Author: starpathwp-production
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Why NASA is going nuclear for America’s power play on the moon
An artist’s conception shows a nuclear power plant on the moon. (Lockheed Martin Illustration) Almost 60 years after America won the first space race, the moon is once again the focus of a competition between superpowers: Who’ll be the first to put a nuclear-powered base on the lunar surface? And just as President John F.…
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Cold weather delays earliest Artemis 2 launch opportunity
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft sit atop the Mobile Launch at Launch Complex 39B the morning of Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Abnormally cold weather forecast over the weekend for Florida delayed both the earliest possible launch date for the Artemis 2 mission and a crucial fueling test for…
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Rocket Report: How a 5-ton satellite fell off a booster; will SpaceX and xAI merge?
Welcome to Edition 8.27 of the Rocket Report! If all goes well this weekend, NASA will complete a wet dress rehearsal test of the Space Launch System rocket in Florida. This is the final key test, in which the rocket is fueled and brought to within seconds of engine ignition, before the liftoff of the…
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Astroscale France, Exotrail Partner on LEO Deorbiting Capabilities
Astroscale France, a subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings Inc., has formed a strategic partnership with Exotrail to develop controlled deorbiting capabilities for satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), the companies said on Thursday. The partnership aims to strengthen European end-of-life satellite management as congestion in LEO increases due to growing demand for telecommunications, Earth observation, navigation…
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Former SpaceX astronaut discusses training as a NASA astronaut candidate
Training is underway for NASA’s newest class of astronaut candidates at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. The nearly two-year long process began this past September for the four men and six women of Astronaut Group 24. One of those ‘ASCAN’s, as they’re known, is Anna Menon, who previously flew on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn…
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L3Harris Space Business Flat in ‘25, Projects Growth in ‘26 With Reorganized Segments
Revenue in the L3Harris Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) segment was roughly flat in 2025, with the government shutdown impacting contracts in the fourth quarter. L3Harris is forecasting growth in 2026 with reorganized business segments. Moving forward, space capabilities will be part of Space & Mission Systems (SMS), a new segment for multi-domain defense solutions…
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SpaceX Weighs Mid-2026 IPO at Valuation of About $1.5 Trillion, FT Reports
SpaceX, the rocket and satellite company founded by Elon Musk, is weighing a possible initial public offering as early as mid-June 2026 that could raise up to $50 billion and value the company at around $1.5 trillion, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. If completed at that scale, the…
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EU Awards Ariane 6 Contract to Launch Next-Generation Galileo Satellites
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has signed a new contract to launch second-generation Galileo navigation satellites using Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket, reinforcing the bloc’s push for independent access to space, the agency said on Tuesday. Under the agreement, the Ariane 6 launcher will deploy two Galileo L18 satellites. Ariane 6, developed…
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Blue Origin puts space tourism on hold to bet big on the Moon
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket ship lifts off for an suborbital trip in April. (Blue Origin Photo) Blue Origin is pausing flights of its New Shepard rocket for at least two years as it shifts resources toward developing vehicles designed to land astronauts on the Moon. In a statement Friday, the Kent, Wash.-based company said…
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Terran Orbital Advances Diverse Spacecraft Platform Portfolio Supporting Space Missions
Terran Orbital Corporation, a US-based manufacturer of small satellites and satellite subsystems, advances the comprehensive portfolio of spacecraft platforms designed to support a wide range of commercial, civil and defense space missions. The company’s spacecraft platforms are already in operational use and are engineered to address evolving requirements across Earth observation, communications, technology demonstration and…