Blue Origin’s Record-Speed Rebuild at
LC-36: From Pad Blast to Dual Pads and Hundreds of Open Jobs
(Source: Cocoa Beach Local)
eff Bezos was out at Launch Complex 36 earlier this month shaking hands
with the crew in hard hats. His post was simple: the team is moving at
record speed out at the pad. Gradatim Ferociter. That Latin motto has
been Blue Origin’s thing for years. Step by step, ferociously. Right
now it fits the work happening just up the coast from Cocoa Beach.
They just committed another $600 million through Project Horizon for an
830,000-square-foot upper-stage factory. The company now lists more
than 4,500 employees in Florida and more than $3 billion invested
across 500-plus Florida suppliers. The state and Space Florida are
helping with the infrastructure. Blue Origin is the only company that
both builds and launches its orbital rockets entirely in Florida.
Right now Blue Origin has well over 200 open positions listed for the
Space Coast alone. A big chunk of them are engineering and technician
roles tied to the lunar lander work: fluids test engineers, lunar
assembly and integration technicians, mechanical systems engineers, CNC
programmers, composite manufacturing techs, and more. These are the
kinds of high-skill aerospace jobs that keep people on the Space Coast
instead of leaving for other states. (8/23)
Das Appointed as President of Titans
Space Industries and Space Economic Forum (Source: TSI)
Titans Space Industries Inc. (TSI) and the Space Economic Forum LLC
(SEF) are pleased to announce the appointment of Dipanjan Das as
President of both organizations, bringing together commercial space
development with an international platform for space-economy
leadership. The appointment marks a deliberate transition from a
primarily European ecosystem-building role toward a broader
international platform focused on sovereign partnerships, strategic
industry, investment, defense, Earth observation, security and
resilience, and the emerging Earth–Moon economy.
That means connecting European startups with global space companies;
SMEs with major industrial players; universities with commercial
organizations; technology developers with investors; defense and
civilian markets; Earth-based infrastructure with orbital
infrastructure; Earth observation with strategic intelligence; and
European innovation with emerging lunar markets. The objective is
therefore not simply to represent Europe internationally, but to use
European capability as one part of a much broader global platform.
(8/22)
Japan's Letara Raises ¥2.6 Billion to
Accelerate Development of Low-Cost Rocket Engines (Source:
Letara)
Letara, led by co-CEOs, Shota Hirai and Landon Thomas Kamps, announced
the completion of approximately ¥2.6 billion Pre-Series A round through
a third-party allotment of shares and other means. Letara's mission is
to build low-cost rocket engines that can “deliver anything, anywhere,
within 24 hours.” Letara is developing a "hybrid rocket engine," which
stores fuel (e.g., plastic) and oxidizer separately. Because the
propellant does not fall under the legal category of explosives, it is
safer than conventional engines that rely on explosive liquid or solid
propellants, while also keeping the overall design simple. (8/20)
Tackling Construction’s Toughest Jobs
on Earth — and the Moon (Source: Texas A&M)
What do Texas highway work zones and future moon landings have in
common? For Dr. Patrick Suermann, both point to the same challenge: how
to make construction safer, smarter and more autonomous. That vision
recently earned Suermann, a professor of construction science at Texas
A&M University’s College of Architecture and a retired U.S. Air
Force lieutenant colonel, seed funding for a new project exploring how
autonomous earthmoving could improve safety on Earth while helping
build infrastructure on the moon. (8/21)
ESA Research Leads to Space Snacks
Product (Source: Collect Space)
A ESA research project has resulted in the launch of a new market for
space commercialization: snacks. Space Snacks from the Lithuania-based
company UAB Geld Baltic are colorful, freeze-dried cubes enriched with
spirulina, pea protein and other innovative ingredients. Developed with
the French Space Agency (CNES), the Institute for Space Medicine and
Physiology (MEDES) in Toulouse and Lithuanian R&D company Biordico,
Space Snacks are the evolution of a concept with a potential for use in
space. (8/18)
Johnson Space Center Prepares for the
Commercial Space-Station Era (Source: Space.com)
What does NASA's astronaut training hub look like these days, as the
agency aims to bring more commercial space stations into the fold? It's
an interesting mix of government and private companies, of space agency
personnel and of contractors, all working together to keep U.S. and
international astronauts flying through the end of the ISS — currently
expected around 2030 — and the new breed of commercial space stations
expected to take its place.
Teams are already thinking about "lessons learned" when the ISS retires
for a new generation of mission planners, which would include an even
greater focus on companies. Companies like Vast Space have their own
self-funded modules almost ready to fly, while Bigelow Aerospace has an
inflatable module on ISS that is being tested, long-duration wise, to
make sure the concept holds up for a future free-flying destination. No
matter who hosts astronauts, however, NASA officials on the tour said
they are prepared to offer expertise and help. Click here. (8/22)
CNES Seeks Industrial Partner for
Mass-Produced Compact Optical Telescope (Source: European
Spaceflight)
France’s CNES is seeking an industrial partner to develop and qualify a
compact, low-cost optical telescope designed for mass production. The
effort points to a focus on reducing unit costs and industrializing
optical payload manufacturing for future satellite and space
applications. (8/22)
Chinese RF-Intelligence Startup StarRF
Gains Investment (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup building a constellation to detect and geolocate
radio-frequency emissions from orbit has closed a funding round as
China’s commercial sector expands. StarRF has secured new fundinG as
China’s commercial space sector expands and as orbital RF intelligence
capabilities attract growing interest. (8/21)
Novaspace Forecasts More Than 6,500
Earth-Observation Satellites Launching by 2035 (Source: Space
News)
A new Novaspace forecast projects that more than 6,500
Earth-observation satellites will launch by 2035, with demand for
sovereign capabilities helping drive a satellite market valued at
$155.9 billion. The outlook underscores the expanding role of
space-based intelligence and national control of orbital assets. (8/21)
Space Norway Appoints Rune Jensen as
Acting CEO With Morten Tengs Departure (Source: Via Satellite)
Space Norway CEO Morten Tengs is stepping down from the role at the end
of August, and the company will begin the search for a new permanent
CEO. Rune Jensen has been appointed the acting CEO of the company.
Space Norway is a wholly state-owned enterprise that develops space and
satellite infrastructure for secure broadband, maritime surveillance,
and communication services across the Arctic, Europe, and globally.
(8/21)
August 22, 2026
SPACECOM Eyes Cislunar Operations
(Source: Breaking Defense)
A new SPACECOM futures report highlights ground segment vulnerabilities as a key issue, something hardly mentioned by the Space Force in their similar report. In addition, SPACECOM puts a spotlight on cislunar space as a domain of emerging military space competition, whereas the Space Force hasn’t voiced a strong interest beyond citing a need to monitor adversary activity in the vast volume of space between the Earth and the moon. (8/22)
US Space Forces Japan Chief Sees Expanded Collaboration (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
The commander of U.S. Space Forces Japan said space is no longer a “sanctuary” and instead has become a warfighting domain, and has outlined plans for a major expansion of the command’s headquarters staff. Col. John Patrick indicated that the United States and Japan intend to deepen their close cooperation in the space domain, including coordination in command and control. U.S. Space Forces Japan was established in December 2024, and Patrick assumed command as its second commander in June this year.
He said U.S. Space Forces Japan’s purpose is to help defend the U.S. homeland and to strengthen cooperation with Japan. He said efforts are underway to expand the headquarters from about 20 personnel at the time he took command to a force of 80 members, adding that the expansion is expected to enhance the headquarters’ capabilities in command and control, operations and planning. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force is also set to be reorganized into the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force during the current fiscal year. (8/22)
SpaceX’s Starlink Blackout Punishes Myanmar Civilians, Not Just Cybercriminals (Source: SCMP)
SpaceX discontinued its Global Roam service for existing Myanmar customers as of Monday. The US company offered no specific reason beyond regulatory compliance, but few would question the move, given the need to clamp down on the increasing number of cybercrime networks that tap into its Starlink services globally. (8/22)
Isaacman Says Artemis III Could Launch in June 2027 (Source: Florida Today)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday that the agency’s Artemis III mission could launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as June 2027 — a fast-approaching target. He was a keynote speaker at the Space Coast Symposium in Cape Canaveral. (8/22)
Eight Emerging Startups Selected for ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Accelerator Program (Source: CASIS)
The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory announced the eight early-stage startups selected for the two tracks of the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program. Now in its second year, this one-of-a-kind accelerator will provide the selected startups with access to low Earth orbit for research and technology development and $500,000 to $750,000 in private capital funding per startup. Click here. (8/12)
Space Command to Relocate 200 Personnel to Alabama This Year (Source: Air and Space Forces)
U.S. Space Command officials say they’re on track to relocate 200 personnel from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Huntsville by the end of this year as part of a multiyear transition of the command’s headquarters. In the year since President Donald Trump announced U.S. Space Command would stand up its permanent headquarters in Huntsville—reversing a decision by former President Joe Biden to keep the command in Colorado—SPACECOM has made fast progress on its goal to relocate its 1,800 personnel there by 2031. (8/21)
Trump’s Space Transportation Policy Calls for New Spaceport on Federal Land (Source: Ars Technica)
A new national space transportation policy calls for the development of more spaceports. The government will identify potential locations for additional launch facilities in the United States. The directive appears to endorse the results of a recent Pentagon study that identified the need for the government to have a third heavy-lift launch site. It also supports more efficient range scheduling criteria at federally owned spaceports, balancing the needs of commercial users and US government missions. It also directs the military and NASA to “regularly publish range schedules to ensure transparent allocation of resources and optimize launch capacity.”
The Department of the Interior is also directed to identify federal lands to serve as a designated reentry site. The policy seeks to improve integration of space launch and reentry operations into airspace and air traffic control modernization efforts, and designate “priority airspace for critical space launch corridors." Editor's Note: This airspace-oriented direction might also encourage the FAA to seek the designation of a supersonic/hypersonic flight test corridor, to support hypersonic R&D and facilitate the re-introduction of supersonic passenger flights in US airspace. (8/21)
Canada Awards Four FAST Grants, Total Hits $6.8 Million (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has selected four more projects under its 2025 FAST program, backing advanced manufacturing for space structures, astronaut training, navigation in low Earth orbit and CubeSats with about $1.45 million combined. As of August 17, 2026, the CSA has awarded 19 grants under the FAST 2025 AO representing $6.8 million to Canadian post-secondary institutions to advance space science and technology, while training the next generation of space experts. (8/21)
UF Astraeus Space Institute Launches New Hub for Space Exploration and Innovation (Source: UF)
The University of Florida’s Astraeus Space Institute marked a major milestone Thursday, Aug. 20, with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of its new Mission Operations Center at the Computer Science Engineering Building, located on main campus in Gainesville. The new facility provides Astraeus with a dedicated space to advance interdisciplinary research, collaboration and innovation in space exploration.
Faculty, university leaders, researchers, students and community partners gathered for the event to officially recognize the growth of Astraeus and its continued mission to bring together experts from across UF to address challenges and opportunities in the space sector. David Norton, Ph.D., vice president for research at UF and chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board, said the new headquarters will provide a central hub for collaboration and innovation. (8/21)
Mu-G Technologies Readies Pilots for Microgravity Flight Services (Source: Mu-G)
Members of the flight test team at Mu-g Technologies have completed the FAA’s Flight Test Crew Resource Management for Flight Test Pilots/Engineers course in Oklahoma City. This curriculum combines hands-on case studies with intensive CRM-focused scenarios in the FAA’s Level D full-motion A330-200 and B737-800 simulators. From performance and stability testing at altitude to managing complex crew dynamics, the experience was invaluable. This specialized training prepares Mu-g pilots and test engineers for the company's upcoming flight test campaign using their Dassault Falcon 50 parabolic aircraft. (8/21)
Are Launched Payloads Exported? Some Regulators Say No, Some Say Yes (Source: SPACErePORT)
Satellites launched from (and returned to) the Cape Canaveral Spaceport have since 1989 benefitted from Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 136, encompassing multiple spaceport-adjacent facilities where international payloads and parts are imported, assembled, processed, and launched (exported) without exposure to US import tariffs. The Airbus OneWeb satellite manufacturing site is an excellent example.
Whether US-developed space hardware requires pre-launch export licensure and ITAR/EAR approvals is an open question that is causing some confusion for payloads that will be used or controlled by foreign entities...especially as the number of US-launched payloads expands substantially at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and elsewhere. Because export violations can reach $10,000 per occurrence, additional clarity is needed.
The Space Coast World Trade Council will host an Oct. 23 event at the Melbourne International Airport for satellite manufacturers, payload processing companies, spaceports, compliance managers, trade attorneys, logistics professionals, launch companies, and other stakeholders to discuss the provisions of ITAR, EAR, and Foreign Trade Regulations and how they apply to space launch and reentry operations. For information contact Bill Cantillon at bcantillon@bellsouth.net. (8/22)
SpaceX Scales Back Plans for Next Starship Launch, Dropping Planned Upper-Stage Catch (Source: Space News)
SpaceX’s next Starship flight is now unlikely to attempt a launch-site catch of the vehicle’s upper stage, signaling a narrower test objective for the upcoming mission. The change reduces the scope of the next demonstration as SpaceX continues developing Starship’s recovery architecture. The decision narrows the next Starship flight’s test objectives and provides less near-term opportunity to validate recovery of the upper stage at the launch site. (8/21)
Taiwan’s First Domestic Rocket Test Terminates Shortly After Liftoff (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Taiwan’s first flight test of a domestically developed satellite launch vehicle ended shortly after liftoff, marking an early setback in the island’s effort to establish independent access to space. The test reflects Taiwan’s push to develop indigenous launch capabilities for its growing satellite ambitions. (8/21)
Boeing Starliner Thruster Failures Turned First Crewed Docking Into a Near-Disaster (Source: Air Current)
Thruster failures during Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight in June 2024 made its docking with the orbiting laboratory a high-risk event for astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, exposing serious concerns about propulsion reliability in a pivotal human-spaceflight test. (8/20)
Trump to Present Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II Crew (Source: Space Policy Online)
President Donald Trump will present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen at a ceremony on Aug. 28 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew are the first astronauts to fly around the moon in more than 50 years. (8/21)
Starcloud Adds $250M to Series A at a $2.3B Valuation (Source: Space News)
Orbital data center startup Starcloud has expanded its Series A by $250 million, just five months after its initial raise. Manhattan West led the financing, which more than doubled the company’s valuation to $2.3 billion, underscoring investor momentum behind space-based data infrastructure. (8/21)
SpaceX is Hiring a Natural-Gas Trader to Support Growing Fuel and Power Needs (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is seeking a trader to build and lead a natural-gas trading team, linking the launch company’s expanding spaceflight operations to energy-market procurement. The role indicates that fuel and power requirements have become significant enough to warrant dedicated trading expertise within the company. (8/21)
Vast Cuts 4% of Employees, Saying They Did Not Meet Expectations in Review Cycle (Source: Business Insider)
Space station startup Vast has cut 4% of its workforce as the new space race heats up. The startup, which is developing a commercial replacement for the International Space Station (ISS), fired 46 employees on Wednesday, Business Insider has learned. The cuts come months after Vast raised $500 million in a funding round aimed at launching the world's first commercial space station in 2027. (8/21)
Racing to Build a Radio Telescope on the Moon (Source: Phys.org)
For a long time, scientists and engineers have proposed putting a radio telescope on one of the last spots in the solar system that is safe from our ever-growing sphere of radio influence—the far side of the moon. A new paper lays out a plan to do just that—and stresses that we need to do it before even that last safe haven is gone for good.
By 2030, a growing fleet of orbiters and landers will introduce permanent radio-frequency interference (RFI) to the far side of the moon. Mission planners know this, but ignoring an entire hemisphere of our nearest neighbor—especially one as scientifically interesting as the lunar far side—isn't in the nature of science. So, to put it simply, we have a limited amount of time to put a lunar telescope there if we don't want it to run into the same interference problem as other telescopes on Earth and in space.
Enter the Lunar Farside Transients and Technology Telescope (LFT3). This proposed mission would deploy a sophisticated radio antenna to the far side of the moon by the end of the decade—and plans to do it for only $150 million by using NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. (8/19)
AFRL Awards Trusted Space $14.8 Million Contract for Autonomous Satellite Research (Source: Military Aerospace)
The $14.83 million ceiling, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract covers research, development, software maturation, testing and on-orbit demonstration of autonomy software prototypes intended to build trust, safety and resilience into multi-agent autonomous space systems, according to the Department of Defense. (8/21)
Artificial Intelligence Integrations Drive Satellite Data Analytics Toward 14.2 Percent Annual Growth (Source: SatNews)
On August 20, 2026, market intelligence disclosures highlighted that the satellite data analytics sector is expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2 percent. The growth curve reflects a fundamental shift in how commercial enterprises and government agencies consume geospatial intelligence, transitioning from manual imagery interpretation to automated cloud analytics. The expansion of the analytics market is tied to the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and computer vision models trained directly on orbital sensor streams. (8/20)
Golden Dome Secrecy Poses Challenge for Estimating Costs (Source: Air and Space Forces)
While Pentagon officials have revealed some details about the architecture behind the Golden Dome missile defense project, crafting an independent cost estimate for a largely classified program remains a challenge, experts said. President Trump issued an executive order in January 2025 directing the Pentagon to build Golden Dome. Defense Department officials have said the system will consist of command-and-control nodes, satellite sensors, and ground-and- space-based interceptors, but the finer details of that architecture—including numbers of satellites and interceptors—remain shrouded in secrecy.
The Pentagon has said it expects the program to cost $185 billion to build over the next 10 years, but think tank experts and government analysis have argued the bill for what Trump’s executive order articulated will likely be much higher. Editor's Note: At an Aug. 21 panel discussion in Florida, an industry official warned that contractors seeking to support Golden Dome may find that current spending levels are unsustainable, given the $40+ trillion national debt. (8/19)
Ursa Major Expands in Colorado (Source: Interesting Engineering)
US aerospace and defense company Ursa Major opened a facility in Longmont on August 20 to take over production of spacecraft avionics and in-space propulsion systems. The facility can accommodate more than 125 employees. Moving this work from the company’s Berthoud headquarters will also create more manufacturing room there for liquid rocket engines, hypersonic systems, and solid rocket motors. The Longmont site includes dedicated welding and manufacturing laboratories, an environmental testing lab, an ISO 7 hard-walled clean room, and an adjoining ISO 8 gowning room. (8/21)
He Delivered 100 Georgia Babies. Soon, He’ll Return to Space on Artemis III (Source: AJC.com)
As an astronaut, Frank Rubio has seen the lights of Atlanta from space. As an Army doctor in labor and delivery at the Fort Benning hospital in Columbus, he has also seen the faces of parents aglow when he welcomed their babies into the world. Rubio, a multiskilled mission specialist for NASA — he has flown military helicopters and spent a year aboard the International Space Station where he famously grew tomatoes — will return to orbit next year aboard the Orion spacecraft. (8/21)
Star Catcher Gets $60 Million SpaceWERX Contract for Power Beaming (Source: Star Catcher)
Star Catcher has secured a $60 million STRATFI award from SpaceWERX on August 20, 2026, combining $30 million in government funds and $30 million in private capital. This follows an oversubscribed $65 million Series A round and supports their ongoing development of an in-space optical power beaming network. Star Catcher's optical power beaming is designed to supply on-demand electricity to commercial and defense satellites in orbit. (8/21)
The US is About to Wake Up to the Threat From China's Space Program (Source: Ars Technica)
As soon as this Sunday, a Long March 5 rocket will launch from a coastal seaport in China, carrying the Chang’e 7 lunar exploration mission. This is the latest and most sophisticated mission in China’s successful lunar exploration program, which dates back nearly two decades. The mission will pack a punch: It contains a lunar orbiter with high-resolution cameras and other sophisticated tools, a lunar lander, a lunar rover, and a mini-hopper of a probe. Although the lander’s mass has not been disclosed publicly, it is several times larger than the NASA-backed probes that have recently landed on the Moon, such as Firefly’s Blue Ghost.
