How to Spot Life in the Clouds on Other Worlds (Source: Space Daily)
An exoplanet with dense or even total cloud cover could help astronomers searching for signs of life beyond our planet. Cornell University researchers have created the first reflectance spectra - a color-coded key - of diverse, colorful microorganisms that live in the clouds floating above Earth's surface. Astronomers don't know if these bacteria exist elsewhere in the universe and in enough abundance to be detected by telescopes; on Earth they are not. But now astronomers can use the color key in the search for life outside our world - making an exoplanet's clouds, in addition to its surface and air, a promising realm for finding signs of life. (11/12)

Next-Generation GHGSat Satellites to Expand Commercial Greenhouse Gas Monitoring (Source: Space Daily)
SFL Missions Inc. has secured a contract from GHGSat, Montreal, to supply two additional commercial microsatellites for the GHGSat greenhouse gas monitoring constellation. The satellites, designated GHGSat-C18 and GHGSat-C19, are in development at SFL Missions' Toronto facility, which is currently working on 37 satellites for clients in the commercial, government, and research sectors. GHGSat-C18 and C19 will be based on the same 15-kg NEMO platform previously used for the construction of 11 other GHGSat satellites. Upon completion, both units will be sent to Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, for launch as a pair aboard a SpaceX Transporter mission. (11/13)

European Response to Escalating Space Security Crisis (Source: Space Daily)
Facing a new era of satellite surveillance and jamming, European governments are moving rapidly to strengthen their defenses in orbit. The twin challenges posed by Russian and Chinese activities have forced the continent to confront longstanding vulnerabilities in both military and civilian space infrastructure. While much of the public discourse addresses threats, a parallel focus has emerged: what is Europe actually doing about it?

Recent incidents, reported by defense officials in Germany and the United Kingdom, have spurred waves of policy response and technological innovation. Russian satellite stalking and weekly jamming of British and German assets have demonstrated the reality of space as a contested front in modern geopolitics. At the same time, the pace and sophistication of Chinese satellite capabilities - ranging from robotic arm technology to precision maneuvers - underscore the need for broader, coordinated approaches to space security. (11/10)

Europe Faces Satellite Espionage Threat from Russia and China (Source: Space Daily)
Germany and the United Kingdom have raised alarms regarding the escalating danger posed by Russian and Chinese activity in space, with recent incidents putting focus on the growing threat to Western satellites. Both countries have publicly accused Russia of stalking, jamming, and interfering with their orbital systems, while experts have warned that China's rapid technological advances could wield an equal, if not greater, challenge to European space security.

At a major space industry conference in Berlin in September 2025, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made headlines when he declared, "Russia's actions, especially in space, pose a fundamental threat to us all - a threat we can no longer ignore." This warning comes against the backdrop of repeated instances where Russian reconnaissance satellites were observed closely shadowing those operated by IntelSat, a prominent provider of satellite services for governments and commercial entities across Europe and the United States. (11/10)

Firefly's Next Launch Coming Soon (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace has rescheduled the return-to-flight of its Alpha rocket for around the end of the year. The company announced Wednesday it completed the investigation into the loss of the booster that had been built for the Alpha Flight 7 mission during testing at a company facility in Texas. Firefly said that minute hydrocarbon contamination in a fluid line caused a combustion event in one engine, destroying the stage. The company said it will use the booster that had been built for a following launch for Flight 7, which is now scheduled for late this quarter or early next quarter. That will be the first Alpha launch since a failure in April. (11/13)

Lux Aeterna Developing Satellite Heat Shield for Reusability (Source: Space News)
Lux Aeterna is attracting interest from across the U.S. government for heat shield technology designed to make satellites fully reusable. The startup has recently entered Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, as well as a Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Ames Research Center. The company says the partnerships reflect rising government interest in its reusable satellite architecture, particularly a novel rigid heat shield that would serve as the spacecraft’s structural bus. Its first reusable satellite, Delphi-1, is slated to launch on a reentry mission in early 2027. (11/13)

GE Aerospace Testing Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System (Source: Flight Global)
GE Aerospace has begun comprehensive testing of its hybrid-electric propulsion system, based on the Passport turbofan and part of NASA's Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core program. The tests are evaluating the system's ability to manage power in various operational configurations, including extracting and inserting power during simulated flight phases. Notably, the setup can function without reliance on batteries, addressing a key limitation in current aviation hybrid technologies. (11/11)

