March 17, 2026

Artemis 2 SLS Rollout Slips One Day for FTS Wiring Install (Source: NASA)
NASA is delaying the return of Artemis 2 to the launch pad by a day. The agency announced Monday that the rollout of the vehicle to Launch Complex 39B was now planned for this Friday, a one-day slip because of work over the weekend to replace an electrical harness in the rocket's flight termination system. The delay does not hinder the planned launch of Artemis 2, which remains scheduled for as soon as April 1. (3/17)

SpaceX Launch From California Brings Starlink to 10,000+ Satellites (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX now has more than 10,000 Starlink satellites in orbit after a launch overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying 25 Starlink satellites. The launch brings the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to 10,020, the first time the company has had more than 10,000 satellites in orbit. (3/17)

Chinese Astronauts Take Spacewalk Outside TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese astronauts performed a spacewalk outside the Tiangong space station Monday. Zhang Lu and Wu Fei spent about seven hours outside the station, installing space debris protection for the station among other work. The spacewalk was the sixth in Zhang's career, making him one of the most experienced Chinese spacewalkers. (3/17)

Russian Progress Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station Monday. The Progress MS-31 spacecraft, designated Progress 92 by NASA, undocked from the station as planned at 9:24 a.m. Eastern and reentered several hours later. Its departure opens a docking port for a new Progress cargo spacecraft scheduled to launch on Sunday. (3/17)

FSGC Programs Aim to Align Florida University Research With NASA and State Priorities (Source: FSGC)
The NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium, led by UCF and including most of the state's universities and colleges, sponsors an array of space education and research programs for Florida faculty and students. Among the current opportunities is the Florida Space Research Program for space exploration research aligned with NASA's mission directorates (click here for details). Then there's the FSGC/Space Florida/KSC Technology Development and Commercialization Program, with this year's topic areas aimed at lunar regolith and sorbent polymer extraction and remediation (click here). For each program, the maximum funding per award is $25,000. Proposals for both opportunities are due May 29. (3/16)

Rapid-Built Liquid Rocket Engine Hits Supersonic in New US Test (Source: Defense Post)
The Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD) moved into supersonic territory during a recent flight trial, thanks to a rapidly developed liquid rocket engine. The demonstrator used Ursa Major’s Draper propulsion system in the test, highlighting its role in validating new engine technology for future missile applications. (3/16)

European Space Agency Taps Terran Orbital Subsidiary for Defense Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
Tyvak International, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital, has won a new cubesat contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). It will develop Farinella, a 6U CubeSat that will support ESA’s RAMSES planetary defense mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis. Terran Orbital announced the contract award, March 13. (3/16)

Swedish Military Advances Esrange Spaceport Plans with SSC Space (Source: Flight Global)
NATO member Sweden has signed an agreement paving the way for it to commence satellite launch services from late this decade. Announced by Stockholm’s FMV defense materiel administration on 16 March and valued at SKr209 million ($22.3 million), the pact with SSC Space will lead to the “establishment of satellite launch capability from the company’s Esrange Space Center”. (3/16)

EECL Amplifiers Reach In-Orbit Milestone on ESA HydroGNSS Mission (Source: Inside GNSS)
Ultra-low-noise amplifiers developed by European Engineering & Consultancy Ltd. (EECL) are now operating successfully in orbit on the European Space Agency’s HydroGNSS Earth observation mission, marking an early technical milestone for the satellite payloads. (3/16)

FAA Streamlines Commercial Space License Approvals (Source: FAA)
The FAA is streamlining its processes for launch and reentry licensing. All licensing will now occur under the Part 450 rule, which consolidates four old rules into one. It provides more flexibility and more methods of compliance, reducing the administrative and cost burdens on industry and the FAA. Part 450 reduces the number of times an operator needs an FAA license approval and allows one license for a portfolio of operations, different vehicle configurations and mission profiles, and even multiple launch and reentry sites. 

