December 1, 2025

Tokyo-Based Axelspace is Making Microsatellites with a Big Impact (Source: Space News)
There’s one industry where Japanese excellence has been conspicuously absent from global discourse: the space industry. Tokyo-based Axelspace is on a mission to change that. Driven by a desire to make Earth observation data accessible to everyone, everywhere, it has spent nearly two decades developing commercial space capabilities that leverage Japanese strengths and sensibilities for the benefit of all humankind.

Now, on the eve of launching its new GRUS-3 constellation of next-generation microsatellites, Axelspace is commencing a new chapter. GRUS-3 is a scalable platform designed for higher image quality and simpler global operations: improved ground resolution, which is now approximately 2.2 meters; the addition of a new “Coastal Blue” spectral band that enables underwater and coastal monitoring; and an enhanced optical system that provides sharper and more radiometrically accurate imagery courtesy of a new, higher-sensitivity image sensor. (11/30)

LUCI Optical Terminal to Link Satellites for France 2030 Space Program (Source: Space Daily)
Oledcomm is developing a new optical terminal called LUCI to provide inter-satellite communications for the French space agency CNES within the France 2030 program. The company, which focuses on wireless optical links, will build and demonstrate a bidirectional inter-satellite service using this compact terminal for the program's space component. LUCI, short for Ultra-Compact Inter-Satellite Liaison, is designed as a small, low-power terminal that can deliver high data rates for satellite constellations. The system targets next-generation satellite networks that need high-throughput links between spacecraft while keeping power demand, mass, and cost under control. (11/28)

Bezos Warns That All Factories Must Move to the Moon (Source: Geekspin)
Jeff Bezos has issued a provocative and dire warning about the future of life on Earth, suggesting a massive industrial exodus that sounds ripped from a science fiction novel. The Amazon mogul and space visionary argues that to protect our only home, we must eventually move heavy industrial operations, such as factories and data centers, off-world and onto the Moon. With no “Plan B” for our planet, he insists that bold, lunar infrastructure is our best hope to preserve Earth while still powering human progress. (11/17)

DAF Releases Final Environmental Review for SpaceX Starship at Cape Canaveral’s LC-37 (Source: Talk of Titusville)
The Department of the Air Force has released its long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s plan to bring Starship–Super Heavy operations to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 214-page report clears a major hurdle for the company as it pushes to launch and land its next-generation rocket from Launch Complex 37. The proposal would turn the old Delta IV pad into a fully rebuilt launch site capable of hosting up to 76 Starship flights a year.

Each mission would include a booster landing just minutes after liftoff and a Starship landing hours—or in some cases years—after launch. In short, the skies above the Space Coast are going to be very busy. The review concludes that the project would bring no major environmental obstacles across most categories. The EIS points to significant community annoyance from Starship’s noise and sonic booms, especially during nighttime launches. While the report says structural damage is unlikely, the sound levels will be noticeable across the Space Coast on launch days.

SpaceX plans to use heavy sound-suppression systems and coordinate public notifications in advance. Sonic booms from returning boosters and Starship itself will be endemic, day or night. During operations, the rocket’s emissions are expected to exceed federal insignificance thresholds for nitrogen oxides. The Air Force and SpaceX plan to use an adaptive management strategy, reviewing new data as operations ramp up. Overall, the report concludes that the project can proceed without causing significant long-term environmental harm, provided mitigation measures remain in place. (11/27)

ICEYE and Esri Australia Partner for Hazard Intelligence Across Australia and Southeast Asia (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ICEYE has announced a new partnership with Boustead Geospatial and Esri Australia to bring ICEYE’s suite of near real-time hazard insights to customers across Australia. The collaboration, facilitated through the Boustead Geospatial Group, will deliver ICEYE’s Flood Rapid Intelligence, Flood Insights, and Bushfire Insights as ready-to-use map layers within the ArcGIS platform. (11/28)

Varda Space Launches its Fifth Mission, Extends Run of AFRL Test Flights (Source: Space News)
Varda Space Industries said Nov. 28 that its fifth mission, W-5, reached orbit after a launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-15 rideshare. W-5 is the company's fifth launch overall, and fourth launch of 2025. The vehicle carries a government payload funded through the Prometheus program, a partnership between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and commercial space entities.

Prometheus is addressing a national security need to accelerate the ability to conduct novel science and technology experiments in the extreme reentry environment through a low-cost, high cadence flight testbed enabled by industry providers. Previous flights funded through Prometheus include Varda's W-2 and W-3 missions. (11/28)

Over €900 Million Committed to European Launcher Challenge (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA's European Launcher Challenge has seen a significant financial commitment from its Member States during the agency’s Ministerial Council meeting in Bremen (CM25) this week. The agency will sign framework contracts with the five shortlisted companies in 2026, after which each will be required to successfully demonstrate its launch system by 2027 at the latest “to confirm selection under the European Launcher Challenge.” (11/30)

Booster 19 Stacking Begins as SpaceX Pushes Forward From B18 Anomaly (Source: NSF)
Following the anomaly with Booster 18, SpaceX is pushing ahead with the construction of Booster 19 and the subsequent testing of the Block 3 test tanks. However, ahead of Flight 12, there are still many milestones to finish, including building a new booster and completing the new launch pad. (11/28)

Why NASA Needs Space Gardeners (Source: Universe Today)
Picture an astronaut on the Moon in 2035, reaching for a crisp lettuce leaf grown in lunar soil simulant, gazing upon Earth which is visible through the window. It sounds like science fiction, but a global collaboration of scientists is making this vision increasingly tangible, developing the agricultural technologies that will sustain human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

NASA has designated astronaut nutrition as a critical red risk, their terminology for the highest priority threats to crew health and mission success. For short trips to the International Space Station, freeze dried meals suffice. But journeys to Mars will take years, and no amount of vacuum sealed provisions can adequately sustain crews over such timescales. The solution requires growing fresh food in space, creating what scientists call Bioregenerative Life Support Systems. (11/30)

New Radiation-Proof Method Could Boost Space Solar Panels (Source: Universe Today)
What steps can be taken to improve and enhance the lifetime of space solar cells? This is what a recent study published in Joule hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated new methods for improving both the lifetime and performance of space solar cells from the harshness of space weather and radiation. This study has the potential to help scientists and engineers develop new space technologies, especially as several private companies and government organizations are extending their reach into space.

For the study, the researchers examined a novel method for improving the resiliency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), which are known for their radiation resistance. Despite this, specific aspects of PSCs remain vulnerable to radiation damage, specifically their positively charged molecules called organic A-site cations, whereas their negatively charged atoms called inorganic halide ions are known for their resiliency.

To combat this, the researchers developed a wide-band-gap method that expands the ability of PSCs to absorb higher-energy sunlight, thus expanding its radiation resilience. This wide-band-gap method improves the efficiency and lifetimes of PSCs since it absorbs certain radiation while enabling some to pass through to the next layer of the solar cell. (11/30)

Earth's Newfound 'Episodic-Squishy Lid' May Guide Our Search for Habitable Worlds (Source: Space.com)
A newly identified tectonic "regime" may rewrite our understanding of how rocky worlds evolve. The findings may help to explain why Earth became geologically vibrant while Venus remained stagnant and scorching, with possible implications for our understanding of what makes a planet habitable. When researchers used advanced geodynamic simulations to map diverse planetary tectonic regimes — distinct patterns that describe how a planet's outer shell deforms and releases heat under different conditions — they discovered a missing link they've dubbed the "episodic-squishy lid." (11/30)

NASA’s Roman Observatory Passes Spate of Key Tests (Source: NASA)
The following opinion is only relevant in a situation where the EU, together with its member states, would eventually decide to invest enough to equip itself with space capabilities commensurate with Europe’s economic importance, the role it wants to play in the world and current security threats (meaning: significantly more than what is invested today, and in a significantly more coherent manner). In short, there is no need to regulate the sector with an EU Space Act if we do not invest more and better at the same time.

In this sense, the European space industry believes that the proposal for an EU Space Act could have been more ambitious and contribute to something bigger: Europe’s sovereignty. We cannot build autonomous nor competitive capabilities in space if our supply chains depend on non-European sources for critical systems or components, or if our sector is not resilient enough, as we have seen with the war against Ukraine. This Act proposed by the Commission should have been an opportunity to address real resilience issues, not just give lip service with regard to cybersecurity. Strategic autonomy starts with industrial autonomy: with suppliers, materials and technologies that are European, trusted, safe, secure and resilient. (11/25)

Reaction Engines Asset Sale Progresses as Administrators Continue Talks with Preferred Bidder (Source: Flight Global)
Insolvency specialists handling the administration of UK firm Reaction Engines appear to be slowly closing in on the sale of the collapsed hypersonic technology developer’s assets. Detailing the sale process in their latest progress report, administrators from PricewaterhouseCoopers say they are continuing to work with a preferred bidder for Reaction Engines’ intellectual property (IP) and tangible assets.

PwC had flagged in June this year that it had selected a preferred bidder for the asset sale, but the identity of the potential buyer remains unknown. Although Reaction Engines was best known for its hypersonic SABRE rocket engine, of greater immediate value to the aerospace industry are its capabilities around thermal management and heat-exchanger technology. (12/1)

China Launches Experimental Proximity-Ops Satellites (Source: Space News)
China’s experimental Shijian-21 and Shijian-25 satellites have separated in geosynchronous orbit after a months-long refueling experiment. The two spacecraft performed rendezvous and proximity operations during the first half of the year before apparently docking in late June or early July, then conducted fuel-intensive orbital plane change maneuvers, reducing their orbital inclination. S2a systems, a Swiss company which develops and operates customized systems for optical space surveillance worldwide, said that observations it made Saturday showed the two spacecraft had separated. The separation could mark a successful conclusion to a world-first refueling operation in GEO, but Chinese officials have not commented on the mission. (12/1)

China Launches Classified Satellite on Long March 7A, Landspace Delays Reusable Rocket Debut (Source: Space News)
China launched a classified satellite Sunday while the first flight of a new rocket faces delays. A Long March 7A rocket lifted off from the Wenchang spaceport, placing the Shijian-28 satellite into orbit. The satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology but officials provided no other information about the spacecraft. Meanwhile, the first flight of the Zhuque-3 rocket, developed by Landspace, was scheduled for the weekend but postponed for undisclosed reasons. Zhuque-3 is designed to place up to 21,000 kilograms into orbit and land its first stage. (12/1)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission From Florida on Monday (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites early Monday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. It deployed 29 Starlink satellites into orbit a little more than an hour later. (12/1)

OPM Advises Agencies to Consider Reducing Senior Executive Staffing (Source: FNN)
Following the federal workforce reductions that have occurred this year, the Trump administration is now telling agencies to rethink how many senior executives they will need on staff as a result of those cuts. A Nov. 24 memo from OPM encouraged agencies to consider reducing their staffing allocations for senior-level positions within their workforces.

