January 24, 2026

ExLabs to Deliver ChibaTech Payloads to Deep-Space as Part of Apophis Mission (Source: ExLabs)
ExLabs has announced its partnership with Japan's Chiba Institute of Technology (ChibaTech) and its Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC) to send university-led payloads to the surface of asteroid Apophis during its rare near-Earth flyby in 2029. ApophisExL is the world's first commercial deep-space rideshare and is supported by mission design and operations collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) operated by Caltech.

Under the leadership of planetary scientist and PERC Director, Dr. Tomoko Arai, ChibaTech students and researchers are developing two landing payloads to be deployed on the asteroid's surface. This will be one of the few instances globally where students are directly contributing to flight hardware that will leave Earth orbit. (1/23)

Voyager Enables Microgravity-Enabled Drug Discovery (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies announced a new contract with Space LiinTech to manifest a new payload to the ISS, advancing microgravity-enabled drug discovery. Under the contract, Voyager will provide mission integration, payload configuration support and end-to-end guidance to ensure safe operations aboard the ISS. (1/22)

Frontier Space Launched Orbital Mission with Azenta Life Sciences to De-Risk SpaceLab Platform for Future Pharmaceutical Research and Biomanufacturing (Source: Frontier Space)
Frontier Space has successfully launched its latest orbital test campaign, EGGS-2 (Early Gen micro-Gravity Service), working in close partnership with Azenta Life Sciences and Orbital Paradigm as part of its ongoing programme to mature next-generation microgravity research infrastructure for pharmaceutical and life-science applications.

The EGGS-2 mission represented another step in Frontier Space’s rapid, iterative approach to developing its SpaceLab platform, a modular, autonomous orbital laboratory designed to enable future pharmaceutical research and in-space biomanufacturing. Within a nine-month period, Frontier Space has designed, built, delivered, and launched two independent space-biotech flight systems, with each flight system developed and delivered in approximately four months. (1/20)

Ukraine Expands Partnership with ICEYE (Source: ICEYE)
ICEYE and a customer within the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine have signed a new agreement to significantly expand their cooperation in space-based intelligence. The agreement ensures that the Ministry of Defence continues to receive a high volume of high-resolution satellite imagery through ICEYE’s world-leading SAR constellation, supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces with persistent situational awareness on tactical timelines. (1/19)

Chinese Startup Targets 2028 Crewed Suborbital Space Tourism (Source: CGTN)
A Chinese private company has announced its plan to send tourists to the edge of space by 2028, for 3 million yuan (about $430,000) a seat. About 20 people have signed up for the trip, including an actor, a top engineer, a poet and a businessman, according to InterstellOr, which was founded in early 2023.

According to the company's website, the CYZ1 suborbital spacecraft will carry up to seven passengers to the Kármán line, or the border between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, at an altitude of about 100 kilometers, for a weightless experience that would last between 3 to 6 minutes. (1/23)

Space Force General Reaffirms Tight Timeline For Golden Dome (Source: Aviation Week)
The Pentagon is following a strict schedule to deploy an initial Golden Dome for America capability in just more than two years and an expanded architecture by 2035, while keeping the missile defense program’s details largely classified, U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said. (1/23)

Florida State University Researcher Provides New Insight Into Economic Outcomes of the U.S. Space Race (Source: FSU)
A Florida State University economics professor’s latest research offers a new perspective on the long-held belief that the space race of the 1950s and 60s served as a primary engine for broad American economic growth. Shawn Kantor and co-author Alexander Whalley examined whether the massive public investment in R&D during the Cold War generated the widespread technological spillovers often cited by modern policymakers.

Rather than overturning the historical significance of the space race, the research provides a nuanced interpretation, highlighting its role as a targeted, mission-driven industrial policy rather than a catalyst for economic-wide innovation.

