November 6, 2025

Starcloud Launches First Satellite With NVIDIA H100 GPU to Kickstart Orbital Data-Centers (Source: Mach 33)
Y Combinator announced that portfolio company Starcloud successfully launched its first satellite just 21 months after founding, marking the first-ever deployment of an NVIDIA H100 GPU in space. The milestone positions Starcloud as a pioneer in the emerging field of orbital data centers, leveraging solar power and on-orbit compute to process data directly in space. The satellite’s payload will demonstrate high-efficiency AI inference and onboard processing capabilities designed to reduce latency and bandwidth costs associated with downlinking massive datasets. (11/2)

Isaacman Renomination Gains Industry Support (Source: Space News)
Jared Isaacman’s renomination to lead NASA is winning support from industry. At a conference Wednesday, industry officials said they welcomed the announcement by President Donald Trump late Tuesday that he would again nominate Isaacman to be NASA administrator. That move could also help advance pending nominations of Matt Anderson to be deputy administrator and Greg Autry to be NASA's chief financial officer. The announcement came hours after Isaacman took to social media to comment on a leaked “Project Athena” document he wrote before his first nomination was withdrawn outlining his vision for NASA. Isaacman said reporting on the document misrepresented some of his views on topics such as Artemis and space science. (11/6)

Isaacman Support Weakens Duffy Ambitions (Source: Douglas Messier)
Providing Trump doesn’t change his mind again, the biggest loser in all this is former reality show cast member Duffy. He’s really been enjoying the publicity that has come his way running NASA, a government agency that people actually like and admire. He hoped to preside over the first American Moon landing in more than half a century. All that would be a positive for a man who wants to be president.

Until Isaacman is confirmed, Duffy will continue to do double duty running NASA and presiding over the collapse of the nation’s commercial aviation sector. Thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled, and travelers have stood in line for four hours to get through security as unpaid air traffic controllers and airport screeners don’t show up for work. (11/6)

Duffy’s Airspace Shutdown Threat Exposes the Real Crisis (Source: AvBrief)
When a Transportation Secretary publicly starts talking about shutting down parts of the NAS, it raises questions. Is it really about safety, or something else? Sean Duffy’s talk of “mass chaos” does not sound like concern for the system. It sounds like control. It sounds like a message to the people who keep it running: Stay quiet, keep working, and take the blame if it fails.

Controllers and technicians continue holding the NAS together with skill and professionalism, though even that loyalty is starting to feel taken for granted. They are called essential but treated as expendable. They keep showing up without pay while those above them never miss a check. It makes you wonder if that dedication is being counted on, not respected. What Duffy calls a worst-case scenario may not be what it seems. It looks less like a warning and more like a managed crisis, one that shifts the pressure away from him and onto the workforce and the public. (11/4)

Astranis Plans Small GEO Satellites to Extend Range for Disaster and Defense Operations (Source: Space News)
Astranis announced plans Wednesday to use its small geostationary satellites to extend the range of point-to-point communications for disaster relief or secure defense operations. The company said its Vanguard service enables customers to quickly set up a private network capable of voice, video and data transport anywhere within the beam footprint of an Astranis broadband satellite, roughly 2,250 kilometers. Astranis CEO John Gedmark said Vanguard is available anywhere an Astranis satellite serves as an additional service that existing and future customers can opt into “starting immediately.” (11/6)

Iceye Offers Guaranteed Access to Radar Imagery (Source: Space News)
Iceye is giving defense customers guaranteed access to radar imagery from its satellites. Iceye last week announced a new “tactical access” program that offers subscribers on-demand tasking of its synthetic aperture radar satellites, ensuring images can be captured wherever and whenever required. The model contrasts with the traditional “first-come, first-served” approach, in which operators queue imaging requests from multiple clients. The offering underscores how private-sector players are racing to meet growing government demand for assured satellite intelligence, a market reshaped by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and by rising tensions in East Asia. (11/6)

Pentagon Can’t Forget About PNT for Golden Dome (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Pentagon should establish a dedicated budget to support its Golden Dome missile defense shield’s positioning, navigation, and timing needs and assign a PNT lead to coordinate needed improvements to ground and space-based navigation systems, according to a new report from the National Security Space Association. (11/5)

Deloitte Develops Satellites for Cyberattack Detection (Source: Space News)
One company is working to defend satellites from cyberattacks using its own satellites. The Deloitte-1 satellite, launched in March, is the first of nine that the consulting firm Deloitte expects to be operating over the next 18 months to demonstrate a technology to detect cyber intrusions targeted at satellites in space. The company is building these satellites to prove that defending space networks from a cyberattack requires putting defenses in orbit and not just on the ground, comes amid a broader rethink of how to protect space infrastructure from cyber threats. (11/6)

