July 8, 2026

Uranus and Neptune May Not be ‘Ice Giants’ After All (Source: Science)
t’s time to revisit our idea of Neptune and Uranus, too—for the so-called ice giants likely contain very little ice. The term is “a little bit misleading,” says Ravit Helled, a planetary scientist at the University of Zürich. “We really don’t know what these planets are made of.” She and her colleagues do, however, have ideas, ranging from magma oceans to soups of icy methane. (7/7)

New UCF Study Links Microgravity, Space Radiation to Accelerated Aging (Source: UCF)
What happens to the human body in space may help scientists create new anti-aging therapies. UCF’s Michal Masternak and his team have identified molecular changes in the liver that happen when space travelers experience radiation and microgravity. These changes – that resemble accelerated aging – provide new insight into how prolonged space missions may increase health risks for astronauts and reveal potential targets for therapies that could combat age-related diseases on Earth. (7/7)

SpaceX Transporter-17 Deploys Four Canadian Satellites Deployed on Transporter-17 Mission (Source: SpaceQ)
SpaceX successfully launched the Transporter-17 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday morning, deploying 81 payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO), including four Canadian payloads from GHGSat, EarthDaily Analytics, and the University of Victoria. (7/7)

With SpaceX Starship, Japan's ispace Provides Ride-Share to the Moon (Source: Reuters)
Japanese moon transport company ispace plans a new, lower-cost lunar ​cargo business using SpaceX's Starship heavy rocket and moon lander. Tokyo-based ispace has bought 500 kg (1,102 lb) of capacity for $50 million on a Starship that would land on the moon as soon as 2030, and will build a lunar surface vehicle that ​can host payloads from clients worldwide sharing their ride on Starship to the ​moon, it said. (7/8)

Kennedy Space Center Offers 'Celebrate USA 250' Ticket Discounts (Source: Florida Today)
In honor of America's 250th anniversary, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering $17.76 in savings on one-day admission tickets through Aug. 31. The discounted pricing brings adult admission to $59.24, and child admission to $49.24. (7/4)

NASA Acquisition Workforce Losses: Opportunity Amid Challenges (Source: FNN)
Across the government, agencies face a pronounced loss of historical knowledge as retirements and federal workforce reductions levy widespread impact. The shift marks a pivotal moment for countless departments and teams, including those at NASA.

While the changes create hurdles and pressures, also emerging are opportunities to reassess and reimagine how work gets done – particularly in the federal acquisition workforce. This is especially significant as the work of acquisition itself faces increasing complexity, said NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Procurement Marvin Horne.

“With high retirements, it’s removing people who know how to execute complex source evaluation boards, historical knowledge of certain contract structures – why they were successful or why they failed – historical knowledge of contractor negotiation strategies, even the informal stakeholder engagement that ensures strong procurement and program collaboration,” Horne said. “The true concern is not about replacement of staff; it’s about replacing judgment cultivated over a 25- to 30-year career. (6/30)

NASA Seeks Industry Input to Accelerate Lunar Surface Technologies (Source: NASA)
Long-term lunar exploration requires technology, infrastructure, and operations that function together cohesively on the surface of the Moon. To accelerate the development of key lunar surface systems and reduce risk, NASA and industry must work together in the design, development, testing, and evaluation of innovative solutions that support U.S. space priorities.

NASA is seeking feedback on a draft solicitation for the Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator, an effort to help develop emerging capabilities in surface power, in-situ resource utilization, advanced manufacturing, and innovative nanomaterials. The draft is available for review by U.S. organizations, including industry, educational institutions, and non-profits. (6/29)

Firefly Aerospace Awarded $13 Million JPL Contract for SkyFall Mars Mission Aeroshell (Source: Telemetry Today)
Firefly Aerospace has received a $13 million subcontract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to manufacture, test, and deliver the aeroshell for NASA's SkyFall mission to Mars, which is currently targeted for launch in late 2028. The SkyFall mission, managed by JPL, will deploy three Mars helicopters derived from the Ingenuity technology demonstrator to conduct scientific investigations, perform airborne subsurface mapping, and prospect for resources that could support future human missions to Mars.

The mission will use a new "SkyFall Maneuver," in which the helicopters are released during descent and fly themselves to the Martian surface, eliminating the need for a traditional landing platform. (7/7)

U.S. Eyes Offshore Spaceports With First-Ever Call for Industry Input (Source: G Captain)
The Trump administration is taking its first formal step toward evaluating whether federal offshore waters could support commercial space launches and spacecraft recovery operations. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Tuesday announced it will publish a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public and industry feedback on the potential use of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for offshore space launch, re-entry and recovery infrastructure.

