November 20, 2025

Germany Expected to Increase ESA Contribution (Source: Space News)
Industry is expecting Germany to step up its contribution to the European Space Agency at next week’s ministerial conference. Germany was ESA’s biggest contributor at the previous ministerial in 2022, providing 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion). Industry executives want Germany to significantly increase that at the ministerial in Bremen, with many expecting a range of 4.5 to 5 billion euros. A large increase will likely be needed for ESA to meet its goal of 22 billion euros for the next three years. (11/20)

iRocket's Rocket to Use Kymeta Metamaterial Tech for Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Antenna manufacturer Kymeta announced it is working with launch startup iRocket for connectivity technologies for Golden Dome. The companies announced a partnership Wednesday to leverage the metamaterial technology used in Kymeta’s multi-orbit broadband user terminals to connect IRX-100, a short-range missile iRocket flew for the first time last month. The technology would enable multi-orbit connectivity the companies argue is required for Golden Dome, which is expected to include space-based interceptors. (11/20)

Swedish Space Corp. Rolls Out New Ground Station Service for Small Satellites (Source: Space News)
SSC will use smaller antennas at five of the company’s ground stations to support individual smallsats and constellations of them. The company says SSC Go is a streamlined, less expensive version of the ground station services it offers to other customers, and will compete with similar offering from KSAT and Leaf Space. (11/20)

Italian-Dutch Revolv Gains Customer for Solar Array Drive Tech (Source: Space News)
Italian-Dutch company Revolv Space has its first customer for the company’s next-generation solar array drive assembly. The company said it has sold 10 units of that product, called MARA, to an unnamed customer. The technology is intended to serve as a solution that fills the gap between body-mounted solar arrays and costly, bespoke-design drive assemblies sold by legacy manufacturers. (11/20)

NASA Releases 3I/ATLAS Images, Confirming Comet Status (Source: AP)
NASA released a batch of images of an interstellar comet. The images of comet 3I/ATLAS, released Wednesday, were taken by several spacecraft from Earth orbit to Mars. Some of the images were taken weeks ago but could not be released until after the six-week government shutdown ended. The images and other data from those spacecraft support the hypothesis that 3I/ATLAS is from a solar system older than our own. NASA officials also added that the images show that 3I/ATLAS is indeed a comet and not an extraterrestrial spacecraft. (11/19)

Canadian Space Companies Say They Can Level Up Internationally with Government Support (Source: SpaceQ)
The US wants its defense partners to increase NATO and NORAD spending, while the Americans also are pursuing tariffs and protectionist economic policies that make it more difficult for international companies to grow there. Europe, which is pursuing sovereign launch and programs and is more open to international collaborations, is emerging as a stronger strategic partner for Canada. Meanwhile, the Canadian federal budget includes $182.6 million for sovereign space launch capability – but Canadian companies are asking for a fresh space strategy to address the changing market conditions.

Four Canadian companies took stock of where we are now and how the Canadian government can help support the new space situation. Representatives from Honeywell, MDA Space, Telesat and Terrestar Solutions all weighed in. They recommended strategic spending increases, revival of a National Space Council, and "economic diplomacy" with the US. (11/18)

North American Space Institute (NASI) Prepares for its First Cohort (Source: SpaceQ)
Starting this winter, Canadians are going to have a new pathway into the space sector, as the newly-formed North American Space Institute (NASI) welcomes its first cohort of aspiring space technicians this coming January. Founded by former Canadian Space Agency (CSA) technologist Michael Graham earlier this year, the Institute aims to become “the national platform building Canada’s certified space workforce.” Their site mentions several different courses related to space sector, but the most notable is their Space Systems Technician program, which is Canada’s first space technician program certified by the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA). (11/18)

Sidus Space Delivers Hardware, Software to Xiomas Technologies Under NASA Award (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space completed its NASA Phase II Sequential Award with Xiomas Technologies, delivering a custom FeatherEdge Data Processing Unit (DPU), advanced software solutions, and a comprehensive final report to Xiomas, marking a significant milestone in edge computing for thermal imaging applications. Xiomas’ Thermal Mapping and Measurement System (TMMS) is a compact, multi-band thermal infrared camera system designed for UAVs and small satellites. (11/20)

