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Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Why Lunar‑Origin Asteroids Are Elusive — and How the Vera Rubin Observatory Could Find Them

The Moon’s cratered surface should produce debris that escapes into space, creating a population of lunar‑origin asteroids (LOAs), yet astronomers have found surprisingly few. A new Tsinghua University paper explains why LOAs remain elusive and outlines how the Vera Rubin Observatory’s survey capabilities could locate them.

2026-02-10T04:48:53.495140-08:00

Ars Technica

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

2026-02-06T08:35:10.018906-08:00

Spaceflight Now

SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation

2026-02-07T00:33:51.287105-08:00

SpaceNews.com

SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 fleet after second‑stage anomaly on Vandenberg Starlink launch

2026-02-03T04:57:20.572579-08:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

Why Lunar‑Origin Asteroids Are Elusive — and How the Vera Rubin Observatory Could Find Them The Moon’s cratered surface should produce debris that escapes into space, creating a population of lunar‑origin asteroids (LOAs), yet astronomers have found surprisingly few. A new Tsinghua University paper explains why LOAs remain elusive and outlines how the Vera Rubin Observatory’s survey capabilities could locate them.

2026-02-10T04:48:53.495140-08:00

Why Lunar‑Origin Asteroids Are Elusive — and How the Vera Rubin Observatory Could Find Them

Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 on a return-to-flight mission after a brief stand‑down, carrying the Starlink 17‑33 payload of 25 broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. The flight expands SpaceX's megaconstellation, pushing its operational fleet past 9,600 satellites as deployment continues.

2026-02-07T00:33:51.287105-08:00

SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation

Ars Technica

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Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit Congress has directed NASA to evaluate the viability of transferring the International Space Station to a ‘safe orbital harbor’ after its planned retirement rather than executing a controlled deorbit. The study will assess technical feasibility, costs, partner agreements and orbital-debris implications for preserving LEO infrastructure.

2026-02-06T08:35:10.018906-08:00

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

sciencedirect.com

Megaconstellations' End-of-Life Reentries Create Uncertain Casualty and Environmental Risks Operators plan thousands of satellites to deorbit at end of life to limit orbital debris, but recent analyses and a Harvard Salata Institute release warn design‑for‑demise outcomes are uncertain. Partial burn‑up can leave surviving fragments and atmospheric deposits, creating ground casualty and environmental risks as constellations scale.

2026-02-05T17:09:17.509662-08:00

Megaconstellations' End-of-Life Reentries Create Uncertain Casualty and Environmental Risks

Via Satellite

Morpheus Space raises €15M ($15M) to scale GO‑1 electric thruster production in Dresden Morpheus Space secured €15 million (reported in some outlets as $15 million) from Alpine Space Ventures and the European Investment Fund to accelerate mass production of its GO‑1 electric in‑space thrusters at a Dresden facility, supporting smallsat constellations and helping mitigate orbital congestion.

2026-02-05T08:41:03.424290-08:00

Morpheus Space raises €15M ($15M) to scale GO‑1 electric thruster production in Dresden

SpaceNews.com

Starfish selects Quindar for mission-operations software to support satellite-servicing missions Starfish, a satellite-servicing startup, has selected mission-operations software provider Quindar to manage mission operations for its on‑orbit servicing activities. The deal aims to help Starfish operationalize recent autonomous rendezvous demonstrations and prepare for recurring commercial servicing missions and scale its on‑orbit operations.

2026-02-05T06:35:36.309374-08:00

Starfish selects Quindar for mission-operations software to support satellite-servicing missions

Payload

HawkEye 360 signs five‑year deal with Hale for space‑weather and atmospheric‑density forecasts HawkEye 360 has signed a five‑year agreement with Hale to incorporate the firm's space‑weather forecasts and atmospheric‑density predictions into its satellite deployment planning. The service will inform constellation insertion timing, drag modelling and operational decision‑making across its low‑Earth orbit operations for upcoming missions.

2026-02-03T05:02:40.079916-08:00

HawkEye 360 signs five‑year deal with Hale for space‑weather and atmospheric‑density forecasts

SpaceNews.com

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SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 fleet after second‑stage anomaly on Vandenberg Starlink launch SpaceX paused Falcon 9 flights after a Vandenberg launch that delivered 25 Starlink satellites when the rocket's second stage had an off‑nominal condition while preparing to deorbit. The stage exhausted fuel as planned; teams will review data before returning the fleet to flight, with impact on Crew‑12 (Feb. 11) unclear.

2026-02-03T04:57:20.572579-08:00

SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 fleet after second‑stage anomaly on Vandenberg Starlink launch

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Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Why Lunar‑Origin Asteroids Are Elusive — and How the Vera Rubin Observatory Could Find Them

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

SpaceX returns Falcon 9 to flight with Starlink 17‑33; 25 satellites lift to a >9,600-strong constellation

SpaceX grounds Falcon 9 fleet after second‑stage anomaly on Vandenberg Starlink launch

News Timeline