EuropeLunar

Thales Alenia Space Picks its Lunar Lander Team for Argonaut

It’s been almost a year since Thales Alenia Space’s Italian subsidiary won the initial ESA contract to build a descent module for a lunar lander. Getting down to the lunar surface will be a team effort, though, and on Friday the space firm announced it has picked its team.

ISAMVC/PE

Infinite Orbits Raises €40M for In-Space Servicing

Infinite Orbits, a French satellite servicing company, announced yesterday that it has brought in a €40M ($46.3M) round of financing to support its trek toward deployment. 

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.

Business

Rocket Lab, AST SpaceMobile Post Q3 Results

On Monday, Rocket Lab ($RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) released their financial results for the third quarter of 2025.

Launch

China Breaks Its Own Yearly Launch Record

A matching set of orbital launches out of China on Saturday brought the nation’s running total for the year to 70: a new record for the US’ closest rival in cadence.

BusinessSatcom

SES Reports Q3 2025 Results ft. Intelsat 

SES has brought Intelsat fully into the fold of its operations—and so far, it’s shaky news, with revenues up but still missing analyst expectations.

Business

Exclusive: Portal Unveils Starburst, Set for Flight Next Year

The Bothell, WA-based space maneuverability startup has unveiled Starburst, an ESPA-class vehicle that can maneuver payloads in orbit.

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.