The Gist: Space News

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) Leonardo funding development of Earth observation constellation<br>(01:19) NASA work on several programs pending responses to White House executive order<br>(02:06) The space nuclear power bottleneck — and how to fix it<br>(02:38) Low-profile Chinese launch firm conducts first stage static fire<br>(03:25) NASA to attempt second full fueling test of its Space Launch System rocket<br>(04:22) Viasat Report Signals Industrial “Rush” Toward Direct-to-Device (D2D) Connectivity<br>(05:29) China Completes In-Orbit Testing of “Three-Body” AI Computing Constellation<br>(05:44) India Accelerates Military Space Architecture Amid Rising Orbital Weaponization Risks<br>(06:41) JAXA Awards Rakuten Mobile $71.9 Million to Advance Satellite-Terrestrial 5G Integration<br>(07:36) LMT Group and Sateliot Partner with ESA to Advance Dual-Mode 5G Satellite IoT<br>(08:37) Orbex collapse fails to halt progress for UK domestic launch capability<br>(09:29) Launch Preview: Firefly to launch Alpha, SpaceX to launch three Starlink missions<br>(09:49) The Artemis 1 moon mission had a heat shield issue. Here’s why NASA doesn’t think it will happen again on Artemis 2<br>(10:34) Why don't more Tatooine-like exoplanets exist in our Milky Way galaxy? Astronomers might have an answer<br>(11:07) Astronomers discover chemicals that could seed life in the core of a developing star<br>(11:44) Wormholes may not exist – we've found they reveal something deeper about time and the universe<br>(12:31) How astronomers are unveiling the 'skeleton' of the universe<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) Portions of the Pentagon’s LEO constellation on hold as acquisition reviews proceed<br>(01:12) Isaacman planning to meet with head of Roscosmos<br>(01:57) SpaceX launches predawn Starlink mission on President’s Day<br>(02:33) From Soyuz to the stars: A Roscosmos trivia quiz<br>(03:15) Trump's Greenland grab is part of a new space race – and the stakes are getting higher<br>(03:54) Ancient Mars was warm and wet, not cold and icy<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) NASA continues SLS hydrogen leak tests<br>(00:36) Replacement crew docks at space station, boosts crew back to seven<br>(01:25) SpaceX launches 600th Falcon 9 rocket to date with Starlink flight from Vandenberg<br>(02:08) ‘Very lucky day’: NASA, SpaceX ace astronaut launch to the space station on Friday the 13th<br>(02:32) A stellar treat for Valentine's Day: Heart-shaped outburst stuns astronomers<br>(03:02) NASA has a new problem to fix before the next Artemis II countdown test<br>(03:20) Astronomers are filling in the blanks of the Kuiper Belt<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) A new book captures the forces shaping space: China, the moon and industry<br>(01:05) Senate committee advances FCC satellite licensing bill after changes<br>(01:37) Startup bets on new approach to space-based missile defense<br>(02:03) Crew-12 launches to ISS<br>(03:01) Vast wins ISS private astronaut mission<br>(03:50) Viasat Report Signals Industrial “Rush” Toward Direct-to-Device (D2D) Connectivity<br>(04:25) Crew-12 Launches<br>(05:17) Axiom Space Raises $350M to Fuel Station, Suit Development<br>(06:07) SpaceX Crew-12 astronauts have a Valentine's Day date with the space station today. Watch the docking live<br>(06:30) 'The beacons were lit!' Scientists name merging supermassive black holes after 'Lord of the Rings' locations<br>(06:59) A mystery object is dimming a distant star. Could it be a massive exoplanet, or a 'failed star'?<br>(07:42) Artemis 2 rocket photobombs SpaceX Crew-12 | Space photo of the day for Feb. 13, 2026<br>(08:25) If the Winter Olympics went interplanetary, where else could you ski in the solar system?