February 10, 2026

This Startup Thinks It Can Make Rocket Fuel From Water. Stop Laughing (Source: WIRED)
There’s been this hand-wave, this assumption, this yada yada at the core of our long-term space programs. If we can return astronauts to the moon, we’ll find ice there. And if we find that ice in sufficient quantities, we’ll break it down into hydrogen and oxygen, and yada yada, we’ll use that fuel to fly deeper into the solar system, maybe even to Mars. And if we get to Mars, we’ll find even more ice on the Red Planet. We’ll mine that, combine it with the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and yada yada, we’ll use that to fly the astronauts back.

This fall, General Galactic plans to fly an 1,100-pound satellite, using water to supply its only propellant in-orbit. If it works, it not only could start to solve the yada yada problem, it could make US satellites more maneuverable at a time when there’s a growing possibility of a conflict in space. Halen Mattison, CEO of General Galactic, said “Our vision is to go build a gas station on Mars ... but also eventually build out the refueling network” in between. Mattison, a former SpaceX engineer, and his CTO, Luke Neise, a veteran of Varda Space, have purchased a spot on a Falcon 9 rocket launch in October.

There are, to broadly oversimplify, two main kinds of engines that you can use in your spacecraft: chemical propulsion, and electric propulsion. Water isn’t ideal for either electrical or chemical propulsion. But it might be just good enough for both. General Galactic plans to demonstrate the two methods during its Trinity mission. For chemical propulsion, it’ll use electrolysis to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen, then burn the hydrogen, with oxygen as the oxidizer. For the electrical propulsion system—this one’s called a “Hall thruster”—it’ll split the water, then apply enough electrical energy that the oxygen becomes a plasma. (2/9)

Voyager Wins NASA ISS Mission Management Role Through 2030 (Source: Space Daily)
Voyager Technologies has secured a new Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity mission management contract from NASA's Johnson Space Center with a ceiling of 24.5 million dollars over four years to support International Space Station operations through 2030. Under the agreement, Voyager will provide full service mission management for ISS payloads, anchoring recurring mission execution across multiple flight campaigns. NASA's task order structure enables the agency to issue individual orders under the umbrella contract, with the potential to add options that expand both scope and value over the life of the deal. This multi year framework gives Voyager a predictable channel for recurring mission management work while giving NASA flexibility to align task orders with evolving station needs. (2/10)

The Dominance of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg (Source: Space Review)
There are more than a dozen licensed spaceports in the United States and even more prospective ones, yet nearly all the orbital launches in the country take place from two sites in Florida and California. Jeff Foust reports on how the Cape and Vandenberg have met the growing demand for launches while other spaceports look for alternative markets. Click here. (2/10)
 
Breaking Dishes: the Space Facility at Yevpatoriya (Source: Space Review)
Last year the Ukrainian military attacked a satellite tracking station in Russian-occupied Crimea. Dwayne Day examines the long history of that facility, built during the Cold War. Click here. (2/10)
 
The Solar System Internet: Envisioning a Networked Future Beyond Earth (Source: Space Review)
Networking protocols used on Earth today don’t work well in space, given distances and other challenges. Scott Pace and Yosuke Kaneko discuss how new protocols and approaches can enable enhanced communications across the solar system. Click here. (2/10)
 
Much Needed Cargo for the Moon (Source: Space Review)
Plans for lunar outposts, like the one included in an executive order by the White House in December, will require large amounts of cargo that would be unaffordable if delivered by the SLS. Ajay Kothari offers an alternative approach that avoids both the SLS as well as the complexities of in-space cryogenic refueling. Click here. (2/10)

The Eutelsat Wake-up Call or Why Europe Must Act Now on the Ground Segment (Source: Ilinca SPITA)
The recent decision by the French government to block the sale of Eutelsat’s passive ground segment assets sends a clear signal: ground infrastructure is strategic. Long treated as a secondary layer of space systems, the ground segment has become a critical bottleneck for space operations, from defence to Earth observation. Yet despite this reality, Europe still lacks a coherent industrial policy and the institutional backing for the ground segment needed to fully match, for instance, US players — a missed opportunity at a time when sovereignty and resilience are back at the top of the political agenda. This is all the more striking as France already hosts a future champion in the making. (2/10)

Bottlenecks at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space Review)
Col. Brian Chatman, commander of Space Launch Delta 45, identified some of the bottlenecks to projected launch growth at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. They are not the launch sites themselves. Chatman pointed to challenges ranging from roads to pipelines that pose the biggest potential challenges to growth.

“Today I’ve got one main artery to drive on and off Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,” said Chatman. “I need a booster transport lane. I need the ability to deconflict how men and women get to work day-to-day from how we transport upper stages and boosters back over to the processing facilities.” Another issue, he said, is propellants. Methane is increasingly used by launch vehicles: New Glenn and Vulcan now, with Starship to follow. Right now, methane is brought to the launch sites by truck. “That’s thousands of trucks coming through my vehicle inspection stations each and every day,” he said.

“Things like a methane pipeline are things we didn’t account for two years ago when we laid in requirements for Spaceport of the Future,” he said, adding that he was working with Space Florida, the state’s space economic development agency, to help fund infrastructure upgrades like a pipeline. (2/10)

Momentus to Demonstrate Multispectral Sensor for Space Force, With NASA Support, in March (Source: Via Satellite)
Momentus will undertake a rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) demonstration mission with NASA next month, as the former moves to fulfill a contract signed with the U.S. Space Force last year. Momentus’ Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle (OSV) will carry NASA’s R5 Spacecraft 10 (R5-S10) alongside other payloads when it is launched via the upcoming SpaceX Transporter mission set for March. R5-S10 will serve as a free-flying imager for Vigoride 7, monitoring the spacecraft’s health and performance. (2/9)

Venus May Have an Underground Tunnel Carved by Volcano Eruptions (Source: Space.com)
Scientists analyzing decades-old data from NASA's Magellan mission say they have identified what appears to be a vast underground tunnel carved by volcanic activity on Venus. If confirmed, the structure would mark only the second time a lava tube has been reported on Venus, adding to similar discoveries on the moon and Mars. The finding also contributes to a growing body of evidence challenging the long-held view of Venus as a geologically dead world. (2/9)

Starliner Test Flight to Decide Program's Fate with NASA (Source: Space News)
NASA is waiting on an uncrewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner in the coming months before deciding whether to use it for a crewed mission to the International Space Station this fall. At a briefing Monday, agency officials said they have not set a date for Starliner-1, another uncrewed test of Starliner that will deliver cargo to the station. That mission is planned for no earlier than April, but a more specific launch date will come only after engineers resolve issues from the spacecraft’s crewed trip to the station in 2024. NASA revised its commercial crew contract with Boeing last November, making Starliner-1 a cargo-only flight with three crewed flights to follow. NASA said it can wait until at least this summer to determine if a fall mission to the ISS will use Starliner or Crew Dragon. (2/10)

NLRB Drops Labor Case Against SpaceX for Alleged Retaliatory Firings (Source: Bloomberg)
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is dropping a case against SpaceX, arguing it does not have jurisdiction. The NLRB filed a complaint against SpaceX two years ago after the company fired eight employees who circulated an open letter inside the company criticizing Elon Musk. The NLRB informed attorneys for the former employees it was dropping the case after the National Mediation Board (NMB) issued an opinion that it was the proper agency to handle the case, not NLRB. The NMB largely handles cases involving companies in the rail and airline sectors, and employees of those companies have fewer legal protections than those covered by the NLRB. (2/10)

Firefly Alpha to Fly From California on Feb. 18 (Source: Firefly Space)
Firefly Aerospace plans to return its Alpha rocket to flight next week. The company announced Monday it is targeting a launch of its seventh Alpha rocket no earlier than Feb. 18 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Firefly said it recently completed a static-fire test of the first stage, clearing the way for the launch. The mission will be the first for Alpha since a launch failure last April. (2/10)

ISRO Wants Closer Space Cooperation with USA (Source: Times of India)
The head of the Indian space agency ISRO wants closer cooperation with the United Space in space technology. Speaking at a U.S.-India Space Business Forum event in India, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said there were opportunities for international collaboration as India embarks on the development of a space station and heavy-lift launch vehicles. Other officials from the U.S. and India said at the event that they wanted closer collaboration between space businesses in the two countries as well. (2/10)

Navy Turns Ground on Major Facility at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $165.7 million design-build construction contract for the P103 Engineering Test Facility at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, supporting operations of the Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU). A ground breaking for the new facility was held on Feb. 4. The facility will modernize and consolidate NOTU engineering test activities into a single, purpose-built structure for the Navy’s Trident II (D5) Missile Life Extension Program.

This is one of the largest recent MILCON projects on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, boosting NOTU's status as a major tenant at the spaceport. It also signals long-term federal investment tied to NOTU's mission—relevant for suppliers, contractors and subcontractors in the region. The design-build contractor is Wash Federal LLC, with architecural design provided by a Merrick-RS&H joint venture. (2/10)

Countdown to the Maiden Launch of the Ariane 64, Europe's Most Powerful Rocket (Source: ABC News)
In a tightly controlled manufacturing hangar west of Paris, workers put the finishing touches on an enormous silver-colored engine. In just a few days, a similar machine will help propel the most powerful version of Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket yet, flying for the first time with four boosters. On Thursday, the Ariane 64 rocket — named after its four boosters — is scheduled to make its maiden launch from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aiming to deploy 32 satellites for Amazon Leo’s broadband constellation. (2/10)
 
Hypersonic Systems Startup Emerges from Stealth with Investment and Andøya Test Launch (Source: European Spaceflight)
Munich-headquartered hypersonic systems startup Hypersonica has emerged from stealth, announcing the closure of a €23.3 million funding round and a successful test launch of a missile prototype. Founded in December 2023, Hypersonica is developing what it describes as the first privately funded European hypersonic strike capability, with operations currently spanning the UK and Germany. The company aims to offer fully operational hypersonic glide vehicles by 2029, with an initial, shorter-range hypersonic strike capability available from 2027.

The test vehicle, which featured a Hypersonica hypersonic missile prototype atop a booster provided by an unnamed partner, was launched on 3 February from Andøya Space in Norway. According to the company, the vehicle accelerated to speeds exceeding Mach 6 and achieved a range of over 300 kilometers. In its post-flight press release, Hypersonica confirmed that the vehicle’s performance was successfully validated down to the subcomponent level at hypersonic speeds. (2/10)

As China and the US Vie for the Moon, Private Companies are Locked in Their Own Space Race (Source: Space.com)
At the forefront of this transformation is the geopolitical competition between the United States and China centered on a return to the moon, a milestone poised to define the norms of space activity for decades ahead. "The West absolutely is in a race with China to get back to the moon right now," said John Gedmark, CEO of San Francisco-based satellite company Astranis.

