November 24, 2025

Oman Signs Agreement with Airbus for its First Communications Satellite (Source: Reuters)
Oman signed an agreement with Airbus on Sunday to design, manufacture and launch the sultanate's first communications satellite, Oman's state news agency reported.  he new satellite would help boost Oman's communications system and build capacities in areas of space and future technologies, the state news agency said. (11/23)

Billion-Dollar Tax Break Poised to Fuel Spaceport Development (Source: Bloomberg)
Days before a SpaceX mission lit up the night sky with the record 94th launch this year from Cape Canaveral, Rob Long sat in a nearby office talking about doubling or even tripling that rate. Long’s an aerospace engineer and retired Space Force colonel who runs Space Florida, the authority tasked by Florida lawmakers to support the country’s busiest spaceport. The reason for his optimism: a long-sought but little discussed tax break tucked into Congress’ massive tax-and-spending law that could unlock billions in new funding.

The provision means spaceports can use tax-exempt bond proceeds to finance key infrastructure projects, much like municipal authorities do to build airports and highways. One analysis predicted at least $20 billion in new investment over the next decade. For Space Florida, it creates a potential path to building roads and bridges, improving fuel delivery, increasing wastewater treatment capacity and expanding the oceanfront wharf to collect the remnants of their launches or return vehicles.

Decades in the making, the bond tax break passed thanks in large part to the Republicans’ sweep of the House, Senate and White House. It represents the latest move by Congress to help companies that are owned by the world’s wealthiest men—a point critics emphasize—but that also are seen as critical cogs in the bid to out-muscle Russia and China in the space race. Still, the benefits could be broader, boosting a spaceflight industry seeing a surge. (11/21)

Dassault and Space Cargo Unlimited Partner to Integrate BentoBox with VORTEX Spaceplane (Source: Space Cargo Unlimited)
Dassault’s VORTEX (Véhicule Orbital Réutilisable de Transport et d’Exploration) represents the next generation of reusable orbital vehicles, conceived as a versatile and intrinsically dual-use European platform for space operations, including orbital cargo transport, in-orbit servicing, scientific research, and industrial manufacturing. To advance this vision, Dassault and Space Cargo Unlimited have agreed to integrate BentoBox, Space Cargo Unlimited’s autonomous payload operations platform, aboard VORTEX. (11/20)

Amazon Leo Starts to Roll Out its Fastest Satellite Internet Service (Source: Geekwire)
Amazon Leo — formerly Project Kuiper — says it has started shipping its top-of-the-line terminals to select customers for testing. Today’s announcement serves as further evidence that Amazon is closing in on providing space-based, high-speed access to the internet to customers around the world after years of preparation. Amazon Leo is still far behind SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, but has lined up a wide array of partners to help get its network off the ground.

The top tier of Amazon Leo’s global broadband service, known as Leo Ultra, will offer download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds of up to 400 megabits per second, Amazon said today in a blog post. That’s the first time Amazon has shared details about uplink performance. (11/24)

Blue Ring Testing Advances for Hosted Payloads In-Space Transport (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin’s Blue Ring spacecraft passed a key development milestone toward its first flight. The company said Friday it integrated the first Blue Ring spacecraft’s primary structure with its propulsion module ahead of additional testing. Blue Ring is built to deliver, host and transport payloads in orbit and shift between orbits as missions require, supporting the U.S. military’s desire for “dynamic space operations” among other applications. The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded Blue Origin a contract in 2024, of undisclosed value, to help fund Blue Ring’s development, and DIU is working with the Space Force for the first operational flight of Blue Ring next spring. (11/24)

Iceye and Japan's IHI Team on Earth Observation Constellation (Source: Space News)
Iceye is partnering with Japanese company IHI Corporation on an Earth observation constellation. IHI ordered four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites and an associated image acquisition system from Iceye, with the option to purchase 20 additional satellites at a later stage. The first of those satellites will enter service next spring. While Iceye is known for its SAR spacecraft, the company is considering expanding into other areas. (11/24)

Thales Alenia Leads ESA Lunar Cargo Lander Team (Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space will lead an industrial consortium developing a cargo lunar lander for ESA. The agency announced last week a contract with Thales Alenia Space Italy to serve as the prime contractor for the Argonaut lunar lander. It will lead a consortium that includes Thales Alenia Space France, Thales Alenia Space UK, OHB and Nammo Space. Argonaut is designed to carry large payloads to the lunar surface with a first flight by the end of 2030. ESA is seeking 600 million euros ($692 million) for Argonaut at this week’s ministerial conference. (11/24)

Broad Support in Europe for EU Space Act (Source: Space News)
A member of the European Parliament says there is broad support there for the proposed EU Space Act. Speaking at Space Tech Expo Europe last week, Christophe Grudler, a member of the parliament from France, said discussions among political groups have recently started on advancing the act, a draft of which was released in June. He said all the political groups in the parliament believe there needs to be action to address space safety and security concerns, such as the growth in the number of satellites. He noted, though, that the process for enacting the EU Space Act is just starting, and its provisions may not take effect until the end of the decade. (11/24)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Missions From Florida and California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX performed two Falcon 9 launches of Starlink satellites last weekend. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Saturday, putting 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. That launch was the 150th for the Falcon 9 so far this year. SpaceX followed with another Falcon 9 launch Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, placing 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. That launch was the first for the Falcon 9 booster B1100, the 100th Falcon 9 booster produced to date. (11/24)

Space Force Anticipates 2026 Starship Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
Space Force officials said the first Starship launch from Florida could occur as soon as the middle of next year. The commander of Space Launch Delta 45, which runs the Eastern Range, said Friday that those launches would likely begin at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, where SpaceX is in advanced development of Starship launch infrastructure there, followed by Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37. The two sites could support up to 120 launches annually, along with landings of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. The Space Force is bringing launch operators together next month to discuss how to address challenges of operating more frequent launches of larger rockets like Starship from the Cape. (11/24)

Embry‑Riddle Partners With Space ISAC to Elevate Space Cybersecurity Research and Education (Source: ERAU)
To advance space cybersecurity research and education, Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University has joined the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC), a coalition of industry leaders, government agencies and academic institutions that are leading efforts to enhance cybersecurity and threat sharing to protect the global space mission.

Embry‑Riddle’s Space ISAC membership, which was forged through the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS) at Embry‑Riddle, connects the university’s researchers, faculty and students to a network of cutting-edge tools and resources vital to understanding and addressing emerging security challenges in space. This includes access to the Space ISAC Watch Center, a platform where analysts provide real-time intelligence on cybersecurity threats and safeguards. (11/13)

Embry‑Riddle Student Teams Test Tools in NASA’s Giant Pool (Source: ERAU)
When a NASA diver carried an Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University student team’s engineering device into Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, the moment was 10 months in the making. “We created 13 distinct prototypes,” Aidan Magann, Team SEAM lead and senior Mechanical Engineering student, said of the run-up to the testing session. “It was an amazing experience.” Two Embry‑Riddle squads were among 17 universities and 18 total teams selected for the final phase of NASA’s Micro-g NExT Competition, which called on the undergraduates to create, build and then test a solution to one of three space exploration challenges provided by NASA. (11/5)

ESA Picks Lithuania's Astrolight for Polar Jam-Resistant Satellite Laser Links (Source: Astrolight)
The Arctic is becoming a key geopolitical hotspot, and Greenland is central to Europe’s security. Since Russia has intensified satellite and naval jamming around the region, especially in Svalbard, expanded electronic warfare in the region, and increased high-latitude military activity, the vulnerability of Europe’s polar communications was exposed.

ESA has just announced a contract with Lithuanian space and defense tech company Astrolight to build the region’s first jamming-resistant optical ground station. Using laser links that cannot be intercepted, the station will secure high-volume satellite data in an area where Russia routinely disrupts radio-frequency systems. It will be the northernmost optical ground station ever built and the first in the Arctic, set to deliver more than 10x faster and safer communications at 70% lower cost, solving a massive bottleneck. (11/24)

L3Harris Breaks Ground on Arkansas Advanced Propulsion Facilities (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing & Design)
The campus will include more than 20 buildings across 110 acres at the company’s Arkansas site and is expected to increase large solid rocket motor manufacturing capacity six-fold. The campus will add 230,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to the broader 2,000-acre Camden site, bringing total manufacturing square footage to more than 1.5 million. Program-agnostic equipment and buildings will also allow the company to rapidly change production based on current demand and quickly adapt to evolving customer needs.

Of the more than $400 million investment in the campus, the company plans to spend $193 million with Arkansas businesses. L3Harris has been producing rocket motors in Camden since 1979. The location produces more than 115,000 solid rocket motors a year, from those that fit in the palm of your hand to those the size of a truck. Overall, the company is investing more than half-a-billion dollars at its major solid rocket motor sites across the country to support production of motors of all sizes, including in Virginia, Arkansas, and Alabama. (11/24)

The New Space Race: These are the Different Space Strategies Across Europe (Source: EuroNews)
Germany and France recently launched new space strategies. What do other countries have in place?
Across Europe, space agencies are expanding their strategies to blend science with security. Countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom are investing in space satellites, defense, and launch capabilities to protect assets, boost competitiveness, and respond to emerging threats in orbit. Click here. (11/24)

SUAPS Launches Global Effort to Establish UAP Studies as Rigorous Academic Discipline (Source: Douglas Messier)
As public interest in Unidentified Aerial–Undersea and Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) surges worldwide, the Society for UAP Studies (SUAPS) is leading a groundbreaking movement to legitimize and institutionalize the study of UAP within academia. SUAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building a rigorous, interdisciplinary foundation for UAP research and education. “Evidence matters,” said Dr. Cifone. “Too often, UAP research has suffered from speculation and fragmentation. SUAPS is here to change that by advancing careful, transparent, and accountable scholarship grounded in critical inquiry and open-minded curiosity.” (11/24)

Nammo UK Wins Main Engine Supplier for ESA Lunar Lander (Source: Nammo)
Nammo UK’s next generation high-performance bi-propellant engine named RELIANCE, with a thrust capability of 6kN, will support Europe’s first ever lunar lander mission as part the NASA Artemis program planned for 2031. (11/24)

Water Production on Exoplanets Revealed by Pressure Experiments (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory postdoctoral scientist Harrison Horn have demonstrated a pathway for producing water on sub-Neptune exoplanets. The team recreated the boundary conditions between hydrogen atmospheres and magma cores using a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. (11/20)

Smarter Satellite Teamwork Can Speed Up Connections in Space (Source: Space Daily)
Low Earth orbit (LEO) mega-constellations are rapidly changing how we connect to the world, offering potential for faster communications, more accurate earth observation, and better disaster forecasting. Unlike previous, smaller satellite configurations, these mega-constellations involve thousands of satellites operating together, creating huge challenges for ground-based controllers struggling to keep up with the sheer volume of management tasks.

