Starfighters Teams With Mu-GTECH to
Provide Microgravity Flight Services (Source: Starfighters)
Starfighters Space announced a strategic partnership with Mu-G
Technologies to pursue microgravity flight missions for NASA, academic
institutions and commercial research customers across the United States
and Canada. The collaboration combines Starfighters’ high-performance
flight operations and aircraft capabilities with Mu-GTech’s expertise
in parabolic flight execution, monitoring systems, and payload
integration. Together, the companies intend to expand access to
reduced-gravity testing environments amid increasing demand from
government and commercial space programs. (3/10)
BAE Missile-Tracking Satellites Clear
Initial Review (Source: Space News)
BAE Systems has passed a key milestone in the development of a
missile-tracking satellite constellation. The Space Force's Space
Systems Command said Monday that the 10-satellite program passed a
preliminary design review, clearing it to proceed toward final design.
BAE Systems won a $1.2 billion contract last May to develop the
satellites, which will operate in medium Earth orbit and are designed
to detect and track missile launches, including advanced threats such
as hypersonic weapons. The satellites are part of the Space Force's
proliferated resilient missile warning and tracking program, a new
constellation intended to complement existing missile-warning
satellites while improving the military's ability to follow maneuvering
threats throughout flight. (3/9)
Shenzhou-21 Crew Conducts Advanced
Medical Tests, Brain Science Experiments in Space (Source:
Xinhua)
The Shenzhou-21 crew members aboard China's Tiangong space station have
made significant strides in terms of space medical experiments and
physical science research over the past week, while also maintaining
the station's habitable environment, according to the China Manned
Space Agency. In the field of space medicine, the crew focused on
understanding the psychological and physiological effects of
long-duration spaceflight. They used laptops to complete tests on
"trust and coordination mechanisms" and "human-machine trust," which
are crucial for designing future spacecraft interfaces and ensuring
efficient teamwork between astronauts and automated systems. (3/9)
Pentagon Equity Investment Strategy
Questioned by Lawmakers (Source: FNN)
Lawmakers are seeking more transparency from the Pentagon regarding its
growing use of equity investments to strengthen the defense industrial
base. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers
expressed support for new financing tools but requested clarity on when
such investments are appropriate. The Pentagon has recently taken
significant equity stakes in companies such as Intel and L3Harris,
aiming to build resilience and attract private capital. (3/9)
Lux Aeterna Gets $10 Million for
Reusable Satellite Development (Source: Space News)
Denver-based Lux Aeterna has secured $10 million in seed funding to
develop a reusable satellite. Early-stage investor Konvoy led the
round, announced Tuesday, bringing the funding raised by the startup to
date to $14 million. The company is working on spacecraft designed to
fly payloads in space and then return to Earth to be reused. Its first
spacecraft, Delphi-1, is fully booked with customer payloads for a
launch in early 2027 on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The company argues
its technology could open new opportunities in a growing market for
short-duration space missions and returning hardware from orbit. (3/10)
Surrey (SSTL) to Develop Spacecraft to
Carry Lazuli Space Telescope (Source: Space News)
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) will build the spacecraft
platform for a private space telescope. The British company said Monday
it had been selected by Schmidt Sciences to provide the spacecraft
platform for Lazuli, a space telescope with a primary mirror larger
than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. SSTL, a company best known as
an early innovator in small satellites, argued that its approach for
building smallsats, including rapid development and use of
flight-proven hardware, was suited for building the Lazuli spacecraft.
That mission is scheduled for launch as soon as 2028. (3/10)
China's Landspace Tests New Engine for
Heavy Lift Rocket (Source: Space News)
Landspace has completed testing of a new engine for future launch
vehicles. The Chinese company said it performed a long-duration
full-system hot-fire test of its new 220-ton-class methane rocket
engine. The engine, called BF, is intended as a core propulsion element
for Landspace's next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicles. The company
already operates the Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 rockets, and successful
development of the BF engine would further cement Landspace's position
in a crowded Chinese commercial launch ecosystem. (3/10)
SpaceX Launches EchoStar Satellite
From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a direct-to-home TV broadcasting satellite for
EchoStar overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida,
at 12:19 a.m. Eastern, placing the EchoStar 25 satellite into a
geostationary transfer orbit. The spacecraft, built by Lanteris Space
systems, will be used by EchoStar's Dish Network to provide TV
broadcasting services for its customers at 110 degrees west in GEO.
(3/10)
Sensor Reading Scrubs Firefly Alpha
Launch at Vandenberg (Source: NSF)
Firefly Aerospace again delayed the return-to-flight launch of its
Alpha rocket. The company called off the "Stairway to Seven" launch a
few hours before the scheduled 8:50 p.m. Eastern liftoff time because
of a sensor reading that was outside of its allowable range. The
company has not disclosed a new launch date, which could be as soon as
Tuesday evening. This will be the first launch for Alpha since a
failure in April 2025. (3/10)
NASA Armstrong Director Retiring
(Source: NASA)
The director of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center is retiring.
NASA said Monday that Brad Flick would retire from the agency this
Thursday. Flick has been at NASA since 1986 and served as director of
Armstrong since 2022. Troy Asher, director of flight operations at the
California center, will take over as acting director. (3/10)
Army Space Brigade Member Dies in Iran
War (Source: US Army)
A member of the U.S. Army's First Space Brigade was killed in the
conflict in the Middle East. The Army said Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington
died Sunday of injuries sustained a week earlier when Iranian missiles
struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Pennington had been a
member of the First Space Brigade, part of the U.S. Army Space and
Missile Defense Command, since 2025. (3/10)
The R&D Decisions that Will Shape
the Success of Golden Dome (Source: AIA)
Golden Dome for America represents one of the most intricate homeland
defense initiatives the Pentagon has contemplated since the conclusion
of the Cold War. Public discussions have understandably centered on the
effectiveness of space-based sensors, space-based interceptors (SBIs),
or layered terrestrial systems in defending against evolving missile
threats. However, a possibly more pressing concern at this juncture is
the necessity to articulate the applied research and development
(R&D) strategy and approach. (3/10)
Hughes Network Systems Tapped for AFRL
Space Data Networking Experimentation (Source: Via Satellite)
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded Hughes Network
Services a contract focused on resilient, hybrid satellite networks.
The award announced Monday is through the AFRL’s Rapid Architecture
Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) program. Hughes will
support the Space Technology Advanced Research – Fast-tracking
Innovative Software and Hardware (STAR-FISH) procurement for space data
networking experimentation. (3/10)
A Big Night Light in the Sky? Start-Up
Wants to Launch a Space Mirror (Source: New York Times)
A start-up company wants to light up the night with 50,000 big mirrors
orbiting Earth, bouncing sunlight to the night side of the planet to
power solar farms after sunset, provide lighting for rescue workers and
illuminate city streets, among other things. Scientists have questions
about that. (3/10)
GMV NSL Explores Big-Data Approaches
for GNSS Integrity Monitoring (Source: Inside GNSS)
With support from the ESA, UK-based GMV NSL Ltd. has completed the
RIGOUR (‘Real-time integrity for GNSS using opportunistic receivers)
project, demonstrating how large volumes of measurements from everyday
GNSS devices could support future integrity monitoring concepts. RIGOUR
used opportunistic measurements collected from large numbers of GNSS
receivers found in standard smartphones or vehicle navigation systems.
(3/10)
ESA Calls on European Startups to
Design Spaceplane (Source: European Spaceflight)
The ESA has published a call for the design of a fully reusable,
responsive launch system that employs spaceplanes. The call is
restricted to non-prime contractors, limiting eligibility to small- and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ESA published the call on 27 February,
noting that while current reusable launch systems are primarily based
on classic launcher architectures that make use of liquid rocket
engines, lift-generating spaceplanes could offer a more efficient,
reliable, and responsive solution to reusability. (3/10)
Lockheed Martin Commits £100M to UK
Space Hub; New Manufacturing Plant to Create 2,000 Jobs (Source:
SatNews)
On Monday, March 9, 2026, Lockheed Martin announced a strategic
investment of more than £100 million in the United Kingdom’s space
sector, centered on a massive expansion in the North East region. The
investment is headlined by the proposed construction of an £85 million
satellite manufacturing facility at the NETPark science park in County
Durham and the official launch phase of a world-class technology center
in Newcastle. (3/10)
McDonnell’s Military Test Space
Station (MTSS) (Source: Space Review)
In the early 1960s several companies studied concepts of military space
stations. Hans Dolfing explores what’s now known about one of those
concepts from recently declassified documents. Click here.
(3/10)
Reforging Vulcan (Source: Space
Review)
This was supposed to be the year that United Launch Alliance finally
ramped up launches of its Vulcan rocket to serve government and
commercial customers. Jeff Foust reports on how those plans are now in
doubt after an incident on Vulcan’s latest launch, just as the company
is going through a change in leadership. Click here.
(3/10)
Big Wing Bird: NASA’s WB-57 Gets
Grounded (Source: Space Review)
A NASA WB-57 aircraft was damaged in a gear-up landing at a Houston
airport in January. Dwayne Day examines the long and unusual history of
that aircraft, used by NASA for a variety of missions. Click here.
(3/10)
Robert Goddard and the Dawn of the
Rocket Age (Source: Space Review)
This month marks the centennial of the first flight of a liquid-fueled
rocket by Robert Goddard. Bruce McCandless III and Emily Carney recall
that milestone and its significance. Click here.
(3/10)
Woytek to Leave NASA After 48 Years
(Source: FNN)
Joanne Woytek, the program director of the NASA SEWP program, is
leaving after more than 48 years of federal service. Woytek will step
down on Oct. 17. Woytek, who joined NASA in 1977 as a software
developer and technical lead, said she is not formally retiring, but
looking for some non-NASA opportunities that she would find interesting
and be useful in. (3/10)
March 9, 2026
Avio Lands $65 Million Deal Days After
Shareholders Approve New Bylaws (Source: European Spaceflight)
Italian rocket builder Avio announced on 6 March that it had secured a $65 million contract from US-based Defense Systems and Solutions for the development, qualification, and initial production of solid rocket motors. The announcement came just days after the company’s shareholders approved amendments to its bylaws aimed at streamlining its management structure, in part to address its growing exposure to the US market.
The contract covers the “development, qualification and initial production of a solid rocket motor for air defense applications.” It covers a three-year period and will initially leverage the company’s existing development and production facilities in Colleferro, Italy. However, Avio added that full series production, expected to begin in 2029, may take place at its new facility in Hurt, Virginia. (3/9)
Living in Space Can Change Where Your Brain Sits in Your Skull (Source: Space.com)
Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study finds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight. The extent of these changes was greater for those who spent longer in space. As NASA plans longer space missions, and space travel expands beyond professional astronauts, these findings will become more relevant. (3/7)
Stormy Space Weather May be Garbling Messages From Aliens (Source: The Guardian)
Earth’s leading alien hunters believe extraterrestrials could be out there, they’re just having a hard time getting through to us because it’s stormy in space. Reminiscent of ET’s struggles to “phone home” in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster movie, new research by the Silicon Valley-based SETI Institute suggests tempestuous space weather makes radio signals from the distant cosmos harder to detect.
“If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches,” SETI astronomer Vishal Gajjar said. The new research highlights an “overlooked complication”: even if an extraterrestrial transmitter produces a perfectly narrow signal, it may not remain narrow by the time it leaves its home system. (3/8)
How Jagged Moon Dust Could Support Future Astronauts (Source: Universe Today)
Simulants can’t really do the real thing justice, and there simply isn’t enough true lunar regolith on Earth to give unlimited samples to every interested researcher. Performing some of the testing also destroys the sample, which makes them unusable for other research later on, so the authors came up with an alternative - do non-destructive testing, and then run a simulation. They settled on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) for the model. This mathematical approach simulates the behavior of bulk materials by calculating the physical interactions, friction, and collisions of millions of individual particles.
The far side sample has fewer large, coarse particles than near-side samples, but also that those particles have low “sphericity”, which measures how close to a true sphere a particle is. After plugging this dataset into their DEM program, the authors found the regolith is exceptionally strong, sitting at the upper bounds of measurements from Apollo-era samples. This is primarily driven by a high internal friction angle and dust cohesion.
Most likely the jaggedness of the particles, which makes them so frustrating when on machines or in human lungs, is actually helpful in the context of increasing their mechanical properties on the ground. In addition, the samples’ mechanical strength was boosted by “cementation” caused by glassy agglutinates, most likely caused by a micrometeoroid impact. These make up roughly 30% of the sample, acting as a cement to hold the rest of the particles together. To build large infrastructure, such as a future Artemis habitat, or the International Lunar Research Station, understanding the underpinnings of the ground is key. (3/9)
China's 1st Moon Astronauts Could Land in Rimae Bode, a 'Geological Museum' on the Lunar Nearside (Source: Space.com)
A diverse volcanic region on the moon's near side could become the landing site for China's first crewed lunar mission, according to a new study. China aims to land its first astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. Over the last year, the nation has been testing hardware for this ambitious endeavor, including lunar landing and launch simulations and crew spacecraft abort and rocket tests. Now, a team of scientists has conducted a detailed assessment of a priority candidate landing area, providing fresh insights into the planning for the historic mission — and its potential scientific payoff.
Rimae Bode is located near the Sinus Aestuum volcanic plains on the near side of the moon, not far north of the lunar equator, and is one of 14 potential astronaut-touchdown sites selected from an initial 106 candidates. These needed to meet engineering constraints for a safe lunar landing, including being on the near side for communications purposes, relatively flat terrain, and being at a low latitude so as to ensure enough power from the sun. According to the researchers, the Rimae Bode region also provides access to multiple types of lunar material within a relatively small area. (3/9)
Chinese Scientists Map Chemical Composition of the Moon’s Far Side Using AI Model (Source: Global Times)
Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in mapping the Moon's chemical composition by building an AI-based model using the measured data from the first sample collected on the Moon's far side by the Chang'e-6 mission. The model, for the first time, integrates ground-truth information from the Moon's far side into a global chemical composition map, offering new insights into the Moon's asymmetry and the evolution of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Sunday, citing the Deep Space Exploration Lab. (3/8)
Laser-Based 3D Printing Could Build Future Bases on the Moon (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
Scientists use two types of lunar regolith for their experiments and research: Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1) and Lunar Mare Simulant (LMS-1). As part of their research, the team used LHS-1, which is rich in basaltic minerals, similar to rock samples obtained by the Apollo missions. They melted this regolith with a laser to produce layers of material and fused them onto a base surface of stainless steel or glass. To assess how well these objects would fare in the lunar environment, the team tested their fabrication process under a range of different environmental conditions.
One thing they noticed was that the fused regolith adhered well to alumina-silicate ceramic, possibly because the two compounds form crystals that enhance heat resistance and mechanical strength. This revealed that the overall quality of the printed material is largely dependent on the surface onto which the regolith is printed. Other environmental factors, such as atmospheric oxygen levels, laser power, and printing speed, also affected the stability of the printed material. (3/7)
NASA Will Need to Abandon Gateway to Accelerate Artemis (Source: Space,com)
For Artemis 4, NASA planned to upgrade to the SLS Block 1B, which features a design powerful enough to launch elements of the Gateway space station intended for lunar orbit. Beginning with Artemis 4, NASA aimed to use the Gateway outpost around the moon for deep-space science and as an orbital layover stop where Orion and the program's lunar lander could dock to transfer crews headed down to the surface. Gateway, however, is nowhere to be found in any of NASA's recent Artemis updates.
If Gateway is on the chopping block, as seems likely, there is potential for its existing hardware to be repurposed for use in a possible base on the lunar surface, which has been a longstanding component of the Artemis program's goals and NASA's vision for a sustained human presence on the moon. One of the revisions in the authorization bill even grants the NASA administrator the freedom to "repurpose, reprogram, reconfigure, or reassign existing programs, platforms, modules, or hardware originally developed for other programs" in order to ensure that the space agency's Artemis goals are successful. (3/6)
With Gateway Likely Gone, Where Will Lunar Landers Rendezvous with Orion? (Source: Ars Technica)
To reach the Moon, an Artemis lander must dock with the Orion spacecraft. That may sound routine, but Orion is saddled with thousands of requirements, and virtually every decision point regarding docking must be signed off on by the lander company—SpaceX or Blue Origin—as well as NASA, Orion’s contractor Lockheed Martin, and the European service module contractor Airbus. Additionally, Orion has a lot of sensitive elements to work around, such as the plumes of its thrusters, and engineers have spent a lot of time working on issues such as ensuring consistent cabin pressures between vehicles. It gets complicated fast.
One way NASA is helping the lander companies is by no longer requiring them to dock with Orion in a near-rectilinear halo orbit, an elliptical orbit that comes as close as 3,000 km to the surface of the Moon and as far as 70,000 km. This is where NASA planned to construct the Lunar Gateway space station, which is now likely to be canceled. It’s a boon for lunar landers since it required more energy to first stop there before dropping down to the surface.