The RFI, scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on July 8, opens a 30-day public comment period through Aug. 7. BOEM said it is looking for technical, environmental, operational and safety information that could help shape future planning and coordination for offshore space activities. (7/7)

First SaxaVord Rocket Launch Could Take Place in August (Source: Shetland News)
The first rocket test flight could take place at SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst between August and early September. A launch window will be in place at the site, having been agreed with international, national and local authorities and regulators. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) said earlier this year it was aiming for a launch after 1 July, with the first and second stages of its ONE launch vehicle delivered to Unst in March. (7/7)

Paso Robles is Full Steam Ahead on Spaceport — and a Local Aerospace Company Took Notice (Source: The Tribune)
Even if Paso Robles might not yet have its spaceport license, aerospace company Zone 5 Technologies is already seeing its potential. That’s why it’s expanding its manufacturing operations to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport this summer. Zone 5 Technologies is San Luis Obispo-based with its only location currently being right near the SLO County Regional Airport on Buckley Road. (7/7)

ULA’s Last Six Atlas Vs Can’t Launch Anything Besides Boeing’s Starliner (Source: Ars Technica)
The final flight of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is still several years off, but an important era for the once-dominant launch company came to a close last week. The final flight of an Atlas V for the Amazon Leo broadband constellation lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport last Thursday, sending 29 satellites to orbit to move the network closer to providing initial services.

There are six more Atlas Vs in ULA’s inventory to launch Boeing’s Starliner crew capsules to the ISS under contract to NASA. But it is not certain today that Boeing will use all six of those Atlas Vs. Last year, NASA reduced the number of guaranteed missions in Boeing’s commercial crew contract from six to four after chronic delays in the program. The next Starliner flight will haul cargo to the ISS, expending one of the remaining Atlas Vs.

So what happens to the Atlas Vs left in ULA’s inventory if Boeing doesn’t need to use them all? One idea would be to repurpose the rockets for other missions, perhaps to add launch capacity for the Amazon Leo network. But there’s a catch. The Starliner spacecraft flies in an exposed configuration during launch, meaning the launch last week was the last time an Atlas V will fly with a payload fairing. Even if Boeing gave up some of the Atlas Vs under its contractual control, ULA would not be able to easily retrofit any of the leftover Atlas Vs for other missions. (7/7)

UC Santa Cruz Researchers Make Breakthrough on Solar Enigma (Source: UCSC)
Researchers are closer to unraveling a long-standing solar mystery surrounding the extreme thinness of the Sun’s tachocline layer of strong shearing motion—a region believed to be critical for creating the violent eruptions of high-energy particles and radiation from the Sun known as “space weather.”

Their study reveals new insights into how magnetic fields keep the solar tachocline so thin, and more generally, how tachoclines in other solar-type stars may contribute to stellar “spin down”—the mysterious process by which stars are observed to slow their overall rotation rates, or “spins”, as they slowly evolve. The new simulations suggest a holistic interplay between rotation, magnetism, and tachoclines in solar-like stars. (7/7)

To Aid Aging KSC Infrastructure, Florida Senator Pitches 'Space Ready Act' (Source: Florida Today)
With the number of launches increasing on Florida’s Space Coast while the infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center shows its age – and on the heels of a warning from NASA’s top watchdog — a Florida senator proposed a solution to the Cape's woes.

Senator Ashley Moody visited Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on July 7 to announce the Space Ready 2.0 Act. While it will not provide new funding, the Space Ready 2.0 Act aims to give NASA a new vehicle to accept contributions from commercial partners. It would be a pilot program. (7/7)

Investment in Russia’s Private Space Sector Could Exceed $1.3 Billion by 2030 (Source: TASS)
Investment in private companies within the rocket and space industry could exceed 100 billion rubles ($1.3 billion) by 2030, Roscosmos Deputy General Director Grigory Maximov said. "We recognize that, beyond any altruistic motivations, the private players entering this field understand how the market will take shape and what it will look like and, consequently, how the associated revenues and expenditures will ultimately flow back into their business operations," he said. (7/7)

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute Increases Investment in Giant Magellan Telescope (Source: Giant Magellan)
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the Giant Magellan Telescope through a new investment that brings its total contribution to nearly $110 million (USD), strengthening the Republic of Korea’s leadership as the project’s third-largest partner. (7/7)

