Space Policy and Safety
109 reportsSpace law and launch licensing reveal where results converge and where they diverge. The comparison asks which laws govern space activity and how launches are licensed, separating design goals from performance demonstrated in operation.
NASA's Lunar Return Depends on Data Gaps Before Hardware
At NASA Langley Research Center, Richard Spolzino tracks the measurements still missing from lunar and Mars planning and helps convert those gaps into priorities for missions and commercial partners.
Swift Boost Mission Ends Without Raising Its Orbit
NASA's attempt to lift the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory ended after its commercial servicing spacecraft developed communications and orientation problems, but the mission still produced valuable operational lessons for future in-space servicing.
Hydrazine Freeze-Thaw Cycles Can Put NASA Hardware at Risk
NASA's technical guidance warns that repeated freeze-thaw exposure can rupture hydrazine plumbing, create slush blockages and reduce the service life of propulsion and auxiliary systems.
NASA Reframes PFO Risk for Artemis Astronauts
A NASA working group finds no basis for changing astronaut selection over patent foramen ovale and calls for tighter EVA medication guidance as Artemis missions move toward lunar operations
NASA Archive Maps Seven Years of Widely Attended Space Events
NASA's Widely Attended Gatherings archive brings together event determinations from 2020 through 2026, covering launches, awards dinners, policy meetings and industry receptions while showing why administrative records must be distinguished from scientific evidence.
NASA Adds Three SpaceX Crew Flights Through 2030
NASA has added $946 million for SpaceX's Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17 missions, raising the company's total Commercial Crew missions to 17 and the contract value to $5.92 billion. The decision secures transportation and lifeboat services through 2030 while NASA evaluates schedule pressure, Dragon inspections, and the future role of Boeing's Starliner.
Solar Storm Forces Historians to Revise Timeline of Early Technology Disruption
A new review of historical records has corrected the date of a well-known 19th-century train delay caused by a solar storm, offering a clearer picture of how early electrical systems responded to space weather.
US military expands defense planning from ocean floor to lunar orbit
The US military's top officer says future conflicts could extend from the seafloor to the Moon's orbit, as the Space Force openly acknowledges operating defensive weapons in space for the first time.
SpaceX Falcon 9 landing team wins Neil Armstrong Space Prize
SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster landing team has received the first Neil Armstrong Space Prize, recognizing their work in making large-scale rocket reuse routine and changing the economics of space launches.
V-2 Rocket Explosion Cut Albert III's Spaceflight Short
A V-2 rocket carrying the monkey Albert III exploded seconds after launch in 1949, exposing the dangers of early animal spaceflight and the technical limits of postwar rocketry.
NASA opens competition for states to host new Space Academy
NASA is inviting states to propose locations for the U.S. Space Academy, aiming to start classes in 2028 and build a permanent campus by 2031 to train future scientists and astronauts.
US Confirms Deployment of Space-Based Weapons Amid Treaty Concerns
The US Air Force has acknowledged the presence of operational space control weapons in Earth orbit, prompting renewed scrutiny of international agreements and the risk of an orbital arms race
New sensor concept aims to reveal hidden nuclear weapons in orbit
A proposed satellite-based detector could identify nuclear warheads concealed on spacecraft by measuring neutron emissions, offering the first practical method to verify the decades-old ban on nuclear arms in space
US Space Command simulates orbital maneuvers in live satellite exercise
US Space Command has conducted its first live orbital maneuver exercise, using satellites to simulate close-approach operations and test military tactics for potential conflict in Earth orbit
China Targets 2028 Launch for Mars Sample Return Mission
China's Tianwen 3 mission is advancing toward a 2028 launch window, with plans to return Martian surface samples to Earth by 2031 using a multi-stage spacecraft and strict planetary protection protocols
Vela Satellite Flash Suggests Possible Nuclear Test Over South Atlantic
A 1979 double flash detected by the Vela 6911 satellite over the South Atlantic has prompted decades of investigation into whether it signaled a clandestine nuclear explosion or a natural event
Genesis Sample Capsule Carash Exposed a Critical Spacecraft Design Flaw
NASA's Genesis mission was meant to return solar wind samples from deep space but ended with its capsule shattered in the Utah desert after a parachute system failure. The mission's outcome forced a reexamination of spacecraft safety and sample recovery methods
NASA's 100th Astronaut Flight Tested Space Station Assembly in Orbit
NASA's space shuttle Endeavour launched the STS-69 mission on September 7, 1995, deploying and retrieving two satellites and conducting a spacewalk to test International Space Station assembly techniques
NASA adds new Goldstone antenna to expand deep space communications
NASA has activated a new 34 meter antenna at Goldstone to increase the Deep Space Network's capacity as Artemis and other missions strain existing communication infrastructure
Blue Origin rocket blast detected over 1600 kilometers from Cape Canaveral
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral produced infrasound waves detected more than 1600 kilometers away. Researchers used specialized sensors to estimate the blast's energy and assess its impact on launch operations and future missions.
