Due to need for 'absolute success,' China delays critical Moon launch to 2027
"The Chang’e 7 mission does not meet the conditions for launch."
The wire
Continuous
Continuous
dispatches.
Spaceflight is written every day: successes, anomalies, contracts, technical milestones. This page aggregates the best English-language and European dispatches for a single overview.
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4982–4987: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
By Allison Dries-Padilla, Missions Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 14, 2026 This week of Curiosity Mars rover operations takes us back to our “regularly scheduled programming.” After taking a slight detour to investigate the “erosional surface” we are back on course to ascend Mount Sharp. As we transition […]
CNES Seeks Partners to Mass-Produce Compact Optical Telescopes
The French space agency CNES is looking for an industrial partner to develop and qualify a compact optical telescope for future satellite constellations. The agency says the design must be suitable for mass production, with production volumes exceeding 1,000 units. According to a request for information (RFI) published on 18 August, the project is aimed […] The post CNES Seeks Partners to Mass-Produce Compact Optical Telescopes appeared first on European Spaceflight.
APOD: 2026 August 22 – Mostly Perseids
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 22… 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. Mostly Perseids Explanation: Recorded […]
Chinese radio-frequency intelligence startup StarRF closes new funding round
HELSINKI — A Chinese startup building a constellation to detect and geolocate radio-frequency emissions from orbit has closed a funding round as China’s commercial sector expands. Tianjin-based Xingkan Jiuzhou Technology, […] The post Chinese radio-frequency intelligence startup StarRF closes new funding round appeared first on SpaceNews.
New Novaspace forecast: 6,500+ EO satellites to launch by 2035
Paris, France | August 2026– More than 6,500 Earth observation (EO) satellites are expected to launch by 2035, generating $155.9 billion in manufacturing revenues as governments expand sovereign intelligence, surveillance, […] The post New Novaspace forecast: 6,500+ EO satellites to launch by 2035 appeared first on SpaceNews.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 100th orbital mission of 2026
The Starlink 15-20 mission represents the 99th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4 East is scheduled for 12:25 a.m. PDT (3:25 a.m. EDT / 0725 UTC).
Ship 41 Completes Engine Testing Ahead of Flight 14
While Ship 40 is preparing to be transported back to Starbase from Christmas Island, Ship… The post Ship 41 Completes Engine Testing Ahead of Flight 14 appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
NASA Shares Views of August Solar Eclipse from Ground, Air, Space
On Aug. 12, a total solar eclipse darkened skies over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. As the Moon covered the Sun, it briefly revealed the Sun’s wispy outer atmosphere — the corona — to those in the path of totality who were lucky enough to have clear skies. NASA researchers and photographers were along the eclipse […]
TB 26-04 Updates and Modernization of NASA’s Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) Code
For more information, contact Mark K. Leader, Glenn Research Center, mark.leader@nasa.gov Download the PDF version NASA’s Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code is a foundational tool for propulsion system analysis. It provides equilibrium chemistry, rocket performance, shock, and detonation calculations used across NASA and the broader aerospace community. NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Activity […]
Webb Opens Treasure Chest
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured this Aug. 6, 2026, infrared image of part of the Carina Nebula, a star-forming region also home to the Cosmic Cliffs. This feature, called the “Treasure Chest,” is an object known as a cometary globule. A cometary globule is an isolated cloud of gas and dust with a dense, […]
NASA’s Artemis II Crew Set to Receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor
President Donald J. Trump will award each of NASA’s Artemis II crew members the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at 11 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 28, during a ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, […]
Watch Sophie Adenot’s second spacewalk live
After a successful EVA-97 on Tuesday 18 August, watch ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot venture into the vacuum of space for the second time on Tuesday 25 August, during EVA-98.
Week in images: 17-21 August 2026
Week in images: 17-21 August 2026
The COSMOSIS framework can ensure that Washington governs space with its complexity in mind.
Policy documents from both the White House and the Office of Space Commerce this summer acknowledge that space is a complex system, as to which forms of adaptive governance should […] The post The COSMOSIS framework can ensure that Washington governs space with its complexity in mind. appeared first on SpaceNews.
Landspace aims to refly recovered Zhuque-3 booster within six months
HELSINKI — Chinese commercial launch firm Landspace is targeting a reflight of its Zhuque-3 first stage in months, following its historic successful vertical landing Aug. 18. A company representative told […] The post Landspace aims to refly recovered Zhuque-3 booster within six months appeared first on SpaceNews.
Sentinel-1 captures major ice loss from Greenland glacier
Europe’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission has captured a dramatic change at Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland, where a 76 sq km section of the glacier’s floating ice tongue broke away on 4 August 2026.
Europe’s Scorching Summer
A series of heat waves in 2026 is breaking records and taking a toll in Europe.
White House Releases New Space Transportation Policy
The White House released a new space transportation policy today, the first since 2013. The new policy has a strong emphasis on government support for the commercial space industry and […]
New space transportation policy focuses on increased launch rates
The White House released a new space transportation policy Aug. 20 with an emphasis on enabling a sharp increase in the number of launches and reentries. The post New space transportation policy focuses on increased launch rates appeared first on SpaceNews.
Golden Dome chief touts progress as funding questions loom
Guetlein joins North Dakota senators in making the case for the missile defense program The post Golden Dome chief touts progress as funding questions loom appeared first on SpaceNews.
Elve qualifies millimeter-wave amplifiers for spaceflight
SAN FRANCISCO – California startup Elve has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier platform for spaceflight. With U.S. Space Force Small Business Innovation Research funding, Elve “didn’t just […] The post Elve qualifies millimeter-wave amplifiers for spaceflight appeared first on SpaceNews.
