Space exploration, satellites, and aerospace technology
It took a year, but the Jared Isaacman era at NASA finally started. Sworn in Dec. 17, the new administrator spoke at a NASA town hall the next day to take questions about his plans for the agency. He offered few specifics about those plans, saying he had to learn about agency activities. But he […] The post Applied lessons for NASA’s science programs appeared first on SpaceNews.
The problem of overcrowding orbits and increasing space debris has never been more urgent. International organizations, policy makers, regulators, space operators and researchers are recognizing how critical this issue is and how it could impact all space services and operations, including, but not limited to, satellite broadband, global navigation satellite systems, scientific research and space […] The post This year must bring greater collaboration against orbital congestion appeared first on
China has submitted two filings for huge non-geostationary satellite networks to the International Telecommunication Union, indicating moves to secure options for next-generation megaconstellations. The post China files ITU paperwork for megaconstellations totaling nearly 200,000 satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Susan Schuh has dedicated her career to helping humans adapt to life beyond Earth. As the Flight Crew Integration Operational Habitability (OpsHab) team lead in NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Schuh leads efforts to understand what it is really like to live and work in space. She turns […]
MILAN — OroraTech has entered a multi-year partnership with Kepler to supply thermal sensors for Kepler’s new optical communications constellation. The first four SAFIRE Gen4 sensors under the agreement launched Jan. 11 aboard a Falcon 9, flying as part of the constellation’s initial deployment. “With Kepler, we are doing something completely new that will revolutionize […] The post Kepler network to link OroraTech sensors for Earth monitoring appeared first on SpaceNews.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a trio of NASA astrophysics small satellites along with dozens of commercial spacecraft on a rideshare mission Jan. 11. The post NASA astrophysics, commercial satellites launch on SpaceX rideshare mission appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA plans to return four astronauts from the ISS to Earth early Jan. 15, about a week after one of them experienced a medical issue that prompted the shortened mission. The post Crew-11 to make early return Jan. 15 appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, removed two of its historic test stands – the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and the Dynamic Test Facility – with carefully coordinated implosions on Jan. 10, 2026. The demolition of these historic structures is part of a larger project at Marshall that began in spring 2022, […]
The FCC approved a second tranche of 7,500 Starlink Gen2 satellites Jan. 9, expanding the size of SpaceX’s authorized next-generation constellation. The post FCC approves 7,500 additional Starlink satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
As NASA moves closer to launch of the Artemis II test flight, the agency soon will roll its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad for the first time at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals. NASA is targeting no earlier […]
Heated, cooled, shaken, and settled – NASA’s StarBurst instrument is several steps closer to being ready for launch. The small satellite is now awaiting instrument calibration following a successful integration in Canada and rigorous testing by engineers at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. StarBurst is designed to detect the initial emission […]
NAFI and AeroSummit team up to launch new ‘education-forward’ conference.
In sending a car-sized rotorcraft to explore Saturn’s moon Titan, NASA’s Dragonfly mission will undertake an unprecedented voyage of scientific discovery. And the work to ensure that this first-of-its-kind project can fulfill its ambitious exploration vision is underway in some of the nation’s most advanced space simulation and testing laboratories. Set for launch in in […]
Commercial launch startup Landspace has secured formal contracts to launch satellites for China’s two main megaconstellation projects, helping to address a launch capacity bottleneck. The post Landspace secures launch contracts for China’s megaconstellation projects appeared first on SpaceNews.
As booster manager for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System), Dave Reynolds’ path to NASA is embodied by his childhood poster of the space shuttle’s Return to Flight initiative, which hangs in his office, serving as a constant reminder that his journey to the agency began decades ago. Growing up in Roy, Utah, Reynolds remembers standing […]
A new NASA spacecraft called Pandora is awaiting launch ahead of its journey to study the atmospheres of exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, and their stars. Along for the ride are two shoebox-sized satellites called BlackCAT (Black Hole Coded Aperture Telescope) and SPARCS (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat), as NASA innovates with ambitious science […]
America faces a choice in space: lead or follow. There’s no middle ground anymore. China is methodically executing a plan to dominate the moon and cislunar space. The question isn’t whether someone will control humanity’s next economic frontier — it’s whether that someone will be us or them. And if we want it to be […] The post The U.S. will seize space leadership – or China will take it appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA has decided to bring home early four members of the International Space Station crew because of a medical issue with one of them, a first for NASA. The post Medical issue prompts early return of Crew-11 from ISS appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA has confirmed that the SpaceX Crew-11 mission will cut its stay on the International Space Station (ISS) short following a medical concern involving one of its crew members. The issue requires treatment on Earth, prompting an expedited return. At a press briefing at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced […]
NASA expects to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as soon as September, seeing it as evidence the agency can do flagships on cost and schedule. The post Roman Space Telescope on track for September launch appeared first on SpaceNews.