Why not simply have Orion meet the landers in a low-lunar orbit, similar to the Apollo Program? This would allow the landers to consume less propellant on the way down and back up from the Moon. The reason is that, due to a number of poor decisions over the last 15 years, the Orion spacecraft’s service module does not have the performance needed to reach low-lunar orbit and then return safely to Earth. Hence the use of a near-rectilinear halo orbit. (3/6)
Israel Strikes Iran's Space Headquarters (Source: Jerusalem Post)
The IDF on Sunday attacked Iran’s Aerospace Headquarters, used for launching satellites, which could potentially be incorporated in future attempts to develop nuclear weapons that could be fired into space and hit the US. The headquarters had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to promote its aerospace efforts, including the 2022 launch of the Khayyam satellite, which was successfully launched by Iran using a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (3/8)
Centaur Will Power Artemis Missions as SLS Upper Stage (Source: Space News)
NASA has picked ULA's Centaur upper stage for future flights of the Space Launch System. In a procurement filing Friday, NASA said it would use Centaur as the SLS upper stage on the Artemis 4 and 5 missions, replacing the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) originally planned as part of upgrades to the vehicle. NASA announced in late February it was canceling those upgrades to standardize on a "near Block 1" version of SLS to increase its flight rate. NASA said the only other option to replace the EUS besides Centaur was the second stage of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, but concluded Centaur was more mature and would require fewer modifications to adapt it for SLS. (3/9)
Voyager to Invest in Space Coast-Based Max Space (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is investing in expandable module developer Max Space. The companies announced Monday that Voyager will make an investment in the "low eight figures" in Max Space to accelerate that startup's development of inflatable modules. The companies announced last month they would partner to combine their capabilities to offer lunar habitats to NASA as the agency begins plans for a lunar base. (3/9)
SpaceX Pushes Next Starship Mission Back (Source: Space News)
SpaceX is pushing back the first flight of the next version of Starship. Elon Musk said last Saturday the next Starship launch would be in four weeks, or early April. He said in late January that SpaceX was then six weeks away from a first launch, which would have been in early March. Neither Musk nor SpaceX disclosed reasons for the slip, although the recent pace of development of the next Starship vehicle suggested a launch was not imminent. This will be the first launch of version 3 of Starship, with upgrades to improve performance. SpaceX plans to use this version of Starship for Artemis lunar landings and other missions. NASA requested both SpaceX and Blue Origin, the two companies with contracts to develop Artemis crewed lunar landers, to provide plans to accelerate their work, but neither the agency nor the companies have yet released details about those plans. (3/9)
China Considers Neptune Orbiter (Source: Space News)
A senior Chinese space scientist and delegate to the country's national congress wants China to develop a Neptune orbiter mission. Wang Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), made the proposal to prioritize a Neptune orbiter mission as a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC). Wang is now calling for China to seize a historic opportunity to conduct a world-first orbital study of Neptune, building on the country's recent advances in deep space exploration capabilities and progress in space nuclear power technologies. The most recent planetary science decadal survey in the United States placed as its top priority for a flagship-class mission a Uranus orbiter, but NASA has been slow to implement that recommendation. (3/9)
SpaceX Launches Sunday Starlink Mission From Vandenberg (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites early Sunday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Sunday, putting 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX now has more than 9,900 Starlink satellites in orbit with this latest launch. (3/9)
Germany's RFA Plans Summertime Launch at SaxaVord Spaceport (Source: Space News)
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) says it is planning its first launch this summer. The company said Friday the lower two stages of its RFA ONE rocket have arrived at the launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, although the engines for the first stage are still undergoing acceptance testing in Sweden. The company said it is projecting a launch this summer but did not offer a more precise launch date. RFA is one of several European launch startups seeking to make their first orbital launches in the next year. (3/9)
HawkEye 360 Adds $23 Million to December's $150 Million Investment (Source: HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 360 has added money to its latest funding round. The company announced last week it added $23 million to a $150 million Series E round announced in December. Three new investors and one existing investor contributed to the additional funding. HawkEye 360, which operates a constellation of satellites to collect radio-frequency intelligence data, said the Series E round would support the acquisition of Innovative Signal Analysis and other strategic growth priorities. (3/9)
Eternal Sunshine of the Virgin Mind (Source: Douglas Messier)
Richard Branson remotely attended the Space-Comm Europe conference last week, where he promised Virgin Galactic would do great things when the company returns to suborbital flight later this year. You probably remember Branson from such promises as, ‘we’ll be flying tourists to space by 2007,’ and ‘we’ll fly 50,000 people in the first 10 years from Spaceport America.’ Needless to say, none of that came remotely close to happening. But, Branson’s optimism remains as eternal as his credibility is low.
Virgin Galactic completed seven suborbital flights with 23 paying passengers before retiring its only operational SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, in June 2024. The company still had around 800 ticket holders waiting for flights at the time. Virgin Galactic’s future rests on a fleet of second generation Delta-class SpaceShipTwo vehicles that are designed to fly up to two times per week with six passengers instead of four. The new rocket planes are being assembled at a facility in Arizona.
In November, company officials said they were on track to begin flight tests of the first Delta-class ship in the third quarter of 2026. These flights would be followed in the fourth quarter by a commercial mission with scientific payloads aboard. The first flights with paying tourists would follow six to eight weeks later. (3/9)
Why Boeing Built A Real-Life Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter (Source: BGR)
Science fiction is littered with iconic vehicles and starships, but few are more recognizable than the X-wing. The X-wing is so synonymous with "Star Wars" that Boeing once built not one but two "real-life" X-wing starfighters. In 2019, Boeing partnered with Walt Disney to commemorate the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Walt Disney World. For its contribution,
Boeing dressed up two CV2 Cargo Air Vehicles (CAVs) as X-wings and flew them over the heads of attendees. Of course, the CAVs could only slowly hover; they couldn't jump to lightspeed, and their wings were non-functional and stuck in the recognizable X-shaped attack position. Oh, and Disney's imagineers set up ultraviolet spotlights to mask the drones and only illuminate the X-wing shells. (3/8)
How NASA Contractors Are Pressing On To Bring Humans to the Moon With Artemis (Source: The Guardian)
Justin Cyrus’s company, Lunar Outpost, epitomizes the many private contractors of the space agency working on a myriad of projects crucial to the Artemis program that seeks to return humans to the moon, so anything Isaacman had to say about it was naturally of interest to him. What he didn’t expect was the stunning announcement that NASA was restructuring its entire strategy for the first human lunar landing.
But in the best traditions of decades of challenging human spaceflight, Cyrus saw opportunity from adversity. Barring further delays or rethinking by NASA’s senior managers, the company’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, a small but mighty technology-packed vehicle crucial to the agency’s plans for future long-term habitation on the moon, will now journey alongside the Artemis IV astronauts. Its largest project, the in-development Eagle lunar terrain vehicle (LTV), is billed as “the most capable crewed and cargo transport ever built” for human spaceflight.
MAPP, meanwhile, has not enjoyed much luck to date. The rugged, much smaller rover, which was set to examine dust and soil at the moon’s south pole last year, and provide vital research for a possible human moon base, did make it to the lunar surface in March, becoming the first commercial exploration vehicle to touch down. But the spacecraft on which it made the eight-day journey from Earth – the Athena lander, made by another private space operation, Texas-based Intuitive Machines – toppled on landing and trapped the rover inside. (3/9)
A Call for a Reliable Space Rescue Capability (Source: Space News)
One of the first considerations around space rescue is how quickly one would need to be launched. In the case of SpaceX Crew 11, the medical issue was identified eight days before the crew's return. In this specific situation, this timeline worked because of the level of emergency, but that may not be the case during a more urgent emergency in the future.
To be effective and reliable, a future space rescue capability would need to be on standby, ready to launch in a given window of time much the way Naval aircraft are positioned. It would not be in a matter of minutes like the ready 5, but there would need to be a rocket, specific supplies, a crew and fuel that could be quickly consolidated for a rescue mission. (3/4)
The Supply Chain Bottleneck Facing Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Space-based infrastructure is increasingly presented as the solution to the staggering energy and water costs of running data centers on Earth. And while this represents a significant engineering challenge, the real bottleneck for space-based data centers is logistics, and especially building out a space-rated supply chain.
Terrestrial data centers work because they have an assumed standardization and interoperability that space systems haven't yet fleshed out, the authors argue. This lack of interoperability will likely make orbital and lunar data centers several times more expensive than those on Earth.
To stave off the issue, industry players and regulators need to collaborate on a unified bill of materials for data centers with required interoperability, space-rated qualification standards, and a procurement framework that's aligned with realistic launch cadences. (3/5)
DCS Acquires ARCTOS (Source: DCS)
DCS Corp. has acquired ARCTOS, bringing together two companies with decades of success delivering innovative solutions to the aerospace and defense science and technology sector. Based in Dayton, Ohio, ARCTOS Technology Solutions is an engineering and technical services firm conducting research and development and delivering engineering and technical solutions in the areas of aerospace and space launch safety and risk analysis, advanced manufacturing technology, and technology transition and workforce development. (3/5)
Italian rocket builder Avio announced on 6 March that it had secured a $65 million contract from US-based Defense Systems and Solutions for the development, qualification, and initial production of solid rocket motors. The announcement came just days after the company’s shareholders approved amendments to its bylaws aimed at streamlining its management structure, in part to address its growing exposure to the US market.
The contract covers the “development, qualification and initial production of a solid rocket motor for air defense applications.” It covers a three-year period and will initially leverage the company’s existing development and production facilities in Colleferro, Italy. However, Avio added that full series production, expected to begin in 2029, may take place at its new facility in Hurt, Virginia. (3/9)
Living in Space Can Change Where Your Brain Sits in Your Skull (Source: Space.com)
Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study finds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight. The extent of these changes was greater for those who spent longer in space. As NASA plans longer space missions, and space travel expands beyond professional astronauts, these findings will become more relevant. (3/7)
Stormy Space Weather May be Garbling Messages From Aliens (Source: The Guardian)
Earth’s leading alien hunters believe extraterrestrials could be out there, they’re just having a hard time getting through to us because it’s stormy in space. Reminiscent of ET’s struggles to “phone home” in Steven Spielberg’s 1982 blockbuster movie, new research by the Silicon Valley-based SETI Institute suggests tempestuous space weather makes radio signals from the distant cosmos harder to detect.
“If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches,” SETI astronomer Vishal Gajjar said. The new research highlights an “overlooked complication”: even if an extraterrestrial transmitter produces a perfectly narrow signal, it may not remain narrow by the time it leaves its home system. (3/8)
How Jagged Moon Dust Could Support Future Astronauts (Source: Universe Today)
Simulants can’t really do the real thing justice, and there simply isn’t enough true lunar regolith on Earth to give unlimited samples to every interested researcher. Performing some of the testing also destroys the sample, which makes them unusable for other research later on, so the authors came up with an alternative - do non-destructive testing, and then run a simulation. They settled on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) for the model. This mathematical approach simulates the behavior of bulk materials by calculating the physical interactions, friction, and collisions of millions of individual particles.
The far side sample has fewer large, coarse particles than near-side samples, but also that those particles have low “sphericity”, which measures how close to a true sphere a particle is. After plugging this dataset into their DEM program, the authors found the regolith is exceptionally strong, sitting at the upper bounds of measurements from Apollo-era samples. This is primarily driven by a high internal friction angle and dust cohesion.
Most likely the jaggedness of the particles, which makes them so frustrating when on machines or in human lungs, is actually helpful in the context of increasing their mechanical properties on the ground. In addition, the samples’ mechanical strength was boosted by “cementation” caused by glassy agglutinates, most likely caused by a micrometeoroid impact. These make up roughly 30% of the sample, acting as a cement to hold the rest of the particles together. To build large infrastructure, such as a future Artemis habitat, or the International Lunar Research Station, understanding the underpinnings of the ground is key. (3/9)
China's 1st Moon Astronauts Could Land in Rimae Bode, a 'Geological Museum' on the Lunar Nearside (Source: Space.com)
A diverse volcanic region on the moon's near side could become the landing site for China's first crewed lunar mission, according to a new study. China aims to land its first astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. Over the last year, the nation has been testing hardware for this ambitious endeavor, including lunar landing and launch simulations and crew spacecraft abort and rocket tests. Now, a team of scientists has conducted a detailed assessment of a priority candidate landing area, providing fresh insights into the planning for the historic mission — and its potential scientific payoff.
Rimae Bode is located near the Sinus Aestuum volcanic plains on the near side of the moon, not far north of the lunar equator, and is one of 14 potential astronaut-touchdown sites selected from an initial 106 candidates. These needed to meet engineering constraints for a safe lunar landing, including being on the near side for communications purposes, relatively flat terrain, and being at a low latitude so as to ensure enough power from the sun. According to the researchers, the Rimae Bode region also provides access to multiple types of lunar material within a relatively small area. (3/9)
Chinese Scientists Map Chemical Composition of the Moon’s Far Side Using AI Model (Source: Global Times)
Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in mapping the Moon's chemical composition by building an AI-based model using the measured data from the first sample collected on the Moon's far side by the Chang'e-6 mission. The model, for the first time, integrates ground-truth information from the Moon's far side into a global chemical composition map, offering new insights into the Moon's asymmetry and the evolution of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Sunday, citing the Deep Space Exploration Lab. (3/8)
Laser-Based 3D Printing Could Build Future Bases on the Moon (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
Scientists use two types of lunar regolith for their experiments and research: Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1) and Lunar Mare Simulant (LMS-1). As part of their research, the team used LHS-1, which is rich in basaltic minerals, similar to rock samples obtained by the Apollo missions. They melted this regolith with a laser to produce layers of material and fused them onto a base surface of stainless steel or glass. To assess how well these objects would fare in the lunar environment, the team tested their fabrication process under a range of different environmental conditions.
One thing they noticed was that the fused regolith adhered well to alumina-silicate ceramic, possibly because the two compounds form crystals that enhance heat resistance and mechanical strength. This revealed that the overall quality of the printed material is largely dependent on the surface onto which the regolith is printed. Other environmental factors, such as atmospheric oxygen levels, laser power, and printing speed, also affected the stability of the printed material. (3/7)
NASA Will Need to Abandon Gateway to Accelerate Artemis (Source: Space,com)
For Artemis 4, NASA planned to upgrade to the SLS Block 1B, which features a design powerful enough to launch elements of the Gateway space station intended for lunar orbit. Beginning with Artemis 4, NASA aimed to use the Gateway outpost around the moon for deep-space science and as an orbital layover stop where Orion and the program's lunar lander could dock to transfer crews headed down to the surface. Gateway, however, is nowhere to be found in any of NASA's recent Artemis updates.
If Gateway is on the chopping block, as seems likely, there is potential for its existing hardware to be repurposed for use in a possible base on the lunar surface, which has been a longstanding component of the Artemis program's goals and NASA's vision for a sustained human presence on the moon. One of the revisions in the authorization bill even grants the NASA administrator the freedom to "repurpose, reprogram, reconfigure, or reassign existing programs, platforms, modules, or hardware originally developed for other programs" in order to ensure that the space agency's Artemis goals are successful. (3/6)
With Gateway Likely Gone, Where Will Lunar Landers Rendezvous with Orion? (Source: Ars Technica)
To reach the Moon, an Artemis lander must dock with the Orion spacecraft. That may sound routine, but Orion is saddled with thousands of requirements, and virtually every decision point regarding docking must be signed off on by the lander company—SpaceX or Blue Origin—as well as NASA, Orion’s contractor Lockheed Martin, and the European service module contractor Airbus. Additionally, Orion has a lot of sensitive elements to work around, such as the plumes of its thrusters, and engineers have spent a lot of time working on issues such as ensuring consistent cabin pressures between vehicles. It gets complicated fast.
One way NASA is helping the lander companies is by no longer requiring them to dock with Orion in a near-rectilinear halo orbit, an elliptical orbit that comes as close as 3,000 km to the surface of the Moon and as far as 70,000 km. This is where NASA planned to construct the Lunar Gateway space station, which is now likely to be canceled. It’s a boon for lunar landers since it required more energy to first stop there before dropping down to the surface.
Why not simply have Orion meet the landers in a low-lunar orbit, similar to the Apollo Program? This would allow the landers to consume less propellant on the way down and back up from the Moon. The reason is that, due to a number of poor decisions over the last 15 years, the Orion spacecraft’s service module does not have the performance needed to reach low-lunar orbit and then return safely to Earth. Hence the use of a near-rectilinear halo orbit. (3/6)
Israel Strikes Iran's Space Headquarters (Source: Jerusalem Post)
The IDF on Sunday attacked Iran’s Aerospace Headquarters, used for launching satellites, which could potentially be incorporated in future attempts to develop nuclear weapons that could be fired into space and hit the US. The headquarters had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to promote its aerospace efforts, including the 2022 launch of the Khayyam satellite, which was successfully launched by Iran using a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (3/8)
Centaur Will Power Artemis Missions as SLS Upper Stage (Source: Space News)
NASA has picked ULA's Centaur upper stage for future flights of the Space Launch System. In a procurement filing Friday, NASA said it would use Centaur as the SLS upper stage on the Artemis 4 and 5 missions, replacing the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) originally planned as part of upgrades to the vehicle. NASA announced in late February it was canceling those upgrades to standardize on a "near Block 1" version of SLS to increase its flight rate. NASA said the only other option to replace the EUS besides Centaur was the second stage of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, but concluded Centaur was more mature and would require fewer modifications to adapt it for SLS. (3/9)
Voyager to Invest in Space Coast-Based Max Space (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is investing in expandable module developer Max Space. The companies announced Monday that Voyager will make an investment in the "low eight figures" in Max Space to accelerate that startup's development of inflatable modules. The companies announced last month they would partner to combine their capabilities to offer lunar habitats to NASA as the agency begins plans for a lunar base. (3/9)
SpaceX Pushes Next Starship Mission Back (Source: Space News)
SpaceX is pushing back the first flight of the next version of Starship. Elon Musk said last Saturday the next Starship launch would be in four weeks, or early April. He said in late January that SpaceX was then six weeks away from a first launch, which would have been in early March. Neither Musk nor SpaceX disclosed reasons for the slip, although the recent pace of development of the next Starship vehicle suggested a launch was not imminent. This will be the first launch of version 3 of Starship, with upgrades to improve performance. SpaceX plans to use this version of Starship for Artemis lunar landings and other missions. NASA requested both SpaceX and Blue Origin, the two companies with contracts to develop Artemis crewed lunar landers, to provide plans to accelerate their work, but neither the agency nor the companies have yet released details about those plans. (3/9)
China Considers Neptune Orbiter (Source: Space News)
A senior Chinese space scientist and delegate to the country's national congress wants China to develop a Neptune orbiter mission. Wang Wei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), made the proposal to prioritize a Neptune orbiter mission as a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC). Wang is now calling for China to seize a historic opportunity to conduct a world-first orbital study of Neptune, building on the country's recent advances in deep space exploration capabilities and progress in space nuclear power technologies. The most recent planetary science decadal survey in the United States placed as its top priority for a flagship-class mission a Uranus orbiter, but NASA has been slow to implement that recommendation. (3/9)
SpaceX Launches Sunday Starlink Mission From Vandenberg (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites early Sunday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Sunday, putting 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX now has more than 9,900 Starlink satellites in orbit with this latest launch. (3/9)
Germany's RFA Plans Summertime Launch at SaxaVord Spaceport (Source: Space News)
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) says it is planning its first launch this summer. The company said Friday the lower two stages of its RFA ONE rocket have arrived at the launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, although the engines for the first stage are still undergoing acceptance testing in Sweden. The company said it is projecting a launch this summer but did not offer a more precise launch date. RFA is one of several European launch startups seeking to make their first orbital launches in the next year. (3/9)
HawkEye 360 Adds $23 Million to December's $150 Million Investment (Source: HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 360 has added money to its latest funding round. The company announced last week it added $23 million to a $150 million Series E round announced in December. Three new investors and one existing investor contributed to the additional funding. HawkEye 360, which operates a constellation of satellites to collect radio-frequency intelligence data, said the Series E round would support the acquisition of Innovative Signal Analysis and other strategic growth priorities. (3/9)
Eternal Sunshine of the Virgin Mind (Source: Douglas Messier)
Richard Branson remotely attended the Space-Comm Europe conference last week, where he promised Virgin Galactic would do great things when the company returns to suborbital flight later this year. You probably remember Branson from such promises as, ‘we’ll be flying tourists to space by 2007,’ and ‘we’ll fly 50,000 people in the first 10 years from Spaceport America.’ Needless to say, none of that came remotely close to happening. But, Branson’s optimism remains as eternal as his credibility is low.
Virgin Galactic completed seven suborbital flights with 23 paying passengers before retiring its only operational SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, in June 2024. The company still had around 800 ticket holders waiting for flights at the time. Virgin Galactic’s future rests on a fleet of second generation Delta-class SpaceShipTwo vehicles that are designed to fly up to two times per week with six passengers instead of four. The new rocket planes are being assembled at a facility in Arizona.