To prevent bottlenecks and speed up network operations, researchers now propose that satellites should do more of their own management by organizing into smaller "management domains." Each domain is managed by a central satellite, allowing these groups to make decisions and share information faster, with less need for ground-based oversight. (11/20)

40,000 Near-Earth Asteroids Discovered (Source: Space Daily)
Astronomers recently discovered the 40 000th near-Earth asteroid! These space rocks range from a few meters to a few kilometers in size and are on orbits that bring them relatively close to Earth. Each new discovery is both a reminder of our planet's vulnerability and a testament to how far the field of planetary defense has advanced in just a few decades. (11/21)

More Than 3,600 Federal Workers Get Notice Their Shutdown RIFs are Rescinded (Source: FNN)
In total, 3,605 federal workers got notice that their jobs were being eliminated during or because of the government shutdown. Each RIF has now been reversed. In all, agency-by-agency filings show the administration attempted to fire a total of 3,605 employees during the shutdown. (11/24)

The European Space Agency Explained (Source: ESA)
We are the European Space Agency, committed to peacefully exploring and using space to benefit everyone. Since our creation as an intergovernmental organization in 1975, we've been championing European scientific and industrial interests in space. In short, ESA’s job is to draw up the European space program and carry it through. ESA's programs are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries. ESA also works closely with space organizations outside Europe. Click here. (11/22)

New Data Confirms Black Holes Never Shrink (Source: SciTech Daily)
A decade after the first detection of gravitational waves from two merging black holes, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration, including Columbia University astronomer Maximiliano Isi, has captured another signal from a nearly identical cosmic event. Thanks to major advances in detector sensitivity, the team observed the collision with nearly four times greater clarity than before, allowing them to confirm two long-standing theoretical predictions: that black holes formed by mergers never shrink, in line with Stephen Hawking’s theory, and that they “ring” after merging, just as Albert Einstein’s general relativity predicts. (11/23)

Amazon Unveils Production-Ready Gigabit-Class Leo Ultra Broadband Terminal (Source: Space News)
Amazon has unveiled the final production version of Leo Ultra, the company’s highest-performing enterprise terminal for the low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation it aims to bring into service next year. (11/24)

Rocket Lab Chief Opens Up (Source: Ars Technica)
Rocket Lab broke its annual launch record with the Electron booster—17 successful missions this year, and counting—and is close to bringing its much larger Neutron rocket to the launch pad. The company also expanded its in-space business, including playing a key role in supporting the landing of Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission on the Moon and building two small satellites just launched to Mars. "We can never outspend Elon (Musk) and Jeff (Bezos)," said Peter Beck. "We have to out-hustle. And that’s just the reality. The Rocket Lab hustle comes down to just not accepting no as an answer."

On Electron reusability: "If you look at an Electron recovery, we might recover sort of a million dollars worth of stage one booster. And of course, the more we make, the cheaper they get, because we’re continuing to scale so that it’s ever decreasing that return. Quite frankly, and honestly, it’s just like, do we have reusability and recovery teams working on something that returns a million dollars every time it flies? Or, do we have them working on Neutron, where it’s tens of millions of dollars every time you fly? So it’s just about, you know, directing the resource for the biggest bang for the buck."

Regarding Neutron delays: "We’re not going to put something on the pad that doesn’t meet kind of the standard that’s made us successful. Say something might pass the qualification test, but if we see something in a strain gauge on the back of the panel, or something that we don’t understand, we just don’t move on. We’re not going to move on unless we understand every little element of what’s going on." (11/24)

The Box vs The Bulldozer: The Story of Two Space Gas Stations (Source: Universe Today)
Using in-situ propellant has been a pillar of plans to explore the solar system. The logic is simple - the less mass (in the form of propellant) we have to launch, the less expensive and more plausible the missions requiring that propellant will be. Despite the allure of creating our own fuel on the Moon, it might not be worth it to develop the systems to do so. There are two main techniques put forward for propellant production on the Moon: carbothermal reduction process, and mining polar ice.

Both have severe logistical disadvantages and limited de-risking of their technology. Methane is a key ingredient to the carbothermal process, and it must be shipped from Earth. In this process, regolith is heated to over 1650℃ where it creates a melt pool. Methane is then introduced to reduce the oxides present in the regolith, releasing the oxygen stored within. Not only does this require an external feedstock of an explosive gas, it requires significant power to get a reactor up to that temperature. It also requires a 14-step production cycle which will have to include autonomous excavators, vibratory inclines, and waste dumpers.

While we know the general chemical makeup and form of regolith, we have much less data about the ice in the polar caps on the Moon. We know it's there, but is it snow or rock hard permafrost? No one really knows, and that would dramatically change the processing technique used to extract it. VIPER was supposed to provide some ground-truths to that question, but its cancellation leaves a gaping hole in our knowledge of the water resources available there. (11/24)

Terma to Power Europe’s ‘LISA’ Mission, Advancing a New Era of Astrophysics (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Terma has secured its largest space contract to date from OHB System AG to supply critical hardware for the European Space Agency’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, planned for launch in 2035. Under the agreement, Terma will deliver Power Conditioning and Distribution Units (PCDUs) for the spacecraft together with six specialized ground test systems that verify performance and readiness before launch, leveraging next-generation of power technology to maximize efficiency. (11/24)

Simera Sense and Zaitra Partner to Streamline Earth Observation with Edge Suite for On-Orbit Intelligence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Simera Sense and Zaitra have announced a strategic collaboration to combine their respective technologies to address pressing bottlenecks in Earth Observation. In a world that demands instant decisions, satellites can’t afford to be just cameras in orbit as they need to be smart, fast, and efficient. In addressing this, Simera Sense and Zaitra are combining their technologies for smart compression, fast detection, and rapid decision-making; a breakthrough onboard processing solution designed to transform Earth Observation missions. (11/24)

November 23, 2025

Bill in Tallahassee Would Change Space Florida Responsibilities and Board (Source: SPACErePORT)
State Rep. Kim Kendall is sponsoring a bill in Tallahassee intended to modernize Space Florida's 20-year-old enabling statute by updating the responsibilities of spaceport directors, "ensuring they are equipped to navigate the complexities of the next generation of space exploration." It defines "Quintimodal transportation hub" as "a spaceport territory within which interconnected transportation facilities are available to move people or property by means of road, railroad, airport, seaport, and spaceport facilities" and directs Space Florida to promote the development of such hubs in the state.

Rep. Kendall, being from Northeast Florida, seeks to benefit the Cecil Spaceport in Jacksonville as one of these quintimodal hubs. Her bill upgrades current Space Florida non-voting board seats for the Jacksonville Aviation Authority and the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority (another state spaceport territory) to full voting seats. It then would add a governor-appointed non-voting board seat for a port authority representative.

The bill further would limit Space Florida's roles vis-a-vis designated "spaceport directors or commanders." ... "Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, authority over the operational oversight, management, and day-to-day administration of each spaceport shall be vested in the spaceport director or commander for that facility." Under this provision, Space Florida "may not exercise direct control over local operational decisions unless: (a)  Specifically requested in writing by the spaceport director or commander; or (b)  Required to comply with applicable federal law or regulation." (11/22)

Stoke Space Goes for Broke to Solve the Only Launch Problem that “Moves the Needle" (Source: Ars Technica)
“What’s the thing that fundamentally moves the needle on what’s out there already today?” Andy Lapsa said. “The only thing, in my opinion, is rapid reuse. And once you get it, the economics are so powerful that nothing else matters. That’s the thing I couldn’t get out of my head. That’s the only problem I wanted to work on, and so we started a company in order to work on it.”

It sounds like Stoke Space is doing the right things. Earlier this year, the company shipped a full-scale version of its reusable second stage to its test site at Moses Lake in central Washington. There, it underwent qualification testing, during which the vehicle is loaded with cryogenic fuels on multiple occasions, pressurized, and put through other exercises. Lapsa said that testing went well. The company also built a stubby version of its first stage. The tanks and domes had full-size diameters, but the stage was not its full height. That vehicle also underwent qualification testing and passed.

The company has begun building flight hardware for the first Nova rocket. The vehicle’s software is maturing. Work is well underway on the development of an automated flight termination system. “Having a team that’s been through this cycle many times, it’s something we started putting attention on very early,” Lapsa said. “It’s on a good path as well.” It will launch "next year" from LC-14 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Click here. (11/21)

ESA Unveils Thales Alenia-led Consortium for its Argonaut Lunar Lander (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency has tapped a consortium led by Thales Alenia Space Italy to develop its Argonaut lunar lander and has outlined a division of labor for the program across several European firms. (11/21)

Canadian Defense Budget Includes Initial $130M to Develop Sovereign Orbital-Launch Capacity, Deemed ‘a Strategic Enabler’ (Source: Space Intel Report)
The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) is making sovereign launch capability a priority with a multi-year budget to move from a small launcher in 2028 to a domestic medium-lift rocket in the late 2030s, Canadian defense officials said. DND’s first formal backing of a Canadian domestic launch capability came in the national budget approved by the government’s Cabinet Nov. 17. The budget includes an initial three-year program budgeted at 182.6 million Canadian dollars ($130 million). (11/21)

SpaceX Launches Saturday Starlink Mission at Florida Spaceport (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX reached another milestone with the launch of 29 more Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from LC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (11/22)

Our Solar System is Racing Through Space 3x Faster Than We Thought (Source: Science Daily)
New measurements of radio galaxies reveal that the solar system is racing through the universe at over three times the speed predicted by standard cosmology. Using highly sensitive data from multiple radio telescope arrays, researchers uncovered a surprisingly strong dipole pattern—one that challenges longstanding assumptions about how matter is distributed across cosmic scales. The results echo similar anomalies seen in quasar studies, hinting that something fundamental about our universe’s structure or our motion through it may need rewriting. (11/22)

Think Tank Urges Europe to Scale Up Space-Based Data Center Efforts (Source: Space News)
Europe must move quickly to craft a large-scale strategy for space-based data centers or risk ceding a potential pillar of future digital infrastructure to global competitors, according to the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). (11/21)

November 22, 2025

Why Humanity Needs a Lunar Seed Vault (Source: Space News)
As the global climate crisis and other human activity continue to threaten Earth's biodiversity, it may be time to build backups for our backup vaults storing repositories of seeds and plant life. That's according to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Stuckenberg, who calls for a lunar seed vault that can store seeds and other important biological artifacts far away from Earth. He noted that melting permafrost and war have already threatened the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, often called the "Doomsday Vault," long considered to be the ultimate backup for Earth's seed banks.

