January 14, 2026

A Week of Eye-Popping Numbers (Source: Space News)
In the last week, a few eye-popping figures were presented: first China submitted two filings for huge non-geostationary satellite networks to the International Telecommunication Union, indicating moves to secure options for next-generation megaconstellations. Those megaconstellations could total nearly 200,000 satellites.Together, the pair represent one of the largest constellation filings ever made, highlighting the growing competition over orbital and spectrum resources.

Second, SpaceX received approval from the FCC for a second tranche of 7,500 Starlink Gen2 satellites. "So far, we have avoided the worst-case scenarios many predicted several years ago when SpaceX started full-scale deployment of Starlink satellites," said Jeff Foust. "There have been no collisions and very few close calls. SpaceX's automated system to maneuver satellites to avoid potential close approaches has worked well, and the company coordinates with many other commercial and government satellite operators."

But past performance is no guarantee of future success. As the number of launches grows, with more satellites being deployed by more large constellations, the risk of collisions will grow. In December, SpaceX criticized a Chinese launch operator, CAS Space, for deploying a satellite that passed within 200 meters of a Starlink satellite, saying that there was no pre-launch coordination or deconfliction by CAS Space. (1/14)

Haridopolos Secures Federal Funding for Key Space Coast Projects (Sources: Space Coast Daily, SPACErePORT)
U.S. Congressman Mike Haridopolos announced that several high-priority projects across Florida’s Space Coast will receive significant federal funding following passage of a major appropriations package in Congress aimed at strengthening public safety, education, environmental protection, and scientific research. The funding was included in the Commerce, Justice, Science–Energy & Water–Interior “minibus,” a legislative package that combines multiple federal spending bills to support critical government operations and infrastructure nationwide.

For the Space Coast, the bill delivers targeted investments that local leaders say will have lasting impacts on public safety, workforce development, and the region’s fragile ecosystem. Among the largest allocations is nearly $14 million dedicated to improving water quality and restoring the long-term health of the Indian River Lagoon, a biologically diverse estuary currently stressed by wastewater treatment challenges at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (1/13)

SpaceX Breaks Pad Turnaround Record at Cape Canaveral with Wednesday Starlink Launch (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX’s launch of its Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday afternoon broke the turnaround record at its launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station by more than five hours. The Starlink 6-98 mission lifted off at 1:08 p.m. EST, just 45 hours after the launch of the Starlink 6-97 mission at 4:08 p.m. EST on Monday. The previous record, set in December 2025, was 50 hours and 44 between the launches of NROL-77 and Starlink 6-90. (1/14)

Boeing Strakes to Improve SLS Aerodynamics (Source: Boeing)
When the Artemis II moon rocket rolls out to the launch pad, you may notice it’s rocking some new hardware designed by Boeing to improve airflow. After the successful Artemis I launch in 2022, Boeing and NASA evaluated post-flight data and discovered the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket faced higher-than-expected vibrations near the solid rocket booster attachment points. The cause? Unsteady airflow in the gap between the core stage and the two solid rocket boosters. (1/7)

Ancient Impact May Explain Moon's Contrasting Sides (Source: Space Daily)
For decades scientists have puzzled over why the moons two hemispheres look so different despite sharing a common origin in the early solar system. The near side that always faces Earth is dominated by dark flat volcanic plains called maria that create the familiar man in the moon pattern seen with the naked eye. In contrast the far side has a much thicker crust and appears as a rugged heavily cratered highland region with very little sign of large scale lava flooding.

New research published Tuesday points to a giant impact early in lunar history as a key driver of this stark dichotomy. Laboratory measurements showed that the Chang'e 6 samples from the South Pole Aitken basin are unusually rich in heavy potassium isotopes compared with typical lunar rocks. The team interprets this enrichment as a chemical fingerprint of an enormous impact that generated intense heat capable of driving off lighter isotopes of potassium as well as other volatile elements such as zinc and sulfur. (1/13)

2026 Will be the Year of Space Nuclear Power and Surviving the Lunar Night (Source: Space News)
Surviving the lunar night has crossed a critical threshold: what was once a ‘nice-to-have’ is now the imperative for any serious lunar mission. We’re seeing this ‘survive, operate, thrive’ progression play out in real time: we’ve proven we can land repeatedly, now we’re focused on surviving that brutal two-week night at -250°C, then operating through it, and ultimately building the distributed infrastructure that lets us truly thrive.

Missions originally scoped for short-term surface operations are being examined for lunar night survival. We see the evolution of landers with larger payload capabilities and more services, lunar night survival will be even more important for these larger landers. (1/13)

Viruses May Be More Powerful in the International Space Station's Microgravity Environment (Source: Space.com)
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studied bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria, also called phages — in identical settings both on the ISS and on Earth. Their results, published recently in the journal PLOS Biology, suggest that microgravity can delay infections, reshape evolution of both phages and bacteria and even reveal genetic combinations that may help the performance against disease-linked bacteria on Earth. (1/13)

Iran Jams and Seizes Starlink Terminals Amid Near‑Total Internet Blackout; US Weighs Response (Source: Reuters)
Iranian authorities have launched a near-complete shutdown of internet service. Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints. One of them, in Western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected. (1/12)

New Evidence That An Ancient Martian Ocean Covered Half The Planet (Source: Universe Today)
New research provides compelling evidence that an ancient ocean once covered half of Mars, with scientists identifying scarp-fronted deposits in Valles Marineris that closely resemble river deltas on Earth. Using high-resolution images from multiple Mars orbiters, researchers examined Southeast Coprates Chasma and found three fan-shaped deposits at consistent elevations that mark where rivers once emptied into a massive body of water.

