📰Space News & Developments
Aggregated space science news, mission updates and discoveries.
Source: Spaceflight News API
Next Starship Will Deliver Operational V3 Starlinks to Orbit, Maybe Catch Ship
During its first earnings call since going public, SpaceX officials said today the next Starship test flight, IFT-14, will put operational Starlink Version 3 satellites into orbit. If they get […]
SpaceX to begin Starship orbital flights
SpaceX plans to start deploying upgraded Starlink satellites into orbit on the next flight of its Starship vehicle, scheduled for as soon as the end of the month. The post SpaceX to begin Starship orbital flights appeared first on SpaceNews.
Rocket Lab, STR win Space Force contracts for airborne-target tracking technologies
The companies, along with a third unidentified vendor, won $615 million in contracts for the AMTI satellite program The post Rocket Lab, STR win Space Force contracts for airborne-target tracking technologies appeared first on SpaceNews.
Telesat lands $1.63 billion Canadian defense contract
Arctic communications award will fund an expansion of Telesat’s Lightspeed, taking the planned LEO network to 225 spacecraft The post Telesat lands $1.63 billion Canadian defense contract appeared first on SpaceNews.
Crew-13 pilot reflects on career, training, and upcoming science ahead of flight to ISS
After a previously targeted launch date in November, NASA has moved up the next International… The post Crew-13 pilot reflects on career, training, and upcoming science ahead of flight to ISS appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
NOAA purchases Spire hyperspectral microwave sounder data
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will continue to evaluate data from Spire Global’s Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HyMS) under a $3 million contract extension announced Aug. 4. […] The post NOAA purchases Spire hyperspectral microwave sounder data appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA Will Attempt to Observe Rocket Part’s Lunar Impact
Using ground-based telescopes and space-based assets, NASA and SpaceX are tracking a used Falcon 9 upper stage from a commercial mission expected to impact the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 5, near the Einstein and Bell craters. The impact poses no danger to Earth and NASA scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event […]
NASA’s PUNCH Sharpens Solar Storm Forecasting in First Test
Using continuous imagery from NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, scientists predicted the near-Earth arrival of a solar eruption to within 30 minutes in an initial proof of concept test. The results, presented Tuesday at the Committee on Space Research Scientific Meeting and under review at the journal Space Weather, could […]
Ames Science Stars of the Month – August 2026
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Danielle Lopez, Jennifer Claudio, and Duncan Mifsud. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond. Space Biosciences Star of the Month: Danielle Lopez Danielle Lopez is the […]
August 2026 Satellite Puzzler
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
While SpaceX recovers Ship 40, Ship 41 prepares for testing ahead of Flight 14
SpaceX is recovering the intact Ship 40 from the Indian Ocean after its soft landing… The post While SpaceX recovers Ship 40, Ship 41 prepares for testing ahead of Flight 14 appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
NASA Provides Updates on Moon Base Cargo Landers, Tech Demonstrations
NASA is making progress in building the Moon Base, which will become a resilient outpost near the Moon’s South Pole for science, technology, and eventual human operations. To advance lunar surface infrastructure development, commercial partners such as Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, and Voyager Lunar Systems are working toward delivering landers by 2028. These […]
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
The Starlink 17-53 mission is the 90th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 10:05 a.m. PDT (1:05 p.m. EDT / 1705 UTC).
Roman Space Telescope Plaque Install
Technicians installed a commemorative plaque, seen in this July 28, 2026, photo, on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The plaque honors the legacy of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer and one of the architects of the agency’s modern science program. It also features a memory card containing a total of 1,350,144 […]
Rubicon ASCENT thruster moves from hot-fire testing to production
SAN FRANCISCO – Rubicon Space Systems completed hot-fire testing of its Velox 5-newton ASCENT monopropellant thruster, paving the way for on-orbit operations in 2027. “The program demonstrated performance beyond our […] The post Rubicon ASCENT thruster moves from hot-fire testing to production appeared first on SpaceNews.
Military demand shapes market for satellite propulsion
Startups and established spacecraft manufacturers are investing in engines designed to give small satellites more freedom to change orbit The post Military demand shapes market for satellite propulsion appeared first on SpaceNews.
Future of Crew Dragon weighs on commercial spaceflight industry
While SpaceX says there is a “significant” amount of life left in its Crew Dragon fleet, the company has hedged on how long it will continue flying the spacecraft. The post Future of Crew Dragon weighs on commercial spaceflight industry appeared first on SpaceNews.
SpaceX’s new Starfall program offers validation and competition for reentry startups
Demand for microgravity research and manufacturing is brewing — perhaps literally.When SpaceX launched the first test flight of Starfall, its commercial reentry capsule, on June 23, the company did not […] The post SpaceX’s new Starfall program offers validation and competition for reentry startups appeared first on SpaceNews.
ESA Astronaut Completes Third Test of EuroSuit Prototype Aboard ISS
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has completed a third and likely final test of EuroSuit, a European intravehicular activity (IVA) spacesuit prototype, aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The suit was developed under a CNES contract by a French consortium led by Spartan Space, which also includes the sporting goods retailer Decathlon. In a 20 July […] The post ESA Astronaut Completes Third Test of EuroSuit Prototype Aboard ISS appeared first on European Spaceflight.
Rocketdyne reemerges as standalone space company
AE Industrial private-equity firm takes 60% stake as L3Harris retains a noncontrolling interest The post Rocketdyne reemerges as standalone space company appeared first on SpaceNews.
ESA and Pokémon team up to celebrate World Space Week
The European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) are teaming up to celebrate World Space Week from 4–10 October 2026. This unique, limited-time collaboration brings together two worlds united by curiosity, exploration and imagination.
APOD: August 4, 2026 – Curious Cometary Knots in the Helix Nebula
APOD Science APOD APOD: August 4, 2026 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Curious Cometary Knots […]
Kreios Space to fly VLEO demonstration in NanoAvionics bus
SAN FRANCISCO – Spanish startup Kreios Space announced plans Aug. 4 to conduct the first very low Earth orbit (VLEO) demonstration of its air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) in a Kongsberg […] The post Kreios Space to fly VLEO demonstration in NanoAvionics bus appeared first on SpaceNews.
Smoke Streams Across Eastern Washington
Wildland fires in early August 2026 pushed air quality to unhealthy levels, destroyed hundreds of structures, and triggered mandatory evacuations in Spokane.