Orbit

Four environmental organizations filed a petition Thursday urging the Federal Communications Commission to reverse its approval of a startup's plan to beam on-demand sunlight from space to Earth. The groups argue the agency failed to consider the project's potential impacts on wildlife and astronomy, reigniting debate over regulating commercial use of orbit and light pollution.

Experts, including former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, warn that while being struck by falling space debris is still less likely than being hit by lightning, those odds are shifting as space activity grows. They argue governments and companies should be required to use materials that fully burn up on re-entry, reducing the risk of debris reaching the ground as satellites and launches multiply.

NASA has issued a call for bids for new space stations to succeed the International Space Station, according to Aviation Week. The move signals the agency's push to hand over low Earth orbit operations to commercial providers before the ISS is retired. Details on candidates and timelines remain limited, but the announcement is drawing attention from space industry watchers.

New research suggests the Sun, as it ages and loses mass toward the end of its life, could destabilise planetary orbits earlier than previously estimated, potentially tearing the solar system apart. Scientists say the findings refine models of stellar evolution and the long-term fate of Earth and neighbouring planets, prompting fresh discussion among astronomers about our cosmic future.

Randall Munroe's latest XKCD comic, 'Rejected Space Mission Profiles', presents fictional space probes that never got off the drawing board, including a Jupiter rover, a Voyager 2 orbiter and a crewed Pluto flyby. Space enthusiasts are sharing the strip and debating the absurd missions, joking about which impossible profile they would champion.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California carrying 27 Starlink satellites, adding to the company's rapidly growing broadband constellation in low Earth orbit. The mission is part of SpaceX's regular cadence of Starlink launches, which continues to expand global internet coverage and draw attention to the pace of its reuse of Falcon 9 boosters.

Astronomers say a star is on a trajectory that will eventually carry it into our solar system, and that such an encounter has happened before in Earth's history. The claim is drawing wide attention as people discuss what a passing star could mean for planetary orbits and whether a similar past flyby left traces in the solar system.

SpaceX has moved Starship prototype Ship 40 back to its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The vehicle's return marks another step in the company's rapid turnaround operations at the site, as teams prepare hardware for upcoming testing and launch campaigns. Spaceflight watchers are closely tracking each Starship shipment as SpaceX pushes toward its next orbital flight tests.

Honda is developing a robotic lab assistant designed to support scientific research aboard future commercial space stations. The automaker joins a growing list of companies preparing technology for the upcoming generation of privately operated orbital platforms, expected to succeed the International Space Station. Details on the robot's capabilities and deployment timeline have drawn interest from space and robotics observers.

The Hoover Institution has released a roundtable discussion, 'Nerds of the Roundtable on the Distributed Space Age', examining how space exploration is shifting from government-led programs to a broader ecosystem of commercial companies, international actors and private innovation. The conversation explores what this distributed model means for policy, security and the future of human activity in orbit and beyond.

SpaceX plans to acquire low-band spectrum to expand its direct-to-mobile phone service, according to a Bloomberg report. The move would strengthen the company's ability to connect standard smartphones from orbit through its Starlink satellite constellation, putting it in more direct competition with traditional mobile carriers. The deal is drawing attention among telecom and space industry watchers.

NASA has launched a bidding process for privately built space stations intended to succeed the International Space Station once it is retired. The move marks a shift toward commercial operators taking over low Earth orbit activities, and it is drawing attention from the space industry and observers of US space policy.

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Dragon cargo spacecraft on a resupply mission to the International Space Station, with liftoff from Florida. The Dragon capsule will carry supplies and equipment for the station's crew. Coverage from local outlets in Florida highlights the upcoming launch as another routine but closely watched flight in SpaceX's ongoing cargo service to the orbiting laboratory.

A new paper in the Astrophysical Journal Letters argues that small, random fluctuations in the Sun's mass loss over time could push the solar system toward a terminal instability, altering long-term predictions of planetary orbital chaos. Readers are debating the implications for how far into the future planetary orbits can realistically be forecast.

A new discussion is under way about whether Europe's emerging private rocket companies can build an independent path to orbit and challenge SpaceX's dominance in launch services. Commentators point to Europe's efforts to grow a commercial space sector as questions mount over reliance on US launch providers and the future of the continent's access to space.

