Space exploration, satellites, and aerospace technology
The next-generation spacesuit for NASA’s Artemis III mission continues to advance by passing a contractor-led technical review, as the agency prepares to send humans to the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Testing is also underway for the new suits, built by Axiom Space, with NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently simulating surface operations and tasks […]
This image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope released on Feb. 10, 2026, reveals a dramatic interplay of light and shadow in the Egg Nebula, sculpted by freshly ejected stardust. Located approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, the Egg Nebula features a central star obscured by a dense cloud of dust — like a “yolk” nestled […]
Astronomy and commercial space are often portrayed as being on a collision course, yet their futures are deeply intertwined. As satellite constellations expand, astronomers raise concerns about trails across images, interference with radio telescopes and the loss of dark skies. At the same time, commercial operators point to the enormous economic, scientific and national security […] The post It is time to take astronomy off Earth appeared first on SpaceNews.
Launch companies are divided on how to compete with SpaceX in a market where demand outstrips supply, yet customers remain price sensitive. The post Launch companies debate how to compete against SpaceX appeared first on SpaceNews.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau is pursuing an ambitious agenda for regulatory reform. The space plank of the FCC’s Build America Agenda would allocate additional spectrum for space activities, streamline the satellite licensing process and give spacecraft operators more flexibility to modernize operations. “We’re seeking to extend the reach […] The post FCC Space Bureau chief shares agenda for regulatory reform appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA completed the first flight test of a scale-model wing designed to improve laminar flow, reducing drag and lowering fuel costs for future commercial aircraft. The flight took place Jan. 29 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, using one of the agency’s F-15B research jets. The NASA-designed, 40-inch Crossflow Attenuated Natural Laminar Flow (CATNLF) wing model was
Space investors and dealmakers anticipate SpaceX’s planned IPO this year will trigger a surge of capital across the industry, but not without the risk of pulling investor attention away from other companies in the run-up. The post SpaceX IPO may suck oxygen from market before unleashing broad capital surge appeared first on SpaceNews.
MILAN — United Kingdom-based launch company Orbex announced that its business is folding after multiple attempts to stay solvent fell through. The company announced Feb. 11 that it has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators — a process in the U.K. that’s similar to declaring bankruptcy — after fundraising, merger and acquisition efforts […] The post UK launcher Orbex files for administration after failed funding efforts appeared first on SpaceNews.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – At the recent World Economic Forum in Switzerland, much of the conversation revolved around the concerns of middle powers, nations with the wherewithal to influence international events that are not among the great powers. At the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, representatives of Earth-observation companies said middle powers that previously relied […] The post Demand for sovereign systems extends to the Earth-observation stack appeared first on SpaceNews.
MILAN — The French-German aerospace company The Exploration Company completed mock splashdown tests for its Nyx space capsule, a modular, reusable spacecraft designed to transport cargo and eventually crew to low Earth orbit and beyond. The company conducted water-impact tests on a mock capsule from Jan. 13 through 28. The testing campaign was not a […] The post The Exploration Company completes water-impact tests for its Nyx space capsule appeared first on SpaceNews.
Join Leidos and SpaceNews on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. ET to hear how the U.S. Space Force is partnering with industry to accelerate new approaches for collapsing space kill chains through rapid commercial integration and unclassified technology cohorts. The post Register Now: New Approaches to Collapse Space Kill Chains appeared first on SpaceNews.
This NASA aircraft isn’t about smooth rides, it’s about floating, falling, and repeat. Are we about to see a replacement?
In this issue, lifelong aviation enthusiast Randy Malmstrom examines a rare Curtiss Model 51 Fledgling on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Icelandair is strengthening transatlantic access to Norway with the launch of a new direct route between Keflavik and Tromsø from October 2026, while also making Bergen a year-round destination. The move enhances connectivity between North America and both Northern and Western Norway, with a particular focus on the high-demand winter season. The new Keflavik–Tromsø service […]
Jesse Berdis’s dream of becoming a structural engineer began with visions of skyscrapers rising above the Dallas and Oklahoma skyline. Today, that dream has soared beyond city limits, reaching towering heights at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
As SpaceX and other vertically integrated space giants expand their reach, questions are growing over just how much room other small satellite companies have to build scalable businesses. The post How much is vertical integration squeezing the smallsat opportunity? appeared first on SpaceNews.
Boulder, CO and Pasadena, CA — February 11, 2026 — Motiv Space Systems announced a contractual agreement with PickNik Robotics to support software development for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics (FFR) […] The post Motiv Space Systems and PickNik Robotics Collaborate on Software for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics (FFR) Mission appeared first on SpaceNews.
From left, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot pose next to their mission insignia inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. NASA’s SpaceX […]
Water flowing out. Data flowing in. A water system activation at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2) on Jan. 30 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, helped capture critical data to support testing a new SLS (Space Launch System) stage expected to fly on the Artemis IV mission. The activation milestone […]
“When you have a fully reusable vehicle … you can send it anywhere … to the moon … past Mars” —Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator. Imagine a future where thousands of people travel to space every year. Some stay a week. Some a month. Some never come back — they stay, build and live. Space is […] The post Reusable launch vehicles will change everything in space, and on Earth appeared first on SpaceNews.