February 12, 2026

SpaceX Removes Dragon Crew Arm at LC-39A, Giving Starship a Leg Up in Florida (Source: Ars Technica)
Launch Complex 39A in Florida is accustomed to getting makeovers. It got another one Wednesday with the removal of the Crew Access Arm used by astronauts to board their rides to space. Construction workers first carved the footprint for the launch pad from the Florida wetlands more than 60 years ago. NASA used the site to launch Saturn V rockets dispatching astronauts to the Moon, then converted the pad for the Space Shuttle program. The last shuttle flight lifted off from Pad 39A in 2011, and the agency leased the site to SpaceX for use as the departure point for the company’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. (2/12)

Seattle Startup Integrate Lands $17M to Expand its Super-Secure Project Management Tool (Source: Geekwire)
Seattle’s Integrate on Wednesday announced $17 million in new funding to broaden the scope of its super-secure project management tool that targets complex operations in defense, space and other sectors. Integrate landed a $25 million contract last June from the U.S. Space Force to support the deployment of its software, which enables collaboration between government teams and commercial space contractors.

The company has built the only project management platform adopted by the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, a classified environment that includes top-secret projects involving multiple clearance levels and hundreds of companies. (2/11)

RAS Fellows Urged to Lobby Against Unprecedented UK Cuts (Source: RAS)
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science. Last month the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) advised researchers that resource grants for this area are likely to be subject to a 30% budget reduction, with project teams told to plan for anything up to 60% cuts. If this course is not reversed, it could trigger one of the most serious crises for our sciences in modern times. (2/12)

Stoke Space Adds $350M as it Readies for the First Launch of its Reusable Rocket (Source: Geekwire)
Stoke Space Technologies says it has added another $350 million to its previously announced financing round, bringing the amount raised in the round to $860 million. The fresh funding will go toward completing activation of the company’s Florida launch complex and expanding production capacity for its fully reusable Nova launch vehicle. Additional capital will be used to accelerate future elements on Stoke’s product road map. The medium-lift Nova rocket is currently under development. First liftoff from Launch Complex 14 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport is expected sometime this year. (2/10)

Space Florida Opens Application Process for FDOT Spaceport Infrastructure Funding (Source: Space Florida)
Building on more than $531 million in state investment (currently concentrated at Kennedy Space Center, then Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Cecil Spaceport) leveraged with $3.3 billion in private industry funding, Space Florida announced its 2026 call for projects under the Spaceport Improvement Program (SIP). This long-standing space transportation partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) continues to fuel growth across the state’s aerospace economy.

The annual call invites aerospace partners to submit applications for infrastructure projects that support current and future space transportation needs across Florida’s statewide spaceport system. Applications are due Wednesday, April 22, 2026.  Click here. (2/6)

NASA Chief Seeks More Pentagon Collaboration (Source: Air & Space Forces)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has called for expanded collaboration between NASA and the Pentagon, highlighting opportunities to avoid duplicate investments and to leverage shared technological advancements. He pointed to areas like nuclear propulsion, navigation, and communications as ripe for joint efforts, suggesting that resource pooling could benefit both agencies' distinct missions. Recent executive orders have further formalized this collaboration, with the White House's science office now acting as a coordination hub to streamline joint initiatives and prevent costly redundancies. (2/11)

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 architectural design provided by a Merrick-RS&H joint venture. In related news a Merrick joint venture with Blair Remy was on Feb. 5 awarded a $33M IDIQ contract for NAVFAC Southeast work through 2031, potentially supporting future Navy requirements at the Cape. (2/10)
 
Blue Origin Plan Puts Indian River Lagoon at Serious Risk (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
One of the signature features of the Space Coast is that it is perched alongside a crown jewel of the Sunshine State’s coastal environment, the Indian River Lagoon. Nestled roughly halfway between Jacksonville and Miami, the lagoon is a 156-mile estuary where saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean and freshwater from the mainland merge to create a diverse breeding and feeding area for sea turtles, hundreds of species of fish and seabirds, and thousands of species of other animals and plants

Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and an Estuary of National Significance, the Lagoon is fringed with protected state and federal lands like the Canaveral National Seashore, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Over the decades, it has survived hurricanes, algae blooms and other natural and man-made challenges. But now this national treasure ― one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the planet ― is facing a completely preventable threat.

Blue Origin has an incredible opportunity to be a good neighbor to the Space Coast and work with partners in the aerospace industry to limit their impacts on the precious Indian River Lagoon. Instead of merely dumping their untreated wastewater into the ocean, the company could work with state leaders to pave the way for advanced wastewater treatment technology in the northern Indian River Lagoon system, treating not only their own discharge, but potentially the discharges of local governments that should be shifted away from septic and onto public sewer systems with advanced wastewater treatment anyway. In doing so, they could transform the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon and accelerate the lagoon’s ecological recovery for the benefit of residents and businesses alike. (2/12)

Government Increases New Zealand Launch Limit to 1000 (Source: RNZ)
The government is raising the total number of launches allowed to 1000, as the cap set at 100 in 2017 comes close to being breached. The US-NZ company Rocket Lab dominates the launch market from its pad at Mahia. Space Minister Judith Collins said the 100 cap was likely to be hit this year.

