The Race to Put Data Centers in Space: Starcloud’s Bold 88,000-Satellite Plan The future of data processing may not be on Earth. A new wave of companies, led by Washington-based startup Starcloud, is looking to move data centers into orbit. On March 13, Starcloud filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy … Read more
Senate Bill Charts New Course for Artemis, ISS, and Mars Exploration A revised NASA authorization bill recently advanced by the Senate Commerce Committee signals a significant shift in the agency’s priorities, impacting lunar exploration, the International Space Station (ISS), and future Mars missions. The bill reflects adjustments to the Artemis program announced by NASA, alongside … Read more
NASA Eyes Robust Mars Communications Network: A New Era for Red Planet Missions WASHINGTON — NASA is laying the groundwork for a dedicated Mars communications orbiter, a project funded by the 2025 budget reconciliation bill. This initiative, now formally dubbed the Mars Telecommunications Network, aims to provide continuous and reliable communication support for both current … Read more
Intuitive Machines’ $175M Boost: Fueling a Deep Space Communications Revolution Intuitive Machines recently secured a $175 million investment from global institutional investors, a move poised to accelerate the company’s ambitious plans for deep space communications. The funding, finalized February 27th, comes on the heels of its $800 million acquisition of Lanteris Space Systems (formerly Maxar … Read more
Astronaut Mike Fincke’s Medical Event Highlights Growing Challenges of Long-Duration Spaceflight HOUSTON — Veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fincke recently revealed he was the crew member who experienced a medical issue during the Crew-11 mission, prompting an early return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) in January. The incident, while not immediately life-threatening, underscores … Read more
Boeing’s Breakthrough: Talking to Satellites in Natural Language Boeing has achieved a significant milestone in space technology, successfully demonstrating a large language model (LLM) capable of analyzing satellite telemetry and reporting its health in plain language. This innovation, revealed by Arvel Chappell III, director of Boeing Space Mission Systems AI Lab, bypasses the traditional method … Read more
Tory Bruno’s Move to Blue Origin Signals a Novel Era in National Security Space Former United Launch Alliance (ULA) CEO Tory Bruno’s surprising shift to Blue Origin last December, and his subsequent insights shared during a February 19 webinar, underscores a growing urgency in the national security space sector. Bruno now leads Blue Origin’s newly … Read more
Viasat Eyes Role in Emerging Orbital Data Center Market, Focuses on Near-Term Growth TAMPA, Fla. – While not planning to directly deploy orbital data centers, Viasat sees a significant opportunity in providing the crucial communication links needed to connect these systems with users on Earth and other spacecraft. This positioning comes as interest in space-based … Read more
Space Force Faces Critical Crossroads: Can It Rebuild Its Acquisition Workforce? The U.S. Space Force is grappling with a significant challenge: a depleted contracting and procurement workforce. Following staffing reductions in recent years, the command is now aggressively seeking to rebuild, a necessity highlighted by ambitious modernization plans and the potential for a substantial increase … Read more
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha Upgrade: A Sign of Things to Come in the Small Launch Market? Firefly Aerospace is betting on a revamped Alpha rocket to turn the page after a series of setbacks. The announcement of the Block 2 upgrade, slated to debut with Flight 8, signals more than just a technical fix; it reflects … Read more