The deposits, formed during the boundary between the Late Hesperian and Early Amazonian periods (roughly 3 billion years ago), represent what researchers call the highest water level Mars ever achieved, with the paleoshoreline extending from Valles Marineris across the northern hemisphere. This discovery strengthens the case for ancient Mars being warm, wet, and potentially habitable, as the presence of liquid water flowing on the surface is crucial for understanding the planet's capacity to support life. (1/13)

Mars Sample Return May Be Canceled, But the Legal Questions It Leaves Behind Continue (Source: Payload)
There is no concept of abandonment in space law, simply because a return mission is delayed, redesigned, or canceled. The Mars sample tubes left behind by NASA remain US space objects, even if the US has no plans to retrieve them. That conclusion is reinforced by the Rescue and Return Agreement, which requires any state that recovers a space object to return it to the launching state—upon request. (1/13)

ESA and ClearSpace Announce PRELUDE In-Orbit Servicing and Debris Removal Mission (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency and Luxembourg’s ClearSpace announced Jan. 12 a new collaboration on an in-orbit servicing and active debris removal mission called PRELUDE, one that will involve two small spacecraft designed to test close-proximity operations and could eventually enable satellite life extension, repair and removal in orbit. (1/13)

Connecticut Fuel Cell Company Clears Key Test for NASA Moon Missions (Source: Hartford Business)
A Groton-based fuel cell developer said it has successfully completed testing that moves its technology closer to powering NASA astronauts on lunar missions. Nimbus Power Systems announced Tuesday that its fuel cell technology passed shock and vibration tests simulating launch conditions for NASA’s Artemis program. Nimbus has licensed its technology to SpaceX competitor Blue Origin for use in the company’s Blue Moon Lunar Lander, which NASA will use to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface. (1/13)

Turkish Space Tech Company Plan-S Expands Satellite Constellation to 16 with New SpaceX Launch (Source: Turkey Today)
Plan-S, one of Türkiye’s leading companies in the global space sector, has successfully launched four new Connecta Internet of Things (IoT) satellites into orbit, expanding its active satellite constellation to 16. The satellites were sent into space as part of SpaceX’s Twilight mission. The Türkiye-based startup said it managed the entire process in-house, including the design, testing, production and integration of the satellites. (1/12)

Hegseth Slams Risk-Averse Defense Culture and "Woke" AI in Starbase Visit, Plans Grok Integration (Source: Bloomberg)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lamented the defense industry’s “risk-averse culture” and praised Elon Musk during a visit to the SpaceX Starbase launch site, offering fresh evidence that the billionaire is back in the White House’s good graces after a dramatic falling out last year. Hegseth announced several plans meant to speed innovation and slammed what he called “woke” artificial intelligence. He confirmed the Defense Department’s plan to integrate Musk’s Grok AI platform into its system despite a global backlash over the model allowing users to create sexualized images of people including children without their consent. (1/12)

University of Texas System Signs Space Act Agreement with NASA (Source: Spectrum News)
The University of Texas System has signed a new Space Act agreement with NASA after UT System Chancellor John Zerwas took a trip to NASA’s facility in Houston to make it official. “The agreement builds on existing work and will facilitate deeper collaboration in areas like space exploration research, educational engagement in STEM fields, and workforce development in the aerospace, cybersecurity and semiconductor industries," representatives with the UT System wrote. (1/12)

Sweden Allocates $140M for Space (Source: Breaking Defense)
Sweden has announced a commitment of 1.3 billion kronor ($140 million) to “expanding” its space capabilities with new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites. “Enhanced space capabilities offer Sweden improved intelligence gathering, enhanced freedom of action and greater strategic autonomy. By building up national satellite capabilities, we are strengthening the protection of our combat forces and increasing Sweden’s value as a relevant and reliable Ally,” Defense Minister Pål Jonson said. (1/12)

NASA, Department of Energy to Develop Lunar Surface Reactor by 2030 (Source: NASA)
NASA, along with the U.S. Department of Energy renewed a commitment to their longstanding partnership to support the research and development of a fission surface power system for use on the Moon under the Artemis campaign and future NASA missions to Mars. A recently signed MOU solidifies this collaboration and advances President Trump’s vision of American space superiority by deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including the development of a lunar surface reactor by 2030. This effort ensures the United States leads the world in space exploration and commerce.

NASA and DOE anticipate deploying a fission surface power system capable of producing safe, efficient, and plentiful electrical power that will be able to operate for years without the need to refuel. The deployment of a lunar surface reactor will enable future sustained lunar missions by providing continuous and abundant power, regardless of sunlight or temperature. (1/13)

Space Force Switches Rockets for Upcoming GPS Satellite Launch (Source: Spaceflight Now)
The next GPS satellite is switching from a ULA Vulcan rocket to a SpaceX Falcon 9. SpaceX could launch the GPS III Space Vehicle 09 (SV09) within the next few weeks, as the satellite was entering the final stages of pre-flight preparations. As part of the swap, ULA will instead launch the third of the next generation of Global Positioning System satellites. The GPS III Follow-on (GPS IIIF) SV13 satellite was originally scheduled to launch on a Falcon Heavy, but will now fly on Vulcan. (1/13)

Starship’s Footprint on the Space Coast is Expanding (Source: NSF)
This week, the FAA released Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis (OE/AAA) filings from SpaceX for construction at LC-37, including the launch tower and two massive cranes: an LR11000 and the LR13000. Documentation suggests tower construction could begin as early as January 23, less than two weeks away. SpaceX has nine tower sections already fabricated at Roberts Road, setting the stage for rapid rollout and stacking once the foundations are ready. (1/13)