November 8, 2025

Heat Leaking From Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus Bolsters its Case for Life (Source: Space.com)
One of Saturn's moons, Enceladus has been known to be an active ocean world ever since 2005, when the Cassini mission found giant plumes of water vapor squirting up from the ocean deep below through huge fractures in the surface. These plumes are powered by energy from tidal interactions with Saturn, which flex the moon's interior, subtly squeezing and stretching it and ultimately keeping its interior warm enough for liquid water. The question of how long Enceladus' ocean has existed is an unanswered one, but with water, heat and the right organic chemistry for life, Enceladus is viewed as a prime target for the search for life beyond Earth. (11/7)

Jupiter's Volcanic Moon Io May be Hundreds of Times Hotter Than Scientists Thought (Source: Space.com)
Using data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, scientists have discovered that the solar system's most volcanic body is even hotter than we thought. In fact, Jupiter's moon Io could be emitting hundreds of times as much heat from its surface as was previously estimated. (11/7)

Lunar Water Traced to Solar Wind: Latitude and Regolith Maturity Shape its Abundance (Source: Phys.org)
The abundance, distribution, and origin of lunar surface water has recently drawn significant scientific interest, owing to its critical role in future space exploration. A research team China has found that soil samples from the lunar farside contain high concentrations of OH/H2O and low deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) ratios. These characteristics align with lunar water originating from the solar wind. Analyses suggested a strong link to latitude—with water content ranging from tens of parts per million (ppm) at low latitudes to approximately 750 ppm at the poles. (11/7)

UCF Helps Shape the Future of Space Hospitality and Tourism (Source: UCF)
At UCF's Rosen College, students are exploring how food and beverage preparation can adapt to long-duration space travel, experimenting with tofu coagulation, texture and preservation techniques to help define what future astronauts — and eventually space tourists — might eat in orbit. Rosen’s efforts are also being integrated into the classroom through a new food and beverage in space module within the Techniques of Food Preparation course led by Chef César Rivera Cruzado. (11/6)

Meteors Explosively Strikes Moon (Source: Mashable)
A space rock slammed into the moon just days ago, lighting up at the surface so brightly, it was briefly visible from Earth through telescopes. Daichi Fujii, curator at Hiratsuka City Museum in Japan, recorded the impact. What makes this new sighting astounding is that it was the second flash he had captured hitting the moon since last Thursday. (11/7)

Globalstar Stays Mum on Rumored Sale of Company (Source: Fierce Network)
Globalstar CEO Paul Jacobs declined to discuss potential talks with SpaceX or anyone else, for that matter, during the Q3 earnings call. The company is upgrading its network with new ground infrastructure to serve its up-and-coming C-3 constellation. In private wireless, Globalstar is expanding its XCOM RAN platform for industrial applications, highlighting better performance and cost advantages over traditional Wi-Fi. (11/7)

ATMOS to Launch Demonstration Mission Aboard Baguette One Rocket (Source: European Spaceflight)
German space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo has signed a memorandum of understanding with French launch services provider HyPrSpace to carry out a demonstration mission aboard its Baguette One rocket.

Founded in 2019, HyPrSpace is developing a suborbital demonstration rocket called Baguette One, slated for launch in 2026. The rocket will serve as a technology demonstrator to validate the company’s hybrid rocket engine for its OB1 (Orbital Baguette One) rocket, which will be capable of delivering payloads of up to 235 kilograms to low Earth orbit. Following the completion of its Baguette One demonstration, HyPrSpace plans to move forward with preparations for the inaugural flight of its OB1 rocket in 2027.
(11/8)

Food Bank Helps NASA Employees as Government Shutdown Becomes Longest in U.S. History (Source: Houston Chronicle)
A food bank brought milk and fresh produce to the JSC area on Wednesday, assisting more than 100 households as the government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history. NASA’s federal employees have been furloughed or working without pay for more than a month, causing a ripple throughout the Clear Lake community as businesses report slowdowns and seek to support the workers behind Space City’s namesake. (11/6)

World’s Largest Rocket Plant is in Alabama and it’s Just Getting Started (Source: AL.com)
United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno admits the decision to build only Vulcan rockets at the world’s largest rocket factory in Decatur is a little “bittersweet.” That means saying goodbye to the Delta IV and Atlas V rockets that have been built at the 2.2 million-square foot facility not far from the Tennessee River since it opened in 1999.

