A falling quantum object is subject to the effects of gravity, a new study found yesterday. The finding for the first time confirms a decades-old prediction by Albert Einstein, aligning with his broader theory of gravity. Physicists sought to probe whether Einstein’s equivalence principle—whereby objects undergo weightlessness in free fall—applies on a quantum level. To test the question, they used an apparatus that split a quantum wave associated with an atom into two paths, holding one still while projecting the other into free fall. After the experiment, interference between the waves allowed researchers to record a tiny difference in quantum phase aligning with calculations anticipated by Einstein’s theory of gravity. (9/3)
Scientists Find a Huge 10-Sided Wave Pattern Swirling in the Clouds Over Saturn’s South Pole (Source: AP)
Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn’s south pole. The spinning, meandering decagon appears to be even bigger and more unstable than the hexagon of clouds around Saturn’s north pole that was spied by NASA’s twin Voyagers in the 1980s, the Spanish-led team reported Wednesday. (9/2)
Japan Sets Launch Date for Martian Moons Mission (Source: Douglas Messier)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch the Mars Moons Explorer (MMX) aboard an H3 rocket on Oct. 20 from the Tanegashima spaceport. The Japanese-led Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission will study Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos. In addition to extended scientific observation, the spacecraft is equipped to collect samples from Phobos and will deploy a Franco-German rover on its surface. (9/2)
Boeing Finishes Building Final Three O3b mPower Satellites (Source: Space News)
Boeing has completed the final three O3b mPower satellites for SES. The companies said Wednesday that the three satellites, designated F11, F12 and F13, have arrived at Cape Canaveral for launch on a Falcon 9 later this month. The delivery marks one of the final milestones for a contract that began with an order for an initial seven satellites in 2017. Launches got underway about five years later. The first six satellites suffered electrical issues, one factor in the SES decision to expand the constellation to 13 satellites. While SES prepares to add the final pieces to its O3b mPower network, the company has already begun laying the groundwork for a follow-on generation it calls meoSphere, using satellites built by K2 Space. (9/3)
NASA Adjusting Lunar Spacesuit Requirements (Source: Space News)
NASA is adjusting requirements for a lunar spacesuit to ensure it is ready in time for a 2028 landing. At a meeting this week of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, committee members said that NASA is shortening duration requirements for Axiom Space's AxEMU suit for the first Artemis landing missions, noting the original longer-duration requirements would not be needed on those first missions. The change is part of efforts to keep development of the suit on schedule for Artemis 4, planned for 2028. The panel said NASA has increased insight into suit development and holds meetings with Axiom six days a week. Suit development was also a factor in NASA's decision to obtain a Boeing 737 for use in reduced-gravity flight testing, as the plane will be able to briefly simulate lunar gravity to test spacesuit mobility. (9/3)
All.Space to Demo High-Rate Satellite Antenna Production for DIU (Source: Space News)
Satellite antenna manufacturer All.Space has signed an agreement with the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit to demonstrate high-rate production. All.Space said this week it received an Other Transaction Agreement from the Defense Innovation Unit under a program aimed at bringing high-volume commercial manufacturing practices into the national security space supply chain. The value and duration of the agreement were not disclosed. DIU is paying All.Space to demonstrate that the terminals can be integrated, tested and qualified at substantially higher production rates. All.Space was acquired by satellite manufacturer York Space Systems in July. (9/3)
NASA Consolidates Launch Procurement (Source: Space News)
A new NASA office plans to consolidate launch procurements, which could lead to bulk buys of rockets. The Commercial Access to Space, or CAtS, office was created as part of an agency-wide reorganization earlier this year as part of the new Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate. The office will be responsible for all launch activities outside of human spaceflight, an official said at a recent conference. While plans are still in development, CAtS may oversee block buys of five to 20 rockets at a time, a change from NASA's traditional approach for procuring launches for individual missions. CAtS will also oversee agency rideshare launch opportunities.
