January 31, 2026

Tim Hortons to Celebrate First Canadian to Fly to Moon with 'Moonbits' (Source: Collect Space)
Tim Hortons is offering a sweet send-off for the first Canadian astronaut to fly to the moon. The iconic Canada-based coffeehouse and restaurant chain has announced a limited-edition commemorative "Moonbits" box that will be available exclusively in London, Ontario, the hometown of Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The temporarily-rebranded and specially-packaged Timbits — bite-sized, deep-fried donut balls — will be available after NASA confirms Hansen's launch date on the Artemis II mission around the moon (possibly as soon as Feb. 8). (1/29)

Russian Glavkosmos Eyes Sabah Spaceport Partnership (Source: Daily Express)
Russian launch service provider Glavkosmos has met Qhazanah Sabah Berhad to explore potential collaboration with the Sabah State Government on developing a spaceport in the state. Glavkosmos said technical studies identify Sabah as the most suitable location in Southeast Asia for orbital launches, including low-earth and sun-synchronous orbits, due to its strategic geography and safe rocket stage drop zones. The proposed spaceport could create more than 2,000 high-income jobs and boost local supporting industries. (1/31)

Hundreds Come Out Seeking Answers to Blue Origin’s Wastewater Plans for Indian River Lagoon (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
When the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced a draft proposal to allow Blue Origin to renew its industrial wastewater output that could flow into the Indian River Lagoon, residents and government officials in Brevard County corralled enough support to get the DEP to hold a public hearing. That support came in force during the three-hour information session at the UF/IFAS Extension Building Cocoa on Friday night.

About 200 people crammed into the small building for the opening of the event, although by 6 p.m., the crowds had dissipated. About 20 personnel from Florida DEP as well as representatives from Blue Origin were on hand with informational placards to talk one-on-one with concerned citizens. At issue was the desire of officials at Jeff Bezos’ company to generate nearly 500,000 gallons of wastewater daily at Blue Origin’s Merritt Island facilities that would affect the Indian River Lagoon.

The original draft permit that was published last November sought to allow Blue Origin to operate an industrial wastewater treatment facility that could dispense up to 490,000 gallons. Of that total, up to 15,000 gallons per day could be “non process” wastewater. Last fall, Blue Origin simply took the stance it was asking to continue a process already in place. (1/30)

FAA Dismisses Airline, Sonic Boom Concerns in Signing Off on SpaceX Starship Plans from KSC (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The FAA’s “Record of Decision” on a final Environmental Impact Statement for the KSC site at Launch Complex 39-A outlined mitigation plans across several concerns, but recommended SpaceX could pursue up to 44 launches a year. This is on top of a previously Air Force-led EIS released for two SpaceX Starship launch pads at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which calls for up to 76 launches.

FAA’s Katie Cranor, the executive director of its Office of Operational Safety, it said not approving the Starship plans would “impede the FAA’s ability to assist the commercial space transportation industry in meeting projected demand for services and expansion in new markets.” She wrote she “has determined that all practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm from the selected alternative have been adopted. SpaceX is amid a $1.8 billion infrastructure project to build out a Starship and Super Heavy manufacturing site called Gigabay on KSC property that will feed the rockets to both sites.

Combined, the KSC and Canaveral plans could mean up to 120 launches a year. That also means up to 240 landings a year. The Super Heavy booster, similar to Blue Origin’s New Glenn, uses liquid oxygen and methane-based propellants, which for now is being considered as powerful as TNT. That has led to a much larger no-fly zones for launch, which will require significant temporary disruptions to airline routes. The most dire predictions in two federal reports on the proposal could mean nearly 12,000 delayed commercial flights each year, while the fishing industry also decried maritime areas that will be off limits. (1/30)

Rocket Lab Launches South Korean Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab successfully launched the NEONSAT-1A imaging satellite for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on Jan. 29, 2026, from New Zealand, marking their second mission of the year. The "Bridging the Swarm" mission deployed the satellite into a 540-km orbit to support Earth-observation capabilities. (1/30)

