The future of American leadership in space will hinge on one factor: the ability to generate high power on orbit and on the surface of celestial bodies such as the moon. From a physics standpoint, nuclear energy offers the highest energy density available for spacecraft, enabling more efficient and compact power generation compared to solar. […]

The post Nuclear energy is key to American leadership in space appeared first on SpaceNews.

How precise are satellite collision-avoidance platforms? Artificial intelligence is helping space trackers get a handle on increasingly congested orbits, but physics and math are only part of the challenge in a domain where debris, satellite maneuvers and solar weather can quickly rewrite the map. Companies tend to share their performance metrics only with customers, but […]

The post Who has the best map of orbit? appeared first on SpaceNews.

Demand has never been greater for the monitoring of objects in orbit and the coordination of their safe movement. The number of active satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) has surged from less than a thousand in 2019, when SpaceX began launching its colossal Starlink broadband constellation, to more than 10,000 today. As other megaconstellations […]

The post Managing space domain awareness data has become a greater challenge than collecting it appeared first on SpaceNews.

The renomination of Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator has been welcomed by much of the space industry, even as Isaacman defends positions he took in a policy manifesto.

The post Isaacman renomination wins support from much of the space industry appeared first on SpaceNews.

Blue Origin says the second launch of its New Glenn rocket, carrying a pair of NASA Mars spacecraft, is scheduled for Nov. 9.

The post Second New Glenn launch set for Nov. 9 appeared first on SpaceNews.

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched a radar imaging satellite for Japanese company iQPS on Nov. 5.

The post Rocket Lab launches sixth iQPS satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

Earth observation companies shift business models to capture growing demand for sovereign geospatial intelligence capabilities

The post Iceye unveils ‘guaranteed’ imagery service as satellite firms vie for defense customers appeared first on SpaceNews.

Milan — The European Space Agency has refined its plan for the European Resilience from Space (ERS) program, outlining a €1 billion ($1.15 billion) framework that more directly ties Earth observation, telecommunications and navigation to Europe’s growing defense and security needs. The updated proposal will go before member states for approval at the Nov. 26–27 […]

The post ESA advances ERS program, marking shift toward dual-use and defense appeared first on SpaceNews.

Astranis announced plans Nov. 5 to roll out a mobile ad-hoc network service called Vanguard, using its small geostationary satellites to extend the range of point-to-point communications for disaster relief or secure defense operations.

The post Astranis unveils Vanguard for secure beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications appeared first on SpaceNews.

A realistic and cost-effective path for the United States to advance the exploration and development of the moon, and to keep our nation in the forefront of that enterprise, is to dramatically increase robotic exploration efforts and to focus with urgency on a comprehensive campaign to collect and return geologic samples from a wide range […]

The post Accelerate U.S. lunar exploration with a robotic sample return campaign appeared first on SpaceNews.

In space policy today, Republican views dominate. The party holds majorities in the House and Senate, while the White House is stretching — or breaking — the limits of executive power. Democratic views on space are largely couched in terms of opposition to White House initiatives, such as proposed cuts in NASA’s budget or efforts […]

The post Crafting a Democratic space policy in the Trump era appeared first on SpaceNews.

Deloitte’s ‘Silent Shield’ payloads will test cyber defenses in orbit

The post The race to defend satellites from cyberattacks appeared first on SpaceNews.

German satellite manufacturer Reflex Aerospace has raised 50 million euros ($57.4 million) as it rides a growing wave of interest and investment in European space systems.

The post Reflex Aerospace raises 50 million euros appeared first on SpaceNews.

China’s human spaceflight agency has delayed the scheduled return to Earth of a crewed Shenzhou spacecraft due to a suspected space debris impact.

The post China delays Shenzhou-20 crew return after suspected space debris impact appeared first on SpaceNews.

The White House said Nov. 4 it is renominating Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, the latest twist in an unprecedented saga over the agency’s leadership.

The post White House renominates Isaacman to be NASA administrator appeared first on SpaceNews.

Telesat is preparing to deploy a couple of Lightspeed pathfinders in December 2026, with 96 satellites for an initial global broadband service from LEO set to launch the following year to offset mounting geostationary business declines.

The post Telesat eyes December 2026 for Lightspeed pathfinder debut appeared first on SpaceNews.

An Ariane 6 successfully launched a radar imaging satellite Nov. 4 after European agencies chose to use a larger rocket to ensure an earlier launch.

The post Ariane 6 launches Sentinel-1D radar imaging satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

London — Warsaw Increasing tensions with Russia have prompted defense spending boosts throughout Europe that will benefit fledgling smallsat launcher companies across the continent.  But Europe is still years away from meeting its own space access needs, analysts said.  The progress of European smallsat launcher developers has been slower than promised, with companies facing technical […]

The post Analysts say experience, not funding, is hindering European smallsat launchers appeared first on SpaceNews.

SES has turned to Japan’s flagship operator for extra satellite bandwidth to keep up with soaring connectivity demand from passengers flying across Asia, even after significantly expanding its own fleet by buying Intelsat.

The post SES leans on SKY Perfect JSAT as inflight demand outpaces expanded fleet appeared first on SpaceNews.

Sovereign Control and Precision Intelligence Set to Lead Global Priorities Paris, France [October, 2025] – Novaspace’s 18th edition of the Earth Observation Data and Services Market report signals a decisive […]

The post Geopolitical Shifts and AI Reshapes Earth Observation Market appeared first on SpaceNews.

From the first satellite in orbit, to the first human in space, to the first steps on the moon, the United States government has always framed space exploration as a race. As U.S.-China space competition intensifies, so too does our American instinct to reach the next first. The Earth-moon Lagrange points may be next. In […]

The post Why the U.S. shouldn’t simply race to Lagrange points  appeared first on SpaceNews.

Intuitive Machines, a lunar lander company, announced Nov. 4 it is buying Lanteris Space Systems, a satellite builder formerly known as Maxar.

The post Intuitive Machines to acquire Lanteris Space Systems appeared first on SpaceNews.

Through missions currently on the books for the Japan Space Agency JAXA, the U.S. Space Force, European Space Agency, UK Space Agency and Eutelsat OneWeb, the Tokyo-based on-orbit servicing company Astroscale aims to demonstrate inspection and proximity operations, rendezvous and docking, debris removal and refueling. When Astroscale was founded in 2013, the business was focused […]

The post Q&A: The pace is picking up for Astroscale appeared first on SpaceNews.

A Chinese institute recently completed ground tests on what it describes as a reconfigurable flexible on-orbit manufacturing platform, targeting future large-scale, low-cost space manufacturing.

The post China conducts ground tests on inflatable, reconfigurable space manufacturing module appeared first on SpaceNews.