China’s lunar ambitions are becoming a major test of American leadership in space. China’s push to land humans on the Moon could give Beijing a powerful geopolitical achievement, especially if it occurs before the United States returns astronauts to the lunar surface. A successful mission would demonstrate technological maturity, national ambition, and the ability to execute complex long-term programs. The competition is about more than symbolic prestige. Lunar missions can advance communications, robotics, navigation, resource exploration, scientific research, and the operational experience needed for a sustained presence beyond Earth.
Editor's Note: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, during a discussion on Aug. 21 in Florida, warned that China may soon stake a claim to some key lunar South Pole real estate, which might otherwise be needed for NASA's Artemis lunar base plans. He said a high cadence of US lunar missions, and a "Nuclear NASA" focus, are needed to secure a strategic US presence on the Moon. (8/20)
SpaceX Launches Friday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched yet another Starlink mission today (Aug. 21), sending 29 more of the broadband satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast. The spacecraft flew aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. That was a day later than planned; SpaceX scrubbed a liftoff attempt on Thursday (Aug. 20) for reasons that were not immediately clear. (8/21)
Japan Unveils Mars Moon Sample-Return Spacecraft Ahead of Oct. 19 Launch (Source: Space.com)
The world just got its first good looks at some hardware that will make spaceflight history. Last Thursday (Aug. 13), Japan unveiled the spacecraft that make up its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which aims to snag samples of the Mars moon Phobos and haul them to Earth — something that has never been done. The big reveal came at Tanegashima Space Center, the site from which MMX will launch toward the Red Planet atop an H3 rocket. (8/21)
Sentinel-1 Captures Major Ice Loss From Greenland Glacier (Source: European Space Agency)
Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has captured a dramatic change at Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland, where a 76 sq km section of the glacier’s floating ice tongue broke away on 4 August 2026. The event marks the glacier’s largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the most significant calving event in the Arctic since 2020 – revealing once again how rapidly Earth’s polar landscapes can change. (8/21)
Space Transportation Policy Aims for 1000 Launches/Reentries Per Year (Source: Space News)
The White House released a new space transportation policy Thursday with a goal of sharply increasing launch rates. The policy, updated for the first time since 2013, sets a goal of being able to support at least 1,000 launches and reentries a year from U.S. facilities by 2030, a roughly fivefold increase from current rates. A major focus of the policy is on spaceports and related infrastructure, including new launch sites and a new federal reentry site. Other elements of the policy include development of a space transportation industrial base strategy and coordination of government purchases of commercial launch services. (8/21)
White House Space Policy Directs Agencies to Send Humans to Mars (Source: Washington Post)
The new policy directs NASA to explore commercial avenues for robots to access the surface of Mars and architecture capable of getting humans to Mars and returning them to Earth. Implementation will depend on private sector buy-in and Congress’ willingness to fund the objectives, which the memorandum acknowledges. The policy replaces guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2013. (8/21)
Space Force Picks Companies for Technology Development Projects (Source: Space News)
The innovation arm of the Space Force selected 11 companies for a new round of public-private financing. SpaceWERX announced Thursday agreements with the companies with a combined value of $562.5 million from government organizations and private investors, including $245 million from the government. SpaceWERX did not provide details of the individual projects funded in the agreements, which are intended to move space technologies from prototypes to operational systems. The winning companies are Agile Space Industries, Antares Nuclear, EO Solutions, Hydrosat, Kall Morris, Method Security, Muon Space, Scout Space, Sedaro, Star Catcher Industries and ThinkOrbital. (8/21)
China's Landspace Plans to Refly Land-Landed Zhuque-3 Booster Soon (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch company Landspace plans to refly a booster it landed earlier this week in the next several months. A company representative told Chinese financial outlet STAR Market Daily that Landspace plans to conduct a reflight test of the recovered Zhuque-3 stage within six months. The company said it made several technical changes to the booster after a failed landing on the rocket's first flight last December. Those changes included a reduced number of engines used in the landing burn and improved thermal protection to handle the extreme reentry heating and structural loads. The company's goal is to fly each booster at least 20 times. (8/21)
Elve Qualfies Wave Tube Amplifier for Spaceflight (Source: Space News)
Elve has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier platform for spaceflight. The company used a Space Force SBIR award to qualify a family of products for spaceflight and expects to fly the amplifiers on a satellite within a year. The amplifiers promise higher data rates for spacecraft. (8/21)
Next ISS Spacewalk Revised (Source: NASA)
NASA is revising plans for its next ISS spacewalk. NASA said Thursday that the spacewalk, scheduled for next Tuesday, will involve astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot installing a new antenna outside the station. That antenna was supposed to be installed on a spacewalk Tuesday by the two astronauts, but it took longer than expected to remove an old antenna at the location where the new one will be installed. The agency said that, if time allows, the astronauts will also replace a retroreflector on a docking port of the station, one of the tasks originally planned for the upcoming spacewalk. The agency is considering adding another spacewalk on Sept. 1 to carry out additional maintenance. (8/21)
Tax Incentives Trigger Blue Origin Manufacturing Project in Texas (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Blue Origin is now publicly linked to a major manufacturing project in central Texas. Williamson County commissioners approved on Thursday an economic development agreement for a factory spanning 1.3 million square feet in Hutto, Texas, north of Austin. The vote was the first time that Blue Origin was publicly named as the company planning the project, which previously has been discussed using code names, although the company had been rumored to be associated with it.
Neither the company nor the commissioners disclosed what would be produced there, but officials said it would create 2,000 jobs over 10 years. Williamson County’s 10-year plan includes a 100% tax abatement on real property and a 50% abatement on personal property for the first five years and a 50% abatement on real property for the second five years. The agreement also includes requirements for Blue Origin to work with the Hutto school district on a career and technical education program and provide high school internships. (8/20)
Young Uruguayan Woman Selected to Build a Satellite Alongside Students From 108 Countries (Source: El Pais)
Two years ago, Valentina Bidegaray stumbled across a news story about wormholes , a concept derived from Albert Einstein 's theory of general relativity and often used in science fiction films to explain time travel. What followed was an adventure driven by curiosity: Bidegaray knew she wouldn't be taking astronomy as a subject in high school, since it had been announced in 2023 that it would no longer be offered, and she dedicated herself to researching everything she could about the topic on her own. She even visited the Kennedy Space Center, which ultimately confirmed her interest in the subject. (8/20)
From Uruguay to NASA: the Story of Noelia González and Her Role in the Artemis II Lunar Mission (Source: El Pais)
Noelia González was born in San Carlos, but grew up in Punta del Este. She has a degree in Communication from the University of Montevideo (UM) and has lived in the United States for 12 years, a country she went to in order to study for a master's degree and which she eventually made her home. Along with her husband and two children – aged 7 and 2 – she resides in Maryland, a few kilometers from Washington DC, where she arrived after receiving a dream job offer: to be part of the Spanish communication team of NASA. (8/4)
A new SPACECOM futures report highlights ground segment vulnerabilities as a key issue, something hardly mentioned by the Space Force in their similar report. In addition, SPACECOM puts a spotlight on cislunar space as a domain of emerging military space competition, whereas the Space Force hasn’t voiced a strong interest beyond citing a need to monitor adversary activity in the vast volume of space between the Earth and the moon. (8/22)
US Space Forces Japan Chief Sees Expanded Collaboration (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
The commander of U.S. Space Forces Japan said space is no longer a “sanctuary” and instead has become a warfighting domain, and has outlined plans for a major expansion of the command’s headquarters staff. Col. John Patrick indicated that the United States and Japan intend to deepen their close cooperation in the space domain, including coordination in command and control. U.S. Space Forces Japan was established in December 2024, and Patrick assumed command as its second commander in June this year.
He said U.S. Space Forces Japan’s purpose is to help defend the U.S. homeland and to strengthen cooperation with Japan. He said efforts are underway to expand the headquarters from about 20 personnel at the time he took command to a force of 80 members, adding that the expansion is expected to enhance the headquarters’ capabilities in command and control, operations and planning. Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force is also set to be reorganized into the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force during the current fiscal year. (8/22)
SpaceX’s Starlink Blackout Punishes Myanmar Civilians, Not Just Cybercriminals (Source: SCMP)
SpaceX discontinued its Global Roam service for existing Myanmar customers as of Monday. The US company offered no specific reason beyond regulatory compliance, but few would question the move, given the need to clamp down on the increasing number of cybercrime networks that tap into its Starlink services globally. (8/22)
Isaacman Says Artemis III Could Launch in June 2027 (Source: Florida Today)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday that the agency’s Artemis III mission could launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as June 2027 — a fast-approaching target. He was a keynote speaker at the Space Coast Symposium in Cape Canaveral. (8/22)
Eight Emerging Startups Selected for ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Accelerator Program (Source: CASIS)
The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory announced the eight early-stage startups selected for the two tracks of the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program. Now in its second year, this one-of-a-kind accelerator will provide the selected startups with access to low Earth orbit for research and technology development and $500,000 to $750,000 in private capital funding per startup. Click here. (8/12)
Space Command to Relocate 200 Personnel to Alabama This Year (Source: Air and Space Forces)
U.S. Space Command officials say they’re on track to relocate 200 personnel from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Huntsville by the end of this year as part of a multiyear transition of the command’s headquarters. In the year since President Donald Trump announced U.S. Space Command would stand up its permanent headquarters in Huntsville—reversing a decision by former President Joe Biden to keep the command in Colorado—SPACECOM has made fast progress on its goal to relocate its 1,800 personnel there by 2031. (8/21)
Trump’s Space Transportation Policy Calls for New Spaceport on Federal Land (Source: Ars Technica)
A new national space transportation policy calls for the development of more spaceports. The government will identify potential locations for additional launch facilities in the United States. The directive appears to endorse the results of a recent Pentagon study that identified the need for the government to have a third heavy-lift launch site. It also supports more efficient range scheduling criteria at federally owned spaceports, balancing the needs of commercial users and US government missions. It also directs the military and NASA to “regularly publish range schedules to ensure transparent allocation of resources and optimize launch capacity.”
The Department of the Interior is also directed to identify federal lands to serve as a designated reentry site. The policy seeks to improve integration of space launch and reentry operations into airspace and air traffic control modernization efforts, and designate “priority airspace for critical space launch corridors." Editor's Note: This airspace-oriented direction might also encourage the FAA to seek the designation of a supersonic/hypersonic flight test corridor, to support hypersonic R&D and facilitate the re-introduction of supersonic passenger flights in US airspace. (8/21)
Canada Awards Four FAST Grants, Total Hits $6.8 Million (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has selected four more projects under its 2025 FAST program, backing advanced manufacturing for space structures, astronaut training, navigation in low Earth orbit and CubeSats with about $1.45 million combined. As of August 17, 2026, the CSA has awarded 19 grants under the FAST 2025 AO representing $6.8 million to Canadian post-secondary institutions to advance space science and technology, while training the next generation of space experts. (8/21)
UF Astraeus Space Institute Launches New Hub for Space Exploration and Innovation (Source: UF)
The University of Florida’s Astraeus Space Institute marked a major milestone Thursday, Aug. 20, with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of its new Mission Operations Center at the Computer Science Engineering Building, located on main campus in Gainesville. The new facility provides Astraeus with a dedicated space to advance interdisciplinary research, collaboration and innovation in space exploration.
Faculty, university leaders, researchers, students and community partners gathered for the event to officially recognize the growth of Astraeus and its continued mission to bring together experts from across UF to address challenges and opportunities in the space sector. David Norton, Ph.D., vice president for research at UF and chair of the Florida Space Research Consortium board, said the new headquarters will provide a central hub for collaboration and innovation. (8/21)
Mu-G Technologies Readies Pilots for Microgravity Flight Services (Source: Mu-G)
Members of the flight test team at Mu-g Technologies have completed the FAA’s Flight Test Crew Resource Management for Flight Test Pilots/Engineers course in Oklahoma City. This curriculum combines hands-on case studies with intensive CRM-focused scenarios in the FAA’s Level D full-motion A330-200 and B737-800 simulators. From performance and stability testing at altitude to managing complex crew dynamics, the experience was invaluable. This specialized training prepares Mu-g pilots and test engineers for the company's upcoming flight test campaign using their Dassault Falcon 50 parabolic aircraft. (8/21)
Are Launched Payloads Exported? Some Regulators Say No, Some Say Yes (Source: SPACErePORT)
Satellites launched from (and returned to) the Cape Canaveral Spaceport have since 1989 benefitted from Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 136, encompassing multiple spaceport-adjacent facilities where international payloads and parts are imported, assembled, processed, and launched (exported) without exposure to US import tariffs. The Airbus OneWeb satellite manufacturing site is an excellent example.
Whether US-developed space hardware requires pre-launch export licensure and ITAR/EAR approvals is an open question that is causing some confusion for payloads that will be used or controlled by foreign entities...especially as the number of US-launched payloads expands substantially at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and elsewhere. Because export violations can reach $10,000 per occurrence, additional clarity is needed.
The Space Coast World Trade Council will host an Oct. 23 event at the Melbourne International Airport for satellite manufacturers, payload processing companies, spaceports, compliance managers, trade attorneys, logistics professionals, launch companies, and other stakeholders to discuss the provisions of ITAR, EAR, and Foreign Trade Regulations and how they apply to space launch and reentry operations. For information contact Bill Cantillon at bcantillon@bellsouth.net. (8/22)
SpaceX Scales Back Plans for Next Starship Launch, Dropping Planned Upper-Stage Catch (Source: Space News)
SpaceX’s next Starship flight is now unlikely to attempt a launch-site catch of the vehicle’s upper stage, signaling a narrower test objective for the upcoming mission. The change reduces the scope of the next demonstration as SpaceX continues developing Starship’s recovery architecture. The decision narrows the next Starship flight’s test objectives and provides less near-term opportunity to validate recovery of the upper stage at the launch site. (8/21)
Taiwan’s First Domestic Rocket Test Terminates Shortly After Liftoff (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Taiwan’s first flight test of a domestically developed satellite launch vehicle ended shortly after liftoff, marking an early setback in the island’s effort to establish independent access to space. The test reflects Taiwan’s push to develop indigenous launch capabilities for its growing satellite ambitions. (8/21)
Boeing Starliner Thruster Failures Turned First Crewed Docking Into a Near-Disaster (Source: Air Current)
Thruster failures during Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight in June 2024 made its docking with the orbiting laboratory a high-risk event for astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, exposing serious concerns about propulsion reliability in a pivotal human-spaceflight test. (8/20)
Trump to Present Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II Crew (Source: Space Policy Online)
President Donald Trump will present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen at a ceremony on Aug. 28 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew are the first astronauts to fly around the moon in more than 50 years. (8/21)
Starcloud Adds $250M to Series A at a $2.3B Valuation (Source: Space News)
Orbital data center startup Starcloud has expanded its Series A by $250 million, just five months after its initial raise. Manhattan West led the financing, which more than doubled the company’s valuation to $2.3 billion, underscoring investor momentum behind space-based data infrastructure. (8/21)
SpaceX is Hiring a Natural-Gas Trader to Support Growing Fuel and Power Needs (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is seeking a trader to build and lead a natural-gas trading team, linking the launch company’s expanding spaceflight operations to energy-market procurement. The role indicates that fuel and power requirements have become significant enough to warrant dedicated trading expertise within the company. (8/21)
Vast Cuts 4% of Employees, Saying They Did Not Meet Expectations in Review Cycle (Source: Business Insider)
Space station startup Vast has cut 4% of its workforce as the new space race heats up. The startup, which is developing a commercial replacement for the International Space Station (ISS), fired 46 employees on Wednesday, Business Insider has learned. The cuts come months after Vast raised $500 million in a funding round aimed at launching the world's first commercial space station in 2027. (8/21)
Racing to Build a Radio Telescope on the Moon (Source: Phys.org)
For a long time, scientists and engineers have proposed putting a radio telescope on one of the last spots in the solar system that is safe from our ever-growing sphere of radio influence—the far side of the moon. A new paper lays out a plan to do just that—and stresses that we need to do it before even that last safe haven is gone for good.
By 2030, a growing fleet of orbiters and landers will introduce permanent radio-frequency interference (RFI) to the far side of the moon. Mission planners know this, but ignoring an entire hemisphere of our nearest neighbor—especially one as scientifically interesting as the lunar far side—isn't in the nature of science. So, to put it simply, we have a limited amount of time to put a lunar telescope there if we don't want it to run into the same interference problem as other telescopes on Earth and in space.
Enter the Lunar Farside Transients and Technology Telescope (LFT3). This proposed mission would deploy a sophisticated radio antenna to the far side of the moon by the end of the decade—and plans to do it for only $150 million by using NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. (8/19)
AFRL Awards Trusted Space $14.8 Million Contract for Autonomous Satellite Research (Source: Military Aerospace)
The $14.83 million ceiling, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract covers research, development, software maturation, testing and on-orbit demonstration of autonomy software prototypes intended to build trust, safety and resilience into multi-agent autonomous space systems, according to the Department of Defense. (8/21)
Artificial Intelligence Integrations Drive Satellite Data Analytics Toward 14.2 Percent Annual Growth (Source: SatNews)
On August 20, 2026, market intelligence disclosures highlighted that the satellite data analytics sector is expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2 percent. The growth curve reflects a fundamental shift in how commercial enterprises and government agencies consume geospatial intelligence, transitioning from manual imagery interpretation to automated cloud analytics. The expansion of the analytics market is tied to the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and computer vision models trained directly on orbital sensor streams. (8/20)
Golden Dome Secrecy Poses Challenge for Estimating Costs (Source: Air and Space Forces)
While Pentagon officials have revealed some details about the architecture behind the Golden Dome missile defense project, crafting an independent cost estimate for a largely classified program remains a challenge, experts said. President Trump issued an executive order in January 2025 directing the Pentagon to build Golden Dome. Defense Department officials have said the system will consist of command-and-control nodes, satellite sensors, and ground-and- space-based interceptors, but the finer details of that architecture—including numbers of satellites and interceptors—remain shrouded in secrecy.
