China's PLA Daily warns of an accelerating arms race in low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, citing US developments like SpaceX contracts. The newspaper highlights the growing strategic and militarized value of space, particularly for satellite networks and orbital competition.
NASA announced the four astronauts for the Artemis 3 mission, set for 2027. The mission will orbit Earth to test systems and rendezvous with private landers, preceding the 2028 lunar landing.
SpaceX's Starship V3 completed its first test flight with mostly positive results, including a successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean and intact heat shield. However, engine failures on both the booster and ship, and a missed engine relight test, indicate further development is needed.
NASA's Artemis III mission, now set for low-Earth orbit in 2027, will test Orion spacecraft capabilities with SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 2 landers, delaying lunar landing preparations amid concerns over lander maturity.
US Space Command hosts classified wargames, Apollo Insight, with commercial companies to simulate space threats, including a nuclear detonation in orbit, amid concerns over Russia's potential deployment of WMDs in space.
A South Korean Earth-observation satellite launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California entered low-Earth orbit on Sunday after separating from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The CAS500-2 satellite, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries for disaster monitoring and agricultural observation, was among 45 payloads on the mission. The satellite, originally scheduled for a 2022 launch on a Russian Soyuz rocket, was delayed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia successfully launched the Soyuz-5 new generation medium-lift carrier rocket from the Baikonur Spaceport. The rocket features the world's most powerful liquid-fuel engine with a carrying capacity of 17 tons and high precision payload delivery into near-Earth orbit. Developed as part of the Russian-Kazakh Baitrek project by the Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center, the launch was delayed from end-2025 for additional testing of onboard and ground systems.
China has confirmed plans to expand its space station, potentially more than doubling in size to meet growing scientific demand and expand international cooperation. The Tiangong and the International Space Station (ISS) are the only space stations operating in low Earth orbit. The ISS, led by Nasa and built with contributions from 15 countries, is the biggest structure in space and has been a laboratory for more than 3,000 experiments. Nasa plans to retire the ISS in early 2031, using a...
Connectivity restoration through LEO satellite networks during recent attacks has highlighted the disruptive potential and strategic implications of these constellations in future warfare. For countries such as China, the growing reliance on LEO satellites as critical communications infrastructure during crises raises concerns about information sovereignty, operational dependence, access to orbital resources, and control over connectivity, with satellite networks increasingly viewed as a potential geopolitical game changer.
Vast has revealed a custom two-piece astronaut flight suit for its upcoming Haven-1 space station, marking the first time in over 25 years that commercial astronauts will have tailored attire. Developed with input from former NASA astronauts Drew Feustel and Megan McArthur, the suit features back vents, shoulder gussets, pockets and Velcro for tool storage. The company also certified a custom IWC Schaffhausen watch ($28,200) for spaceflight use.
Kepler Communications and Sophia Space are partnering to test Sophia's passively cooled orbital computers on Kepler's satellite constellation, marking a key step in the development of near-term orbital data processing.
