Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Podcast Addict
Overcast
Podcast RSS
Delian Asparouhov and Philip Johnston on making the case for orbital data centers
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 15:03
Space Minds recently covered SpaceNews’ event on orbital data centers, featuring a conversation between Jeff Foust and Founders Fund investor Delian Asparouhov. Asparouhov explained why he's increasingly interested in orbital data centers, highlighting their potential for scalable, low‑latency data processing. The discussion also included insights from Philip Johnston on the industry’s growing demand for space‑based data infrastructure. Together, the panel underscored how orbital data centers could transform global data services.
NASA working to streamline development of nuclear electric propulsion demo mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 10:55
NASA is pushing ahead with its SR‑1 Freedom mission, a two‑year plan to launch a nuclear‑powered spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2028. The agency is streamlining project management to speed decision‑making while staying compliant with NASA’s standards, and will repurpose the Power and Propulsion Element from the Lunar Gateway and a DOE research‑reactor design. SR‑1 Freedom will carry the SkyFall vehicle, which is set to deploy three Ingenuity‑based helicopters in the Martian atmosphere. While no cost estimate has yet been released, the mission will tap funds from the 2027 budget request and last year’s reconciliation bill, and NASA remains determined to meet its ambitious timeline.
China builds institutional framework for space computing push
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 09:51
China has set up a new industrial policy framework to build space‑based computing infrastructure, launching two coordinating bodies that have already attracted more than 100 applications for everything from radiation‑hardened chips to launch services. The Space Computing Working Committee, chaired by Wang Jianyu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focuses on hardware, while its sister committee tackles standards, applications and terrestrial‑space integration. These efforts are part of China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan, which envisions a gigawatt‑scale, integrated sky‑Earth‑ground computing network by 2030.
SES Partners with Viva to Launch Multi-Orbit In-Flight Connectivity
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 13:45
SES, a global satellite communications leader, has teamed up with Viva, Mexico's low‑cost carrier, to deliver fast, reliable multi‑orbit satellite connectivity across its Airbus fleet. The new service will provide passengers with high‑speed internet on board, enhancing the in‑flight experience. By leveraging SES's extensive satellite network, Viva aims to offer seamless connectivity from takeoff to landing. This partnership marks a significant step forward for affordable air travel in Latin America.
The Exploration Company advances Nyx parachute recovery
Also covered by: Payload Space
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 11:09
The Exploration Company completed a high‑altitude drop test of its Nyx cargo spacecraft in the Mojave Desert on May 19, using a helicopter‑lifted test vehicle that descended from 9,100 feet and deployed drogue and main parachutes before a safe splashdown. Engineers captured detailed data on deployment timing, loads, and vehicle attitude, confirming that the parachute handover and recovery sequence matched expectations and validating Nyx’s controlled Earth‑recovery design. Nyx is intended to ferry up to 4,000 kg to low‑Earth orbit, return cargo via splashdown, and could be reused for future missions—including potential lunar trips—while the company targets its first orbital demonstration to the International Space Station in 2028. This milestone underscores the company’s methodical risk‑reduction approach and positions Nyx as a competitive, affordable resupply alternative.
NASA's dead Mars orbiter MAVEN will crash into the Red Planet in the next 100 years. It's not the only probe in the Mars morgue
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 15:00
NASA has officially declared its MAVEN orbiter dead after months of radio silence, ending a 12‑year mission that mapped Mars' atmosphere. Although the probe went dark unexpectedly, its orbit will keep it circling the Red Planet for another 50 to 100 years before the thin atmosphere pulls it down to a fiery descent.
A rainbow patchwork quilt shows agriculture from space | Space photo of the day for June 4, 2026
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 14:00
NASA’s NISAR satellite has produced a stunning rainbow‑colored composite image that maps vegetation and crop types across South Africa’s agricultural heartland, especially the Vetrivier region north
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is not an alien spacecraft: SETI hunt for 'technosignatures' comes up empty
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 12:07
Scientists searched for technosignatures from the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the Allen Telescope Array and found no evidence of alien signals, confirming it is a natural comet. The team sifted through over seven hours of data, filtering millions of signals until none could be attributed to extraterrestrial activity. They determined that any transmitter on the comet would have to be weaker than about 10^−110 watts—far below our current detection limits. This result underscores the importance of continuing to monitor interstellar visitors for future anomalies.
Meteorite found in Sahara desert may be 1st evidence of lost solar system world
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-04 10:00
Scientists have uncovered a one‑pound meteorite in the Sahara that may be the first concrete evidence of a lost planet that rivaled the Moon in size. The angrite, named NWA 12774, shows unusual chemistry and high‑pressure minerals indicating it formed on a body at least 1,800 kilometers in radius. Researchers suggest this ancient world existed just a few million years after the Sun formed and was likely destroyed in violent collisions that scattered its fragments across the solar system. The find underscores how much of our planetary past may still be hidden in meteorites waiting to be studied.