January 6, 2026

The Isaacman Era Begins at NASA (Source: Space Review)
Jared Isaacman became NASA administrator last month, ending a convoluted confirmation process that lasted just over a year. Jeff Foust reports on Isaacman’s first days at NASA and his efforts to reshape the agency. Click here. (1/6)
 
Innovative, Affordable, and Expedited (Source: Space Review)
One of big challenges facing Isaacman is how to speed up a human return to the Moon, or at least keep it from falling further behind schedule. Robert Oler makes the case that he should go in a very different direction to get astronauts back on the lunar surface. Click here. (1/6)
 
Houston Deserves a Space Shuttle, But Not Like This (Source: Space Review)
A provision in last year’s budget reconciliation bill effectively directed the transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Space Center Houston. Maxwell Zhu argues that even if Houston should be home to a shuttle orbiter, it shouldn’t get one though this approach. Click here. (1/6)
 
Buck Rogers in the 20th Century (Source: Space Review)
Gil Gerard, the actor best known for playing Buck Rogers in a TV series 45 years ago, died last month. Dwayne Day examines the show he starred in that was less sci-fi than schlock. Click here. (1/6)
 
See You on the Other Side: What Jim Lovell’s Apollo 8 Mission Taught a Divided World (Source: Space Review)
Jim Lovell passed away in August, four months before the anniversary of the historic Apollo 13 flight. Kathleen Bangs reflects on the legacy of the mission. Click here. (1/6)

Spaceports a Focus of Space Week in Orlando (Source: GSA)
Commercial Space Week begins with annual Global Spaceport Alliance (GSA) Spaceport Summit on January 27 in Orlando, followed by Space Mobility Conference on Jan 28 and SpaceCom | Space Congress on Jan 28-30. The Spaceport Summit We will explore how spaceports are driving economic development, shaping the future of transportation, and creating opportunities for communities worldwide. Click here. (1/6)

Space Command Played a Key Role in Venezuela Operation (Source: Satnews)
US Space Command demonstrated an uninterrupted flow of positioning and navigation data to coordinate 150 aircraft that participated in Operation Absolute Resolve, resulting in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The US successfully disabled Venezuela's air defense systems and utilized imagery from RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drones during the police action. (1/5)

Former Cornwall Spaceport Lead Joins MDA and Canadian Spaceport (Source: MLS)
The former head of England’s Spaceport Cornwall is now working for a Canadian spaceport. Maritime Launch Services (MLS) said Monday that Melissa Quinn has joined the company as vice president of spaceport operations. Quinn is formerly head of Spaceport Cornwall, an English airport that hosted a Virgin Orbit LauncherOne mission in 2023. MLS, which is developing a vertical launch site called Spaceport Nova Scotia, said Quinn will help prepare the spaceport to move into operations, hosting small launch vehicles. Quinn is being loaned to MLS by MDA Space, which she recently joined as a senior director of corporate development. MDA invested in MLS last year. (1/6)

Dragon Boosts ISS (Source: NASA)
NASA and SpaceX have successfully tested the ability of the Dragon spacecraft to reboost the station’s orbit. The CRS-33 cargo Dragon spacecraft has performed four orbit-raising maneuvers to date, most recently last week, with one more planned for mid-January before the spacecraft departs the station. The reboosts have shown Dragon can raise the station’s orbit, a task usually performed by Progress cargo spacecraft or the station’s own thrusters. (1/6)

Hubble Spots Dark Matter Cloud (Source: NASA)
A new discovery by the Hubble Space Telescope has put astronomers on Cloud Nine. Astronomers announced Monday that they had discovered a cloud of gas and dark matter on the outskirts of a nearby spiral galaxy, M94. The object is about 4,900 light-years across and weighs about five billion solar masses, dominated by dark matter. Astronomers believe the object, designated Cloud-9 since it is the ninth gas cloud found in this survey, is the remnant of a failed galaxy, with Hubble images confirming it contains no stars. (1/6)

AI Systems Proposed to Boost Launch Cadence Reliability and Traffic Management (Source: Space Daily)
A study in the Chinese Journal of Aeronautics argues that artificial intelligence applied across launch vehicle life cycles could address these remaining bottlenecks and become a disruptive technology following reusability in space transportation. The authors outline four main roles for AI in launch systems: agile test and launch preparation, high-reliability flight, rapid maintenance, and efficient safety operation and control.

Their goal is an intelligent space transportation system that integrates smart test launches, autonomous flight management, health assessment, and operational control across space and ground segments. In test and launch preparation, AI-based methods aim to automate inspection, testing, and decision-making so that large launch vehicles can move from checkout to launch on hour-level timelines.