SpaceWERX selects 11 firms to scale technologies for military space
The new round of STRATFIs were awarded to Agile Space Industries, Antares Nuclear, EO Solutions, Hydrosat, Kall Morris, Method Security, Muon Space, Scout Space, Sedaro, Star Catcher Industries and ThinkOrbital The post SpaceWERX selects 11 firms to scale technologies for military space appeared first on SpaceNews.
Europe cancels planned upgrades for Ariane 6 rocket
Arianespace hasn’t publicly disclosed the cost for an Ariane 6 launch.
SmallSat 2026
SmallSat 2026 Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth # 635, 835, 641, and 940) for Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Agenda below. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 9:00 – 10:00 AM WelcomeJose NunezBryceTech’s Smallsats by the Numbers: 2026Fletcher FranklinSupply Chain ObservationsBruce YostTechnology Shortfall Rudy de RoseeSPARCS Camera and Early Science ObservationsKaitlyn AshcroftJPL: SkyfallTim CanhamSWIFT LINK ReboostBo NaaszFlight […]
What’s next for ISR in space
In this episode, SpaceNews correspondent Debra Werner leads a panel of experts to discuss the role of ISR in space and what comes next. This session was recorded in May […] The post What’s next for ISR in space appeared first on SpaceNews.
Rocket Lab launches 9th satellite for iQPS
Rocket Lab launched another satellite for Japanese radar-imaging company iQPS on Aug. 20. The post Rocket Lab launches 9th satellite for iQPS appeared first on SpaceNews.
Moog Highlights Huntsville Expansion and New Hardware-in-the-Loop Lab During Space and Missile Defense Symposium
Huntsville, AL — Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A and MOG.B) announces a significant expansion at its Huntsville, AL facility that now includes a new secure Hypersonic/Interceptor Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) lab. It is […] The post Moog Highlights Huntsville Expansion and New Hardware-in-the-Loop Lab During Space and Missile Defense Symposium appeared first on SpaceNews.
Artemis Mission Patches
A jacket decorated with Artemis I and II mission patches, along with other NASA patches hangs on the back of a chair on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a terminal countdown simulation for the Artemis III mission. NASA’s Exploration Ground […]
ESA Confirms Ariane 6 Block 3 Upgrades Have Been Shelved
The European Space Agency has confirmed to European Spaceflight that it is no longer considering the Ariane 6 Block 3 evolution, saying there is “no programme need or justification” for the evolution at this time. Questions regarding the scrapping of the Block 3 upgrades arose earlier this month after SpaceScout reported that an ESA study […] The post ESA Confirms Ariane 6 Block 3 Upgrades Have Been Shelved appeared first on European Spaceflight.
NASA Selects University Teams to Help Advance Aviation Research
NASA has selected four university teams to help the agency transform the future of aviation through projects ranging from high-supersonic propulsion systems to low-noise routes for small aircraft flying through cities. The agency made awards through its University Leadership Initiative, which offers student teams the opportunity to contribute to real-world flight research that advances NASA’s goals in aeronautics. […]
The View from Above: The Gemini Visual Acuity Experiments
NASA astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. took 29 color photographs of the Earth with a 70mm camera as he orbited our planet during the Mercury-Atlas 9 mission in May 1963. Cooper’s view from the window of his Faith 7 spacecraft was spectacular, and he reported that he could see vehicles motoring on dirt roads, smoke-belching trains, […]
NASA Data Feeds River Forecasts as Snow Drought Effects Linger
NASA Earth science data is supporting machine-learning forecasts that inform decisions about water, power, and public safety in Washington state.
Portal Space Systems to include rideshare payloads on Falcon 9 launch of Supernova
Portal Space Systems has acquired a Falcon 9 to launch its first Supernova spacecraft and will offer excess capacity on the vehicle for rideshare payloads. The post Portal Space Systems to include rideshare payloads on Falcon 9 launch of Supernova appeared first on SpaceNews.
Rock West Composites® Is Premiering Its New STRATOPultrusion™ Product Line at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference
San Diego, CA – Rock West Composites (RWC) is premiering its recently launched space-grade STRATOPultrusion™ product line at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference this August in Salt Lake City, Utah. […] The post Rock West Composites® Is Premiering Its New STRATOPultrusion™ Product Line at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference appeared first on SpaceNews.
China’s Chang’e-7 lunar ice-hunting mission set for Sunday launch
HELSINKI — China will launch a complex, multi-spacecraft mission late Sunday to study and land near the lunar south pole, including a search for evidence of water-ice. A Long March […] The post China’s Chang’e-7 lunar ice-hunting mission set for Sunday launch appeared first on SpaceNews.
Map of Europe's Spaceport
From the ESA Blogs.
Muon Space raises $250 million to ramp up satellite production
Muon Space has raised $250 million to fuel the small satellite specialist’s push into larger, more powerful spacecraft and constellations. The post Muon Space raises $250 million to ramp up satellite production appeared first on SpaceNews.
LatConnect 60 selects Transcelestial’s Space Optical Network for SWIRSAT imaging constellation
SAN FRANCISCO / PERTH, 20 AUGUST 2026: LatConnect 60 (LC60) has signed a commercial contract with Transcelestial for an optical communications terminal on its SWIRSAT-1 mission, plus access to Transcelestial’s […] The post LatConnect 60 selects Transcelestial’s Space Optical Network for SWIRSAT imaging constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.
Draper Selects Proteus Space for Advanced On-Orbit Mission
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 8th, 2026. Proteus Space, a dual-use aerospace company delivering rapid, end-to-end access to space, today announced it has been selected by The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, […] The post Draper Selects Proteus Space for Advanced On-Orbit Mission appeared first on SpaceNews.