The Global Space Economy is on Track
to Hit $1 Trillion by 2033 (Source: Modern Integrated Warfare)
The global space economy is entering a transformative era thanks in
large part to expanding defense budgets and accelerating
direct-to-device (D2D) capabilities. According to Novaspace, the space
industry is projected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2033 from its
current value of around $600 billion, with downstream solutions and
sovereign space investments fueling much of this growth. But behind the
headlines of consolidation, mega-mergers, and the rise of new entrants,
the true drivers of long-term value will be scale, trust, resilience,
and the ability to deliver proven outcomes. (3/17)
Redwire and Los Alamos National
Laboratory Successfully Complete Demonstration of Deployable Heat Shield
(Source: Redwire)
In November 2025, Redwire and Los Alamos National Laboratory, with
assistance from NASA Ames Research Center, successfully completed the
demonstration of a new deployable aeroshell. Deployable heat shields
are crucial for protecting spacecraft from the extreme heat encountered
at high speeds. Redwire provided the deployment mechanism and
structural aeroshell for the demonstration, while Los Alamos was
responsible for the payload and integration. Integration of the
aeroshell structure was completed at Redwire‘s newly opened Firestone
Rapid Capabilities Facility, located in Albuquerque, NM. (3/6)
ESA-Enabled Helical Antenna
Innovations Boost Space-Based Connectivity (Source: ESA)
Recent in‑orbit demonstrations supported by ESA‑developed technologies
represent a significant advancement in deployable antenna systems for
small satellites. Oxford Space Systems’ (OSS) successful deployment of
a large Very High Frequency (VHF) isoflux helical antenna further
underscores Europe’s growing leadership in compact, lightweight, and
high‑performance antenna solutions. The in‑space deployment of OSS’s
antenna on the IOD 2 mission marks a major milestone. Supporting the
Startical ECHOES project, the nearly 4‑metre deployable antenna –
designed to operate between 117 MHz and 138 MHz – plays a crucial role
in enabling space‑based air traffic management (ATM). (3/16)
Can Potatoes Grow on the Moon? (Source:
Science)
Researchers have shown that potatoes can indeed grow in the equivalent
of Moon dust, though they need a lot of help from compost found on
Earth. As NASA researchers plot out sustained Moon bases, they are
considering crops such as the potato, which is nutrient- and
calorie-dense and adaptable to different environments. The work
provides “in-depth analysis to start to answer the questions that need
to be answered” to ensure the success of these long-term missions, says
Jared Long-Fox, a lunar scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
who was not involved with the work. (3/16)
SpaceX Launches Tuesday Starlink
Mission at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX kicked off the St. Patrick’s Day holiday on Tuesday with a
Falcon 9 rocket launch, flying from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The
Starlink 10-46 mission added another 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized
satellites to the low Earth orbit megaconstellation. Liftoff was from
Launch Complex 40. (3/17)
China Launches Highly Retrograde
Yaogan Satellite (Sources: CGTN, Space News)
China on Sunday sent the Yaogan-50 02 remote sensing satellite into
space. The satellite was sent into a highly retrograde orbit aboard a
modified version of the Long March-6 rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite
Launch Center. The launch was the 633rd flight mission undertaken by
the Long March rocket series. (3/16)
Office of Space Commerce Weighing
Options for TraCSS User Fees (Source: Space News)
The Trump administration has not yet decided whether to charge for
space safety data, despite a December 2025 policy change removing the
"free of direct user fees" clause for Traffic Coordination System for
Space (TraCSS) data. While the update allows for potential charges,
officials stated no decision has been made. During a March 2026 panel,
administration officials confirmed that the policy change does not
automatically mean fees will be implemented. The Office of Space
Commerce is still exploring options for TraCSS, which is designed to
manage space traffic as satellites increase. (3/17)
Telesat Pivots Lightspeed Toward
Defense as Delays Push Global Service to 2028 (Source: Space
News)
Telesat plans to carve out 25% of its Lightspeed broadband
constellation for military Ka-band as the program’s latest delay pushes
global service into early 2028, creating more room to align the design
with shifting geopolitical priorities. The Canadian operator announced
plans March 17 to add 500 megahertz of Mil-Ka to Lightspeed’s initial
156 satellites, replacing the same amount of commercial Ka-band
frequencies on the network’s user link. Goldberg said substantially
increasing the global supply of Mil-Ka band would enable Lightspeed to
outperform legacy geostationary systems that rely on protected Ka-band
spectrum. (3/17)
March 17, 2026
Artemis 2 SLS Rollout Slips One Day
for FTS Wiring Install (Source: NASA)
NASA is delaying the return of Artemis 2 to the launch pad by a day. The agency announced Monday that the rollout of the vehicle to Launch Complex 39B was now planned for this Friday, a one-day slip because of work over the weekend to replace an electrical harness in the rocket's flight termination system. The delay does not hinder the planned launch of Artemis 2, which remains scheduled for as soon as April 1. (3/17)
SpaceX Launch From California Brings Starlink to 10,000+ Satellites (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX now has more than 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit after a launch overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying 25 Starlink satellites. The launch brings the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to 10,020, the first time the company has had more than 10,000 satellites in orbit. (3/17)
Chinese Astronauts Take Spacewalk Outside TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese astronauts performed a spacewalk outside the Tiangong space station Monday. Zhang Lu and Wu Fei spent about seven hours outside the station, installing space debris protection for the station among other work. The spacewalk was the sixth in Zhang's career, making him one of the most experienced Chinese spacewalkers. (3/17)
Russian Progress Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station Monday. The Progress MS-31 spacecraft, designated Progress 92 by NASA, undocked from the station as planned at 9:24 a.m. Eastern and reentered several hours later. Its departure opens a docking port for a new Progress cargo spacecraft scheduled to launch on Sunday. (3/17)
FSGC Programs Aim to Align Florida University Research With NASA and State Priorities (Source: FSGC)
The NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium, led by UCF and including most of the state's universities and colleges, sponsors an array of space education and research programs for Florida faculty and students. Among the current opportunities is the Florida Space Research Program for space exploration research aligned with NASA's mission directorates (click here for details). Then there's the FSGC/Space Florida/KSC Technology Development and Commercialization Program, with this year's topic areas aimed at lunar regolith and sorbent polymer extraction and remediation (click here). For each program, the maximum funding per award is $25,000. Proposals for both opportunities are due May 29. (3/16)
Rapid-Built Liquid Rocket Engine Hits Supersonic in New US Test (Source: Defense Post)
The Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD) moved into supersonic territory during a recent flight trial, thanks to a rapidly developed liquid rocket engine. The demonstrator used Ursa Major’s Draper propulsion system in the test, highlighting its role in validating new engine technology for future missile applications. (3/16)
European Space Agency Taps Terran Orbital Subsidiary for Defense Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
Tyvak International, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital, has won a new cubesat contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). It will develop Farinella, a 6U CubeSat that will support ESA’s RAMSES planetary defense mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis. Terran Orbital announced the contract award, March 13. (3/16)
Swedish Military Advances Esrange Spaceport Plans with SSC Space (Source: Flight Global)
NATO member Sweden has signed an agreement paving the way for it to commence satellite launch services from late this decade. Announced by Stockholm’s FMV defense materiel administration on 16 March and valued at SKr209 million ($22.3 million), the pact with SSC Space will lead to the “establishment of satellite launch capability from the company’s Esrange Space Center”. (3/16)
EECL Amplifiers Reach In-Orbit Milestone on ESA HydroGNSS Mission (Source: Inside GNSS)
Ultra-low-noise amplifiers developed by European Engineering & Consultancy Ltd. (EECL) are now operating successfully in orbit on the European Space Agency’s HydroGNSS Earth observation mission, marking an early technical milestone for the satellite payloads. (3/16)
FAA Streamlines Commercial Space License Approvals (Source: FAA)
The FAA is streamlining its processes for launch and reentry licensing. All licensing will now occur under the Part 450 rule, which consolidates four old rules into one. It provides more flexibility and more methods of compliance, reducing the administrative and cost burdens on industry and the FAA. Part 450 reduces the number of times an operator needs an FAA license approval and allows one license for a portfolio of operations, different vehicle configurations and mission profiles, and even multiple launch and reentry sites.
Operators that transitioned legacy licenses by the March 9, 2026, deadline include Blue Origin New Shepard, Firefly Aerospace Alpha, SpaceX Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy and Dragon, Rocket Lab Electron, and United Launch Alliance Atlas and Vulcan. (3/17)
Canada Makes Dedicated Push Toward Sovereign Space Launch (Sources: Aviation Week, Space News)
Canada wants to stand up a sovereign spaceport, with plans to invest $200 million CAD ($146 million) over 10 years for a multiuser launchpad, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty announced March 16. Ottawa will use the funds over the next decade to lease a space launch pad near Canso, Nova Scotia, which will serve as the foundation for a future spaceport.
The military is also providing a combined 25 million Canadian dollars to three startups developing small launch vehicles — Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace and Reaction Dynamics — as part of a multi-year program valued at 105 million Canadian dollars. (3/17)
European Defense Agency Awards Contract for First VLEO Military Satellite Concept (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Defense Agency (EDA) has awarded a €15.65 million research contract to a consortium led by Spanish aerospace engineering company Sener to design a military satellite specifically optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO). Known as VLEO-DEF, the initiative prepares for a future flight experiment and includes payloads for Earth observation and navigational warfare. (3/17)
Belgium Selects Redwire to Build Natsec Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Florida-based aerospace and defense company Redwire has won a prime contract from the Belgian federal government to build the nation’s first national security satellite in collaboration with Aerospacelab, the company announced on Monday. Belgian Defense is fully funding the contract, and Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop the satellite, Redwire said in a statement.
The mission—known as MATTEO—will be built in-country leveraging and supporting Belgium’s National Defence Industrial Technology Base strategy. Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop MATTEO. MATTEO will enhance Belgium’s ability to monitor, protect, and respond to evolving regional and global security challenges. (3/16)
ESA-funded Envisage Space Improves GNSS Positioning in Urban Environments (Source: Inside GNSS)
UK company Envisage Space Ltd., working with Cranfield University and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has developed analytical software designed to improve the reliability of GNSS positioning in dense urban environments. (3/17)
No Sun, No Problem? How Life Could Thrive on Moons of Starless ‘Rogue’ Planets (Source: Space.com)
Moons orbiting starless "rogue" planets could stay warm enough to host liquid water for billions of years, a new study suggests, potentially creating long-lived habitats for life in the depths of space. Using computer models, researchers found that temperatures on an Earth-size moon orbiting a Jupiter-like rogue planet could remain warm enough to support liquid water on its surface for up to 4.3 billion years — nearly as long as Earth has existed. (3/16)
France's Kayrros to be Acquired by Energy Aspects (Source: Space News)
French satellite analytics provider Kayrros is being acquired amid a growing demand for geospatial intelligence data. Energy Aspects announced plans March 12 to buy Kayrros for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval. Kayrros uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and geoanalytics to analyze raw data from more than 20 satellite constellations, producing insights on oil production, storage levels, supply chains, environmental risks and other energy market indicators. The company said traders and analysts are increasingly turning to geospatial intelligence in the region after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. (3/17)
South Korea's Innospace Finds Combustion Chamber Rupture as Cause of Hanbit-Nano Launch Failure in Brazil (Source: Space News)
Korean launch company Innospace has completed the investigation into the failure of its first launch. Innospace said Monday that the investigation into the first Hanbit-Nano launch in December found that exhaust leaked out of the first stage's combustion chamber, causing the chamber to rupture 33 seconds after liftoff and breaking apart the rocket. Innospace said it will improve assembly processes and quality management procedures, as well as make other unspecified design changes. The next Hanbit-Nano launch is planned for the third quarter from Brazil. (3/17)
Jupiter on the Space Shuttle and the Titan II: the FARRAH Signals Intelligence Satellites (Source: Space Review)
The introduction of the Space Shuttle led the intelligence community to study what satellites should be shifted to that vehicle. Dwayne Day examines how that affected one electronic intelligence program as it moved on to, and then off of, the shuttle. Click here. (3/17)
If China Returns to the Moon First, Will Americans Care? (Source: Space Review)
Many in the space community believe the United States is in a race with China to land the next humans on the Moon, with serious consequences for losing. Dante Sanaei cautions that, should China win that race, many Americans might not care. Click here. (3/17)
The Next Phase of Space Ambitions in Texas (Source: Space Review)
The state of Texas is seeking to expand its space industry with a grant program and a new space institute. Jeff Foust reports on what is next as that institute nears completion and the first round of grants is awarded. Click here. (3/17)
Artemis via the ISS? A Breakout Opportunity for Kickstarting a Sustainable Cislunar Economy (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s plans for the Artemis lunar exploration campaign are largely separate from the planned transition from the International Space Station. Madhu Thangavelu describes how ISS could be more closely integrated into lunar exploration. Click here. (3/17)
Golden Domes, Fragile Firms: The Business Risks of AI-Enabled Space Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
Space companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to manage their satellite operations. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant warn that doing so could open up companies to unanticipated business risks. Click here. (3/17)
Israeli Intel: 'We Destroyed Iran's Base for Attacking Satellites to Keep Space Supremacy (Source: Jerusalem Post)
In an extremely rare public statement, an IDF Unit 9900 intelligence official said on Monday that Israel has destroyed an Iranian base which was focused on building technologies to shoot down Israeli satellites and other adversaries' satellites.
According to the officer from the IDF's clandestine satellite intelligence division, the goal of the attack was to maintain Israel's supremacy in space, especially regarding satellite surveillance. "We are leading many efforts to preserve the IDF's freedom of action in the arena of space, and to harm the capabilities of Iran to act and to build such forces," said the Unit 9900 official. (3/16)
Astronomers Found the Source of the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever (Source: Science Daily)
Astronomers have discovered the brightest fast radio burst ever detected and traced it to a nearby galaxy using a new network of CHIME Outrigger telescopes. The flash, nicknamed RBFLOAT, lasted only a fraction of a second but briefly outshone every other radio source in its galaxy. Follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope spotted a faint infrared signal at the same location. The burst’s unusual behavior—showing no signs of repeating—may challenge current ideas about what causes these mysterious cosmic flashes. (3/15)
The Astronaut Who Took One Giant Leap for Manx-Kind (Source: BBC)
A retired NASA astronaut has said her experiences had made her realize that people living on Earth were crewmates and needed to look after the planet together. Nicole Stott spent 104 days in space across two missions, performed a spacewalk, and became the first person to speak Manx as well as paint in watercolors in space.
As part of her training, she spent 18 days as an aquanaut living in an undersea habitat. Stott has recently contributed to a special collection of stamps put together by the Isle of Man Post Office, providing a series of essays to accompany a set to images straddling both space and deep sea. (3/14)
Greece Enters the Astronaut Era as Scientist Joins ESA Training Program (Source: EuroNews)
Dr Adrianos Golemis was selected for ESA's astronaut training program, after a highly competitive process with over 22,000 applicants. His participation paves the way for a possible Greek presence in a future space mission. Greece is marking a significant milestone in space exploration, as a Greek scientist has been selected to participate in the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut training program, raising the possibility of a Greek astronaut joining a space mission for the first time. (3/15)
Florida Without Kennedy Space Center? Director Sounds Alarm Over Relationship (Source: Tampa Bay Times)
The KSC director didn’t mince words. “We stand at a pivotal moment,” Janet Petro told state lawmakers in Tallahassee last fall. The future of one of Florida’s signature assets was in jeopardy. KSC needs more money, she said. It needs state funding for roads, utilities and facilities to support its surge in space traffic. It needs research dollars to advance the aerospace industry.
Yet Space Florida hasn’t been particularly willing, Petro said. As Texas and Alabama vie for space business and close collaboration with NASA, Space Florida’s relationship with the agency is strained by disagreements over funding and control. Space Florida didn't respond to questions about its relationship with NASA.
Gov. DeSantis asked for $17.5 million for Space Florida’s operating budget in the next fiscal year, plus $5 million to expand wastewater capacity for commercial launch companies and $10 million to boost aerospace startups. But that request is stalled amid state budget negotiations. And it’s still meager compared to the $350 million that Texas has already spent on space projects in recent years. Petro fears that if Florida doesn’t work more closely with NASA, the future of KSC and the commercial space industry it helps support is at risk. (3/16)
NASA is delaying the return of Artemis 2 to the launch pad by a day. The agency announced Monday that the rollout of the vehicle to Launch Complex 39B was now planned for this Friday, a one-day slip because of work over the weekend to replace an electrical harness in the rocket's flight termination system. The delay does not hinder the planned launch of Artemis 2, which remains scheduled for as soon as April 1. (3/17)
SpaceX Launch From California Brings Starlink to 10,000+ Satellites (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX now has more than 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit after a launch overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying 25 Starlink satellites. The launch brings the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to 10,020, the first time the company has had more than 10,000 satellites in orbit. (3/17)
Chinese Astronauts Take Spacewalk Outside TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese astronauts performed a spacewalk outside the Tiangong space station Monday. Zhang Lu and Wu Fei spent about seven hours outside the station, installing space debris protection for the station among other work. The spacewalk was the sixth in Zhang's career, making him one of the most experienced Chinese spacewalkers. (3/17)
Russian Progress Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station Monday. The Progress MS-31 spacecraft, designated Progress 92 by NASA, undocked from the station as planned at 9:24 a.m. Eastern and reentered several hours later. Its departure opens a docking port for a new Progress cargo spacecraft scheduled to launch on Sunday. (3/17)
FSGC Programs Aim to Align Florida University Research With NASA and State Priorities (Source: FSGC)
The NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium, led by UCF and including most of the state's universities and colleges, sponsors an array of space education and research programs for Florida faculty and students. Among the current opportunities is the Florida Space Research Program for space exploration research aligned with NASA's mission directorates (click here for details). Then there's the FSGC/Space Florida/KSC Technology Development and Commercialization Program, with this year's topic areas aimed at lunar regolith and sorbent polymer extraction and remediation (click here). For each program, the maximum funding per award is $25,000. Proposals for both opportunities are due May 29. (3/16)
Rapid-Built Liquid Rocket Engine Hits Supersonic in New US Test (Source: Defense Post)
The Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD) moved into supersonic territory during a recent flight trial, thanks to a rapidly developed liquid rocket engine. The demonstrator used Ursa Major’s Draper propulsion system in the test, highlighting its role in validating new engine technology for future missile applications. (3/16)
European Space Agency Taps Terran Orbital Subsidiary for Defense Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
Tyvak International, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital, has won a new cubesat contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). It will develop Farinella, a 6U CubeSat that will support ESA’s RAMSES planetary defense mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis. Terran Orbital announced the contract award, March 13. (3/16)
Swedish Military Advances Esrange Spaceport Plans with SSC Space (Source: Flight Global)
NATO member Sweden has signed an agreement paving the way for it to commence satellite launch services from late this decade. Announced by Stockholm’s FMV defense materiel administration on 16 March and valued at SKr209 million ($22.3 million), the pact with SSC Space will lead to the “establishment of satellite launch capability from the company’s Esrange Space Center”. (3/16)
EECL Amplifiers Reach In-Orbit Milestone on ESA HydroGNSS Mission (Source: Inside GNSS)
Ultra-low-noise amplifiers developed by European Engineering & Consultancy Ltd. (EECL) are now operating successfully in orbit on the European Space Agency’s HydroGNSS Earth observation mission, marking an early technical milestone for the satellite payloads. (3/16)
FAA Streamlines Commercial Space License Approvals (Source: FAA)
The FAA is streamlining its processes for launch and reentry licensing. All licensing will now occur under the Part 450 rule, which consolidates four old rules into one. It provides more flexibility and more methods of compliance, reducing the administrative and cost burdens on industry and the FAA. Part 450 reduces the number of times an operator needs an FAA license approval and allows one license for a portfolio of operations, different vehicle configurations and mission profiles, and even multiple launch and reentry sites.
