Jeff Foust, SpaceNews – NASA announced that it awarded a task order valued at $116.9 million through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to Intuitive Machines, to deliver a set of payloads to the south polar region of the moon in 2027.
Garrett Reim, Aviation Week – Several startups are testing electric thrusters that run on metal propellants. The companies say the materials pack a greater punch for their volume and are cheaper and easier to handle than conventional gases.
Eric Berger, Ars Technica – NASA faces two choices with Orion’s heat shield: It can fly Artemis II with a similar heat shield that was used on Artemis I, or the agency can revamp the design and construct a new heat shield, delaying the mission for years.
Vivienne Machi, Aviation Week – Space Force is shifting the 1970s-era Rocket Systems Launch Program back to its customer-funded roots. Some lawmakers said that the shift could hurt the small-launch market.
In a new report, Deloitte Center for Government Insights provides cybersecurity recommendations for space organizations across the government and private sector.
Garrett Reim, Aviation Week – NASA successfully deployed its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System. It uses a novel tubular boom system rolled up inside a cubesat, which fully expands after launch.
Warren P. Strobel and Brett Forest, The Wall Street Journal – As China and Russia sharpen their anti-satellite weapons to challenge U.S. superiority in space, the Pentagon is preparing for orbital warfare.
Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense – Citing ever-growing threats from China and Russia, Gen. Michael Guetlein told the Defense News conference that the service requires additional resources.
Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews – At the AFCEA-INSA Intelligence and National Security Summit, Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein highlighted the Space Force’s position as the smallest service with the largest area of responsibility, at a time when the complexities of space security demand a collaborative, global approach.
Air and Space Forces Magazine – NATO and satellite imagery firm Planet Labs have signed a contract for a “virtual” constellation of surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance space assets—the latest sign of NATO’s growing reliance on commercial space capabilities.