In November, company officials said they were on track to begin flight tests of the first Delta-class ship in the third quarter of 2026. These flights would be followed in the fourth quarter by a commercial mission with scientific payloads aboard. The first flights with paying tourists would follow six to eight weeks later. (3/9)
Why Boeing Built A Real-Life Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter (Source: BGR)
Science fiction is littered with iconic vehicles and starships, but few are more recognizable than the X-wing. The X-wing is so synonymous with "Star Wars" that Boeing once built not one but two "real-life" X-wing starfighters. In 2019, Boeing partnered with Walt Disney to commemorate the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Walt Disney World. For its contribution,
Boeing dressed up two CV2 Cargo Air Vehicles (CAVs) as X-wings and flew them over the heads of attendees. Of course, the CAVs could only slowly hover; they couldn't jump to lightspeed, and their wings were non-functional and stuck in the recognizable X-shaped attack position. Oh, and Disney's imagineers set up ultraviolet spotlights to mask the drones and only illuminate the X-wing shells. (3/8)
How NASA Contractors Are Pressing On To Bring Humans to the Moon With Artemis (Source: The Guardian)
Justin Cyrus’s company, Lunar Outpost, epitomizes the many private contractors of the space agency working on a myriad of projects crucial to the Artemis program that seeks to return humans to the moon, so anything Isaacman had to say about it was naturally of interest to him. What he didn’t expect was the stunning announcement that NASA was restructuring its entire strategy for the first human lunar landing.
But in the best traditions of decades of challenging human spaceflight, Cyrus saw opportunity from adversity. Barring further delays or rethinking by NASA’s senior managers, the company’s Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, a small but mighty technology-packed vehicle crucial to the agency’s plans for future long-term habitation on the moon, will now journey alongside the Artemis IV astronauts. Its largest project, the in-development Eagle lunar terrain vehicle (LTV), is billed as “the most capable crewed and cargo transport ever built” for human spaceflight.
MAPP, meanwhile, has not enjoyed much luck to date. The rugged, much smaller rover, which was set to examine dust and soil at the moon’s south pole last year, and provide vital research for a possible human moon base, did make it to the lunar surface in March, becoming the first commercial exploration vehicle to touch down. But the spacecraft on which it made the eight-day journey from Earth – the Athena lander, made by another private space operation, Texas-based Intuitive Machines – toppled on landing and trapped the rover inside. (3/9)
A Call for a Reliable Space Rescue Capability (Source: Space News)
One of the first considerations around space rescue is how quickly one would need to be launched. In the case of SpaceX Crew 11, the medical issue was identified eight days before the crew's return. In this specific situation, this timeline worked because of the level of emergency, but that may not be the case during a more urgent emergency in the future.
To be effective and reliable, a future space rescue capability would need to be on standby, ready to launch in a given window of time much the way Naval aircraft are positioned. It would not be in a matter of minutes like the ready 5, but there would need to be a rocket, specific supplies, a crew and fuel that could be quickly consolidated for a rescue mission. (3/4)
The Supply Chain Bottleneck Facing Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Space News)
Space-based infrastructure is increasingly presented as the solution to the staggering energy and water costs of running data centers on Earth. And while this represents a significant engineering challenge, the real bottleneck for space-based data centers is logistics, and especially building out a space-rated supply chain.
Terrestrial data centers work because they have an assumed standardization and interoperability that space systems haven't yet fleshed out, the authors argue. This lack of interoperability will likely make orbital and lunar data centers several times more expensive than those on Earth.
To stave off the issue, industry players and regulators need to collaborate on a unified bill of materials for data centers with required interoperability, space-rated qualification standards, and a procurement framework that's aligned with realistic launch cadences. (3/5)
DCS Acquires ARCTOS (Source: DCS)
DCS Corp. has acquired ARCTOS, bringing together two companies with decades of success delivering innovative solutions to the aerospace and defense science and technology sector. Based in Dayton, Ohio, ARCTOS Technology Solutions is an engineering and technical services firm conducting research and development and delivering engineering and technical solutions in the areas of aerospace and space launch safety and risk analysis, advanced manufacturing technology, and technology transition and workforce development. (3/5)
March 8, 2026
NASA: Spacecraft’s Impact Changed
Asteroid’s Orbit (Source: AP)
An asteroid that NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun, findings that could help divert a future incoming killer space rock, scientists reported Friday. It’s the first time that a celestial body’s orbit around the sun was deliberately changed. The asteroid that NASA’s Dart spacecraft slammed into was never a threat to Earth. (3/6)
Satellite Firm Pauses Imagery After Revealing Iran’s Attacks on US Bases (Source: Ars Technica)
Planet Labs, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite imaging companies, said Friday it is placing a hold on releasing imagery of some parts of the Middle East as a regional war enters its second week. The company operates a fleet of several hundred Earth-imaging satellites designed to record views of every landmass on Earth at least once per day. (3/6)
DARPA Seeks Faster Production of Hypersonic Heat Shields (Source: Defense Blog)
DARPA has launched a new program aimed at accelerating the production of heat-resistant structures used in hypersonic weapons. The initiative, called Carbon Crunch, focuses on developing faster manufacturing methods for carbon-carbon aeroshells that protect hypersonic vehicles during flight. The effort is intended to address a major production challenge facing hypersonic weapon programs. While several countries are developing missiles capable of traveling at extreme speeds, manufacturing the specialized materials required to withstand those conditions remains slow and complex. (3/6)
Amazon Urges FCC to Deny SpaceX Plan to Launch 1 Million Satellites (Source: PC Mag)
Starlink rival Amazon Leo is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to shoot down SpaceX’s 1 million-satellite proposal for orbiting data centers, going as far to claim the project would take “centuries” to deploy. “In short, the Application seems to describe a lofty ambition rather than a real plan—and a speculative placeholder rather than a complete application under the Commission’s rules,” Amazon Leo said.
On Friday, the Amazon business sent a 17-page filing to the FCC, urging a denial, when SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to use the “up to” 1 million satellites to create a massive network of orbiting data centers around the planet. (3/7)
Air Force Lab Awards BlackSky Contract Worth up to $99 Million for Large Optical Satellite Payload (Source: Space News)
The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded BlackSky a contract worth up to $99 million to develop a large optical imaging payload intended for future space-based intelligence systems. (3/7)
Rocket Lab Introduces Silicon Solar Arrays for Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Insider Monkey)
Rocket Lab introduced advanced silicon solar arrays specifically designed to power gigawatt-scale space-based data centers. As terrestrial facilities face increasing constraints regarding land use, water consumption for cooling, and power availability, the company is positioning orbit as the next frontier for computing infrastructure. (3/6)
China Investment is Challenging US to Become the Next Great Space Power (Source: CNBC)
Chinese investment in its commercial space sector, including from private and government sources, increased from $340 million in 2015 to about $3.81 billion in 2025 according to Orbital Gateway Consulting. Over the last decade, China has spent over $104 billion on civil, military and commercial space efforts.
“The immediate question you’ll probably ask me is what did the U.S. spend in the equivalent amount of time? The estimates that we had was over five times more.” ASU's Jonathan Roll said. “But the real narrative is that China keeps increasing its expenditures. So they’re progressing towards their goal of being a leader, if not the leader in space science.” (3/7)
Humanity Heating Planet Faster Than Ever Before (Source: The Guardian)
Humanity is heating the planet faster than ever before, a study has found. Climate breakdown is occurring more rapidly with the heating rate almost doubling, according to research that excludes the effect of natural factors behind the latest scorching temperatures. It found global heating accelerated from a steady rate of less than 0.2C per decade between 1970 and 2015 to about 0.35C per decade over the past 10 years.
The rate is higher than scientists have seen since they started systematically taking the Earth’s temperature in 1880. “If the warming rate of the past 10 years continues, it would lead to a long-term exceedance of the 1.5C (2.7F) limit of the Paris agreement before 2030,” said Stefan Rahmstorf. The researchers said the acceleration fell within the scope of climate models. (3/6)
When Will New Glenn Fly Again? (Source: USA Today)
New Glenn has yet to get off the ground in 2026. Blue Origin had been working toward a February launch of the rocket, which hasn't lifted off since its second-ever flight in November. All signs point to liftoff no earlier than sometime in March from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. And this time around, the rocket is due to help deliver to orbit broadband network satellites for AST SpaceMobile. (3/5)
An asteroid that NASA used for target practice a few years ago was nudged into a slightly different route around the sun, findings that could help divert a future incoming killer space rock, scientists reported Friday. It’s the first time that a celestial body’s orbit around the sun was deliberately changed. The asteroid that NASA’s Dart spacecraft slammed into was never a threat to Earth. (3/6)
Satellite Firm Pauses Imagery After Revealing Iran’s Attacks on US Bases (Source: Ars Technica)
Planet Labs, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite imaging companies, said Friday it is placing a hold on releasing imagery of some parts of the Middle East as a regional war enters its second week. The company operates a fleet of several hundred Earth-imaging satellites designed to record views of every landmass on Earth at least once per day. (3/6)
DARPA Seeks Faster Production of Hypersonic Heat Shields (Source: Defense Blog)
DARPA has launched a new program aimed at accelerating the production of heat-resistant structures used in hypersonic weapons. The initiative, called Carbon Crunch, focuses on developing faster manufacturing methods for carbon-carbon aeroshells that protect hypersonic vehicles during flight. The effort is intended to address a major production challenge facing hypersonic weapon programs. While several countries are developing missiles capable of traveling at extreme speeds, manufacturing the specialized materials required to withstand those conditions remains slow and complex. (3/6)
Amazon Urges FCC to Deny SpaceX Plan to Launch 1 Million Satellites (Source: PC Mag)
Starlink rival Amazon Leo is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to shoot down SpaceX’s 1 million-satellite proposal for orbiting data centers, going as far to claim the project would take “centuries” to deploy. “In short, the Application seems to describe a lofty ambition rather than a real plan—and a speculative placeholder rather than a complete application under the Commission’s rules,” Amazon Leo said.
On Friday, the Amazon business sent a 17-page filing to the FCC, urging a denial, when SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to use the “up to” 1 million satellites to create a massive network of orbiting data centers around the planet. (3/7)
Air Force Lab Awards BlackSky Contract Worth up to $99 Million for Large Optical Satellite Payload (Source: Space News)
The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded BlackSky a contract worth up to $99 million to develop a large optical imaging payload intended for future space-based intelligence systems. (3/7)
Rocket Lab Introduces Silicon Solar Arrays for Space-Based Data Centers (Source: Insider Monkey)
Rocket Lab introduced advanced silicon solar arrays specifically designed to power gigawatt-scale space-based data centers. As terrestrial facilities face increasing constraints regarding land use, water consumption for cooling, and power availability, the company is positioning orbit as the next frontier for computing infrastructure. (3/6)
China Investment is Challenging US to Become the Next Great Space Power (Source: CNBC)
Chinese investment in its commercial space sector, including from private and government sources, increased from $340 million in 2015 to about $3.81 billion in 2025 according to Orbital Gateway Consulting. Over the last decade, China has spent over $104 billion on civil, military and commercial space efforts.
“The immediate question you’ll probably ask me is what did the U.S. spend in the equivalent amount of time? The estimates that we had was over five times more.” ASU's Jonathan Roll said. “But the real narrative is that China keeps increasing its expenditures. So they’re progressing towards their goal of being a leader, if not the leader in space science.” (3/7)
Humanity Heating Planet Faster Than Ever Before (Source: The Guardian)
Humanity is heating the planet faster than ever before, a study has found. Climate breakdown is occurring more rapidly with the heating rate almost doubling, according to research that excludes the effect of natural factors behind the latest scorching temperatures. It found global heating accelerated from a steady rate of less than 0.2C per decade between 1970 and 2015 to about 0.35C per decade over the past 10 years.
The rate is higher than scientists have seen since they started systematically taking the Earth’s temperature in 1880. “If the warming rate of the past 10 years continues, it would lead to a long-term exceedance of the 1.5C (2.7F) limit of the Paris agreement before 2030,” said Stefan Rahmstorf. The researchers said the acceleration fell within the scope of climate models. (3/6)
When Will New Glenn Fly Again? (Source: USA Today)
New Glenn has yet to get off the ground in 2026. Blue Origin had been working toward a February launch of the rocket, which hasn't lifted off since its second-ever flight in November. All signs point to liftoff no earlier than sometime in March from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. And this time around, the rocket is due to help deliver to orbit broadband network satellites for AST SpaceMobile. (3/5)
March 7, 2026
Spaceport in Peru Makes Progress in
Congress: Where Will it Be Built? (Source: Infobae)
In the session of Monday, March 2, the National Defense , Internal Order, Alternative Development and Drug Control Commission of Congress unanimously approved (14 votes) a ruling that proposes to declare the creation of a spaceport in our country to be of national interest. While it is a declaratory ruling, it does propose that studies be initiated to make this spaceport a reality. Furthermore, a parallel project was already detailed in the Ministry of Defense's Multiannual Report on Public-Private Partnership Investments for 2023-2026.
This refers to the " Construction of a Spaceport at the 'El Pato' Air Base in the city of Talara ." It is planned to be implemented in Piura as well. However, there is still not much concrete information available about the progress of this project. The commission approved the opinion which approves a legal formula toward the creation of a spaceport in Peruvian territory in order "to promote the start of the studies corresponding to its creation and position Peru as a regional leader in the space field." (3/6)
Monteith Joins Alaska Aerospace Board (Source: Alaska Aerospace)
Wayne Monteith, after serving as an Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the FAA, has been appointed to the board of Alaska Aerospace, the state-sponsored corporation responsible for managing the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA) on Kodiak Island, and promoting the Poker Flat Research Range for scientific suborbital launches. Monteith previously served as a Brigadier General in the US Air Force, where he commanded the 45th Space Wing, overseeing Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and the Eastern Range. (3/6)
Testing Commences for Ursa Major's Upgraded Hadley H13 (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Ursa Major has conducted the first hot-fire tests of the updated Hadley H13 liquid rocket engine, designed for hypersonic and light-launch applications. The H13, an enhancement of the flight-proven H11, incorporates design improvements, new materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to increase reusability. (3/5)
SDA Constellation Faces Supply Chain, Technical Issues (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Development Agency has encountered significant challenges in scaling up its satellite constellation, facing supply chain issues and technical problems that have delayed its launch schedule by several months. The agency, which aims to disrupt traditional Pentagon satellite procurement, has yet to complete formal testing of its first operational satellites launched last fall. Director Gurpartap Sandhoo notes that these challenges highlight the difficulties of managing larger fleets and tight launch schedules, but he remains optimistic that lessons learned will improve future operations. (3/5)
Isaacman Relaxes NASA Dress Code, Plans Improvements to Training, Travel and Badging (Source: SPACErePORT)
In a March 6 email to the NASA workforce, Administrator Jared Isaacman announced agency-wide dress code changes: "Use good judgment and wear whatever is needed, short of gym clothes and weekend wear, to get the job done. If there are questions, supervisors can provide guidance." Also, badging for NASA Center access will be moving to a simplified mobile interface.
For training, Isaacman said NASA would retire outdated online modules and replace them with shorter, more relevant ones. And for travel, approvals will be shifted back to lower-level management and credit/debit card limits will be raised. Recall that DOGE infamously reduced government card spending limits to near zero to make them virtually unusable, and conference participation/travel was substantially scaled back. (3/6)
NASA Now Officially Has No Plans to Use New Mobile Launcher for Artemis (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
When NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the revamped approach to the Artemis moon program, it was unclear whether the new mobile launcher that has been constructed over the last two years at Kennedy Space Center would ever get used. A NASA rundown of the reconfigured Artemis launch plans released Tuesday, though, answers that question for the foreseeable future: No. “The agency is no longer planning to use the Exploration Upper Stage or Mobile Launcher 2," according to the agency update.
The SLS "Block 1" configuration for the first three Artemis missions uses an upper stage called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and are assigned to use mobile launcher 1 (ML1), which was converted from the canceled Constellation program. Artemis IV and V were to use a Block 1B version of the SLS, including the taller Exploration Upper Stage, requiring an increase in height called for a new mobile launcher, ML2. (3/4)
House Science Committee Leaders Criticize FCC Rulemaking on Space Safety (Source: Space News)
In a letter last week to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Reps. Brian Babin, R-TX, and Zoe Lofgren, D-CA, said elements of the FCC's "Space Modernization for the 21st Century" notice of proposed rulemaking, would impose regulations beyond the commission's statutory authority. (3/5)
In the session of Monday, March 2, the National Defense , Internal Order, Alternative Development and Drug Control Commission of Congress unanimously approved (14 votes) a ruling that proposes to declare the creation of a spaceport in our country to be of national interest. While it is a declaratory ruling, it does propose that studies be initiated to make this spaceport a reality. Furthermore, a parallel project was already detailed in the Ministry of Defense's Multiannual Report on Public-Private Partnership Investments for 2023-2026.
This refers to the " Construction of a Spaceport at the 'El Pato' Air Base in the city of Talara ." It is planned to be implemented in Piura as well. However, there is still not much concrete information available about the progress of this project. The commission approved the opinion which approves a legal formula toward the creation of a spaceport in Peruvian territory in order "to promote the start of the studies corresponding to its creation and position Peru as a regional leader in the space field." (3/6)
Monteith Joins Alaska Aerospace Board (Source: Alaska Aerospace)
Wayne Monteith, after serving as an Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the FAA, has been appointed to the board of Alaska Aerospace, the state-sponsored corporation responsible for managing the Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA) on Kodiak Island, and promoting the Poker Flat Research Range for scientific suborbital launches. Monteith previously served as a Brigadier General in the US Air Force, where he commanded the 45th Space Wing, overseeing Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and the Eastern Range. (3/6)
Testing Commences for Ursa Major's Upgraded Hadley H13 (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Ursa Major has conducted the first hot-fire tests of the updated Hadley H13 liquid rocket engine, designed for hypersonic and light-launch applications. The H13, an enhancement of the flight-proven H11, incorporates design improvements, new materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to increase reusability. (3/5)
SDA Constellation Faces Supply Chain, Technical Issues (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Development Agency has encountered significant challenges in scaling up its satellite constellation, facing supply chain issues and technical problems that have delayed its launch schedule by several months. The agency, which aims to disrupt traditional Pentagon satellite procurement, has yet to complete formal testing of its first operational satellites launched last fall. Director Gurpartap Sandhoo notes that these challenges highlight the difficulties of managing larger fleets and tight launch schedules, but he remains optimistic that lessons learned will improve future operations. (3/5)
Isaacman Relaxes NASA Dress Code, Plans Improvements to Training, Travel and Badging (Source: SPACErePORT)
In a March 6 email to the NASA workforce, Administrator Jared Isaacman announced agency-wide dress code changes: "Use good judgment and wear whatever is needed, short of gym clothes and weekend wear, to get the job done. If there are questions, supervisors can provide guidance." Also, badging for NASA Center access will be moving to a simplified mobile interface.