Operators that transitioned legacy licenses by the March 9, 2026, deadline include Blue Origin New Shepard, Firefly Aerospace Alpha, SpaceX Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy and Dragon, Rocket Lab Electron, and United Launch Alliance Atlas and Vulcan. (3/17)
Canada Makes Dedicated Push Toward Sovereign Space Launch (Sources: Aviation Week, Space News)
Canada wants to stand up a sovereign spaceport, with plans to invest $200 million CAD ($146 million) over 10 years for a multiuser launchpad, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty announced March 16. Ottawa will use the funds over the next decade to lease a space launch pad near Canso, Nova Scotia, which will serve as the foundation for a future spaceport.
The military is also providing a combined 25 million Canadian dollars to three startups developing small launch vehicles — Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace and Reaction Dynamics — as part of a multi-year program valued at 105 million Canadian dollars. (3/17)
European Defense Agency Awards Contract for First VLEO Military Satellite Concept (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Defense Agency (EDA) has awarded a €15.65 million research contract to a consortium led by Spanish aerospace engineering company Sener to design a military satellite specifically optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO). Known as VLEO-DEF, the initiative prepares for a future flight experiment and includes payloads for Earth observation and navigational warfare. (3/17)
Belgium Selects Redwire to Build Natsec Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Florida-based aerospace and defense company Redwire has won a prime contract from the Belgian federal government to build the nation’s first national security satellite in collaboration with Aerospacelab, the company announced on Monday. Belgian Defense is fully funding the contract, and Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop the satellite, Redwire said in a statement.
The mission—known as MATTEO—will be built in-country leveraging and supporting Belgium’s National Defence Industrial Technology Base strategy. Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop MATTEO. MATTEO will enhance Belgium’s ability to monitor, protect, and respond to evolving regional and global security challenges. (3/16)
ESA-funded Envisage Space Improves GNSS Positioning in Urban Environments (Source: Inside GNSS)
UK company Envisage Space Ltd., working with Cranfield University and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has developed analytical software designed to improve the reliability of GNSS positioning in dense urban environments. (3/17)
No Sun, No Problem? How Life Could Thrive on Moons of Starless ‘Rogue’ Planets (Source: Space.com)
Moons orbiting starless "rogue" planets could stay warm enough to host liquid water for billions of years, a new study suggests, potentially creating long-lived habitats for life in the depths of space. Using computer models, researchers found that temperatures on an Earth-size moon orbiting a Jupiter-like rogue planet could remain warm enough to support liquid water on its surface for up to 4.3 billion years — nearly as long as Earth has existed. (3/16)
France's Kayrros to be Acquired by Energy Aspects (Source: Space News)
French satellite analytics provider Kayrros is being acquired amid a growing demand for geospatial intelligence data. Energy Aspects announced plans March 12 to buy Kayrros for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval. Kayrros uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and geoanalytics to analyze raw data from more than 20 satellite constellations, producing insights on oil production, storage levels, supply chains, environmental risks and other energy market indicators. The company said traders and analysts are increasingly turning to geospatial intelligence in the region after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. (3/17)
South Korea's Innospace Finds Combustion Chamber Rupture as Cause of Hanbit-Nano Launch Failure in Brazil (Source: Space News)
Korean launch company Innospace has completed the investigation into the failure of its first launch. Innospace said Monday that the investigation into the first Hanbit-Nano launch in December found that exhaust leaked out of the first stage's combustion chamber, causing the chamber to rupture 33 seconds after liftoff and breaking apart the rocket. Innospace said it will improve assembly processes and quality management procedures, as well as make other unspecified design changes. The next Hanbit-Nano launch is planned for the third quarter from Brazil. (3/17)
Jupiter on the Space Shuttle and the Titan II: the FARRAH Signals Intelligence Satellites (Source: Space Review)
The introduction of the Space Shuttle led the intelligence community to study what satellites should be shifted to that vehicle. Dwayne Day examines how that affected one electronic intelligence program as it moved on to, and then off of, the shuttle. Click here. (3/17)
If China Returns to the Moon First, Will Americans Care? (Source: Space Review)
Many in the space community believe the United States is in a race with China to land the next humans on the Moon, with serious consequences for losing. Dante Sanaei cautions that, should China win that race, many Americans might not care. Click here. (3/17)
The Next Phase of Space Ambitions in Texas (Source: Space Review)
The state of Texas is seeking to expand its space industry with a grant program and a new space institute. Jeff Foust reports on what is next as that institute nears completion and the first round of grants is awarded. Click here. (3/17)
Artemis via the ISS? A Breakout Opportunity for Kickstarting a Sustainable Cislunar Economy (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s plans for the Artemis lunar exploration campaign are largely separate from the planned transition from the International Space Station. Madhu Thangavelu describes how ISS could be more closely integrated into lunar exploration. Click here. (3/17)
Golden Domes, Fragile Firms: The Business Risks of AI-Enabled Space Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
Space companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to manage their satellite operations. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant warn that doing so could open up companies to unanticipated business risks. Click here. (3/17)
Israeli Intel: 'We Destroyed Iran's Base for Attacking Satellites to Keep Space Supremacy (Source: Jerusalem Post)
In an extremely rare public statement, an IDF Unit 9900 intelligence official said on Monday that Israel has destroyed an Iranian base which was focused on building technologies to shoot down Israeli satellites and other adversaries' satellites.
According to the officer from the IDF's clandestine satellite intelligence division, the goal of the attack was to maintain Israel's supremacy in space, especially regarding satellite surveillance. "We are leading many efforts to preserve the IDF's freedom of action in the arena of space, and to harm the capabilities of Iran to act and to build such forces," said the Unit 9900 official. (3/16)
Astronomers Found the Source of the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever (Source: Science Daily)
Astronomers have discovered the brightest fast radio burst ever detected and traced it to a nearby galaxy using a new network of CHIME Outrigger telescopes. The flash, nicknamed RBFLOAT, lasted only a fraction of a second but briefly outshone every other radio source in its galaxy. Follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope spotted a faint infrared signal at the same location. The burst’s unusual behavior—showing no signs of repeating—may challenge current ideas about what causes these mysterious cosmic flashes. (3/15)
The Astronaut Who Took One Giant Leap for Manx-Kind (Source: BBC)
A retired NASA astronaut has said her experiences had made her realize that people living on Earth were crewmates and needed to look after the planet together. Nicole Stott spent 104 days in space across two missions, performed a spacewalk, and became the first person to speak Manx as well as paint in watercolors in space.
As part of her training, she spent 18 days as an aquanaut living in an undersea habitat. Stott has recently contributed to a special collection of stamps put together by the Isle of Man Post Office, providing a series of essays to accompany a set to images straddling both space and deep sea. (3/14)
Greece Enters the Astronaut Era as Scientist Joins ESA Training Program (Source: EuroNews)
Dr Adrianos Golemis was selected for ESA's astronaut training program, after a highly competitive process with over 22,000 applicants. His participation paves the way for a possible Greek presence in a future space mission. Greece is marking a significant milestone in space exploration, as a Greek scientist has been selected to participate in the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut training program, raising the possibility of a Greek astronaut joining a space mission for the first time. (3/15)
Florida Without Kennedy Space Center? Director Sounds Alarm Over Relationship (Source: Tampa Bay Times)
The KSC director didn’t mince words. “We stand at a pivotal moment,” Janet Petro told state lawmakers in Tallahassee last fall. The future of one of Florida’s signature assets was in jeopardy. KSC needs more money, she said. It needs state funding for roads, utilities and facilities to support its surge in space traffic. It needs research dollars to advance the aerospace industry.
Yet Space Florida hasn’t been particularly willing, Petro said. As Texas and Alabama vie for space business and close collaboration with NASA, Space Florida’s relationship with the agency is strained by disagreements over funding and control. Space Florida didn't respond to questions about its relationship with NASA.
Gov. DeSantis asked for $17.5 million for Space Florida’s operating budget in the next fiscal year, plus $5 million to expand wastewater capacity for commercial launch companies and $10 million to boost aerospace startups. But that request is stalled amid state budget negotiations. And it’s still meager compared to the $350 million that Texas has already spent on space projects in recent years. Petro fears that if Florida doesn’t work more closely with NASA, the future of KSC and the commercial space industry it helps support is at risk. (3/16)
March 16, 2026
Eutelsat Ends Russian Spacecraft
Leases (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat has ended capacity leases on two Russian spacecraft after one failed in orbit and the other is set to relocate. Eutelsat had planned to lease capacity for at least three more years from Express-AT1 and Express-AT2, two Russian satellites in GEO, but Express-AT1 malfunctioned earlier this month. Eutelsat said it expected only a "low single-digit million" loss of revenue that would be offset by lower costs by terminating the leases. It allows Eutelsat to get out of contracts hit by Western sanctions and the structural decline in TV broadcasts. (3/16)
Iran War Driving Geospatial Demand (Source: Space News)
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is driving demand for commercial geospatial intelligence services. The busy shipping corridor has become a contested maritime environment where governments, energy companies, insurers and militaries are trying to understand events as they unfold. One geospatial intelligence company, Danti, said the crisis is driving demand for tools that combine satellite imagery with other sources of intelligence, such as radio-frequency and other signals data and automatic identification system (AIS) ship tracking feeds. Danti says AI analysis of that data can help detect trends early. (3/16)
Starcloud Plans 88,000 Satellite Data Center Constellation (Source: Space News)
A startup has filed plans with the FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 orbital data center satellites. The FCC accepted for filing Friday an application by Starcloud for that constellation, which would feature spacecraft operating in a series of low Earth orbits to provide computation for AI models and other services. The application provided few details about the satellites themselves, such as their size. Starcloud launched a smallsat last November with an Nvidia processor for testing AI models and is working on a second, commercial satellite for launch in 2027. The filing comes after SpaceX proposed in late January an orbital data center constellation of up to one million satellites. (3/16)
China Unveils Economical Lunar Transport (Source: Space News)
A Chinese state-owned space contractor has unveiled a concept for an "economical lunar cargo transport" system. At a conference exhibit last week, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology showed off plans for a family of cargo landers capable of delivering between 120 and 5,000 kilograms to the lunar surface. The tiered payload classes suggest a logistics architecture capable of supporting regular cargo deliveries to the lunar surface, suggesting a shift in China from single flagship lander missions. SAST has developed a prototype that has performed takeoff and landing tests. (3/16)
Sweden's First Astronaut Urges Filipino Students to Pursue STEM Careers (Source: Manila Bulletin)
For Dr. Christer Fuglesang, the first Swedish astronaut to travel to space, the journey began with something simple: curiosity. Speaking to students at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila on March 14, Fuglesang encouraged young people to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, emphasizing that curiosity and passion for learning are often the first steps toward extraordinary opportunities. (3/16)
Hanwha Acquires KAI Stake After 7 Years, Accelerating 'Korean SpaceX' Ambitions (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
Hanwha Group, South Korea's largest aerospace and defense conglomerate, has made a substantial investment in Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), signaling its commitment to the "Korean SpaceX" initiative that has drawn attention from both government and industry. According to Financial Supervisory Service disclosures on the 15th, Hanwha Systems, Hanwha's defense subsidiary, announced through its business report filed on the 13th that it purchased 566,635 common shares of KAI for 59.9 billion won. (3/16)
China's Kuaizhou-11 Y7 Rocket Launches 8 New Satellites (Source: Global Times)
China on Monday launched the Kuaizhou-11 Y7 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province, sending eight new satellites into preset orbits, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The mission marked the fifth flight of the Kuaizhou-11 rocket. The "Kuaizhou" series of small solid-propellant launch vehicles was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) and represents China's first small solid rocket capable of rapid integration and rapid orbital insertion, setting the country's fastest record for launch preparation. (3/16)
ispace Opens New Headquarters “Earth Base” in Tokyo (Source: ispace)
ispace, a global lunar exploration company, announced effective today its new headquarters location, “Earth Base” has opened in the central Nihonbashi section of Tokyo. The location in the heart of Tokyo is quickly becoming an ecosystem for space startups and space-focused companies and organizations. (3/9)
Nvidia Unveils AI Computing Module for Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Nvidia is pushing its artificial-intelligence hardware beyond Earth, unveiling a computing module designed for space missions and potential orbital data centers. The Space-1 Vera Rubin Module is a specialized AI computing module engineered for satellites and potential orbital data centers, designed to operate in environments where size, weight, and power are constrained. (3/16)
Kayrros Sale Signals Rising Demand for Satellite Intelligence Amid Hormuz Crisis (Source: Space News)
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed interest in commercial geospatial intelligence services to unprecedented levels, an executive at Kayrros said after the French satellite analytics provider agreed to be acquired by U.K.-based Energy Aspects. (3/16)
Spanish MoD, Hisdesat Near Choice of Airbus To Replace Airbus-Built SpainSat NG2, Ask ITU to OK a 2030 Launch (Source: Space Intel Report)
The Spanish government and Spain’s Hisdesat satellite operator have tentatively selected Airbus Defence and Space to build the SpainSat NG3 UHF-, X- and military-Ka-band satellite to replace the Airbus-built NG2, which failed in orbit in November five weeks after launch. The failure occurred during SpainSat NG2’s orbit-raising maneuver on the way to its final geostationary position at 30 degrees west following what Airbus has concluded was a micrometeorite or other space particle. (3/16)
Swedish Military Advances Esrange Satellite Launch Site Plans with SSC Space (Source: Flight Global)
NATO member Sweden has signed an agreement paving the way for it to commence satellite launch services from late this decade. Announced by Stockholm’s FMV defense materiel administration on 16 March and valued at SKr209 million ($22.3 million), the pact with SSC Space will lead to the “establishment of satellite launch capability from the company’s Esrange Space Center”. “The capability will give the [Swedish] armed forces the capacity and availability to launch their own satellites into orbit,” the FMV says. (3/16)
Isaacman Plans Monthly Uncrewed Lunar Landings In 2027 (Source: Payload)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is going all in on building a Moon base, with initial plans kicking off next year. Isaacman is calling for monthly lunar lander missions to the South Pole starting in 2027, saying the only way to build a Moon base is with regular, frequent missions. Those missions will largely rely on the CLPS program framework, he said. “We are going to plus up for Moon base construction in a huge way,” said during an interview with Spaceflight Now that was released late Friday night. (3/16)
Egyptian Space Agency Launches Space Academy for Regional Capacity Building and Future Skills Development (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Egyptian Space Agency has launched the Egyptian Space Academy, a specialized training entity dedicated to developing skills in future technologies, as part of its strategic role in supporting the localization of the space industry and strengthening human capacity in space science and technology in the region. The Space Academy's establishment builds upon the efforts undertaken by EgSA over the past years in capacity building and human capital development. (3/16)
Investing in Student Programs is Essential for America’s Lead in Space (Source: Space News)
The University of Illinois’ Space Entanglement and Annealing Quantum Experiment (SEAQUE) is a compelling success story in the global race to develop quantum communication networks in space. The experiment’s success was enabled by a novel collaboration approach across academia, industry and government. As such, SEAQUE is more than a physics experiment. It’s a demonstration of student-driven innovation, commercial collaboration, and American ingenuity at the edge of science that offers a model for how the United States can lead on crucial space-based quantum technologies. But that model could be at risk if not financially supported. (3/16)
Europe’s Space Future Depends on Smarter Funding Frameworks (Source: Spacewatch Global)
How should Europe evolve its space funding frameworks to remain competitive in a rapidly transforming global space economy? The industry is increasingly commercial, investment-driven, and globally competitive. The ability to translate innovation into scalable commercial activity will determine which regions lead the next phase of growth. This is where funding frameworks become decisive.
Too often, companies approach funding opportunities opportunistically—pursuing grants because they exist rather than because they align with a long-term growth trajectory. The most successful organizations tend to reverse that approach. They begin with a clear industrial roadmap, identify where technology risks must be reduced, and then strategically use funding mechanisms to support each phase—from research and development to demonstration, industrialization, and ultimately commercialization.
Funding is most effective when it serves as a catalyst for growth, not the driver of strategy itself. In the coming decade, Europe will need to focus more deliberately on funding mechanisms that enable companies to move beyond research and prototypes toward production, market expansion, and global competitiveness. (3/16)
Orbit Fab Enters New Growth Chapter Amidst Leadership Transition and $20 Million Raised (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Orbit Fab is entering a decisive stage in its evolution as it transitions from developing on-orbit refueling technology to large-scale commercialization, having successfully secured $20 million Series B funding, led by Stride Capital, to strengthen its capital foundation as it moves into its next phase of growth. Furthermore, the company's erstwhile CEO, Daniel Faber, has stepped down from his day-to-day responsibilities as Orbit Fab establishes an Executive Committee to ensure its stability and operational continuity. (3/16)
ESA Contracts OKAPI:Orbits, TU Braunschweig and DLR for Space-Air Traffic Integration (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to OKAPI:Orbits to lead a project that will bridge the gap between space traffic coordination and air traffic management, marking an important step toward integrated operations in an era of growing launch and re-entry activity. The contract is in collaboration with the Institute of Space Systems from Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) and the Institute of Flight Guidance from the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
OKAPI:Orbits, TU Braunschweig, and DLR will jointly address several key challenges in integrating space and air traffic systems. This includes defining realistic operational scenarios for launches and re-entries, developing methods to quantify uncertainties, and creating tools that allow air traffic management to respond dynamically to space activities. Furthermore, the interface will support both nominal and off-nominal conditions, including controlled and uncontrolled re-entries, ensuring robust coordination across domains. (3/16)
Before the Lunar Economy, the Infrastructure That Must Exist on the Moon (Source: Space Geotech)
Most discussions about returning to the Moon focus on rockets, landers, and astronauts. These systems solve the transportation problem. They deliver payloads to the lunar surface, but they do not create an operating environment. Sustained activity on the Moon will depend on something far less visible: infrastructure interacting with the ground. Every landing, rover movement, excavation system, power plant, and habitat ultimately transfers loads to the lunar surface.