SpaceX Could be More Valuable Than OpenAI (Source: Axios)
Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha said Elon Musk's SpaceX has a "bigger chance of being the most valuable company" than OpenAI during a sit-down interview at Axios' BFD event on Tuesday. Botha's opinion can move markets and completely overthrows the prevailing view that OpenAI is the tech industry's most valuable player. (11/18)

Yank Technologies Awarded NASA Phase III Commercialization Contract to Advance Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for Moon and Mars Missions (Source: Yank)
Yank Technologies, the developer of disruptive long range, high power wireless charging solutions, has been awarded a $1 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) commercialization contract from NASA to prepare and advance Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for bi-directional vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer on lunar and Mars surfaces. (11/18)

Russian Satellite That Worried NATO Enters End-of-Life Orbit (Source: Newsweek)
A Russian satellite, that previously sparked alarm from NATO member Germany about Moscow’s military intentions in space, is nearing the end of its mission, according to analysis. Kayhan Space, a Colorado-based firm of spaceflight and satellite experts, said it had found that the Luch-Olymp satellite appears to be maneuvering to an end-of-life orbit. (11/8)

Japanese Town Aims to Become East Asian Space Launch Hub (Source: Nippon.com)
With the space industry gearing up, the front runner in Japan is Hokkaidō Spaceport (HOSPO) in the town of Taiki, Hokkaidō, where a Taiwanese company recently performed a launch. In terms of location, Taiki faces the open Pacific to the east and south, making it ideal for SSO launches. Ide Shinji, the director of space transportation and spaceports at the National Space Policy Secretariat of the Cabinet Office, emphasizes the site’s advantages: “The south opens onto the sea, so there is minimal energy loss for SSO launches, making it an attractive location for launching satellites.” (11/19)

Germany’s First Space Security Strategy Aims at Independent Defensive, Offensive Capabilities (Source: Breaking Defense)
Germany’s first-ever national security space strategy envisions a plethora of new military capabilities to boost Berlin’s capacity to act independently to protect and defend its space assets — as well as play a stronger role in influencing European and global security policymaking. Far from being a wish list, MoD’s ambitious plans now have the resources to enable them following the Sep. 25 announcement that Berlin will invest €35 billion ($41 billion) over the next five years on space security. (11/19)

Cosmic Paradox Reveals the Awful Consequence of an Observer-Free Universe (Source: Quanta)
Tinkering at their desks with the mathematics of quantum space and time, physicists have discovered a puzzling conundrum. The arcane rules of quantum theory and gravity let them imagine many different kinds of universes in precise detail, enabling powerful thought experiments that in recent years have addressed long-standing mysteries swirling around black holes.

But when a group of researchers examined a universe intriguingly like our own in 2019, they found a paradox: The theoretical universe seemed to admit only a single possible state. It appeared so simple that its contents could be described without conveying even a single bit of data, not even a choice of a zero or a one. This result clashed with the fact that this type of universe should be capable of hosting black holes, stars, planets — and people. Yet all those rich details were nowhere to be seen. (11/19)

NASA Cassini Study Finds Organics ‘Fresh’ From Ocean of Enceladus (Source: NASA)
Researchers dove deep into information gathered from the ice grains that were collected during a close and super-fast flyby through a plume of Saturn’s icy moon. A new analysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission found evidence of previously undetected organic compounds in a plume of ice particles ejected from the ocean that lies under the frozen shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Researchers spotted not only molecules they’ve found before but also new ones that lay a potential path to chemical or biochemical activity. (11/19)

T-Mobile: AST SpaceMobile Satellites Pose Potential Risk to Cellular Networks (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX's partner, T-Mobile, is pressing US regulators to scrutinize AST SpaceMobile, arguing that the company’s satellites risk causing harmful interference to terrestrial cell networks. On Tuesday, T-Mobile sent a letter to the FCC, which is reviewing AST SpaceMobile’s application to operate a satellite internet service for phones. It urges the FCC to "take no action" on AST's application "unless and until sufficient information is provided” about the radio interference concerns.

