Space news

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory unveiled this new look at the galaxy NGC 4736, also known as Messier 94, on June 30, 2026. Messier 94 is a spiral galaxy with a bright inner ring around it, called a starburst ring, where new stars are forming, perhaps fueled by gas driven in the unique oval-shaped structure seen […]

SpaceLogistics, a Northrop subsidiary, aims to expand the company’s private capabilities and commercial offerings with their newly launched Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) and Mission Extension Pods (MEPs).

Description This graphic illustrates the areas of Jupiter’s moon Io sampled by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during two close flybys. The black overlapping lines show the instrument’s footprints during Perijove 57 on Dec. 30, 2023, when the spacecraft primarily mapped the northern hemisphere. The blue lines represent Perijove 58 on […]

Description This map represents data captured by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft, indicating heat rising from just beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io. While infrared instruments measure the temperature of the moon’s surface, the lowest frequency microwave channels (0.6 and 1.25 gigahertz) on the MWR can penetrate between about 6 and […]

SpaceX continues to target no earlier than Thursday, July 23, for the next attempt to… The post Path to Starship Flight 13 requires additional Booster 20 test appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

NASA’s Juno mission has provided the first measurements of the temperature below the surface of Jupiter’s moon Io, revealing significant heating within the shallow subsurface of the most volcanically active world in the solar system. Collected during two close flybys, the data also shows that most of Io’s surface is remarkably smooth and composed of […]

NASA is supporting the Genesis Mission, a national effort to drive the use of artificial intelligence in tackling complex scientific and engineering challenges to advance a new era of discovery. President Donald J. Trump issued the Executive Order “Launching the Genesis Mission” on Nov. 24, 2025, creating a national mission to leverage artificial intelligence to […]

Commercial space station and spacecraft developer Vast has established a new division intended to support work in national security space. The post Vast establishes division for national security projects appeared first on SpaceNews.

More analysis is needed to ensure that tropical forest degeneration and regeneration are consistently reported in carbon cycle models and in national reporting, according to a study funded in part by ESA's Climate Change Initiative Biomass project.

History demonstrates military innovation continually rewrites the rules of combat, reshaping warfare and rendering strategies from past conflicts obsolete. The introduction of repeating rifles transformed infantry combat during the 19th […] The post The strategic competition with China: winning the multi-domain race appeared first on SpaceNews.

Relativity Space struck a deal with Space Florida to build manufacturing and test facilities for its Terran R rocket on Florida’s Space Coast. The post Relativity Space to expand Terran R production in Florida appeared first on SpaceNews.

The pilot of Artemis 2 says NASA’s return to the moon should start with human landings in less challenging equatorial regions rather than go directly to the south pole. The post Artemis 2 astronaut advocates for equatorial lunar landings appeared first on SpaceNews.

HELSINKI — Commercial launch firm Orienspace launched its third Gravity-1 solid rocket late Tuesday, sending nine satellites into orbit from waters off Shanghai. The 30-meter-long Gravity-1 solid rocket lifted off […] The post Gravity-1 sea launch off Shanghai puts 9 satellites into orbit appeared first on SpaceNews.

Brown carbon, emitted by wildland fires and tracked over the span of a week in July 2026, worsened air quality in parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Description Data from the Earth-orbiting U.S.-India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite’s L-band radar was used to produce an image of Nunatak Zaterjavshijsja — a mountaintop in East Antarctica — poking out amid a stream of ice flowing northeast to the ocean. The obstruction causes stresses in the ice, heavily fracturing the surrounding surfaces with […]

SAN FRANCISCO – Zenno Astronautics, a New Zealand startup focused on applying superconducting magnets for spacecraft attitude control and acceleration, plans to redomicile to the United States. “It is obvious […] The post Zenno Astronautics to relocate to the United States appeared first on SpaceNews.

DARPA-backed vehicle will install propulsion pods on three commercial satellites in geostationary orbit The post SpaceX launches Northrop mission to extend the life of aging satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

Media are invited to join NASA for a virtual news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July 29, to preview the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission, scheduled to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30. NASA will stream this event live through a variety of platforms. Learn where […]

Northrop Grumman took another charge for the solid rocket boosters it provides for the Vulcan Centaur and suggested updated motors might not be ready until the end of the year. The post Northrop adds to charges on Vulcan solid rocket motor program appeared first on SpaceNews.

