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world18 hours ago

Starlink outage tests Russia's battlefield edge in Ukraine

SpaceX's Feb. 4 verification move cut off unregistered Starlink terminals in Russian-occupied Ukraine, knocking out real-time satellite communications and crippling drone ops and artillery coordination for Russian forces. Ukrainian intercepts and battlefield footage show Russian firepower thinning, aiding Ukrainian gains of about 77 square miles in the southeast before shelling resumed. Russians are scrambling for alternatives—relying more on radios and slower, less reliable gear—while Western support could become a lever as Moscow falls further behind in rapid tech-enabled warfare.

via Politico|
#communications#russia#spacex
NASA to Track SpaceX CRS-33 Dragon's ISS Undock and Return
space2 days ago

NASA to Track SpaceX CRS-33 Dragon's ISS Undock and Return

NASA will stream the undocking and departure of SpaceX’s CRS-33 Dragon from the ISS, with undock at 12:05 p.m. ET and splashdown off the California coast around 11:44 p.m. PST. The Dragon carries thousands of pounds of crew supplies, science samples and hardware from investigations such as Euro Material Ageing, Stellar Stem Cells Mission 2, SpaceDuino and Moon Microscope, and it also demonstrates a reboost capability to help maintain the station’s orbit. Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. ET on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, marking another step in ISS operations ahead of NASA’s Artemis-focused deep-space program.

via NASA (.gov)|
#crs-33#dragon-spacecraft#international-space-station
Falcon 9 breaks reuse record on twin Starlink mission
space-exploration3 days ago

Falcon 9 breaks reuse record on twin Starlink mission

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 missions to deploy Starlink satellites on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. The second booster, B1067, marked a record 33rd flight, delivering 28 satellites and returning to Earth after landing on a droneship in the Atlantic, while the first-stage booster B1063 from the California launch completed its 31st flight and landed on a Pacific droneship. Together the two launches placed a combined 53 Starlink satellites into orbit, marking SpaceX's 21st and 22nd Falcon 9 launches of the year.

via Space|
#falcon-9#launch#rocket-reuse
Altman Dismisses Musk's Orbital Data Center Dream as Not Feasible Today
technology4 days ago

Altman Dismisses Musk's Orbital Data Center Dream as Not Feasible Today

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Elon Musk's plan to place orbital data centers in space 'ridiculous' for now, citing high launch costs and repair challenges; he said space-based data centers could become feasible someday, but not at scale this decade, even as rivals like Google push similar concepts and Earth-based data centers continue to expand amid local resistance.

via Business Insider|
#ai#data-centers#elon-musk
First real-time lidar capture of space debris pollution from a rocket re-entry
space-exploration5 days ago

First real-time lidar capture of space debris pollution from a rocket re-entry

Scientists used a ground-based LiDAR to observe in near real time the air-pollution plume produced when SpaceX Falcon 9 debris burned up on re‑entry. The lithium signal peaked at about 60 miles altitude, and the plume moved across Western Europe (Ireland to Germany) over roughly a day, while the debris crossed from Ireland to Poland in about 2.5 minutes. Lithium is a rare tracer in the atmosphere; the team estimates about 80 grams of lithium enter Earth's atmosphere daily globally, with a Falcon 9 contributing roughly 30 kilograms of aluminum‑lithium hull and batteries per vehicle. Aluminum oxide formation could affect ozone and climate, and researchers plan to measure additional metals in future campaigns; the study was published February 19, 2026 in Communications Earth & Environment.

via Space|
#atmospheric-chemistry#lidar#lithium
Global space push gains momentum as Artemis tests and private launches advance
technology5 days ago

