February 12, 2026

SpaceX Removes Dragon Crew Arm at LC-39A, Giving Starship a Leg Up in Florida (Source: Ars Technica)
Launch Complex 39A in Florida is accustomed to getting makeovers. It got another one Wednesday with the removal of the Crew Access Arm used by astronauts to board their rides to space. Construction workers first carved the footprint for the launch pad from the Florida wetlands more than 60 years ago. NASA used the site to launch Saturn V rockets dispatching astronauts to the Moon, then converted the pad for the Space Shuttle program. The last shuttle flight lifted off from Pad 39A in 2011, and the agency leased the site to SpaceX for use as the departure point for the company’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. (2/12)

Seattle Startup Integrate Lands $17M to Expand its Super-Secure Project Management Tool (Source: Geekwire)
Seattle’s Integrate on Wednesday announced $17 million in new funding to broaden the scope of its super-secure project management tool that targets complex operations in defense, space and other sectors. Integrate landed a $25 million contract last June from the U.S. Space Force to support the deployment of its software, which enables collaboration between government teams and commercial space contractors.

The company has built the only project management platform adopted by the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, a classified environment that includes top-secret projects involving multiple clearance levels and hundreds of companies. (2/11)

RAS Fellows Urged to Lobby Against Unprecedented UK Cuts (Source: RAS)
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science. Last month the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) advised researchers that resource grants for this area are likely to be subject to a 30% budget reduction, with project teams told to plan for anything up to 60% cuts. If this course is not reversed, it could trigger one of the most serious crises for our sciences in modern times. (2/12)

Stoke Space Adds $350M as it Readies for the First Launch of its Reusable Rocket (Source: Geekwire)
Stoke Space Technologies says it has added another $350 million to its previously announced financing round, bringing the amount raised in the round to $860 million. The fresh funding will go toward completing activation of the company’s Florida launch complex and expanding production capacity for its fully reusable Nova launch vehicle. Additional capital will be used to accelerate future elements on Stoke’s product road map. The medium-lift Nova rocket is currently under development. First liftoff from Launch Complex 14 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport is expected sometime this year. (2/10)

Space Florida Opens Application Process for FDOT Spaceport Infrastructure Funding (Source: Space Florida)
Building on more than $531 million in state investment (currently concentrated at Kennedy Space Center, then Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Cecil Spaceport) leveraged with $3.3 billion in private industry funding, Space Florida announced its 2026 call for projects under the Spaceport Improvement Program (SIP). This long-standing space transportation partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) continues to fuel growth across the state’s aerospace economy.

The annual call invites aerospace partners to submit applications for infrastructure projects that support current and future space transportation needs across Florida’s statewide spaceport system. Applications are due Wednesday, April 22, 2026.  Click here. (2/6)

NASA Chief Seeks More Pentagon Collaboration (Source: Air & Space Forces)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has called for expanded collaboration between NASA and the Pentagon, highlighting opportunities to avoid duplicate investments and to leverage shared technological advancements. He pointed to areas like nuclear propulsion, navigation, and communications as ripe for joint efforts, suggesting that resource pooling could benefit both agencies' distinct missions. Recent executive orders have further formalized this collaboration, with the White House's science office now acting as a coordination hub to streamline joint initiatives and prevent costly redundancies. (2/11)

Navy Turns Ground on Major Facility at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $165.7 million design-build construction contract for the P103 Engineering Test Facility at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, supporting operations of the Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU). A ground breaking for the new facility was held on Feb. 4. The facility will modernize and consolidate NOTU engineering test activities into a single, purpose-built structure for the Navy’s Trident II (D5) Missile Life Extension Program.

