Space news

The team for the six-wheeled scientist used a vision-capable AI to create a safe route over the Red Planet’s surface without the input of human route planners.  NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the demonstration used generative AI to create waypoints for Perseverance, a complex decision-making task typically performed manually by […]

NASA’s Artemis II mission has its first opportunity to launch to the moon, Orion the Hunter takes center stage, and a planetary parade marches across the night sky.

Four astronauts will soon travel beyond low Earth orbit and fly around the Moon on Artemis II, a mission that will test NASA’s systems and hardware for human exploration of deep space.  Since June 2023, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen have been preparing for their lunar journey. The approximately […]

Apolink has partnered with ground segment provider RBC Signals to resell the startup’s proposed in-orbit relay services, aiming to fill connectivity gaps when satellites are out of view of terrestrial command-and-control links. The post RBC Signals partners with in-orbit relay developer Apolink appeared first on SpaceNews.

Deep Space Station 15, one of the 112-foot antennas at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, looks skyward, with the stars of the Milky Way overhead, in September 2025. Goldstone is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), which operates three complexes around the globe that support communications with dozens of deep […]

Off the coast of California, NASA’s Artemis Landing and Recovery team and the Department of War that will work together to retrieve the Artemis II crew and Orion spacecraft following their return to Earth and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean are performing a final simulation of their activities, called a just-in-time training, at sea on […]

Description The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing satellite’s L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument captured this image of the Mississippi River Delta region in southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 29, 2025. The colors in the image represent varying types of cover, which tend to reflect microwaves from the radar differently. Portions of New Orleans appear […]

"We think that’s a really important mission, and something that we can do."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached a critical milestone in its environmental review process… The post FAA advances approval for up to 44 Starship launches from 39A appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

NASA-supported scientists have resurrected an enzyme first used by organisms on Earth 3.2-billion years ago and, in the process, have validated a chemical biosignature in rocks that is used to understand ancient life on Earth. The research provides a new understanding of what Earth’s biosphere was like early in our planet’s history and confirms  a […]

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features an uncommon galaxy with a striking appearance. NGC 7722 is a lenticular galaxy located about 187 million light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. A lenticular, meaning “lens-shaped,” galaxy is a type whose classification sits between more familiar spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. It is also less common than spirals and ellipticals — partly because […]

The journey of Juice

Week in images: 26-30 January 2026

From the ESA Blogs.

From the ESA Blogs.

"We’re seeing remarkable growth year after year."

The EU Space Act was formally proposed by the European Commission (EC) on June 25, 2025. While it doesn’t aim to codify all European Union (EU) space activities, it does address […] The post Making the unprecedented EU Space Act effective for all appeared first on SpaceNews.

A Rocket Lab Electron launched a South Korean imaging satellite Jan. 29 on the rocket’s second flight of the year. The post Rocket Lab launches South Korean satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

Press Release N° 5–2026

A study on tectonic plates that converge on the Tibetan Plateau has shown that Earth’s fault lines are far weaker and the continents are less rigid than scientists previously thought. This finding is based on ground-monitoring satellite data.

From the ESA Blogs.

From the ESA Blogs.

The European Commission has commissioned three parallel studies to examine the potential of a mobile responsive launch system capable of rapidly deploying satellites into orbit from non-permanent (mobile) ground platforms. Initially published in July 2025, the call for the Mobile Responsive Launch System pilot project noted that, amid a growing range of human-made and natural […] The post EU Awards Three Contracts for Mobile Responsive Launch System Studies appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 29, 2026 Using public relations (PR) boxes has become a popular way for launching products. They provide a unique platform for brands to introduce products and make lasting impressions with those who receive them. These curated packages typically include samples of new items and branded materials, as well as information about these products, all delivered nicely within a curated package.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 SES and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme have extended the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service GEO 1 satellite service agreement through 2030, with an option to prolong it further to 2032. The renewed contract is intended to maintain high precision navigation services for aviation and other critical users across Europe by keeping the EGNOS space segment in service

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 Lockheed Martin's ninth Global Positioning System III satellite has reached orbit, adding new resilience and security to the GPS constellation that underpins both military operations and critical civilian services worldwide. Launched late Tuesday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the GPS III space vehicle 09 (SV09) lifted off at 11:53 p.m. ET on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and quickly

Charlottesville VA (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 As from a rare kind of stellar explosion known as a Type Ibn supernova, giving them an unusually detailed look at the final decade in the life of a massive star before it died. The observations capture how the star shed large amounts of helium-rich gas shortly before it exploded, providing a record of its late-stage evolution. The research team used the National Science Foundation's Very L

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 In its first instants, the universe formed a searing quark gluon plasma in which quarks and gluons moved at near light speed before cooling to build the protons and neutrons that dominate matter today. Physicists at CERNs Large Hadron Collider are recreating this primordial plasma by smashing together heavy ions at relativistic energies, briefly liberating quarks and gluons so they can pro

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 NASA is preparing a pair of global communications networks to keep the four-person Artemis II crew connected with Earth as they travel from low Earth orbit to a loop around the Moon and back. The mission will fly astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket as part of the agency's broader effort to build a sustained human presence in deep space and eventually send crews

