Space & Aerospace
Launch, satellites, astronomy and aviation.
Rocket Report 9.01: India’s Agnibaan Prepares for Liftoff as SpaceX Nears 1,000 Launches
Agnikul Cosmos inches toward its first orbital launch while SpaceX prepares for its millenary milestone — two very different visions of space access colliding in 2026.
The Thump That Could Change Air Travel: Inside NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Jet
NASA’s X-59 isn’t just about speed—it’s about silence. After decades of silence over land, this experimental jet could make supersonic flight normal again—if the world finds its thump acceptable.
Beyond the Numbers: Lessons from a 322-Day Odyssey
An analytical look at the operational reality and physiological tax of a 322-day stay in space, highlighting expeditions, spacewalks, and preparing for future Mars exploration.
Mars Rover Finds Unexpected Carbon Rich Rock at Ancient River Edge
NASA's Perseverance rover has discovered complex carbon at an outcrop on the edge of the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel on Mars, raising questions about past habitability and planet history.
Google’s $920M Monthly Payoff to SpaceX Isn’t Just AI—It’s a Bet on Orbit
Google’s massive compute deal with SpaceX isn’t about filling gaps—it’s a strategic hedge on the future of AI infrastructure, and it’s happening just as SpaceX prepares to become the most valuable public company in history.
Rocket Lab's Secret Space Drill: How the Pentagon Quietly Tested Orbital Inspection Capabilities from New Zealand
A low-profile Electron launch on June 19, 2026, from Rocket Lab's New Zealand facility delivered the VICTUS HAZE Puma inspector satellite to test rapid-response military space operations, including close-proximity rendezvous with the Jackal 004 adversary satellite.
SpaceX’s Secret AI Handset: A Bet Against the Odds
SpaceX showed investors a sleek, phone-like AI device before its IPO—then Elon Musk denied it existed. Here’s why that contradiction matters more than the gadget itself.
NASA Inspector General: Starliner Certification Delayed to 2027 — A Decade Behind Schedule
An audit by NASA’s Office of Inspector General reveals Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule is now projected to achieve human-rating certification in 2027 — a full decade after its original 2017 target — due to unresolved technical issues, schedule overconfidence, and insufficient flight simulation data.
NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Jet Completes First Supersonic Flight, Paving Way for Overland Thumps
More than two decades after the Concorde’s retirement, NASA’s experimental X-59 aircraft achieved its first supersonic flight in June 2026, marking a milestone toward enabling overland supersonic travel without loud sonic booms.
Planetary Magnetic Fields Can Trigger Stellar Chromosphere Brightening During Optimal Orbital Phases
New research reveals that a planet’s magnetic field can induce periodic brightening in its host star’s chromosphere — but only under specific stellar activity conditions.
When a Billion-Dollar Satellite Goes Dark in Orbit, Who Decides It's War?
A Mitchell Institute workshop with 50 military and academic experts gamed out scenarios including an unknown craft maneuvering near a Space Force missile-warning satellite, exploring how commanders decide when hostile space activity crosses the threshold for response.
The Man Who Learned to See Light: Dan Roelker’s Quiet War for the Sky
How Dan Roelker, from hacker to SpaceX software lead, built a company that sees space not through radar—but through light, transforming how we track satellites, communicate across the solar system, and finally understand the chaos we’ve created in orbit.