Chinese launch startup Orienspace targets IPO, secures funding for reusable Gravity-2 rocket
Thursday, 06 August 2026 09:48
HELSINKI — Commercial launch company Orienspace has kicked off preparations for an IPO coaching process while closing a funding round for accelerating its reusable Gravity-2 rocket.
ExoMars stretches out its legs
Thursday, 06 August 2026 08:00
Video:
00:00:06
The footage shows the simultaneous deployment of two landing legs from the ExoMars landing platform, in two sequential pairs.
The legs travel stowed on the spacecraft through deep space, and are automatically deployed in pairs in less than a second using non-explosive actuators, just after the front shield is jettisoned. This is a crucial step in the landing module’s preparation for touchdown.
The tests used a full-scale model of the landing platform at the Thales Alenia facilities in Turin, Italy. The four legs replicate the structure and dimensions of those that will fly to Mars.
The landing legs are
Webb opens a Treasure Chest filled with stars
Thursday, 06 August 2026 07:00
Image:
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month takes us to a fantastical realm within our home galaxy, where piercing starlight and billowing winds sculpt dust clouds into inventive shapes. This scene is from the Carina Nebula, which lies just 7500 light-years away in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
Spanning roughly 260 light-years, the nebula is home to an incredible collection of objects, including the Cosmic Cliffs revealed in the first-ever Webb image release. The Carina Nebula is also the nearest high-mass star-forming region that allows astronomers to study the full range of star
NASA and Roscosmos continue seat barter agreement
Thursday, 06 August 2026 01:23
NASA and Roscosmos have agreed to continue exchanging seats between Soyuz and Crew Dragon spacecraft, but that agreement does not yet extend to Starliner.
New Glenn explosion linked to rocket engine valve
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 21:30
Blue Origin has traced the explosion of its New Glenn rocket during a static-fire test in May to a valve in the rocket’s BE-4 engine.
Capella, Iceye and Umbra win NRO radar-data contracts
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 16:05
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded contracts to Capella Space, Iceye U.S.
Finding room in Starlink’s shadow
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 14:00
Another wave of constellations has staked claims for communications satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO), but what hope do newcomers have alongside the industry’s entrenched, vertically integrated giants? A mix of […]
Your chance to run software in deep space on ESA's asteroid mission
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 13:04
The European Space Agency is offering European researchers and companies a rare and exciting opportunity to run their innovative software directly in deep space aboard ESA’s Hera mission, millions of kilometres away.
Satellite manufacturing thrives in California despite cost and regulatory pressures
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 11:00
Europe’s forests losing more biomass since 2018
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 08:30
Europe’s forests are losing more biomass than previously thought, with disturbances such as drought and pests causing increasingly large losses from some of the oldest forests in Europe. This situation has deteriorated markedly since 2018.
Total solar eclipse: how to watch live from home
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 07:00
A total solar eclipse is coming to Europe. The European Space Agency (ESA) will broadcast live from 19:30 CEST on 12 August, allowing you to experience this rare event from anywhere in the world.
Quick links:
- Live broadcast on YouTube (12 August, 19:30–20:45 CEST)
- Event programme in León, Spain (12 August, 10:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:45 CEST)
- Overview of all ESA activities, including videos, graphics and educational activities
Think tank warns Europe’s orbital compute gap is widening
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 07:00
Europe risks becoming dependent on foreign orbital computing infrastructure as U.S.
Neuraspace raises $18 million to expand sovereign space awareness
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 05:00
Neuraspace, the Portuguese space traffic management startup, announced around $18 million in fresh funding Aug.
Voyager seeks relaxed requirements in NASA commercial space station RFP
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 02:01
Voyager Technologies remains upbeat about the prospects for its Starlab commercial space station but is hoping for some tweaks to NASA’s plans to support the station’s development.


