A Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the California coast Jan. 15, bringing back four people from the ISS more than a month early because of a medical issue.

The post Crew-11 makes early return from ISS appeared first on SpaceNews.

An Indian startup is entering the satellite servicing market with plans to develop low-cost spacecraft to extend the lives of satellites.

The post Indian startup Aule Space enters satellite servicing market appeared first on SpaceNews.

Chinese commercial firm CAS Space launched its first Lihong-1 suborbital flight and recovery test mission, seeing a successful parachute descent of the capsule.

The post CAS Space conducts first suborbital launch and capsule landing test appeared first on SpaceNews.

A delay in one European Space Agency mission is creating an opportunity for an earlier, and more capable, launch for another ESA spacecraft.

The post ESA’s Comet Interceptor mission moves up launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

When President John F. Kennedy stood before Congress in May 1961 and declared that the United States would land a man on the moon before the decade’s end, his purpose was not to invent the space program, but to impose a clear objective, a deadline and the resources to unify these efforts. The success of […]

The post Taiwan’s Moonshot: why ‘T-Dome’ needs systems engineering, not just a shopping list appeared first on SpaceNews.

If you stayed in a hotel last night, there’s a good chance you saw that familiar placard in the bathroom: “Help save the planet — hang your towel and we won’t wash it.” At a recent panel, I asked the audience how many had seen that sign. Most hands went up. Then I asked them […]

The post Space sustainability will evolve into a data-driven system appeared first on SpaceNews.

Boulder-based startup plans 2026 demonstrations tied to space domain awareness

The post ThinkOrbital raises seed funding to advance X-ray space inspection appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX’s 2026 IPO plans were an early Christmas present for space investors who were already bullish about the year ahead. The move helps push the industry further into the mainstream investment and public consciousness. It also paves the way for others to go public in a capital-intensive business. Despite ongoing financial uncertainty, demand for sovereign […]

The post Bringing outsiders into the space fold appeared first on SpaceNews.

The global security environment is becoming more volatile, not less. The war in Ukraine grinds on. China is increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific. The Middle East remains unstable. North Korea continues to test missiles and challenge regional stability. Together, these dynamics are straining the international system in ways not seen since the early Cold War. […]

The post When allies can’t count on U.S. ISR, commercial space becomes strategic appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA says it is “very unlikely” the agency will be able to recover a Mars spacecraft that has been out of contact for more than a month.

The post NASA pessimistic about odds of recovering MAVEN appeared first on SpaceNews.

From civil science and exploration missions to national security, there are many space activities to look forward to in 2026. There will be at least three missions heading to the moon, Vast’s Haven-1 is scheduled to launch as the first prospective commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) destination. But perhaps more importantly, there will be a […]

The post Space operations will become more dynamic this year appeared first on SpaceNews.

Funding backs expansion of “virtual constellation” that aggregates imagery from commercial operators

The post SkyFi raises $12.7 million to scale satellite data marketplace appeared first on SpaceNews.

China conducted a pair of Long March rocket launches Tuesday, kicking off what is likely to be a record-breaking year for the country.

The post China’s first launches of 2026 send Yaogan spacecraft into unusual orbit, loft Guowang satellites  appeared first on SpaceNews.

Firefly Aerospace says it will upgrade its Alpha launch vehicle, making changes intended to improve the reliability of a rocket that has experienced several failures.

The post Firefly to upgrade Alpha rocket to improve reliability appeared first on SpaceNews.

SAN FRANCISCO – A Jan. 13 hearing underscored the importance of ongoing collaboration between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. armed services. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy witnesses discussed their heavy reliance on datasets and weather models provided by NOAA and said their agencies are working closely to ensure NOAA’s […]

The post Congressional hearing highlights military’s reliance on NOAA weather data appeared first on SpaceNews.

MILAN — The European Space Agency and Luxembourg’s ClearSpace announced Jan. 12 a new collaboration on an in-orbit servicing and active debris removal mission called PRELUDE, one that will involve two small spacecraft designed to test close-proximity operations and could eventually enable satellite life extension, repair and removal in orbit. Officials are targeting a 2027 […]

The post ESA and ClearSpace announce PRELUDE mission to test debris-removal techniques appeared first on SpaceNews.

Deal tied to planned IPO aims to expand solid rocket motor capacity

The post Pentagon commits $1 billion to L3Harris missile unit as ‘anchor investor’ appeared first on SpaceNews.

A widespread demand for nuclear power has led some to call this period a “nuclear renaissance,” one that will continue to build momentum in 2026. This growing need is being driven by two primary use cases: small modular nuclear reactors for cloud infrastructure and terrestrial data center needs, and nuclear electric reactors for lunar surface […]

The post There’s no end in sight for a space ‘nuclear renaissance’ appeared first on SpaceNews.

IRVINE, Calif. & LOS ANGELES, Calif. — January 13, 2026 — Turion Space Corp. (“Turion”), a space infrastructure company that builds and operates mission-grade spacecraft and space operations software, today […]

The post Turion Space Corp. Acquires Tychee Research Group to Accelerate Autonomous Space Operations and Mission Engineering appeared first on SpaceNews.

Behind the rhetoric about competition and innovation, not everyone is convinced SDA’s approach is a win-win

The post Space Force wants competition. Satellite makers want stability. appeared first on SpaceNews.

Michigan-based supplier cites rising government and commercial demand amid tight smallsat supply chain

The post Orbion delivers 33 electric thrusters to York Space for U.S. military constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Lunar night survival becomes an imperative “Surviving the lunar night has crossed a critical threshold: what was once a ‘nice-to-have’ is now the imperative for any serious lunar mission. We’re seeing this ‘survive, operate, thrive’ progression play out in real time: we’ve proven we can land repeatedly, now we’re focused on surviving that brutal two-week […]

The post 2026 will be the year of space nuclear power and surviving the lunar night appeared first on SpaceNews.

Eutelsat has ordered the remaining 340 satellites needed to replenish its OneWeb satellite constellation from Airbus Defence and Space.

The post Eutelsat orders 340 additional satellites to replenish OneWeb constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Belgian manufacturer to support early rollout as U.S. commercial PNT startup builds in-house production

The post Aerospacelab to build eight satellites for Xona’s navigation constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.