The research finds limited evidence that increased federal R&D spending during the space race translated into widespread economic growth across the nation. Instead, Kantor and Whalley show that NASA contracts primarily benefited certain industries and regions, with few signs of broader technological spillovers. (1/23)

NASA Works Toward Artemis IV Mission With Stennis Hot Fire (Source: NASA)
An RS-25 engine (No. 2063) passed a 300-second hot fire test on January 22, 2026, at Stennis Space Center. Following the successful test of the repaired component, the engine is cleared for installation on the Artemis IV SLS core stage. This engine, previously assigned to Artemis II, was removed to replace a faulty hydraulic actuator, notes NASA. (1/23)

Chinese "Space Roses" Sprout Via Historic Suborbital Mission (Source: Xinhua)
In a novel fusion of spaceflight and agriculture, a batch of precious rose seeds from Henan Province in central China has returned from a journey to the edge of space, marking a fresh advance in the country's space breeding program. The seeds were transported on the return capsule of the Lihong-1 Y1 suborbital vehicle, a commercial recoverable spacecraft designed for space tourism. (1/24)

Launches Planned From SaxaVord for European Space Agency Test Program (Source: Shetland News)
ESA has announced details of two planned launches from Unst as part of a program testing new satellite technology. The launches from the SaxaVord Spaceport will use a rocket from Germany company RFA. A spokesperson for RFA was unable to give out a timescale for the launches. This is because the company needs to get its long-awaited first test flight completed first, which is currently slated for the third quarter of 2026.

One of the ESA-backed “missions”, named Lurbat, will see Earth-observation data sent from a small satellite in space to research centers in Spain. It will have two propulsion systems to demonstrate technologies to move the satellite while in orbit. (1/23)

Vandenberg Announces New Strategic Plan (Source: USSF)
Col. James T. Horne III, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, unveiled a new strategic plan outlining priorities for 2026 and beyond, as the installation prepares for continued growth in space launch, test operations and national security missions. The plan is built around three core pillars, Mission, People and Future, and is designed to guide the base through an era of increased operational demand and technological change. Click here. (1/23)

NIH Review Panels Due to Lose All Members (Source: Nature)
Crucial grant-review panels for more than half of the institutes that make up the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) are on track to lose all their voting members within the year. Federal law requires these panels to review applications for all but the smallest grants before funding can be awarded, meaning that the ability of those institutes to issue new grants could soon be frozen. (1/22)

Hungry Hippos and Test Tanks – Rocket Lab Building Toward Neutron (Source: NSF)
The reusable fairing system—nicknamed “Hungry Hippo” for its distinctive clamshell-like design that opens and closes to release the second stage and payload before remaining attached to the returning first stage—completed a month-long sea journey from Rocket Lab’s manufacturing facility in New Zealand. Transported aboard a barge towed by the vessel Northstar Integrity, the hardware reached the U.S. East Coast earlier this week, with its final leg to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops.

The massive carbon composite structure were offloaded and positioned at Rocket Lab’s facility at Wallops, which includes Launch Complex 3 (LC-3). This delivery follows successful qualification and acceptance testing completed in late 2025. Rocket Lab announced that the fairing halves demonstrated reliable opening and closing under simulated flight conditions, structural integrity, and operational cycles—critical proofs for a system that breaks from traditional expendable fairings. (1/23)

Spire to Support AiDash With Weather Intelligence Data (Source: Via Satellite)
Spire Global has secured a new weather intelligence deal in the energy/utilities sector. AiDash, a provider of vegetation, storm, and ignition risk intelligence and SatelliteFirst grid monitoring solutions, has tapped Spire to help improve its services. Spire will be delivering advanced weather intelligence and data that enhances AiDash’s integrated solution for securing the modern electric grid from vegetation and weather-driven risk. The deal was announced Jan. 22. (1/23)

AFRL Selects Aalyria for Space Data Network Experimentation Program (Source: Via Satellite)
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will evaluate Aalyria’s Spacetime network orchestration software as a candidate for a future “network of networks” concept under a new selection announced Thursday.

The AFRL’s Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) program selected Aalyria for the Space Data Network Experimentation (SDNX) program. The SDNX looks to explore architectures integrating spacecraft, ground segments, and advanced communication links for the joint force. (1/23)

'Smart' Crystals That Self-Repair at -320°F to Unlock New Space, Deep-Sea Technologies (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A team of researchers discovered a new type of self-healing organic crystal. The new material repairs itself after sustaining damage, even at extremely low temperatures. The research could pave the way for the next generation of space materials. According to the scientists, their durable, lightweight material can perform in some of the harshest environments on Earth and in space. (1/22)

Taara Internet is 10 to 100 Times Faster Than Starlink and Cheaper Than Fiber (Source: Futura)
In California, a small team of engineers believes it can outperform one of the most ambitious Internet projects ever built. With a handful of custom devices and a new name – Taara – the group has stepped away from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to reshape global connectivity. This time, however, they’re doing it from the ground, not from space. The team has developed an Internet system powered by light beams rather than fiber cables or satellites.

