Author: starpathwp-production
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Latvian Startup Develops Nuclear Power System to Survive Lunar Night
Latvian nuclear power startup Deep Space Energy has secured €930,000 ($1.1 million) in funding to develop a compact radioisotope power generation system designed to keep spacecraft operating through the Moon’s two-week-long lunar night, the company said. The funding package includes a €350,000 pre-seed investment round led by Outlast Fund and NanoAvionics co-founder Linas Sargautis, as…
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UK Space Agency Awards Contracts to Advance In-Orbit Manufacturing
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has awarded contracts worth more than $1.1 million to three British companies to develop technologies for manufacturing products in microgravity, the agency said. The funding aims to accelerate research into producing advanced materials and medicines in space, where conditions such as microgravity and vacuum can yield higher-quality results than on…
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Exploration Company Tests Nyx Capsule Splashdown Ahead of ISS Cargo Plans
European space logistics startup The Exploration Company has completed a controlled splashdown test of a scaled prototype of its Nyx reusable spacecraft, marking a key step toward its planned cargo missions to low Earth orbit. Founded in 2021, the company is developing Nyx as a reusable capsule designed initially to transport cargo to and from…
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Replacement crew docks at space station, boosts crew back to seven
The Crew 12 fliers cavort aboard the International Space Station shortly after floating inside Saturday. They joined station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, back left in black shirt, NASA astronaut Chis Williams and cosmonaut Sergey Mikaev, both wearing black shirts. The Crew 12 astronauts, from left to right, are cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev (upside down), Jack Hathaway, Jessica…
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Isar Aerospace Expands Engine Test Facilities Ahead of Second Spectrum Launch
German launch company Isar Aerospace said it will expand its testing infrastructure at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center as it prepares for the second flight of its Spectrum rocket, currently expected no earlier than March 19. Founded in 2018, Isar Aerospace is developing the 28-meter-tall Spectrum launcher, designed to deliver up to 1,000 kilograms to low…
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SpaceX launches predawn Starlink mission on President’s Day
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-103 mission on Feb. 16, 2026. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now Update Feb. 16, 3:22 a.m. EST (0822 UTC): SpaceX landed the Falcon 9 booster on the droneship. SpaceX kicked off the President’s Day…
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ESA Awards €81.2 Million Contract for Apophis Asteroid Mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded OHB Italia an €81.2 million contract to build, assemble and test the spacecraft for its Ramses mission, which will study the asteroid Apophis during a rare close flyby of Earth in 2029. The contract signals that the mission has entered full development following approval of funding at ESA’s…
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Constellr Raises €37 Million to Expand Thermal Satellite Network for Defence Use
Munich-based Earth observation company Constellr said on Feb. 10 it had raised €37 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total capital raised to €75 million as it pivots toward defence-focused satellite services. The round was led by venture capital firms Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar. Founded in 2020, Constellr operates a thermal…
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NASA Targets April Cargo Flight for Starliner, Crewed Mission Possible This Fall
NASA is aiming to launch an uncrewed mission of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as April, with a potential crewed flight later in the year if technical issues are resolved, officials said. The upcoming mission, known as Starliner-1, will carry cargo rather than astronauts after the spacecraft failed to achieve…
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NASA Selects Two Earth Missions to Improve Climate Monitoring and Disaster Forecasting
NASA has selected two next-generation satellite missions for continued development to enhance understanding of Earth’s systems and improve the ability to predict environmental hazards. The STRIVE (Stratosphere Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically-resolved light Explorer) mission will provide near-daily, high-resolution measurements of atmospheric temperature, aerosols and trace gases from the upper troposphere to the mesosphere. The…