February 20, 2026

Magdrive’s Plasma Thruster Proves its Mettle in Orbital Test (Source: Aerospace America)
A high-power electric satellite thruster design that uses a sliver of metal as its fuel has completed its first round of firing tests in low-Earth orbit — holding out the prospect that thrusters could one day be refueled using metal scavenged by servicer satellites from space junk or mined on asteroids. This Rogue thruster, designed and built by startup Magdrive of Harwell, U.K., relies on a bank of commercial off-the-shelf supercapacitors to punch electrical energy into a copper or aluminum target, producing bursts of a thrust-producing plasma. (2/19)

Chinese Researchers Propose New Explanation for Ultra-Long Gamma-Ray Burst (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese researchers have developed a novel model to explain the origin of an ultra-long gamma-ray burst (GRB), challenging the conventional understanding of these violent cosmic events. Gamma-ray bursts are among the most violent explosive phenomena in the universe, typically lasting from milliseconds to a few minutes. However, the GRB 250702B event, which occurred on July 2, 2025, exhibited extraordinary properties that have sparked intense debate within the astrophysics community. (2/20)

Gaganyaan Launch Could be Delayed: ISRO Adds More Safety Checks Post PSLV Failures (Source: India Today)
India’s ambitious human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan Mission, could face another delay as the Indian Space Research Organization has significantly increased safety checks following two PSLV failures in 2025 and 2026, senior officials said. The first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, known as G1, had been targeted for launch in March 2026. However, officials indicated that the timeline now appears difficult to achieve. (2/20)

Inside Finland’s Rapid Rise as a Space Powerhouse (Source: Payload)
Finland’s space industry has a lot going for it. Less than 10 years after launching its first satellite, and with a population of less than 6M people, the country has stood up a highly competitive space sector—one that stands to support many of Europe’s ambitious goals for space in the years to come. It’s not luck. Finland has invested strategically in its space sector to build a uniquely powerful set of capabilities that have become ideal candidates to support Europe’s broader push for sovereignty and security from space.

The country benefits from decades of engineering and RF expertise fostered by local telecom Nokia, but its space sector truly kicked off in 2017 with the launch of its first satellites Aalto-1 and Aalto-2. On the team developing these inaugural satellites were future founders of the country’s most prominent space firms: ICEYE and Kuva Space. In the years since, those companies have driven Finland’s targeted approach. While other European nations aim to build end-to-end space industries, Finland has focused on doing a few things well. (2/19)

Orbital Data, Niche Markets Give Space Solar a New Shimmer (Source: Payload)
The face of space-based solar power (SBSP) is changing due to surging interest in in-space industry and data centers. While some companies are racing toward these new opportunities, others are sticking with the technology’s original goal of powering life on Earth. “Using space for power purposes has fundamentally changed, just in the past few years. It went from pie-in-the-sky science fiction…to now, when there’s not only a resurgence of interest in beaming power down to the ground from space, but now putting the actual load up in space,” said Marc Berte.

Industry experts and entrepreneurs say the vision of providing SBSP to support Earth’s baseline needs is still alive and well, though that vision may have hit some roadblocks in the last two years. Hype around government-funded explorations of the technology dimmed slightly, though it didn’t go out. While SBSP’s journey to reality could take some unexpected turns through data centers and lunar colonies, experts said, the business case remains the same: Powering industry on Earth is hard, so let’s get off the planet. (2/20)

Price of Musk’s Starlink Kits in Iran Soars as US Threatens War (Source: Bloomberg)
The biggest US troop deployment in the Middle East since the Iraq War is sending the black market price for Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals soaring in Iran, where people fear a war would trigger another countrywide internet shutdown. Prices for the smuggled kits, banned by the regime for enabling uncensored web access, have soared to as much as $4,000, according to sellers and human rights organizations focused on Iran. Prior to the Iran-Israel war in June last year, the same units sold for $700 to $1,000. (2/20)

GomSpace Sees Revenue and Profit Increase (Source: Space Intel Report)
Small satellite manufacturer GomSpace reported a 72% increase in revenue in 2025 compared to 2024, with a quadrupling of EBITDA and a 9% margin but a negative cash flow because of its largest customer’s nonpayment of bills. The nonpayment totals 145 million Swedish krona ($13.6 million), which is equivalent to a third of GomSpace’s 2025 revenue. Denmark-based GomSpace did not name the customer, but it’s almost certainly France-based Unseenlabs, which operates a fleet of 19 satellites. (2/20)

Trump Orders UFO Files Release After Slamming Obama Over Alien Comments (Source: Axios)
President Trump is directing his administration to begin releasing government documents related to aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), he announced Thursday evening. Trump's comments on Truth Social came hours after he accused former President Obama of disclosing classified information for saying aliens are "real" in a podcast last week. (2/20)

SpaceX’s Starbase City is Getting its Own Court (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX’s company town in Texas, Starbase, is less than a year old, but it already has its own volunteer fire department and is working on creating a police department. Now it wants its own court, too. Starbase’s city administrator submitted a proposed ordinance to the city commission during a meeting on Wednesday that would create a municipal court with a part-time judge, prosecutor, and court clerk. Starbase’s mayor will serve as the judge until one is appointed to a two-year term. The administrator wrote that he hopes to have a candidate ready by next month’s meeting. (2/19)

SatVu, GMV Latest Space Firms to Benefit From Europe’s New Milspace Focus (Source: Breaking Defense)
As Europe begins to put real money into developing military space capabilities to reduce dependency on the United States, British thermal imagery startup SatVu and Spanish tech firm GMV are among the latest companies to step into the breach. In its latest financing round, SatVu nabbed first-time funds from the NATO Innovation Fund, as well as from the UK government’s British Investment Bank and other venture capital firms, the company announced Tuesday. The round netted the company £30 million ($40 million) total, bringing its “total equity funding” up to £60 million, SatVu said, although the announcement did not break down the individual contributions making up the new funds. (2/19)

Court's Tariff Strikedown Will Impact Space Industry Imports (Source: SPACErePORT)
The US Supreme Court has decided that President Trump’s broad, global tariffs were unlawful because he exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose import taxes without clear authorization from Congress. The tariffs on imports (including so-called “reciprocal” or broad tariffs on many trading partners) have been invalidated or are at risk of being struck down. There are major questions about refunds, as importers who paid these tariffs could seek billions in refunds. Space sector imports include a range of components — high-precision parts, avionics, advanced materials, satellites, launch vehicle hardware, chips, sensors, and more.

Costs now could fall for space contractors that rely on imported parts or materials. Litigation over refund eligibility could be lengthy and complex. Meanwhile, the Trump administration may attempt to continue or re-establish tariffs based on other authorities not considered in the Supreme Court decision. (2/20)

Starfighters Space and GE Aerospace undergo critical design review of STARLAUNCH I (Source: Starfighters)
Starfighters Space, after successful wind tunnel testing of the STARLAUNCH I rocket design, is moving forward to Critical Design Review with support from GE Aerospace. The CDR is intended to confirm design maturity and support the program’s transition into its next phase of build and test planning. The CDR is planned in the next two weeks to evaluate design documentation and analysis for the vehicle and its interfaces with the carrier aircraft, with a focus on configuration control, manufacturability, and test readiness. The review is also expected to address verification plans, including the sequence from ground validation through drop testing and subsequent flight evaluation. (2/20)

Scientists Measure Air Pollution From Reentering SpaceX Upper Stage (Source: Space.com)
For the first time ever, scientists have observed in near real time a cloud of air pollution created as space debris burned up in Earth's atmosphere. The breakthrough measurement will help atmospheric chemistry researchers untangle the complex chemical reactions triggered by the toxic air pollution created during reentries, which may have devastating effects on Earth's atmosphere and climate. The cloud of lithium was detected on Feb. 20, 2025, after an upper stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket came crashing down over Europe, scattering fragments across Poland. A team of researchers in Germany made the detection using a LIDAR — a pulsed laser instrument that excites particular chemical elements based on the frequency of its light. (2/19)

Flexible Force Fields Can Protect Our Return to the Moon (Source: Universe Today)
Lunar dust remains one of the biggest challenges for a long-term human presence on the Moon. Its jagged, clingy nature makes it naturally stick to everything from solar panels to the inside of human lungs. And while we have some methods of dealing with it, there is still plenty of experimentation to do here on Earth before we use any such system in the lunar environment. A new paper describes two types of flexible Electrodynamic Dust Shields (EDSs) that could one day be used in such an environment. EDSs have been the front-runner for actively dealing with lunar dust for some time. They work based on the electric curtain effect, where charged and neutral particles are forced away from a surface by an electric field surrounding it. (2/19)

Airbus Space Systems, After Annus Horribilis in 2024, Reports 16% Increase in Revenue in 2025 and Return to Profitability (Source: Space Intel Report)
Airbus Space Systems reported a 16.2% increase in revenue in 2025 compared to the previous year on the strength of government and commercial orders and reiterated its confidence that Europe’s new focus on defense would continue the trend. Parent company Airbus SE, in a Feb. 19 investor call on its 2025 results, said Airbus’s Space Systems business, part of the Defence and Space division, reported revenue of 2.95 billion euros, up from 2.54 billion euros a year earlier. (2/19)

Canada Suspends Airspace Transit for US Carriers (Source: Headline Now US)
Canada has suspended preferential overflight rights for U.S. carriers — and the financial fallout is already hitting American airlines, cargo operators, and consumers in real time. This is not a diplomatic dispute. This is a structural intervention with a $4 billion per week price tag. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a Transport Canada airspace notice that effectively ended America's free pass over the polar corridor. This provides a competitive advantage to Asian and European carriers. The consequences reach beyond aviation — into energy, logistics, and the broader architecture of North American economic integration. (2/19)

Escalating Canada Tensions Could Affect Golden Dome (Source: Breaking Defense)
When President Donald Trump formally announced the creation of a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, he made a notable claim: that Canada had already asked to take part in the effort. Trump said Canada would have to pay $61 billion to take part. The issue popped up again just a few weeks ago, with Trump taking shots at Ottawa for, he said, opposing using Greenland as part of Golden Dome. “If it serves Canada’s interests — and I think there are certainly many scenarios where that would be the case — we will be willing participants,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said.