NASA Brings Workers Back After Month+ Furlough (Source: New York Times)
The longest federal government shutdown in history is now over. The House passed a spending bill Wednesday that was signed into law Wednesday night by President Donald Trump. The bill provides funding for all of fiscal year 2026 for a few parts of the government, including agriculture and military construction, with the rest funded through January. NASA notified employees Wednesday that it expected to resume normal operations, and have staff who had been furloughed since the beginning of October return to work, on Thursday. (11/13)

Vega Launch Planned for Nov. 28 at Kourou (Source: Arianespace)
The next Vega launch is planned for late this month. Arianespace said Thursday that it has scheduled a Vega C launch of South Korea’s KOMPSAT-7 spacecraft for Nov. 28 from French Guiana. The 2,000-kilogram satellite will provide high-resolution imagery for the South Korean government. This will be the third Vega C launch of the year and one of the last operated by Arianespace before it hands over those responsibilities to Avio. (11/13)

Launches and Satellites Endanger Atmosphere (Source: Space News)
The growth in satellites and launches poses risks for the Earth’s atmosphere, researchers argue. New research posted to the preprint database ArXiv finds that spacecraft reentering the atmosphere inject a considerable amount of its matter into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, enough to potentially weaken the Earth’s ozone layer. Although more work is needed to explore possible effects on the atmosphere in detail, the associated risk of such “space waste” is substantial, German scientists who led the study claim. (11/13)

Astronomers Observe Solar Storm on Another Star (Source: Science)
Astronomers have observed for the first time a solar storm on another star. Astronomers used observations from a radio telescope along with X-ray observations by ESA’s XMM-Newton space telescope to detect a coronal mass ejection (CME) from a red dwarf star about 130 light-years away. The CME is powerful enough that, if any Earth-like planets orbited the star, the burst would have compressed the planet’s atmosphere to the surface: “bad news” for any life there, one astronomer said. (11/13)

Starlink, OneWeb Speed Up South Korea Service Rollout (Source: Chosun)
Low Earth orbit satellite communication services, a next-generation telecom infrastructure such as Starlink and OneWeb, are expected to launch in earnest in Korea within the year. Starlink Korea has recently opened a domestic website and begun providing service information, preparing to start operations. It also obtained approval for a cross-border supply agreement and conformity certification for antenna equipment, among other things.

OneWeb, a subsidiary of the French-British joint venture Eutelsat, is also nearing service launch. OneWeb met the requirements to push ahead with the business after its agreements with domestic common carriers Hanwha Systems and KT SAT were approved. OneWeb installed domestic point-of-presence (PoP) equipment over the summer and finished related infrastructure maintenance. (11/12)

Blue Origin Is Working on Orbital Data Centers (Source: Mach 33)
Jeff Bezos said Blue Origin is "working on" orbital data centers, and noted that “you get 8× more energy in space than on Earth for a given area of solar panel". The remarks suggest Blue Origin may be preparing to enter the in-orbit computing market, placing it alongside SpaceX and Google, both of which disclosed in the past week that they are developing space-based data-center initiatives leveraging orbital solar power and satellite connectivity for large-scale AI compute.

We appear to be entering a space data-center race, as major technology and aerospace companies converge on the same conclusion: one of the few sustainable long-term solutions to the AI energy bottleneck may lie beyond Earth. (11/12)

French Satellite Manufacturer U-Space Raises €24M in Series A Funding (Source: European Spaceflight)
U-Space has secured €24 million in new funding to expand its production capacity and support its growth into international markets. U-Space was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from research conducted at the French aerospace engineering school ISAE-SUPAERO and secured an initial €7 million funding round in 2022. The company is developing modular nanosatellite platforms with a focus on building small satellite constellations. Its production facilities, which it refers to as “U-Zine,” are designed to enable serial satellite manufacturing using highly automated, digitally integrated processes inspired by the automotive industry. (11/12)

Arizona Spaceport Planned at Yuma (Source: Yuma Spaceport)
Situated in one of the most weather-reliable regions in the country, Yuma Spaceport is a pioneering launch and testing facility designed to propel aerospace innovation forward. With strategic access to polar and equatorial orbits, cutting-edge infrastructure, and strong partnerships across industry, government, and education, we’re building a launchpad for the future of space exploration, economic growth, and technological advancement—right here in the Southwest.