Axiom Tops Newcomer Vast In NASA Private ISS Charter (Source: Aviation Week)
Houston-based Axiom Space has been selected by NASA for a fifth private astronaut mission to the ISS, the company announced Jan. 30. Axiom, which has flown four private charters to the ISS, expects to fly its fifth mission no earlier than January 2027. (1/31)

NASA Pushes Artemis 2 Launch Date to NET February 8 (Source: SpaceQ)
Cold temperatures and wind have forced NASA to push the wet dress rehearsal to Feb. 2 which in turn has pushed the Artemis 2 launch date to no earlier than (NET) Feb. 8. In update from NASA this morning the agency said that “Managers have assessed hardware capabilities against the projected forecast given the rare arctic outbreak affecting the state and decided to change the timeline.” NASA add that the wet dress rehearsal will begin at 9 p.m. EST on Feb. 2. (1/30)

Amazon Asks FCC for 2-Year Extension in Leo Satellite Deployment Deadline, Citing a Rocket Shortage (Source: Geekwire)
Amazon says it’s been harder than expected to secure rides for its Amazon Leo broadband internet satellites, and now it’s asking the Federal Communications Commission for more time. The request for an extension, filed today, asks the FCC to give Amazon until July 30, 2028, to deploy half of its 3,232 satellites in low Earth orbit. The current deadline is July 30, 2026.

Amazon said it’s spent more than $10 billion on its Leo constellation and has reserved more than 100 launches to get the satellites in their proper orbits. But it acknowledged that it’ll miss the original deadline, which was set in 2020 when the FCC gave the initial go-ahead for what was then known as Project Kuiper. (1/30)

Chinese Space Tourism Startup Eyes 2028 for 1st Crewed Mission, Signs Celebrity for Future Flight (Source: Space.com)
A Chinese space firm is booking passengers for its suborbital tourism flights and has now signed up a celebrity for an early flight. Commercial company InterstellOr unveiled a full-scale experimental version of its CYZ1 (ChuanYueZhe 1) crew capsule on Jan. 22 and also performed a landing buffer test. CYZ1 is designed to allow occupants to experience a few minutes of microgravity, taking passengers above the Kármán Line.

The company is targeting its first crewed flights in 2028 and is already taking bookings, though timelines are dependent on development, testing and certification progresses. InterstellOr has, however, announced that the Chinese actor Johnny Huang Jingyu has signed up as its first celebrity space tourist and will fly as passenger 009. Initial tickets are reported to be around 3 million Chinese yuan, or $430,000. (1/31)

SpaceX Files Plans for Million-Satellite Orbital Data Center Constellation (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is requesting to launch up to one million satellites to create a network of orbiting data centers around Earth. Late on Friday, the company filed the request with the Federal Communications Commission, describing the project as a “constellation of satellites with unprecedented computing capacity to power advanced artificial intelligence models and the applications that rely on them.” The plan is shocking in its scope, dwarfing the existing Starlink constellation, which currently spans over 9,600 satellites in Earth’s orbit. (1/31)

What Actually Happens to a Spacecraft During its Fiery Last Moments? ESA Wants to Find Out (Source: Space.com)
What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? That's the key question for the European Space Agency's (ESA) Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission. ESA has greenlit the program that will create a highly complex reentry of a spacecraft specifically built to dive into Earth's atmosphere while loaded with a variety of sensors. As the Draco spacecraft falls into thicker and thicker air while it enters the atmosphere, it will collect data on how materials react and introduce pollutants into the upper stratosphere. In other words, it's an atmospheric stab for science. (1/31)

Starlink Updates Privacy Policy to Allow Consumer Data to Train AI (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow the use of customer data for AI training, a shift that could bolster Elon Musk's AI ambitions. Ahead of a blockbuster IPO planned for later this year, SpaceX is in talks to merge with Musk’s AI company, xAI, a deal first reported by Reuters on Thursday. SpaceX, already the world’s most valuable private company, could reach a value of more than $1 trillion after the IPO. (1/30)

Artemis 2 Launch Intersects With Planning for Crew-12 ISS Launch (Source: Space.com)
NASA has two big astronaut launches converging toward the same week, as a rare Arctic cold front pushes mission schedules into a logistical whirlwind. The Artemis 2 astronaut flight around the moon is brushing up against the launch of SpaceX's Crew-12 mission to the ISS. That liftoff has been accelerated up the calendar to replace the Crew-11 astronauts, who were forced back to Earth early due to an undisclosed medical issue with one of the astronauts.