That raises the question: if Canada is to take part in Golden Dome, what would its role be? And perhaps more dramatically, if the US were to not involve Canada in Golden Dome, could its existing missile defense architecture, anchored around cooperation through NORAD, survive? "We will only participate if it is right for both parties,” a Canadian spokesperson said last week. The US Department of Defense, for its part, did not respond to questions about how it is currently factoring Canada into ongoing Golden Dome planning nor the status of talks between the two neighbors and more. (2/18)

Head of Military's Space Division Warns Russia is Considering Putting Nuclear Weapons in Orbit (Source: CBC)
The head of Canada's military space division says the country "should absolutely be" concerned about Russia's potential capabilities amid global fears the Kremlin is considering putting nuclear weapons in place to target satellites. "That would be cataclysmic," said Brig.-Gen. Christopher Horner. "Everything that we have come to rely on from a communications platform level or from a GPS level — if [Russia] were to deploy a capability like that and then detonate it — would be wiped out," Horner said. (2/14)

US Warns it May Send Fighter Jets Into Canadian Airspace as Tensions Escalate Over the F-35 Dispute (Source: New Business Accounting)
From 30,000 feet, you wouldn’t know where Montana became Alberta, where Vermont gave way to Quebec. Yet on a morning thick with political tension, that invisible line might as well have been drawn in fire. In Washington, an unusually blunt statement rippled through diplomatic channels: the United States warned it may send fighter jets into Canadian airspace if the dispute over F-35 operations and deployment couldn’t be resolved. On the other side of the border, in Ottawa, the words landed like a cold gust: “into Canadian airspace”—not with permission, but as a consequence.

Canada’s long and troubled path toward finally acquiring F-35s, after years of political debate, cost wrangling, and public skepticism, has collided with American impatience over timelines, basing decisions, and the rules governing who gets to control what happens in North American airspace. In Washington, military planners view the Arctic, the Pacific approaches, and the High North as growing arenas of strategic competition. They see the F-35 not as a fancy toy, but as a node in a vast web of sensors, communications systems, and deterrence strategies. For them, delays or restrictions on use feel less like bureaucratic foot-dragging and more like a weak link in a chain that needs to hold under pressure.

In Ottawa, the storyline sounds different. There’s the weight of public accountability, of budgets strained by health care, infrastructure, wildfires, and floods. There’s the deep cultural instinct to push back when an ally sounds more like a landlord than a partner. And there’s a quiet but firm insistence that Canadian skies are sovereign, that decisions about aircraft, missions, and basing must answer first to Canadian voters, not American planners. (2/18)

Amid Escalating Tensions, Canada-US Bridge Project Held-Up as Trump Threatens Permit Change (Source: AP)
The White House contends President Donald Trump has the right to amend a permit for a new bridge between Canada and Michigan, a potential new wrinkle in an escalating dispute between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which would connect Detroit to Windsor and would be a vital economic artery between the two countries, is scheduled to open in early 2026. But Trump on Monday threatened to block the opening, calling for Canada to agree to a litany of unspecified demands as the two nations prepare to renegotiate a sprawling trade pact later this year. Canada paid for the bridge. (2/10)

ESA to Launch Navigation Satellites on Rocket Lab Electron From New Zealand (Source: ESA)
The European Space Agency will launch a pair of navigation satellites on a Rocket Lab Electron next month. ESA said Thursday the two demonstration satellites will launch on an Electron from New Zealand on March 24. The satellites are part of Celeste, intended to test technologies for a future low Earth orbit navigation satellite constellation. The first two cubesat-class satellites are intended to secure frequencies for use in the program and to test signals. Eight additional, larger spacecraft are under development for launch in 2027. ESA selected Electron to launch the satellites because of a lack of near-term European launch options for the satellites. (2/20)

Ursa Major Gets New CEO (Source: Ursa Major)
Rocket engine manufacturer Ursa Major has a new CEO. The company announced Thursday it named Chris Spagnoletti as CEO. He has been at the company since 2022, most recently as president of its liquid systems unit overseeing development of engines for hypersonic and space applications. He succeeds Dan Jablonsky, who had been CEO since August 2024. The company didn't give a reason for Jablonsky's departure. (2/20)

Canada's MDA Creates Defense Subsidiary (Source: MDA)
Canadian company MDA Space has created a subsidiary to focus on defense applications. The new business, 49North, will focus on providing C4ISR and related capabilities outside of space, including land, sea, air and joint operations. That includes work on advanced sensing and radar technologies, autonomous systems and secure digital mission systems, among other areas. 49North will be led by Joe Armstrong, who was previously an executive at Canadian aerospace and defense company CAE. (2/20)

No Hydrogen Problems with Second Artemis 2 Launch Rehearsal (Source: Space News)
NASA completed a second wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 2 mission without the hydrogen leaks seen on the first test. NASA completed the fueling test and practice countdown Thursday night, reporting only minor issues throughout the day. The agency noted that any hydrogen leaks "remained under allowable limits" after workers replaced seals thought to be the source of leaks seen during fueling of the Space Launch System on the first wet dress rehearsal earlier this month. NASA plans to discuss the wet dress rehearsal and launch plans at a briefing later today. The four-person Artemis 2 crew will enter pre-launch quarantine today ahead of the earliest possible launch date of March 6. (2/20)

NASA Finds Organizational Failures Contributed to Ill-Fated Starliner Mission (Source: Space News)
NASA released a report Thursday describing serious technical and organizational failures during the Starliner crewed test flight in 2024. That flight suffered multiple thruster failures during its approach to the International Space Station, and NASA ultimately decided to bring the spacecraft back uncrewed. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the biggest problem with the flight was not any technical failures but "decision-making and leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human spaceflight."

That included debates about what to do with Starliner once it docked at the station that "deteriorated into unprofessional conduct" as well as a lack of engagement from agency leadership at the time. NASA said it was formally classifying the flight as a "Type A" mishap, its most serious, and Isaacman vowed to implement "leadership accountability" for the incident. He added that Starliner would not fly again until all the issues with the spacecraft are identified and corrected. (2/20)

Boeing Opens New California Facility for Missile Tracking Sensors (Source: Space News)
Boeing has opened a new facility to increase production of missile-tracking sensors for satellites. The 9,000-square-foot production area in El Segundo, California, will focus on electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads that detect light in the visible spectrum and heat in the infrared spectrum, enabling spacecraft to capture detailed imagery and identify thermal events such as missile launches. Boeing said the added capacity is intended to support satellites currently in production by its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems and projected future demand. (2/20)

India Wants to Dock Capsule at ISS (Source: Times of India)
An Indian Gaganyaan spacecraft could visit the International Space Station. According to a report, India's space agency ISRO proposed sending an uncrewed Gaganyaan spacecraft to the ISS as part of efforts to further cooperation between the United States and India in space. The proposal will be discussed at a working group meeting of Indian and American officials on civil space cooperation in May or June. Gaganyaan is India's crewed spacecraft under development. The first uncrewed orbital flight of the spacecraft was scheduled for March but is likely to be delayed. (2/20)

SpaceX Launches Thursday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Thursday on a mission that featured a booster landing in The Bahamas. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 8:41 p.m. Eastern, placing 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9 booster landed on a droneship in Bahamian waters, the second such landing there. Booster landings in The Bahamas open up new trajectories for Falcon 9 launches. (2/20)

Astrolight Tests Laser Terminal in Orbit (Source: Astrolight)
Astrolight, a space and defence-tech company pioneering laser communication solutions across space, ground, and maritime domains, is set to demonstrate its low-SWaP ATLAS-1 laser communication terminals in space for the first time. The terminals will enable secure, high-bandwidth space-to-ground communication on two satellites, each carrying ATLAS-1, scheduled for launch this March aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16. The satellites support two separate missions coordinated by Astrolight’s clients: the National Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. (2/18)

USSF Wants to Get Battle Management Tools from Lab to Operations Faster (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force team responsible for developing advanced battle management capabilities wants to create a better pipeline for mature space domain awareness tools to move from the lab into the hands of operators. Lt. Col. Collin Greiser said the service has already started strengthening that connection by moving a key experimentation lab under his portfolio—the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications, and Processing Laboratory, or SDA TAP Lab. The hub was established in 2023 to help hone new C2 tools from industry and academia and quickly deliver them to users. (2/19)

Science Fiction Blinded Us to the Perils of Settling Mars (Source: Big Think)
Despite the heroic successes of Mark Watney in The Martin, we now know a “toxic cocktail” of oxidants, iron oxides, and perchlorates permeate the Martian soil and would make growing plants exceedingly difficult. Watney might have been able to harvest a few stunted potatoes, but they would hardly be nourishing, likely leaving him weakened and emaciated. Moreover, his habitat should have been built below ground rather than above it. With no functional magnetosphere, Mars’ surface radiation is nearly as intense as in deep space, and the paper-thin atmosphere provides little protection from even minuscule meteorites. Watney would have been forced to live like an ant.