Designed to support vertical launch operations, advanced propulsion testing, and aerospace innovation, the spaceport serves as a catalyst for regional growth and national advancement. (11/12)

SpaceX Pushing Infrastructure at Texas and Florida Spaceports for Starship (Source: NSF)
SpaceX has intensified demolition efforts at Starbase’s Pad 1, in tandem with making significant steps toward constructing an advanced launch infrastructure for its Starship program at Starbase and the Kennedy Space Center. Eventually, all three pads are expected to be near mirrors of each other, hosting the next generation Starship launches. Over at Starbase’s Pad 1, crews have removed large sections of the launch mount, including the protective shielding around the walkway and portions of the launch ring itself, as the site undergoes a comprehensive overhaul.

Shifting focus to Florida’s Space Coast, Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) achieved a key milestone with the installation of its new Starship launch mount. On November 4, the mount was transported from the Roberts Road Operations Area to the pad in a four-hour operation. The following day, a single LR 13000 crane lifted and positioned it atop the flame trench, requiring rotation and clearance from one chopstick arm. Compared to Starbase’s Pad 2—where a similar mount was installed in May—LC-39A’s version arrived more complete, featuring pre-installed deluge manifolds, booster quick disconnect brackets, and a methane hood. Click here for a video report. (11/12)

Goddard Personnel Under "Constant Attack" by White House (Source: NPR)
The Goddard Space Center is one NASA's crown jewels of science. But in recent months, staff say they've been in the White House's crosshairs, subjected to a campaign of chaos and reorganization. Everyone interviewed described a campaign of disruption from the highest levels of leadership - an information blackout, buildings closed, labs and projects moved without warning, staff rotated off projects and reorganized chaotically. All of this has made little sense and has jeopardized the work, they say. McGrath says at least two buildings have been shut down completely. (11/12)

When Space Junk Comes Home (Source: Universe Today)
Early one February morning in 2025, Adam Borucki discovered something extraordinary behind his warehouse in Poland, a charred metal tank, roughly 1.5 meters across, sitting in his back yard. It had crashed from space during the night, part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that failed to complete its controlled descent into the Pacific Ocean. Who pays when a private company's space hardware crashes into your property?

The answer, surprisingly, isn't straightforward. A new analysis by Elisa Leoni examines how the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects struggles to handle today's commercial space industry. The treaty was written when only governments launched rockets, and it shows. Under the Convention's rules, states bear international responsibility for damage caused by space objects, even when private companies operate them. If Borucki wanted compensation, Poland would need to file a claim against the United States as the "launching state," since SpaceX launched from California. (11/12)

Uruguay Space Summit Takes Off in April 2026 (Source: Uruguay Space Summit)
For three days, Montevideo will be the meeting point for researchers, companies and leaders of the space industry to imagine (and build) the future from the southern hemisphere. The Summit will be a space for open collaboration, where we want to co-create together with the local and international ecosystem, generating real links between academia, industry and the public sector. Click here. (11/12)

Ecuador Aerospace Summit Takes Off on Nov. 28 (Source: i3Lab)
We invite you to the AeroTech Summit 2025, the first university congress of Aerospace Technology in Ecuador. Meet leaders of the Ecuadorian Space Society, explore innovations in science and technology at our Aerospace Science Fair, and hear first-hand about a NASA engineer's experience in developing the Artemis mission to return to the Moon! Click here. (11/11)

Howard Joins McGill Space Law Institute (Source: McGill)
The McGill Institute of Air and Space Law is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Diane Howard as Adjunct Professor. Prof. Diane Howard has devoted her space career to public service – through both pedagogy and policy development. She most recently served as Director of Commercial Space Policy at the National Space Council (NSpC) in the Executive Office of the President, advising and assisting the President on the development and implementation of space policy and strategy. Previously, Dr. Howard served as Chief Counsel for Space Commerce in the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of the General Counsel. (11/10)

Blue Origin’s Picks & Shovels Playbook for the Moon & Mars (Source: SpaceCom)
“The moon is a gift from the universe,” said Bezos. “It takes about 30 times less energy to lift a kilogram of mass off the moon than it does to lift it off the earth. So, we can use the moon as a rocket fuel depot to go to the rest of the solar system.” Each kilogram of oxygen we make on the lunar surface is one less that we have to launch from Earth, making a giant leap toward permanent settlements as well as critical resources for transportation to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, according to Blue Origin's Pat Remias.

