Civil
Stories about US and international civil space missions, including those led by NASA and ESA.
Duffy Selects 20-Year NASA Vet as His Number Two
By promoting Kshatriya, Duffy is following through on his commitment to “move away” from Earth sciences in favor of greater space exploration.
NOAA’s Weather Sat Do-Over Starts With Less
The next-generation of US weather satellites isn’t so next-generation anymore.
Inside Aerospacelab’s Pitch to Build IRIS2
Payload sat down with Benoît Deper, Aerospacelab’s founder and CEO, to discuss the startup’s pitch to manufacture Europe’s secure satcom constellation.
What Happens to the UK Space Agency Now?
Industry leaders shared nuanced views with Payload on what a DSIT-run UKSA might mean for the future of the country’s space ambitions.
Organizations Band Together to Save NASA Science
The organizations’ plan is to educate members of Congress on the importance of NASA science, and the wide-ranging benefits the agency provides to the whole country.
Duffy Wants NASA To Leave the Earth Behind
NASA will begin “moving away” from Earth sciences, Acting Administrator Sean Duffy told Fox News last week—a sharp shift in the agency’s focus since it was established in 1958.
SmallSats Could Have Big Role in Solar Exploration, Too
Small sats have historically mainly made their homes in LEO, but more and more operators are shrinking the size of the platforms they send to GEO and beyond.
Op-ed: NASA’s New CLD Strategy Will Lose Mars, LEO to China
As a former space shuttle pilot and commander whose crews helped build the ISS, I am appalled that NASA has reportedly changed its plans for future commercial space stations.
NASA Wants To Hit the Accelerator On Lunar Atomics
The Trump administration’s first big change to the Artemis program is a plan to deliver a 100kw nuclear fission reactor to the lunar surface by 2030, with the job done almost entirely by the private sector.
NASA Releases Updated Software Catalog
NASA is continuing its tradition of not gatekeeping success by unveiling a major update to its public software catalog.
Global Space Economy Tops $600B For The First Time
The global space economy grew nearly 8% in 2024 to $613B, according to a report released Tuesday by the Space Foundation.
Duffy’s First Days at NASA Clouded by Budget Uncertainty
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took the helm for his first full day as NASA’s interim administrator on Friday.
NASA’s TRACERS Mission Eyes Space Weather’s Bottom-Line Risks
TRACERS, will investigate magnetic reconnection, one of the driving forces behind geomagnetic storms that can disturb Earth’s upper atmosphere, and pose hazards to satellites.
