Space news

The Starlink 10-39 mission includes the 2,000th Starlink satellite to fly this year. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled at 11:38 a.m. EDT (1538 UTC).

Europe’s newest eye on the health of Earth’s vegetation has taken another crucial step towards orbit – the European Space Agency’s FLEX satellite has been fuelled at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of its planned launch on 15 September at 03:21 CEST (14 September at 22:21 local time).

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 20 – The… 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. The Elephant’s […]

A large iceberg, observed in summer 2026, had drifted more than 1,000 kilometers south from the northeastern Greenland bay where it likely originated.

Company founded by former SpaceX executives aims to produce a low-cost hypersonic weapon and a broader portfolio of longer-range strike and missile defense weapons The post Hypersonic missile startup Castelion raises $1 billion  appeared first on SpaceNews.

SAN FRANCISCO – Risk-management firm IN2 will have access to Eartheye Space multi-sensor satellite tasking and analytics through a memorandum of understanding signed Aug. 19. IN2 will include Eartheye satellite […] The post Eartheye Space forges strategic partnership with IN2 appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Administration is requesting $71 billion for the U.S. Space Force in FY2027, more than twice what it has now. An analysis by the Aerospace Corporation concludes it is the […]

While Starship is grabbing headlines, another fully reusable vehicle is advancing towards a potential 2026… The post Stoke Space conducts second stage fit checks, completes first stage engines ahead of Nova debut appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

The August 19 landing of its ZhuQue-3 rocket marked the first landing of a Chinese-made rocket using landing legs as well.

Katalyst Space and NASA concluded today that reboosting the Swift Observatory with Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft will not be possible due to attitude control problems.  They still plan to conduct some […]

The Orbital Clarity Challenge — the sixth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. The Heliophysics Division studies space weather, including how it heats and expands Earth’s outer atmosphere during intense solar activity, creating orbital drag through atmospheric density changes. The […]

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting 11:39 a.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 5, for the launch of its 21st commercial resupply services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CRS-21 will deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment for NASA and is the first […]

German space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo has completed an early-stage design study for its reusable Phoenix 3 spacecraft. The announcement comes just two months after the company pushed the launch of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft from the second half of 2026 to early 2027. Work on the Phoenix 3 study was conducted with the […] The post ATMOS Moves Forward with Phoenix 3 as Phoenix 2 Launch Slips appeared first on European Spaceflight.

Katalyst Space and NASA have called off plans to use the company’s Link spacecraft to raise the orbit of the agency’s Swift gamma-ray observatory, citing attitude-control problems with the spacecraft. The post Katalyst Space and NASA abandon plans for Swift reboost appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Expedition 75 crew members cleaned up on Wednesday after a spacewalk that saw two astronauts uninstall an antenna outside the International Space Station. The lab residents also continued their microgravity research exploring the circulatory system, studying artificial intelligence, and photographing the Earth. Flight engineers Anil Menon of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European […]

Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude to extend its science mission as planned. However, LINK still will attempt to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations with NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to […]

Lee esta historia en español aquí. Some of Earth’s microbes likely to hitch a ride to space with human explorers could survive in the shaded nooks and crannies of the Moon’s South Pole region, NASA scientists say.  Published on Aug. 19, 2026, in Science Advances, these findings highlight a need to better understand microbial persistence […]

This artist’s concept, released on Aug. 17, 2026, depicts a collision between our Milky Way galaxy and a dwarf galaxy known as LKH that happened about 12 billion years ago. A study of data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, recently published in the journal Nature Astronomy, shows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging with the young […]

NASA has awarded approximately $10.5 million to seven institutions to help strengthen and streamline state-based pathways for students into skilled technical jobs in the aerospace industry. The awards were made through the new NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hubs initiative, or NASA State Hubs. This investment in state ecosystems is designed to accelerate the development […]

East Aurora, NY — Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B), a worldwide designer, manufacturer and systems integrator of high-performance precision motion and fluid controls and control systems announces a new, […] The post Moog Inc. Expands METEORITE Satellite Bus Capacity for High-Maneuverability Missions appeared first on SpaceNews.

On Wednesday 19 August, media representatives were invited to a media briefing ahead of the launch of the next Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2). The satellite is set to be launched on an Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on 27 August.

The commercial company LandSpace safely landed the first stage booster of their Zhuque-3 rocket on August 19th.

What does a mechanic do? Machines and engines are all around us. They power everything from cars and boats to airplanes and even rockets. Mechanics are experts who know how machinery works, especially engines, and how to fix them. When you think of a mechanic, you might picture someone working on cars. But mechanics can […]

America’s space economy is scaling faster than its industrial base can support. Commercial constellations are proliferating, national security architectures are becoming more distributed and resilient and civil missions are growing […] The post The space industry’s next challenge: supply chain resilience appeared first on SpaceNews.