This is one of the largest recent MILCON projects on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, boosting NOTU's status as a major tenant at the spaceport. It also signals long-term federal investment tied to NOTU's mission—relevant for suppliers, contractors and subcontractors in the region. The design-build contractor is Wash Federal LLC, with architectural design provided by a Merrick-RS&H joint venture. In related news a Merrick joint venture with Blair Remy was on Feb. 5 awarded a $33M IDIQ contract for NAVFAC Southeast work through 2031, potentially supporting future Navy requirements at the Cape. (2/10)
 
Blue Origin Plan Puts Indian River Lagoon at Serious Risk (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
One of the signature features of the Space Coast is that it is perched alongside a crown jewel of the Sunshine State’s coastal environment, the Indian River Lagoon. Nestled roughly halfway between Jacksonville and Miami, the lagoon is a 156-mile estuary where saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean and freshwater from the mainland merge to create a diverse breeding and feeding area for sea turtles, hundreds of species of fish and seabirds, and thousands of species of other animals and plants

Designated an Outstanding Florida Water and an Estuary of National Significance, the Lagoon is fringed with protected state and federal lands like the Canaveral National Seashore, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Over the decades, it has survived hurricanes, algae blooms and other natural and man-made challenges. But now this national treasure ― one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the planet ― is facing a completely preventable threat.

Blue Origin has an incredible opportunity to be a good neighbor to the Space Coast and work with partners in the aerospace industry to limit their impacts on the precious Indian River Lagoon. Instead of merely dumping their untreated wastewater into the ocean, the company could work with state leaders to pave the way for advanced wastewater treatment technology in the northern Indian River Lagoon system, treating not only their own discharge, but potentially the discharges of local governments that should be shifted away from septic and onto public sewer systems with advanced wastewater treatment anyway. In doing so, they could transform the water quality of the Indian River Lagoon and accelerate the lagoon’s ecological recovery for the benefit of residents and businesses alike. (2/12)

Government Increases New Zealand Launch Limit to 1000 (Source: RNZ)
The government is raising the total number of launches allowed to 1000, as the cap set at 100 in 2017 comes close to being breached. The US-NZ company Rocket Lab dominates the launch market from its pad at Mahia. Space Minister Judith Collins said the 100 cap was likely to be hit this year.

"This change ensures our space and advanced aviation industries can continue to expand while operating within clear environmental boundaries." The environmental impact from more debris from space vehicle launches had been newly determined to be low. The rules would have required a special marine consent for every launch over the 100 cap. (2/12)

National Mission to Launch Sovereign Satellite Kept Under Wraps by Officials (Source: RNZ)
Most of the work being done on a national mission to launch a sovereign satellite is being kept under wraps by officials. An RNZ request under the Official Information Act (OIA) for the key documents came up mostly empty, with ministerial briefings either largely blanked out or withheld entirely. The government's 2024 aerospace strategy set a goal to "establish a national mission through the development, manufacture, launch and operation of one or more sovereign satellites". This was to collect data for the likes of protecting ocean zones and for "broader space domain awareness". (2/6)

Commerce Secretary Lutnick Blasts SpaceX’s Proposed BEAD Rider (Source: Fierce Network)
States can proceed with their Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) plans without any say from SpaceX, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators Tuesday. Regarding the proposed subgrantee agreement SpaceX sent to states, Lutnick confirmed at a hearing “that rider is outside of our guidelines, it is outside the statute, and it is rejected by us.”

The document, leaked a couple of weeks ago, asked states to modify BEAD requirements such as those related to capacity reserves and network performance testing – provisions that went against NTIA’s June 6 policy notice. (2/11)

NASA Must Replace its Antiquated Space Launch System (Source: Washington Times)
Americans rightly view space exploration through a lens of pride and history. The Apollo era remains a defining national achievement, and any successful mission carrying American astronauts, especially Artemis II, should be celebrated as a triumph of skill, courage and engineering. As citizens and taxpayers, we want Artemis II to succeed, but success alone is not a winning strategy when you’re an American.

[Unlike the US] China does not approach space exploration as a series of prestige missions. The Chinese Communist Party treats cislunar space as an extension of economic power, industrial capacity and long-term strategic advantage. Beijing is executing a coordinated national strategy that integrates civilian, commercial and military capabilities to shape the rules, norms and infrastructure governing the next era of space activity.

