September 27, 2025

Blue Origin Delays New Glenn's Return To Flight (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin has delayed plans for its New Glenn rocket to return to the launchpad. The flight was planned for mid-August before Blue Origin pushed the launch window to late September. Now the company says it is planning for the first stage to go to the Cape Canaveral SFS Launch Complex 36 pad in mid October. (9/26)

New Bill Looks to ‘Launch’ US Forward (Source: Newsweek)
As a fierce competition between the United States and China heats up on Earth, a new bill in Congress hopes to give Washington an edge on another frontier that has the potential to reshape the future of great power rivalry.

The legislative proposal, known as the Licensing Aerospace Units to New Commercial Heights—or LAUNCH—Act, calls on the government "to streamline the application of regulations relating to commercial space launch and reentry requirements and licensing of private remote sensing space systems." The bill was introduced to the House of Representatives on Friday by Republican Representative August Pfluger, of Texas, who argued the necessity of rejuvenating and revamping the U.S. approach to space travel. (9/26)

Government Admits it Can't Recoup Millions of Public Cash Handed to Axed Scottish Spaceport (Source: Express)
The Scottish Government has admitted that it won't be able to recoup millions of taxpayer cash it handed to a company to construct a spaceport in Sutherland. Orbex provoked anger when it announced that it was pausing its work in the Highlands and moving operations to Shetland.

It was announced in December that the company would be attempting to launch a rocket from Shetland instead of Sutherland, despite receiving public money to help with the project. In total, about £14.6m has been invested, including from the SNP Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). (9/27)

'If There is a Space Race, China's Already Winning it': NASA Unlikely to Bring Mars Samples Back to Earth Before China Does (Source: Live Science)
What if the first rock samples ever deliberately hauled back to Earth landed not in Houston, but in Beijing? That scenario, once far-fetched, is edging closer to reality. The US led Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission -- long flagged as a top priority in planetary science and designed as the capstone to the Perseverance rover's carefully-curated cache of geological samples -- has stalled. At least 30 sealed sample tubes, which may contain evidence of extraterrestrial life, lie stranded in the Martian dust.

At the same time, China's Tianwen-3 mission, designed as a leaner effort to collect fewer, less carefully chosen samples, is on track for launch in 2028 with a planned return to Earth in 2031. (9/26)

Shenzhou-20 Taikonauts Complete Fourth Series of Extravehicular Activities (Source: Xinhua)
The Shenzhou-20 taikonaut crew on China's orbiting space station completed their mission's fourth round of extravehicular activities on Friday morning, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie -- worked for approximately six hours and had completed all tasks by 1:35 a.m. (Beijing Time), assisted by the space station's robotic arm and ground-based researchers. (9/26)

China Launches Fengyun-3 08 Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China on Saturday launched the Fengyun-3 08 satellite into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite was launched by a Long March-4C and successfully entered the planned orbit. The satellite, equipped with nine remote sensing payloads, including a medium-resolution spectral imager and a microwave imager, will primarily support monitoring and research activities in weather forecasting, atmospheric chemistry and climate change. (9/27)

Chinese Scientists Proposes Much Lunar Soil Originates From Earth Wind (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese scientists have newly proposed that surplus 40Ar in lunar soil possibly originates from the Earth wind, according to the Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Conducted by researchers at the NIEER, this latest study offers a new perspective for understanding volatile exchanges within the Earth-Moon system. (9/27)

Video update: Starship Launch Mount Taking Shape at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: NSF)
Significant progress is being made in Florida at the Roberts Road facility, Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), and Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37). SpaceX is rapidly expanding its Starship program, with teams working in parallel to conduct test flights and set the stage for Starship’s future launch cadence. Click here. (9/26)

The Largest-Ever Simulation of the Universe Has Just Been Released (Source: Space.com)
The Euclid Consortium, the international group managing the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, just published the world's most extensive simulation of the universe. It maps an astonishing 3.4 billion galaxies and tracks the gravitational interactions of more than 4 trillion particles.

Called Flagship 2, the simulation draws from an algorithm designed by astrophysicist Joachim Stadel of the University of Zurich (UZH). In 2019, Stadel used the supercomputer Piz Daint — then the third most powerful supercomputer in the world — to run the calculation, ultimately creating an exceptionally detailed virtual model of the universe. (9/26)

Tiny Apollo 17 Moon Rock is Unlocking a Secret Lunar History (Source: Space.com)
An unassuming rock collected from the surface of the moon over 50 years ago by the Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt could completely alter what we thought we knew about the early days of the moon and, by extension, the solar system.

The rock sample, catalogued simply as 76535, has a chemistry and texture that indicates it formed deep down in the moon's crust, nearly 31 miles underground. Moreover, radioisotope dating places it as having been on the lunar surface for 4.25 billion years. Liberating rocks so deep takes the most enormous of impacts. The assumption had been that the impact that gouged out the South Pole–Aitken Basin, which is the largest impact site on the moon, had dug out rock 76535, especially since their ages approximately match. (9/26)

Beyond Gravity to Supply Robotic Arms for Swissto12 Small GEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
Beyond Gravity has secured a contract to deliver robotic arm thruster pointing mechanisms for the small satellites Swissto12 is building for geostationary orbit. (9/26)

JPL On the Chopping Block Again (Source: NASA Watch)
JPL workers got this email this morning from JPL Human Resources about the “Phase Two reorganization and upcoming layoff in October”. People are being warned that as many as 4,000 of the 5,500 JPL employees could be gone by 15 October 2025 and that there will be a mandatory return to the office for teleworkers who are still employed by 31 October 2025. (9/26)

Dream Chaser Launch Delayed, No Longer Obligated by NASA to Supply ISS (Source: Spaceflight Now)
The Dream Chaser space plane is now scheduled to launch on its inaugural flight no earlier than late 2026. Additionally, instead of docking to the ISS, the vehicle named Tenacity will now conduct a free-flyer mission.

