Human Spaceflight
Spacewalkers finish station's final roll-out solar array
The Nov. 5 outing cleared a mid-walk power-connector snag and completed a five-year International Space Station upgrade.
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Coelestium Weekly · Nov 8
Technology
Rocket Lab targets Nov. 14 for Electron's 100th launch
The Mountain God Rises mission will loft an iQPS radar satellite to a 575-kilometer orbit from Launch Complex 1.
Business
CesiumAstro closes $730M round and unveils Synchronicity
Janus Henderson led Series D financing that values the Austin company above $4.5 billion as it plans a 737-satellite fleet.
Technology
Blue Origin adds New Glenn kick stage and Northstar engine
At UP.Summit, the company unveiled a third stage booked for a 2028 government cislunar flight and a higher-thrust methalox booster engine.
Technology
SpaceX VP of Launch targets Nov. 13 for Flight 15
Ars Technica reporter Eric Berger said from the UP.Summit that SpaceX Vice President of Launch Kiko Dontchev named Friday, Nov. 13, as the target for Starship Flight 15.
Science
Swift observatory falls to Earth over Sumatra after rescue plan ends
NASA's gamma-ray burst hunter came down uncontrolled almost 22 years after launch, months after a commercial robotic tug was unable to raise its orbit.
Technology
NASA's new crewed X-plane will test reconfigurable flight controls
The agency expects the subsonic research aircraft, so far shown in a generated image, to fly within two years.
Business
Satellite ground network startup lands $375 million to expand
The Torrance, California, company builds modular antennas that let satellite operators rent shared ground capacity.
Human Spaceflight
Volunteers leave NASA's simulated Mars habitat after 378 days
Four crew members spent more than a year in a 3D-printed Houston facility, coping with delayed messages and scarce supplies.
Science
Lucy arrives among Jupiter's Trojan asteroids after five-year cruise
The spacecraft is closing in on a swarm of asteroids that share the giant planet's orbit, with its first close look planned for next August.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Software fault silences first Otter servicer, cutting short NASA demo
NASA and Starfish Space say the small spacecraft cannot be recovered after its radio was erroneously switched off during commissioning.
Policy & Government
Space Force canvasses industry for up to five cislunar satellites
A Nov. 2 notice seeks rapid, low-risk spacecraft that could launch by late 2029 and seed a larger constellation between Earth and the Moon.
Coelestium Weekly · Nov 1
Science
NASA asks industry how to extend Hubble's life
NASA issued a Request for Information seeking industry ideas to raise Hubble's orbit, service the telescope, or guide a controlled reentry, with responses due Nov. 30.
Business
MDA Space begins IRIS² antenna work for Thales Alenia
The Canadian firm says an authorization to proceed worth more than $100 million covers AURORA digital antennas for the first 66 Layer 1 IRIS² satellites.
Policy & Government
FCC floats more spectrum for satellite-to-phone links
A notice of proposed rulemaking seeks comment on adding 482 megahertz for Supplemental Coverage from Space and easing direct-to-device leasing rules.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Google's Suncatcher satellite answers from orbit with a haiku
Google says its Project Suncatcher prototype finished commissioning and returned what the company calls the first AI response from a data-center-class TPU in orbit.
Human Spaceflight
Artemis III core stage stacked for Pad 39B tanking test
NASA integrated the Artemis III Space Launch System core stage with twin solid rocket boosters in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Spacecraft & Satellites
ISRO's GSLV-F18 puts NVS-03 navigation satellite in orbit
The agency said the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle placed the next-generation NavIC spacecraft in its intended orbit from Sriharikota on Oct. 30.
Business
Telesat delays global Lightspeed service to mid-2028
Delays to early test satellites push Telesat's global service back about three months, while Arctic coverage stays aimed at early 2028.
Science
Rubin Observatory spots dwarf planet candidate beyond Neptune
Astronomers using Chile-based NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory have identified icy body 2026 ED138 as a possible dwarf planet beyond Neptune.
Science
Vietnam signs Artemis Accords as 78th nation
Vietnam became the 78th country to join the Artemis Accords on peaceful space exploration, NASA said.
Science
Artemis II orbital burns left continent-spanning ionospheric trails, researchers say
A National Cheng Kung University-led analysis covered by Spaceweather.com links Artemis II engine burns to elongated ionospheric disturbances across North America.
Technology
iQPS radar satellite WADATSUMI-II set for Electron launch
The Sea God Surveys mission is set to loft QPS-SAR-20, which iQPS also calls WADATSUMI-II, no earlier than Nov. 3.
Human Spaceflight
NASA and Canadian astronauts install station's seventh roll-out solar array
NASA says an Oct. 29 spacewalk added a new power array to the International Space Station, leaving one more for a planned Nov. 5 outing.
Coelestium Weekly · Oct 24
Policy & Government
Ukraine's defense ministry signs letter of intent with ICEYE and Nokia to explore sovereign satellite communications
An ICEYE spokesperson said the Oct. 22 letter expresses intent and is not an order for any system, amid uncertainty over Ukraine's access to SpaceX's Starshield satellites.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Three Brazilian regional carriers sign with AST SpaceMobile for satellite service on ordinary phones
The deal, which still needs approval from Brazil's telecom regulator and competition authority, would draw on the carriers' 700 MHz spectrum, Telesíntese reported.