Space Force Adds Relativity, Impulse Space to National Security Launch Program (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is widening the field of companies eligible to compete for national security launch contracts, adding launch startup Relativity Space and orbital transportation company Impulse Space to a roster of commercial providers as it looks to diversify how military satellites reach orbit. Impulse Space plans to provide GEO rideshare missions using its Helios tug. (7/8)

Arianespace Opens Door to GEO Rideshare Opportunities From 2029 (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Infinite Orbits and Arianespace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework for future collaboration on multiple direct-to-geostationary orbit (GEO) launch services. The partnership unites Arianespace’s decades of launch heritage with Infinite Orbits’ next-generation in-orbit servicing capabilities.

Direct access to geostationary orbit allows Infinite Orbits to deploy servicing spacecraft more rapidly, supporting satellite inspection and life-extension missions with greater operational flexibility. By identifying these future launch requirements, the French New Space company reaffirms its commitment to European launch capabilities while supporting the timely development of sovereign access to geostationary orbit. (7/8)

SpaceX Launches Transporter-17 Amid Concerns About Rideshare Program’s Future (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched the latest in its Transporter series of rideshare missions July 7 as industry concerns about the program’s future reach what one rival company executive called a panic. SpaceX launched 81 payloads on the latest launch in its rideshare series. But SpaceX is not accepting Transporter reservations beyond late 2028. (7/8)

Starfighters Space Welcomes FAA Supersonic Rulemaking (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space expressed its support for the FAA's proposed revision of regulations that currently prohibit civil/commercial supersonic flight in US airspace. The FAA proposal would replace the current ban on supersonic flight with a "performance-based certification framework that reflects advances in aircraft technology and noise mitigation."

"As the operator of the world's only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ aircraft, we view this proposal as an important milestone for the future of high-speed aviation," said Tim Franta, CEO of Starfighters Space. "We commend the Administration and the FAA for advancing policies that encourage American space innovation while maintaining a strong commitment to safety." (7/8)

SpaceX Just Launched the 1st-Ever Nuclear-Powered Commercial Satellite (Source: Space.com)
The world's first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite has reached orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite, built by Florida-based company City Labs, launched on SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission.

BOHR is a novel cubesat testing out its proprietary "NanoTritium" betavoltaic micropower source in space for the first time. Similar to how spacecraft like NASA's Voyager probes' radioisotope thermoelectric generators produce power from the heat emitted from their plutonium cores, City Lab's NanoTritium device harnesses the beta particles emitted from the radioactive decay of tritium, which can be converted directly to electricity using a semiconductor. (7/7)

Skyroot Prepares for First Orbital Launch Attempt (Source: Space News)
Indian launch startup Skyroot Aerospace is preparing for its first orbital launch attempt as soon as July 12, with plans to quickly scale up to monthly launches. The Vikram-1 rocket, designed to carry small satellites into low-Earth orbit, will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota between July 12 and Aug. 4, the company said. (7/7)

'Once Upon a Time in Space' Series to Tell Florida's Space Story (Source: Florida Today)
Coming as America celebrates its 250th birthday, as well as the 15th anniversary of the final NASA space shuttle flight, Florida’s historic space story is getting a spotlight in a new PBS documentary series. Starting July 14, WUCF will present Once Upon a Time in Space, a new four-part PBS documentary series that tells America’s space story through the voices of astronauts, people behind the missions, and their families. (7/7)

Two Asteroid Rendezvous in One Weekend (Source: Douglas Messier)
Last weekend there was not one but two rendezvous with distant asteroids conducted by Chinese and Japanese spacecraft. After a voyage of 1 billion kilometers and more than 400 days, China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft arrived at asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa (a.k.a., 2016 HO3). Chinese officials released an image of the near-Earth object taken from a distance of 20 kilometers.

Tianwen-2 will study the asteroid for nine months before departing for Earth with a sample for scientists to examine. It is China’s first mission to explore an asteroid.Kamoʻoalewa is a small Apollo-type near-Earth object that has been estimated to be 40–100 meters in diameter based on ground observations. Tianwen-2’s data will allow scientists to determine its exact dimensions.