Even if Artemis II performs flawlessly whenever it launches, it will not change this central fact: The current government-built launch architecture is not designed for high cadence, rapid reuse or long-term affordability. Those attributes are what determine whether we can maintain leadership rather than merely visit the moon intermittently. The Space Launch System was conceived in a different strategic era, built around expendable components and slow production timelines. After more than 13 years of development and more than $64 billion in expenditures, it has flown once. Each launch carries a multibillion-dollar price tag and requires years of preparation. That model cannot support sustained presence, rapid iteration or strategic resilience in a competitive environment. (2/11)

Canadian Space Institute Targets Continental Workforce with US Expansion (Source: SpaceQ)
The North American Space Institute (NASI), Canada’s new space technician school, is reorienting towards a more continental approach. NASI recently announced a new partnership with two American organizations, Learning Exchange Inc (LEXX) and Alliance Cyber, with a goal of standardizing their offerings across both the United States and Canada and helping space technicians to lend their skills to companies and agencies in both countries. (2/11)

Skyrora Could Buy Orbex Assets Including Sutherland Spaceport (Source: BBC)
Glasgow-based rockets manufacturer Skyrora says it is looking at possibly buying "select assets" of troubled space firm Orbex, including its Sutherland Spaceport project. Orbex, which has its headquarters in Forres, Moray, has appointed administrators after failing to secure sufficient funding. The company said in December 2024 it had paused its plans to build the satellite launch site near Tongue, but would retain the lease to construct and operate the base. Skyrora said its potential asset acquisition could involve up to £10m worth of investment. (2/12)

ISU Launches World’s First Online Space Research Master's Degree (Source: ISU)
The International Space University (ISU) today announced the launch of the world’s first fully online interdisciplinary master’s degree dedicated exclusively to space research. The program is distinguished by a unique research mentorship model that allows students to work with former astronauts, alongside academic supervisors, in shaping research questions grounded in real mission and operational experience. (2/12)

European Space Agency Picks OHB Italia for a Planned 2028 Mission to Asteroid Apophis (Source: ESA)
OHB Italia has been selected by ESA for a 2028 rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis. The contract, worth nearly $100 million, begins the spacecraft construction, assembly and testing phase of the Ramses mission. The asteroid Apophis is expected to pass roughly 23,000 miles from the Earth in 2029. (2/10)

SpaceX IPO Could Suck Oxygen From Market Before Unleashing Broad Capital Surge (Source: Space News)
SpaceX’s IPO could take attention away from other companies in the market, at least in the short term. Some investors cautioned that the run-up to that IPO, expected this summer, could draw attention away from other space companies seeking to go public or raise money around the same time. However, the attention generated by that IPO could help companies in the longer term as more investors examine opportunities in the space sector beyond SpaceX. (2/12)

FCC Space Reforms Part of Broader "Foundation for the New Space Age" (Source: Space News)
The head of the FCC’s Space Bureau says the agency’s regulatory reform efforts are tied to broader goals. Jay Schwarz said the commission wants to “lay the foundation for the new space age” with a series of reforms that are ongoing. Those reforms are tied to improving the speed, flexibility and predictability of the licensing process, as well as freeing up additional spectrum for satellite communications. (2/12)

Golden Dome Uncertainty Not a Barrier to Corporate Investment (Source: Space News)
Space industry executives said they are continuing to invest in the Golden Dome missile defense initiative despite uncertainty about the effort. The Pentagon has released few details about the Golden Dome architecture, electing to keep it classified. Executives said that while they understood that rationale, they worried it could impede “open innovation” and the ability to bring in ideas from companies outside large defense contractors. They added, though they expected Golden Dome to continue in some form after the current administration given the urgency of missile defense. (2/12)

Small Launchers Split on How to Compete with SpaceX (Source: Space News)
Launch companies are split on how to compete with SpaceX. Some warned against competing head-to-head with SpaceX on price, instead differentiating themselves on factors such as performance and customer service. Others, though, said it was essential to lower costs to more effectively compete. The debate occurs as the industry faces constrained launch supplies as a glut of vehicles once expected to come into the market failed to materialize because of technical or financial setbacks. (2/12)