Broadly, science fiction has shown that settlement of space will be easier and more glamorous than how it will play out in reality. The immense hardships of space settlement and its potential pitfalls actually become more pressing as the technology advances. Scott Solomon thinks we could have boots on the Martian ground within the next ten years and settlement efforts by the end of the century. But while many technological hurdles of living away from Earth long-term remain to be overcome — food production, health challenges, fuel systems, and so on. (2/19)

Supercomputers Simulated the Orbits of 1 Million Satellites Between Earth and the Moon — and Less than 10% Survived (Source: Live Science)
Researchers used a pair of powerful supercomputers to simulate the potential trajectories of 1 million satellites in a cislunar orbit between Earth and the moon. Less than 10% of these orbits remained stable throughout the simulations, but this is not as disastrous as it may sound. If 1 million satellites were positioned at different points between Earth and the moon, less than 10% would survive long enough to be worth the hassle of sending them up in the first place, new supercomputer simulations suggest. (2/18)

Florida’s Space Industry is Confronting Very Earthly Worries (Source: Politico)
Environmental groups and commercial fishers say ecosystems and fishing businesses are suffering amid the nation’s space ambitions. More rockets launching from Central Florida may also mean more noise, port closures, air and water pollution, ocean acidification, and falling space debris — repercussions space companies and some Florida GOP lawmakers are asking locals to accept as a part of life on the Space Coast.

The environmental stakes are high. The complex sits inside of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon system. The region is an eco-tourism hot spot and houses some of Florida’s most treasured species, including manatees, dolphins, whales, sea turtles and shorebirds. Stormwater runoff, fertilizer and septic tanks have already polluted areas of the Space Coast, causing massive seagrass die-offs, killing wildlife and fouling water — problems that could worsen as launches increase.

Rocket exhaust, a gaseous cocktail that includes nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide, degrades air quality and can return to Earth as acid rain. Metals like arsenic, lithium and iron, commonly used in space technology, can accumulate in waterways and wildlife and have been found in elevated levels on Merritt Island. Environmentalists additionally worry that deafening sonic booms — which are expected to get louder and more frequent — will harm wildlife and bother nearby residents. (2/18)

Exolaunch to Deploy Five Satellites on Spectrum Mission from Norway (Source: Space Daily)
Exolaunch has completed integration of five customer satellites for launch on Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket, scheduled no earlier than March 19, 2026 from Andoya spaceport in Norway. The mission, branded "Onward and Upward," represents the second flight of Spectrum and a key step toward strengthening German and European sovereign access to orbit. The Berlin-based company is providing launch mission management, environmental testing, satellite integration, global shipping, and deployment services for the flight. Exolaunch will use its flight-proven EXOpod Nova deployment system to deliver the payloads to orbit. (2/18)

Microbes Harvest Metals From Meteorites Aboard ISS (Source: Space Daily)
Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can harvest crucial minerals from rocks and could provide a sustainable alternative to transporting much-needed resources from Earth. Researchers collaborated to study how those microbes extract platinum group elements from a meteorite in microgravity, with an experiment conducted aboard the ISS. They found that "biomining" fungi are particularly adept at extracting the valuable metal palladium, while removing the fungus resulted in a negative effect on nonbiological leaching in microgravity. (2/16)

Is It Time to Take Space-Based Solar Power Seriously? (Source: OilPrice)
If you can put up a satellite with solar panels to power AI data centers that take as much electricity as a small city, would it be any more difficult to put up a solar power satellite that beams down enough energy to supply a small city? Would solar power satellites become suppliers to micro-grids and small systems or to a central power network? Previously, we were sure the latter choice was the answer, but not anymore. 

If the space tech bros succeed, what will this do to the on-the-ground electricity demand of AI centers, which have now become the sole growth vehicle of the electric industry, now that the Trump administration has pretty much declared decarbonization (and electric vehicles) un-American? Science fiction writers predicted the advent of submarines, travel to the moon, ray guns, omnipresent surveillance, satellites, and intelligent (and malevolent) computers. They had vision. How many visionary electricity industry executives have you met lately? (2/18)

Vantor Plans AI for Classified Imagery Analysis (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Vantor plans to use AI models from Google to automate imagery analysis in classified settings. Under the partnership, Vantor will deploy Google Earth AI models within air-gapped government data centers. The models will generate text reports from Vantor's satellite imagery, third-party commercial imagery or customers' sovereign data. While Google Earth AI already works with other commercial Earth observation data providers, such as Planet and Airbus, under partner programs, Vantor would be the first to deploy Google models in sovereign government environments. The agreement with Google brings a new layer of AI capability that reduces the human labor required to generate intelligence reports from satellite imagery, Vantor says, with reports generated in minutes rather than hours. (2/19)

Northrop Grumman Not Interested in Government Investment for Rocket Motors (Source: Breaking Defense)
Northrop Grumman has no plans to follow L3Harris and take government investment to support solid rocket motor production. Northrop CEO Kathy Warden said at an investment conference Wednesday that her company has not talked with the government about any investment into the company or a spinout of its solid rocket motor production line. L3Harris said in January it agreed to accept a $1 billion investment from the Defense Department and spin out its missiles division into a separate publicly held business. Warden said that while Northrop is not interested in accepting government investment, some of its suppliers might be willing to do so. (2/19)

Blue Origin Expects to Resume New Shepard Suborbital Flights (Source: Bloomberg)
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp says he expects the company to resume New Shepard suborbital flights in the future. The company announced last month it was halting New Shepard flights for at least two years to focus company resources on its lunar programs. That led to industry speculation that the decision was effectively a cancellation of the program. At a conference this week, Limp said "we'll likely go back into that business," citing a multi-year customer backlog. He did not set a schedule for doing so, noting it made more sense for the company now to devote resources to lunar programs. (2/18)

Cape Canaveral Proposes "Launch Fund" as Residents Report Damage From Rocket Vibrations (Source: Fox35)
Rocket concerns are rising on the Space Coast as the City of Cape Canaveral looks for funding to repair damage from increasingly frequent and powerful launches. City officials are considering state and federal grants to create an emergency fund for both city infrastructure and affected residents.

Because the frequency of these launches is hitting record highs, the city is exploring uncharted territory. Touchberry noted that the city is "open to all possibilities when it comes to acquiring funding not only that could benefit the city and its infrastructure but to benefit the residents as well." Ultimately, the city wants a plan in place and to know what state and federal grants they could apply for before Starship begins regular operations in Florida.

While many residents love being in the front row of history, the physical toll on their properties is becoming hard to ignore. Cape Canaveral resident Dennis said his daughter often tells him about concerns on her property from launches. "It’s shaking her house and resulted in damages to the foundation," he said.

Richard Beadencup, another local resident, shares the duality of living on the Space Coast. "I can see the launches from my balcony. I love it," Beadencup said. But when asked if he feels the impact and rattle, he didn't hesitate: "Oh my gosh, yes." (2/17)

Agile Equity Round Oversubscribed at $17 Million (Source: Space News)
Agile Space Industries announced an equity financing round to support the company’s rapid expansion as demand for reliable in-space propulsion accelerates across commercial, civil, and national security missions. Strong investor demand drove the Series A beyond its initial $15 million target, resulting in an oversubscribed round. More than 70% of the capital was committed by existing Agile investors, underscoring deep conviction in the company’s execution and long-term market opportunity. (2/19)

Earthbound Moon Resort Would Include Largest Sphere Building (Source: New Atlas)
Some may remember a proposal to recreate the experience of standing on the Moon inside a giant spherical structure here on Earth. That concept never materialized, but now, four years later, the team behind it is back with an even more ambitious vision. The new project, named Moon, is slated for an as-yet undecided location. Though it feels like a natural fit for Saudi Arabia, the press release lists Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Poland, Spain, Thailand, the USA, or the United Arab Emirates as potential candidates.

If realized, its centerpiece would be what's described as the world's largest and tallest true spherical building. At 271 m (889 ft) in diameter and 312 m (1,023 ft) tall, it would dwarf the Sphere in Las Vegas, which measures 157 m (515 ft) in diameter and 112 m (367 ft) in height.

The Moon would host a resort anchored by a large 4,000-room hotel. At ground level, plans include a convention center, event spaces, restaurants, wellbeing facilities, and a smaller boutique hotel. Above all this would sit the project's headline attraction: an "authentic" simulated lunar surface designed to let visitors experience what walking on the Moon might feel like. This seems like a big ask and exactly how this effect would be achieved has not yet been explained. (2/18)

NASA Advances High-Altitude Traffic Management (Source: NASA)
Aircraft at high altitudes – 50,000 feet or higher, or roughly 10,000 to 20,000 feet above most commercial traffic – offer new possibilities for delivering internet connectivity in regions in need of reliable service. And they can deliver unprecedented situational awareness for the ground below, providing early warnings for floods and other disasters. For these types of operations, “station-keeping,” or remaining in the same region for extended periods of time, can be ideal for aircraft including balloons and airships. 

These flights will require a different sort of air traffic management system from the ones that cover most commercial flights – and it needs to be dependable. That’s why NASA is working to produce a system that ensures aircraft can operate safely in high-altitude airspace, with a particular focus on station-keeping. NASA’s expertise and technology, and the agency’s knowledge of the needs of the aviation industry, put it in an ideal position to perform the work. And NASA researchers are collaborating with the companies Aerostar and Sceye, developers and operators of high-altitude aircraft, to evaluate the system. 