Their goal is simple yet ambitious: to transmit more data than a typical Starlink antenna, at just a fraction of the cost. The concept isn’t entirely new. Similar “free-space optical” systems have existed since the late 1990s, though they were often hampered by bad weather and fragile alignment. Taara says its technology solves these problems through stronger design and smarter tracking of light beams. (1/21)

Former Astronaut Joins Vast as Haven-1 Moves to Integration (Source: Space News)
Vast has appointed former NASA astronaut Megan McArthur as an astronaut adviser, strengthening its team as the company officially delays the launch of its Haven-1 commercial space station to the first quarter of 2027. McArthur joins other former astronauts advising on the station's design, safety, and operations. Haven-1's launch has been shifted from 2026 to Q1 2027 due to ongoing development and integration. (1/23)

Orlando Summit to Feature Emerging Financing Tools for US Spaceports (Source: SPACErePORT)
Florida US Senator Ashley Moody and tax attorney Kostas Poulakidas will be the keynote speakers during Tuesday's Global Spaceport Alliance Summit in Orlando. Their topic: tax exempt bond financing for spaceports. Moody supported bill language signed into law that allows US spaceport infrastructure and facilities to receive the same tax exemptions typically applied to airport and seaport projects. This exemption was a longtime goal for Florida's spaceport authority and can now be used to finance infrastructure at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and other spaceports nationwide. Here's a fact sheet on the new financing tool. (1/23)

Space Servicing and Proximity-Operations Gets New Industry Group (Source: CONFERS)
The Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) - the independent not-for-profit global trade association for satellite servicing, developing recommendations for industry-led voluntary consensus standards and guiding international policies that contribute to a sustainable, safe, and diverse space economy. CONFERS is open to membership by industry, academic research institutions, governments, and nonprofit and not-for- profit organizations and individuals who are interested in furthering the commercial satellite servicing industry. (1/23)

DOGE Cuts “Unexpectedly and Significantly Impacted” Critical Pentagon Unit (Source: The Intercept)
Efforts to gut the federal workforce by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency significantly derailed operations at a Pentagon tech team with a key U.S. military role, according to materials reviewed by The Intercept. Defenders of DOGE, including Musk, have claimed the project solely ferreted out fraud, waste, and abuse. But according to a December 2025 contracting memo from the Defense Information Systems Agency, DOGE’s tactics caused major problems at the Pentagon’s IT office — which is core to the operation of the U.S. military. (1/19)

Space Beyond Signs Agreement for First Space Memorials Mission on 2027 Falcon 9 Rideshare (Source: Space Beyond)
Space Beyond, a pioneering startup expanding access to space through affordable space memorials, today announced the signing of a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Arrow Science & Technology, a leader in space deployment systems and launch services. This milestone secures Space Beyond's first spacecraft on Arrow's fifth rideshare mission, Transporter-22, scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in October 2027. (1/22)

Oldest Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Turns 96 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Buzz Aldrin, the second man and only one of 12 to ever walk on the moon, turns 96 today. He’s just one of four living moonwalkers and the oldest remaining astronaut still making trips around the sun. Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surfaces as part of the Apollo 11 landing in 1969 as a 39-year-old. He was born on Monday, Jan. 20, 1930, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, the only son and youngest of three children of Edwin Aldrin and wife Marion, whose maiden name was Moon. (1/20)

NASA Day of Remembrance Held at Astronaut's Memorial in Florida (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA’s Day of Remembrance ceremony was held Thursday at KSC’s Visitor Complex. “For those of us who were around at the time, the picture of those two solid rocket motors, their plumes going off in separate directions against that clear, blue Florida sky that morning is something that’s firmly etched in our brains that we will always remember.” The ceremony marked the lives of the Challenger seven, along with the three Apollo 1 crew members who died Jan. 27, 1967 during a launch pad fire on Cape Canaveral, the seven members of Space Shuttle Columbia’s STS-107 mission who died Feb. 1, 2003 when it disintegrated upon reentry, and other astronauts who died during training accidents on Earth in the pursuit of space. (1/22)

Boeing Team Prototypes Onboard AI for Space (Source: Boeing)
Boeing engineers have prototyped an artificial intelligence (AI) application that can run on a variety of spacecraft. This early milestone verifies the potential for future systems to identify and understand problems a spacecraft encounters, and take safe, preset steps to resolve the issues without waiting for a ground connection and command. (1/21)