When combined with return-to-launch-site capabilities, the system is intended to support re-launch within hours after vehicle recovery, rather than on current multi-day or longer cycles. During flight, AI-enabled autonomy would handle real-time fault diagnosis, mission replanning, and fault-tolerant control within seconds when anomalies occur. The study suggests that such capabilities could improve flight reliability by 1-2 orders of magnitude even when non-fatal faults arise, by rapidly detecting issues and adjusting guidance and control strategies without waiting for ground intervention. (12/29)

Max Space Looks to Kennedy Space Center to Manufacture Space Habitats (Source: Florida Today)
A company establishing a manufacturing presence at Kennedy Space Center plans to use innovative Kevlar-like materials to build an expandable space habitat for low Earth orbit in a bid to answer NASA's call for a permanent presence on the moon and, someday, even Mars. Max Space is currently working with Space Florida to secure a 20,000 to 30,000 square-foot facility in Exploration Park at the spaceport to develop its Thunderbird Station. 

Unlike traditional rigid metal modules, these habitats are packed tightly for launch and expanded in orbit, offering significantly more livable volume per mission. A small-scale demonstration mission is manifested to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2027. By 2029, the company aims to launch a full-sized Thunderbird Station capable of supporting up to eight astronauts. (1/5)

Array Labs Raises $20 Million to Scale Production of Radar Satellites for 3D Earth Mapping (Source: Space News)
Silicon Valley startup Array Labs secured $20 million to mass-produce lower-cost, formation-flying synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites for high-resolution 3D Earth mapping, aiming to disrupt expensive traditional radar systems for commercial and national security use. The new funding brings Array Labs' total to $35 million, enabling them to scale manufacturing using electronics techniques and deploy constellations for real-time, detailed 3D global data. (1/5)

Space Warfare in 2026: A Pivotal Year for US Readiness (Source: Defense News)
As the U.S. Space Force enters 2026 amid escalating threats from China and Russia, the service faces a pivotal year as it transitions to full-spectrum warfighting. Recent assessments from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s 2025 annual report underscore the challenge ahead. According to the report, “China is aggressively positioning itself as a global leader in space technology and exploration, seeking to reshape international governance, influence standards, and displace the United States as the world’s premier space power.” Click here. (1/5)

NASA’s Science Budget Won’t be a Train Wreck After All (Source: Ars Technica)
In June, the White House released a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 that slashed funding for NASA’s science programs by nearly 50 percent. Then, in July, the Trump administration began telling the leaders of dozens of space science missions to prepare “closeout” plans for their spacecraft. Things looked pretty grim for a while, but then Congress stepped in. Congress, of course, sets the federal government’s budget. In many ways, Congress abdicated authority to the Trump administration last year. But not so, it turns out, with federal spending.

Throughout the summer and fall, as the White House and Congress wrangled over various issues, lawmakers made it clear they intended to fund most of NASA’s science portfolio. Preliminary efforts to shut down active missions were put on hold. On Monday, Congress made good on those promises, releasing a $24.4 billion budget plan for NASA as part of the conferencing process, when House and Senate lawmakers convene to hammer out a final budget. The result is a budget that calls for just a 1 percent cut in NASA’s science funding, to $7.25 billion, for fiscal year 2026. (1/5)

Anger in Papua New Guinea After Starlink Ordered to Shut Down Internet Services (Source: Guardian)
Frustration is growing in Papua New Guinea weeks after the government ordered Starlink to shut down operations in the country as businesses, health providers and communities struggle without access to internet services. In mid-December, the National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) ordered the company to halt operations because it was not licensed in PNG. (1/5)

Vandenberg Could Become New Home for Heavy-Rocket Launch Facility (Source: Noozhawk)
With a goal of enhancing national security resilience and readiness Vandenberg’s primary unit, Space Launch Delta 30, would allocate SLC-14 “for the development and operation of a launch vehicle not currently operational at VSFB.” The U.S. Space Force solicitation is likely to be cheered by those who enjoy launches and irritate others already annoyed Vandenberg’s increased activity. Rocket manufacturers should respond if they are interested in obtaining a real property use agreement, or lease, at SLC-14 “to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain space launch infrastructure.”

The solicitation doesn’t mention any specific vehicles, but possibilities include the SpaceX Super Heavy rocket and Starship craft. That vehicle, typically referred to as Starship, has already lifted off from Texas with a new Florida launch facility in the works. SpaceX already flies Falcon 9 rockets from SLC-4 at Vandenberg and intends to convert SLC-6, also on the South Base, for both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Blue Origin touts its New Glenn 9X4 rocket as a super-heavy vehicle. (1/5)

Florida Tops Nation in Orbital Activity with Triple-Digit Launches (Source: The Capitolist)
Florida recorded 109 space launches in 2025, the highest total of any U.S. state, according to state launch records. The total includes commercial, civil and national security missions conducted throughout the year and represents the first time Florida has exceeded 100 launches in a single calendar year. “What’s happening in Florida is the power of partnership at scale,” said Rob Long, president and CEO, Space Florida. “We’ve built an ecosystem where industry can move faster, invest with confidence, and grow for the long term. That coordinated approach is why Florida’s aerospace strategy is working and why companies continue to choose to do business here.” (1/5)

