NASA News

SpaceNews.com

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ITU rulings expose varied standards for force majeure in satellite deadline extensions

Decisions involving South Korea’s Kompsat-6 radar Earth-observation mission, Thailand’s Thaicom-9 telecommunications satellite and Oman’s Omansat show how the International Telecommunication Union is handling requests to extend satellite deployment deadlines. The cases span different orbit and mission profiles, including Oman’s use of an untested orbital transfer vehicle.

Space.com

Artemis II launch punched a hole in the ionosphere, potentially degrading GPS accuracy

NASA’s Artemis II launch created a large disturbance in Earth’s ionosphere, according to the reports, with the resulting hole potentially causing a temporary reduction in GPS accuracy. The event highlights how powerful rocket launches can affect the atmospheric conditions that satellite-navigation signals traverse.

New York Times

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Democratic midterm gains put defense spending and SpaceX under new scrutiny

Democrats’ midterm gains shifted control of congressional committees responsible for NASA funding and Space Force oversight, raising the prospect of closer scrutiny for SpaceX and defense spending. In Texas, the electoral shift also puts deals Elon Musk struck with the state at risk, while defense stocks fell on spending concerns.

GeekWire

Starfish Space loses contact with Otter, ending satellite-inspection mission

Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft has switched off its communications link after a problem with its fault-protection system, ending its mission to inspect inoperable satellites. The loss of contact cuts short a NASA-funded demonstration of the company’s satellite-servicing vehicle.

SpaceNews.com

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Starfish Space loses first full-scale Otter after fault-protection failure ends NASA satellite-inspection mission

Starfish Space says it can no longer receive data from its first full-scale Otter servicing spacecraft after a fault-protection issue disrupted communications. The failure prematurely ended SSPICY, a NASA-funded, $15 million mission to inspect inoperable satellites, shortly after the vehicle’s launch.

Universe Today

Artemis III teams advance lunar landing preparations with lander, docking and pad tests

NASA Human Landing System engineers describe Artemis III test articles and docking operations intended to support future crewed lunar landings. Separately, University of Alabama in Huntsville students and researchers report three rocket-motor firings on a prototype landing pad designed to make lunar operations safer.

Space.com

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ESA’s Hera spacecraft resolves Didymos and Dimorphos ahead of close study of NASA’s DART impact

The European Space Agency’s Hera planetary-defense probe has imaged Didymos and its smaller moon Dimorphos as separate objects for the first time, as it approaches the binary asteroid system. Hera will investigate the aftermath of NASA’s DART collision, collecting data on kinetic-impact deflection and probing outstanding scientific questions about the asteroids.

Flying Magazine

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NASA plans to unveil a new X-plane, Isaacman says

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency plans to unveil a new X-plane during a recent podcast appearance, while cautioning that it is “not the one you’re thinking of.” The brief announcement offers no further details on the aircraft or its purpose.