Understanding what’s next for orbital data centers

This episode of Space Minds is from SpaceNews’ recent event on orbital data centers.
Senate NDAA backs plan to fold SDA, Space RCO into Space Force

The committee's 2027 defense bill would eliminate separate statutory requirements for the two acquisition organizations while advancing broader Pentagon procurement reforms
ESA astronaut assignment on Artemis 3 part of negotiations on revised Artemis roles

The assignment of an ESA astronaut to Artemis 3 is part of negotiations for revised roles in the overall effort, with a goal of getting its astronauts on the moon.
HyImpulse signs letter of intent with Oman’s spaceport

AAC Clyde Space wins ESA contract to complete maritime-monitoring constellation

SAN FRANCISCO – The European Space Agency awarded AAC Clyde Space a 10.9 million euro ($12.6 million) contract to complete development and demonstrate VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) satellites for […]
Conversations in the sky: Galileo’s intersatellite links tested
The second generation of Galileo, Europe’s satellite navigation constellation, is being built. These satellites will feature reconfigurable payloads, provide more robust and reliable positioning, navigation and timing, enable new services and add new capabilities to the constellation.
One of these capabilities, intersatellite links, will allow the satellites to communicate with one another in orbit. After going through extensive testing, the intersatellite link antennas are ready to be integrated into the satellites.
Antenna pointing mechanism for Galileo second generation intersatellite links, Airbus Defence and Space
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Antenna pointing mechanism for Galileo second generation intersatellite links, Airbus Defence and Space Thales Alenia Space’s antenna pointing mechanism for Galileo second generation satellites
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Thales Alenia Space’s antenna pointing mechanism for Galileo second generation satellites Mission Control | Keeping Columbus Running 24/7 | ESA Explores #19
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00:17:20
Step inside the Columbus Control Centre near Munich, Germany, and discover what it takes to keep ESA's Columbus laboratory running—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Columbus Flight Director Tristan Hermel takes us behind the scenes of mission control, where teams on the ground coordinate operations, support astronauts and work with international partners across the globe.
Get a glimpse of life behind the consoles as ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot carries out her Epsilon mission on board the Space Station.
This interview was recorded in January 2026.
Earth from Space: Buenos Aires
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This radar image from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission captures Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, the surrounding countryside and the Rio de la Plata estuary.
Zoom in to explore this image at its full resolution.
This is a composite of three Sentinel-1 acquisitions taken in January, March and May this year, with each image assigned to a different colour channel (blue in January, green in March and red in May). As the environmental changes on the ground created a significant ‘backscatter’ reflection of the radar signal, they show up as bright shades that correspond to changes across the seasons.
On the