Yet the mechanical behavior of that surface under operational conditions remains largely unexplored. Before any lunar economy can emerge, the Moon will require a capability that is still missing today: the ability to prepare, stabilize, and build on the ground. Infrastructure begins when activities can repeat with predictable performance. It requires stable ground conditions, controlled operating zones, and systems designed to interact reliably with the surface. None of these elements currently exists on the Moon. Click here. (3/12)
Eutelsat has ended capacity leases on two Russian spacecraft after one failed in orbit and the other is set to relocate. Eutelsat had planned to lease capacity for at least three more years from Express-AT1 and Express-AT2, two Russian satellites in GEO, but Express-AT1 malfunctioned earlier this month. Eutelsat said it expected only a "low single-digit million" loss of revenue that would be offset by lower costs by terminating the leases. It allows Eutelsat to get out of contracts hit by Western sanctions and the structural decline in TV broadcasts. (3/16)
Iran War Driving Geospatial Demand (Source: Space News)
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is driving demand for commercial geospatial intelligence services. The busy shipping corridor has become a contested maritime environment where governments, energy companies, insurers and militaries are trying to understand events as they unfold. One geospatial intelligence company, Danti, said the crisis is driving demand for tools that combine satellite imagery with other sources of intelligence, such as radio-frequency and other signals data and automatic identification system (AIS) ship tracking feeds. Danti says AI analysis of that data can help detect trends early. (3/16)
Starcloud Plans 88,000 Satellite Data Center Constellation (Source: Space News)
A startup has filed plans with the FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 orbital data center satellites. The FCC accepted for filing Friday an application by Starcloud for that constellation, which would feature spacecraft operating in a series of low Earth orbits to provide computation for AI models and other services. The application provided few details about the satellites themselves, such as their size. Starcloud launched a smallsat last November with an Nvidia processor for testing AI models and is working on a second, commercial satellite for launch in 2027. The filing comes after SpaceX proposed in late January an orbital data center constellation of up to one million satellites. (3/16)
China Unveils Economical Lunar Transport (Source: Space News)
A Chinese state-owned space contractor has unveiled a concept for an "economical lunar cargo transport" system. At a conference exhibit last week, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology showed off plans for a family of cargo landers capable of delivering between 120 and 5,000 kilograms to the lunar surface. The tiered payload classes suggest a logistics architecture capable of supporting regular cargo deliveries to the lunar surface, suggesting a shift in China from single flagship lander missions. SAST has developed a prototype that has performed takeoff and landing tests. (3/16)
Sweden's First Astronaut Urges Filipino Students to Pursue STEM Careers (Source: Manila Bulletin)
For Dr. Christer Fuglesang, the first Swedish astronaut to travel to space, the journey began with something simple: curiosity. Speaking to students at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila on March 14, Fuglesang encouraged young people to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, emphasizing that curiosity and passion for learning are often the first steps toward extraordinary opportunities. (3/16)
Hanwha Acquires KAI Stake After 7 Years, Accelerating 'Korean SpaceX' Ambitions (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
Hanwha Group, South Korea's largest aerospace and defense conglomerate, has made a substantial investment in Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), signaling its commitment to the "Korean SpaceX" initiative that has drawn attention from both government and industry. According to Financial Supervisory Service disclosures on the 15th, Hanwha Systems, Hanwha's defense subsidiary, announced through its business report filed on the 13th that it purchased 566,635 common shares of KAI for 59.9 billion won. (3/16)
China's Kuaizhou-11 Y7 Rocket Launches 8 New Satellites (Source: Global Times)
China on Monday launched the Kuaizhou-11 Y7 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province, sending eight new satellites into preset orbits, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The mission marked the fifth flight of the Kuaizhou-11 rocket. The "Kuaizhou" series of small solid-propellant launch vehicles was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) and represents China's first small solid rocket capable of rapid integration and rapid orbital insertion, setting the country's fastest record for launch preparation. (3/16)
ispace Opens New Headquarters “Earth Base” in Tokyo (Source: ispace)
ispace, a global lunar exploration company, announced effective today its new headquarters location, “Earth Base” has opened in the central Nihonbashi section of Tokyo. The location in the heart of Tokyo is quickly becoming an ecosystem for space startups and space-focused companies and organizations. (3/9)
Nvidia Unveils AI Computing Module for Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Nvidia is pushing its artificial-intelligence hardware beyond Earth, unveiling a computing module designed for space missions and potential orbital data centers. The Space-1 Vera Rubin Module is a specialized AI computing module engineered for satellites and potential orbital data centers, designed to operate in environments where size, weight, and power are constrained. (3/16)
Kayrros Sale Signals Rising Demand for Satellite Intelligence Amid Hormuz Crisis (Source: Space News)
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed interest in commercial geospatial intelligence services to unprecedented levels, an executive at Kayrros said after the French satellite analytics provider agreed to be acquired by U.K.-based Energy Aspects. (3/16)
Spanish MoD, Hisdesat Near Choice of Airbus To Replace Airbus-Built SpainSat NG2, Ask ITU to OK a 2030 Launch (Source: Space Intel Report)
The Spanish government and Spain’s Hisdesat satellite operator have tentatively selected Airbus Defence and Space to build the SpainSat NG3 UHF-, X- and military-Ka-band satellite to replace the Airbus-built NG2, which failed in orbit in November five weeks after launch. The failure occurred during SpainSat NG2’s orbit-raising maneuver on the way to its final geostationary position at 30 degrees west following what Airbus has concluded was a micrometeorite or other space particle. (3/16)
Swedish Military Advances Esrange Satellite Launch Site Plans with SSC Space (Source: Flight Global)
NATO member Sweden has signed an agreement paving the way for it to commence satellite launch services from late this decade. Announced by Stockholm’s FMV defense materiel administration on 16 March and valued at SKr209 million ($22.3 million), the pact with SSC Space will lead to the “establishment of satellite launch capability from the company’s Esrange Space Center”. “The capability will give the [Swedish] armed forces the capacity and availability to launch their own satellites into orbit,” the FMV says. (3/16)
Isaacman Plans Monthly Uncrewed Lunar Landings In 2027 (Source: Payload)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is going all in on building a Moon base, with initial plans kicking off next year. Isaacman is calling for monthly lunar lander missions to the South Pole starting in 2027, saying the only way to build a Moon base is with regular, frequent missions. Those missions will largely rely on the CLPS program framework, he said. “We are going to plus up for Moon base construction in a huge way,” said during an interview with Spaceflight Now that was released late Friday night. (3/16)
Egyptian Space Agency Launches Space Academy for Regional Capacity Building and Future Skills Development (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Egyptian Space Agency has launched the Egyptian Space Academy, a specialized training entity dedicated to developing skills in future technologies, as part of its strategic role in supporting the localization of the space industry and strengthening human capacity in space science and technology in the region. The Space Academy's establishment builds upon the efforts undertaken by EgSA over the past years in capacity building and human capital development. (3/16)
Investing in Student Programs is Essential for America’s Lead in Space (Source: Space News)
The University of Illinois’ Space Entanglement and Annealing Quantum Experiment (SEAQUE) is a compelling success story in the global race to develop quantum communication networks in space. The experiment’s success was enabled by a novel collaboration approach across academia, industry and government. As such, SEAQUE is more than a physics experiment. It’s a demonstration of student-driven innovation, commercial collaboration, and American ingenuity at the edge of science that offers a model for how the United States can lead on crucial space-based quantum technologies. But that model could be at risk if not financially supported. (3/16)
Europe’s Space Future Depends on Smarter Funding Frameworks (Source: Spacewatch Global)
How should Europe evolve its space funding frameworks to remain competitive in a rapidly transforming global space economy? The industry is increasingly commercial, investment-driven, and globally competitive. The ability to translate innovation into scalable commercial activity will determine which regions lead the next phase of growth. This is where funding frameworks become decisive.
Too often, companies approach funding opportunities opportunistically—pursuing grants because they exist rather than because they align with a long-term growth trajectory. The most successful organizations tend to reverse that approach. They begin with a clear industrial roadmap, identify where technology risks must be reduced, and then strategically use funding mechanisms to support each phase—from research and development to demonstration, industrialization, and ultimately commercialization.
Funding is most effective when it serves as a catalyst for growth, not the driver of strategy itself. In the coming decade, Europe will need to focus more deliberately on funding mechanisms that enable companies to move beyond research and prototypes toward production, market expansion, and global competitiveness. (3/16)
Orbit Fab Enters New Growth Chapter Amidst Leadership Transition and $20 Million Raised (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Orbit Fab is entering a decisive stage in its evolution as it transitions from developing on-orbit refueling technology to large-scale commercialization, having successfully secured $20 million Series B funding, led by Stride Capital, to strengthen its capital foundation as it moves into its next phase of growth. Furthermore, the company's erstwhile CEO, Daniel Faber, has stepped down from his day-to-day responsibilities as Orbit Fab establishes an Executive Committee to ensure its stability and operational continuity. (3/16)
ESA Contracts OKAPI:Orbits, TU Braunschweig and DLR for Space-Air Traffic Integration (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to OKAPI:Orbits to lead a project that will bridge the gap between space traffic coordination and air traffic management, marking an important step toward integrated operations in an era of growing launch and re-entry activity. The contract is in collaboration with the Institute of Space Systems from Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) and the Institute of Flight Guidance from the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
OKAPI:Orbits, TU Braunschweig, and DLR will jointly address several key challenges in integrating space and air traffic systems. This includes defining realistic operational scenarios for launches and re-entries, developing methods to quantify uncertainties, and creating tools that allow air traffic management to respond dynamically to space activities. Furthermore, the interface will support both nominal and off-nominal conditions, including controlled and uncontrolled re-entries, ensuring robust coordination across domains. (3/16)
Before the Lunar Economy, the Infrastructure That Must Exist on the Moon (Source: Space Geotech)
Most discussions about returning to the Moon focus on rockets, landers, and astronauts. These systems solve the transportation problem. They deliver payloads to the lunar surface, but they do not create an operating environment. Sustained activity on the Moon will depend on something far less visible: infrastructure interacting with the ground. Every landing, rover movement, excavation system, power plant, and habitat ultimately transfers loads to the lunar surface.
Yet the mechanical behavior of that surface under operational conditions remains largely unexplored. Before any lunar economy can emerge, the Moon will require a capability that is still missing today: the ability to prepare, stabilize, and build on the ground. Infrastructure begins when activities can repeat with predictable performance. It requires stable ground conditions, controlled operating zones, and systems designed to interact reliably with the surface. None of these elements currently exists on the Moon. Click here. (3/12)
March 15, 2026
Philippine Space Agency, Local and
South Korean Partners Set Rocket Development for Spaceport
(Source: Business Mirror)
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) will develop a framework for rocket development training and experimental launches in partnership with local and international agencies, aiming to establish a Philippine spaceport and position the country as a regional gateway to space. The partnership was made possible through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 4 by PhilSA, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Ascend International Gateway Inc., and Republic of Korea’s Perigee Aerospace Inc. (3/15)
Volunteers Prepare Massive American Flag at Spaceport America for USA’s 250th Anniversary (Source: KVIA)
Volunteers gathered this weekend at Spaceport America to help clean and preserve one of the world’s largest American flags, a massive textile nearly two acres in size that has been part of several notable moments in the nation’s history. Members of the Great American Flag Preservation Group, along with community volunteers and Spaceport staff, spent the weekend unfurling, cleaning and preparing the enormous flag for future displays as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. (3/14)
Failure of Atomic Clock Cripples ISRO’s NavSat System (Source: The Hindu)
The last atomic clock aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1F satellite has failed, ISRO has said in a statement. This further weakens the country’s indigenous ‘GPS’ system, informally called NavIC. Since the first of the eight satellites in the IRNSS system were launched between 2013-2018, the government has encouraged Indian enterprises, including computer manufacturers and electronic goods having timing services, to rely on NavIC for determining the Indian Standard Time. (3/15)
Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab (Source: New York Times)
The Trump administration is reviewing proposals to break up one of the world’s leading climate and weather laboratories, transfer its work to universities and private companies, take away its aircraft, and sell its property in Boulder, Colorado. The laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has been targeted for months by the Trump administration.
Russell Vought, the White House budget director, called the Colorado center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.” The center, founded in 1960, is responsible for many of the biggest scientific advances in understanding of weather and climate. Its research aircraft and sophisticated computer models of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are widely used in forecasting weather events and disasters.
Scientists say the move to dismantle the center would weaken research that is crucial to understanding the atmosphere, space and oceans, air pollution and climate change. It would leave emergency officials and planners less prepared for extreme weather events, critics said. (3/13)
Spaceflight Supercharges Viruses’ Ability to Infect Bacteria (Source: Scientific American)
Bacteria and the viruses that infect them are perpetually at war. Their deadly clashes push both kinds of microbes to evolve new traits that meet the challenges of every environment they inhabit, from the human digestive tract to the seafloor’s hydrothermal vents—and even the harsh conditions of space, where studies found that microgravity enhances the ability of viruses to infect bacteria, suggesting they can adapt to extreme stressors. This ongoing "arms race" drives rapid evolution in both, with viruses exploiting new strategies to infect bacteria. (3/15)
Confidential Settlement for Scuttled Starlink Deal Means Ontarians Kept in Dark on Payout (Source: CBC)
Ontario's payout to Elon Musk's SpaceX over a cancelled Starlink contract will remain a secret after the two sides agreed to a confidential settlement. The province said the kill fee for what was set to be a $100-million deal is "significantly less than the contract value," and the amount paid out was part of a negotiated settlement. When asked about the kill fee earlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he didn't know the amount but pledged to confirm it. His office then said the amount could not be publicly released. (3/13)
USSPACECOM Commander Highlights U.S.-India Space Cooperation (Source: USSC)
Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, traveled to the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of responsibility March 3-8. They discussed bilateral issues and evolving security dynamics in the space domain, and avenues to enhance collaboration, including joint exercises that integrate the space domain. (3/13)
OSTP Replaces NSC in US Space Policy Leadership (Source: Space News)
In the absence of the National Space Council, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, or OSTP, has taken on a lead role in coordinating national space policy. Following the revocation of the 2021 executive order continuing the National Space Council in December 2025, OSTP has assumed the lead role in coordinating national space policy. The OSTP Director is tasked with overseeing space policy development and interagency coordination. (3/15)
Space Jam: NASA’s MADCAP Team Directs Traffic at the Moon (Source: New York Times)
For the past 15 years, a small team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been keeping track of spacecraft orbiting the moon and Mars and raising alerts when it seems that two of them might cross paths. That effort is known as MADCAP: Multimission Automated Deepspace Conjunction Assessment Process. Think of them as space traffic controllers. (3/13)
Orbital Energy Firm Mantis Space Leaves Stealth With $10M Seed Round (Source: Via Satellite)
Orbital energy startup Mantis Space emerged from stealth this morning with a $10 million seed round of funding, the company said on Thursday. Rule 1 Ventures and Montauk Capital led the round. Mantis Spsvr said it aims to build a constellation that almost continuously generates and transmits solar power to satellites in the Earth’s shadow, allowing them to receive power around the clock. With orbital power infrastructure in place, satellites can remain in revenue-generating mission areas instead of chasing sunlight, it said. (3/13)
Astranis Taps Retired Gen. John Hyten to Lead Advisory Board (Source: SpaceNews)
Astranis, a San Francisco–based operator of small geostationary communications satellites, announced March 12 that retired U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten has joined the company as chairman of a newly formed advisory board. Hyten is a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and spent much of his career overseeing military space programs, including as commander of Air Force Space Command. He has been a prominent critic of the Pentagon’s traditional approach to satellite architecture, which relies on a limited number of large, highly capable spacecraft. (3/13)
How to Build a Moon Base (Source: Scientific American)
China eventually plans to establish the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a two-phased moon base built in partnership with Russia. The initial, uncrewed phase of the ILRS will be led by two autonomous lunar landers, developed and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
First, the planned Chang’e 7 mission, launching later this year, will likely land at the Shackleton Crater on the south pole to survey it for water ice and other resources that might be used to support the ILRS. Then, in 2029, Chang’e 8 will visit the region to perform demonstrations of key base-building capabilities, such as making bricks from lunar soil. Ultimately, such “in situ resource utilization” could include processing lunar polar ice into potable water or even rocket fuel. The second ILRS phase could support human occupants for extended surface stays.
NASA’s planned outpost, provisionally called Artemis Base Camp, would be U.S.-led but also include contributions from several other nations and a host of commercial partners. It, too, would be constructed in phases using a mix of robots and human astronauts. And it will, at least to start, be a mess: speaking to the New York Times in February, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman noted that, for perhaps a decade after its foundation, Artemis Base Camp will resemble a “futuristic junkyard with lots of landers and rovers around” before it will eventually gain more “pretty cool infrastructure.” Click here. (3/12)
Leonardo Sees Michelangelo Dome Trials In Ukraine (Source: Aviation Week)
Leonardo plans to demonstrate elements of its new Michelangelo Dome project in Ukraine as early as this year, as it sets its sights on networking air and missile defenses Europe-wide. “The first component of the Michelangelo Dome … is now under construction for our friends in Ukraine,” CEO Roberto Cingolani said.
The effort will focus on the point-defense layer of the architecture to engage low-flying and hard-to-detect threats, such as drone swarms, he noted. NATO trials are due next year, he said. Cingolani said the company’s new Earth-observation constellation it calls Space Guardian will be a key feature of the dome project to spot threats as they are readied to be launched. (3/12)
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) will develop a framework for rocket development training and experimental launches in partnership with local and international agencies, aiming to establish a Philippine spaceport and position the country as a regional gateway to space. The partnership was made possible through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 4 by PhilSA, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), Ascend International Gateway Inc., and Republic of Korea’s Perigee Aerospace Inc. (3/15)
Volunteers Prepare Massive American Flag at Spaceport America for USA’s 250th Anniversary (Source: KVIA)
Volunteers gathered this weekend at Spaceport America to help clean and preserve one of the world’s largest American flags, a massive textile nearly two acres in size that has been part of several notable moments in the nation’s history. Members of the Great American Flag Preservation Group, along with community volunteers and Spaceport staff, spent the weekend unfurling, cleaning and preparing the enormous flag for future displays as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. (3/14)
Failure of Atomic Clock Cripples ISRO’s NavSat System (Source: The Hindu)
The last atomic clock aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1F satellite has failed, ISRO has said in a statement. This further weakens the country’s indigenous ‘GPS’ system, informally called NavIC. Since the first of the eight satellites in the IRNSS system were launched between 2013-2018, the government has encouraged Indian enterprises, including computer manufacturers and electronic goods having timing services, to rely on NavIC for determining the Indian Standard Time. (3/15)
Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab (Source: New York Times)
The Trump administration is reviewing proposals to break up one of the world’s leading climate and weather laboratories, transfer its work to universities and private companies, take away its aircraft, and sell its property in Boulder, Colorado. The laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has been targeted for months by the Trump administration.
Russell Vought, the White House budget director, called the Colorado center “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country.” The center, founded in 1960, is responsible for many of the biggest scientific advances in understanding of weather and climate. Its research aircraft and sophisticated computer models of the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are widely used in forecasting weather events and disasters.
Scientists say the move to dismantle the center would weaken research that is crucial to understanding the atmosphere, space and oceans, air pollution and climate change. It would leave emergency officials and planners less prepared for extreme weather events, critics said. (3/13)
Spaceflight Supercharges Viruses’ Ability to Infect Bacteria (Source: Scientific American)
Bacteria and the viruses that infect them are perpetually at war. Their deadly clashes push both kinds of microbes to evolve new traits that meet the challenges of every environment they inhabit, from the human digestive tract to the seafloor’s hydrothermal vents—and even the harsh conditions of space, where studies found that microgravity enhances the ability of viruses to infect bacteria, suggesting they can adapt to extreme stressors. This ongoing "arms race" drives rapid evolution in both, with viruses exploiting new strategies to infect bacteria. (3/15)
Confidential Settlement for Scuttled Starlink Deal Means Ontarians Kept in Dark on Payout (Source: CBC)
Ontario's payout to Elon Musk's SpaceX over a cancelled Starlink contract will remain a secret after the two sides agreed to a confidential settlement. The province said the kill fee for what was set to be a $100-million deal is "significantly less than the contract value," and the amount paid out was part of a negotiated settlement. When asked about the kill fee earlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he didn't know the amount but pledged to confirm it. His office then said the amount could not be publicly released. (3/13)
USSPACECOM Commander Highlights U.S.-India Space Cooperation (Source: USSC)
Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, traveled to the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of responsibility March 3-8. They discussed bilateral issues and evolving security dynamics in the space domain, and avenues to enhance collaboration, including joint exercises that integrate the space domain. (3/13)
OSTP Replaces NSC in US Space Policy Leadership (Source: Space News)
In the absence of the National Space Council, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, or OSTP, has taken on a lead role in coordinating national space policy. Following the revocation of the 2021 executive order continuing the National Space Council in December 2025, OSTP has assumed the lead role in coordinating national space policy. The OSTP Director is tasked with overseeing space policy development and interagency coordination. (3/15)
Space Jam: NASA’s MADCAP Team Directs Traffic at the Moon (Source: New York Times)
For the past 15 years, a small team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been keeping track of spacecraft orbiting the moon and Mars and raising alerts when it seems that two of them might cross paths. That effort is known as MADCAP: Multimission Automated Deepspace Conjunction Assessment Process. Think of them as space traffic controllers. (3/13)
Orbital Energy Firm Mantis Space Leaves Stealth With $10M Seed Round (Source: Via Satellite)
Orbital energy startup Mantis Space emerged from stealth this morning with a $10 million seed round of funding, the company said on Thursday. Rule 1 Ventures and Montauk Capital led the round. Mantis Spsvr said it aims to build a constellation that almost continuously generates and transmits solar power to satellites in the Earth’s shadow, allowing them to receive power around the clock. With orbital power infrastructure in place, satellites can remain in revenue-generating mission areas instead of chasing sunlight, it said. (3/13)
Astranis Taps Retired Gen. John Hyten to Lead Advisory Board (Source: SpaceNews)
Astranis, a San Francisco–based operator of small geostationary communications satellites, announced March 12 that retired U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten has joined the company as chairman of a newly formed advisory board. Hyten is a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and spent much of his career overseeing military space programs, including as commander of Air Force Space Command. He has been a prominent critic of the Pentagon’s traditional approach to satellite architecture, which relies on a limited number of large, highly capable spacecraft. (3/13)
How to Build a Moon Base (Source: Scientific American)
China eventually plans to establish the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), a two-phased moon base built in partnership with Russia. The initial, uncrewed phase of the ILRS will be led by two autonomous lunar landers, developed and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
First, the planned Chang’e 7 mission, launching later this year, will likely land at the Shackleton Crater on the south pole to survey it for water ice and other resources that might be used to support the ILRS. Then, in 2029, Chang’e 8 will visit the region to perform demonstrations of key base-building capabilities, such as making bricks from lunar soil. Ultimately, such “in situ resource utilization” could include processing lunar polar ice into potable water or even rocket fuel. The second ILRS phase could support human occupants for extended surface stays.