Editor's Note: NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP), based at Kennedy Space Center, has been responsible for acquisition and program management of commercial launch services and uncrewed launch vehicles. I'm assuming CAtS will replace LSP. (9/3)
Samara Aerospace Wins NSF SBIR Funding for Attitude Control Tech (Source: Space News)
Samara Aerospace received an award from the National Science Foundation to improve attitude-control technologies. The $1.22 million SBIR Phase 2 contract will allow the company to subject its Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC) technology, which uses piezoelectric actuators in the hinges of deployable panels, to extensive ground tests. Next year, Samara plans to launch Hummingbird, a small satellite based on MSAC technology that the company is developing with funding from the Space Force's SpaceWERX innovation unit. (9/3)
Rocket Lab Launches Another Japanese Radar Imaging Satellite (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched another satellite for Japanese radar-imaging company Synspective on Wednesday. An Electron rocket lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 8:01 a.m. Eastern, after a delay of nearly an hour because of high winds. The rocket successfully deployed into low Earth orbit the latest StriX satellite for Synspective. This was the 11th launch of a Synspective satellite on Electron while another Japanese radar-imaging company, iQPS, has launched nine satellites on Electron. The two companies have a combined 25 additional Electron launches under contract. (9/3)
Trump Administration Doesn't Want US Participation at International Space Summit (Source: Politico)
The White House has reportedly been pressuring American companies not to attend the International Space Summit in France next week. An official with the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy told representatives of several companies, including SpaceX, in a private call last week to skip the summit, reportedly because of Chinese participation in the event and a lack of coordination between France and the United States. U.S. government officials are still expected to attend, though, and the schedule shows that executives of several American companies will appear on panels or other conference events. (9/3)
New Horizon Instruments May Shut Down with Funding Shortfall (Source: Science)
Two space science instruments on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft could shut down next month because of a lack of funding. The instruments, which measure the solar wind in the distant reaches of the solar system, are supposed to be funded by NASA's heliophysics division, but the division has withheld the expected $2 million needed for operating the instruments for the last two fiscal years without explanation. That has prompted plans to shut the instruments down unless the funding is restored. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he was aware of the issue and that he was "generally supportive of generating high-quality scientific returns for low-dollar spend," but stopped short of stating the funding would be restored. (9/3)
Group Wants Space Academy to Be Established on Florida’s Space Coast (Source: EDC of Florida's Space Coast)
The Economic Development Commission (EDC) is calling on NASA and the Presidential Commission on the U.S. Space Academy to establish the recently announced Federal Academy on Florida’s Space Coast. EDC President & CEO Lynda Weatherman cited the region’s unparalleled concentration of space infrastructure, military and civil space capabilities, commercial space activity, research institutions, and highly skilled workforce as strong arguments to select the region as its home. (9/1)
NASA Is About to Lose Its Way to Low Earth Orbit (Source: Phil McAlister)
Private citizens can fly to space on systems that have not been certified by NASA. They simply have to sign an “informed consent” waiver acknowledging the risks. The U.S. government has accepted this regulatory framework for years, across multiple Presidential administrations. Government astronauts are different. For NASA to send its astronauts to space, NASA requires a certified human transportation system.
Certification is an expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive process. Companies must provide NASA with enormous amounts of detailed analytical and test data demonstrating compliance with thousands of safety and reliability requirements. NASA then reviews the data and, if it determines that all requirements have been satisfied, certifies the system for NASA use. Today, only one system is certified to transport NASA astronauts to LEO: SpaceX’s Falcon 9/Crew Dragon.
That is a problem because NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations program is counting on commercial space stations beginning operations around the same time. So how exactly does NASA intend to get its astronauts to Commercial LEO Destinations after the ISS retires? Apparently, it was too much to ask for NASA to have a cogent strategy for LEO. Or any strategy for that matter. Click here. (9/2)
The Spaceport Company Proposes Artificial Island for New Spaceport (Source: TSC)
The Spaceport Company (TSC), in response to the FAA's RFI for new spaceport options, submitted their idea for a "purpose-built artificial island, sited in U.S. territorial waters near an existing deep-water port." They suggest this is a "lower-cost, more environmentally sensitive, faster-to-permit alternative than conventional ‘mainland’ spaceport concepts."