China has laid out an ambitious lunar plan to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, targeting the south pole, which contains water ice and other resources critical for long-term lunar exploration and settlement. NASA's Artemis 3 mission currently aims to land astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2028, following the Artemis 2 crewed lunar flyby that's targeted to launch in early March.

Some experts argue that China's steady execution has already given it an edge, while Western progress has been less consistent. "We've been sort of all over the place," said Gedmark. Still, he argued that the outcome remains uncertain, pointing to strong partnerships between the United States and Europe as well as key structural advantages, chief among them a powerful commercial space sector. "I think it's a very real open question today as to what's going to happen," Gedmark said. (2/7)

Amazon Expects to Increase Spending on Amazon Leo by $1B in 2026 (Source: Via Satellite)
Amazon expects to spend $1 billion more on expenses for the Amazon Leo constellation in 2026, leadership advised investors in its recent financial reporting. Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky told investors on Feb. 5 the company expects a year-over-year cost increase of approximately $1 billion related to Amazon Leo this year. (2/9)

Momentus to Demonstrate Multispectral Sensor for Space Force, With NASA Support (Source: Via Satellite)
Momentus will undertake a rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) demonstration mission with NASA next month, as the former moves to fulfill a contract signed with the U.S. Space Force last year. Momentus’ Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle (OSV) will carry NASA’s R5 Spacecraft 10 (R5-S10) alongside other payloads when it is launched via the upcoming SpaceX Transporter mission set for March. R5-S10 will serve as a free-flying imager for Vigoride 7, monitoring the spacecraft’s health and performance. (2/9)

An International Team Uncovers What Powers Auroras (Source: Universe Today)
These awe-inspiring displays of light are the result of charged particles from our Sun interacting with Earth's magnetic field. However, there remain unanswered questions about the mechanisms that power aurorae that scientists have been hoping to resolve for decades. For example, there's the question of what powers the electrical fields that accelerate these particles.

In a new study, researchers have provided the answer. According to their analysis, the plasma waves traveling along Earth’s magnetic field lines (Alfvén waves) act as a natural accelerator. By analyzing how charged particles move and gain energy across different regions of space, the team demonstrated that these waves supply the energy that drives charged particles into the atmosphere, producing aurorae. (2/8)

SpaceX Prioritizes Lunar 'Self-Growing City' Over Mars Project (Source: Reuters)
Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its focus to building a "self‑growing city" on the moon, which could be achieved in less than 10 years. SpaceX still intends to start on Musk's long-held ambition of a city on Mars within five to seven years, he wrote on his X social media platform, "but the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization and the Moon is faster".

Musk's comments echo a Wall Street Journal report on Friday, which said SpaceX has told investors it would prioritize going to the moon and attempt a trip to Mars at a later time, targeting March 2027 for an uncrewed lunar landing. This marks a shift from Musk's long-standing focus on Mars as SpaceX's primary destination. As recently as last year, he said the company aimed to launch an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026. "No, we're going straight to Mars. The Moon is a distraction," he said in January. (2/8)

February 9, 2026

Sodern Picks Colorado for US Expansion (Source: OEDIT)
Governor Jared Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced that Sodern America, a space equipment manufacturer and a global leader in satellite defense and communications technologies, has selected Colorado for its U.S. expansion. Sodern America is expected to create around 20 net new good-paying jobs with positions including engineers, quality, production and supply chain professionals, and business development.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $110,094 in performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits for the company over an eight-year period. These incentives are contingent upon Sodern America, referred to as Project SAM throughout the OEDIT review process, meeting net new job creation and salary requirements. Douglas County is also providing local incentives to support the project. The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC), the Colorado Space Coalition and Denver South began working with Sodern America in early 2025, to position the Metro Denver region as a competitive U.S. location. (2/2)

Viasat Releases UAV Satellite Connectivity Portfolio for Government Applications (Source: Unmanned Systems Technology)
Viasat, a developer of secure connectivity solutions, has introduced a next-generation satellite service portfolio specifically engineered to support the evolving demands of government Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations. The new VuaLe portfolio is designed to meet stringent government requirements, offering enhanced flexibility, security, and operational control through a diverse range of terminals and connectivity services. (2/9)

Germany's OHB Establishes European Moonport Company (Source: European Spaceflight)
German space technology company OHB announced on 4 February that it has established a new subsidiary, the European Moonport Company, to consolidate all its efforts related to future missions to the Moon. While only recently made public, company records show that the subsidiary, registered as Luna Europa – European Moonport Company, was founded in May 2025. According to company records, the subsidiary will focus on lunar exploration and the development of infrastructure for a sustained presence on the Moon’s surface. In the near term, however, the company says it will primarily serve to consolidate OHB’s existing Moon-related activities. (2/8)

Alabama Raises Aerospace Profile in Singapore (Source: Yellowhammer News)
Alabama marked its first time participating in the Singapore Airshow, organizing a delegation with the state's Department of Commerce. Alabama is home to 300-plus aerospace companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, GE Aerospace and United Launch Alliance. Recent industry announcements have included $139 million in capital investment and 767 new jobs. (2/7)

Artemis, China and Musk Turn the Moon Into the Next Strategic High Ground (Source: Space Daily)
When Artemis II finally lights its engines and arcs away from Cape Canaveral, it will do more than send four astronauts on a ten-day loop around the Moon. It will fire the starting gun on a race that Washington and Beijing still insist does not exist and pull Elon Musk's SpaceX into the center of a contest that blends geopolitics, markets and myth.

For two years, NASA has framed Artemis as a "sustainable return" to the Moon, not a flag-planting sprint. Chinese officials describe their 2030 crewed landing goal as methodical national development, not a reaction to anyone else's timetable. Both descriptions are technically accurate, but both carefully avoid the obvious: space programs are not judged in spreadsheet columns; they are judged in headlines, live television and the stories nations tell about themselves. On those terms, the race is on, and the finish line is no longer just about who plants the next set of bootprints in the lunar regolith. It is about who defines the narrative of the first permanent phase of cislunar space. (2/9)

Dark Matter Core May Drive Milky Way Center (Source: Space Daily)
Our Milky Way galaxy may not host a supermassive black hole at its center but instead an enormous concentration of dark matter that exerts an equivalent gravitational influence on nearby stars and gas, according to new research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The authors argue that this invisible substance, which makes up most of the universe's mass, can account both for the high speed orbits of stars only light hours from the galactic center and for the large scale rotation pattern seen in the Milky Way's outer regions. (2/8)

Germany's DLR Plans New Control Center for Future Moon and Mars Missions (Source: Space Daily)
For upcoming human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will establish a new Human Exploration Control Center (HECC) at its site in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich. The new facility will expand the existing German Space Operations Center (GSOC) and is designed to manage complex, long-duration missions beyond low Earth orbit while reinforcing Germany and Europe's strategic autonomy in spaceflight.
The Free State of Bavaria is supporting construction of the HECC with 58 million euros, while DLR is contributing an additional 20 million euros from its institutional core funding. (2/8)

Israel's Gilat Books Multimillion Order for Sidewinder Inflight ESA Terminals (Source: Space Daily)
Gilat Satellite Networks has secured a multimillion order from a major global avionics company for its Sidewinder electronically steered antenna inflight connectivity terminals designed by Gilat Stellar Blu, with deliveries scheduled over the next six months. The new contract underscores growing momentum for the Sidewinder ESA platform as airlines and service providers look to deploy advanced inflight connectivity solutions that combine high performance with low profile, lightweight hardware. (2/8)

America Reclaims Its Dominance in Space (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The first manned moon mission since 1972 will launch next month. China, meanwhile, is struggling. Just two years ago, America’s longstanding dominance in space seemed under threat. China had been surging ahead for more than a decade and planned to become the world’s leading space power. It had two successful robot moon landings, which returned with lunar samples in 2020 and 2024. It completed the Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”) orbital space station in 2022. Most troubling: Beijing continues to test and develop antisatellite weapons that could cripple the GPS and other space-based systems on which the U.S. would rely in time of war.

In 2023 officials including Bill Nelson, then administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, warned that China was trying to establish a dominant foothold on the moon by 2030, with the aim of seizing resource-rich areas near the lunar south pole. Mr. Nelson said the Chinese might assert sovereignty over the moon itself. Stopping them didn’t seem a Biden administration priority, especially when space-capsule safety problems stranded two American astronauts at the International Space Station for more than nine months. (2/8)

Naval Group Announces Partnership with Astrolight to Supply Ships with Jam-Proof Laser Communication Terminals (Source: Astrolight)
French shipbuilding giant Naval Group and Lithuanian space-tech company Astrolight signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU marks the beginning of a collaboration between the two companies to test Astrolight’s POLARIS laser terminal on Naval Group’s vessels, exploring the potential for future integration of the technology. The partnership comes as Naval Group works to design a new multi-purpose vessel for the Lithuanian Navy, with plans to equip the ship with POLARIS. (2/9)

SpaceX IPO Could Benefit Other Space Companies (Source: Space News)
An investor in two space companies that went public in the last year believes a planned SpaceX IPO could help other companies in the sector. Kirk Konert, managing partner at AE Industrial Partners, said last week that the size of the upcoming SpaceX IPO means investors will need to evaluate the space sector, which could include what other companies are worth investing in or taking public. AE Industrial Partners invested in Firefly Aerospace, which went public last summer, and York Space Systems, which had its IPO in late January. He said both IPOs were heavily oversubscribed, showing strong interest by institutional investors in space companies. (2/9)

NASA Making Adjustments to SLS for Next Launch Rehearsal (Source: NASA)
NASA says it is making progress on repairs needed for the Space Launch System ahead of a second countdown rehearsal. NASA said late Sunday that technicians had replaced two seals in a hydrogen fueling system for the SLS after leaks were detected there in last week's wet dress rehearsal (WDR). NASA has not set a date for a second WDR and plans to do additional tests in the coming days. The next launch opportunity for the Artemis 2 mission is early March. (2/9)

UK Astronomers Affected by Space Budget Cut (Source: Space.com)
The British astronomy community is warning about the effects of a proposed major budget cut. The U.K. government has proposed a 30% cut to physics and astronomy research, the head of the U.K. Science and Technology Facilities Council said in a recent letter. Astronomers warned the proposed cuts will affect their ability to use new facilities the government has helped fund, like the Extremely Large Telescope and Square Kilometer Array. Students and early-career researchers could be disproportionately affected by the cuts, groups like the Royal Astronomical Society said. The move comes after the U.K. government reduced its contribution to the European Space Agency as last November's ministerial even as other member countries significantly increased their spending. (2/9)

Can Current Space Law Handle the New Space Age? (Source: Space.com)
Even when there is agreement that something needs to be done on a given matter, such as preventing collisions between an ever-growing number of satellites, coming together and reaching agreement is tough. The main framework for space governance, the Outer Space Treaty, was formulated in 1967 during a Cold War era in which there were just a few state actors active in space, minimal space traffic and no private endeavors. Ely Sandler proposes a Conference of Parties (COP) approach — similar to processes used in climate, biodiversity and arms-control negotiations — for discussing and tackling key issues in space governance, aimed at driving dialogue and developing binding norms, before avoidable crises emerge. (2/9)

Decoding China’s New Space Philosophy (Source: Universe Today)
A major theme in communist governments is the idea of central planning. Every five years, the central authorities in communist countries lay out their goals for the country over the course of the next five years, which can range from limiting infant mortality to increasing agricultural yield. China, the largest current polity ruled by communists, recently released its fifteenth five-year plan, which lays out its priorities for 2026-2030. This one has plenty of ambitious goals for its space sector.