This NASA system enables operators to share live flight data, information about their flight plans, and potential conflict alerts. Based on this information, operators can coordinate flight plans in real time. During a 2025 simulation at NASA Ames, researchers tested how efficiently that data sharing would be among operators of lighter-than-air vehicles – both balloons and airships. For this test, NASA, Aerostar, Sceye acted as operators of high-altitude vehicles, sharing information from facilities in California, South Dakota, and New Mexico. They were able to share flight information, as well as telemetry data from an Aerostar stratospheric balloon floating 66,500 feet above Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the time of the testing. (2/17)

Iran Issues NOTAM Over Planned Rocket Launches on Thursday, US FAA Says (Source: Jerusalem Post)
Iran issued on Wednesday a notice to airmen that it plans rocket launches in areas across its south on Thursday from 3:30 GMT to 13:30 GMT, the US Federal Aviation Administration website showed on Wednesday. Iran held naval drills this week in the Strait of Hormuz and plans to hold a joint naval exercise with Russia on Thursday. (2/18)

Chinese Satellite Obliterates Starlink Throughput With 2-Watt Laser From 36,000 KM Above Earth (Source: Indian Defense Review)
A beam of light weaker than the bulb inside a refrigerator has delivered internet speed data from a satellite more than twenty times farther away than the International Space Station. The 2 watt laser, fired from geostationary orbit 36,000 kilometers above Earth, reached a ground telescope in southwestern China at 1 gigabit per second. Researchers affiliated with Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences designed the experiment to solve a problem that has limited optical communications for decades: holding a signal together through the planet’s churning atmosphere. (2/19)

Boeing to Relocate Defense/Space Unit HQ to St. Louis (Source: First Alert 4)
Boeing’s decision to move its defense headquarters back to St. Louis comes months after the federal government opened its new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency facility in the region, marking continued efforts to establish St. Louis as a defense and national security hub. Boeing employs around 18,000 people in the St. Louis region, and indirectly impacts more than 30,000 jobs, creating a ripple effect throughout the aviation and aerospace industry. Boeing’s defense headquarters was previously located in St. Louis from 1997 to 2017. The company has not laid out its timeline for the move back to Missouri. (2/18)

There’s a Lot of Big Talk About Sovereign Launch—Who is Doing Something About It? (Source: Ars Technica)
No one will supplant American and Chinese dominance in the space launch arena anytime soon, but several longtime US allies now see sovereign access to space as a national security imperative.

Taking advantage of private launch initiatives already underway within their own borders, several middle and regional powers have approved substantial government funding for commercial startups to help them reach the launch pad. Australia, Canada, Germany, and Spain are among the nations that currently lack the ability to independently put their own satellites into orbit but which are now spending money to establish a domestic launch industry. Others talk a big game but haven’t committed the cash to back up their ambitions. Click here. (2/17)

NASA Samples Antarctic Water to Inform Search for Life on Icy Worlds (Source: NASA)
NASA-sponsored researchers welcomed the new year from a ship at the very tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Their goal? Collect samples of seawater most closely comparable to that in oceans beyond Earth. Many icy worlds in our solar system — such as Jupiter’s moon Europa or the dwarf planet Pluto — are believed to contain vast oceans of liquid water beneath thick layers of ice.

Some of these “ocean worlds” contain key ingredients for life, including carbon, nitrogen, and chemical energy, leading scientists to ask a fundamental question: could these hidden oceans support microorganisms? On Saturn’s moon Enceladus, subsurface water can erupt into space through a process called “cryovolcanism.” Cryovolcanism offers unique opportunities for robotic spacecraft to sample ocean material without drilling through miles of ice. (2/18)

Mutant Organisms Called 'Space Phages' Could Solve the Global Antibiotic Crisis (Source: Earth.com)
Viruses that infect bacteria can still do their job in near-weightlessness on the ISS. However, the pace of infection shifts, and both the virus and the bacterium start evolving along different paths than they do on Earth. A team tracked what happened when the bacteriophage T7 (a classic virus used in labs) met its usual host, E. coli, in microgravity. The experts compared matched samples incubated in orbit versus on Earth, then looked at how infection unfolded and what genetic changes piled up over time.

Under typical lab conditions, T7 can infect and burst open E. coli quickly. In this experiment, even the Earth-based samples showed a noticeable slowdown, with infection effectively happening between 2 and 4 hours. In microgravity, the slowdown was much stronger. The phage didn’t show the same clear signs of replication during the first few hours. But the key point is that it wasn’t a dead end. By the 23-day mark, the space-grown phage had clearly managed to replicate and persist, meaning productive infection still happened – only on a dramatically stretched timeline. (2/18)

NASA Blasts Heat Shield to Prepare for Atmospheric Re-Entry (Source: New Scientist)
When a spacecraft re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, it must withstand temperatures of up to 3870°C. Here, inside NASA’s Arc Jet Complex at the Ames Research Center in California, a heat-shield design is being exposed to these scorching conditions at ground level. NASA uses data from these tests to ensure that its spacecraft can handle the heat – so astronauts don’t have to. (2/18)

February 19, 2026

‘We’re No Longer Attracting Top Talent’: the Brain Drain Killing American Science (Source: The Guardian)
 Under the Trump administration, Ian Morgan, 33, and thousands of other young American scientists like him have grappled with wave after wave of disruptions. Billions of dollars have been wiped from research budgets, almost 8,000 grants have been cancelled at NIH and the US National Science Foundation alone, and more than 1,000 NIH employees have been fired. Morgan’s research has been rattled by multibillion-dollar cuts that make it impossible for labs to maintain their equipment. They have the choice of paying exorbitant maintenance fees, or giving up on experiments.

Amid the maelstrom, young and early-career scientists like Morgan are among the hardest hit. His own future is now in doubt. In the normal trajectory of a life in science, Morgan would be planning to set up his own laboratory conducting groundbreaking research. But with an ongoing hiring freeze, his options are limited. “Right now there’s no way even to apply to start your own lab at NIH, no matter how good you are, or how critical your work,” he says.

More than 10,000 post-doctoral experts in scientific and related fields were lost to the federal workforce last year, according to Science. The magazine looked at 14 research agencies and found that the number of employees departing outstripped new hires by 11 to one. The brain drain is prompting existential fears that American science, a powerhouse of the US economy and of global public health, is being deprived of its lifeblood. (2/19)

EUSPA Grants Thales Alenia a Framework Contract to Build European GNSS Demonstrator (Source: GPS World)
EUSPA has signed a Framework Contract with Thales Alenia Space to build the European GNSS Service Demonstrator (ESD), a centralized modular platform advancing EU Space services like EGNOS, Galileo, Copernicus, and GOVSATCOM/IRIS2. This EGNSS Service Demonstrator is a key innovation accelerator for EUSPA, paving the way for large-scale end-to-end testing future Galileo and EGNOS augmentation services through both geostationary satellite and internet-based dissemination. (2/18)

Japan’s ispace Warns of Delays in New Lunar Lander Engine (Source: Space News)
Japanese lunar company ispace said work on a new engine for its lunar landers is facing delays and that it is keeping open the option of switching engines. In an earnings call discussing its fiscal third-quarter financial results this month, ispace executives said issues with development of the new VoidRunner engine could delay the company’s next lander mission. (2/19)

Shareholder Advisory Firm Urges Vote Against Avio Bylaw Amendments (Source: European Spaceflight)
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a proxy adviser for institutional investors, has recommended that shareholders of Italy's Avio rocket builder vote against a set of proposed bylaw amendments, setting up a tense run-up to a 3 March Extraordinary General Meeting. In September 2025, Avio introduced a new ten-year business plan that includes opening a new defense propulsion manufacturing facility in the United States, the construction of which is being funded by a €400 million capital increase that the company completed in November 2025.

A significant byproduct of the capital raise was that the company welcomed several new shareholders and broadened the geographic footprint of its shareholder base, with US investors now accounting for 20% of the company’s share capital. The March Extraordinary Shareholders’ Meeting will consider several bylaw amendments that aim to align its governance structure with the company’s growth, evolving shareholder base, and recent changes in Italian corporate law. The most significant change would fix the board of directors at nine members and alter how those seats are allocated. (2/18)

Chinese Astronauts Rejoice Over Space Tomato Harvest for Spring Festival (Source: Xinhua)
As China celebrates the 2026 Spring Festival, the crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission aboard the Tiangong space station has received a remarkable gift, a thriving harvest of tomatoes grown in orbit. The "space vegetable garden" has once again demonstrated the potential for sustained plant life beyond Earth's atmosphere. In a video reported by China Media Group (CMG) on Wednesday, astronaut Zhang Hongzhang gave his fellow people on Earth a tour of what he calls a "healing corner" of the Tiangong to show the tomato plants exhibiting vigorous growth. (2/18)

SSC Space Opens Orbital Launch Control Center at Sweden's Esrange Spaceport (Source: European Spaceflight)
SSC Space has officially opened the Esrange Space Center’s new Orbital Launch Control Center, which will be used to manage future rocket launches from the facility. The Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden has hosted suborbital rocket launches since the 1960s. In October 2020, the Swedish government and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), now known as SSC Space, which operates the facility, announced plans to establish an orbital launch capability at Esrange. Just over two years later, in January 2023, the site was officially inaugurated.

On 18 February 2026, three years after the facility was officially inaugurated, SSC Space announced the establishment of the facility’s new Orbital Launch Control Center (OLCC). The OLCC will be used to oversee launch operations for orbital missions from Esrange, including vehicle monitoring, countdown procedures, and coordination with range safety and airspace authorities. (2/19)

River Deltas are Sinking Faster Than the Sea is Rising (Source: ESA)
Earth’s river deltas, home to about 5% of the global population and some of the world’s major cities, are experiencing subsidence, which exacerbates the risks from sea-level rise. The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has captured a decade's worth of data showing land sinking faster than previously thought. Ten of the world’s 34 biggest cities are built on river deltas and as such, these low-lying lands are often home to key infrastructure such as transport hubs that support trade links. They are also critical rural and ecological zones that support both agriculture and biodiversity.

Some of the major delta cities include Kolkata (in the Ganges river delta), Alexandria (Nile), Shanghai (Yangtze), Bangkok (Chao Phraya), Ho Chi Minh City (Mekong) and New Orleans (Mississippi). These cities and their surrounding lowlands are on the frontline of climate change. But until now scientists have lacked consistent, global data on how fast deltas are actually sinking. (2/17)

Spaceport America Hosts NAR/ARC Student Launches (Source: KVIA)
Students from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the Albuquerque Civil Air Patrol Group NM-079 completed a series of rocket launches at Spaceport America Saturday, Feb. 14. The students from NMSU were able to launch rockets they designed and potentially earn Level 1 certifications from the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) for succeeding in launching their rockets up to 1,700 feet. According to officials, of the 11 rockets launched at the spaceport, 10 were deemed successful flights. (2/18)

'Final Preparations' for First Launch From Shetland Spaceport (Source: The Herald)
A German rocket builder is moving toward launching a new vehicle from a spaceport in Shetland. The SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has been granted a range license by the Civil Aviation Authority for rocket flights, with Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) given permission to test there. The company received its spaceflight operator license from the CAA in January 2025, to go with SaxaVord's spaceport license and the range control license. The regulatory approval gives RFA permission to launch into space from Scotland, covering a wide range of orbits and trajectories.