The Pentagon has said it expects the program to cost $185 billion to build over the next 10 years, but think tank experts and government analysis have argued the bill for what Trump’s executive order articulated will likely be much higher. Editor's Note: At an Aug. 21 panel discussion in Florida, an industry official warned that contractors seeking to support Golden Dome may find that current spending levels are unsustainable, given the $40+ trillion national debt. (8/19)
Ursa Major Expands in Colorado (Source: Interesting Engineering)
US aerospace and defense company Ursa Major opened a facility in Longmont on August 20 to take over production of spacecraft avionics and in-space propulsion systems. The facility can accommodate more than 125 employees. Moving this work from the company’s Berthoud headquarters will also create more manufacturing room there for liquid rocket engines, hypersonic systems, and solid rocket motors. The Longmont site includes dedicated welding and manufacturing laboratories, an environmental testing lab, an ISO 7 hard-walled clean room, and an adjoining ISO 8 gowning room. (8/21)
He Delivered 100 Georgia Babies. Soon, He’ll Return to Space on Artemis III (Source: AJC.com)
As an astronaut, Frank Rubio has seen the lights of Atlanta from space. As an Army doctor in labor and delivery at the Fort Benning hospital in Columbus, he has also seen the faces of parents aglow when he welcomed their babies into the world. Rubio, a multiskilled mission specialist for NASA — he has flown military helicopters and spent a year aboard the International Space Station where he famously grew tomatoes — will return to orbit next year aboard the Orion spacecraft. (8/21)
Star Catcher Gets $60 Million SpaceWERX Contract for Power Beaming (Source: Star Catcher)
Star Catcher has secured a $60 million STRATFI award from SpaceWERX on August 20, 2026, combining $30 million in government funds and $30 million in private capital. This follows an oversubscribed $65 million Series A round and supports their ongoing development of an in-space optical power beaming network. Star Catcher's optical power beaming is designed to supply on-demand electricity to commercial and defense satellites in orbit. (8/21)
The US is About to Wake Up to the Threat From China's Space Program (Source: Ars Technica)
As soon as this Sunday, a Long March 5 rocket will launch from a coastal seaport in China, carrying the Chang’e 7 lunar exploration mission. This is the latest and most sophisticated mission in China’s successful lunar exploration program, which dates back nearly two decades. The mission will pack a punch: It contains a lunar orbiter with high-resolution cameras and other sophisticated tools, a lunar lander, a lunar rover, and a mini-hopper of a probe. Although the lander’s mass has not been disclosed publicly, it is several times larger than the NASA-backed probes that have recently landed on the Moon, such as Firefly’s Blue Ghost.
China’s lunar ambitions are becoming a major test of American leadership in space. China’s push to land humans on the Moon could give Beijing a powerful geopolitical achievement, especially if it occurs before the United States returns astronauts to the lunar surface. A successful mission would demonstrate technological maturity, national ambition, and the ability to execute complex long-term programs. The competition is about more than symbolic prestige. Lunar missions can advance communications, robotics, navigation, resource exploration, scientific research, and the operational experience needed for a sustained presence beyond Earth.
Editor's Note: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, during a discussion on Aug. 21 in Florida, warned that China may soon stake a claim to some key lunar South Pole real estate, which might otherwise be needed for NASA's Artemis lunar base plans. He said a high cadence of US lunar missions, and a "Nuclear NASA" focus, are needed to secure a strategic US presence on the Moon. (8/20)
SpaceX Launches Friday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched yet another Starlink mission today (Aug. 21), sending 29 more of the broadband satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast. The spacecraft flew aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. That was a day later than planned; SpaceX scrubbed a liftoff attempt on Thursday (Aug. 20) for reasons that were not immediately clear. (8/21)
Japan Unveils Mars Moon Sample-Return Spacecraft Ahead of Oct. 19 Launch (Source: Space.com)
The world just got its first good looks at some hardware that will make spaceflight history. Last Thursday (Aug. 13), Japan unveiled the spacecraft that make up its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which aims to snag samples of the Mars moon Phobos and haul them to Earth — something that has never been done. The big reveal came at Tanegashima Space Center, the site from which MMX will launch toward the Red Planet atop an H3 rocket. (8/21)
Sentinel-1 Captures Major Ice Loss From Greenland Glacier (Source: European Space Agency)
Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has captured a dramatic change at Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland, where a 76 sq km section of the glacier’s floating ice tongue broke away on 4 August 2026. The event marks the glacier’s largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the most significant calving event in the Arctic since 2020 – revealing once again how rapidly Earth’s polar landscapes can change. (8/21)
Space Transportation Policy Aims for 1000 Launches/Reentries Per Year (Source: Space News)
The White House released a new space transportation policy Thursday with a goal of sharply increasing launch rates. The policy, updated for the first time since 2013, sets a goal of being able to support at least 1,000 launches and reentries a year from U.S. facilities by 2030, a roughly fivefold increase from current rates. A major focus of the policy is on spaceports and related infrastructure, including new launch sites and a new federal reentry site. Other elements of the policy include development of a space transportation industrial base strategy and coordination of government purchases of commercial launch services. (8/21)
White House Space Policy Directs Agencies to Send Humans to Mars (Source: Washington Post)
The new policy directs NASA to explore commercial avenues for robots to access the surface of Mars and architecture capable of getting humans to Mars and returning them to Earth. Implementation will depend on private sector buy-in and Congress’ willingness to fund the objectives, which the memorandum acknowledges. The policy replaces guidance issued by the Obama administration in 2013. (8/21)
Space Force Picks Companies for Technology Development Projects (Source: Space News)
The innovation arm of the Space Force selected 11 companies for a new round of public-private financing. SpaceWERX announced Thursday agreements with the companies with a combined value of $562.5 million from government organizations and private investors, including $245 million from the government. SpaceWERX did not provide details of the individual projects funded in the agreements, which are intended to move space technologies from prototypes to operational systems. The winning companies are Agile Space Industries, Antares Nuclear, EO Solutions, Hydrosat, Kall Morris, Method Security, Muon Space, Scout Space, Sedaro, Star Catcher Industries and ThinkOrbital. (8/21)
China's Landspace Plans to Refly Land-Landed Zhuque-3 Booster Soon (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch company Landspace plans to refly a booster it landed earlier this week in the next several months. A company representative told Chinese financial outlet STAR Market Daily that Landspace plans to conduct a reflight test of the recovered Zhuque-3 stage within six months. The company said it made several technical changes to the booster after a failed landing on the rocket's first flight last December. Those changes included a reduced number of engines used in the landing burn and improved thermal protection to handle the extreme reentry heating and structural loads. The company's goal is to fly each booster at least 20 times. (8/21)
Elve Qualfies Wave Tube Amplifier for Spaceflight (Source: Space News)
Elve has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier platform for spaceflight. The company used a Space Force SBIR award to qualify a family of products for spaceflight and expects to fly the amplifiers on a satellite within a year. The amplifiers promise higher data rates for spacecraft. (8/21)
Next ISS Spacewalk Revised (Source: NASA)
NASA is revising plans for its next ISS spacewalk. NASA said Thursday that the spacewalk, scheduled for next Tuesday, will involve astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot installing a new antenna outside the station. That antenna was supposed to be installed on a spacewalk Tuesday by the two astronauts, but it took longer than expected to remove an old antenna at the location where the new one will be installed. The agency said that, if time allows, the astronauts will also replace a retroreflector on a docking port of the station, one of the tasks originally planned for the upcoming spacewalk. The agency is considering adding another spacewalk on Sept. 1 to carry out additional maintenance. (8/21)
Tax Incentives Trigger Blue Origin Manufacturing Project in Texas (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Blue Origin is now publicly linked to a major manufacturing project in central Texas. Williamson County commissioners approved on Thursday an economic development agreement for a factory spanning 1.3 million square feet in Hutto, Texas, north of Austin. The vote was the first time that Blue Origin was publicly named as the company planning the project, which previously has been discussed using code names, although the company had been rumored to be associated with it.
Neither the company nor the commissioners disclosed what would be produced there, but officials said it would create 2,000 jobs over 10 years. Williamson County’s 10-year plan includes a 100% tax abatement on real property and a 50% abatement on personal property for the first five years and a 50% abatement on real property for the second five years. The agreement also includes requirements for Blue Origin to work with the Hutto school district on a career and technical education program and provide high school internships. (8/20)
Young Uruguayan Woman Selected to Build a Satellite Alongside Students From 108 Countries (Source: El Pais)
Two years ago, Valentina Bidegaray stumbled across a news story about wormholes , a concept derived from Albert Einstein 's theory of general relativity and often used in science fiction films to explain time travel. What followed was an adventure driven by curiosity: Bidegaray knew she wouldn't be taking astronomy as a subject in high school, since it had been announced in 2023 that it would no longer be offered, and she dedicated herself to researching everything she could about the topic on her own. She even visited the Kennedy Space Center, which ultimately confirmed her interest in the subject. (8/20)
From Uruguay to NASA: the Story of Noelia González and Her Role in the Artemis II Lunar Mission (Source: El Pais)
Noelia González was born in San Carlos, but grew up in Punta del Este. She has a degree in Communication from the University of Montevideo (UM) and has lived in the United States for 12 years, a country she went to in order to study for a master's degree and which she eventually made her home. Along with her husband and two children – aged 7 and 2 – she resides in Maryland, a few kilometers from Washington DC, where she arrived after receiving a dream job offer: to be part of the Spanish communication team of NASA. (8/4)
August 21, 2026
SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile Seek
Spectrum Valued at $6 Billion for Direct-to-Phone Satellite Services
(Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are among the companies exploring a purchase of spectrum owned by Grain Management, according to people familiar with the discussions. The frequencies are considered especially valuable for connecting standard wireless phones directly to satellites, underscoring the strategic importance of spectrum access to space-based connectivity plans. (8/20)
Sypris Electronics Wins Power-Processing Contract for Unnamed LEO Constellation (Source: Via Satellite)
Sypris Electronics will manufacture power processing units for an unnamed next-generation low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation under a newly announced award. Protoflight production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with deliveries expected to continue through 2028, signaling a multi-year manufacturing commitment. (8/20)
Phantom Space Appoints Worth Wray as COO to Scale Operations and Launch Cadence (Source: Via Satellite)
Phantom Space has named Worth Wray chief operating officer, assigning him responsibility for day-to-day operations, efficiency, capital formation and business-process expansion. The appointment comes as the company works to increase production and establish a more consistent launch cadence. (8/20)
Stoke Space Advances Nova Toward Potential 2026 Debut with Vehicle Mating and Engine Completion (Source: NSF)
Stoke Space has completed first-stage engines and conducted second-stage fit checks for Nova, its fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle. The milestones, including vehicle mating, mark further progress toward the startup’s potential 2026 maiden launch as attention remains focused on SpaceX’s Starship program. (8/19)
Five Journalists and Two Military Members Held at Gunpoint at Vandenberg (Source: The Hill)
Five invited journalists and the two military members escorting them to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base were briefly detained at gunpoint by security personnel who mistakenly believed they were attempting to enter the installation without authorization. The incident has prompted a public-affairs response from the base. (8/20)
ESA Shelves Ariane 6 Block 3 Evolution and ICARUS Upper-Stage Plans (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has confirmed that the proposed Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution, including the lightweight ICARUS upper stage, has been shelved. The decision removes a planned pathway for upgrading Europe’s heavy-lift launcher, with implications for future Ariane 6 performance and development priorities. (8/20)
SpaceX’s Orbital Data Centers Could Create a New Category of E-Waste (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX’s proposed orbital data centers would place large-scale computing hardware in space, creating a new end-of-life challenge for electronic equipment beyond Earth. The concept resembles asteroid mining in reverse: instead of extracting material from orbit, operators could leave behind increasingly difficult-to-manage e-waste. (8/20)
ATMOS advances Phoenix 3 Study as Phoenix 2 Inaugural Flight Slips to 2027 (Source: European Spaceflight)
German space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo has completed an early-stage design study for its reusable Phoenix 3 spacecraft. The announcement comes just two months after the company pushed the launch of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft from the second half of 2026 to early 2027. Work on the Phoenix 3 study was conducted with the European Space Agency at the agency’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at ESTEC in the Netherlands. Teams assessed a version of the spacecraft capable of carrying payloads of more than 1,000 kilograms. When reentering Earth’s atmosphere, it would deploy a large inflatable atmospheric decelerator to enable its safe recovery. (8/19)
Europe Risks Falling Behind in the Race for Orbital Data Centers (Source: Bloomberg)
Europe is emerging as a laggard in the global effort to move data centers into orbit, trailing the United States and China. The competitive gap highlights a developing strategic contest over space-based computing infrastructure and the technologies needed to support it. (8/19)
Mars Dirt Looks Deceptively Ordinary (Source: Space Daily)
Mars does not need an exotic poison cloud to create a chemical problem for astronauts. The material underfoot is enough. In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix lander mixed scoops of northern Martian soil with water inside its Wet Chemistry Laboratory and detected perchlorate at 0.4 to 0.6 percent by mass. At 0.5 percent, a kilogram of soil contains roughly five grams of perchlorate. These salts can interfere with the thyroid’s uptake of iodide. Fine soil carried back on spacesuits could therefore become more than a cleaning nuisance if it enters a pressurized habitat day after day. (8/20)
Virginia County Board Withdraws Resolution to Rename Wallops Launch Site (Source: Shore Daily News)
The Accomack County Board of Supervisors has rescinded a resolution asking the federal government to name a launch facility on Wallops Island after longtime NASA official and Eastern Shore native Thomas A. Young of Onancock. The original resolution was approved by the Board in July and was introduced by Supervisor Crockett. During Wednesday’s meeting, Crockett acknowledged he should have looked into the matter more thoroughly before asking the Board to approve the resolution. (8/20)
Rocket Lab Launches Another Japanese Earth Observing Satellite (Source: Space.com)
Rocket Lab launched a private Japanese satellite to orbit this morning (Aug. 20), adding to a growing constellation of Earth-observing spacecraft. An Electron vehicle lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site, carrying aloft a radar satellite for the Tokyo-based company iQPS. This was Rocket Lab's ninth launch for iQPS, which is building a constellation of 36 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). (8/20)
Pentagon Rebuffed Repeated CBO Requests for Golden Dome Brief (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Defense Department’s Golden Dome Office has repeatedly refused requests from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for a briefing on its plans, a senior CBO official said today amid criticisms from the Pentagon that the watchdog organization’s $1.2 trillion cost estimate for the missile shield is based on inaccurate information. (8/20)
In China, Rocket Launches Fuel Tourism and Space-Age Dreams (Source: Reuters)
Rocket launches are becoming both showcases of China’s space ambitions and holiday experiences, even when space missions do not always go as planned. Thousands watched on China's Hainan Island as a Long March 7A exploded soon after leaving the launch pad. Among those watching was Fu Jinhua, a 38-year-old tourist from the southern province of Guangdong. He said he expects that within 20 years, ordinary Chinese people would be able to go to space for fun just like taking a high-speed train or plane.
Once highly classified in remote deserts, China’s space launches have increasingly been open to public viewing as the country’s ambitions accelerate in a race with the United States. Plans include a crewed moon landing by 2030 followed by a crewed mission to Mars. Space has become a collective cultural experience, with tourism, art and commercial branding all playing a part. (8/20)
Launch Demand, Geopolitics Push Canadian Rocket Companies Toward "Sovereign" Capability (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
“Canada claims to be a space-faring nation,” says Andre Dupuis, CEO at Space Strategies Consulting, Ltd. “Some would argue you’re not a space-faring nation if you can’t actually put anything in space.” Now, a group of scrappy Canadian startups, bolstered by CAD $305 million from the Canadian government, are determined to push Canada into the space-launch business and ensure the country can launch the payloads it considers important for national development and defense.
They include Canada Rocket Company, which is developing a medium launch vehicle powered by seven of its own rocket engines. It’s joined by NordSpace, which is building both a rocket (Taiga) and the Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador. There’s also Reaction Dynamics, which is developing a light lift launch vehicle called Aurora. In May 2026, all three received the first round of funding (CAD $8.3 million each) from Canada’s Launch the North program.
Sovereign launch” is the industry term that indicates a country’s ability to launch its own spacecraft into orbit. Canada’s renewed desire for domestic launch is rooted in geopolitical shifts over the past 10 years. Tensions between the U.S. and Canada, largely over trade, are perhaps the most obvious example. In addition, Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, as well as the increased militarization of space, has some Canadians worried. (8/20)
Mysterious Russian 'Space Activity' Causes US Air Force Flight to Antarctica to Turn Around (Source: Space.com)
A mysterious incident over the southern Indian Ocean forced a U.S. Air Force aircraft to turn around due to an unnamed hazard in space. According to several New Zealand-based news outlets, a U.S. Air Force (USAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft left Christchurch Airport on New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday (Aug. 18) bound for McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Aircraft trackers using flight radar software noticed the C-17 turn around over the ocean some two hours into its flight.