NASA’s planned outpost, provisionally called Artemis Base Camp, would be U.S.-led but also include contributions from several other nations and a host of commercial partners. It, too, would be constructed in phases using a mix of robots and human astronauts. And it will, at least to start, be a mess: speaking to the New York Times in February, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman noted that, for perhaps a decade after its foundation, Artemis Base Camp will resemble a “futuristic junkyard with lots of landers and rovers around” before it will eventually gain more “pretty cool infrastructure.” Click here. (3/12)
Leonardo Sees Michelangelo Dome Trials In Ukraine (Source: Aviation Week)
Leonardo plans to demonstrate elements of its new Michelangelo Dome project in Ukraine as early as this year, as it sets its sights on networking air and missile defenses Europe-wide. “The first component of the Michelangelo Dome … is now under construction for our friends in Ukraine,” CEO Roberto Cingolani said.
The effort will focus on the point-defense layer of the architecture to engage low-flying and hard-to-detect threats, such as drone swarms, he noted. NATO trials are due next year, he said. Cingolani said the company’s new Earth-observation constellation it calls Space Guardian will be a key feature of the dome project to spot threats as they are readied to be launched. (3/12)
March 14, 2026
Starliner and Artemis: Commercial
Label vs. Commercial Discipline (Source: Space News)
Where is the actual line between a government program and a commercial company? CounterFlow Solutions founder Dan Garretson says many of the products, services and missions that are broadly considered to be "commercial" today may not fit the bill, given the trend of companies offering highly customized components or spacecraft for anchor customers in the government.
"Commercial structure is what shows up on paper: a services contract, fixed-price mechanisms, private ownership, multiple providers," Garretson wrote. "Commercial discipline shows up in behavior: the buyer constrains itself to a standard offering; anomalies get driven to root cause; architectures are built for repeatability before demand is proven; and learning compounds because the core system holds. We've spent years celebrating structure while quietly ignoring the need for discipline."
In his view, real commercial success and progress in space developments are tied to discipline on both sides of the contract: with government customers and commercial firms emphasizing the need for standardized, repeatable products. "Commercial markets aren't declared from the top down," he wrote. "They're enforced by competition, repeatability and restraint on both sides of the contract. Without those, expansion stalls. With them, it compounds." (3/10)
SpaceX Launches Pi Day Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX rang in Pi Day with a rocket launch from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. March 14 is observed by many for representing the mathematical constant Pi − or 3.14. The liftoff occurred at Launch Complex 40. For many watching, the Falcon 9 quickly disappeared into the breaking clouds, only its rumble audible to spectators as it traveled upward. (3/14)
Artemis II Mission: A Day-by-Day Look (Source: Douglas's Substack)
NASA is moving forward with the Artemis II launch as early as April 1. It will be the first crewed flight test of the Orion spacecraft. And the first crewed flight to the vicinity of the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Here is a day by day description of the upcoming mission. (3/14)
Blue Origin Unveils NEO Hunter: A Hybrid Planetary Defense Concept (Source: NSF)
Blue Origin has unveiled a new mission concept called NEO Hunter, designed to protect Earth from potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs) by employing advanced deflection techniques. Developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech, the concept leverages the company’s versatile Blue Ring platform as its foundation.
NEO Hunter adopts a hybrid approach to asteroid deflection. It would first deploy CubeSats to characterize the target asteroid’s properties, then position itself nearby to direct a continuous ion beam at the object. This contactless method gradually imparts momentum, subtly altering the asteroid’s trajectory over time to steer it away from a potential collision course with Earth. (3/14)
iMetalX Emerges From Stealth with Technology to Model Resident Space Objects (Source: Space News)
Northern California startup iMetalX Inc. emerged from stealth to announce a collaboration with Psionic, a Hampton, Virginia, company focused on autonomous navigation in GPS-denied environments. Pairing Psionic’s Space Navigation Dopper Lidar with iMetalX’s Asgard data and simulation platform offers customers the ability to create accurate 3D models of resident space objects (RSOs). (3/13)
PSIONIC and iMETALX Announce Strategic Collaboration Supporting RPOD, Space Control, and Space Battle Management (Source: iMetalx)
Psionic, a provider of advanced precision navigation and autonomy technologies for national security missions, and iMetalx, a Space Battle Management software company specializing in autonomous space control, announced a strategic collaboration to support Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO), Resident Space Object (RSO) Characterization, Obstacle Avoidance, Docking (RPOD), Capture (RPOC), Space Control, and Space Battle Management missions for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the Space Development Agency (SDA). (2/11)
Canada Takes Its Sovereignty Push to Space (Source: New York Times)
Canada plans to launch hundreds of satellites as part of a national defense agenda that, since President Trump’s trade war began last year, has focused on lessening the country’s reliance on the United States. Telesat, a satellite communications company whose headquarters are in Ottawa, plans to launch about 200 satellites next year and recently signed a deal with the government and another Canadian company, MDA Space, for systems to support the military.
Starlink is the dominant internet provider in Canada’s remote areas and has roughly 500,000 users in Canada, according to the company. Launching domestic satellites would benefit the thousands of Canadians for whom Starlink access has been critical and even life-changing, Dr. Boley said — though he acknowledged that as an astronomer he had mixed feelings about firing more things into space. (3/14)
Firefly Aerospace: Successful Launch Validates Alpha, But The Real Test Is Cadence (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Firefly Aerospace remains a speculative buy after a successful Mission 7 launch, despite a 42% YTD share price drop. FLY's launch success rate is only 43%, with recent mission failures weighing on investor sentiment and share price performance. My price target is $34.77, implying 50% upside, but this is reduced from prior estimates due to higher expected cash burn in 2026. Improved launch cadence and consistent mission success are critical for FLY to enhance financial performance and reduce risk. (3/13)
From Knitting Girdles, to Outfitting Astronauts for Space Travel (Source: WCVB)
It all started with a young David Clark, who left school at 15, learned accounting and took up knitting. In 1935, he founded a company making girdles and undergarments. But by the 1940s, as aviation speeds soared, Clark used his textile expertise to tackle a critical problem: pilots passing out due to G-LOC. His solution? A pressurized, air-bladder G-suit, which became the basis of what pilots still wear today.
David Clark suits have been a constant in American aerospace. The company built Gemini spacesuits, Apollo gear, U-2 spy plane suits, and now, the Orion Crew Survival System suits for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. Still based in Worcester, David Clark Co. designs, builds, and pressure-tests all its suits on site. (3/13)
In Space, Regulators Seek To Boldly Go Where No Bureaucrat Has Gone Before (Source: Reason)
Unfortunately, opening new commercial opportunities—even in the depths of outer space—is like ringing the dinner bell for bureaucrats and would-be regulators. "Despite evolving technical capabilities, the international legal framework governing exploitation of the Moon is both very limited and frozen in the Cold War era," the RAND Corporation's Adam Urwick and Jessie Osborne said.
"The pursuit of profit raises paramount scientific and environmental concerns. Astronomers caution that large-scale mining activities could disrupt ongoing research and preservation of the lunar environment, leading to calls for development of comprehensive lunar laws and regulations to manage these activities responsibly."
Earth's moon is a dead place where nobody currently does anything. There is nothing to disrupt, let alone an environment to worry about unless you want to elevate the occasional boot print or tire tread in lunar dust to the status of a problem. The pursuit of profit there should raise no concerns beyond those of investors seeking returns—and investors and space ventures are looking for opportunity, assuming it's not strangled by red tape. (3/13)
Isaacman Reveals Why Pluto Should Be a Planet in Plan To Make It ‘Great Again’ (Source: Daily Mail)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman endorsed the idea of Trump making Pluto a planet again in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail at the John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ‘I 100% support President Trump making Pluto great again,’ Isaacman said. (3/13)
A look back at 2025 for Europe’s Spaceport (Source: ESA)
2025 was a particularly memorable year for Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, with a return to a full autonomous launch capability driven by the ramp-up of Ariane 6 launches and the confirmation of a robust return to flight of Vega-C. Click here. (3/13)
German Chancellor Visits Norway Spaceport (Source: DW)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited a spaceport in Norway set to be a launchpad for Bavarian rockets. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been at the Andoya spaceport for talks with his Norwegian counterpart. Bavarian startup Isar plans to use the base to launch rockets carrying satellites. (3/13)
How US Military Space Operators Are Likely Aiding the Fight in Iran (Source: Breaking Defense)
Two top military commanders have praised what they said was the critical role of space operations in the early days of Operation Epic Fury, but they were loathe to say what, exactly, the US military was doing in the highest, at times most secretive domain.
“A note about the Space Force. Our space superiority has been a critical enabler to this fight. Unseen by the world, the Space Force is doing two things. First, they’re degrading Iranian capability and second, they’re helping to protect American forces, and I’ll have to leave it right there,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said. (3/13)
Where is the actual line between a government program and a commercial company? CounterFlow Solutions founder Dan Garretson says many of the products, services and missions that are broadly considered to be "commercial" today may not fit the bill, given the trend of companies offering highly customized components or spacecraft for anchor customers in the government.
"Commercial structure is what shows up on paper: a services contract, fixed-price mechanisms, private ownership, multiple providers," Garretson wrote. "Commercial discipline shows up in behavior: the buyer constrains itself to a standard offering; anomalies get driven to root cause; architectures are built for repeatability before demand is proven; and learning compounds because the core system holds. We've spent years celebrating structure while quietly ignoring the need for discipline."
In his view, real commercial success and progress in space developments are tied to discipline on both sides of the contract: with government customers and commercial firms emphasizing the need for standardized, repeatable products. "Commercial markets aren't declared from the top down," he wrote. "They're enforced by competition, repeatability and restraint on both sides of the contract. Without those, expansion stalls. With them, it compounds." (3/10)
SpaceX Launches Pi Day Starlink Mission at Cape Canaveral (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX rang in Pi Day with a rocket launch from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. March 14 is observed by many for representing the mathematical constant Pi − or 3.14. The liftoff occurred at Launch Complex 40. For many watching, the Falcon 9 quickly disappeared into the breaking clouds, only its rumble audible to spectators as it traveled upward. (3/14)
Artemis II Mission: A Day-by-Day Look (Source: Douglas's Substack)
NASA is moving forward with the Artemis II launch as early as April 1. It will be the first crewed flight test of the Orion spacecraft. And the first crewed flight to the vicinity of the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Here is a day by day description of the upcoming mission. (3/14)
Blue Origin Unveils NEO Hunter: A Hybrid Planetary Defense Concept (Source: NSF)
Blue Origin has unveiled a new mission concept called NEO Hunter, designed to protect Earth from potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs) by employing advanced deflection techniques. Developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech, the concept leverages the company’s versatile Blue Ring platform as its foundation.
NEO Hunter adopts a hybrid approach to asteroid deflection. It would first deploy CubeSats to characterize the target asteroid’s properties, then position itself nearby to direct a continuous ion beam at the object. This contactless method gradually imparts momentum, subtly altering the asteroid’s trajectory over time to steer it away from a potential collision course with Earth. (3/14)
iMetalX Emerges From Stealth with Technology to Model Resident Space Objects (Source: Space News)
Northern California startup iMetalX Inc. emerged from stealth to announce a collaboration with Psionic, a Hampton, Virginia, company focused on autonomous navigation in GPS-denied environments. Pairing Psionic’s Space Navigation Dopper Lidar with iMetalX’s Asgard data and simulation platform offers customers the ability to create accurate 3D models of resident space objects (RSOs). (3/13)
PSIONIC and iMETALX Announce Strategic Collaboration Supporting RPOD, Space Control, and Space Battle Management (Source: iMetalx)
Psionic, a provider of advanced precision navigation and autonomy technologies for national security missions, and iMetalx, a Space Battle Management software company specializing in autonomous space control, announced a strategic collaboration to support Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO), Resident Space Object (RSO) Characterization, Obstacle Avoidance, Docking (RPOD), Capture (RPOC), Space Control, and Space Battle Management missions for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the Space Development Agency (SDA). (2/11)
Canada Takes Its Sovereignty Push to Space (Source: New York Times)
Canada plans to launch hundreds of satellites as part of a national defense agenda that, since President Trump’s trade war began last year, has focused on lessening the country’s reliance on the United States. Telesat, a satellite communications company whose headquarters are in Ottawa, plans to launch about 200 satellites next year and recently signed a deal with the government and another Canadian company, MDA Space, for systems to support the military.
Starlink is the dominant internet provider in Canada’s remote areas and has roughly 500,000 users in Canada, according to the company. Launching domestic satellites would benefit the thousands of Canadians for whom Starlink access has been critical and even life-changing, Dr. Boley said — though he acknowledged that as an astronomer he had mixed feelings about firing more things into space. (3/14)
Firefly Aerospace: Successful Launch Validates Alpha, But The Real Test Is Cadence (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Firefly Aerospace remains a speculative buy after a successful Mission 7 launch, despite a 42% YTD share price drop. FLY's launch success rate is only 43%, with recent mission failures weighing on investor sentiment and share price performance. My price target is $34.77, implying 50% upside, but this is reduced from prior estimates due to higher expected cash burn in 2026. Improved launch cadence and consistent mission success are critical for FLY to enhance financial performance and reduce risk. (3/13)
From Knitting Girdles, to Outfitting Astronauts for Space Travel (Source: WCVB)
It all started with a young David Clark, who left school at 15, learned accounting and took up knitting. In 1935, he founded a company making girdles and undergarments. But by the 1940s, as aviation speeds soared, Clark used his textile expertise to tackle a critical problem: pilots passing out due to G-LOC. His solution? A pressurized, air-bladder G-suit, which became the basis of what pilots still wear today.
David Clark suits have been a constant in American aerospace. The company built Gemini spacesuits, Apollo gear, U-2 spy plane suits, and now, the Orion Crew Survival System suits for NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. Still based in Worcester, David Clark Co. designs, builds, and pressure-tests all its suits on site. (3/13)
In Space, Regulators Seek To Boldly Go Where No Bureaucrat Has Gone Before (Source: Reason)
Unfortunately, opening new commercial opportunities—even in the depths of outer space—is like ringing the dinner bell for bureaucrats and would-be regulators. "Despite evolving technical capabilities, the international legal framework governing exploitation of the Moon is both very limited and frozen in the Cold War era," the RAND Corporation's Adam Urwick and Jessie Osborne said.
"The pursuit of profit raises paramount scientific and environmental concerns. Astronomers caution that large-scale mining activities could disrupt ongoing research and preservation of the lunar environment, leading to calls for development of comprehensive lunar laws and regulations to manage these activities responsibly."
Earth's moon is a dead place where nobody currently does anything. There is nothing to disrupt, let alone an environment to worry about unless you want to elevate the occasional boot print or tire tread in lunar dust to the status of a problem. The pursuit of profit there should raise no concerns beyond those of investors seeking returns—and investors and space ventures are looking for opportunity, assuming it's not strangled by red tape. (3/13)
Isaacman Reveals Why Pluto Should Be a Planet in Plan To Make It ‘Great Again’ (Source: Daily Mail)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman endorsed the idea of Trump making Pluto a planet again in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail at the John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ‘I 100% support President Trump making Pluto great again,’ Isaacman said. (3/13)
A look back at 2025 for Europe’s Spaceport (Source: ESA)
2025 was a particularly memorable year for Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, with a return to a full autonomous launch capability driven by the ramp-up of Ariane 6 launches and the confirmation of a robust return to flight of Vega-C. Click here. (3/13)
German Chancellor Visits Norway Spaceport (Source: DW)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited a spaceport in Norway set to be a launchpad for Bavarian rockets. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been at the Andoya spaceport for talks with his Norwegian counterpart. Bavarian startup Isar plans to use the base to launch rockets carrying satellites. (3/13)
How US Military Space Operators Are Likely Aiding the Fight in Iran (Source: Breaking Defense)
Two top military commanders have praised what they said was the critical role of space operations in the early days of Operation Epic Fury, but they were loathe to say what, exactly, the US military was doing in the highest, at times most secretive domain.
“A note about the Space Force. Our space superiority has been a critical enabler to this fight. Unseen by the world, the Space Force is doing two things. First, they’re degrading Iranian capability and second, they’re helping to protect American forces, and I’ll have to leave it right there,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said. (3/13)
March 13, 2026
Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule
Aimed at Regulating Space Junk (Source: ProPublica)
The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications.
The Federal Aviation Administration first proposed the measure in 2023, under the Biden administration, in hopes of curbing the growing junkyard of debris circling the planet. It would have required companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX to safely remove such spacecraft within 25 years of launch, saying they “pose a significant risk to people on the ground due to their mass and the uncertainty of where they will land.” (3/12)
Vandenberg Space Force Base Eyes Record Launch Year (Source: KBSY)
Vandenberg Space Force Base could soon surpass its single-year launch record of 123, set in 1967, with Col. James Horne predicting launch rates could double or triple within 10 years. The base conducts three to four intercontinental ballistic missile tests annually. (3/12)
Northrop Grumman Advances Solid Rocket Motor Development (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Northrop Grumman is advancing next-generation rocket motors with an emphasis on compact, high-powered solid propulsion. The company has doubled tactical motor production at its Allegany Ballistics Laboratory since 2021 and aims to triple output by 2027. These innovations are designed to support faster, more maneuverable missiles without increasing their size, addressing the evolving requirements of modern defense. (3/11)
AIAA Picks Priorities for 2026, Including Golden Dome (Source: AIAA)
AIAA CEO Clay Mowry announced the 2026 Priority Issues confronting the aerospace industry spanning aviation, national security, research and development, and space domains. The list is designed to inform policymakers and industry leaders on the most pressing issues affecting U.S. aerospace competitiveness, leadership and safety. Space-related priorities include Golden Dome; NASA budget growth, and preserving science leadership; The race to the Moon and Mars, including norms of behavior in cislunar space; and Space traffic management and space situational awareness for orbital safety. (3/9)
From Steel Rolls to Starship at the Starfactory (Source: NSF)
In early 2022, SpaceX broke ground on a massive new facility known as the Starfactory at its Starbase site in South Texas. This permanent, high-volume manufacturing building replaced the temporary tents once used for assembling Starship barrel sections, representing a pivotal upgrade that enabled far greater production efficiency and scale. Today, as SpaceX ramps up production of Block 3 (V3) Starship hardware—the upgraded design set to debut with Flight 12 in the coming weeks—the Starfactory stands as the beating heart of the program.