Human Spaceflight
NASA plans 14-day Artemis III test in Earth orbit with Blue Origin and SpaceX lander test articles
NASA says the crew will enter Blue Origin's test lander but not SpaceX's during the 2027 mission, which its Artemis program manager says is designed to reduce risk.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Rocket Lab's 98th Electron launch deploys three HawkEye 360 satellites
Rocket Lab said it launched the satellites, which HawkEye 360 calls Cluster 16, to a 520-kilometer orbit from New Zealand on Oct. 23.
Policy & Government
NASA safety panel member cites estimate of around 22 flights to fuel Moon lander; Musk says 6 to 8
Ars Technica says the panel member could only have meant SpaceX's Starship; SpaceX founder Elon Musk called the figure "way too high."
Human Spaceflight
Boeing's uncrewed Starliner-1 flight now no earlier than mid-January, NASA safety panel says
NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said Oct. 22 that the launch date for Boeing's uncrewed Starliner-1 mission remains under review and is no earlier than mid-January, according to accounts of the meeting posted on X.
Policy & Government
Three Space Force launches draw no offers after SpaceX passes on Falcon, POLITICO reports
SpaceX declined to offer its services for three future military missions, and no other rocket company offered to take them, POLITICO reported Oct. 22.
Business
Xona raises $250 million two days after launching six satellites for its commercial navigation network
The California startup, which is building a satellite navigation network in low Earth orbit to run alongside GPS, is now valued at $2.45 billion.
Policy & Government
U.S. says Russian satellite's approach to a commercial satellite was consistent with weapons operations
Tracking company LeoLabs says Russia's Cosmos 2612 came within roughly 500 meters of ICEYE-X36, a commercial radar satellite.
Business
AI overtakes Starlink as SpaceX's largest business, and its early-2027 revenue forecast tops estimates
SpaceX's third-quarter revenue rose 161%, and the company forecast early-2027 sales well above analysts' average estimate.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Globalstar receives FCC authorization for C-3 satellite network
The company expects to launch the first 12 satellites in early to mid-2027, but its iPhone service timeline remains unclear.
Business
SpaceX and Tesla boards form special committees to consider a merger
Elon Musk supports combining his two largest companies, but the committees have not agreed on terms and a deal is not guaranteed.
Coelestium Weekly · Oct 17
Business
Hurricane Isaias insured losses estimated at $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion
NASA nighttime-light data provided another view of outages and recovery after the storm cut power to about 950,000 customers.
Infrastructure
Blue Origin plans two more New Glenn pads for multiple flights a week
The expansion also includes two landing ships, a payload facility and a $330 million upper-stage factory project.
Policy & Government
NASA selects 12 U.S. institutions for $12 million in Moon and Mars research funding
Each institution can receive up to $1 million through an initiative supporting aerospace research and technology development.
Science
NASA satellites track ocean and rainfall shifts during 2026-27 El Niño
Eastern Pacific waters are warmer than average, sea levels have shifted and rainfall has departed sharply from seasonal norms in some regions.
Human Spaceflight
NASA says Artemis II entry change cut Orion heat-shield cracking and char loss tenfold
Engineers found nine areas of char loss after Artemis II, down from 103 after Artemis I, while the broader review found performance matched predictions.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Musk says U.S. military controls reported Starshield speed limits in Ukraine
A Ukrainian adviser reported a motion limit above 160 km/h, but Musk did not confirm whether Starshield restrictions were active.
Spacecraft & Satellites
NASA’s DAVINCI Venus mission moves launch up to December 2030
The probe is designed to descend through Venus’ atmosphere, analyze its gases and photograph the surface while enduring extreme heat.
Science
Black hole outburst and cluster collision likely made cosmic ‘Treble Clef’
Chandra observations support a two-stage explanation for the radio formation: A black hole produced it, then colliding galaxy clusters revived it.
Policy & Government
NASA astronaut Christina Koch named acting deputy chief engineer
The appointment will move Koch into management astronaut status, making her ineligible for future spaceflight assignments.
Science
Satellite sees Hurricane Simon send waves into the upper atmosphere near Mexico
The Category 4 storm passed close to Mexico on Oct. 11 as satellite images recorded effects reaching high above its clouds.
Spacecraft & Satellites
NASA’s Perseverance breaks Mars driving record at 28.1 miles
The rover reached the mark on Oct. 11, aided by a system that maps hazards and plans routes while moving.
Spacecraft & Satellites
Griffin-1 tested at JPL ahead of no-earlier-than-November launch
Engineers used a spinning table to assess how the lunar lander will move in space before its planned trip to the Moon’s south polar region.
Coelestium Weekly · Oct 11
Other
Curiosity captures 95-image panorama looking across Gale Crater
The NASA rover’s Sept. 5 view shows a sand ridge and wheel trench in the foreground, with Gale Crater’s rim in the distance.
Technology
Space Force proposes canceling $3.4 billion polar missile-warning satellite program
Northrop Grumman says work on two Next-Gen OPIR Polar satellites remains on schedule and on budget as the service seeks a different approach.
Science
Flight 13 Starship returns to SpaceX launch site after ocean recovery
Ship 40 traveled through the Port of Brownsville after remaining afloat following its July splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Spacecraft & Satellites
SpaceX Starship reaches orbit and deploys 26 Starlink V3 satellites
The flight recovered from an early engine shutdown, delivered operational satellites to low-Earth orbit and ended with a Pacific splashdown.
Human Spaceflight
Sophie logs 19 hours and 42 minutes outside the ISS across three spacewalks
The three extravehicular activities took place in less than 15 days and included hardware, communications and maintenance work.