"This change ensures our space and advanced aviation industries can continue to expand while operating within clear environmental boundaries." The environmental impact from more debris from space vehicle launches had been newly determined to be low. The rules would have required a special marine consent for every launch over the 100 cap. (2/12)

National Mission to Launch Sovereign Satellite Kept Under Wraps by Officials (Source: RNZ)
Most of the work being done on a national mission to launch a sovereign satellite is being kept under wraps by officials. An RNZ request under the Official Information Act (OIA) for the key documents came up mostly empty, with ministerial briefings either largely blanked out or withheld entirely. The government's 2024 aerospace strategy set a goal to "establish a national mission through the development, manufacture, launch and operation of one or more sovereign satellites". This was to collect data for the likes of protecting ocean zones and for "broader space domain awareness". (2/6)

Commerce Secretary Lutnick Blasts SpaceX’s Proposed BEAD Rider (Source: Fierce Network)
States can proceed with their Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) plans without any say from SpaceX, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators Tuesday. Regarding the proposed subgrantee agreement SpaceX sent to states, Lutnick confirmed at a hearing “that rider is outside of our guidelines, it is outside the statute, and it is rejected by us.”

The document, leaked a couple of weeks ago, asked states to modify BEAD requirements such as those related to capacity reserves and network performance testing – provisions that went against NTIA’s June 6 policy notice. (2/11)

NASA Must Replace its Antiquated Space Launch System (Source: Washington Times)
Americans rightly view space exploration through a lens of pride and history. The Apollo era remains a defining national achievement, and any successful mission carrying American astronauts, especially Artemis II, should be celebrated as a triumph of skill, courage and engineering. As citizens and taxpayers, we want Artemis II to succeed, but success alone is not a winning strategy when you’re an American.

[Unlike the US] China does not approach space exploration as a series of prestige missions. The Chinese Communist Party treats cislunar space as an extension of economic power, industrial capacity and long-term strategic advantage. Beijing is executing a coordinated national strategy that integrates civilian, commercial and military capabilities to shape the rules, norms and infrastructure governing the next era of space activity.

Even if Artemis II performs flawlessly whenever it launches, it will not change this central fact: The current government-built launch architecture is not designed for high cadence, rapid reuse or long-term affordability. Those attributes are what determine whether we can maintain leadership rather than merely visit the moon intermittently. The Space Launch System was conceived in a different strategic era, built around expendable components and slow production timelines. After more than 13 years of development and more than $64 billion in expenditures, it has flown once. Each launch carries a multibillion-dollar price tag and requires years of preparation. That model cannot support sustained presence, rapid iteration or strategic resilience in a competitive environment. (2/11)

Canadian Space Institute Targets Continental Workforce with US Expansion (Source: SpaceQ)
The North American Space Institute (NASI), Canada’s new space technician school, is reorienting towards a more continental approach. NASI recently announced a new partnership with two American organizations, Learning Exchange Inc (LEXX) and Alliance Cyber, with a goal of standardizing their offerings across both the United States and Canada and helping space technicians to lend their skills to companies and agencies in both countries. (2/11)

Skyrora Could Buy Orbex Assets Including Sutherland Spaceport (Source: BBC)
Glasgow-based rockets manufacturer Skyrora says it is looking at possibly buying "select assets" of troubled space firm Orbex, including its Sutherland Spaceport project. Orbex, which has its headquarters in Forres, Moray, has appointed administrators after failing to secure sufficient funding. The company said in December 2024 it had paused its plans to build the satellite launch site near Tongue, but would retain the lease to construct and operate the base. Skyrora said its potential asset acquisition could involve up to £10m worth of investment. (2/12)

ISU Launches World’s First Online Space Research Master's Degree (Source: ISU)
The International Space University (ISU) today announced the launch of the world’s first fully online interdisciplinary master’s degree dedicated exclusively to space research. The program is distinguished by a unique research mentorship model that allows students to work with former astronauts, alongside academic supervisors, in shaping research questions grounded in real mission and operational experience. (2/12)

European Space Agency Picks OHB Italia for a Planned 2028 Mission to Asteroid Apophis (Source: ESA)
OHB Italia has been selected by ESA for a 2028 rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis. The contract, worth nearly $100 million, begins the spacecraft construction, assembly and testing phase of the Ramses mission. The asteroid Apophis is expected to pass roughly 23,000 miles from the Earth in 2029. (2/10)

SpaceX IPO Could Suck Oxygen From Market Before Unleashing Broad Capital Surge (Source: Space News)
SpaceX’s IPO could take attention away from other companies in the market, at least in the short term. Some investors cautioned that the run-up to that IPO, expected this summer, could draw attention away from other space companies seeking to go public or raise money around the same time. However, the attention generated by that IPO could help companies in the longer term as more investors examine opportunities in the space sector beyond SpaceX. (2/12)

FCC Space Reforms Part of Broader "Foundation for the New Space Age" (Source: Space News)
The head of the FCC’s Space Bureau says the agency’s regulatory reform efforts are tied to broader goals. Jay Schwarz said the commission wants to “lay the foundation for the new space age” with a series of reforms that are ongoing. Those reforms are tied to improving the speed, flexibility and predictability of the licensing process, as well as freeing up additional spectrum for satellite communications. (2/12)

Golden Dome Uncertainty Not a Barrier to Corporate Investment (Source: Space News)
Space industry executives said they are continuing to invest in the Golden Dome missile defense initiative despite uncertainty about the effort. The Pentagon has released few details about the Golden Dome architecture, electing to keep it classified. Executives said that while they understood that rationale, they worried it could impede “open innovation” and the ability to bring in ideas from companies outside large defense contractors. They added, though they expected Golden Dome to continue in some form after the current administration given the urgency of missile defense. (2/12)

