Researchers from the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGCAS), and Shandong University have identified, for the first time, crystalline hematite and maghemite produced by a major impact event in lunar soil returned from the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin by China's Chang'e-6 mission. These findings, published in Science Advances, offer direct evidence from lunar samples indicating the presence of highly oxidized materials on the Moon. Redox reactions are fundamental to the history of planetary formation, yet previous studies confirmed that neither the Moon's interior oxygen fugacity nor its surface environment favor strong oxidation. Most iron on the Moon is found in reduced forms, either as ferrous or metallic iron. However, spectroscopic data recently suggested that hematite is distributed in high-latitude lunar regions.

Space Systems Command continues the process of certifying Blue Origin's New Glenn launch vehicle for National Security Space Launch missions, following the successful NG-2 launch at 3:55 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The US Space Force Assured Access to Space Certification Team from System Delta 80 observed this second flight of New Glenn. The certification process, managed in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, aims to ensure launch system readiness for delivering USSF satellites for national security and intelligence needs. Blue Origin's agreement with the National Security Space Launch program includes ongoing flights, each supporting the accumulation of analytical data essential for certification requirements.

Researchers led by the Department of Astronomy at Tsinghua University have identified a galaxy labeled CR3, which shows evidence of containing stars from the earliest phase of the universe. The team used data from the James Webb Space Telescope, the Very Large Telescope, and the Subaru Telescope to examine CR3. It is situated almost 11.5 billion years in the past, at the epoch known as cosmic noon.

Exoplanet map initiative earns NASA support for University of Iowa physicist by Clarence Oxford Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 14, 2025 University of Iowa physicist David Nataf will lead a NASA-funded research project focused on producing detailed three-dimensional maps for the study of exoplanets and their host stars. Nataf and his team will address the challenge posed by interstellar extinction, the dimming and reddening of starlight by dust, which obscures observations of exoplanets. Their work will rely heavily on data from NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope along with observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, Euclid Space Telescope, and Rubin Observatory. The project aims to improve knowledge of the properties of host stars, such as mass, distance, metallicity, and temperature - key factors influencing planetary characteristics. By constructing multidirectional maps of interstellar dust, the researchers will distinguish how two close-appearing stars may be at different depths within the galaxy. Methods will include gravitational lensing, which determines exoplanet locations by measuring the effect of massive objects bending light and observing how stellar brightness shifts against background stars. Currently, there are about 6,000 confirmed exoplanets. Thousands more candidates await verification - a growing dataset that helps scientists understand planetary formation and the prevalence of Earth-like worlds. Nataf stated, "With the data from this survey, we'll be able to say how common planets like Earth are, as in planets with a mass around that of Earth's, and with a surface effective temperature a little warmer than the freezing point of water. That matters because life as we know it requires liquid water."

Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission achieves key flyby milestones by Simon Mansfield Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 15, 2025 Chandrayaan-3 was developed to demonstrate the capability for a controlled lunar landing, enable rover mobility on the Moon, and facilitate in-situ research. The mission includes a lander module, propulsion module, and rover. The satellite launched aboard LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, on July 14, 2023. Following its lunar touchdown on August 23, 2023, the propulsion module maintained lunar orbit at roughly 150 km until October 2023. Maneuvers executed in October then propelled the module into a high-altitude, Earth-bound trajectory, placing it under the combined gravitational influences of Earth and the Moon. The module entered the Moon's sphere of influence on November 4, 2025. The first lunar flyby occurred outside Indian Deep Space Network visibility on November 6, with closest approach at 3,740 km from the Moon's surface. The second flyby, tracked by the Indian Deep Space Network, reached 4,537 km from the surface on November 11. The module is projected to exit the Moon's sphere of influence on November 14, 2025.

Open-source clock framework aims to synchronize deep space missions by Clarence Oxford Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 15, 2025 Vartis Space Corp. has introduced the Vartis Space Clock, an open-source framework that enables independent synchronization of zero-time reference points for space operations without relying on Earth-based signals. The company describes the clock framework as a step toward establishing a temporal infrastructure that supports satellites, lunar operations, and missions throughout the Solar System. The synchronization method aligns zero-time points outside physical location and provides deterministic outputs when run on identical hardware. The framework utilizes core mathematical modules and parameter-driven inputs and is available to the public for verification and adaptation. Dr. Steven Moore, chief science officer at Vartis Space, said, "We are excited to introduce technologies and pathways that validate and advance new approaches to synchronizing and measuring time in space. This project invites global collaboration to solve one of the most profound challenges of off-world exploration." The release offers zero-point calculation up to nineteen decimal places, independence from CPU clock timing, and the ability to generate time synchronization without hardware drift or external reference. The announcement signals the beginning of a wider effort to develop interoperable timekeeping systems suitable for multi-planetary operations. References cited include technical articles and patents on time modeling, device methods, and policy developments. The open-source repository and further documentation are available through Vartis Space.

