Space news

Following the incomplete first Wet Dress Rehearsal for the Artemis II mission earlier this month due to hydrogen leaks, the Exploration Ground Systems team decided that more testing was needed.

Space-Comm Expo is one of Europe’s premier space industry events and the largestevent in the UK, taking place in just 2 weeks’ time 4-5 March, ExCeL London. Over5,400 delegates, 250 […] The post Global leaders meet at Space-Comm Expo in London to accelerate future of European space industry appeared first on SpaceNews.

London-headquartered thermal infrared Earth observation data provider SatVu announced that it has closed a £30 million (approximately €34.3 million) funding round as it prepares to deploy a pair of satellites into orbit. The company launched its first satellite, HotSat-1, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in June 2023. The satellite provided high-resolution thermal infrared imagery with […] The post Earth Observation Data Provider SatVu Closes £30 Million Funding Round appeared first on European Spaceflight.

It’s taking too long. It costs too much. Yet it’s not being talked about enough. It’s not historic enough. It’s not safe enough. I’m talking about Artemis. Or at least what a goodly portion of the space community is saying privately or online, replete with sensationalist interviews and even vomit emojis. Let’s take a breath, […] The post Artemis haters, can we have a moment, please? appeared first on SpaceNews.

Sateliot will launch two of its next-generation direct-to-device satellites on a PLD Space rocket in what is billed as the first fully private Spanish mission. The post Sateliot to launch satellites with PLD Space appeared first on SpaceNews.

Earth’s river deltas, home to about 5% of the global population and some of the world’s major cities, are experiencing subsidence, which exacerbates the risks from sea-level rise. The Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has captured a decade's worth of data showing land sinking faster than previously thought.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 13, 2026 In high frequency stock trading, the fastest systems typically capture the greatest advantage, putting a premium on shaving every possible fraction of a second from end to end latency. For years, the most advanced platforms have relied on FPGA based electronic processors to minimize delay, but these architectures are now running into hard limits set by clock speeds, data conversion overhead, and

Corvallis OR (SPX) Feb 13, 2026 Scientists say multiple Earth system components appear closer to destabilization than previously believed, putting the planet in increased danger of following a "hothouse" path driven by feedback loops that can amplify the consequences of global warming. Published in the journal One Earth, "The risk of a hothouse Earth trajectory" is an analysis by an international collaboration led by Ore

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 17, 2026 Northrop Grumman has introduced Valen, a new multifunction active electronically scanned array that the company describes as a generational leap in sensing technology for U.S. and allied forces. The wideband array is designed to deliver enhanced situational awareness and a tactical edge across crewed and uncrewed platforms operating from the atmosphere to space. Valen combines radar, elect

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 17, 2026 SatService GmbH, a Germany based provider of advanced satellite ground systems and a subsidiary of Calian Group Ltd, has secured a contract from the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany to deliver an advanced Q V band satellite ground station to the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich. The project supports both scientific research and modern military satellite communications requi

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 13, 2026 Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a new way for an assistive robot to learn how to move its arms autonomously by combining observational learning with communication between its limbs. The approach lets the robot watch how people perform everyday tasks and then adapt those movements so its two arms can work together safely and efficiently in domestic settings s

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 17, 2026 NASA has set clear goals at Mars: search for evidence of ancient life, understand the planet's climate and geology, and prepare for human exploration. Those objectives depend on a robust link between spacecraft at Mars and mission teams on Earth, with every image and dataset traveling hundreds of millions of kilometers across interplanetary space. Rocket Lab positions its proposed Mars Telecommu

The European small satellite launch sector has suffered a setback with the collapse of UK-based… The post Orbex collapse fails to halt progress for UK domestic launch capability appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

From the ESA Blogs.