“The Atlas V, what a workhorse,” he said of the latter. The last of the Atlas Vs have been built, with 12 currently in storage at the plant or at launch sites, with one scheduled for launch this week. The Delta IV was retired in 2024. The Vulcan rocket is designed to go deeper into space, travel faster and carry a heavier payload. It has been designed to meet the needs of one of ULA’s largest clients, the U.S. government. (11/6)

Space Force Astronauts? New Report Says Guardians in Space Would be Asset (Source: Defense One)
Today, guardians go to space only in popular misconception, but tomorrow? There might be solid tactical reasons to put Space Force personnel in orbit, argues a new report from the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “The adaptability and flexibility of human decision-making, as well as their ability to conduct a variety of mission operations, could present fundamental challenges to an adversary’s decision calculations,” the report said. (11/6)

AST SpaceMobile Plans Sovereign Direct-to-Device Service for Europe (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile has registered plans with international regulators via Germany for a sovereign, space-based network that would provide broadband directly to devices across Europe, the U.S.-based satellite operator said Nov. 7. (11/7)

Celestis Wants to Send Human Remains to Mars (Source: Space.com)
Texas-based Celestis has established a reservation list for customers to stake out coveted spots on the memorial spaceflight company's first planned journey to Mars. Celestis aims to send canisters containing cremated ashes and DNA samples as a secondary payload for a future, yet-to-be-named Mars-bound cargo spacecraft. (11/7)

Shutdown Pinches SES (Source: Aviation Week)
SES says the U.S. government shutdown has delayed some contract awards and could push them into next year, denting the satellite service provider’s third-quarter earnings. SES posted a 10% drop in adjusted operating earnings from the year prior. (11/7)

British Airways to Offer Free High-Speed Starlink (Source: The Independent)
British Airways is set to revolutionise its onboard experience by introducing free, video-streaming Wi-Fi across its fleet, powered by Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. The move, part of a significant £7 billion transformation initiative, will see the high-speed connectivity rolled out on flights from next year. (11/7)

Houston, We Have a Problem, Because UCF is the Real Space U! (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
On Friday night, when UCF takes the field against Houston in what’s being billed as “The Space Game,” there’s really only one question worth asking: Which school is truly America’s “Space University”? Spoiler alert: it’s not the one that keeps reminding everyone that NASA Mission Control happens to be in its city limits. Because, let’s face it, Texas might be home to, “Houston, we have a problem” — but UCF is home to “Orlando, we have the solution.” Editor's Note: UCF lost the game. (11/5)

Brevard EOC Text Alert System Fails During Falcon 9 Launch (Source: Hometown News)
If you heard the rumble of last night’s SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — but never received an alert from Brevard County Emergency Management — you’re not alone. The alert platform used to send text notifications to residents experienced a technical issue during the Falcon 9 launch activation. The Brevard County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) routinely sends out alerts before and after launches to notify residents of activation periods, road closures and other public safety concerns. (11/6)

Space Force Rebrands Operations Command as Combat Forces Command (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force officially renamed Space Operations Command as Combat Forces Command on Nov. 3, a change it says better reflects the service’s warfighting focus. “This redesignation aligned the command’s name with its core purpose of forging combat-ready Space Forces for America and its allies, and the evolution of the United States Space Force as a warfighting service,” the command said. (11/6)

Insects on the Space Menu: A Sustainable Food Source for Future Missions (Source: Phys.org)
Long before humans reached orbit, insects had already shown they could handle the hurdles of spaceflight. Light, highly adaptable and nutritionally rich, these resilient animals present an attractive option for European researchers studying reliable food sources for long-duration missions. Eating insects is not unusual: billions of people do it every day. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, humans consume more than 2,000 species of insects around the planet. The European Space Agency has now brought together a team of food, biology and space experts from across Europe to study whether insects could become part of an astronaut's menu. (11/7)

Jimmy Buffett Patch to Fund ISS Science (Source: CollectSpace)
The first mission patch to directly fund research on board the ISS went on sale Nov. 5. The emblem is the first product of a long-standing but little known collaboration between the ISS National Laboratory and Margaritaville. Yes, that Margaritaville — the lifestyle and hospitality brand inspired by the late Jimmy Buffett, whose tropical-rock style songs celebrate the themes of escape and relaxation. Buffett also championed environmental causes and had a lifelong interest in space exploration. (11/5)

'Runaway' Planet Acting Like a Star, Eating 6 Billion Tons Per Second (Source: LiveScience)
Astronomers have spotted a "rogue" planet gobbling gas and dust at a record rate, and they can't explain its baffling behavior. Cha 1107-7626 appears to be the fastest-growing free-floating planet ever discovered, gorging at a peak rate of 6.6 billion tons of matter per second, according to observations with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile and the JWST. (11/6)

Sierra Space Is Raising Cash in Pivot to Defense (Source: The Information)
Sierra Space is raising approximately $300 million as it pivots to a greater focus on national defense contracts, which is a shift from its original plans for the Dream Chaser spaceplane. This pivot is driven by a boom in defense spending, including opportunities with the U.S. Space Force and new military systems. The company has already secured substantial defense contracts and is restructuring its operations, including its NASA agreement, to accommodate this new strategy. (11/7)

EchoStar Loss Widens on Charges (Source: Wall Street Journal)
EchoStar’s third-quarter loss widened due to lower revenue and a charge on its multibillion-dollar sales of wireless spectrum. The company also said it agreed to sell more spectrum to SpaceX. (11/6)