Perhaps the most culturally significant part of the announcement is the country’s plans for Tiangong Kaiwu, its space mining project. Named after a foundational 17th century Ming Dynasty Encyclopedia, and roughly translated as “The Exploitation of the Works for Nature,” this project is focused on mining water ice from resources in space. Click here. (2/9)

ESA is Preparing to Announce Aeolus-2 Prime Contractor (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the selection of the prime contractor for its Aeolus-2 weather satellite and is preparing to conclude an initial €70 million award to begin the next phase of its development. Aeolus-2 is the planned operational successor to the original Aeolus mission, which was built by Airbus Defense and Space and deorbited in early 2023. Aeolus-2 will consist of two satellites, launched sequentially, each carrying a Doppler Wind Lidar instrument. The instrument is unique in being the first space-based Doppler wind lidar capable of measuring global wind profiles from the lower atmosphere up to the stratosphere. (2/9)

There’s a Way Forward for Sovereign European Space Intel, But is There the Will? (Source: Space News)
Germany’s top intelligence officials made waves last year by calling for the creation of a European spy network to lessen Europe’s dependence on American intelligence. After Washington’s sudden freeze of American intelligence sharing with Ukraine in March, German officials — and their European counterparts — have grown increasingly attuned to deficiencies in key capabilities they need to deter Russia amid a less-reliable United States security commitment. One such deficiency lies in the realm of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites. European countries need to scale up their ability to share satellite data through existing EU institutions, or risk being left blind and deaf to aggressive Russian activity if the American security commitment to Europe continues to wane. European states have the mechanisms to begin solving this problem, but only if they have the political will to pool information traditionally kept in their respective capitols. (2/9)

Houston, We Have a Problem (Source: Persuasion)
Many Americans may be surprised to learn that NASA has been trying to return to the moon for two decades now, but hasn’t been able to do so. Something has gone wrong with American state capacity. Getting to the moon in eight years under the Apollo program was perhaps the most vivid example of American government prowess. It came on the heels of other major accomplishments in the 20th century: big infrastructure projects like the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and electrification of the upper South under the Tennessee Valley Authority; mobilization for the Second World War, and victory over Japan and Germany; and then, after the war, construction of the interstate highway system. The United States in this period was seen globally as the exemplar of modernity, a country able to master complex technology and use it for important public purposes.

Since the 1960s, however, American state capacity has declined. The United States has world-beating tech companies that are currently racing to build artificial intelligence data centers. The U.S. military remains the best in the world. But other parts of the government have struggled to master difficult tasks like building a high-speed rail system, rolling out healthcare.gov, or connecting rural communities with broadband. This lack of capacity is evident in NASA itself. Why has it taken so long, and cost so much money, to repeat a feat that was accomplished 50 years ago? (2/8)

February 8, 2026

Sodern Picks Colorado for US Expansion (Source: OEDIT)
Governor Jared Polis and the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), announced that Sodern America, a space equipment manufacturer and a global leader in satellite defense and communications technologies, has selected Colorado for its U.S. expansion. Sodern America is expected to create around 20 net new good-paying jobs with positions including engineers, quality, production and supply chain professionals, and business development.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to $110,094 in performance-based Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits for the company over an eight-year period. These incentives are contingent upon Sodern America, referred to as Project SAM throughout the OEDIT review process, meeting net new job creation and salary requirements. Douglas County is also providing local incentives to support the project. The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC), the Colorado Space Coalition and Denver South began working with Sodern America in early 2025, to position the Metro Denver region as a competitive U.S. location. (2/2)

Samara Raises $10 Million for Hummingbird (Source: Space Times)
Samara Aerospace raised a $10M seed round to fund the launch of their first ultra-stable Hummingbird spacecraft platform later this year. Their MSAC attitude control system is not just a brand new form of ACS, but a complete inversion of the tradeoffs involved in that design space. Their product saves mass, removes the need for reaction wheels, and provides industry leading stability at a time where that metric is becoming increasingly important. Imaging and optical communications applications will benefit hugely from Samara’s technology. (2/6)

India's Aule Space Enters Satellite Servicing Market (Source: Tolga Ors)
Aule Space, an Indian startup, has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding to develop low-cost autonomous spacecraft for satellite life extension. The funding will help the company deliver satellite servicing at significantly lower costs than established Western competitors by operating from India's lower-cost engineering base. (2/3)

NASA Wants a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon. What Would Happen During a Meltdown? (Source: Science Focus)
To generate more power for lunar bases, NASA has turned to small-scale fission systems. In 2018, it completed successful tests of its toilet roll-sized, uranium-powered reactor ‘Kilopower’, claiming that four of these devices could run an outpost on the Moon. While ‘nuclear reactor on the Moon’ might sound risky, these designs prioritize safety: they use passive cooling and low-enrichment uranium, making catastrophic failure extremely unlikely.

Still, its demise is a fascinating hypothetical. What if it blew up? We’ve really no idea what a nuclear meltdown on the Moon would look like – and, with current plans, there’s no indication it would even be big enough to be considered a meltdown. That’s not to say that such an event wouldn’t be dangerous for anyone manning a nearby habitat or base. They would still be exposed to a strong surge in radiation. That radiation would still be dangerous nearby, but without air or wind to carry radioactive dust, fallout would remain largely local. (2/7)

Use Of ISS For Research Not Sponsored By NASA Still Rising (Source: Aviation Week)
The ISS National Lab says fiscal 2025 was a landmark year for scientific research and technology development aboard the NASA-led orbital laboratory by commercial sector entities, academia, and other government agencies. This progress occurred despite challenges. (2/6)

We Finally Know Where Chandrayaan-4 Will Land on the Moon (Source: India Today)
India’s planned lunar sample-return mission, Chandrayaan-4, could land in a mountainous region close to the Moon’s south pole, according to a new scientific study based on high-resolution imagery from India’s lunar orbiter. Researchers from ISRO have identified the region as one of the safest and most scientifically valuable landing areas for the mission.

Four candidate landing zones within the southern pole region were studied in depth. Among them, a site identified as MM-4 emerged as the safest option. Chandrayaan-4 could touch down near Mons Mouton on the Moon. MM-4 has relatively gentle slopes averaging around five degrees, fewer large boulders and craters, and several flat patches suitable for landing operations.

The site also receives sufficient sunlight for mission activities, which is essential for powering spacecraft systems near the Moon’s South Pole, where lighting conditions can be challenging. The Mons Mouton area is of particular scientific interest because it lies near permanently shadowed craters believed to contain water-ice deposits. (2/7)

The United States Needs Permanent Space Stations (Source: ITIF)
The ISS is rapidly approaching the end of its service life. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman should accelerate the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program to ensure that new space stations replace the ISS before it’s deorbited in 2030. The need to replace the ISS is now at the point where bureaucratic delay could become a diplomatic disaster. The program must get moving again because this process isn’t just another government contracting fight; it is a prerequisite for a continuous, crewed presence in low-earth orbit (LEO), which is essential to U.S. diplomacy with allies and maintaining a competitive advantage against adversaries.

Space is now a diplomatic arena, with countries picking between two camps—one led by the United States and the other by China and Russia. The two camps have different space stations that will compete for the benefits of sustained human presence in low-earth orbit (LEO). These benefits include scientific and engineering research that improves the lives of people on Earth, enhances space infrastructure, and helps astronauts remain healthy in orbit. If NASA doesn’t get the CLD program back on track, it could cause irreparable harm to U.S. space competitiveness. (2/8)

To Reuse or Not Reuse—the Eternal Debate of New Glenn’s Second Stage Reignites (Source: Ars Technica)
Engineers at Blue Origin have been grappling with a seemingly eternal debate that involves the New Glenn rocket and the economics of flying it. The debate goes back at least 15 years, to the early discussions around the design of the heavy lift rocket. The first stage, of course, would be fully reusable. But what about the upper stage of New Glenn, powered by two large BE-3U engines?

SpaceX had also considered reusing the second stage of its Falcon 9 rocket. Eventually Elon Musk abandoned his goal of a fully reusable Falcon 9, choosing instead to recover payload fairings and push down manufacturing costs of the upper stage as much as possible. A little more than five years ago, Blue Origin kicked off a project to develop a reusable stainless-steel upper stage known as “Project Jarvis.” This initiative was later abandoned.

CEO Dave Limp recently said they were continuing to trade the options on New Glenn’s upper stage, known as GS2. A new job posting suggests a move toward reusing GS2. The job, for a director of “Reusable Upper Stage Development,” was posted Thursday by the company. The new hire would support "the execution of a lean engineering initiative to incrementally develop a reusable upper stage.” (2/6)

Viasat Sees Orbital Data Center Partnership Opportunity (Source: Space News)
While Viasat has no plans to join the rush to deploy orbital data centers, the satellite operator sees a role providing the communications links needed to connect such systems with users on Earth and other spacecraft. (2/6)

NASA Study: Non-Biologic Processes Don’t Fully Explain Mars Organics (Source: NASA)
In March 2025, scientists reported identifying small amounts of decane, undecane, and dodecane in a rock sample analyzed in the chemistry lab aboard Curiosity. These were the largest organic compounds found on Mars, with researchers hypothesizing that they could be fragments of fatty acids preserved in the ancient mudstone in Gale Crater. On Earth, fatty acids are produced mostly by life, though they can be made through geologic processes, too.