Record doubleheader: SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets from Florida by Allen Cone Washington DC (UPI) Nov 15, 2025 SpaceX launched two rockets with a total of 58 Starlink Internet satellites about 3 1/2 hours apart overnight Saturday in the private company's quickest turnaround from Florida's Space Coast. In all, there have been a record 98 missions this year from the adjacent Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The record of 94 was broken on Monday. Originally, there was supposed to be a 48-minute turnaround but the second launch was delayed by 2 hours and 49 minutes. The two launches at 10:08 p.m. EST Friday and 1:44 a.m. Saturday -- split by three hours and 36 minutes -- beat the doubleheader turnaround of 4 hours and 12 minutes by SpaceX in March 2023. The launches were under clear skies, Florida Today reported. In 1966, NASA launched two spacecraft 1 hour and 37 minutes apart in Florida with Gemini 11 crew and its Agena target vehicle, which was used to practice orbital space rendezvous and docking techniques. It is not the quickest doubleheader by SpaceX but the other one occurred in different states. On Aug. 31, 2024, two Falcon 9 missions were just 65 minutes apart. One flew from Cape Canaveral and the other lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Both first stages in Florida landed on droneships in the Atlantic east of The Bahamas. The first Falcon 9 lifted off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9's first stage landed in the Atlantic Ocean on drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the eighth mission for the first stage. The second Falcon 9 went off from Cape Canaveral's Pad 40. About 8 1/2 minutes later, the first stage landed on the drone ship "Read the Instructions" and was the 24th mission, including Crew-6. The first-stage rockets are refurbished at Hangar X. "It was less than 10 years ago when the idea of recovering a 1st stage was extremely controversial," Stoke Space CEO and co-founder Andy Lapsa said in a post on X. "Now it's absurd to even consider anything else. "Today, the same skepticism surrounds 2nd stage reuse, but it won't be long until that, too, is archaic." He shared video footage of Blue Origin's New Glenn booster landing Thursday. The New Glenn launch was part of a doubleheader at Cape Canaveral, which were 6 hours and 9 minutes apart. The New Glenn rocket deployed NASA's Mars-bound ESCAPADE spacecraft into low-Earth orbit at 3:55 p.m. Then at 10:04 p.m., United Launch Alliance sent up an Atlas V rocket, deploying a Viasat communications satellite. With the two launches, there are now more than 8,900 operational Starlink satellites.

2025's strongest solar flare triggers global radio blackout by Chris Benson Washington DC (UPI) Nov 11, 2025 Scientists said the sun erupted Tuesday morning, unleashing a strong X5.1-class flare in an intense outburst, causing communications disruptions. It was the year's strongest solar flare. Scientists said the flare peaked around 5 a.m. EST, creating the most intense outburst since October 2024. The solar flare triggered radio blackouts on the African and European continents and disrupted high-frequency communication on Earth's sunlit part. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its coronal mass ejection was "quite energetic" and the "fastest" CME observed so far from the sunspot group region. NOAA said forecasters were "evaluating the situation and will make any needed geomagnetic storm watch adjustments soon" with two other CMEs anticipated to affect Earth overnight. It was the latest in a series of other large flares that took place Sunday and Monday. Forecasters at NOAA were evaluating the sun's activity and could increase the threat level according to the Space Weather Scales. There is current a G3 watch in effect, which means there's a strong chance a geomagnetic storm could disrupt Earth's magnetic field and affect communications. If NOAA raises the watch level to a G4, there's a greater chance of widespread problems with electrical, communications and spacecraft operations on Earth. The highest watch level is G5. Meanwhile, forecasters were evaluating the ongoing situation and could raise the current G3 watch to G4 or higher, NOAA added. In December 2023, a large solar flare, the biggest since 2017, likewise disrupted radio communication for 2 hours on Earth.

