Today’s Space News: Key Updates and Discoveries

Three InCubed satellites have launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, highlighting ESA’s role as partner to industry and its support for business and technology innovation.

The European Space Agency’s Milky Way-mapper Gaia has completed the sky-scanning phase of its mission, racking up more than three trillion observations of about two billion stars and other objects over the last decade to revolutionise the view of our home galaxy and cosmic neighbourhood.

Last night a crucial step in the European Space Agency’s eclipse-making Proba-3 mission was completed: the two spacecraft, flying jointly since launch, have successfully separated. This leaves them ready to begin their cosmic dance in the world’s first-ever precision formation-flying mission.

The first IRIDE satellite – the Pathfinder Hawk – is now in orbit around Earth after lifting off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 14 January.As its ‘Pathfinder’ name suggests, this new microsatellite is a prototype for one of the six IRIDE […]

A suite of NASA scientific investigations and technology demonstrations is on its way to our nearest celestial neighbor aboard a commercial spacecraft, where they will provide insights into the Moon’s environment and test technologies to support future astronauts landing safely on the lunar […]

NASA’s Roman Coronagraph Instrument will greatly advance our ability to directly image exoplanets, or planets and disks around other stars. The Roman Coronagraph Instrument, a technology demonstration designed and built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will fly aboard NASA’s next flagship […]

The Wide-Field Instrument (WFI), the primary instrument aboard NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is a 300-megapixel visible and infrared camera that will allow scientists to perform revolutionary astrophysics surveys.   This specialized camera detects faint light across the cosmos and […]

Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star’s surface, it punched through, generating a brief, intense pulse of X-rays and ultraviolet light that traveled outward into the […]

“Space is going to be the decisive domain. The ability of the entire joint force to project power depends upon our success in space,” he said in his final think tank engagement as Air Force secretary. The post Kendall Predicts Bigger, Stronger Space Force By 2050 appeared first on Payload.

An adult Alamosaurus sports eclipse glasses outside of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, on April 6, 2024. Two days later, the total solar eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A […]

Unlocking Space for Business is a new UK Space Agency programme supporting companies to deliver operational, customer and environmental benefits through the use of innovative satellite data and services.

As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, the agency is preparing to fly ten instruments aboard Firefly Aerospace’s first delivery to the Moon. These science payloads and technology demonstrations will help advance our understanding of the Moon […]

During his third stay in orbit, Pettit is absolutely killing it.

The Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation has selected NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, a retired United States Air Force colonel and former NASA astronaut, to receive the 2025 National Space Trophy on April 25 in Houston. “This honor is not just a reflection of my journey […]

Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos as NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see it. This preview will help scientists explore a myriad of Roman’s science goals. “We used a supercomputer to create a synthetic universe […]

In December 2022, less than six months after commencing science operations, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope revealed something never seen before: numerous red objects that appear small on the sky, which scientists soon called “little red dots” (LRDs). Though these dots are quite abundant, […]

Video: 00:01:36 Fly over Mercury with BepiColombo for the final time during the mission’s epic expedition around the Sun. The ESA/JAXA spacecraft captured these images of the Solar System's smallest planet on 7 and 8 January 2025, before and during its sixth encounter with Mercury. This […]

Starlab Space GmbH will provide boots on the ground and legal toeholds to open up business development and engineering opportunities to European companies, space agencies, and research institutions.   The post Starlab Space Announces European Subsidiary appeared first on Payload.

The new system will continue to address problems wrought by humanity’s impact on the climate: biodiversity loss, poaching, and the transmission of zoonotic diseases. The post TALOS Replaces Russia on Internet of Animals Project appeared first on Payload.

Weather conditions were not particularly favorable early on Tuesday.

On April 8, 2024, tens of millions experienced a solar eclipse from Mexico through the United States and into Canada. Astronomers, educators, and organizations had been preparing the public for this grand celestial event. Learning from engagement experiences in 2017, the NASA Heliophysics Education […]

Wednesday’s planned Starship launch may be the seventh test flight of the mega-rocket, but it also represents a couple of important firsts—the first flight of the new and improved second stage and the first time the rocket will attempt to deploy payloads. The post SpaceX Set to Debut Upgraded […]

“Space dominance is the new frontier of military superiority,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL) posted recently on X. “By having a presence this far north, we maintain the edge in satellite communications, navigation, and situational awareness.” The post Trump’s Bid to Buy Greenland […]

Such issues are totally expected and normal with large, new rockets.

"There are some things that can only be tested in flight."

"Landing our booster offshore is ambitious—but we’re going for it."

Week in images: 06-10 January 2025 Discover our week through the lens

The large ring weighs nearly half a ton and does not match a returning rocket.

Image: Five wildfires are still currently burning (as of 10 January) in areas of north Los Angeles. This image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission on 9 January 2025, shows the Palisades and the Eaton fires, with smoke seen reaching Catalina Island and the Santa Barbara reserve.

These nations represent three of the top four contributors to ESA, which collects nearly two-thirds of its income from member states. The post ESA’s Budget Shrinks as Germany, Italy, and UK Cut Funding appeared first on Payload.

"If the world was going to end in an hour, I'd spend 55 minutes on the problem and five minutes on the solution.” The post He Helped Create the Space Force. Now He Wants to Arm It. appeared first on Payload.

"I think we’ve got more questions than answers at this point."

SpaceX has confirmed a new target date for the seventh Starship test launch after weather in Texas delayed the first scheduled date for “three or four days.” The company is now targeting the launch for Monday, January 13, at 4 p.m. CST or 5 p.m. EST. The launch date is not set in stone as The […]

CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk talks about his passion for flying, which began in his childhood. He tells the story of two brothers who dreamed of flying together and built cardboard airplanes while waiting to realize their dream.

"You just can't trash everything associated with the Moon and go to Mars."

The award comes as European allies look to boost their independent space and intel capabilities, in this case doing so by working with a commercial partner.  The post Maxar Wins €13.6M Contract with Dutch MoD appeared first on Payload.

At less than 2kg, the system boasts a total impulse of 7,000 Ns, giving satellites enough thrust to perform multiple maneuvers on orbit without sacrificing much bus space. The post Pale Blue is Bringing Water-Based Propulsion to Space appeared first on Payload.

This European/Japanese mission to Mercury will help our understanding of the formation of the Solar System and its inner rocky planets.

Video: 01:22:54 Watch the replay of ESA's start-of-the-year press briefing looking ahead to 2025. Download the presentation slides.

"We are strong if we remain united and defend our infrastructure."

Based on publicly available data from 20 launches with published payload mass numbers over the past three years, dedicated customer LEO launches have averaged just 3,370 kg of payload, just 19% of total capacity. The post Underutilized Capacity on Dedicated Customer Falcon 9 Rides: Payload Research […]

After more than a year of review, there's no concrete plan to retrieve scientific samples from Mars. The post NASA Punts Mars Sample Return Decision appeared first on Payload.

Despite the Space Force’s bold plans for 2025, many in the space industry believe that US launch capacity may be nearing its zenith. The post Space Launch Delta 45 Breaks Launch Record in 2024 appeared first on Payload.

But a Silicon Valley billionaire might bail the company out.

No. 1 should come as no surprise, but we bet you won't guess no. 10.

"I was almost intrigued why they would do it a few days before me being sworn in."

Find answers to questions about space debris, the risk to satellites in orbit, and how space sustainability can help, as well as the UK Space Agency's work to address these issues.

What to make of Musk's comments that are critical of NASA's lunar plans?

"We are making it simpler for new competitors to get consistent access to the spectrum they need."

The R-7 family of rockets originated from an ICBM developed to carry nuclear weapons.