It's a great problem for NASA to have — schedule conflicts from the number of astronaut missions launching to space — and indicative of the progress the agency has made to return human spaceflight to American soil. But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2. (1/30)

China Launches Satellite for Algeria (Source: China Daily)
China launched an Algerian remote sensing satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Saturday. A Long March-2C carrier rocket lifted off from the launch center, successfully sending the satellite into its planned orbit. The Algerian satellite will be primarily used for land planning and disaster prevention and mitigation. Saturday's launch marked the 629th mission of China's Long March rocket series. (1/31)

Epstein Files Show Elon Musk Apparently Discussed Plans to Visit Sex Offender’s Island, Host Him at SpaceX (Source: CNBC)
A cache of newly released documents from the Epstein files on Friday showed Elon Musk apparently corresponded with the convicted sex offender in 2012 and 2013, as they discussed meeting at Jeffrey Epstein’s private island and at Musk’s SpaceX facility in Southern California. The emails indicate Musk asked about attending the “wildest party,” hosted by Epstein at his island. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” Musk said in a post on his social network X in September. (1/30)

Cracks on Europa Sport Traces of Ammonia (Source: Universe Today)
The search for life-supporting worlds in the Solar System includes the Jovian moon Europa. Yes, it's an iceberg of a world, but underneath its frozen exterior lies a deep, salty ocean and a nickel-iron core. It's heated by tidal flexing, and that puts pressure on the interior ocean, sending water and salts to the surface. As things turn out, there's also evidence of ammonia-bearing compounds on the surface. All these things combine to provide a fascinating look at Europa's geology and potential as a haven for life.

Data from the Galileo spacecraft, which orbited in the Jupiter system from 1995 to 2003, contained clues to the presence of those ammonia compounds, but it took until now for them to be found. NASA/JPL scientist Al Emran took a closer look at measurements made by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer. He found faint ammonia absorption bands at 2.2 microns near cracks in the Europan surface. Those cracks are the main conduits for liquid water to rise from deep below, in a form of eruptive activity called cryovolcanism. (1/31)

Earth-Size Planet Spotted with Yearlong Orbit (Source: Science)
Astronomers are planning ambitious telescopes to search for signs of life on distant planets. A newly discovered world, announced here last week at the Rocky Worlds conference and published yesterday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, might just be the perfect target. The planet, called HD 137010 b, is almost exactly Earth-size. At 355 days, its orbit is almost exactly Earth-like, too. And its star is bright and just 146 light-years away–close enough to be observed in detail with future telescopes. (1/28)

Launch Pads Struggle to Keep Pace With Expanding Industry (Source: National Defense)
U.S. capability to launch national security payloads into orbit is blossoming as companies such as Blue Origin and Rocket Lab enter the military space launch business alongside incumbents SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. Their arrival bolsters the competitive diversity the Pentagon has long sought for assured access to space. But according to analysts, the capacity these companies add will strain the nation’s space launch infrastructure. Click here. (1/29)

Sounding the Alarm on Artemis Orion Heat Shield Problems (Source: ABC News)
Former longtime NASA engineers Charlie Camarda and Daniel Raske have warned that safety issues with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield could risk astronauts' lives on the upcoming Artemis II moon mission. Concerns center on the heat shield material unexpectedly cracking during the 2022 uncrewed Artemis I flight. The heat shield, designed to protect against extreme reentry temperatures, showed unexpected degradation, with chunks breaking off in 2022.

Camarda, a former astronaut and engineer, and Raske, who specialized in thermal systems, argue the heat shield is unsafe for humans. While some experts believe NASA has analyzed the failure and can manage the risk, others argue the damage mechanism is not fully understood, urging that the mission proceed with caution. NASA has maintained that it has a "handle on the problem" and the heat shield is adequate for the crew's return. Camarda and Raske suggested SpaceX's Dragon capsule heat shield is a better solution for Orion.