Operators that transitioned legacy licenses by the March 9, 2026, deadline include Blue Origin New Shepard, Firefly Aerospace Alpha, SpaceX Falcon 9 / Falcon Heavy and Dragon, Rocket Lab Electron, and United Launch Alliance Atlas and Vulcan. (3/17)

Canada Makes Dedicated Push Toward Sovereign Space Launch (Sources: Aviation Week, Space News)
Canada wants to stand up a sovereign spaceport, with plans to invest $200 million CAD ($146 million) over 10 years for a multiuser launchpad, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty announced March 16. Ottawa will use the funds over the next decade to lease a space launch pad near Canso, Nova Scotia, which will serve as the foundation for a future spaceport.

The military is also providing a combined 25 million Canadian dollars to three startups developing small launch vehicles — Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace and Reaction Dynamics — as part of a multi-year program valued at 105 million Canadian dollars. (3/17)

European Defense Agency Awards Contract for First VLEO Military Satellite Concept (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Defense Agency (EDA) has awarded a €15.65 million research contract to a consortium led by Spanish aerospace engineering company Sener to design a military satellite specifically optimized for very low Earth orbit (VLEO). Known as VLEO-DEF, the initiative prepares for a future flight experiment and includes payloads for Earth observation and navigational warfare. (3/17)

Belgium Selects Redwire to Build Natsec Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Florida-based aerospace and defense company Redwire has won a prime contract from the Belgian federal government to build the nation’s first national security satellite in collaboration with Aerospacelab, the company announced on Monday. Belgian Defense is fully funding the contract, and Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop the satellite, Redwire said in a statement.

The mission—known as MATTEO—will be built in-country leveraging and supporting Belgium’s National Defence Industrial Technology Base strategy. Redwire and Aerospacelab will jointly develop MATTEO. MATTEO will enhance Belgium’s ability to monitor, protect, and respond to evolving regional and global security challenges. (3/16)

ESA-funded Envisage Space Improves GNSS Positioning in Urban Environments (Source: Inside GNSS)
UK company Envisage Space Ltd., working with Cranfield University and supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) NAVISP program, has developed analytical software designed to improve the reliability of GNSS positioning in dense urban environments. (3/17)

No Sun, No Problem? How Life Could Thrive on Moons of Starless ‘Rogue’ Planets (Source: Space.com)
Moons orbiting starless "rogue" planets could stay warm enough to host liquid water for billions of years, a new study suggests, potentially creating long-lived habitats for life in the depths of space. Using computer models, researchers found that temperatures on an Earth-size moon orbiting a Jupiter-like rogue planet could remain warm enough to support liquid water on its surface for up to 4.3 billion years — nearly as long as Earth has existed. (3/16)

France's Kayrros to be Acquired by Energy Aspects (Source: Space News)
French satellite analytics provider Kayrros is being acquired amid a growing demand for geospatial intelligence data. Energy Aspects announced plans March 12 to buy Kayrros for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval. Kayrros uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and geoanalytics to analyze raw data from more than 20 satellite constellations, producing insights on oil production, storage levels, supply chains, environmental risks and other energy market indicators. The company said traders and analysts are increasingly turning to geospatial intelligence in the region after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz. (3/17)

South Korea's Innospace Finds Combustion Chamber Rupture as Cause of Hanbit-Nano Launch Failure in Brazil (Source: Space News)
Korean launch company Innospace has completed the investigation into the failure of its first launch. Innospace said Monday that the investigation into the first Hanbit-Nano launch in December found that exhaust leaked out of the first stage's combustion chamber, causing the chamber to rupture 33 seconds after liftoff and breaking apart the rocket. Innospace said it will improve assembly processes and quality management procedures, as well as make other unspecified design changes. The next Hanbit-Nano launch is planned for the third quarter from Brazil. (3/17)

Jupiter on the Space Shuttle and the Titan II: the FARRAH Signals Intelligence Satellites (Source: Space Review)
The introduction of the Space Shuttle led the intelligence community to study what satellites should be shifted to that vehicle. Dwayne Day examines how that affected one electronic intelligence program as it moved on to, and then off of, the shuttle. Click here. (3/17)
 
If China Returns to the Moon First, Will Americans Care? (Source: Space Review)
Many in the space community believe the United States is in a race with China to land the next humans on the Moon, with serious consequences for losing. Dante Sanaei cautions that, should China win that race, many Americans might not care. Click here. (3/17)
 