It was not possible to determine from Curiosity’s data alone whether or not the molecules they found were made by living things, which led to a follow-on study that evaluated known non-biological sources of these organic molecules — such as delivery by meteorites smashing into the Martian surface — to see if they could account for the amounts previously found. Researchers say that as the non-biological sources they considered could not fully explain the abundance of organic compounds, it is therefore reasonable to hypothesize that living things could have formed them. (2/6)

Epstein Was Adviser Behind Funding of Starlink Rival OneWeb (Source: Bloomberg)
Jeffrey Epstein was an adviser in the creation of OneWeb Ltd, a low-Earth orbit satellite network that is the world’s largest rival of Elon Musk’s Starlink, according to emails released by the US Department of Justice. The disgraced financier acted as a confidante for OneWeb’s founder Greg Wyler as the entrepreneur raced to secure funds after launching the company in 2012, emails show. Wyler ultimately garnered investments from the likes of SoftBank Group Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. (2/6)

Army’s New Space Career Field Won’t ‘Encroach’ on Space Force (Source: Breaking Defense)
A top service official at the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command recently attempted to reassure skeptics that the service’s new space career field will not interfere with the Space Force’s missions. “It is not like we’re trying to encroach on their requirements, or their mission set,” said Col. Felix Torres, commandant of the Army’s SMDC Center of Excellence. Though the Army is looking to fill 1,000 new positions for a new space-centric military occupational specialty, he noted that services’ capabilities often overlap. (2/6)

Starlink and the Unravelling of Digital Sovereignty (Source: Space News)
In the face of governments shutting down internet access, such as in Iran last month, Starlink can play a pivotal role in providing internet access to people on the ground. But commercial firms stepping in and making these decisions raises serious questions about sovereignty and who, government, commercial or otherwise, has their hands on the flow of information.

Mustafa Bilal, at the Center for Aerospace & Security Studies in Islamabad, says the recent incident [in Iran] of privatized diplomacy raises troubling questions regarding accountability as a company responsible to shareholders, not voters, decides which beleaguered populations are to receive a digital lifeline. The world may find itself at a turning point regarding Starlink and, by extension, LEO broadband companies, Bilal argued, as companies may think twice about extending licenses for the service.

"The Starlink phenomenon thus poses technical and philosophical dilemmas," he wrote. "Does it democratize the right to resist or corporatize digital sovereignty? On one hand, it gives citizens the power to challenge a state's monopoly on information flows, and is a powerful counterbalance to authoritarianism. On the other hand, it concentrates power in the hands of the private sector that creates dependency and leads to opaque lines of influence beyond sovereign control." (2/6)

Space Force Awards $54.5 Million to Starfish Space for GEO Servicing Vehicle (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded a $54.5 million contract to Starfish Space to build, launch, and operate its Otter spacecraft for supporting military satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), with services planned to begin in late 2026. This initiative aims to provide on-orbit servicing, including inspection, station-keeping, and maneuvering for national security assets. (2/7)

Starbase’s Launch Site Lays Groundwork to Double in Size (Source: NSF)
While pushing for Flight 12, SpaceX has received approval to nearly double the launch site’s size at Starbase. With this approval, SpaceX will be able to complete the redesign of Pad 1 and add additional capabilities to the Starbase launch site. With this extra room, SpaceX will be able to add in Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) liquefaction plants to be able to turn natural gas into LNG for Starship. SpaceX will also have additional areas for ground support equipment storage and possibly more water storage. (2/7)

China Launches Reusable Spacecraft for Fourth Time Since 2020 (Source: Reuters)
China successfully launched into orbit a reusable experimental spacecraft aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country's northwest on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported. The mission will carry out technological verification for reusable spacecraft, providing technical support for the peaceful use of space, Xinhua said, without disclosing how long the craft will remain in orbit. (2/7)

Falcon 9 Returns to Flight After Brief Standdown, With Saturday California Starlink Mission (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Feb. 7. This mission marked a return to flight for the Falcon 9 rocket following a brief stand down as a result of an upper-stage mishap during the Starlink 17-32 mission on Feb. 2, 2026. On Friday evening, the FAA announced the closure of the SpaceX-led mishap investigation, allowing SpaceX to resume FAA-licensed flights. (2/7)

NASA Seeks to Bolster Workforce, Reduce Reliance on Contractors (Source: Space News)
Following a 20% reduction in its civil servant workforce over the past year—roughly 4,000 employees—NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a new directive to bring core engineering and operations expertise in-house. Citing excessive management layers, high costs, and program delays, the agency aims to reduce reliance on contractors who currently make up about 75% of the workforce.

Rebuilding Technical Competency: Isaacman noted that the agency has lost or outsourced essential technical capabilities, prompting a need to bring those skills back to the civil servant workforce. Contractor Reduction: The move aims to directly address the current, high-cost reliance on "multiple primes [and] hundreds of subcontractors," which is believed to cause inefficiencies and roughly $1.4 billion in annual, unnecessary expenses.

About 4,000 of NASA’s 17,500 person workforce took the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) or early retirement options that were offered. JPL laid off another 550 workers on top of two layoffs in 2024.  Three key NASA offices were closed with the loss of the agency’s Chief Scientist, Chief Economist, and Chief Technologist. (2/6)

Blue Origin’s TeraWave Constellation: Analysts Size Up Competitive Positioning (Source: Via Satellite)
Reusable rockets need significant demand to amortize their costs. Only SpaceX has demonstrated effective reusability, and that was only because Starlink provided sufficient internal demand. It’s not surprising that Blue chose the same route, only that it took so long. We’ve already seen how SpaceX’s business has been transformed by Starlink through deep vertical integration across launch, satellite manufacturing, and network operations. With Bezos fully owning and controlling Blue Origin (as opposed to Amazon’s separate corporate structure), it’s not unreasonable to imagine a similar strategic ambition emerging over time.

The description Blue Origin put forward of TeraWave makes it clear they are striving to differentiate themselves from existing constellations. That said, broadband constellations take five to 10 years to operationalize, so TeraWave will be competing with the constellations of tomorrow, not today. By the time TeraWave is launched in appreciable numbers (and no, it won’t be 2027 or 2028, but the 2030s at best) they may very well compete with the constellations they hoped to outperform. (2/6)

Lawmakers Ask What it Would Take to “Store” the International Space Station (Source: Ars Technica)
Members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee voted to approve a NASA authorization bill this week, advancing legislation chock full of policy guidelines meant to give lawmakers a voice in the space agency’s strategic direction. The committee met to “mark up” the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026, adding more than 40 amendments to the bill before a unanimous vote to refer the legislation to the full House of Representatives.

One add-on to the authorization bill would require NASA to reassess whether to guide the International Space Station (ISS) toward a destructive atmospheric reentry after it is decommissioned in 2030. The space agency’s current plan is to deorbit the space station in 2031 over the Pacific Ocean, where debris that survives the scorching reentry will fall into a remote, unpopulated part of the sea. (2/6)

February 7, 2026

Plasma Engines are Emerging as the Next Frontier in Deep-Space Propulsion (Source: TechSpot)
In deep-space travel, the race is no longer about who has the biggest rocket – it's about who can build the smartest plasma engine. As the competition to reach Mars intensifies, engineers in the US, Russia, and China are accelerating development of propulsion systems that trade conventional fuel for charged particles and magnetic fields.

Once confined to laboratory experiments and speculative research, the technology now stands at the forefront of interplanetary innovation and represents the most credible path to cutting travel times from months to mere weeks.

NASA has explored multiple designs through its Innovative Advanced Concepts program. These include the Pulse Plasma Rocket, which uses controlled bursts of plasma for propulsion, and the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, developed by Ad Astra Rocket Company in Texas. Both designs draw heavily on magnetic confinement and ion acceleration technologies refined in fusion research. (2/4)

SpaceX Tries to Derail Amazon Leo Satellite Launch Extension (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is calling out Amazon for failing to build out its Starlink competitor, Leo, on time, and appears to be trying to derail Amazon’s regulatory request for an extension. "Extensions are meant to be minor and rare, resulting from unforeseeable circumstances truly out of the operator’s control. None of that is the case here," SpaceX wrote in a Tuesday filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

It comes days after Amazon told the FCC that it doesn’t expect to hit a July 30 deadline to launch half of its Leo constellation, or 3,200 satellites. If it misses that milestone, it risks losing its license to launch additional satellites, so it's asking the FCC for more time. (2/4)

Why it’s So Hard to Fuel the Artemis Rockets (Source: National Geographic)
The issues flagged during dress rehearsal included communication dropouts between ground teams, cameras impacted by cold weather, a pressurization valve for the crew capsule hatch, and, notably, liquid hydrogen fuel leaks while loading propellant into (or “tanking”) the rocket. “All in all, a very successful day for us on many fronts,” said launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson at a press conference. “Then on a couple of others, we’ve got some work we’ve got to go do and we’re going to do it. We’ll figure it out”

If those hydrogen leaks sound familiar, it’s because Artemis I had the exact same issue. Almost four years ago, in April 2022, NASA called off the third launch rehearsal for Artemis I because of liquid hydrogen fuel leaks. The agency ended up rolling the Space Launch System (i.e. the SLS) rocket back to its assembly building to make repairs, and Artemis I didn’t launch until months later in November 2022. Even then, during the actual Artemis I launch countdown, a crew was sent to the launch pad to tighten a bolt because of a leaky valve.