<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) China’s iSpace launch firm raises record $729 million for reusable rockets<br>(00:41) Space startups find more paths to liquidity as investors warm to maturing sector<br>(01:11) First Ariane 64 launches Amazon Leo satellites<br>(02:00) Axiom Space raises additional $350 million<br>(02:20) ThinKom gets military contract to supply portable ground stations for satellite communications<br>(02:48) NASA loading liquid hydrogen aboard Artemis 2 rocket in unannounced test<br>(03:25) Vulcan suffers solid rocket booster problem during USSF-87 launch<br>(04:07) ULA to launch geosynchronous orbit surveillance satellite for the U.S. Space Force<br>(05:11) The Hybrid Architecture Is No Longer Theoretical<br>(06:03) The Thruster Reality Check: Why Boring is the New Stealth<br>(06:21) Balance Sheets Now Matter More Than Rockets<br>(06:52) 70,000 Satellites, One Big Bottleneck: The Industry Wakes Up to the Data Trap<br>(07:20) Software Defines the New Front Lines of Space Defense<br>(08:13) Sunlight Extracts Oxygen From Regolith Using Solar Chemistry<br>(09:00) Stonebreen’s Beating Heart<br>(09:37) NASA Selects Vast for Sixth Private Mission to Space Station<br>(10:16) NASA Moon Mission Spacesuit Nears Milestone<br>(10:30) Shimmering Light in Egg Nebula<br>(11:10) Archival Data From NASA’s NEOWISE Tracks Star Turning Into Black Hole<br>(11:27) Orbex’s Troubles Open Opportunities for Skyrora<br>(12:25) Vulcan, Ariane 64 Blast Off<br>(13:13) Deep Space Energy Pockets €980K to Build European Space Nuclear Power<br>(14:04) Satellite megaconstellations continue to grow. Could their debris fall on us?<br>(14:44) Watch SpaceX launch Crew-12 astronaut mission to the International Space Station this morning<br>(15:22) Deja vu: Vulcan Centaur rocket powers through 'significant performance anomaly' on satellite launch<br>(15:59) Scientists have found a weird 'inside out' planetary system. Here's what it looks like<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:22) ULA’s Vulcan launches U.S. Space Force mission to geosynchronous orbit<br>(00:48) FCC Space Bureau chief shares agenda for regulatory reform<br>(01:09) SpaceX IPO may suck oxygen from market before unleashing broad capital surge<br>(01:31) UK launcher Orbex files for administration after failed funding efforts<br>(01:53) Space companies bet on Golden Dome as questions persist over scope and funding<br>(02:20) Integrate Raises $17M to Commercialize the World’s First Ultra-Secure Project Management Platform for Classified Programs<br>(02:47) Demand for sovereign systems extends to the Earth-observation stack<br>(03:01) SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB<br>(03:18) Compliance Becomes the New Gatekeeper for Space Startups<br>(03:42) The FCC Is Converting Space Regulation Into an Assembly Line<br>(04:12) SmallSat Launch Prices Rise as Competitors Stall on the Pad<br>(04:35) The Dumb Pipe Is Dead: Why Physics Is Forcing AI Into Orbit<br>(04:48) FCC Proposes Assembly Line Licensing to Replace Decades-Old Space Rules<br>(04:59) The End of the Open Range: LEO’s Spectrum Crunch Hits Home<br>(05:11) The Space Tourist Is Dead. Long Live the Orbital Industrialist.<br>(05:21) Reaching Top Speed in the Dolomites<br>(05:37) NASA Completes First Flight of Laminar Flow Scaled Wing Design<br>(05:57) I Am Artemis: Jesse Berdis<br>(06:14) Crew-12 Members and Insignia<br>(06:40) NASA Marks Milestone in Preparation for Artemis IV Testing<br>(07:05) Inaugural Ariane 64 to launch Amazon Leo satellites from Kourou<br>(07:35) Proton-M launches Elektro-L No.5 on its final mission with Blok-DM upper stage<br>(07:59) 39A CAA removed, ending crew launch from historic site, for now<br>(08:26) ULA launches first mission of 2026 with USSF-87 aboard Vulcan – SRB issue observed<br>(09:05) Can a nonprofit help protect Earth from dangerous asteroids? How the B612 Foundation has taken on the challenge<br>(09:35) Vulcan Centaur rocket launches 'neighborhood watch' satellites for the US military<br>(09:42) China aces test of next-gen lunar capsule and rocket in effort to land humans on moon before NASA (video)<br>(10:02) Hubble Space Telescope captures the stunning final breaths of a dying star<br>(10:12) Asteroid samples NASA brought to Earth suggest life's building blocks may be widespread in the universe<br>(10:42) SpaceX Falcon 9 deploys 24 Starlink satellites after California launch<br>(11:05) Why are the launch windows for NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission so short?<br>(11:32) SpaceX takes down Dragon crew arm, giving Starship a leg up in Florida<br>(11:46) What's next after the Trump administration revokes key finding on climate change?