The moon's extreme conditions could naturally support cryogenic storage of seeds, spores and even animal gametes for thousands of years. Additionally, the moon’s lava tubes — vast underground chambers — provide natural radiation shielding and stable environments, almost perfectly suited for long-term preservation. (11/21)

Former Central Florida Teacher Joe Acabá Steps Down as Head of NASA Astronaut Corps (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Joe Acabá is no longer chief astronaut. The former Central Florida teacher and three-time spaceflight veteran became the first Hispanic to hold the prestigious post in 2023. NASA confirmed Monday that he was replaced by Scott Tingle. Other notable chiefs of the Astronaut Office have included Deke Slayton, Alan Shepard, Tom Stafford, Orlando’s John Young, Robert Gibson, Robert Cabana and Peggy Whitson, among others. Just what’s next for Acabá is uncertain, although his new role is “technical advisement for mission and strategy” at Johnson Space Center, according to NASA. (11/18)

Moss Survives Prolonged Exposure Outside ISS (Source: Live Science)
Moss spores have survived a prolonged trip to space, scientists reveal. The spores spent nine months on the outside of the ISS before returning to our planet, and over 80% of the spores were still able to reproduce when they arrived back on Earth. (11/20)

Earth Just Got Hit by a Stealth Solar Storm No One Saw Coming (Source: Space.com)
A stealth solar storm hit Earth on Nov. 20. It arrived without warning and may have contributed to auroras visible at mid latitudes. This event didn't trigger a geomagnetic storm; however, such solar storms, or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are still exciting because they erupt almost undetected and disrupt the solar wind conditions around Earth. They are generally more common when the sun enters the declining phase of its 11-year solar cycle, the periodic rise and fall in the sun's magnetic activity. (11/21)

Firefly Aerospace Joins Kratos MACH-TB 2.0 Team for Hypersonic Testing (Source: Firefly)
Firefly is partnering with Kratos Defense and Security Solutions as a member of the MACH-TB 2.0 team—an expanding national coalition driving the next era of American hypersonics. Firefly will advance Kratos’ goal of one hypersonic test launch per week, making testing faster, more frequent, and more affordable. (11/20)

November 21, 2025

NASA KSC Progresses Toward Artemis II Moon Launch (Source: NASA)
As 2026 nears, NASA continues moving forward to launching and flying Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the Artemis campaign, no later than April next year. NASA’s Orion spacecraft, complete with its launch abort system escape tower, is now integrated with the SLS rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center. Following Orion stacking, teams completed testing critical communications systems between SLS and Orion, and confirmed the interfaces function properly between the rocket, Orion, and the ground systems, including end-to-end testing with the Near Space Network and Deep Space Network, which aid in communications and navigation. (11/20)

Orbit Fab Lands ESA, UK Space Agency Refueling Contract (Source: Payload)
Colorado-based Orbit Fab landed the first stage of a contract from ESA and the UK Space Agency worth £1.3M ($1.7M) to demonstrate in-space refueling capabilities by 2028 alongside a consortium of European partners from the UK, Austria, and Lithuania. The Advance Satcom Technology with Refueling and Logistics, or ASTRAL contract is co-funded through ESA’s ARTES program and carries a total value of $3.8M. (11/21)

Newest Starship Booster is Significantly Damaged During Testing Friday (Source: Ars Technica)
During the pre-dawn hours in South Texas on Friday morning, SpaceX’s next-generation Starship first stage suffered some sort of major damage during pre-launch testing. The company had only rolled the massive rocket out of the factory a day earlier, noting the beginning of its test campaign: “The first operations will test the booster’s redesigned propellant systems and its structural strength.”

That testing commenced on Thursday night a couple of miles down the road from the company’s main production site at Starbase Texas. However an independent video showed the rocket’s lower half undergo an explosive (or possibly implosive) event at 4:04 am Friday. Post-incident images showed significant damage, perhaps a crumpling of sorts, to the lower half of the booster where the vehicle’s large liquid oxygen tank is housed. (11/21)

Blue Origin Unveils Plan for Bigger New Glenn Rocket Variant to Take on Starship (Sources: Reuters, Ars Technica)
Blue Origin said on Thursday it will build a bigger, more powerful variant of its New Glenn rocket, drawing early plans for a family of orbital satellite launchers. The new rocket, announced after New Glenn's second mission launched last week, will be called New Glenn 9x4, a name referencing nine engines that will power its first stage and four engines on its second stage. That is an increase of two engines for each stage from New Glenn's current design.

Such a booster would be a notable vehicle, with a lift capacity nearly on par with NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. However, it would have a fully reusable first stage with a larger payload fairing and would likely cost less than one-tenth the estimated $2.2 billion cost of NASA’s super-heavy rocket. Blue Origin said that both its 7×2 and 9×4 variants will fly concurrently. This, the company said, will give “customers more launch options for their missions, including mega-constellations, lunar and deep space exploration, and national security imperatives such as Golden Dome.”

Blue Origin also announced other modifications intended to improve the overall performance of the rocket: increasing the thrust of a BE-4 engine from current levels, 550,000 pounds (lbf), to 640,000 pounds; increasing thrust of BE-3U upper stage engines from 320,000 pounds to 400,000 pounds; use of cryogenic propellants; development of a reusable payload fairing; higher performing and more reusable heat shield; and a lower-cost tank design (presumably for the upper stage, which is not reusable). (11/20)

ICEYE and SSC Sign Letter of Intent to Strengthen Nordic and NATO Space-Based Capabilities (Sources: Iceye, Space News)
ICEYE, the global leader in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite operations, and Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), a leading global provider of advanced space services, signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to leverage their complementary strengths, aiming to enhance sovereign space capabilities for Nordic and NATO security. Meanwhile, SSC rolled out a new ground station service designed to provide streamlined support for operators of small satellites and constellations. (11/20)

Two Launches in Two Days from Two Hemispheres: Rocket Lab Beats Annual Launch Record (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab completed its second launch in two days from its launch sites in two hemispheres, setting a new annual launch record for the Company: 18 Electron launches in 2025 with 100% mission success. The “Follow My Speed” mission lifted off from New Zealand on Nov. 20 with a confidential payload. The mission launched just two days after a launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, Rocket Lab’s third HASTE launch this year. (11/20)

Canada Demonstrates why ESA’s Geographic-Return Rule is Just as Powerful Today as Ever (Source: Space Intel Report)
ESA's "geographic return rule" is a policy that guarantees member states receive contracts for ESA programs in proportion to their financial contributions. The Canadian government on Nov. 18 gave the clearest possible answer to France’s repeated overtures to scrap or revamp the rule. Canada’s answer: Because it creates jobs in our country. Canada’s decision to sharply increase its contributions is all about jobs, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in announcing the spending increase. (11/20)

ITU to UK: Failure of an Unproven OTV with a Challenging Flight Profile Doesn’t Constitute “Force Majeure” (Source: Space Intel Report)
International regulators rejected Britain’s appeal to extend a deadline to register two Ku- and Ka-band GEO orbital positions after the in-orbit failure of an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) carrying a satellite to register the slots, saying the UK should have known that using unproven technology was risky. As a result, the failure of the OTV to deliver the satellite into GEO orbit cannot be called “force majeure,” the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations Board (RRB) said.  (11/19)

LLMs to Accelerate Both Cyber Defenders and Hackers, OpenAI Exec Says (Source: Via Satellite)
The balance between space industry cyber defenders and the hackers, online spies and cyber warriors attacking their systems will tilt in dramatic and largely unpredictable fashion over the next few years as increasingly proficient generative AI models provide growing capabilities to both sides, Open AI executive Alexis Bonnell said. “We must recognize the duality. AI is an accelerant for both offense and defense,” said Bonnell. “What determines who wins is how fast we adopt it.” (11/19)

White House NASA Budget Request is Out. Big NASA Spending is In (Source: Politico)
NASA is on track for its biggest budget in decades, a stunning turnaround for an agency that just months ago was bracing for drastic cuts. Now that the shutdown stalemate is over, Congress is preparing spending legislation that basically ignores the White House’s 2026 budget request, which proposed an overall 20 percent reduction to the agency’s budget — and slashed 50 percent of its science funding. (11/21)

Electron Rocket Featured at California Science Center Gallery (Source: CollectSpace)
It took the California Science Center more than three years to erect its new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including stacking NASA's space shuttle Endeavour for its launch pad-like display. Now in place are a space shuttle main engine (SSME), a walkthrough segment of a shuttle solid rocket booster and a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. "The biggest thing we have put in — other than the space shuttle — was the Electron, which we think is really significant." (11/18)

Expansion Underway for California Space Center (Source: CollectSpace)
A former astronaut led a ceremonial ground breaking on Nov. 17, beginning to clear the way for a new education complex and permanent home for the original full-scale "inspiration" for NASA's winged space shuttle orbiters. Garrett Reisman, who flew on two shuttle missions, took hold of the center gold shovel at the future site of the 20,000-square-foot "Inspiration" expansion of the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California. (11/18)

US Space Force Establishes Combat Forces Command (Source: USSF)
In a ceremony held at Peterson Space Force Base, Nov. 3, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman officially redesignated Space Operations Command as United States Space Force Combat Forces Command, marking a significant shift in the command's focus toward enhanced combat readiness and integrated space defense. The redesignation reflects the command's commitment to aligning with its core purpose of forging combat-ready Space Forces for America and its allies, and with the evolution of the United States Space Force as a warfighting service. (11/17)

U.S. Military Spacecraft May Soon Get Designations Like Aircraft (Source: Ars Technica)
A little more than a century ago, the US Army Air Service came up with a scheme for naming the military’s multiplying fleet of airplanes. The 1924 aircraft designation code produced memorable names like the B-17, A-26, B-29, and P-51—B for bomber, A for attack, and P for pursuit—during World War II. The military later changed the prefix for pursuit aircraft to F for fighter, leading to recognizable modern names like the F-15 and F-16.

Now, the newest branch of the military is carving its own path with a new document outlining how the Space Force, which can trace its lineage back to the Army Air Service, will name and designate its “weapon systems” on the ground and in orbit. Ars obtained a copy of the document, first written in 2023 and amended in 2024. The changes could ultimately lead to the retirement, or at least the de-emphasis, of bulky bureaucratic acronyms. You might think of it as similar to how the Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter program evolved into the F-35 Lightning II. (11/20)

Poland's SpaceForest Announces Launch Date for PERUN Return-to-Flight Mission (Source: European Spaceflight)
Suborbital launch services provider SpaceForest has announced that the third flight of its PERUN rocket will take place on 22 November. The flight will be the rocket’s first since 2023 and follows the completion of a redesign of the SF-1000 hybrid propulsion system that powers it. PERUN is an 11.5-meter suborbital rocket designed to be capable of carrying payloads of up to 50 kilograms to an altitude of 150 kilometers.

