Space news

SAN FRANCISCO – Eartheye Space will pool data from hundreds of Earth-observation satellites to provide imagery and data to a customer in the Asia-Pacific region. “All Earth observation sensors, including both imaging and non-imaging sensors, are provided under the contract,” which promises multi-sensor tasking, according to the Eartheye Space news release. The contract covers imagery […] The post Eartheye Space reveals contract with Asia-Pacific customer appeared first on SpaceNews.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 03, 2026 On 17 December, two Galileo satellites lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 6 rocket, marking the 14th launch dedicated to Europe's Galileo constellation and reinforcing European satellite navigation capacity, resilience and autonomy. The spacecraft, designated SAT 33 and SAT 34, were launched at 06:01 CET and separated from the launcher after a fli

Washington DC (SPX) Jan 03, 2026 Simultaneous ground- and space-based observations of a newly discovered free-floating planet have enabled direct measurement of its mass and distance from Earth, according to a new study. The findings offer insights into the diverse and dynamic pathways by which planets can be cast adrift into interstellar space. Although studies to date have only revealed a handful of such free-floating p

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 03, 2026 The University of Copenhagen will lead Denmark's first lunar mission, a European Space Agency project that will map the Moon's surface in three dimensions to support future landings and base construction. The Mani satellite will orbit the Moon's north and south polar regions, acquiring high-resolution images that can be combined into detailed elevation models. By imaging the same are

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 03, 2026 From its perch on a rugged ridge in Gale Crater, NASA's Curiosity rover has stitched together a holiday postcard that doubles as a science panorama, framing the Nevado Sajama drill site against a hazy Martian sky. The scene merges two Mastcam mosaics taken on Nov. 18, 2025 - late afternoon on sol 4722 and early morning on sol 4723 - then tinted in cool blues and warm golds to emphasize changing

IRVINE, CA, Jan. 2, 2025 – Terran Orbital, a leading manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, announced today that it has been selected by Lockheed […] The post Terran Orbital Selected by Lockheed Martin to Provide Satellite Buses for SDA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer appeared first on SpaceNews.

The spacecraft was originally slated to launch nearly a week prior, but SpaceX ran into ground systems issues. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. PST (9:09 p.m. EST / 0209 UTC).

SpaceX plans to lower the orbits of some of its Starlink satellites, a move the company says is intended to improve space safety following two recent incidents. The post SpaceX to lower orbits of some Starlink satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

A sideways spiral galaxy shines in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. Located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo (the Maiden), NGC 4388 is a resident of the Virgo galaxy cluster. This enormous cluster of galaxies contains more than a thousand members and is the nearest large galaxy cluster to the Milky Way. NGC […]

"NASA and Roscosmos continue to monitor and investigate the previously observed cracks."

From the ESA Blogs.

The European Space Agency has selected to proceed with a Danish-led satellite mission as one of a number of small, relatively inexpensive missions to the Moon. Called Máni, after the Norse personification of the Moon, the mission is expected to be launched in 2029 and will conduct high-resolution mapping of the lunar surface. ESA published […] The post Denmark’s First Mission to the Moon Gets ESA Greenlight appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Anysignal has raised 24 million dollars in a Series A financing round to expand development of autonomous radio frequency sensing technology aimed at mission critical space and national security applications. The company develops software defined systems that use artificial intelligence to sense, identify, and manage radio frequency signals across contested and congested electromagnetic en

SpaceX is gearing up for a new chapter in its ambitious Starship program, with the… The post Starship Barge identified ahead of Starbase to KSC transports appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 A University of Cincinnati physicist and collaborators from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory MIT and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a theoretical framework showing how axions or axion like particles could be produced and studied in deuterium tritium fusion reactors lined with lithium. Their analysis builds on a recurring joke arc in the television series The Bi

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Exactly 15 years ago, in December 2010, the German TanDEM-X mission began routine radar imaging of Earth to produce a global digital elevation model, launching a long-running Earth observation program. Over six years, data from the twin radar satellites were processed into a consistent, high-precision digital elevation model that covers all land surfaces on the planet. This elevation model has s

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Cyviz, a provider of immersive visualization systems and collaborative mission operations platforms, has been awarded two classified defense contracts by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aimed at advancing mission critical capabilities for allied operations. Under the contracts, Cyviz will deliver secure and scalable visualization suites designed to support NATO's strategic command a

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 MDA Space has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Canadian Department of National Defence and satellite operator Telesat to deliver advanced military satellite communications capabilities for the Canadian Armed Forces. The partnership will focus on providing secure, resilient, and high capacity satellite communications by integrating MDA Space spacecraft and systems expertise