Minuteman-III ICBM Launches From California (Source: Independent)
The launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in the early morning hours of November 5 was successful in testing “the continued reliability and accuracy of the ICBM weapon system,” a cornerstone of America’s national defense, said Lt. Col. Karrie Wray. The launch was initiated from aboard a Navy aircraft and monitored by an Air Force base in Wyoming, with the Minuteman III travelling more than 4,200 miles to a test range in the Marshall Islands equipped with sensors that measure the missile’s performance in its last stages of its flight. (11/5)

SpaceX Set to Win $2B Pentagon Deal for Golden Dome Missile Defense Satellites (Source: Army Recognition)
SpaceX is expected to receive about $2 billion to develop an air-moving target indicator (AMTI) satellite network for President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense program. The award would mark SpaceX’s entry as a prime integrator for national security constellations, shaping the architecture of the United States’ next-generation missile defense shield. (11/4)

Arc Orbital Supply Capsule Aims To Put Military Supplies Anywhere On Earth Within An Hour (Source: TWZ)
California-based space startup Inversion has unveiled its design for a fully reusable, lifting-body spacecraft named Arc. The spacecraft is intended to deliver critical cargo from space to any point on Earth within an hour, landing on water, snow or soil with a precision of around 50 feet, the company says. The concept, aimed squarely at the defense sector, reflects longstanding U.S. military interest in using space-based systems to rapidly move cargo around the globe to meet commanders’ urgent needs. (11/6)

The "Anti-Weather" Of Venus (Source: Universe Today)
New research takes what little data has been collected from Venus’ surface and uses it to model what the wind and dust conditions there would be like.
The project focuses on two main metrics - temperature swings and dust transport. Importantly, it models different parts of the planet differently, the first time any such study has been done, but one that is absolutely critical to isolate some of the features that are the driving forces behind those two conditions. But the key underlying force for both temperature and dust transport is the same on Venus as it is on Earth - the wind.

Measurements from Venera, one of the only craft to ever successfully land on Venus’ surface, put the wind speed down at the bottom of the atmosphere at a measly 1 m/s. Compared to 20 m/s on Earth or even 40 m/s on Mars, that may not sound like much. But Venus’ atmosphere is thicker than either ours or Mars’, so it would require a lot more energy to get it up to speeds equivalent to that of its sister planets. Even so, it still has a major impact on both the temperature on the surface and the amount of dust in the air. (11/7)

Archer To Acquire Los Angeles Airport As Strategic Air Taxi Network Hub and AI Testbed (Source: Archer)
Signed definitive agreements to acquire control of one-of-a-kind aviation asset in LA, Hawthorne Airport, for $126M* in cash. The airport is located in the heart of the City, less than three miles from LAX, and the closest airport to some of the city’s biggest destinations — SoFi Stadium, The Forum, Intuit Dome, and Downtown LA. Archer plans for the airport to serve as its operational hub for its planned LA air taxi network. (11/6)

Many Mini-Neptunes Once Thought to be Lava Worlds May Actually Have Solid Surfaces (Source: Phys.org)
One of the puzzles is a kind of planet that appears to be one of the most common types in the universe. Known as "mini-Neptunes" because they run a little smaller than Neptune in our solar system, these planets are made of some mix of rock and metal, with thick atmospheres mostly made of hydrogen, helium, and perhaps water. Despite their abundance elsewhere, they have no analog in our own solar system, making the population something of an enigma.

Though it was previously thought these planets are generally covered in planet-wide oceans of molten magma, a new study found the surfaces of many of them may actually be solid. These planets still wouldn't be very fun for a human to stand on, though: The rocky surface is only solid because it's under tremendous pressure from the weight of a thick atmosphere. (11/5)

NatGeo Test Drives NASA's Competing Lunar Rovers (Source: NatGeo)
The winner is set to be announced by year’s end. Before that, National Geographic asked all three companies the same question: Can we take them for a test-drive? The new LTVs are a full reboot from Apollo. Instead of short-term scouts, Artemis requires long-term pathfinders. Each LTV is required to be capable of driving for 800 miles each year, and 12 miles each day, on a single battery charge, all while carrying a total payload mass—from deployable solar panels to sections of a lunar base—of at least 1,765 pounds.

All three rovers are designed to use a robotic arm to assist with construction. This appendage can change its tool end whenever it wants by plugging itself into a series of enclosed drawers and switching out, say, a gripping claw for a drill, all by itself, with no human input. And each vehicle can be operated remotely. No matter how it’s voyaging across the moon, each LTV has similar methods of perception: lidar, which uses hyper-frequent pulses of lasers to map out surroundings, and stereo cameras, which offer eyelike vision.

Each rover will have multi-layer impact shielding and use NASA’s newly invented electrodynamic dust shield to protect against the corrosive lunar dirt. Because each company has a novel vision for how astronauts will venture across the lunar south pole, all three designs are materially distinct. Click here. (11/6)