Blue Origin Plans Sunday ESCAPADE Launch (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin plans to launch its second New Glenn rocket on Sunday from Cape Canaveral. The company announced Wednesday the launch date for the NG-2 mission, carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars mission. NG-2 will also fly a Viasat payload to test commercial launch telemetry and data relay systems as part of NASA’s Communications Services Project. The launch will be the first since the inaugural New Glenn mission in January. (11/6)

Rocket Lab Launches Another Japanese Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched a Japanese radar imaging satellite Wednesday. An Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 2:51 p.m. Eastern and placed the QPS-SAR-14 satellite into orbit for the Japanese company iQPS. This is the sixth satellite that Rocket Lab has launched for iQPS, including five this year. This was also the 16th Electron launch of 2025, matching the company’s total from 2024 with several more launches scheduled through December. (11/6)

SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Wednesday from Cape Canaveral. A Falcon 9 put 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the 141st so far this year of the Falcon 9, and a SpaceX executive said at a conference Wednesday that he expected the company to finish the year with 165 to 170 Falcon 9 launches, a record. (11/6)

Atlas 5 Launch Scrubs on Wednesday with Valve Problem (Source: Spaceflight Now)
An Atlas 5 launch scheduled for Wednesday evening from Florida was scrubbed. United Launch Alliance called off the Atlas 551 launch of ViaSat-3 F2 after detecting a valve problem that could not be resolved before the launch window closed. ULA rescheduled the launch for Thursday. (11/6)

ESA's Civilian Focus Blurs (Source: Space News)
ESA’s backing of a “space resilience” plan suggests the agency is moving from its roots as a purely civil agency. ESA will seek funding for the European Resilience from Space (ERS) program at this month’s ministerial conference in Germany, which includes beginning development of a constellation of Earth imaging satellites as well as new communications and navigation capabilities. The initiative hints at a shift in how the agency envisions its mandate, positioning space systems for dual-use and defense applications rather than purely civilian missions. It also signals a growing alignment between ESA’s civil mission and Europe’s broader security ambitions. (11/6)

Universe Expansion May Be Slowing (Source: New Scientists)
The expansion of the universe may be slowing down, not speeding up. A team of South Korean astronomers argues in a new study that a class of supernova explosions used to measure the distance of distant galaxies suffers from an “age bias” that, once corrected, indicates that the universe’s expansion is now slowing down rather than accelerating. Other astronomers, though, argue that the changing brightness of those supernovae are already accounted for and that previous similar work by this team has been refuted. (11/6)

Ecosmic Partners with ESA to Validate SAFE on Agency Satellites (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ESA is testing SAFE, Ecosmic's flagship Space Domain Awareness (SDA) solution, on a selection of ESA-operated satellites. The 12-month collaboration began earlier this year and sees ESA’s Space Debris Office at ESOC evaluating how SAFE integrates into live operational scenarios, and the related daily workflows to assess collision risks and support secure satellite operations. (11/6)

Google Considers Orbital Data Centers (Source: Ars Technica)
It was probably always when, not if, Google would add its name to the list of companies intrigued by the potential of orbiting data centers. Google announced Tuesday a new initiative, named Project Suncatcher, to examine the feasibility of bringing artificial intelligence to space. The idea is to deploy swarms of satellites in low-Earth orbit, each carrying Google’s AI accelerator chips designed for training, content generation, synthetic speech and vision, and predictive modeling. Google calls these chips Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs. (11/5)

SpaceX Aiming for 170 Falcon 9 Launches This Year (Source: Aerospace America)
SpaceX is on track to launch its Falcon 9 rockets up to 170 times by the end of the year, after surpassing its 2024 total in late October. “We’re aiming for around 170 — between 165 and 170 — which means 25 to 30 more launches to go,” Kiko Dontchev, the company’s vice president of launch, said during a Wednesday session at the Space Economy Summit 2025. In fact, he told attendees, the next launch is scheduled for Wednesday night. (11/5)

World’s First Hydrogen-Fueled Hypersonic Jet Could Fly at Mach 12 (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Australia’s Hypersonix Launch Systems has secured $46 million in funding from a Series A round. This funding is provided by the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), and a group of international defense investors.