Biomedical research to keep the Expedition 74 crew healthy and advance health on Earth packed Tuesday’s schedule aboard the International Space Station. The orbital residents are also handing over their mission responsibilities as three crewmates prepare to return to Earth this weekend.

Washington, D.C.— July 21, 2026 —The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) is pleased to welcome Overview Energy,  Loft Orbital, and Star Catcher as new associate members — companies advancing space-based energy, […] The post Commercial Space Federation (CSF) Welcomes Three New Associate Members appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is set to launch the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV-1) mission from Florida… The post Falcon 9 to launch MRV-1 robotic servicing spacecraft for Northrop Grumman appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

As of July 20, the public can access data from the two powerful radar instruments aboard the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite. Teams in the United States and India will release files processed from the satellite’s L-band and S-band radars on an ongoing basis, helping researchers and other users track the movement of Earth’s […]

NASA Langley’s “Stars, Stripes, and Supernovas – Symphony Under the Stars” event brought employees, families, and community members together for an evening filled with music, connection, and celebration.   Organizers planned the event, which took place July 16, to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.  The evening featured a dynamic mix of performances from an orchestra […]

Poland has formalised its participation in Europe’s IRIS2 secure communications constellation and agreed to increase its contribution by more than €150 million. The additional funding will double Poland’s contribution to the programme’s space segment to 12 satellites, comprising six in medium Earth orbit (MEO) and six in low Earth orbit (LEO). The agreement, signed on […] The post Poland Boosts Its Contribution to Europe’s IRIS2 Constellation to €656M appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Phase I Saptarshi BandyopadhyayDimming the Sun (DimSun) Using Controllable Dust Cloud to Reduce Solar InsolationNASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryPasadena, CA 91109-80012026 Phase I David BugbyCombinatory Architecture offering Neomobility, on-Venus Adaptability, and Survivability (CANVAS)NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryPasadena, CA 91109-80012026 Phase I Anish DamodaranPS21: Transforming Submillimeter Space Interferometry with Photonic TechnologiesUniversity of Central FloridaOrlando, FL  32826-29332026 Phase I […]

Paul StankusBrookhaven Science Associates  The scientific goal is to enable a new method for observing gravitational waves at low frequencies, based on the astrometric GW signature — gravitational waves passing by the Earth will cause a (very small) coordinated apparent motion of all sky objects. Our innovation is to deploy a new approach to precision […]

Paul StankusBrookhaven Science Associates The scientific goal of the proposed work will be reconstructing the image, ie resolving surface features, of an Earth-like exoplanet around a nearby star as seen in visible light. The innovation is in two stages. First, the design of a new kind of nulling interferometer — “dynamic hierarchical nulling” — combining inputs […]

Pablo SobronSETI Institute This proposal explores a new class of reconnaissance spacecraft that map minerals from orbit using Raman spectroscopy during high-speed flybys–without landing, sample return, or extended dwell. If feasible, this concept would enable NASA to evaluate ice and ilmenite at the Moon, ore content at asteroids, and volatile-bearing minerals at Mars’ moons–all with a […]

David SmithDuke University  The increasing population of spacefaring vehicles and satellites motivates increasingly powerful technologies for space situational awareness (SSA). While the US space surveillance network (SSN) is able to monitor objects down to about four inches in size using, for example, the latest upgrade to the space fence, the associated requirements limit implementation to ground-based […]

Benjamin SchaferRarified Technologies, Inc. We propose a new approach to atmospheric sensing at 30-100 km altitudes using photophoretically levitating tracers. These lightweight structures harness sunlight to remain suspended for up to months at controlled altitudes and can be remotely tracked by satellite-based lidar or radar. Unlike natural aerosols, these tracers are designed to provide strong and […]

Michael RubensteinNorthwestern University, Chicago We propose a mission to use ~10,000 actively steerable femtosats to map the ring composition, atmospheric composition and density, and the magnetic field distribution of Saturn. Conducting in-situ surveys of Saturn’s rings with a single flagship mission, such as Cassini, would carry an unacceptably high risk of mission failure due to […]