Following a successful flight, SpaceForest will look to complete the second of its four qualification flights before the end of the year, targeting an altitude of 80 kilometers. The company will then attempt its first space shot, aiming to reach an altitude of 100 kilometers, the recognized edge of space known as the Kármán line. It will then proceed with a test of the rocket’s full performance to an altitude of 150 kilometers. Both flights are expected in 2026. The first of the two flights is planned to take place on the island of Santa Maria in Portugal, and the second from a sea-based platform in the North Sea. (11/20)

Space Force Must Define Acceptable Risks of Rapid Acquisition Push (Sources: Breaking Defense, Politico)
As the Space Force doubles down on its efforts to further speed acquisition cycles to implement the Pentagon’s reform push, it needs to figure out how to define what minimum capability is good enough for any new kit to be operationally useful, according to the service’s top acquisition official. The Space Force hasn’t yet “gotten the work done on test and operational acceptance,” needed to hash out the issues that “center around risk and operational risk,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Space Force acquisition professionals left the government through the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program — a loss that could hurt Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s ambitious acquisition overhaul. (11/20)

The Strange and Totally Real Plan to Blot Out the Sun and Reverse Global Warming (Source: Politico)
For decades, scientists had theorized that lacing the atmosphere with a cloak of dust could temporarily reduce global warming. Few, however, had actually advocated researching the practice, and none could say how dangerously it might destabilize weather patterns, food supplies or global politics. Many scientists still warn it will take many years to know whether such technology would prove wise or disastrous. The terms for it — “solar geoengineering,” “stratospheric aerosol injection” or “solar radiation management” — sound deceptively anodyne.

Stardust Solutions has been moving full speed ahead. In October, the company announced a fundraising milestone: It had secured $60 million from funds linked to, among others, Silicon Valley luminaries and an Italian industrial dynasty, bringing the total amount raised by the two-year-old startup to $75 million. It was a stunning development, far larger than any previous investment in solar geoengineering, and it placed Stardust way out in front of the few other groups looking to turn it from a theory into a business. Click here. (11/21)

Chinese "Lunar Soil Bricks" Return From Space, Paving Way for Construction on Moon (Source: Xinhua)
China has inched closer toward its ambitious goal of building infrastructure on the moon, as the first set of experimental "lunar soil bricks" returned to Earth after a year-long exposure to the harsh environment of space. The bricks, part of a pioneering experiment aboard China's space station, arrived last week on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. Experts confirmed that the sample unit was in good condition following initial inspections. This signals an engineering progress in China's long-term lunar program, which includes landing astronauts on the moon by 2030 and constructing a basic model of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035. (11/19)

The Pentagon Can’t Trust GPS Anymore. Is Quantum Physics the Answer? (Source: Wall Street Journal)
At a tiny airport in the Australian countryside last month, a small plane took off carrying a device that could transform how U.S. drones, aircraft and ships navigate across future battlefields. The flight carried an instrument that shines lasers at atoms, which behave like compass needles to measure Earth’s magnetic field in real time. Readings from the device can be compared to a magnetic-field map, helping a user determine their location—and offering a backup to satellite-based navigation like GPS. (11/19)

Black Holes May be Source of Milky Way’s High-Energy Cosmic Rays (Source: Science)
For decades, astrophysicists have pondered the mystery of the origin of cosmic rays, charged particles that sometimes crash into Earth at energies exceeding a petaelectronvolt (PeV), higher than the energies of even physicists’ most powerful atom smashers. They imply the existence of violent cosmic accelerators, whimsically dubbed PeVatrons, that whip the particles up to extreme energies. Astronomers debated whether the Milky Way could host PeVatrons or they were only possible in distant galaxies.

Now, an international team has reported the possible source of the Milky Way’s highest energy cosmic rays, based on observations at the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), operated by China's Institute of High Energy Physics. They have traced light associated with these cosmic rays back to five known microquasars in the Galaxy—stellar-mass black holes that consume matter from companion stars and kick it up to high energy. (11/19)

Space Force Nears Completion of 15-Year Blueprint (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is nearing completion of a 15-year strategic blueprint. Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said at a CSIS event Thursday that the framework, known as the “objective force,” is now in its final stages and expected to be approved early next year. The 15-year horizon is meant to go beyond fleet lists of satellites and launch vehicles but instead serve as a plan to build a force that can outpace adversaries and sustain space control. Saltzman said the Space Force, now almost six years old, needs to formally articulate long-term requirements to provide a “demand signal,” especially to Congress and to companies investing in national security missions. (11/21)

Voyager Acquiring Estes Energetics (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies is acquiring Estes Energetics, which makes solid rocket motors and energetic materials. Estes is the country’s only producer of military grade black powder, a key ingredient used as an igniter in solid propellant systems. The acquisition continues Voyager’s buying streak across propulsion, sensors and space infrastructure since the company went public this summer, as it works to position itself for future military programs, such as Golden Dome. (11/21)

Starlab Space Gains Another Investor for Planned Space Station (Source: Space News)
Starlab Space has secured funding from a financial firm. UK-based Janus Henderson Group did not disclose the size of its investment. Starlab Space is a joint venture of Voyager, Airbus, Mitsubishi and MDA Space among others. It is developing the Starlab space station for use by NASA and other customers. A company executive said earlier this month that Starlab would soon go through a critical design review as part of development toward a planned 2029 launch. (11/21)

SpaceX Starlink Mission on Thursday Was 100th Launch of 2025 at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A Starlink launch Thursday night was the 100th so far this year from Florida’s Space Coast. A Falcon 9 launched 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX accounts for 93 of those 100, with United Launch Alliance performing five and Blue Origin two. (11/21)

T-Minus Launches Suborbital Rocket at Nova Scotia Spaceport (Source: Globe and Mail)
A Canadian spaceport under development hosted a sounding rocket launch Thursday. A rocket built by T-Minus Engineering, a Dutch company, lifted off from Spaceport Nova Scotia near Canso, Nova Scotia, at 10:54 a.m. Eastern. The rocket was intended to fly to an altitude of more than 100 kilometers but fell short by an unspecified amount. The spaceport considered the launch a success, though, testing procedures for future launches there. Maritime Launch Services, the company that is developing the spaceport, hopes to start hosting orbital launches there as soon as 2027. (11/21)

Former ESA DG, Jan Wörner, Joins Space Cargo Unlimited as Chief Strategy Officer (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Space Cargo Unlimited has announced the appointment of Johann-Dietrich “Jan” Wörner, former ESA DG and former Chairman of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), as Chief Strategy Officer. As Chief Strategy Officer, Wörner will guide the development of Europe’s first sovereign commercial microgravity platform, ensuring researchers and industries maintain reliable, standardized access to microgravity conditions. (11/21)

The Exploration Company Acquires German Additive Manufacturing Company (Source: European Spaceflight)
In-space transportation startup The Exploration Company has acquired German additive manufacturing firm Thrustworks to expand its production capacity and unlock new commercial revenue streams. Founded in 2023, Thrustworks Additive Manufacturing produces high-performance metal components for space and defense applications. (11/20)

How Mega-Constellations Are Learning to Manage Themselves (Source: Universe Today)
In traditional satellite megaconstellations, the ground control units are responsible for communicating with each individual satellite. This leads to bottlenecks in both processing power and communications channel bandwidth as the number of satellites each ground station is responsible for grows. Those bottlenecks are then reflected in increased latency times, which can be a death knell for constellations that get too large, as latency is one of the primary metrics by which end users judge a communications network.

Designing a system that off-loads the control and networking decisions from the ground station sounds relatively simple, but in practice it is much harder to implement. Software Defined Networking (SDN) move the decision for the control layer up to a series of satellites they called “Center Nodes”. Each of these Center Nodes would be responsible for communicating both with the ground stations set up to support the constellation, but also with all the “Member Nodes” (i.e. other physically identical satellites) in their general area. (11/21)

Virgin Galactic: Commercial Flights Set for Next Year, But Can it Actually Achieve? (Source: Douglas Messier)
Virgin Galactic officials made the following projections during the company’s third quarter earnings call last week: flight test program for new Delta-class SpaceShipTwo vehicles are on track to commence in Q3 2026; the company will ramp up to 125 space flights per year once the first two new ships are flying; most of the approximately 800 ticket holders will fly within the first year of commercial operations; Delta-class suborbital vehicles are designed for 500 flights each; and an additional pair of suborbital vehicles and two new WhiteKnightTwo mother ships will follow.

The current schedule represents a slip of one quarter from the one Virgin Galactic announced earlier this year. The upgraded Delta-class ships will carry six people, an increase of two over VSS Unity's capacity. That all sound good, right? Right? Maybe not. Virgin Galactic has been on track to achieve one goal after another since Richard Branson announced plans to fly tourists to space in September 2004. In 21 years the company has seldom met its schedule. (11/20)

Jacksonville Authority Approves $600K for Cecil Spaceport to Pursue FAA Space Vehicle Reentry License (Source: News4Jax)
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority voted on Wednesday to allocate thousands of dollars into the growing Cecil Spaceport. The JAA board unanimously approved $600,000 in the budget to establish the reentry license project for the Cecil Spaceport. The funding will pay for updates to operational plans, safety and airspace analysis, and FAA coordination, and the readiness of commercial reentry operation at Cecil Spaceport. "Those vehicles will launch vertically from the Cape, and land at Cecil Spaceport,” Tony Cungo said. (11/19)

Trump Served with Summons in Battle Over Space Command HQ (Source: Fox 54)
The legal confrontation between the State of Colorado and the White House accelerated this week as summonses were officially served on Tuesday to President Donald Trump and other named defendants in the administration. The service of process triggers the official timeline for the federal government to respond to Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s high-stakes lawsuit, which seeks to block the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville. The delivery of documents to the White House and Pentagon triggers a 60-day countdown to a response deadline. (11/19)

Starbase Clears the Way for SpaceX to Collect $7.5 Million Tax Incentive (Source: Valley Central)
The Starbase City Commission cleared the way for SpaceX to collect a $7.5 million tax refund on Wednesday. The City Commission nominated two SpaceX projects — the Gigabay rocket factory and launch pad infrastructure — for the Texas Enterprise Zone program. “Between the first project and this project we’re adding over 1,000 jobs in about a one-year span,” Damian Barrera, a tax manager at SpaceX, told the City Commission.

Under the Texas Enterprise Zone program, a company that spends at least $250 million and creates at least 500 jobs may receive a $3,750,000 tax refund. Two projects would allow SpaceX to collect $7.5 million. To participate in the program, though, a company must be nominated by a local community. (11/19)

Significantly More Launches of the Ariane 6 Soon (Source: Blue Win)
The European launcher Ariane 6 is to be launched into space much more frequently in future. The aim for next year is to double the number of launches compared to 2025, as Jens Franzeck, German Managing Director of ArianeGroup, announced. So far this year, the rocket has lifted off three times from the European spaceport in Kourou in French Guiana, with another launch planned for December. (11/20)

Successful Demonstration of Boot-Strap Mode Start of India's CE20 Cryogenic Engine (Source: ISRO)
The CE20 cryogenic engine, powering the LVM3 upper stage, is already qualified for operation at thrust levels ranging from 19 to 22 tonnes in flight with a single start. During nominal operation, the engine ignition is initiated under tank head conditions, followed by the start of turbopumps using a stored gas start-up system. For future missions, multiple in-flight restarts of the CE20 engine will be required for mission flexibility towards multi-orbit missions.

