March 24, 2026

Scientists Narrow Down the Hunt for Aliens to 45 Planets (Source: 404 Media)
Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets, which are planets that orbit other stars, but most of these worlds are hopelessly inhospitable to life. To home in on the best candidates for habitability, a team combed through the catalogue of exoplanets to identify the best potential alien homes.

The short-list includes 45 rocky worlds that are no bigger than twice the size of Earth and orbit within the habitable zone (HZ) of their stars, which is the region where liquid water might exist on the surface. The most exciting destinations include four planets that orbit the red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, about 40 light years away, or Proxima Centauri b, which is the closest known exoplanet, located just four light years from Earth. (3/23)

Russia Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites on Soyuz From Plesetsk (Source: Bloomberg)
Russia launched the first satellites of a new broadband constellation Monday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, placing 16 Rassvet satellites into orbit for Russian company Bureau 1440. That company is planning a constellation of broadband satellites to serve as a competitor to systems like Starlink and Amazon Leo, but with few details on the constellation's capabilities or schedule. (3/24)

Missile Warning/Tracking Capabilities Require Data Sharing (Source: Space News)
Missile warning and tracking could be improved if U.S. government agencies shared the raw data they gather. Experts said missile defense is fundamentally a big-data problem, with a wide range of data form ground- and space-based sensors that need to be effectively combined. However, panelists said that data structures and, in some cases, classification issues keep agencies from collaborating on data sharing and analysis. (3/24)

German Comsat Constellation Worries IRIS² Supporters (Source: Reuters)
The German military's plans for a satellite constellation are raising concerns in the EU. Germany plans to spend 10 billion euros ($11.6 billion) on a 100-satellite constellation for communications, which would run in parallel to the EU's IRIS² constellation. Some European officials worry the planned German system could create inefficiencies as it will provide many of the same services as IRIS². Italy is also studying its own constellation, but at a much earlier phase of development. (3/24)

Namibia Rejects Starlink (Source: Business Insider Africa)
In a rare move, a country has said no to Starlink. The telecommunications regulator in Namibia said Monday it denied a SpaceX application for a license to provide Starlink services in the African nation. The regulator did not give a reason for the denial. SpaceX was accused in 2024 of operating Starlink in the country without a license. (3/24)

SpaceShipOne Pilot Pelvill Passes at 85 (Collect Space)
The first person to fly to space on a privately funded vehicle has died. Mike Melvill was a test pilot at Scaled Composites when he flew that company's SpaceShipOne suborbital vehicle to just above the Kármán Line, or 100 kilometers altitude, on a suborbital flight in June 2024. He flew it again in September 2024 on the first of two spaceflights needed to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize. He was 85. (3/24)

Arianespace Picked to Launch Katalyst Servicing Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Arianespace won a contract to launch a startup's satellite servicing spacecraft. Katalyst Space Technologies will launch its Nexus-1 spacecraft on an Ariane 64 in the second half of 2027, the companies announced Monday. Nexus-1 will be deployed into geostationary transfer orbit and install a space situational awareness sensor on a U.S. Space Force satellite in geostationary orbit, and later serve commercial customers. Katalyst is working on a separate mission to reboost NASA's Swift astrophysics spacecraft; that is scheduled to launch in June on a Pegasus XL. (3/24)

Amazon Set to Increase Leo Production and Launch Cadence (Source: Space News)
Amazon said Monday it would ramp up deployment of its broadband constellation. The company vowed to double the annual launch rate for its low Earth orbit broadband constellation to more than 20 missions, including three in the coming weeks. The next launch, an Atlas 5 on Sunday, will carry 29 satellites, two more than previous Atlas launches, thanks to engine upgrades. Another Atlas 5 is due to fly next month, along with a second Ariane 64 launch for the constellation. Amazon is facing pressure to accelerate deployment of its 3,232-satellite constellation as it asks the FCC to extend or eliminate a July deadline to have half the constellation in orbit. (3/24)

Space Force Sending Cyber Teams to Spaceports (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is deploying dedicated cybersecurity teams at its primary launch sites. Two units known as Defensive Cyber Operations Squadrons will monitor activity during launch operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Vandenberg Space Force Base, Space Systems Command announced on Monday. Those units will be tasked with detecting and countering attempts to interfere with launches via cyberattacks. The move reflects rising concern that adversaries could disrupt rocket launches through digital means rather than physical interference. (3/24)

