January 31, 2026

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)