Space news

The week of Aug. 10 opened with an extraordinary Monday, four launches across three countries… The post Launch Preview: Chinese failure opens busy international launch salvo appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

The majority owner of Rocket Factory Augsburg is still confident the company will conduct its first orbital launch attempt this year despite a setback in testing. The post Tank problem delays first RFA launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

WARSAW, Poland — The Lithuanian space laser communications company Astrolight has signed a memorandum of understanding with ATMOS Space Cargo, to demonstrate in-flight optical communications link between a reentry spacecraft […] The post Astrolight, ATMOS Space Cargo eye first in-flight laser link between reentry vehicle, satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

On 12 August 2026, parts of Europe will experience a total solar eclipse. With the Sun's bright disc covered, its surrounding atmosphere – the solar corona – will become visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, total solar eclipses are rare and last at most a few minutes, giving scientists little time to study the Sun’s enigmatic halo.

On 3 July 2026, an invisible signal travelled across Europe. From Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, to Rome, Italy, the signal connected the Galileo Ground Control Centre to a Galileo Second Generation satellite for the first time, marking a major step forward in the programme’s marathon of compatibility tests.

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 10 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD APOD: 2026 August 10 – Three Galaxy Pairs Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. […]

Satellite measurements of chlorophyll at the sea surface signal shifts in the ocean’s nutrient supplies in mid-2026.

The company that developed a spacecraft to boost the orbit of a NASA observatory says it is making progress in recovering from its own spacecraft’s problems. The post Katalyst Space makes progress in restoring control of Swift servicing spacecraft appeared first on SpaceNews.

Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the two weeks August 9-22, 2026 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess […]

NASA has released a series of updates on the Artemis program, spanning commercial robotic lunar… The post Artemis progress building lunar return roadmap appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 9 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Contemplating the Sun […]

Blue Origin is nearing the end of its investigation into the catastrophic explosion of a… The post Blue Origin working engine resolutions and dual pad future appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Northrop Grumman and the Canadian Space Agency will adapt what they had been working on for NASA’s lunar Gateway into applications for a planned lunar base, albeit with few specifics. The post Northrop Grumman, Canadian Space Agency repurpose their Gateway projects appeared first on SpaceNews.

Evidence indicates that Ariane 6 upgrades have been cancelled following the 2025 ESA Ministerial Council.

Liftoff of the Starlink 17-38 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled for 9:23 a.m. PDT (12:23 p.m. EDT / 1623 UTC).

About 90 percent of the distance driven by Perseverance has been autonomous.

The European Commission, ESA and the SpaceRISE consortium have completed a key review of Europe’s IRIS2 secure communications constellation, clearing the programme to move forward with full-scale implementation. The completion of the review was announced on 7 August following negotiations that began in January. The review was used to validate the programme’s costs, technical requirements […] The post IRIS2 Gets Green Light With More Money and More Satellites appeared first on European Spaceflight.

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 8 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. A Messier […]

On Aug. 6, NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded a 6-hour, 27-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Meir and Menon successfully completed their primary objective of preparing the 3B power channel for the future installation of a roll out solar array. Toward the end of the spacewalk, a carbon dioxide sensor on Menon’s spacesuit indicated an unexpected data reading. Menon reported no other issues during the spacewalk.

Relativity Space has marked another significant step forward in the development of its reusable Terran… The post Relativity Space engine integration milestone for Terran-R first stage appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

Erich Hernandez-Baquero will take over military space acquisition; Roger Mason will lead the National Reconnaissance Office The post Senate installs new chiefs for U.S. military space acquisition, spy satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

IGARSS 2026 Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #100) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below. MONDAY, AUGUST 10 3:00 PM Technology Enabling the Future of Earth ScienceMike Seablom3:15 PM Discovery Earth: New Missions & Technical Innovation Advancing Earth System InsightsKaren St. Germain TUESDAY, AUGUST 11 10:00 AMSTELLA: Open-Source Multisenor Platforms For Real-Time […]

The FCC is turning to Space Bureau deputy chief Jennifer Gilsenan to keep its satellite regulatory overhaul moving as Jay Schwarz prepares to retire as its chief later this month. The post FCC Space Bureau deputy takes the reins amid licensing overhaul appeared first on SpaceNews.

Scientists using NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) conducted more than 140 hours of observations of the magnetar 1E 1547-5408, shown in this Aug. 5, 2026, artist’s concept, between March and April 2025. In doing so, they may have captured empty space behaving in a way physicists have predicted for 90 years, but never directly […]

[English] On 12 August 2026, Europe will witness one of nature’s most spectacular events: a total solar eclipse starting at 19:30 CEST.

Week in images: 03-07 August 2026

New chief takes command as the Space Force prepares for rapid growth, acquisition reforms and Golden Dome The post U.S. Senate confirms Schiess to lead Space Force  appeared first on SpaceNews.

The European Commission has reached an agreement with an industrial consortium to proceed with a secure connectivity constellation, increasing the number of satellites as well as its cost. The post Europe increases size and cost of IRIS² constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

From the ESA Blogs.

