All articles tagged with #space technology
The race to mine the moon is accelerating with new technological developments and international players, but the legal framework remains outdated and fragmented, raising concerns about equitable benefit-sharing, environmental impact, and potential conflicts. Urgent international cooperation and updated governance are needed to ensure responsible and sustainable lunar resource exploitation.
A Cardiff-based startup, Space Forge, has successfully sent a mini factory into orbit that can produce ultra-pure semiconductors in space, leveraging the vacuum and weightlessness to create higher quality materials than possible on Earth. The company plans to develop larger factories and test re-entry technology, opening new possibilities for manufacturing in space that could benefit electronics and other industries on Earth.
NASA is using a high-tech sensor called AVIRIS-5 aboard its ER-2 aircraft to locate critical minerals in the American West, essential for technologies like batteries and semiconductors, with potential applications in land management and planetary science.
AST SpaceMobile's stock rose over 14% as it prepares to launch its BlueBird 6 satellite, the sixth in a series aimed at providing global cellular coverage from space, with the launch scheduled for December 24, marking a significant step in its satellite deployment plans.
CACI International is acquiring space technology firm ARKA for $2.6 billion to expand its capabilities in space-based sensing and intelligence systems, supporting national security missions and future opportunities in the space domain.
NASA launched the DiskSat technology demonstration, a new flat, disk-shaped small spacecraft platform designed to lower costs and expand capabilities for space missions, into low Earth orbit to test its performance and potential applications for scientific and exploration purposes.
In 2025, NASA made significant strides in space exploration, including preparing for the Artemis II crewed Moon mission, advancing Mars exploration efforts, launching scientific missions, and strengthening international partnerships, all while engaging the public through digital media and educational activities.
The U.S. Space Force has introduced a new satellite naming system using Magic: The Gathering-style cards to give more identity and culture to its satellites, with themes inspired by mythology and nature, aiming to foster a stronger connection among Guardians and make satellite designations more engaging.
The U.S. Space Force has introduced a new satellite naming system using Magic: The Gathering-style cards to give satellites more personality and cultural identity, with themes inspired by mythology and nature, aiming to foster a stronger connection among Guardians and make satellite designations more engaging.
Europe's ESA approved a record 22.1 billion Euro budget for 2026-2028, focusing on space exploration, science, and self-reliance, despite NASA's budget cuts impacting international collaborations and projects like ExoMars and Mars Sample Return.
In the 1960s, MIT students and a professor devised a plan called 'Project Icarus' to prevent a catastrophic asteroid impact, which involved detecting and deflecting the asteroid using existing technology. Their efforts contributed to the development of modern planetary defense strategies, significantly reducing the risk of asteroid-induced extinction today.
China set a new single-year record for rocket launches in 2025 with 72 missions, surpassing last year's 68, driven by multiple launches including government and private rockets, although the US leads globally with over 150 launches, mainly by SpaceX's Falcon 9.
Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney have demonstrated, through detailed modeling, that sending quantum signals from Earth to satellites is feasible, paving the way for unhackable quantum networks, despite previous assumptions that such uplinks were impossible due to stability challenges.
SpaceX has unveiled a simplified lunar lander design to accelerate Artemis missions, focusing on safety and efficiency by reducing complexity, launch requirements, and cargo capacity, aiming to return humans to the Moon sooner.
Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to deploy large-scale data centers in orbit using advanced Starlink V3 satellites, which will significantly increase data capacity and could transform space-based data processing, with launches potentially starting in 2026.