June 9, 2025

Florida’s Space Coast: Number 1 in the Nation for Manufacturing Growth (Sources: Kenan Institute, EDC)
The Space Coast has long been recognized for its contributions to space exploration, but today it is also a diverse manufacturing powerhouse—producing everything from rockets and planes to medical devices, boats, and much more. According to a new report by the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Palm Bay Extended Metropolitan Area—better known as Florida’s Space Coast—has emerged as the fastest-growing region in the U.S. for manufacturing, boasting an impressive 8.8% annualized growth over the past decade.

This remarkable performance has propelled the Space Coast to the No. 1 spot nationwide for manufacturing growth! As we look to the future, the Space Coast’s manufacturing sector is poised for continued growth. With robust infrastructure, a strategic location, bold investments, a skilled workforce, and supportive training programs, the region offers a bright outlook for manufacturers to invest, expand, and thrive. (6/9)

Bezos Aims for the Moon: Competition with Musk Heats Up (Source: SEI)
Jeff Bezos has announced that he has the means to reach the Moon. Elon Musk, at this moment, does not. Blue Origin, the space company founded by the Amazon mogul two years before SpaceX was born, has confirmed that it will attempt to land on our natural satellite by the end of 2025. It has a launch vehicle, and the lander for touchdown is nearly ready.

In SpaceX’s case, the launcher and lander are a single system: Starship. The latest test, just last week, ended in what the company calls a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” its third in a row. To be clear, the race to the Moon is a league of its own. SpaceX leads in every other arena, especially when weighing cost effectiveness and reliability. The Moon, however, is a different matter though it’s not out of the question that SpaceX could surge ahead with a couple of flawless tests in the coming months.

At stake are the fulfillment of NASA contracts for the Artemis program and the glory of returning humanity to the lunar surface. Still, while just a few months ago it seemed like Musk’s company had already written the ending to this story, today some doubts are beginning to emerge. (6/4)

ISS National Lab and Boeing Award More Than $650,000 to Space Prize Winners (Source: CASIS)
Two innovative startups were selected to receive the MassChallenge Technology in Space Prize. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Laboratory, and Boeing, the program's funders, will provide the companies more than $650,000 to advance their research using the ISS. Redpoint Oncology will leverage the accelerated progression of cancers in microgravity to test a new class of cancer therapies. Fourier will test how well its new radiation-shielding material protects sensitive electronic devices from the harsh conditions of space. (6/9)

Trump’s Golden Dome Creates Opening for Space Force to Gain Relevance (Source: Bloomberg)
Five years after its formation during President Donald Trump’s first administration prompted jokes about the Star Trek-style logo and inspired a Netflix sitcom, the US Space Force is still looking for respect. “Many people don’t even understand the Space Force is real,” General Michael Guetlein, the agency’s vice chief of space operations, told a Washington area conference in March. “That was a luxury that we had when space wasn’t contested. We no longer enjoy that luxury.” (6/8)

Starlink Licensed for India Service (Source: PTI)
SpaceX is a step closer to beginning Starlink services in India. The company received a license Friday from the Department of Telecommunications, which will give the company access to trial spectrum for testing its services. SpaceX still needs commercial spectrum allocations from the government as well as approval from Indian space regulator In-SPACe before beginning commercial services in India. (6/9)

Europe's Themis Reusable Launcher Test May Move to 2026 (Source: European Spaceflight)
The first flight of a European reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator will likely slip. Themis, a project started in 2019 to test reusable boosters, was expected to make a long-awaited first "hop" flight this year. Delays in development and integration tests, though, are expected to push that test flight into at least early 2026, according to sources close to the program. Original plans for Themis called for that first hop test to occur in 2022. (6/9)

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Still a Lunar Threat (Source: NASA)
An asteroid that once posed a small risk of hitting the Earth in 2032 still has a chance to hit the moon instead. Observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have refined the orbit of asteroid 2024 YR4, an asteroid that early this year had a 3% chance of hitting the Earth in 2032 before improved knowledge of the asteroid's orbit ruled out an impact. The asteroid still has a small chance of hitting the moon in 2032, and the Webb observations increased that risk from 3.8% to 4.3%. The asteroid is now out of view of both ground- and space-based telescopes, and will remain so until 2028. (6/9)

African Space Agency Could Unite Continent's Space Ambitions (Source: Space News)
A new space agency is intended to provide a united front for Africa in space. The African Space Agency was formally inaugurated in April when it opened its headquarters in Cairo and signed far-reaching cooperation agreements with ESA, the UAE Space Agency and Roscosmos. Over the past three decades, 18 African nations have collectively deployed more than 60 satellites. Yet, Africa's space sector remains relatively small on the global stage and heavily dependent on foreign support. The agency aims to coordinate and empower continental space activities through collaboration and shared resources. (6/9)

Spain's Arkadia Tests Thruster in Orbit (Source: Space News)
Spanish propulsion startup Arkadia Space says it has successfully tested its first thruster in orbit. The company said Monday that it flew its DARK propulsion module, with a five-newton thruster, on a D-Orbit ION vehicle launched in March. Arkadia says it has fired the thruster hundreds of times since then, and the thruster's performance matched ground tests. The thruster uses hydrogen peroxide, a "green" propellant easier and less expensive to handle than hydrazine. (6/9)

China Satellite Uses Laser Imaging to Capture Human Facial Features From 100 Kilometers (Sources: Live Science, LinkedIn)
Scientists in China have developed a powerful spy satellite equipped with laser-based imaging technology that can capture incredible details, such as human facial features, from over 60 miles (100 kilometers) away. This breakthrough represents a dramatic leap in imaging technology, providing 100 times greater resolution compared to current leading spy cameras and traditional telescopes.

The technology, based on synthetic aperture lidar (SAL), uses laser radar to construct high-resolution 2D and 3D images. Unlike traditional radar systems, which rely on longer microwave wavelengths, SAL operates at optical wavelengths. This shorter wavelength allows it to produce much clearer images. While microwaves are better at penetrating materials, the SAL system's superior resolution could offer unprecedented levels of detail, making it useful for surveillance, especially of foreign satellites and distant objects. (3/11)

HyperStealth Gains Patents for LiDar Tech (Source: HyperStealth)
HyperStealth received the approval of patents in two different countries. South Korea has approved 20 claims, and Israel has approved 14 claims for the revolutionary "System and Method for Laser Scattering, Deviation, and Manipulation." This groundbreaking technology effectively splits a single laser beam into an astounding 10 million beams, significantly enhancing advanced LiDAR systems. Notably, this innovation enables an impressive potential capability of 2 trillion pulses per second, marking a substantial advancement that would be 200,000 times faster than current leading LiDAR technology. (6/7)