Small Launchers Split on How to Compete with SpaceX (Source: Space News)
Launch companies are split on how to compete with SpaceX. Some warned against competing head-to-head with SpaceX on price, instead differentiating themselves on factors such as performance and customer service. Others, though, said it was essential to lower costs to more effectively compete. The debate occurs as the industry faces constrained launch supplies as a glut of vehicles once expected to come into the market failed to materialize because of technical or financial setbacks. (2/12)

Smallsat Manufacturers Squeezed by Megaconstellation Vertical Integration (Source: Space News)
Vertical integration of megaconstellations is squeezing smallsat manufacturers. As companies like Amazon and SpaceX produce their own satellites, it becomes harder for independent operators to compete on cost, scale or access to customers, industry officials said at the SmallSat Symposium this week. That could lead to consolidation among smallsat producers to help them achieve “constellation-level economics.” The move toward mass production and constellation-scale deployment, though, could create opportunities for companies capable of delivering specialized spacecraft that large manufacturers increasingly deprioritize. (2/12)

Russia Launches Proton with Weather Satellite From Baikonur (Source: TASS)
A Proton rocket launched a Russian weather satellite Thursday. The Proton lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 3:52 a.m. Eastern carrying the Elektro-L No. 5 weather satellite, bound for geostationary orbit. The launch was scheduled for December but delayed by technical issues with the Proton’s upper stage. The launch was the first in nearly three years for Proton, a vehicle once in high demand for government and commercial missions. (2/12)

China Launches Jielong-3 with Seven Satellites From Offshore Ship (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese rocket launched from a ship early Thursday. The Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, rocket launched from a ship off the coast from Guangdong province at 1:37 a.m. Eastern. The rocket carried seven satellites, including a remote sensing satellite for Pakistan. (2/12)

Middle Powers Seek Sovereign Capabilities for Remote Sensing (Source: Space News)
More countries are seeking their own Earth observation satellite systems. Representatives of Earth observation companies said this week that middle powers that previously relied on space systems operated by powerful allies or partners are now clamoring for sovereign capabilities. Many of those countries, though, may struggle to afford full control of such systems and may instead seek to purchase individual satellites in a constellation or specific services. (2/12)

South Korea's INNOSPACE Plans Launches From Azores Spaceport (Source: ASC)
INNOSPACE has signed a strategic agreement with the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC) to use the Malbusca Launch Center, located on Santa Maria Island in the Azores, securing its first European launch site. Starting in 2026, this five-year agreement grants INNOSPACE priority, long-term access to Portugal’s spaceport, enabling the gradual development of key launch infrastructure and targeting the first commercial launch in Q4 2026.

Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Malbusca Launch Centre offers unique geographical and operational advantages, including flexible orbital trajectories, independent airspace and maritime operations, and a stable regulatory framework — essential for competitive and customized launch missions. (2/9)

Firehawk Aerospace Expands Advisory Leadership (Source: Firehawk)
Firehawk Aerospace announced the appointment of Abdul Subhani, CEO of Centex Technologies, as Chair of its Board of Advisors. The appointment reflects Firehawk’s continued focus on disciplined growth and strengthening resilient domestic supply chains as the company expands production of next-generation propulsion technologies. In addition to Subhani’s appointment, Firehawk announced that Kevin Schoonover has joined the Board of Advisors, bringing decades of leadership experience across missile systems, defense programs, and aerospace manufacturing. (2/2)

Space Force is Moving to Acquire by Mission Area (Source: Aerospace America)
As the Pentagon pushes to accelerate acquisition, a U.S. Space Force official said the service wants to align its purchases with mission areas, rather than programs. The service has “only ever acquired systems by program, and it’s probably tied to the program element structure and the oversight economics,” Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr., the Space Force deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, said Tuesday at the Defense and Intelligence Space Conference. (2/12)

Soft Power and the Race to the Moon: Why Cislunar Norms Are the Next Hill to Hold (Source: AIAA)
For most of the Space Age, geopolitics played out in Earth orbit. That era is ending. The next strategic arena is cislunar space which is the vast volume from geosynchronous orbit out to, around, and including the moon. Cislunar space is sought after because it provides the ability to host the infrastructure that makes deep-space operations routine: communications relays, navigation beacons, refueling depots, scientific observatories, and eventually sustained lunar surface activity, including commercial operations. (2/12)

Vulcan Launches Successfully From Florida, Despite Another SRB Anomaly (Source: Spaceflight Now)
ULA said an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters that helped propel its Vulcan rocket into space Thursday on a mission for the United States Space Force. Despite the problem the rocket, making only its fourth flight, continued on its planned trajectory, the company said. The rocket thundered away from LC-41 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport but less than 30 seconds into the flight, there appeared to be a burn through of one of the nozzles on a Northrop Grumman-built graphite epoxy motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket boosters (SRBs).

