Military

Space Force Releases Vector 2025

The Space Force is plotting for a complex future in Earth’s orbit, and that takes a lot of big-picture thinking and coordination. To set the stage for that future, the branch released a new type of strategic guidance document on Friday, which it’s dubbed Vector 2025.

Deep SpaceLaunch

New Glenn Launches ESCAPADE, a NASA Mission to Mars

After a five-year gap in new missions focused on Mars, NASA is on its way back.

Yesterday afternoon at 3:55pm, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launched for the second time, carrying its first NASA mission—the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers project, better known as ESCAPADE.

Civil

NASA Lays Off ISS Workers at Marshall Space Flight Center

In anticipation of the ISS decommissioning and deorbit planned for the end of this decade, NASA has made a sweeping round of layoffs targeting staff working on programs related to the space station at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

Deep Space

Venus Exploration Hangs in the Balance

Earth’s sulfuric, fiery, evil twin has been the subject of study for a long line of spacecraft over decades. But—while Venus remains a fascinating subject for planetary science and a candidate in the search for life away from home—there’s going to be a gap in our up-close study. The last spacecraft studying Venus up close, Japan’s Akatsuki orbiter, is officially out of commission.

Moonshot Mechanics 2025

Closing the Loop on Lunar Exploration: Material Return

Industry is working every day to establish a long-term, sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. But the challenge of creating a complete, end-to-end cislunar economy doesn’t end with touchdown—or even with setting up shop permanently on the surface. To close the loop, material from the Moon also has to make its way back to Earth.

Business

Voyager Acquires ExoTerra for Electric Propulsion Tech

The Voyager Technologies ($VOYG) family is getting a little bit bigger. The broad-spanning space tech company announced Monday that it is acquiring ExoTerra Resource, a CO-based company building electric satellite propulsion systems. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

Business

Lockheed, Northrop, and Iridium Q3 Earnings Roundup

This week, a pair of primes—Lockheed Martin ($LMT) and Northrop Grumman ($NOC)—and satcom operator Iridium ($IRDM) reported their revenues for the third quarter. We’ve got the roundup of all the space-related tidbits inside.