Policy - Outer Space Today (Page 4)

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A collection of 83 posts

Pentagon Halts Commercial Satellite Imagery Sales Over Middle East War Zone

Pentagon Halts Commercial Satellite Imagery Sales Over Middle East War Zone

The U.S. Defense Department has directed all major domestic commercial satellite operators to cease selling high-resolution aerial imagery over Iran and the broader Middle East, enforcing what amounts to the first large-scale government blackout of the commercial satellite era. The restrictions, which took effect May 20, affect

China Poised to Break US Monopoly on Human Lunar Missions by 2027

China Poised to Break US Monopoly on Human Lunar Missions by 2027

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Chinese taikonauts will "likely" conduct a crewed lunar flyby in 2027, ending the United States' five-decade monopoly as the only nation to send humans beyond low Earth orbit. The acknowledgment at the AIAA ASCEND conference signals that China is on track

NASA Accelerates Moon Base Timeline With Industry Partner Announcements

NASA Accelerates Moon Base Timeline With Industry Partner Announcements

NASA will unveil its strategy for establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface during a May 26 news conference at agency headquarters in Washington, marking the formal transition from Artemis exploration missions to permanent lunar infrastructure. The briefing will introduce new industry partners selected to develop critical systems

U.S. Space Industry Faces Critical Supply Chain Exposure to Chinese Manufacturing

U.S. Space Industry Faces Critical Supply Chain Exposure to Chinese Manufacturing

New research documents that American space manufacturers depend significantly on Chinese suppliers and Taiwanese semiconductor foundries, exposing the sector to geopolitical risk at a moment when Congress is intensifying scrutiny of industry ties to potential adversaries. The findings arrive as SpaceX prepares for a public offering and lawmakers question NASA&

Satellite Megaconstellations Are Conducting Unregulated Atmospheric Experiment, Scientists Warn

Satellite Megaconstellations Are Conducting Unregulated Atmospheric Experiment, Scientists Warn

Atmospheric scientists have issued a stark warning that satellite megaconstellations represent an "unregulated geoengineering experiment," introducing unprecedented quantities of metallic pollution into Earth's upper atmosphere without any regulatory framework to assess the consequences. The concern centers on the planned deployment of millions of satellites over the

U.S. Wireless Giants Form First-Ever Alliance to Counter Starlink Satellite Service

U.S. Wireless Giants Form First-Ever Alliance to Counter Starlink Satellite Service

AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile announced this week that they will jointly develop a coordinated response to SpaceX's direct-to-device satellite connectivity service. The unprecedented alliance marks the first time the three largest U.S. wireless carriers have formally partnered, signaling the depth of concern

NASA Adds Critical Test Mission to Artemis Program, Delays Lunar Landing

NASA Adds Critical Test Mission to Artemis Program, Delays Lunar Landing

NASA has inserted an uncrewed test mission into its Artemis sequence, now targeting late 2027, to validate rendezvous and docking procedures between the Orion spacecraft and commercial lunar landers before risking astronauts near the Moon. The space agency characterized the mission as "one of the most highly complex missions

Pentagon Wargame Simulates Nuclear Detonation in Orbit, Revealing Year-Long Casualty Zone

Pentagon Wargame Simulates Nuclear Detonation in Orbit, Revealing Year-Long Casualty Zone

The U.S. military has begun a new wargaming series centered on a worst-case scenario: a nuclear weapon detonating in low-Earth orbit. The exercise simulates the cascading effects of such an event, which Pentagon officials say would render portions of LEO unusable for up to a year through