Editor's Note: NASA's position has been that the Artemis Orion capsules, traveling toward Earth from cislunar space, will be traveling much faster than Dragon capsules reentering from low Earth orbit. That increased speed will result in higher levels of heat that require a different heat-shield solution, more effective than what Dragon uses. (1/30)

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI in Talks to Merge (Source: Tech Crunch)
Three of Elon Musk’s companies — SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla — are in play for a potential merger. While the talks appear to be in the early stage, according to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, it could eventually lead to at least one company folding into SpaceX. Two scenarios are being hashed out. In one, SpaceX and Tesla would merge, per Bloomberg, citing unnamed insiders. In another, SpaceX and aXI (which already owns Musk’s social media platform X) would combine.

According to reporting by Reuters, a merger between SpaceX and xAI could take place ahead of a planned SpaceX IPO this year. This would bring products like the Grok chatbot, X platform, Starlink satellites, and SpaceX rockets together under one corporation. (1/29)

Could Florida Have an Official 'Space Day'? (Source: Tallahassee.com)
Floridians could soon have a designated day to celebrate "the final frontier." A state senator has filed a resolution that would name Feb. 3, 2026, "Space Day." Senate Resolution 1780 would recognize Florida as the "birthplace of American space exploration." "Florida has long been the world’s gateway to space and continues to be the epicenter of innovation, opportunity, and economic expansion in the aerospace industry with its three spaceports solidifying the state’s advantage," the resolution says.

The measure is sponsored by Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach, who represents Senate District 8, where Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center are located. The designation would only be for 2026 and there was no significance given as to why Tuesday, Feb. 3 was selected. Editor's Note: This article misses the point. Feb. 3 is the annual Florida Space Day, when industry leaders from around the state visit the capitol during the legislative session. Similar resolutions have been passed nearly every year to commemorate the event. (1/29)

Tracing Challenger 'Remove Before Flight' Tags (Source: Collect Space)
Forty years ago, a stack of bright red tags shared a physical connection to what would develop into NASA's first space shuttle disaster. The banners, however, were collected before the ill-fated launch of Challenger, as was instructed in bold lettering on the front of each. What happened to the tags after that is largely unknown.

This is an attempt to learn more about where those "Remove Before Flight" tags went after they were detached from the space shuttle to the point when they arrived on my doorstep. If their history can be better documented, then they can be provided to museums, educational centers and astronautical archives for their perseveration and display. (1/28)

Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory to Allow for Cutting-Edge Space Exploration (Source: CLAS)
On July 23, 2025, the University of Iowa made history when the TRACERS spacecraft, containing two identical satellites designed by a UI-led team of scientists and engineers, launched into orbit. TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) is a satellite mission that studies the mysterious, powerful interactions between the magnetic fields of the sun and Earth. 

The $170 million mission, completed for NASA, is the largest external project ever brought to the University of Iowa. Following the success of the launch, the seventh floor of Van Allen Hall is undergoing a $7.2 million renovation, and will soon be home to the Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory. (1/27)

SpaceX Wants Texas Tax Break Meant to Create Jobs in Low-Income Areas. Critics Question the Benefits (Source: Texas Tribune)
As SpaceX moves forward, the company is seeking to benefit from doing business in one of the poorest regions in the state, the Rio Grande Valley. The new city of Starbase— created and run by employees of SpaceX — is helping the company apply for a multimillion-dollar state tax refund. SpaceX wants the refund from the state for hiring staff and spending on its operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.

But the significance of the projects in advancing the company’s goals raises questions on whether SpaceX is seeking to benefit from investments it already planned and whether communities are truly benefiting from economic incentive programs. Late last year, the Starbase City Commission, the three-member governing body that consists of two SpaceX employees, nominated two SpaceX projects for the Texas Enterprise Zone Program, which provides tax relief for companies that create jobs in economically distressed areas.