NASA has moved forward with its plans for life after the International Space Station by issuing a request for proposals for commercially operated space stations. The agency wants private companies to develop and run new orbital destinations, with NASA becoming a customer rather than an operator. The step marks a key phase in the transition of low Earth orbit activities to the commercial sector before the ISS is retired around 2030.

Honda is developing a robotic assistant designed to help scientists run experiments aboard future commercial space stations. The system would support laboratory work in orbit as private space stations begin to replace the International Space Station. The project marks an unusual step for the automaker into space robotics, drawing attention from science and space communities.

Xona Space Systems is preparing to launch its commercial alternative to GPS. Six of the company's satellites will be sent to orbit aboard a SpaceX launch, allowing its precision timing and navigation service to begin beta testing. The move marks a step toward a private, higher-accuracy positioning system competing with government-run satellite navigation networks.

Russia's Luch/Olymp satellites reportedly spent roughly ten years manoeuvring into close proximity with Western communications satellites in geostationary orbit. The spacecraft, officially described as inspection or relay satellites, have long been suspected of serving an intelligence-gathering role, eavesdropping on neighbouring satellites' transmissions. The decade-long pattern highlights ongoing concerns about hostile activities in orbit and the lack of agreed norms for close-approach behaviour between nations' space assets.

SpaceX's Starship Flight 15 is drawing attention as an analyst describes the vehicle's roughly 100-ton payload ambitions as a significant gamble. The commentary frames the upcoming test flight, expected in 2026, as a high-stakes step for the company's heavy-lift program, with observers weighing whether Starship can deliver on its mass-to-orbit promises.

A spacecraft destined to burn up in Earth's atmosphere transmitted striking images of space before its destruction during re-entry. The photos, shared as the mission ended, offer a rare final look from orbit, drawing attention to the craft's demise and the value of its last observations.

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has traced the origin of a mysterious S-shaped kink observed on the Sun, according to Gizmodo. The finding offers new insight into solar magnetic activity, though further details about when the observation was made and what it reveals about the Sun's behaviour were not provided in the available reporting.

The Daily Guardian argues that India must take a leading role in shaping international rules for space security. The piece contends that as more nations deploy satellites and anti-satellite capabilities, existing frameworks for governing military activity in orbit are inadequate, and emerging space powers like India have a stake in writing the norms rather than merely following rules set by others.

NASA has issued a call for bids from private companies to develop successor stations to the International Space Station as it plans for the ISS's eventual retirement. The agency wants commercial operators to take over low-Earth orbit operations so it can focus resources on lunar and deep-space exploration. The announcement is drawing attention across the space industry as companies compete for contracts.

SpaceX is preparing a Falcon 9 rocket launch from California that will carry 27 Starlink satellites into orbit, adding to the company's rapidly growing broadband constellation. The mission continues SpaceX's high launch cadence from the West Coast as it expands global internet coverage and reuses boosters to keep costs down.

NASA has issued a call for US companies to submit proposals for commercially operated space stations, part of its effort to develop successor destinations as the International Space Station nears the end of its operational life. The agency plans to become a customer of privately run facilities rather than owning its own, with industry partners expected to fund, build and operate the new stations.

NASA has released its final request for proposals for the procurement of commercially operated space stations, a key step in its plan to replace the International Space Station with private orbital platforms after its retirement around 2030. Companies are expected to compete for contracts to develop and operate the next generation of stations.

Concerns are being raised about the secrecy surrounding space weapons programs worldwide. Governments are developing anti-satellite and other orbital military capabilities, but there is little public disclosure about what systems are being pursued, leaving analysts and policymakers with limited visibility into an emerging arms race in orbit.

Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has acquired a 9.5% majority stake in Canadian space company MDA Space, marking the Czech defence group's first major move into the space sector. The deal signals CSG's ambition to expand beyond munitions and land systems into satellites and orbital technology, drawing attention from defence and aerospace watchers.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites into orbit, continuing the company's regular campaign to expand its broadband satellite constellation. The mission adds to the thousands of Starlink spacecraft already in low Earth orbit, as SpaceX keeps up its rapid launch cadence to grow global internet coverage.