Global space push gains momentum as Artemis tests and private launches advance

Rocket Report this week surveys a global push in space capability: governments funding domestic launch startups across Europe and the UAE, progress from Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg, and LandSpace/iSpace advancing Chinese launcher efforts. SpaceX restarts Bahamas-based Falcon 9 landings and readies more Starlink missions, while NASA continues to troubleshoot hydrogen leaks on the Space Launch System in preparation for Artemis II and Artemis III. Crew-12 docks with the ISS amid ongoing Crew-11 health issues, and Florida policymakers brace for a Starship era as Cape Canaveral weighs infrastructure impacts. The publication also notes upcoming Falcon 9/Starlink launches and other national programs’ roadmaps (Australasia, Canada, UK, Spain) toward sovereign launch capabilities.

via Ars Technica|
#artemis#ispace#sovereign-launch
SpaceX braces for second Bahamas landing as Starlink launch lifts off from Cape Canaveral
space-exploration6 days ago

SpaceX braces for second Bahamas landing as Starlink launch lifts off from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral with 29 Starlink satellites in a 5 p.m. ET window. If all goes to plan, the first stage will touch down on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in Exuma Sound—the company’s second Bahamian landing—about eight minutes after liftoff, while the 29 Starlink satellites will deploy roughly 64 minutes after liftoff. The Bahamas has cleared SpaceX to resume landing rockets in Exuma Sound following last year’s debris rain.

via Space|
#bahamas#falcon-9#space-exploration
Space-Based AI Data Centers Face Tough Trade-Offs for Earth and Orbit
science-space-and-astronomy6 days ago

Space-Based AI Data Centers Face Tough Trade-Offs for Earth and Orbit

SpaceX and xAI reportedly plan a million-satellite constellation to run AI data centers in orbit. While proponents cite solar efficiency and lower terrestrial costs, experts warn it could trigger debris cascades (Kessler syndrome), overheating and radiation risks for space hardware, brightening the night sky and harming astronomy, and disruption to Earth observation and climate monitoring; even if feasible, AI training would still require Earth-based resources, and governance gaps could complicate implementation.

via Engadget|
#ai#elon-musk#orbital-data-centers
SpaceX cleared to resume Bahamas rocket landings after debris review
space-exploration6 days ago

SpaceX cleared to resume Bahamas rocket landings after debris review

The Bahamas’ Civil Aviation Authority approved SpaceX to restart Falcon 9 first‑stage landings in Bahamian waters after regulatory and environmental reviews concluded following last year’s debris incident from a Starship test flight. Regulators said all required reviews were completed, clearing SpaceX to resume Bahamian drone‑ship landings from Florida launches, with the first Bahamian landing having occurred on Feb. 18, 2025, and SpaceX planning to return to Exuma Sound landings soon to support new orbital trajectories.

via Space|
#bahamas#falcon-9#rocket-landing
SpaceX’s Stargaze aims to tidy up crowded orbits with near real-time tracking
technology6 days ago

SpaceX’s Stargaze aims to tidy up crowded orbits with near real-time tracking

SpaceX unveiled Stargaze, a space traffic management tool using star-tracker data from nearly 10,000 Starlink satellites to observe objects, compute orbits, and issue near‑real‑time conjunction data messages. More than a dozen operators are beta testing, with plans to open the service to all satellite operators for free in the spring. The system hinges on operators sharing ephemeris and maneuver data to improve deconfliction, a point of cautious optimism among industry players, who note concerns about data quality, the government-backed TraCSS effort, and how free SSA services could impact paid providers.

via SpaceNews|
#space-situational-awareness#space-traffic-management#spacex
Nebula-like Falcon 9 plume blooms over Cape Canaveral
space-exploration7 days ago

Nebula-like Falcon 9 plume blooms over Cape Canaveral

Space.com’s Space Photo of the Day captures a nebula-like jellyfish plume from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 during NASA’s Crew-12 launch to the International Space Station. Photographed from Cape Canaveral by John Kraus, the nine Merlin engines’ exhaust forms intricate, flower-like patterns as the rocket ascends. Crew-12 launched on Feb. 13, 2026, and docked with the ISS on Feb. 14 for an eight‑month stay.

via Space|
#falcon-9#iss#nasa