SpaceX has already received preliminary approval for one tax break. The governor’s office, in September, accepted SpaceX’s GigBay program application. The company began work in April 2025 on the 700,000-square-foot facility meant to produce 1,000 rockets per year. The work began within a 90-day window before the application deadline. (1/29)

Ukraine Turns to SpaceX as Reports Emerge of Russian Drones Using Starlink (Source: United 24)
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the ministry had contacted SpaceX and proposed ways to address reports of Russian drones using Starlink connectivity over Ukrainian cities, according to Ukrinform on January 29. Fedorov said his team reached out to SpaceX within hours of the first such sightings and thanked SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Elon Musk for what he called a fast response and the start of work to resolve the situation. (1/29)

SpaceX Generated About $8 Billion in Profit Last Year Ahead of IPO (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX generated about $8 billion in profit on $15 billion to $16 billion of revenue ​last year, two people familiar with the company's results said, providing fresh insight ‌into the financial health of Elon Musk’s space company that is expected to go public later this year. SpaceX's most recent financials, which have not been previously reported, led some banks to estimate that the company could raise more than $50 billion at a valuation exceeding $1.5 trillion, said the ‌people, who asked not to be named to discuss private conversations. (1/30)

Vandenberg Falcon Rocket Launch Carries Starlink Satellites, Tests Starship Tiles (Source Noozhawk)
For the second mission in a row, a Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base to deliver Starlink satellites also appears to have acted as a testbed of Starship heat shield tiles. The SpaceX rocket blasted off Thursday from Space Launch Complex-4. Close-up camera angles revealed heat shield tiles believed to be used for the firm’s behemoth Starship rocket. A similar sighting occurred on the previous Falcon rocket that launched from Vandenberg on Sunday. (1/29)

Dentistry at a Distance: a 650 km Checkup Via Satellite (Source: ESA)
Citizens living in remote areas could one day receive specialist medical care without leaving their communities, thanks to advances in telemedicine through satellite communications. The European Space Agency (ESA) and the University of Glasgow have successfully run a remote dental examination using a secure satellite link combined with a rapidly usable 5G network.

During the test, a doctor based at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, UK, conducted a full dental inspection of a simulated patient located more than 650 km away – at the University of Glasgow’s SCENE facility at Loch Lomond. The doctor operated a robotic arm in real time through a hybrid satellite‑and‑5G connection.

Once the examination was complete, the team dispatched a drone to deliver medication to the patient. The drone was monitored using a 5G‑enabled tracking system, demonstrating how multiple technologies can work together to support timely care. (1/29)

NASA Readies Unique Science Experiments and Tech Demonstrations for Artemis II Crew (Source: NSF)
During their 10-day mission around the Moon, the crew will perform several demonstrations and science experiments inside Orion. These include communications tests, investigations into the human body’s reactions to deep space, and studies of lunar geology on the far side of the Moon. What’s more, the crew will have the opportunity to manually pilot Orion. Click here. (1/28)

USSPACECOM Announces General Officer, Alabama Native to Serve as Headquarters Transition Team Director (Source: USSF)
Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM commander, announced today that Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, a long-time Alabama native with nearly 40 years of military and civilian service, will serve as the command’s transition team director. In his role, Grisham will lead the Program Management Office in Huntsville and oversee the relocation support. (1/29)

Given Trump Volatility, India Must Build Its Own Space Object Catalogue (Source: ORF)
For over two decades, the United States (US) has distributed free Space Situational Awareness data—including a catalogue of tracked space objects and conjunction alert messages for space traffic management (STM)—to global satellite operators and researchers, among others. However, recent US policy changes threaten this access. On 18 December 2025, US President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority”, which revises a previous space policy directive by replacing “free of direct user fees” with “for commercial and other relevant use” in key subsections.

This paves the way for Department of Defense catalogues, and SSA data and STM services to become paid features. Considering the volatility of the Trump administration, the US could possibly overturn bilateral agreements for SSA data sharing at its own discretion and cut off vital data services for national security and debris mitigation. India’s policymakers, armed forces personnel and non-governmental entities have long expressed their concerns regarding the continued dependence on free SSA data. This order, thus, serves as a wake-up call for India and demands an indigenous response: the Bharat Space Objects Catalogue. (1/30)