NASA said under the contract revsion it is “no longer obligated for a specific number of resupply missions.” The original Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract specified a minimum of seven flights to the ISS, with four missions awarded as part of a firm-fixed price task order “based on the needs of the space station.” (9/26)

Pentagon Considers End for Link 16 (Source: Defense Scoop)
The Pentagon is considering the eventual phaseout of the Link 16 tactical data link as the Space Development Agency builds an optical communications network using lasers. Optical communications offer higher data throughput and better resistance to interception compared with radio frequency communications. (9/25)

Mining the Moon’s Helium-3: The Race Fueling Quantum Dreams and Fusion Hopes (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Humanity has long considered the Moon a place of wonder and possibility. Now it’s being talked about as a potential source for one of humankind’s most unusual and valuable materials: Helium-3. Locked into the fine dust of the lunar surface by billions of years of solar wind, this light, non-radioactive isotope has, for many years, attracted attention from tech firms, space startups, and governments because of its outsized potential.

It can help chill quantum computers to near absolute zero, improve certain medical images and national-security scanners, and, in theory, serve as an almost-clean fusion fuel. Together, those promises turn helium-3 into a decisive strategic commodity and a driver for an emerging moon-mining race. The United States and China emerge as the principal rivals. Both have placed lunar exploration high on their national agendas and explicitly tied it to future technological and strategic advantage.

Russia, too, has declared its intent to join the competition, while the European Union, India, and other smaller players are beginning to take their position in this contest. As the world lines up for a stake in lunar resources, the question remains. Who will get there first, and what will it mean for the future of technology, energy, and geopolitics? (9/24)

SDA ‘Really, Really Close’ to FAA Approval for Link 16 Tests Over US (Source: Air and Space Forces)
After years of back and forth, the Space Development Agency is still awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct Link 16 testing from its on-orbit satellites over U.S. airspace—a delay that could slow testing progress for the agency’s first batch of operational spacecraft.

SDA had hoped to have certification for U.S. testing by the end of 2024. Its new director, Gurpartap Sandhoo, said Sep. 22 the agency is “really, really close” to getting an official sign-off from the FAA, but until that comes, it’s restricted to running those tests over international waters or airspace. (9/22)

Space Force Pushing to Finish 15-Year Force Design Plan by End of Year (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force expects to wrap up a detailed analysis this year of its “objective force,” a forward-looking vision for what platforms, support structures, and manpower the service thinks it will need over the next 15 years. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said the document will forecast what capabilities and resources the service will need to counter future threats. (9/23)

China Vows to Speed Up Global Roll-Out of BeiDou, its Home-Grown GPS Rival (Source: SCMP)
Beijing has pledged to accelerate the global adoption of its home-grown BeiDou satellite navigation system, an alternative to the US-run Global Positioning System (GPS) that already dominates China’s domestic market. Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said the country was “enlarging its circle of international friends” after 31 years of developing the technology, which now accounts for over 70 per cent of the domestic consumer market share.

BeiDou is increasingly integrated into daily life in China, with new terminals and devices compatible with the technology expected to exceed 400 million units by 2028, according to an industry blue book published on the same day. Ding called for wider international adoption of BeiDou by establishing cooperation centers and demonstration projects in areas such as disaster prevention and mitigation, precision agriculture and public safety. (9/25)

The World’s First Commercial Space Station is Getting Closer to Launch (Source: CNN)
The entries for the competition are due to be submitted next year, but NASA is already working with several companies developing commercial station designs before the actual ISS replacement work begins. Among these companies is California-based Vast, which signed a deal with SpaceX to launch what would be the world’s first commercial space station — called Haven-1 — currently slated for May 2026.

The single-module design is a simple proof-of-concept meant to be in orbit for three years, to support four two-week missions performed by a crew of four astronauts each. Sporting a “human-centric” design and a science lab capable of supporting microgravity research and manufacturing opportunities for technology including semi-conductors, Haven-1 would be available for both private and government missions. (9/25)

Space Force to Get NOAA Antennas to Supplement Satellite Control Network (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force will soon have access to antennas owned by NOAA to augment the capacity of its aging Satellite Control Network used to keep US military satellites flying, according to a senior official at the service’s primary acquisition command. (9/22)

Space Force Will Own Next-Gen Neighborhood Watch Sats (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force intends to buy commercially available spacecraft and payloads for the follow-on to its flagship space domain awareness (SDA) constellation, under a new plan in which the service will own and operate the satellites, according to service officials. (9/22)

Scientists Built a Plasma Thruster That Could Vaporize Our Floating Junkyard (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Because many pieces of space debris are tumbling uncontrollably, the "non-contact" method of removing them has gained some traction. Now scientists in Japan—may have stumbled upon the best method yet. “Most current space debris removal methods are direct-contact approaches and carry the risk of becoming entangled in the uncontrolled motion of debris,” said Kazunori Takahashi.

“More recent work has focused on using a plasma thruster to decelerate the debris, forcing it out of orbit.” Takahashi’s idea dates back to another study from 2018 (also published in Scientific Reports) where he first describes his “bi-directional thruster”—essentially a design with two plasma beams that counteract each other. (9/22)

Space Force Wants Aggressor Satellites To Emulate Adversary Orbital Capabilities (Source: TWZ)
Space Force’s Guardians may execute a full-time remote mission from their stations on the ground, but the service’s top officer wants to take more training out of the virtual realm. In part, this would occur by deploying actual aggressor satellites in orbit in a similar manner to how the USAF flies aggressor fighters with specially trained pilots that mimic the enemy’s tactics and capabilities against its flight crews. (9/24)