January 27, 2026

China’s Space Telescope Aims to Unlock Cosmic Mysteries. Will International Science Benefit? (Source: Aerospace America)
In late September, some 100 Chinese researchers published a paper in the journal Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy, introducing the world to the objectives and scope of the country’s first flagship space telescope.

Designed for periodic docking with the Tiangong Space Station in low-Earth orbit, the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST) is poised to expand the country’s frontiers in space exploration. But despite assurances about plans to share data, international scientists have limited information about how that will happen, even as the project moves toward a 2027 launch date.

A series of delays have pushed the expected launch four years beyond the initial 2023 target, and one observer said critical information is still missing on the project. Tom Brown, head of the James Webb Space Telescope Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said he’s still awaiting clarity on how, or even if, data from CSST will be provided to scientists outside of China. (1/26)

Space Systems Command Looking Into Mission Operations Center For Space Data Network (Source: Defense Daily)
U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) is seeking companies' input on a future Mission Operations Center for a Space Data Network (SDN)--a future mesh arrangement that chooses the optimal path for satellite communications to reach users. SDN's integration of Defense Department and commercial proliferated low Earth orbit (pLEO), medium Earth orbit, and geosynchronous orbit systems is to enable "packet routing, S-band, and broadband services across the various satellite constellations," (1/27)

Notes From the Spaceport Summit - Multi-User Launch Pads, Feasible or Pipe Dream? (Source: SPACErePORT)
Common-use launch pads are a dream of many spaceports, allowing multiple users to be served on a single launch complex. They are feasible, especially for smaller launch vehicles requiring minimal launch support infrastructure. Launch Complexes 46 and 13 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport are good Florida examples.

But some launch companies prefer their own pads, for freedom of operations and to protect their proprietary processes. Also, when multiple users are queued up for access, with time-sensitive schedule pressures to launch, what happens when another user has a delay? And the impact of a catastrophic failure on the pad can deny access for all users partnered to use the facility.

Small-class launchers are already designing their rockets to require minimal supporting-infrastructure. One solution is the development of multiple identical "clean" multi-user pads, to expand access and mitigate against user delays. (1/27)

Space Florida Looks to the Future (Source: Space Florida)
One of the most important lessons of 2025 is that infrastructure investment is now a defining factor in aerospace competitiveness. Space Florida estimates that by 2035, the state must be prepared to support the transport of at least 5,000 metric tons of cargo to space annually—a scale that translates into hundreds of launches per year across multiple vehicle classes. Meeting that demand requires integrated planning across what we call the “Big 6” infrastructure needs: wastewater, wetlands, wharf, bridge, power and gas.

Throughout 2025, our team worked closely with industry partners, local governments, and members of Florida’s congressional delegation to address these needs head-on. A major milestone was the successful advancement of tax-exempt status for spaceport facility bonds—a policy shift that aligns spaceports with airports and seaports and unlocks new access to capital markets.

This shift fundamentally changes how space infrastructure is financed, reducing risk and unlocking greater private investment to accelerate development. Spaceports can be seen as durable, revenue-generating infrastructure with long-term investment value. It is a necessary evolution as Florida’s spaceport system transitions toward more airport-like operations with higher cadence, greater complexity, and increasing commercial demand. Click here. (1/27)

Top US Defense Official Hails South Korea as "Model Ally" (Source: Arab News)
The Pentagon’s number three official hailed South Korea as a “model ally” as he met with local counterparts in Seoul on Monday, days after Washington’s new defense strategy called for reduced support for partners overseas. (1/26)

Whiplash: Trump Threatens to Increase Tariffs on South Korea (Source: Politico)
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to increase tariffs on South Korea, accusing the country of not living up to the trade agreement it struck with the White House in July. Trump said he will raise duties on South Korean automobiles and auto parts, lumber, pharmaceuticals and so-called reciprocal tariffs from 15 percent to 25 percent, because its legislature hasn’t affirmed the agreement. (1/26)

Northwood Space Raises $100 Million for Ground Stations (Source: Space News)
Ground station developer Northwood Space has raised $100 million. The Series B round, announced Tuesday, was led by Washington Harbour Partners and co-led by a16z, with participation from Alpine Space Ventures and others. Northwood builds electronically steered antennas that communicate with satellites without physically moving the antenna. Its main product is a multi-beam phased array called Portal, designed to add capacity to the ground segment of satellite operations.

The company also recently won a $49.8 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to augment the capacity of the Satellite Control Network, which is used to track launches and early satellite operations, control satellites and provide emergency support to spacecraft that are tumbling or have lost contact. (1/27)

NASA Seeks Partners to Operate Earth Science Missions (Source: Space News)
NASA is looking for partners to handle operations of several Earth science missions. The agency released a call for proposals for organizations interested in working with NASA on several Earth science satellites and instruments mounted on the International Space Station. They include the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite and the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) fleet of smallsats for monitoring tropical storms. NASA said the partnerships could reduce the burden on NASA for operating spacecraft in their extended missions. (1/27)

Trump’s Space Order Shows Why the Outer Space Treaty Must Go (Source: The Blaze)
In mid-December, the White House released an executive order establishing the second Trump administration’s space policy. In the order, the president outlines a policy to “secure the Nation’s vital economic and security interests” and “unleash commercial development” in the stars. The order follows on the Department of Energy’s “first-ever government purchase of a natural resource from space” last May.