However, with the present configuration, each restart demands an additional start-up gas bottle and associated systems, leading to a reduction in vehicle payload capability. Hence, achieving boot-strap mode start - where the engine builds up to steady operation without external start-up assistance - is essential. In this regard, a boot-strap mode start test on the CE20 Cryogenic engine was successfully conducted under vacuum conditions in the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex. (11/19)

Understanding Gravity’s Impact on Heart Health (Source: Texas A&M)
Human health is influenced by many factors: diet, exercise, family history and — believe it or not — gravity. The Earth’s gravitational pull, or its absence, affects the movement of fluid throughout the body, impacting blood flow. As space travel becomes more common, it’s crucial to understand the body’s reaction to changes in gravity and its effects on astronauts’ health. Using tilt tables, researchers from the Bioastronautics and Human Performance (BHP) Laboratory at Texas A&M University are investigating the effects of different gravity levels on the body, all without leaving campus. (11/19)

Cybersecurity Standards Updated for Satellite Providers (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Pentagon has issued cybersecurity rules for commercial satellite operators that serve intelligence agencies and military services. The Committee on National Security Systems will require real-time onboard intrusion detection and prevention systems, a hardware root of trust and security patch management. (11/19)

The Billionaire Trump Chose to Lead NASA Has Ties to Chinese Government (Source: Oligarch Watch)
Should billionaire Jared Isaacman successfully navigate his second nomination process to lead NASA, his top policy priority would be to beat China in a race to send astronauts back to the moon. But given his business interests, Isaacman, 41, who is the executive chairman and top shareholder of Shift4 Payments, is a curious choice to direct President Trump’s space race. Shift4, a payment processing firm, recently added a pair of new strategic partners with ties to the Communist Party of China. Over the summer, Tencent and Ant Group, the two Chinese companies, invested a combined $88 million in Shift4. (11/18)

Top SaxaVord Roles are Given at Shetland Spaceport (Source: Shetland Times)
SaxaVord Spaceport has bolstered its growing team with two new senior appointments in operations as it prepares for first launch. Ian Palmer has joined as director of operations and Nadine Armiger-Drake as spaceport operations manager. (11/19)

Spaceflux Awarded Multimillion-pound UK Government Contracts to Deliver Sovereign Space Surveillance and Tracking (Source: Spaceflux)                        
Spaceflux Ltd, a UK-based leader in space domain awareness (SDA) and space intelligence, has won three major multimillion-pound, multiyear UK government contracts to provide advanced space surveillance and tracking (SST) data across multiple orbital regimes. The UK Space Agency and the UK Ministry of DefenSe contracts, awarded under the National Space Operations Center framework, secure Spaceflux’s central role in delivering the UK’s orbital intelligence capability. (11/20)

Orbital Cloud Project to Combine Solar Powered AI Compute and Satellite Network in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
PowerBank Corp. is partnering with Smartlink AI under the Orbit AI banner to develop an orbital cloud architecture that combines satellite communications, AI computing and blockchain verification in low Earth orbit powered by solar energy.
The project centers on two linked systems: DeStarlink, described as a decentralized low Earth orbit network for global connectivity, and DeStarAI, a set of orbital AI data centers using solar arrays and space-based cooling. Together they form the Orbital Cloud, which is intended to provide a unified infrastructure layer for connectivity and in-orbit compute. (11/20)

Gravitational Wave Detectors Complete Two Year Campaign with Record Signal Count (Source: Space Daily)
The LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA collaborations have finished their fourth observation campaign, known as O4, marking the longest and most comprehensive period of coordinated gravitational wave monitoring to date. Initiated in May 2023 and spanning more than two years, the campaign involved simultaneous data analysis and resulted in the detection of 250 new gravitational signals, which account for more than two-thirds of all signals recorded by these observatories to date.

Improvements in detector technology and sensitivity enabled this increase in the number of observed events. Data from the latest run contributed to major advances in the understanding of compact binary systems and fundamental processes in the universe. Key discoveries were announced and published as the campaign progressed. (11/19)

New Laboratory Showcases Advanced Satcom Capabilities for Australian Defense Force (Source: Space Daily)
ST Engineering iDirect and Black Cat Systems are working together to establish an Advanced Satcom Technology Demonstration Lab to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Central to this lab is the ST Engineering iDirect 450 Software Defined Modem (SDM), which provides multi-waveform and multi-orbit capabilities, as well as interference mitigation technology tailored for defense needs.

Black Cat Systems has purchased additional Evolution Defense hubs and 9-Series modems and will demonstrate the new 450SDM model. This modem is designed for mission-critical communications and operates across HEO, GEO, MEO, and LEO orbits, supporting several waveforms on a single platform. It offers a 30 percent reduction in size, weight, and power compared to earlier models and integrates security features such as TRANSEC and FIPS 140-3 Level 3 compliance. (11/18)

Redesigned Satellite Battery Set to Advance LEO Power Systems (Source: Space Daily)
ESI Motion has announced SatBat, a new battery engineered for spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit. SatBat integrates a Heater and Battery Management System, aiming to improve power storage and management in orbital environments. The battery uses ESI Motion's expertise in radiation-tolerant electronics and energy management. It delivers high power density, thermal stability, and advanced battery control, setting standards in space power systems. SatBat weighs half as much as typical space Lithium-Ion batteries and offers twice the useable capacity and operational life. It retains 98 percent of its original charge after a four-year LEO mission. (11/15)

Machine Learning Tool Distinguishes Signs of Life From Non-Living Compounds in Space Samples (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers developed LifeTracer, a machine learning framework, to analyze mass spectrometry data from space and terrestrial samples. They used advanced two-dimensional gas chromatography and high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry to study eight carbonaceous meteorites and ten terrestrial rock samples. LifeTracer applies logistic regression to compound-level features and achieved 87 percent classification accuracy, distinguishing samples derived from meteorites and Earth rocks.

In their results, scientists detected thousands of molecular peaks in each sample category - 9,475 in meteorites and 9,070 in terrestrial rocks. Key molecular differences included weight distributions and chromatographic retention times, with meteorite compounds showing greater volatility and lower retention values. These findings help define the molecular boundaries between abiotically and biotically formed materials. (11/19)

November 20, 2025

Germany Expected to Increase ESA Contribution (Source: Space News)
Industry is expecting Germany to step up its contribution to the European Space Agency at next week’s ministerial conference. Germany was ESA’s biggest contributor at the previous ministerial in 2022, providing 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion). Industry executives want Germany to significantly increase that at the ministerial in Bremen, with many expecting a range of 4.5 to 5 billion euros. A large increase will likely be needed for ESA to meet its goal of 22 billion euros for the next three years. (11/20)

iRocket's Rocket to Use Kymeta Metamaterial Tech for Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Antenna manufacturer Kymeta announced it is working with launch startup iRocket for connectivity technologies for Golden Dome. The companies announced a partnership Wednesday to leverage the metamaterial technology used in Kymeta’s multi-orbit broadband user terminals to connect IRX-100, a short-range missile iRocket flew for the first time last month. The technology would enable multi-orbit connectivity the companies argue is required for Golden Dome, which is expected to include space-based interceptors. (11/20)

Swedish Space Corp. Rolls Out New Ground Station Service for Small Satellites (Source: Space News)
SSC will use smaller antennas at five of the company’s ground stations to support individual smallsats and constellations of them. The company says SSC Go is a streamlined, less expensive version of the ground station services it offers to other customers, and will compete with similar offering from KSAT and Leaf Space. (11/20)

Italian-Dutch Revolv Gains Customer for Solar Array Drive Tech (Source: Space News)
Italian-Dutch company Revolv Space has its first customer for the company’s next-generation solar array drive assembly. The company said it has sold 10 units of that product, called MARA, to an unnamed customer. The technology is intended to serve as a solution that fills the gap between body-mounted solar arrays and costly, bespoke-design drive assemblies sold by legacy manufacturers. (11/20)

NASA Releases 3I/ATLAS Images, Confirming Comet Status (Source: AP)
NASA released a batch of images of an interstellar comet. The images of comet 3I/ATLAS, released Wednesday, were taken by several spacecraft from Earth orbit to Mars. Some of the images were taken weeks ago but could not be released until after the six-week government shutdown ended. The images and other data from those spacecraft support the hypothesis that 3I/ATLAS is from a solar system older than our own. NASA officials also added that the images show that 3I/ATLAS is indeed a comet and not an extraterrestrial spacecraft. (11/19)

Canadian Space Companies Say They Can Level Up Internationally with Government Support (Source: SpaceQ)
The US wants its defense partners to increase NATO and NORAD spending, while the Americans also are pursuing tariffs and protectionist economic policies that make it more difficult for international companies to grow there. Europe, which is pursuing sovereign launch and programs and is more open to international collaborations, is emerging as a stronger strategic partner for Canada. Meanwhile, the Canadian federal budget includes $182.6 million for sovereign space launch capability – but Canadian companies are asking for a fresh space strategy to address the changing market conditions.

Four Canadian companies took stock of where we are now and how the Canadian government can help support the new space situation. Representatives from Honeywell, MDA Space, Telesat and Terrestar Solutions all weighed in. They recommended strategic spending increases, revival of a National Space Council, and "economic diplomacy" with the US. (11/18)

North American Space Institute (NASI) Prepares for its First Cohort (Source: SpaceQ)
Starting this winter, Canadians are going to have a new pathway into the space sector, as the newly-formed North American Space Institute (NASI) welcomes its first cohort of aspiring space technicians this coming January. Founded by former Canadian Space Agency (CSA) technologist Michael Graham earlier this year, the Institute aims to become “the national platform building Canada’s certified space workforce.” Their site mentions several different courses related to space sector, but the most notable is their Space Systems Technician program, which is Canada’s first space technician program certified by the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA). (11/18)

Sidus Space Delivers Hardware, Software to Xiomas Technologies Under NASA Award (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space completed its NASA Phase II Sequential Award with Xiomas Technologies, delivering a custom FeatherEdge Data Processing Unit (DPU), advanced software solutions, and a comprehensive final report to Xiomas, marking a significant milestone in edge computing for thermal imaging applications. Xiomas’ Thermal Mapping and Measurement System (TMMS) is a compact, multi-band thermal infrared camera system designed for UAVs and small satellites. (11/20)

SpaceX Could be More Valuable Than OpenAI (Source: Axios)
Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha said Elon Musk's SpaceX has a "bigger chance of being the most valuable company" than OpenAI during a sit-down interview at Axios' BFD event on Tuesday. Botha's opinion can move markets and completely overthrows the prevailing view that OpenAI is the tech industry's most valuable player. (11/18)