The “observation” noted on one of the SRBs on Thursday morning’s flight marks the second time in just four flights that ULA ran into a similar issue. A burn through was noted during the second certification launch of Vulcan back on Oct. 4, 2024. ULA and Northrop Grumman went through a series of tests and analysis to address the anomaly, including a hot fire test in Utah. Ultimately, the U.S. Space Force deemed Vulcan capable to launch national security payloads for it and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). (2/12)

Rocket Lab is Blowing Up Engines. No, it's Not a Big Deal, CEO Says (Source: Ars Technica)
A little more than two months ago, a Rocket Lab employee called the Stennis Space Center Fire Department from the nearby A3 test stand. There was a grass fire where Archimedes engines undergo testing. Could they please send personnel over? Satellite imagery from before and after the anomaly appears to show that the roof had been blown off the left test cell, one of two at the test stand at the historic NASA facility in southern Mississippi. One person with knowledge of the anomaly said, “The characterization of this as an electrical fire doesn’t reflect what actually occurred. This was a catastrophic engine explosion that resulted in significant infrastructure damage.” (2/11)

A Look at European Rocket Ariane 64’s Maiden Launch (Source: AP)
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled to make a powerful debut with a new equipment configuration Thursday, flying with four boosters to carry Amazon’s internet satellites. The launch will take place at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Here’s a look at the Ariane 6 rocket’s technology by the numbers:

Asteroid Samples NASA Brought to Earth Suggest Life's Building Blocks May Be Widespread in the Universe (Source: Space.com)
The origins of the building blocks of life may be even more widespread than we realized, as per a new discovery from the asteroid sample NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission brought back to Earth from the space rock Bennu. (2/12)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Deploys 24 Starlink Satellites After California Launch (Source: Space.com)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Wednesday. (2/12)

Erratic Elon Musk Tells Employees to Build Massive Catapult on Moon (Source: Futurism)
As Elon Musk tries to sweep his Mars ambitions under the rug like an embarrassing teenage phase, he’s now shifting focus to the Moon — with no less eye-brow raising ideas. According to new reporting from the New York Times, Musk told employees at xAI — his AI company recently acquired by SpaceX — that it needs to construct a factory on the Moon to churn out AI satellites. And to launch the satellites into space, he says, it needs to build an enormous electromagnetic catapult. (2/11)

New Study Favors 'Fuzzy' Dark Matter as the Backbone of the Universe (Source: Live Science)
To further test the nature of dark matter, scientists observe bent starlight from distant galaxies — a process called gravitational lensing — to find critical clues about their hidden architecture. And a new paper turned up something fascinating: This deep lensing analysis decisively disfavors smooth dark matter lens models and strongly prefers fuzzy dark matter (FDM) over both the standard CDM and the more exotic self-interacting dark matter model, which proposes that dark matter slightly sticks to itself. (2/11)

How to Design a Space Station: Meet the Seattle Company That’s Helping Define the Look of the Final Frontier (Source: Geekwire)
How do you design a living space where there’s no up or down? That’s one of the challenges facing Teague, a Seattle-based design and innovation firm that advises space companies such as Blue Origin, Axiom Space and Voyager Technologies on how to lay out their orbital outposts. Mike Mahoney, Teague’s senior director of space and defense programs, says the zero-gravity environment is the most interesting element to consider in space station design. Click here. (2/9) https://www.geekwire.com/2026/design-space-station-teague/

AST SpaceMobile Successfully Completes Unfolding of BlueBird 6, the Largest Commercial Communications Array Antenna Ever Deployed in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Business Wire)
AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced the successful unfolding of its next-generation BlueBird 6 satellite. (2/10)

FAA says Air Traffic Control Overhaul Management Contract Worth $1.5 Billion (Source: Reuters)
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday its contract with national security firm Peraton, the project manager of a $12.5-billion effort to overhaul the aging U.S. air traffic control system, was worth $1.5 billion. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said U.S. President Donald Trump in December negotiated a $200 million discount off the initial proposed contract price for Peraton, which is owned by Veritas Capital. (2/10)

Possible First-Ever Observation of a Black Hole Tearing Apart a White Dwarf (Source: Phys.org)
On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe (EP) space telescope detected an exceptionally bright X-ray source whose brightness varied rapidly during a routine sky survey. Its unusual signal immediately set it apart from ordinary cosmic sources, triggering rapid follow-up observations by telescopes worldwide. Scientists are proposing that it may mark the moment when an intermediate-mass black hole tears apart and consumes a white dwarf star. (2/10)

China's Advanced GPS Alternative Isn't Just For Navigation (Source: BGR)
BeiDou is owned and operated by its home government, and the ruling Chinese Communist Party has kept most of its technological specifications secret. However, BeiDou has caught the attention of other governments, particularly the United States, due to its wide-ranging uses. BeiDou does a lot more than guide people on their way to work. Just as GPS is closely tied into the American military, BeiDou is becoming ingrained in China's military operations, used by guided missiles and bombs.

It's also being used for monitoring and responding to natural disasters. BeiDou is already more advanced than GPS in many ways, and it's grown at a stunning pace. BeiDou is much younger than GPS, which first launched in 1978 and achieved full coverage in 1993. However, the Chinese government has pursued progress on its GNSS much more aggressively than the United States. BeiDou was born with a competitive spirit, as part of a push to bolster China's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, at the end of the last century. (2/9)

The Founder of Rocket Lab on Competing with Billionaires to Lead in Space (Source: HBR)
Growing up in the lower region of the South Island of New Zealand, my parents always told me that I could be whatever I wanted in life—a cleaner, a carpenter, a rocket engineer—as long as I did my job extremely well and with the greatest possible positive impact. Gazing at the stars from the observatory my father built, space became an early obsession for me. And I found that I much preferred tinkering on engines in our family’s workshop to formal schooling.

After high school I figured I’d need to know how to build things in order to work in the space industry, so I did a tool-and-die apprenticeship at appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel. I went on to project manage superyacht production at Fitzroy Yachts before landing a role as a materials researcher at a government lab, Industrial Research Limited (IRL). All the while I spent my evenings and weekends experimenting with rocket engines and propellants in my garage. Click here. (2/11)

Old Galaxies in a Young Universe? (Source: Phys.org)
The standard cosmological model (present-day version of "Big Bang," called Lambda-CDM) gives an age of the universe close to 13.8 billion years and much younger when we explore the universe at high-redshift. The redshift of galaxies is produced by the expansion of the universe, which causes emitted wavelengths to lengthen and move toward the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum.