No later than Dec. 19, OPM said agencies should submit a workforce assessment, detailing their current staffing allocations for various senior-level positions, and by how much they plan to reduce those allocations going forward. Editor's Note: NASA employs ~438 Senior Executive Service (SES) personnel. These are generally the people who oversee major missions or organizations within the agency. (11/26)

Deep Personnel Cuts Jeopardize Space Force’s Ability to Implement Hegseth’s Acquisition Reforms (Source: FNN)
As the Defense Department moves to implement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sweeping acquisition reforms, Space Force leaders warn that the depth of workforce cuts is threatening to cripple the service’s ability to execute them. “You have to have a strong, vibrant workforce to do the work and we’re in a really interesting time and a troubling time. There is a strong, motivated force but there have been an incredible amount of pressures on them this past year,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy. (11/27)

November 30, 2025

Vaya Space Teams With Seagate Space to Chart New Course for Sea-Based Rocket Launches (Source: Space Coast Daily)
By any measure, America’s space industry is crowded with innovation — but on Florida’s Space Coast this fall, two home-grown companies quietly sketched out a plan that could reshape how and where rockets leave Earth. Vaya Space and Seagate Space announced Nov. 19 that they are working together to develop an offshore launch capability for Vaya’s Dauntless hybrid rocket, using Seagate’s uncrewed, floating Gateway platform in the Gulf of America.

If realized, the project would introduce a mobile launch system that operates beyond the limits of fixed land spaceports and promises new levels of flexibility in where satellites go — and when. Seagate Space’s Gateway platform is designed as a modular, floating spaceport — a purpose-built offshore structure capable of hosting rocket launches and, eventually, recovery operations at sea. Uncrewed and reconfigurable, Gateway is envisioned as a launch site that can be repositioned based on mission needs, ocean conditions, or orbital requirements. (11/30)

A Giant Leap in Orbital Imagery is What We Need to Realize Advanced Moon Missions (Source: Open Lunar)
At over 1.6 petabytes, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission hosts by far the largest dataset from any planetary science spacecraft ever launched. LRO’s high-resolution lunar imagery and topographic data has been the bedrock for selecting landing sites of most Moon missions launched this century from around the world.

But the next generation of landers and rovers will explore unknown ground truths about water ice and other resources amid unfavorable lighting conditions at the Moon’s south pole. These will not only need more granular orbital imagery to plan precision landings but comprehensive environmental datasets that allow missions to last long enough.

NASA has not approved any LRO successor despite the LExSO mission being proposed by members from the LRO team itself. NASA’s FY2026 Presidential budget request does not ask for any funding for the same. All of these commercially driven orbiters, while welcome, are specialized and have relatively limited use cases. The expansive scope of future missions leading up to Moonbases still requires having the whole spectrum of orbital datasets. (11/4)

Lunar Orbital Imagery Has Reached its Limit (Source: Roberto M.)
It’s time to move towards the ground. Orbital imagery is useful, but for construction it has reached its limit. We already know where the interesting sites are. What we do not know is how the ground behaves under load, excavation, compaction, or repeated traffic. Designing pads, roads, foundations, and excavations requires in-situ data: penetrometers, GPR, core samples, trafficability tests, and local geotechnical measurements. None of that can be obtained from orbit. If the objective is to build and operate on the surface, the priority now should be ground reconnaissance, not additional orbital mapping. (11/29)

Anticipating a Loud, Shaky, Dirty Future of Super Heavy Lift Launches (Source: SPACErePORT)
Local residents accept that there will be an increased launch cadence at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, with the near-daily roar of rockets not dissimilar to jet engine noise in communities around Air Force bases or major airports. But adding frequent super-heavy-lift launches and landings to the mix is another matter.

The inevitable window-rattling rumbles and sonic booms, mega-discharges of wastewater, and many other environmental impacts have residents worried about their quality of life and the local environment. Can these impacts be mitigated or prevented?

The FAA, NASA, and Space Force seem disinclined to put up any serious barriers to the Cape's growth, and the state's environmental protection agencies have been similarly pro-development under current leadership in Tallahassee. Space Florida is empowered to do things that could ease the growing pains, but their primary motivation is maximizing the spaceport's use. (11/29)

The Spaceport Company Signs Contract for Offshore Launch Testing (Source: TSC)
The Spaceport Company signed a contract to conduct offshore testing for a major defense prime. Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks (including the name of the company!). But what I can tell you right now is that TSC was the only organization with the physical assets, regulatory fluency, and organizational flexibility capable of meeting this customer’s needs in a timely manner.

We completed feasibility assessment, mission planning, and pricing negotiation in less than two days and a contract was signed within 72 hours of initial discussions. We were onboarded to this company’s internal system in less than one day. The mission will occur in the very near future, enabling our partner to expeditiously meet the needs of the warfighter. (And, in case you’re wondering: no, this is not referring to the SHIELD IDIQ for Golden Dome activities. We are also progressing to contract negotiations with MDA for that opportunity, along with many other entities in the aerospace industry.) (11/30)

UAE Payloads Launched on Transporter Mission (Source: The National)
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on Saturday announced the “successful launch” of the PHI-1 satellite in California. PHI-1 is the first modular satellite platform developed under the Payload Hosting Initiative with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs.

It is carrying payloads from several space programs, including the MBRSC and the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology. The mission strengthens the UAE’s international partnerships and reflects national efforts to support a more inclusive and globally connected space ecosystem. (11/29)

How a Surrey Firm Disrupted the Satellite Industry (Source: BBC)
Some of the satellites that monitor earth, enable GPS and drive space exploration forward are built in Surrey. Nestled in a research park in Guildford is Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), where more than 70 small satellites have been built across four decades.

Sophie Bywater says that SSTL began in 1981 as the brainchild of company founder Sir Martin Sweeting, who at that point was a professor at the University of Surrey. "[He] got a really good idea that he could use commercial parts to launch small satellites and really disturb the whole classic satellite industry," she told Secret Surrey.  (11/29)

ArkEdge Space Named Japan’s “Start-up of the Year 2026” (Source: Forbes)
ArkEdge Space, a Japanese space startup based in Tokyo that provides comprehensive solutions from planning and design to mass production and operation of micro-satellite constellations, today announced that CEO Takayoshi Fukuyo was named Japan’s Start-up of the Year 2026 as part of the Forbes ranking of leading founders. The recognition goes to standout entrepreneurs driving Japan’s most promising unlisted start-ups. (11/28)

November 29, 2025

DOGE Operatives Scared They’re in Real Trouble Now That Elon Has Abandoned Them (Source: Futurism)
DOGE leaves a trail of chaos and tragedy behind. With the help of a ragtag band of teenagers and other underqualified lackeys who were tasked with doing the dirty work, Musk took a figurative — and in some ways, literal — chainsaw to federal government agencies.

While it remains murky whether the group’s agents could face criminal charges for their actions, their unorthodox methods have been heavily criticized. DOGE operatives accessed highly sensitive personal information earlier this year, raising the alarm bells among lawmakers. Some did so even before completing their background checks and being granted access.

At the height of its destructive influence in Washington, DC, DOGE laid waste to USAID, an international development agency that typically spends tens of billions of dollars on aid across the world. Officials warned at the time that shutting USAID was poised to kill “thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.” (11/24)

Star Wars Redux: the False Promise of Space-Based Missile Defense (Source: Space News)
In the months since the Trump administration first announced the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, commercial space firms have been all in on finding ways to contribute. Details are still scarce (though the Pentagon is already contracting for space-based interceptor prototypes), but the space industry has more or less treated the Golden Dome as a matter of when, not if.

Najam Ul Hassan argues that there's a reason space-based interceptors never took off in the past and that "the fundamental hurdle — physics, not technology — remains to be effectively overcome." He argues that the absenteeism problem — the fact that a given spacecraft housing interceptors cannot stay "parked" over a point of interest — makes the economics and logistics of launching an effective boost phase defense far too complicated to be worth overcoming.

The emphasis on space-based interceptors thus reflects a recurring faith in technological solutions to strategic problems that are, at their core, governed by physics and deterrence. Rather than investing in an orbit-based missile shield that risks instability and imposes exorbitant costs, pursuing balanced security arrangements may offer a sustainable path toward long-term stability. (11/28)

Falcon 9 Launch Carries 140 Payloads on Transporter-15 (Source: NSF)
SpaceX launched 140 commercial payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit on its sixth rideshare mission of the year, Transporter-15. The Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base with its first stage, booster B1071 flying its 30th mission to date; this is the second booster to achieve this milestone. The German aerospace company Exolaunch is hosting 59 payloads, marking the largest number of spacecraft it has launched on a rideshare mission to date. (11/29)

UK to Boost Growth and Security with New ESA Investment (Source: ESA)
British economic growth and security will benefit from the UK’s new £1.7 bn investment in ESA programs, agreed during a Ministerial Council in Germany. The UK commitments formed part of the largest ever funding package agreed by ESA Member States at a Ministerial Council meeting.

The country's contributions are expected to safeguard thousands of highly skilled British jobs, while enabling science and innovation that boosts society and industry. It increases the UK’s current level of support for ESA programs to £2.8 bn over the next decade (2025/26 to 2034/35), with further investment to be delivered at ESA’s next Ministerial Council in 2028. (11/28)

Belgium to Give 1.1 Billion Euro to ESA (Source: VRT)
The Federal Science Minister Vanessa Matz has confirmed that Belgium will contribute 1.109 billion euro over the next five years. More than a quarter of Belgium’s contribution will go to programs aimed at improving space resilience. Funding will be used for the development of secure telecommunications satellites and the further expansion of a robust, independent European navigation system to complement Galileo.

Belgium has also allocated 114 million euro to the design and development of a European launcher and 113 million euros to Earth observation programs, including the continued development of the European Copernicus satellites. A further 205 million euro will be given to ESA scientific programs, while 110 million euro will support space exploration. (11/28)

European Satellites Launched on Transporter-15 Mission (Source: ESA)
Thanks to the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Facility, and through collaboration between the Greek government, the private satellite company ICEYE and ESA, two new high-resolution radar satellites have been launched to strengthen disaster management, environmental monitoring and national security across Greece. The two ICEYE synthetic aperture radar satellites, integrated via Exolaunch, were lifted into orbit aboard the SpaceX Transporter-15 rideshare mission, which also included two ESA HydroGNSS Scout satellites and the next batch of Italy’s IRIDE satellites. (11/29)

Before a Soyuz Launch Thursday Someone Forgot to Secure a 20-ton Service Platform (Source: Ars Technica)
A Soyuz rocket launched on Thursday carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, as well as NASA astronaut Christopher Williams, for an eight-month mission to the ISS. However, there was a serious problem during the launch with the ground systems that support processing of the vehicle before liftoff in Kazakhstan.

In a terse statement issued Thursday night on the social media site Telegram, the Russian space corporation that operates Soyuz appeared to downplay the incident: “The launch pad was inspected, as is done every time a rocket is launched. Damage to several launch pad components was identified. Damage can occur after launch, so such inspections are mandatory worldwide. The launch pad’s condition is currently being assessed.”