Yank Technologies Awarded NASA Phase III Commercialization Contract to Advance Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for Moon and Mars Missions (Source: Yank)
Yank Technologies, the developer of disruptive long range, high power wireless charging solutions, has been awarded a $1 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) commercialization contract from NASA to prepare and advance Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for bi-directional vehicle-to-vehicle power transfer on lunar and Mars surfaces. (11/18)

Russian Satellite That Worried NATO Enters End-of-Life Orbit (Source: Newsweek)
A Russian satellite, that previously sparked alarm from NATO member Germany about Moscow’s military intentions in space, is nearing the end of its mission, according to analysis. Kayhan Space, a Colorado-based firm of spaceflight and satellite experts, said it had found that the Luch-Olymp satellite appears to be maneuvering to an end-of-life orbit. (11/8)

Japanese Town Aims to Become East Asian Space Launch Hub (Source: Nippon.com)
With the space industry gearing up, the front runner in Japan is Hokkaidō Spaceport (HOSPO) in the town of Taiki, Hokkaidō, where a Taiwanese company recently performed a launch. In terms of location, Taiki faces the open Pacific to the east and south, making it ideal for SSO launches. Ide Shinji, the director of space transportation and spaceports at the National Space Policy Secretariat of the Cabinet Office, emphasizes the site’s advantages: “The south opens onto the sea, so there is minimal energy loss for SSO launches, making it an attractive location for launching satellites.” (11/19)

Germany’s First Space Security Strategy Aims at Independent Defensive, Offensive Capabilities (Source: Breaking Defense)
Germany’s first-ever national security space strategy envisions a plethora of new military capabilities to boost Berlin’s capacity to act independently to protect and defend its space assets — as well as play a stronger role in influencing European and global security policymaking. Far from being a wish list, MoD’s ambitious plans now have the resources to enable them following the Sep. 25 announcement that Berlin will invest €35 billion ($41 billion) over the next five years on space security. (11/19)

Cosmic Paradox Reveals the Awful Consequence of an Observer-Free Universe (Source: Quanta)
Tinkering at their desks with the mathematics of quantum space and time, physicists have discovered a puzzling conundrum. The arcane rules of quantum theory and gravity let them imagine many different kinds of universes in precise detail, enabling powerful thought experiments that in recent years have addressed long-standing mysteries swirling around black holes.

But when a group of researchers examined a universe intriguingly like our own in 2019, they found a paradox: The theoretical universe seemed to admit only a single possible state. It appeared so simple that its contents could be described without conveying even a single bit of data, not even a choice of a zero or a one. This result clashed with the fact that this type of universe should be capable of hosting black holes, stars, planets — and people. Yet all those rich details were nowhere to be seen. (11/19)

NASA Cassini Study Finds Organics ‘Fresh’ From Ocean of Enceladus (Source: NASA)
Researchers dove deep into information gathered from the ice grains that were collected during a close and super-fast flyby through a plume of Saturn’s icy moon. A new analysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission found evidence of previously undetected organic compounds in a plume of ice particles ejected from the ocean that lies under the frozen shell of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Researchers spotted not only molecules they’ve found before but also new ones that lay a potential path to chemical or biochemical activity. (11/19)

T-Mobile: AST SpaceMobile Satellites Pose Potential Risk to Cellular Networks (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX's partner, T-Mobile, is pressing US regulators to scrutinize AST SpaceMobile, arguing that the company’s satellites risk causing harmful interference to terrestrial cell networks. On Tuesday, T-Mobile sent a letter to the FCC, which is reviewing AST SpaceMobile’s application to operate a satellite internet service for phones. It urges the FCC to "take no action" on AST's application "unless and until sufficient information is provided” about the radio interference concerns.

“AST has failed to demonstrate that its proposed SCS [Supplemental Coverage from Space] operations will satisfy the Commission’s stated goal to minimize the risk of interference from SCS services to existing terrestrial networks,” the carrier says. (11/18)

UP Aerospace Launches Suborbital Rocket at Spaceport America (Source: Spaceport America)
Wednesday morning at 7:00 a.m. local time, UP AEROSPACE conducted its 23rd suborbital rocket launch from Spaceport America The flight carried payloads from Los Alamos National Laboratory, enabling the federally-funded R&D site to conduct space-related tests. Additional payload collaborators included NASA Ames Research Center and Redwire Space. (11/19)

Soon 100 PocketQube Satellites Will Be On-Orbit for the PocketQube Community (Source: SatNews)
Four PocketQubes will be deployed by PocketQube broker, Alba Orbital, in collaboration with SEOPS as part of the Transporter-15 rideshare mission with SpaceX. The PocketQube standard was first developed in 2009 at Morehead State University (MSU) and Kentucky Space to help universities and researchers across the globe perform space science and exploration at a fraction of the traditional cost.

Each PocketQube measures just 5 cm³ per unit (or “1P”), making them among the smallest operational satellites ever developed. In spite of their size, the capabilities of PocketQubes are immense—their compact form factor allows for launches starting from as little as €25k through Alba Orbital’s dedicated launch services. This affordability has opened space access to high schools, universities, startups, and research institutions worldwide. (11/2)

Blocking Space Radiation with Nanotubes! (Source: EurekAlert)
High-energy cosmic radiation damages cells and DNA, causing cancer, and secondary neutrons- generated especially from the planetary surfaces,- can be up to 20 times more harmful than other radiations. Aluminum, the most widely used shielding material, has the drawback of generating additional secondary neutrons when below a certain thickness. Consequently, 'boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs)', which are lightweight, strong, and possess excellent neutron shielding capabilities, are emerging as a promising alternative.

BNNTs are ultrafine tubular only about 5 nanometers in diameter-roughly 1/20,000 the thickness of a human hair-making them extremely light and strong, with excellent thermal neutron absorption capability. However, due to limitations in fabrication technology, they have so far only been produced into thin & brittle sheet, restricting their practical applications. (11/19)

Initial Steps Toward a First Canadian Lunar CubeSat (Source: Govt. of Canada)
Establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon requires international collaboration and the development of complementary expertise and technologies. Since 2019, through its Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been supporting Canada's space sector for potential opportunities in the global commercial space market and long-term lunar exploration.

The CSA recently awarded a contract for a total value of up to $6.9M to Magellan Aerospace for an ambitious technology demonstration project that includes what would become Canada's first CubeSat to the Moon. As part of this contract, Magellan Aerospace's project aims to develop: a CubeSat equipped with a multispectral imager to create a detailed resource map of the lunar surface; a software package that will use data from the imager to test a novel lunar positioning algorithm; and a technology designed to impact the lunar surface at high velocity to provide insight into the physical and mechanical properties of the regolith. (11/18)

Quindar Raises $18 Million to Scale Satellite Operations Software (Source: Space News)
Quindar, a Colorado startup developing cloud-based ground systems for satellite operators, has secured $18 million in Series A funding to scale its mission-operations platform and expand into classified government work. Founded by ex-OneWeb engineers, Quindar aims to replace bespoke ground systems with automated tools. A high security Denver-area facility will also be built. (11/19)

Jacksonville-Based Redwire Lands $44 Million DARPA Award to Build Air-Breathing VLEO Satellite (Source: Space News)
Redwire secured a $44 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to finish building a satellite designed to operate in very low Earth orbit, the company said Nov. 19. The award expands a 2024 agreement in which DARPA tapped the Florida company for its Otter Very Low Earth Orbit mission, an effort to field an air breathing spacecraft that can function in an extremely thin but still resistant atmosphere. (11/19)

OQ Technology Sends Europe’s First D2D Message (Source: Payload)
Luxembourg-based satcom startup OQ Technology sent a test emergency broadcast message from its satellites in LEO to mobile phones on Earth, marking the first time a European satellite operator has connected directly with cellular devices on the ground. It’s not an industry first—satcom firms including Viasat, SpaceX’s Starlink, AST SpaceMobile and others have achieved direct-to-device (D2D) connections before. But OQ’s milestone opens the door for Europe to build its own sovereign D2D capabilities. (11/19)

A Debate on the Wolf Amendment (Source: Payload)
Necessary national security safeguard, or out-of-touch barrier to communication with a leading space power? That was the question at the heart of a debate last week on whether the Wolf Amendment is still in America’s best interest, almost 15 years after it became law. The event, hosted by The Aerospace Corporation and George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, included officials debating whether the amendment should be repealed—and more broadly, what US cooperation with China in orbit should look like.

Dan Hart of the Atlantic Council said that the Wolf Amendment no longer serves the interests of the US. He argued that regulations like ITAR already protect agencies in international collaboration, and the amendment is “redundant to more effective measures already in place.” Cooperation in space with China for civil and scientific space priorities could open the door for diplomatic conversations, but the Wolf Amendment eliminates the possibility of subtle engagement and gradual cooperation towards the goal, instead requiring a major policy shift to even work on small projects.

This debate may be happening in a think-tank setting, but there’s no evidence it’s happening on Capitol Hill. Leaders of the space committees in both the House and Senate have supported the Wolf Amendment, and Congress has other things on its plate—including finding a way to pass budget bills, and avert another shutdown in a little over two months. (11/18)

The Next Frontier: UAE’s Ambitions in Space Show No Sign of Letting Up (Sources: Flight Global, Sotheby's)
It may not have had the speed of the race to the Moon in the 1960s, but for a nation that launched its first satellite only at the dawn of this century, the United Arab Emirates’ ascent as a space power has been stellar. By leveraging space as a form of soft power, the UAE aims to establish itself as a prominent player in the space sector on the Arabian Peninsula, a position which will, it is assumed, help promote other important industries.

The UAE Space Agency operates with an abundance of strategic goals, including attracting top-class talent, improving efficiencies across various government sectors, and creating a regulatory environment that promotes business and investment. Beyond this, it hopes to develop tangible space capabilities while transferring acquired knowledge to improve standards within the private sector. (11/19)

SCHOTT Launches High-Performance Cover Glass for Next-Generation Space Solar Cells (Source: Spacewatch Global)
SCHOTT has announced its SCHOTT Solar Glass exos, an innovative solar cell cover glass designed for next-generation space missions. Exos provides enhanced radiation resistance and optical performance for simple silicon cells up to III-V multijunction satellite solar cells. The product was jointly developed with Heilbronn-based AZUR SPACE Solar Power GmbH, with funding from ESA. (11/18)

Katalyst Selects Pegasus Rocket to Launch Swift Reboost Mission (Source: Space News)
A startup named Katalyst Space Systems has chosen Northrop Grumman's air-launched Pegasus rocket to boost the Swift observatory satellite's decaying orbit, a mission for which it has a NASA contract. The choice of the Pegasus is due to the high delta-v needed for this particular mission, which is challenging for most small launch vehicles. This mission, targeted for mid-2026, marks the first time a commercial robotic spacecraft will capture and reboost a government satellite not initially designed for such servicing.