According to a statement from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority given to the country's Stuff news outlet, the C-17 turned around after the Russian Air Traffic Management Corporation issued a notice advising of "space activity, potentially hazardous to aviation en route to Antarctica." It still remains unknown what that activity might have entailed, and the USAF has yet to issue a statement. (8/19)
Kratos Reports Growing Tri-Band Antenna Demand and Debuts New Model (Source: Via Satellite)
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received multi-million-dollar orders from multiple international customers for GAIA antenna systems by Orbit Communication Systems, now a Kratos company. These orders support Earth Observation (EO) and space satellite communications applications. Kratos acquired the Israeli satellite mobile systems company in March of this year to expand its portfolio in satcom tracking and communications management technologies. (8/19)
Some microbes Could Survive on the Moon—That’s a Big Problem for NASA (Source: Scientific American)
NASA plans to land humans on the moon for the first time in more than half a century by 2028—but such expeditions could unwittingly bring hitchhiking microbes to the lunar surface capable of surviving there. In a new study, NASA researchers found that five kinds of microorganisms that could feasibly find their way aboard one of the agency’s upcoming Artemis moon missions may be able to live at the lunar south pole. On Earth, these little life-forms are resistant to harsh conditions such as extreme cold, meaning they could theoretically survive if they somehow ended up in a part of the moon that is not exposed to direct sunlight. (8/19)
SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are among the companies exploring a purchase of spectrum owned by Grain Management, according to people familiar with the discussions. The frequencies are considered especially valuable for connecting standard wireless phones directly to satellites, underscoring the strategic importance of spectrum access to space-based connectivity plans. (8/20)
Sypris Electronics Wins Power-Processing Contract for Unnamed LEO Constellation (Source: Via Satellite)
Sypris Electronics will manufacture power processing units for an unnamed next-generation low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation under a newly announced award. Protoflight production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with deliveries expected to continue through 2028, signaling a multi-year manufacturing commitment. (8/20)
Phantom Space Appoints Worth Wray as COO to Scale Operations and Launch Cadence (Source: Via Satellite)
Phantom Space has named Worth Wray chief operating officer, assigning him responsibility for day-to-day operations, efficiency, capital formation and business-process expansion. The appointment comes as the company works to increase production and establish a more consistent launch cadence. (8/20)
Stoke Space Advances Nova Toward Potential 2026 Debut with Vehicle Mating and Engine Completion (Source: NSF)
Stoke Space has completed first-stage engines and conducted second-stage fit checks for Nova, its fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle. The milestones, including vehicle mating, mark further progress toward the startup’s potential 2026 maiden launch as attention remains focused on SpaceX’s Starship program. (8/19)
Five Journalists and Two Military Members Held at Gunpoint at Vandenberg (Source: The Hill)
Five invited journalists and the two military members escorting them to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base were briefly detained at gunpoint by security personnel who mistakenly believed they were attempting to enter the installation without authorization. The incident has prompted a public-affairs response from the base. (8/20)
ESA Shelves Ariane 6 Block 3 Evolution and ICARUS Upper-Stage Plans (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has confirmed that the proposed Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution, including the lightweight ICARUS upper stage, has been shelved. The decision removes a planned pathway for upgrading Europe’s heavy-lift launcher, with implications for future Ariane 6 performance and development priorities. (8/20)
SpaceX’s Orbital Data Centers Could Create a New Category of E-Waste (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX’s proposed orbital data centers would place large-scale computing hardware in space, creating a new end-of-life challenge for electronic equipment beyond Earth. The concept resembles asteroid mining in reverse: instead of extracting material from orbit, operators could leave behind increasingly difficult-to-manage e-waste. (8/20)
ATMOS advances Phoenix 3 Study as Phoenix 2 Inaugural Flight Slips to 2027 (Source: European Spaceflight)
German space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo has completed an early-stage design study for its reusable Phoenix 3 spacecraft. The announcement comes just two months after the company pushed the launch of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft from the second half of 2026 to early 2027. Work on the Phoenix 3 study was conducted with the European Space Agency at the agency’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at ESTEC in the Netherlands. Teams assessed a version of the spacecraft capable of carrying payloads of more than 1,000 kilograms. When reentering Earth’s atmosphere, it would deploy a large inflatable atmospheric decelerator to enable its safe recovery. (8/19)
Europe Risks Falling Behind in the Race for Orbital Data Centers (Source: Bloomberg)
Europe is emerging as a laggard in the global effort to move data centers into orbit, trailing the United States and China. The competitive gap highlights a developing strategic contest over space-based computing infrastructure and the technologies needed to support it. (8/19)
Mars Dirt Looks Deceptively Ordinary (Source: Space Daily)
Mars does not need an exotic poison cloud to create a chemical problem for astronauts. The material underfoot is enough. In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix lander mixed scoops of northern Martian soil with water inside its Wet Chemistry Laboratory and detected perchlorate at 0.4 to 0.6 percent by mass. At 0.5 percent, a kilogram of soil contains roughly five grams of perchlorate. These salts can interfere with the thyroid’s uptake of iodide. Fine soil carried back on spacesuits could therefore become more than a cleaning nuisance if it enters a pressurized habitat day after day. (8/20)
Virginia County Board Withdraws Resolution to Rename Wallops Launch Site (Source: Shore Daily News)
The Accomack County Board of Supervisors has rescinded a resolution asking the federal government to name a launch facility on Wallops Island after longtime NASA official and Eastern Shore native Thomas A. Young of Onancock. The original resolution was approved by the Board in July and was introduced by Supervisor Crockett. During Wednesday’s meeting, Crockett acknowledged he should have looked into the matter more thoroughly before asking the Board to approve the resolution. (8/20)
Rocket Lab Launches Another Japanese Earth Observing Satellite (Source: Space.com)
Rocket Lab launched a private Japanese satellite to orbit this morning (Aug. 20), adding to a growing constellation of Earth-observing spacecraft. An Electron vehicle lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site, carrying aloft a radar satellite for the Tokyo-based company iQPS. This was Rocket Lab's ninth launch for iQPS, which is building a constellation of 36 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). (8/20)
Pentagon Rebuffed Repeated CBO Requests for Golden Dome Brief (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Defense Department’s Golden Dome Office has repeatedly refused requests from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for a briefing on its plans, a senior CBO official said today amid criticisms from the Pentagon that the watchdog organization’s $1.2 trillion cost estimate for the missile shield is based on inaccurate information. (8/20)
In China, Rocket Launches Fuel Tourism and Space-Age Dreams (Source: Reuters)
Rocket launches are becoming both showcases of China’s space ambitions and holiday experiences, even when space missions do not always go as planned. Thousands watched on China's Hainan Island as a Long March 7A exploded soon after leaving the launch pad. Among those watching was Fu Jinhua, a 38-year-old tourist from the southern province of Guangdong. He said he expects that within 20 years, ordinary Chinese people would be able to go to space for fun just like taking a high-speed train or plane.
Once highly classified in remote deserts, China’s space launches have increasingly been open to public viewing as the country’s ambitions accelerate in a race with the United States. Plans include a crewed moon landing by 2030 followed by a crewed mission to Mars. Space has become a collective cultural experience, with tourism, art and commercial branding all playing a part. (8/20)
Launch Demand, Geopolitics Push Canadian Rocket Companies Toward "Sovereign" Capability (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
“Canada claims to be a space-faring nation,” says Andre Dupuis, CEO at Space Strategies Consulting, Ltd. “Some would argue you’re not a space-faring nation if you can’t actually put anything in space.” Now, a group of scrappy Canadian startups, bolstered by CAD $305 million from the Canadian government, are determined to push Canada into the space-launch business and ensure the country can launch the payloads it considers important for national development and defense.
They include Canada Rocket Company, which is developing a medium launch vehicle powered by seven of its own rocket engines. It’s joined by NordSpace, which is building both a rocket (Taiga) and the Atlantic Spaceport Complex in Newfoundland and Labrador. There’s also Reaction Dynamics, which is developing a light lift launch vehicle called Aurora. In May 2026, all three received the first round of funding (CAD $8.3 million each) from Canada’s Launch the North program.
Sovereign launch” is the industry term that indicates a country’s ability to launch its own spacecraft into orbit. Canada’s renewed desire for domestic launch is rooted in geopolitical shifts over the past 10 years. Tensions between the U.S. and Canada, largely over trade, are perhaps the most obvious example. In addition, Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, as well as the increased militarization of space, has some Canadians worried. (8/20)
Mysterious Russian 'Space Activity' Causes US Air Force Flight to Antarctica to Turn Around (Source: Space.com)
A mysterious incident over the southern Indian Ocean forced a U.S. Air Force aircraft to turn around due to an unnamed hazard in space. According to several New Zealand-based news outlets, a U.S. Air Force (USAF) C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft left Christchurch Airport on New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday (Aug. 18) bound for McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Aircraft trackers using flight radar software noticed the C-17 turn around over the ocean some two hours into its flight.
According to a statement from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority given to the country's Stuff news outlet, the C-17 turned around after the Russian Air Traffic Management Corporation issued a notice advising of "space activity, potentially hazardous to aviation en route to Antarctica." It still remains unknown what that activity might have entailed, and the USAF has yet to issue a statement. (8/19)
Kratos Reports Growing Tri-Band Antenna Demand and Debuts New Model (Source: Via Satellite)
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received multi-million-dollar orders from multiple international customers for GAIA antenna systems by Orbit Communication Systems, now a Kratos company. These orders support Earth Observation (EO) and space satellite communications applications. Kratos acquired the Israeli satellite mobile systems company in March of this year to expand its portfolio in satcom tracking and communications management technologies. (8/19)
Some microbes Could Survive on the Moon—That’s a Big Problem for NASA (Source: Scientific American)
NASA plans to land humans on the moon for the first time in more than half a century by 2028—but such expeditions could unwittingly bring hitchhiking microbes to the lunar surface capable of surviving there. In a new study, NASA researchers found that five kinds of microorganisms that could feasibly find their way aboard one of the agency’s upcoming Artemis moon missions may be able to live at the lunar south pole. On Earth, these little life-forms are resistant to harsh conditions such as extreme cold, meaning they could theoretically survive if they somehow ended up in a part of the moon that is not exposed to direct sunlight. (8/19)
August 20, 2026
Rocket Lab’s Bold Move to Acquire
Iridium: Analysts Break Down the Strategy (Source: Via
Satellite)
I would put this news first in terms of industrial significance. While the other announcements demonstrate what near-infinite capital can buy. they tell us little about where the sector is heading because only Musk and Bezos would be able to fund such ventures. Rocket Lab on the other hand has roughly $600 million of 2025 revenue and a net loss, and is buying a business with $870 million of revenue and $114 million of net income, partly on a $3.6 billion bridge loan, under daily public-market scrutiny. That’s a real industrial strategy executed under real constraints. Click here. (8/20)
Muon Space Raises $250 Million to Ramp Up Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Muon Space has raised $250 million in a Series C round to fuel the small satellite specialist’s push into larger, more powerful spacecraft and constellations. While Muon declined to comment on its valuation, a source said the funding valued the company at $1.5 billion. (8/20)
Fastest Star Discovered (Source: The Guardian)
Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star in the Milky Way. Its proximity to the galaxy’s central black hole could offer scientists a way to directly measure the spin of the supermassive cosmic entity for the first time and test Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Star S301 travels at speeds up to approximately 56 million mph. It follows a tight, lopsided orbit that places S301 roughly as close to black hole Sagittarius A* as Saturn is to the sun. (8/20)
Louisiana Announcement on Potential Spaceport on Tuesday (Source: KLFY)
An email invitation issued by the governor’s office and Louisiana Economic Development invited guests to join Landry and LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois for “a defining moment for Louisiana’s future.” The announcement will take place in Abbeville; the Vermilion Parish seat located about 45 miles southwest of Lafayette.
The coastal site southwest of Lafayette offers several logistical advantages for SpaceX. The remote area provides access to natural gas lines and proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway, which can accommodate heavy barges carrying rockets. Its position on the Gulf of Mexico is also suited for launching satellites along north-south orbits. (8/20)
New Arizona Space Blueprint Says State has a 3- to 5-Year Window to Compete for Jobs, Investment (Source: ABC15)
Arizona already builds satellites, missile systems, and technology headed for space. Now, a newly released Arizona Space Blueprint argues the state has a relatively short window to turn those assets into a much bigger piece of the growing space economy. The 2026 Arizona Space Blueprint was developed by the group Space Rising after the Arizona Space Congress was held in Phoenix in late spring. The organization says the report is a mix of all the information gathered during the Arizona Space Congress workshops and discussions back in April, along with statewide industry data.
According to the report, Arizona ranks first nationally in the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing employment. It also points to more than $2.8 billion in aerospace and defense expansion investment over the past five years and more than 60 aerospace and defense expansions announced in the state. The Arizona Commerce Authority independently lists Arizona No. 1 nationally for the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and among the country's leaders in aerospace and defense manufacturing employment. (8/18)
Rocket Lab Onboarded to U.S. Space Force’s $981M NITE-STAR Program to Advance Space Test and Training Infrastructure (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has been onboarded to the United States Space Force's NITE-STAR (NSTTC Innovative Technology & Engineering – Space Test and Range) IDIQ contract, an advanced space test and training infrastructure with a $981M contract ceiling. The NITE-STAR contract is intended to support a distributed test and training architecture to help prepare space operators for contested scenarios. The program supports the Space Force's mission to build an integrated test and training infrastructure that prepares space operators for contested scenarios and advances space warfighter readiness. (8/17)
Castelion Raises $1 Billion for Hypersonic Weapons Development in New Mexico (Source: Space News)
Castelion, a defense-tech startup seeking to mass produce lower-cost hypersonic weapons, has raised more than $1 billion in new financing. The company announced Wednesday a Series C round that includes $800 million in equity, co-led by JPMorganChase's Strategic Investment Group, Andreessen Horowitz and funds managed by Carlyle, along with $250 million in a revolving credit facility. The funding will be used to expand production of Blackbeard, Castelion's hypersonic strike missile, at its New Mexico factory. It will also accelerate work on a longer-range precision strike weapon and defensive systems for air and missile defense. The new funding round values the four-year-old company at $13 billion. (8/20)
Portal Buys Falcon 9 Ride for Supernova Mission (Source: Space News)
Portal Space Systems is buying a Falcon 9 launch for its first Supernova spacecraft and will offer space for secondary payloads. Portal said Thursday it is partnering with Maverick Space Systems on the 2028 launch of Portal's Supernova, a large spacecraft with a solar thermal propulsion system for high maneuverability. The companies said they will offer excess capacity on the launch for rideshare payloads, with the option of using Supernova to move those payloads to the desired orbits. SpaceX's reported plans to phase out its rideshare launch program have left many customers looking for alternative means to get to orbit. (8/20)
China's Chang'e-7 Lunar Mission Ready for Launch (Source: Space News)
China is planning to launch a mission Sunday to look for water ice at the south pole of the moon. A Long March 5 rocket was rolled out at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island on Wednesday for a launch expected around 8 p.m. Eastern Sunday. The rocket is carrying Chang'e-7, a mission that includes an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper spacecraft. The lander, carrying the rover and hopper, will attempt a landing near Shackleton crater in the south polar region of the moon. The various elements of the mission carry instruments designed to search for water ice thought to exist in permanently shadowed regions of craters at the lunar south pole. (8/20)
Eartheye Partners with IN2 (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Eartheye Space is partnering with strategic communications and consulting firm IN2. Under a memorandum of understanding announced Wednesday, IN2 will include Eartheye satellite data in the daily briefings and consulting projects its research staff prepares for government, defense and enterprise clients around the world. Eartheye Space, based in Singapore and Sydney, offers customers on-demand access to more than 30 commercial sensors on partner satellites, combined with AI analytics. Initially, the IN2 and Eartheye Space partnership will focus on infrastructure, disaster response and environmental monitoring. (8/20)
South Korea's Innospace Suffers Suborbital Launch Failure in Brazil (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
A suborbital launch by South Korean startup Innospace failed Wednesday. The company's first Sebit sounding rocket lifted off from the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. Video of the launch showed the vehicle starting to lose attitude control shortly after liftoff, and the vehicle then veered off course. Range safety officers activated the vehicle's flight termination system and debris from the vehicle splashed down in a designated hazard zone off the coast. Sebit uses a hybrid rocket motor similar to one on Innospace's Hanbit-Nano small orbital launch vehicle, which failed in its first flight from Alcântara last December. (8/20)
Starlab Gets Another Space Station Investor (Source: Voyager Technologies)
Commercial space station venture Starlab Space has attracted another investor. Global Venture Management is making an investment of undisclosed size in Starlab Space, a joint venture led by Voyager Technologies to develop the Starlab commercial station. Global Venture Management manages capital on behalf of institutional and accredited investors seeking exposure to high-growth private companies. Starlab Space has attracted several such investors in the last year but has not stated how much capital they have provided. (8/20)
Space Florida Among Awardees for NASA Technical Training Effort (Source: NASA)
NASA is working with organizations in seven states to promote training for space industry technical fields. NASA said Wednesday it is providing $10.5 million to schools and organizations in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas and Utah to help them create job-training programs through education and apprenticeships. The three-year effort, called NASA State Hubs, is intended to help meet the growing demand for skilled aerospace workers. The program is run by NASA's Office of STEM Engagement; NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, though, seeks to close that office. (8/20)
Swift Rescue Effort Scrapped as Katalyst Spacecraft Fails (Source: Reuters)
A mission to rescue NASA's aging Swift observatory in space was canceled on Wednesday after the spacecraft that was launched to tug the satellite to a higher orbit suffered irredeemable technical issues in space, the rescue craft's owner, Katalyst Space, said. Katalyst's LINK craft was launched in early July to approach the observatory, also known as Swift, some 216 miles (347 km) in space, grapple onto it and then tug it to a higher orbit of roughly 373 miles (600 km), extending its life by years. (8/19)
Study Gauges Spaceport America Economic Impact (Source: Spaceport America)
According to a six-year economic impact study from NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and Center for Border Economic Development, Spaceport America generated $110.8 million in value-added production in NM in 2024. The study also found that Spaceport America’s operations and activities supported 790 total jobs, nearly $240 million in economic output, $73.1 million in labor income and $24.4 million in total tax impact that year. (8/19)
Moog Adds High-Delta-V Configuration to METEORITE Satellite Bus (Source: Smallsat News)
Moog is expanding its METEORITE ESPA-class satellite bus with a high-delta-v configuration designed to provide greater mission flexibility, enhanced maneuverability and higher thrust. The new configuration is intended for targeted missions requiring more substantial orbital maneuvering capability from a compact satellite platform. (8/19)
Seraphim Space Invests a Further $30 Million in Hubble Network’s Satellite-to-Bluetooth Connectivity (Source: Via Satellite)
Seraphim Space Investment Trust is committing another $30 million to Hubble Network, which is developing a satellite-powered Bluetooth network. The system is designed to let standard, off-the-shelf Bluetooth Low Energy chips connect directly to satellites without cell towers, gateways or custom hardware. (8/18)
Satellite Technology Can Help Europe Battle Wildfires (Source: Politico)
As wildfires spread across Europe during another hot summer, satellites are providing earlier fire detection and detailed imagery of affected areas. The data can help authorities identify outbreaks sooner, assess damage more quickly and coordinate responses across large or difficult-to-access regions. (8/19)
Puerto Rico’s Aerospace Sector Takes Flight on a Global Stage (Source: Invest Puerto Rico)
Global aerospace and defense companies are reassessing where they manufacture, source, and scale as reshoring, supply chain resilience, and U.S.-based production reshape investment decisions. Puerto Rico enters that conversation with an established advanced manufacturing base, experienced engineering talent, and aerospace companies that have operated and grown on the island for decades. Following Invest Puerto Rico’s engagement at Eurosatory 2026, that value proposition took center stage at the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the world’s leading gatherings for aerospace, aviation, and defense.
From global industry conversations to the long-term growth of companies already operating on the island, the message is clear: Puerto Rico offers a proven platform for aerospace and advanced manufacturing within a U.S. jurisdiction. Invest Puerto Rico brought the island’s aerospace value proposition directly to companies evaluating where to build, source, and scale within the U.S. market. Invest Puerto Rico Business Development Director José L Hernández engaged manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders around Puerto Rico’s engineering talent, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and established aerospace ecosystem. (8/18)
America Has the World’s Biggest Aerospace Market. It Needs an Airshow to Match (Source: Aerospace Global News)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman recently shared his vision for MAX POWER, a recurring airshow and aerospace technology exposition at Kennedy Space Center to debut on November 7-8. According to Isaacman and other officials at the announcement, the idea is that MAX POWER could one day rival the Farnborough and Paris airshows that have become must-attend global gatherings for the aerospace industry.