However video imagery of the launch site after liftoff showed substantial damage, with a large service platform appearing to have fallen into the flame trench below the launch table. According to one source, this is a platform located beneath the rocket, where workers can access the vehicle before liftoff. It has a mass of about 20 metric tons and was apparently not secured prior to launch, and the thrust of the vehicle ejected it into the flame trench. “There is significant damage to the pad,” said this source. (11/28)

ArianeGroup Completes the First Flight of Suborbital SyLEx (Source: Air & Cosmos)
ArianeGroup announced on Friday, November 28, the success of the first flight of the SyLEx (Experience Launch System) sounding rocket from the missile test site in Biscarosse. The success of this inaugural flight qualifies the single-stage rocket, developed in less than three years, as well as its launch pad and accompanying ground facilities. The launch was conducted by the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments). (11/28)

ESA Commits to Being an Anchor Customer for LEO Cargo Return Services (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA member states agreed to fund two cargo delivery demonstration missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The agency also committed to serving as an anchor customer for the resulting commercial service once the systems have been successfully proven. With the LEO Cargo Return Services initiative, ESA aims to foster the development of a European commercial cargo space transportation service. (11/28)

NASA Astronauts Take New Moonsuit for a Swim (Source: Space.com)
When NASA astronauts train for moonwalks, they don't start on the lunar surface — they often begin underwater. For decades, NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) has been the premier training ground for astronauts learning how to move, work, and problem-solve in the closest Earth-based simulation of microgravity. It’s inside this massive 6.2-million-gallon pool that crews rehearse everything from International Space Station repairs to complex lunar surface tasks.

Now with the upcoming Artemis missions to the moon, astronauts are training in a new type of suit: the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, designed by Axiom Space to support the first human moonwalks in more than 50 years. The AxEMU represents an upgrade from the Apollo-era suits and even the current ISS units. It’s built to offer greater mobility, improved fit across a wider range of body sizes, upgraded life-support systems, and better tools for scientific operations on the lunar surface. (11/28)

Germany Considers National Competitor to Europe's Iris2 Constellation (Source: Space Intel Report)
The idea that German frustrations with the European Commission’s Iris2 multi-orbit secure connectivity constellation would lead Berlin to build its own broadband satellite network for security and military use until recently seemed as ridiculous as Britain’s post-Brexit threat to build a positioning, navigation and timing constellation to compete with Europe’s Galileo. Then came German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s Sep. 25 announcement that the government had set aside 35 billion euros on military space programs between now and 2030. (11/28)

November 28, 2025

Europe Still Lacks a Unified Vision for Space (Source: Le Monde)
Does Europe have the necessary resources to match its ambitions in the space sector? As outer space has become an arena for military, technological, digital and economic rivalry among the world's major powers, Europe faces a double setback. France is on the verge of losing its leadership role in a field in which the continent is losing ground. The Bremen summit, which brought together the space ministers of the 23 European Space Agency (ESA) member states on November 26 and 27, was intended to keep hope alive by safeguarding an increased budget.

While it signaled the growing influence of Germany and Italy at France's expense, it also exposed Europe's weaknesses: disunity and the lack of a clear vision. The Bremen ministerial meeting underscored the emergence of a new kind of competition, driven in particular by Germany and Italy, who are ready to increase their contributions to ESA's funding. France, constrained by its own budgetary limits, has found it increasingly difficult to keep up and now risks losing influence over the allocation of European programs. (11/27)

European Space Agency to Play a Greater Role in Defense (Source: Politico)
The European Space Agency's members approved a record €22.1 billion three-year budget and widened its mandate to include security and defense — a big change for an organization that had been dedicated "exclusively" to the peaceful use of space. The ESA called the move a "historic change." (11/27)

Poland and ESA Discuss Plans for New Security Center (Source: ESA)
The European Space Agency and the Republic of Poland are considering the creation of a new ESA centre focusing on security to be located in Poland. The announcement was made as part of the outcomes of ESA's Ministerial Council (CM25), taking place in Bremen, Germany. The focus of the potential center in Poland would be complementary to existing security and resilience activities, particularly at the European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC) in Belgium. It would also support efficient and coherent development of European space security and resilience capabilities. (11/27)

China Has No Intention of Engaging in Space Race with Any Country (Source: Global Times)
When asked to comment on that the US' claims that after establishing the Space Force, it has gained dominance over Russia and China in the space domain, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China has always adhered to the peaceful use of outer space and opposes an arms race or the weaponization of outer space. China has no intention of engaging in a space race with any country, nor does it seek so-called space superiority, said Mao. (11/28)

Baikonur Launch Pad Damaged After Russian Soyuz Launch to ISS (Source: Reuters)
A Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut on board successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, Russian space agency Roscosmos said. But the agency later reported that the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan had sustained damage from the launch. It said the damage would be quickly repaired. (11/28)

China Has 3 Reusable Rockets Lined Up for Launch as They Vie to Make History (Source: SCMP)
The race to launch China’s first reusable rocket is heating up, with three contenders now lined up at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the country’s northwest for flights that could make history. On the pads stand the state-owned Long March 12A, LandSpace’s Zhuque-3, and Space Pioneer’s Tianlong-3 – all three of which are expected to be used to build China’s massive internet satellite constellations and to compete internationally on low-cost, rapid-turnaround missions.

Both the Long March 12A and Zhuque-3 are aiming for December lift-offs that will try to reach orbit and bring their first stages back to Earth about 400km downrange. Tianlong-3 is also designed for reuse, but is not expected to attempt a landing on its debut flight. A Beijing-based rocket engineer familiar with the matter said the Long March 12A’s technical readiness was “on par” with Zhuque-3’s. But he said there had been “internal considerations” about which rocket should get the historic first attempt. (11/27)

Farside Regolith is Stickier (Source; Wonders in Space)
China’s Chang’e-6 mission returned the first soil from the Moon’s far side, and tests show it is far stickier and more cohesive than samples from the near side. The fine, sharp, and jagged particles, shaped by billions of years of impacts in the South Pole–Aitken basin, can form much steeper slopes, reaching up to about 70 degrees before collapsing. This unusual behavior could affect how rovers, landers, and future astronauts move, drill, and build there, making the ground harder to work with but potentially useful for stronger, more stable structures. (11/27)

Flight Goes Supersonic (Source: LinkedIn)
Several companies, from Boom Supersonic to Lockheed, are working on technological advancements reducing the sonic boom at high Mach speeds. On October 28, NASA and Lockheed Martin finally got the X-59 Quiet Supersonic aircraft into the air for the first time. Boom Supersonic is leading the commercial charge with 64–80-seat planes priced at business-class levels. United, American, and a handful of others have placed deposits or options for more than 100 airframes. What this means is the second era of supersonic flight has begun and should be a viable product in the back half of this decade. (11/26)

World's Largest Neutrino Detector Starts Up — with Incredible Results (Source: SCMP)
The world’s largest “ghost particle” detector, located in southern China’s Guangdong province, has shattered expectations in just two months. Initial results from the vast new Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) have shown a record level of precision, surpassing decades of cumulative data from other global experiments on neutrinos.

The immediate success has confirmed that the detector is ready to tackle fundamental questions, potentially uncovering new laws of physics and solving the mystery of matter’s very existence. From data collected between August 26 and November 2, Juno was able to measure two key neutrino oscillation parameters with a precision 1.6 times greater than the previous 50 years of experiments combined, the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced on Wednesday. (11/26)

Former Astronaut Fires Back After Trump Threatens Him With Execution (Source: Futurism)
In a video posted to X-formerly-Twitter last week, Democratic lawmakers — including senator and former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly — encouraged members of the military to “refuse illegal orders.” “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens,” they said in the video. “Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution.”

Both president Donald Trump and the Department of Defense have since threatened Kelly — who was an aviator for the US Navy for decades and flew 39 combat missions — with everything from court-martial proceedings to public execution. Kelly has since issued a statement rebuking the threats and forcefully arguing that he’s “upheld” his oath to the Constitution he swore after joining the US Navy at the age of 22. (11/24)

Lightning on Mars Spells Trouble for Future Missions and Search for Life (Source: Connect Sci)
Lightning has been detected on Mars for the first time, confirming longstanding theories that the dusty and windy Martian atmosphere could see electrical charges transferred. Finding lightning could reveal new insights into the habitability of Mars and potential risks to future missions. Researchers found 55 electrical events which had acoustic signatures characteristic of lightning. Almost all of these coincided with high winds with only 1 occurring during winds outside the strongest 30% recorded during the study period. (11/26)

SmartSky Won’t Block Gogo 5G Air-to-Ground Network Despite Legal Win (Source: Space News)
SmartSky Networks does not plan to seek an injunction to block Gogo’s 5G air-to-ground (ATG) rollout across the United States, despite prevailing in a patent-infringement lawsuit tied to the technology. (11/26)

NASA Astronauts Celebrate Thanksgiving with Russian Cranberry Sauce (Source: NPR)
About 250 miles above the Earth, NASA astronauts on board the ISS enjoyed an off-duty day for Thanksgiving, along with a group meal that featured some celebratory foods. "This is my second Thanksgiving in space, so I highly recommend it," said Mike Fincke, in a video message beamed down from the outpost. (11/27)

Space Force Seeks Innovative New Battle Management, C2 Tools (Source: Air & Space Forces)
For the last few years, through a little-known program called Kronos, the Space Force has been consolidating and modernizing its suite of legacy systems that provide satellite operators with intelligence tools and command-and-control capabilities. Now, USSF is reaching out to commercial firms to prototype and integrate new battle management tools on a faster and more continuous cadence to match the growing threats in orbit. (11/26)

Why the UAE Must Build its Own Orbital Access Capability (Source: Gulf News)
It is only natural and fair for any nation to aspire and build its own orbital access capability and infrastructure. While the pursuit of outer space is a sovereign right, only a handful of countries have successfully achieved it. Regardless of the economic and/or technological reasons that may be used to explain this fact, the strategic value of independent access to outer space has grown immensely. Indeed, outer space will continue to grow in strategic and economic importance over the next many decades.

I argue that the UAE must begin building its own domestic orbital launch capability without delay. This must become a national priority, and it must be pursued in parallel to all the already established and /or achieved strategic goals. The UAE has been one of the most active countries in space, in the region. The National Space Strategy, released in 2019, made space an integral part of the UAE’s strategic, economic, and investment landscape. (11/26)

Exploration and the UK Emerge as the Biggest Losers of CM25 (Source: European Spaceflight)
Following the conclusion of ESA's Ministerial Council 2025 (CM25) meeting, the budget for the agency’s Human and Robotic Exploration program and the UK’s contribution to the agency have emerged as the most significantly reduced. While the UK’s total spending was reduced by just €172 million, to €1.706 billion, its contribution as a percentage of the total budget fell from 11.2% to 7.7%, the largest decline of any country by a considerable margin.

Human and Robotic Exploration saw an undersubscription, but Space Transportation recorded a dramatic oversubscription, rising from just under €3.9 billion to over €4.4 billion. This was largely driven by the oversubscribed European Launcher Challenge initiative, which doubled its expected subscriptions, bringing in €900 million.

