February 21, 2026

Helium Problem to Delay Artemis II Launch Beyond 6 March Target (Source: Space Policy Online)
Just one day after excitedly sharing the successful results of the second Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal, NASA has a different message this morning. A problem with helium flow to the Space Launch System’s upper stage overnight means they have to roll the SLS back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs. NASA’s initial announcement this morning left room for the possibility that the repairs might take place at the pad, but NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman soon clarified that SLS must return to the VAB and launching in March no longer is an option. (2/21)

US Chamber Fighting For Licensing, ITAR Reform in 2026 (Source: Payload)
Fighting for spaceport’s inclusion in that legislation is one of the top wins during the US Chamber of Commerce’s Space Leadership Council’s first year, according to John Neal, the chamber’s executive director for space policy. But that’s just the beginning for the council, which is gearing up to push even harder on the space infrastructure front in its second year.

The council has a long to-do list for 2026, including making recommendations to the FCC on its effort to streamline licensing processes for industry, engaging with the administration on the which agencies regulate different parts of the space industry, and pushing the State Department to act on ITAR reform, to allow US industry to compete globally. “Our companies are put at a disadvantage,” Neal said. “State issued a rulemaking on ITAR in fall of 2024, and it’s been crickets. We’re hoping to get help from Congress to maybe prod State to at least meet with industry."

Editor's Note: ITAR and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), intended to prevent US companies from sharing sensitive launch and space technologies with other nations, has prevented many US companies from doing business with foreign customers, including foreign spaceports. (2/19)

A Constellation for Every Nation (Source: Via Satellite)
An increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape is forcing nations to rethink space — fast. Alliances once assumed to be stable now look precarious. Supply chains once described as “global” now reveal their fragility. Access to foreign infrastructure can no longer be taken for granted. Governments everywhere are waking up to a single, urgent reality: sovereign control of space-based capabilities is no longer optional; it is strategic survival.

The debate is over. Space is critical infrastructure. The real battle now is determining: Which constellations will be designated sovereign, who will build and operate them, and how aerospace and defense players will stake their ground. Space sovereignty has moved far beyond prestige projects or symbolic missions. Nations are designing full-spectrum portfolios: resilient multi-orbit communications, sovereign PNT, persistent intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and space domain awareness (SDA), and in some cases missile-warning and defense architectures built on massive proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) layers. (2/20)

Axelspace and Synspective Lock In Imagery Contracts for Japanese Constellation (Source: Via Satellite)
Japanese satellite imagery providers Axelspace and Synspective finalized agreements with SKY Perfect JSAT, Mitsui, and Mitsubishi Electric to provide optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery respectively to the Japan Ministry of Defense’s planned satellite constellation.

The Japan Ministry of Defense announced the five companies, along with Mitsui Bussan Aerospace and iQPS, last December as contract awardees to build the nation’s satellite constellation. Japan aims to launch a privately-run constellation capable of providing imagery for national defense purposes. Its contracted expenses to partner companies run up to a total of 283 billion yen ($1.8 billion). (2/20)

British-Backed Smile Headed to Europe’s Spaceport for Vega Launch (Source: ESA)
A UK-backed spacecraft that will study how the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic shield is en route to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of its launch. The joint European-Chinese Smile mission will be sent into orbit aboard a Vega-C rocket, with a launch window of between 8 April and 7 May. (2/20)

Commercial Space Stations Could Host Simulated Human Mars Trip (Source: Aviation Week)
The commercial space stations that NASA plans to establish as successors to the aging International Space Station (ISS) may play a crucial role in simulating the challenges of a human mission to Mars. (2/19)

NASA Sets March 6 as New Launch Target for Artemis Moon Mission (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA is targeting March 6 to launch the Artemis II astronauts to the vicinity of the moon for the first time since 1972. The four crew members are readying to enter quarantine later on Friday to prepare for the launch, the agency said. (2/20}

Chinese Scientists Develop AI Model to Push Deep-Space Exploration (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model for astronomical imaging that significantly enhances scientists' ability to peer into the deepest reaches of the cosmos. A cross-disciplinary research team developed the model, named ASTERIS (Astronomical Spatiotemporal Enhancement and Reconstruction for Image Synthesis), using computational optics and AI algorithms.

According to the findings published on Friday, the model can help extract extremely faint astronomical signals, identify galaxies more than 13 billion light years away and generate the deepest deep-space images ever produced. Using the model, the team identified more than 160 candidate high-redshift galaxies from the "Cosmic Dawn" period, roughly 200 million to 500 million years after the Big Bang, tripling the number of discoveries using previous methods. (2/20)

Scientists Build Low-Cost Microscope to Study Living Cells in Zero Gravity (Source: Biophysics.org)
s space agencies prepare for human missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists need to understand how the absence of gravity affects living cells. Now, a team of researchers has built a rugged, affordable microscope that can image cells in real time during the chaotic conditions of zero-gravity flight—and they’re making the design available to the broader scientific community. (2/20)

NASA Is Helping Bring Giant Tortoises Back to the Galápagos (Source: NASA)
For the first time in more than 150 years, giant tortoises are returning to the wild on Floreana Island in the Galápagos — guided by NASA satellite data that helps scientists discover where the animals can find food, water, and nesting habitat. The effort, a collaboration between the Galápagos National Park Directorate and Galápagos Conservancy, marks a key milestone in restoring tortoise populations to one of the most ecologically distinctive archipelagos on Earth. (2/20)

SpaceX and Blue Origin Lunar Shifts Could Have More To Do with DoD Priorities (Sources: Defense News, Aviation Week)
Just a year ago, SpaceX dismissed going to the Moon as a “distraction.” Now, SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing toward it, and the Pentagon may be the reason why. Within weeks of each other, the two largest U.S. commercial space companies abruptly shifted their priorities toward lunar development. The moves came as the Department of Defense accelerates plans for Golden Dome, raising questions about whether America’s return to the moon is as much about defense as it is exploration.

The timing may suggest a more strategic approach. Golden Dome would rely on low Earth orbit satellites capable of rapid, near-real-time missile detection. Such systems improve coverage, but remain vulnerable to anti-satellite attacks from adversaries. Lunar-based infrastructure would sit far beyond the reach of most anti-satellite capabilities, offering more resilient communications and sensing layers. Perhaps related to this, former ULA CEO Tory Bruno joined Blue Origin late last year to address an “urgent need” to hone dynamic space operations in a more contested environment, he said. (2/20)