The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has provided the first direct measurements of the chemical and physical properties of a potential moon-forming disc encircling a large exoplanet. The carbon-rich disc surrounding the world called CT Cha B, which is located 625 light years away from Earth, is a possible construction yard for moons, although no moons are detected in the Webb data. The disc offers insight into how the moons of Solar System gas giants like Jupiter might have formed.

Gathering datasets about our soil, from the ground, the air and from space, is part of the robust preparation for these two new European satellites set to extend the capabilities of the Copernicus family of Sentinel missions.

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 25, 2025
U.S. Space Command and U.K. Space Command completed their first coordinated satellite maneuver from September 4 to 12, marking a significant advance in allied on-orbit operations. The mission demonstrated readiness for responsible, dynamic, and integrated space activities at a time and place of the partners' choosing. The Rendezvous Proximity Operation (RPO), conducted under Multinational

Paris, France (SPX) Sep 25, 2025
Arianespace has secured a contract to launch two SATCOMBw Stufe 3 satellites for the German Armed Forces using Ariane 6 heavy-lift rockets from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The new satellites will replace the Bundeswehr's COMSATBw 1 and 2 communications platforms. Airbus serves as prime contractor for the SATCOMBw Stufe 3 program, responsible for satellite design, integration, test

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 25, 2025
York Space Systems announced a successful space-to-ground optical laser communications demonstration with the U.S. Space Development Agency, advancing the Transport Layer that aims to deliver resilient, low-latency, high-volume connectivity for U.S. and allied forces worldwide. In the test, a York-built Tranche 0 satellite linked with an SDA optical ground terminal. The campaign logged mor

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Fri Sep 26, 2025
Teledyne Labtech and Bangor University have launched the Advanced Thermal Management for Space Electronics (ATMS) program to address heat removal in spacecraft, with support from Airbus Endeavr, a joint initiative between Airbus and the Welsh Government. The effort targets lighter, higher performance thermal solutions for space hardware. ATMS centers on replacing traditional copper heat co

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 25, 2025
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Compact Coronagraph-2 launched at 7:30 a.m. EDT on September 24 as the primary instrument on NOAA's Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 observatory from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bound for a Lissajous orbit around L1. Upon commissioning at L1, the spacecraft will be renamed Space weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness 1, or SOLAR-1

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 29, 2025
Sierra Space announced it is advancing its Dream Chaser spaceplane toward a first free-flyer demonstration flight, with a launch planned for late 2026. The test mission will validate critical technologies and deliver data to NASA, while providing new flexibility for both civil and national security applications. The agreement with NASA shifts Dream Chaser's debut into a demonstration role,

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Sep 29, 2025
Preliminary radar images from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission reveal the extraordinary capabilities of the most advanced Earth-observing radar satellite ever launched. The spacecraft, developed through a long-standing U.S.-India partnership, is now preparing for full science operations later this year. Launched by ISRO on July 30, NISAR is designed to provide unprece

Berlin (AFP) Sept 25, 2025
Germany said Thursday it would step up its defences - from drone warfare to outer space - at a time of growing tensions between Russia and NATO while the Ukraine war grinds on. Recent weeks have seen Russia send fighter jets and drones into NATO airspace in Poland and Romania, followed by suspicious drone flights near airports in Denmark and Norway. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz -