Space

The awards were made under the commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) grant program initiative.

The Long March 8A rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, Hainan, on Feb. 11 at around 5:30 p.m. Beijing time.

A new report from Singapore Space & Technology Ltd. and Deloitte says economic benefits from Earth-observation satellite data in Southeast Asia could triple by 2030.

Earth-observation satellite services provider Blacksky is preparing deployment of new, higher-res satellites, aiming to have four operational by September.

Apollo 17's commander once called the dust “probably one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the Moon.”

Boeing is NASA’s primary contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS), a human-rated heavy-lift rocket for deep-space travel.

The Trans Lunar Injection was executed Feb. 8, according to a Feb. 10 NASA mission update.

Access to the Aegis-owned-and-operated TAMU-SPIRIT will be limited to students, faculty and other researchers within the Texas A&M University System.

ESA, in a Feb. 10 announcement, said the study is a precursor to a potential optical time synchronization and ranging (OpSTAR) in-orbit demonstration.

Thales Alenia Space says it will build the Thor 8 communication satellite for Norway.

ESA says a group of astronomers asked for the powerful James Webb telescope to gather more data on the asteroid and that the tasking has been accepted.

Space startup Loft Orbital is deepening links with AI specialist Helsing as part of an effort to deploy a new LEO satellite constellation starting in 2026.

The U.S. Space Force has for the first time deployed a payload on a Japanese satellite.

Airbus has secured the deal to provide the British military with an SAR system as part of the UK’s effort to build up indigenous Earth-observation capacity.

As the service mulls what will come after the current Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) constellation, it is planning a service life extension program.

Released Feb. 6, NASA’s independent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) report identified risk, management and budget challenges.

The company instead pivoted to use aluminum for its Haven-1 commercial space station, it said on Feb. 6.

Russia's first space launch in 2025 also marked the final mission of its Soyuz-2.1v light launcher, with the country effectively running out of its supply of motors for the rocket type.

President Trump’s first administration launched the Artemis program to send humans back to the Moon. His second term may pivot the focus to Mars.

The companies appear to be pitching the antenna for the U.S. Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program.

The Feb. 5 request for information seeks capability statements from interested parties.

Russia has named a new leader of space agency Roscosmos after several high-profile missteps in the country’s space program.

The highlighting of Mars in a presidential inauguration speech–and an omission of any mention of lunar missions–has the space industry abuzz.

The effort is part of Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1).

Blauser, who currently serves as deputy director of the U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office, will oversee the space procurement office.