“AST has failed to demonstrate that its proposed SCS [Supplemental Coverage from Space] operations will satisfy the Commission’s stated goal to minimize the risk of interference from SCS services to existing terrestrial networks,” the carrier says. (11/18)

UP Aerospace Launches Suborbital Rocket at Spaceport America (Source: Spaceport America)
Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. local time, UP AEROSPACE conducted its 23rd suborbital rocket launch from Spaceport America The flight carried payloads from Los Alamos National Laboratory, enabling the federally-funded R&D site to conduct space-related tests. Additional payload collaborators included NASA Ames Research Center and Redwire Space. (11/19)

Soon 100 PocketQube Satellites Will Be On-Orbit for the PocketQube Community (Source: SatNews)
Four PocketQubes will be deployed by PocketQube broker, Alba Orbital, in collaboration with SEOPS as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare mission with SpaceX. The PocketQube standard was first developed in 2009 at Morehead State University (MSU) and Kentucky Space to help universities and researchers across the globe perform space science and exploration at a fraction of the traditional cost.

Each PocketQube measures just 5 cm³ per unit (or “1P”), making them among the smallest operational satellites ever developed. In spite of their size, the capabilities of PocketQubes are immense—their compact form factor allows for launches starting from as little as €25k through Alba Orbital’s dedicated launch services. This affordability has opened space access to high schools, universities, startups, and research institutions worldwide. (11/2)

Blocking Space Radiation with Nanotubes! (Source: EurekAlert)
High-energy cosmic radiation damages cells and DNA, causing cancer, and secondary neutrons- generated especially from the planetary surfaces,- can be up to 20 times more harmful than other radiations. Aluminum, the most widely used shielding material, has the drawback of generating additional secondary neutrons when below a certain thickness. Consequently, 'boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs)', which are lightweight, strong, and possess excellent neutron shielding capabilities, are emerging as a promising alternative.

BNNTs are ultrafine tubular only about 5 nanometers in diameter-roughly 1/20,000 the thickness of a human hair-making them extremely light and strong, with excellent thermal neutron absorption capability. However, due to limitations in fabrication technology, they have so far only been produced into thin & brittle sheet, restricting their practical applications. (11/19)

Initial Steps Toward a First Canadian Lunar CubeSat (Source: Govt. of Canada)
Establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon requires international collaboration and the development of complementary expertise and technologies. Since 2019, through its Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been supporting Canada's space sector for potential opportunities in the global commercial space market and long-term lunar exploration.

The CSA recently awarded a contract for a total value of up to $6.9M to Magellan Aerospace for an ambitious technology demonstration project that includes what would become Canada's first CubeSat to the Moon. As part of this contract, Magellan Aerospace's project aims to develop: a CubeSat equipped with a multispectral imager to create a detailed resource map of the lunar surface; a software package that will use data from the imager to test a novel lunar positioning algorithm; and a technology designed to impact the lunar surface at high velocity to provide insight into the physical and mechanical properties of the regolith. (11/18)

Quindar Raises $18 Million to Scale Satellite Operations Software (Source: Space News)
Quindar, a Colorado startup developing cloud-based ground systems for satellite operators, has secured $18 million in Series A funding to scale its mission-operations platform and expand into classified government work. Founded by ex-OneWeb engineers, Quindar aims to replace bespoke ground systems with automated tools. A high security Denver-area facility will also be built. (11/19)

Jacksonville-Based Redwire Lands $44 Million DARPA Award to Build Air-Breathing VLEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
Redwire secured a $44 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to finish building a satellite designed to operate in very low Earth orbit, the company said Nov. 19. The award expands a 2024 agreement in which DARPA tapped the Florida company for its Otter Very Low Earth Orbit mission, an effort to field an air breathing spacecraft that can function in an extremely thin but still resistant atmosphere. (11/19)

OQ Technology Sends Europe’s First D2D Message (Source: Payload)
Luxembourg-based satcom startup OQ Technology sent a test emergency broadcast message from its satellites in LEO to mobile phones on Earth, marking the first time a European satellite operator has connected directly with cellular devices on the ground. It’s not an industry first—satcom firms including Viasat, SpaceX’s Starlink, AST SpaceMobile and others have achieved direct-to-device (D2D) connections before. But OQ’s milestone opens the door for Europe to build its own sovereign D2D capabilities. (11/19)

A Debate on the Wolf Amendment (Source: Payload)
Necessary national security safeguard, or out-of-touch barrier to communication with a leading space power? That was the question at the heart of a debate last week on whether the Wolf Amendment is still in America’s best interest, almost 15 years after it became law. The event, hosted by The Aerospace Corporation and George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, included officials debating whether the amendment should be repealed—and more broadly, what US cooperation with China in orbit should look like.