Liquid hydrogen is particularly prone to leaking because it’s such a small molecule, capable of escaping through the tiniest equipment gaps. It also must be kept at extremely cold temperatures (-423 degrees F) to stay in liquid form. In turn, that extreme cold can then affect the integrity of the seals, leading to increased leak rates. Many modern rocket companies—like SpaceX and Blue Origin—are moving away from liquid hydrogen for these reasons, pivoting their fuel to a blend of liquid methane and liquid oxygen. (2/5)

Exodus: The Shrinking Federal Space Workforce (Source: Space News)
In 2025, more than 322,000 civil servants left jobs voluntarily or were dismissed out of a workforce of roughly 2.4 million. The 13% drop in staffing is the largest single-year decline since the end of World War II. In total, more than 5,000 people who were part of the federal space workforce left their positions. Senior executives with decades of experience retired alongside younger staffers whose posts were eliminated or who sought opportunities in the private sector or academia. "Now it’s time to turn the baton over to others. I hope there’s somebody else to grab that baton," said Phil McAlister, who directed NASA's Commercial Space Division and was a senior advisor at the agency until leaving in 2025. (2/6)

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket Prepares for National Security Mission (Source: WFTV)
United Launch Alliance is making final preparations for its next Vulcan rocket launch. The launch is set for Feb. 12 from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The mission is designed to deploy a surveillance system into orbit to support U.S. national security operations. The rocket is currently on the pad as the company enters the final stages of flight preparation. This mission marks the second official national security mission for the Vulcan rocket. (2/5)

New KAA Shief Sets Course for Nuri Launch and Space Self-Reliance (Source: Pulse)
Oh Tae-seog, the new administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) outlined a strategy to make South Korea one of the world’s top five aerospace powerhouses, placing the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket and greater technological self-reliance at the center of his agenda. The Nuri mission, scheduled for the second half of the year, is expected to help lay the groundwork for a transition to commercial launch services. (2/5)

San Antonio Company Takes Giant Leap in Building Moon Spaceports (Source: Culture Map San Antonio)
Moon colonies got a small step closer this week, thanks to San Antonio company Astroport Space Technologies, which completed an important field test of its new lunar excavator. Lunar exploration and development are currently hampered by the fact that the moon is largely devoid of necessary infrastructure, like spaceports. Such amenities need to be constructed remotely by autonomous vehicles. Making effective devices that can survive the harsh lunar surface long enough to complete construction projects is daunting.

Enter Astroport and their prototype excavator. Founded in San Antonio in 2020, the company has become a major part of building plans beyond Earth. The new excavator is designed to function with Astrolab's Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover, a highly modular vehicle that will perform a variety of functions on the surface of the moon. Astroport and Astrolab expressed confidence that the excavator was ready for deployment. "We are excited to provide the mobility backbone for Astroport's groundbreaking construction technology," said Jaret Matthews, CEO of Astrolab, in a release. "Astrolab is dedicated to establishing a viable lunar ecosystem. By combining our FLEX rover's versatility with Astroport's civil engineering expertise, we are delivering the essential capabilities required for a sustainable lunar economy." (2/5)

Kenya Seeks Advisors for Proposed Satellite Launch Spaceport (Source: Kenya Times)
The National Treasury of Kenya has extended the deadline for firms to submit bids to provide transaction advisory services for the proposed commercial satellite spaceport project. This project is a Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) under the PPP Act of 2021. According to a notice published on Thursday, February 5, the Kenyan government is seeking experienced companies to help with fundraising strategies, planning, and implementation of the project. The firms will be responsible for tasks such as planning the finances, putting legal agreements in place, checking if the project is practical and workable, and identifying and managing possible risks to ensure the project succeeds. (2/5)

How a UC Davis Nuclear Reactor is Helping NASA Get Astronauts Back to the Moon (Source: CBS News)
NASA's Artemis II rocket is scheduled to blast off this spring, taking humans back to the moon's orbit for the first time in more than 50 years. A nuclear reactor at UC Davis in Northern California is helping make the mission a success. Before the Artemis moon mission ever leaves the launchpad, parts of the spacecraft undergo safety testing in Sacramento. Engineers at the UC Davis McClellan Nuclear Research Center use neutrons to create an image of the parts, similar to an X-ray, which can detect defects that could cause a disaster. (2/5)

SpaceX Puts Off a Mission to Mars Planned for This Year, Shifting its Focus to a Long-Promised Lunar Voyage for NASA (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The rocket company told investors it will prioritize going to the moon first and attempt a trip to Mars at a later time, according to people familiar with the matter. The company will target March 2027 for a lunar landing without humans on board, another person said. SpaceX had aimed to reach the red planet in 2026. (2/6)

February 6, 2026

China Provides Glimpse of Colossal Orbital Aircraft Carrier (Source: Futurism)
Last weekend, a China Central Television YouTube channel shared a video showing off some recent developments in autonomous aerial vehicles. One segment of the video, however, showcased a conceptual spacecraft called the Luan Niao, an orbital mothership designed to launch uncrewed fighter drones and “hyper-ballistic missiles” from the edge of space. The Luan Niao design specs point to a behemoth spaceship that would measure nearly 800 feet nose-to-tail and span some 2,244 feet in width. With that size, designers say it could weigh as much as 120,000 tons, with a payload of 88 “Xuan Nu” autonomous fighter drones that operate in the upper limits of the stratosphere. (2/4)

Space-Based Interceptors Make Even Less Sense Now (Source: Defense One)
The rationale behind Golden Dome’s mandate for space-based boost-phase defense made some sense. If orbiting interceptors could hit an enemy missile very early in flight—before it could deploy countermeasures—they would avoid the Achilles’ heel of defense systems that target missiles in midcourse. But now the Pentagon and contractors are proposing to also use space-based interceptors for midcourse defense, which would jack up the cost while defeating the purpose of going to space in the first place.

Today’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense, or GMD, system and its 44 ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California are designed to intercept warheads during their 30-minute travel through space. But in outer space, lightweight decoys follow the same trajectory as the heavier warheads—preventing the defense from identifying and destroying the true warhead. Any country that can build a long-range missile and nuclear warhead can also build decoys and other countermeasures, creating a defensive problem that remains unsolved.

One response to this problem is to focus on a different portion of a missile’s flight: its boost phase, when its rocket motors are burning and before it deploys countermeasures. But the boost phase lasts only about three minutes. The only way to station interceptors close enough to every possible launch point in “peer, near-peer, and rogue” countries is to put them in space. And “to station” is a misnomer that conceals the true difficulty and massive resource consumption of creating an effective boost-phase defense. (2/3)

China Takes Big Step Toward Developing ‘Starlink Killer’ Weapon with Compact High-Power Microwave (Source: Independent)
Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. High-power microwave weapons have gained traction in recent years as a low-cost alternative to missiles and guns due to their near-unlimited firing capacity. Researchers in the US, Russia, and China in particular have all been investigating whether the technology could be developed into directed-energy weapons that can disrupt satellites. (2/6)

Morpheus Space Receives $15 Million (Source: Via Satellite)
German manufacturer Morpheus Space said it received a $15 million investment to expand production of its in-space propulsion system from a space-based venture capital firm and the European Union’s investment arm. The funding will be used to expand capabilities at its mass production facility in Dresden. The facility currently produces 100 units of the company’s proprietary GO-2 electric propulsion systems. (2/5)

Giant Star is Changing Before Our Eyes and Astronomers are Watching (Source: The Conversation)
For decades, astronomers have been watching WOH G64, an enormous heavyweight star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy visible with the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere. This star is more than 1,500 times larger than the Sun and emitting over 100,000 times more energy. For a long time, red supergiant WOH G64 looked like a star steadily reaching the end of its life, shedding material and swelling in size as it began to run out of fuel.

Astronomers didn’t think its final demise would happen anytime soon, because no-one has ever seen a known red supergiant die. But in recent years astronomers – including our team working with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) – discovered that this star has started to change, growing dimmer than before and seemingly warmer. This has surprised scientists and suggests the star’s final stages of life may be more complicated, and perhaps unfold faster, than once thought. (2/5)

German Firm to Build Two-Stage Hypersonic Plane with Horizontal Takeoff and Landing (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Germany has awarded Polaris Spaceplanes a contract to develop and flight test a two-stage reusable hypersonic test vehicle that could double up as a spaceplane. The concept, built under the Hypersonic Test and Experimentation Vehicle (HYTEV) program, was first developed between 2024 and 2025. Under the new agreement, it is scheduled to be flight-ready by the end of 2027. (2/5)

Trump Administration Could Pour Trillions Into Golden Dome That is Unlikely to Work (Source: FNN)
The Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost taxpayers as much as $3.6 trillion over the next 20 years — far exceeding the White House’s $175 billion estimate — and still fail to deliver on its central promise to protect the United States from nuclear threats.

In a new report, Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog organization, argues that some of the technological challenges for the project are likely “insurmountable.” “If Golden Dome could guarantee our security for nuclear weapons, one could argue that these astronomical costs would be worth it, but from all these viability problems and the history of failed attempts, it’s very clear that it won’t,” said Gabe Murphy. (2/5)

Administration Moves to Strip Federal Workforce Protections (Source: FNN)
An estimated 50,000 career federal employees will soon be easier to fire and will lose their ability to appeal disciplinary actions, in the Trump administration’s latest step to overhaul the federal workforce. The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday issued a final rule on “Schedule Policy/Career” — a new classification of government employment that, once fully implemented, will exempt tens of thousands of federal employees in “policy-influencing” positions from long-standing civil service protections. (2/5)

Musk Says it's Hard to Convince Engineers with Families to Move to SpaceX's 'Technology Monastery' in Texas (Source: Business Insider)
Musk, the CEO of both SpaceX and Tesla, said married technicians, engineers, and scientists have struggled to bring their families to certain parts of Texas. The problem is most acute at SpaceX's south Texas launch site and headquarters, known as Starbase. "I call it the 'significant other' problem," Musk said. "For Starbase, that was particularly difficult, since the odds of finding a non-SpaceX job are pretty low." (2/5)

SpaceX xAI Merger Insulates SpaceX (Source: Reuters)
The merger of SpaceX with xAI is structured in a way to largely insulate SpaceX from the artificial intelligence and social media company. The deal is set up so that xAI remains a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX rather than fully integrating the companies. Doing so means that xAI's debt and legal liabilities remain separate from SpaceX, which could protect SpaceX from any legal action taken against xAI. The arrangement also has financial benefits, allowing SpaceX to avoid repaying xAI debt and allowing shareholders to avoid taxes. (2/6)

SpaceX Acquires Norwegian Producer of Composite Tanks (Source: Hexagon Purus)
SpaceX has acquired Norwegian company Hexagon Purus' aerospace business, Hexagon Masterworks for $15 million. That unit produces high-pressure composite storage cylinders for aerospace and space launch applications in North America. Hexagon Purus said that unit reached a stage where "an industrial owner with a dedicated aerospace focus is deemed to best support its future," adding that potential other applications of those products for hydrogen-fueled vehicles had not materialized. (2/6)