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Planet Labs has released the first light image from its Pelican 6 Earth imaging satellite, highlighting Lhasa Gonggar International Airport in Tibet, China, and demonstrating the new spacecraft's imaging performance. The Pelican 6 satellite is part of Planet's Pelican constellation, a fleet of next generation Earth observation spacecraft designed to capture high resolution imagery with rap

Paris, France (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Many launchers and satellites rely on separate propulsion systems for major orbital maneuvers and for attitude control, with the latter provided by compact reaction control thrusters that steer and stabilise the vehicle. Spanish firm Arkadia Space has developed a new 250 newton monopropellant reaction control thruster, designated ARIEL, for use on reusable European launchers and other spac

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 ESA reports that its Proba-3 mission has achieved autonomous formation flying in orbit with millimetre-level precision. Ian Carnelli, ESA Head of Systems Department, stated: "Proba-3 proves that bold in-orbit experimentation is essential to turning breakthrough ideas into real space capabilities. ESA does not just design innovation, it flies it". Proba-3 operates as two spacecraft fl

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Raytheon has received a U.S. Air Force contract to integrate its PhantomStrike radar on the autonomous X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft, or VISTA, a modified F-16D Block 30 test aircraft upgraded with Block 40 avionics and configured as a machine-learning and software testbed. The X-62A VISTA functions as a dedicated platform for flight testing autonomy and artificial inte

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 The German Aerospace Center has successfully completed ground roll tests of HAP alpha, an uncrewed high altitude solar powered aircraft designed to operate in the lower stratosphere for extended periods, marking a key milestone toward future flight testing. Ground roll tests verified the aircraft's steering, braking, propulsion response, and ground handling behavior under realistic operati

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 The Space Development Agency has selected four contractor teams to build and operate 72 Tracking Layer satellites for Tranche 3 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture in low Earth orbit, under agreements valued at approximately 3.5 billion dollars. The awards, issued under Other Transaction Authority, go to Lockheed Martin of Sunnyvale California, Rocket Lab USA of Long Beach Ca

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 Muon Space has secured a Direct to Phase II award to support the Space Development Agency's missile warning and tracking mission, advancing the company's role in developing space based sensing capabilities for national defense. The award enables Muon Space to continue development of its QuickBeam multispectral electro optical and infrared payload technology, which is designed to provide pe

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 01, 2026 A collaboration led by Macquarie University has reconstructed how errors develop and spread inside working quantum computers, revealing that noise can link events across time rather than appearing as isolated random faults. The researchers show that small inaccuracies in quantum processors can linger, evolve and correlate across different computational steps, creating a form of temporal me

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025 China's geospatial information industry is approaching a total value of 1 trillion yuan (about $143 billion), according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. The ministry reported that by the end of 2025 the sector is expected to generate more than 900 billion yuan in output, an increase of over 30 percent compared with 2020, and now employs more than 4 million people. A core element of th

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025 Researchers are outlining a space computing power network that would link communication and computation across satellite constellations to handle growing data processing demands in orbit. Over recent decades, satellites have expanded global connectivity and remote sensing, but many systems still move raw data to the ground for processing under tight contact windows. Traditional satellite-g

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025 The intermittent output of solar power creates challenges for grid operators who must keep supply and demand in balance. Traditional numerical weather prediction models often handle cloud initialization poorly, which degrades ultra-short-term solar irradiance forecasts over time. Researchers Min Chen and Liangchen Guo of the Institute of Urban Meteorology at the China Meteorological Admini

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025 The integration of satellite communication systems with terrestrial networks is emerging as a central approach to achieving seamless global connectivity in 5G and future 6G eras. A recent article in the journal Engineering titled "Evolution of Satellite Communication Systems Toward 5G/6G for 2030 and Beyond" reviews recent progress, technical obstacles, and likely directions for this combined in

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Dec 31, 2025 China has launched a pair of Shijian-29 satellites on a Long March 7A rocket, adding new technology-demonstration assets to its growing space-based surveillance and tracking capabilities. The mission lifted off from the coastal Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island at 6:40 a.m. Beijing Time on Wednesday, placing the two spacecraft into their planned orbit and marking the 623rd flight of the Long March launch vehicle family.

Landspace, one of China’s leading launch startups, has had its application for an initial public offering accepted by the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s STAR Market. The post Landspace targets $1 billion for reusable rockets as IPO application accepted appeared first on SpaceNews.