<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:23) Reusable launch vehicles will change everything in space, and on Earth<br>(00:40) Eutelsat gets nearly 1 billion euros in French-backed ECA financing<br>(00:59) Stoke Space adds $350 million to Series D round<br>(01:18) China tests crewed spacecraft abort and rocket recovery in major lunar milestone<br>(01:36) FCC approves thousands more Amazon Leo satellites as Gen 1 deadline looms<br>(01:59) Satellite manufacturers see emerging market for ‘mini-constellations’<br>(02:18) National Reconnaissance Office adds HEO, SatVu and Sierra Nevada to commercial imaging program<br>(02:36) ULA sets sights on ramping up launch cadence in 2026<br>(03:03) SatService to Deploy Q/V-band Ground Station for German Bundeswehr University<br>(03:16) D2D’s Hype Hangover: The Physics Finally Bite Back<br>(03:37) Silicon Valley to Aerospace: Code is the New Steel<br>(04:02) Space Has a Plumbing Problem, and It’s Getting Expensive<br>(04:31) The New Orbital Guard: Commercial Tech Steps Up as the Pentagon’s Watchtower<br>(05:04) The New Space Playbook Faces a Physics Cliff at the Moon<br>(05:27) The Commercial Mask Slips: Space is Now a Sovereign Arms Race<br>(05:37) Summer Heat Hits Southeastern Australia<br>(06:06) Curiosity Blog, Sols 4798-4803: Back for More Science<br>(06:55) CubeSats’ Missions Begin<br>(07:07) Grants<br>(07:23) NASA’s Hubble Captures Light Show Around Rapidly Dying Star<br>(07:47) Core Survey by NASA’s Roman Mission Will Unveil Universe’s Dark Side<br>(08:13) SpaceX complete Booster 19 testing at upgraded Massey’s<br>(08:35) Stoke Space Adds $350M to Series D Fundraise<br>(09:04) Rep. Mike Haridopolos On Cutting Red Tape, Passing NASA Bill<br>(09:11) Spaceium Tests Robot Gas Attendant Piece in Orbit<br>(09:38) Momentus and NASA Will Collab on RPO Demo<br>(09:55) UK to Invest Nearly £1M In In-Orbit Manufacturing<br>(10:04) Artemis 2 rocket chills with the 'Snow Moon' | Space photo of the day for Feb. 11, 2026<br>(10:26) James Webb Space Telescope uncovers secret supermassive black holes that escape traditional detection<br>(10:44) Could the remains of a 'dead' comet still be in the solar system? Astronomers are still searching 6 years later<br>(11:12) Life on Earth is lucky: A rare chemical fluke may have made our planet habitable<br>(11:30) Earth orbit is getting crowded. Can this map of 1 million routes around our planet help prevent satellite collisions?<br>(11:58) How are gas giant exoplanets born? James Webb Space Telescope provides new clues<br>(12:31) Italy's 2026 Winter Olympic venues from space | Space photo of the day for Feb. 10, 2026<br>(13:01) SpaceX's next-gen Super Heavy booster aces four days of "cryoproof" testing<br>

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!<br>(00:10) Podcast Introduction<br>(00:24) Musk says SpaceX focus is on the moon rather than Mars<br>(00:56) There’s a way forward for sovereign European space intel, but is there the will?<br>(01:09) Weather delays NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 flight to the International Space Station<br>(01:51) Momentus to Demonstrate Multispectral Sensor for Space Force, With NASA Support<br>(02:33) Teledyne Advances U.S. National Defense with SDA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer Program<br>(03:06) Kepler Communications’ next-generation optical data relay constellation launched<br>(05:01) Sequoia capital: 2028 will be the year of direct to cell for SpaceX<br>(05:31) Space: Disproving the Known<br>(05:57) Winter Grips Japan<br>(06:22) What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Mission<br>(06:58) Space Station Research Contributes to Artemis II<br>(07:26) Icy Hudson River<br>(07:46) Launch Preview: Vulcan to launch USSF-87, SpaceX to launch Crew-12 to ISS<br>(08:26) SpaceX Delays Mars Plans in Favor of the Moon<br>(08:52) NASA to Grow Civil Servant Workforce Under Isaacman<br>(09:05) 1 week until an annular solar eclipse turns the sun into a 'ring of fire' over Antarctica<br>(09:28) A city on the moon: Why SpaceX shifted its focus away from Mars<br>(09:59) How long will the ISS operate with a skeleton crew? SpaceX’s Crew-12 astronaut mission delayed to Feb. 12<br>(10:16) 'Star Trek' legend George Takei talks Nimoy's directing, the future of exploration, and his sad plastic umbrella (interview)<br>(10:53) Netflix's 'War Machine' looks like 'Predator' meets 'Metal Gear', and we're 100% here for it<br>(11:23) Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS survived its flyby of the sun — and gave up some secrets in the process<br>(11:55) Can current space law handle the new space age?<br>