"Rather than requiring the control of large tracts of land, an artificial island launch pad needs only the footprint for the pad itself: approximately 40 acres per Starship-class Super Heavy pad and integration tower. Non-hazardous, low impact activities like vehicle processing, integration, and storage would remain onshore at existing industrial port infrastructure; completed vehicles would be transported vertically by barge to the offshore pad, fueled, and launched, with range control conducted from nearby vessels or the onshore support base." (9/2)
In FAA RFI Response, Louisiana Residents Object to SpaceX Spaceport, Urge FAA to Enforce Environmental Regs (Source: Regulations.gov)
"We fell in love with the area. It was a peaceful place to escape the busy world and revert back to our Cajun Heritage of 'Living off of the Land'. At that time our retirement plans began to be drawn. We saved to buy a 'retirement boat' that would enable us to traverse the shallow waters to pursue shrimp, crabs, fish, and game. We began making renovations to our camp to better suit us for retirement. Then without warning the announcement came about SpaceX taking over Exxon property just ¼ of a mile from our camp. This was devastating to say the least. Our state officials passed multiple bills protecting the space industry but none of which protected our land, people, or culture."
"The FAA is now our only possible entity to enforce restrictions on the number of launches, environmental effects, and liabilities of these launches... I strongly ask for your consideration in not lifting any restrictions and or regulations that have been set to protect the people and land from harm. I am not against progress at all; however, progress needs guidelines, regulations, and restrictions to not disrupt the environment and the culture of any place. Please be the one to stand for the people!" ... "This is too much, and you're gonna push lifelong residents from the area. Buy them out, move them to better properties. But just don't come in and push people around who've lived there their whole lives."
"We put fresh seafood on a lot of peoples tables from locals to all over the world. We worry about contamination and other harm that could happen in the marshes and the waters in and by gulf shrimp hatchery happens in the Marsh canals close to the area. If it's destroyed we & all commercial fishermen will be out of business with no income and a huge investment tied to the dock. What will happen to us all when we can't even feed our families cause we won't have income coming In. We worry about all our wildlife also we hunt deer for meat for us and lots of other families. We just ask for truth on all this FAA should require a full environmental review & also wildlife & Fisheries to protect our seafood & animals. Please help Vermilion Parish people closest to this site to understand and be protected - put us on record please." (9/2)
FAA Seeks New Launch Sites to Support Projected Space Boom (Source: WFTV)
The FAA is preparing for a dramatic increase in U.S. space activity, projecting as many as 10,000 launches and reentries a year by 2035. That growth could put pressure on existing spaceports, particularly on Florida’s Space Coast. Dr. Ken Kremer of Space UpClose says Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are already nearing their launch capacities and will need major infrastructure upgrades to handle a significant increase in operations.
According to the FAA, 83% of U.S. launches come from just three sites: Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The FAA is now seeking public input on potential new launch locations in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and offshore areas, while also examining why some existing spaceports are not being used more. Officials must consider everything from infrastructure and airspace to ensuring rockets stay over open water and away from populated areas, while making sure new sites have room to grow. (9/1)
Tropical Storms, Hurricanes and SpaceX's Coastal Spaceports (Source: WZTV)
As Tropical Storm Edouard affects parts of the Gulf Coast, the storm is also putting a spotlight on a question Louisiana may face in the coming years: How does severe weather affect a coastal rocket launch site? Coastal locations are useful for launches. But those benefits come with weather risks. After Hurricane Matthew passed near Florida’s Space Coast in 2016, NASA reported 86 mph winds near Launch Pad 39B. A damage survey found roof panels blown from several buildings, water intrusion and beach erosion near launch pads.