The company expects to launch this year, in what will be the first launch from the Shetland location. Its launch vehicle, the RFA One, is designed to transport small and micro-satellites of up to 1,300 kg into low-Earth polar and Sun-synchronous orbits but has yet to successfully launch. (2/18)

Was SpaceX Even Serious About Mars? (Source: The Verge)
Elon Musk has historically been the ultimate cheerleader for human missions to Mars, and as recently as last year, he said his aim was to go straight to the red planet and that the Moon was “a distraction.” Now, he has apparently changed his mind, announcing that SpaceX has shifted focus to building a city on the Moon. Within the space science community, this news about the Moon has largely been met with eye rolls, primarily because so many have become jaded toward Musk’s overly ambitious plans and wildly unrealistic time scales.

“It was hard for me to take those Mars plans seriously,” said space policy expert Wendy Whitman Cobb of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. She has kept an eye on SpaceX’s job postings in recent years and pointed out that the company has shown no interest in hiring roles related to Mars technologies. This suggests there has long been a disconnect between the actual work that SpaceX is doing in its development of Starship versus the grandiose way that Musk has talked about future colonization plans. (2/18)

The Moon Makes More Sense for Musk's Ambitions (Source: The Verge)
The challenges for establishing a human presence on Mars are all potentially solvable, but they require the development and testing of new technologies, which will take years or, more likely, decades. And when you are looking for a testing ground, the Moon — a few days away from Earth, with evacuation possible in an emergency — is significantly more appealing than Mars, where astronauts would be on their own for months at a time. This has been NASA’s approach in recent years under its Moon to Mars program.

But the most pressing motivations to return humans to the Moon are largely geopolitical, with China seeking to expand its human space program and stake out a presence there within the next decade and the US unwilling to be beaten to the punch. Similarly, SpaceX’s guiding motivation may be less philosophical and more classically capitalist, as the company engages in some old-fashioned competition with its rival Blue Origin.

Whatever the motivations of those involved, and for all the frustration with Musk’s off-the-cuff approach to announcing space policy, there is a hope that having him come around to supporting a practically achievable Moon mission is a positive step. Even now, Musk is claiming that, following Moon missions, SpaceX will be building a city on Mars “in about 5 to 7 years,” a hilariously optimistic timeline given that Starship has not even been proven flightworthy yet. You might recall Musk previously claiming that humans would be on Mars by 2022, or 2024, or 2029. (2/18)

Musk Cuts Starlink Access for Russian Forces - Giving Ukraine an Edge at the Front (Source: BBC)
Evidence is mounting that Elon Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to his Starlink satellite-based internet service has blunted Moscow's advance, caused confusion among Russian soldiers and handed an advantage to Ukraine's defenders. But for how long? And what can Ukraine's military achieve in the meantime? "The Russians… lost their ability to control the field," a Ukrainian drone operator said. "I think they lost 50% of their capacity for offence," he said. "That's what the numbers show. Fewer assaults, fewer enemy drones, fewer everything." (2/19)

Cerberus Completes Acquisition of Vivace International (Source: Vivace)
Vivace International announced that an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management has completed the full acquisition of the company. Cerberus initially made a strategic growth investment in Vivace in 2024 to strengthen its engineering and manufacturing capabilities, expand its team with key hires, and secure new program supporting U.S. defense and spaceflight customers. The additional investment positions Vivace to further scale its production capacity for mission‑critical propulsion tanks and aerospace systems, and support a growing portfolio of national security and space programs. (2/18)

Orbex Enters Bankruptcy with More Than 150 Employees Affected (Source: Inverness Courier)
A UK rocket manufacturer has now been taken over by administrators, with more than 150 employees made redundant. Orbex has now appointed restructuring advisors FRP as administrators and will charge them with exploring options for the business, including a potential sale. "Orbex has been a leading manufacturer in Europe's space industry, and so it is not surprising that there have been 35 companies in touch to register an interest in the business," said Richard Lochhead. (2/18)

Sentinel ICBM Program to Finish Restructuring This Year (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Air Force's Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program is set to complete a mandated restructuring this year, achieving Milestone B certification ahead of schedule, says Gen. Dale White, manager of critical major weapon systems. The program aims for initial operational capability in the early 2030s, earlier than recent estimates but later than the original 2029 target. The program has faced challenges, including an 81% cost increase to $141 billion and the need to build new missile silos, but officials say no additional cost growth has been seen. (2/17)

US Set to Complete GPS III Upgrade (Source: Space News)
The final GPS III satellite is set to launch in March, marking the completion of a landmark upgrade to the US positioning, navigation and timing infrastructure. The upgrade, highlighted by the recent deployment of the GPS III SV09 satellite by SpaceX, enhances the capabilities of systems reliant on GPS. (2/18)

Starfighters Space to Ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange (Source: Starfighters)
Starfighters Space announced today that its executive leadership team will ring The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, February 20, 2026. The Opening Bell ceremony marks a significant milestone for Starfighters Space and reflects the Company’s continued growth and expanding role in the commercial space sector. (2/18)

Data From this NASA Rover Leave Only One Possible Explanation (Source: Futura)
A new study sheds more light on the discovery of organic compounds on Mars by the Curiosity rover. Since the rover cannot directly analyze the sample and given the limited capabilities of the Martian rover, the researchers had to devise an alternative approach to learn more. They conducted laboratory experiments to determine how Martian rocks, altered by radiation for 80 million years, could preserve such a large amount of organic compounds. This is particularly puzzling because these compounds tend to break down under solar radiation, especially when they have little protection from the atmosphere, which is the case on Mars.

The researchers could not find a convincing abiotic explanation for the presence of these molecules. Does this mean we have the first proof of ancient life on Mars? Not yet, especially since we lack the means to analyze the sample in more detail. The definitive answer may come if a Mars sample-return mission is ever conducted. (2/18)

A Pulsar Near The Milky Way's Galactic Center Is A Perfect Set-up To Test General Relativity (Source: Universe Today)
Researchers with Breakthrough Listen and Columbia University have discovered a candidate millisecond pulsar in the Milky Way's center. If confirmed, it will allow unprecedented tests of Einstein's General Relativity. Pulsars are extraordinarily predictable, and are clock-like in their regularity. General Relativity says that signals from a pulsar near a supermassive black hole should be altered by the SMBH's mass, and this candidate offers a chance to test that. (2/18)

Hubble Identifies a Near-Invisible Galaxy That May Be 99% Dark Matter (Source: Phys.org)
In the vast tapestry of the universe, most galaxies shine brightly across cosmic time and space. Yet a rare class of galaxies remains nearly invisible—low-surface-brightness galaxies dominated by dark matter and containing only a sparse scattering of faint stars. One such elusive object, dubbed CDG-2, may be among the most heavily dark matter-dominated galaxies ever discovered. (2/18)

Canada's DND Offering $2M for Prototypes to Counter Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Threats (Source: SpaceQ)
With the militarization of space accelerating, the Department of National Defence (DND) is turning to the private sector to solve a critical vulnerability: keeping satellites talking when an enemy tries to interfere with them. The department launched a new procurement challenge Tuesday, offering up to $2 million for Canadian companies to build prototypes that shield Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications satellites (SATCOM) from malicious interference, specifically in “contested” or combat environments. (2/17)

Jacksonville's Cecil Spaceport Expansion Could Have the First Coast Looking Like the Space Coast (Source: First Coast News)
The future of Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville is beginning to take shape, and it may look a little different from launch sites like Kennedy Space Center. Instead of vertical launch pads, Cecil has horizontal launch capabilities, which is ideal for the future of private space flights. New aerospace manufacturing companies are already getting on board as part of a new expansion.

It has a high-tech mission control center, spaceport hangar with 60,000 square foot and one of its biggest assets, a 12,500-foot runway. The location, formerly a naval airbase, was a designated emergency landing site. "It's the third longest runway in the state of Florida, so it's a huge asset, not only to Cecil, but the city to Jacksonville," Cecil Spaceport Director Matt Bocchino said. "Because with this runway, because of its length, we can accept any aircraft in production in the world. This is why we are a spaceport, because of this long runway."

In January, Embry Riddle's Experimental Rocket Propulsion Lab fired up a test rocket at the spaceport. Other universities, including the University of Florida and University of Central Florida, also use Cecil for testing along with private companies. Cecil is looking towards the future, applying for an FAA space re-entry license. Space Florida is committing to fund the process 100%. The spaceport is already cleared for horizontal launches. (2/17)

Martian Volcanoes Could Be Hiding Massive Glaciers Under A Blanket of Ash (Source: Universe Today)
There are parts of the mid-latitudes of Mars that appear to be glaciers covered by thick layers of dust and rock. So are these features really holding massive reserves of water close to where humans might first step foot on the Red Planet? They might be, according to a new paper from M.A. de Pablo and their co-authors, recently published in Icarus.