Central to the Starfactory’s operations are advanced automated systems that handle critical fabrication tasks. These include robotic cutters for shaping stainless steel, high-accuracy robotic welders—now standard for Block 3 vehicles to achieve lighter, stronger, and more consistent seams—and specialized installers for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles, which protect the vehicle during reentry. Click here. (3/13)
Russia Aims To Reclaim Soviet Space Glory With 2036 Launch of Ambitious Venus Mission (Source: Space.com)
Russia is apparently getting ready to return to the searing surface of Venus. The nation wants to launch Venera-D — a multi-vehicle mission involving a lander, balloon and orbiter — to Venus in 2036, Russian state media said. Venera-D has been in the works since 2003. Once upon a time, before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Venera-D was even considered as a possible joint mission with NASA. (3/13)
NASA Begins Building Nuclear-Powered Dragonfly Drone for 2028 Launch to Saturn Moon Titan (Source: Space.com)
NASA is one step closer to sending a drone mission to another world. Technicians at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland have begun building and testing the nuclear-powered Dragonfly rotorcraft, which will launch toward the huge Saturn moon Titan in 2028. "This milestone essentially marks the birth of our flight system," Elizabeth Turtle, Dragonfly principal investigator at APL, said in a NASA statement. (3/13)
Isar Aerospace to Launch Astroscale ELSA-M Orbital Debris Removal Mission (Source: European Spaceflight)
Tokyo-headquartered Astroscale Holdings has selected Isar Aerospace to launch its ELSA-M orbital debris removal demonstration mission no earlier than 2028. Isar Aerospace is preparing for the second flight of its two-stage rocket, Spectrum, after the first flight failed shortly after liftoff in early 2025. The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than 19 March from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway. (3/13)
‘The Race is On’: will Elon Musk Be the First to Put a Data Center in Space? (Source: Financial Times)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is aggressively pursuing a first-mover advantage in space-based AI data centers, aiming to launch solar-powered, orbital compute hubs within 2–3 years to bypass terrestrial energy and regulatory constraints. While competing with firms like Blue Origin and StarCloud, Musk’s vertical integration with Starship launch capacity positions him as the likely leader, though experts suggest massive-scale, fully operational orbital data centers may take longer than his proposed 2026–2028 timeline.
SpaceX plans to use an upgraded Starlink (version 3) to create AI-focused, solar-powered satellites operating in low Earth orbit (LEO), exploiting 5x higher solar energy efficiency compared to Earth. Blue Origin is also developing technology for orbital AI hubs. Meanwhile, startups like StarCloud are already testing prototypes. Experts warn that although pilot projects are possible within three to five years, massive-scale orbital computing faces significant challenges with maintenance, heat rejection, and communication latency. (3/13)
Who’s Working With China on Space? (Source: Payload)
There is a wide spread of nations, across three continents, especially engaged in China’s burgeoning international space network, according to a January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Pakistan, Egypt, and Venezuela led the pack when the study was published, with 61 other countries claiming at least some space-based relationship with China.
China is using those relationships to prep markets for its emerging commercial space sector, study authors say. Still, all three of the leading countries have openings for US or European competition with Chinese firms. The pros of China: Chinese companies could gain a unique competitive edge in cost, speed, and training services. Chinese products are often cheaper and come with more perks than Western ones. (3/13)
Kazakhstan Must Choose: Be Eurasia’s Tech Broker or Become a Pawn in the New Global Space Race (Source: Space News)
Kazakhstan is approaching a moment of strategic truth. It can either become Eurasia’s indispensable broker of space, AI and advanced technology solutions or risk being used as a pawn in a geopolitical power competition it does not control. To be sure, Kazakhstan’s position has complex dependencies: Its historical ties with Russia’s cultural, education and science communities must be respected.
Its proximity to China with its fast and frugal scaling strength and position in global supply chains is important for Kazakhstan’s trade balance and its position as a transit hub. Europe is another indispensable science, education and trade partner, as well as governance anchor for Kazakhstan’s young democracy. And the United States has the greatest legacy asset base as a frontier innovator and space explorer, as well as the most transparent and sizable capital markets. (3/13)
Better Signal: 1,600 Starlink Satellites Move Into Lower Orbits (Source: PC Mag)
Starlink subscribers can expect lower latency and improved signal quality as the company moves 1,600 satellites into lower orbits. Jonathan McDowell reported that a large collection of Starlink satellites has been descending, cutting the distance for the satellite beams to reach Earth. The satellites were previously orbiting the Earth at 550 kilometers (341 miles). But now McDowell says 652 of the satellites have been lowered to 480-kilometer orbits, while another 972 satellites “are currently on the way down,” he wrote. In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted back: “Tighter beams and better signal quality.” (3/12)
A Battle Over Texas Beaches Could Ground Elon Musk’s Rockets (Source: Texas Monthly)
The nine justices of the Supreme Court of Texas sat on stage behind four long tables that had been pushed together and draped with black cloth to make the theatrical setting appropriately somber. In their ebony robes, they looked like crows perched along a power line as they heard oral arguments over a lawsuit that pits environmental activists against the richest man in the world. “I think David and Goliath kind of understates it,” said Jim Chapman, a founding board member of Save RGV, the local nonprofit that is the lead plaintiff in the case. “I don’t think we’re even David.”
Hundreds of undergrads and schoolkids, dozens of collegiate officials, and a score of local politicians were on hand for the event last week. Nearly all the hall’s one thousand seats were filled. University VIPs and busloads of students sat downstairs, while members of the general public were corralled in the balcony.
Those seated upstairs seemed only interested in the first case on the docket, a consolidated set of appeals brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cameron County, and the Texas General Land Office against Save RGV, the Sierra Club, and the Indigenous Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas. At stake—depending on whom you ask—is either the right of all Texans to visit public Gulf beaches without interference or the state’s burgeoning role in the future of spaceflight. The Court is expected to issue a ruling sometime around June, before its summer recess. (3/12)
ISRO Conducts Sea-Level Test of CE20 Cryogenic Engine at 22-Tonne Thrust (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
ISRO successfully conducted a sea-level hot test of India's CE20 cryogenic engine at a thrust level of 22 tonnes on March 10 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex. The test was carried out using a Nozzle Protection System (NPS) and a multi-element igniter. Earlier sea-level tests using the nozzle protection system had been conducted at a thrust level of 19 tonnes.
The CE20 cryogenic engine powers the upper cryogenic stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. To enhance the payload capability of LVM3, future missions are planned to operate with an upgraded C32 stage capable of producing 22 tonnes of thrust. In line with this objective, the latest test was conducted for a duration of 165 seconds at the enhanced thrust level. ISRO said the engine and the test facility performed as expected throughout the test. (3/13)
China Launches Twice in Three Hours (Source: Space News)
China conducted a pair of launches hours apart Thursday. A Long March 8A lifted off at 3:48 p.m. Eastern from the commercial spaceport on Hainan carrying the 20th set of Guowang broadband constellation satellites. Officials did not disclose the number of satellites on the launch, but previous Long March 8A launches for Guowang carried nine satellites each. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:33 p.m. Eastern and placed into orbit the Shiyan-30 03 and 04 spacecraft. Official media said the satellites will be used to test Earth observation technologies. The launches were the first in a month from China after a break for the Chinese New Year holiday. (3/13)
Cygnus Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: Space.com)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft departed from the ISS Thursday. The NG-23 Cygnus was unberthed from the station by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The spacecraft had been at the station for nearly six months and will perform a destructive reentry on Saturday. A new Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the station next month. (3/13)
UK Space Chief Prioritizes National Security (Source: Space News)
The new head of the U.K. Space Agency is prioritizing growth of the country's space sector and national security. In an interview, Rebecca Evernden said the focus on growth and national security is because the government believes those areas will have the most impact, particularly in topics such as satellite communications and in-space servicing. Launch also remains a priority despite the bankruptcy of Orbex. The agency is in the process of being absorbed into the U.K. government's Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, but Evernden said the agency will maintain its technical expertise and collaborate with other nations' space agencies. (3/13)
Freeman Departs Amazon Leo (Source: Breaking Defense)
The head of Amazon Leo's government services business has left the company. Rick Freeman, who had been vice president at Amazon overseeing Amazon Leo for Government, left the company in late February, the company confirmed. Amazon Leo for Government is the unit charged with sales of Amazon Leo broadband services to government customers. Amazon has not announced a replacement for Freeman. [Breaking Defense]
SPARCS Cubesat Begins Exoplanet Search (Source: NASA JPL)
A cubesat designed to help look for habitable exoplanets has returned its first images. The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, cubesat launched in January on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The 6U cubesat carries an ultraviolet camera that astronomers will use to monitor low-mass stars to measure the amount of stellar activity they have. That will help them determine how suitable any planets that orbit them are for hosting life. (3/13)
Artemis 2 Aims Officially for April 1 Launch (Source: Space News)
NASA announced Thursday it now plans to launch the Artemis 2 mission as soon as April 1. The agency concluded a flight readiness review and officials said they were ready to proceed with a launch in a window between April 1 and 6. The decision comes after completing repairs to a helium line for the Space Launch System upper stage that suffered a blockage, requiring rolling the vehicle from the pad for repairs. The vehicle is scheduled to roll back out to the pad March 19. (3/13)
Voyager Joins Long Beach CA Aerospace Cluster (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is opening a new manufacturing facility in Southern California. The company announced Thursday it set up the 140,000-square-foot site in Long Beach, California, to support development and production of electronics, software and propulsion technologies used in spacecraft and defense systems. The move places Voyager alongside a growing cluster of aerospace firms in Long Beach and the broader Los Angeles region. The company is expanding in California and elsewhere as it seeks roles in the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. (3/13)
China Developing Mars Sample Return Hardware (Source: Space News)
A Chinese Mars sample return mission is entering the construction phase. Work on the Tianwen-3 mission is on track for a launch in late 2028 after engineers achieved breakthroughs in key technologies, officials said Thursday. The multi-spacecraft mission will use two Long March 5 launches from Earth in late 2028, one carrying a lander and ascent vehicle and the other a Mars orbiter and Earth return spacecraft. Tianwen-3 is designed to return at least 500 grams of Martian samples to Earth in 2031. (3/13)
Austria's Another Earth Raises $4 Million to Train AI Models with Synthetic Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
A startup that generates synthetic satellite imagery to train AI models has raised a seed round. Vienna-based Another Earth raised $4 million this week to accelerate the deployment of software it is already providing commercially to geospatial analysis firms. That software creates large amounts of synthetic satellite imagery to train AI models that are then used to analyze actual imagery. The company seeks to assist the broader Earth observation industry that it believes is bottlenecked by a lack of high-quality training data. (3/13)
Senate Advances Anderson Nomination as NASA Deputy Administrator (Source: Space News)
The Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance the nomination of Matt Anderson as NASA deputy administrator. The committee voted 23-5 to send Anderson's nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. The five no votes all came from Democratic members of the committee. The vote came a week after Anderson faced little opposition from committee members at a confirmation hearing. (3/13)
KSC and Space Force's SLD45 Step-Up Collaboration to Meet Critical Spaceport Needs (Source: NASA KSC)
"Through ongoing engagements with the Space Force and our commercial partners, teams from Kennedy and Space Launch Delta (SLD) 45 have identified five areas where our unified efforts will drive targeted improvements to address the spaceport’s most critical needs: infrastructure and utilities, commodity supply, transportation and access, process alignment, and facility demand," according to a March 13 status report from KSC Director Janet Petro.
"This week, Kennedy and SLD 45 met for another collaborative working discussion focused on these support areas, aligning priorities, reviewing policy, and identifying actions to truly unite two installations under one combined spaceport. This ongoing initiative will truly put us in lock step as we work together to amplify the spaceport’s needs, advocate for strategic investment, and maximize operational ability at the busiest spaceport on the planet." (3/13)
The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications.
The Federal Aviation Administration first proposed the measure in 2023, under the Biden administration, in hopes of curbing the growing junkyard of debris circling the planet. It would have required companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX to safely remove such spacecraft within 25 years of launch, saying they “pose a significant risk to people on the ground due to their mass and the uncertainty of where they will land.” (3/12)
Vandenberg Space Force Base Eyes Record Launch Year (Source: KBSY)
Vandenberg Space Force Base could soon surpass its single-year launch record of 123, set in 1967, with Col. James Horne predicting launch rates could double or triple within 10 years. The base conducts three to four intercontinental ballistic missile tests annually. (3/12)
Northrop Grumman Advances Solid Rocket Motor Development (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Northrop Grumman is advancing next-generation rocket motors with an emphasis on compact, high-powered solid propulsion. The company has doubled tactical motor production at its Allegany Ballistics Laboratory since 2021 and aims to triple output by 2027. These innovations are designed to support faster, more maneuverable missiles without increasing their size, addressing the evolving requirements of modern defense. (3/11)
AIAA Picks Priorities for 2026, Including Golden Dome (Source: AIAA)
AIAA CEO Clay Mowry announced the 2026 Priority Issues confronting the aerospace industry spanning aviation, national security, research and development, and space domains. The list is designed to inform policymakers and industry leaders on the most pressing issues affecting U.S. aerospace competitiveness, leadership and safety. Space-related priorities include Golden Dome; NASA budget growth, and preserving science leadership; The race to the Moon and Mars, including norms of behavior in cislunar space; and Space traffic management and space situational awareness for orbital safety. (3/9)
From Steel Rolls to Starship at the Starfactory (Source: NSF)
In early 2022, SpaceX broke ground on a massive new facility known as the Starfactory at its Starbase site in South Texas. This permanent, high-volume manufacturing building replaced the temporary tents once used for assembling Starship barrel sections, representing a pivotal upgrade that enabled far greater production efficiency and scale. Today, as SpaceX ramps up production of Block 3 (V3) Starship hardware—the upgraded design set to debut with Flight 12 in the coming weeks—the Starfactory stands as the beating heart of the program.
Central to the Starfactory’s operations are advanced automated systems that handle critical fabrication tasks. These include robotic cutters for shaping stainless steel, high-accuracy robotic welders—now standard for Block 3 vehicles to achieve lighter, stronger, and more consistent seams—and specialized installers for the Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles, which protect the vehicle during reentry. Click here. (3/13)
Russia Aims To Reclaim Soviet Space Glory With 2036 Launch of Ambitious Venus Mission (Source: Space.com)
Russia is apparently getting ready to return to the searing surface of Venus. The nation wants to launch Venera-D — a multi-vehicle mission involving a lander, balloon and orbiter — to Venus in 2036, Russian state media said. Venera-D has been in the works since 2003. Once upon a time, before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Venera-D was even considered as a possible joint mission with NASA. (3/13)
NASA Begins Building Nuclear-Powered Dragonfly Drone for 2028 Launch to Saturn Moon Titan (Source: Space.com)
NASA is one step closer to sending a drone mission to another world. Technicians at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland have begun building and testing the nuclear-powered Dragonfly rotorcraft, which will launch toward the huge Saturn moon Titan in 2028. "This milestone essentially marks the birth of our flight system," Elizabeth Turtle, Dragonfly principal investigator at APL, said in a NASA statement. (3/13)
Isar Aerospace to Launch Astroscale ELSA-M Orbital Debris Removal Mission (Source: European Spaceflight)
Tokyo-headquartered Astroscale Holdings has selected Isar Aerospace to launch its ELSA-M orbital debris removal demonstration mission no earlier than 2028. Isar Aerospace is preparing for the second flight of its two-stage rocket, Spectrum, after the first flight failed shortly after liftoff in early 2025. The launch is currently scheduled for no earlier than 19 March from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway. (3/13)
‘The Race is On’: will Elon Musk Be the First to Put a Data Center in Space? (Source: Financial Times)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is aggressively pursuing a first-mover advantage in space-based AI data centers, aiming to launch solar-powered, orbital compute hubs within 2–3 years to bypass terrestrial energy and regulatory constraints. While competing with firms like Blue Origin and StarCloud, Musk’s vertical integration with Starship launch capacity positions him as the likely leader, though experts suggest massive-scale, fully operational orbital data centers may take longer than his proposed 2026–2028 timeline.
SpaceX plans to use an upgraded Starlink (version 3) to create AI-focused, solar-powered satellites operating in low Earth orbit (LEO), exploiting 5x higher solar energy efficiency compared to Earth. Blue Origin is also developing technology for orbital AI hubs. Meanwhile, startups like StarCloud are already testing prototypes. Experts warn that although pilot projects are possible within three to five years, massive-scale orbital computing faces significant challenges with maintenance, heat rejection, and communication latency. (3/13)
Who’s Working With China on Space? (Source: Payload)
There is a wide spread of nations, across three continents, especially engaged in China’s burgeoning international space network, according to a January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Pakistan, Egypt, and Venezuela led the pack when the study was published, with 61 other countries claiming at least some space-based relationship with China.
China is using those relationships to prep markets for its emerging commercial space sector, study authors say. Still, all three of the leading countries have openings for US or European competition with Chinese firms. The pros of China: Chinese companies could gain a unique competitive edge in cost, speed, and training services. Chinese products are often cheaper and come with more perks than Western ones. (3/13)
Kazakhstan Must Choose: Be Eurasia’s Tech Broker or Become a Pawn in the New Global Space Race (Source: Space News)
Kazakhstan is approaching a moment of strategic truth. It can either become Eurasia’s indispensable broker of space, AI and advanced technology solutions or risk being used as a pawn in a geopolitical power competition it does not control. To be sure, Kazakhstan’s position has complex dependencies: Its historical ties with Russia’s cultural, education and science communities must be respected.
Its proximity to China with its fast and frugal scaling strength and position in global supply chains is important for Kazakhstan’s trade balance and its position as a transit hub. Europe is another indispensable science, education and trade partner, as well as governance anchor for Kazakhstan’s young democracy. And the United States has the greatest legacy asset base as a frontier innovator and space explorer, as well as the most transparent and sizable capital markets. (3/13)
Better Signal: 1,600 Starlink Satellites Move Into Lower Orbits (Source: PC Mag)
Starlink subscribers can expect lower latency and improved signal quality as the company moves 1,600 satellites into lower orbits. Jonathan McDowell reported that a large collection of Starlink satellites has been descending, cutting the distance for the satellite beams to reach Earth. The satellites were previously orbiting the Earth at 550 kilometers (341 miles). But now McDowell says 652 of the satellites have been lowered to 480-kilometer orbits, while another 972 satellites “are currently on the way down,” he wrote. In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted back: “Tighter beams and better signal quality.” (3/12)
A Battle Over Texas Beaches Could Ground Elon Musk’s Rockets (Source: Texas Monthly)
The nine justices of the Supreme Court of Texas sat on stage behind four long tables that had been pushed together and draped with black cloth to make the theatrical setting appropriately somber. In their ebony robes, they looked like crows perched along a power line as they heard oral arguments over a lawsuit that pits environmental activists against the richest man in the world. “I think David and Goliath kind of understates it,” said Jim Chapman, a founding board member of Save RGV, the local nonprofit that is the lead plaintiff in the case. “I don’t think we’re even David.”
Hundreds of undergrads and schoolkids, dozens of collegiate officials, and a score of local politicians were on hand for the event last week. Nearly all the hall’s one thousand seats were filled. University VIPs and busloads of students sat downstairs, while members of the general public were corralled in the balcony.
Those seated upstairs seemed only interested in the first case on the docket, a consolidated set of appeals brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cameron County, and the Texas General Land Office against Save RGV, the Sierra Club, and the Indigenous Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas. At stake—depending on whom you ask—is either the right of all Texans to visit public Gulf beaches without interference or the state’s burgeoning role in the future of spaceflight. The Court is expected to issue a ruling sometime around June, before its summer recess. (3/12)
ISRO Conducts Sea-Level Test of CE20 Cryogenic Engine at 22-Tonne Thrust (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
ISRO successfully conducted a sea-level hot test of India's CE20 cryogenic engine at a thrust level of 22 tonnes on March 10 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex. The test was carried out using a Nozzle Protection System (NPS) and a multi-element igniter. Earlier sea-level tests using the nozzle protection system had been conducted at a thrust level of 19 tonnes.