The Next Phase of Space Ambitions in Texas (Source: Space Review)
The state of Texas is seeking to expand its space industry with a grant program and a new space institute. Jeff Foust reports on what is next as that institute nears completion and the first round of grants is awarded. Click here. (3/17)
 
Artemis via the ISS? A Breakout Opportunity for Kickstarting a Sustainable Cislunar Economy (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s plans for the Artemis lunar exploration campaign are largely separate from the planned transition from the International Space Station. Madhu Thangavelu describes how ISS could be more closely integrated into lunar exploration. Click here. (3/17)
 
Golden Domes, Fragile Firms: The Business Risks of AI-Enabled Space Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
Space companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to manage their satellite operations. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant warn that doing so could open up companies to unanticipated business risks. Click here. (3/17)

Israeli Intel: 'We Destroyed Iran's Base for Attacking Satellites to Keep Space Supremacy (Source: Jerusalem Post)
In an extremely rare public statement, an IDF Unit 9900 intelligence official said on Monday that Israel has destroyed an Iranian base which was focused on building technologies to shoot down Israeli satellites and other adversaries' satellites.

According to the officer from the IDF's clandestine satellite intelligence division, the goal of the attack was to maintain Israel's supremacy in space, especially regarding satellite surveillance. "We are leading many efforts to preserve the IDF's freedom of action in the arena of space, and to harm the capabilities of Iran to act and to build such forces," said the Unit 9900 official. (3/16)

Astronomers Found the Source of the Brightest Fast Radio Burst Ever (Source: Science Daily)
Astronomers have discovered the brightest fast radio burst ever detected and traced it to a nearby galaxy using a new network of CHIME Outrigger telescopes. The flash, nicknamed RBFLOAT, lasted only a fraction of a second but briefly outshone every other radio source in its galaxy. Follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope spotted a faint infrared signal at the same location. The burst’s unusual behavior—showing no signs of repeating—may challenge current ideas about what causes these mysterious cosmic flashes. (3/15)

The Astronaut Who Took One Giant Leap for Manx-Kind (Source: BBC)
A retired NASA astronaut has said her experiences had made her realize that people living on Earth were crewmates and needed to look after the planet together. Nicole Stott spent 104 days in space across two missions, performed a spacewalk, and became the first person to speak Manx as well as paint in watercolors in space.

As part of her training, she spent 18 days as an aquanaut living in an undersea habitat. Stott has recently contributed to a special collection of stamps put together by the Isle of Man Post Office, providing a series of essays to accompany a set to images straddling both space and deep sea. (3/14)

Greece Enters the Astronaut Era as Scientist Joins ESA Training Program (Source: EuroNews)
Dr Adrianos Golemis was selected for ESA's astronaut training program, after a highly competitive process with over 22,000 applicants. His participation paves the way for a possible Greek presence in a future space mission. Greece is marking a significant milestone in space exploration, as a Greek scientist has been selected to participate in the European Space Agency's (ESA) astronaut training program, raising the possibility of a Greek astronaut joining a space mission for the first time. (3/15)

Florida Without Kennedy Space Center? Director Sounds Alarm Over Relationship (Source: Tampa Bay Times)
The KSC director didn’t mince words. “We stand at a pivotal moment,” Janet Petro told state lawmakers in Tallahassee last fall. The future of one of Florida’s signature assets was in jeopardy. KSC needs more money, she said. It needs state funding for roads, utilities and facilities to support its surge in space traffic. It needs research dollars to advance the aerospace industry.

Yet Space Florida hasn’t been particularly willing, Petro said. As Texas and Alabama vie for space business and close collaboration with NASA, Space Florida’s relationship with the agency is strained by disagreements over funding and control. Space Florida didn't respond to questions about its relationship with NASA.

Gov. DeSantis asked for $17.5 million for Space Florida’s operating budget in the next fiscal year, plus $5 million to expand wastewater capacity for commercial launch companies and $10 million to boost aerospace startups. But that request is stalled amid state budget negotiations. And it’s still meager compared to the $350 million that Texas has already spent on space projects in recent years. Petro fears that if Florida doesn’t work more closely with NASA, the future of KSC and the commercial space industry it helps support is at risk. (3/16)