SpaceNews https://spacenews.com/ Covering the business and politics of space Sun, 13 Jul 2025 14:46:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/cropped-SN_forza_star-32x32.png SpaceNews https://spacenews.com/ 32 32 80681979 Congress to push Pentagon to fund commercial satellite intelligence program https://spacenews.com/congress-to-push-pentagon-to-fund-commercial-satellite-intelligence-program/ Sun, 13 Jul 2025 14:46:29 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529882

The Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking (TacSRT) program was left out of the 2026 defense budget

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Senate Armed Services’ defense bill includes mandates on space launch, missile defense, spectrum protection https://spacenews.com/senate-armed-services-defense-bill-includes-mandates-on-space-launch-missile-defense-spectrum-protection/ Sun, 13 Jul 2025 08:19:24 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529817

Committee directs Air Force to study heavy-lift launch capacity, LOX-methane safety protocols

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Firefly Aerospace files to go public https://spacenews.com/firefly-aerospace-files-to-go-public/ Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:46:13 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529780 Blue Ghost 1 shadow

Firefly Aerospace has filed paperwork to go public, seeking to raise an unspecified amount of money as part of a trend of space companies taking traditional approaches to public markets.

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Varda Space Industries raises $187 million https://spacenews.com/varda-space-industries-raises-187-million/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 23:35:20 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529566

Varda Space Industries, a company developing spacecraft for microgravity life sciences and hypersonics research, has raised $187 million to expand the scope and cadence of its missions.

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We’ve lost our ability to be awed by space https://spacenews.com/weve-lost-our-ability-to-be-awed-by-space/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527365 Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope’s first year of interstellar observation, an international team of researchers was able to serendipitously view an exploding supernova in a faraway spiral galaxy. Credit: NASA STSCI

There was a time when looking up at the night sky stirred a visceral sense of wonder. The moon landing, the Shuttle launches, the Voyager missions — these were moments that gripped the public imagination and filled people with a sense of shared destiny beyond Earth. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. Despite unprecedented […]

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Experimental Chinese satellite turns up in unexpected orbit https://spacenews.com/experimental-chinese-satellite-turns-up-in-unexpected-orbit/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:56:49 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529115 A Long March 4C rocket lifts off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in a forested mountainous region of southwest China, trailing flames and smoke as it carries the Shiyan-28B (01) satellite into orbit on July 3, 2025.

A Chinese Shiyan satellite appears in a low-inclination orbit never before used by the country, after a week-long detection delay and uncertainty over its mission.

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NASA considering flying only cargo on next Starliner mission https://spacenews.com/nasa-considering-flying-only-cargo-on-next-starliner-mission/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:02:33 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=529082 Starliner at ISS

NASA officials say there is a “strong chance” that the next test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle will be uncrewed.

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China eyes the moon, Mars and space dominance https://spacenews.com/china-eyes-the-moon-mars-and-space-dominance/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528755 The Chang'e-6 lander and ascender on the far side of the moon. Credit: CNSA

On May 28, China launched Tianwen-2, a robotic mission that aims to land on a tumbling near-Earth asteroid barely the size of a conference room, extract samples and send them back to Earth. Yet, the actual spacecraft remains publicly shrouded in mystery and international cooperation on the mission is limited. For most space agencies, this […]

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Senate spending bill that overrides proposed NASA cuts held up in committee https://spacenews.com/senate-spending-bill-that-overrides-proposed-nasa-cuts-held-up-in-committee/ Fri, 11 Jul 2025 02:05:53 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528960

A Senate appropriations bill that rejected the administration’s proposed cuts to NASA is in limbo after a dispute among senators about an unrelated provision.

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Webinar: FY2026 Space Force Budget https://spacenews.com/webinar-space-force-budget/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:01:23 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528779 Webinar - FY2026 Space Force Budget

Parsing the Space Force’s budget each year is a difficult task. The FY2026 budget is more complicated and more difficult to grasp due in part to the reconciliation process lawmakers used as a way to pass President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”

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Space industry sticks with single-use satellite model despite new technologies https://spacenews.com/space-industry-sticks-with-single-use-satellite-model-despite-new-technologies/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:03:18 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528650

A new GAO report highlights slow adoption of orbital servicing capabilities

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UK joins Eutelsat capital boost to maintain strategic LEO stake https://spacenews.com/uk-joins-eutelsat-capital-boost-to-maintain-strategic-leo-stake/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:53:14 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528539 Illustration of a Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellite. Credit: Eutelsat OneWeb

The U.K. plans to inject $191 million into Eutelsat’s capital raise this year to maintain its 10.89% stake in the French multi-orbit satellite operator.