If successful, the procurement of lunar helium-3 by 2029 promises to be the first nugget in a 21st-century gold rush. With the value of the isotope reaching $20 million per kilogram by some estimates, prospecting and settlement of the final frontier — a goal of President Trump’s order — might soon follow.

Withdrawing from the Outer Space Treaty might help secure that frontier for Americans. Ratified by the Senate in 1967, the treaty was born of the Cold War. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the global community focused on how to prevent pre-existing terrestrial tensions from spilling over into space. (1/26)

Inching Toward Launch (Source: Space Review)
A little over a week ago, SLS/Orion rolled out to the pad for Artemis 2, the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in more than 50 years. Jeff Foust reports on the slow progress towards that launch, which could happen as soon as next month. Click here. (1/27)
 
When Satellites are Hacked: the Legal Gray zone of Non-Kinetic Space Attack (Source: Space Review)
While kinetic attacks, like direct-ascent missiles, on satellites are well understood, less appreciated are non-kinetic attacks that can disrupt or disable satellites without debris. Aakansh Vijay and Udit Jain argue it’s time international space law took up the issue of how to define, and prevent, such attacks. Click here. (1/27)
 
How Superheavy-Lift Rockets Could Transform Astronomy by Making Space Telescopes Cheaper (Source: Space Review)
New large launch vehicles like Starship and New Glenn open up many new opportunities. Martin Elvis describes how they enable space telescopes that are both bigger and cheaper. Click here. (1/27)
 
Kazakhstan’s Space Strategy: Can its High-Tech Assets Propel it to Eurasia’s New Broker? (Source: Space Review)
Kazakhstan is best known in the space community as the home of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Three experts examine how the country can leverage that role to become a leading space power in Eurasia. Click here. (1/27)

How We Protected the UK and Space in December 2025 (Source: Gov.UK)
December saw sustained levels of space activity with uncontrolled re-entries and collision alerts higher than in November, but with lower space weather activity impacting infrastructure. All  NSpOC warning and protection services were functioning throughout the period. Click here. (1/26)

Space Force’s Newest Reconnaissance Satellites Could Come Online by 2030 (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Space Force plans to award initial contracts as soon as next month for a fleet of small, maneuverable satellites designed to monitor activity in geosynchronous orbit that could be online as soon as 2030, service officials said Jan. 23.

The program, RG-XX, aims to augment and potentially replace the Space Force’s Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program constellation, which observes and tracks objects and behavior in GEO, about 22,000 miles above Earth. The new proliferated constellation would consist of lower-cost satellites with off-the-shelf technology the service could replace or refresh as threats evolve. (1/26)

Feds Cite Texas Machine Shop Over SpaceX Valve Blast that Left Two Injured (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Federal safety regulators have fined the Freeport machine shop where at least two workers were hurt by a SpaceX valve that exploded during testing. Dooling Machine Products Inc. faces a total of $15,371 in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over safety violations related to a July accident that sent two workers to the hospital and also has led to a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s SpaceX. (1/26)

Korean Space Companies Visit SpaceX, Blue Origin for Tech Insights (Source: Business Korea)
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced on Jan. 27 that it dispatched a public-private delegation to the United States, led by Deputy Administrator Noh Kyung-won, to strengthen the global competitiveness of domestic space companies and support their entry into the U.S. market.

The public-private delegation, composed of officials from 14 space companies in launch vehicles, satellites, and space components, will visit NASA Kennedy Space Center as the first stop, followed by visits to U.S. space companies Blue Origin and SpaceX, and the national research institution Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (1/27)

Spaceport's Milestone a Major Boost for Hainan Space Industry (Source: China Daily)
China's primary spaceport for heavy-lift missions set a new annual launch record in 2025, highlighting the country's rapidly advancing high-density launch capabilities and the parallel rise of a commercial space ecosystem. The Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in South China's Hainan province conducted its 12th launch of 2025 on Dec 31, using a Long March 7A rocket to send the Shijian 29A and 29B satellites into their preset orbit. (1/27)

From Orbit to Rocket City: Astronauts Highlight Huntsville's ISS Role (Source: Axios)
NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Takuya Onishi returned to the Rocket City Friday, sharing insight from months in space with the folks who helped make it possible. NASA's operations in Huntsville are key to work that happens on the International Space Station (ISS).