If Blue Origin unlocks the lunar resources for lunar exploration, certainly there’s a role for it to be slotted into the current SpaceX Starship deep space architectures, which are very much dependent at this point upon a single Starship in LEO requiring multiple Starship tanker flights to fill up on fuel. Exactly how many refueling flights are required is still an unknown variable. Lunar resources become even more attractive to future Mars missions and colonization if explorers move away from baseline chemical engines and the Starship form factor into electric propulsion, VASMIR, and other concepts that would use Moon-produced solar cells and propellants. (11/12)

Airspace Closure Suggests China is Preparing for a Shenzhou Landing After Debris Impact Scare (Sources: Space News, Seeking Alpha)
China appears to be preparing for reentry and landing of a spacecraft, issuing an airspace closure notice days after a suspected debris strike forced a postponement of the planned return of the Shenzhou-20 crew. China had activated an emergency plan for three astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission, including safety reviews and landing simulations. The astronauts are reported to be safe and in good condition, though the full extent of the damage to the return capsule is unknown. (11/12)

SES, Relativity Space Expand Multi-Launch Agreement for Terran R (Source: Relativity)
SES announced an extended multi-year, multi-launch services agreement with Relativity Space, the aerospace company building the Terran R rocket. The companies are partnering for multiple launches aboard Terran R, a medium-to-heavy-lift, reusable launch vehicle. The expanded agreement includes previously unannounced SES launches. With this new agreement, Relativity’s Terran R will provide SES with high performance, reliability, and affordable access to space. Terran R’s first launch is currently planned for late 2026 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (11/12)

Firefly Aerospace Identifies Cause of Alpha Test Anomaly (Source: NSF)
Firefly Aerospace has pinpointed a minor hydrocarbon contamination as the root cause of a combustion event during a ground test of its Alpha Flight 7 rocket’s first stage in September at its Briggs test facility. The incident, which resulted in the loss of the stage, stemmed from a process error during integration. The company emphasized that it was not a design flaw and has already implemented corrective measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. As such, they are back on track to launch their next Alpha rocket in the coming months. (11/12)

With Another Record Broken, the World’s Busiest Spaceport Keeps Getting Busier (Source: Ars Technica)
Another Falcon 9 rocket flew on Monday night, the 94th orbital launch from Florida’s Space Coast so far in 2025, breaking the previous record at the world’s busiest spaceport. It came two days after a Chinese Long March 11 rocket lifted off from an oceangoing platform on the opposite side of the world, marking humanity’s 255th mission to reach orbit this year, a new annual record for global launch activity. As of Wednesday, a handful of additional missions have pushed the global figure this year to 259, putting the world on pace for around 300 by the end of 2025. This will more than double the global tally of 135 orbital launches in 2021.

Despite all of the newcomers, most satellite operators see a shortage of launch capacity on the commercial market. “The industry is likely to remain supply-constrained through the balance of the decade,” wrote Caleb Henry.
ULA’s Vulcan rocket, Rocket Lab’s Neutron, Stoke Space’s Nova, Relativity Space’s Terran R, and Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman’s Eclipse are among the other rockets vying for a bite at the launch apple.

“Whether or not the market can support six medium to heavy lift launch providers from the US alone—plus Starship—is an open question, but for the remainder of the decade launch demand is likely to remain high, presenting an opportunity for one or more new players to establish themselves in the pecking order,” said Henry. (11/12)

France to Add $4.9 Billion to its 2026-2030 Military Space Budget and $18.5 Billion for Civil Space Including ESA, EU Spending (Source: Space Intel Report)
President Emmanuel Macron said France had reshuffled its budget to provide an additional 4.2 billion euros ($4.9 billion) to its military space budget between now and 2030, a 70% increase over the 6 billion euros already budgetED as part of its Military Program Law covering 2024-2030. France would spend more than 16 billion euros on civil space programs, including dual-use investment, between 2026 and 2030, an increase of about 30% over what it spends now. (11/12)

Amazon’s Project Kuiper Breaks into Agricultural Market With Connected Farms Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
Agricultural connectivity company Connected Farms has a new deal with Amazon to bring Project Kuiper’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity to farmers. Connected Farms plans to integrate Kuiper into its CommsXtend farm connectivity product with a variant of Amazon’s high-performance phased array antenna. Connected Farms plans to start piloting service in 2026 across the United Kingdom and North America and increase service availability as Project Kuiper builds out its constellation. The companies announced the deal Wednesday during the Agrictechnica event in Hanover, Germany. (11/12)

Analysts Examine D2D Shake-up in Light of SES/Lynk/Omnispace Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
The direct-to-device (D2D) market recently saw a significant piece of consolidation with Lynk Global and Omnispace’s plans to merge, along with a strategic bet from SES. Once the merger is completed, SES will become a major strategic shareholder. (11/12)