For training, Isaacman said NASA would retire outdated online modules and replace them with shorter, more relevant ones. And for travel, approvals will be shifted back to lower-level management and credit/debit card limits will be raised. Recall that DOGE infamously reduced government card spending limits to near zero to make them virtually unusable, and conference participation/travel was substantially scaled back. (3/6)
NASA Now Officially Has No Plans to Use New Mobile Launcher for Artemis (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
When NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced the revamped approach to the Artemis moon program, it was unclear whether the new mobile launcher that has been constructed over the last two years at Kennedy Space Center would ever get used. A NASA rundown of the reconfigured Artemis launch plans released Tuesday, though, answers that question for the foreseeable future: No. “The agency is no longer planning to use the Exploration Upper Stage or Mobile Launcher 2," according to the agency update.
The SLS "Block 1" configuration for the first three Artemis missions uses an upper stage called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and are assigned to use mobile launcher 1 (ML1), which was converted from the canceled Constellation program. Artemis IV and V were to use a Block 1B version of the SLS, including the taller Exploration Upper Stage, requiring an increase in height called for a new mobile launcher, ML2. (3/4)
House Science Committee Leaders Criticize FCC Rulemaking on Space Safety (Source: Space News)
In a letter last week to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Reps. Brian Babin, R-TX, and Zoe Lofgren, D-CA, said elements of the FCC's "Space Modernization for the 21st Century" notice of proposed rulemaking, would impose regulations beyond the commission's statutory authority. (3/5)
March 6, 2026
Space One's Third Rocket Failure
Leaves Japan Without Commercial Launch Capability (Source:
Reuters)
Japan's Space One said its Kairos small rocket self-destructed 69 seconds after lift-off on Thursday. Three months after another state-run rocket launch failure, the unsuccessful flight dealt a fresh blow to Japan's efforts to establish domestic launch options and reduce its reliance on American rockets amid rising space-security needs to counter China.
Kairos, the 18-meter solid-propellant rocket, carried five experimental satellites, including from Tokyo-based ArkEdge Space and the Taiwan Space Agency. It ended the flight automatically at an altitude of 29 km above the Pacific. "No significant abnormalities were found in the flight or onboard equipment" before the self-destruction, Space One's Vice President Nobuhiro Sekino told a press conference, suggesting that the rocket's autonomous flight termination system went wrong. (3/5)
Blue Origin Starts 800,000sqft ‘Project Horizon’ Expansion Process (Source: Talk of Titusville)
Blue Origin is launching into a massive expansion of its Florida footprint, filing plans for a nearly 1-million-square-foot manufacturing campus. The expansion, codenamed “Project Horizon,” involves the construction of an 800,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on 31 acres within Exploration Park on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
Exploration Park is situated on federally owned land under a 50-year renewable lease with NASA. The land is managed by Space Florida, which is subleasing the property to Blue Origin. Editor's Note: This is separate from last week's news about a Blue Origin real estate acquisition in nearby Cocoa. On Feb. 17, Blue Origin Manufacturing LLC paid $11.5 million for a 20-acre site at 850 Cidco Road. (3/5)
Philippines, South Korea Signs Rocket Development/Spaceport Collaboration (Source: Inquirer)
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), together with Filipino public and private agencies, and Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Perigee Aerospace, Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 4, 2026, to collaborate an initiative for rocket development and experimental launches in the Philippines. With the country’s location near the Pacific Ocean and proximity to the equator, this framework will test the viability of establishment and operation of a Philippine Spaceport as a gateway to space in the region. (3/6)
Taiwan Space Bill Advances in US Senate (Source: Taipei Times)
A bill aimed at enhancing space cooperation between Taiwan and the US cleared the committee stage in the US Senate on Wednesday, with senators saying it would help counter threats from Beijing. The Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act is to go to the Senate floor after being passed by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The act would allow for extended cooperation between the Taiwan Space Agency, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (3/6)
Montana State Hosts High School Students Who Have Engineered Potential Solutions to Space-Travel Problems (Source: MSU)
Teams of high school students from Montana and Wyoming gathered at Montana State University Tuesday to show off the potential solutions they have engineered to space travel problems and compete for a chance to present their projects to NASA officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston for possible implementation on future space missions. The event is part of a program called NASA HUNCH that fosters STEM skills. (3/5)
Florida House Clears Spaceport Bill for Liftoff; Senate Launch Still Uncertain (Source: Florida Politics)
A measure designed to increase aerospace contractors in the state has rocketed through the House, but it remains to be seen if the Senate will abort the mission. House lawmakers unanimously approved the bill (HB 1177). The goal of the legislation is to provide more autonomy at each installation in the state to promote space development growth. The bill’s sponsor, Merritt Island Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois, said the Sunshine State shouldn’t assume that aerospace contractors will settle on doing business in Florida.
The bill language says contracting authority over spaceports in Florida “shall be vested in the spaceport director or commander for that facility.” Development and program expansion plans for each spaceport facility in Florida would need to be submitted to Space Florida for review, but those plans would not be “subject for approval by Space Florida,” per the legislation.
A similar bill in the Senate (SB 1512) was only approved by the Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee. Two other Committees did not take up the measure. The legislation has not yet been scheduled for review on the Senate floor. Editor's Note: This legislation appears to dilute Space Florida's role as a spaceport authority and has been viewed as an effort to boost the fortunes of other spaceports beyond the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/6)
Astrobotic Supports Italian Lunar Habitat (Source: SEI)
Astrobotic will provide the wheel system for Italy’s lunar module MPH (Multi-Purpose Habitat), under a contract signed with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%). MPH is the first Italian habitable element designed for the lunar surface, developed by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana in collaboration with NASA as part of the Artemis architecture. Designed to operate in the strategic lunar south pole region, the module will support scientific activities and demonstrate early long-term habitation capabilities on the Moon. (3/4)
Can Elon Musk’s Starbase Shut Down a Public Beach? TX Supreme Court to Decide (Source: My San Antonio)
Will the Supreme Court of Texas allow Elon Musk’s Starbase to retain control over when a popular South Texas beach is closed? That is the question that the justices will ultimately deliberate after hearing oral arguments in a 2021 lawsuit filed by environmentalists in the Rio Grande Valley who say the closures violate the Texas Open Beaches Act.
A grassroots group known as SaveRGV initially filed the lawsuit against Cameron County, which at the time held the power to order the closure of Texas state highway 4 during any so-called “spaceflight activities.” On Thursday, the court’s nine justices traveled to the Valley to hear oral arguments at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Edinburg campus. It was a packed house, with dozens of local residents and hundreds of school children in attendance. (3/5)
NASA Is Broken. It’s Time For A New One (Source: The Federalist)
One small step in restructuring NASA now could lead to one giant leap for the American space program in the years to come. In light of NASA’s track record for the past few decades, all of this is symptomatic of a hopelessly ineffective and inept organization. Even with hundreds of billions of dollars of funding over the years, NASA has dramatically regressed in general competence. Already, it is stumbling in achieving something that it did over half a century ago: flying to the moon and taking a few steps on it.
NASA’s embarrassing slide into irrelevance and mediocrity illustrates just how an organization originally devoted to science and exploration can degenerate into another useless barnacle on the Leviathan state. The federal government should stop browbeating private companies to do the impossible and instead demand that NASA justify its own existence. It has become just another bloated, woke bureaucracy that funnels money to equally bloated, woke corporate cronies.
Editor's Note: These "federalists" have already cheered-on a historic weakening of our federal institutions, which has included an unprecedented reduction in our science and technology workforce and international competitiveness. They are an embarrassment. (3/5)
NASA Rules Out Chance of Lunar Asteroid Impact in 2032 (Source: UPI)
NASA on Thursday walked back a prediction that an asteroid had a "small, but notable" chance of impacting Earth or the moon in 2032 based on newly analyzed data. Scientists said that near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 is expected to pass by the lunar surface from more than 13,000 miles away, after previous concerns that it was destined for an impact with Earth's natural satellite. (3/5)
The Rubin Observatory Will Change the Game for Astronomy — if Satellite Companies Don't Get in the Way (Source: Space.com)
An Earth-based telescope approaching the limits of modern technological power is unfortunately forced to contend with another kind of scientific advancement happening in space: the exponential rise of satellites in Earth orbit. As of writing this article, there are about 14,000 satellites orbiting our planet — nearly 10,000 of which belong to SpaceX — and the number is going to increase aggressively as commercial interests in this realm continue to grow. Priceless Rubin images could be tainted by commercial satellite interference, or "streaks," as astronomers say.
Just this month, physicians and scientists from Northwestern University announced they're worried about satellites in Earth orbit disrupting our sleep patterns. "They change the night sky," Rawls said. "Turns out, telescopes are not the only things that look up." (3/5)
Air Force Extends Comment Period for Contentious Maui Telescope Project (Source: Stars and Stripes)
The Air Force has extended the public comment period for a controversial plan to add up to seven telescopes on a small parcel atop a Maui mountain regarded as sacred by some native Hawaiians. The comment period will increase from 45 to 75 days, or until April 15, for the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Air Force Maui Optical Small Telescope Advanced Research facility, the service said in a news release Thursday. (3/6)
U.S. Targeting Iran’s Space Capabilities Early Into Operation Epic Fury (Source: Defense Scoop)
The U.S. military targeted infrastructure and assets that enable Iran to move data and conduct warfare operations in space, Adm. Brad Cooper said. Speaking alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a press briefing at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Cooper said Iran’s combat power is diminishing as Operation Epic Fury enters its sixth day. (3/5)
The US Says it Destroyed Iran’s Space Command. Experts Say it Wasn’t Much of a Threat (Source: Defense One)
U.S. forces destroyed Iran’s military space command, Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday, saying the move degraded the regime’s ability to coordinate retaliatory strikes. But experts said that the country’s nascent space capabilities never posed a significant threat. Iran had virtually no space assets of its own to speak of,” said Todd Harrison, a defense expert who created AEI’s space data navigator tool.
A CENTCOM spokesperson did not respond to Defense One’s questions asking what threat Iran’s space command posed to the American public and how it was eliminated. Iran’s small number of satellites have limited capabilities, and it’s unlikely that the nation has advanced capabilities to destroy satellites. It also hasn’t demonstrated an ability to build homing kinetic kill vehicles, according to the non-profit Secure World Foundation’s 2025 global counterspace capabilities report. (3/5)
Iran War Proves Trump Was Right on Space Force (Source: National Review)
In 20th-century wars, the key was air power. In 21st-century wars, it will be space power. This week’s military actions against Iran in Operation Epic Fury show that if America desires peace on earth, the ongoing conflict proves we must prepare for war in space — and the initial remarkable success the U.S. and coalition forces have demonstrated vindicates President Trump’s decision to elevate the Space Force as the sixth and newest branch of the American military. (3/5)
Texas as a Strategic Space Hub (Source: Space News)
In this episode of Space Minds, Jeff Foust moderates a panel at AIAA AscendxTexas on the role Texas is playing in the space economy. With a series of industry leaders they discuss the capabilities and strategies required to stay competitive especially amid global competition and accelerating demand. Click here. (3/5)
Rocket Lab Launches Mystery Satellite for 'Confidential Commercial Customer' (Source: Space.com)
Rocket Lab launched a mystery satellite for a secretive private customer this evening (March 5). An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on March 6, kicking off a mission the company calls "Insight at Speed is a Friend Indeed." Rocket Lab announced the planned launch just a few hours before liftoff and provided few details, saying that it's "for a confidential commercial customer." (3/6)
ESA Has Lost Contact With One of Its PROBA-3 Spacecraft (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency announced on 6 March that it had lost contact with one of the two spacecraft that make up its PROBA-3 mission. Both PROBA-3 spacecraft were launched aboard an ISRO PSLV-XL rocket in December 2024. The mission’s Coronagraph and Occulter spacecraft work in tandem, flying in precise formation to create and observe an artificial solar eclipse in orbit, enabling observations of the Sun’s outer corona. (3/6)
Scientists Just Grew Chickpeas in Simulated Lunar Dirt (Source: Space.com)
A combination of fungi and compost could make lunar regolith more fertile and one day help astronauts grow crops on the moon, according to new research based around experiments with chickpea plants. Future outposts on the moon will need to be as self-sufficient as possible to avoid the high cost of constantly shuttling supplies from Earth. If crops can be grown on the Moon it would be a significant step toward this. (3/6)
Vast and Sierra Space Post New Funding Rounds (Source: Via Satellite)
Vast and Sierra Space, two U.S.-based developers of commercial space stations, announced major funding rounds on Thursday. Vast secured $300 million in Series A equity and $200 million in debt financing, while Sierra Space received $550 million in Series C equity financing. It brings the company’s total funding to over $1 billion. (3/6)
NGA Awards BlackSky Seven-Figure Order On Luno A Contract (Source: Defense Daily)
BlackSky Technology has won a seven-figure renewal deal with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the agency's Luno A Facility Monitoring Delivery Order. The decision to renew funding for the four-year award was prompted by customer satisfaction and the performance of its high-cadence, artificial intelligence-enabled change detection analytics, the company said. (3/6)
Poland-Based Liftero Will Provide Chemical Propulsion for Indian Firm OrbitAID’s In-Orbit Servicing Mission (Source: Space News)
Polish chemical propulsion startup Liftero has signed a deal with India’s commercial in-orbit servicing specialist OrbitAID where Liftero will supply green chemical propulsion for OrbitAID’s in-orbit servicing spacecraft. Under the contract, Liftero will supply two multi-thruster BOOSTER configurations for an upcoming OrbitAID mission expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. (3/6)
China Designates Space Sector an “Emerging Pillar Industry,” Sets Deep Space Ambitions in New Economic Blueprint (Source: Space News)
In a draft national economic plan (2026-2030), China has officially designated aerospace as an “emerging pillar industry,” signaling heavy state support for the sector alongside AI and quantum technology. The plan aims to build a comprehensive space industrial ecosystem, covering satellite applications and launch services, to propel long-term economic growth and enhance national security.
Key objectives for the next five years include: Technological Breakthroughs: Developing reusable heavy-load rockets and advancing nuclear fusion technologies; Infrastructure Development: Constructing an integrated space-earth quantum communication network and strengthening deep-space capabilities; Commercial Expansion: Fostering a robust private sector to compete with international leaders in launch services and satellite applications; and Industrial Growth: Integrating the aerospace sector with broader national strategies, including the Belt and Road Initiative. (3/6)
NASA Deputy Administrator Nominee Gets Bipartisan Support (Source: Space News)
The White House’s nominee to be deputy administrator of NASA received bipartisan support at a Senate confirmation hearing March 5. Matt Anderson has most recently served as a senior executive at CACI and has been involved in organizing the Space Force Association. (3/6)
General Galactic Aims to Become “the Galaxy’s Energy and Logistics Company” (Source: Space News)
Southern California startup General Galactic plans to launch a 500-kilogram satellite later this year to demonstrate a novel multimode propulsion system. The Trinity satellite's goal is to prove that water can efficiently power orbital maneuvering, potentially revolutionizing satellite station-keeping and maneuvering. (3/5)
Congress Extends ISS and Tells NASA to Get Moving on Private Space Stations (Source: Ars Technica)
Two months ago, a key staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz said she was “begging” NASA to release a document that would kick off the second round of a competition among private companies to develop replacements for the ISS. There has been no movement since then, as NASA has yet to release this RFP. So this week, Cruz stepped up the pressure on the space agency with a NASA Authorization bill that passed his committee on Wednesday.
Regarding NASA’s support for the development of commercial space stations, the bill mandates the following, within specified periods, of passage of the law: within 60 days, publicly release the requirements for commercial space stations in low-Earth orbit; within 90 days, release the final “request for proposals” to solicit industry responses; and within 180 days, enter into contracts with “two or more” commercial providers for such stations. (3/5)
Japan's Space One said its Kairos small rocket self-destructed 69 seconds after lift-off on Thursday. Three months after another state-run rocket launch failure, the unsuccessful flight dealt a fresh blow to Japan's efforts to establish domestic launch options and reduce its reliance on American rockets amid rising space-security needs to counter China.
Kairos, the 18-meter solid-propellant rocket, carried five experimental satellites, including from Tokyo-based ArkEdge Space and the Taiwan Space Agency. It ended the flight automatically at an altitude of 29 km above the Pacific. "No significant abnormalities were found in the flight or onboard equipment" before the self-destruction, Space One's Vice President Nobuhiro Sekino told a press conference, suggesting that the rocket's autonomous flight termination system went wrong. (3/5)
Blue Origin Starts 800,000sqft ‘Project Horizon’ Expansion Process (Source: Talk of Titusville)
Blue Origin is launching into a massive expansion of its Florida footprint, filing plans for a nearly 1-million-square-foot manufacturing campus. The expansion, codenamed “Project Horizon,” involves the construction of an 800,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on 31 acres within Exploration Park on the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
Exploration Park is situated on federally owned land under a 50-year renewable lease with NASA. The land is managed by Space Florida, which is subleasing the property to Blue Origin. Editor's Note: This is separate from last week's news about a Blue Origin real estate acquisition in nearby Cocoa. On Feb. 17, Blue Origin Manufacturing LLC paid $11.5 million for a 20-acre site at 850 Cidco Road. (3/5)
Philippines, South Korea Signs Rocket Development/Spaceport Collaboration (Source: Inquirer)
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), together with Filipino public and private agencies, and Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Perigee Aerospace, Inc. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 4, 2026, to collaborate an initiative for rocket development and experimental launches in the Philippines. With the country’s location near the Pacific Ocean and proximity to the equator, this framework will test the viability of establishment and operation of a Philippine Spaceport as a gateway to space in the region. (3/6)
Taiwan Space Bill Advances in US Senate (Source: Taipei Times)
A bill aimed at enhancing space cooperation between Taiwan and the US cleared the committee stage in the US Senate on Wednesday, with senators saying it would help counter threats from Beijing. The Taiwan and American Space Assistance (TASA) Act is to go to the Senate floor after being passed by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The act would allow for extended cooperation between the Taiwan Space Agency, NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (3/6)
Montana State Hosts High School Students Who Have Engineered Potential Solutions to Space-Travel Problems (Source: MSU)
Teams of high school students from Montana and Wyoming gathered at Montana State University Tuesday to show off the potential solutions they have engineered to space travel problems and compete for a chance to present their projects to NASA officials at Johnson Space Center in Houston for possible implementation on future space missions. The event is part of a program called NASA HUNCH that fosters STEM skills. (3/5)
Florida House Clears Spaceport Bill for Liftoff; Senate Launch Still Uncertain (Source: Florida Politics)
A measure designed to increase aerospace contractors in the state has rocketed through the House, but it remains to be seen if the Senate will abort the mission. House lawmakers unanimously approved the bill (HB 1177). The goal of the legislation is to provide more autonomy at each installation in the state to promote space development growth. The bill’s sponsor, Merritt Island Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois, said the Sunshine State shouldn’t assume that aerospace contractors will settle on doing business in Florida.
The bill language says contracting authority over spaceports in Florida “shall be vested in the spaceport director or commander for that facility.” Development and program expansion plans for each spaceport facility in Florida would need to be submitted to Space Florida for review, but those plans would not be “subject for approval by Space Florida,” per the legislation.