We now accept as normal that the largest aerospace market on earth rents floor space at somebody else’s trade show. In this op-ed, Tim Franta argues that with some smart planning, MAX POWER could be the start of something big for the US aerospace industry. Click here. (8/19)
Neil Armstrong's Boyhood Home is Up for Sale (Source: Space 3.0)
The retired history teacher who has owned Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home in Wapakoneta, OH, since 1988 is selling it. She’s hoping that someone can buy it and donate it to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta (who doesn’t have the capital to buy the house themselves). Click here. (8/19)
America’s Space Economy Confronts a Supply Chain Resilience Challenge (Source: Space News)
America’s space economy is growing faster than the industrial base needed to support it, making supply chain resilience the industry’s next major challenge. The mismatch places manufacturing capacity, supplier depth and production scalability at the center of continued expansion across the sector. (8/18)
As Europe Rearms, Italy's Fragmented Space Sector Faces a Scale Test (Source: Reuters)
Italy’s space industry is confronting a scale test as defense and government customers increasingly favor larger suppliers able to manage complex programs. The shift is putting pressure on the country’s fragmented industrial base to consolidate and compete more effectively as European rearmament accelerates. (8/19)
I would put this news first in terms of industrial significance. While the other announcements demonstrate what near-infinite capital can buy. they tell us little about where the sector is heading because only Musk and Bezos would be able to fund such ventures. Rocket Lab on the other hand has roughly $600 million of 2025 revenue and a net loss, and is buying a business with $870 million of revenue and $114 million of net income, partly on a $3.6 billion bridge loan, under daily public-market scrutiny. That’s a real industrial strategy executed under real constraints. Click here. (8/20)
Muon Space Raises $250 Million to Ramp Up Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Muon Space has raised $250 million in a Series C round to fuel the small satellite specialist’s push into larger, more powerful spacecraft and constellations. While Muon declined to comment on its valuation, a source said the funding valued the company at $1.5 billion. (8/20)
Fastest Star Discovered (Source: The Guardian)
Astronomers have discovered the fastest known star in the Milky Way. Its proximity to the galaxy’s central black hole could offer scientists a way to directly measure the spin of the supermassive cosmic entity for the first time and test Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Star S301 travels at speeds up to approximately 56 million mph. It follows a tight, lopsided orbit that places S301 roughly as close to black hole Sagittarius A* as Saturn is to the sun. (8/20)
Louisiana Announcement on Potential Spaceport on Tuesday (Source: KLFY)
An email invitation issued by the governor’s office and Louisiana Economic Development invited guests to join Landry and LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois for “a defining moment for Louisiana’s future.” The announcement will take place in Abbeville; the Vermilion Parish seat located about 45 miles southwest of Lafayette.
The coastal site southwest of Lafayette offers several logistical advantages for SpaceX. The remote area provides access to natural gas lines and proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway, which can accommodate heavy barges carrying rockets. Its position on the Gulf of Mexico is also suited for launching satellites along north-south orbits. (8/20)
New Arizona Space Blueprint Says State has a 3- to 5-Year Window to Compete for Jobs, Investment (Source: ABC15)
Arizona already builds satellites, missile systems, and technology headed for space. Now, a newly released Arizona Space Blueprint argues the state has a relatively short window to turn those assets into a much bigger piece of the growing space economy. The 2026 Arizona Space Blueprint was developed by the group Space Rising after the Arizona Space Congress was held in Phoenix in late spring. The organization says the report is a mix of all the information gathered during the Arizona Space Congress workshops and discussions back in April, along with statewide industry data.
According to the report, Arizona ranks first nationally in the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing employment. It also points to more than $2.8 billion in aerospace and defense expansion investment over the past five years and more than 60 aerospace and defense expansions announced in the state. The Arizona Commerce Authority independently lists Arizona No. 1 nationally for the concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and among the country's leaders in aerospace and defense manufacturing employment. (8/18)
Rocket Lab Onboarded to U.S. Space Force’s $981M NITE-STAR Program to Advance Space Test and Training Infrastructure (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has been onboarded to the United States Space Force's NITE-STAR (NSTTC Innovative Technology & Engineering – Space Test and Range) IDIQ contract, an advanced space test and training infrastructure with a $981M contract ceiling. The NITE-STAR contract is intended to support a distributed test and training architecture to help prepare space operators for contested scenarios. The program supports the Space Force's mission to build an integrated test and training infrastructure that prepares space operators for contested scenarios and advances space warfighter readiness. (8/17)
Castelion Raises $1 Billion for Hypersonic Weapons Development in New Mexico (Source: Space News)
Castelion, a defense-tech startup seeking to mass produce lower-cost hypersonic weapons, has raised more than $1 billion in new financing. The company announced Wednesday a Series C round that includes $800 million in equity, co-led by JPMorganChase's Strategic Investment Group, Andreessen Horowitz and funds managed by Carlyle, along with $250 million in a revolving credit facility. The funding will be used to expand production of Blackbeard, Castelion's hypersonic strike missile, at its New Mexico factory. It will also accelerate work on a longer-range precision strike weapon and defensive systems for air and missile defense. The new funding round values the four-year-old company at $13 billion. (8/20)
Portal Buys Falcon 9 Ride for Supernova Mission (Source: Space News)
Portal Space Systems is buying a Falcon 9 launch for its first Supernova spacecraft and will offer space for secondary payloads. Portal said Thursday it is partnering with Maverick Space Systems on the 2028 launch of Portal's Supernova, a large spacecraft with a solar thermal propulsion system for high maneuverability. The companies said they will offer excess capacity on the launch for rideshare payloads, with the option of using Supernova to move those payloads to the desired orbits. SpaceX's reported plans to phase out its rideshare launch program have left many customers looking for alternative means to get to orbit. (8/20)
China's Chang'e-7 Lunar Mission Ready for Launch (Source: Space News)
China is planning to launch a mission Sunday to look for water ice at the south pole of the moon. A Long March 5 rocket was rolled out at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island on Wednesday for a launch expected around 8 p.m. Eastern Sunday. The rocket is carrying Chang'e-7, a mission that includes an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper spacecraft. The lander, carrying the rover and hopper, will attempt a landing near Shackleton crater in the south polar region of the moon. The various elements of the mission carry instruments designed to search for water ice thought to exist in permanently shadowed regions of craters at the lunar south pole. (8/20)
Eartheye Partners with IN2 (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Eartheye Space is partnering with strategic communications and consulting firm IN2. Under a memorandum of understanding announced Wednesday, IN2 will include Eartheye satellite data in the daily briefings and consulting projects its research staff prepares for government, defense and enterprise clients around the world. Eartheye Space, based in Singapore and Sydney, offers customers on-demand access to more than 30 commercial sensors on partner satellites, combined with AI analytics. Initially, the IN2 and Eartheye Space partnership will focus on infrastructure, disaster response and environmental monitoring. (8/20)
South Korea's Innospace Suffers Suborbital Launch Failure in Brazil (Source: Seoul Economic Daily)
A suborbital launch by South Korean startup Innospace failed Wednesday. The company's first Sebit sounding rocket lifted off from the Alcântara Space Center in Brazil at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. Video of the launch showed the vehicle starting to lose attitude control shortly after liftoff, and the vehicle then veered off course. Range safety officers activated the vehicle's flight termination system and debris from the vehicle splashed down in a designated hazard zone off the coast. Sebit uses a hybrid rocket motor similar to one on Innospace's Hanbit-Nano small orbital launch vehicle, which failed in its first flight from Alcântara last December. (8/20)
Starlab Gets Another Space Station Investor (Source: Voyager Technologies)
Commercial space station venture Starlab Space has attracted another investor. Global Venture Management is making an investment of undisclosed size in Starlab Space, a joint venture led by Voyager Technologies to develop the Starlab commercial station. Global Venture Management manages capital on behalf of institutional and accredited investors seeking exposure to high-growth private companies. Starlab Space has attracted several such investors in the last year but has not stated how much capital they have provided. (8/20)
Space Florida Among Awardees for NASA Technical Training Effort (Source: NASA)
NASA is working with organizations in seven states to promote training for space industry technical fields. NASA said Wednesday it is providing $10.5 million to schools and organizations in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas and Utah to help them create job-training programs through education and apprenticeships. The three-year effort, called NASA State Hubs, is intended to help meet the growing demand for skilled aerospace workers. The program is run by NASA's Office of STEM Engagement; NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, though, seeks to close that office. (8/20)
Swift Rescue Effort Scrapped as Katalyst Spacecraft Fails (Source: Reuters)
A mission to rescue NASA's aging Swift observatory in space was canceled on Wednesday after the spacecraft that was launched to tug the satellite to a higher orbit suffered irredeemable technical issues in space, the rescue craft's owner, Katalyst Space, said. Katalyst's LINK craft was launched in early July to approach the observatory, also known as Swift, some 216 miles (347 km) in space, grapple onto it and then tug it to a higher orbit of roughly 373 miles (600 km), extending its life by years. (8/19)
Study Gauges Spaceport America Economic Impact (Source: Spaceport America)
According to a six-year economic impact study from NMSU’s Arrowhead Center and Center for Border Economic Development, Spaceport America generated $110.8 million in value-added production in NM in 2024. The study also found that Spaceport America’s operations and activities supported 790 total jobs, nearly $240 million in economic output, $73.1 million in labor income and $24.4 million in total tax impact that year. (8/19)
Moog Adds High-Delta-V Configuration to METEORITE Satellite Bus (Source: Smallsat News)
Moog is expanding its METEORITE ESPA-class satellite bus with a high-delta-v configuration designed to provide greater mission flexibility, enhanced maneuverability and higher thrust. The new configuration is intended for targeted missions requiring more substantial orbital maneuvering capability from a compact satellite platform. (8/19)
Seraphim Space Invests a Further $30 Million in Hubble Network’s Satellite-to-Bluetooth Connectivity (Source: Via Satellite)
Seraphim Space Investment Trust is committing another $30 million to Hubble Network, which is developing a satellite-powered Bluetooth network. The system is designed to let standard, off-the-shelf Bluetooth Low Energy chips connect directly to satellites without cell towers, gateways or custom hardware. (8/18)
Satellite Technology Can Help Europe Battle Wildfires (Source: Politico)
As wildfires spread across Europe during another hot summer, satellites are providing earlier fire detection and detailed imagery of affected areas. The data can help authorities identify outbreaks sooner, assess damage more quickly and coordinate responses across large or difficult-to-access regions. (8/19)
Puerto Rico’s Aerospace Sector Takes Flight on a Global Stage (Source: Invest Puerto Rico)
Global aerospace and defense companies are reassessing where they manufacture, source, and scale as reshoring, supply chain resilience, and U.S.-based production reshape investment decisions. Puerto Rico enters that conversation with an established advanced manufacturing base, experienced engineering talent, and aerospace companies that have operated and grown on the island for decades. Following Invest Puerto Rico’s engagement at Eurosatory 2026, that value proposition took center stage at the Farnborough International Airshow, one of the world’s leading gatherings for aerospace, aviation, and defense.
From global industry conversations to the long-term growth of companies already operating on the island, the message is clear: Puerto Rico offers a proven platform for aerospace and advanced manufacturing within a U.S. jurisdiction. Invest Puerto Rico brought the island’s aerospace value proposition directly to companies evaluating where to build, source, and scale within the U.S. market. Invest Puerto Rico Business Development Director José L Hernández engaged manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders around Puerto Rico’s engineering talent, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and established aerospace ecosystem. (8/18)
America Has the World’s Biggest Aerospace Market. It Needs an Airshow to Match (Source: Aerospace Global News)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman recently shared his vision for MAX POWER, a recurring airshow and aerospace technology exposition at Kennedy Space Center to debut on November 7-8. According to Isaacman and other officials at the announcement, the idea is that MAX POWER could one day rival the Farnborough and Paris airshows that have become must-attend global gatherings for the aerospace industry.
We now accept as normal that the largest aerospace market on earth rents floor space at somebody else’s trade show. In this op-ed, Tim Franta argues that with some smart planning, MAX POWER could be the start of something big for the US aerospace industry. Click here. (8/19)
Neil Armstrong's Boyhood Home is Up for Sale (Source: Space 3.0)
The retired history teacher who has owned Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home in Wapakoneta, OH, since 1988 is selling it. She’s hoping that someone can buy it and donate it to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta (who doesn’t have the capital to buy the house themselves). Click here. (8/19)
America’s Space Economy Confronts a Supply Chain Resilience Challenge (Source: Space News)
America’s space economy is growing faster than the industrial base needed to support it, making supply chain resilience the industry’s next major challenge. The mismatch places manufacturing capacity, supplier depth and production scalability at the center of continued expansion across the sector. (8/18)
As Europe Rearms, Italy's Fragmented Space Sector Faces a Scale Test (Source: Reuters)
Italy’s space industry is confronting a scale test as defense and government customers increasingly favor larger suppliers able to manage complex programs. The shift is putting pressure on the country’s fragmented industrial base to consolidate and compete more effectively as European rearmament accelerates. (8/19)
August 19, 2026
CACI to Develop Training, Testing Tech
for Space Force (Source: Defense Post)
CACI International has been selected by the US Space Force to advance training and testing systems for space operations. The company will provide new technologies and environments to help Space Force Guardians prepare for increasingly complex threats in the space domain. This initiative is part of a larger multi-company contract effort to enhance operational readiness and maintain a technological edge in space. (8/19)
ULA Raises $1.5B to Fuel Growth (Source: Advanced Television)
United Launch Alliance is raising $1.5 billion through private bonds to support expansion and address recent operational challenges, including issues with Vulcan rocket launches. This is a significant increase from the initial plan to raise $500 million. The fundraising comes after a leadership change, with Mark Peller now serving as CEO. (8/18)
Viasat Taps Rocket Lab to Build Small GEO for PTS-G Program (Source: Via Satellite)
Viasat has selected Rocket Lab to build a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite for its contract on the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) program. Rocket Lab will deliver a spacecraft based on its Lightning platform to host Viasat’s dual-band X/Ka-band payload. This comes after Viasat received a contract in May to deliver the first of a proliferated fleet of small, maneuverable GEO satellites to provide protected tactical satcom capabilities to the U.S. Space Force. SES received an award as well. (8/18)
USSF to Operate Legacy Weather Sats Until at Least 2028 as It Works on Replacements (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force will maintain its aging weather satellite fleet—which provides key forecasting data for military planners—until at least 2028 as it transitions to a new replacement architecture. The service had anticipated decommissioning the three remaining Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft this year, but a spokesperson told Air & Space Force Magazine that timeline will stretch to 2028 as the Space Force works to field a new constellation of weather satellites. (8/18)
Intuitive Machines’ $853.3 Million Maxar Deal Gains Credibility From Three-Satellite Order and Orbital Data-Center Potential (Source: Space Intel Report)
Intuitive Machines’ $853.3 million acquisition of Maxar Space Systems remains unproven, but a three-satellite order and potential orbital data-center applications strengthen the strategic rationale. The transaction gives Intuitive Machines exposure to large-satellite manufacturing while adding possible growth beyond its existing space businesses. (8/19)
Rocket Lab to Use Photon for SDN Demo (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab plans to use one of its Photon spacecraft for an in-orbit demonstration of the U.S. Space Force's Space Data Network (SDN) in 2027. The company was one of five selected by the Space Force last week for a $60 million effort to demonstrate how different commercial satellite systems can connect to the SDN. Rocket Lab said that, under its $12 million contract, it will use a Photon satellite with optical communications and networking hardware to demonstrate interoperability in orbit. Amazon LEO for Government, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and York Space Systems also received $12 million each to conduct similar interoperability tests. (8/19)
Firefly and Zeno Partner on Radioisotope Heating Unit for Blue Ghost (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace and Zeno Power are partnering to test a radioisotope heat source on a lunar lander. The companies announced Wednesday that a Blue Ghost lander Firefly is building for a 2028 mission will carry a "survive the night" package from Zeno Power that includes a five-watt radioisotope heating unit (RHU). That payload is designed to operate for at least five days into the lunar night, sending a signal after those five days to demonstrate it is still operating. RHUs use the heat from the decay of radioactive isotopes, in this case americium-241, to keep payloads or entire spacecraft warm. The mission, the companies said, will also test regulatory processes for the commercial launch of radioisotope payloads. (8/19)
Challenges Ahead for Space Nuclear Projects (Source: Space News)
Space nuclear programs face both near- and long-term challenges. Government and industry officials said that, as programs like NASA's Space Reactor 1 and Lunar Reactor 1 start up, they will have to address issues such as access to suitable fuels, a small workforce trained in both space and nuclear technologies, and limited access to testing facilities. That is complicated by the growth of other nuclear power programs in industry and government. In the longer term, one concern is how NASA's programs will manage the transition to the next administration in 2029. That requires starting work early on follow-on missions and also getting Congress to "own" the program and provide multi-year funding. (8/19)
Vantor Gets New VP (Source: Space News)
Geospatial intelligence company Vantor has named a new head of its U.S. government business. The company announced Wednesday Will Cocos will take over as executive vice president and general manager of the U.S. government business. He had been the company's chief transformation officer since 2023. Susanne Hake, who led Vantor's U.S. government operations since 2023, announced Wednesday that she is leaving the company. The leadership change comes as Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, seeks to expand beyond its traditional business supplying high-resolution satellite imagery to the U.S. government and sell a broader set of software, data and intelligence capabilities. (8/19)
SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a new set of Starlink satellites overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Wednesday, placing 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. This was the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th overall for SpaceX, counting Falcon Heavy and Starship flights. (8/19)
Astronauts Remove Broken ISS Antenna (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Spacewalking astronauts removed a broken antenna outside the International Space Station Tuesday but ran out of time to install its replacement. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot spent six hours and 23 minutes outside the ISS, working to remove an antenna used for space-to-ground communications. The astronauts ran into problems removing cables and unbolting the antenna, and controllers concluded there was not enough time for them to install its replacement. Another spacewalk is scheduled for next Tuesday, and station managers are studying whether to install the antenna on that spacewalk or proceed with previously planned maintenance tasks. (8/19)
India Prepares for September GSLV Launch (Source: Indian Express)
The Indian space agency ISRO is preparing for its first launch since a failure in January. ISRO is expected to launch in early September the GISAT-1A Earth observation satellite on a GSLV rocket. The launch will be the first by ISRO since a PSLV launch in January failed because of a problem with the rocket's third stage, the second consecutive failure of that rocket. ISRO has not disclosed many details about either PSLV failure. (8/19)
LRO Images Rocket Crater on Moon (Source: AP)
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured images of the crater created by the impact of a Falcon 9 upper stage. The LRO images, released Wednesday, showed a crater about 18 meters across and no more than 3 meters deep overlapping an older crater. The new crater was created when the upper stage, from the launch last year of two lunar lander missions, hit the moon Aug. 5 at about 8,700 kilometers per hour. (8/19)
LEO Human Spaceflight - Riches to Rags? (Source: Phil McAlister)
In many ways, it’s almost an embarrassment of riches to be involved in the U.S. low-Earth orbit (LEO) human spaceflight industry these days. The SpaceX Dragon/Falcon 9 human space transportation system has been certified by NASA and has safely flown nine missions to LEO carrying 34 people to date. Boeing’s Starliner/Atlas 5 system is targeted to fly a Crewed Test Flight this summer and, if all goes well, NASA could certify that system soon after that. When that happens, the U.S. will have two, independent commercial LEO human space transportation systems, something no other country in history has ever had – ever, ever, ever.