We analyzed 31 galaxies with average redshift 7.3 (when the universe was 700 Myr old, according to the standard model) observed with the most powerful available telescope available: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

As a result, we found that they are on average ~600 Myr old, according to the comparison with theoretical models based on previous knowledge of nearby galaxies. Our models include all of the known possibilities: old and young stellar populations, thermally-pulsating AGB stars, emission lines associated with HII regions, black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN), interstellar dust extinction, and intergalactic extinction from neutral hydrogen. (2/10)

Shenzhou-20 Taikonaut Recalls ‘Space Chicken Wings,’ Symbolizing China’s Leap From Survival to ‘Romantic Leap’ in Orbit (Source: Global Times)
Nearly three months after returning Earth, Chen Dong, commander of Chinese Shenzhou-20 mission, still fondly recalls the flavorful roasted chicken wings enjoyed in space and the sweet moments shared with his five crewmates from the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions abord the Tiangong space station. Before returning, all six taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions enjoyed a special "space barbecue" in the space station using new equipment - a hot-air roaster. (2/9)

Russians Urgently Supplied with New Satellite Internet Terminals After Starlink Blackout (Source: Ukrainska Pravda)
Russian forces at various frontline positions have begun receiving urgent deliveries of satellite internet terminals. Russia has several high-speed satellite internet providers operating via the Yamal and Ekspress satellites, Beskrestnov said. Their antennas look like TV satellite dishes: they are round or oval with diameters of 60 to 120 cm. Beskrestnov also explained how they can be identified and detected.

"All the dishes will face southeast or south (azimuth 110-180 degrees). The dish will be visually exposed. At these frequencies, a protective cover like the ones used on Starlink would interfere with operation. The dish can be moved behind the front line and connected to the front with a WiFi bridge." (2/9)

Massive Survey of Runaway Stars Reveals a Surprise About Their Origin (Source: Science Alert)
In the early 1960s, Dutch astronomer Adriaan Blaauw observed stars moving at unusually high speeds moving through the Milky Way. These stars, as it turned out, were unbound objects that had been kicked out of the Milky Way and periodically looped back and forth through the disk. Blaauw proposed that these stars originated in binary systems and were ejected when the companion star collapsed and exploded off its outer layers in a supernova. By 2005, even faster runaway stars were observed, leading to the designation "hypervelocity stars."

In January, researchers from institutes across Spain announced the completion of the most extensive observational study to date of runaway massive stars. Using data from the ESA's Gaia Observatory and high-quality spectra from the IACOB Spectroscopic Database, the team analyzed 214 O-type stars, the brightest and most massive class of stars in the galaxy. Their results shed new light on how these stellar objects are ejected into space and their origins. In particular, they show that the majority of runaway stars did not begin as binary companions. (2/10)

Lost Soviet Moon Lander May Have Been Found (Source: New York Times)
In 1966, a beach-ball-size robot bounced across the moon. Once it rolled to a stop, its four petal-like covers opened, exposing a camera that sent back the first picture taken on the surface of another world. This was Luna 9, the Soviet lander that was the earliest spacecraft to safely touchdown on the moon. While it paved the way toward interplanetary exploration, Luna 9’s precise whereabouts have remained a mystery ever since.

That may soon change. Two research team s think they might have tracked down the long-lost remains of Luna 9. But there’s a catch: The teams do not agree on the location. The dueling finds highlight a strange fact of the early moon race: The precise resting places of a number of spacecraft that crashed or landed on the moon in the run up to NASA’s Apollo missions are lost to obscurity. A newer generation of spacecraft may at last resolve these mysteries. (2/11)

Mars Organics Can’t Be Fully Explained by Geological Processes Alone, NASA Study Says (Source: Sci News)
Known non-biological sources, from meteorites to surface chemistry, fall short of accounting for organic compounds detected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, according to a new study published in the journal Astrobiology. In 2025, planetary scientists reported the detection of long-chain alkanes at concentrations of roughly 30 to 50 parts per billion in the ancient Cumberland mudstone in Gale crater, Mars. They proposed that the alkanes were derived from thermal decarboxylation of fatty acids during analysis by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. (2/9)

Satellite Observations Put Stratospheric Methane Loss Higher Than Models Predicted (Source: Phys.org)
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with strong heat-trapping capabilities. Although there is less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the foremost greenhouse gas, researchers attribute 30% of modern global warming to methane. Observations show that methane levels have increased over time, but the factors driving changes in the rate of accumulation remain unclear. (2/9)

How are Gas Giant Exoplanets Born? James Webb Space Telescope Provides New Clues (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers may have just pushed the upper size limit of what counts as a planet, thanks to new insights into how giant worlds form. New observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that even extremely massive gas giants — once thought too large to form like ordinary planets — may grow through the same basic process, shifting how scientists differentiate massive planets from brown dwarfs. (2/10)

Uranus' Moon 'Miranda' Seems to Have an Ocean and Possibly Life (Source: Earth.com)
A recent study points to an exciting possibility: that Uranus’s moon Miranda, located in the far reaches of our solar system, may harbor a hidden sea beneath its icy crust, making it hospitable to extraterrestrial life. Discovering water on a moon is no easy task. It’s even harder when that moon is hundreds of millions of miles away. (2/10)