A similar bill in the Senate (SB 1512) was only approved by the Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee. Two other Committees did not take up the measure. The legislation has not yet been scheduled for review on the Senate floor. Editor's Note: This legislation appears to dilute Space Florida's role as a spaceport authority and has been viewed as an effort to boost the fortunes of other spaceports beyond the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/6)
Astrobotic Supports Italian Lunar Habitat (Source: SEI)
Astrobotic will provide the wheel system for Italy’s lunar module MPH (Multi-Purpose Habitat), under a contract signed with Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%). MPH is the first Italian habitable element designed for the lunar surface, developed by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana in collaboration with NASA as part of the Artemis architecture. Designed to operate in the strategic lunar south pole region, the module will support scientific activities and demonstrate early long-term habitation capabilities on the Moon. (3/4)
Can Elon Musk’s Starbase Shut Down a Public Beach? TX Supreme Court to Decide (Source: My San Antonio)
Will the Supreme Court of Texas allow Elon Musk’s Starbase to retain control over when a popular South Texas beach is closed? That is the question that the justices will ultimately deliberate after hearing oral arguments in a 2021 lawsuit filed by environmentalists in the Rio Grande Valley who say the closures violate the Texas Open Beaches Act.
A grassroots group known as SaveRGV initially filed the lawsuit against Cameron County, which at the time held the power to order the closure of Texas state highway 4 during any so-called “spaceflight activities.” On Thursday, the court’s nine justices traveled to the Valley to hear oral arguments at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Edinburg campus. It was a packed house, with dozens of local residents and hundreds of school children in attendance. (3/5)
NASA Is Broken. It’s Time For A New One (Source: The Federalist)
One small step in restructuring NASA now could lead to one giant leap for the American space program in the years to come. In light of NASA’s track record for the past few decades, all of this is symptomatic of a hopelessly ineffective and inept organization. Even with hundreds of billions of dollars of funding over the years, NASA has dramatically regressed in general competence. Already, it is stumbling in achieving something that it did over half a century ago: flying to the moon and taking a few steps on it.
NASA’s embarrassing slide into irrelevance and mediocrity illustrates just how an organization originally devoted to science and exploration can degenerate into another useless barnacle on the Leviathan state. The federal government should stop browbeating private companies to do the impossible and instead demand that NASA justify its own existence. It has become just another bloated, woke bureaucracy that funnels money to equally bloated, woke corporate cronies.
Editor's Note: These "federalists" have already cheered-on a historic weakening of our federal institutions, which has included an unprecedented reduction in our science and technology workforce and international competitiveness. They are an embarrassment. (3/5)
NASA Rules Out Chance of Lunar Asteroid Impact in 2032 (Source: UPI)
NASA on Thursday walked back a prediction that an asteroid had a "small, but notable" chance of impacting Earth or the moon in 2032 based on newly analyzed data. Scientists said that near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 is expected to pass by the lunar surface from more than 13,000 miles away, after previous concerns that it was destined for an impact with Earth's natural satellite. (3/5)
The Rubin Observatory Will Change the Game for Astronomy — if Satellite Companies Don't Get in the Way (Source: Space.com)
An Earth-based telescope approaching the limits of modern technological power is unfortunately forced to contend with another kind of scientific advancement happening in space: the exponential rise of satellites in Earth orbit. As of writing this article, there are about 14,000 satellites orbiting our planet — nearly 10,000 of which belong to SpaceX — and the number is going to increase aggressively as commercial interests in this realm continue to grow. Priceless Rubin images could be tainted by commercial satellite interference, or "streaks," as astronomers say.
Just this month, physicians and scientists from Northwestern University announced they're worried about satellites in Earth orbit disrupting our sleep patterns. "They change the night sky," Rawls said. "Turns out, telescopes are not the only things that look up." (3/5)
Air Force Extends Comment Period for Contentious Maui Telescope Project (Source: Stars and Stripes)
The Air Force has extended the public comment period for a controversial plan to add up to seven telescopes on a small parcel atop a Maui mountain regarded as sacred by some native Hawaiians. The comment period will increase from 45 to 75 days, or until April 15, for the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Air Force Maui Optical Small Telescope Advanced Research facility, the service said in a news release Thursday. (3/6)
U.S. Targeting Iran’s Space Capabilities Early Into Operation Epic Fury (Source: Defense Scoop)
The U.S. military targeted infrastructure and assets that enable Iran to move data and conduct warfare operations in space, Adm. Brad Cooper said. Speaking alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a press briefing at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Cooper said Iran’s combat power is diminishing as Operation Epic Fury enters its sixth day. (3/5)
The US Says it Destroyed Iran’s Space Command. Experts Say it Wasn’t Much of a Threat (Source: Defense One)
U.S. forces destroyed Iran’s military space command, Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday, saying the move degraded the regime’s ability to coordinate retaliatory strikes. But experts said that the country’s nascent space capabilities never posed a significant threat. Iran had virtually no space assets of its own to speak of,” said Todd Harrison, a defense expert who created AEI’s space data navigator tool.
A CENTCOM spokesperson did not respond to Defense One’s questions asking what threat Iran’s space command posed to the American public and how it was eliminated. Iran’s small number of satellites have limited capabilities, and it’s unlikely that the nation has advanced capabilities to destroy satellites. It also hasn’t demonstrated an ability to build homing kinetic kill vehicles, according to the non-profit Secure World Foundation’s 2025 global counterspace capabilities report. (3/5)
Iran War Proves Trump Was Right on Space Force (Source: National Review)
In 20th-century wars, the key was air power. In 21st-century wars, it will be space power. This week’s military actions against Iran in Operation Epic Fury show that if America desires peace on earth, the ongoing conflict proves we must prepare for war in space — and the initial remarkable success the U.S. and coalition forces have demonstrated vindicates President Trump’s decision to elevate the Space Force as the sixth and newest branch of the American military. (3/5)
Texas as a Strategic Space Hub (Source: Space News)
In this episode of Space Minds, Jeff Foust moderates a panel at AIAA AscendxTexas on the role Texas is playing in the space economy. With a series of industry leaders they discuss the capabilities and strategies required to stay competitive especially amid global competition and accelerating demand. Click here. (3/5)
Rocket Lab Launches Mystery Satellite for 'Confidential Commercial Customer' (Source: Space.com)
Rocket Lab launched a mystery satellite for a secretive private customer this evening (March 5). An Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab's New Zealand site on March 6, kicking off a mission the company calls "Insight at Speed is a Friend Indeed." Rocket Lab announced the planned launch just a few hours before liftoff and provided few details, saying that it's "for a confidential commercial customer." (3/6)
ESA Has Lost Contact With One of Its PROBA-3 Spacecraft (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency announced on 6 March that it had lost contact with one of the two spacecraft that make up its PROBA-3 mission. Both PROBA-3 spacecraft were launched aboard an ISRO PSLV-XL rocket in December 2024. The mission’s Coronagraph and Occulter spacecraft work in tandem, flying in precise formation to create and observe an artificial solar eclipse in orbit, enabling observations of the Sun’s outer corona. (3/6)
Scientists Just Grew Chickpeas in Simulated Lunar Dirt (Source: Space.com)
A combination of fungi and compost could make lunar regolith more fertile and one day help astronauts grow crops on the moon, according to new research based around experiments with chickpea plants. Future outposts on the moon will need to be as self-sufficient as possible to avoid the high cost of constantly shuttling supplies from Earth. If crops can be grown on the Moon it would be a significant step toward this. (3/6)
Vast and Sierra Space Post New Funding Rounds (Source: Via Satellite)
Vast and Sierra Space, two U.S.-based developers of commercial space stations, announced major funding rounds on Thursday. Vast secured $300 million in Series A equity and $200 million in debt financing, while Sierra Space received $550 million in Series C equity financing. It brings the company’s total funding to over $1 billion. (3/6)
NGA Awards BlackSky Seven-Figure Order On Luno A Contract (Source: Defense Daily)
BlackSky Technology has won a seven-figure renewal deal with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) under the agency's Luno A Facility Monitoring Delivery Order. The decision to renew funding for the four-year award was prompted by customer satisfaction and the performance of its high-cadence, artificial intelligence-enabled change detection analytics, the company said. (3/6)
Poland-Based Liftero Will Provide Chemical Propulsion for Indian Firm OrbitAID’s In-Orbit Servicing Mission (Source: Space News)
Polish chemical propulsion startup Liftero has signed a deal with India’s commercial in-orbit servicing specialist OrbitAID where Liftero will supply green chemical propulsion for OrbitAID’s in-orbit servicing spacecraft. Under the contract, Liftero will supply two multi-thruster BOOSTER configurations for an upcoming OrbitAID mission expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. (3/6)
China Designates Space Sector an “Emerging Pillar Industry,” Sets Deep Space Ambitions in New Economic Blueprint (Source: Space News)
In a draft national economic plan (2026-2030), China has officially designated aerospace as an “emerging pillar industry,” signaling heavy state support for the sector alongside AI and quantum technology. The plan aims to build a comprehensive space industrial ecosystem, covering satellite applications and launch services, to propel long-term economic growth and enhance national security.
Key objectives for the next five years include: Technological Breakthroughs: Developing reusable heavy-load rockets and advancing nuclear fusion technologies; Infrastructure Development: Constructing an integrated space-earth quantum communication network and strengthening deep-space capabilities; Commercial Expansion: Fostering a robust private sector to compete with international leaders in launch services and satellite applications; and Industrial Growth: Integrating the aerospace sector with broader national strategies, including the Belt and Road Initiative. (3/6)
NASA Deputy Administrator Nominee Gets Bipartisan Support (Source: Space News)
The White House’s nominee to be deputy administrator of NASA received bipartisan support at a Senate confirmation hearing March 5. Matt Anderson has most recently served as a senior executive at CACI and has been involved in organizing the Space Force Association. (3/6)
General Galactic Aims to Become “the Galaxy’s Energy and Logistics Company” (Source: Space News)
Southern California startup General Galactic plans to launch a 500-kilogram satellite later this year to demonstrate a novel multimode propulsion system. The Trinity satellite's goal is to prove that water can efficiently power orbital maneuvering, potentially revolutionizing satellite station-keeping and maneuvering. (3/5)
Congress Extends ISS and Tells NASA to Get Moving on Private Space Stations (Source: Ars Technica)
Two months ago, a key staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz said she was “begging” NASA to release a document that would kick off the second round of a competition among private companies to develop replacements for the ISS. There has been no movement since then, as NASA has yet to release this RFP. So this week, Cruz stepped up the pressure on the space agency with a NASA Authorization bill that passed his committee on Wednesday.
Regarding NASA’s support for the development of commercial space stations, the bill mandates the following, within specified periods, of passage of the law: within 60 days, publicly release the requirements for commercial space stations in low-Earth orbit; within 90 days, release the final “request for proposals” to solicit industry responses; and within 180 days, enter into contracts with “two or more” commercial providers for such stations. (3/5)
March 5, 2026
The UK Will Invest £20 Million to
Accelerate Spaceport Development in Scotland (Source: European
Spaceflight)
The United Kingdom has announced a new £500 million spending package to support its space sector, including £20 million to support the development of spaceport infrastructure in Scotland. The largest commitments included in the package were £105 million to develop civil capabilities for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, £85 million to develop the National Space Operations Centre, and £80 million to deliver the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit program. (3/5)
Sierra Space Raises $550 Million for NatSec Space (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space raised $550 million to support its new focus on national security space. The Series C round valued the company at $8 billion. The company says the new funding will allow it to "further focus on its national security space efforts." Sierra Space was spun out of Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2021 and was initially devoted to development of the Dream Chaser spaceplane. In recent years, the company has expanded into the defense market, including winning contracts to build missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. Sierra Space recently hired longtime industry executive Dan Jablonsky as its CEO. (3/5)
Vast Raises $500 Million for Space Station (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast raised $500 million. The company announced Thursday it raised $300 million in a Series A equity round and $200 million in debt. Vast will use the funding to accelerate work on its Haven line of commercial space stations, starting with the single-module Haven-1 launching in 2027 and the Haven-2 multi-module station proposed for NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations program. Vast had been funded until now by its founder, cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, who also participated in the round. (3/5)
Canada's Telus Takes Stake in AST (Source: Space News)
Canadian telco Telus has agreed to take a stake in AST SpaceMobile to support its direct-to-smartphone network. As part of the deal, Telus will invest in ground infrastructure needed to connect subscribers to AST Space Mobile's constellation. The partnership follows a similar agreement with Bell, another of Canada's three dominant wireless carriers, which first partnered with AST SpaceMobile in 2021 and backs the company through its corporate venture arm. AST announced several other partnerships this week with mobile network operators in Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan. AST SpaceMobile plans to deploy at least 45 BlueBird Block 2 satellites by the end of 2026, with intermittent services expected in some markets following the deployment of its first 25 spacecraft. (3/5)
SPACs Return to Space (Source: Space News)
Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are making a comeback in the space industry. Several space companies used SPACs to go public five years ago, but many of those companies set financial targets that they could not meet, causing investor interest in SPACs to sour. However, SPACs have shown signs of life recently with some deals as well as plans to fund new SPACs focused on the space industry. The difference, investors argue, is that the space industry is more mature and there is a greater appreciation among the broader investment community about the importance of space. (3/5)
NASA May Use Vulcan Upper Stage for SLS (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA intends to select United Launch Alliance to provide a critical component for future missions of the agency’s moon rocket, according to people familiar with the matter, replacing planned Boeing-built hardware as costs ballooned to $2.8 billion. Boeing — which manufactures the core of NASA’s massive Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket — also holds a multibillion-dollar contract from the agency to create an upgraded version of the vehicle. (3/4)
Senate Bill Would Standardize SLS With Different Upper Stage, Extend ISS (Source: Space News)
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a NASA authorization bill that would implement some of NASA's proposed changes to Artemis. The committee approved by a voice vote Wednesday a bill allowing NASA to replace the Exploration Upper Stage planned for future versions of the Space Launch System with an alternative. NASA announced last week it planned to do this to "standardize" on an SLS design similar to the current Block 1. The bill would also authorize NASA to develop a lunar base, but with few details on cost and schedule. Other provisions of the bill include a two-year extension of the International Space Station's life to 2032 and a restructuring of the Mars Sample Return program. The bill did not include a rumored provision that would have limited any single launch company to no more than 50% of NASA launch contracts in any year. (3/5)
Space Force Needs More Personnel and Training (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is seeking more personnel and training resources. Gen. Shawn Bratton, vice chief of space operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday that the service needs to double its size and increase training facilities in the coming years to deal with growing threats to space assets. The Space Force currently has about 10,000 uniformed guardians and roughly 5,000 civilian employees. Bratton noted that training exercises and war games are increasingly focused on integrating space capabilities with broader military operations. (3/5)
Space One's Third Kairos Launch Fails After Liftoff (Source: Space News)
The third launch of Japan's Kairos small launch vehicle failed Wednesday night. The rocket lifted off from Spaceport Kii in southern Honshu. About 70 seconds after liftoff, though, there appeared to be an explosion, with the rocket breaking up into several fragments. Space One, the company that operates Kairos, said that the flight termination system of the rocket was activated. Officials did not disclose additional details. This was the third launch, and third failure, of Kairos, a solid-fuel rocket designed to place up to 150 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit. (3/5)
UK's Mutable Tactics Gets $2.1M From Seraphim for UAS (Source: Space News)
British startup Mutable Tactics has raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding to enable drones to operate autonomously even without access to satellite communications and navigation. The funding round was led by Seraphim Space, which sees the technology as strengthening the resilience of space-enabled capabilities that its investments often rely on. Mutable Tactics plans to use the funds to expand its engineering team and accelerate software development for a range of unmanned systems, including aerial, maritime and ground drones. (3/5)
Foushee Wins NC Dem Primary, Virts Loses TX Dem Primary (Sources: New York Times, Texas Tribune)
The ranking member of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee survived a primary challenge. Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) narrowly defeated Nida Allam in a Democratic primary this week, with Allam conceding on Wednesday. Foushee, first elected in 2022, currently serves as the top Democrat on the space subcommittee. In Texas, former astronaut Terry Virts lost his bid to win the Democratic nomination for a House district in the Houston area. Virts finished third in the primary. (3/5)
UAP Info Release Not a Space Command Thing (Source: Ars Technica)
If the truth is out there, the head of Space Command doesn't know about it. President Trump ordered the release last month of government information about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) and alien life. Those disclosures have not started yet, and asked about them at a conference recently, Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said he had never seen any data from military tracking networks of anything other than natural phenomena and human-made objects in space. He added, though, that he was "fascinated" by the topic, "and if something's revealed, I'll be interested as an American citizen." (3/5)
The Promise of Lower Launch Prices is Still Far Off (Source: Payload)
We were promised a world of lower launch prices. Instead, we keep drifting in the opposite direction. SpaceX recently increased launch prices from $70M to $74M for a dedicated Falcon 9 ride and $6,500/kg to $7,000/kg for a rideshare slot. The company has long signaled a steady pace of price bumps, so the move does not come as a surprise.
Nonetheless, the increase (along with the lack of real alternatives) highlights a tough truth in the industry: Access to orbit has gotten significantly more expensive in recent years despite all the hoopla and hopium of falling launch prices. Rather than the more price-insensitive dedicated missions, rideshare pricing is the far more important number to track here.
Without a price-competitive alternative, the broader space startup community has relied almost exclusively on Falcon 9 Transporter and Bandwagon missions to get to space over the last five years. It's the 40% increase in rideshare prices that is felt far more acutely throughout the industry. Editor's Note: Now that SpaceX has suppressed most of the small launch market with low-cost rideshares, the pricing rises before their financials become public after their IPO. (3/4)
Virgin Galactic Seeks Space Tourism Revival After Bezos Retreat (Source: Bloomberg)
Richard Branson said Virgin Galactic Holdings wants to capitalize on opportunities created by Jeff Bezos-backed rival Blue Origin’s decision to halt trips to space for tourists. Blue Origin’s January announcement that it’s suspending space tourism flights leaves Virgin Galactic, founded by Branson, as the only major company still focused on customers willing to pay big sums to experience weightlessness during short flights to space. (3/5)
MDA Space Hits Record $1.6 Billion Revenue as Defense Business Expands (Source: SpaceQ)
MDA highlighted its backlog of $4 billion at quarter-end, its record quarterly revenues of $499 million and record adjusted EBITDA of $96 million as indications of a strong year. Overall in fiscal 2025, the company posted record revenues of $1.6 billion (up 51% year-over-year), record adjusted EBITDA of $324 million (up 49% year-over-year) and adjusted net income of $190 million (up 71% year-over-year). In fiscal 2026, MDA expects revenues between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion. (3/4)
Canada and India Move to Update Decades-Old Space Ties (Source: SpaceQ)
Amid a broad push to normalize diplomatic ties and double bilateral trade, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signaled that space remains a quiet but consistent part of the Canada-India relationship. While the centerpiece of the “Next Level Partnership” focused on high-level security and economic cooperation, the two leaders marked the 30th anniversary of space collaboration by committing to new joint ventures in space exploration and quantum technologies—reaffirming a technical alliance that has persisted even during periods of diplomatic strain. (3/4)
Space is Canada’s Sovereignty Infrastructure (Source: SpaceQ)
For many, the word evokes astronauts, moon landings, and science fiction. It feels distant. Fascinating, even inspiring, but ultimately removed from daily life on the ground. That mental model is now badly out of date. Space has quietly become critical national infrastructure. Canada’s economic resilience, national security, and sovereign decision-making increasingly depend on systems operating hundreds or thousands of kilometers above our heads.