In addition to Spain, there were significant funding increases from Poland, Canada (an ESA Cooperating State), Denmark, and Austria. Germany’s contribution to ESA programs rose sharply from €3.47 billion to just over €5 billion, with the country now accounting for 23.11% of all contributions to the agency. (11/27)

Regolith Ignorance Is the #1 Driver of Lunar Budget Overruns (Source: Space Geotech)
For over fifty years, lunar geotechnics has operated under a silent, consequential error: the assumption that the Moon’s regolith behaves as a normally consolidated granular medium, where present overburden defines past stress, and strength rises monotonically with depth due to self-weight densification alone. This notion, codified in The Lunar Sourcebook, was a necessary simplification in its time. But it is no longer tenable.

The data refute it. Apollo core densities, penetrometer resistances, and shear-strength measurements, reanalyzed rigorously in Engineering the Lunar Sites for Construction (de Moraes, 2025), reveal a consistent, site-validated truth: "Lunar regolith is overconsolidated. At 1 meter depth in mature mare, OCR* = 2.5; in highlands, OCR* = 1.3. Nowhere, not even at 10 cm, is OCR* = 1."

This is not statistical noise. It is a systematic mechanical state, rejected at p < 10⁻¹⁵ across all Apollo sites. The regolith’s strength arises not from burial, but from gigayear-scale processing by micrometeorite impacts, thermal fatigue, and electrostatic binding; forces absent in terrestrial soil mechanics. (11/26)

NASA Renews Commitment to Europe's Life-Hunting Mars Rover Despite Trump Budget Cuts (Source: Space.com)
NASA will help Europe get its long-delayed Mars life-hunting ExoMars rover off the ground, even though President Donald Trump's proposed NASA budget cuts the collaboration in a drive to reduce spending on science. "I've got yesterday a letter from the NASA administration to confirm the contributions of NASA to Rosalind Franklin," ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said. (11/27)

Eumetsat Members Clear Administrative Hurdles, Approve Billion-Dollar EPS-Sterna Constellation (Source: Space Intel Report)
The 30-nation Eumetsat organization approved development of full development of the EPS-Sterna constellation of polar-orbiting satellites to provide hydrological and meteorological measurements to help predict heatwaves and storms, with the first satellites to be launched in 29. (11/27)

US-Russian Soyuz Crew Launches to ISS on Thanksgiving Day (Source: Space.com)
Chris Williams of NASA, together with his Soyuz MS-28 crewmates Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, both cosmonauts with Russia's federal space agency Roscosmos, lifted off for the ISS on Thursday, beginning a planned eight-month expedition with a coincidental but well-timed celebration. (11/27)

Inaugural Space Rider Flight to Occur in 2028 (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has announced that the inaugural flight of its reusable Space Rider vehicle is expected in 2028. Space Rider is an eight-meter-long reusable spacecraft designed to carry technology demonstration and scientific payloads into orbit for up to two months before returning them to Earth. The spacecraft employs a steerable parafoil to enable precise landings for recovery, refurbishment, and reuse.

During a contract signing between ESA and the Portuguese Space Agency on 27 November to establish the Santa Maria Space Hub, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher announced that the first Space Rider flight is planned for 2028. Serving as the program’s designated landing site, Santa Maria will form a key part of the vehicle’s ground infrastructure. (11/27)

ESA and Norway Explore Possibility of Arctic Space Center (Source: ESA)
The European Space Agency has signed a letter of intent with Norway to advance the prospect of a new ESA Arctic Space Centre to be hosted in Tromsø. The Arctic is an important scientific ecosystem as well as being significant economically and geopolitically. It is also a region where climate change is particularly pronounced, with rates of warming up to four times greater than the rest of the planet. Space-based technologies and services can help monitor and mitigate climate change, while also supporting sustainable development, civil safety and security and energy management in the region. (11/27)

ACME Space Plans Test of Balloon-Launched Space Factory (Source: Space News)
London-headquartered ACME Space has unveiled plans to begin hardware tests of its balloon-launched orbital manufacturing vehicle Hyperion next year and hopes to commence commercial operations in 2027. The Hyperion Orbital Factory Vehicle (OFV) is designed to carry up to 200 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO), using a hydrogen-filled balloon. After the hydrogen balloon ascent, the system separates and fires its micro-rocket engine at stratospheric altitudes. The orbital capsule is released at 100 kilometers and continues to the target orbit. (11/27)

November 27, 2025

China’s Commercial Space Sector is Grabbing Attention (Source: SCMP)
The prospect of China mastering reusable rockets – a technology pioneered by US-based SpaceX – has attracted significant attention from aerospace experts. Eyes are now turning to the maiden launch of the Zhuque-3 rocket, which is scheduled for Saturday. The LandSpace launch vehicle – one of several Chinese reusable rockets under development – could reduce the cost of lifting equipment into space, helping China to accelerate the deployment of large-scale low-orbit satellite constellations.

Meanwhile, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has published a recruitment notice for an “aerospace regulatory post” in the newly created commercial space department – indicating a new department has been set up for the industry.

“The establishment of the commercial space department will effectively consolidate related functions that were previously scattered across multiple agencies, allowing satellite industry work to be coordinated at a higher level,” a Citic Securities report said. “The efficiency of key processes, such as commercial space launch approvals and the issuance of satellite operating licenses, is also expected to improve further,” the report added. (11/26)

Space Force Won’t Say Who Got Money to Start Developing Orbital Interceptors (Source: Defense One)
Space Force officials declined to name winners of the first space-based missile defense prototypes for Golden Dome, further adding to the secrecy that has plagued the project. Multiple contracts were awarded to several companies under a competitive “other transaction agreement,” a Space Force spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. Contracts under $9 million and those classified as “other transaction agreements” are not subject to federal acquisition disclosure requirements. (11/26)

Plans for Blue Origin Wastewater Treatment Plant Concern Area Residents (Source: WFTV)
A new Change.org petition is raising concerns about a proposed half-million-gallon wastewater treatment system tied to future operations at Blue Origin's Orbital Launch Site Manufacturing Complex. “The people trying to put this in place don’t live here,” Jill Steinhauser said. “They don’t put their children in that water… they don’t boat here… they don’t let their dogs swim in it. "

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), its draft permit would allow Blue Origin to discharge up to 15,000 gallons of unprocessed industrial wastewater daily into a pond that flows to the Indian River. That’s in addition to hundreds of thousands of gallons of processed wastewater. Dr. Ken Kremer says a steady supply of purified water is essential for rocket manufacturing, but stresses that public transparency is critical.

The public notice states that the discharge permit will be approved unless sufficient public comments warrant additional review. “This is a renewal of an existing agreement that has been in place for more than five years. We are committed to maintaining responsible and compliant operations,” Blue Origin said in a statement. (11/26)

ULA Aimed to Launch Up to 10 Vulcan Rockets This Year—It Will fly Just Once (Source: Ars Technica)
Around this time last year, officials at United Launch Alliance projected 2025 would be their busiest year ever. Tory Bruno, ULA’s chief executive, told reporters the company would launch as many as 20 missions this year, with roughly an even split between the legacy Atlas V launcher and its replacement—the Vulcan rocket.

Now, it’s likely that ULA will close out 2025 with six flights—five with the Atlas V and just one with the Vulcan rocket the company is so eager accelerate into service. Six flights would make 2025 the busiest launch year for ULA since 2022, but it falls well short of the company’s forecast. (11/26)

Chinese Space Station Achieves First-Ever Oxygen and Rocket Fuel Production Using Artificial Photosynthesis (Source: ZME)
In a recent demonstration, Chinese astronauts successfully operated a system that produces oxygen and rocket fuel in orbit, mimicking the natural process of photosynthesis. The Shenzhou-19 crew ran the experiments using artificial photosynthesis—technology that engineers the way plants convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose. It’s a remarkably robust technology. (11/26)

Half of Americans Believe Aliens Have Visited Earth (Source: YouGov)
New YouGov polling finds that most Americans believe aliens exist, and many think that aliens have paid a visit to Earth in recent years. Americans are more likely to believe alien encounters would have a negative effect on human civilization than to think it would have a positive effect, and many believe that aliens would bring new diseases and unintentional harm or outright hostility to people if we were to encounter them.

56% of Americans believe aliens definitely or probably exist, more than the shares of Americans who believe Bigfoot (28%), the Yeti (23%), the Loch Ness monster (22%), or Chupacabra (16%) definitely or probably exist. Democrats (61%) and Independents (59%) are more likely than Republicans (46%) to say aliens definitely or probably exist. (11/25)

Hong Kong's Mission to Watch the Moon Get Bombarded (Source: Universe Today)
Hong Kong's Yueshan (meaning "moon flashes" in Chinese) is a dedicated lunar orbiter that will provide the first continuous, long term monitoring of these impact events. China plans to establish a lunar research station as part of its expanding space program, with missions like Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 laying the groundwork. Future astronauts will need to know how often and where meteoroids strike, and how large the impactors typically are. (11/26)

Russia’s Soyuz 5 Will Soon Come Alive. But Will Anyone Want to Use It? (Source: Ars Technica)
After nearly a decade of development, Russia’s newest launch vehicle is close to its debut flight. The medium-lift Soyuz 5 rocket is expected to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome before the end of the year. Roscosmos has released images of final processing of the Soyuz 5 rocket at the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara, Russia, earlier this month before the booster was shipped to the launch site in Kazakhstan. It arrived there on November 12.

Although the Soyuz 5 is a new vehicle, it does not represent a major leap forward in technology. Rather it is, in many ways, a conventional reaction to commercial boosters developed in the West as well as the country’s prolonged war against Ukraine. Whether this strategy will be successful remains to be seen. The Soyuz 5 was conceived of as a more efficient version of the Zenit-2 rocket, which flew into the 2010s. This rocket was an artifact from the Soviet era and had been designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Dnipro, Ukraine. Its first and second stages were manufactured there. (11/26)

AST SpaceMobile Adding Manufacturing Sites in Texas and Florida (Source: Via Satellite)
AST SpaceMobile is expanding its manufacturing capabilities with the addition of two new sites, one in Texas and one in Florida. The company announced this week it is adding a facility in Midland, Texas, where it is headquartered, and adding a site in Homestead, Florida, near Miami. These moves expand the company’s manufacturing footprint to 500,000 square feet over seven sites in the United States. The company says it is 95% vertically integrated. (11/26)

South Korea Launches Earth-Observation Satellite on Homegrown Nuri Rocket (Source: Space.com)
South Korea's Nuri rocket has flown for the fourth time. The homegrown Nuri lifted off from Naro Space Center on Wednesday. The 155-foot-tall rocket carried an Earth-observation satellite called CAS500-3 and a dozen ride-along cubesats to orbit. (11/26)

Washington 101 for the Next Generation of Aerospace Innovators (Source: Aerospace America)
As commercial spaceflight expands and small satellites reshape the space economy, one reality remains unchanged: policy discussed in Washington, DC, matters. That was my core message recently at the SmallSat Education Conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center, where I joined over 700 students and educators passionate about space. I offered a crash course on the U.S. legislative process in which I discussed how policy is made, who shapes it, and why it matters to the future of aerospace. Click here. (10/29)