Preparations begin for return of Shenzhou mission crew after debris incident by Riko Seibo Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 12, 2025 The China Manned Space Agency has initiated emergency plans to bring home the Shenzhou XX crew after a space debris impact prompted a delay in their scheduled return. Mission planners and engineers prioritized crew safety and carried out comprehensive simulations, hardware checks, and risk assessments for the Shenzhou XX spacecraft. Teams at the Dongfeng Landing Site conducted intensive drills to ensure readiness for the crew's eventual return. All associated systems have performed numerous tests to confirm operational status and address any potential issues. The Tiangong space station remains fully functional and can support two crews concurrently. Shenzhou XX astronauts continue their daily activities and collaborate with the Shenzhou XXI crew on ongoing scientific projects. Mission commander Senior Colonel Chen Dong and crewmates Colonel Chen Zhongrui and Colonel Wang Jie were originally slated to return on November 5 after six months aboard Tiangong. The Shenzhou XX crew represents China's fifteenth manned space flight and is the ninth group to reside on the station. The team's return was delayed when their spacecraft was struck by debris, a hazard that includes remnants of rockets, obsolete satellites, collision fragments, and other objects orbiting Earth. Such debris poses risks to spacecraft integrity and crew safety.

LandSpace prepares reusable ZQ 3 rocket for first launch after major tests in China by Riko Seibo Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 12, 2025 LandSpace, a private Beijing-based rocket manufacturer, is moving toward the debut flight of its ZQ 3, also known as Rosefinch 3, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. The company is aiming to recover the rocket's first-stage booster after launch. The ZQ 3 is a substantial reusable rocket, measuring 66.1 meters in height and 4.5 meters in diameter, with a fully fueled mass of nearly 570 metric tons. Its liftoff thrust exceeds 750 metric tons, allowing it to deliver heavy satellites to low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits. The vehicle uses nine TQ-12A methane engines on its first stage and a single TQ-15B engine for the second stage. LandSpace's methane engines enhance environmental credentials and make the first-stage booster reusable. Four grid fins and four landing legs provide the structure required for recovery. Technical testing is currently underway at Jiuquan, which boasts a dedicated launch service tower for the ZQ 3 series. Engineers selected stainless steel for the rocket's tanks, prioritizing strength and resistance to high temperatures and corrosion, as well as keeping costs competitive. LandSpace has invested significantly in the research and development of the ZQ 3, targeting contracts related to China's plans for a large-scale internet satellite network. In September 2024, the company performed a vertical takeoff and vertical landing test at Jiuquan, reaching an altitude of 10 kilometers to demonstrate essential recovery technologies. A static-fire test for the first ZQ 3 was conducted last month, confirming key sequences for launch preparation. This test has become a standard preflight procedure for new rockets. LandSpace made history in July 2023 by launching the world's first methane-propelled carrier rocket into orbit using the ZQ 2 model at Jiuquan. So far, six launches have been completed with the ZQ 2 and its modified variants.

Superheated galaxy reveals rapid star birth in early universe by Robert Schreiber Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 12, 2025 An international team of astronomers, led by Tom Bakx from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, has identified a galaxy forming stars at a pace 180 times faster than the Milky Way, using the ALMA telescope to precisely measure the object's temperature. Known as Y1, the galaxy is so distant its light has traveled for over 13 billion years to reach Earth. The team detected the presence of intensely heated cosmic dust and measured the dust temperature at 90 Kelvin, much warmer than that seen in any other comparable galaxy by this point in cosmic history. "We're looking back to a time when the universe was making stars much faster than today. Previous observations revealed the presence of dust in this galaxy, making it the furthest away we've ever directly detected light from glowing dust. That made us suspect that this galaxy might be running a different, superheated kind of star factory. To be sure, we set out to measure its temperature," said Tom Bakx. Powerful observations with ALMA, operated in Chile, allowed the team to capture the galaxy's emission at a wavelength of 0.44 millimetres. The measured brightness showed the dust shining far hotter than typical, indicating extreme and rapid star formation. "At wavelengths like this, the galaxy is lit up by billowing clouds of glowing dust grains. When we saw how bright this galaxy shines compared to other wavelengths, we immediately knew we were looking at something truly special," said Bakx. Yoichi Tamura, astronomer at Nagoya University, Japan, explained that Y1's star production rate exceeds 180 solar masses per year, compared to about one per year in the Milky Way. This extreme activity cannot be sustained for long periods, and such intense bursts of star formation may have been more common in the early universe. "We don't know how common such phases might be in the early universe, so in the future we want to look for more examples of star factories like this. We also plan to use the high-resolution capabilities of ALMA to take a closer look at how this galaxy works," Bakx said.

