September 2, 2026

Blue Origin to Develop Mars Telecomm Orbiter (Source: Space News)
NASA selected Blue Origin to build a Mars telecommunications orbiter. The agency said Tuesday it awarded a contract to Blue Origin valued at about $700 million for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), a spacecraft designed for launch in late 2028 that will serve as a communications relay in Mars orbit between other spacecraft there and Earth. NASA received funding for the mission in the budget reconciliation act last year, with restrictions on the companies that could bid on it. Blue Origin and Rocket Lab were the two companies most publicly interested in the mission. Blue Origin said its MTN orbiter will be based on its Blue Ring spacecraft. (9/2)

Sierra Space Signs Dream Chaser Customers (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space said it has signed national security and commercial customers to fly payloads on the first orbital mission of its Dream Chaser spaceplane. The company announced Wednesday that the inaugural flight will carry a mix of national security, civil and commercial payloads, but did not identify the customers, disclose contract values or provide details about the payloads.

Sierra Space originally developed Dream Chaser to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station, but has pivoted to other government and commercial uses of the spaceplane. The company has targeted late this year for a first flight, a schedule that depends on both the readiness of the spacecraft as well as its launch vehicle, ULA's Vulcan. (9/2)

SpaceX Launches Wednesday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, putting 27 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX is now launching Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rockets only from Vandenberg as it prepares to start launching larger Starlink satellites on Starship vehicles from Texas and, later, Florida. (9/2)

All-Female ISS Spacewalk Conducted for Maintenance Tasks (Source: Space.com)
Astronauts conducted the fourth spacewalk outside the ISS in less than a month Tuesday. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot spent six hours and 49 minutes outside the station conducting several maintenance tasks. That work included installing a new retroflector, used as a docking aid, on the port on the Harmony module, as well as replacing a high-definition camera and swabbing an area of the station's exterior to study any microorganisms there. The two also partially completed work installing jumper cables for electrical systems and preparing future work to replace the radiator on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer instrument. NASA deferred the completion of that work and other tasks when Adenot reported a problem with a shoulder joint in her suit, apparently caused by cabling getting caught in the joint. (9/1)

BQP Developing Quantum-Inspired Tech for Space Object Identification (Source: Space News)
A startup working with the Space Force on "quantum-inspired" computing technologies has secured funding from IBM Ventures. BQP, formerly known as BosonQ Psi, said Wednesday that IBM Ventures made a strategic investment into the company, bringing the total raised by the startup to $8 million.

BQP announced its first federal contract in July, an award from the U.S. Space Force and SpaceWERX, to develop and validate a physics-constrained, quantum-assisted machine-learning application to improve the speed and accuracy of identifying unknown space objects. In addition to space, BQP develops optimization software for uncrewed aircraft and electric vehicle battery thermal management. (9/2)

Yank Technologies Wins Space Force SBIR Contract for Wireless Satellite Charging (Source: Space News)
Yank Technologies won a U.S. Space Force small-business contract to study the use of wireless charging for satellites. The company received a Phase 1 SBIR contract from SpaceWERX to assess the feasibility of wirelessly charging satellites without requiring a mechanical electrical connection between spacecraft. Yank Technologies develops long-range, high-power wireless charging systems and has used the technology for automotive, industrial and space applications, including NASA projects aimed at delivering power on the lunar surface. The Space Force contract covers technical analysis and data intended to establish whether the concept is feasible, with the work due in October. (9/2)

House Spending Bill Passage to Prevent October Government Shutdown (Source: Politico)
The House passed a stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown next month. The House approved a continuing resolution (CR) Tuesday that will fund the government at 2026 levels from the start of the 2027 fiscal year Oct. 1 through Dec. 11. The CR, previously approved by the Senate, also includes a provision preventing the enactment of an Office of Management and Budget proposed rule that would place political appointees in charge of approving federal research grants. (9/2)

Japan's First Astronaut Dies (Source: Collect Space)
The first Japanese citizen to go to space has died. Toyohiro Akiyama passed away last week at the age of 84, according to Japanese media reports. Akiyama was not a professional astronaut but instead a journalist working for the Tokyo Broadcasting System when he flew to the Mir space station in 1990 for a week-long stay. He was called by some the "space antihero" because of his initial unenthusiastic reports from space, caused by a serious case of space sickness; Akiyama, a chain smoker, also suffered from nicotine withdrawal. His accounts of the flight became most positive later in the mission. He left journalism several years after his return to become a farmer and teacher. (9/2)