Those two systems will be able fly a lot of missions and a lot of people. But we just need to look ahead a short time to see how fragile this situation is. Given the current trajectory of the U.S. LEO human spaceflight industry, the number of certified transportation systems will soon be zero. NASA certifies the Dragon/Falcon 9 system and the Starliner/Atlas 5 system. And, to date, NASA has only certified those systems for the ISS crew transportation mission (Boeing’s certification is not yet complete).
Once the Atlas 5s are gone and if Boeing wants to keep flying the Starliner for NASA human missions (which I sincerely hope they do), then it will need a new certification, one that covers the Starliner and a new launch vehicle. And SpaceX is developing Starship. SpaceX has said publicly that they will continue to fly the Dragon/Falcon 9 system as long as there is market demand (which I sincerely hope they will do). But, even then, the Dragon/Falcon 9 system is currently only certified for the ISS mission and the ISS will be retired in 2030. Editor's Note: I was struck by how little has changed on this topic since it was published in 2023. (5/10/23)
Brain Organoid Studies on the ISS Move Closer to New Treatments (Source: Upward)
Research using human brain organoids onboard the International Space Station helped lead to the clinical trial of a potential therapy for Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder in children. Scientists are now expanding the space-based approach to study other brain diseases to find new treatments. (8/19)
China's Landspace Becomes First Non-US Company to Land Booster on Legs (Sources: Space News, Douglas Messier)
Landspace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket Tuesday, becoming the third entity, after SpaceX and Blue Origin, to land an orbital booster on legs. The successful landing is China’s second booster recovery, coming just a month after China caught a Long March 10B orbital booster using a drone vessel at sea equipped with a net-capture system.
Zhuque-3 is a two-stage rocket that is 65.9 meters tall. It is powered liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Zhuque-3 can place 11,800 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO) in its expendable form or 8,000 kg into LEO when the first stage is recovered. Approximately 137 seconds after liftoff, the first and second stages separated, and the second stage continued its flight, accurately sending the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its predetermined orbit. (8/18)
RFA is now RF (Source: Rocket Factory)
German launch provider Rocket Factory Augsberg (RFA) has rebranded itself and is now simply Rocket Factory (RF). "What started with a small team and a shared interest in rocketry has grown into a journey of designing, building, testing and learning through every challenge we face. This rebrand marks the beginning of a new chapter for us." (8/16)
Space Forge to Collaborate with Texas A&M University System (Source: Space Forge )
Space Forge Inc, the US subsidiary of the UK company using space to produce semiconductor materials, has signed an agreement with The Texas A&M University System, for a research collaboration. It marks a first step towards Space Forge establishing its initial semiconductor materials manufacturing and processing capability in the US.
The Texas A&M System was selected for the strength of its existing semiconductor facilities and infrastructure, including cleanrooms, material processing and characterization capabilities, alongside aligned research, access to a skilled local workforce and the major semiconductor projects planned across the region. (8/17)
Astra Space Seeks $250 Million to Revive its Launch Programs (Source: American Bazaar)
is seeking investors for reviving its launch programs and to expand its satellite propulsion operations. The company is seeking to raise $250 million, based on a company’s valuation of $1 billion with the deal expected to be completed by the third quarter this year. Astra Space CEO Chris Kemp said that the company is looking to rebound from years of financial struggles. Astra is now betting on low-cost expendable launch vehicles that could be used by militaries to launch satellites from dispersed locations.
Editor's Note: Astra has been working at Launch Complex 46 on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport toward a December 2026 debut "Rocket 4" mission. Rocket 4 is 18.9 meters long with a 1.8 meter diameter. The company is developing a portable launch capability similar to Rocket Lab's GHOST deployable system for Electron/HASTE missions. (8/17)
Sophie Adenot Becomes First Frenchwoman to Spacewalk (Source: LeMonde)
Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk on Tuesday, August 18, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon. During the six-and-a-half-hour mission, the two astronauts were to replace an antenna that allows the ISS to communicate with mission control in Houston, according to NASA. The two space travelers could be heard chatting and laughing in NASA footage of their adventure. (8/18)
SpaceX Reverses Starlink Roaming Restrictions for Polish Customers After Payment Dispute (Source: European Spaceflight)
SpaceX has reversed its decision to restrict Starlink roaming for customers in Poland, resolving a dispute that included an official threatening to reconsider $50 million in annual payments. The reversal underscores the commercial and policy sensitivities surrounding satellite broadband service access in national markets. (8/18)
NASA Reworks Voyager Power Systems To Extend Interstellar Mission Into the Early 2030s (Source: New York Times)
NASA engineers are reworking the power systems aboard the nearly 50-year-old Voyager spacecraft to conserve energy and keep both probes operating in interstellar space. The changes could extend the mission into the early 2030s, preserving an unprecedented source of long-duration data beyond the solar system. (8/18)
The Pentagon Wants Thousands of Missile Interceptors in Orbit (Source: Scientific American)
Somewhere in the world, a missile’s engines ignite, and it lifts toward the sky. Somewhere above the world, satellites sense its launch. They, in turn, send out an alert, along with information about the missile’s path. Almost instantly an interceptor in orbit—essentially a big bullet—gets its own message: fire toward the missile. Ideally the space-based weapon strikes the missile early in flight, before the rocket can release a warhead or decoys, turning a threat to the U.S. into a bunch of debris. Or at least that’s the idea behind space-based interceptors, the most audacious part of President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile-defense initiative to shield the U.S. from airborne attacks.
Much of the technology that could feed into Golden Dome already exists in pieces or inside other defense programs—it just (“just”) needs to be linked together and scaled until it can protect the entire country around the clock. Space-based interceptors, though, don’t yet exist as an operational system. And there isn’t a firm plan for what they will look like—or, for that matter, what Golden Dome as a whole will look like. As Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, puts it, “There is no architecture,” at least not one that’s been released publicly. That fuzziness, however, isn’t stopping American companies from preparing to make orbital interceptors in the hopes of cashing in on the most speculative and, by some accounts, expensive part of the defense project. (8/18)
Japan Launches Second US Military Payload to Monitor Space Above Indo-Pacific (Source: Breaking Defense)
Japan has launched the second of two long-planned US Space Force orbital neighborhood watch sensors on a Japanese satellite. The dual missions represent “the first bilateral” US-Japan cooperative space effort “focused on national security,” US Space Systems Command (SSC) said in an Aug. 14 statement. The first of the two sensors was launched in February 2025. The Space Force sensors, designed and built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, will keep watch on the heavens above the Indo-Pacific region. (8/17)
A 'River' of Cosmic Gas 1 Trillion Miles Long Sent Planets in the Orion Constellation Into Tilted Orbits (Source: Space.com)
A rare planet-forming disk around a young triple-star system in the Orion constellation has been tipped over by a river of gas over 1 trillion miles (1.6 trillion kilometers) long. The discovery, made at radio wavelengths with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, could explain why astronomers keep finding planets with orbits that are drastically misaligned with the rotational axes of their stars.
GW Orionis is a triple system consisting of three pre-main sequence stars, meaning that they are still forming and contracting and have not yet initiated fusion reactions of hydrogen in their core. The stars are located roughly 1,300 light-years away, in the Lambda Orionis star-forming molecular ring in the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. Finding a planet-forming disk of gas and dust encircling all three stars in a system is very rare, and finding a disk consisting of three rings with misaligned orbits is even stranger. (8/17)
Wishing for Rockets (Source: Space Review)
The demand for launch services is higher than ever, but the supply of rockets today is very constrained. Jeff Foust reports on the various factors that make getting a ride to orbit today difficult and expensive, despite the promise of plummeting launch costs. Click here. (8/18)
Two Futures on the Moon (Source: Space Review)
The race to return humans to the Moon pits not just two countries but two political philosophies. Alexander William Salter discusses how American leadership in space can establish a humane space agenda. Click here. (8/18)
Colonizing Antarctica and Other Anti-Space Fables (Source: Space Review)
One argument that critics of space settlement make is that it would be far easier to settle Antarctica. Milan Ćirković offers several reasons why that argument is wrong. Click here. (8/18)
Rocket Lab Selected to Build Viasat Satellite Bus (Source: Tech Times)
Rocket Lab has expanded its strategic presence in geostationary orbit by serving as a satellite bus supplier for Viasat’s U.S. Space Force anti-jam communications mission under the PTS-G Swarm 1 program. Unlike its earlier role as prime contractor for the Heimdall GEO domain awareness mission, Rocket Lab now supports Viasat as a specialist platform provider, delivering the Lightning-GEO bus while Viasat manages integration, launch and operations. (8/17)
Using Starlink’s Satellites To Study Earth’s Upper Atmosphere (Source: Hackaday)
Aside from global access to cat videos, the presence of thousands of Starlink broadband internet access satellites in LEO has a very pleasant side effect for atmospheric researchers. Starlink publicly publishes near-real-time ephemeris data on its individual satellites. From this data you can deduce many details about the atmosphere at that altitude, including its density at specific altitudes at specific times, information which otherwise would be very hard to gather. Recently, this allowed [Mamoru Yamamoto] to determine the density of the thermosphere using tomography. (8/17)
How an Ancient Collision with Another Galaxy Transformed the Milky Way (Source: Space.com)
The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered evidence that our galaxy experienced a significant collision and merger with a dwarf galaxy 11.8 billion years ago. In recent years, one other significant merger has come to light, which is a collision with a galaxy referred to as the Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus (GSE) galaxy about 10 billion years ago. The GSE had its own family of globular star clusters that became integrated with the Milky Way's own globular clusters during the collision. (8/17)
Most Major Aerospace Suppliers Are Raising Their Outlooks (Source: Aviation Week)
Business is so good in aerospace and defense manufacturing that even troubled companies are making money. Take Honeywell Aerospace, which spun off as a stand-alone company June 29—just in time to have to report second-quarter financial results. (8/18)
CACI International has been selected by the US Space Force to advance training and testing systems for space operations. The company will provide new technologies and environments to help Space Force Guardians prepare for increasingly complex threats in the space domain. This initiative is part of a larger multi-company contract effort to enhance operational readiness and maintain a technological edge in space. (8/19)
ULA Raises $1.5B to Fuel Growth (Source: Advanced Television)
United Launch Alliance is raising $1.5 billion through private bonds to support expansion and address recent operational challenges, including issues with Vulcan rocket launches. This is a significant increase from the initial plan to raise $500 million. The fundraising comes after a leadership change, with Mark Peller now serving as CEO. (8/18)
Viasat Taps Rocket Lab to Build Small GEO for PTS-G Program (Source: Via Satellite)
Viasat has selected Rocket Lab to build a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite for its contract on the Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) program. Rocket Lab will deliver a spacecraft based on its Lightning platform to host Viasat’s dual-band X/Ka-band payload. This comes after Viasat received a contract in May to deliver the first of a proliferated fleet of small, maneuverable GEO satellites to provide protected tactical satcom capabilities to the U.S. Space Force. SES received an award as well. (8/18)
USSF to Operate Legacy Weather Sats Until at Least 2028 as It Works on Replacements (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force will maintain its aging weather satellite fleet—which provides key forecasting data for military planners—until at least 2028 as it transitions to a new replacement architecture. The service had anticipated decommissioning the three remaining Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft this year, but a spokesperson told Air & Space Force Magazine that timeline will stretch to 2028 as the Space Force works to field a new constellation of weather satellites. (8/18)
Intuitive Machines’ $853.3 Million Maxar Deal Gains Credibility From Three-Satellite Order and Orbital Data-Center Potential (Source: Space Intel Report)
Intuitive Machines’ $853.3 million acquisition of Maxar Space Systems remains unproven, but a three-satellite order and potential orbital data-center applications strengthen the strategic rationale. The transaction gives Intuitive Machines exposure to large-satellite manufacturing while adding possible growth beyond its existing space businesses. (8/19)
Rocket Lab to Use Photon for SDN Demo (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab plans to use one of its Photon spacecraft for an in-orbit demonstration of the U.S. Space Force's Space Data Network (SDN) in 2027. The company was one of five selected by the Space Force last week for a $60 million effort to demonstrate how different commercial satellite systems can connect to the SDN. Rocket Lab said that, under its $12 million contract, it will use a Photon satellite with optical communications and networking hardware to demonstrate interoperability in orbit. Amazon LEO for Government, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and York Space Systems also received $12 million each to conduct similar interoperability tests. (8/19)
Firefly and Zeno Partner on Radioisotope Heating Unit for Blue Ghost (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace and Zeno Power are partnering to test a radioisotope heat source on a lunar lander. The companies announced Wednesday that a Blue Ghost lander Firefly is building for a 2028 mission will carry a "survive the night" package from Zeno Power that includes a five-watt radioisotope heating unit (RHU). That payload is designed to operate for at least five days into the lunar night, sending a signal after those five days to demonstrate it is still operating. RHUs use the heat from the decay of radioactive isotopes, in this case americium-241, to keep payloads or entire spacecraft warm. The mission, the companies said, will also test regulatory processes for the commercial launch of radioisotope payloads. (8/19)
Challenges Ahead for Space Nuclear Projects (Source: Space News)
Space nuclear programs face both near- and long-term challenges. Government and industry officials said that, as programs like NASA's Space Reactor 1 and Lunar Reactor 1 start up, they will have to address issues such as access to suitable fuels, a small workforce trained in both space and nuclear technologies, and limited access to testing facilities. That is complicated by the growth of other nuclear power programs in industry and government. In the longer term, one concern is how NASA's programs will manage the transition to the next administration in 2029. That requires starting work early on follow-on missions and also getting Congress to "own" the program and provide multi-year funding. (8/19)
Vantor Gets New VP (Source: Space News)
Geospatial intelligence company Vantor has named a new head of its U.S. government business. The company announced Wednesday Will Cocos will take over as executive vice president and general manager of the U.S. government business. He had been the company's chief transformation officer since 2023. Susanne Hake, who led Vantor's U.S. government operations since 2023, announced Wednesday that she is leaving the company. The leadership change comes as Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, seeks to expand beyond its traditional business supplying high-resolution satellite imagery to the U.S. government and sell a broader set of software, data and intelligence capabilities. (8/19)
SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a new set of Starlink satellites overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Wednesday, placing 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. This was the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th overall for SpaceX, counting Falcon Heavy and Starship flights. (8/19)
Astronauts Remove Broken ISS Antenna (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Spacewalking astronauts removed a broken antenna outside the International Space Station Tuesday but ran out of time to install its replacement. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot spent six hours and 23 minutes outside the ISS, working to remove an antenna used for space-to-ground communications. The astronauts ran into problems removing cables and unbolting the antenna, and controllers concluded there was not enough time for them to install its replacement. Another spacewalk is scheduled for next Tuesday, and station managers are studying whether to install the antenna on that spacewalk or proceed with previously planned maintenance tasks. (8/19)
India Prepares for September GSLV Launch (Source: Indian Express)
The Indian space agency ISRO is preparing for its first launch since a failure in January. ISRO is expected to launch in early September the GISAT-1A Earth observation satellite on a GSLV rocket. The launch will be the first by ISRO since a PSLV launch in January failed because of a problem with the rocket's third stage, the second consecutive failure of that rocket. ISRO has not disclosed many details about either PSLV failure. (8/19)
LRO Images Rocket Crater on Moon (Source: AP)
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured images of the crater created by the impact of a Falcon 9 upper stage. The LRO images, released Wednesday, showed a crater about 18 meters across and no more than 3 meters deep overlapping an older crater. The new crater was created when the upper stage, from the launch last year of two lunar lander missions, hit the moon Aug. 5 at about 8,700 kilometers per hour. (8/19)
LEO Human Spaceflight - Riches to Rags? (Source: Phil McAlister)
In many ways, it’s almost an embarrassment of riches to be involved in the U.S. low-Earth orbit (LEO) human spaceflight industry these days. The SpaceX Dragon/Falcon 9 human space transportation system has been certified by NASA and has safely flown nine missions to LEO carrying 34 people to date. Boeing’s Starliner/Atlas 5 system is targeted to fly a Crewed Test Flight this summer and, if all goes well, NASA could certify that system soon after that. When that happens, the U.S. will have two, independent commercial LEO human space transportation systems, something no other country in history has ever had – ever, ever, ever.
Those two systems will be able fly a lot of missions and a lot of people. But we just need to look ahead a short time to see how fragile this situation is. Given the current trajectory of the U.S. LEO human spaceflight industry, the number of certified transportation systems will soon be zero. NASA certifies the Dragon/Falcon 9 system and the Starliner/Atlas 5 system. And, to date, NASA has only certified those systems for the ISS crew transportation mission (Boeing’s certification is not yet complete).
Once the Atlas 5s are gone and if Boeing wants to keep flying the Starliner for NASA human missions (which I sincerely hope they do), then it will need a new certification, one that covers the Starliner and a new launch vehicle. And SpaceX is developing Starship. SpaceX has said publicly that they will continue to fly the Dragon/Falcon 9 system as long as there is market demand (which I sincerely hope they will do). But, even then, the Dragon/Falcon 9 system is currently only certified for the ISS mission and the ISS will be retired in 2030. Editor's Note: I was struck by how little has changed on this topic since it was published in 2023. (5/10/23)
Brain Organoid Studies on the ISS Move Closer to New Treatments (Source: Upward)
Research using human brain organoids onboard the International Space Station helped lead to the clinical trial of a potential therapy for Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder in children. Scientists are now expanding the space-based approach to study other brain diseases to find new treatments. (8/19)
China's Landspace Becomes First Non-US Company to Land Booster on Legs (Sources: Space News, Douglas Messier)
Landspace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket Tuesday, becoming the third entity, after SpaceX and Blue Origin, to land an orbital booster on legs. The successful landing is China’s second booster recovery, coming just a month after China caught a Long March 10B orbital booster using a drone vessel at sea equipped with a net-capture system.