The launch operations will take place at the Reagan Test Site, located on Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The Pegasus is an air-launched rocket that is dropped from an L1011 aircraft before its engines ignite. It has seen a decrease in demand in recent years due to the rise of lower-cost alternatives. Editor's Note: According to online reports, this Pegasus vehicle may be the last one in Northrop Grumman's inventory. Will they build more? (11/19)

OroraTech and Earth Fire Alliance Partner to Expand Global Access to Space-Based Wildfire Intelligence (Source: Spacewatch Global)
OroraTech, a leader in orbital wildfire intelligence, and Earth Fire Alliance (EFA), a global nonprofit committed to delivering data and insights from all wildfires on Earth, have announced a new partnership aimed at transforming access to wildfire data for responders worldwide. The partnership brings together advanced, space-based thermal detection and monitoring capabilities from both organizations, creating unmatched actionable wildfire intelligence. By combining data and efforts, OroraTech and EFA will subsequently empower agencies across the globe with real-time wildfire detection, monitoring, and mitigation insights. (11/19)

European Launch Startups Not Selected for ELC Remain Active (Sources: Space Intel Report, SPACErePORT)
A week before ESA governments vote on a proposal to provide up to 169 million euros ($184,4 million) each to the five winners of the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) is a good time for European launcher startups to jockey for attention — even if they aren’t among the ELC winners. The agency’s July selection of five ELC participants -- Maia Space of France, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) of Germany, Orbex of Britain, and PLD Space of Spain -- does not spell the end for unselected competitors.

Some of them have secured private funding or national government support and are pushing ahead with their development and launch plans. Companies like Skyrora (UK), Sirius Space Services (France), Latitude (France), HyImpulse (Germany), HyPrSpace (France), and The Exploration Company (Germany/France) continue to develop their rockets and hope to be able to compete for future opportunities. (11/18)

Can America Beat China Back to the Moon? (Source: Space Daily)
The United States faces a narrowing window to claim its position as the first nation to return humans to the Moon in the 21st century. While NASA's official timeline targets Artemis 3 for no earlier than mid-2027 - roughly three years before China's 2030 lunar landing goal - the path forward is fraught with technical complexity, schedule pressure, and the kind of engineering challenges that have historically humbled even the most ambitious space programs.

In Beijing, the China Manned Space Agency maintains a studied composure, presenting its program not as a race but as a methodical national priority. Which narrative proves correct - the sprint or the marathon - will largely depend on whether several interlocking technical and operational milestones actually hold to their compressed timelines.

Can America beat China back to the Moon? Technically, yes - if everything proceeds remarkably well from this point forward. The real competition, if that occurs, isn't about who lands first - it's about who establishes a sustained, productive presence on the lunar surface. That game, unlike the sprint to the pole, plays to America's demonstrated strength in long-duration missions, international partnerships, and continuous infrastructure development. (11/19)

PLD Space Expands Rocket Subsystem Testing Leadership in Europe (Source: Space Daily)
PLD Space is now operating its Teruel Airport testing facility at maximum capacity, with over 155,000 square meters dedicated to rocket development. The company utilizes ten self-designed test benches for its MIURA 5 launcher, establishing the largest private rocket testing infrastructure in Europe and strengthening its vertical integration strategy.

Subsystem qualification for MIURA 5 proceeds rapidly, with the facilities enabling component manufacture and testing within 24 hours. The company's approach, "Test like you fly," ensures every critical launcher subsystem undergoes assessments that replicate flight conditions. This methodology accelerates learning about subsystem performance, shortens development timelines, and builds reliability. Raul Torres, CEO and co-founder, stated, "Reliability is built through testing. Our Teruel infrastructures provide us with absolute control over each rocket component, shortening timelines and ensuring the highest technical quality. They are an essential part of our vertical integration model." (11/18)

Star Catcher Achieves Milestone for Wireless Energy Delivery to Moon Missions (Source: Space Daily)
The lunar South Pole has gained attention from scientific and commercial sectors due to long-term exploration plans and its possible water ice deposits, which may enable future life support and fuel production. Deep craters in permanent shadow make this region a focal point for NASA's Artemis program and other international initiatives.

Recent technology demonstrations aim to overcome harsh environmental limits facing lunar terrain vehicles. Star Catcher Industries has developed an orbital energy grid to deliver power on demand by collecting sunlight in lunar orbit, converting it to laser-based energy, and beaming it wirelessly to solar panels on the surface. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Star Catcher's orbital energy grid transmitted energy to Intuitive Machines' Moon RACER Lunar Terrain Vehicle. (11/18)

Oledcomm's Intersatellite Terminal Selected for France 2030 (Source: Oedcomm)
Oledcomm has been selected by the French National Space Agency (CNES) as part of the France 2030 program. Oledcomm will develop an inter-satellite optical communications service for the program’s space component. Oledcomm will develop an innovative terminal, LUCI (Ultra-Compact Inter-Satellite Liaison), and demonstrate a bidirectional inter-satellite communications service. LUCI combines low power consumption with very high bandwidth, ensuring a quality of service suited to next-generation satellite communications. (11/19)

Water Ice Detection Campaign Prepares Lunar Robots for Moon Mission (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers in Germany have conducted a campaign at the LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne to evaluate how water ice could be located and mapped on the Moon. Instruments and robotic vehicles were used in a simulated lunar environment with a substantial area covered in regolith material similar to Moon dust.

The Polar Explorer campaign at LUNA tested the mobility and sensing abilities of two rover units equipped with radar, spectroscopic, and seismic instruments. Nicole Schmitz from the DLR Institute of Space Research noted that combining varied detection methods greatly improves reliability in mapping water ice. Preliminary analysis confirms that the rovers successfully identified and mapped simulated subsurface water ice. (11/18)

November 19, 2025

Taiwan Advances “Full Satellite” Capabilities to Enter Global Space Supply Chain (Source: Mach 33)
Taiwan’s Space Agency is reportedly shifting from component‑supply towards full satellite design and integration, leveraging Taiwan’s established semiconductor and manufacturing base to position itself in the global space supply chain. The report suggests Taiwanese firms may now bid for end‑to‑end satellites rather than only chips or subsystems, potentially opening opportunities in Asia Pacific.

From a sector vantage this development suggests new entrants may alter cost structures and competitive dynamics in satellite manufacturing globally. For incumbents, particularly Western manufacturers, this shift could compress margins and accelerate outsourcing of assembly/integration to high‑volume low‑cost regions, necessitating strategic re‑thinking of manufacturing footprints. (11/17)

Blue Origin Targets Well Over A Dozen New Glenn Launches In 2026 (Source: Mach 33)
Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp said the company is building enough hardware to support well above a dozen New Glenn launches in 2026, with an upper bound of 24 missions. Their new emphasis on second stage production throughput and BE 4 and BE 3U engine manufacturing shows where near term execution risk sits. If Blue Origin sustains this manufacturing trajectory, it could become a credible counterweight to SpaceX in heavy lift markets for the first time. (11/17)

Stout Street Capital Invests in CisLunar Industries (Source: CisLunar Industries)
CisLunar Industries, a leader in advanced hardware and software for space power, received new investment in its Seed Round from Denver's Stout Street Capital. This investment will accelerate the development and production of CisLunar Industries’ EPIC Product Line for power conversion. Resilient, scalable, and intelligent, these products are meeting growing market demand for multiple use cases in aerospace and defense. (11/18)

NASA to Divest, Demolish Buildings at Maryland’s Goddard Center (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA is planning to divest or demolish nearly half of its footprint at the Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, after President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce led to a mass employee exodus, according to an email seen by Bloomberg News. One of NASA’s premier science centers, Goddard operates the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope and works on science missions including ones that explore the solar system, study Mars’ atmosphere and monitor space weather. (11/18)

James Webb Space Telescope May Have Found the 1st Stars in the Universe (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have discovered that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have already found the long-sought first generation of stars born shortly after the Big Bang. These initial stars, referred to as Population III or POP III stars, dwell in a galaxy called LAP1-B which was previously studied by the $10 billion space telescope. The light from this galaxy has been travelling for 13 billion years to reach the JWST, meaning that we see LAP1-B as it was just 800 million years after the Big Bang. (11/18)

SpaceX Launches Tuesday Starlink Mission From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Tuesday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, placing 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX moved up the launch from later in the evening after the FAA lifted restrictions Sunday on commercial launches that allowed them to occur only between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. during part of the government shutdown. (11/19)

China Launches Three Experimental Satellites on Long March 2C (Source: Xinhua)
China launched three experimental satellites Tuesday night. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:01 p.m. Eastern and put into orbit three Shijian-30 satellites. Chinese media described the satellites only as carrying out space environment exploration and related technology verification. (11/19)

Rocket Lab Launches HASTE Suborbital Electron at Virginia Spaceport (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab conducted a suborbital Electron launch for the Missile Defense Agency Tuesday. The suborbital version of Electron, called HASTE, lifted off from Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, at 8 a.m. Eastern. Rocket Lab said the rocket carried a Missile Defense Agency payload built by the Applied Physics Lab as well as several secondary payloads intended to test key technologies for missile defense applications. This was the sixth launch overall of HASTE and the third in the last two months. (11/19)

Canada Increases Funding to ESA (Source: Reuters)
Canada plans to significantly increase contributions to the European Space Agency. Canada’s industry minister, Mélanie Joly, announced at a conference Tuesday that Canada would increase its ESA contributions by $528 million Canadian ($377 million) to ESA programs over the next three to five years, ten times more than previous Canadian contributions to the agency. She did not discuss specific ESA programs Canada would back but said the money would come from a much larger increase in Canadian defense spending. Canada is not a full member of the ESA but works with the agency under a cooperation agreement for several decades. (11/19)

Aerospace Startup Ursa Major Valued at $600 Million With New Funding, Hypersonic Demand (Sources: Space News, Bloomberg)
Ursa Major raised $150 million to advance work on propulsion systems as it moves further into the defense market. The company announced Tuesday it raised $100 million and secured $50 million in debt commitment, plus more than $115 million in bookings through the first three quarters of 2025. Most of the demand comes from U.S. defense agencies along with Stratolaunch and BAE Systems. The company now counts liquid engines for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors as its core lines of business, a clear pivot from its origins offering engines for commercial launch vehicles. (11/19)

Eutelsat Plans $1 Billion Capital Raise (Source: Space News)
The board of satellite operator Eutelsat has approved a proposal to raise nearly $1 billion from existing shareholders. The 828 million euro ($959 million) capital raise, approved by the board Tuesday, was priced at 4 euros per share, a 32% premium to their average price over the 30 days before it was announced June 19.