Canadian military leadership has been clear about the stakes. Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, commander of 3 Canadian Space Division, put it plainly: “Access and assured access to space are a requirement of a sovereign, independent nation.” That is not rhetoric. It is strategic reality. (3/5)
UK Space Firms to Scale-Up and Thrive in Britain with Government Backing for Bolder Strategy (Source: Gov.UK)
UK Minister Liz Lloyd set out a clear vision to make Britain a competitive, agile space power. A major package of investment and reform will ensure public funding is focused more sharply on four areas that drive economic growth and national security outcomes: Satellite Communications; In Orbit Servicing, In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing; Space Domain Awareness; and Launch for assured access to space.
A range of practical tools and support schemes for high-potential companies will complement the record levels of public funding available, to improve access to finance, develop the skills and talent pipeline, and ensure space regulation and standards keep pace with innovation. Ministers are also open to using the government’s buying power to help British space firms scale faster – driving growth, boosting revenues and bolstering national security and defense. (3/4)
Boca Chica Beach Could Be Renamed ‘Cyber Beach’ (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Federal officials are considering a Mississippi man’s bid to rename Boca Chica Beach as Cyber Beach. The 3½-mile-long beach runs north from the mouth of the Rio Grande River adjacent to SpaceX’s city of Starbase. It has been listed as Boca Chica Beach in official records since 1936, but Josh Hazel of Mississippi wants it changed to “Cyber Beach”.
He’s part of a group of SpaceX and Elon Musk fans who meet up at the beach with their Austin-made Tesla pickups in the days leading up to Starship launches. They camp at the beach and have hosted light shows with the stainless-steel trucks. “We are proposing (that Boca Chica Beach) be renamed ‘Cyber Beach’ to commemorate the location where inter-planetary travel was started,” he wrote to the U.S. Geological Survey’s office responsible for naming places. (3/4)
Texas Supreme Court Hearing on SpaceX Beach Closures This Week (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Elon Musk’s space city in South Texas won’t be closing a nearby public beach any time soon for tests or launches of SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket. The Texas Supreme Court delayed a February hearing about whether the city of Starbase — which is led by SpaceX employees — can periodically close Boca Chica Beach and Texas 4 for its operations. The high court moved oral arguments on the long-running case to March 5.
The authority to temporarily close the 8-mile-long beach east of Brownsville previously sat with Cameron County leaders but state lawmakers passed House Bill 2623 last year, clearing the way for state’s Space Commission to delegate closure powers to the 9-month-old city. The case landed in Texas Supreme Court in June after a state appeals court sided with the plaintiffs, a coalition of environmental and native groups, early last year. The coalition is arguing that SpaceX’s recurring closures of Boca Chica Beach for Starship testing violates the Open Beaches Amendment to the Texas Constitution. (1/12)
Vandenberg SFB Conducts ICBM Test Launch (Source: Noozhawk)
The military conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III missile equipped with two mock warheads late Tuesday night for Vandenberg Space Force Base’s 14th launch of 2026. The three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile popped out of an underground silo on North Base at the opening of a six-hour launch window for the mission dubbed Glory Trip 255, or GT 255. After leaving Vandenberg, the weapon and its two mock warheads or re-entry vehicles traveled to predetermined targets in the Kwajalein Atoll, about 4,200 miles southwest of the Central Coast. (3/4)
NASA to Borrow Private Sector Workers (Source: NASA)
NASA unveiled a new initiative Wednesday to bring in private-sector employees for short-term assignments. NASA Force, part of the Office of Personnel Management's Tech Force program, will allow the agency to hire "high-impact technical talent" for as long as two years to work on key NASA projects. NASA announced last month its intent to participate in the Tech Force program as part of other workforce initiatives that include reducing reliance on contractors. It comes after 20% of NASA's civil servant workforce left the agency last year. (3/5)
NASA Fired its Economists. It Desperately Needs to Bring Them Back (Source: The Hill)
The Trump administration has talked a big game about ushering in a “new space age” as China threatens to beat us back to the moon and national security risks grow in space. To achieve these goals, the White House said it would “unleash” the innovation and know-how of the commercial space industry. It is a good bipartisan idea — one that took off in earnest under President Barack Obama — to enlist commercial players to modernize our space program.
Unfortunately, it’s clear that the administration has already shot itself in the foot by allowing DOGE to eliminate one obscure but important team. That would be NASA’s Office of the Chief Economist, which the agency relied on for an independent understanding of the commercial space market. If NASA wanted to land cargo on the moon, for instance, its economists were the ones who would figure out whether it made sense to lean on the commercial space sector, which would require a market for those services beyond the government, or if it would be prudent to rely on a traditional contractor. (3/4)
NASA Starts Recruiting Drive After Musk’s DOGE Thinned Agency (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA and the Office of Personnel Management have announced a push to recruit engineers and technologists less than a year after the space agency lost thousands of employees as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. The initiative, called NASA Force, will “identify and place high-impact technical talent into mission-critical roles,” according to a NASA statement Wednesday. (3/4)
ENPULSION Secures €22.5 Million Investment to Expand US Market Presence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ENPULSION has secured €22.5 million in growth funding led by Nordwind Growth, marking a pivotal milestone in the company's strategy to strengthen its global leadership in space mobility and expand its footprint in the US space industry. The new funding will fuel the company's global growth strategy, including scaling production capacity, advancing next-generation space mobility systems, and deepening market penetration in the United States. (3/5)
Mynaric Wins ESA Contract to Develop Optical Communications Technology for HydRON Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The European Space Agency has awarded Mynaric with a contract to build a laser communications Demonstration System for its High Throughput Optical Network (HydRON) project. The HydRON project aims to bolster the resilience of European communications infrastructure by deploying a high capacity, secure and interoperable optical data relay network across low and medium Earth orbits. (3/5)
China to Test Capsule Further, Attempt Booster Recoveries on Land and Sea (Source: NSF)
China is set to perform additional testing of its Mengzhou crew capsule following a successful splashdown test last month. Meanwhile, both commercial and state-owned launch providers are moving closer to attempting propulsive landings of first-stage boosters on land and at sea, as the country seeks to secure its first successful recovery of an orbital-class booster. Following the successful in-flight abort test of the Mengzhou capsule on Feb. 11th, the spacecraft will remain in Hainan province to conduct further tests at sea, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). (3/4)
HawkEye 360 Adds $23M to Series E Funding (Source: Via Satellite)
HawkEye 360 has raised a further $23 million. This comes after HawkEye 360 raised a mix of debt and equity financing valued at $150 million to support the acquisition of Innovative Signals Analysis (ISA) in December of 2025. The company said it will use this new capital to strengthen its balance sheet and continue the integration of Innovative Signal Analysis (ISA). (3/4)
Danish Mani Mission to Map Moon in 3D (Source: Space Daily)
The University of Copenhagen will lead Denmark's first lunar mission, an ESAS project that will map the Moon's surface in three dimensions to support future landings and base construction. The Mani satellite will orbit the Moon's north and south polar regions, acquiring high-resolution images that can be combined into detailed elevation models. By imaging the same areas from several viewing angles and tracking the resulting shadows, the mission team will calculate elevation differences, slopes, and small-scale terrain features that are not resolved in current datasets. (3/5)
Lunar Spacecraft Exhaust Could Obscure Clues to Origins of Life (Source: Space Daily)
Over half of the exhaust methane from lunar spacecraft could end up contaminating areas of the moon that might otherwise yield clues about the origins of earthly life, according to a recent study. The pollution could unfold rapidly regardless of a spacecraft's touchdown site; even for a landing at the South Pole, methane molecules may "hop" across the lunar surface to the North Pole in under two lunar days.
As interest in lunar exploration resurges among governments, private companies and NGOs, the study authors wrote, it becomes crucial to understand how exploration may impact research opportunities. This knowledge can help inform the creation of planetary protection strategies for the lunar environment, as well as lunar missions designed to minimize impact on that environment - and the clues about our past it may contain. (3/5)
Korean Origami Style Lunar Rover Wheel Expands to Climb Steep Caves (Source: Space Daily)
A joint team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory UEL has developed a transformable airless wheel designed to help small rovers access steep lunar pits and lava tubes. The wheel targets subsurface sites considered promising for future human habitats because they shield against cosmic radiation and extreme temperature swings.
The study introduces an origami inspired deployable wheel that can change its diameter to overcome obstacles that would halt conventional fixed geometry rover wheels, and the research appears in the December issue of Science Robotics. The concept supports mission architectures that use multiple small rovers instead of a single large vehicle, providing redundancy so exploration can continue even if some units fail. (3/5)
Redwire, Rocket Lab, and Starpath Push New Solar Array Products as Space Power Demand Broadens (Source: Mach 33)
A cluster of announcements highlights a supply chain that is starting to optimize for bigger power-hungry missions. Redwire unveiled a new solar array product positioned around higher performance per stowed volume and lower mass, while Rocket Lab introduced silicon solar arrays explicitly marketed for gigawatt-class “space-based data centers.” Separately, Starpath rolled out its ultra-thin Starlight Air panel line, emphasizing lightweight construction and manufacturability.
For orbital compute, power is the first-order constraint, and solar is the front door. What is changing is not “a new panel,” it is that multiple vendors are now designing for scale economics (cost per watt, mass per watt, stowage, production throughput) instead of bespoke heritage hardware. This is an early sign that the industry is reorganizing around a credible demand thesis for higher-power spacecraft. (3/4)
SpaceX Keeps Widening the Starlink Lead with Bicoastal Launch Cadence (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX executed two Starlink launches in one day, one from Vandenberg and another from Cape Canaveral, pushing another 54 satellites into orbit. Both boosters landed successfully, with reuse milestones that underline just how operationally mature Falcon 9 has become. This is the moat in plain sight: manufacturing throughput + launch availability + flight-proven reuse. Even if competitors build comparable satellites, they still have to replicate the cadence engine that keeps Starlink’s deployment tempo relentless and its constellation refresh cycle tight. (3/1)
Europe Proposes Starship Alternative With Wings and Mid-Air Recovery (Source: Extreme Tech)
Starship might be running late, but it's still likely to be the most capable heavy-lift launch vehicle when it's ready. Europeans looking to develop an alternative that isn't governed by America or the whims of SpaceX's CEO have suggested a similar design could be made to deliver a new European-centric heavy-lift vehicle with similar reusable properties. The RLV C5 design was proposed by researchers at the German Aerospace Center.
The RLV C5 lift vehicle would use a fully-reusable first-stage booster from the German Aerospace Center's SpaceLiner sub-orbital concept, with an expendable upper stage. This would require less fuel to carry it into orbit, allowing it to maximize payload—potentially carrying as much as 77 US tons into orbit. Recovery would be very different from Starship, though. RLV C5 would instead descend into the atmosphere using wings to slow itself to sub-orbital speeds. At the appropriate speed and altitude, it would then be captured by a large, subsonic craft. (3/4)
Nigeria Releases Funds for Space Asset Maintenance (Source: Business Day)
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, directed relevant authorities to immediately release funds for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets, in line with relevant national space policies. This is just as the President reiterated his Administration’s commitment to the realization of Nigeria’s space policy and program as enshrined in the revised 25-year roadmap for space development. (3/3)
NASA Targets April 1 for Artemis II Launch (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA is not expected to return the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad until later this month. Inside the VAB, technicians will complete several other tasks to “refresh” the rocket for the next series of launch opportunities. This work will include activating a new set of flight termination system batteries for the rocket’s range safety destruct system. Workers will also replace flight batteries on the SLS core stage, upper stage, and solid rocket boosters, and recharge the batteries on the Orion spacecraft’s launch abort system, NASA said.
At the bottom of the rocket, crews will replace a seal on the core stage liquid oxygen feed line. NASA has not said whether the launch team will conduct another countdown rehearsal after it returns to Launch Complex 39B. The first of five launch opportunities in early April is on April 1, with a two-hour launch window opening at 6:24 pm EDT. (3/3)
Infinite Orbits Goes on Spending Spree After Securing €40 Million (Source: European Spaceflight)
In less than a week, Infinite Orbits announced two acquisitions, agreeing to purchase LMO’s Luxembourg-based operations in late February and UK-based Lúnasa Space in early March. The back-to-back deals come less than four months after the company closed an oversubscribed €40 million financing round in November 2025.
Toulouse-based Infinite Orbits is developing Endurance, a satellite life-extension spacecraft, and Orbit Guard, a small spacecraft used for close-range monitoring of geostationary satellites. In 2025, the company signed agreements with European satellite operator SES to use Endurance to extend the life of one of its satellites from 2027, and with the French Directorate General for Armament to provide Orbit Guard spacecraft to monitor threats to French military assets. According to the company, its current order book totals €150 million. (3/3)
From License to Launch: What a Launch License Really Means for Reusable Infrastructure (Source: Exos)
Reusable launch cadence is not sustained by propulsion alone. It is sustained by regulatory continuity. In the United States, commercial reusable launch vehicle operations require authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
For reusable vehicles, that authority has historically operated under 14 CFR Part 431. Today, it is transitioning to 14 CFR Part 450, the FAA’s consolidated, performance-based licensing framework. Understanding what that shift means is essential for anyone depending on repeatable access to flight. Click here. (3/4)
The United Kingdom has announced a new £500 million spending package to support its space sector, including £20 million to support the development of spaceport infrastructure in Scotland. The largest commitments included in the package were £105 million to develop civil capabilities for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, £85 million to develop the National Space Operations Centre, and £80 million to deliver the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit program. (3/5)
Sierra Space Raises $550 Million for NatSec Space (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space raised $550 million to support its new focus on national security space. The Series C round valued the company at $8 billion. The company says the new funding will allow it to "further focus on its national security space efforts." Sierra Space was spun out of Sierra Nevada Corporation in 2021 and was initially devoted to development of the Dream Chaser spaceplane. In recent years, the company has expanded into the defense market, including winning contracts to build missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. Sierra Space recently hired longtime industry executive Dan Jablonsky as its CEO. (3/5)
Vast Raises $500 Million for Space Station (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast raised $500 million. The company announced Thursday it raised $300 million in a Series A equity round and $200 million in debt. Vast will use the funding to accelerate work on its Haven line of commercial space stations, starting with the single-module Haven-1 launching in 2027 and the Haven-2 multi-module station proposed for NASA's Commercial LEO Destinations program. Vast had been funded until now by its founder, cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, who also participated in the round. (3/5)
Canada's Telus Takes Stake in AST (Source: Space News)
Canadian telco Telus has agreed to take a stake in AST SpaceMobile to support its direct-to-smartphone network. As part of the deal, Telus will invest in ground infrastructure needed to connect subscribers to AST Space Mobile's constellation. The partnership follows a similar agreement with Bell, another of Canada's three dominant wireless carriers, which first partnered with AST SpaceMobile in 2021 and backs the company through its corporate venture arm. AST announced several other partnerships this week with mobile network operators in Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan. AST SpaceMobile plans to deploy at least 45 BlueBird Block 2 satellites by the end of 2026, with intermittent services expected in some markets following the deployment of its first 25 spacecraft. (3/5)
SPACs Return to Space (Source: Space News)
Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are making a comeback in the space industry. Several space companies used SPACs to go public five years ago, but many of those companies set financial targets that they could not meet, causing investor interest in SPACs to sour. However, SPACs have shown signs of life recently with some deals as well as plans to fund new SPACs focused on the space industry. The difference, investors argue, is that the space industry is more mature and there is a greater appreciation among the broader investment community about the importance of space. (3/5)
NASA May Use Vulcan Upper Stage for SLS (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA intends to select United Launch Alliance to provide a critical component for future missions of the agency’s moon rocket, according to people familiar with the matter, replacing planned Boeing-built hardware as costs ballooned to $2.8 billion. Boeing — which manufactures the core of NASA’s massive Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket — also holds a multibillion-dollar contract from the agency to create an upgraded version of the vehicle. (3/4)
Senate Bill Would Standardize SLS With Different Upper Stage, Extend ISS (Source: Space News)
The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a NASA authorization bill that would implement some of NASA's proposed changes to Artemis. The committee approved by a voice vote Wednesday a bill allowing NASA to replace the Exploration Upper Stage planned for future versions of the Space Launch System with an alternative. NASA announced last week it planned to do this to "standardize" on an SLS design similar to the current Block 1. The bill would also authorize NASA to develop a lunar base, but with few details on cost and schedule. Other provisions of the bill include a two-year extension of the International Space Station's life to 2032 and a restructuring of the Mars Sample Return program. The bill did not include a rumored provision that would have limited any single launch company to no more than 50% of NASA launch contracts in any year. (3/5)
Space Force Needs More Personnel and Training (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is seeking more personnel and training resources. Gen. Shawn Bratton, vice chief of space operations, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday that the service needs to double its size and increase training facilities in the coming years to deal with growing threats to space assets. The Space Force currently has about 10,000 uniformed guardians and roughly 5,000 civilian employees. Bratton noted that training exercises and war games are increasingly focused on integrating space capabilities with broader military operations. (3/5)
Space One's Third Kairos Launch Fails After Liftoff (Source: Space News)
The third launch of Japan's Kairos small launch vehicle failed Wednesday night. The rocket lifted off from Spaceport Kii in southern Honshu. About 70 seconds after liftoff, though, there appeared to be an explosion, with the rocket breaking up into several fragments. Space One, the company that operates Kairos, said that the flight termination system of the rocket was activated. Officials did not disclose additional details. This was the third launch, and third failure, of Kairos, a solid-fuel rocket designed to place up to 150 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit. (3/5)
UK's Mutable Tactics Gets $2.1M From Seraphim for UAS (Source: Space News)
British startup Mutable Tactics has raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding to enable drones to operate autonomously even without access to satellite communications and navigation. The funding round was led by Seraphim Space, which sees the technology as strengthening the resilience of space-enabled capabilities that its investments often rely on. Mutable Tactics plans to use the funds to expand its engineering team and accelerate software development for a range of unmanned systems, including aerial, maritime and ground drones. (3/5)
Foushee Wins NC Dem Primary, Virts Loses TX Dem Primary (Sources: New York Times, Texas Tribune)
The ranking member of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee survived a primary challenge. Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) narrowly defeated Nida Allam in a Democratic primary this week, with Allam conceding on Wednesday. Foushee, first elected in 2022, currently serves as the top Democrat on the space subcommittee. In Texas, former astronaut Terry Virts lost his bid to win the Democratic nomination for a House district in the Houston area. Virts finished third in the primary. (3/5)
UAP Info Release Not a Space Command Thing (Source: Ars Technica)
If the truth is out there, the head of Space Command doesn't know about it. President Trump ordered the release last month of government information about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) and alien life. Those disclosures have not started yet, and asked about them at a conference recently, Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said he had never seen any data from military tracking networks of anything other than natural phenomena and human-made objects in space. He added, though, that he was "fascinated" by the topic, "and if something's revealed, I'll be interested as an American citizen." (3/5)
The Promise of Lower Launch Prices is Still Far Off (Source: Payload)
We were promised a world of lower launch prices. Instead, we keep drifting in the opposite direction. SpaceX recently increased launch prices from $70M to $74M for a dedicated Falcon 9 ride and $6,500/kg to $7,000/kg for a rideshare slot. The company has long signaled a steady pace of price bumps, so the move does not come as a surprise.