York Space Systems Unveils VLEO Satellite Antenna (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems unveiled a new satellite platform designed to operate in very low Earth orbit. The new LX/V-class of satellites is intended to operate at roughly 300 kilometers, an altitude that offers improved sensing performance but creates technical challenges caused by the higher atmospheric drag at those altitudes. The spacecraft has an elongated body and narrow solar-array profile designed to reduce the area exposed to the upper atmosphere. York declined to identify specific customers for LX/V but said it already has contracts with national security customers whose missions it believes could be applicable to the new platform. (9/2)

RAND Study Raises Workforce Concerns for Space Force (Source: Space News)
A new study says the lack of a trained workforce could hinder the Space Force's ability to restore space capabilities after a conflict. The RAND Corp. report examined whether the space industrial base could reconstitute critical systems within 12 to 24 months during a prolonged conflict with a near-peer adversary. Researchers found that many of the workers needed to design, build, integrate and test spacecraft could not be hired or trained quickly enough after a conflict begins.

The study found that occupations relevant to the space industrial base have about 30,000 openings a year for technicians and technologists, compared with roughly 11,000 people receiving applicable credentials. Moreover, the space industry must compete with semiconductor manufacturers and other advanced industries for the same workers. The report recommends adding surge-planning requirements to future Space Force contracts, requiring suppliers to consider in advance how they would expand production during a crisis. (9/2)

Bill Progresses Through Congress to Streamline FCC Satellite Licensing (Source: Space News)
A House subcommittee advanced a bill designed to streamline the FCC satellite licensing process. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's communications and technology subcommittee favorably reported H.R. 8255, the Satellite and Telecommunications (SAT) Streamlining Act, on a voice vote Tuesday, sending the bill to the full committee. The bill sets deadlines for the FCC to act on satellite applications and modification requests, and includes a "deemed granted" provision that would automatically approve them if the FCC does not act on them in time.

The bill has broad industry support, but differs from a Senate bill that would require the FCC to place limits on what applications would be eligible for deemed-granted consideration. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), chairman of the committee and a sponsor of the SAT Streamlining Act, said his committee was working on potential changes to the House bill. (9/2)

Poland's Creotech to Develop Space Weather Satellite Mission (Source: Space News)
Polish space technology company Creotech Instruments signed an ESA contract for a space weather satellite mission. The company announced a 13.9 million euro ($16 million) contract for the comprehensive implementation of the SAWA 2nd Space Weather nanosat mission, which will study the Earth's upper atmosphere and monitor the effects of solar activity on the space environment in LEO. The nanosat's launch is expected in early 2029, the company said. The project will be financed via Poland's contribution to the Space Weather and Space Safety Program. (9/2)

Noise and Vibration Impacts Anticipated at SpaceX's Louisiana Spaceport (Source: The Advocate)
SpaceX's planned Louisiana spaceport is expected to bring major changes to Vermilion Parish, including new jobs, housing and infrastructure. It could also bring something residents may be less prepared for: rocket launches loud enough to be heard — and possibly felt — far beyond the coast. SpaceX's Starship can produce noise levels approaching 140 decibels near the launch pad. For comparison, a commercial jet engine can produce roughly similar noise levels at close range. But predicting what Louisiana residents might hear or feel farther away is much more difficult.

Louisiana's coastal marshes present another major unknown. The complex mix of water, vegetation and sediment could affect how sound and vibration travel, making predictions difficult without site-specific research. "We need to ensure that we begin an environmental impact assessment so that we can compare the environment from before and after these rockets start launching."

Observations and studies of launches at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas, have documented rocket noise traveling well beyond the immediate launch area. Some reports have suggested launch noise can be heard roughly 20 miles away, while low-frequency sound and vibration from larger launches may travel much farther under certain atmospheric conditions. (9/1)

Longer Wait, Higher Prices for Virgin Galactic Tourists (Source: Orange County Business Journal)
Virgin Galactic’s would-be space tourists will have to wait a bit longer and probably pay more before they take off into the wild blue yonder. The company said Aug. 12 that it is delaying the start of commercial service for its new Delta spaceship from the fourth quarter of this year to February 2027.

Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said that space flights at $750,000 were sold out and that there will be “higher price points” when ticket sales reopen in the fall. By comparison, seats were going for $450,000 each in 2023. The company says right now that the flights are “currently fully booked,” meaning some space riders may end up waiting several years before they go aloft. (8/31)

UCF Researchers Study a Centaur Transforming into a Comet (Source: UCF)
A team of researchers led by UCF Planetary Scientist Charles Schambeau captured an extraordinary glimpse of an ancient icy object that may be transforming into an active comet. The findings could help scientists better understand how primitive objects from the outer solar system transition over time, offering new clues about the origins and evolution of comets. (9/1)

LambdaVision Advances Space-Based Manufacturing with Its First Mission Beyond the ISS (Source: LamdaVision)
LambdaVision, a pre-clinical-stage biotech advancing on-Earth and microgravity bioprocesses, announced an upcoming mission with Helogen Corporation to deepen its knowledge of the space-based properties of the protein used in LambdaVision’s artificial retina. Scheduled to launch in October 2026, the mission will mark LambdaVision’s first flight beyond the International Space Station (ISS) and an essential next step in the company’s strategy to expand its microgravity research beyond the ISS and evaluate new platforms that could support its long-term commercial strategy in low-Earth orbit (LEO). (9/1)

UCF Brands Self as America's Space University (Source: UCF)
UCF now brands itself as "SpaceU" and has ramped up its involvement in space education and research. The university is the #1 supplier of talent to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries for six years in a row. Click here. (9/1)

SwRI-Led Modeling Identifies New Scenarios for Moon Formation (Source: SwRI)
New Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) modeling, conducted in collaboration with scientists at the University of Arizona, shows fundamental differences in how the Moon may have formed from the giant impact that created the Earth-Moon system. The new results used state-of-the-art computational techniques that factor in the material strength of the two colliding planets. These impact simulations could change how researchers understand Moon formation and may help constrain the timing of the event. (9/1)

Starfighters Space Plans Pathfinder for Payload Processing with Bionetics Corp. (9/2)
Starfighters Space has signed an MOU with Bionetics to integrate and process a series of pathfinder small payloads for air-launch and captive-carry missions aboard the company’s F-104 aircraft. Bionetics will work with Starfighters to prepare multiple classes of small payloads, including their pre-flight and post-flight assembly, testing, integration, and data retrieval at the Space Life Sciences Lab at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (9/2)

Space Battleship Yamato vs. the Starship Enterprise (Source: Space Review)
The Starship Enterprise is one of the best known science-fiction spaceships, but in Japan another vessel is just as famous. Dwayne Day examines the story of Space Battleship Yamato and explains how both it and the Enterprise illustrate how the US and Japan addressed their postwar legacies. Click here. (9/1)
 
Commercial Space is Not an Endless Field of Innovation: an Assessment of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Source: Space Review)
The growth of the commercial space industry is seen by some as a way to help the US government to do more with less. Charles Galbreath discusses how commercial space capabilities, while offering benefits, also have some problems that must not be overlooked. Click here. (9/1)
 
Space Has a Billionaire Problem, But it Also Has a Billionaire Solution (Source: Space Review)
Many in the public see space as primarily a playground for billionaires. Kelsie Goddard argues that while that reputation is not undeserved, the role of wealthy private actors in commercial space may signal a predictable stage of technological development rather than a dystopian one. Click here. (9/1)
 
Learning From a Satellite Servicing Mission’s Failure (Source: Space Review)
In mid-August, NASA announced it was calling off an effort to reboost the orbit of its Swift space telescope because of problems with the commercial spacecraft launched to reboost it. Jeff Foust reports on the lessons both the company and the agency learned from that effort that could apply to future missions. Click here. (9/1)
 
Little Building, Big Mystery (Source: Space Review)
What was a small building in a forgotten corner of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station used for decades ago? James Behling uncovers the mystery of facility number 49941 at the Cape. Click here. (9/1)