Dan Hart of the Atlantic Council said that the Wolf Amendment no longer serves the interests of the US. He argued that regulations like ITAR already protect agencies in international collaboration, and the amendment is “redundant to more effective measures already in place.” Cooperation in space with China for civil and scientific space priorities could open the door for diplomatic conversations, but the Wolf Amendment eliminates the possibility of subtle engagement and gradual cooperation towards the goal, instead requiring a major policy shift to even work on small projects.

This debate may be happening in a think-tank setting, but there’s no evidence it’s happening on Capitol Hill. Leaders of the space committees in both the House and Senate have supported the Wolf Amendment, and Congress has other things on its plate—including finding a way to pass budget bills, and avert another shutdown in a little over two months. (11/18)

The Next Frontier: UAE’s Ambitions in Space Show No Sign of Letting Up (Sources: Flight Global, Sotheby's)
It may not have had the speed of the race to the Moon in the 1960s, but for a nation that launched its first satellite only at the dawn of this century, the United Arab Emirates’ ascent as a space power has been stellar. By leveraging space as a form of soft power, the UAE aims to establish itself as a prominent player in the space sector on the Arabian Peninsula, a position which will, it is assumed, help promote other important industries.

The UAE Space Agency operates with an abundance of strategic goals, including attracting top-class talent, improving efficiencies across various government sectors, and creating a regulatory environment that promotes business and investment. Beyond this, it hopes to develop tangible space capabilities while transferring acquired knowledge to improve standards within the private sector. (11/19)

SCHOTT Launches High-Performance Cover Glass for Next-Generation Space Solar Cells (Source: Spacewatch Global)
SCHOTT has announced its SCHOTT Solar Glass exos, an innovative solar cell cover glass designed for next-generation space missions. Exos provides enhanced radiation resistance and optical performance for simple silicon cells up to III-V multijunction satellite solar cells. The product was jointly developed with Heilbronn-based AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH, with funding from ESA. (11/18)

Katalyst Selects Pegasus Rocket to Launch Swift Reboost Mission (Source: Space News)
A startup named Katalyst Space Systems has chosen Northrop Grumman's air-launched Pegasus rocket to boost the Swift observatory satellite's decaying orbit, a mission for which it has a NASA contract. The choice of the Pegasus is due to the high delta-v needed for this particular mission, which is challenging for most small launch vehicles. This mission, targeted for mid-2026, marks the first time a commercial robotic spacecraft will capture and reboost a government satellite not initially designed for such servicing.

The launch operations will take place at the Reagan Test Site, located on Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus is an air-launched rocket that is dropped from an L1011 aircraft before its engines ignite. It has seen a decrease in demand in recent years due to the rise of lower-cost alternatives. Editor's Note: According to online reports, this Pegasus vehicle may be the last one in Northrop Grumman's inventory. Will they build more? (11/19)

OroraTech and Earth Fire Alliance Partner to Expand Global Access to Space-Based Wildfire Intelligence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
OroraTech, a leader in orbital wildfire intelligence, and Earth Fire Alliance (EFA), a global nonprofit committed to delivering data and insights from all wildfires on Earth, have announced a new partnership aimed at transforming access to wildfire data for responders worldwide. The partnership brings together advanced, space-based thermal detection and monitoring capabilities from both organizations, creating unmatched actionable wildfire intelligence. By combining data and efforts, OroraTech and EFA will subsequently empower agencies across the globe with real-time wildfire detection, monitoring, and mitigation insights. (11/19)

European Launch Startups Not Selected for ELC Remain Active (Sources: Space Intel Report, SPACErePORT)
A week before ESA governments vote on a proposal to provide up to 169 million euros ($184,4 million) each to the five winners of the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) is a good time for European launcher startups to jockey for attention — even if they aren’t among the ELC winners. The agency’s July selection of five ELC participants -- Maia Space of France, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) of Germany, Orbex of Britain, and PLD Space of Spain -- does not spell the end for unselected competitors.