Europe Sets Up New Space Investment Fund (Source: EIB)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is setting up Space TechEU, its first dedicated financing program for the European space sector, as part of its TechEU initiative. The new lending program is expected to include €500 million EIB financing to support companies across the space value chain and mobilize an estimated €1.4 billion of new investment in cooperation with commercial banks. It will be focused in particular on supporting SMEs and mid-caps in the sector, who often struggle the most to obtain bank financing. (11/26)

Outage Prevention from Orbit: Utilities Are Turning to Satellites and Geospatial Analytics (Source: Space Daily)
Utilities and local energy distribution companies (LDCs) face ongoing challenges in managing their infrastructure. Keeping track of power lines, pipelines, energy plant emissions, and other assets is essential to prevent power outages, wildfires, broken power lines, and methane leaks. Rather than waiting for the next disaster, LDCs are using satellites to deliver high-resolution imagery for AI-powered spatial analytics, offering a bird's-eye view to detect issues before they become disasters. (11/25)

Argonaut Lunar Landers to Deliver Cargo on Ariane 6 Missions (Source: Space Daily)
ESA has broadened its Argonaut lunar lander initiative with the formal addition of several European industrial partners. New agreements are between Thales Alenia Space Italy, serving as prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space France, OHB Germany, Thales Alenia Space UK, and Nammo UK. Argonaut landers are designed to enable Europe's autonomous, reliable access to the Moon. Missions will begin in 2030 with launches on Ariane 6 rockets, and each lander will carry up to 1.5 tonnes of cargo. (11/21)

Lunar Dust Model Highlights Risks for Spacecraft and Future Moon Base Projects (Source: Space Daily)
A group of researchers in China has developed a new theoretical model to study how low-velocity lunar dust interacts with spacecraft surfaces. The model is designed to improve predictions about dust adhesion and removal, supporting long-term lunar missions and base construction.

The study explains that the lunar surface is covered in fine dust which has a strong tendency to stick to spacecraft and spacesuits. These particles have an adhesion strength ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 kN/m2 and pose a significant obstacle to sustained lunar operations. Unlike hypervelocity impacts that cause direct damage, the gradual adhesion of slow-moving dust can quietly degrade equipment over time. (11/21)

Orbital Compute Energy Will Be Cheaper Than Earth by 2030 (Source: Mach 33)
To compare orbital and terrestrial power fairly, we calculate the capex required to deliver one average watt of usable power in HEO. This depends on four things: 1. How many watts per kilogram the power subsystem produces (W/kg); and 2. How much of the mass is overhead (the PV-to-structure ratio). Plugging several assumptions into the cost model, we obtain capex per average watt ($/W) in orbit for each architecture.

At plausible Starship‑era launch costs, orbital power & cooling for compute will be cheaper than terrestrial datacenter power & cooling. Once you factor in HEO’s near-constant sunlight and the higher W/kg achievable, orbital power naturally moves below terrestrial cost territory. The real competition then becomes which orbital architecture delivers power most efficiently, not whether orbital power is viable at all.

Even as orbital power approaches parity with terrestrial power, cost competitiveness is only part of the story. The strategic advantage comes from access to effectively unlimited solar energy and unconstrained physical volume in orbit, both of which become increasingly scarce bottlenecks on Earth. Even if ground-based and orbital power were equally priced, the scalability of space-based power and real estate makes orbit the natural long-term home for high-density compute. (11/26)

November 26, 2025

SpaceX Maintains Unbelievable Starship Target Despite Booster 18 Incident (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX recently shared an incredibly ambitious and bold update about Starship V3’s 12th test flight. Despite the anomaly that damaged Booster 18, SpaceX maintained that it was still following its plans for the upgraded spacecraft and booster for the coming months. SpaceX then announced that Starship V3’s maiden flight is still expected to happen early next year. “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026,” the company wrote in its post on X. (11/25)

ESA Member States Debate Budget (Source: Space News)
European Space Agency member states have started two days of deliberations on the agency’s budget for the next three years. The ministerial conference in Bremen, Germany, is bringing together ESA’s 23 member states to discuss funding a proposed 22.2 billion euro ($25.7 billion) budget for the agency. ESA leaders said they were optimistic going into the ministerial that they will get most, if not all, of the proposal funded by members. This meeting carried added weight as Europe works to increase space spending given shifting geopolitics and concerns Europe is falling behind other nations in space. ESA contributions may include more funding from defense ministries for certain priorities, such as the new European Resilience from Space initiative. (11/26)

Space Force Picks Companies for Space-Based Interceptor Prototypes (Source: Space News)
The Space Force has selected several companies to work on space-based interceptor prototypes for Golden Dome. Space Systems Command said Tuesday it had issued multiple awards for prototype work, but did not disclose the companies, citing “enhanced security measures.” The command is using Other Transaction Agreements for the awards, which provide more flexibility on requirements, cost, data rights and schedules. The work is separate from a planned procurement of kinetic midcourse interceptor concepts, a solicitation for which will be released by Dec. 7, the command said last week. (11/26)

Northrop Grumman Picked to Launch ISS Cargo Through 2029 (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman will provide cargo missions for the final phase in the life of the International Space Station. NASA issued a procurement notice last week awarding Northrop two Cygnus missions to the ISS in 2028 and 2029 under a sole-source arrangement. NASA justified the award since docking ports on the ISS used by SpaceX’s Dragon will be unavailable once the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle arrives at the ISS, taking one of the ports and leaving the other for commercial crew vehicles. Cygnus is also a leading contender for a separate ESA award for a cargo mission to the ISS to fulfill its requirements for cargo transportation in exchange for ESA astronaut missions there. (11/26)

Russian Angara Rocket Launches Three Satellites (Source: Russian Space Web)
An Angara rocket launched a Russian military satellite Tuesday. The Angara 1.2 rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 8:42 a.m. Eastern, placing three satellite into an orbit at 1,500 kilometers and an inclination of 82.5 degrees. The satellites are most likely part of the Rodnik military communications satellite system. (11/26)

NASA TROPICS Mission Ends (Source: NASA)
A NASA cubesat mission to study tropical storms has ended. NASA said Tuesday the last two of the four Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) cubesats were shut down earlier this month ahead of reentry. The four satellites were launched in 2023 to study tropical cyclone development. TROPICS was scheduled to last one year but extended through the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season even as their orbits decayed. (11/26)

NASA OSIRIS-APEX Mission Working Well En Route to Apophis (Source: UofA)
A NASA asteroid mission is working well in its extended phase. NASA released images Tuesday taken by the OSIRIS-APEX as it flew past Earth two months ago. The spacecraft is an extension of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission that will now visit the asteroid Apophis after it makes a very close approach to Earth in 2029. The September flyby was one of three gravity-assist maneuvers planned to put the spacecraft on course for Apophis. OSIRIS-APEX is continuing even though NASA proposed canceling the mission in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. (11/26)

Astronomers Detect Dark Matter (Source: The Guardian)
Astronomers said they may have directly detected dark matter for the first time. A new study says that gamma rays observed near the center of the Milky Way by NASA’s Fermi spacecraft are likely created by the collision of hypothesized dark matter particles known as WIMPs. The gamma-ray pattern seen by Fermi matches the distribution of dark matter indirectly detected at the heart of the Milky Way, the study claims. Other astronomers, though, cautioned that similar detections have not been made around other galaxies. (11/26)

Jeff Bezos Sets Sights on 2026 Moon Landing (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Jeff Bezos, the company’s founder and owner, shared a first look image of MK1 in an X post on Friday. Impressively, the lander is scheduled to fly to the Moon in early 2026. Once there, the uncrewed lander will touch down near the Shackleton crater at the Moon’s south pole. Blue Origin’s progress puts pressure on SpaceX, as the design of its own modified Starship lunar lander causes delays to NASA’s Artemis program. (11/25)

AMF Offers Engraved Bricks at KSC for Holiday Gifts (Source: AMF)
The Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) has unveiled a new opportunity to give the space enthusiast in your family the ultimate gift this holiday season.  Order a Commemorative Brick with a personalized dedication engraved upon it by 12/15/25 and AMF will (1) place it permanently at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex and (2) take a photo of your personalized brick with an astronaut and email the photo to you by 12/22/25 so you can print, frame, and gift to your loved one. Visit https://amfcse.org/holiday to order a brick by 12/15/25. (11/26)

ESA to Repurpose European Service Module and Earth Return Orbiter (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA is exploring options to repurpose both the European Service Module and the Earth Return Orbiter, as support in the US for the NASA programs they were originally designed to serve now appears uncertain. The two systems are ESA’s contributions to NASA’s Artemis program, specifically the Orion crew capsule, and to the Mars Sample Return mission.

ESA has outlined potentially repurposing the ESM as an “autonomous modular cargo tug.” The Earth Return Orbiter could become a “dedicated European exploration mission, with scientific and communication relay dimensions.” The proposed mission, known as ZefERO, would launch in 2032 and aim to study Martian winds and conduct geological investigations, in addition to serving as a communications relay. (11/26)

Sustaining Life on the Moon is Harder Than it Looks (Source: Payload)
The United States has already landed astronauts on the surface of the Moon multiple times, so sending humans back under the Artemis program should be easy, right? Wrong. Unlike the short-duration, crewed lunar mission profile in the 1960s and 70s, the Artemis campaign aims to set up a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon. As such, Artemis requires scientists and researchers to find long-term solutions to the problems space creates for human health, replacing the short-term fixes that once sufficed. Click here. (11/26)

South Korea's Nuri Rocket Undergoing Final Checks (Source: Korea Times)
Final preparations for the fourth launch of Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri were under way Wednesday, according to the country's space agency, as the country seeks to place 13 satellites into orbit through the mission set to take place shortly after midnight. The 200-ton Nuri is set to blast off from Naro Space Center in the country's southern coastal village of Goheung on Thursday, according to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). (11/26)

China's Space Agency Unveils Plan to Boost Commercial Growth, International Cooperation (Source: Xinhua)
China's space agency released an action plan to back commercial space firms and encourage them to pursue international cooperation over the next two years. The document released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Tuesday has invited the country's commercial space enterprises to "go global" and help developing countries build satellite-application industries. The CNSA pledged to fold commercial-space projects into China's international cooperation agenda.

