Ars Technica
• Scott K. Johnson
SpaceX’s proposed orbital data centers would place large-scale computing hardware in space, creating a new end-of-life challenge for electronic equipment beyond Earth. The concept resembles asteroid mining in reverse: instead of extracting material from orbit, operators could leave behind increasingly difficult-to-manage e-waste.
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SpaceX’s proposed orbital data centers would place large-scale computing hardware in space, creating a new end-of-life challenge for electronic equipment beyond Earth. The concept resembles asteroid mining in reverse: instead of extracting material from orbit, operators could leave behind increasingly difficult-to-manage e-waste.
Muon Space has raised $250 million from Alphabet’s Google and Salesforce Ventures after deploying 11 satellites and opening a California manufacturing facility. The funding strengthens the satellite startup’s capital base as it expands from orbital deployments into in-house production capacity.
SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets from Florida and California on Aug. 15, delivering payloads for Globalstar and the U.S. Space Force just 38.5 minutes apart. The milestone comes as SpaceX prepares its 75th Starlink mission of 2026, underscoring the company’s high-tempo launch operations.
Rocket Lab is preparing to launch a Japanese QPS-SAR Earth-imaging satellite for iQPS on its Electron rocket, with the launch window opening Thursday. The mission is the ninth Electron flight for the private Japanese company, which is expanding its satellite constellation for Earth observation.
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NASA and Katalyst Space have abandoned an attempt to dock with and raise the orbit of the aging Swift observatory after persistent attitude-control problems disabled the LINK servicing spacecraft. The decision ends a low-cost effort to extend Swift’s operational life and preserve its gamma-ray science mission.
NASA has abandoned an effort to save a failing space telescope, leaving the spacecraft destined to reenter and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. The decision marks the end of recovery efforts for a space-based observatory, though the available reporting does not identify the telescope or explain the failure.
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NASA and Katalyst Space have called off an experimental mission to boost the aging Swift gamma-ray observatory after the recently launched servicing spacecraft suffered irredeemable technical problems in orbit. Without the rescue, Swift is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere later this year, ending an effort to extend its operational life.
As wildfires spread across Europe during another hot summer, satellites are providing earlier fire detection and detailed imagery of affected areas. The data can help authorities identify outbreaks sooner, assess damage more quickly and coordinate responses across large or difficult-to-access regions.
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