Smallsat Manufacturers Squeezed by Megaconstellation Vertical Integration (Source: Space News)
Vertical integration of megaconstellations is squeezing smallsat manufacturers. As companies like Amazon and SpaceX produce their own satellites, it becomes harder for independent operators to compete on cost, scale or access to customers, industry officials said at the SmallSat Symposium this week. That could lead to consolidation among smallsat producers to help them achieve “constellation-level economics.” The move toward mass production and constellation-scale deployment, though, could create opportunities for companies capable of delivering specialized spacecraft that large manufacturers increasingly deprioritize. (2/12)

Russia Launches Proton with Weather Satellite From Baikonur (Source: TASS)
A Proton rocket launched a Russian weather satellite Thursday. The Proton lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 3:52 a.m. Eastern carrying the Elektro-L No. 5 weather satellite, bound for geostationary orbit. The launch was scheduled for December but delayed by technical issues with the Proton’s upper stage. The launch was the first in nearly three years for Proton, a vehicle once in high demand for government and commercial missions. (2/12)

China Launches Jielong-3 with Seven Satellites From Offshore Ship (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese rocket launched from a ship early Thursday. The Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, rocket launched from a ship off the coast from Guangdong province at 1:37 a.m. Eastern. The rocket carried seven satellites, including a remote sensing satellite for Pakistan. (2/12)

Middle Powers Seek Sovereign Capabilities for Remote Sensing (Source: Space News)
More countries are seeking their own Earth observation satellite systems. Representatives of Earth observation companies said this week that middle powers that previously relied on space systems operated by powerful allies or partners are now clamoring for sovereign capabilities. Many of those countries, though, may struggle to afford full control of such systems and may instead seek to purchase individual satellites in a constellation or specific services. (2/12)

South Korea's INNOSPACE Plans Launches From Azores Spaceport (Source: ASC)
INNOSPACE has signed a strategic agreement with the Atlantic Spaceport Consortium (ASC) to use the Malbusca Launch Center, located on Santa Maria Island in the Azores, securing its first European launch site. Starting in 2026, this five-year agreement grants INNOSPACE priority, long-term access to Portugal’s spaceport, enabling the gradual development of key launch infrastructure and targeting the first commercial launch in Q4 2026.

Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the Malbusca Launch Centre offers unique geographical and operational advantages, including flexible orbital trajectories, independent airspace and maritime operations, and a stable regulatory framework — essential for competitive and customized launch missions. (2/9)

Firehawk Aerospace Expands Advisory Leadership (Source: Firehawk)
Firehawk Aerospace announced the appointment of Abdul Subhani, CEO of Centex Technologies, as Chair of its Board of Advisors. The appointment reflects Firehawk’s continued focus on disciplined growth and strengthening resilient domestic supply chains as the company expands production of next-generation propulsion technologies. In addition to Subhani’s appointment, Firehawk announced that Kevin Schoonover has joined the Board of Advisors, bringing decades of leadership experience across missile systems, defense programs, and aerospace manufacturing. (2/2)

Space Force is Moving to Acquire by Mission Area (Source: Aerospace America)
As the Pentagon pushes to accelerate acquisition, a U.S. Space Force official said the service wants to align its purchases with mission areas, rather than programs. The service has “only ever acquired systems by program, and it’s probably tied to the program element structure and the oversight economics,” Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr., the Space Force deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, said Tuesday at the Defense and Intelligence Space Conference. (2/12)

Soft Power and the Race to the Moon: Why Cislunar Norms Are the Next Hill to Hold (Source: AIAA)
For most of the Space Age, geopolitics played out in Earth orbit. That era is ending. The next strategic arena is cislunar space which is the vast volume from geosynchronous orbit out to, around, and including the moon. Cislunar space is sought after because it provides the ability to host the infrastructure that makes deep-space operations routine: communications relays, navigation beacons, refueling depots, scientific observatories, and eventually sustained lunar surface activity, including commercial operations. (2/12)

Vulcan Launches Successfully From Florida, Despite Another SRB Anomaly (Source: Spaceflight Now)
ULA said an issue affected one of the four solid rocket boosters that helped propel its Vulcan rocket into space Thursday on a mission for the United States Space Force. Despite the problem the rocket, making only its fourth flight, continued on its planned trajectory, the company said. The rocket thundered away from LC-41 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport but less than 30 seconds into the flight, there appeared to be a burn through of one of the nozzles on a Northrop Grumman-built graphite epoxy motor (GEM) 63XL solid rocket boosters (SRBs).