London, UK (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 New findings from NASAs Perseverance rover have revealed evidence of wave-formed beaches and rocks altered by subsurface water in a Martian crater that once held a vast lake - considerably expanding the timeline for potential habitability at this ancient site. In an international study led by Imperial College London, researchers uncovered that the so-called Margin unit in Marss Jezero crat

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 Galactic Energy has opened Chinas 2026 commercial launch campaign with a pre dawn sea based mission of its Ceres 1 carrier rocket on January 17, extending the companys record of frequent small satellite launches from both land and ocean platforms. The latest flight lifted off at 4:10 am local time from a mobile barge in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Shandong province, sending four commer

Moffett Field Ca (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 Using cutting-edge material licensed from NASA, a protective heat shield manufactured in-house by Varda Space Industries for the first time enabled one of its capsules to blaze through Earth's atmosphere on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for the agency and America's space industry. The material, known as C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), provides a stronger, less

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 30, 2026 Rocket Lab Corporation has completed its 81st Electron mission, successfully deploying an Earth observation satellite for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and marking its second launch in just eight days. The mission, named Bridging The Swarm, lifted off on January 30 at 2:21 p.m. NZDT (01:21 UTC) from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand to place the

Following a significant winter storm, frigid temperatures lingered in late January 2026 across a vast swath of the U.S.

The Starlink 6-101 mission is set to be SpaceX’s 13th and final launch of the month. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 2:22 a.m. EST (0722 UTC).

NASA’s Johnson Space Center brought the International Space Station’s 25-year legacy to the public on Jan. 24, 2026, during a community day event in Houston.   Johnson’s visitor center, Space Center Houston, hosted the celebration commemorating 25 years of continuous human presence in space.   For a quarter century, astronauts have lived and worked aboard the orbiting laboratory, advancing science, strengthening international partnerships, and shaping the future […]

PLD Space, the pioneering Spanish private space company, has updated its progress with its Miura… The post PLD Space accelerates Miura 5 toward 2026 debut with milestones update appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham will oversee the move from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal. The post Alabama National Guard general to manage Space Command headquarters transition appeared first on SpaceNews.

Description Advanced analysis of decades-old data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft identifies ammonia-bearing compounds discovered on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa, as shown in this composite image. Zooming in on an area about 250 miles (about 400 kilometers) wide, the black-and-white mosaic to the right is composed of multiple images from Galileo’s Solid-State Imaging camera. […]

NASA is at a “crossroads” in deciding how to handle logistics for the lunar Gateway as it considers alternative approaches. The post NASA considering alternatives for Gateway logistics appeared first on SpaceNews.

Description This graph shows the rise in global mean sea level from 1993 to 2025 based on data from a series of five international satellites. The solid red line indicates the trajectory of this increase, which has more than doubled over the three decades. The dotted red line projects future sea level rise. A NASA analysis […]

The Denver-based satellite manufacturer raises $629 million, aims to expand output amid rising U.S. defense budgets The post York Space goes public, riding Pentagon demand appeared first on SpaceNews.

Using cutting-edge material licensed from NASA, a protective heat shield manufactured in-house by Varda Space Industries for the first time enabled one of its capsules to blaze through Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday, marking a significant milestone for the agency and America’s space industry. The material, known as C-PICA (Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), provides a […]

Description This artist’s concept depicts a cutaway view showing Europa’s ice shell. It contains a shallow layer of small imperfections (cracks, pores, and voids) that extend down from the surface hundreds of feet. The icy moon of Jupiter is thought to harbor an ocean below its frozen exterior. Data used to generate a new result […]

NASA has awarded more than $5 million to 29 institutions nationwide to expand and strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning beyond the classroom. The awards are designed to help build skills that lead directly to STEM careers. These organizations collaborate with libraries, after-school programs, and youth-serving groups to provide sustainable learning opportunities that […]

A new image from the NISAR mission shows off the satellite’s ability to reveal details of Earth’s surfaces. The science team also released new sample data.  A U.S.-Indian Earth satellite’s ability to see through clouds, revealing insights and characteristics of our planet’s surface, is on display in a colorful, newly released image showing the Mississippi River Delta region in southeastern Louisiana.  Created with data collected by the NISAR (NASA-ISRO […]

Paris, France [January 29, 2026] – The 12th edition of Novaspace’s Space Economy Report notes the global space economy is now on a significant growth trajectory, positioned to expand from […] The post Global Space Economy Reaches $626 Billion, Marking a New Phase of Growth appeared first on SpaceNews.

Doug Parkinson’s face lights up as he starts telling his story, how someone from  Wisconsin now plays a part in the team that will help land the first Artemis astronauts on to the Moon. Parkinson serves as NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket lead for Launch Integration and Mission Operations, guiding engineers responsible for monitoring […]

Eutelsat said a planned sale of its passive ground infrastructure to a private equity firm announced in August 2024 will not proceed, eliminating roughly $658 million in expected proceeds. The post Eutelsat’s ground infrastructure sale falls through appeared first on SpaceNews.

Expedition 74 focused on installing CubeSats and observing Earth aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The trio from NASA and Roscosmos kept up ongoing research operations along with standard orbital lab maintenance throughout the day.