Will Cocos succeeds Susanne Hake as executive vice president and general manager of the the Earth intelligence company’s government business The post Vantor names new head of U.S. government business appeared first on SpaceNews.

Firefly Aerospace will fly a payload from Zeno Power on an upcoming lunar lander mission to test a radioisotope heat source to enable future missions to survive the lunar night. The post Firefly Aerospace to fly Zeno Power radioisotope heating unit on lunar lander mission appeared first on SpaceNews.

From the ESA Blogs.

ESA’s Mars Express takes us on another mesmerising flight, this time around one of the biggest craters on Mars.

Photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have documented some of the most defining moments in human spaceflight.  From astronaut training and engineering tests to mission control operations and milestone celebrations, their images preserve the history of exploration while capturing the people and teams behind the missions shaping the next era.   Meet the photographers behind the lens and explore the […]

APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 19 – The… 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. To view […]

Zhuque-3’s second flight marked a major milestone for LandSpace as the methalox rocket lifted off… The post Zhuque-3 Completes Second Flight with Successful First-Stage Landing appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

While space nuclear programs are “having a moment,” industry officials say they face near-term challenges as well as longer-term concerns. The post Space nuclear programs face near- and long-term challenges appeared first on SpaceNews.

HELSINKI — Landspace successfully landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket Tuesday following the second launch of the rocket from the Gobi Desert. The second Zhuque-3 rocket lifted off […] The post China’s Landspace recovers booster with second orbital launch of Zhuque-3 rocket appeared first on SpaceNews.

The company will use a Photon spacecraft to test interoperability with the Space Data Network's core infrastructure built by SpaceX The post Rocket Lab to test Space Force data network connection in orbit in 2027 appeared first on SpaceNews.

It was the 282nd EVA devoted to station assembly and maintenance, the fifth so far this year, the second for Menon and the first for Adenot, now the first French woman to walk in space. Total ISS EVA time now stands at 74 days 10 hours and 44 minutes since station assembly began in 1998.

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot concluded their spacewalk outside the International Space Station at __ p.m. EDT.

Between Aug. 11 and 12, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured a series of images of a new crater on the Moon. The crater formed on Aug. 5, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface following its January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission. To capture imagery of the […]

NASA’s next Gateways to Blue Skies competition invites collegiate teams to imagine innovative new ways aircraft could inspect land-based infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, to improve safety, reliability, and costs by 2035 or sooner. Infrastructure is the foundation of the nation’s strong economy, global competitiveness, and daily quality of life. When that infrastructure is […]

One big question, will China assert territorial rights where its rover explores?

NASA’s Boeing 777 shows off a new paint job in this Aug. 11, 2026, photo. The B777 was acquired to replace and extend the capabilities of the NASA DC-8, which was retired in 2024. The B777, set to begin operations from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia in 2027, will be a unique flying […]

Many of NASA’s most important aerospace breakthroughs that began in the laboratory were ultimately proven in the sky. For decades, experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland conducted flight tests — piloting aircraft into targeted environments such as icing clouds and carefully defined atmospheric routes. This approach allowed them to collect measurements directly in flight, providing critical data […]

The Starlink 17-50 mission will add another 24 broadband satellites to the company’s megaconstellation. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. PDT (11:45 p.m. EDT / 0345 UTC).

SpaceX has successfully guided Starship Ship 40 to a location just off the coast of… The post Ship 40 arrives at Christmas Island, Plans Return to Starbase appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began a spacewalk at 8:29 a.m. EDT outside the International Space Station to replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the International Space Station.

Aerospace Corp. analysis finds most growth concentrated in classified programs, target tracking, missile warning and command and control The post New report takes closer look at the Space Force spending surge appeared first on SpaceNews.

Rochester, NY – August 18, 2026 – Eoptic, Inc., a developer of advanced multi-spectral and multi-modal imaging systems, today announced it has been selected as an approved supplier in support of strategic […] The post Eoptic, Inc. Selected to Supply DeepScan™ Imaging Payloads Scheduled for Launch in 2027 appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA is streaming live coverage as two astronauts prepare for a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to last about six and a half hours.

From the ESA Blogs.

NRO contract increases U.S. government access to satellite data used to locate radars, ships and other electronic emitters The post NRO to expand use of HawkEye 360’s satellite intelligence appeared first on SpaceNews.

Engineers from the European Space Agency (ESA) and industry partners have completed an intensive concept study for Phoenix 3, a reusable spacecraft designed to fly experiments in microgravity and return them safely to Earth.