Astronauts Can Now Bring Smartphones to ISS (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA astronauts will get to take their smartphones on their missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said late Wednesday a new policy, which will take effect in time for the upcoming Crew-12 and Artemis 2 missions, will allow astronauts to use the "latest smartphones" on their flights. Isaacman said the agency "challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline." He did not disclose the specific smartphones astronauts will be able to use. (2/6)

Tomorrow.io Raises $175 Million for Weather Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Tomorrow.io has raised $175 million to fund work on a new weather satellite constellation. The company announced the new round this week, led by Stonecourt Capital and HarbourVest, to fund DeepSky, a satellite constellation designed for gathering vast quantities of atmospheric data for artificial intelligence models. The company operates a set of cubesats that collect weather data with a 60-minute global revisit time. In January, it announced DeepSky, involving larger satellites with new instruments. (2/6)

Golden Dome to Demonstrate Risk-Tolerant Acquisition (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon sees the Golden Dome missile defense initiative as a way to demonstrate a more risk-tolerant approach to acquisition. Marcia Holmes, the deputy director of the Golden Dome program, said at a conference Thursday that the program is being used deliberately to test acquisition reforms championed by the Trump administration. The goal, she said, is to move away from what officials see as an overly cautious procurement culture that has slowed the delivery of advanced capabilities. She added that Golden Dome is being used internally to rethink how the Pentagon staffs and manages major programs. (2/6)

NASA Picks STRIVE and EDGE for Earth Science (Source: Space News)
NASA has selected two Earth science missions for development. The agency said Thursday it picked Stratosphere-Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically resolved light Explorer, or STRIVE, and the Earth Dynamics Geodetic Explorer, or EDGE, as the first Earth System Explorer missions. STRIVE will provide daily measurements of atmospheric temperature, composition and aerosol properties from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere.

EDGE will use a laser altimeter to make three-dimensional measurements of terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, and map surface features on glaciers and other icy terrain. The missions are the first for the Earth System Explorer program, a line of competitively selected Earth science missions with higher cost caps that smallsat missions but less expensive than directed missions. Each mission has a cost cap excluding launch of $355 million, with launch no earlier than 2030. (2/6)

China Readies Mngzhou Capsule Test Flight (Source: Space News)
China is days away from an in-flight abort test of its Mengzhou crewed spacecraft. Airspace closures indicate a launch on the evening of Feb. 10 (U.S. time) from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. The launch will use a Long March 10A rocket carrying a prototype Mengzhou spacecraft, which will separate from the rocket near maximum dynamic pressure to test the performance of its abort system. A successful test would pave the way for a potential first full mission of Mengzhou and the Long March 10A rocket to low Earth orbit and even a visit to the Tiangong space station later this year. (2/6)

Voyager Partners with Max Space on Expandable Module Tech for Moon (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is partnering with Max Space on expandable module technologies for lunar exploration. The companies announced a strategic partnership Thursday to leverage the expandable modules Max Space is developing and Voyager's space technology expertise on concepts such as lunar habitats. The companies said they are working toward an in-space demonstration of the concept by the end of the decade. Voyager separately announced earlier this week a "strategic lunar initiative" using technologies it has that could be used to meet a new goal, included in a space policy executive order in December, of establishing the initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030. (2/6)

Quindar to Provide Mission Management Software for Starfish (Source: Space News)
Quindar will provide its mission management software to satellite servicing company Starfish Space. Under an agreement announced Thursday, Quindar will provide software to manage and automate operations for Starfish's initial Otter missions, which are expected to begin launching this year. Financial terms were not disclosed. Quindar offers a cloud-hosted platform that allows satellite operators to track spacecraft, send commands and automate routine ground operations as an alternative to traditional custom-built control systems. (2/6)

Russia Launches Classified Mission on Soyuz-2.1b From Plesetsk (Source: Russian Space Web)
Russia launched a classified mission on its first launch of the year Thursday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Russian officials did not disclose the payload for the launch, but it appears to include multiple satellites on a classified mission. (2/6)

FAA Approves Starship Launches From LC-39A, Complex Now Devoted to Starship and Falcon Heavy (Source: Space News)
The FAA has approved Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. The FAA released a final environmental impact statement and record of decision for SpaceX's proposal for up to 44 Starship launches annually from LC-39A, along with 44 landings each of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. The FAA concluded that the benefits of the launches outweighed any concerns about noise or impacts on air traffic. SpaceX is moving Falcon 9 launches from the existing pad at LC-39A to nearby SLC-40, devoting LC-39A for Falcon Heavy and Starship. (2/6)

For Space Structures: Architecture Before Optimization (Source: DIA)
Over the years, working across engineering, aerospace, and advanced infrastructure projects, we’ve learned an important lesson: even the most skilled teams can struggle when early decisions aren’t guided by clarity. We’ve seen projects stall not because the people involved lacked knowledge or effort, but because complexity was underestimated or choices were delayed. In one NASA related project, for example, months were spent refining subsystem details before the overall architecture was fully understood. Even with talented engineers and advanced tools, progress slowed, and rework became inevitable.

In complex technological fields, particularly aerospace, advanced infrastructure, and extreme-environments, time is often the most constrained resource. Funding windows are finite, technologies mature rapidly, and opportunities are frequently won or lost long before a system reaches traditional development milestones. Many advanced projects do not fail because of a lack of ambition or information. They stall because too many decisions are postponed, or because teams attempt to optimize too early within an undefined system. (1/16)

Airbus Makes the Case for Space Merger with Thales & Leonardo, and Also Makes the Case Against It (Source: Space Intel Report)
Airbus Defence and Space Chief Executive Michael Schoellhorn had the stage all to himself Jan. 28 at the 18th European Space Conference here and could have defended the proposed merger of the Airbus, Thales and Leonardo space divisions any way he wanted. In the event, Schoellhorn inadvertently veered close to making the case that the merger is no longer needed given the large funding commitments Europe’s governments have made to the space sector in recent months. (2/2)

Voyager Technologies CEO Says Space Data Center Cooling Problem Still Needs to be Solved (Source: CNBC)
Voyager Technologies CEO Dylan Taylor said two years would be an “aggressive” timeframe for space data centers and cooling remains a problem for the developing technology. While SpaceX has the heavy lift rockets to bring components to space, Taylor told CNBC’s Morgan Brennan that the lack of a cooling solution to transfer the heat remains a major barrier. (2/6)

ULA Offloads First Vulcan Rocket at Vandenberg at it Preps its Next Cape Launch (Source: Spaceflight Now)
United Launch Alliance is staging rockets at launch complexes on both the West Coast and the East Coast for the first time since November 2022. On Tuesday, the company announced the arrival of its transport barge, called the R/S Rocket Ship, at a port at Vandenberg Space Force Base. There it offloaded the booster and upper stages for the first Vulcan rocket that will fly from California. (2/6)

Israel Readies Space 'Surprises' for Next Conflicts (Source: Jerusalem Post)
Israel is quietly developing new space‑based capabilities designed to give the country an edge in the next war with Iran, said Avi Berger, head of the Space Office at the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (MAFAT). Speaking during Israel’s Space Week, Berger said the lessons of recent conflicts have pushed Israel to accelerate innovation in orbit.

 “We knew right away that we had to build and create new surprises for the next war,” he said. “Whatever was deployed in June won’t be enough next time. The IDF now has new capabilities – and we can’t forget that the enemy will be different next time around, too.” (2/3)

SpaceX Rivals AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab Join Space-Stock Selloff (Source: Market Watch)
Space stocks are having a rough week, with SpaceX rivals AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab taking some of the biggest hits. The share price for AST SpaceMobile, which is building a satellite cellular broadband network, fell more than 10% on Wednesday as AT&T linked up with Amazon Web Services and Amazon Leo, the company’s satellite-internet business formerly known as Kuiper. (2/4)

NASA’s Next Space Suit for Artemis Has Out-of-This-World Mobility (Source: Scientific American)
A space suit isn’t so much an outfit as an anthropomorphic spacecraft. One designed for lunar surface operations must protect astronauts from perilous cosmic radiation, extreme temperatures, lung-clogging moon dust and the harsh vacuum of space. It must also carry its own supply of air, as well as water for cooling (and the occasional sip), while also having room for carrying equipment astronauts might need while in orbit or exploring other worlds.

Axiom Space, a U.S.-based space infrastructure company, has been developing a space suit for the Artemis III mission since 2022. Like the original Apollo space suits, the AxEMU has been built with the moon’s unique conditions in mind. Whereas Apollo space suits were akin to wearing an inflated balloon that greatly hindered motion, the AxEMU is designed with flexible joints that give astronauts mobility to kneel, jog or even do the splits. Besides allowing space-suit-clad astronauts to fit within multiple different vehicles, the AxEMU’s enhanced range of motion should also make working on the lunar surface easier.

The new suit’s unique joints are shaping up to be a major advancement over previous space suits, but the AxEMU’s relatively high weight is still a cause for concern. Axiom Space has not revealed the exact weight of its new suit, but it is more than that of previous space suits, including the Apollo suits, which weighed nearly 200 pounds on Earth. Even under the low gravity of the moon, wearing several hundred pounds still feels heavy and could even cause injuries. (2/5)

Life-Friendly Molecules Are Leaking Out of Jupiter's Giant Moon Europa, Galileo (Source: Live Science)
A new finding of ammonia on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa could have important implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. Al Emran, a researcher with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, spotted ammonia on the surface of Europa while looking through old data from the Galileo mission, which studied Jupiter and its moons from 1995 to 2003. (2/4)

Ranked: Countries Spending the Most on Research and Development (Source: Visual Capitalist)
For decades, the U.S. stood as the global leader in research and development (R&D) spending, however, China is increasingly challenging the scientific balance of power. Backed by rapid growth and strategic investment, China’s share of global R&D has surged from 4.0% in 2000 to 27.4% in 2024. South Korea and India are also increasing their R&D presence, helping push Asia to the forefront of global innovation.

China ranks first globally, spending $785.9 billion on R&D in 2024. Much of that investment is shaped by China’s centralized funding model, where a large share of research flows through government labs aligned with national priorities such as energy, biotech, space, and frontier technologies. The U.S. ranks second at $781.8 billion. Unlike China, American R&D is driven primarily by the private sector, with Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta among the world’s largest corporate R&D investors. (2/4)

Space Force Plans to Create Contractor Pool for ‘Physical/Live’ Training Needs in Summer (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force is planning to issue a new contract this summer to create a pool of qualified vendors to help fill Guardian needs for hands-on training in electronic, cyber and orbital warfare — with the latter to eventually involve dedicated satellites on orbit, according to service officials leading the effort. The development of physical/live training capabilities and ranges is one major sub-efforts being pursued by the OTTI program, along with the creation of a digital environment for virtual training, and a basic layer of infrastructure such as modelling and simulation tools and secure facilities. (1/30)

UK Invests in Satellite Timing Infrastructure to Strengthen National Resilience (Source: UK Space)
Through a competitive process, GMV has been selected to enhance the UK’s national capabilities in delivering nationally assured, secure and continuous Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services for critical infrastructure, defense and the broader economy.