The investment supports Australia’s goal of excelling in hypersonic flight and building a robust aerospace manufacturing industry. Hypersonix, a Brisbane-based company, employs 45 people across engineering, advanced manufacturing, and testing, and is developing the world’s first reusable, hydrogen-fueled hypersonic aircraft capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 12, which is twelve times the speed of sound. (11/3)

US Space Force to Use 3 Weapons to Jam Chinese Satellites (Source: SCMP)
The US military is close to fielding two new weapons designed to temporally jam Chinese and Russian intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, giving the Pentagon three counter-space capabilities, according to new Space Force data. The weapons, called Meadowlands and Remote Sensing Terminals, will join a larger and less mobile “Counter Communications System” jammer – an upgraded big dish that was declared operational in 2020. (11/5)

Starbase Becomes Home for Unwanted Cybertrucks (Source: Teslarati)
Tesla Cybertrucks have taken over at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, as hundreds of the all-electric pickup trucks were spotted late last week. The Cybertruck fleet is geared toward replacing gas vehicles that are used at Starbase for everyday operations. Cybertruck uses the same exterior, a stainless steel alloy, as SpaceX rockets. This synergy between the two companies and their very different products shows a very unified mentality between Musk companies.

Some media outlets are seeing this as a move of weakness by both Tesla and SpaceX, as the aerospace company is, in a sense, “bailing out” lagging sales for the all-electric pickup. It’s no secret that Tesla has struggled with the Cybertruck this year, and deliveries have been underwhelming in the sense that the company was anticipating between 1 million and 2 million orders for the vehicle before it was widely produced. (11/3)

X-37B an Example of US Military Innovation (Source: ORF)
Technological innovation has always been the primary yardstick in assessing a nation’s military capabilities. It explains why new technologies are often developed through military research before spilling over to societal applications. The US Space Force’s X37-B program provides a shining example of how this dynamic plays out. The X-37B initiative offers valuable insights for India to augment and refine its defense R&D capabilities and achieve its ambitions for ‘Make in India’. (11/3)

Starlab Names Leidos as Primary Assembly, Integration and Testing Provider (Source: Starlab)
Starlab Space LLC today announced that Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), an industry and technology leader with decades of experience in civil space and defense integration, will lead Starlab’s U.S.-based assembly, integration and testing (AI&T) activities for the commercial space station. The collaboration reflects Starlab’s ongoing strategy to align with proven aerospace leaders and reduce risk across development, execution and long-term operations. With Leidos, Starlab gains an experienced integrator capable of providing a wide range of activities, including real-time crew support and ground-based logistics and training infrastructure. (11/5)

Orlando Company Supporting California Space Tourism (Source: Ideas Orlando)
Pale Blue Dot Ventures (PBDV) knows it has an exceptional opportunity to tell the story and teach the science of future space exploration with Space Base California, an exciting space-themed STEM educational and entertainment venue. Planned for an 82-acre site in Lompoc, California, on the Pacific Coast Highway, Space Base California is just 10 miles from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB).

As a partner and the exclusive creative team for Pale Blue Dot, IDEAS developed the complete guest Experience Design Plan and brand. It’s part space exploration complex, part multiday science camp and part regional science center. It also hosts unique on-site lodging and large event venues. Space Base California will offer an entirely new way to educate, entertain and inspire. (11/5)

How to Make Rocket Fuel on the Moon (Source: Dynamic Tech)
In today’s space economy, there’s real demand for in-space refueling. This demand for energy is the driving force for establishing a lunar economy. In order to create and sell a product to meet that demand—rocket fuel that’s manufactured on the lunar surface—a series of technologies will need to be developed and deployed. The value chain must then be integrated to function in lockstep.

In the case of the manned lunar landings planned for NASA’s Artemis program, the current estimate is that it would take approximately 10 refueling launches of SpaceX Starship vehicles to provide enough fuel for a single mission. SpaceX’s technical difficulties aside, even with no setbacks it would still be expensive enough that lunar-derived propellant would be a cost-effective alternative. That’s not to say it would be cheap—lunar-derived propellant must still be valuable enough for private industry to invest in bootstrapping this capability. Click here. (11/2)

Federal Employees Feeling Stressed (Source: FNN)
Federal employees have experienced nearly a year of sweeping workforce overhauls. Over the course of 2025, they have faced reductions in force, an effort to decrease headcount through the deferred resignation program, mass firings of probationary employees, a full return-to-office push and a monthslong hiring freeze, among many other changes.