Marco QuadrelliNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Humanity has never touched the particles of a planetary ring, but if we were able to get close enough and sample them, it will transform understanding of ring structure and origins for Saturn (dense), Uranus and Neptune (tenuous), rings of other objects such as Centaurs Chariklo and Chiron, and even early […]

Austin Phoenix Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State A disaggregated lunar infrastructure requires novel thermal management methods to enable future lunar operations. While thermal management solutions exist for large infrastructure, the smaller mobile systems that operate independently require improved temperature regulation devices that can survive without heaters or substantial power requirements, while limiting stress-inducing temperature fluctuations. New […]

Keunhan ParkUniversity of Utah This proposal seeks to develop a transformative energy system — the plasmon-enhanced radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (PRTPV) generator — that significantly surpasses the performance of current radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) in both specific power and efficiency. Designed to achieve a specific power of 17 W/kg and a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency greater than 40%, […]

Jeff Nosanov Orbital Velocity, LLC The OBLIVION Phase I study will assess the feasibility of a novel, intensity-only interferometer architecture for direct geometric measurement of a supermassive black hole’s photon ring at gigaparsec distance. We will use Hanbury Brown–Twiss intensity correlations at 1 cm wavelength, flying two identical spacecraft in a 1.1 AU heliocentric orbit trailing […]

This composite photo released on July 17, 2026, shows the crescent of Mars grow as NASA’s Psyche spacecraft approached the planet for a gravity assist. Psyche flew by Mars on May 15, 2026, using the planet’s gravity to gain speed and slightly tilt its trajectory. The flyby also gave the team an opportunity to prep for the […]

Background Human exploration of Mars will expose crews to a persistent, fine particulate environment whose physicochemical properties and health implications remain only partly understood. Because no samples of authentic Martian airborne dust have been returned to Earth, NASA must rely on lunar dust toxicology, Martian regolith simulants, and extensive rover/lander geochemical and mineralogical datasets to […]

A team of NASA-sponsored scientists and engineers has developed a novel approach to observing high-energy particles in the near-Earth space environment, incorporating miniaturized sensors into a compact, multi-view particle detection instrument unlike any before it. Built for NASA’s Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss (REAL) CubeSat mission, the innovative instrument (also called REAL) enables more complete measurements […]

The British government and Florida’s space-focused economic development agency have each committed $200,000 to support joint research, innovation and commercialization projects. The post UK and Florida commit $400,000 to joint space projects appeared first on SpaceNews.

German spacecraft component developer deltaVision has raised 10.2 million euros ($11.6 million) to expand production of valves and related equipment, with a focus on enabling in-space refueling. The post German component supplier deltaVision raises 10.2 million euros appeared first on SpaceNews.

Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle features the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and DARPA. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled during a four-hour window that opens at 5:15 p.m. EDT (2115 UTC).

From the ESA Blogs.

Durango, Co – July 21, 2026 – Agile Space Industries today announced the appointment of Jake Mills as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Mark Pasquale as an independent member of […] The post Agile Space Industries Appoints new CTO and Board member. appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Starlink 17-39 mission is SpaceX’s 85th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 7:43 a.m. PDT (10:43 a.m. EDT / 1443 UTC).

Company points to digital engineering, space tracking and missile-defense experience The post KBR organizes defense technology business to pursue Golden Dome work appeared first on SpaceNews.

Japan’s IHI is considering adding next-generation hyperspectral satellites from Finnish startup Kuva Space to its planned 100-strong, multi-sensor sovereign Earth observation constellation. The post IHI explores Kuva hyperspectral satellites for Japan’s multi-sensor constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Italian startup ORiS has raised 5 million euros ($5.7 million) to help it develop wireless power-beaming technology for satellites using lasers. The post Italian startup ORiS raises funding for laser power-beaming technology appeared first on SpaceNews.

Differences in the underlying bedrock and how rivers distribute sediment make the coastlines west of Portland look unlike those northeast of the city.

After last week’s aborted Starship Flight 13 launch, SpaceX is scheduling a new attempt as… The post Launch Preview: Falcon 9, Starship, and Chinese rockets scheduled to launch appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.