Those examples do not predict how a future Louisiana spaceport would perform during a storm. Each launch site has different engineering, construction standards, geography and emergency plans. As SpaceX’s Louisiana plans move forward, tropical-weather preparation is likely to be one of the key questions for a project designed to operate along the Gulf Coast. (9/2)
What Happens to Canadian Science in Orbit After the International Space Station is Decommissioned? (Source: SpaceQ)
The International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2030, and the central question everybody’s asking is: what’s next? The answer, at least outside of China, is commercially owned and operated space stations: ones that do much of what the ISS does, but with different approaches and structures.
Though NASA’s “Ignition” event in March did suggest it may be rethinking that approach, the agency ultimately announced in May that it would be sticking with its Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations program, and released a draft request for proposals (RFP) in July asking American companies how best to “ensure a seamless transition of activities” from the ISS to these new stations.
There is one caveat to that date. A NASA authorization bill approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in March would extend the station to Sept. 30, 2032, to avoid a gap in continuous human presence in orbit before commercial stations are ready. The bill is a long way from law: the full Senate has still to vote, the House will have its own say, and the two chambers would need to reconcile any differences between their versions before anything reaches the president. (9/1)
Are We Prepared for the Fallout of Finding Life Beyond Earth? (Source: UPI)
Finding extraterrestrial life in a microbial form is becoming more plausible. What will the response be back here on Earth if -- or when -- scientists discover extraterrestrial microbes? Will the international policy and security communities be prepared for the fallout? When you hear about extraterrestrial life, your mind may go to intelligent life, like the kind present in a lot of Hollywood science fiction. But even the confirmation of microbial life that originated somewhere other than on Earth -- which is much more likely -- would be a paradigm-shifting event. (9/1)
SpaceX Investors May be Overlooking a Major Risk: There’s No Replacing Elon Musk (Source: CNN)
Ahead of its June IPO, SpaceX described its CEO as the “driving force behind our growth, innovation, and operational success.” His loss, “whether due to death, disability, or otherwise … could significantly disrupt our management structure.”
While that’s fairly standard language for a regulatory filing, it is also a staggering understatement. The disclosure, known as a “key person risk,” nods to a dilemma at the heart of Elon Musk’s empire, a rockets-and-robots-and-satellites-and-AI behemoth with aspirations to “make life multi-planetary”: Musk may be a once-in-a-generation talent, but he is not immortal. (9/2)
ESA and ispace-EUROPE Mark Official Signing of Europe’s First Lunar Polar Ice Exploration Rover Mission (Source: ispace)
The European Space Agency and ispace-EUROPE, the Luxembourg-based European entity of ispace, marked the official signing of the Phase 2 agreement for MAGPIE, the Mission for Advanced Geophysics and Polar Ice Exploration. MAGPIE, Europe’s first lunar surface exploration mission scheduled to launch in 2029 on board ispace inc.’s Mission 4 ULTRA lunar lander, will investigate the Moon’s south polar region – focusing on the distribution and stability of water ice and other lunar volatiles, as well as the properties of the regolith. (9/2)
Russia’s Starlink Rival Suffers Orbital Misplacements, Decay (Source: Kyiv Post)
Russia’s attempt to rapidly develop an alternative to Starlink has suffered another setback after all 16 Rassvet satellites launched in July failed to reach their intended operational altitude. None of the satellites in the second batch, launched on July 19, had reached the anticipated altitude of 550 kilometers (342 miles) as of Aug. 31, according to satellite-tracking data. Many remained between 300 and 400 kilometers (186-249 miles), while some were experiencing orbital decay. At least two were reportedly heading toward reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. (9/1)
Dark Matter Discovery? (Source: BNL)
A new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment has recorded a single particle interaction that researchers have great difficulty explaining with known background signals from normal matter. The result does not yet meet the statistical threshold required to claim a discovery, but is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date.