The agency vowed to expand commercial access to its national network of civilian tracking, telemetry and control (TT&C) stations, data-receiving sites, calibration ranges and validation fields, as well as to large test assets such as rocket-engine test stands and space-environment simulation facilities. Commercial players will be selected through open competition to take part in cutting-edge, key space programs, ranging from advanced propulsion and next-generation satellite platforms and payloads to integrated communications, navigation and remote-sensing applications. (11/26)

ST Engineering to Build SAR Satellite for UAE Program (Source: Via Satellite)
Emirati defense and tech company Edge Group has selected ST Engineering to build a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for the UAE’s national SAR constellation program, Sirb. Edge Group subsidiary FADA, which is focused on space, selected ST Engineering to build a SAR satellite with sub-meter resolution and a high-speed downlink. ST Engineering will also design and deliver the infrastructure required for its operation. Edge Group is the prime contractor on the program. (11/25)

Rocket Lab Hits 18 Electron Launches in 2025 (Source: Via Satellite)
Rocket Lab has set a new record for Electron launches in a year, reaching 18 launches after back-to-back launches from New Zealand and Virginia. This year’s total of 18 successful Electron launches beats last year’s record of 16. Rocket Lab still expects more launches before the end of this year. (11/20)

November 25, 2025

JetBlue Among Initial Users of Amazon Satellite Service (Source: PC Mag)
Amazon has started a preview program for its satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, which aims to provide gigabit speeds. The program, currently working with JetBlue and Hunt Energy Network, includes the Leo Ultra satellite dish, which offers download speeds of 1Gbps. (11/24)

China Exploring How to Block Musk’s Starlink in Taiwan (Sources: Telegraph, The Times)
Chinese scientists have explored ways to block Starlink in Taiwan, raising fears that it could stop the island from using the satellite system during a potential attack. Researchers connected to the military have conducted simulated exercises and found that blocking Starlink was technically feasible but would require an ambitious deployment of between 1,000 and 2,000 jamming drones. (11/24)

Alabama Rep: Lawsuit Won't Hinder Space Command's Move to Huntsville (Source: Fox54)
Representative Dale Strong spoke about plans to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal on Monday, calling Colorado's federal lawsuit challenging the move a "last-ditch effort" that won't delay the transfer. Colorado filed a suit against the federal government seeking to halt the relocation of Space Command headquarters from its current location to the north Alabama military installation. (11/25)

Space Force Needs More Funding, Training to Counter China’s Space Ambitions (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force needs to invest more resources in cutting-edge technologies—including launch and simulation capabilities—to maintain the upper hand over China in space, according to a congressional commission tasked with tracking threats from Beijing. In its annual report to Congress, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission highlights China’s “aggressive long-term, whole-of-government campaign” to gain an edge over the U.S. in space. (11/24)

Germany Eyes New Space Partnership With India (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
In a significant diplomatic and scientific development, a high-level German delegation has conveyed its strong interest in partnering with ISRO on some of the most cutting-edge frontiers of space exploration. (11/24)

Japanese Delegation Visits ISRO to Review Chandrayaan-5/ LuPEX Mission (Source: The Hindu)
A Japanese delegation recently held discussions with the senior leadership of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and visited the facilities of the space agency to review the status of the Chandrayaan-5/ LuPEX mission and explore future opportunities. (11/24)

Tingle Becomes NASA Chief Astronaut (Source: The Exponent)
Over 20 astronauts have graduated from Purdue. Now one of them, Scott Tingle, has started a new position as NASA’s chief astronaut. As chief of the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tingle will be responsible for managing astronaut resources and operations. He will also help develop astronaut flight crew operations and make crew assignments for future human spaceflight missions, including Artemis missions to the Moon. (11/24)

Terran Orbital Announces Cheryl Paquete as Chief Financial Officer (Source: Space News)
Terran Orbital Corporation is pleased to announce that Cheryl Paquete has joined the company full-time as Chief Financial Officer, transitioning from her previous temporary role into a permanent leadership position. (11/25)

NASA GSFC Now Does National Security Technology Work (Source: NASA Watch)
As part of the administration's restructuring of several agencies, NASA was “hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work." This was in-part a way for the administration to legally exert more control of the agency's activities, despite Congressional authorizations. This week Goddard leadership confirmed this new role: "Our focus now is on meeting our commitments, Moon-to-Mars, Planetary Defense and National Security technologies." (11/24)

Huge Solar Storm in 2024 Shrank Earth's Protective Plasma Shield (Source: Space.com)
When last year's solar superstorm "Gannon" slammed into Earth, it not only painted the sky with beautiful auroras, but also shrunk one of the planet's protective layers to just one-fifth its usual size. Data from Japan's Arase satellite revealed the most dramatic collapse of the plasmasphere — a protective layer of charged particles that encircles our planet — ever recorded after the Gannon solar storm struck Earth on May 10, 2024. (11/25)

Polish Consortium Successfully Tests Three-Stage Suborbital Rocket (Source: European Spaceflight)
A consortium of Polish state-owned and private companies has successfully tested a three-stage suborbital rocket being developed to carry research payloads above the Kármán line. The project began in early 2020 and received roughly €4.1 million in EU funding through the European Regional Development Fund. While initially intended to carry payloads into space, WITU has stated that the technology could also be used for the development of anti-aircraft and tactical missiles. (11/25)

Spaceflux Wins UK Government Contracts for Sovereign Space Surveillance and Tracking Capabilities (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Spaceflux has won three UK government contracts to provide advanced space surveillance and tracking (SST) data across multiple orbital regimes. Under the three contracts, Spaceflux will deliver persistent surveillance across all orbits – from LEO to GEO and beyond – combining routine monitoring of priority UK satellites with on-demand tasking in the event of collisions, fragmentations, or unexpected maneuvers. (11/25)

China Sends Replacement Capsule to TSS (Source: Space News)
China sent a replacement Shenzhou spacecraft to the Tiangong space station. A Long March 2F rocket lifted off Monday, putting the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft docked with Tiangong Tuesday. China launched the uncrewed spacecraft to replace Shenzhou-20, which suffered damage to a window from a micrometeoroid or orbital debris impact. The astronauts who flew to Tiangong on Shenzhou-20 returned earlier this month on Shenzhou-21, while the astronauts who arrived on Shenzhou-21 will now use Shenzhou-22 for their return trip next spring. (11/25)

BlackSky Was Rocket Lab's Confidential Customer (Source: Space News)
BlackSky confirmed it was the confidential customer of an Electron launch last week. The company released Tuesday initial images from its third Gen-3 satellite, which took its first images within 24 hours of its launch. The company said it was the confidential commercial customer of Rocket Lab "Follow My Speed" mission last Thursday, which took place less than five hours after Rocket Lab announced plans for the launch. BlackSky did not disclose why it elected to be confidential at the time, given that the company has a launch contract with Rocket Lab and said in an earnings call earlier in the month that its next satellite was at the launch site being prepared for launch within weeks. (11/25)

Blue Ring to Fly Space Domain Awareness Payload (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin will fly a space domain awareness payload on its first Blue Ring spacecraft. The company said Monday that the first Blue Ring spacecraft, launching next year, will carry an optical sensor from Caracal to track and identify objects in GEO. Blue Origin said the payload will operate flexibly in “dynamic orbits” during a year-long mission. Scout Space will have its own space domain awareness sensor on the spacecraft along with internal Blue Origin payloads. (11/25)

Golden Dome Solicitation for Space-Based Interceptors (Source: Defense Scoop)
The Space Force plans to issue a solicitation early next month to demonstrate space-based interceptors for Golden Dome. Space Systems Command issued a recent pre-solicitation notice, stating that a formal call for proposals will be issued by Dec. 7. The command says it expects to issue multiple awards using its other transactions authority for companies to develop prototypes of kinetic interceptors for midcourse missile defense. (11/25)

South Korea Plans Reusable Launch Vehicle (Source: Chosun)
South Korea’s space agency plans to embark on a project to develop a reusable launch vehicle. The Korea AeroSpace Administration adopted the plan at a national space committee meeting Tuesday. The vehicle would use methane fuel and be reusable, although the agency did not provide additional details about the proposed vehicle or its schedule. (11/25)

Should You Be Worried About a Tiny Black Hole Hitting Your Body? (Source: Gizmodo)
What would happen if you got hit by a primordial black hole? The bad news is that a large primordial black hole might cause serious injury to the human body—the good news is that there’s probably not enough of them for this to ever happen. Primordial black holes are theoretical black holes that came to life potentially within a second of the Big Bang. Some researchers suggest that the universe’s dark matter—the mysterious substance that constitutes around 85% of the universe’s mass—is mostly or partially made up of primordial black holes. Their hypothesized masses span from 100,000 times less than a paperclip to as much as 100,000 solar masses. (11/24)

Could Satellite-Beaming Planes and Airships Make SpaceX's Starlink Obsolete? (Source: Space.com)
A new generation of stratospheric balloons and high-altitude uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) could soon connect the world's unconnected with high-speed internet at a fraction of the prices commanded by operators of satellite megaconstellations such as Starlink. High-altitude platform stations, or HAPS, have been around for a while, but the technology hasn't fully taken off yet.

Google spent 10 years trying to develop balloons that would hover in the stratosphere above remote rural areas and beam internet to residents but abandoned that project, called Loon, in 2021, concluding that it couldn't be made sustainable. Four years later, companies such as World Mobile Stratospheric and Sceye say they are on the verge of making internet-beaming from the stratosphere a reality. Moreover, they claim that their offerings will be better and cheaper than that of satellite megaconstellations. (11/24)

DOGE Has Mostly Evaporated (Source: NASA Watch)
Remember DOGE? Well, it no longer exists as a thing with that name – although some of the chaos it caused is now formally part of OPM and other parts of the agency. According to Reuters: “U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has disbanded with eight months left to its mandate, ending an initiative launched with fanfare as a symbol of Trump’s pledge to slash the government’s size but which critics say delivered few measurable savings. (11/24)

Rivals Object to SpaceX’s Starship Plans in Florida (Source: Ars Technica)
Launch companies with facilities near SpaceX’s Florida Starship pads are not pleased. SpaceX’s two chief rivals, Blue Origin and ULA, complained last year that SpaceX’s proposal of launching as many as 120 Starships per year from Florida could force them to routinely clear personnel from their launch pads. The companies previously sought to prevent NASA from leasing a disused launch pad to SpaceX in 2013, but they lost the fight.

Col. Brian Chatman confirmed that Starship launches will sometimes restrict SpaceX’s neighbors from accessing their launch pads—at least in the beginning. Chatman’s unit is responsible for clearing danger areas during testing and launch operations. Safety officials worry what would happen if a Starship/Super-Heavy detonated with full propellant tanks. The keep-out zones around Starship launch pads will extend farther than other sites because the rocket uses more propellant than any other. Other launch pads will inevitably fall within the footprint of Starship’s range safety keep-out zones. (11/24)

Evolving Blast Danger Zones Complicate Launch Pad Access (Source: Ars Technica)
The blast danger zones around SpaceX's two proposed Starship/Super-Heavy launch pads in Florida will initially be based on the maximum explosive potential of an amount of TNT equivalent to the rocket's methane/liquid oxygen (methalox) fuel mix. Nearby pads for New Glenn and Vulcan use similar fuels and have the same blast zone calculation. This is a problem because the blast zones encompass multiple nearby launch pads and will disrupt their operations.

Regulators use the same-as-TNT approach because they lack sufficient explosive test data on methalox to accurately establish new smaller zones. The Space Force is prepared to update its zones once SpaceX and Blue Origin complete testing and analyze their results. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation argued to Congress that  the government should use “existing industry data” on the explosive potential of methalox, which suggests a TNT blast equivalency of no greater than 25 percent, a change that would greatly reduce the size of blast danger zones around launch pads.

