News
Aggregated from the Spaceflight News API. Headlines link to the original outlet.
SpaceX launches 21 satellites for military data network
With the launch of 21 York Space Systems satellites, the Space Development Agency has now placed half of its planned Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation in orbit
Nature study identifies a new way to spot nuclear weapons in orbit
NEW YORK — A study published last week in Nature Astronomy has proposed a new satellite design and technique to detect thermonuclear warheads in space. Funded in part by the […]
NASA Study Finds Near-Earth Asteroid Is Actually Comet
New research led by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California has revealed the identity of a puzzling near-Earth object by precisely tracking its motion through space and using powerful observatories that image faint celestial objects. This object has a dual personality: Past images hadn’t revealed obvious cometlike activity, suggesting it might be […]
Defense Innovation Unit seeks commercial path to deliver electrical power from orbit
DIU solicitation aims to move long-studied technology toward military use by fiscal 2030
Building the infrastructure for a shifting space economy with Massi Ladovaz
In this episode, David Ariosto speaks with SpinLaunch CEO Massi Ladovaz. They discuss what attracted Ladovaz to reimagining how to launch spacecraft, the changing needs and challenges of building constellations […]
Trump’s pick to lead Space Force defends plan to more than double budget
Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, to be the next chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, testified July 16 before the Senate Armed Services Committee in a confirmation hearing
ESA Selects Ariane 6 to Launch Deep Space CubeSat
The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to launch its solar storm-monitoring CubeSat on an Ariane 6 rocket. Scheduled for launch in early 2027, the Henon CubeSat will be flown as a secondary passenger alongside ESA’s PLATO telescope, which will be tasked with finding Earth-like exoplanets. According to the agency’s 16 July press release, […]
Young Galaxy Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope takes us 4.4 billion years in the past with this July 3, 2026, image of a young galaxy cluster, MACS J0553.4-3342. The cluster is composed of two actively merging sub-clusters, roughly equal in mass. Each sub-cluster is anchored on an immensely bright and massive elliptical galaxy, easily identifiable as the […]
Office of Space Commerce makes its case for mission authorization
The Office of Space Commerce defended its proposal for a mission authorization scheme for novel space activities, arguing it would provide certainty for companies while limiting regulatory burdens.
Bluestaq Launches BLUESTAQ / ARQ Defense-Grade Data Infrastructure Now Available for Commercial, Government, and Enterprise Organizations
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, July 16, 2026 – Bluestaq today announced the launch of BLUESTAQ / ARQ, the company’s commercial data infrastructure platform. / ARQ is built for organizations in healthcare, […]
Expedition Sound podcast series
Expedition Sound is a podcast series by the European Space Agency (ESA) in which you’re invited to explore the Universe through your ears. Guided by sonifications – the translation of data into sound – host Zsófi Szalavári travels from our Sun out into the depths of space to uncover what the space telescopes of ESA’s science missions teach us about the Universe.
Test firing at brand new green chemical propulsion lab
From the ESA Blogs.
Swissto12 raises $70 million to accelerate small GEO satellite production
Swissto12 said it has raised $70 million in fresh funding to keep up with growing demand for its small geostationary satellite manufacturing business.
FLEX and Sentinel-3C arrive at Europe’s Spaceport
With liftoff scheduled for September, excitement is building at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana as two cutting-edge Earth observation satellites, FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C, have arrived to begin their launch campaigns.
Ontario Wildfire Smoke Moves East
Canadian wildfires sent plumes of smoke streaming over Ontario, Quebec, and parts of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast.
Starship Flight 13: Potentially the final Suborbital Flight
Just about two months after the first Block 3 Starship flight with Booster 19 and…
SpaceX to deploy first Starlink V3 satellites on suborbital Starship-Super Heavy flight
The mission will also test out a series of improvements to the launcher to help push it closer to full reusability. Liftoff from pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, is scheduled during a 90-minute window that opens at 5:45 p.m. CDT (6:45 p.m. EDT / 2245 UTC).
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 21 communications satellites for the Space Development Agency
The Tranche 1 Transporter Layer E (T1TL-E) mission is the third batch of operational satellites launched to support the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture satellite constellation. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 1:32 p.m. PDT (4:32 p.m. EDT / 2032 UTC).
NASA Uses Subscale Aircraft to Accelerate Flight Innovation
Testing new aerospace concepts in flight remains one of NASA’s most effective ways to advance knowledge and reduce risk. The Dale Reed Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, supports this mission by using small, remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft as cost‑effective platforms to mature innovative ideas, accelerate learning, […]
NASA Study of Pristine Meteorite Adds to Story of Ancient Asteroids
A meteorite recovered immediately upon its fall to Earth on July 16, 2024, is helping NASA scientists uncover new clues about ancient water, the chemical evolution of primitive asteroids, and the ingredients that may have helped make life possible throughout the early solar system.