NASA Selects Blue Origin to Build Dedicated Mars Communications Orbiter
NASA has awarded Blue Origin a $700 million contract to develop the Mars Telecommunications Network, a dedicated relay orbiter intended to support future Mars missions as current infrastructure ages
China's Pallas-1 Rocket Achieves Orbit in Reusable Launcher Test
Galactic Energy's Pallas-1 rocket reached orbit on its debut flight from Jiuquan, marking a technical milestone for China's private launch sector. The mission did not attempt a first-stage landing, but aims for reusability in future flights.
Quantum-Safe Encryption Demonstrated on Operational Satellite Link
A live integration at Es'hailSat's Doha teleport tested Arqit's quantum-safe software on an active satellite link, showing post-quantum encryption can be deployed without hardware changes or service disruption
Quantum Camera Startup Secures $10M+ for Sub-Diffraction Imaging
Diffraqtion has raised over $10 million in pre-seed funding to advance quantum-enabled optical sensing platforms that claim to resolve features far below the classical diffraction limit, targeting applications in space domain awareness and defense
SpaceX Crew-13 Launch to ISS Delayed by Dragon Propulsion Leak
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station after detecting an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft's propulsion system. The new launch date remains unconfirmed as teams investigate the issue
Roman Space Telescope Launch Draws Attention Amid Policy Reversal
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched successfully, marking a milestone for infrared astronomy after years of budget uncertainty and political debate over its funding and future
NASA's Roman Space Telescope Nears Launch After Budget Uncertainty
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set for launch after nearly two decades of development, overcoming a threatened cancellation and major funding cuts to become the agency's next flagship observatory for dark energy, exoplanets, and cosmic structure
SpaceX Recovers Starship Upper Stage After Indian Ocean Splashdown
SpaceX has retrieved the Starship upper stage from the Indian Ocean following its Flight 13 test, enabling engineers to examine the vehicle's heat shield and structural integrity after a rare intact splashdown
SpaceX Plans $100 Billion Starbase Louisiana for Starship Launches
SpaceX and Louisiana officials have announced a $100 billion investment to build Starbase Louisiana, a major new launch and manufacturing site designed to support thousands of Starship launches annually from the Gulf Coast.
Earth-Facing Sunspot Fires M6.9 Flare and CME Toward Earth
A highly active sunspot has produced an M6.9-class solar flare and launched a coronal mass ejection toward Earth, raising the possibility of geomagnetic disturbances and enhanced auroral activity later this week
Ares Shield to Equip Lonestar Satellites With Microwave Defense Modules
Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings has signed a contract with Polish startup Ares Shield to supply high-power microwave defense systems for its planned orbital data centers, aiming to counter satellite threats without generating space debris
ISS Spacewalk Removes Failed Antenna but Leaves Replacement Unfinished
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and NASA astronaut Anil Menon spent over six hours outside the International Space Station on August 18, 2026, removing a malfunctioning antenna during a technically demanding extravehicular activity
SpaceX to Retire Falcon 9 as Starship Nears Operational Status
SpaceX has announced plans to phase out its Falcon 9 rocket once the Starship launch system achieves reliable, frequent operations. The transition could reshape commercial launch access and mission planning for years ahead
Skyloom Deploys 84 Optical Terminals for Secure Space-Based Networks
Skyloom Global, now part of IonQ, has installed 84 optical communication terminals in low-Earth orbit, supporting the U.S. Space Development Agency's secure mesh network for military data transfer and future quantum networking applications
Pluto's Planet Status Revisited as Astronomers Debate IAU Definition
Two decades after Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet, new observations and ongoing debate among planetary scientists are challenging the criteria that define what counts as a planet in our solar system
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