The “observation” noted on one of the SRBs on Thursday morning’s flight marks the second time in just four flights that ULA ran into a similar issue. A burn through was noted during the second certification launch of Vulcan back on Oct. 4, 2024. ULA and Northrop Grumman went through a series of tests and analysis to address the anomaly, including a hot fire test in Utah. Ultimately, the U.S. Space Force deemed Vulcan capable to launch national security payloads for it and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). (2/12)

Rocket Lab is Blowing Up Engines. No, it's Not a Big Deal, CEO Says (Source: Ars Technica)
A little more than two months ago, a Rocket Lab employee called the Stennis Space Center Fire Department from the nearby A3 test stand. There was a grass fire where Archimedes engines undergo testing. Could they please send personnel over? Satellite imagery from before and after the anomaly appears to show that the roof had been blown off the left test cell, one of two at the test stand at the historic NASA facility in southern Mississippi. One person with knowledge of the anomaly said, “The characterization of this as an electrical fire doesn’t reflect what actually occurred. This was a catastrophic engine explosion that resulted in significant infrastructure damage.” (2/11)

A Look at European Rocket Ariane 64’s Maiden Launch (Source: AP)
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket is scheduled to make a powerful debut with a new equipment configuration Thursday, flying with four boosters to carry Amazon’s internet satellites. The launch will take place at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Here’s a look at the Ariane 6 rocket’s technology by the numbers:

Asteroid Samples NASA Brought to Earth Suggest Life's Building Blocks May Be Widespread in the Universe (Source: Space.com)
The origins of the building blocks of life may be even more widespread than we realized, as per a new discovery from the asteroid sample NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission brought back to Earth from the space rock Bennu. (2/12)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Deploys 24 Starlink Satellites After California Launch (Source: Space.com)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Wednesday. (2/12)

Erratic Elon Musk Tells Employees to Build Massive Catapult on Moon (Source: Futurism)
As Elon Musk tries to sweep his Mars ambitions under the rug like an embarrassing teenage phase, he’s now shifting focus to the Moon — with no less eye-brow raising ideas. According to new reporting from the New York Times, Musk told employees at xAI — his AI company recently acquired by SpaceX — that it needs to construct a factory on the Moon to churn out AI satellites. And to launch the satellites into space, he says, it needs to build an enormous electromagnetic catapult. (2/11)

New Study Favors 'Fuzzy' Dark Matter as the Backbone of the Universe (Source: Live Science)
To further test the nature of dark matter, scientists observe bent starlight from distant galaxies — a process called gravitational lensing — to find critical clues about their hidden architecture. And a new paper turned up something fascinating: This deep lensing analysis decisively disfavors smooth dark matter lens models and strongly prefers fuzzy dark matter (FDM) over both the standard CDM and the more exotic self-interacting dark matter model, which proposes that dark matter slightly sticks to itself. (2/11)

How to Design a Space Station: Meet the Seattle Company That’s Helping Define the Look of the Final Frontier (Source: Geekwire)
How do you design a living space where there’s no up or down? That’s one of the challenges facing Teague, a Seattle-based design and innovation firm that advises space companies such as Blue Origin, Axiom Space and Voyager Technologies on how to lay out their orbital outposts. Mike Mahoney, Teague’s senior director of space and defense programs, says the zero-gravity environment is the most interesting element to consider in space station design. Click here. (2/9) https://www.geekwire.com/2026/design-space-station-teague/

AST SpaceMobile Successfully Completes Unfolding of BlueBird 6, the Largest Commercial Communications Array Antenna Ever Deployed in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Business Wire)
AST SpaceMobile, the company building the first and only space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by everyday smartphones, designed for both commercial and government applications, today announced the successful unfolding of its next-generation BlueBird 6 satellite. (2/10)