The CE20 cryogenic engine powers the upper cryogenic stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle. To enhance the payload capability of LVM3, future missions are planned to operate with an upgraded C32 stage capable of producing 22 tonnes of thrust. In line with this objective, the latest test was conducted for a duration of 165 seconds at the enhanced thrust level. ISRO said the engine and the test facility performed as expected throughout the test. (3/13)
China Launches Twice in Three Hours (Source: Space News)
China conducted a pair of launches hours apart Thursday. A Long March 8A lifted off at 3:48 p.m. Eastern from the commercial spaceport on Hainan carrying the 20th set of Guowang broadband constellation satellites. Officials did not disclose the number of satellites on the launch, but previous Long March 8A launches for Guowang carried nine satellites each. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:33 p.m. Eastern and placed into orbit the Shiyan-30 03 and 04 spacecraft. Official media said the satellites will be used to test Earth observation technologies. The launches were the first in a month from China after a break for the Chinese New Year holiday. (3/13)
Cygnus Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: Space.com)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft departed from the ISS Thursday. The NG-23 Cygnus was unberthed from the station by the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The spacecraft had been at the station for nearly six months and will perform a destructive reentry on Saturday. A new Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to launch to the station next month. (3/13)
UK Space Chief Prioritizes National Security (Source: Space News)
The new head of the U.K. Space Agency is prioritizing growth of the country's space sector and national security. In an interview, Rebecca Evernden said the focus on growth and national security is because the government believes those areas will have the most impact, particularly in topics such as satellite communications and in-space servicing. Launch also remains a priority despite the bankruptcy of Orbex. The agency is in the process of being absorbed into the U.K. government's Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, but Evernden said the agency will maintain its technical expertise and collaborate with other nations' space agencies. (3/13)
Freeman Departs Amazon Leo (Source: Breaking Defense)
The head of Amazon Leo's government services business has left the company. Rick Freeman, who had been vice president at Amazon overseeing Amazon Leo for Government, left the company in late February, the company confirmed. Amazon Leo for Government is the unit charged with sales of Amazon Leo broadband services to government customers. Amazon has not announced a replacement for Freeman. [Breaking Defense]
SPARCS Cubesat Begins Exoplanet Search (Source: NASA JPL)
A cubesat designed to help look for habitable exoplanets has returned its first images. The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat, or SPARCS, cubesat launched in January on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The 6U cubesat carries an ultraviolet camera that astronomers will use to monitor low-mass stars to measure the amount of stellar activity they have. That will help them determine how suitable any planets that orbit them are for hosting life. (3/13)
Artemis 2 Aims Officially for April 1 Launch (Source: Space News)
NASA announced Thursday it now plans to launch the Artemis 2 mission as soon as April 1. The agency concluded a flight readiness review and officials said they were ready to proceed with a launch in a window between April 1 and 6. The decision comes after completing repairs to a helium line for the Space Launch System upper stage that suffered a blockage, requiring rolling the vehicle from the pad for repairs. The vehicle is scheduled to roll back out to the pad March 19. (3/13)
Voyager Joins Long Beach CA Aerospace Cluster (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is opening a new manufacturing facility in Southern California. The company announced Thursday it set up the 140,000-square-foot site in Long Beach, California, to support development and production of electronics, software and propulsion technologies used in spacecraft and defense systems. The move places Voyager alongside a growing cluster of aerospace firms in Long Beach and the broader Los Angeles region. The company is expanding in California and elsewhere as it seeks roles in the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. (3/13)
China Developing Mars Sample Return Hardware (Source: Space News)
A Chinese Mars sample return mission is entering the construction phase. Work on the Tianwen-3 mission is on track for a launch in late 2028 after engineers achieved breakthroughs in key technologies, officials said Thursday. The multi-spacecraft mission will use two Long March 5 launches from Earth in late 2028, one carrying a lander and ascent vehicle and the other a Mars orbiter and Earth return spacecraft. Tianwen-3 is designed to return at least 500 grams of Martian samples to Earth in 2031. (3/13)
Austria's Another Earth Raises $4 Million to Train AI Models with Synthetic Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
A startup that generates synthetic satellite imagery to train AI models has raised a seed round. Vienna-based Another Earth raised $4 million this week to accelerate the deployment of software it is already providing commercially to geospatial analysis firms. That software creates large amounts of synthetic satellite imagery to train AI models that are then used to analyze actual imagery. The company seeks to assist the broader Earth observation industry that it believes is bottlenecked by a lack of high-quality training data. (3/13)
Senate Advances Anderson Nomination as NASA Deputy Administrator (Source: Space News)
The Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance the nomination of Matt Anderson as NASA deputy administrator. The committee voted 23-5 to send Anderson's nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. The five no votes all came from Democratic members of the committee. The vote came a week after Anderson faced little opposition from committee members at a confirmation hearing. (3/13)
KSC and Space Force's SLD45 Step-Up Collaboration to Meet Critical Spaceport Needs (Source: NASA KSC)
"Through ongoing engagements with the Space Force and our commercial partners, teams from Kennedy and Space Launch Delta (SLD) 45 have identified five areas where our unified efforts will drive targeted improvements to address the spaceport’s most critical needs: infrastructure and utilities, commodity supply, transportation and access, process alignment, and facility demand," according to a March 13 status report from KSC Director Janet Petro.
"This week, Kennedy and SLD 45 met for another collaborative working discussion focused on these support areas, aligning priorities, reviewing policy, and identifying actions to truly unite two installations under one combined spaceport. This ongoing initiative will truly put us in lock step as we work together to amplify the spaceport’s needs, advocate for strategic investment, and maximize operational ability at the busiest spaceport on the planet." (3/13)
March 12, 2026
Space Force Officially Terminates
AeroVironment Contract for Satellite Control Antennas (Source:
Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has formally terminated an estimated $1.7 billion contract with defense technology firm AeroVironment to build a new generation of antennas used to command and control military satellites. Company executives confirmed the decision during a March 10 earnings call, saying the government ended the agreement after unsuccessful renegotiations. (3/12)
Old NASA Science Satellite Plunges Back to Earth (Source: AP)
An old NASA science satellite plunged uncontrolled from orbit and reentered over the Pacific on Wednesday. The U.S. Space Force said the Van Allen Probe A came in west of the Galapagos Islands. (3/12)
Northrop Grumman's 1st 'Cygnus XL' Departs ISS (Source: Space.com)
The first mission of Northrop Grumman's big new cargo spacecraft is over. That freighter, known as Cygnus XL, left the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday morning (March 12), ending a nearly six-month orbital stay for the 23rd Northrop Grumman (NG-23) resupply mission to the orbital laboratory. (3/12)
Pentagon Eyes Cislunar Space As Next Strategic Frontier (Source: Aviation Week)
As the U.S. prepares to return astronauts to the Moon, the Pentagon is turning its focus to the vast region between traditional Earth orbits and its natural satellite as an emerging front for military operations. The Trump administration released an executive order in December focused on space superiority, calling for the U.S. to be capable of detecting, characterizing and countering threats from very low Earth orbit and through cislunar space and to become the standard-bearer for terrestrial and cislunar position, navigation and timing. (3/12)
York to Acquire Orbion (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is acquiring satellite propulsion company Orbion Space Technology. York announced the acquisition Thursday but did not disclose terms of the deal. Orbion develops Hall-effect electric propulsion systems for small satellites. With the acquisition, York is bringing that capability in-house as part of a broader effort to control more of its satellite supply chain. Orbion had been a supplier to York, delivering 33 propulsion units in January for a military satellite program. Orbion will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of York. (3/12)
Firefly Aces Alpha Launch at Vandenberg (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket returned to flight Wednesday evening, more than 10 months after a launch failure. The Alpha lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, successfully reaching low Earth orbit. The rocket carried a demonstration payload for Lockheed Martin, but neither Lockheed nor Firefly disclosed additional details about it. The launch was the first for Alpha since an April 2025 failure. The launch was also the last for the current version of Alpha as Firefly plans to introduce an upgraded Block 2 version of the rocket later this year. (3/12)
NASA's IG Warns of Artemis Schedule Delays (Source: Space News)
NASA's inspector general said that the agency's approach to Artemis lunar lander development has controlled costs but not schedule. A report this week by the inspector general said there has been only minor cost growth on its Human Landing System (HLS) contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX, and that growth has been linked in large part to changes to other elements of Artemis.
However, the report found significant schedule delays by both companies, particularly as they struggle with key technologies such as management of the cryogenic propellants their landers will use. The report did not incorporate recent changes to Artemis announced in the last few weeks, but the study raises questions about the ability of NASA and the companies to accelerate development of their landers. (3/12)
Australia's Enpulsion Raises $26 Million for Electric Propulsion (Source: Space News)
Austrian satellite propulsion company Enpulsion has raised its first major funding round. The company recently announced raising $26 million in a round led by German fund Nordwind Growth. Enpulsion said the funding will allow it to expand, including moving from sales of electric propulsion systems for smallsats to more complete mobility solutions for spacecraft. The company also is looking to expand its presence in the United States. (3/12)
Could NASA Use Expandable Habitats for Its Artemis Moon Bases? These Two Companies Are Betting Millions (Source: Space.com)
Commercial space infrastructure firm Voyager Technologies is backing lunar habitat developer Max Space with a new multi-million-dollar investment aimed at accelerating development of expandable modules for future missions to the moon. The companies say the partnership will help move expandable habitat technology toward operational missions by scaling up production, bolstering engineering efforts and integrating Voyager's technology systems with Max's habitat infrastructure. (3/11)
March 2026: The Goddard Centennial (Source: AIAA)
This March 16th will mark the 100th anniversary of Dr. Robert Goddard’s historic first flight of a liquid propulsion rocket, back in 1926. That flight is rocketry’s closest equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk in 1903. And just like the similarly historic Kitty Hawk flight, Goddard’s pioneering first liquid propulsion flight opened the way to a world-changing future that all of humankind benefits from today. (3/12)
SkyDefender: Thales Unveils Europe’s Answer to Golden Dome (Source: AeroTime)
France’s Thales Group has unveiled details behind a new air and missile defense system in what many will see as Europe’s answer to US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome announced last year. On March 11, 2025, Thales introduced SkyDefender to the world, describing the innovation as “a multi-layer, multi-domain integrated air and missile defense system”, designed to offer “full protection against all types of air threats, on land, at sea and in space”. (3/12)
FCC Proposes New Spectrum for Emergent Space Operations (Source: Mach 33)
The FCC has issued a proposal to open new spectrum access for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) to support "emergent spacecraft". The proposal seeks comment on new access for orbital labs, in-space servicing, and commercial stations, including a proposed Earth-to-space allocation in the 2320–2345 MHz band and other mechanisms meant to support non-traditional space operations.
This is the kind of quiet infrastructure story investors should care about. Orbital labs, in-space servicing, commercial stations, and other new vehicle classes do not scale cleanly if spectrum rules only fit legacy satellite archetypes. This reduces the long-term licensing risk for companies building complex orbital infrastructure that requires constant, high-reliability command links. (3/6)
After Falling Far Behind the Rest of Industry, Blue Origin Creates New Stock Option Plan (Source: Ars Technica)
Blue Origin has a lot to offer prospective employees: a compelling mission, high salaries, a demanding but not suffocating work environment, and more. But when it comes to one key aspect of retaining talent, Blue Origin rates far behind the rest of the industry. From the beginning, for example, SpaceX offered employee stock options.
Top aerospace engineers and technicians do not come cheap, and Blue Origin competes in a heated market for the best talent. On Monday afternoon, Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp sent employees an email announcing a “new stock option” plan that would allow all employees to participate in and eventually convert vested options. (3/9)
Astronomers Collect Rare Evidence of Two Planets Colliding (Source: Phys.org)
Anastasios Tzanidakis was combing through old telescope data from 2020 when he found an otherwise boring star acting very strangely. The star, named Gaia20ehk, was about 11,000 light-years from Earth near the constellation Puppis. It was a stable "main sequence" star, much like our sun, which meant that it should emit steady, predictable light. Yet this star began to flicker wildly.
The cause of the flickering had nothing to do with the star itself: Huge quantities of rocks and dust—seemingly from out of nowhere—were passing in front of the distant star as the material orbited the system, patchily dimming the light that reached Earth. The likely source of all that debris was even more remarkable: a catastrophic collision between two planets. (3/11)
Musk and Bezos Moon Landers Could Leave Artemis Astronauts Stranded, NASA Watchdog Warns (Source: Gizmodo)
The findings, published by NASA’s Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday, reveal critical gaps in testing and crew survival analyses for both prospective landers: SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Lander. That’s a serious problem because if either lander encounters a catastrophic event, NASA will not be able to rescue the stranded crew from space or the lunar surface. (3/11)
Plan to Launch Spacecraft From Paso Robles Airport Takes a Key Step Forward (Source: The Tribune)
The city of Paso Robles is one step closer to getting a license to allow spacecraft to take off and land from its municipal airport. On March 4, the Paso Robles City Council unanimously voted to direct staff to make preparations to complete the FAA Commercial Spaceport License application process.
Staff were directed to prepare a request for proposals for the project. The move is the latest update in the city’s years-long goal to advance its Spaceport and Technology Corridor initiative — a project aimed at creating an economic hub for aerospace engineering in Paso Robles, in partnership with educational institutions like Cal Poly, Cuesta College and even K-12 career technical education programs. (3/9)
Meteorite Crashes Through Roof in Germany After Fiery Light Show (Source: New York Times)
This past weekend, people in Koblenz, Germany, might have found themselves asking an unusual question: Is my house insured against meteorite damage? Around 6:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, an extremely bright fireball burned through the twilight skies of northwestern Europe. Thousands of people in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany had no difficulty spotting the incandescent object as it moved rapidly toward the northeast.
News organizations reported that several buildings in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate had been damaged by mysterious debris that fell from the heavens. The roof of one house, in the town of Koblenz, appears to have been punctured by at least one larger meteorite — a shard that fell into the (fortunately unoccupied) bedroom below. (3/10)
Gravitational Waves Reveal Hidden Structure of Galactic Centers (Source: Phys.org)
A new study indicates that the dense, star- and dark-matter–rich environments around supermassive black hole binaries pack on the order of a million solar masses into each cubic parsec. The team used gravitational-wave data from pulsar timing arrays to probe galactic centers that are otherwise impossible to observe directly. (3/10)
Orbital Compute Supply Chain: Thermodynamics is Redrawing the Rules (Source: Mach 33)
This analysis maps the rapidly emerging orbital compute supply chain, showing how thermodynamics is now the dominant constraint driving new suppliers, capital flows, and talent demand. While consolidation and vertical integration (in particular SpaceX) will squeeze many early-stage component players, major breakthroughs in solar arrays and radiator technologies remain essential to reach viable 100 kW/ton power densities, creating a narrow set of high-risk, high-upside frontier investment opportunities. (3/11)
SpaceX Prepares for Starship Flight 12 and Raptor 3 Debut (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX has moved through an important stretch of preflight work on Ship 39 ahead of Flight 12, including cryogenic proof testing, while Booster 19 advances in what would be the first integrated flight campaign for Starship V3 hardware. Elon Musk said the first V3 launch is about four weeks away, which points more to early April than mid-March.
By simplifying the engine design and increasing thrust-to-weight ratios, SpaceX is moving beyond the "experimental" phase of Starship into a production-ready architecture. This process is a live measure of iteration speed, engine maturity, and factory throughput. If SpaceX can bring materially upgraded hardware to flight on this cadence, it reinforces the company’s core edge, which is not just rocket performance but fast industrial learning at scale. (3/10)
Voyager’s 10-K Puts a Real Dollar Figure on Starship Heavy-lift Pricing (Source: Mach 33)
Voyager disclosed that Starlab has a $90.0 million commitment for one future launch service on board Starship. The filing does not disclose Starlab’s mass. Using SpaceX’s published Starship payload benchmark of up to 150 metric tons to LEO in fully reusable mode, implying a theoretical floor of roughly $600/kg. At a more conservative 100-ton utilization level, the implied figure is about $900/kg. The broader takeaway is more important than the exact math. This is early commercial price discovery for Starship-class lift. (3/8)
The U.S. Space Force has formally terminated an estimated $1.7 billion contract with defense technology firm AeroVironment to build a new generation of antennas used to command and control military satellites. Company executives confirmed the decision during a March 10 earnings call, saying the government ended the agreement after unsuccessful renegotiations. (3/12)
Old NASA Science Satellite Plunges Back to Earth (Source: AP)
An old NASA science satellite plunged uncontrolled from orbit and reentered over the Pacific on Wednesday. The U.S. Space Force said the Van Allen Probe A came in west of the Galapagos Islands. (3/12)
Northrop Grumman's 1st 'Cygnus XL' Departs ISS (Source: Space.com)
The first mission of Northrop Grumman's big new cargo spacecraft is over. That freighter, known as Cygnus XL, left the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday morning (March 12), ending a nearly six-month orbital stay for the 23rd Northrop Grumman (NG-23) resupply mission to the orbital laboratory. (3/12)
Pentagon Eyes Cislunar Space As Next Strategic Frontier (Source: Aviation Week)
As the U.S. prepares to return astronauts to the Moon, the Pentagon is turning its focus to the vast region between traditional Earth orbits and its natural satellite as an emerging front for military operations. The Trump administration released an executive order in December focused on space superiority, calling for the U.S. to be capable of detecting, characterizing and countering threats from very low Earth orbit and through cislunar space and to become the standard-bearer for terrestrial and cislunar position, navigation and timing. (3/12)
York to Acquire Orbion (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is acquiring satellite propulsion company Orbion Space Technology. York announced the acquisition Thursday but did not disclose terms of the deal. Orbion develops Hall-effect electric propulsion systems for small satellites. With the acquisition, York is bringing that capability in-house as part of a broader effort to control more of its satellite supply chain. Orbion had been a supplier to York, delivering 33 propulsion units in January for a military satellite program. Orbion will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of York. (3/12)
Firefly Aces Alpha Launch at Vandenberg (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket returned to flight Wednesday evening, more than 10 months after a launch failure. The Alpha lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, successfully reaching low Earth orbit. The rocket carried a demonstration payload for Lockheed Martin, but neither Lockheed nor Firefly disclosed additional details about it. The launch was the first for Alpha since an April 2025 failure. The launch was also the last for the current version of Alpha as Firefly plans to introduce an upgraded Block 2 version of the rocket later this year. (3/12)
NASA's IG Warns of Artemis Schedule Delays (Source: Space News)
NASA's inspector general said that the agency's approach to Artemis lunar lander development has controlled costs but not schedule. A report this week by the inspector general said there has been only minor cost growth on its Human Landing System (HLS) contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX, and that growth has been linked in large part to changes to other elements of Artemis.