LZ is an international collaboration of 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions. The detector is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and operates nearly one mile below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for dark matter and is optimized to look for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. (9/1)
Rocket Lab’s Neutron ‘Hungry Hippo’ Fairing Completes Testing Ahead of Planned Year-End Debut (Source: NSF)
Rocket Lab says the payload fairing for its Neutron medium-lift rocket has completed testing, removing another development milestone as the company targets a first launch by year-end. The fairing is designed around Neutron’s reusable architecture and its distinctive hinged “Hungry Hippo” configuration. (9/2)
Rocket Lab Launches 11th Synspective Radar-Imaging Satellite on Electron (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched the 11th satellite for Japanese radar-imaging company Synspective, reinforcing the customer’s role as one of Electron’s largest users. The mission adds to Synspective’s Earth-observation constellation and highlights recurring demand for dedicated small-satellite launch services. (9/2)
French and German NewSpace Groups Urge EU to Publish Launch-Demand Forecast to Unlock Investment (Source: Space Intel Report)
French and German associations representing NewSpace companies are asking the European Commission to provide a clear assessment of European government launch demand in the coming years. The groups say greater visibility is needed to stimulate both government support and private investment in European launchers. (9/1)
US, China Arm for Space Warfare: Hunter Satellites and Orbital Weapons (Source: Economic Times)
China and the United States are equipping themselves for a potential new domain of conflict, developing hunter satellites and orbital weapons as military space operations rapidly evolve. The preparations signal that counterspace capabilities are becoming central to strategic competition between the two powers. (9/2)
Astroscale Selects Isar Aerospace to Launch ADRAS-J2 Orbital-Debris Removal Mission (Source: Payload)
Astroscale Japan has signed Isar Aerospace to launch ADRAS-J2 aboard a Spectrum rocket, targeting the capture and removal of a spent upper stage from orbit. Separately, NorthStar is leading FALCON, a new ESA-backed project focused on improving predictions of uncontrolled re-entries after recent debris incidents in Europe. (9/2)
Seraphim Launches New ETF to Target Pure-Play Space Investors (Source: Bloomberg)
Investors are being offered a new way to bet on space via a fund that focuses exclusively on a sector thrust into the limelight by the IPO of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Seraphim Space, a London-based investment company, is launching an exchange-traded fund which claims to provide pure exposure to the “New Space” economy by tracking companies building infrastructure, technology and services while giving less weight to defense and aerospace names. (9/1)
Marking 15 Years of CASIS Leadership and 1,000 ISS National Lab Payloads (Source: CASIS)
As CASIS marks 15 years as manager of the ISS National Laboratory, we're celebrating a major milestone: more than 1,000 ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads launched to the orbiting laboratory. From biotechnology and pharmaceuticals to advanced materials, Earth observation, and in-space manufacturing, these investigations showcase the breadth of innovation enabled through the ISS National Lab.
Over the past 15 years, researchers from academia, government, and industry have leveraged the unique space environment to advance discoveries that benefit life on Earth. Together, these efforts have led to more than 675 peer-reviewed publications and helped build a thriving research community that continues to push the boundaries of science and technology. (9/2)
Amid Trade War, Canada Poaches 48 Top US-Based Scientists (Source: Financial Times)
Canada has poached 48 US-based senior academics to join its top universities, in a sign of an exodus from elite higher education institutions that have come under attack by President Donald Trump’s administration. The academics, part of a group of 64 from around the world who were recruited through Canada’s C$1.7bn Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, include a number working in fields where funding has been slashed by the Trump administration.
“When people ask how Canada is responding to a changing world, point them to this moment,” industry minister Mélanie Joly said. “Point them to the researchers who have chosen Canada.” Robert Asselin, the chief executive of U15, an association of Canada’s leading research universities, said the recruitment drive “is a big deal”. “We’re talking about the best scholars in the world . . . choosing to come here to do their research. It speaks to the attractiveness of our leading research universities.”