Aerospace modules completed for Artemis lunar crew mission by Robert Schreiber Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 12, 2025 The European Service Module-4 for NASA's Orion spacecraft has completed integration at Airbus facilities in Bremen, Germany. The module will soon ship to Kennedy Space Center for assembly and testing alongside Orion's Crew Module, progressing preparation for NASA's Artemis program return to lunar crewed flight. Thales Alenia Space provides major subsystems for all six European Service Modules under the Artemis program, including structure, thermal control, and life support. Entire module structures and their thermal control and consumable service systems are produced in Turin, Italy. The core structure uses composite fiber reinforced polymer panels and aluminum alloys, maintaining low weight for mission range while meeting strength requirements. Four water tanks and six radiators per module enable full redundancy for life support and thermal management. After assembly and initial tests in Turin, modules are shipped to Bremen for final installation and checks before lunar mission preparation. These technical components support astronaut safety and sustainability during flight. The ESM-2 will launch with the Artemis II mission next year, marking the first human deep-space expedition since Apollo. Thales Alenia Space teams met project challenges, including delivery delays during the COVID period, to complete ESM-4 integration. Their technical work enabled successful outcomes for the program. Upcoming Artemis IV will use ESM-4 to propel the Lunar I-HAB module to the Gateway, supporting future crew research in lunar orbit. Thales Alenia Space is also prime contractor for I-HAB and responsible for major structural elements of HALO, the Gateway's initial habitation and logistics module. Additional tasks include contributions to ESA's Lunar View and Lunar Link station elements for communications and refueling. The company also signed a contract for the Emirates Airlock module for lunar extravehicular activity. The Argonaut lunar lander, contracted to Thales Alenia Space, will deliver robotic equipment to the lunar surface starting in 2030. The Italian Space Agency has selected the company for the Multi-Purpose Habitation module, equipping astronauts for extended lunar surface missions with resource autonomy and support systems. As part of ESA's MoonLight program, Thales Alenia Space will supply lunar navigation satellites. "From Orion to Gateway cis-lunar space station, and from lunar orbit to the Moon itself, Thales Alenia Space continues to drive the future of human space exploration," said Giampiero Di Paolo, Thales Alenia Space Deputy CEO and SVP Observation, Exploration and Navigation. "Thanks to its vision, expertise, and the unwavering commitment of its teams, Thales Alenia Space is a key player in building the infrastructures that will sustain human life beyond Earth, where the next great chapter of discovery is already taking shape," Thales Alenia Space CEO, Herve Derrey, said.

New Structures Could Keep Astronauts Fit During Long Missions by Cesareo Contreras Boston, MA (SPX) Nov 10, 2025 Northeastern professor Jeffery Lipton and his colleagues have created a new class of deployable structures that could one day be used to create artificial gravity space habitats for astronauts. From muscle atrophy to bone loss, astronauts face a number of health risks while in space. It's easy to understand why. The human body relies on Earth's gravity to work out muscles and support other functions. It's a particularly serious issue for astronauts on long missions. Just look at NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, who were aboard the International Space Station for nine months. Both returned to Earth with a decrease in muscle mass, balancing issues, fluid buildup and more. One way astronauts in space try to counteract microgravity's negative effect is by using specialized exercise equipment, but the available options still fall short in many respects in actually preventing muscle or bone loss. A team of researchers that includes Jeffery Lipton, a Northeastern University mechanical and industrial engineering professor, may have just offered the best solution yet in addressing the issue - and they turned to geometry to do it. Lipton and his colleagues have created a new class of deployable structures that could one day be used to create artificial gravity space habitats for astronauts to maintain their muscles during long-duration missions. These high-expansion-ratio deployable structures, or HERDS, are composed of a series of triangle-shaped pop-up extending trusses, or PET, that use a scissor-based mechanism to retract and expand. These systems are small enough - both in size and weight - to be stored compactly on a spacecraft, but are capable of expanding into a kilometer in length and function properly at high spin rates. Lipton and his colleagues tested the HERDS in microgravity this year aboard a parabolic flight - a type of flight that simulates space travel. The trip was a test of the hardware, and also an opportunity for the team to refine the software side of things, he says. "You need to prove you have a really good way of modeling these systems, and you can't really model them just on Earth," he says. "We wanted to make sure that we could build a software model that could accurately capture the dynamics and the individual eccentricities of these complex moving part assemblies." It was certainly a unique experience, Lipton explains. "The crazy part was the switching between zero G and 2Gs," he says. "In zero G, it feels natural - like nothing at all," he says. "But your entire sense of how to move is wrong. One time I pushed off too hard and rocketed right into the ceiling. Once you got the hang of it, though, you just learned to push gently and coast up to where you wanted to go. However, when 2Gs came, you couldn't and didn't want to move." But the HERDS system's potential applications extend beyond just space exploration, Lipton explains. This technology could be used to create things like deployable stretchers, temporary cellphone towers and concert staging. "Deployable structures have a wide range of uses - anytime where you need to get something either into a small area or into a small volume and then expand it out on the other side," he says. Other deployment structure methods that have been used in the past have some major tradeoffs, Lipton explained. Tethered-based deployable structures are built using rope or straps, for example, which "are great as long as they are taut, but as soon as they go slack, they are dangerous," Lipton says. What sets HERDS apart is that they are safe either deployed or stored flat and have the proper rigidity and stiffness to handle heavy loads like humans, he says. Now that Lipton and his colleagues have better modeling data for the structure, they'll double down on derisking the technology. "No one is going to go from this to, 'OK, let's build that space habitat for astronauts.' It's too risky and expensive," he says. "Now, we have to look for different applications that we can do both on Earth and in space with both our deployable structures and our software so that we can build the confidence in this and get larger things deployed and eventually lead to this kilometer-scale structure in space."