Zoom in: The two astronauts took questions from employees at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Friday about their experience aboard the ISS. The NASA facility is home to the Payload Integration Operations Center (POIC), "the heartbeat for space station research operations." (1/26)

South Korea’s Hanwha Signs MOU’s with MDA Space and Telesat (Source: SpaceQ)
A delegation from South Korea is in Canada at the moment as the two countries strengthen their defence ties. Notably in the space sector, Hanwha Systems Co, Ltd signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, one with MDA Space and the other with Telesat.

Both MOUs relate to the Government of Korea’s low Earth orbit (LEO) communications satellite constellation (K-LEO). In the MDA Space news releases it states that “The K-LEO constellation is a South Korean flagship national initiative designed to strengthen Korea’s sovereign defence capabilities and ensure secure, resilient communications and data services for national security operations.” (1/26)

Need for Space Rescue Capability Highlighted at Spaceport Summit (Source: SPACErePORT)
Members of the Global Spaceport Alliance have been exploring approaches to enabling a system for rescues and disaster mitigation, including designated spaceport abort sites, search-and-recovery teams for land and sea rescues, and on-call launch capabilities for sending food, water, oxygen, propellant and parts for stranded astronauts. (1/27)

Brazil’s Amazonia-1B Satellite to Be Launched Aboard Vega C (Source: European Spaceflight)
Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) has awarded a contract to SpaceLaunch for the launch of its Amazonia-1B Earth observation satellite aboard a Vega C rocket in 2027.

In September 2025, Italian rocket builder Avio announced that it had signed a launch services agreement with US-based launch aggregator SpaceLaunch to carry an Earth observation satellite for an “extra-European institutional customer.” At the time, Avio said it could not reveal the customer’s identity but would do so at a later date. (1/27)

Controversial Chilean Energy Project Scrapped, Relieving Astronomers (Source: Science)
An energy company announced last week it would abandon a green energy project in Chile’s Atacama Desert that sparked controversy because of its proximity to the largest telescopes in the world. The decision was welcomed by astronomers, who warned that light pollution from the project would threaten one of the darkest skies on Earth and the observatories it lured: the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and two future instruments—the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO-South). (1/26)

Governments’ New Must-Have: Their Own Satellites (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A satellite developed by Astranis. Satellites have long been strategic for governments. Astranis
A fracturing global order has more governments shopping for satellites. Countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia are investing in their own satellites or paying for exclusive access to private satellites. Their goal: ensuring steady communications, data and intelligence, critical for national security as conflict and geopolitical tensions spread. (1/26)

Kratos, VisionWave Advance Integrated Defense Systems (Source: SatNews)
Kratos Defense has opened a manufacturing facility for hypersonic systems in Maryland as part of the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed 2.0 program, while VisionWave Holdings has detailed the Argus space-based counter-unmanned aircraft system architecture that uses satellites and AI to provide theater-scale surveillance. The developments reflect a shift toward integrated radio-frequency and autonomous sensing systems. (1/26)
 
Space Force embraces acquisition reforms with KRONOS CSO (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The US Space Force is implementing acquisition reforms via the KRONOS Commercial Solutions Opening, focusing on space intelligence and battle management. The CSO bypasses traditional Federal Acquisition Regulations, allowing continuous engagement with industry and the licensing of software capabilities. Additionally, the Space Force has launched the Enterprise Data Integration Space Operations Node to enhance data management and integration. (1/27)

The HWO Must Be Picometer Perfect To Observe Earth 2.0 (Source: Universe Today)
Lately we’ve been reporting about a series of studies on the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), NASA’s flagship telescope mission for the 2040s. These studies have looked at the type of data they need to collect, and what the types of worlds they would expect to find would look like. Another one has been released in pre-print form on arXiv from the newly formed HWO Technology Maturation Project Office, which details the technology maturation needed for this powerful observatory and the “trade space” it will need to explore to be able to complete its stated mission. (1/27)

NASA Evaluation Lauds Quality of PlanetiQ Radio Occultation Data (Source: Space News)
An independent NASA evaluation confirmed the quality of radio occultation data provided by PlanetiQ. The one-year evaluation, which compared PlanetiQ observations with data from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) and commercial constellations, found that PlanetiQ data products were “high quality, well documented, and broadly comparable to established benchmark missions for most science applications,” according NASA. (1/27)

KSAT Launches ‘Vake Powered by KSAT’ Platform for Space-Based Maritime Situational Awareness (Source: Spacewatch Global)
KSAT is launching the 'Vake Powered by KSAT' maritime situational awareness platform for the detection, identification and tracking of dark vessels from space, by leveraging capabilities from both optical, radiofrequency and radar satellites. (1/27)

The First Airbus Pléiades Neo Next Satellite Will be Launched Early 2028 (Source: Airbus)
Airbus will launch its first Pléiades Neo Next satellite early 2028 from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite will be launched on an Avio’s Vega C rocket. With the Pléiades Neo Next program, Airbus is reinforcing its Earth Observation capabilities and services to remain at the forefront of geospatial technologies. This new program will result in new satellite assets and capabilities, including 20-cm-class native resolution. (1/27)