Leonardo is funding development of an Earth observation constellation designed to highlight its capabilities while also being a model for larger European initiatives. The post Leonardo funding development of Earth observation constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Spanish satellite operator Sateliot has signed a launch services agreement with PLD Space to launch its first two high-capacity 5G D2D (Direct-to-Device) Tritó satellites aboard a dedicated MIURA 5 mission. Headquartered in Elche, on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, PLD Space is working toward the first flight of its 35.7-metre-tall MIURA 5 rocket in 2026. The rocket […] The post Sateliot Selects PLD Space to Launch Two 5G Direct-to-Device Satellites appeared first on European Spaceflight.

The operation comes a week after NASA conducted a so-called ‘confidence test’ on Feb. 12, which was the process of loading some liquid hydrogen on the rocket’s core stage.

NASA will conduct a second Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) on Thursday in preparation for the launch of Artemis II. The nearly 50-hour test actually begins Tuesday evening as launch teams […]

After a brief grounding earlier this month following the Starlink Group 17-32 second stage deorbit… The post Launch Preview: Firefly to launch Alpha, SpaceX to launch three Starlink missions appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

This first launch of the four-booster version of Ariane 6, operated by Arianespace, took 32 satellites for Amazon’s Leo constellation to low-Earth orbit. Liftoff occurred at 13:45 local time (16:45 GMT/17:45 CET) from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, with separation of the last satellites occurring after 114 minutes.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he expects to provide details about several agency priorities, including lunar exploration and commercial space stations, in the coming weeks. The post NASA work on several programs pending responses to White House executive order appeared first on SpaceNews.

German rocket builder Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is making significant progress toward once again attempting an inaugural flight of its RFA ONE rocket. The company is currently moving forward with commissioning its launch pad at SaxaVord Spaceport as it works toward a hot fire test of the rocket’s first stage. The RFA ONE rocket is […] The post RFA Begins Final Preparations for Inaugural RFA ONE Launch appeared first on European Spaceflight.

No technology holds more transformative potential for America’s space aspirations than nuclear power. Radioisotopes can safely produce heat that will enable deep space exploration and survival of the frigid lunar night while fission reactors are capable of producing kilowatts of electricity on the moon or in orbit. Fission is also the key to advanced nuclear […] The post The space nuclear power bottleneck — and how to fix it appeared first on SpaceNews.

In December last year, teams from the European Space Agency (ESA) and industry completed the system Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for ESA’s Genesis mission, which will measure Earth down to the millimetre. The improved measurement of Earth will benefit fields as diverse as navigation, sea level monitoring and infrastructure development.

From the ESA Blogs.

One of China’s lower profile launch startups, Zenk Space, has conducted a first stage static fire for its Zhihang-1 rocket ahead of a planned launch. The post Low-profile Chinese launch firm conducts first stage static fire appeared first on SpaceNews.

Changes anticipated for ‘custody’ and ‘transport’ layers The post Portions of the Pentagon’s LEO constellation on hold as acquisition reviews proceed appeared first on SpaceNews.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 China has advanced its vision for space-based computing with a satellite network that deploys 10 artificial intelligence models in orbit and demonstrates inter-satellite networking capabilities. Developed by Zhejiang Lab in cooperation with international partners, the experimental space computing network is built around the Three-Body Computing Constellation, a planned fleet of more than 1

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 On February 3, 2026, the Mexican CubeSat Gxiba-1 was deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station, beginning its on orbit mission. The small satellite was released into space using the Kibo module's robotic arm as Earth passed in the background. Gxiba-1 was built by a team from the Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla in Mexico after

Beijing, China (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 For engineer Shi Shengpu and his colleagues, this Spring Festival will be their first spent at the Mohe Satellite Data Receiving Station of the China Remote Sensing Satellite Ground Station, which began operations on Dec 12 in Mohe, China's northernmost city in Heilongjiang province. Developed by the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Mohe faci

Ithaca, NY (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 If humankind is to explore deep space, one small passenger should not be left behind: microbes. In fact, it would be impossible to leave them behind, since they live on and in our bodies, surfaces and food. Learning how they react to space conditions is critical, but they could also be invaluable fellows in our endeavor to explore space. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 An unusual high energy outburst captured by the China led Einstein Probe space telescope is offering a rare look at how an intermediate mass black hole may tear apart and consume a white dwarf star. During a routine sky survey on July 2 2025 the mission's Wide field X ray Telescope detected a rapidly varying X ray source that immediately stood out from ordinary cosmic objects and triggered

