January 6, 2025

Top 10 Space Economy Predictions for 2025 (Source; Brian Miske)
As we explore the top 10 trends shaping the space economy, it’s essential to recognize that this is not merely a technological revolution; it’s an evolution that will impact every sector. Are you ready to go beyond the horizon? Let's explore the top 10 predictions for the Space Economy in 2025. Click here. (1/6)

ESA Launch Competition to Address Georeturn Policies (Source: Space News)
ESA will use an upcoming launch competition as one test of reforms to its georeturn policies. The agency said last month that it is studying "simplifying" its implementation of georeturn, where countries are guaranteed contracts for projects based on the size of their contributions to them. Some companies have criticized that approach as inefficient, and a European Commission report last fall recommended that ESA do away with it.

ESA said it plans to keep georeturn but will look at different approaches to it, like "fair contribution," where ESA holds industrial competition and then ask countries to contribute based on who won. ESA is planning to use fair contribution for the upcoming European Launcher Challenge to support development of new launch vehicles. (1/6)

NASA Sees Support for Continuous Human Presence in Space (Source: Space News)
NASA said it has seen "nearly unanimous" support for a strategy that calls for a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit. NASA released last month its LEO Microgravity Strategy that endorsed "continuous heartbeat," or keeping people in orbit continuously, rather than a "continuous capability" alternative that would have allowed gaps in human presence in orbit.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said in a recent interview that comments she made in October suggesting that NASA was weighing the two options were intended to stimulate feedback, with international partners and other government agencies backing continuous heartbeat, along with most companies. The finalized strategy will support the next phase of NASA's effort to stimulate development of commercial space stations that will succeed the International Space Station. (1/6)

Italy Considers Starlink for Government Communications (Source: Bloomberg)
Italy is in talks with SpaceX for government communications services using Starlink. The government is reported to be in "advanced talks" with SpaceX for a five-year, $1.5 billion contract for secure communications services for the Italian military and other government agencies using Starlink. It was unclear if the Italian government considered the deal a stopgap until the European Union deploys its own IRIS² secure connectivity constellation or as a rebuke of it.

Separately, United Airlines said it was accelerating deployment of Starlink on its fleet starting with regional jets this spring. The airline now plans to have its complete fleet of regional jets equipped with Starlink by the end of year, with the first mainline jets getting the service at the end of the year. United will require passengers to be MileagePlus members to use Starlink for free. (1/6)

India Postpones Docking Demo (Source: Times of India)
The Indian space agency ISRO said it is postponing a docking technology demonstration by two days. ISRO said early Monday it needed more time to complete simulations of abort scenarios for the Space Docking Experiment, or SpaDeX, mission, delaying docking of the two SpaDeX spacecraft from Tuesday to Thursdays. ISRO launched SpaDeX last week to conduct the country's first tests of docking technology needed for future crewed and robotic exploration missions. A set of secondary payloads placed into orbit on the same launch are working well, including a test of a robotic arm and sprouting of chickpea seeds. The payloads, collectively known as POEM-4, are on the upper stage of the PSLV rocket that launched SpaDeX. (1/6)

Planetary Society Chief Wins Presidential Medal of Freedom (Source: Washington Post)
The head of The Planetary Society is among the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Biden awarded the medal Saturday to 19 people, including Bill Nye, best known as "The Science Guy" from the public television series. Nye has been a member of The Planetary Society, a space science advocacy organization, since its founding in 1980 and has been its CEO since 2010. (1/6)

NASA Explores Sustainable Thermoplastic Composites (Source: Composites World)
NASA has launched the CAS Sustainable Manufacturing of Aircraft project to explore sustainable thermoplastic composites and minimize environmental impact throughout the aircraft lifecycle. The project, funded by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and Convergent Aeronautics Solutions program, involves NASA's Langley Research Center, Glenn Research Center and Ames Research Center. (1/3)

First-Ever Image of a Sunlike Star’s Astrosphere Captured in Space (Source: Daily Galaxy)
Astronomers have captured a stunning first: an image of a protective bubble around a star like our sun. This mysterious astrosphere, a cosmic shield against harmful radiation, could hold clues about the sun’s turbulent youth. Nicknamed The Moth, this star boasts peculiar wing-like structures, hinting at a deeper story. (1/5)