Florida Defense Grants Totaling $275K Go To Space Coast EDC for Space Base Support (Source: EOG)
Two grants from the Florida Defense Reinvestment Grant Program and the Florida Defense Support Commission Grant Program, totaling $275K, will go to the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast for two initiatives: 1) "to conduct a regional public awareness campaign focused on responsible drone use and protection of military missions near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base" and 2) "to advance infrastructure and resilience priorities that affect Brevard County, Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Base." (8/31)

Creotech Wins €13.9 million ESA Contract for Poland’s First Mission-as-a-Service Space-Weather Nanosat (Source: Economic Times)
Polish space technology company Creotech Instruments has signed a €13.9 million ($16 million) contract with the European Space Agency to comprehensively implement SAWA, Poland’s second space-weather nanosatellite mission. The project is also described as the country’s first “mission-as-a-service” initiative, expanding Poland’s role in European space programs. (9/1)

Launch Site and Facility Progress Ahead of East Coast Starship Debut (Source: NSF)
As SpaceX prepares to launch Starship Flight 14 in the coming weeks, work in Florida is expanding the Starship program so the company can fly from LC-39A and, eventually, SLC-37. The historic pad that once launched Saturn and Shuttle missions, and now supports Falcon, is expected to become SpaceX’s second active Starship launch site. Pad 1 at Starbase is not expected to return to service until later next year.

After about 18 months, the Gigabay’s exterior at Roberts Road is nearly complete. Only parts of the roof and the larger glass panels on the east side remain unfinished. The long haul now is installing the interior systems. Those include electrical, pneumatic, plumbing, and HVAC, as well as the transfer-aisle bridge cranes, one of which is already installed, as far as is known.

SLC-37A’s launch mount at Roberts Road is coming along as well. The major pieces of the first and second levels are in position and being welded together. The four sections of the top deck plate are nearby, and one already has the service-structure-side water manifold installed. A few more months of work remain before the mount is ready for rollout, but it is progressing well. (9/1)

ispace Reports 85% Sales Drop and Deeper Quarterly Loss but Maintains Full-Year Target (Source: Space Intel Report)
Japan’s ispace reported an 85% year-over-year decline in sales and a deeper operating loss for the three months ended June 30. The lunar infrastructure company said the deterioration was expected and does not change its ability to meet its full-year sales target. (9/1)

Intuitive Machines Books 2-Satellite Order for Unnamed Customer (Source: Via Satellite)
Intuitive Machines has secured a two-satellite order for an unnamed commercial customer. The order is for two IM 300 platforms, the same platform that has supported Space Development Agency missions. The company said that this award adds “a new market segment of customers” for this spacecraft platform, but did not share what type of application the satellite will serve.

The IM 300 platform is geared toward proliferated missions like the Space Development Agency’s constellation and designed for serial manufacturing. It will be built in the company’s satellite manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, California. (9/1)

Independent Safety Officials Say Orion Heat Shield Performed Well Despite Earlier Criticism (Source: Ars Technica)
Independent safety officials found that NASA’s Orion spacecraft heat shield performed well, despite earlier criticism of its behavior during testing or flight. The assessment also praised changes made by NASA leadership, providing support for the agency’s approach to addressing concerns surrounding the crewed exploration vehicle. (9/1)

MaiaSpace Completes Upper-Stage Validation Ahead of 2027 Orbital Debut (Source: Spacewatch Global)
MaiaSpace has completed another upper-stage validation campaign for its Maia launcher, advancing development ahead of the vehicle’s planned orbital debut in 2027. The milestone marks continued progress toward the launcher’s first flight and commercial introduction. (9/1)

SpaceX’s Plan to Bring Turbine-Blade Production In-House Hits Howmet; Analysts See a Buying Opportunity (Source: Aviation Week)
Howmet Aerospace shares fell after SpaceX said it plans to produce turbine blades internally, raising concerns about the supplier’s exposure to the launch company. Two Wall Street banks characterized the selloff as an opportunity to buy, framing the announcement as a limited impact to Howmet’s broader aerospace business. Editor's Note: SpaceX will use turbine engines for ground-based power generation, not for jetliners. Maybe they therefore can be made with less exacting specifications... meaning they wouldn't impact Howmet's jet engine turbine blade business. (9/1)