Zhuque-3 is a two-stage rocket that is 65.9 meters tall. It is powered liquid oxygen and liquid methane. Zhuque-3 can place 11,800 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO) in its expendable form or 8,000 kg into LEO when the first stage is recovered. Approximately 137 seconds after liftoff, the first and second stages separated, and the second stage continued its flight, accurately sending the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its predetermined orbit. (8/18)
RFA is now RF (Source: Rocket Factory)
German launch provider Rocket Factory Augsberg (RFA) has rebranded itself and is now simply Rocket Factory (RF). "What started with a small team and a shared interest in rocketry has grown into a journey of designing, building, testing and learning through every challenge we face. This rebrand marks the beginning of a new chapter for us." (8/16)
Space Forge to Collaborate with Texas A&M University System (Source: Space Forge )
Space Forge Inc, the US subsidiary of the UK company using space to produce semiconductor materials, has signed an agreement with The Texas A&M University System, for a research collaboration. It marks a first step towards Space Forge establishing its initial semiconductor materials manufacturing and processing capability in the US.
The Texas A&M System was selected for the strength of its existing semiconductor facilities and infrastructure, including cleanrooms, material processing and characterization capabilities, alongside aligned research, access to a skilled local workforce and the major semiconductor projects planned across the region. (8/17)
Astra Space Seeks $250 Million to Revive its Launch Programs (Source: American Bazaar)
is seeking investors for reviving its launch programs and to expand its satellite propulsion operations. The company is seeking to raise $250 million, based on a company’s valuation of $1 billion with the deal expected to be completed by the third quarter this year. Astra Space CEO Chris Kemp said that the company is looking to rebound from years of financial struggles. Astra is now betting on low-cost expendable launch vehicles that could be used by militaries to launch satellites from dispersed locations.
Editor's Note: Astra has been working at Launch Complex 46 on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport toward a December 2026 debut "Rocket 4" mission. Rocket 4 is 18.9 meters long with a 1.8 meter diameter. The company is developing a portable launch capability similar to Rocket Lab's GHOST deployable system for Electron/HASTE missions. (8/17)
Sophie Adenot Becomes First Frenchwoman to Spacewalk (Source: LeMonde)
Sophie Adenot became the first French female astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk on Tuesday, August 18, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon. During the six-and-a-half-hour mission, the two astronauts were to replace an antenna that allows the ISS to communicate with mission control in Houston, according to NASA. The two space travelers could be heard chatting and laughing in NASA footage of their adventure. (8/18)
SpaceX Reverses Starlink Roaming Restrictions for Polish Customers After Payment Dispute (Source: European Spaceflight)
SpaceX has reversed its decision to restrict Starlink roaming for customers in Poland, resolving a dispute that included an official threatening to reconsider $50 million in annual payments. The reversal underscores the commercial and policy sensitivities surrounding satellite broadband service access in national markets. (8/18)
NASA Reworks Voyager Power Systems To Extend Interstellar Mission Into the Early 2030s (Source: New York Times)
NASA engineers are reworking the power systems aboard the nearly 50-year-old Voyager spacecraft to conserve energy and keep both probes operating in interstellar space. The changes could extend the mission into the early 2030s, preserving an unprecedented source of long-duration data beyond the solar system. (8/18)
The Pentagon Wants Thousands of Missile Interceptors in Orbit (Source: Scientific American)
Somewhere in the world, a missile’s engines ignite, and it lifts toward the sky. Somewhere above the world, satellites sense its launch. They, in turn, send out an alert, along with information about the missile’s path. Almost instantly an interceptor in orbit—essentially a big bullet—gets its own message: fire toward the missile. Ideally the space-based weapon strikes the missile early in flight, before the rocket can release a warhead or decoys, turning a threat to the U.S. into a bunch of debris. Or at least that’s the idea behind space-based interceptors, the most audacious part of President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile-defense initiative to shield the U.S. from airborne attacks.
Much of the technology that could feed into Golden Dome already exists in pieces or inside other defense programs—it just (“just”) needs to be linked together and scaled until it can protect the entire country around the clock. Space-based interceptors, though, don’t yet exist as an operational system. And there isn’t a firm plan for what they will look like—or, for that matter, what Golden Dome as a whole will look like. As Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, puts it, “There is no architecture,” at least not one that’s been released publicly. That fuzziness, however, isn’t stopping American companies from preparing to make orbital interceptors in the hopes of cashing in on the most speculative and, by some accounts, expensive part of the defense project. (8/18)
Japan Launches Second US Military Payload to Monitor Space Above Indo-Pacific (Source: Breaking Defense)
Japan has launched the second of two long-planned US Space Force orbital neighborhood watch sensors on a Japanese satellite. The dual missions represent “the first bilateral” US-Japan cooperative space effort “focused on national security,” US Space Systems Command (SSC) said in an Aug. 14 statement. The first of the two sensors was launched in February 2025. The Space Force sensors, designed and built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, will keep watch on the heavens above the Indo-Pacific region. (8/17)
A 'River' of Cosmic Gas 1 Trillion Miles Long Sent Planets in the Orion Constellation Into Tilted Orbits (Source: Space.com)
A rare planet-forming disk around a young triple-star system in the Orion constellation has been tipped over by a river of gas over 1 trillion miles (1.6 trillion kilometers) long. The discovery, made at radio wavelengths with ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile, could explain why astronomers keep finding planets with orbits that are drastically misaligned with the rotational axes of their stars.
GW Orionis is a triple system consisting of three pre-main sequence stars, meaning that they are still forming and contracting and have not yet initiated fusion reactions of hydrogen in their core. The stars are located roughly 1,300 light-years away, in the Lambda Orionis star-forming molecular ring in the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. Finding a planet-forming disk of gas and dust encircling all three stars in a system is very rare, and finding a disk consisting of three rings with misaligned orbits is even stranger. (8/17)
Wishing for Rockets (Source: Space Review)
The demand for launch services is higher than ever, but the supply of rockets today is very constrained. Jeff Foust reports on the various factors that make getting a ride to orbit today difficult and expensive, despite the promise of plummeting launch costs. Click here. (8/18)
Two Futures on the Moon (Source: Space Review)
The race to return humans to the Moon pits not just two countries but two political philosophies. Alexander William Salter discusses how American leadership in space can establish a humane space agenda. Click here. (8/18)
Colonizing Antarctica and Other Anti-Space Fables (Source: Space Review)
One argument that critics of space settlement make is that it would be far easier to settle Antarctica. Milan Ćirković offers several reasons why that argument is wrong. Click here. (8/18)
Rocket Lab Selected to Build Viasat Satellite Bus (Source: Tech Times)
Rocket Lab has expanded its strategic presence in geostationary orbit by serving as a satellite bus supplier for Viasat’s U.S. Space Force anti-jam communications mission under the PTS-G Swarm 1 program. Unlike its earlier role as prime contractor for the Heimdall GEO domain awareness mission, Rocket Lab now supports Viasat as a specialist platform provider, delivering the Lightning-GEO bus while Viasat manages integration, launch and operations. (8/17)
Using Starlink’s Satellites To Study Earth’s Upper Atmosphere (Source: Hackaday)
Aside from global access to cat videos, the presence of thousands of Starlink broadband internet access satellites in LEO has a very pleasant side effect for atmospheric researchers. Starlink publicly publishes near-real-time ephemeris data on its individual satellites. From this data you can deduce many details about the atmosphere at that altitude, including its density at specific altitudes at specific times, information which otherwise would be very hard to gather. Recently, this allowed [Mamoru Yamamoto] to determine the density of the thermosphere using tomography. (8/17)
How an Ancient Collision with Another Galaxy Transformed the Milky Way (Source: Space.com)
The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered evidence that our galaxy experienced a significant collision and merger with a dwarf galaxy 11.8 billion years ago. In recent years, one other significant merger has come to light, which is a collision with a galaxy referred to as the Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus (GSE) galaxy about 10 billion years ago. The GSE had its own family of globular star clusters that became integrated with the Milky Way's own globular clusters during the collision. (8/17)
Most Major Aerospace Suppliers Are Raising Their Outlooks (Source: Aviation Week)
Business is so good in aerospace and defense manufacturing that even troubled companies are making money. Take Honeywell Aerospace, which spun off as a stand-alone company June 29—just in time to have to report second-quarter financial results. (8/18)
August 18, 2026
Firefly Aerospace Lands Shot at
Mission to Clear Space Debris (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Firefly Aerospace Inc. has landed a government contract that could give the Texas company a shot at clearing space junk from Earth’s orbit. The Department of Defense has awarded the startup, which designs and builds rockets and landing and orbital spacecraft, a preliminary contract of undisclosed value for a “deorbit-as-a-service” project. The work is focused on relocating spacecraft that were not designed to be serviced and may be unable to cooperate with an approaching vehicle. (8/17)
Firefly Aerospace Onboarded to NASA Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace was awarded a Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract from NASA. This award positions Firefly to compete for task orders providing payload processing facilities and services in support of NASA missions launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). Firefly’s commercially available Payload Processing Facility (PPF) is located within 0.5 miles of the company’s Space Launch Complex 2 on the north end of VSFB.
The facility supports government and commercial space payloads. Equipped with a storage area, control room, workspace, airlock, and ISO 8 cleanroom, the facility can accommodate storage, fueling, and checkouts of small and medium-size payloads and hypergolic spacecraft. Under the contract, Firefly is eligible to provide commercial payload processing services to support payload processing, fueling, integration, and encapsulation for NASA missions ahead of launch. (8/17)
Phoenix 3: Concept Study for a Reusable European Spacecraft (Source: ESA)
Earlier this year, ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) turned into a multidisciplinary think-tank to evaluate the feasibility of Phoenix 3, a fully European reusable orbital return vehicle proposed by the European startup ATMOS Space Cargo. Located at ESTEC, ESA’s technical center in the Netherlands, the CDF is a facility equipped with a network of computers, multimedia devices and software tools. Here, in a matter of a few weeks rather than several months, experts from diverse engineering disciplines join forces and share their expertise to assess the most complex designs imaginable. (8/18)
Starlink's New Gigabit Gateways Face Interference Complaint From Iridium (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX’s effort to upgrade Starlink with gigabit speeds is facing resistance from rival satellite communications provider Iridium, which argues the proposed “gateway” stations risk creating radio interference. On Monday, an attorney for Iridium sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, warning the interference problems have been appearing in the company’s own simulations examining the potential impact to Iridium’s own ground facilities. (8/17)
SpaceX Questions $1.8M in Transfers in San Antonio Contractor’s Bankruptcy (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
The bankruptcy fight between SpaceX and Alpha Building Corp. now has the space firm questioning nearly $1.8 million that it says the San Antonio general contractor moved to insiders before going under. SpaceX has asked a federal bankruptcy court in San Antonio to keep Alpha’s Chapter 7 liquidation case open for review after a trustee moved to close the matter.
The dispute began with Alpha’s troubled project worth roughly $6 million to build 18 homes and a launch-pad bathroom and break room at Starbase. Those deals went sour sometime in 2024 when SpaceX stopped paying. Alpha and its subcontractors filed at least 27 liens worth more than $2 million against SpaceX related to unpaid work and materials. Next came a flurry of lawsuits targeting SpaceX, Alpha and its president, Jonathan Rogero. (8/17)
EU Sanctions Roscosmos (Source: Space News)
The European Union sanctioned the head of a Roscosmos subsidiary as part of a broader effort to target Russia's military space sector. The EU added five Russian defense industry executives to its sanctions list earlier this month, including Viktor Ivanov, director general of Roscosmos subsidiary NII TP. That entity develops the Kasatka-R synthetic aperture radar system. The EU said the designation sends a signal to Russian executives that working on Russia's war effort against Ukraine "carries direct, individual consequences." Under the sanctions, any assets Ivanov holds in the EU are frozen, EU persons and entities are prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to him, and he is barred from entering or transiting through EU territory. (8/18)
Floaty Starship Makes Way to Christmas (Source: The West Australian)
A SpaceX Starship upper stage has been towed to an Australian island. SpaceX has been working since the Ship 40 splashdown on Flight 13 last month to try to recover the vehicle, which unexpectedly survived the splashdown. Elon Musk said a week and a half ago that recovery was looking doubtful because of rough seas. However, on Tuesday, vessels towing Ship 40 arrived just off the coast of Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean south of Indonesia. SpaceX has not disclosed its plans for Ship 40. (8/17)
NASA Picks Four for Payload Processing (Source: NASA)
NASA selected four companies to provide payload processing services. The agency announced Monday it awarded contracts to All Points Logistics, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and L3Harris to provide payload processing of spacecraft and launch vehicles for agency missions. The companies will be eligible to compete for task orders for future missions, with a maximum value of $100 million through early 2033. (8/18)
South Korea Providing Lunar Lander Instrument for NASA Mission (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea will provide an instrument for a future NASA commercial lander mission. The Korean space agency KASA said Tuesday it signed an agreement with NASA to deliver the Lunar Vehicle Radiation Dosimeter instrument, which will be flown on an Intuitive Machines lander through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program in 2030. The instrument will collect data on radiation levels on the lunar surface to help support future crewed missions. (8/18)
NRO Picks HawkEye 360 for RF Intelligence (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded HawkEye 360 a new contract to provide commercial radio-frequency intelligence. The NRO said Monday that the contract was awarded under its Commercial Radio Frequency Capabilities Augmentation program, or CRFCA, an effort to expand the intelligence community's and military's use of commercial RF data. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The new contract follows the NRO's three-phase Commercial Radio Frequency Capabilities program, which began in 2022 with study contracts awarded to six companies including HawkEye 360. (8/18)
Australia's HEO Will Use Planet's SkySat to Image In-Space Satellites for US Government (Source: Space News)
HEO, an Australian company that uses satellites to image other space objects, has signed a deal to use Planet's satellites. The companies announced a partnership Monday giving HEO access to Planet's SkySat high-resolution imaging spacecraft for non-Earth imaging applications such as space domain awareness. The images of space objects taken by SkySat satellites will initially be available only to U.S. government customers, although HEO expects to expand access to others. With the addition of SkySat, HEO will have access to more than 50 sensors in orbit, primarily from other Earth observation companies, that it can use to observe other space objects. HEO also has its own satellite, Continuum-1, which it acquired from Satellogic early this year. (8/18)
Space Force's Proposed Spending Surge Focused on Specific Projects (Source: Space News)
A surge in Space Force spending is concentrated in a handful of programs. A new analysis of the administration's fiscal year 2027 budget request, published by The Aerospace Corporation, noted that while the overall request is a 120% increase from the service's 2026 appropriations, that increase is concentrated in classified activities, moving-target indication, missile warning and command-and-control programs. The proposed increase is not assured, since it includes $12.1 billion in a budget reconciliation package whose fate in Congress remains uncertain. (8/18)
My Visit to Midland Air & Spaceport (Source: GSA)
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a three-day intensive astronaut training simulation organized by GSA Member Space Nation in Midland, TX. While in the Permian Basin. I also made sure to visit with our colleagues at the GSA member spaceport, the Midland Air & Spaceport. I had an informative discussion with Justine Ruff, Director, and Nicholas Krakovec, Operations Manager of Midland Air and Spaceport. Separately, I met with Sara Harris, Director of the Midland Economic Development Corporation. From these discussions, I came away more convinced than ever of Midland’s potential as a major hub for commercial space development. Click here. (8/14)
Three Pillars of a Resilient Hybrid SATCOM Architecture (Source: FNN)
The Defense Department is evolving its hybrid space architecture (HSA) to ensure defensive readiness against advanced threats. That initiative, which is central to the United States Space Force mission, blends innovative commercial technology with sovereign military capability to enable a seamless, self-healing network in space. Resilience of such a vital ecosystem is essential to sustaining the capabilities that will be delivered by this web of satellite assets. There are three key pillars to achieving it.
First is an interoperable terminal strategy. Terminals to receive satellite communications (SATCOM) are often high-cost capital investments with operational lives that span decades; new equipment is sourced as needed from a breadth of vendors. None of that should matter to the HSA model. The Space Force should not be expected to buy new equipment to accommodate a SATCOM provider’s proprietary products, or become vendor-locked to a particular service because of its terminals. True resilience demands a terminal-agnostic strategy that can ensure interoperability when roaming across multiple orbits and spectrum frequencies. Agency acquisition decision-makers want to know that whatever terminals they buy ensure users’ freedom of choice, working with legacy as well as new satellites that will be integrated into future DoD infrastructure. (8/17)
Why Spaceports Need More Than Basic Lightning Standards (Source: GSA)
For many conventional buildings, lightning protection, when provided, is primarily intended to reduce the risk of fire, physical damage, sideflash, shock hazards, and dangerous potential differences. Spaceports are different from “most buildings” because they operate around some of the most sensitive systems ever built. That distinction changes everything about how lightning protection must be approached.
Conventional lightning protection standards and systems provide an essential baseline for reducing the risk of fire, physical damage, sideflash, shock hazards, and dangerous potential differences in structures. However, modern launch facilities must also manage mission-assurance concerns involving rockets, payloads, avionics, fueling systems, communications infrastructure, control systems, and other critical electronics where transient electrical effects can create operational consequences even when the structure itself is protected. There is a lot more to lightning protection at a spaceport. Providing a preferred attachment point for lightning is only the beginning. Click here. (8/17)
DoD Hiring Boards Add Secrecy, Delays to Civilian Hiring (Source: FNN)
The Defense Department has begun bringing on civilian employees through the Trump administration’s new strategic hiring committees, raising questions about their impact on the defense workforce so far. Four committees have sprung up across the department to vet new workers, including one in each of the three military service departments and one that covers the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other defense agencies, according to a DoD spokesperson.
Their work is largely shrouded in secrecy nearly one year after President Donald Trump mandated the committees’ creation in an executive order last October. “Nobody really knows what’s happening, and agencies are still figuring out how to make this work,” said Jenny Mattingley, vice president for public policy and stakeholder engagement at the Partnership for Public Service. (8/14)
DoD Base Schools Add Emphasis on Christianity, Western Civilization (Source: FNN)
The Department of Defense is introducing a course centered on Western civilization and Christianity this fall in the schools it operates for military families, part of an effort by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to redirect the education system toward patriotic values and classical learning.
The Department of Defense Education Activity operates about 160 schools across 11 countries and educates roughly 70,000 students who are children of active-duty military or civilian service members. Conservatives have eyed the schools — which, unlike most public schools, are run by the federal government — as a testing ground for reshaping education. (8/14)
Why Existing Airports May Become the Foundation of Future Space Transportation (Source: GSA)
As the commercial space industry continues to expand, a common question emerges: Where will all of the future spaceports come from? The answer may already be sitting on the map. Across the United States and around the world, airports have spent decades building the infrastructure that transportation systems require.
They possess runways, utilities, fuel systems, road access, rail connections, cargo facilities, security frameworks and established relationships with regulators and local communities. As new transportation technologies emerge, many of these airports are uniquely positioned to become the foundation for the next generation of spaceports. The transition will not happen overnight. And it will not look the same in every community. Yet many industry leaders believe existing airports represent one of the most practical pathways toward expanding access to space. Click here. (8/17)
Brussels Keen to Monitor UFOs Under the Radar (Source: Euro News)
Brussels has signaled it is monitoring unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and has hinted at improving capabilities, according to documents seen by Euronews. The European Commission seems to have been monitoring unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) under the radar since at least 2023, according to a document from the Commission's defense department, which pertains to sky and space observations in Malaysia.