The key might be a small, volcanic island in Antarctica. Known as Deception Island, it’s a volcano that has covered some massive glaciers surrounding it with ash and dust from a series of eruptions in the 60s and 70s. The authors think they found a volcano on Mars with a similar history known as Hecates Tholus. Hecates Tholus is an ancient shield volcano on Mars that has many of the same features as the Deception Island volcano. And since we know there’s ice settled under the debris in Antarctica, it would imply that similar features might be underlying the debris surrounding Hecates Tholus. (2/18)

Exotrail Signs Major Contracts with Three Indian Space Companies as Macron Visits India (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Exotrail has signed three major contracts covering the supply of several dozen electric propulsion systems to XDLINX Labs, PIXXEL, and Dhruva Space, three Indian space companies, illustrating the fundamental role that the space industry plays in Franco-Indian cooperation. The contract comes as part of French President, Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India for the inauguration of the Indo-French Year of Innovation, to which Exotrail was invited as part of the presidential delegation. (2/18)

BlackSky International Customer Orders Gen-3 Satellite for Sovereign Access (Source: Via Satellite)
BlackSky Technology announced a deal with an unnamed international customer for a dedicated Gen-3 satellite, along with BlackSky’s imagery and analytics services. The deal announced Tuesday will give BlackSky’s international customer a sovereign, space-based intelligence solution.

The customer will have immediate access to BlackSky’s imagery and analytics, along with dynamic monitoring over their national and regional areas of interest. In addition, the customer purchased one Gen-3 BlackSky satellite, which will work in parallel to BlackSky’s constellation once it is operational. (2/17)

Russia Turns To Balloon-Based 5G Terminal As Alternative To Starlink (Source: Forbes)
Given the critical need for communication, the Russian military has been scrambling to find alternatives. Russian media recently announced the testing of a promising short-term Starlink alternative in the Barazh-1 system, a balloon-based platform capable of carrying a 5G terminal into the stratosphere as a communications relay.

The Barazh-1 system is a Russian-developed “unmanned stratospheric platform” designed to operate at altitudes between 20 and 30 km while carrying a payload of up to 100 kg. Although described in Russian media as a “platform,” it is fundamentally a stratospheric aerostat, or high-altitude balloon, that relies on buoyant lift rather than aerodynamic flight. Russian media report that it is now being tailored to carry a 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) terminal. This would allow the aerostat to function as a high-altitude relay node, performing a role similar to Starlink. (2/17)

NASA’s Next Great Space Telescope is Getting Ready for Launch (Source: Space Explored)
As NASA moves deeper into a new era of space-based astronomy, another flagship observatory is quietly approaching the launch pad. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, designed to survey the universe at a scale no previous space telescope has achieved, has completed assembly and is undergoing final environmental testing ahead of being shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a planned liftoff as soon as late 2026. (2/18)

Iris2 Will Be Free to Govt Users, Whose Comms Will be Anonymous; Non-Govt Service to be Preempted in Crises (Source: Space Intel Report)
The European Commission, just a couple of months from finding out whether its Iris2 public-private partnership for a secure connectivity constellation will survive negotiations with industry, is seeking to quash rumors about how the network will be managed.

It is notably fighting allegations that the program has no clear lines of authority between the Commission, ESA and the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA), that it will usurp military authority from individual EU nations. (2/18)

Stopping the European Space Startup Exodus (Source: Supercluster)
Young space companies have been struggling in Europe for years. Unable to raise sufficient funds to scale and restricted by the fragmented European market, many have failed to outgrow the start-up stage. To some, American investors and venture funds have come to the rescue, offering the much-needed capital, frequently under the condition of relocating to the U.S. The problem has been so widespread that some industry insiders refer to it as the European space start-up exodus. Some hope that the wave of investment in defense projects, motivated by the continued threat from Russia and escalating disputes with the administration of Donald Trump, might thwart the trend.

Europe, however, has a lot of catching up to do. Over the nearly quarter-century since the new space movement emerged to develop space technology faster and more cheaply than the old-school agencies and corporations, the U.S. government departments have nurtured giants like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Planet Labs. Many of the frequently mediatized names of the European new space world, including rocket developers ISAR Aerospace, PLD, or Rocket Factory Augsburg, have yet to prove they are worth the hype.

So what exactly is wrong with Europe? Bulent Altan, Founding Partner at Munich, Germany-based Alpine Space Ventures, and early executive at SpaceX, told Supercluster that, unlike the US, where government players such as the Space Development Agency, the Department of Defense, and NASA have fully embraced new entrants, Europe has historically lacked “anchor customers” ready to support potentially disruptive players. “Without those demand signals, companies could not scale, and capital formation was nearly impossible,” Altan said. Click here. (2/17)

Loft Orbital and SmartSat CRC to Demonstrate Wildfire Detection with AI-Enabled Satellite (Source: Loft)
Loft Orbital (Loft) today announced it has signed a contract with the SmartSat Cooperative Research Center (SmartSat CRC) to deploy a wildfire detection application to Loft’s on-orbit satellites. The project will serve as a high-tech demonstration of near real-time, software-based wildfire detection from low Earth orbit.

This mission is designed to validate the software's functionality and performance in the space environment, providing a critical proof-of-concept for low-latency early detection of small smoke signatures. The application uses hyperspectral signatures to identify and distinguish smoke from standard cloud cover or fog, allowing early detection of small fires that can build to large wildfire events. (2/18)

Thales Alenia Space to Build Central Platform for EU GNSS Services (Source: Via Satellite)
Thales Alenia Space will build a central ground support platform for EU space services like EGNOS, Galileo, Copernicus, and GOVSATCOM/IRIS². The EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) recently signed a contract framework with Thales Alenia Space, announced Feb. 17.

Called the European GNSS Service Demonstrator (ESD), it will serve as a modular and flexible ground and support segment. The strategic purpose is to rollout new and improved services without disrupting operations for the European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS), which encompasses the Global Satellite Navigation System established under the Galileo program and the European Geostationary Overlay Service (EGNOS). (2/18)

Space Coast Regional Airport Wins $15M Spaceport Infrastructure Grant (Source: Florida Today)
Space Coast Regional Airport, a legislatively designated Spaceport Territory, has secured a $15M grant for infrastructure upgrades to attract aerospace companies. The grant, made available through the Florida Department of Transportation and Space Florida under the Spaceport Improvement Program (SIP), will allow the airport to make improvements designed to make it more attractive to aerospace companies. (2/16)

Rakuten Mobile Proposal Selected for JAXA Space Strategy (Source: Computer Weekly)
As part of a project to enable “seamless” frequency sharing and handover between satellite and terrestrial networks, Rakuten Mobile today announced that its joint proposal with the University of Tokyo for dynamic frequency sharing technology has been selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency for its Space Strategy Fund program. (2/17)

SpaceX, Not Tesla, Will Make Musk A Trillionaire (Source: Forbes)
As of Feb. 16, 2026, on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list, Elon Musk’s net worth stands at $849.3 billion. Larry Page is listed at $251.0 billion, Mark Zuckerberg at $219.5 billion, Jeff Bezos at $214.1 billion and Jensen Huang at $158.8 billion. Combined, Page, Zuckerberg, Bezos and Huang total approximately $843.4 billion. Musk exceeds that combined figure by roughly $6 billion.

Today, Musk’s wealth is no longer primarily tied to electric vehicles. Approximately two-thirds of his net worth is now tied to SpaceX and affiliated private ventures, while roughly one-third corresponds to Tesla. In 2020, Tesla represented the overwhelming majority of his fortune. By 2026, SpaceX and Starlink represent about twice the economic weight of Tesla within his personal balance sheet. (2/17)

Starbase Adding $14M ‘Starship Park’ to SpaceX Company Town’s Amenities (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
SpaceX’s city of Starbase appears to be making life more comfortable for its residents with plans to spend nearly $14 million building a park near the company’s Starship rocket factory. SpaceX’s city of Starbase appears to be making life more comfortable for its residents with plans to spend nearly $14 million building a park near the company’s Starship rocket factory. Construction on the future “Starship Park” could begin this week and is expected to be complete by September. (2/17)

SpaceX Receives Federal Approval to Develop Acres of Wetlands for Launch Pad Expansion (Source: Houston Chronicle)
SpaceX has received federal approval to fill 17 acres of wetlands to expand its launch pad in South Texas. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted the company’s request in late January. SpaceX plans to build new pads for testing and staging rockets, areas for storing water and propellant, and new roadways to enter and drive around internally, according to an Army Corps spokesperson.

The company will offset its wetlands destruction by creating an environmental mitigation bank that has also been recently approved by the Army Corps. This bank is not a financial institution. It’s a piece of land that can be tapped repeatedly if SpaceX seeks permission to develop additional wetlands outside of Brownsville. “By authorizing the establishment of Rockhands Mitigation Bank, the Corps could essentially be facilitating further loss of critical habitat in Boca Chica,” Fish and Wildlife said in comments submitted to the Army Corps.

SpaceX has previously received permission to fill about 5 acres of wetlands near Boca Chica Beach. It offset this development by donating some 80 acres to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The Rockhands Mitigation Bank reflects a new approach for the company. And its permit to fill 17 acres — down slightly from the 18 acres of emergent wetlands and wind-tidal flats that SpaceX originally requested — is a dramatic increase in wetlands destruction. (2/17)

Exotic Black Hole Stars Could Explain the Mystery of Little Red Dots (Source: Scientific American)
When astronomers glimpsed the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in July 2022, they saw the kind of universe most of them have come to expect. There were dazzling blue bursts of light, glowing trails of stardust, curtains of gas backlit by the birth of stars.

But things got weird very quickly. Almost every new image showed mysterious, tiny red points. The spots were extremely compact, very bright and distinctly red. There were so many of them. Everywhere JWST looked, the telescope found at least one specimen of what are now commonly called Little Red Dots (LRDs). (2/17)

Antarctica’s ‘Gravity Hole’ Has Been Quietly Growing Stronger (Source: Gizmodo)
For a long time, scientists knew of a “gravity hole” beneath Antarctica—an area with particularly weak gravitational force. Considering the various threats currently faced by the region, scientists are hoping to understand this anomaly better. At last, they may have a new lead. A historical analysis of Antarctica’s gravity hole, detailed in a recent Scientific Reports paper, explains that the hole started off weaker but grew stronger between 50 and 30 million years ago, when widespread glaciation took over Antarctica. (2/17)

Environmentalists Sound Alarm as SpaceX Landings Return to Bahamas (Source: EWnews)
Joe Darville of Save the Bays says he was "completely caught aghast" that authorities granted permission without wider public consultation. He warned that any malfunction or explosion could pose serious risks to the Bahamas' ocean-dependent economy, particularly its reliance on tourism, fisheries, and maritime activity, and questioned why the landings couldn't be done in the Gulf of Mexico instead.

