October 19, 2025

China Seeks to Dominate Space in Era of ‘Unmanaged Competition’ (Source: National Defense)
China’s ambition to become a global superpower has stretched to space. In 2015, China declared space a warfighting domain. Nine years later, it established its own space force, the People’s Liberation Army Aerospace Force. Today, the country is actively pursuing technology that threatens U.S. space superiority. The number of payloads China delivered to orbit has doubled since 2024, “with an initial build out of not one but two Chinese megaconstellations of low Earth orbit satellites similar to U.S. Starlink,” said Michael Dahm.

As the Space Force evaluates China’s moves, equally concerning is how fast Beijing is making them, said Brig. Gen. Brian Sidari. China is in part fueled by its understanding of U.S. space-based capabilities, “because they’ve studied us … for so long,” he said. “They’ve realized that they need” systems like positioning, navigation and timing, global satellite communications and sensors “to enable their force to be successful.”

Two areas of particular concern are reusable lift — launch vehicles designed for repeated trips from Earth to space — and the megaconstellations — groups of hundreds of thousands of satellites working together as a system, Sidari said. “I’m concerned about when the Chinese figure out how to do reusable lift that allows them to put more capability in orbit at a quicker pace,” Sidari said. (10/17)

Can India Become a Self-Reliant Space Power? (Source: The Diplomat)
Is it possible for India to develop its own space station while participating in the Artemis Accords and leveraging advanced technology and market access? Can India maintain its neutrality amid the China-U.S. rivalry? How sustainable is this balance, given India’s constraints of finances, talent, and technology?

India’s dual approach to space diplomacy is deeply rooted in its Cold War-era foreign policy. During this period, India adhered to a policy of nonalignment, refraining from siding directly with either the United States or the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, India sought to acquire crucial space technology from various sources, which significantly influenced its early space policy. (10/16)

Oman Set for Launch as Regulator Announces Spaceflight Framework (Source: OpenPR)
Oman's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has introduced a framework to approve commercial space launch activities, marking the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East. Etlaq Spaceport, the region's first commercial spaceflight hub, has welcomed the announcement, highlighting its significance in positioning Oman as a regional leader in the growing space economy which aims to be a global leader in accessible space launch and sustainable space exploration.

The recently issued Civil Aviation Directive (CAD 5-01) sets out the process for coordinating spaceflight activities within Oman's airspace. Under the directive, companies seeking launch approval must submit an evidence-based safety case to the CAA in order to reserve launch windows in the Muscat Flight Information Region (FIR). Applications aim to be processed in as little as 45 days, giving operators one of the fastest approval cycles globally, while maintaining rigorous aviation, maritime, and ground safety requirements. (10/16)

Promoted on Sunday, Fired on Monday: Inside a NASA Office’s Sudden Closure (Source: Planetary Society)
On the morning of March 10, 2025, David Draper sat down to what would be one of his last meetings as NASA’s Deputy Chief Scientist. He did not know what was coming. But it was the first time he had ever been guarded by plainclothes security at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Draper sat opposite his team. That meant he saw their reactions when they were told that the entire Office of the Chief Scientist was being shut down, and all of their jobs eliminated. "It was a total gut punch,” Draper said. “I just watched their spirits being crushed right in front of me.” He did not go quietly.

“What you have here is about 150 years’ combined experience at the top leadership level of this agency,” Draper recalled arguing, “You're telling me you can't find a place for these talented people?” But the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) was only the beginning. In the months to follow, roughly 4,000 employees — over 20% of NASA — would leave the agency. (10/17)

China Successfully Launches New Satellite Group (Source: Xinhua)
China sent a new satellite group into space on Friday from the Taiyuan spaceport. The satellite group, which will constitute the Spacesail Constellation -- a commercial Chinese low-orbit satellite network, was launched aboard a modified Long March-6 rocket. (10/17)

German Launch Startup HyImpulse Raises 45 Million Euros (Sources: Space News, EIC)
German launch startup HyImpulse has raised 45 million euros ($53 million) as it works to avoid becoming an also-ran in the European space launch race. In 2024, HyImpulse achieved a major milestone with the successful test flight of the SR75 suborbital rocket, proving the viability of its paraffin-based hybrid propulsion system. (10/17)

Planet Labs Wins $12.8 Million NGA Contract for Maritime Intelligence in Asia-Pacific (Source: Space News)
Planet Labs received a $12.8 million contract from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to deliver maritime data and analytics for regions across the Asia-Pacific. (10/17)

No Future for Space Futures Command, Sources Say (Source: Breaking Defense)
Space Force’s much-touted plan to create a new Futures Command is on the chopping block, and as of yet there is no formal plan for any replacement organization, according to a handful of sources inside and outside of the Pentagon. “Futures Command is dead,” one Pentagon official said bluntly. (10/17)