Orbit

• Researchers from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed the world's first neurodynamic chip based on phase-change memristors. • This breakthrough in neuromorphic computing allows hardware to process information similarly to biological brains, utilizing massively parallel and event-driven architectures. • The technology is significant because it offers orders of magnitude more energy efficiency compared to the GPUs currently dominating the AI industry.

• SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California at 3:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 7. • The Transporter-17 rideshare mission delivered 81 separate payloads into orbit. • Following the deployment, the rocket's first stage successfully landed on a recovery ship at sea.

• Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe a unique gas giant exoplanet orbiting a dead star. • The discovery provides a rare glimpse into the final stages of a planetary system's life cycle after its host star has ceased nuclear fusion. • This observation is significant because it serves as a "time machine," allowing scientists to predict the eventual fate of our own solar system.

• The rapid increase of satellites in Earth's orbit, with some companies planning to launch millions, threatens to obstruct ground-based astronomical observations. • Experts warn that if the satellite population exceeds 100,000, the resulting light pollution and interference could make traditional telescopes obsolete. • This trend is considered catastrophic for astronomy as it may permanently strip humanity of the ability to study the universe from the planet's surface.

• A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully launched 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites from Florida on Thursday, July 2. • The launch took place at 12:30 a.m. ET, marking a significant step in the deployment of Amazon's satellite internet constellation. • This mission is critical for expanding global high-speed internet access, positioning Amazon as a major competitor in the low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband market.

• SpaceX successfully launched a 15,000-pound SiriusXM radio satellite into orbit from Florida's Space Coast on June 28. • The mission utilized a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the company's 76th launch of the current year. • This deployment is critical for maintaining and expanding the satellite radio infrastructure used by SiriusXM subscribers.

• Relativity Space announced plans in June 2026 to privately build and launch a Mars orbiter by 2028. • The mission will carry NASA's Aeolus atmospheric instruments and serve as a communications relay, funded by an unnamed philanthropic donor. • The announcement comes despite the company's poor track record, as its only rocket flight in March 2023 failed to reach orbit due to a second-stage engine failure.

• Relativity Space has announced plans to develop and launch a private Mars orbiter mission scheduled for 2028. • This initiative marks a strategic shift for the company as it moves toward privately developing complex planetary missions. • The project demonstrates a growing trend of commercial aerospace firms expanding their capabilities beyond Earth's orbit to explore deep space.

• NASA has officially opened registration and abstract submissions for the 2026 Joint HELIOTECH and Orbital Flight Symposium. • The event merges the Heliophysics Technology Symposium with Heliophysics Orbital Flight Missions to encourage innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. • The symposium focuses on advancing the critical technologies required to explore the Sun-Earth-Moon system, Mars, and other deep-space destinations.

• NASA has officially declared the MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after 12 years of productive operation studying the Red Planet's atmosphere. • The spacecraft remains in a stable orbit, though it is no longer functional and will eventually crash into the Martian surface within the next 100 years. • This mission conclusion adds to the "Mars morgue" of previous probes, highlighting the long-term lifecycle and eventual disposal of deep-space hardware.

• NASA has officially declared the MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after the spacecraft suffered a critical anomaly. • The decision follows several months of radio silence and unsuccessful attempts to re-establish contact with the probe. • MAVEN's mission was vital for studying the Martian upper atmosphere and understanding how the planet lost its water and atmosphere over time.

John McFall prepares for mission to Haven-1 space station after UK Space Agency signs deal with US startup VastA British Paralympian and surgeon could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit after the government signed a deal with a US company that is building a small commercial space station.John McFall, a member of the European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut reserve, was cleared for activities in orbit last year and could take part in a mission to the Haven-1 space station soon after its proposed launch in 2027. Continue reading...

• NASA announced in December 2025 that construction of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is complete, with a scheduled launch by May 2027 or potentially as early as fall 2026. • During its five-year primary mission, the observatory aims to discover approximately 100,000 new transiting planets and create the largest catalog of rogue worlds in history. • This mission is significant because it will drastically expand the known exoplanet population and provide unprecedented data on planets drifting without host stars.

• Pixxel and Sarvam AI announced a partnership on Monday to develop India's first AI-powered orbital data centre satellite named Pathfinder. • Pixxel will design, build, launch, and operate the satellite, marking a milestone in space-tech and AI integration. • This initiative positions India as a leader in space-based AI computing, enabling real-time data processing in orbit for enhanced efficiency.

Nasa mission enters its second day, with crew hoping to become first people to get close to the moon in over 50 yearsFour astronauts are preparing to leave Earth’s orbit and slingshot towards the moon as Nasa’s Artemis II mission enters its second day.The high-stakes 10-day voyage will mark the first time in half a century that humans leave space close to Earth and return to the vicinity of the moon. It is a crucial test of Nasa’s ambition to land humans back on the lunar surface this decade, and stay there permanently. Continue reading...

• NASA is launching multiple technology and science demonstrations to low Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, March 30, 2026, as part of the Transporter-16 commercial rideshare mission. • The payload includes the AEPEX CubeSat for studying high-energy particle effects on the upper atmosphere, magnetic field measurement CubeSats, the R5-S10 CubeSat for proximity operations and formation flying, a power processing system from CisLunar Industries, and a heat shield experiment from Varda Space Industries. • The experiments aim to test thermal protection systems, advance in-space communications, and deepen understanding of Earth's atmosphere to support NASA's exploration and research goals.

New Nasa chief, Jared Isaacman, has outlined several changes to flagship moon programme ArtemisNasa is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and will instead use its components to construct a $20bn base on the moon’s surface over the next seven years, its new chief, Jared Isaacman, said on Tuesday.Isaacman, who was sworn in at the agency in December, made the announcement at the opening of a day-long event at Nasa’s Washington headquarters at which he outlinedchanges he is making to the agency’s flagship moon programme Artemis. Continue reading...

NASA’s DART mission slammed into the small asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, and the impact slowed its orbit around the larger Didymos – and also the pair’s path around the sun