Maritime Launch Appoints Melissa Quinn to Oversee Spaceport Readiness (Source: SpaceQ)
Melissa Quinn is bringing her experience from the UK’s Spaceport Cornwall and Slingshot Aerospace to Spaceport Nova Scotia as Maritime Launch Services prepares for future operations. Quinn is joining the Maritime Launch team as Vice President, Spaceport Operations. The appointment comes a little over a month since Quinn joined MDA Space as a Senior Director, Corporate Development. Quinn is temporarily moving over to Maritime Launch as a “secondment” from MDA Space. (1/5)

Power Ranking of US Rocket Companies Has Changes Near the Top and Bottom (Source: Ars Technica)
Which US rocket companies achieved the most during 2025? Once again, Ars Technica is here to provide some answers in the form of our annual power ranking of US launch companies. We began doing this in 2022 and have since put out a top-10 list every year (see 2023 and 2024). Our intent, as always, is to spark debate, discussion, and appreciation for the challenge of operating a successful rocket company. It’s a demanding business, both technically and financially. We respect the grit and hustle because we know just how hard this stuff is. Click here. (1/5) 

Lessons from Challenger (Source: Aerospace America)
Forty years ago in January, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch, shattering a growing impression that NASA’s shuttle program had made human spaceflight relatively routine. In the disaster’s aftermath came sweeping reforms: NASA created the Office of Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance; overhauled contractor oversight; and redesigned the boosters. What emerged was not just a reengineered space shuttle, but also a new model for governing U.S. spaceflight, born in part from shifting perspectives toward risk tolerance at NASA and beyond.

In terms of oversight, FAA licenses the launch and reentry of these commercial craft, but is constrained from crafting regulations related to passenger safety because of a moratorium Congress approved in 2004 and has extended several times. Lawmakers established this “learning period,” now set to expire in 2028, to allow the emerging commercial space industry to mature and evolve without the burden of full regulatory frameworks. A disaster could change that. 

There’s precedent, notes Scott Hubbard, a former center director of NASA’s Ames Research Center who participated in the investigation of the second shuttle disaster, the Columbia orbiter that broke apart during reentry in 2003. He pointed to railroads and early commercial aviation as examples of growing industries in which fatalities sparked increased regulations. (1/5)

Globalstar Updates FCC on its Planned C-3 Satellite Constellation (Source: SpaceQ)
On December 29, Globalstar met with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discuss the companies pending request for U.S. market access for its third-generation mobile satellite system known as the C-3 System. The Ex Parte Notice filed with the FCC provides an update on the status of the C-3 System, a 48 satellite constellation with an additional 6 on-orbit spares that will be manufactured by MDA Space. The update was important as Globalstar reaffirmed its plan for the constellation. This follows speculation at the end of October 2025 that suggested the company might sell itself to SpaceX. (1/5)

Weird Clump in the Early Universe is Piping Hot and We Don’t Know Why (Source: New Scientist)
A young galaxy cluster in the early universe is defying our understanding of how these huge structures formed and evolved. The gas that fills this cluster, called SPT2349-56, is far hotter and more abundant than it should be, and researchers aren’t sure why. Dazhi Zhou and his colleagues observed the cluster using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile and found that toward its center, the intracluster gas has a temperature of at least several tens of millions of degrees. “The temperature of the surface of the sun is a few thousand degrees Celsius, so this entire area is hotter than the sun,” says Zhou. (1/5)

German Rocket Maker Is Taking Aim at Musk's SpaceX (Source: Bloomberg)
Europe's space industry is trying to catch up with SpaceX, with startups like Isar Aerospace aiming to reach orbit in the coming months.Germany is emerging as a potential space power, with plans to invest €35 billion to boost its space-defense capabilities by 2030 and support domestic launch startups like Isar. Europe’s humbled space industry enters 2026 with a new determination to catch up with SpaceX. The brightening mood is partly thanks to startups like Isar Aerospace, with a bustling factory in Germany’s “Space Valley” near Munich. (1/6)

Not Every Galaxy Has a Central Black Hole (Source: Sky & Telescope) Supermassive black holes with the masses of millions or billions of Suns are thought to lurk in most galaxies. But a new study finds that not every galaxy hosts such a monstrosity — and if that finding pans out, it can tell us the origins of these behemoths. (1/5)

A Different Way of Viewing China’s Space Ambitions (Source: Aerospace America)
When I visited China several years ago, I met with an engineer from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to discuss the technological advances of the West. Calling the Chinese “the descendants of dragons,” he said “we have awakened.” In that moment, I saw China’s space program as not just a national project, but also a civilizational act of remembrance.

China’s long history shapes its behavior in ways Americans often fail to grasp. For instance, the Chinese people remember historical humiliations: the ports forced open by British gunboats, the unequal treaties, the racial exclusion in Western lands. They remember the long arc of Chinese experience in America. What became obvious to me is that China’s global reach is about protection — of its people, culture and lineage. To watch Chinese rockets and spacecraft ascend into orbit today is to witness a culture performing self-repair in real time.

When Chinese engineers talk about reaching the moon or building a station in lunar orbit, it’s clear they’re thinking in terms of decades or even centuries. Yet government officials and policy experts in Washington often frame every milestone as a revival of the Cold War space race, a contest for strategic advantage, another chapter in the story of American preeminence under threat. (1/5)