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What if science fiction is our best glimpse of the future?  https://spacenews.com/what-if-science-fiction-is-our-best-glimpse-of-the-future/ https://spacenews.com/what-if-science-fiction-is-our-best-glimpse-of-the-future/#respond Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:13:59 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528083 David Brin

In this week’s episode of Space Minds, award-winning science fiction author and physicist David Brin joins host David Ariosto for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of space, science, and humanity.

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A reflection on the European space industry in 2024 https://spacenews.com/a-reflection-on-the-european-space-industry-in-2024/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527317 Ariane 6 liftoff

As we at Eurospace publish our annual facts and figures report with the key findings of the European space industry’s economic situation, I find myself looking back at 2024 with mixed feelings. At the global level, 2024 was a great year for the space sector, with more records broken in satellite launches, satellites deployed and […]

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Investors double down on space infrastructure as exits return https://spacenews.com/investors-double-down-on-space-infrastructure-as-exits-return/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:38 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528424

Economic headwinds did not stop investments in core space companies from reaching their highest level in more than a year at $3.2 billion for the second quarter of 2025, according to early-stage investor Space Capital.

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China’s orbital maneuvers blur the line between peaceful and provocative https://spacenews.com/chinas-orbital-maneuvers-blur-the-line-between-peaceful-and-provocative/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527258 A member of the 18th Space Defense Combat Squadron of the U.S. Space Force observes orbital data at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Credit: U.S. Space Command

U.S. Space Force looks to private-sector capabilities to track and interpret China’s spacecraft moves.

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Orienspace targets 2025 test flight of Gravity-2 after engine test https://spacenews.com/orienspace-targets-2025-test-flight-of-gravity-2-after-engine-test/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:37:08 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528389

Chinese commercial launch firm Orienspace is aiming for a late 2025 debut of its Gravity-2 rocket following a recent first-stage engine hot fire test.

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Japan’s Interstellar secures $62 million in series F funding https://spacenews.com/japans-interstellar-secures-62-million-in-series-f-funding/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:15:48 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528348

Interstellar Technologies raised 8.9 billion yen ($61.8 million) to boost development of its Zero rocket and research and development of satellite systems.

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Secretary of Transportation Duffy named acting NASA administrator https://spacenews.com/secretary-of-transportation-duffy-named-acting-nasa-administrator/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 01:47:31 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528190 Duffy

In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump announced late July 9 that he has named Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator.

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Space BD and Gilmour Space to partner on launch and satellite services https://spacenews.com/space-bd-and-gilmour-space-to-partner-on-launch-and-satellite-services/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:13:54 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528097 Eris

Japan’s Space BD has signed an agreement with Australian launch vehicle developer Gilmour Space ahead of that company’s first orbital launch attempt.

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Budget reconciliation bill includes tax break for spaceport bonds https://spacenews.com/budget-reconciliation-bill-includes-tax-break-for-spaceport-bonds/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 21:24:22 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=528063 Cape Canaveral from space

Spaceport advocates won a tax break in the budget reconciliation bill that they hope will spur investment, but the provision has also generated a political backlash.

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Starlink gets key India approval, but other regulatory hurdles stand in the way of service https://spacenews.com/starlink-gets-key-india-approval-but-other-regulatory-hurdles-stand-in-the-way-of-service/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:49:28 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527955

India’s space regulator has approved services from Starlink, although SpaceX’s low Earth orbit network still needs spectrum and other clearances before it can provide broadband in the world’s most populous nation.

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EnduroSat USA names former DARPA official as CEO to lead U.S. expansion https://spacenews.com/endurosat-usa-names-former-darpa-official-as-ceo-to-lead-u-s-expansion/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:04:18 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527854

Paul “Rusty” Thomas was tapped as chief executive of EnduroSat USA, as the company scales up operations.

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Defense startups across Europe need a blueprint to compete https://spacenews.com/defense-startups-across-europe-need-a-blueprint-to-compete/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacenews.com/?p=527309 A photo of Europe taken January 19, 2024, from aboard the International Space Station by a member of the Expedition 70 crew. Credit: NASA

No one has to be reminded that we’re living at a dangerous time, and across Europe, leaders are scrambling to find the money to strengthen the bloc’s defenses. The continent’s defense startups are increasingly playing their part. But it sometimes seems as if we’re unwilling to let them. All across Europe, highly innovative companies building […]

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