He is calling for a national referendum before any further approvals are granted. Regulators say all necessary environmental and regulatory reviews were completed, and that the Falcon 9 operations are very different from the Starship test flight that caused the debris incident, and involve controlled re-entry supported by extensive environmental assessments. (2/18)

Satellite Feature on iPhone Allowed Skiers to Seek Help After Avalanche (Source: New York Times)
The six survivors of Tuesday’s avalanche near Lake Tahoe communicated with emergency responders using the Emergency SOS feature on the iPhone and an emergency beacon, said Don O’Keefe, the law enforcement chief for California’s Office of Emergency Services. The Emergency SOS feature on Apple’s iPhones allows users to text emergency services, even when they don’t have cellular service or Wi-Fi, by connecting the phone to a satellite. (2/18)

California city Considers Banning Contracts with SpaceX (Source: Drive Tesla)
The Davis City Council in California is preparing to consider a resolution that could significantly alter the city’s relationship with companies owned or controlled by Elon Musk, including Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, and xAI. If approved, the proposal would prohibit the city from entering into new contracts with Musk-affiliated firms and encourage divestment from their publicly traded securities. (2/17)

Saudi HUMAIN Invested $3B Into xAI Pre-Merger; Convertible to SpaceX (Source: Mach 33)
Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN said it made a $3B investment into xAI’s Series E shortly before xAI was acquired by SpaceX, meaning the position converted into SpaceX equity through the transaction. The capital injection builds on an existing 500MW AI infrastructure partnership between the two entities in Saudi Arabia. This transaction positions HUMAIN as a strategic anchor in the converging space-AI stack. By converting xAI holdings into SpaceX shares post-acquisition, HUMAIN secures exposure to the broader ecosystem. For the market, this strategic partner supports the thesis that orbital compute and terrestrial AI models are merging into a single infrastructure play, with capital flows now reflecting that integration. (2./18)

Starbase Expansion Advances with Wetlands Permit and Annexation Proposal (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX received U.S. Army Corps approval to fill roughly 17 acres of wetlands near Boca Chica to support additional Starbase site development, with offsets routed through mitigation credits (including SpaceX’s Rockhands Mitigation Bank). Separately, Starbase’s local government is reportedly advancing an annexation proposal covering ~7,133 acres, which would expand Starbase’s municipal jurisdiction even if underlying land ownership does not change.

This is the operational backbone of Starship scale. Launch cadence ultimately depends on site throughput, local governance control, and permitting velocity, not just vehicle performance. The more SpaceX can formalize land use and municipal authority, the more it reduces long-run execution risk around closures, utilities, and industrial expansion. (2/18)

China Completes AI Testing for “Three-Body” Orbital Computing Constellation (Source: Mach 33)
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has concluded nine months of testing for its "Three-Body" Computing Constellation. The tests successfully demonstrated the ability to run large-scale AI models directly on satellite hardware, significantly reducing latency between data capture and intelligence generation.

This establishes China as a credible, vertically integrated competitor to SpaceX in the emerging orbital compute segment. Like SpaceX, CASIC controls the entire stack, from launch vehicles to satellite manufacturing and now the onboard compute layer. This integration allows them to capture similar margin efficiencies that define SpaceX's dominance, optimizing cost structures that decoupled competitors cannot match. (2/18)

Countdown to Goddard Centennial with New Model Rocket for Launches (Source: Aerospace America)
To mark the 100th anniversary of Robert Goddard’s historic launch, a low-cost replica of his pioneering liquid fueled rocket gives schools and the public a powerful way to introduce the birth of modern rocketry. “Tried rocket at 2:30,” Robert Hutchings Goddard recounted in his diary on that frosty afternoon in 1926 at “Aunt Effie’s farm” in Auburn, Massachusetts. “It rose 41 ft, and went 184 ft, in 2.5 sec, after the lower half of nozzle has burned off,” he wrote. (2/17)

February 18, 2026

Europe’s Space Pivot: From ESA’s Science Logic to National Security Logic (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Germany has signaled plans to invest around €35 billion through 2030 in space-related defense capabilities. The number matters not only because it is unprecedented in a European context, but because it is strategically framed: sovereignty, resilience, protection, and military readiness. This is the point: space in Europe is moving from “science-first” to “security-first.” (2/17)

DOD Eyes Commercial Satellites That Can Spy on Other Satellites (Source: Defense News)
The Pentagon is looking for cheap commercial satellites that can maintain surveillance on other satellites in orbit, including close-range inspections, according to a Defense Innovation Unit solicitation published Tuesday. The Geosynchronous High-Resolution Optical Space-Based Tactical Reconnaissance project — also referred to as “Ghost Recon” — is intended to address a vulnerability in America’s space-monitoring capabilities.

The Pentagon is looking for commercial satellites that can be launched within two years after the contract begins. Within three years, those satellites would become government owned and operated. Within four years, they will have to demonstrate the ability to “perform at least one drive-by (Sub or Super Sync) or an inclined track design reference mission (DRM) per week through the first year of government operations,” the solicitation states. (2/17)

SatVu Raises $41 Million for Remote Sensing Constellation (Source: Space News)
Earth observation startup SatVu has raised 30 million British pounds ($41 million) in a funding round supported by a NATO fund. The funding will support the British venture's push back to orbit after its initial demonstrator failed in 2023. Two follow-on satellites are slated for launch this year as the company works toward a constellation of nine spacecraft to deliver 10-20 daily revisits. Among the investors participating in the round is the NATO Innovation Fund, or NIF, a venture capital fund backed by NATO member nations to invest in emerging technologies with defense and security applications. Investor interest in commercial thermal satellite imagery has been rising, with German startup constellr announcing a 37 million euro ($44 million) funding round last week to expand its own thermal imaging constellation. (2/18)

UK Caps Liability for Launch Operators (Source: Space News)
A long-awaited cap on liability for U.K. launch operators came into force Wednesday. The U.K. Space Industry (Indemnities) Act 2025 amends the Space Industry Act 2018, which until now exposed operators to unlimited liability for damage or loss caused by spaceflight activities from the country. The new law requires launch licenses to have a cap on liability, currently set at 60 million euros ($71 million). The U.K. was previously one of the few spacefaring nations without a statutory liability limit covering all spaceflight activities, putting companies there at a disadvantage. (2/18)

Proposed SpaceX Stargaze SSA Capability Depends on User Data Sharing (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX space situational awareness (SSA) system is attracting attention for its scale as well as requirements for operators to use it. SpaceX announced late last month Stargaze, an SSA system that collects data from star trackers on its Starlink satellites. SpaceX says it can make 30 million observations each day, making it possible to rapidly detect changes in orbits of any satellites. SpaceX has been testing a space traffic management platform using Stargaze data with a set of beta users, and plans to open it up to all satellite operators for free in the spring.

One condition for satellite operators to participate is that they will have to share their satellite ephemeris, or information on the orbits of their satellites and planned maneuvers. Satellite operators and others in the SSA field say they are impressed with the scale of Stargaze and support ephemeris sharing, but noted that having another source of SSA data and conjunction predictions could be confusing to operators, particularly if it differs from other sources. (2/18)

Belgium's Simera Sense Developing Larger Satellite Optical Payloads (Source: Space News)
After attracting cubesat customers, Belgium-based Simera Sense is developing higher-resolution optical payloads for larger satellites. Simera Sense is developing standardized optical payloads to provide imagery with a resolution of less than one meter, with first deliveries planned for 2028. Simera Sense also announced last week a memorandum of understanding with Florida-based Sidus Space, which will integrate its FeatherEdge hardware and Cielo AI software with Simera Sense hyperspectral payloads. (2/18)

China's Landspace Plans Zhuque-3 Second Launch and Recovery (Source: Space News)
Chinese company Landspace is planning a second launch and recovery attempt of its Zhuque-3 rocket in the spring. The attempt follows Landspace's successful first orbital launch of the Zhuque-3 stainless steel, methane-liquid oxygen rocket in early December 2025, although an attempt to land the booster failed. Landspace said in a presentation at a UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space meeting earlier this month that, if does successfully land the booster on its upcoming launch, it will attempt a reflight of the booster in the fourth quarter. (2/18)

Firefly Pushes California Launch to NET Feb. 27 (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace is pushing back the return to flight of its Alpha rocket. An Alpha launch was scheduled from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as soon as Wednesday on the vehicle's first flight since a failure last April. Firefly said Tuesday it was delaying the launch to no earlier than Feb. 27, citing poor weather at the launch site this week and "taking an abundance of caution for this test flight." (2/18)

Canada Declares Space Capabilities as Sovereign Interests (Source: SpaceQ)
Space is now classified as a "sovereign capability" by the Canadian military. In a new Defence Industrial Strategy released Tuesday, space was one of 10 such capabilities identified as important to the country's military, giving domestic companies in the sector priority in a new procurement system. The document states that, for space, the military is interested in launch, communications, space domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Canadian firms with those capabilities will be given preference in future procurements. (2/18)

UAE Extends Mars Orbiter Mission (Source: Middle East Online)
The UAE Space Agency is extending the mission of its Hope Mars orbiter. The agency said it will extend the Hope spacecraft, formally known as Emirates Mars Mission, through 2028. Hope launched in 2020 and has been orbiting Mars since February 2021 for what was originally a two-year mission to study Martian weather and climate. Extending the mission will continue those science operations and gives the UAE more experience in deep-space missions ahead of an asteroid mission set to launch in 2028. (2/18)

