Huang Xiaochi, a 73-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, is set to become the 22nd passenger on the domestically developed CYZ1 spacecraft for a suborbital mission in 2028, reaching the Kármán line.
StemRad's AstroRad vest, tested on NASA's Artemis I mission, provides ~60% radiation dose reduction during solar storms, comparable to Orion's storm shelter but allowing mobility.
Northrop Grumman's Mission Extension Vehicle unplugs from an Optus communications satellite, making way for a new fleet of robotic servicing spacecraft developed with DARPA and launched via SpaceX to extend satellite lifespans in orbit.
SpaceX's effort to recover its Flight 13 Starship from the Indian Ocean faces difficulties due to rough seas, with CEO Elon Musk stating recovery is unlikely. Despite this, engineers gathered critical engineering data and close-up photos of the heat shield and engines.
Bengaluru startup Aule Space is developing 'jetpack' satellites designed to dock with ageing spacecraft, take over propulsion duties, and extend their operational lives by up to five years using AI-powered computer vision.
Simulations reveal a 3-megaton nuclear explosion could completely blast apart a 100-meter asteroid. Burying the bomb 30 meters deep significantly enhances its effectiveness, tripling the change in the asteroid's speed and offering a more precise two-step deflection method.
A Katalyst Space robot launched to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory's orbit has malfunctioned, spinning out of control due to system failures. Engineers are using backup systems to stabilize it before NASA decides if the mission can proceed.
SpaceX has again postponed the 13th test launch of its Starship spacecraft to July 24 due to weather, following an earlier delay from July 16 caused by an engine failure that triggered an automatic launch abort.
Environmental groups and space experts warn that proposed orbital datacenters by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin could cause catastrophic pollution, altering Earth's atmosphere and ozone layer. A petition to the FCC demands a pause on new licenses, citing federal law violations and insufficient environmental impact assessments for millions of planned satellites.
China has launched the High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) in Huizhou, Guangdong, a record-breaking particle accelerator capable of producing the world's most intense beams of charged atoms. This 2.6 billion yuan facility will aid research in cancer treatment and spacecraft materials.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft successfully performed a Mars gravity assist in May, capturing thousands of images of the Red Planet, including its crescent view and icy south pole. The maneuver boosted its speed and adjusted its trajectory towards the asteroid Psyche, which it is expected to reach in 2029.
China's planetary defense mission aims to alter an asteroid's orbit or break its structure with a spacecraft impact at over 9km/s. The mission, led by Li Mingtao of CNSA, is expected to target an asteroid near Earth in 2029 or 2030.
Florida-based City Labs launched the BOHR satellite, the first commercial nuclear-powered CubeSat, using a betavoltaic battery powered by tritium decay. This historic step demonstrates safe, compact nuclear power for space applications, paving the way for future civil and national security missions.
The US Space Force's Victus Haze mission successfully demonstrated a simulated orbital interception between two commercial satellites, showcasing rapid response capabilities for potential future military operations in space.
Launched in 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, now 25 billion km away, continues to send data from interstellar space. Despite a shrinking power supply and communication delays, it remains the most distant human-made object and is expected to transmit basic data into the 2030s.
Katalyst Space Technologies successfully launched its Link satellite via a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to rescue NASA's Swift satellite, which is at risk of falling out of orbit. This marks the first mission of its kind, aiming to boost Swift's altitude using robotic arms.
Katalyst Space Technologies launched its Link satellite via a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to rescue NASA's Swift satellite, which is at risk of falling out of orbit. This marks the first mission of its kind, demonstrating a commercial capability for in-space servicing.
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft has begun scientific exploration of asteroid 469219 Kamo‘oalewa (2016 HO3), which appears smaller than previously estimated, measuring about 20-30 meters across instead of 40-100 meters.
Japan's Hayabusa2 probe performed a fly-by of asteroid Torifune, testing technology to deflect potentially hazardous space rocks. The mission aims to assess precise trajectory control for future deflection missions.
Japan's Hayabusa2 probe performed a close fly-by of asteroid Torifune, testing technology to potentially deflect dangerous space rocks. The mission aims to assess precise trajectory control for future deflection scenarios.
NASA has partnered with Katalyst Space Technologies to prevent the Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, from burning up in Earth's atmosphere due to recent solar storms lowering its orbit. Katalyst's Link spacecraft launched Friday to boost Swift's orbit by approximately 150 miles.
NASA's Swift Boost mission successfully launched on July 3 from the Marshall Islands to rescue the Swift Observatory, which is falling faster than expected. The robotic spacecraft LINK, built by Katalyst Space, will dock with the observatory and tow it to a higher orbit, extending its life by about a decade.
NASA has launched a $30 million robotic mission, the Link spacecraft, to rescue its aging Swift Observatory from burning up in Earth's atmosphere. Built by Katalyst Space Technologies and launched by Northrop Grumman, the mission aims to capture and re-orbit the telescope, potentially extending its life and setting a precedent for satellite servicing.
NASA's Endeavour space shuttle will be permanently displayed in launch position at the California Science Center's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center starting November 13, 2026. The new exhibit will feature the shuttle with its boosters and external tank, alongside 100 aerospace artifacts and a gantry elevator experience.