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft has conducted a flyby of asteroid 98943 Torifune. The near-Earth object resembles a peanut in the form of two rubble piles. It also appears similar to 486958 Arrokoth, a Kuiper belt object whose two lobes formed independently before gently merging together. Asteroid 98943 Torifune has been estimated to be 450 meters in diameter based on ground observations. Hayabusa2’s has a fixed camera that was not designed for a rapid flyby. So, the spacecraft’s capacity to return images was limited. (7/7)

Apophis to Pass Within GEO Ring (Source: Space Daily)
On 13 April 2029, an asteroid the size of a large skyscraper, roughly 375 meters across and named Apophis, will sweep past Earth closer than many telecommunications satellites orbit. And for once, we will be able to watch. Under clear, dark skies, an estimated two billion people across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia should be able to see it cross the night sky with the naked eye.

The single most important thing to say about that is also the most reassuring: it is a close pass, not a threat. Apophis will not hit Earth. The numbers are startling. Apophis will pass about 31,600 kilometers above Earth’s surface, which is roughly one tenth of the distance to the Moon and only about five times the radius of the Earth itself. Crucially, that is inside the ring of geostationary satellites, the ones sitting some 36,000 kilometers up that relay much of our television and communications. An asteroid this large will actually pass beneath them. (7/6)

Trapped in Orbit: China's Approach to Emergency Action on TSS (Source: Futura)
A small crack in a spacecraft window set off a complex chain of events aboard China's Tiangong  space station last year. The episode began in November 2025 and only fully resolved this past May 2026, spanning nearly seven months. The incident thoroughly tested China's emergency contingency planning for crewed  spaceflight. It ultimately concluded with a successful, improvised rescue that drew unusually open commentary from a normally guarded  space program.

China’s human  spaceflight program manages this risk through a strict standing contingency policy known as “one launch, one on standby.” Under this framework, engineers maintain a backup Shenzhou spacecraft and a Long March 2F rocket on hand at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The China Manned  Space Agency activated this emergency protocol, accelerating the launch timeline of the Shenzhou 22 vehicle by roughly six months to send it up uncrewed as a dedicated lifeboat. (7/5)

Audit: Starliner Costs Lower Than Full Reliance on SpaceX (Source: Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)
Boeing's Starliner faces delays and cost overruns, but it remains a less expensive option for NASA than relying solely on SpaceX, according to an audit by the NASA Office of Inspector General. The audit highlights unresolved issues such as helium leaks and thruster problems, which could delay human-rating certification to 2027. NASA has spent nearly $10 billion on the Commercial Crew Program, with Boeing's contract now valued at $3.7 billion and SpaceX's at $4.9 billion. (7/6)

Europe’s Space Sovereignty Will Depend on How It Scales Optical Connectivity (Source: Astrolight)
The recent European Commission’s move to prioritize European operators in allocating spectrum for direct-to-device connectivity services, the development of Europe’s IRIS² constellation, and Germany’s planned €35 billion investment in defense space capabilities are all part of Europe’s strategic push to reduce its reliance on foreign space services.

Experts argue, however, that building infrastructure is only part of the challenge: for sovereign space networks to remain competitive, they have to utilize and scale optical communication. Global satellite connectivity demand will increase more than 11 times between 2024 and 2034. At the same time, less than 10% of all data generated in orbit currently reaches Earth, largely because of limited downlink bandwidth and scarce spectrum availability in conventional communication systems. (7/6)

Famous Study in Error: the Universe Isn’t Anisotropic (Source: Big Think)
Here in our Universe, we’ve drawn the conclusion that it’s been expanding and cooling for 13.8 billion years: ever since the hot Big Bang first began. In all directions, the same cosmic structures emerge: stars, galaxies, groups and clusters of galaxies, a network of interconnected filaments, with vast cosmic voids separating these matter-rich structures. At distances near and far, and in all directions and all locations, the Universe appears not identical, but similar: with the same densities, galaxy counts, and types of structures found everywhere.

Our cosmological picture, however, only makes sense — and exhibits self-consistency — if the Universe is both homogeneous and isotropic: the same in all locations and the same in all directions. The underlying equations we use to govern the expanding Universe on the largest of cosmic scales, the Friedmann equations, require both of these assumptions to be true.

Thus far, the large-scale structure data seems to agree with these assumptions, including from the largest surveys of all: the 2dF galaxy redshift survey, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey have all supported this consensus picture. However, in a new study published in Nature at the end of June 2026, coauthors Francesco Sylos Labini and Marco Galoppo argue that the DESI data actually supports an anisotropic Universe. (7/6)