York Scaling Up Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is scaling up satellite production but faces uncertainty from its major customer. The Denver-based satellite manufacturer said last week annual revenue rose 52% to about $386 million in 2025, driven largely by work on the Space Development Agency's proliferated low Earth orbit constellation. The company has built a sizable backlog tied to that work, with roughly 140 satellites ordered to date. However, the future of its work with the SDA is uncertain, with the SDA Transport Layer constellation likely to be absorbed into a broader Space Force effort known as the Space Data Network, a concept still being defined. The transition raises questions about how future contracts will be structured and when they will be awarded. (3/24)

Space Force to Issue First Kronos C2 Contracts Next Month (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force is set to issue the first contracts for the Kronos project next month, aiming to modernize operational command, control, and battle management systems for space domain awareness. Kronos was separated from the troubled Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System project, which has struggled to replace the outdated Space Defense Operations Center. The Space Force will use Other Transaction Authority contracts for Kronos, starting with prototyping efforts. (3/23)
 
Ground-Based Radar Digitization Program Expands (Source: Breaking Defense)
The US Space Force has expanded its Ground-Based Radar Digitization program to all eight legacy radar systems, aiming to enhance missile defense and space monitoring. The initiative will provide a unified software architecture and modernize both the front-end and back-end components of the radars. Initial operational capability is expected by early 2030, with full completion by mid-2031. (3/23)

The Science of Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
Artemis 2 is back on the pad for a launch as soon as next week. Jeff Foust reports that while the mission is primarily a test flight, there will be opportunities to do lunar and other science along the way. Click here. (3/24)
 
NavIC: India’s “Jinxed” Navigational Program, or a Cornerstone of India’s Misplaced Space Priorities? (Source: Space Review)
A recent in-orbit failure has deprived India of a functioning navigation satellite system. Ajey Lele says what appears to be bad luck may instead be a sign of management flaws. Click here. (3/24)
 
Zarya: the Super-Soyuz That Only Lived Twice (Source: Space Review)
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union proposed a spacecraft that could be a successor to the Soyuz, only to see it cancelled, revived, and cancelled again. Maks Skiendzielewski examines the history of the Zarya spacecraft. Click here. (3/24)
 
The Legal Aspects of Outer Space Settlers and Settlements (Source: Space Review)
Any future with humans living permanently in space raises some key legal issues. Dennis O’Brien explores those issues, from existing space treaties to the prospects of independent settlements. Click here. (3/24)

ISS-Affiliated Accelerator Expands Capital and Startup Resources (Source: CASIS)
The ISS National Laboratory® is about to launch the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program in partnership with returning global investors Cook Inlet Region, Inc., E2MC, and Stellar Ventures, as well as leading industry participants. Now entering its second year, the one-of-a-kind program expands access to capital, business mentorship, and orbital flight opportunities for startups developing market-changing, space-enabled technologies. Click here. (3/24)

Artemis II Launch May Bring $160 Million Impact to Florida's Space Coast (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's milestone Artemis II launch to the moon from Kennedy Space Center may draw 400,000 visitors to Florida's Space Coast — generating $160 million in Brevard County economic impact, a national consulting firm projects. “Most folks are going to spend a few days in town. They’re going to spend money in restaurants, hotels, bars. All of that drives economic impact, and it all creates new tax revenue," said John Boyd, principal with The Boyd Company Inc. of Boca Raton. (3/23)

Giant Craters May Reveal if Psyche is a Lost Planetary Core (Source: Universe Today)
One asteroid approximately the size of the State of Massachusetts called 16 Psyche is made of metal, which planetary scientists hypothesize could be the remnants of a protoplanet’s core that didn’t build into a full-fledged planet. But how did such a unique asteroid form?