On 7 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Sens. Cortez Masto and Britt propose expanded space wargaming and an unclassified assessment of China's commercial space sector The post Bipartisan Senate bill would sharpen Space Force training for conflict with China appeared first on SpaceNews.

Three members of the Italian Space Agency’s board of directors have resigned, resulting in the board’s dissolution. This clears the way for the appointment of an extraordinary commissioner to lead the agency following the death of its president, Teodoro Valente, on 16 July. ASI announced on 5 August that acting vice president Elda Turco Bulgherini […] The post ASI Board Resigns to Allow for the Appointment of an Extraordinary Commissioner appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Before astronauts return to the Moon’s surface through NASA’s Artemis program, the hardware they depend on must first prove it can survive the unforgiving lunar environment. At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, engineers at the Lunar Development and Test Facility are tackling one of exploration’s biggest challenges: Moon dust.  Unlike sand on Earth, lunar dust is sharp, abrasive, and clings […]

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 7 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Rubin’s COSMOS Field […]

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 7 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss   APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Rubin’s COSMOS Field […]

New animations from NASA’s PREFIRE mission reveal two years of seasonal temperature swings at the Arctic and Antarctic.

The Aug. 5 update from Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp offered the first explanation for what caused the company’s 98-meter-tall (320 ft.) to explode at the pad on May 28.

The NASA Science Activation Program’s Cosmic Storytelling with NASA Data (CosmicDS) project, led by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, works to bring authentic NASA data into the hands of educators and learners. From July 27–29, 2026, the CosmicDS team partnered with the Smithsonian Institution’s BEST AQI (Breathing Easier: Supporting Teen Air Quality Investigations) project to […]

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 3 p.m. EDT. It was Menon’s first spacewalk and Meir’s sixth.

"The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines."

Description This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s three SkyFall Mars helicopters collecting data while flying over the surface of the Red Planet.  The green frequency waves emanating from the helicopters’ large antennas depict collection of subsurface radar data. The red beams depict collect near-infrared imagery data from regolith (crushed rock and dust) and other surface features. […]

Description SkyFall ground-penetrating radar engineer Maya Román connects a coaxial cable to a test antenna in the Environmental Test Lab’s electromagnetic interference testing chamber at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.  The antenna was pointed up during test to minimize reflections and interferences with the antenna pattern during the measurement. Equipped with four instruments each, the […]

As NASA sets its sights on long-term exploration of the Moon and Mars, the agency is increasing the cadence of its Artemis missions. Helping bring these plans to fruition is Tom Percy, manager of systems engineering and integration for NASA’s Human Landing System Program. Percy serves as a focal point in working with providers SpaceX […]

In this episode, SpaceNews’ Emma Gatti leads a panel of experts to discuss Europe’s defense posture and the reaction to space threats. This session was recorded in May at SpaceNews’ […] The post How should Europe’s militaries respond to space threats appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA astronaut Adam Fuhrmann (right, in yellow) prepares for a training flight aboard NASA’s WB-57 aircraft in this July 16, 2026, photo. These high-altitude flights train the crew to work in a tight environment and operate aircraft systems while in a pressure suit, preparing them for future missions to the International Space Station, Moon, or […]

July 20 marked the 50th anniversary of one of the biggest robotic spaceflight achievements in NASA’s history: the landing of the Viking 1 spacecraft on Mars. It was the first […] The post Lessons for the future of NASA Mars exploration from a 1970s mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) rolled out a Vulcan rocket to Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to undergo an extensive test countdown prior to the inaugural flight from our new launch processing lane dedicated to Amazon. Known as a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR), ULA is preparing to conduct a full day-of-launch test to demonstrate propellant loading and operations with the new LEO-optimized Centaur V upper stage, designed to enhance Vulcan's performance for Amazon, and the functions of the Vulcan Launch Platform (VLP)-A, the second Vulcan platform to serve Amazon Leo missions on our heavy-lift rocket. The WDR also exercises the first stage hardware and pad systems, the software and procedures for running the countdown and the combined launch team -- all to reduce the risk of a delay on launch day. The rehearsal follows the tightly scripted sequence by rolling the Vulcan from the newly commissioned Amazon Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-A) to SLC-41, performing the entire countdown to fuel the rocket and returning the vehicle to the VIF-A afterwards. The first step -- moving VLP-A and rocket 2.7 miles (4.3 km) from VIF-A to the pad -- is complete. The second step -- an initial test day will be spent going through the "chilldown" process to thermally condition Centaur V and launch platform to handle the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid oxygen propellants and partially filling only the upper stage -- was also accomplished. The third step is the full WDR day that rehearses the entire countdown process. Vulcan is expected to spend approximately one week at the pad. 

A Redwire subsidiary working on space biotech and pharmaceutical applications has signed an agreement to fly microgravity research payloads on SpaceX’s Starfall reentry vehicle. The post Redwire to fly dedicated Starfall mission for microgravity research appeared first on SpaceNews.

The shift amplifies the agency’s marked shift from crewed operations in lunar orbit to focus on surface-based missions.

From the ESA Blogs.