Ars Technica
• Eric Berger
The NASA chief expressed concern that China could deny other nations access to parts of the Moon’s South Pole, underscoring the potential strategic consequences of competing lunar exploration efforts and the importance of determining which country establishes a presence first.
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The NASA chief expressed concern that China could deny other nations access to parts of the Moon’s South Pole, underscoring the potential strategic consequences of competing lunar exploration efforts and the importance of determining which country establishes a presence first.
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Prospects for China to announce a new commitment to buy Boeing aircraft are diminishing ahead of Thursday’s meeting between the US and Chinese presidents, according to two people briefed on the matter. Negotiations remain fluid, underscoring the commercial impact of broader US-China relations on Boeing’s China strategy.
Newly surfaced video footage indicates continued testing and refinement of China’s J-36 heavy stealth tactical jet, offering additional clues about the aircraft’s evolving configuration. Separate discussion of potential laser armament points to the ambitions surrounding the program, though the capability remains unconfirmed.
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A former NASA chief is raising concerns that Beijing’s lunar exploration plans extend beyond scientific discovery, describing them as an intended strategy to dominate the “high ground of the twenty-first century.” The warning frames lunar activity as a strategic and geopolitical competition.
Space Epoch has secured $343 million in new funding as the Chinese launch startup targets the end of the year for the debut of its Yuanxingzhe-1 rocket. The financing underscores continued investment in China’s commercial launch sector and its push to expand domestic space transportation capacity.
China launched 13 satellites over the weekend across two missions, including commercial radar spacecraft and a nine-satellite rideshare carrying on-orbit computing and communications testbeds. The launches underscore the country’s expanding cadence across both commercial satellite services and in-space technology demonstrations.
The China Aerospace Studies Institute will continue its work using assigned military service members, an Air Force spokesperson said, signaling that the organization’s mission will persist despite reductions affecting civilian personnel. The statement does not specify the institute’s future staffing levels or operating structure.
Planet Labs plans to launch its first German-built satellite on a German rocket in early 2027, supported by expanded Berlin production. Separately, Exolaunch has contracted a dedicated SpaceX Starship mission for 2029, while China completed four orbital launches in 45 hours to advance competing LEO broadband constellations.
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