The Federation’s members include prominent methane users SpaceX, Blue Origin, Relativity Space, and Stoke Space, all of which have launch sites at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. SpaceX forecasts a future in which it will launch Starships more often than the Falcon 9, requiring near-continuous operations at multiple launch pads. (11/24)

Slingshot Aerospace Hires Adrian Thompson as Chief of AI and Data Science (Source: Via Satellite)
Slingshot Aerospace has named a new chief of AI and Data Science, hiring Adrian Thompson, an engineering leader with experience at companies like Waymo, Uber‘s Advanced Technologies Group, and L3 Technologies. Thompson is tasked with overseeing Slingshot’s AI strategy and development, integrating the company’s AI foundation across its data, analytics, and modeling products. (11/24)

China's Rising Influence in Space Prompts Senate to Call for New US Research Institute in Post-ISS Era (Source: Space.com)
A bipartisan group of senators wants the U.S. to establish a new National Institute for Space Research to "ensure the nation is equipped to lead in the next space race" against China. The institute would coordinate national research on whichever private space stations will pick up the baton after the International Space Station (ISS) retires in 2030. But that outcome requires Congress' approval of the newly proposed Space RACE (Research And Continuing Exploration) Act.

The senatorial group, which includes former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly (D-AZ), argue that the new institute is needed to reduce opportunities for China's Tiangong space station to pick up multinational research after the ISS retires. Editor's Note: Odd that there's no mention in this article of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the entity responsible for managing the ISS as a national laboratory for space research. (11/24)

ESA Optimistic About Nov 26-27 Ministerial. Italy’s Promised Boost Helps, Canada’s Too; France, Germany TBD (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Space Agency (ESA) Director-General Josef Ascbacher has maintained his goal of collecting 22 billion euros ($25.3 billion) in the final days before the agency’s Nov. 26-27 ministerial conference, scheduled in Bremen, Germany. That would be a remarkable 30% increase over the 16.9 billion euros committed at the last ministerial in November 2022, which was a 17% boost over the subscriptions registered at the 2019 conference. (11/24)

The Exploration Company Inaugurates New Facility in France (Source: European Spaceflight)
Less than a month after opening its new headquarters in Germany, in-space logistics startup The Exploration Company has opened a new facility in Le Haillan, France. The Exploration Company is developing a modular, multi-role capsule called Nyx that will initially be tasked with ferrying cargo to and from the International Space Station. Future developments will include variants to carry cargo to the surface of the Moon and transport crews to and from low Earth orbit. (11/24)

NASA Reduces Flights on Boeing's Starliner After Botched Astronaut Mission (Source: Reuters)
NASA on Monday slashed the number of astronaut missions on Boeing's Starliner contract and said the spacecraft's next mission to the ISS will fly without a crew, reducing the scope of a program hobbled by engineering woes and outpaced by SpaceX. The most recent mishap occurred during Starliner's first crewed test flight in 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Several thrusters on Starliner's propulsion system shut down during its approach to the ISS. (11/24)

Evidence of Ancient Life on Mars Could Be Hidden Away in Colossal Water-Carved Caves (Source: Space.com)
Possible giant "karstic" caves that formed when slightly acidic water dissolved bedrock have been identified on Mars and hailed as one of the best locations on the Red Planet to search for preserved biosignatures. The caves, in the Hebrus Valles region between the extinct volcano Elysium Mons and Utopia Planitia in Mars' northern mid-latitudes, are revealed by eight skylights, which are holes in the ceiling of the caves that are visible on the surface as pits ranging from tens to over 100 meters across. (11/24)

Amazon's Satellite Internet License Faces Legal Challenge in France (Source: Reuters)
A French union filed a legal challenge on Monday against a decision by the country's telecoms regulator to grant radio spectrum to Amazon's satellite internet service, the biggest test yet of the U.S. tech giant's broadband ambitions. The CFE-CGC Telecoms union said it had asked France's highest administrative court to annul a July decision by regulator Arcep to award Amazon 10-year rights to frequencies for its low earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. (11/24)

Helium-3 and the Limits of Speculation (Source: Space Geotech)
The renewed attention around helium 3 has value. It draws companies, investors, and policy makers into a conversation that has long been dominated by abstract models and surface-level assumptions. For the first time in decades, the idea of a functioning cislunar economy is being discussed in practical terms rather than as a distant aspiration. This shift is healthy. It pushes the community toward questions of infrastructure, logistics, and industrial capability instead of speculation alone.

Yet one fact continues to be overlooked, and it is fundamental: We have never drilled a single engineering grade borehole on the Moon. Not one. No project, civil or industrial, would be evaluated on Earth with such an absence of subsurface data. Still, we speak confidently about resource volumes, extraction concepts, and production rates as if the ground had already been characterized. The reality is that the ground remains unknown. (11/14)

Revisiting the Wolf Amendment After 15 Years (Source: Space Review)
It’s been nearly 15 years since Congress passed legislation with a provision sharply restricting bilateral cooperation between NASA and China. Jeff Foust reports on a recent debate about whether that restriction should be lifted. Click here. (11/25)
 
Space is the Front Line and Not the Final Frontier (Source: Space Review)
Space is increasingly seen as a domain of warfare alongside air, land, and sea. Magdalena Bogacz argues that means the United States and allies must promote efforts to develop norms of space warfare. Click here. (11/25)
 
How AI is Making Spacecraft Propulsion More Efficient (Source: Space Review)
A desire to go further and faster in space is driving interest in advanced propulsion technologies, such as nuclear systems. A team of researchers discusses how another advanced technology, artificial intelligence, is assisting those efforts. Click here. (11/25)

November 24, 2025

Oman Signs Agreement with Airbus for its First Communications Satellite (Source: Reuters)
Oman signed an agreement with Airbus on Sunday to design, manufacture and launch the sultanate's first communications satellite, Oman's state news agency reported.  he new satellite would help boost Oman's communications system and build capacities in areas of space and future technologies, the state news agency said. (11/23)

Billion-Dollar Tax Break Poised to Fuel Spaceport Development (Source: Bloomberg)
Days before a SpaceX mission lit up the night sky with the record 94th launch this year from Cape Canaveral, Rob Long sat in a nearby office talking about doubling or even tripling that rate. Long’s an aerospace engineer and retired Space Force colonel who runs Space Florida, the authority tasked by Florida lawmakers to support the country’s busiest spaceport. The reason for his optimism: a long-sought but little discussed tax break tucked into Congress’ massive tax-and-spending law that could unlock billions in new funding.

The provision means spaceports can use tax-exempt bond proceeds to finance key infrastructure projects, much like municipal authorities do to build airports and highways. One analysis predicted at least $20 billion in new investment over the next decade. For Space Florida, it creates a potential path to building roads and bridges, improving fuel delivery, increasing wastewater treatment capacity and expanding the oceanfront wharf to collect the remnants of their launches or return vehicles.

Decades in the making, the bond tax break passed thanks in large part to the Republicans’ sweep of the House, Senate and White House. It represents the latest move by Congress to help companies that are owned by the world’s wealthiest men—a point critics emphasize—but that also are seen as critical cogs in the bid to out-muscle Russia and China in the space race. Still, the benefits could be broader, boosting a spaceflight industry seeing a surge. (11/21)

Dassault and Space Cargo Unlimited Partner to Integrate BentoBox with VORTEX Spaceplane (Source: Space Cargo Unlimited)
Dassault’s VORTEX (Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration) represents the next generation of reusable orbital vehicles, conceived as a versatile and intrinsically dual-use European platform for space operations, including orbital cargo transport, in-orbit servicing, scientific research, and industrial manufacturing. To advance this vision, Dassault and Space Cargo Unlimited have agreed to integrate BentoBox, Space Cargo Unlimited’s autonomous payload operations platform, aboard VORTEX. (11/20)

Amazon Leo Starts to Roll Out its Fastest Satellite Internet Service (Source: Geekwire)
Amazon Leo — formerly Project Kuiper — says it has started shipping its top-of-the-line terminals to select customers for testing. Today’s announcement serves as further evidence that Amazon is closing in on providing space-based, high-speed access to the internet to customers around the world after years of preparation. Amazon Leo is still far behind SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, but has lined up a wide array of partners to help get its network off the ground.

The top tier of Amazon Leo’s global broadband service, known as Leo Ultra, will offer download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds of up to 400 megabits per second, Amazon said today in a blog post. That’s the first time Amazon has shared details about uplink performance. (11/24)

Blue Ring Testing Advances for Hosted Payloads In-Space Transport (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft passed a key development milestone toward its first flight. The company said Friday it integrated the first Blue Ring spacecraft’s primary structure with its propulsion module ahead of additional testing. Blue Ring is built to deliver, host and transport payloads in orbit and shift between orbits as missions require, supporting the U.S. military’s desire for “dynamic space operations” among other applications. The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded Blue Origin a contract in 2024, of undisclosed value, to help fund Blue Ring’s development, and DIU is working with the Space Force for the first operational flight of Blue Ring next spring. (11/24)

Iceye and Japan's IHI Team on Earth Observation Constellation (Source: Space News)
Iceye is partnering with Japanese company IHI Corporation on an Earth observation constellation. IHI ordered four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites and an associated image acquisition system from Iceye, with the option to purchase 20 additional satellites at a later stage. The first of those satellites will enter service next spring. While Iceye is known for its SAR spacecraft, the company is considering expanding into other areas. (11/24)

Thales Alenia Leads ESA Lunar Cargo Lander Team (Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space will lead an industrial consortium developing a cargo lunar lander for ESA. The agency announced last week a contract with Thales Alenia Space Italy to serve as the prime contractor for the Argonaut lunar lander. It will lead a consortium that includes Thales Alenia Space France, Thales Alenia Space UK, OHB and Nammo Space. Argonaut is designed to carry large payloads to the lunar surface with a first flight by the end of 2030. ESA is seeking 600 million euros ($692 million) for Argonaut at this week’s ministerial conference. (11/24)

Broad Support in Europe for EU Space Act (Source: Space News)
A member of the European Parliament says there is broad support there for the proposed EU Space Act. Speaking at Space Tech Expo Europe last week, Christophe Grudler, a member of the parliament from France, said discussions among political groups have recently started on advancing the act, a draft of which was released in June. He said all the political groups in the parliament believe there needs to be action to address space safety and security concerns, such as the growth in the number of satellites. He noted, though, that the process for enacting the EU Space Act is just starting, and its provisions may not take effect until the end of the decade. (11/24)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Missions From Florida and California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX performed two Falcon 9 launches of Starlink satellites last weekend. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Saturday, putting 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. That launch was the 150th for the Falcon 9 so far this year. SpaceX followed with another Falcon 9 launch Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, placing 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. That launch was the first for the Falcon 9 booster B1100, the 100th Falcon 9 booster produced to date. (11/24)

Space Force Anticipates 2026 Starship Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
Space Force officials said the first Starship launch from Florida could occur as soon as the middle of next year. The commander of Space Launch Delta 45, which runs the Eastern Range, said Friday that those launches would likely begin at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, where SpaceX is in advanced development of Starship launch infrastructure there, followed by Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37. The two sites could support up to 120 launches annually, along with landings of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. The Space Force is bringing launch operators together next month to discuss how to address challenges of operating more frequent launches of larger rockets like Starship from the Cape. (11/24)

Embry‑Riddle Partners With Space ISAC to Elevate Space Cybersecurity Research and Education (Source: ERAU)
To advance space cybersecurity research and education, Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University has joined the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC), a coalition of industry leaders, government agencies and academic institutions that are leading efforts to enhance cybersecurity and threat sharing to protect the global space mission.