GMV is leading the design, development and testing of a Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer (TWSTFT) system under the TOUCAN (TWSTFT Capability Demonstration) project. The contract, funded by the UK Space Agency and supported by the UK National PNT Office, is managed through ESA’s navigation program, NAVISP. (2/3)

Muon Space Ramps Up Multi-Mission Satellite Constellations (Source: Smallsat News)
On February 4, 2026, Muon Space announced a major transition from executing discrete satellite missions to the sustained deployment of multi-mission constellations. This strategic shift follows a period of rapid growth for the Silicon Valley startup, which reported a 100 percent year-over-year revenue increase for the second consecutive year. To support this operational scale-up, Muon Space has expanded its production capacity by ten times, now capable of manufacturing up to 500 satellites per year at its 130,000-square-foot facility in San Jose. (2/4)

The Cure for Space Blindness: Why Europe Must Wake Up Before the Lights Go Out (Source: Spacewatch Global)
“Those who are not competitive in orbit will lose sovereignty in key areas on Earth.” Fragmentation vs. Scale: While the U.S. successfully fuses venture capital, aggressive procurement, and national security into a single, high-speed flywheel, Europe is still tripping over its own borders and duplicating efforts across institutions. Our bureaucratic procurement cycles and risk-averse funding models are moving at a 20th-century pace in a 21st-century race. In the current space economy, if you aren’t fast, you’re irrelevant. From launch access to critical technologies, Europe remains vulnerable exactly where it needs autonomy most. (2/5)

Out with EVs, In With Spaceflight (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Green pundits can still be heard insisting China has seized a strategic high ground in solar. But the conviction is noticeably leaking from their voices. Solar panels are useful; they seem less and less strategic by the hour. China’s makers will have to keep cutting prices to find customers in a world of expanding energy options. Those expanding energy options are the real story. Certain green technologies like EVs have become a focus for strategic investment and policy, but private spaceflight represents a better model for strategic industry—one driven by market innovation and profitability rather than government mandates or subsidies. (2/5)

Could a Toxic Chemical in Mars Dirt Help Us Build a Red Planet Base? (Source: Space.com)
Surprisingly, a toxic compound found on Mars could help bacteria produce brick-like substances that could be used to assemble habitats on the Red Planet. In 2025, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science showed how the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii, which is commonly found in Earth soils, could help create bricks out of regolith on the moon and Mars. The bacterium produces urea as a waste product, which can then react with calcium to produce calcium carbonate crystals. Then, by mixing these calcium carbonate crystals with guar gum, which is a natural adhesive extracted from guar beans, particles of the local regolith can be bound together to form a brick-like material. (2/5)

Voyager Technologies and Max Space Partner on Lunar Infrastructure (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies and Max Space, a company working on expandable habitats, plan to work together to see how that technology could be used for lunar exploration. (2/5)

Saudi Space Agency Announces Winners of Global ‘DebriSolver’ Competition (Source: Space News)
The Saudi Space Agency announced on Tuesday the names of the winning teams of the global “DebriSolver” competition, one of the flagship initiatives accompanying the Space Debris Conference 2026. Launched by the agency, the competition aims to stimulate scientific innovation and develop practical solutions to address space debris challenges, and enhance the sustainability of the near-Earth space environment. The competition was organized in partnership with several leading international organizations, including Slingshot Aerospace, LeoLabs, Astroscale, and Aldoria. (2/1)

Deep Space, Dim Objects: Why Asteroid Mining Caught the Space Force’s Eye (Source: Space News)
United States national security planners and the Space Force are interested in asteroid mining primarily for the technical solutions the industry is developing, rather than for its potential economic or mineral wealth. Tracking and maneuvering near dim objects in deep space provides critical experience for Space Domain Awareness beyond traditional Earth orbits. And mining requires spacecraft to perform complex proximity operations and maintain stability near low-gravity bodies, which is valuable for future military satellite defense and service missions.

The extreme communication delays in deep space (exemplified by recent missions losing contact) necessitate advances in on-board autonomy that the military can leverage for resilient space systems. Developing technology to process materials in-situ could eventually support long-term military logistics and "gas stations" in space, reducing the need to launch heavy supplies from Earth. (2/5)

The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Splashdown Tests (Source: European Spaceflight)
European space logistics startup The Exploration Company has successfully completed a controlled splashdown test of a subscale prototype of its Nyx spacecraft. Founded in 2021, The Exploration Company is developing a reusable space capsule called Nyx that will initially be used to ferry cargo to and from low Earth orbit destinations. Planned variants of the vehicle will be capable of delivering cargo to lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon.

The company is also exploring a crewed variant, saying in June 2025 that it could be operational as early as 2035, a projected timeline that it admitted would be contingent on a “political decision.” At present, however, the company is focused on completing an initial test flight to the International Space Station in 2028 under the European Space Agency’s LEO Cargo Return Services program. A key milestone on the path to that inaugural mission is validating Nyx’s performance during a splashdown. (2/5)

ReOrbit Partners With Google Cloud for Space Data Network (Source: Via Satellite)
Helsinki-based satellite manufacturer ReOrbit is planning a satellite network called Space Cloud, capable of secure data movement and processing, in collaboration with Google Cloud. Space Cloud is designed to use optical signals to link a network of data processing satellites with localized AI compute, creating an orbital data center, ReOrbit said in a Thursday release. (2/5)

February 5, 2026

Raytheon to Rapidly Increase US Missile Production (Source: Defense News)
Raytheon will significantly boost production of several missile systems, including the Tomahawk cruise missiles, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, and around SM-6, under terms of new Pentagon agreements. The company also plans to boost output of SM-3 IIA and SM-3 IB missile defense interceptors. This acceleration, expected to reach up to four times current production rates, will take place at Raytheon's facilities in Alabama, Arizona, and Massachusetts. (2/4)

Aerospace Program Part of Florida School Funding Package (Source: WFTV)
Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-FL, visited Space Coast Junior/Senior High School in Port St. John, Fla., to highlight federal funding for career and technical education, including more than $2 million for an Aviation Assembly and Fabrication Program. The program aims to provide hands-on training in aircraft maintenance and fabrication, preparing students for aerospace careers with employers such as NASA and other space companies. (1/29)

Europe Seeks Unity of Purpose As Space Projects Mushroom (Source: Aviation Week)
Europe has a new space challenge on its hands: keeping a multitude of military initiatives working in tandem. The latest joke among European space officials is that they have gone from having too little money but plenty of time to having plenty of money but not enough time—all because of the threat from Russia and concerns about the U.S. Now there is a new twist: Europe may have gone from too few programs to too many. (2/5)

Space Force Picks L3Harris to Maintain and Upgrade Space Surveillance Radar and Electro-Optical Sensors (Source: Military Aerospace)
U.S. Space Force space surveillance experts needed to maintain and upgrade three key integrated sensors to keep watch on objects orbiting Earth. They found a solution from L3Harris Technologies Inc. Officials of the Space Systems Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., announced a $62.7 million order to L3Harris in Colorado Springs for engineering sustainment option year seven of these space-observation sensor systems. (2/5)

Vantor Wins $5.3 Million NGA Contract to Spot Terrain Changes Using Commercial Datellite Data (Source: Space News)
Commercial Earth imaging company Vantor won a contract from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The $5.3 million contract announced Thursday funds work to detect and deliver automated insights on real-time changes to the Earth's landscape. Under the contract, Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, will combine data from its own satellites with third-party electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar systems to identify changes to physical terrain on the ground, including shifts in infrastructure and land use. The award was made under NGA's Luno program, an effort by the agency to draw on unclassified commercial geospatial intelligence, machine learning and artificial intelligence to support U.S. government analysis. (2/5)

FireSat Adds Orbit-visualization Software to Help Firefighters Plan Around Satellite Passes (Source: Space News)
Developers of wildfire-detection satellites are moving beyond raw data delivery, adding tools that show firefighters and researchers when satellites will actually pass over the areas they are watching. The nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance, which is funding the FireSat constellation, last month awarded a contract of undisclosed value to ExoAnalytic Solutions to build software that visualizes satellite orbits and sensor coverage. (2/5)

A 'Cold Earth' Exoplanet Just 146 Light-Years Away Might be in its Star's Habitable Zone — If it Exists (Source: Space.com)
A possible rocky exoplanet referred to as a 'cold Earth' that could orbit on the outer edge of the habitable zone has been found around a star 146 light-years away. Known as HD 137010b, the exoplanet is considered at this stage to be a candidate world, meaning that its existence has yet to be confirmed. The star is a K-type dwarf, meaning it is a little smaller, dimmer and cooler than our sun, and HD 137010b would receive just 29% of the heat and light that Earth does from our sun. (2/5)

Logos Space Gets FCC Approval for 4000+ Satellite Boradband Constellation (Source: Space News)
Logos Space Services has secured FCC approval to deploy as many as 4,178 low Earth orbit broadband satellites to serve enterprise and government users. The FCC partially granted the application by Logos, clearing operations in K-, Q- and V-band spectrum under certain conditions while deferring and denying parts of its higher-frequency requests. The satellites would operate across seven orbital shells ranging from 870 kilometers to 925 kilometers above Earth, with inclinations spanning 28 to 90 degrees. Logos raised $50 million last year and plans to deploy its first operational satellite in 2027. The company has, under the FCC approval, seven years to deploy half the constellation with the rest in orbit by 2035. (2/5)

House NASA Authorization Advances (Source: Space News)
The House Science Committee advanced a NASA authorization bill Wednesday. The committee unanimously approved the bill after approving more than 40 amendments to it. The amendments cover a range of topics, from exploration and commercial space activities to science and workforce development. One amendment would direct NASA to study raising the orbit of the International Space Station upon retirement rather than deorbiting it. Another amendment, introduced and then withdrawn, would have directed NASA to study the cost and risks of moving the shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Houston. The committee rejected only one amendment, which would have given NASA authorities to operate counter-drone systems at its facilities, after Republican members argued that was an issue better handled by the House Armed Services Committee. The bill now goes to the full House. (2/5)

