A new version of the solid rocket booster being developed for the Space Launch System experienced an anomaly during a test firing in Utah June 26.

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Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA head of Space and Robotic Exploration, explains that Ignis mission will include an ambitious technological and scientific programme with several experiments led by ESA and proposed by the Polish space industry.

On 26 June 2025, ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland and his crewmates arrived to the International Space Station on the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4).

The Polish project astronaut is the second of a new generation of European astronauts to fly on a commercial human spaceflight opportunity with Axiom Space.

Image: Ignis ignited

ESA’s Living Planet Symposium came to a close today, concluding a week of networking, discussions and meeting of curious, scientific minds.   

Today, one of the focal points was thermal imaging instruments, which are critical for monitoring land-surface temperature – and will be carried on upcoming missions such as the upcoming Copernicus Land Surface Temperature Mission. ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission celebrated passing its 15-year milestone in orbit – the mission has helped improve weather and climate models. Three new contracts were signed for ESA’s InCubed programme, which is central to the agency’s efforts

Washington DC (UPI) Jun 26, 2025
Axiom-4 astronauts on Thursday morning arrived on the International Space Station, including the first Indian to set foot on the space station. The crew made its way from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and opened the hatch to enter the ISS at about 8:14 a.m. EDT after docking at 6:13 a.m., NASA said. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency astronaut Slawosz Uznan

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KONGSBERG) has finalized its N3X satellite constellation with the successful launch of two new microsatellites, ARVAKER 2 and ARVAKER 3, aboard SpaceX's Transporter-14 mission from California. The N3X network is engineered to strengthen Norway's maritime domain awareness. "With our initial N3X satellite constellation in orbit, KONGSBERG's role as one of Eur

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
Varda Space Industries launched its fourth mission, W-4, on Sunday, marking the inaugural flight of a fully integrated spacecraft built entirely in-house at its El Segundo facility. The mission, which took off aboard a SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:25 pm PT, represents several operational milestones for the company. Unlike prior missions, Varda indep

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 26, 2025
York Space Systems has announced the successful launch and early contact of its Dragoon satellite, a defense-focused mission developed for the Space Development Agency (SDA) under an accelerated timeline. The satellite lifted off on June 23, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Within two hours of deployment, York established communications with the spacecraft.

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Apr 10, 2025
Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University have discovered that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid commonly found on meteorites, can induce the formation of nanocavities in the mineral montmorillonite clay. This unexpected finding suggests a novel mechanism by which extraterrestrial molecules could have influenced the prebiotic chemistry that led to life on Ea