Embry‑Riddle’s Space ISAC membership, which was forged through the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS) at Embry‑Riddle, connects the university’s researchers, faculty and students to a network of cutting-edge tools and resources vital to understanding and addressing emerging security challenges in space. This includes access to the Space ISAC Watch Center, a platform where analysts provide real-time intelligence on cybersecurity threats and safeguards. (11/13)

Embry‑Riddle Student Teams Test Tools in NASA’s Giant Pool (Source: ERAU)
When a NASA diver carried an Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University student team’s engineering device into Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, the moment was 10 months in the making. “We created 13 distinct prototypes,” Aidan Magann, Team SEAM lead and senior Mechanical Engineering student, said of the run-up to the testing session. “It was an amazing experience.” Two Embry‑Riddle squads were among 17 universities and 18 total teams selected for the final phase of NASA’s Micro-g NExT Competition, which called on the undergraduates to create, build and then test a solution to one of three space exploration challenges provided by NASA. (11/5)

ESA Picks Lithuania's Astrolight for Polar Jam-Resistant Satellite Laser Links (Source: Astrolight)
The Arctic is becoming a key geopolitical hotspot, and Greenland is central to Europe’s security. Since Russia has intensified satellite and naval jamming around the region, especially in Svalbard, expanded electronic warfare in the region, and increased high-latitude military activity, the vulnerability of Europe’s polar communications was exposed.

ESA has just announced a contract with Lithuanian space and defense tech company Astrolight to build the region’s first jamming-resistant optical ground station. Using laser links that cannot be intercepted, the station will secure high-volume satellite data in an area where Russia routinely disrupts radio-frequency systems. It will be the northernmost optical ground station ever built and the first in the Arctic, set to deliver more than 10x faster and safer communications at 70% lower cost, solving a massive bottleneck. (11/24)

L3Harris Breaks Ground on Arkansas Advanced Propulsion Facilities (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing & Design)
The campus will include more than 20 buildings across 110 acres at the company’s Arkansas site and is expected to increase large solid rocket motor manufacturing capacity six-fold. The campus will add 230,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to the broader 2,000-acre Camden site, bringing total manufacturing square footage to more than 1.5 million. Program-agnostic equipment and buildings will also allow the company to rapidly change production based on current demand and quickly adapt to evolving customer needs.

Of the more than $400 million investment in the campus, the company plans to spend $193 million with Arkansas businesses. L3Harris has been producing rocket motors in Camden since 1979. The location produces more than 115,000 solid rocket motors a year, from those that fit in the palm of your hand to those the size of a truck. Overall, the company is investing more than half-a-billion dollars at its major solid rocket motor sites across the country to support production of motors of all sizes, including in Virginia, Arkansas, and Alabama. (11/24)

The New Space Race: These are the Different Space Strategies Across Europe (Source: EuroNews)
Germany and France recently launched new space strategies. What do other countries have in place?
Across Europe, space agencies are expanding their strategies to blend science with security. Countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom are investing in space satellites, defense, and launch capabilities to protect assets, boost competitiveness, and respond to emerging threats in orbit. Click here. (11/24)

SUAPS Launches Global Effort to Establish UAP Studies as Rigorous Academic Discipline (Source: Douglas Messier)
As public interest in Unidentified Aerial–Undersea and Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) surges worldwide, the Society for UAP Studies (SUAPS) is leading a groundbreaking movement to legitimize and institutionalize the study of UAP within academia. SUAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building a rigorous, interdisciplinary foundation for UAP research and education. “Evidence matters,” said Dr. Cifone. “Too often, UAP research has suffered from speculation and fragmentation. SUAPS is here to change that by advancing careful, transparent, and accountable scholarship grounded in critical inquiry and open-minded curiosity.” (11/24)

Nammo UK Wins Main Engine Supplier for ESA Lunar Lander (Source: Nammo)
Nammo UK’s next generation high-performance bi-propellant engine named RELIANCE, with a thrust capability of 6kN, will support Europe’s first ever lunar lander mission as part the NASA Artemis program planned for 2031. (11/24)

Water Production on Exoplanets Revealed by Pressure Experiments (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory postdoctoral scientist Harrison Horn have demonstrated a pathway for producing water on sub-Neptune exoplanets. The team recreated the boundary conditions between hydrogen atmospheres and magma cores using a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. (11/20)

Smarter Satellite Teamwork Can Speed Up Connections in Space (Source: Space Daily)
Low Earth orbit (LEO) mega-constellations are rapidly changing how we connect to the world, offering potential for faster communications, more accurate earth observation, and better disaster forecasting. Unlike previous, smaller satellite configurations, these mega-constellations involve thousands of satellites operating together, creating huge challenges for ground-based controllers struggling to keep up with the sheer volume of management tasks.

To prevent bottlenecks and speed up network operations, researchers now propose that satellites should do more of their own management by organizing into smaller "management domains." Each domain is managed by a central satellite, allowing these groups to make decisions and share information faster, with less need for ground-based oversight. (11/20)

40,000 Near-Earth Asteroids Discovered (Source: Space Daily)
Astronomers recently discovered the 40 000th near-Earth asteroid! These space rocks range from a few meters to a few kilometers in size and are on orbits that bring them relatively close to Earth. Each new discovery is both a reminder of our planet's vulnerability and a testament to how far the field of planetary defense has advanced in just a few decades. (11/21)

More Than 3,600 Federal Workers Get Notice Their Shutdown RIFs are Rescinded (Source: FNN)
In total, 3,605 federal workers got notice that their jobs were being eliminated during or because of the government shutdown. Each RIF has now been reversed. In all, agency-by-agency filings show the administration attempted to fire a total of 3,605 employees during the shutdown. (11/24)

The European Space Agency Explained (Source: ESA)
We are the European Space Agency, committed to peacefully exploring and using space to benefit everyone. Since our creation as an intergovernmental organization in 1975, we've been championing European scientific and industrial interests in space. In short, ESA’s job is to draw up the European space program and carry it through. ESA's programs are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organizations outside Europe. Click here. (11/22)

New Data Confirms Black Holes Never Shrink (Source: SciTech Daily)
A decade after the first detection of gravitational waves from two merging black holes, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, including Columbia University astronomer Maximiliano Isi, has captured another signal from a nearly identical cosmic event. Thanks to major advances in detector sensitivity, the team observed the collision with nearly four times greater clarity than before, allowing them to confirm two long-standing theoretical predictions: that black holes formed by mergers never shrink, in line with Stephen Hawking’s theory, and that they “ring” after merging, just as Albert Einstein’s general relativity predicts. (11/23)

Amazon Unveils Production-Ready Gigabit-Class Leo Ultra Broadband Terminal (Source: Space News)
Amazon has unveiled the final production version of Leo Ultra, the company’s highest-performing enterprise terminal for the low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation it aims to bring into service next year. (11/24)

Rocket Lab Chief Opens Up (Source: Ars Technica)
Rocket Lab broke its annual launch record with the Electron booster—17 successful missions this year, and counting—and is close to bringing its much larger Neutron rocket to the launch pad. The company also expanded its in-space business, including playing a key role in supporting the landing of Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission on the Moon and building two small satellites just launched to Mars. "We can never outspend Elon (Musk) and Jeff (Bezos)," said Peter Beck. "We have to out-hustle. And that’s just the reality. The Rocket Lab hustle comes down to just not accepting no as an answer."

On Electron reusability: "If you look at an Electron recovery, we might recover sort of a million dollars worth of stage one booster. And of course, the more we make, the cheaper they get, because we’re continuing to scale so that it’s ever decreasing that return. Quite frankly, and honestly, it’s just like, do we have reusability and recovery teams working on something that returns a million dollars every time it flies? Or, do we have them working on Neutron, where it’s tens of millions of dollars every time you fly? So it’s just about, you know, directing the resource for the biggest bang for the buck."

Regarding Neutron delays: "We’re not going to put something on the pad that doesn’t meet kind of the standard that’s made us successful. Say something might pass the qualification test, but if we see something in a strain gauge on the back of the panel, or something that we don’t understand, we just don’t move on. We’re not going to move on unless we understand every little element of what’s going on." (11/24)

The Box vs The Bulldozer: The Story of Two Space Gas Stations (Source: Universe Today)
Using in-situ propellant has been a pillar of plans to explore the solar system. The logic is simple - the less mass (in the form of propellant) we have to launch, the less expensive and more plausible the missions requiring that propellant will be. Despite the allure of creating our own fuel on the Moon, it might not be worth it to develop the systems to do so. There are two main techniques put forward for propellant production on the Moon: carbothermal reduction process, and mining polar ice.

Both have severe logistical disadvantages and limited de-risking of their technology. Methane is a key ingredient to the carbothermal process, and it must be shipped from Earth. In this process, regolith is heated to over 1650℃ where it creates a melt pool. Methane is then introduced to reduce the oxides present in the regolith, releasing the oxygen stored within. Not only does this require an external feedstock of an explosive gas, it requires significant power to get a reactor up to that temperature. It also requires a 14-step production cycle which will have to include autonomous excavators, vibratory inclines, and waste dumpers.

While we know the general chemical makeup and form of regolith, we have much less data about the ice in the polar caps on the Moon. We know it's there, but is it snow or rock hard permafrost? No one really knows, and that would dramatically change the processing technique used to extract it. VIPER was supposed to provide some ground-truths to that question, but its cancellation leaves a gaping hole in our knowledge of the water resources available there. (11/24)

Terma to Power Europe’s ‘LISA’ Mission, Advancing a New Era of Astrophysics (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Terma has secured its largest space contract to date from OHB System AG to supply critical hardware for the European Space Agency’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, planned for launch in 2035. Under the agreement, Terma will deliver Power Conditioning and Distribution Units (PCDUs) for the spacecraft together with six specialized ground test systems that verify performance and readiness before launch, leveraging next-generation of power technology to maximize efficiency. (11/24)

Simera Sense and Zaitra Partner to Streamline Earth Observation with Edge Suite for On-Orbit Intelligence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Simera Sense and Zaitra have announced a strategic collaboration to combine their respective technologies to address pressing bottlenecks in Earth Observation. In a world that demands instant decisions, satellites can’t afford to be just cameras in orbit as they need to be smart, fast, and efficient. In addressing this, Simera Sense and Zaitra are combining their technologies for smart compression, fast detection, and rapid decision-making; a breakthrough onboard processing solution designed to transform Earth Observation missions. (11/24)