February 11, 2026

Non-Venture Investment Surges for Space Startups (Source: Space News)
Non-venture investment in space startups surged last year to its highest level since the SPAC era. An analysis by BryceTech found that more than $2 billion went into space startups last year through IPOs, acquisitions and debt financing. The increase in non-venture funding is a sign of a maturing industry, BryceTech concludes. Overall investment in space startups in 2025 was about $10 billion, with venture capital accounting for more than three-quarters of that total. (2/11)

Aerospace Corp. Licenses DiskSat Tech (Source: Space News)
The Aerospace Corporation is sharing DiskSat technology with industry partners. Aerospace said Orbotic Systems, a startup focused on space debris remediation, and edge computing startup Satlyt have signed the first DiskSat commercial licensing agreements. Aerospace is likely to announce additional partnerships as the first DiskSats, launched in December on a Rocket Lab Electron for the U.S. Space Force Space Test Program, complete commissioning and begin operations. (2/11)

Smallsat Manufacturers Focus on Mini-Constellations (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturers unable to compete to produce megaconstellations are instead seeing opportunities for smaller "mini-constellations." At a SmallSat Symposium panel Tuesday, officials with several manufacturers say they are seeing demand for constellations of dozens to a few hundred satellites. The interest is coming from both governments and companies who are wary of relying entirely on commercial megaconstellations for services. (2/11)

Laser Comms Needs Validation (Source: Space News)
Companies building an "internet for space" based on laser-linked satellites need to move beyond technical promise and demonstrate concrete use cases. At a SmallSat Symposium panel, executives said terms such as "space data layer" have become fashionable shorthand for modernization, even as end users remain focused on outcomes rather than architecture. While there are emerging opportunities for satellite systems that offer low-latency, high-bandwidth communications, customers are less interested in whether data moves by radio or laser than in how it is organized, shared and exploited once it is available. (2/11)

Spaceium Demos In-Space Refueling/Repair Tech in Space (Source: Space News)
Spaceium, a startup planning to establish a network of in-space refueling and repair stations, says it demonstrated a key technology in orbit. The company said it tested the actuator for a robotic arm on a spacecraft launched on the Transporter-15 rideshare mission in November. The tests confirmed the performance of the actuator, enabling high-precision motion needed for future refueling and servicing spacecraft. (2/11)

ASII Aims to Use Space Services for Australian National Needs (Source: Space News)
A new Australian organization plans to use space-related products and services to address national and regional challenges. The Australian Space Innovation Institute (ASII) started operations in January and builds on the work of the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre, a consortium established in 2019 to bolster research and development of space technologies. With SmartSat set to end in June, ASII will take SmartSat intellectual property with promising commercial or research applications and seek to apply it to areas from agriculture to disaster management. (2/11)

Galaxia and Apolink Partner for In-Orbit Data Relay (Source: Space News)
Two startups are partnering on ways to improve in-orbit data relay services. A satellite to be built by Canadian startup Galaxia for launch in 2027 will be used by Apolink to test intersatellite data links in either S- or X-band spectrum. Apolink is developing a low Earth orbit relay network to fill connectivity gaps when other LEO satellites are out of view of terrestrial ground stations, and the collaboration with Galaxia will allow the companies to test customized configurations to achieve higher data rates. (2/11)

Rep. Haridopolos on NASA Authorization (Source: Payload)
Payload interviewed Space Coast Congressman Mike Haridopolos. Here's what he had to say about passing a NASA Authorization Bill:  "What we’re really looking to do is continue the partnerships between public and private. The reason we didn’t pass [the NASA authorization bill] until last week is we wanted to make sure language is clear on commercial space. We don’t have the budgetary ability to do everything and now—unlike 10 years ago—there is a business case to be made.

"[Space] was once exclusively a government operation, and there was no business sense to it. That has changed dramatically. We have two huge companies [SpaceX and Blue Origin] and two billionaires [their founders, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos] who are investing. That’s not just exploration, but they realize there’s a business case to be made. ... One thing that’s always helpful is the comparative situation. Now that we have these great public-private partnerships, that allows NASA to see how the private sector is innovative, and what they can learn from those private sector companies.

"The government has different recommendations and regulations than the private sector because our No. 1 concern is safety. The standards are different. But in general, I think both can learn from the other. The public [companies] can incorporate NASA safety standards, and the folks at NASA can learn the efficiencies being put in place by companies like Blue Origin or SpaceX. I think it’s a win-win scenario. ... As people retire, we need to ask ourselves if this can be done more efficiently. NASA is very open to new ideas." (2/10)

Latvia's Deep Space Energy Raises €930K to Generate Electricity on the Moon and Strengthen Satellite Infrastructure (Source: Deep Space Energy)
Latvian startup Deep Space Energy has closed its pre-seed round by raising €350K and then an additional €580K in public contracts and grants by the European Space Agency (ESA), NATO DIANA, and the Latvian government. The funding will primarily be used to further develop a novel radioisotopic generator toward commercialization, in a bid to strengthen the European sovereign space and defense industry and power Moon surface exploration. (2/11)

Orbex Acquisition by Exploration Company Fails, Restructuring Planned (Source: Orbex)
The UK home-grown orbital launch services company and space rocket manufacturer, Orbex, is in the process of appointing administrators after fundraising, merger and acquisition opportunities all concluded unsuccessfully. Orbex has filed a notice of intention to appointment Administrators and will continue trading while all options for the future of the company are explored, including potential sale of all or parts of its business or assets.