Several European countries have announced additional funding to attract academics who want to leave the US, but none on the scale or with the success of Canada’s initiative. Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, said: “If the US continues to become less attractive to scholars, we risk losing not only individual researchers but the ideas, discoveries and innovations that depend on their work.” (9/2)
FAA Issues Final Environmental Assessment for SpaceX Starship Reentry Contingencies (Source: FAA)
The FAA announced a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) / Record of Decision (ROD) for SpaceX Starship Reentry Contingency Operations in the Pacific Ocean and Additional Starship Landing Trajectory. Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would modify SpaceX’s vehicle operator license to authorize the expansion of the previously evaluated Hawaii and Central Pacific Landing Area and Southeast Pacific Region Landing Area. A new Northern Pacific Contingency Landing Area would also be added for an Eastern Range to Starbase trajectory, along with temporary airspace closures associated with an additional Starship reentry trajectory to the Boca Chica Launch Site in Starbase, Texas. (9/2)
Why SpaceX Must Make Its Own Propellant (Source: Mach 33)
One flight needs ~5,250 tonnes of LOX and methane (~389 tanker loads). Merchant supply runs about $1.7–2.7M per flight; on-site production cuts that to ~$203k. The binding constraint isn’t cost—it’s trucks: at a few hundred flights a year, road delivery stops being workable. The brief walks through power price, supply limits, plant payback (~38 flights/year for a 3-year return), and how Louisiana’s announced campus fits that buildout. Click here. (9/1)
HyImpulse Extends Series A Funding Round by €50 Million (Source: European Spaceflight)
German launch services provider HyImpulse announced on 2 September that it had extended its Series A funding round by more than €50 million, bringing its total funding to date to €125 million. The company is currently preparing for the second flight of its suborbital SR75 rocket and the inaugural launch attempt of its larger SL1 rocket.
The company announced its initial €15 million Series A raise in October 2025. With this latest raise, HyImpulse has now secured more than €65 million in Series A equity funding. The extension was co-led by German early-stage venture capital firm JOIN Capital and Israeli aerospace and defence investor Ace Capital Partners, neither of which participated in the initial Series A raise. The new funding will be used to “accelerate development and commercialization of HyImpulse’s launch services portfolio.” (9/2)
Telesat Considers Space-to-Ground Optical Coms with Cailabs (Source: Via Satellite)
Telesat will consider adopting space-to-ground optical communications capabilities through a new strategic collaboration agreement with Cailabs. Under the agreement announced Tuesday, the companies will explore integrating Cailabs optical space-to-ground connectivity with Telsat Lightspeed for U.S. government and allied missions. (9/2)
Without New Landers or Rovers, it’s Helicopters or Bust for NASA’s Mars Program (Source: Ars Technica)
For the first time in more than 30 years, NASA has no firm plans to send any new landers or rovers to Mars. Instead, the agency’s near-term focus at the red planet is on aerial drones, a pioneering mode of exploration that didn’t seem realistic until a few years ago. The first real use of drones for science at Mars will come with the SkyFall mission, a fleet of three helicopters set for launch as soon as late 2028. SkyFall’s helicopters will ride to the red planet with NASA’s Space Reactor-1 “Freedom” mission, which has the primary objective of demonstrating nuclear electric propulsion in deep space.
The launch schedule is aggressive for SR-1 Freedom and SkyFall, projects that didn’t even exist in NASA’s portfolio six months ago. NASA’s plan for the SR-1 Freedom mission, estimated to cost $2.1 billion, calls for repurposing the core module of the canceled Gateway lunar space station into a testbed for nuclear electric propulsion. SkyFall will build on NASA’s success with the Ingenuity helicopter, an experimental vehicle that became the first rotorcraft to fly on another world in 2021. (9/1)
Raytheon Finishes $50M Expansion in Mississippi (Source: Plant Services)
Raytheon has completed a $50 million expansion of its electronic warfare and radar systems manufacturing facility in Forest, Miss. The expansion adds 17,000 square feet and is expected to create 100 high-skill jobs by 2028. The facility will produce Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods for the Navy and Australia, as well as other radar programs. (8/31)
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