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 Astronomers have used nearly two decades of infrared and optical observations to watch a massive star in the Andromeda galaxy quietly collapse into a black hole instead of ending its life with a bright supernova explosion. The object, cataloged as M31-2014-DS1, sits about 2.5 million light years from Earth in the neighboring Andromeda galaxy. A typical massive star death produces a powerfu

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 Many students learn memory tricks to remember the order of the Solar System's planets, with rocky worlds close to the Sun and gas giants farther out. Astronomers have now found a nearby planetary system that breaks that familiar pattern. An international team led by Thomas Wilson of the University of Warwick used ESA's Characterising Exoplanet Satellite, Cheops, along with other spac

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 China has launched a Smart Dragon 3 carrier rocket from a sea based platform off the coast of Yangjiang in Guangdong province, placing seven satellites into orbit on Thursday afternoon. Liftoff occurred at 2:37 pm local time from a dedicated launch service ship, after which the solid propellant rocket deployed all seven spacecraft into their preset orbits. The payloads included a rem

Paris, France (AFP) Feb 13, 2026 When she was growing up, Sophie Adenot plastered her childhood bedroom with posters of rockets launching from Cape Canaveral. On Friday, she blasted off from that very launchpad, fulfilling her childhood dream and becoming just the second French woman to fly to space. Adenot is one of four astronauts now heading towards the International Space Station to replace a crew that was evacuated

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 16, 2026 China has carried out its first maritime recovery of a rocket first-stage booster, retrieving the main stage of a Long March 10 heavy-lift carrier rocket from the South China Sea following a key test flight earlier this week. The China Manned Space Agency reported that the booster was recovered on Friday morning from a designated splashdown zone, marking the first time China has recovered

Hanoi, Vietnam (AFP) Feb 15, 2026 Vietnam has granted a licence to Elon Musk's Starlink to operate its satellite internet services in the communist country, a government agency said. The radio frequency regulator said local unit Starlink Services Vietnam Co. can initially deploy four gateway stations and a maximum of 600,000 terminal devices in Vietnam. The licensing requires Starlink to ensure "no interference with exis

Washington, United States (AFP) Feb 14, 2026 Four astronauts docked at the International Space Station on Saturday for a months-long research mission, replacing a crew forced to return to Earth early over a medical issue. The US space agency's Crew-12 arrived at the orbiting laboratory after a journey of about 34 hours that started with blastoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. "We have bridged the lega

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said he is interested in meeting with his Russian counterpart and attending an upcoming Soyuz launch. The post Isaacman planning to meet with head of Roscosmos appeared first on SpaceNews.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of February 15-21, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess […]

"It's only possible because of the incredibly talented workforce we have."

The Starlink 6-103 mission is the 10th orbital flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in 2026. Liftoff from pad 40 is scheduled for 12:34:20 a.m. EST (0534:20 UTC) on Monday, Feb. 16.

The Crew Dragon docked at the space-facing port of the lab's forward Harmony module at 3:15 p.m. EST, 34 hours after launch Friday from the Kennedy Space Center atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA’s Crew-12 mission docked to the International Space Station at 3:15 PM Eastern Time on February 14th, carrying 4 crew members aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev entered the International Space Station at 5 p.m. EST after opening the hatches between the space station and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule carrying ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, docked with the International Space Station on 14 February, at 20:15 GMT/21:15 CET, marking the official start of ESA’s εpsilon mission.

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule carrying ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev, docked with the International Space Station on 14 February, at 20:15 GMT/21:15 CET, marking the official start of ESA’s εpsilon mission.

The Starlink 17-13 mission also represents the 180th Falcon 9 launch from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff is scheduled for 5:58:50 p.m. PST (8:58:50 p.m. EST / 0158:50 UTC).

Watch the replay of the Crew-12 docking operations at the International Space Station (ISS).