In its latest data, Gallup found that 24% of federal employees are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being laid off or seeing their position eliminated in the next 12 months. In comparison, 11% of U.S. employees said they were concerned about layoffs. More federal employees than U.S. employees have reported feelings of anger and loneliness, Gallup found. The percentages of employees who are feeling stress, worry, anger and sadness are also all higher this year than they were in 2024. (11/6)

US Government Grapples with Questions About Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Amid Shutdown (Source: Defense Scoop)
Amid the U.S. government shutdown, federal personnel are monitoring the rare interstellar comet known as 3I/ATLAS as it moves through the solar system. Sources confirmed that NASA experts were set to connect with at least one congressional lawmaker about the mysterious object on Wednesday, following her official request. Questions have been swirling about the nature and origin of 3I/ATLAS and its bizarre trajectory since the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile first spotted it in July.

3I/ATLAS is massive in size and traveled at the highest speed ever recorded for such an object. Intrigued by its unusual composition and several unique features, astronomers across the world have been studying the comet since its initial observation. Some early data suggests that it brightened dramatically and also exhibited what could be a non-gravitational acceleration. The International Asteroid Warning Network, a world-wide planetary defense partnership of organizations, announced a dedicated campaign to collect data on 3I/ATLAS between Nov. 27 and Jan. 27. (11/4)

The Dulling of America’s Scientific Edge (Source: Washington Post)
You know there’s a problem when scientists in the United States increasingly see European bureaucracy as a safer setting for conducting their cutting-edge research than their home country’s own institutions. The European Research Council, which grants funding for academic work in the European Union, has seen a surge in applications. That included nearly triple the number of proposals from Americans compared with the year before.

It’s a dangerous time to dull the country’s competitive edge. Like so many of President Donald Trump’s initiatives, his effort to take down the wall that progressives built around U.S. academia started with a worthy cause — pressing universities and other research institutions to seek greater viewpoint diversity — but it is faltering due to overreach. (11/4)

No Golden Dome Requirements Yet, but Space Firms Already Betting on Dual-Use Tech (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Companies planning to compete for Golden Dome contracts say they’re already investing in capabilities that could have a range of defense and commercial applications—regardless of whether they’re selected for the Pentagon’s sweeping program to create an advanced homeland missile defense shield. (11/3)

TecMasters, Orbit Beyond, and Canadensys Aerospace Partner for Lunar Mobility-as-a-Service (Source: Canadensys)
TecMasters, Orbit Beyond and Canadensys Aerospace announced a strategic partnership to deliver Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) for upcoming lunar surface missions, beginning with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) CT-4 mission.

Under this three-party partnership: Orbit Beyond will lead lander development, payload integration, and surface mission execution, providing lunar delivery and communications infrastructure; TecMasters will serve as prime integration and mission operations partner, responsible for system-level integration, testing, and mission assurance; and Canadensys will lead lunar surface mobility activities, including supply of lunar rover platforms. (10/22)

SpaceX Moves to Block Third-Party Starlink Sales in Unauthorized Markets (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is cracking down on Starlink dish sales in countries where it doesn't have an official presence. The company recently sent emails to authorized Starlink resellers about revising the terms and conditions for offering the satellite internet service. SpaceX is now banning them from shipping Starlink hardware to countries where it doesn’t operate, even for display purposes, unless they get permission from SpaceX. (11/3)

New Report: Space Force Must Take ‘Decisive’ Steps Toward Dynamic Operations (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. (11/4)

Chinese Astronauts Enjoy 'Space BBQ' From New TSS Oven (Source: Space.com)
They may not have all the fixins, but the astronauts aboard China's Tiangong space station are sure eating well. A new oven delivered to Tiangong has been put to quick work by the six people currently living aboard the outpost, the astronauts of the Shenzhou 20 and Shenzhou 21 missions. (11/4)

Astronomers Observe How Magnetic Fields Shape New Planets (Source: Earth.com)
Astronomers have, for the first time, mapped magnetic fields inside a planet-forming disk and seen how those invisible forces shape the gas and dust into distinct patterns. The new study reveals a magnetic field about 10 milligauss in strength, gently guiding material around the young star TW Hydrae. (11/4)

Musk’s Plan for 100 GW of Compute in Orbit (Source: Mach 33)
Elon Musk’s pivot toward orbital-scale computing signals a major shift in focus from communication networks and Mars to large-scale data infrastructure in Earth orbit. By pursuing high-Earth-orbit compute platforms, he’s effectively embracing Gerard K. O’Neill’s vision of Earth orbit as an industrial and computational frontier.

Today’s orbital power (~0.00023 TW, mostly from Starlink) could rise to 0.10 TW in the near term, roughly matching global data-center demand by 2030, and eventually scale toward 100 TW once lunar-orbital infrastructure matures. Orbital compute capacity is constrained by a three-way balance between power generation, heat rejection, and compute density. Each must improve together: if one lags, the entire system stalls. Compute power per kilogram drives the biggest gains, but solar and thermal systems set the ceiling. (11/5)