L3Harris Selected to Supply Additional THAAD Boosters (Source: Defense Post)
L3Harris Technologies has secured a $400 million contract for solid rocket booster motors and Liquid Divert and Attitude Control Systems for the THAAD missile. L3Harris' newly awarded contract will provide crucial components that enhance THAAD interceptors' ability to engage missiles at high altitudes, reinforcing the system's role in US and allied defense strategies. (2/18)

Space Force Says it Needs to Double Personnel (Source: WFED)
Space Force Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna has told Congress that the service must double its size to meet national security demands, noting that the current force is insufficient. The service, which has consistently met recruitment goals, must also expand infrastructure to manage a growing mission, Bentivegna says. "This critical expansion is not only necessary, but entirely achievable," he says. (2/17)

UK Awards $16M Contract to Advance Hypersonic Missile Design (Source: Defense Post)
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded 12 million pounds ($16.2 million) to Amentum UK to develop a hypersonic missile system, advancing London’s push for a domestic long-range, high-speed strike capability. The program will culminate in flight testing of a demonstrator, with designs intended to evolve into prototype missiles capable of exceeding Mach 5 and withstanding extreme thermal and structural loads. Amentum UK will collaborate with subcontractors Ebeni and Synthetik Applied Technologies UK Ltd to deliver engineering design work under an integrated “Team Hypersonics (UK)” structure. (2/18)

ESA Boss Couches Lunar Plans In Security Terms (Source: Aviation Week)
The head of the European Space Agency (ESA) has framed Europe’s need to pursue lunar missions in unusually security-focused terms for the civilian organization. "The Moon is moving fast from a 'science outpost' to a strategic infrastructure," ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said. (2/16)

The Flaw That Could Prevent Humans From Becoming Deep-Space Explorers (Source: Washington Post)
Despite all we’ve learned about how space affects the body and mind, and the importance of that knowledge to long-term cosmic ambitions, surprisingly little research focuses on human biology. The vast majority of government funding in the space sector is spent on engineering hardware, including what is needed to get astronauts out there and keep them alive. Rockets and space stations are essential, but what good are they unless the people inside them are not only living but also thriving? Click here. (2/16)

Colorado’s Aerospace Economy Gets Boost From Turn-Around in NASA Funding (Source: Sentinel)
Colorado’s aerospace economy is built on long timelines. Corporate fortunes depend on multiyear spacecraft development cycles, a talent pipeline that has its hubs in university labs, and federal budgets that determine whether companies can confidently bid, hire and build. That dynamic explains why the science appropriations “minibus” package Congress enacted last month matters so much for the Centennial State.

The new law funds NASA for FY-2026 and also carries funding for other science agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, that help supply the research base and skilled workforce feeding the state’s space and other technology industries. The Trump administration had originally proposed extraordinary cuts to NASA.

“The aerospace industry is one of the core pillars of Colorado’s economy,” said Parker White, vice president of government affairs for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, who noted the state has “over 2,000 companies” in aerospace or related supply-chain work. That estimate squares with one provided by the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, which also said recently that the sector accounted for nearly $23 billion in federal contracting during 2024 and employs more than 55,000 people. (2/16)

700-Plus Space Command Personnel in Alabama by End of 2028 (Source: AL.com)
Half of U.S. Space Command headquarters’ workforce will be in Alabama by the end of 2028, U.S. Senator Katie Britt said Friday. Britt said that commitment came through conversations she had with Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and U.S. Space Command Commanding General Stephen Whiting. (2/15)

China's "Departure Gate" for Crewed Lunar Missions Completes Debut Launch (Source: Xinhua)
At the future "departure gate" for China's crewed lunar journeys at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, personnel in blue uniforms bustle around a newly constructed tower, meticulously inspecting and maintaining tens of thousands of components as part of post-launch operations.

This new launch pad, constructed specifically for China's crewed lunar missions, saw its first launch on Feb. 11 with the successful low-altitude demonstration and verification of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, along with the maximum dynamic pressure abort flight test of the new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou.

Construction on the crewed lunar mission project at Wenchang began in April 2024. In less than two years, a white launch tower standing approximately 120 meters tall, equivalent to a 40-story building, has risen on the site, making it the tallest launch tower in China currently. Unlike the launch pad used for China's current crewed spacecraft, Shenzhou, this new tower dedicated to crewed lunar missions features no rotating service structure. (2/15)

China Hands Over Satellite Ground Station to Namibia (Source: Reuters)
Chinese officials on Thursday handed over a satellite ground station to Namibia outside the southern African nation's capital Windhoek, Chinese state media reported, marking another step forward in China's expanding space program overseas. The Chinese-built ground data receiving station will "significantly enhance Namibia's ability to receive and process remote-sensing data from satellites," the state-run Xinhua news agency said on Friday. (2/13)

Astronomers Discover Chemicals That Could Seed Life in the Core of a Developing Star (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers recently searched the gas cloud of a yet-unborn star for a chemical that may seed future planets with the basic ingredients for life. They found an organic molecule called methanimine scattered throughout a dense clump of gas and dust 554 light-years away. The cloud, called L1544 and found within the Taurus Molecular Cloud, will eventually become a star with a system of planets, and those exoplanets may form with a "starter kit" of organic molecules like methanimine — courtesy of chemical reactions that are going on right now in the cold, dormant molecular cloud. (2/16)

Indian Rocket Washes Ashore in Maldives (Source: CNBC)
Curiosity has hit the shores like a rocket after a large piece of rocket waste/debris, bearing the logo and identification markers of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), washed up on Maldivian shores. Images posted by the Kunahandhoo Council, the Maldives' local elected government body for L. Kunahandhoo island, and articles in the local press show the Indian national insignia and the ISRO name in blue, with text stating that the rocket was built in 2025. (2/15)

SpaceX Launch From Cape Canaveral to Target Bahamas Booster Landing (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX is set to do something different with its next Starlink mission: this rocket launch from Florida will head off on a rare flight path, a sort of tropical getaway to the Bahamas. The planned Feb. 18 liftoff follows a 2025 agreement and the first offshore landing in Bahamian waters a year ago, SpaceX will again send a booster toward the islands for a droneship landing. These landings allow for efficient southeastern trajectories from Florida. (2/17)

NASA Scientist Warns There’s No Way to Stop Thousands of City-Killing Asteroids From Striking Earth (Source: New York Post)
She’s worried about the a-rock-alypse. A planetary defense expert is warning that humanity is defenseless against up to 15,000 undetected near-Earth asteroids that have the potential to take out a city. “What keeps me up at night is the asteroids we don’t know about,” warned Kelly Fast, a planetary defense officer at NASA.

Fast clarified that she’s not worried about the “large ones” as they know “where they are,” or the small stuff that’s “hitting us all the time.” Rather, it’s the space rocks that measure around 500 feet that concern her because they’re small enough to avoid detection but large enough to make an impact. (2/17)

SpaceX Veteran Says He’s Figured Out How to Make Rocket Fuel From Water (Source: Futurism)
Former SpaceX engineer Halen Mattison and his startup, General Galactic, are looking to put the concept to the test once and for all. The company is planning to launch a 1,100-pound satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket in October as part of an audacious proof of concept. The goal is to test water as the fuel for both electrical and chemical propulsion, processes that involve shooting out a stream of plasma with the use of a magnetic field and burning fuel at high temperature and pressure to generate thrust, respectively.

In the case of chemical propulsion, General Galactic is planning to split hydrogen and oxygen in the water via electrolysis, and then burn the hydrogen gas with oxygen as the oxidizer, as Wired explains. In a separate experiment, the company will turn oxygen generated by electrolysis into plasma by applying a strong electrical current. (2/15)

Blue Origin in Race Against SpaceX to the Moon (Source: Bloomberg)
Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin “will move heaven and Earth” to get to the moon before rival SpaceX, said Chief Executive Officer Dave Limp. The US needs “two launch companies that are competing vigorously against each other to try to give us the most capabilities,” he said in an interview at the Defense Tech Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida. (2/17)

The Space Nuclear Power Bottleneck (Source: Space News)
No technology holds more transformative potential for America’s space aspirations than nuclear power. Radioisotopes can safely produce heat that will enable deep space exploration and survival of the frigid lunar night while fission reactors are capable of producing kilowatts of electricity on the moon or in orbit. Fission is also the key to advanced nuclear propulsion systems that can expedite transit times to Mars and increase payload capacity throughout the solar system. Recognizing this, NASA has pledged to test a nuclear propulsion system by the end of 2028, and the White House has challenged the industry with landing a surface fission reactor on the moon in 2030.

Reactor technology is no longer the bottleneck. But the US does lack the testing, demonstration, and integration facilities necessary to turn advanced reactor concepts into flight-ready systems. We lack a nuclear compatible, vacuum-capable facility large enough to test a full fission-lander system, to replicate the Moon's thermal cycling, launch vibration, space vacuum conditions, and operational loads. It must blend space system engineering with the rigor associated with nuclear safety, essentially creating a new class of hybrid test complex.

Editor's Note: NASA has been kind of silent on how they will meet the requirement for spaceport-based nuclear payload processing. Existing facilities appear to be insufficient for microreactor pre-launch processing and encapsulation, let alone a full end-to-end testing. Maybe the microreactor(s) can be shaked and baked (and vacuumed) sufficiently at other facilities around the country. And maybe they can be launched without fuel, with the nuclear material launched separately and installed on the Moon? And rather than launch a single 100 kilowatt microreactor by 2030 (per the current Executive Order), would it be less risky to launch two 50 kilowatt units? (2/16)

SpaceX to Compete in Pentagon Contest for Autonomous Drone Tech (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The entry of the two Musk companies — which he announced in early February would merge – into a new frontier of AI-enabled weapons development marks a new and potentially controversial departure for Musk. While SpaceX is a well-established defense contractor and Musk is enthusiastic about advancing AI, he is among those who have also previously argued against making “new tools for killing people.” (2/17)