The notice provides short-term protection and allows the business time to secure as positive an outcome as possible for its creditors, employees and wider stakeholders. The funding required for Orbex to remain a viable business was sought from a variety of public and private investors. Several merger and acquisition opportunities have also been explored, with none resulting in a favorable outcome. Orbex was one of five "preselected challengers" in ESA's European Launcher Challenge. Orbex was pledged roughly €21.7 million of the UK’s total contribution.

Editor's Note: Orbex initially had a collaboration with Lockheed Martin to share access to the proposed Sutherland spaceport. Lockheed Martin was awarded £13.5M to bring a U.S. launch vehicle (initially planned with ABL Space Systems) while Orbex received £5.5M to develop its own UK-built rocket, Prime. After the Sutherland spaceport effort fizzled, Orbex's launch plans shifted to SaxaVord, with spaceports in the Azores and Norway considered as backups to accommodate a higher launch cadence. (2/11)

NASA Needs A New Vomit Comet (Source: TWZ)
For NASA astronauts, experiencing zero-gravity conditions prior to mission launch is a necessary, if absurdly fun and enviable, part of training and familiarization. The ability to provide a microgravity environment here on Earth is also important for a number of scientific research reasons, and especially for spaceflight applications. For the better part of a century, access into this environment has been provided by specialized fixed-wing aircraft. While a single private company (Zero-G Corp) has handled these zero-G flights for NASA for years, a new contract solicitation shows the agency is once again inviting competitors to bid for the work, with the possibility of providing new solutions for a decades-old requirement. (2/10)

Can This Map of 1 Million Routes Around Our Planet Help Prevent Satellite Collisions? (Source: Space.com)
Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have developed a new method for modeling orbits in cislunar space, which refers to the space between and around Earth and the moon. The researchers modeled what a million orbits would look like over six years using an open-access database, or code that's publicly available, and a ton of processing power from the lab's supercomputers.

The researchers found that about half of the orbits they modeled remained stable for at least one year, and just under 10% remained stable for the full six years of the simulation. "If you want to know where a satellite is in a week, there's no equation that can actually tell you where it's going to be," LLNL scientist Travis Yeager said in the release. "You have to step forward a little bit at a time." (2/10)
 
Sidus Space Forms New EO Partnership with Simera Sense (Source: Via Satellite)
Sidus Space is teaming up with Simera Sense to develop next‑generation hyperspectral imaging solutions incorporating onboard data processing and analytics. The aim is to enable commercially deployable, intelligence‑driven Earth Observation (EO) missions for government and commercial customers. The two companies announced the partnership, Feb. 10. (2/10)

China Succeeds with Mengzhou Capsule Test (Source: Space News)
China successfully conducted an in-flight abort test of a new crewed spacecraft and a rocket recovery demonstration. A Long March 10 low-altitude flight demonstration vehicle topped with an uncrewed Mengzhou spacecraft lifted off at 10 p.m. Eastern Tuesday from the Wenchang spaceport. The Mengzhou spacecraft activated its abort system in flight to demonstrate the ability to safely escape its launch vehicle at maximum aerodynamic pressure. The capsule splashed down in the ocean as planned.

The rocket stage continued its flight to simulate a full first stage orbital flight profile. The rocket then made a successful reentry burn, performing a propulsive splashdown close to a ship fitted with a wire recovery system for the Long March 10. The demonstration is a crucial step in China's plans to attempt to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, as well as to advance efforts to recover and reuse rocket boosters. (2/11)

Stoke Raises $350 Million to Accelerate Reusable Launcher Plans (Source: Space News)
Launch vehicle developer Stoke Space has raised an additional $350 million. The company announced an extension Tuesday to a $510 million Series D round from last October, bringing the size of the round to $860 million and the overall amount raised by Stoke to $1.34 billion. Stoke is developing Nova, a launch vehicle whose first and second stages are both designed for reuse. Stoke said the additional funding will "accelerate future elements of its product roadmap" but did not disclose details. (2/11)

FCC Approves Additional Satellites for Amazon Leo (Source: Space News)
The FCC approved additional satellites Tuesday for Amazon's broadband constellation. The FCC authorized Amazon to deploy and operate 3,212 Gen 2 satellites between 590 and 630 kilometers above Earth, alongside 1,292 Polar spacecraft between 600 and 650 kilometers. The two systems are in addition to the 3,232-satellite Gen 1 network operating at similar altitudes to Gen 2, enlarging the company's total constellation to 7,736 satellites. The FCC also authorized Gen 1 satellites to use higher-frequency V-band spectrum in addition to Ka-band. The authorization comes as Amazon seeks approval for an extension to deployment deadlines for its Gen 1 satellites. Amazon separately announced Tuesday its first Amazon Leo maritime broadband reseller agreements, partnering with U.S.-based MTN and ELCOME of the United Arab Emirates. (2/11)

ULA Sees Vulcan's Ascent in 2026 (Source: Space News)
New leadership at United Launch Alliance says this will be the year the company ramps up the Vulcan launch rate. In a call with reporters Tuesday, executives said they are projecting 18 to 22 launches this year, including two to four Atlas 5 launches and 16 to 18 Vulcan Centaur launches. Executives said they have "high confidence" in those projections, despite falling short of similar forecasts last year, as they build out infrastructure to support more launches. The first ULA launch of the year, a Vulcan launch of the USSF-87 mission for the Space Force, is scheduled for early Thursday. (2/11)