Now, an international team of scientists might be one step closer to answering that conundrum, as they attempted to ascertain how a large impact in the north polar region of 16 Psyche might have formed. In the end, the researchers developed several hypotheses regarding the interior of 16 Psyche, which they note they will confirm once the Psyche spacecraft arrives at the asteroid. (3/24)

Scrubbing Away Lunar Dust (Source: Aerospace America)
The engineers and scientists behind the Lunar SCRUB (Surface Cleaning Robotic Unit with electron-Beam) project propose to solve the dust problem with an electrostatic cleaning device. A smaller version of the toaster-sized metal box prototype could be mounted on the robotic arm of an autonomous lunar terrain vehicle or carried by an astronaut and passed over surfaces at an arm’s length distance to lift the dust away, said David Asner, chief science officer of Orbital Mining Corp. The Colorado company is developing the device with another startup as subcontractor, Space Dust Research & Technologies (SDRT), under a $150,000 NASA contract. (3/23)

NASA Reduces Support for Commercial Space Stations (Source: Douglas Messier)
NASA has announced that it will no longer support the development of two separate commercial space stations in low Earth orbit (LEO) that are currently in development to follow the decommissioning of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030. Instead the space agency will procure a module that will be attached to ISS that will host commercial modules and serve as the core of a separate station. (3/24)

Eutelsat Expands LEO Connectivity for Global Rail Market (Source: Runway Girl)
Eutelsat today highlighted the growing adoption of its OneWeb LEO connectivity service in the global rail market, including the development and testing of new terminals by Kymeta and Hughes Network Systems. Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO service is available to rail operators worldwide through a broad network of distribution partners, specialized rail integrators, and direct relationships with train operators. (3/24)

Future Artemis Missions Could Use Fiber-Optic Cables to Monitor Moonquakes (Source: Space.com)
The moon may soon get a high-tech seismic sensing system — and it could be as simple as rolling out cables across the lunar surface. Two recent studies suggest that fiber-optic cables laid directly on the lunar ground could double as sensitive detectors for moonquakes, offering a lightweight, low-cost alternative to traditional seismometers. The idea builds on a technique called distributed acoustic sensing in which laser pulses sent through optical fibers can pick up tiny vibrations along the entire length of the fibers. (3/24)

China’s Astronstone Raises $29 Million for Reusable Rocket with Chopstick-Style Recovery (Source: Space News)
Astronstone, a Chinese launch startup founded only in 2024, has secured new funding as it builds toward the first flight of its reusable AS-1 rocket. Last year it secured over $13 million in early-stage funding to develop its AS-1 rocket — a stainless steel, methane-fueled, fully reusable launch vehicle. Clearly, the company is mirroring SpaceX’s design philosophy, as shown by its plan to implement “chopstick”-style arms for catching the rocket’s first stage during landing.

The AS-1 will be powered by a customized version of the 80-ton-thrust Longyun engine, developed by Jiuzhou Yunjian (JZYJ). With a diameter of 4.2 meters, a length of 70 meters, and a liftoff mass of 570 metric tons, the rocket is designed to deliver 10,000 kg to low Earth orbit in reusable mode, or 15,700 kg when expended. (3/24)

Space Development Agency Slows Satellite Launches to Focus on On-Orbit Performance (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is slowing the pace of launches for the Pentagon’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation, stepping back from an earlier plan for frequent deployments as it works through technical issues with spacecraft already in orbit. (3/24)

NASA Second X-59 Flight Cut Short from Warning Light (Source: AIN)
NASA’s X-59 supersonic demonstrator returned to the skies on Friday morning for a nine-minute flight that was cut short after a warning light illuminated. However, NASA officials said they were still able to gather data during the second flight from the aircraft built in collaboration with Lockheed Martin at its Skunk Works facility in California. The aircraft first flew on October 28, reaching 12,000 feet and 200 knots. Plans for the second mission called for an hour-long flight that would expand the envelope to 20,000 feet and 225 knots.

This would be followed by a series of successive flights to further expand the flight profile as it prepared to participate in the NASA Quesst program to examine the effect of quieter supersonic technologies on a variety of communities. This data would be used internationally to contemplate whether supersonic flight over land could once again become possible.

The second flight was initially delayed after a caution light for a vehicle system went off at around 10 a.m. Friday morning, according to Cathy Bahm, project manager for the low boom flight demonstrator at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The system was reset, and “we were good to go,” Bahm said. At 10:54 a.m., the aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, but landed at 11:03 a.m. after a separate, unrelated vehicle system warning illuminated. (3/23)