Morpheus Raises $15 Million (Source: Space News)
Satellite propulsion company Morpheus has raised $15 million. The additional funding will help Morpheus increase production in a German factory that is currently turning out 100 GO-2 electric propulsion systems annually. The GO-2 thruster provides propulsion for smallsats weighing between 10 and 250 kilograms, and can also be used to provide precise maneuvering for larger spacecraft. (2/5)

Tables Turn on Resilient GPS (Source: Space News)
The Resilient GPS (R-GPS) program illustrates the struggles the Pentagon has had developing alternatives to GPS. The program started two years ago as what the Department of the Air Force called an urgent priority to develop lower-cost satellites that could broadcast civil GPS signals, providing redundancy to existing GPS satellites. R-GPS faced resistance from Congress, though, unconvinced the satellites would improve resilience and noting they would not broadcast M-Code signals. Now, however, the dynamic has reversed, with the Space Force electing not to seek funding to continue the program but Congress adding $15 million for it in the final 2026 spending bill. Space Force officials said they would work with Congress to determine how to best spend the funding provided for R-GPS. (2/5)

Viridian Gets Five Year AFRL CRADA for VLEO (Source: Space News)
Viridian, a startup developing propulsion systems for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites, signed an agreement with the Air Force Research Lab. The five-year cooperative research and development agreement will give Viridian access to testing facilities and satellite-operations expertise at AFRL's Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The startup is working on an air-breathing electric propulsion system that ingests the atmosphere at an altitude between 200 and 300 kilometers to feed a plasma thruster. (2/5)

Japan Plans Return of Epsilon Launches in 2027 (Source: Jiji Press)
Japan hopes to resume launches of the Epsilon rocket in the next year. The Japanese space agency JAXA said it is looking to start launches of the Epsilon S in the 2026 fiscal year, which starts April 1. The Epsilon S is an improved version of the Epsilon rocket, which failed in its final flight in 2022. The upgraded Epsilon S has been delayed by failures of its solid rocket motors in ground tests in 2023 and 2024. The problems with the Epsilon S forced JAXA last year to purchase two Electron launches from Rocket Lab for technology demonstration smallsats originally planned to launch on Epsilon. (2/5)

Russia Calls for More Cosmonauts (Source: TASS)
The Russian space agency Roscosmos is putting out another call for cosmonauts. Roscosmos said this week it will seek applications for a new cosmonaut class, but did not disclose how many cosmonauts it plans to select. While NASA, ESA and KAXA have seen strong interest in their latest astronaut recruiting efforts, with thousands of applications, the previous Roscosmos effort in 2023 attracted only 296 applicants, with Roscosmos selecting four. (2/5)

US House Takes First Step Toward Creating “Commercial” Deep Space Program (Source: Ars Technica)
Amendment No. 01 to the latest NASA Authorization Act, offered by Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) ranking member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and three other legislators concerns acquisition powers bestowed upon NASA by Congress, stating in part: “The Administrator may, subject to appropriations, procure from United States commercial providers operational services to carry cargo and crew safely, reliably, and affordably to and from deep space destinations, including the Moon and Mars.”

That language is fairly general in nature, but the intent seems clear. NASA’s initial missions to the Moon, through Artemis V, have a clearly defined architecture: They must use the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and a lander built by either SpaceX or Blue Origin to complete lunar landings. But after that? With this amendment, Congress appears to be opening the aperture to commercial companies. That is to say, if SpaceX wanted to bid an end-to-end Starship lunar mission, it could; or if Blue Origin wanted to launch Orion on New Glenn, that is also an option. (2/4)

China’s Mengzhou is Putting Pressure on NASA’s Lunar Timeline (Source: Spectrum IEEE)
Slow and steady wins the race, or so goes the fable. The China Manned Space Agency, or CMSA, has repeatedly denied any rivalry with the United States akin to the race to the moon in the 1960s. But step-by-step, one element at a time over a period of decades, it has built a human space program with goals that include landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 and starting a base there in the following years. And—partly because launch dates for NASA’s Artemis III moon landing keep slipping toward that same time frame—U.S. space leaders are ratcheting up the space race rhetoric.

China’s lunar hardware is based on a reusable multipurpose crew ship called Mengzhou, with capacity for six or seven astronauts, though as few as three may actually fly on a trip from Earth to low lunar orbit. Mengzhou, according to what the CMSA has shown, includes a crew section in the shape of a truncated cone, with a service module holding power and propulsion systems in the rear. You’ll see a resemblance to the American Artemis or Apollo spacecraft, the SpaceX Crew Dragon, or the yet-to-be-flown European Nyx. Basic aerodynamics make a blunt cone a very efficient shape for safely launching a spacecraft and returning it through Earth’s atmosphere.

The ship would be launched by a new heavy-lift Long March 10 booster, one of two used for a given moon mission. The Long March 10, as configured for lunar flight, would stand 92.5 meters high at launch and generate thrust of 2,678 tonnes. (The rocket for Artemis II is more powerful: 3,992 tonnes.) Mengzhou would leave for the moon after another Long March 10 has launched a Lanyue lunar landing craft. The two would rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit. Two astronauts would transfer to Lanyue and land on the moon; Mengzhou would wait for them in orbit for the trip home. Lanyue has a stated mass of 26 tonnes and could carry a 200-kilogram rover. (2/2)

From Moon Dust to Moon Colonies (Source: Aerospace America)
Blue Origin is preparing for a demonstration this year of a suite of technologies that could provide the foundation for future self-sufficient lunar settlements. Paul Marks spoke to the lead technologist of the effort. In a sprawling laboratory complex in Los Angeles, researchers are developing technologies that could allow future lunar citizens to live off the land. As Vlada Stamenkovic tells it, the instruction he and his colleagues received from their boss, Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, was a demanding one: “Show me that this is real, that it’s not just a dream.”

In September, Blue Alchemist, the company’s initial suite of eight lunar resource extraction technologies, passed a critical design review by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA is involved because it has partly funded Blue Alchemist’s development with an award of $34.7 million. “Making unlimited amounts of solar power, transmission cables and oxygen anywhere on the Moon supports both NASA’s lunar sustainability and Blue Origin’s commercial business objectives,” NASA says. (2/5)

EU Commission Expects Galileo PRS Signal Accreditation ‘Soon’ (Source: Space Intel Report)
The European Commission was put on the defensive by a member of the European Parliament for continued delays in the start of the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS), the encrypted, jam- and spoof-resistant signal for government and military use that is still not available. Ten years after the initial Galileo positioning, navigation and timing system started operations, PRS still awaits final authorization by European security agencies. (2/4)

Isar Aerospace Opens Second Test Site at Esrange Space Center (Source: Satellite Evolution)
European space company Isar Aerospace is significantly expanding their testing operations with SSC Space at Esrange Space Center in Sweden, opening a second test site to support the development and production of its ‘Spectrum’ rocket. The new facility will enable testing of 30+ engines per month, along with expanded integrated stage testing capabilities, increasing testing capacity and enabling faster development.

The purpose-built acceptance test facility will enable fully integrated stage acceptance testing, providing Isar Aerospace with greater flexibility and capability to meet growing market demand for launch services. The test sites are fully tailored to Isar Aerospace’s own requirements, supporting the company’s approach of vertically integrating launch vehicle development across design, manufacturing, testing, and operations. (2/4)

Experts Warn of Urgent Need to Address Human Reproduction Risks in Space (Source: Space Daily)
As commercial spaceflight moves closer to routine operations and missions extend in duration, a new expert report argues that reproductive health in space has shifted from a theoretical concern to an urgently practical issue. The authors warn that space is an environment fundamentally hostile to human biology, yet human activity beyond Earth is rapidly expanding without matching standards for managing reproductive risks.

The study, published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online, is authored by nine specialists in reproductive health, aerospace medicine and bioethics. They describe how two once-separate revolutions, human spaceflight and assisted reproductive technologies, are now intersecting as space becomes both a workplace and destination while fertility treatments become more advanced, automated and accessible. (2/4)

Amazon Leo to Provide Internet Connectivity Services to AT&T (Source: Via Satellite)
Amazon Leo said it agreed to supply internet connectivity services to AT&T in a deal that would expand the wireless provider’s service area. In a joint press release with Amazon, AT&T said Amazon Leo’s connectivity services would allow it to serve customers in broader areas. AT&T will use Amazon Leo to deliver fixed broadband services to business customers. (2/4)

Chang'e-6 Lunar Samples Reveal First Discovery of Naturally Formed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Graphitic Carbon (Source: Global Times)
A Chinese research team recently conducted a systematic analysis of the Chang'e-6 lunar soil samples and, for the first time internationally, discovered and confirmed the presence of naturally formed single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphitic carbon, proving that geological activity on the far side of the moon has been more intense. It is the first to clearly identify graphitic carbon and trace its possible formation and evolutionary processes. It also marks the first international confirmation of the existence of single-walled carbon nanotubes formed naturally, without any artificial intervention, per the report. (1/20)

SpaceX Launches "Stargaze" SSA System to Secure LEO (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX has launched Stargaze, a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system that leverages data from 30,000 star trackers across its fleet to detect orbital objects. The system processes approximately 30 million transits daily, providing orbit estimates and collision predictions within minutes—orders of magnitude faster than the industry standard of several hours. SpaceX has committed to making this screening data available to the broader satellite operator community free of charge.

This is a quietly important step in derisking SpaceX's “megaconstellations” assets by undertaking an open source ecosystem approach to collision avoidance and tracking. The move points to an operational prerequisite for scale. Stargaze also hints that SpaceX can leverage its orbital assets to serve a secondary market: sensor + network platform that can support government/defense use cases (and potentially third-party SSA services). (1/30)

Starlink Capacity "Sold Out" Across Major African Markets (Source: Mach 33)
Data shared by industry observers reveals that Africa now leads the globe in "sold out" Starlink service areas, with major metropolitan centers marked in red on availability maps. While Starlink has rapidly expanded its footprint, high demand in key African cities has outstripped the current allocated capacity per cell, leading to waitlists in regions previously considered underserved. Starlink’s next growth phase (especially in high-demand cities) increasingly depends on capacity densification: more satellites, smarter spectrum use, local gateways/ground infrastructure, and eventually hybrid approaches where satellite becomes coverage + backhaul rather than the only last-mile. (1/30)