Two NASA heliophysics missions launched together in September are performing well, while a third mission launched earlier this year is beginning limited operations despite problems with one spacecraft. The post Heliophysics missions move toward operations appeared first on SpaceNews.

China is aiming for a first launch of a reusable, cargo-optimized variant of its new crew launch vehicle in the first half of the year. The post China to debut reusable Long March 10-derived rocket in first half of 2026 appeared first on SpaceNews.

The European Commission has officially greenlit the participation of Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Luxembourg in the EU Space Programme’s Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) programme. Currently comprising 15 members, the EU SST programme employs a network of sensors to survey and track space objects, providing collision avoidance, re-entry analysis, and fragmentation assessment services that, according […] The post Commission Approves New Members for Space Surveillance and Tracking Programme appeared first on European Spaceflight.

China reached 92 orbital launches in 2025 with back-to-back missions this week, capping a record year for both the country and the global space sector. The post China caps record year for orbital launches with Tianhui-7 and Shijian-29 technology test missions appeared first on SpaceNews.

Space Forge said Dec. 31 it generated plasma aboard its first satellite, a milestone the British startup says shows it can create and maintain conditions needed to produce valuable semiconductor materials in LEO. The post Space Forge generates plasma for LEO semiconductor material production appeared first on SpaceNews.

247th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting SATURDAY, JANUARY 3 8:30AM – 6:0PM  NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) 301DJosh Pepper, Dawn Gelino, Karl Stapelfeldt, Nick Siegler, Jessie Christiansen SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 8:30AM – 12:15PM  NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG) 301D9:00AM – 2:00PMNASA’s Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group (COPAG)Peter Kurczynski7:30PM – 9:30PM  NASA’s […]

247th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #401 for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below. SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 6:45 – 7:00 PMNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeDominic Benford7:00 – 7:15 PMStorytelling with NASA: Eyes on ExoplanetsAnjali Tripathi7:15 – 7:30 PMRoman Space Telescope UpdateJulie McEnery7:30 – 7:45 PMThe […]

Planet, a company best known for providing geospatial intelligence through its constellation of imaging satellites, sees a significant opportunity in developing orbital data centers for artificial intelligence. The post Planet bets on orbital data centers in partnership with Google appeared first on SpaceNews.

As 2025 turns to 2026, the worldwide launch manifest is quieting down, with only four… The post Launch Roundup: Worldwide launch manifest quiet as 2026 begins appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Vandenberg Space Force Base is offering launch providers access to a new site with conditions that could enable flights of SpaceX’s Starship. The post Space Force offers new Vandenberg launch site appeared first on SpaceNews.

MILAN — The European Space Agency has confirmed a security breach of unclassified material from  science servers following reports on social media. A threat actor claimed to have compromised ESA systems and to have leaked roughly 200 gigabytes of data. According to screenshots shared on X by French cybersecurity professional Seb Latom, the actor alleges […] The post ESA confirms data breach appeared first on SpaceNews.

Team members working with NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover created this “postcard” by commanding the rover to take images at two times of day on Nov. 18, 2025, spanning periods that occurred on both the 4,722nd and 4,723rd Martian days, or sols, of the mission. The panoramas were captured at 4:15 p.m. on Sol 4,722 and […]

Celebrate the New Year with the “Champagne Cluster,” a galaxy cluster seen in this new image from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and optical telescopes. Astronomers discovered this galaxy cluster Dec. 31, 2020. The date, combined with the bubble-like appearance of the galaxies and the superheated gas seen with Chandra observations (represented in purple), inspired the […]

In this episode of Space Minds, host Mike Gruss is joined by SpaceNews journalists Jason Rainbow, Sandra Erwin, Jeff Foust and Debra Werner for a wide-ranging conversation on the space stories that will define the year ahead. The post The space stories that will shape 2026 appeared first on SpaceNews.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released an initial statement regarding an alleged data breach, stating that it affected a “very limited number of science servers located outside the ESA corporate network.” On 26 December, reports began to emerge on X claiming that ESA had suffered a significant data breach, with a hacker using the […] The post ESA Says Data Breach Was Limited to Servers with Unclassified Documents appeared first on European Spaceflight.

From the ESA Blogs.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman suggested he would be open to transferring a spacecraft other than the space shuttle Discovery to Houston. The post Isaacman opens door to alternatives to moving shuttle Discovery to Houston appeared first on SpaceNews.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 29, 2025 Casino gaming is one gaming niche that has seen tremendous growth in recent years. When we talk about casino gambling, space-themed games are the ones that are grabbing the attention of the masses. People are just getting crazy about playing space-themed casino games. We are going to discuss the top space-themed casino games in this post. Keep reading.