However, the report found significant schedule delays by both companies, particularly as they struggle with key technologies such as management of the cryogenic propellants their landers will use. The report did not incorporate recent changes to Artemis announced in the last few weeks, but the study raises questions about the ability of NASA and the companies to accelerate development of their landers. (3/12)
Australia's Enpulsion Raises $26 Million for Electric Propulsion (Source: Space News)
Austrian satellite propulsion company Enpulsion has raised its first major funding round. The company recently announced raising $26 million in a round led by German fund Nordwind Growth. Enpulsion said the funding will allow it to expand, including moving from sales of electric propulsion systems for smallsats to more complete mobility solutions for spacecraft. The company also is looking to expand its presence in the United States. (3/12)
Could NASA Use Expandable Habitats for Its Artemis Moon Bases? These Two Companies Are Betting Millions (Source: Space.com)
Commercial space infrastructure firm Voyager Technologies is backing lunar habitat developer Max Space with a new multi-million-dollar investment aimed at accelerating development of expandable modules for future missions to the moon. The companies say the partnership will help move expandable habitat technology toward operational missions by scaling up production, bolstering engineering efforts and integrating Voyager's technology systems with Max's habitat infrastructure. (3/11)
March 2026: The Goddard Centennial (Source: AIAA)
This March 16th will mark the 100th anniversary of Dr. Robert Goddard’s historic first flight of a liquid propulsion rocket, back in 1926. That flight is rocketry’s closest equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk in 1903. And just like the similarly historic Kitty Hawk flight, Goddard’s pioneering first liquid propulsion flight opened the way to a world-changing future that all of humankind benefits from today. (3/12)
SkyDefender: Thales Unveils Europe’s Answer to Golden Dome (Source: AeroTime)
France’s Thales Group has unveiled details behind a new air and missile defense system in what many will see as Europe’s answer to US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome announced last year. On March 11, 2025, Thales introduced SkyDefender to the world, describing the innovation as “a multi-layer, multi-domain integrated air and missile defense system”, designed to offer “full protection against all types of air threats, on land, at sea and in space”. (3/12)
FCC Proposes New Spectrum for Emergent Space Operations (Source: Mach 33)
The FCC has issued a proposal to open new spectrum access for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) to support "emergent spacecraft". The proposal seeks comment on new access for orbital labs, in-space servicing, and commercial stations, including a proposed Earth-to-space allocation in the 2320–2345 MHz band and other mechanisms meant to support non-traditional space operations.
This is the kind of quiet infrastructure story investors should care about. Orbital labs, in-space servicing, commercial stations, and other new vehicle classes do not scale cleanly if spectrum rules only fit legacy satellite archetypes. This reduces the long-term licensing risk for companies building complex orbital infrastructure that requires constant, high-reliability command links. (3/6)
After Falling Far Behind the Rest of Industry, Blue Origin Creates New Stock Option Plan (Source: Ars Technica)
Blue Origin has a lot to offer prospective employees: a compelling mission, high salaries, a demanding but not suffocating work environment, and more. But when it comes to one key aspect of retaining talent, Blue Origin rates far behind the rest of the industry. From the beginning, for example, SpaceX offered employee stock options.
Top aerospace engineers and technicians do not come cheap, and Blue Origin competes in a heated market for the best talent. On Monday afternoon, Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp sent employees an email announcing a “new stock option” plan that would allow all employees to participate in and eventually convert vested options. (3/9)
Astronomers Collect Rare Evidence of Two Planets Colliding (Source: Phys.org)
Anastasios Tzanidakis was combing through old telescope data from 2020 when he found an otherwise boring star acting very strangely. The star, named Gaia20ehk, was about 11,000 light-years from Earth near the constellation Puppis. It was a stable "main sequence" star, much like our sun, which meant that it should emit steady, predictable light. Yet this star began to flicker wildly.
The cause of the flickering had nothing to do with the star itself: Huge quantities of rocks and dust—seemingly from out of nowhere—were passing in front of the distant star as the material orbited the system, patchily dimming the light that reached Earth. The likely source of all that debris was even more remarkable: a catastrophic collision between two planets. (3/11)
Musk and Bezos Moon Landers Could Leave Artemis Astronauts Stranded, NASA Watchdog Warns (Source: Gizmodo)
The findings, published by NASA’s Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday, reveal critical gaps in testing and crew survival analyses for both prospective landers: SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Lander. That’s a serious problem because if either lander encounters a catastrophic event, NASA will not be able to rescue the stranded crew from space or the lunar surface. (3/11)
Plan to Launch Spacecraft From Paso Robles Airport Takes a Key Step Forward (Source: The Tribune)
The city of Paso Robles is one step closer to getting a license to allow spacecraft to take off and land from its municipal airport. On March 4, the Paso Robles City Council unanimously voted to direct staff to make preparations to complete the FAA Commercial Spaceport License application process.
Staff were directed to prepare a request for proposals for the project. The move is the latest update in the city’s years-long goal to advance its Spaceport and Technology Corridor initiative — a project aimed at creating an economic hub for aerospace engineering in Paso Robles, in partnership with educational institutions like Cal Poly, Cuesta College and even K-12 career technical education programs. (3/9)
Meteorite Crashes Through Roof in Germany After Fiery Light Show (Source: New York Times)
This past weekend, people in Koblenz, Germany, might have found themselves asking an unusual question: Is my house insured against meteorite damage? Around 6:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, an extremely bright fireball burned through the twilight skies of northwestern Europe. Thousands of people in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany had no difficulty spotting the incandescent object as it moved rapidly toward the northeast.
News organizations reported that several buildings in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate had been damaged by mysterious debris that fell from the heavens. The roof of one house, in the town of Koblenz, appears to have been punctured by at least one larger meteorite — a shard that fell into the (fortunately unoccupied) bedroom below. (3/10)
Gravitational Waves Reveal Hidden Structure of Galactic Centers (Source: Phys.org)
A new study indicates that the dense, star- and dark-matter–rich environments around supermassive black hole binaries pack on the order of a million solar masses into each cubic parsec. The team used gravitational-wave data from pulsar timing arrays to probe galactic centers that are otherwise impossible to observe directly. (3/10)
Orbital Compute Supply Chain: Thermodynamics is Redrawing the Rules (Source: Mach 33)
This analysis maps the rapidly emerging orbital compute supply chain, showing how thermodynamics is now the dominant constraint driving new suppliers, capital flows, and talent demand. While consolidation and vertical integration (in particular SpaceX) will squeeze many early-stage component players, major breakthroughs in solar arrays and radiator technologies remain essential to reach viable 100 kW/ton power densities, creating a narrow set of high-risk, high-upside frontier investment opportunities. (3/11)
SpaceX Prepares for Starship Flight 12 and Raptor 3 Debut (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX has moved through an important stretch of preflight work on Ship 39 ahead of Flight 12, including cryogenic proof testing, while Booster 19 advances in what would be the first integrated flight campaign for Starship V3 hardware. Elon Musk said the first V3 launch is about four weeks away, which points more to early April than mid-March.
By simplifying the engine design and increasing thrust-to-weight ratios, SpaceX is moving beyond the "experimental" phase of Starship into a production-ready architecture. This process is a live measure of iteration speed, engine maturity, and factory throughput. If SpaceX can bring materially upgraded hardware to flight on this cadence, it reinforces the company’s core edge, which is not just rocket performance but fast industrial learning at scale. (3/10)
Voyager’s 10-K Puts a Real Dollar Figure on Starship Heavy-lift Pricing (Source: Mach 33)
Voyager disclosed that Starlab has a $90.0 million commitment for one future launch service on board Starship. The filing does not disclose Starlab’s mass. Using SpaceX’s published Starship payload benchmark of up to 150 metric tons to LEO in fully reusable mode, implying a theoretical floor of roughly $600/kg. At a more conservative 100-ton utilization level, the implied figure is about $900/kg. The broader takeaway is more important than the exact math. This is early commercial price discovery for Starship-class lift. (3/8)
March 11, 2026
Scientists May Have Discovered a
Brand-New Mineral on Mars (Source: Science Daily)
Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry. (3/10)
NASA Valkyrie Humanoid Robot Built for Mars Research Returns to US After 10 Years (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A humanoid robot developed by NASA for future Mars missions is set to return to the US after spending a decade at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Named Valkyrie, the 1.8-meter-tall machine weighs about 275 pounds and is one of only three prototypes in the world. Inspired by Norse mythology, the robot supported humanoid robotics research before returning to Johnson Space Center in Texas for further development and future planetary missions. (3/9)
SpaceX Can't Convince Married Engineers to Move to Starbase (Source: EcoNews)
During a recent interview, Elon Musk described SpaceX’s Starbase launch site complex in South Texas as a kind of “technology monastery,” remote and largely male. He also talked about a “significant other problem” since many engineers with families are reluctant to relocate to a site with few other jobs or amenities nearby.
On a map, that isolation looks like open space waiting for rockets. In reality, Starbase sits across from the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area and the broader Lower Rio Grande Valley wildlife corridor, a patchwork of wetlands, Tamaulipan thorn forest, and grasslands that support migratory birds such as white winged doves and rarer species like chachalacas.
For engineers that Musk hopes to recruit, the choice is complicated. Life near Boca Chica can mean long drives to nearby Brownsville, fewer job options for partners, and schools that do not yet resemble big coastal tech hubs. At the same time, the quiet beaches and bird filled wetlands that draw nature lovers are the same spaces feeling the pressure of repeated launch tests. (3/10)
Rapid Space Launches Shifting the Chemistry of Earth’s Atmosphere (Source: Futurism)
We’re rapidly filling up the orbit around our planet with active spacecraft — and plenty of dangerous detritus as well. And beyond the chance of collisions, all of that activity could have potentially grave environmental consequences as well. The Earth’s atmosphere is being littered with new metal aerosols from burning spacecraft and rockets.
Aluminum oxides from reentering satellites can catalyze the chemistry that destroys the ozone layer. Meanwhile, rocket exhaust — especially black carbon (soot) from rocket engines powered by hydrocarbon propellants — warms the stratosphere and alters winds. Researchers have also found that rocket launches could effectively negate a global, decades-long effort to reduce our reliance on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are synthetic organic compounds used in refrigerants and aerosols that have long been known to deplete the ozone layer. (3/9)
FAA Launches Air Taxi Test Program in 26 States (Source: AccuWeather)
The FAA is launching a pilot program for use of air taxis across 26 states to allow for real-world testing of what it calls "an exciting window into the future of aviation." The Advanced Air Mobility and Electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program has accepted eight proposals the department said will help it develop regulations to safely enable the technology to scale up.
The range of concepts the program will review include urban taxi services, regional passenger transportation, emergency medical operations, drone technologies, and other potential industrial uses. (3/10)
Toward Practical Laser-Driven Light Sails Using Photonic Crystals (Source: Phys.org)
Conventional light sails typically use metal-coated polymer films. While these films reflect light efficiently, they also absorb part of the incoming energy and convert it into heat. Improving reflectivity often requires adding material, which increases weight and reduces propulsion efficiency. This tradeoff has slowed the development of practical light sail systems.
In the Journal of Nanophotonics, researchers reported that they developed a photonic crystal light sail designed to address these limitations. The proposed structure consists of a nanoscale pattern formed from three dielectric components: germanium pillars, air holes, and a polymer matrix. (3/5)
Rocket Lab's Real Growth Story Isn't Neutron (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Rocket Lab reported $180M Q4 revenue (+36% YoY) with record 38% GAAP gross margins, while full-year revenue reached $602M, continuing accelerating growth. Backlog reached $1.85B, with 37% expected to convert within 12 months, implying about $685M revenue visibility before new contracts. Space Systems and defense programs are driving growth, including over $1.3B in SDA contracts for missile-tracking satellite constellations. (3/10)
After Deep Staffing Cuts, Agencies Seek Mix of Hiring and AI Tools To Rebuild Capacity (Source: FNN)
After deep cuts to the federal workforce under the Trump administration last year, agencies are seeking artificial intelligence tools to make their remaining employees more productive, and continue to hire in a limited capacity to replenish their ranks. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, more than 386,000 federal employees have left government under the Trump administration — through a combination of firings, layoffs, retirements and early separation incentives.
Factoring in new hires, the federal workforce saw a net decrease of more than 264,000 positions under this administration. Amid this downsizing, the Trump administration has rolled out several initiatives to recruit new hires. It rolled out its plans to recruit talent in last year’s Merit Hiring Plan. More recently, OPM has been looking to bring about 1,000 technologists into the federal workforce through its Tech Force Program, and recruit legal experts through its newly launched Attorney Talent Network. (3/9)
Missile Strike Hits SES Teleport in Israel (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator SES said a missile "targeted and struck" its teleport facility in Israel March 9 as tensions spill across the region amid ongoing Israeli and U.S. military operations against Iran. The Luxembourg-based company said a small portion of the geostationary antenna field was damaged, adding that no injuries were reported and the impact did not affect the main facility at Emek Ha'ela. (3/11)
Viasat to Provide Telecoms for Navy Aircraft (Source: Space News)
Viasat won a contract to provide communications services for some U.S. Navy aircraft. The two-year, $14 million contract announced Tuesday covers connectivity for Navy C-37 aircraft, versions of Gulfstream business jets used for flying senior Navy officials. The sole-source award was made by the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office, which acts as the Pentagon's central buyer for commercial satellite communications services. (3/11)
Former NOAA Official Speaks Out on Science Workforce and Funding Cuts (Source: Space News)
The head of NOAA's satellite division, placed on administrative leave more than six months ago, is speaking out about cuts to federal science programs. At the "Stand Up for Science" rally on the National Mall over the weekend, Stephen Volz warned that cuts and workforce reductions had "lobotomized the federal government." Volz is the associate administrator for satellite and information services at NOAA, but was placed on administrative leave last July for reasons NOAA has not disclosed, including to Volz.
At the rally, he criticized moves to cancel planned instruments to measure air and water quality as well as restructuring of the agency. Other speakers at the event, including several members of Congress, said that while proposed major cuts to science programs at NOAA, NASA and elsewhere were largely rejected in final 2026 spending bills, the administration may seek to make similar proposals for fiscal year 2027. (3/11)
Anduril to Acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions (Source: Space News)
Defense technology company Anduril Industries said it is buying space surveillance company ExoAnalytic Solutions. Terms of the acquisition, announced Wednesday, were not disclosed. ExoAnalytic operates about 400 ground-based optical telescopes that monitor objects in orbit and provide data to the U.S. government for space domain awareness and missile defense missions. Anduril says the acquisition is intended to strengthen its ability to integrate space-based data into defense systems. It will also significantly expand its space business, which had about 120 employees before the ExoAnalytic purchase. ExoAnalytic will be folded into Anduril's space and engineering division rather than operate as a standalone subsidiary. (3/11)
NASA Drops AXIS Telescope Concept (Source: Space News)
NASA is no longer considering an X-ray telescope in a competition for a large astrophysics mission. The team working on the Advanced X-Ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) mission concept was notified by NASA they are not eligible for selection as part of the Astrophysics Probe Explorer program because its proposal did not meet cost and schedule requirements. The leader of AXIS said those cost and schedule problems were caused by "seismic shifts" last year within NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center, which was managing the proposal, including the loss of key personnel and proposed budget cuts.
The AXIS team said it identified ways to bring the proposed mission within cost and schedule, but NASA elected instead to drop it from consideration. "I am, quite frankly, livid that AXIS ultimately fell victim to the programmatic chaos of 2025," principal investigator Christopher Reynolds wrote in a message to the project team. The decision leaves PRIMA, a far-infrared telescope, as the only remaining proposal for the Probe mission competition. (3/11)
China's BlueStar Optical Domain Raises $72 Million for Optical Satcom (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup has raised funding for optical intersatellite communications. BlueStar Optical Domain, also known as Laser Link, announced Monday a Series C round of $72 million that will be used for expanding manufacturing capacity and production facilities, as well as continued product research and development. The company plans to reach a production rate of 1,000 terminals annually in the first half of this year. Demand may largely be driven by China's planned low Earth orbit internet constellations, notably the national Guowang and Shanghai-backed Thousand Sails projects, each planning to place more than 10,000 satellites in orbit that will likely rely on intersatellite links. (3/11)
Telesat Expanding Ground Stations in Canada (Source: Space News)
Telesat is planning more ground stations in Canada for its Lightspeed constellation. The Canadian operator said Tuesday it acquired sites in Saskatchewan and Quebec and leased land elsewhere in Saskatchewan for stations that would route data between the satellites and major fiber and internet exchange points. Additional sites are set to be contracted in the coming months as the company targets the start of initial global services in 2027. (3/11)
Impulse Space Expanding in Colorado (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space is expanding its presence in Colorado. The space mobility company, headquartered in southern California, announced Tuesday it opened a 20,000-square-foot facility near Boulder, Colorado. That facility will be used to develop the guidance, navigation and control systems for its Mira and Helios vehicle as well as produce some spacecraft components, like pumps and valves. The new facility expands Impulse's presence in Colorado established three years ago. (3/11)
BlackSky Satellite Performing as Expected After Launch (Source: BlackSky)
BlackSky said its latest imaging satellite is working well in orbit. The company said Tuesday its fourth Gen-3 produced its first images within hours of launch. BlackSky did not disclose when the satellite was launched but it is believed to be the confidential commercial payload launched on an Electron rocket last week. (3/11)
Planet Extends Imagery Delay in Middle East (Source: Reuters)
Planet is extending delays in providing imagery of parts of the Middle East during the ongoing conflict there. The company, which said last week it would delay the public release of imagery of some countries in the region by four days, said that delay is now extended to 14 days. Images of Iran, previously exempt from that restriction, are now included, the company announced. Planet said the restriction is intended to limit any use of those images "as tactical leverage by adversarial actors." (3/11)
Isaacman Interested in Additional Mars Mission in 2028 (Source: Science)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has suggested NASA might pursue a Mars mission in 2028. In an interview, he noted that NASA's plans to launch a Mars communications orbiter mission in 2028, as well as ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover. "But I suspect there will be a third as well," he said, declining to provide additional details. NASA's 2026 budget proposal did not explicitly include an additional Mars mission launching in 2028 but did support Mars technology development and potential Mars missions done under commercial services agreements. (3/11)
NASA Authorizes Use of Smartphones on Artemis II (Source: EcoNews)
For the first time in NASA history, astronauts heading for the Moon will carry something most of us toss into a pocket every morning, a smartphone. The agency has approved personal phones, including iPhones, for the upcoming Artemis II lunar flyby and for the SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station, breaking a long tradition of banning such devices on government flights. (3/8)
Ex-Google Boss May Launch a Bigger-Than-Hubble Space Telescope Within Three Years (Source: BBC)
A new space telescope has been announced, Lazuli, with a three-meter (10ft) mirror capable of observing in the optical and infrared. This makes it larger than Hubble, and it will fly a sophisticated spectrograph and camera, plus a coronagraph for spotting planets around nearby stars. What’s really notable is that the entire cost of Lazuli is being covered by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. (3/8)
Stars With Low Magnetic Activity Are Likely To Support Exoplanetary Systems, Making the Hunt for These Celestial Objects Less Random (Source: Live Science)
Scientists have found a potential shortcut for identifying stars that host planets. The technique, based on specific signals in starlight, could make it easier to search for exoplanets, according to a new study. The team has already used their new method to turn up half a dozen previously undiscovered planets — but because most of the alien worlds are very close to their stars, they are unlikely to be habitable, the study authors say. (3/7)
ISRO and ESA Sign Agreement for Earth Observation Missions (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have jointly signed an agreement on ‘ESA-ISRO Arrangement concerning Joint Calibration and Validation Activities and Scientific Studies for Earth Observation Missions’. The agreement was signed on March 4 by M. Ganesh Pillai, scientific secretary, ISRO, and Simonetta Cheli, director, Earth Observation Program, ESA, in a virtual meeting mode. (3/9)
Lower-Cost Space Missions Like NASA’s ESCAPADE Are Starting To Deliver Exciting Science – But at a Price in Risk and Trade-Offs (Source: The Conversation)
After a yearslong series of setbacks, NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, mission has finally begun its roundabout journey to Mars. This low-cost mission is only getting started, and it’s taking bigger risks than typical big-ticket NASA missions.
NASA classifies payloads on a four‑tier risk scale, from A to D. Class A missions are the most expensive and highest priority, like the James Webb Space Telescope, Europa Clipper and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. They use thoroughly proven hardware and undergo exhaustive testing. ESCAPADE is at the other end. It’s a class D mission, defined as having “high risk tolerance” and “medium to low complexity.”