Some of them have secured private funding or national government support and are pushing ahead with their development and launch plans. Companies like Skyrora (UK), Sirius Space Services (France), Latitude (France), HyImpulse (Germany), HyPrSpace (France), and The Exploration Company (Germany/France) continue to develop their rockets and hope to be able to compete for future opportunities. (11/18)

Can America Beat China Back to the Moon? (Source: Space Daily)
The United States faces a narrowing window to claim its position as the first nation to return humans to the Moon in the 21st century. While NASA's official timeline targets Artemis 3 for no earlier than mid-2027 - roughly three years before China's 2030 lunar landing goal - the path forward is fraught with technical complexity, schedule pressure, and the kind of engineering challenges that have historically humbled even the most ambitious space programs.

In Beijing, the China Manned Space Agency maintains a studied composure, presenting its program not as a race but as a methodical national priority. Which narrative proves correct - the sprint or the marathon - will largely depend on whether several interlocking technical and operational milestones actually hold to their compressed timelines.

Can America beat China back to the Moon? Technically, yes - if everything proceeds remarkably well from this point forward. The real competition, if that occurs, isn't about who lands first - it's about who establishes a sustained, productive presence on the lunar surface. That game, unlike the sprint to the pole, plays to America's demonstrated strength in long-duration missions, international partnerships, and continuous infrastructure development. (11/19)

PLD Space Expands Rocket Subsystem Testing Leadership in Europe (Source: Space Daily)
PLD Space is now operating its Teruel Airport testing facility at maximum capacity, with over 155,000 square meters dedicated to rocket development. The company utilizes ten self-designed test benches for its MIURA 5 launcher, establishing the largest private rocket testing infrastructure in Europe and strengthening its vertical integration strategy.

Subsystem qualification for MIURA 5 proceeds rapidly, with the facilities enabling component manufacture and testing within 24 hours. The company's approach, "Test like you fly," ensures every critical launcher subsystem undergoes assessments that replicate flight conditions. This methodology accelerates learning about subsystem performance, shortens development timelines, and builds reliability. Raul Torres, CEO and co-founder, stated, "Reliability is built through testing. Our Teruel infrastructures provide us with absolute control over each rocket component, shortening timelines and ensuring the highest technical quality. They are an essential part of our vertical integration model." (11/18)

Star Catcher Achieves Milestone for Wireless Energy Delivery to Moon Missions (Source: Space Daily)
The lunar South Pole has gained attention from scientific and commercial sectors due to long-term exploration plans and its possible water ice deposits, which may enable future life support and fuel production. Deep craters in permanent shadow make this region a focal point for NASA's Artemis program and other international initiatives.

Recent technology demonstrations aim to overcome harsh environmental limits facing lunar terrain vehicles. Star Catcher Industries has developed an orbital energy grid to deliver power on demand by collecting sunlight in lunar orbit, converting it to laser-based energy, and beaming it wirelessly to solar panels on the surface. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Star Catcher's orbital energy grid transmitted energy to Intuitive Machines' Moon RACER Lunar Terrain Vehicle. (11/18)

Oledcomm's Intersatellite Terminal Selected for France 2030 (Source: Oedcomm)
Oledcomm has been selected by the French National Space Agency (CNES) as part of the France 2030 program. Oledcomm will develop an inter-satellite optical communications service for the program’s space component. Oledcomm will develop an innovative terminal, LUCI (Ultra-Compact Inter-Satellite Liaison), and demonstrate a bidirectional inter-satellite communications service. LUCI combines low power consumption with very high bandwidth, ensuring a quality of service suited to next-generation satellite communications. (11/19)

Water Ice Detection Campaign Prepares Lunar Robots for Moon Mission (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers in Germany have conducted a campaign at the LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne to evaluate how water ice could be located and mapped on the Moon. Instruments and robotic vehicles were used in a simulated lunar environment with a substantial area covered in regolith material similar to Moon dust.

The Polar Explorer campaign at LUNA tested the mobility and sensing abilities of two rover units equipped with radar, spectroscopic, and seismic instruments. Nicole Schmitz from the DLR Institute of Space Research noted that combining varied detection methods greatly improves reliability in mapping water ice. Preliminary analysis confirms that the rovers successfully identified and mapped simulated subsurface water ice. (11/18)