From the Magazine
Op-ed | It’s time to seriously consider space-based solar power
Hefty technological obstacles remain, but space-based solar power’s potential to provide clean, inexhaustible energy warrants a concerted public research and development effort.
NOAA to take first step toward a small satellite constellation
It’s a good thing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has plenty of time to prepare for its next generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites — because the changes the agency is contemplating are dramatic.
Foust Forward | The sky isn’t falling (yet)
When SpaceX launched the first set of 60 Starlink satellites, the unexpected appearance of the satellites in twilight skies as a bright string of pearls dismayed astronomers. With SpaceX planning to launch potentially tens of thousands of such satellites, astronomers had visions — or, more accurately, nightmares — of a ruined night sky.
On National Security | Moving data through space a linchpin of DoD’s strategy for winning wars
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off last month on a strategy document that tells the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force to figure out how to share data on the battlefield. Space-based communications will be at the core of this strategy known as Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
Op-ed | To solve for Arctic connectivity, governments need a network suited to their unique needs
Space is becoming more congested and communications all over the globe — but particularly in the Arctic region — are often contested.
Op-ed | Mind the gap in low Earth orbit
The ISS will inevitably need to be retired, and it is incumbent upon NASA and the entire American space community to avoid a space station gap.
Military building an appetite for commercial space services
The U.S. Space Force is eager to tap into the vibrant commercial market for space services enabled by increasingly capable small satellites and cheaper access to orbit.
Connecting the Dots | Space after SPACs: Industry could be on the verge of new investment era
The SPAC investment trend injecting billions of dollars into early-stage space startups appears to have peaked, but in its wake could be larger capital infusions from institutional investors with deeper pockets.
Moving space into the cloud: Q&A with Microsoft Azure Global’s Tom Keane
Tom Keane, corporate vice president for Microsoft Azure Global, speaks with SpaceNews about adopting satellite communications, supporting Earth observation and establishing partnerships.
NOAA’s next constellation could reveal more than weather
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to do more than improve forecasts with its next generation of geostationary weather satellites.
Who will race SpaceX to the moon?
NASA took many by surprise by picking just one company to develop a lunar lander and fly a single demo mission to the moon. Even more surprising was NASA's pick: SpaceX, whose Starship vehicle appeared massively oversized for the job. However, the end of the HLS competition may not mean the end of the overall competition to send astronauts to the moon.
Adapting to changing climates: Q&A with Eumetsat’s Phil Evans
Phil Evans, who became director general of Eumetsat in January, speaks with SpaceNews about how the intergovernmental organization is reassessing the traditional playbook for a new weather-tracking era.
Connecting the Dots | The growing market for weather bets
Improvements in satellite weather data collection and analysis are helping financial investors place better bets on the companies they gamble on.
Op-ed | America’s future in space is nuclear
Today, we have a unique opportunity to make the entire solar system — including the strategically vital region of space surrounding the Earth and the moon — more accessible.
A race against time to replace aging military weather satellites
The U.S. Defense Department may finally be on track to replace its aging polar-orbiting weather satellites more than a decade after pulling the plug on an ill-fated effort to cram civil and military requirements into a single system.
Op-ed | India at the Inflection Point: A New Era in the Space Ecosystem
There remain significant obstacles for India to realize its full potential, but there is reason to think the country is on the cusp of overcoming them and entering a new era in its long history in space.