Nonetheless, the increase (along with the lack of real alternatives) highlights a tough truth in the industry: Access to orbit has gotten significantly more expensive in recent years despite all the hoopla and hopium of falling launch prices. Rather than the more price-insensitive dedicated missions, rideshare pricing is the far more important number to track here.
Without a price-competitive alternative, the broader space startup community has relied almost exclusively on Falcon 9 Transporter and Bandwagon missions to get to space over the last five years. It's the 40% increase in rideshare prices that is felt far more acutely throughout the industry. Editor's Note: Now that SpaceX has suppressed most of the small launch market with low-cost rideshares, the pricing rises before their financials become public after their IPO. (3/4)
Virgin Galactic Seeks Space Tourism Revival After Bezos Retreat (Source: Bloomberg)
Richard Branson said Virgin Galactic Holdings wants to capitalize on opportunities created by Jeff Bezos-backed rival Blue Origin’s decision to halt trips to space for tourists. Blue Origin’s January announcement that it’s suspending space tourism flights leaves Virgin Galactic, founded by Branson, as the only major company still focused on customers willing to pay big sums to experience weightlessness during short flights to space. (3/5)
MDA Space Hits Record $1.6 Billion Revenue as Defense Business Expands (Source: SpaceQ)
MDA highlighted its backlog of $4 billion at quarter-end, its record quarterly revenues of $499 million and record adjusted EBITDA of $96 million as indications of a strong year. Overall in fiscal 2025, the company posted record revenues of $1.6 billion (up 51% year-over-year), record adjusted EBITDA of $324 million (up 49% year-over-year) and adjusted net income of $190 million (up 71% year-over-year). In fiscal 2026, MDA expects revenues between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion. (3/4)
Canada and India Move to Update Decades-Old Space Ties (Source: SpaceQ)
Amid a broad push to normalize diplomatic ties and double bilateral trade, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signaled that space remains a quiet but consistent part of the Canada-India relationship. While the centerpiece of the “Next Level Partnership” focused on high-level security and economic cooperation, the two leaders marked the 30th anniversary of space collaboration by committing to new joint ventures in space exploration and quantum technologies—reaffirming a technical alliance that has persisted even during periods of diplomatic strain. (3/4)
Space is Canada’s Sovereignty Infrastructure (Source: SpaceQ)
For many, the word evokes astronauts, moon landings, and science fiction. It feels distant. Fascinating, even inspiring, but ultimately removed from daily life on the ground. That mental model is now badly out of date. Space has quietly become critical national infrastructure. Canada’s economic resilience, national security, and sovereign decision-making increasingly depend on systems operating hundreds or thousands of kilometers above our heads.
Canadian military leadership has been clear about the stakes. Brigadier-General Christopher Horner, commander of 3 Canadian Space Division, put it plainly: “Access and assured access to space are a requirement of a sovereign, independent nation.” That is not rhetoric. It is strategic reality. (3/5)
UK Space Firms to Scale-Up and Thrive in Britain with Government Backing for Bolder Strategy (Source: Gov.UK)
UK Minister Liz Lloyd set out a clear vision to make Britain a competitive, agile space power. A major package of investment and reform will ensure public funding is focused more sharply on four areas that drive economic growth and national security outcomes: Satellite Communications; In Orbit Servicing, In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing; Space Domain Awareness; and Launch for assured access to space.
A range of practical tools and support schemes for high-potential companies will complement the record levels of public funding available, to improve access to finance, develop the skills and talent pipeline, and ensure space regulation and standards keep pace with innovation. Ministers are also open to using the government’s buying power to help British space firms scale faster – driving growth, boosting revenues and bolstering national security and defense. (3/4)
Boca Chica Beach Could Be Renamed ‘Cyber Beach’ (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Federal officials are considering a Mississippi man’s bid to rename Boca Chica Beach as Cyber Beach. The 3½-mile-long beach runs north from the mouth of the Rio Grande River adjacent to SpaceX’s city of Starbase. It has been listed as Boca Chica Beach in official records since 1936, but Josh Hazel of Mississippi wants it changed to “Cyber Beach”.
He’s part of a group of SpaceX and Elon Musk fans who meet up at the beach with their Austin-made Tesla pickups in the days leading up to Starship launches. They camp at the beach and have hosted light shows with the stainless-steel trucks. “We are proposing (that Boca Chica Beach) be renamed ‘Cyber Beach’ to commemorate the location where inter-planetary travel was started,” he wrote to the U.S. Geological Survey’s office responsible for naming places. (3/4)
Texas Supreme Court Hearing on SpaceX Beach Closures This Week (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Elon Musk’s space city in South Texas won’t be closing a nearby public beach any time soon for tests or launches of SpaceX’s Starship mega-rocket. The Texas Supreme Court delayed a February hearing about whether the city of Starbase — which is led by SpaceX employees — can periodically close Boca Chica Beach and Texas 4 for its operations. The high court moved oral arguments on the long-running case to March 5.
The authority to temporarily close the 8-mile-long beach east of Brownsville previously sat with Cameron County leaders but state lawmakers passed House Bill 2623 last year, clearing the way for state’s Space Commission to delegate closure powers to the 9-month-old city. The case landed in Texas Supreme Court in June after a state appeals court sided with the plaintiffs, a coalition of environmental and native groups, early last year. The coalition is arguing that SpaceX’s recurring closures of Boca Chica Beach for Starship testing violates the Open Beaches Amendment to the Texas Constitution. (1/12)
Vandenberg SFB Conducts ICBM Test Launch (Source: Noozhawk)
The military conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III missile equipped with two mock warheads late Tuesday night for Vandenberg Space Force Base’s 14th launch of 2026. The three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile popped out of an underground silo on North Base at the opening of a six-hour launch window for the mission dubbed Glory Trip 255, or GT 255. After leaving Vandenberg, the weapon and its two mock warheads or re-entry vehicles traveled to predetermined targets in the Kwajalein Atoll, about 4,200 miles southwest of the Central Coast. (3/4)
NASA to Borrow Private Sector Workers (Source: NASA)
NASA unveiled a new initiative Wednesday to bring in private-sector employees for short-term assignments. NASA Force, part of the Office of Personnel Management's Tech Force program, will allow the agency to hire "high-impact technical talent" for as long as two years to work on key NASA projects. NASA announced last month its intent to participate in the Tech Force program as part of other workforce initiatives that include reducing reliance on contractors. It comes after 20% of NASA's civil servant workforce left the agency last year. (3/5)
NASA Fired its Economists. It Desperately Needs to Bring Them Back (Source: The Hill)
The Trump administration has talked a big game about ushering in a “new space age” as China threatens to beat us back to the moon and national security risks grow in space. To achieve these goals, the White House said it would “unleash” the innovation and know-how of the commercial space industry. It is a good bipartisan idea — one that took off in earnest under President Barack Obama — to enlist commercial players to modernize our space program.
Unfortunately, it’s clear that the administration has already shot itself in the foot by allowing DOGE to eliminate one obscure but important team. That would be NASA’s Office of the Chief Economist, which the agency relied on for an independent understanding of the commercial space market. If NASA wanted to land cargo on the moon, for instance, its economists were the ones who would figure out whether it made sense to lean on the commercial space sector, which would require a market for those services beyond the government, or if it would be prudent to rely on a traditional contractor. (3/4)
NASA Starts Recruiting Drive After Musk’s DOGE Thinned Agency (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA and the Office of Personnel Management have announced a push to recruit engineers and technologists less than a year after the space agency lost thousands of employees as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce. The initiative, called NASA Force, will “identify and place high-impact technical talent into mission-critical roles,” according to a NASA statement Wednesday. (3/4)
ENPULSION Secures €22.5 Million Investment to Expand US Market Presence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ENPULSION has secured €22.5 million in growth funding led by Nordwind Growth, marking a pivotal milestone in the company's strategy to strengthen its global leadership in space mobility and expand its footprint in the US space industry. The new funding will fuel the company's global growth strategy, including scaling production capacity, advancing next-generation space mobility systems, and deepening market penetration in the United States. (3/5)
Mynaric Wins ESA Contract to Develop Optical Communications Technology for HydRON Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The European Space Agency has awarded Mynaric with a contract to build a laser communications Demonstration System for its High Throughput Optical Network (HydRON) project. The HydRON project aims to bolster the resilience of European communications infrastructure by deploying a high capacity, secure and interoperable optical data relay network across low and medium Earth orbits. (3/5)
China to Test Capsule Further, Attempt Booster Recoveries on Land and Sea (Source: NSF)
China is set to perform additional testing of its Mengzhou crew capsule following a successful splashdown test last month. Meanwhile, both commercial and state-owned launch providers are moving closer to attempting propulsive landings of first-stage boosters on land and at sea, as the country seeks to secure its first successful recovery of an orbital-class booster. Following the successful in-flight abort test of the Mengzhou capsule on Feb. 11th, the spacecraft will remain in Hainan province to conduct further tests at sea, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). (3/4)
HawkEye 360 Adds $23M to Series E Funding (Source: Via Satellite)
HawkEye 360 has raised a further $23 million. This comes after HawkEye 360 raised a mix of debt and equity financing valued at $150 million to support the acquisition of Innovative Signals Analysis (ISA) in December of 2025. The company said it will use this new capital to strengthen its balance sheet and continue the integration of Innovative Signal Analysis (ISA). (3/4)
Danish Mani Mission to Map Moon in 3D (Source: Space Daily)
The University of Copenhagen will lead Denmark's first lunar mission, an ESAS project that will map the Moon's surface in three dimensions to support future landings and base construction. The Mani satellite will orbit the Moon's north and south polar regions, acquiring high-resolution images that can be combined into detailed elevation models. By imaging the same areas from several viewing angles and tracking the resulting shadows, the mission team will calculate elevation differences, slopes, and small-scale terrain features that are not resolved in current datasets. (3/5)
Lunar Spacecraft Exhaust Could Obscure Clues to Origins of Life (Source: Space Daily)
Over half of the exhaust methane from lunar spacecraft could end up contaminating areas of the moon that might otherwise yield clues about the origins of earthly life, according to a recent study. The pollution could unfold rapidly regardless of a spacecraft's touchdown site; even for a landing at the South Pole, methane molecules may "hop" across the lunar surface to the North Pole in under two lunar days.
As interest in lunar exploration resurges among governments, private companies and NGOs, the study authors wrote, it becomes crucial to understand how exploration may impact research opportunities. This knowledge can help inform the creation of planetary protection strategies for the lunar environment, as well as lunar missions designed to minimize impact on that environment - and the clues about our past it may contain. (3/5)
Korean Origami Style Lunar Rover Wheel Expands to Climb Steep Caves (Source: Space Daily)
A joint team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST and the Unmanned Exploration Laboratory UEL has developed a transformable airless wheel designed to help small rovers access steep lunar pits and lava tubes. The wheel targets subsurface sites considered promising for future human habitats because they shield against cosmic radiation and extreme temperature swings.
The study introduces an origami inspired deployable wheel that can change its diameter to overcome obstacles that would halt conventional fixed geometry rover wheels, and the research appears in the December issue of Science Robotics. The concept supports mission architectures that use multiple small rovers instead of a single large vehicle, providing redundancy so exploration can continue even if some units fail. (3/5)
Redwire, Rocket Lab, and Starpath Push New Solar Array Products as Space Power Demand Broadens (Source: Mach 33)
A cluster of announcements highlights a supply chain that is starting to optimize for bigger power-hungry missions. Redwire unveiled a new solar array product positioned around higher performance per stowed volume and lower mass, while Rocket Lab introduced silicon solar arrays explicitly marketed for gigawatt-class “space-based data centers.” Separately, Starpath rolled out its ultra-thin Starlight Air panel line, emphasizing lightweight construction and manufacturability.
For orbital compute, power is the first-order constraint, and solar is the front door. What is changing is not “a new panel,” it is that multiple vendors are now designing for scale economics (cost per watt, mass per watt, stowage, production throughput) instead of bespoke heritage hardware. This is an early sign that the industry is reorganizing around a credible demand thesis for higher-power spacecraft. (3/4)
SpaceX Keeps Widening the Starlink Lead with Bicoastal Launch Cadence (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX executed two Starlink launches in one day, one from Vandenberg and another from Cape Canaveral, pushing another 54 satellites into orbit. Both boosters landed successfully, with reuse milestones that underline just how operationally mature Falcon 9 has become. This is the moat in plain sight: manufacturing throughput + launch availability + flight-proven reuse. Even if competitors build comparable satellites, they still have to replicate the cadence engine that keeps Starlink’s deployment tempo relentless and its constellation refresh cycle tight. (3/1)
Europe Proposes Starship Alternative With Wings and Mid-Air Recovery (Source: Extreme Tech)
Starship might be running late, but it's still likely to be the most capable heavy-lift launch vehicle when it's ready. Europeans looking to develop an alternative that isn't governed by America or the whims of SpaceX's CEO have suggested a similar design could be made to deliver a new European-centric heavy-lift vehicle with similar reusable properties. The RLV C5 design was proposed by researchers at the German Aerospace Center.
The RLV C5 lift vehicle would use a fully-reusable first-stage booster from the German Aerospace Center's SpaceLiner sub-orbital concept, with an expendable upper stage. This would require less fuel to carry it into orbit, allowing it to maximize payload—potentially carrying as much as 77 US tons into orbit. Recovery would be very different from Starship, though. RLV C5 would instead descend into the atmosphere using wings to slow itself to sub-orbital speeds. At the appropriate speed and altitude, it would then be captured by a large, subsonic craft. (3/4)
Nigeria Releases Funds for Space Asset Maintenance (Source: Business Day)
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, directed relevant authorities to immediately release funds for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets, in line with relevant national space policies. This is just as the President reiterated his Administration’s commitment to the realization of Nigeria’s space policy and program as enshrined in the revised 25-year roadmap for space development. (3/3)
NASA Targets April 1 for Artemis II Launch (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA is not expected to return the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad until later this month. Inside the VAB, technicians will complete several other tasks to “refresh” the rocket for the next series of launch opportunities. This work will include activating a new set of flight termination system batteries for the rocket’s range safety destruct system. Workers will also replace flight batteries on the SLS core stage, upper stage, and solid rocket boosters, and recharge the batteries on the Orion spacecraft’s launch abort system, NASA said.
At the bottom of the rocket, crews will replace a seal on the core stage liquid oxygen feed line. NASA has not said whether the launch team will conduct another countdown rehearsal after it returns to Launch Complex 39B. The first of five launch opportunities in early April is on April 1, with a two-hour launch window opening at 6:24 pm EDT. (3/3)
Infinite Orbits Goes on Spending Spree After Securing €40 Million (Source: European Spaceflight)
In less than a week, Infinite Orbits announced two acquisitions, agreeing to purchase LMO’s Luxembourg-based operations in late February and UK-based Lúnasa Space in early March. The back-to-back deals come less than four months after the company closed an oversubscribed €40 million financing round in November 2025.
Toulouse-based Infinite Orbits is developing Endurance, a satellite life-extension spacecraft, and Orbit Guard, a small spacecraft used for close-range monitoring of geostationary satellites. In 2025, the company signed agreements with European satellite operator SES to use Endurance to extend the life of one of its satellites from 2027, and with the French Directorate General for Armament to provide Orbit Guard spacecraft to monitor threats to French military assets. According to the company, its current order book totals €150 million. (3/3)
From License to Launch: What a Launch License Really Means for Reusable Infrastructure (Source: Exos)
Reusable launch cadence is not sustained by propulsion alone. It is sustained by regulatory continuity. In the United States, commercial reusable launch vehicle operations require authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
For reusable vehicles, that authority has historically operated under 14 CFR Part 431. Today, it is transitioning to 14 CFR Part 450, the FAA’s consolidated, performance-based licensing framework. Understanding what that shift means is essential for anyone depending on repeatable access to flight. Click here. (3/4)
March 4, 2026
Space Force Eyes More Funding in 2027
for New Missions (Source: Air & Space ForceS)
Space Force leaders anticipate a substantial budget increase in 2027, following a $14 billion boost in 2026. The funds are expected to enhance space domain awareness, missile defense and personnel to manage the growing demand for space capabilities. "We have incredible enlisted Guardians that are taking on more responsibilities," says Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, deputy chief of space operations for operations. "But it's still a people problem." (3/3)
SNC, Specter Detail Low-Cost Plasma Ramjet Missile Plan (Source: Aviation Week)
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and startup Specter Aerospace plan to develop and flight test a supersonic ramjet-powered cruise missile under a collaborative agreement signed between the companies in February. Flight tests of the low-cost, air-to-air missile (LCAAM) are scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, says SNC. (3/4)
Spire GNSS-Reflectometry Data Enables Arctic-Wide Sea Ice Mapping (Source: Inside GNSS)
New research supported by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Third Party Missions program has generated Arctic-wide sea ice freeboard maps using GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data captured by Spire Global’s GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) multipurpose listening constellation. (3/4)
Return of the (Space) SPAC (Source: Space News)
Former investment banker Raphael Roettgen had to abandon a space-focused special purpose acquisition company in 2022 as hype around mergers with blank-check shell companies turned radioactive. Four years later, he's back after helping raise more than $200 million to take a private space company public. (3/4)
ESA to Open Call for European-Led Space Station Studies (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA announced a call for tenders to conduct studies exploring the feasibility of a European-led, modular, multi-partner space station in low Earth orbit. In response to the planned retirement of the ISS, ESA presented member states and key partners with three possible scenarios for its post-ISS strategy in the lead-up to its November 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting (CM25).
The first scenario would see no European investment in LEO infrastructure, with the agency fully relying on US CLDs. The second scenario, labelled the agency’s baseline, would involve limited investment and a hybrid use of CLDs alongside European elements.
Scenario three was the most ambitious of the three by some margin, with the agency proposing a European-led initiative to develop and deploy a space station in low Earth orbit. While the initiative would be European-led, it would include contributions from institutional or commercial partners. On 27 February, ESA published an intended call for tenders for two Pre-Phase A studies under Scenario 3. (3/4)
Netherlands Space Office Becomes Netherlands Space Agency as Dutch Government Prioritizes Space (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Netherlands Space Office has officially transformed into the Netherlands Space Agency during the ongoing Amsterdam Space Symposium. Due to the growing importance of space both internationally and nationally, efforts in recent years have focused on broadening its scope and strengthening the Netherlands Space Office. The new name is a logical next step. (3/4)
ICEYE Launches New Deforestation Monitoring Tool (Source: Payload)
ICEYE just one-upped the Lorax. Instead of speaking for the trees, the SAR satellite manufacturer is letting the trees speak for themselves. ICEYE announced the launch yesterday of a new deforestation monitoring tool, which uses SAR imaging to provide near-real-time insights into illegal deforestation of the world’s largest rainforests.
