Space

Katalyst’s Link Spacecraft Begins Pursuit of NASA’s Swift Observatory in First Commercial Satellite Rescue Featured image: [Artist’s rendering of the Katalyst Link spacecraft approaching NASA’s Swift Observatory in orbit; credit: Katalyst Space Technologies] A shoebox-sized spacecraft built in under nine months is now racing against time to rescue NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst observatory before its […]

Chinese Researchers Design Reusable Net-Membrane That Folds Itself Up for Multiple Space Debris Captures Date: 2026-07-07 Featured image: [Diagram of the hybrid net-membrane capture system showing deployment sequence; credit: Yu et al., Space: Science & Technology 2026] A team of Chinese researchers has proposed a new approach to one of the most stubborn problems in […]

Nature to Congress: $300 Million a Year for the Universe’s Greatest Eyes Is a Steal Featured image: [Composite of Hubble and JWST images showing their complementary views of the universe; credit: NASA/ESA/STScI] Nature, one of the world’s most influential scientific journals, published an extraordinary editorial on July 7 urging Congress to renew funding for both […]

Shoebox-Sized Superconducting Thruster Demonstrates Fuel-Free Maneuvering in First Orbital Test Date: 2026-07-07 Featured image: [Diagram of the Z01 Supertorquer superconducting magnet system showing coils and heat pump assembly; credit: Zenno Astronautics] A shoebox-sized superconducting thruster that generates acceleration without consuming propellant has completed its first in-orbit test, marking the first time a superconducting device has […]

A shoebox-sized spacecraft built in under nine months is now racing against time to rescue NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst observatory before its orbit decays beyond reach. Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft launched July 3 aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from Kwajalein Atoll and has begun checkout procedures ahead of what would be the […]

Stranded in the Sunset: ULA’s Last Six Atlas V Rockets Can Only Fly Boeing’s Uncertified Starliner Featured image: [An Atlas V rocket launching with Boeing’s Starliner capsule mounted on top; credit: United Launch Alliance/NASA] United Launch Alliance has six Atlas V rockets left in its inventory. Every single one of them is locked to a […]

Katalyst’s Link Spacecraft Begins Pursuit of NASA’s Swift Observatory in First Commercial Satellite Rescue Featured image: [Artist’s rendering of the Katalyst Link spacecraft approaching NASA’s Swift Observatory in orbit; credit: Katalyst Space Technologies] A shoebox-sized spacecraft built in under nine months is now racing against time to rescue NASA’s Swift gamma-ray burst observatory before its […]

Two Nations, Two Debut Rockets: China’s Long March 10B and India’s Vikram-I Set for Historic Launches Featured image: [Renderings of the Long March 10B (left) and Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-I (right); credit: CASC/Chinarocket (left), Skyroot Aerospace (right)] A rare double debut in orbital spaceflight is unfolding this week. China’s partially reusable Long March 10B and India’s […]

Shoebox-Sized Superconducting Thruster Demonstrates Fuel-Free Maneuvering in First Orbital Test Featured image: [Diagram of the Z01 Supertorquer superconducting magnet system showing coils and heat pump assembly; credit: Zenno Astronautics] A shoebox-sized superconducting thruster that generates acceleration without consuming propellant has completed its first in-orbit test, marking the first time a superconducting device has ever been […]

Webb Unveils Millions of Stars in Centaurus A, Resolving a Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision Featured image: [Webb NIRCam and MIRI composite image of Centaurus A (NGC 5128), showing millions of individually resolved stars and the galaxy’s distinctive dust lane; credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI] The James Webb Space Telescope has resolved millions of individual stars in the […]