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SpaceX successfully launched its 90th Falcon 9 rocket of the year from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 24 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. This mission marks a significant milestone in the company"s efforts to establish a comprehensive broadband internet network.
SpaceX is on track to launch its Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on September 12, carrying four astronauts for a seven-month stay. The mission will include station maintenance, extravehicular activities (EVAs), and science experiments, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and international partners.
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is on a collision course with the moon, expected to strike its surface at approximately 2:35 a.m. EDT on August 5, 2026, providing a rare opportunity for observers to potentially witness an ejecta plume rising from the lunar surface. The impact itself will not be visible from Earth due to the angle and distance of the collision.
The Phoenix Mars Lander, launched by NASA on August 4, 2007, successfully touched down on Mars in May 2008 and discovered water-ice and perchlorate, providing valuable insights into the planet"s history and potential for life. The mission"s findings have significant implications for the broader aerospace industry and future Mars exploration.
Researchers have made a significant discovery in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), finding that more of the Milky Way galaxy has been surveyed than previously thought, with over 6.1 million stars examined using advanced radio telescopes and simulation techniques. This breakthrough has major implications for the ongoing quest to find life beyond Earth.
AE Industrial Partners has completed the acquisition of L3Harris Technologies" space propulsion, power, and electronics units, resulting in the revival of Rocketdyne as a standalone company focused on launch-vehicle engines and spacecraft propulsion. This development marks a significant shift in the aerospace industry, with implications for various space missions and programs.
Spanish startup Kreios Space will conduct a demonstration of its air-breathing electric propulsion system in very low Earth orbit (VLEO) aboard a Kongsberg NanoAvionics microsatellite bus in 2027, marking a significant milestone in the development of this innovative technology. The mission aims to validate the performance of the propulsion system and capture high-resolution images of the Earth.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage, launched in January 2025, is expected to crash into the moon on August 5, 2026, creating a crater approximately 89 feet wide. This event presents scientists with a rare chance to study the effects of a spacecraft impact on the lunar surface.
A recent scientific discovery suggests that three of Neptune's moons may have formed from the remnants of ancient icy worlds that were shattered by Triton, Neptune's largest moon. This finding provides new insights into the formation and evolution of the Neptunian system.
A team of astronomers has identified an asteroid with a distinctive three-headed shape, dubbed a "trilobate" asteroid, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This discovery provides new insights into the formation and evolution of asteroids in our solar system.
Hughes has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to a significant decline in its broadband subscriber base, largely attributed to the rise of low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband operators like SpaceX's Starlink constellation. The company's geostationary orbit (GEO) business has struggled to compete with the lower latency and faster speeds offered by LEO providers.
The Federal Communications Commission has approved Xona Space Systems" plan to launch a constellation of over 250 satellites to provide commercial navigation signals, with the first six satellites scheduled to launch in October on a SpaceX rideshare. This development marks a significant milestone in the expansion of satellite-based navigation services.
Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space have been awarded a contract to build a replacement military communications satellite for Spain, scheduled for launch in the third quarter of 2030. The new satellite will provide critical communications services for the Spanish military and its allies.
On August 3, 2004, NASA launched the MESSENGER spacecraft, which became the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury, providing unprecedented insights into the planet"s composition and structure. The mission marked a significant milestone in space exploration, shedding light on the mysteries of the innermost planet in our solar system.
The US Air Force has added $11.7 million to a contract with Blue Origin to explore the use of commercial rockets for transporting military supplies, with the goal of developing a point-to-point cargo transport system. This expansion aims to define technical and mission requirements for adapting Blue Origin's systems, including its New Glenn rocket, for this purpose.
On August 2, 1971, NASA"s Apollo 15 mission successfully televised a lunar liftoff for the first time, marking a significant technical milestone in space exploration. This achievement was part of a broader mission that included the first use of a lunar rover and a three-day stay on the Moon"s surface.
SpaceX's Starship has demonstrated its ability to survive reentry and float in the ocean, while NASA's Roman Space Telescope is set to launch on August 30. These developments mark significant milestones in the pursuit of space exploration and research.
NASA is evaluating a proposal to send a lunar rover called PROMISE to the moon's south pole in the early 2030s, with an estimated cost exceeding $1 billion. The mission would leverage engineering models from the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers, bringing significant capabilities to the lunar surface.
SpaceX successfully launched its next batch of Starlink satellites from California, adding 24 broadband internet satellites to the low Earth orbit constellation. The mission, which was delayed four days from its original date, marks the 26th flight of the Falcon 9 first stage B1081.
On July 24, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched its Starship on its 13th test flight, with a next-generation Starlink satellite capturing a 65-second video of the spacecraft in space. The mission marked a significant milestone for SpaceX, demonstrating the capabilities of its Starship and Starlink technologies.
Researchers have discovered seven quasars that are acting as gravitational lenses, which could help scientists understand the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes. This breakthrough was made possible by using artificial intelligence to analyze data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument.
On July 24, 2026, SpaceX"s Starship upper stage achieved a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean after launching 20 next-gen Starlink satellites, marking a significant technical milestone for the company. This successful test flight brings SpaceX closer to its goal of making the Starship system rapidly reusable.
The Spanish government has committed to allocate between 1.6 billion and 2 billion euros to develop a national military satellite communications constellation, which could be integrated into the planned IRIS² multi-orbit satellite internet constellation. This investment is expected to enhance the country's military communication capabilities and contribute to the broader IRIS² project, designed to secure governmental satellite communications for the EU.
The National Spacepower Center, an industry-backed education and simulation center, has been established to provide policymakers and the public with a better understanding of military operations in space through immersive simulations. The center uses advanced technology to demonstrate complex concepts such as orbital mechanics and dogfighting in space.