FAA says Air Traffic Control Overhaul Management Contract Worth $1.5 Billion (Source: Reuters)
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday its contract with national security firm Peraton, the project manager of a $12.5-billion effort to overhaul the aging U.S. air traffic control system, was worth $1.5 billion. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said U.S. President Donald Trump in December negotiated a $200 million discount off the initial proposed contract price for Peraton, which is owned by Veritas Capital. (2/10)

Possible First-Ever Observation of a Black Hole Tearing Apart a White Dwarf (Source: Phys.org)
On July 2, 2025, the China-led Einstein Probe (EP) space telescope detected an exceptionally bright X-ray source whose brightness varied rapidly during a routine sky survey. Its unusual signal immediately set it apart from ordinary cosmic sources, triggering rapid follow-up observations by telescopes worldwide. Scientists are proposing that it may mark the moment when an intermediate-mass black hole tears apart and consumes a white dwarf star. (2/10)

China's Advanced GPS Alternative Isn't Just For Navigation (Source: BGR)
BeiDou is owned and operated by its home government, and the ruling Chinese Communist Party has kept most of its technological specifications secret. However, BeiDou has caught the attention of other governments, particularly the United States, due to its wide-ranging uses. BeiDou does a lot more than guide people on their way to work. Just as GPS is closely tied into the American military, BeiDou is becoming ingrained in China's military operations, used by guided missiles and bombs.

It's also being used for monitoring and responding to natural disasters. BeiDou is already more advanced than GPS in many ways, and it's grown at a stunning pace. BeiDou is much younger than GPS, which first launched in 1978 and achieved full coverage in 1993. However, the Chinese government has pursued progress on its GNSS much more aggressively than the United States. BeiDou was born with a competitive spirit, as part of a push to bolster China's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, at the end of the last century. (2/9)

The Founder of Rocket Lab on Competing with Billionaires to Lead in Space (Source: HBR)
Growing up in the lower region of the South Island of New Zealand, my parents always told me that I could be whatever I wanted in life—a cleaner, a carpenter, a rocket engineer—as long as I did my job extremely well and with the greatest possible positive impact. Gazing at the stars from the observatory my father built, space became an early obsession for me. And I found that I much preferred tinkering on engines in our family’s workshop to formal schooling.

After high school I figured I’d need to know how to build things in order to work in the space industry, so I did a tool-and-die apprenticeship at appliance manufacturer Fisher & Paykel. I went on to project manage superyacht production at Fitzroy Yachts before landing a role as a materials researcher at a government lab, Industrial Research Limited (IRL). All the while I spent my evenings and weekends experimenting with rocket engines and propellants in my garage. Click here. (2/11)

Old Galaxies in a Young Universe? (Source: Phys.org)
The standard cosmological model (present-day version of "Big Bang," called Lambda-CDM) gives an age of the universe close to 13.8 billion years and much younger when we explore the universe at high-redshift. The redshift of galaxies is produced by the expansion of the universe, which causes emitted wavelengths to lengthen and move toward the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum.

We analyzed 31 galaxies with average redshift 7.3 (when the universe was 700 Myr old, according to the standard model) observed with the most powerful available telescope available: the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The findings are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

As a result, we found that they are on average ~600 Myr old, according to the comparison with theoretical models based on previous knowledge of nearby galaxies. Our models include all of the known possibilities: old and young stellar populations, thermally-pulsating AGB stars, emission lines associated with HII regions, black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN), interstellar dust extinction, and intergalactic extinction from neutral hydrogen. (2/10)

Shenzhou-20 Taikonaut Recalls ‘Space Chicken Wings,’ Symbolizing China’s Leap From Survival to ‘Romantic Leap’ in Orbit (Source: Global Times)
Nearly three months after returning Earth, Chen Dong, commander of Chinese Shenzhou-20 mission, still fondly recalls the flavorful roasted chicken wings enjoyed in space and the sweet moments shared with his five crewmates from the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions abord the Tiangong space station. Before returning, all six taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions enjoyed a special "space barbecue" in the space station using new equipment - a hot-air roaster. (2/9)

Russians Urgently Supplied with New Satellite Internet Terminals After Starlink Blackout (Source: Ukrainska Pravda)
Russian forces at various frontline positions have begun receiving urgent deliveries of satellite internet terminals. Russia has several high-speed satellite internet providers operating via the Yamal and Ekspress satellites, Beskrestnov said. Their antennas look like TV satellite dishes: they are round or oval with diameters of 60 to 120 cm. Beskrestnov also explained how they can be identified and detected.