A concept put forward by Jared Isaacman is that 10 $100 million missions would be better than one $1 billion flagship – or top-tier – mission. This approach could encourage faster mission development and would diversify the types of missions heading out into the solar system. But that reorganization comes with trade-offs. For example, low‑cost missions rarely match flagship missions in scope, and they typically do less to advance the technology necessary for doing innovative science. (3/7)
Reentry of NASA Satellite Will Exceed the Agency’s Own Risk Guidelines (Source: Ars Technica)
A NASA satellite that spent more than a decade coursing through the Van Allen radiation belts encircling Earth is about to fall back into the atmosphere. This reentry is notable because it poses a higher risk to the public than the US government typically allows. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is still low, approximately 1 in 4,200, but it exceeds the government standard of a 1 in 10,000 chance of an uncontrolled reentry causing a casualty. (3/10)
The Risks of Concentrating National Space Power in Private Hands (Source: Space.com)
Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the ISS, and even sending landers to the Moon. Commercial integration is now embedded in US space policy and shapes national space strategy. While the US has begun developing alternatives, in operational reality the concentration of commercial control gives companies disproportionate leverage. If private power and public strategy were to diverge, would Washington have a credible Plan B? (3/7)
New Study Addresses Clotting Risks for Female Astronauts (Source: Universe Today)
It's no secret that prolonged periods spent in microgravity takes a toll on the human body. This includes muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and changes to the cardiovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems. But for female astronauts, there is also the greater risk of developing blood clots, according to recent findings. This highlights the fact that, to date, most studies of human health in space have involved male astronauts. But as the number of female astronauts continues to grow, more research is required to address potentially gender-related health risks. (3/10)
Starlab Space Fully Books Commercial Payload Space on Planned Space Station (Source: Space News)
The Starlab commercial space station has fully booked its commercial payload space as the joint venture developing it awaits the next phase of a NASA program. Starlab and other commercial stations are awaiting the next phase of the CLD program. (3/10)
SSC Space Brings New Optical Ground Station into Service (Source: Via Satellite)
SSC Space is bringing a new optical ground station (OGS) into service at its site in Santiago, Chile. It will enable free-space laser communication between satellites and the ground. The new station is part of the SSC Space optical service development project NODES within ESA's Optical and Quantum Communications – ScyLight program, designed to accelerate the development of optical ground capabilities. (3/10)
Astroscale France is Contributing to ESA’s ECO-Tethers Project for Propellant-Free In-Space Mobility and Deorbiting (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Astroscale France, the French subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. has announced its participation in ECO-Tethers, a new system study under the European Space Agency’s FIRST! Technologies in Sustainability for Future Space Transportation program. Led by PERSEI Space as prime contractor, and delivered in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space Italy and Astroscale France, the ECO-Tethers project will assess propellant-free technologies for in-space propulsion and deorbiting using electrodynamic tethers. (3/10)
Megaconstellation Regulation Takes Center Stage at DC Moot Court (Source: Payload)
Future space lawyers will gather in DC this month to debate how far federal jurisdiction extends in regulating commercial megaconstellations. The American Space Law Foundation will hold its first moot court on March 20 to 21. The two-day event will give students an opportunity to argue in a hypothetical—but very realistic—commercial space law case, in front of a panel of judges representing government and industry. (3/10)
European Space Merger Faces Pushback From Local Competitors (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A potential three-way merger between the space units of Airbus, Leonardo and Thales is facing pushback from some rivals that fear the deal could curtail competition in the European satellite market. Marco Fuchs, chief executive of German satellite maker OHB, said he is concerned about the deal’s potential impact on European consortia formed to bid for European Union and European Space Agency contracts. (3/10)
Scientists studying Mars may have uncovered a brand-new mineral hidden in the planet’s ancient sulfate deposits. By combining laboratory experiments with orbital data, researchers identified an unusual iron sulfate—ferric hydroxysulfate—forming in layered deposits near the massive Valles Marineris canyon system. The mineral likely formed when sulfate-rich deposits left behind by ancient water were later heated by volcanic or geothermal activity, transforming their chemistry. (3/10)
NASA Valkyrie Humanoid Robot Built for Mars Research Returns to US After 10 Years (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A humanoid robot developed by NASA for future Mars missions is set to return to the US after spending a decade at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Named Valkyrie, the 1.8-meter-tall machine weighs about 275 pounds and is one of only three prototypes in the world. Inspired by Norse mythology, the robot supported humanoid robotics research before returning to Johnson Space Center in Texas for further development and future planetary missions. (3/9)
SpaceX Can't Convince Married Engineers to Move to Starbase (Source: EcoNews)
During a recent interview, Elon Musk described SpaceX’s Starbase launch site complex in South Texas as a kind of “technology monastery,” remote and largely male. He also talked about a “significant other problem” since many engineers with families are reluctant to relocate to a site with few other jobs or amenities nearby.
On a map, that isolation looks like open space waiting for rockets. In reality, Starbase sits across from the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area and the broader Lower Rio Grande Valley wildlife corridor, a patchwork of wetlands, Tamaulipan thorn forest, and grasslands that support migratory birds such as white winged doves and rarer species like chachalacas.
For engineers that Musk hopes to recruit, the choice is complicated. Life near Boca Chica can mean long drives to nearby Brownsville, fewer job options for partners, and schools that do not yet resemble big coastal tech hubs. At the same time, the quiet beaches and bird filled wetlands that draw nature lovers are the same spaces feeling the pressure of repeated launch tests. (3/10)
Rapid Space Launches Shifting the Chemistry of Earth’s Atmosphere (Source: Futurism)
We’re rapidly filling up the orbit around our planet with active spacecraft — and plenty of dangerous detritus as well. And beyond the chance of collisions, all of that activity could have potentially grave environmental consequences as well. The Earth’s atmosphere is being littered with new metal aerosols from burning spacecraft and rockets.
Aluminum oxides from reentering satellites can catalyze the chemistry that destroys the ozone layer. Meanwhile, rocket exhaust — especially black carbon (soot) from rocket engines powered by hydrocarbon propellants — warms the stratosphere and alters winds. Researchers have also found that rocket launches could effectively negate a global, decades-long effort to reduce our reliance on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are synthetic organic compounds used in refrigerants and aerosols that have long been known to deplete the ozone layer. (3/9)
FAA Launches Air Taxi Test Program in 26 States (Source: AccuWeather)
The FAA is launching a pilot program for use of air taxis across 26 states to allow for real-world testing of what it calls "an exciting window into the future of aviation." The Advanced Air Mobility and Electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program has accepted eight proposals the department said will help it develop regulations to safely enable the technology to scale up.
The range of concepts the program will review include urban taxi services, regional passenger transportation, emergency medical operations, drone technologies, and other potential industrial uses. (3/10)
Toward Practical Laser-Driven Light Sails Using Photonic Crystals (Source: Phys.org)
Conventional light sails typically use metal-coated polymer films. While these films reflect light efficiently, they also absorb part of the incoming energy and convert it into heat. Improving reflectivity often requires adding material, which increases weight and reduces propulsion efficiency. This tradeoff has slowed the development of practical light sail systems.
In the Journal of Nanophotonics, researchers reported that they developed a photonic crystal light sail designed to address these limitations. The proposed structure consists of a nanoscale pattern formed from three dielectric components: germanium pillars, air holes, and a polymer matrix. (3/5)
Rocket Lab's Real Growth Story Isn't Neutron (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Rocket Lab reported $180M Q4 revenue (+36% YoY) with record 38% GAAP gross margins, while full-year revenue reached $602M, continuing accelerating growth. Backlog reached $1.85B, with 37% expected to convert within 12 months, implying about $685M revenue visibility before new contracts. Space Systems and defense programs are driving growth, including over $1.3B in SDA contracts for missile-tracking satellite constellations. (3/10)
After Deep Staffing Cuts, Agencies Seek Mix of Hiring and AI Tools To Rebuild Capacity (Source: FNN)
After deep cuts to the federal workforce under the Trump administration last year, agencies are seeking artificial intelligence tools to make their remaining employees more productive, and continue to hire in a limited capacity to replenish their ranks. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, more than 386,000 federal employees have left government under the Trump administration — through a combination of firings, layoffs, retirements and early separation incentives.
Factoring in new hires, the federal workforce saw a net decrease of more than 264,000 positions under this administration. Amid this downsizing, the Trump administration has rolled out several initiatives to recruit new hires. It rolled out its plans to recruit talent in last year’s Merit Hiring Plan. More recently, OPM has been looking to bring about 1,000 technologists into the federal workforce through its Tech Force Program, and recruit legal experts through its newly launched Attorney Talent Network. (3/9)
Missile Strike Hits SES Teleport in Israel (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator SES said a missile "targeted and struck" its teleport facility in Israel March 9 as tensions spill across the region amid ongoing Israeli and U.S. military operations against Iran. The Luxembourg-based company said a small portion of the geostationary antenna field was damaged, adding that no injuries were reported and the impact did not affect the main facility at Emek Ha'ela. (3/11)
Viasat to Provide Telecoms for Navy Aircraft (Source: Space News)
Viasat won a contract to provide communications services for some U.S. Navy aircraft. The two-year, $14 million contract announced Tuesday covers connectivity for Navy C-37 aircraft, versions of Gulfstream business jets used for flying senior Navy officials. The sole-source award was made by the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command Commercial Space Office, which acts as the Pentagon's central buyer for commercial satellite communications services. (3/11)
Former NOAA Official Speaks Out on Science Workforce and Funding Cuts (Source: Space News)
The head of NOAA's satellite division, placed on administrative leave more than six months ago, is speaking out about cuts to federal science programs. At the "Stand Up for Science" rally on the National Mall over the weekend, Stephen Volz warned that cuts and workforce reductions had "lobotomized the federal government." Volz is the associate administrator for satellite and information services at NOAA, but was placed on administrative leave last July for reasons NOAA has not disclosed, including to Volz.
At the rally, he criticized moves to cancel planned instruments to measure air and water quality as well as restructuring of the agency. Other speakers at the event, including several members of Congress, said that while proposed major cuts to science programs at NOAA, NASA and elsewhere were largely rejected in final 2026 spending bills, the administration may seek to make similar proposals for fiscal year 2027. (3/11)
Anduril to Acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions (Source: Space News)
Defense technology company Anduril Industries said it is buying space surveillance company ExoAnalytic Solutions. Terms of the acquisition, announced Wednesday, were not disclosed. ExoAnalytic operates about 400 ground-based optical telescopes that monitor objects in orbit and provide data to the U.S. government for space domain awareness and missile defense missions. Anduril says the acquisition is intended to strengthen its ability to integrate space-based data into defense systems. It will also significantly expand its space business, which had about 120 employees before the ExoAnalytic purchase. ExoAnalytic will be folded into Anduril's space and engineering division rather than operate as a standalone subsidiary. (3/11)
NASA Drops AXIS Telescope Concept (Source: Space News)
NASA is no longer considering an X-ray telescope in a competition for a large astrophysics mission. The team working on the Advanced X-Ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) mission concept was notified by NASA they are not eligible for selection as part of the Astrophysics Probe Explorer program because its proposal did not meet cost and schedule requirements. The leader of AXIS said those cost and schedule problems were caused by "seismic shifts" last year within NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center, which was managing the proposal, including the loss of key personnel and proposed budget cuts.
The AXIS team said it identified ways to bring the proposed mission within cost and schedule, but NASA elected instead to drop it from consideration. "I am, quite frankly, livid that AXIS ultimately fell victim to the programmatic chaos of 2025," principal investigator Christopher Reynolds wrote in a message to the project team. The decision leaves PRIMA, a far-infrared telescope, as the only remaining proposal for the Probe mission competition. (3/11)
China's BlueStar Optical Domain Raises $72 Million for Optical Satcom (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup has raised funding for optical intersatellite communications. BlueStar Optical Domain, also known as Laser Link, announced Monday a Series C round of $72 million that will be used for expanding manufacturing capacity and production facilities, as well as continued product research and development. The company plans to reach a production rate of 1,000 terminals annually in the first half of this year. Demand may largely be driven by China's planned low Earth orbit internet constellations, notably the national Guowang and Shanghai-backed Thousand Sails projects, each planning to place more than 10,000 satellites in orbit that will likely rely on intersatellite links. (3/11)
Telesat Expanding Ground Stations in Canada (Source: Space News)
Telesat is planning more ground stations in Canada for its Lightspeed constellation. The Canadian operator said Tuesday it acquired sites in Saskatchewan and Quebec and leased land elsewhere in Saskatchewan for stations that would route data between the satellites and major fiber and internet exchange points. Additional sites are set to be contracted in the coming months as the company targets the start of initial global services in 2027. (3/11)
Impulse Space Expanding in Colorado (Source: Space News)
Impulse Space is expanding its presence in Colorado. The space mobility company, headquartered in southern California, announced Tuesday it opened a 20,000-square-foot facility near Boulder, Colorado. That facility will be used to develop the guidance, navigation and control systems for its Mira and Helios vehicle as well as produce some spacecraft components, like pumps and valves. The new facility expands Impulse's presence in Colorado established three years ago. (3/11)
BlackSky Satellite Performing as Expected After Launch (Source: BlackSky)
BlackSky said its latest imaging satellite is working well in orbit. The company said Tuesday its fourth Gen-3 produced its first images within hours of launch. BlackSky did not disclose when the satellite was launched but it is believed to be the confidential commercial payload launched on an Electron rocket last week. (3/11)
Planet Extends Imagery Delay in Middle East (Source: Reuters)
Planet is extending delays in providing imagery of parts of the Middle East during the ongoing conflict there. The company, which said last week it would delay the public release of imagery of some countries in the region by four days, said that delay is now extended to 14 days. Images of Iran, previously exempt from that restriction, are now included, the company announced. Planet said the restriction is intended to limit any use of those images "as tactical leverage by adversarial actors." (3/11)
Isaacman Interested in Additional Mars Mission in 2028 (Source: Science)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has suggested NASA might pursue a Mars mission in 2028. In an interview, he noted that NASA's plans to launch a Mars communications orbiter mission in 2028, as well as ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover. "But I suspect there will be a third as well," he said, declining to provide additional details. NASA's 2026 budget proposal did not explicitly include an additional Mars mission launching in 2028 but did support Mars technology development and potential Mars missions done under commercial services agreements. (3/11)
NASA Authorizes Use of Smartphones on Artemis II (Source: EcoNews)
For the first time in NASA history, astronauts heading for the Moon will carry something most of us toss into a pocket every morning, a smartphone. The agency has approved personal phones, including iPhones, for the upcoming Artemis II lunar flyby and for the SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station, breaking a long tradition of banning such devices on government flights. (3/8)
Ex-Google Boss May Launch a Bigger-Than-Hubble Space Telescope Within Three Years (Source: BBC)
A new space telescope has been announced, Lazuli, with a three-meter (10ft) mirror capable of observing in the optical and infrared. This makes it larger than Hubble, and it will fly a sophisticated spectrograph and camera, plus a coronagraph for spotting planets around nearby stars. What’s really notable is that the entire cost of Lazuli is being covered by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. (3/8)
Stars With Low Magnetic Activity Are Likely To Support Exoplanetary Systems, Making the Hunt for These Celestial Objects Less Random (Source: Live Science)
Scientists have found a potential shortcut for identifying stars that host planets. The technique, based on specific signals in starlight, could make it easier to search for exoplanets, according to a new study. The team has already used their new method to turn up half a dozen previously undiscovered planets — but because most of the alien worlds are very close to their stars, they are unlikely to be habitable, the study authors say. (3/7)
ISRO and ESA Sign Agreement for Earth Observation Missions (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have jointly signed an agreement on ‘ESA-ISRO Arrangement concerning Joint Calibration and Validation Activities and Scientific Studies for Earth Observation Missions’. The agreement was signed on March 4 by M. Ganesh Pillai, scientific secretary, ISRO, and Simonetta Cheli, director, Earth Observation Program, ESA, in a virtual meeting mode. (3/9)
Lower-Cost Space Missions Like NASA’s ESCAPADE Are Starting To Deliver Exciting Science – But at a Price in Risk and Trade-Offs (Source: The Conversation)
After a yearslong series of setbacks, NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, mission has finally begun its roundabout journey to Mars. This low-cost mission is only getting started, and it’s taking bigger risks than typical big-ticket NASA missions.
NASA classifies payloads on a four‑tier risk scale, from A to D. Class A missions are the most expensive and highest priority, like the James Webb Space Telescope, Europa Clipper and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. They use thoroughly proven hardware and undergo exhaustive testing. ESCAPADE is at the other end. It’s a class D mission, defined as having “high risk tolerance” and “medium to low complexity.”
A concept put forward by Jared Isaacman is that 10 $100 million missions would be better than one $1 billion flagship – or top-tier – mission. This approach could encourage faster mission development and would diversify the types of missions heading out into the solar system. But that reorganization comes with trade-offs. For example, low‑cost missions rarely match flagship missions in scope, and they typically do less to advance the technology necessary for doing innovative science. (3/7)
Reentry of NASA Satellite Will Exceed the Agency’s Own Risk Guidelines (Source: Ars Technica)
A NASA satellite that spent more than a decade coursing through the Van Allen radiation belts encircling Earth is about to fall back into the atmosphere. This reentry is notable because it poses a higher risk to the public than the US government typically allows. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is still low, approximately 1 in 4,200, but it exceeds the government standard of a 1 in 10,000 chance of an uncontrolled reentry causing a casualty. (3/10)
The Risks of Concentrating National Space Power in Private Hands (Source: Space.com)
Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the ISS, and even sending landers to the Moon. Commercial integration is now embedded in US space policy and shapes national space strategy. While the US has begun developing alternatives, in operational reality the concentration of commercial control gives companies disproportionate leverage. If private power and public strategy were to diverge, would Washington have a credible Plan B? (3/7)
New Study Addresses Clotting Risks for Female Astronauts (Source: Universe Today)
It's no secret that prolonged periods spent in microgravity takes a toll on the human body. This includes muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and changes to the cardiovascular, endocrine, and nervous systems. But for female astronauts, there is also the greater risk of developing blood clots, according to recent findings. This highlights the fact that, to date, most studies of human health in space have involved male astronauts. But as the number of female astronauts continues to grow, more research is required to address potentially gender-related health risks. (3/10)
Starlab Space Fully Books Commercial Payload Space on Planned Space Station (Source: Space News)
The Starlab commercial space station has fully booked its commercial payload space as the joint venture developing it awaits the next phase of a NASA program. Starlab and other commercial stations are awaiting the next phase of the CLD program. (3/10)
SSC Space Brings New Optical Ground Station into Service (Source: Via Satellite)
SSC Space is bringing a new optical ground station (OGS) into service at its site in Santiago, Chile. It will enable free-space laser communication between satellites and the ground. The new station is part of the SSC Space optical service development project NODES within ESA's Optical and Quantum Communications – ScyLight program, designed to accelerate the development of optical ground capabilities. (3/10)
Astroscale France is Contributing to ESA’s ECO-Tethers Project for Propellant-Free In-Space Mobility and Deorbiting (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Astroscale France, the French subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc. has announced its participation in ECO-Tethers, a new system study under the European Space Agency’s FIRST! Technologies in Sustainability for Future Space Transportation program. Led by PERSEI Space as prime contractor, and delivered in collaboration with Thales Alenia Space Italy and Astroscale France, the ECO-Tethers project will assess propellant-free technologies for in-space propulsion and deorbiting using electrodynamic tethers. (3/10)
Megaconstellation Regulation Takes Center Stage at DC Moot Court (Source: Payload)
Future space lawyers will gather in DC this month to debate how far federal jurisdiction extends in regulating commercial megaconstellations. The American Space Law Foundation will hold its first moot court on March 20 to 21. The two-day event will give students an opportunity to argue in a hypothetical—but very realistic—commercial space law case, in front of a panel of judges representing government and industry. (3/10)
European Space Merger Faces Pushback From Local Competitors (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A potential three-way merger between the space units of Airbus, Leonardo and Thales is facing pushback from some rivals that fear the deal could curtail competition in the European satellite market. Marco Fuchs, chief executive of German satellite maker OHB, said he is concerned about the deal’s potential impact on European consortia formed to bid for European Union and European Space Agency contracts. (3/10)
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