Germany Funds Development of Human Exploration Control Center (Source: Space News)
Germany is funding construction of a human exploration control center. The government of Bavaria said it will provide 58 million euros ($69 million) for the Human Exploration Control Center to be built at a German Aerospace Center (DLR) facility near Munich. DLR will provide 20 million euros to complete the center. The center will support European operations for the Gateway program, similar to existing support of work on the Columbus module of the ISS that DLR provides for ESA. Funding the new center aligns with the priorities Germany laid out at the most recent ESA ministerial, where the country was the largest contributor to the agency's human and robotic exploration program, pledging 885 million euros for the next three years. (2/11)

Isaacman: American Exceptionalism at Risk with Failure to Beat China to Moon (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA's leader says a failure to return humans to the moon before China could "call into question American exceptionalism" more broadly. Speaking at a conference Tuesday, Administrator Jared Isaacman said he expects that if the Artemis program does not land astronauts on the moon before China's anticipated 2030 landing, "it calls almost everything we are pursuing across all these emerging and important technological domains into question." NASA has a goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2028, but there remain questions about the status of landers needed to carry that out. (2/11)

NRO Adds HEU, SatVu, Sierra Nevada to Imaging Stable (Source: Space News)
The NRO has added more commercial imaging firms to a growing roster of vendors it is testing for future intelligence missions. The agency said Tuesday it signed Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) agreements with HEO, SatVu and Sierra Nevada Corp. The SCE program is designed to let the NRO evaluate commercially generated data and determine how it could be integrated into intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. HEO will provide non-Earth imagery focused on objects in orbit, SatVu will deliver medium-wave infrared imagery and Sierra Nevada will support radio-frequency, or RF, sensing. (2/11)

Eutelsat Gets Nearly 1 Billion Euros in French-Backed ECA Financing (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat has signed a 975 million euro ($1.2 billion) France-backed export credit agency financing package to help fund 440 replacement satellites for its OneWeb low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation. (2/11)

The Radical Propulsion Needed to Catch the Solar Gravitational Lens (Source: Universe Today)
Sending a mission to the Solar Gravitational Lens (SGL) is the most effective way of actually directly imaging a potentially habitable planet, as well as its atmosphere, and even possibly some of its cities. But, the SGL is somewhere around 650-900 AU away, making it almost 4 times farther than even Voyager 1 has traveled - and that’s the farthest anything human has made it so far. It will take Voyager 1 another 130+ years to reach the SGL, so obviously traditional propulsion methods won’t work to get any reasonably sized craft there in any reasonable timeframe.

A new paper by an SGL mission’s most vocal proponent, Dr. Slava Turyshev of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, walks through the different types of propulsion methods that might eventually get us there - and it looks like we would have a lot of work to do if we plan to do it anytime soon. One of the technologies Dr. Turyshev looked at was solar sails - giant reflective surfaces that use the Sun’s light to push itself. But perhaps more importantly, solar sails could combine both the Sun’s light and the Sun’s gravitational pull using a gravity assist at the same time they are accelerated with maximum force close to the Sun. By Dr. Turyshev’s calculations, that could accelerate a craft to be capable of speeds that would allow for a 30 year transit, or potentially even a 20 year transit. (2/11)

Return to Launch Documents Florida's Second Space Age (Source: University of Florida Press)
Return to Launch is the story of how one state reshaped the trajectory of the US space program and helped usher in a new era of spaceflight. Stephen Smith takes readers behind the scenes of Florida’s Space Coast, revealing how local leaders, federal policymakers, and entrepreneurs transformed a region once bracing for economic collapse into the center of the NewSpace revolution. Click here. (2/11)

SpaceX’s Next-Gen Super Heavy Booster Aces Four Days of “Cryoproof” Testing (Source: Ars Technica)
The upgraded Super Heavy booster slated to launch SpaceX’s next Starship flight has completed cryogenic proof testing, clearing a hurdle that resulted in the destruction of the company’s previous booster. SpaceX announced the milestone Tuesday: “Cryoproof operations complete for the first time with a Super Heavy V3 booster. This multi-day campaign tested the booster’s redesigned propellant systems and its structural strength.”

The Super Heavy booster originally assigned to the first Starship V3 test flight failed during a pressure test in November. The rocket’s liquid oxygen tank ruptured under pressure, and SpaceX scrapped the booster and moved on to the next in line—Booster 19. This Super Heavy vehicle appears have sailed through stress testing, and SpaceX returned the booster to the factory early Monday. (2/10)

Musk’s Starlink in Crosshairs of Iran, Russia at UN Space Confab (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite constellation violates international law while blurring the line between commercial and military technologies, Iranian and Russian diplomats said at a United Nations meeting. The “illegal operation” of Starlink in Iran violates the nation’s sovereignty and amounts to “unauthorized military use of a commercial satellite mega-constellation,” read a statement delivered by the Islamic Republic late Monday at a UN scientific meeting in Vienna. (2/10)

Starlink Expansion Approval Prompts DirecTV Interference Concerns (Source: Aviation Week)
DirecTV is objecting to elements of the U.S. Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) decision late last year to allow SpaceX to expand its Starlink broadband constellation. DirecTV argues some of what the FCC is green lighting could lead to interference with geostationary (GEO) satellites. (2/11)

Jupiter is Smaller and More Squashed Than We Thought, Says NASA (Source: BBC)
NASA says Juno data has revealed that Jupiter is slightly smaller and flatter – or more 'squashed' – than previously thought. Scientists looked at data captured during 13 of Juno's flybys of Jupiter and determined the gas giant is 8km (5 miles) narrower at the equator and 24km (15 miles) flatter at the poles. (2/11)

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)