illustration only Sentinel-1D extends global radar imaging as new Copernicus satellite enters orbit by Robert Schreiber Berlin, Germany (SPX) Nov 10, 2025 The European Space Agency's Sentinel-1D satellite, equipped with Airbus's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), has successfully launched, joining Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1C in orbit. This addition ensures uninterrupted radar data acquisition for monitoring worldwide land and ocean environments with an operational lifetime planned for over seven years. Sentinel-1D supports a range of missions as part of the Copernicus programme, encompassing the surveillance of land masses, sea- and land-ice, and ocean conditions along with emergency response scenarios. SAR's technical capabilities allow for continuous imaging regardless of weather, time of day, or visibility conditions. Unlike optical satellites, SAR actively transmits and receives radio waves, enabling penetration through clouds, fog, and rain to deliver comprehensive and timely data. These instruments distinguish surface characteristics, monitor geohazards such as volcanic activity and earthquake-related deformation, and penetrate vegetation layers to analyze environmental changes. The Airbus design process produced a 12-metre antenna integrating signal distribution, radiation, and mechanical strength, using advanced waveguide radiator technology developed in Friedrichshafen. This construction, combined with a complex synchronization system across 280 transmit and receive modules, achieves high-resolution data necessary for precise scientific analysis, particularly interferometric measurements. Engineers faced significant challenges folding the 12-metre antenna to fit within the rocket and deploying it with millimetre precision in orbit. Specialized test rigs and patented joints were implemented to ensure accurate deployment and later facilitate rapid and total disintegration during atmospheric re-entry, minimizing space debris. Sentinel-1 radar features four operational modes for different observational needs: Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) for land coverage, Extra-Wide Swath (EW) for oceans and coasts, Wave Mode (WV) for measuring ocean wave dynamics, and StripMap (SM) for detailed imaging of localized targets. Applications range from agricultural monitoring, geological risk assessment, disaster response, and maritime surveillance to oil slick detection and analysis of earthquake consequences. Sentinel-1 data supports operational agencies such as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and scientific researchers mapping event-driven surface changes. With Sentinel-1D now operational, Europe maintains a robust monitoring capacity essential for environmental protection and safety.