"We are getting better at seeing it (UAPs) and better identifying it as our technological capacities improve, but we need to get even better," the letter read, signaling the EU executive is actively monitoring the phenomenon more than officially stated and seems keen to investigate it. (8/17)
Satellite Operators are in Panic Mode Due to a Worsening Launch Crisis (Source: Ars Technica)
This should be a golden era of launch. During the last three years, an average of 270 orbital rockets have launched from Earth, a more than threefold increase from only a decade ago. By every metric available, the launch industry is crushing it: Prices have never been more competitive, launches never more frequent, and access to space never more rapid. Paradoxically, though, there is a growing crunch in launch availability.
With a growing number of constellations big and small, there is a huge and growing demand signal. The Commercial Space Federation predicts demand for thousands of satellite launches annually in less than a decade. Analysys Mason forecasted that more than 37,000 satellites will need to be launched between 2023 and 2033. Henry’s own firm, Quilty Space, has charted a change in the discussion from how many launch companies the US market can support to who can execute the fastest to meet surging satellite needs. And if things are bad now, there are reasons to believe they may get even worse over the next two to four years.
Myriad factors are driving this crunch, but the principal concern of late has been SpaceX. The company that is almost exclusively responsible for the dramatic increase in launch availability in the 2020s has signaled that it intends to wind down Falcon 9 operations as quickly as possible in favor of the larger Starship rocket. Some might see that as a good thing due to Starship’s enormous payload capacity. But there are growing concerns that SpaceX will largely focus on its own payloads. (8/17)
NASA Advances Lunar Wheel and Mars Helicopter Mobility Concepts (Sources: Universe Today, NASA)
NASA engineers and students are testing fabric-based wheel prototypes for future lunar-base mobility while developing a ground-penetrating-radar antenna for the SkyFall Mars helicopters. The efforts target two distinct planetary exploration challenges: reliable surface transportation on the Moon and subsurface science from rotorcraft on Mars. (8/17)
EU Sanctions Roscosmos Subsidiary Chief Developing Radar Satellites for Russia’s Military (Source: Space News)
The European Union has sanctioned the head of a Roscosmos subsidiary involved in developing a synthetic aperture radar satellite system for the Russian military. The action expands pressure on Russia’s space industry and targets leadership linked to military space capabilities. (8/17)
United Launch Alliance Names Mark Peller President and CEO Amid Vulcan Challenges (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance has appointed longtime company executive Mark Peller as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Peller is taking over for John Elbon, who ran ULA after Bruno’s departure, but will be retiring at the end of the year after a 45-year career in the aerospace industry. Peller had been the company’s chief operating officer and responsible for its Atlas V and Vulcan launch programs. He has led Vulcan development since its inception. (8/17)
AST SpaceMobile Wins Temporary FCC Authority to Test Satellite Connectivity in the 800 MHz Band (Source: Spacewatch Global)
AST SpaceMobile has received temporary authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to test satellite connectivity using spectrum in the 800 MHz band. The approval advances the company’s effort to evaluate satellite-enabled communications in a regulated terrestrial-frequency range. (8/17)
Lynk and Omnispace Merge as Elveo Mobile to Expand Direct-to-Device Satellite Services (Source: Smallsat News)
Lynk Global has completed its merger with Omnispace and rebranded as Elveo Mobile, combining Lynk’s direct-to-device satellite capabilities with globally coordinated S-band spectrum. The company aims to move beyond basic messaging and broaden satellite connectivity for standard mobile devices. (8/17)
Blue Origin Establishes Apprenticeship Program (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin is launching its first registered apprenticeship program, and is looking for a founding cohort in Huntsville. Participants are full-time from day one, with full benefits, and a path to a nationally recognized credential. The cohort starts in October. Time is split between hands-on work at Blue Origin alongside experienced machinists and classroom and lab instruction. Classroom instruction is fully covered by Blue Origin at no cost to apprentices (8/17)
Firefly Aerospace Inc. has landed a government contract that could give the Texas company a shot at clearing space junk from Earth’s orbit. The Department of Defense has awarded the startup, which designs and builds rockets and landing and orbital spacecraft, a preliminary contract of undisclosed value for a “deorbit-as-a-service” project. The work is focused on relocating spacecraft that were not designed to be serviced and may be unable to cooperate with an approaching vehicle. (8/17)
Firefly Aerospace Onboarded to NASA Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace was awarded a Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract from NASA. This award positions Firefly to compete for task orders providing payload processing facilities and services in support of NASA missions launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). Firefly’s commercially available Payload Processing Facility (PPF) is located within 0.5 miles of the company’s Space Launch Complex 2 on the north end of VSFB.
The facility supports government and commercial space payloads. Equipped with a storage area, control room, workspace, airlock, and ISO 8 cleanroom, the facility can accommodate storage, fueling, and checkouts of small and medium-size payloads and hypergolic spacecraft. Under the contract, Firefly is eligible to provide commercial payload processing services to support payload processing, fueling, integration, and encapsulation for NASA missions ahead of launch. (8/17)
Phoenix 3: Concept Study for a Reusable European Spacecraft (Source: ESA)
Earlier this year, ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) turned into a multidisciplinary think-tank to evaluate the feasibility of Phoenix 3, a fully European reusable orbital return vehicle proposed by the European startup ATMOS Space Cargo. Located at ESTEC, ESA’s technical center in the Netherlands, the CDF is a facility equipped with a network of computers, multimedia devices and software tools. Here, in a matter of a few weeks rather than several months, experts from diverse engineering disciplines join forces and share their expertise to assess the most complex designs imaginable. (8/18)
Starlink's New Gigabit Gateways Face Interference Complaint From Iridium (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX’s effort to upgrade Starlink with gigabit speeds is facing resistance from rival satellite communications provider Iridium, which argues the proposed “gateway” stations risk creating radio interference. On Monday, an attorney for Iridium sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, warning the interference problems have been appearing in the company’s own simulations examining the potential impact to Iridium’s own ground facilities. (8/17)
SpaceX Questions $1.8M in Transfers in San Antonio Contractor’s Bankruptcy (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
The bankruptcy fight between SpaceX and Alpha Building Corp. now has the space firm questioning nearly $1.8 million that it says the San Antonio general contractor moved to insiders before going under. SpaceX has asked a federal bankruptcy court in San Antonio to keep Alpha’s Chapter 7 liquidation case open for review after a trustee moved to close the matter.
The dispute began with Alpha’s troubled project worth roughly $6 million to build 18 homes and a launch-pad bathroom and break room at Starbase. Those deals went sour sometime in 2024 when SpaceX stopped paying. Alpha and its subcontractors filed at least 27 liens worth more than $2 million against SpaceX related to unpaid work and materials. Next came a flurry of lawsuits targeting SpaceX, Alpha and its president, Jonathan Rogero. (8/17)
EU Sanctions Roscosmos (Source: Space News)
The European Union sanctioned the head of a Roscosmos subsidiary as part of a broader effort to target Russia's military space sector. The EU added five Russian defense industry executives to its sanctions list earlier this month, including Viktor Ivanov, director general of Roscosmos subsidiary NII TP. That entity develops the Kasatka-R synthetic aperture radar system. The EU said the designation sends a signal to Russian executives that working on Russia's war effort against Ukraine "carries direct, individual consequences." Under the sanctions, any assets Ivanov holds in the EU are frozen, EU persons and entities are prohibited from making funds or economic resources available to him, and he is barred from entering or transiting through EU territory. (8/18)
Floaty Starship Makes Way to Christmas (Source: The West Australian)
A SpaceX Starship upper stage has been towed to an Australian island. SpaceX has been working since the Ship 40 splashdown on Flight 13 last month to try to recover the vehicle, which unexpectedly survived the splashdown. Elon Musk said a week and a half ago that recovery was looking doubtful because of rough seas. However, on Tuesday, vessels towing Ship 40 arrived just off the coast of Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean south of Indonesia. SpaceX has not disclosed its plans for Ship 40. (8/17)
NASA Picks Four for Payload Processing (Source: NASA)
NASA selected four companies to provide payload processing services. The agency announced Monday it awarded contracts to All Points Logistics, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and L3Harris to provide payload processing of spacecraft and launch vehicles for agency missions. The companies will be eligible to compete for task orders for future missions, with a maximum value of $100 million through early 2033. (8/18)
South Korea Providing Lunar Lander Instrument for NASA Mission (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea will provide an instrument for a future NASA commercial lander mission. The Korean space agency KASA said Tuesday it signed an agreement with NASA to deliver the Lunar Vehicle Radiation Dosimeter instrument, which will be flown on an Intuitive Machines lander through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program in 2030. The instrument will collect data on radiation levels on the lunar surface to help support future crewed missions. (8/18)
NRO Picks HawkEye 360 for RF Intelligence (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded HawkEye 360 a new contract to provide commercial radio-frequency intelligence. The NRO said Monday that the contract was awarded under its Commercial Radio Frequency Capabilities Augmentation program, or CRFCA, an effort to expand the intelligence community's and military's use of commercial RF data. The value of the contract was not disclosed. The new contract follows the NRO's three-phase Commercial Radio Frequency Capabilities program, which began in 2022 with study contracts awarded to six companies including HawkEye 360. (8/18)
Australia's HEO Will Use Planet's SkySat to Image In-Space Satellites for US Government (Source: Space News)
HEO, an Australian company that uses satellites to image other space objects, has signed a deal to use Planet's satellites. The companies announced a partnership Monday giving HEO access to Planet's SkySat high-resolution imaging spacecraft for non-Earth imaging applications such as space domain awareness. The images of space objects taken by SkySat satellites will initially be available only to U.S. government customers, although HEO expects to expand access to others. With the addition of SkySat, HEO will have access to more than 50 sensors in orbit, primarily from other Earth observation companies, that it can use to observe other space objects. HEO also has its own satellite, Continuum-1, which it acquired from Satellogic early this year. (8/18)
Space Force's Proposed Spending Surge Focused on Specific Projects (Source: Space News)
A surge in Space Force spending is concentrated in a handful of programs. A new analysis of the administration's fiscal year 2027 budget request, published by The Aerospace Corporation, noted that while the overall request is a 120% increase from the service's 2026 appropriations, that increase is concentrated in classified activities, moving-target indication, missile warning and command-and-control programs. The proposed increase is not assured, since it includes $12.1 billion in a budget reconciliation package whose fate in Congress remains uncertain. (8/18)
My Visit to Midland Air & Spaceport (Source: GSA)
I recently had the opportunity to participate in a three-day intensive astronaut training simulation organized by GSA Member Space Nation in Midland, TX. While in the Permian Basin. I also made sure to visit with our colleagues at the GSA member spaceport, the Midland Air & Spaceport. I had an informative discussion with Justine Ruff, Director, and Nicholas Krakovec, Operations Manager of Midland Air and Spaceport. Separately, I met with Sara Harris, Director of the Midland Economic Development Corporation. From these discussions, I came away more convinced than ever of Midland’s potential as a major hub for commercial space development. Click here. (8/14)
Three Pillars of a Resilient Hybrid SATCOM Architecture (Source: FNN)
The Defense Department is evolving its hybrid space architecture (HSA) to ensure defensive readiness against advanced threats. That initiative, which is central to the United States Space Force mission, blends innovative commercial technology with sovereign military capability to enable a seamless, self-healing network in space. Resilience of such a vital ecosystem is essential to sustaining the capabilities that will be delivered by this web of satellite assets. There are three key pillars to achieving it.
First is an interoperable terminal strategy. Terminals to receive satellite communications (SATCOM) are often high-cost capital investments with operational lives that span decades; new equipment is sourced as needed from a breadth of vendors. None of that should matter to the HSA model. The Space Force should not be expected to buy new equipment to accommodate a SATCOM provider’s proprietary products, or become vendor-locked to a particular service because of its terminals. True resilience demands a terminal-agnostic strategy that can ensure interoperability when roaming across multiple orbits and spectrum frequencies. Agency acquisition decision-makers want to know that whatever terminals they buy ensure users’ freedom of choice, working with legacy as well as new satellites that will be integrated into future DoD infrastructure. (8/17)
Why Spaceports Need More Than Basic Lightning Standards (Source: GSA)
For many conventional buildings, lightning protection, when provided, is primarily intended to reduce the risk of fire, physical damage, sideflash, shock hazards, and dangerous potential differences. Spaceports are different from “most buildings” because they operate around some of the most sensitive systems ever built. That distinction changes everything about how lightning protection must be approached.
Conventional lightning protection standards and systems provide an essential baseline for reducing the risk of fire, physical damage, sideflash, shock hazards, and dangerous potential differences in structures. However, modern launch facilities must also manage mission-assurance concerns involving rockets, payloads, avionics, fueling systems, communications infrastructure, control systems, and other critical electronics where transient electrical effects can create operational consequences even when the structure itself is protected. There is a lot more to lightning protection at a spaceport. Providing a preferred attachment point for lightning is only the beginning. Click here. (8/17)
DoD Hiring Boards Add Secrecy, Delays to Civilian Hiring (Source: FNN)
The Defense Department has begun bringing on civilian employees through the Trump administration’s new strategic hiring committees, raising questions about their impact on the defense workforce so far. Four committees have sprung up across the department to vet new workers, including one in each of the three military service departments and one that covers the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other defense agencies, according to a DoD spokesperson.
Their work is largely shrouded in secrecy nearly one year after President Donald Trump mandated the committees’ creation in an executive order last October. “Nobody really knows what’s happening, and agencies are still figuring out how to make this work,” said Jenny Mattingley, vice president for public policy and stakeholder engagement at the Partnership for Public Service. (8/14)
DoD Base Schools Add Emphasis on Christianity, Western Civilization (Source: FNN)
The Department of Defense is introducing a course centered on Western civilization and Christianity this fall in the schools it operates for military families, part of an effort by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to redirect the education system toward patriotic values and classical learning.
The Department of Defense Education Activity operates about 160 schools across 11 countries and educates roughly 70,000 students who are children of active-duty military or civilian service members. Conservatives have eyed the schools — which, unlike most public schools, are run by the federal government — as a testing ground for reshaping education. (8/14)
Why Existing Airports May Become the Foundation of Future Space Transportation (Source: GSA)
As the commercial space industry continues to expand, a common question emerges: Where will all of the future spaceports come from? The answer may already be sitting on the map. Across the United States and around the world, airports have spent decades building the infrastructure that transportation systems require.
They possess runways, utilities, fuel systems, road access, rail connections, cargo facilities, security frameworks and established relationships with regulators and local communities. As new transportation technologies emerge, many of these airports are uniquely positioned to become the foundation for the next generation of spaceports. The transition will not happen overnight. And it will not look the same in every community. Yet many industry leaders believe existing airports represent one of the most practical pathways toward expanding access to space. Click here. (8/17)
Brussels Keen to Monitor UFOs Under the Radar (Source: Euro News)
Brussels has signaled it is monitoring unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and has hinted at improving capabilities, according to documents seen by Euronews. The European Commission seems to have been monitoring unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) under the radar since at least 2023, according to a document from the Commission's defense department, which pertains to sky and space observations in Malaysia.
"We are getting better at seeing it (UAPs) and better identifying it as our technological capacities improve, but we need to get even better," the letter read, signaling the EU executive is actively monitoring the phenomenon more than officially stated and seems keen to investigate it. (8/17)
Satellite Operators are in Panic Mode Due to a Worsening Launch Crisis (Source: Ars Technica)
This should be a golden era of launch. During the last three years, an average of 270 orbital rockets have launched from Earth, a more than threefold increase from only a decade ago. By every metric available, the launch industry is crushing it: Prices have never been more competitive, launches never more frequent, and access to space never more rapid. Paradoxically, though, there is a growing crunch in launch availability.
With a growing number of constellations big and small, there is a huge and growing demand signal. The Commercial Space Federation predicts demand for thousands of satellite launches annually in less than a decade. Analysys Mason forecasted that more than 37,000 satellites will need to be launched between 2023 and 2033. Henry’s own firm, Quilty Space, has charted a change in the discussion from how many launch companies the US market can support to who can execute the fastest to meet surging satellite needs. And if things are bad now, there are reasons to believe they may get even worse over the next two to four years.
Myriad factors are driving this crunch, but the principal concern of late has been SpaceX. The company that is almost exclusively responsible for the dramatic increase in launch availability in the 2020s has signaled that it intends to wind down Falcon 9 operations as quickly as possible in favor of the larger Starship rocket. Some might see that as a good thing due to Starship’s enormous payload capacity. But there are growing concerns that SpaceX will largely focus on its own payloads. (8/17)
NASA Advances Lunar Wheel and Mars Helicopter Mobility Concepts (Sources: Universe Today, NASA)
NASA engineers and students are testing fabric-based wheel prototypes for future lunar-base mobility while developing a ground-penetrating-radar antenna for the SkyFall Mars helicopters. The efforts target two distinct planetary exploration challenges: reliable surface transportation on the Moon and subsurface science from rotorcraft on Mars. (8/17)
EU Sanctions Roscosmos Subsidiary Chief Developing Radar Satellites for Russia’s Military (Source: Space News)
The European Union has sanctioned the head of a Roscosmos subsidiary involved in developing a synthetic aperture radar satellite system for the Russian military. The action expands pressure on Russia’s space industry and targets leadership linked to military space capabilities. (8/17)
United Launch Alliance Names Mark Peller President and CEO Amid Vulcan Challenges (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance has appointed longtime company executive Mark Peller as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Peller is taking over for John Elbon, who ran ULA after Bruno’s departure, but will be retiring at the end of the year after a 45-year career in the aerospace industry. Peller had been the company’s chief operating officer and responsible for its Atlas V and Vulcan launch programs. He has led Vulcan development since its inception. (8/17)
AST SpaceMobile Wins Temporary FCC Authority to Test Satellite Connectivity in the 800 MHz Band (Source: Spacewatch Global)
AST SpaceMobile has received temporary authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to test satellite connectivity using spectrum in the 800 MHz band. The approval advances the company’s effort to evaluate satellite-enabled communications in a regulated terrestrial-frequency range. (8/17)
Lynk and Omnispace Merge as Elveo Mobile to Expand Direct-to-Device Satellite Services (Source: Smallsat News)
Lynk Global has completed its merger with Omnispace and rebranded as Elveo Mobile, combining Lynk’s direct-to-device satellite capabilities with globally coordinated S-band spectrum. The company aims to move beyond basic messaging and broaden satellite connectivity for standard mobile devices. (8/17)
Blue Origin Establishes Apprenticeship Program (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin is launching its first registered apprenticeship program, and is looking for a founding cohort in Huntsville. Participants are full-time from day one, with full benefits, and a path to a nationally recognized credential. The cohort starts in October. Time is split between hands-on work at Blue Origin alongside experienced machinists and classroom and lab instruction. Classroom instruction is fully covered by Blue Origin at no cost to apprentices (8/17)
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