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Universe Today • Matthew Williams

NASA's SPARCS CubeSat returns first-light images, launches M‑dwarf habitability campaign

NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) has returned first-light images and begun an observing campaign targeting M‑dwarf stellar activity. The smallsat will chart ultraviolet output and energetic flares from the galaxy’s most common stars to inform assessments of exoplanet habitability.

2026-03-18T12:40:41.290441-07:00

Universe Today

The Post‑ISS Era: Commercial and National Stations Set to Redefine LEO Research, Commerce and Security

2026-03-16T16:34:18.606261-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Nine launches this week: Isar Aerospace's critical second Spectrum flight, five Starlink missions and Rocket Lab's Electron

2026-03-16T16:28:56.902990-07:00

Universe Today

Photonic "ski-jump" could shrink spacecraft LiDAR and laser comms to chip scale

2026-03-16T12:40:13.580781-07:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

NASA's SPARCS CubeSat returns first-light images, launches M‑dwarf habitability campaign NASA's Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) has returned first-light images and begun an observing campaign targeting M‑dwarf stellar activity. The smallsat will chart ultraviolet output and energetic flares from the galaxy’s most common stars to inform assessments of exoplanet habitability.

2026-03-18T12:40:41.290441-07:00

NASA's SPARCS CubeSat returns first-light images, launches M‑dwarf habitability campaign

Universe Today

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The Post‑ISS Era: Commercial and National Stations Set to Redefine LEO Research, Commerce and Security NASA's International Space Station is slated to retire in 2030, and a mix of national successors, agency programs and commercial platforms aim to replace it. Multiple orbiting outposts will reshape research, manufacturing and logistics — and raise traffic, debris and security coordination challenges.

2026-03-16T16:34:18.606261-07:00

The Post‑ISS Era: Commercial and National Stations Set to Redefine LEO Research, Commerce and Security

NASA Spaceflight

❗️

Nine launches this week: Isar Aerospace's critical second Spectrum flight, five Starlink missions and Rocket Lab's Electron Nine orbital launches are scheduled for March 16–22, led by Isar Aerospace's critical second Spectrum attempt from Norway, multiple Falcon 9 Starlink missions (five flights) and Rocket Lab’s Electron — a concentrated week that tests both new European launchers and SpaceX's high-rate cadence.

2026-03-16T16:28:56.902990-07:00

Nine launches this week: Isar Aerospace's critical second Spectrum flight, five Starlink missions and Rocket Lab's Electron

Universe Today

Photonic "ski-jump" could shrink spacecraft LiDAR and laser comms to chip scale A Nature paper from MIT, MITRE and Sandia describes a "photonic ski-jump" that pushes LiDAR and free-space laser communications from bulky mechanical mirrors to chip‑scale photonic structures. The approach promises orders‑of‑magnitude reductions in size, weight and power (SWaP) for spacecraft optical sensors and terminals.

2026-03-16T12:40:13.580781-07:00

Photonic "ski-jump" could shrink spacecraft LiDAR and laser comms to chip scale

SpaceNews.com

Melagen Labs and Satlyt to Demonstrate Radiation‑Resilient In‑Orbit Computing and Advanced Shielding on the ISS Melagen Labs and Satlyt will fly a joint technology demonstration to the International Space Station to validate radiation‑resilient in‑orbit computing and next‑generation shielding. The ISS experiment aims to test hardware and software resilience for autonomous on‑orbit processing and to inform future commercial satellite and manufacturing designs.

2026-03-16T09:32:26.411625-07:00

Melagen Labs and Satlyt to Demonstrate Radiation‑Resilient In‑Orbit Computing and Advanced Shielding on the ISS

SpaceNews.com

China ends month‑long launch hiatus with GuoWang Group‑20 LEO batch and Shiyan‑30 test satellites China ended a month‑long launch hiatus with two missions from Hainan and Xichang, returning to a steady launch cadence. A Long March‑8A deployed nine satellites for the GuoWang Group‑20 LEO internet batch, while a Long March‑2D placed a second pair of Shiyan‑30 test/Earth‑observation satellites into orbit.

2026-03-13T04:01:18.954554-07:00

China ends month‑long launch hiatus with GuoWang Group‑20 LEO batch and Shiyan‑30 test satellites

Space.com

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL released from ISS by Canadarm2, heads for destructive reentry Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL was released by Canadarm2 from the Earth‑facing port of the ISS Unity module at 12:06 CET (7:00 a.m. EDT), departing with thousands of pounds of disposable cargo bound for destructive reentry. The release completes the company's Cygnus resupply mission to Expedition 74.

2026-03-12T10:08:58.238840-07:00

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL released from ISS by Canadarm2, heads for destructive reentry

SpaceNews.com

Industry's Next Frontier: The New Wave of Commercial Activity in Low Earth Orbit A new commercial wave is reshaping low Earth orbit as operators deploy constellations, commercial stations and on-orbit services that shift space from one-off missions to routine, scalable industrial activity. Investors, suppliers and governments face a rapid transition in procurement, infrastructure and regulatory needs.

2026-03-12T08:08:10.373201-07:00

Industry's Next Frontier: The New Wave of Commercial Activity in Low Earth Orbit

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LEO News

NASA's SPARCS CubeSat returns first-light images, launches M‑dwarf habitability campaign

The Post‑ISS Era: Commercial and National Stations Set to Redefine LEO Research, Commerce and Security

Nine launches this week: Isar Aerospace's critical second Spectrum flight, five Starlink missions and Rocket Lab's Electron

Photonic "ski-jump" could shrink spacecraft LiDAR and laser comms to chip scale

News Timeline