Going under cover: Traditional optical satellites have spotted the results of illegal deforestation from space for years, in places like the Amazon. Traditional optical EO capabilities, however, struggle to uncover deforestation while it’s in progress. Essentially, rainforests like the Amazon are so dense that they generate their own cloud cover. It’s estimated that the Amazon experiences cloud cover for about 66% of the year on average. (3/4)
Top Trump Aally Threatens Retaliation Over EU Space Tech Law (Source: Politico)
Washington will retaliate if Europe imposes measures that favor its own satellite companies over American ones, the head of the United States' communications regulator Brendan Carr said. He was responding to the EU's push to promote homegrown firms over foreign competitors in a series of laws covering defense procurement, space technology, digital supply chains and green tech.
Carr joins a growing chorus of U.S. officials railing against the plans in recent weeks, including the U.S.'s EU and NATO ambassadors Andrew Puzder and Matthew Whitaker. The U.S. will not hesitate to push European satellite firms out of the American market if it finds that Europe is doing the same, the Federal Communications Commission chairman warned EU officials. (3/3)
India's Skyroot Plans April Launch of Vikram-1 Rocket (Source: Via Satellite)
Skyroot Aerospace is set for a critical year as it counts down toward the debut launch of its Vikram-1 rocket, targeted for April of this year. The launch startup, founded in India in 2018, hopes to build on India’s space heritage and become a reliable provider of launch services to commercial and government customers worldwide. The company is working on two launch vehicles, Vikram-1 and Vikram-2, as it looks to target different customer subsets. (3/3)
NASA Tests Prototype 3D Printed Titanium Antenna in Space (Source: Universe Today)
Additive manufacturing has a proven track record for reducing waste and efficiently producing made-to-order tools and components. NASA has been testing the technology aboard the ISS to investigate how it may increase astronauts' self-sufficiency. With their latest experiment, the JPL Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), NASA demonstrated another application: 3D printing space antennas.
The spring-like antenna was deployed on Feb. 3 aboard Proteus Space's Mercury One spacecraft, a small commercial satellite and the first developed using AI. An onboard camera captured video footage of the spring popping out of its container. JACC is one of two technology demonstrators designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to take up less volume while precisely deploying antennas on future satellites. (3/3)
Details of EchoStar Transformation After SpaceX-Spectrum Sale Are Still Unclear (Source: Via Satellite)
EchoStar is still not ready to give more insight into how it plans to deploy capital after it closes the sale of spectrum rights to SpaceX. Leadership CEO Hamid Akhavan and Chairman Charlie Ergen didn’t give a business update in its first quarter financial call on Monday, and instead mostly took questions from investors about what its SpaceX holdings will look like after the spectrum sale.
Overall, EchoStar reported $15 billion in revenue in 2025, down 5% compared to 2024. The company’s Broadband and Satellite Services segment, including Hughes Network Systems, posted $1.5 billion in revenue, down 8% year-over-year. EchoStar lost 144,000 satellite broadband subscribers during the year, ending 2025 with 739,000 broadband subscribers. (3/3)
PLD Space Raises $209 Million to Shift Into Serial Rocket Production (Source: Space News)
Spanish launch startup PLD Space has raised more than $200 million. The company announced Wednesday a Series C round of 180 million euros ($209 million) led by Japanese satellite maker Mitsubishi Electric. The company plans to use the funds to scale up production of its Miura 5 small launch vehicle, slated to make its first launch before the end of the year. PLD Space expects to launch up to 30 Miura 5 rockets annually by the end of the decade. As part of its funding, Mitsubishi Electric partnered to secure priority access to the rocket as part of plans to support missions in the Asian market. The funding brings PLD Space's total financing raised to date to more than 350 million euros since it was established in 2011; it also secured 169 million euros in ESA's European Launcher Challenge last fall. (3/4)
Space Force Acquisition Push Hampered by Personnel Losses (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's push to accelerate procurement of new systems is being delayed by a lack of acquisition personnel. At a conference last week, senior leaders and industry executives described a procurement system under strain as the Pentagon pushes the Space Force to move faster, using alternative contracting approaches and commercial-style buying models. However, that approach is being slowed by a lack of contracting officers and managers. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, senior adviser to the secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions, said the service needs procurement professionals not just to manage its current portfolio but also implement more intricate contracting approaches.
Editor's Note: The Space Force lost a significant portion of its civilian acquisition personnel due to Trump administration initiatives to reduce the federal workforce, and similar actions under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In 2025 the Space Force lost 14% of its civilian workforce—nearly 1,000 people—including key specialists in procurement and contracting. (3/4)
SLS Helium Problem Fixed, April Launch Targeted (Source: Space News)
NASA says it has fixed a problem with the Space Launch System upper stage that required rolling back the vehicle to the Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA said Tuesday that workers traced a blockage of helium flow into the SLS upper stage to a dislodged seal in a quick-disconnect fitting. The seal was repositioned and tests showed that helium was flowing into the stage again. The problem forced NASA to roll back the SLS last week since it could not be fixed at the pad. NASA expects to roll the vehicle back to the pad later this month for the next Artemis 2 launch window in early April. (3/4)
FCC Asked to Scale Back Satellite Regulatory Streamlining (Source: Space News)
The leaders of the House Science Committee have asked the FCC to scale back parts of a satellite licensing streamlining effort. In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr last week, Reps. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said the FCC was exceeding its statutory authority by including space safety requirements in its proposed rulemaking to improve satellite licensing. They noted that the FCC, under law, has no authority to oversee space safety issues such as mitigating orbital debris.
The committee raised similar concerns in the past as the FCC took moves such as reducing the time to deorbit a satellite at the end of its life from 25 years to five. Babin, chair of the committee, said last week he wants the committee to take up a new commercial space bill this year that might address space safety, among other topics. (3/4)
Mixed Opinions on Blue Origin's TeraWave Constellation Plan (Source: Space News)
The space industry has mixed opinions on a proposed Blue Origin satellite constellation. The company took many by surprise earlier this year when it announced TeraWave, with more than 5,000 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits to provide broadband services for enterprise customers. Some industry observers see an opportunity for TeraWave, as it will not compete head-to-head with systems like Amazon Leo and Starlink that are more focused on consumers. Others, though, are skeptical that Blue Origin can deploy TeraWave as quickly as it has proposed, with first launches in at little as 18 months. (3/4)
SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites early this morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, placing 29 satellites into orbit. The predawn liftoff created a brilliant "jellyfish" effect as the plume of the ascending rocket was backlit by the sun. The launch was the 16th this year from Florida, all but one of them by Falcon 9. (3/4)
Japan's Space One Scrubs Kairos Launch Attempt (Source: Jiji Press)
Japanese company Space One scrubbed a launch of its Kairos small rocket Tuesday. The rocket was scheduled to lift off at 9 p.m. Eastern from Spaceport Kii in southern Honshu, but the launch was called off after a "safety system" was activated 30 seconds before liftoff. The company did not disclose additional details about the problem or announce a new launch date. This is the third launch for the small solid-fuel Kairos rocket, which failed to reach orbit in its first two launches in 2024. (3/4)
Honeywell to Spin Out Aerospace Unit (Source: Honeywell)
Honeywell plans to spin out its aerospace business into a standalone company. Honeywell said Tuesday that Honeywell Aerospace will become a separate company, traded on the Nasdaq exchange. That spinout is expected to take place in the third quarter. Honeywell Aerospace had $17.4 billion in revenue and $1.5 billion in net income in 2025 supporting aviation, defense and space customers, including components and instruments for spacecraft. (3/4)
Varda Plans Spacecraft Production in El Segundo (Source: LA Times)
A California factory that had been used to design Barbies and Hot Wheels will soon be producing spacecraft. Varda Space Industries has signed an agreement to take over a 205,000-square-foot facility in El Segundo, California, that was previously used by toy maker Mattel as a research and development center. Varda will use the facility to expand production of its spacecraft and reentry vehicles, joining two other buildings the company already has in El Segundo. (3/4)
Space Force leaders anticipate a substantial budget increase in 2027, following a $14 billion boost in 2026. The funds are expected to enhance space domain awareness, missile defense and personnel to manage the growing demand for space capabilities. "We have incredible enlisted Guardians that are taking on more responsibilities," says Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, deputy chief of space operations for operations. "But it's still a people problem." (3/3)
SNC, Specter Detail Low-Cost Plasma Ramjet Missile Plan (Source: Aviation Week)
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and startup Specter Aerospace plan to develop and flight test a supersonic ramjet-powered cruise missile under a collaborative agreement signed between the companies in February. Flight tests of the low-cost, air-to-air missile (LCAAM) are scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, says SNC. (3/4)
Spire GNSS-Reflectometry Data Enables Arctic-Wide Sea Ice Mapping (Source: Inside GNSS)
New research supported by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Third Party Missions program has generated Arctic-wide sea ice freeboard maps using GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) data captured by Spire Global’s GNSS-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) multipurpose listening constellation. (3/4)
Return of the (Space) SPAC (Source: Space News)
Former investment banker Raphael Roettgen had to abandon a space-focused special purpose acquisition company in 2022 as hype around mergers with blank-check shell companies turned radioactive. Four years later, he's back after helping raise more than $200 million to take a private space company public. (3/4)
ESA to Open Call for European-Led Space Station Studies (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA announced a call for tenders to conduct studies exploring the feasibility of a European-led, modular, multi-partner space station in low Earth orbit. In response to the planned retirement of the ISS, ESA presented member states and key partners with three possible scenarios for its post-ISS strategy in the lead-up to its November 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting (CM25).
The first scenario would see no European investment in LEO infrastructure, with the agency fully relying on US CLDs. The second scenario, labelled the agency’s baseline, would involve limited investment and a hybrid use of CLDs alongside European elements.
Scenario three was the most ambitious of the three by some margin, with the agency proposing a European-led initiative to develop and deploy a space station in low Earth orbit. While the initiative would be European-led, it would include contributions from institutional or commercial partners. On 27 February, ESA published an intended call for tenders for two Pre-Phase A studies under Scenario 3. (3/4)
Netherlands Space Office Becomes Netherlands Space Agency as Dutch Government Prioritizes Space (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Netherlands Space Office has officially transformed into the Netherlands Space Agency during the ongoing Amsterdam Space Symposium. Due to the growing importance of space both internationally and nationally, efforts in recent years have focused on broadening its scope and strengthening the Netherlands Space Office. The new name is a logical next step. (3/4)
ICEYE Launches New Deforestation Monitoring Tool (Source: Payload)
ICEYE just one-upped the Lorax. Instead of speaking for the trees, the SAR satellite manufacturer is letting the trees speak for themselves. ICEYE announced the launch yesterday of a new deforestation monitoring tool, which uses SAR imaging to provide near-real-time insights into illegal deforestation of the world’s largest rainforests.
Going under cover: Traditional optical satellites have spotted the results of illegal deforestation from space for years, in places like the Amazon. Traditional optical EO capabilities, however, struggle to uncover deforestation while it’s in progress. Essentially, rainforests like the Amazon are so dense that they generate their own cloud cover. It’s estimated that the Amazon experiences cloud cover for about 66% of the year on average. (3/4)
Top Trump Aally Threatens Retaliation Over EU Space Tech Law (Source: Politico)
Washington will retaliate if Europe imposes measures that favor its own satellite companies over American ones, the head of the United States' communications regulator Brendan Carr said. He was responding to the EU's push to promote homegrown firms over foreign competitors in a series of laws covering defense procurement, space technology, digital supply chains and green tech.
Carr joins a growing chorus of U.S. officials railing against the plans in recent weeks, including the U.S.'s EU and NATO ambassadors Andrew Puzder and Matthew Whitaker. The U.S. will not hesitate to push European satellite firms out of the American market if it finds that Europe is doing the same, the Federal Communications Commission chairman warned EU officials. (3/3)
India's Skyroot Plans April Launch of Vikram-1 Rocket (Source: Via Satellite)
Skyroot Aerospace is set for a critical year as it counts down toward the debut launch of its Vikram-1 rocket, targeted for April of this year. The launch startup, founded in India in 2018, hopes to build on India’s space heritage and become a reliable provider of launch services to commercial and government customers worldwide. The company is working on two launch vehicles, Vikram-1 and Vikram-2, as it looks to target different customer subsets. (3/3)
NASA Tests Prototype 3D Printed Titanium Antenna in Space (Source: Universe Today)
Additive manufacturing has a proven track record for reducing waste and efficiently producing made-to-order tools and components. NASA has been testing the technology aboard the ISS to investigate how it may increase astronauts' self-sufficiency. With their latest experiment, the JPL Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), NASA demonstrated another application: 3D printing space antennas.
The spring-like antenna was deployed on Feb. 3 aboard Proteus Space's Mercury One spacecraft, a small commercial satellite and the first developed using AI. An onboard camera captured video footage of the spring popping out of its container. JACC is one of two technology demonstrators designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to take up less volume while precisely deploying antennas on future satellites. (3/3)
Details of EchoStar Transformation After SpaceX-Spectrum Sale Are Still Unclear (Source: Via Satellite)
EchoStar is still not ready to give more insight into how it plans to deploy capital after it closes the sale of spectrum rights to SpaceX. Leadership CEO Hamid Akhavan and Chairman Charlie Ergen didn’t give a business update in its first quarter financial call on Monday, and instead mostly took questions from investors about what its SpaceX holdings will look like after the spectrum sale.
Overall, EchoStar reported $15 billion in revenue in 2025, down 5% compared to 2024. The company’s Broadband and Satellite Services segment, including Hughes Network Systems, posted $1.5 billion in revenue, down 8% year-over-year. EchoStar lost 144,000 satellite broadband subscribers during the year, ending 2025 with 739,000 broadband subscribers. (3/3)
PLD Space Raises $209 Million to Shift Into Serial Rocket Production (Source: Space News)
Spanish launch startup PLD Space has raised more than $200 million. The company announced Wednesday a Series C round of 180 million euros ($209 million) led by Japanese satellite maker Mitsubishi Electric. The company plans to use the funds to scale up production of its Miura 5 small launch vehicle, slated to make its first launch before the end of the year. PLD Space expects to launch up to 30 Miura 5 rockets annually by the end of the decade. As part of its funding, Mitsubishi Electric partnered to secure priority access to the rocket as part of plans to support missions in the Asian market. The funding brings PLD Space's total financing raised to date to more than 350 million euros since it was established in 2011; it also secured 169 million euros in ESA's European Launcher Challenge last fall. (3/4)
Space Force Acquisition Push Hampered by Personnel Losses (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's push to accelerate procurement of new systems is being delayed by a lack of acquisition personnel. At a conference last week, senior leaders and industry executives described a procurement system under strain as the Pentagon pushes the Space Force to move faster, using alternative contracting approaches and commercial-style buying models. However, that approach is being slowed by a lack of contracting officers and managers. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, senior adviser to the secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions, said the service needs procurement professionals not just to manage its current portfolio but also implement more intricate contracting approaches.
Editor's Note: The Space Force lost a significant portion of its civilian acquisition personnel due to Trump administration initiatives to reduce the federal workforce, and similar actions under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In 2025 the Space Force lost 14% of its civilian workforce—nearly 1,000 people—including key specialists in procurement and contracting. (3/4)
SLS Helium Problem Fixed, April Launch Targeted (Source: Space News)
NASA says it has fixed a problem with the Space Launch System upper stage that required rolling back the vehicle to the Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA said Tuesday that workers traced a blockage of helium flow into the SLS upper stage to a dislodged seal in a quick-disconnect fitting. The seal was repositioned and tests showed that helium was flowing into the stage again. The problem forced NASA to roll back the SLS last week since it could not be fixed at the pad. NASA expects to roll the vehicle back to the pad later this month for the next Artemis 2 launch window in early April. (3/4)
FCC Asked to Scale Back Satellite Regulatory Streamlining (Source: Space News)
The leaders of the House Science Committee have asked the FCC to scale back parts of a satellite licensing streamlining effort. In a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr last week, Reps. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said the FCC was exceeding its statutory authority by including space safety requirements in its proposed rulemaking to improve satellite licensing. They noted that the FCC, under law, has no authority to oversee space safety issues such as mitigating orbital debris.
The committee raised similar concerns in the past as the FCC took moves such as reducing the time to deorbit a satellite at the end of its life from 25 years to five. Babin, chair of the committee, said last week he wants the committee to take up a new commercial space bill this year that might address space safety, among other topics. (3/4)
Mixed Opinions on Blue Origin's TeraWave Constellation Plan (Source: Space News)
The space industry has mixed opinions on a proposed Blue Origin satellite constellation. The company took many by surprise earlier this year when it announced TeraWave, with more than 5,000 satellites in low and medium Earth orbits to provide broadband services for enterprise customers. Some industry observers see an opportunity for TeraWave, as it will not compete head-to-head with systems like Amazon Leo and Starlink that are more focused on consumers. Others, though, are skeptical that Blue Origin can deploy TeraWave as quickly as it has proposed, with first launches in at little as 18 months. (3/4)
SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites early this morning. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, placing 29 satellites into orbit. The predawn liftoff created a brilliant "jellyfish" effect as the plume of the ascending rocket was backlit by the sun. The launch was the 16th this year from Florida, all but one of them by Falcon 9. (3/4)
Japan's Space One Scrubs Kairos Launch Attempt (Source: Jiji Press)
Japanese company Space One scrubbed a launch of its Kairos small rocket Tuesday. The rocket was scheduled to lift off at 9 p.m. Eastern from Spaceport Kii in southern Honshu, but the launch was called off after a "safety system" was activated 30 seconds before liftoff. The company did not disclose additional details about the problem or announce a new launch date. This is the third launch for the small solid-fuel Kairos rocket, which failed to reach orbit in its first two launches in 2024. (3/4)
Honeywell to Spin Out Aerospace Unit (Source: Honeywell)
Honeywell plans to spin out its aerospace business into a standalone company. Honeywell said Tuesday that Honeywell Aerospace will become a separate company, traded on the Nasdaq exchange. That spinout is expected to take place in the third quarter. Honeywell Aerospace had $17.4 billion in revenue and $1.5 billion in net income in 2025 supporting aviation, defense and space customers, including components and instruments for spacecraft. (3/4)
Varda Plans Spacecraft Production in El Segundo (Source: LA Times)
A California factory that had been used to design Barbies and Hot Wheels will soon be producing spacecraft. Varda Space Industries has signed an agreement to take over a 205,000-square-foot facility in El Segundo, California, that was previously used by toy maker Mattel as a research and development center. Varda will use the facility to expand production of its spacecraft and reentry vehicles, joining two other buildings the company already has in El Segundo. (3/4)
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