Alongside plans to sell passive ground segment infrastructure, the operator said the extra capital will enable it to take out loans on more favorable terms to invest in OneWeb and contribute to IRIS², Europe’s proposed sovereign broadband constellation. Eutelsat expects to invest up to 2.2 billion euros for the 440 LEO satellites needed to sustain OneWeb over the coming years and has also committed about 2 billion euros for its share of the IRIS² public-private partnership. (11/19)

U.S. Government and Companies Criticize Draft EU Space Act (Source: Space News)
A draft of a European space law is facing criticism from the United States and other nations outside the European Union. Scott Woodard, consul general at the U.S. Consulate in Hamburg, said the draft of the EU Space Act, intended to harmonize European space regulations, could “stifle innovation” and put financial burdens on U.S. companies operating in Europe. The speech echoed formal comments made by the State Department on the draft earlier this month as well as those from U.S. companies and trade groups.

The impact of the act is also being considered in other countries who are not part of the EU, such as Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom. A European Commission official defended the draft act at the conference but welcomed the comments from the U.S. and elsewhere, noting that an updated draft of the bill could be ready by the end of the year. (11/19)

European Officials Stress Space Autonomy Despite Lingering Dependencies (Source: Space News)
European officials emphasized the need for strategic autonomy in space but are still relying on capabilities outside the continent. In a panel Tuesday at Space Tech Expo Europe, officials emphasized the need for European independence and autonomy in space services, citing shifting geopolitics. That includes programs up for funding at next week’s ESA ministerial focused on space security and strengthening Europe’s overall competitiveness in the global space sector.

However, an Italian official acknowledged that launch issues forced the government to move the launch of the next Cosmo-Skymed Second Generation radar-imaging satellite from Vega C to Falcon 9. That satellite will launch by the end of the year from California. A contract previously signed to launch it on Vega C will instead be used for another Cosmo-Skymed satellite in 2027. (11/19)

Senate Plans Isaacman Confirmation Hearing on Dec. 3 (Source: Space News)
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a second confirmation hearing for Jared Isaacman next month. The committee said Tuesday that it will hold a Dec. 3 hearing on Isaacman’s renomination to be NASA administrator. Isaacman appeared before the committee in April for his original nomination, which the White House withdrew at the end of May. Some had hoped that the committee could skip a second hearing, but committee members reportedly have questions on events since April, such as the NASA budget proposal in May that sought steep cuts to NASA and Isaacman’s “Project Athena” policy document. (11/19)

Stratolaunch Plans Weekend Hypersonic Test Flight (Source: Florida Today)
Stratolaunch may conduct a hypersonic test flight from California's Mojave Air Space Port this weekend as part of a Department of War program to counter hypersonic threats. Using the world's largest airplane, Roc, Stratolaunch's approach is to launch its Talon vehicles in flight. The Talon-A2 reached speeds over Mach 5 during a March test. (11/19)
 
Navy Extends NEXCOM Contract with Viasat (Source: Fast Mode)
Viasat has secured a five-year contract extension with the Navy Exchange Service Command to provide managed connectivity services for personal-use networks at base installations worldwide. The contract includes significant network upgrades to improve bandwidth and infrastructure, aligning with the Barracks Task Force's mission to enhance living conditions for service members. (11/18)

Future Moon Base? Robots Explore Lava Tubes As Shelter for Astronauts (Source: SciTech Daily)
Ancient volcanic activity on the Moon and Mars has left behind lava tubes that are now seen as promising locations for future base camps, offering natural protection beneath the surface. Skylights, collapsed sections of tube ceilings, and long sinuous rilles identified in orbital imagery hint at extensive subsurface voids, but images alone cannot reveal which tubes are intact or suitable for habitats, making direct robotic exploration essential despite the harsh conditions and restricted access.

Now, a European consortium, which includes the Space Robotics Laboratory at the University of Malaga, has designed an innovative lava tunnel exploration mission concept. This concept has just been published in the scientific journal Science Robotics. It comprises a team of three heterogeneous robots that collaborate autonomously to explore and map these extreme environments efficiently, and they are being tested in caves of Lanzarote (Spain) with a view to the Moon. (11/18)

Starlink’s Method of Dodging Solar Storms May Make it Slower, for Longer (Source: The Register)
Researchers have found Starlink’s efforts to mitigate the effects of solar storms can create degraded performance that persists for a day or more after geomagnetic conditions ease. Solar storms disturb magnetic fields and disrupt radio communications. They also heat Earth’s upper atmosphere, expanding it just enough that Starlink’s fleet of broadband birds feel a little more atmospheric drag and can lose some altitude. When that happens, the paper suggests “Starlink responds by temporarily raising the affected satellites above their nominal altitude.”

SpaceX’s broadband biz typically lets those sats return to their original altitude within a day or two. But according to the paper: “This corrective action triggers a cascading effect, with orbital adjustments propagating across neighboring satellites in both spatial and temporal dimensions. Full stabilization of the orbit often takes 3–4 days. These dynamic adjustments can disrupt satellite links and routing paths, contributing to performance issues such as a sustained increase in round-trip time.” (11/18)

Astronomers Witness the Moment a Fatal Shockwave Bursts Through the Surface of a Star (Source: Futurism)
An international team of astronomers say they’ve gotten the earliest and most detailed peek yet at a supernova right as one unfolded. In observations made with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, the astronomers were able to document the powerful shockwave caused by the star’s collapse as it tore through the star’s surface — revealing, for the first time, the actual shape of these explosions. (11/18)

Former NASA Chief of Staff Bale Dalton Runs for Congress in Spaceport-Adjacent Florida District (Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal)
A new Democrat has emerged in the 2026 race for Florida's 7th Congressional District, a seat held by Republican Cory Mills. Bale Dalton, a Navy veteran and former NASA chief of staff, announced on Nov. 17 that he is entering a race already populated by three other Democrats. The primary election will be Aug. 18, 2026. Dalton — like his three Democratic rivals — hit Mills over recent scandals.

Mills was under a House Committee on Ethics investigation into an assault involving a live-in girlfriend, and a restraining order issued against him by a judge after his ex-girlfriend alleged he threatened to release "intimate videos." Mills has also faced stolen-valor accusations from former soldiers and military contractor colleagues that he has not been truthful about his service. (11/17)

U.S. Launch Sites Prep for Future Growth (Source: Aviation Week)
The U.S. space launch enterprise stands at a critical inflection point as decades of exponential growth collide with Cold War-era infrastructure limitations. The Pentagon is spending billions of dollars on ambitious spaceport modernization efforts to deploy proliferated satellite constellations and national security assets rapidly and to support commercial operators that are pushing launch cadences to unprecedented levels.

The Space Force is investing $1.8 billion in FY-2024-28 to modernize and expand its spaceport capabilities and range instrumentation. Congress appropriated about $1/3 billion of that sum in 2024 and funded the remainder under the budget reconciliation bill that passed in July. Much of this will support the Spaceport of the Future effort, which includes 192 projects across both coasts, ranging from upgrades to physical infrastructure, facility relocations, and investments in digital systems for inventory and maintenance tracking.

Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg will use $861 million to revitalize its 60-year-old roads and utilities, digitize key systems, and enhance the resilience of energy, water, and communications systems. The Space Force awarded a $4 billion contract to Amentum (a Jacobs subsidiary) to transform its launch sites into more efficient, high-capacity and multi-user spaceports at Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral. Support equipment at these spaceports (telemetry, radar and optical tracking systems) is more than a half century old. (11/18)

Space Force Aims for 300 Launches Annually at Eastern Range by 2035 (Source: Aviation Week)
SpaceX's effect on Cape Canaveral operations is poised for another transformative leap. The FAA in September agreed to let SpaceX increase the number of falcon launches from LC-40 to as many as 120 flights per year. The FAA also approved SpaceX's ongoing construction of a new landing pad at LC-40, for up to 34 booster landings.

SpaceX also looks to boost Falcon launch rates at LC-39A to 36 per year, 16 more than currently allowed. And SpaceX intends to turn LC-39A into a Starship-Super Heavy complex too, seeking approval for up to 44 Starship missions per year. Add to this two more Starship-Super Heavy pads at LC-37 (former ULA Delta 4) with up to 76 launches per year planned.

The sheer number of Starship launches, launch attempts, landings, tests, and other activities will affect the rest of the spaceport's users. ULA's LC-41 is 2.3 miles from LC-37 and 3.9 miles from LC-39A, meaning Starship operations would require frequent evacuations and other restrictions on ULA Vulcan activities, and cause structural damage from liftoff acoustics and reentry sonic booms. (11/18)

US Navy Expands Operations at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Aviation Week)
The Space Force's Eastern Range commander, Col. Brian Chatman, said the range is "increasingly being utilized for operational and test programs beyond orbital launches." The US Navy, for example, is making "a substantial investment into their test programs and projects increased testing happening in the mid-2030s." Editor's Note: The Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU) hosts US and UK submarines for testing Trident ICBMs both on the Cape and with offshore launch tests. (11/18)

Riches From Outer Space Lure Meteor Hunters to the Sahara Desert (Source: LA Times)
Morocco now produces more meteorite discoveries than anywhere on Earth, with some Martian and lunar fragments selling for millions of dollars. The government legalized meteorite exports in 2020, fueling a gold rush in remote regions where poor communities see it as vital economic opportunity. While urban legends celebrate hunters who struck it rich and built hotels, most locals have not found a fortune. (11/18)

Starship to Launch From Kennedy Space Center as Soon as Next Year, Per SpaceX (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX's massive Starship is getting closer to a Florida launch, with a senior SpaceX official suggesting it could come as early as next year. Kiko Dontchev, VP of Launch at SpaceX, said progress is being made toward the first Starship launch from Cape Canaveral. Dontchev mentioned the upcoming V3 (Version 3) Starship launch from Texas as soon as January, which will be the configuration planned to launch from Florida. He followed with "soon after, the first Starship launch from the Cape". (11/17)

UAE Space Agency Eyes Local Spaceport With New Strategy (Source: Aviation Week)
The United Arab Emirates is looking to develop an indigenous launch option as part of a broader pivot of the country’s space agency to secure a share of the growing space economy. The years since the agency’s founding in 2014 were largely driven by government-led initiatives to create a basic underpinning of some private companies, research centers and broader skills. That is now changing.

“We are developing our own space strategy where our primary focus is on the space economy,” says Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi. “The main goal is to make the UAE the destination for space economy in the region,” Al Falasi adds. The strategy is due for completion soon. Space companies locally initially focused on upstream services such as data provision, but they are increasingly moving into space manufacturing and similar activities. Launch is among the issues next on the agenda, Al Falasi says, with the UAE looking to establish a spaceport to have some level of autonomy. (11/17)

Blue Origin Sees Oasis Opportunity In UAE (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin sees an opportunity to replicate the framework of its Project Oasis lunar resource mapping mission with Luxembourg in other countries, including potentially here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The space company in late September announced Project Oasis, which will range from identifying resources on the Moon to harnessing them in-situ. Oasis-1 is slated to take place in two to three years. (11/17)