illustration only Mission control center supports HummingSat launches with digital twin and electric orbit-raising by Clarence Oxford Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 10, 2025 SWISSto12 has detailed the mission control operations for its geostationary satellite, HummingSat. The company's Command-and-Control Center in Athens, Georgia, facilitates launch, orbit raising, and in-orbit testing prior to customer handover. SWISSto12 plans an additional redundant Mission Control capability in Europe. Since opening, the Georgia center has incorporated mission control systems with software meeting redundancy and resilience standards for continuous operational availability. This technology forms the backbone for upcoming HummingSat missions. The command and control platform lets operators simulate the full mission, rehearse anomaly responses, and verify satellite performance through an integrated digital twin. "Our Command-and-Control Center is the heart of our HummingSat operations," said Joe Zaborek, Head of HummingSat Ground Products at SWISSto12. "The integration of digital twin technology allows us to simulate every phase of the mission on the ground, rehearse responses to anomalies, and ensure the satellite performs exactly as expected - giving both our team and customers confidence during deployment." The center uses a digital twin to create a synchronized virtual model, enabling simulation and verification of mission activities, command sequences, and response to off-nominal events. This approach allows operators to oversee each spacecraft's performance throughout its operational life. SWISSto12's facility also supports all-electric orbit raising (EOR), using ionized xenon for fuel efficiency and station-keeping. Customers retain sovereignty over their satellites through independent control, real-time mission rehearsals, telemetry monitoring, and technical support from SWISSto12. Collaboration with local engineering talent is facilitated by the center's proximity to research universities, supporting capacity expansion as the company prepares for the first HummingSat deployments in 2027. The mission control serves the launch and orbit raising of HummingSat, a geostationary satellite roughly the size of an industrial washing machine and weighing approximately 1,000 kilograms. HummingSat's reduced form factor delivers cost-effective production and launch options. SWISSto12 technology, including additive manufacturing and advanced RF systems, enhances payload performance and streamlines satellite production. "From design to operations, our goal is to make advanced satellite capability accessible and sovereign for our customers" said Emile de Rijk, CEO of SWISSto12. "Our mission control center strengthens that vision by giving our customers the infrastructure and expertise they need to support them in managing their own missions confidently and independently."

SpaceX launches 29 satellites after fireball spotted in the sky by Adam Schrader Washington DC (UPI) Nov 9, 2025 SpaceX launched 29 more of its Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Sunday, a day after a fireball was spotted in the sky off the coast of Florida. The company said Sunday that the satellites were launched at 3:10 a.m. local time by a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. After the launch, the first-stage booster landed on a barge called A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch marked the 28th flight for the first-stage booster, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and now 24 Starlink missions. It came after a fireball was spotted around 6:18 a.m. Saturday morning by Florida Today and Spaceflight Now contributor John Pisanias as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was preparing to make a launch attempt at the site. According to Spaceflight Now, the fireball appeared to be a satellite reentry and experts online speculated that it was likely a Chinese CZ-3B upper stage. The Falcon 9 rocket launch Saturday was scrubbed due to weather conditions, and it was the rocket launched Sunday morning. It marked SpaceX's 93rd rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast this year, tying the region's record for most launches in a year.

Japan launches initiative for lunar construction technology by Riko Seibo Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Nov 10, 2025 Japan's Space Strategy Fund has awarded support to a consortium led by Ritsumeikan University and ispace for a project focused on advancing technologies needed for lunar base construction. The program is dedicated to establishing surveying and ground investigation technologies intended to form the basis of future infrastructure on the Moon. Ritsumeikan University will spearhead the research, developing systems to acquire high-precision topographic data and analyze lunar regolith properties. The intent is to design frameworks for civil engineering, including land leveling, road construction, and ground improvement, based on environmental assessment of the lunar surface. The project builds on prior efforts in planetary surface simulation at Ritsumeikan's Earth and Space Exploration Center (ESEC), where dust testing chambers and regolith analyzers support analog site development and technology advancement. ispace, as a key industry partner, will utilize technical experience from its Hakuto-R lunar missions to contribute to ground validation and operational analysis. The company's expertise with lunar landers and rovers will be integral to developing site preparation strategies and advancing resource development methods. Recent ispace missions have demonstrated capabilities in lunar orbit insertion, surface mapping, and regolith characterization. "Our company's goal is to develop the cislunar economy, and the project focused on establishing surveying and lunar surface investigation technologies to realize lunar base construction holds significant importance. We are pleased to contribute to this project by leveraging the experience and insights gained through our missions to date," said Takeshi Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace. The Space Strategy Fund aims to reinforce Japan's international presence in lunar exploration and extend human activity beyond Earth. The Ritsumeikan-led project will run through March 2032, with ongoing collaboration across universities, industry, and government research facilities.

Illustration of Rocket Lab's Neutron cargo delivery payload. The company was elected to fly an experimental cargo delivery mission for the U.S. Air Force Credit: Rocket Lab WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab’s next-generation Neutron rocket has been selected for an experimental U.S. Air Force mission to test rapid global cargo delivery capabilities, a milestone for the company as it pushes further into the national security launch market.