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Propulsion is having a moment
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 19:59
At the 2026 Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, SpaceNews host Mike Gruss interviewed Kevin Lausten, CEO of Morpheus Space, about how propulsion is essential for staying agile amid congestion and competition, and how sovereignty and autonomy are reshaping the small‑satellite market.
Space Angel secures $1.75m WA Government backing to advance Western Australian spaceport plans
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 14:00
Space Angel, a company developing spaceport infrastructure, has been awarded a $1.75 million grant from the Western Australian Government. The funding, announced by Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson, will support the establishment of a new spaceport in the state. This grant underscores the government’s commitment to boosting Australia’s space industry and creating high‑tech jobs. With this backing, Space Angel aims to accelerate its plans for a state‑of‑the‑art launch facility.
Tendeg Launches NewTEN Steerable Compact Antenna at SmallSat
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 13:00
Tendeg today unveiled its NewTEN, a two‑axis steerable reflector antenna designed to boost communications performance for small spacecraft. The compact system offers improved pointing accuracy and expanded bandwidth, making it ideal for deep‑space and low‑Earth orbit missions.
How ICEYE Turned Sovereign SAR Into a 12-Month Product
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 19:25
ICEYE has set up national entities in Germany, Portugal and India in just 47 days, while appointing a country chief executive for the UAE within the same period. CEO Rafal Modrzewski and ICEYE UAE chief Christos Kolimenakis explained that the company’s country‑leadership model focuses on delivering rapid schedules. In Poland, the entire process from contract signing to a constellation flown by its own military operators took less than 12 months. By contrast, France’s first sovereign radar demonstrator will not enter service until 2029.
a.i. solutions Debuts FreeFlyer 8 Astrodynamics Platform with Cross-Platform Support and Decoupled Graphics
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 19:24
On August 25, 2026, aerospace engineering firm a.i. Solutions launched FreeFlyer 8, a new simulation platform aimed at eliminating bottlenecks in complex flight‑dynamics modeling. The unveiling took place at the Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, where the team showcased the tool’s advanced capabilities for satellite mission planning. FreeFlyer 8 promises faster, more accurate simulations, helping engineers cut development time and reduce costs. The release marks a significant step forward for the small‑satellite industry.
SpaceX and Louisiana State Officials Announce Major Aerospace Logistics and Spaceport Infrastructure Deal
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 15:52
Louisiana state officials and SpaceX executives will hold a press conference on August 25 to announce a formal agreement that will establish new launch infrastructure and aerospace logistics operations in the state. The deal is expected to create jobs and position Louisiana as a key player in the growing commercial space sector. The announcement will be made at 11 a.m. In Baton Rouge, drawing attention from industry leaders and investors alike. This partnership marks a significant step toward expanding the state’s aerospace capabilities.
Taoglas Expands Outdoor RF Hardware Lineup Through Acquisition of QuWireless
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 15:44
On August 25, 2026, San Diego‑based Taoglas announced it had closed its purchase of Poland‑based Wireless Instruments Sp. Z o.o., better known as QuWireless. The deal brings a leading edge‑cable and antenna technology firm into Taoglas’s portfolio, expanding its presence in the European market. QuWireless’s expertise in high‑frequency solutions will strengthen Taoglas’s product lineup and accelerate its growth strategy. The acquisition underscores Taoglas’s commitment to delivering advanced radio‑frequency solutions worldwide.
NASA Invites Media to LunaRecycle Challenge Finale Event in Alabama
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 20:20
NASA will unveil the winners of the final phase of its LunaRecycle Challenge on Friday, Aug. 28, at the University of Alabama’s Styslinger College of Engineering, where
White House Wants 1,000 Annual Launches and Reentries by 2030
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 17:45
The White House’s new National Space Transportation Policy, signed August 20, replaces the 2013 edition and sets a bold target of more than 1,000 launches and reentries per year by 2030. It calls for new launch pads, expanded airspace and spectrum, and a national reentry infrastructure to keep up with the Falcon 9’s 700‑flight history and the growing private‑sector fleet. Agencies from NASA to the FCC have been tasked with building the industrial base, securing spectrum, and identifying new reentry sites, with deliverables due in the next 60 to 240 days. Meanwhile, Canada and Japan are also revising their own space‑transportation laws, signaling a global push to modernize launch and reentry regulation.
'You just saved the video dish': Two astronauts complete spacewalk to replace ISS antenna
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 21:00
NASA and ESA astronauts Anil Menon and Sophie Adenot completed a 6½‑hour spacewalk on Tuesday to replace a failed Space‑to‑Ground antenna on the International Space Station, restoring critical communication redundancy. The pair retrieved a spare dish from the station’s external stowage, mounted it on the Z‑1 truss, and then moved the broken unit to a permanent storage location. Menon’s third EVA added 19 hours of space‑walking time, while Adenot’s second EVA brought her total to nearly 13 hours, making her the fifth French citizen to perform a spacewalk. This repair ensures the ISS can once again track NASA’s data and relay satellites with full redundancy.
Starbase Louisiana: SpaceX announces enormous $100 billion Starbase launch site
Also covered by: NASASpaceFlight
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 18:27
SpaceX announced a $100 billion Starbase Louisiana launch site on Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, covering 125,000 acres. The hub will feature 10 Starship launch pads, an on‑site propellant plant and power generation to support a projected 30 launches per day by 2030, and will be fully self‑sustaining. Construction is already underway, with the company targeting the site as a key step in turning Starship into a crew‑certified lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis program.
The bubbling surface of doomed supergiant star Betelgeuse has been revealed like never before
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 18:00
Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have captured the most detailed view yet of Betelgeuse, revealing bright hotspots and a corrugated surface shaped by massive convective currents. The star, 600 light‑years away and about 20 times the Sun's mass, shows regions up to 2,030 °C, with one hotspot 530 °C hotter than its surroundings. Remarkably, a hotspot in the northeast has persisted for at least seven years, challenging current models of stellar evolution. These observations, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, deepen our understanding of the red supergiant as it approaches its eventual supernova.
NASA's Roman Space Telescope will reveal the universe in a way the JWST and Hubble cannot
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 17:00
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch Aug. 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, will outpace Hubble and JWST with a wide‑field instrument that can generate 500 TB of data each year—over 1,000 times faster surveying and covering 200 times more sky. Its 12.7‑meter cylindrical design includes a 7.9‑foot primary mirror 80 % lighter than Hubble’s, and its infrared‑focused Wide‑Field Instrument will probe dark matter, dark energy, exoplanets, and supernovae. The telescope aims to capture images so large they exceed current screen sizes, revealing phenomena currently impossible to observe.
Astronauts make history repairing the ISS | Space photo of the day for Aug. 25, 2026
Original Publication Date: 2026-08-25 14:00
European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk when she and NASA’s Anil Menon spent 6 hours 23 minutes outside the International Space Station on August 18, 2026. The pair removed a malfunctioning “space‑to‑ground” antenna that had been unreliable for months, a critical link for transmitting data back to Earth. Although they ran out of time to install a new antenna, the repair was a vital first step toward restoring full communication capability. This historic EVA underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining the orbiting laboratory.