Europe increases size and cost of IRIS² constellation
Friday, 07 August 2026 10:51
The European Commission has reached an agreement with an industrial consortium to proceed with a secure connectivity constellation, increasing the number of satellites as well as its cost.
Danube’s waters fall to record lows
Friday, 07 August 2026 10:40
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These Copernicus Sentinel-2 images over the Danube north of Budapest show how the river’s level has fallen to a record low in Hungary due to a severe drought in central Europe. IRIS² reinforced and accelerated as implementation advances
Friday, 07 August 2026 08:27
On 7 August, the European Commission and the SpaceRISE consortium concluded negotiations and signed an implementation agreement to roll out IRIS², the European Union’s new flagship satellite constellation. The agreement, among other things, adds 66 satellites into low Earth orbit to the programme, bringing the main constellation to 348 satellites, and moving it from planning to full-scale deployment with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA).
Bipartisan Senate bill would sharpen Space Force training for conflict with China
Friday, 07 August 2026 08:00
Sens. Cortez Masto and Britt propose expanded space wargaming and an unclassified assessment of China's commercial space sector
How should Europe’s militaries respond to space threats
Thursday, 06 August 2026 14:31
In this episode, SpaceNews’ Emma Gatti leads a panel of experts to discuss Europe’s defense posture and the reaction to space threats.
Lessons for the future of NASA Mars exploration from a 1970s mission
Thursday, 06 August 2026 14:00
July 20 marked the 50th anniversary of one of the biggest robotic spaceflight achievements in NASA’s history: the landing of the Viking 1 spacecraft on Mars.
Redwire to fly dedicated Starfall mission for microgravity research
Thursday, 06 August 2026 13:18
A Redwire subsidiary working on space biotech and pharmaceutical applications has signed an agreement to fly microgravity research payloads on SpaceX’s Starfall reentry vehicle.
A match made in cleanrooms
Thursday, 06 August 2026 12:00
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The Orion spacecraft for Artemis III inside the cleanroom at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Three companies building the tech to grow crops on the moon
Thursday, 06 August 2026 11:00
Chinese launch startup Orienspace targets IPO, secures funding for reusable Gravity-2 rocket
Thursday, 06 August 2026 09:48
HELSINKI — Commercial launch company Orienspace has kicked off preparations for an IPO coaching process while closing a funding round for accelerating its reusable Gravity-2 rocket.
The team behind Europe’s latest weather satellite
Thursday, 06 August 2026 09:16
Since the second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) began its launch campaign last month, it has undergone rigorous pre-launch inspections that ensure the electronic and mechanical systems are working correctly. How does a team of experts, including scientists, engineers, launch coordinators and mission operation specialists, ensure everything is running smoothly behind the scenes, both during and after liftoff?
ExoMars stretches out its legs
Thursday, 06 August 2026 08:00
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00:00:06
The footage shows the simultaneous deployment of two landing legs from the ExoMars landing platform, in two sequential pairs.
The legs travel stowed on the spacecraft through deep space, and are automatically deployed in pairs in less than a second using non-explosive actuators, just after the front shield is jettisoned. This is a crucial step in the landing module’s preparation for touchdown.
The tests used a full-scale model of the landing platform at the Thales Alenia facilities in Turin, Italy. The four legs replicate the structure and dimensions of those that will fly to Mars.
The landing legs are
Webb opens a Treasure Chest filled with stars
Thursday, 06 August 2026 07:00
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This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an incredible collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs revealed in the first-ever Webb image release. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star
NASA and Roscosmos continue seat barter agreement
Thursday, 06 August 2026 01:23
NASA and Roscosmos have agreed to continue exchanging seats between Soyuz and Crew Dragon spacecraft, but that agreement does not yet extend to Starliner.