Browse the complete archive of aerospace journalism with contextual analysis
Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to reach the moon, is stepping down from active astronaut duty after completing his mission on NASA's Artemis 2, and will serve as a reservist to support Canadian space innovation. This transition marks a significant shift in Hansen's career, with implications for Canada's growing space program.
On July 7, SpaceX launched its Transporter-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 81 payloads to sun-synchronous orbit, amid concerns about the future of its rideshare program. The mission marks a significant milestone for the company, with implications for the broader aerospace industry.
Belgian company Simera Sense has secured a contract to provide multispectral imagers for a small satellite constellation designed to monitor wildfires, volcanic activity, and other regional priorities in the Canary Islands. The constellation, scheduled to become operational between 2029 and 2031, will offer near-daily coverage of the Spanish archipelago.
NASA's collaborative programs with commercial industry, such as COTS, CCP, CLPS, and HLS, are enabling a human presence on Mars, with missions like ESCAPADE and Commercial Mars Payload Services (CMPS) set to play a crucial role in the planet's economic development. These partnerships are driving innovation and reducing costs, making Mars exploration and settlement more feasible.
China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft has successfully captured the first photo of Kamo‘oalewa, a small, elusive quasi-moon orbiting the Earth. This achievement marks a significant milestone in China’s asteroid sampling mission and provides valuable insights into the composition and origin of this enigmatic celestial body.
The former head of NASA has expressed concerns about the agency's plans to return astronauts to the moon by 2028, questioning the complexity of the Artemis program's architecture and the suitability of the selected crewed landers. The concerns highlight the challenges and risks associated with the ambitious lunar mission.
On June 30, 2026, NASA astronaut Chris Williams performed a 7-hour and 20-minute spacewalk to replace a wrist joint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. The successful procedure ensured the continued functionality of the robotic arm, which plays a critical role in the station's operations.
A new study by Chinese scientists suggests that a technique called pre-excavation detonation could be used to deflect or destroy large asteroids on a collision course with Earth, potentially mitigating the risk of asteroid impacts. The method involves creating a deep crater and then exploding a nuclear device, which could be effective against asteroids up to 0.6 miles in size.
The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX two satellite contracts worth nearly $6.5 billion to develop a global military surveillance network and a space-based communications backbone, marking a significant commitment to competition in the industry. This development underscores the U.S. military's shift towards proliferated satellite constellations in low Earth orbit.
Isar Aerospace has signed a contract to develop a launch site in Canada for its Spectrum rocket, with Maritime Launch Services providing the necessary infrastructure, in a deal linked to a submarine sale to the Canadian military. The agreement marks a significant step in Isar Aerospace's expansion plans and highlights the growing importance of international partnerships in the aerospace industry.
Despite a recent setback from a New Glenn pad explosion, Blue Origin is pushing forward with its lunar lander program, having seven Blue Moon vehicles in production, with the first launch scheduled for 2027. The company aims to complete the rebuilding of its launch pad by the end of this year and have a second pad ready by late 2027.
Iridium Communications has finalized its $367 million takeover of Aireon, a venture that provides aircraft tracking services using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals. This move brings Aireon fully in-house ahead of Iridium"s planned sale to Rocket Lab, valued at $8 billion.
On July 6, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 81 payloads into a Sun-synchronous Earth orbit as part of the Transporter-17 mission. The successful launch demonstrates the capabilities of SpaceX's Smallsat Rideshare Program, which enables multiple small satellites to be launched on a single rocket.
On July 7, 2026, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 81 payloads to low Earth orbit as part of its Transporter-17 rideshare program. The mission marked the 17th launch of the program and demonstrated the company's continued capability in launching multiple satellites simultaneously.
Researchers have determined that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is between 10 and 12 billion years old, providing valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our galaxy. This discovery sheds light on the comet's origins and its journey through interstellar space.
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has successfully detected an exoplanet, Gaia23bra b, located 40,000 light-years away, using the gravitational microlensing technique, which relies on Einstein's theory of general relativity. This discovery highlights the effectiveness of this method in detecting planets that are not easily identifiable through traditional transit methods.
NASA has awarded contracts to eight new commercial satellite data providers, including three European companies, as part of its Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition program, with a maximum cumulative value of $476 million through November 2028. This expansion reflects the growing importance of international collaboration and commercial partnerships in Earth observation.
BAE Systems has successfully demonstrated the radiation resistance of its Endura space microprocessor, a system-on-chip (SoC) designed for use in national security spacecraft. This achievement marks a significant technical milestone, showcasing the microprocessor"s ability to operate in harsh radiation environments.
The concept of dual-use technology, which refers to technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, is becoming increasingly outdated as the lines between these two areas continue to blur. This shift has significant implications for the aerospace industry and global security.
Zenno Astronautics has successfully tested a revolutionary superconducting thruster that harnesses Earth's magnetic field to maintain a satellite's position in space without fuel, marking a significant milestone in the development of sustainable space propulsion technology. This innovative system has major implications for the aerospace industry, enabling more efficient and longer-duration space missions.
Japan's Hayabusa2 probe has successfully performed a close flyby of the asteroid Torifune, capturing new imagery and scientific data. The mission provides valuable insights into the composition and characteristics of the 1,475-foot space rock.
The astronauts from the Artemis 2 mission, a 10-day journey around the moon, visited Capitol Hill to discuss their experiences and the mission's impact on human spaceflight. This event marked an important milestone in the mission's aftermath, as it sparked fresh excitement about space among the public.
NASA plans to service its new Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) space telescope in orbit, utilizing robots to perform maintenance and repairs, enabling the telescope to search for rocky, Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars. The HWO will be located at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, a stable location roughly one million miles away from Earth.
The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope has made a groundbreaking discovery of 31 ancient quasars, including two that are the earliest ever observed, dating back to when the universe was approximately 670 million years old. This finding more than doubles the number of known quasars at a redshift of 7 or above, significantly expanding our understanding of the early universe.