"All the dishes will face southeast or south (azimuth 110-180 degrees). The dish will be visually exposed. At these frequencies, a protective cover like the ones used on Starlink would interfere with operation. The dish can be moved behind the front line and connected to the front with a WiFi bridge." (2/9)

Massive Survey of Runaway Stars Reveals a Surprise About Their Origin (Source: Science Alert)
In the early 1960s, Dutch astronomer Adriaan Blaauw observed stars moving at unusually high speeds moving through the Milky Way. These stars, as it turned out, were unbound objects that had been kicked out of the Milky Way and periodically looped back and forth through the disk. Blaauw proposed that these stars originated in binary systems and were ejected when the companion star collapsed and exploded off its outer layers in a supernova. By 2005, even faster runaway stars were observed, leading to the designation "hypervelocity stars."

In January, researchers from institutes across Spain announced the completion of the most extensive observational study to date of runaway massive stars. Using data from the ESA's Gaia Observatory and high-quality spectra from the IACOB Spectroscopic Database, the team analyzed 214 O-type stars, the brightest and most massive class of stars in the galaxy. Their results shed new light on how these stellar objects are ejected into space and their origins. In particular, they show that the majority of runaway stars did not begin as binary companions. (2/10)

Lost Soviet Moon Lander May Have Been Found (Source: New York Times)
In 1966, a beach-ball-size robot bounced across the moon. Once it rolled to a stop, its four petal-like covers opened, exposing a camera that sent back the first picture taken on the surface of another world. This was Luna 9, the Soviet lander that was the earliest spacecraft to safely touchdown on the moon. While it paved the way toward interplanetary exploration, Luna 9’s precise whereabouts have remained a mystery ever since.

That may soon change. Two research team s think they might have tracked down the long-lost remains of Luna 9. But there’s a catch: The teams do not agree on the location. The dueling finds highlight a strange fact of the early moon race: The precise resting places of a number of spacecraft that crashed or landed on the moon in the run up to NASA’s Apollo missions are lost to obscurity. A newer generation of spacecraft may at last resolve these mysteries. (2/11)

Mars Organics Can’t Be Fully Explained by Geological Processes Alone, NASA Study Says (Source: Sci News)
Known non-biological sources, from meteorites to surface chemistry, fall short of accounting for organic compounds detected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, according to a new study published in the journal Astrobiology. In 2025, planetary scientists reported the detection of long-chain alkanes at concentrations of roughly 30 to 50 parts per billion in the ancient Cumberland mudstone in Gale crater, Mars. They proposed that the alkanes were derived from thermal decarboxylation of fatty acids during analysis by Curiosity’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. (2/9)

Satellite Observations Put Stratospheric Methane Loss Higher Than Models Predicted (Source: Phys.org)
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with strong heat-trapping capabilities. Although there is less methane in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the foremost greenhouse gas, researchers attribute 30% of modern global warming to methane. Observations show that methane levels have increased over time, but the factors driving changes in the rate of accumulation remain unclear. (2/9)

How are Gas Giant Exoplanets Born? James Webb Space Telescope Provides New Clues (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers may have just pushed the upper size limit of what counts as a planet, thanks to new insights into how giant worlds form. New observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) suggest that even extremely massive gas giants — once thought too large to form like ordinary planets — may grow through the same basic process, shifting how scientists differentiate massive planets from brown dwarfs. (2/10)

Uranus' Moon 'Miranda' Seems to Have an Ocean and Possibly Life (Source: Earth.com)
A recent study points to an exciting possibility: that Uranus’s moon Miranda, located in the far reaches of our solar system, may harbor a hidden sea beneath its icy crust, making it hospitable to extraterrestrial life. Discovering water on a moon is no easy task. It’s even harder when that moon is hundreds of millions of miles away. (2/10)