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Reuters • Joey Roulette

Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time

The Senate Commerce Committee will consider extending the International Space Station’s operational life by two years while revising NASA’s lunar-base policy to accelerate Artemis-era infrastructure. Lawmakers say the moves buy commercial developers more runway to field replacement stations and sharpen U.S. strategy as China’s space activity grows.

2026-02-25T17:36:33.799000-08:00

SpaceNews.com

EIB lends €25M to Luxembourg's OQ Technology to fund 20+ direct‑to‑device LEO satellites

2026-02-25T03:07:21.442644-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Operator contact failures hinder deconfliction, increasing collision risk as satellite numbers grow

2026-02-25T03:42:21.328884-08:00

Space Intel Report

Rocket Lab US bid for Mynaric underscores Europe’s shift toward U.S. lasercom partnerships

2026-02-25T03:31:41.776700-08:00

News Timeline

Reuters

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Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time The Senate Commerce Committee will consider extending the International Space Station’s operational life by two years while revising NASA’s lunar-base policy to accelerate Artemis-era infrastructure. Lawmakers say the moves buy commercial developers more runway to field replacement stations and sharpen U.S. strategy as China’s space activity grows.

2026-02-25T17:36:33.799000-08:00

Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time

SpaceNews.com

Operator contact failures hinder deconfliction, increasing collision risk as satellite numbers grow As satellite numbers surge, operators say they are increasingly unable to reach other operators to coordinate collision-avoidance, degrading deconfliction and raising the risk of close approaches or debris-generating collisions. The failures expose weaknesses in voluntary communication channels and gaps in current space-traffic management practices.

2026-02-25T03:42:21.328884-08:00

Operator contact failures hinder deconfliction, increasing collision risk as satellite numbers grow

Space Intel Report

Rocket Lab US bid for Mynaric underscores Europe’s shift toward U.S. lasercom partnerships Rocket Lab US's bid for German lasercom firm Mynaric signals a shift in Europe’s satellite communications procurement toward U.S. partners. The potential acquisition highlights commercial consolidation in optical ground- and space-based laser communications and raises questions around sovereign access and export controls.

2026-02-25T03:31:41.776700-08:00

Rocket Lab US bid for Mynaric underscores Europe’s shift toward U.S. lasercom partnerships

SpaceNews.com

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EIB lends €25M to Luxembourg's OQ Technology to fund 20+ direct‑to‑device LEO satellites The European Investment Bank is lending €25 million to Luxembourg‑based OQ Technology to accelerate a direct‑to‑device LEO constellation, funding development and the launch of more than 20 satellites over the next two years to enable satellite‑to‑smartphone 5G connectivity as Europe seeks to rival U.S. efforts.

2026-02-25T03:07:21.442644-08:00

EIB lends €25M to Luxembourg's OQ Technology to fund 20+ direct‑to‑device LEO satellites

Space Policy Online

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Artemis II crew attend State of the Union while president omits Artemis and NASA The four Artemis II astronauts attended President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union but he did not mention the Artemis program or NASA despite the crew’s presence following a recent mission delay; he instead briefly referenced human spaceflight’s historical role and praised the Space Force.

2026-02-24T21:13:35.679295-08:00

Artemis II crew attend State of the Union while president omits Artemis and NASA

Universe Today

How long could Earth microbes survive on Mars? New estimates sharpen planetary‑protection and sample‑integrity concerns Researchers are assessing survival times for terrestrial microbes under Martian conditions to better quantify forward‑contamination risk. Reliable survival estimates are critical to avoid confusing Earth life with indigenous Martian biology and to shape NASA's mitigation measures for sample collection and return.

2026-02-24T20:33:57.452833-08:00

How long could Earth microbes survive on Mars? New estimates sharpen planetary‑protection and sample‑integrity concerns

Universe Today

Asteroid gold rush exposes legal void as mining raises space‑environment risks Asteroid mining companies are moving from concept to reality, prompting new legal and environmental concerns. In Acta Astronautica, Anna Marie Brenna (University of Waikato) proposes a legal framework intended to reconcile commercial resource extraction with protections for the space environment and orbital sustainability.

2026-02-24T07:31:20.695897-08:00

Asteroid gold rush exposes legal void as mining raises space‑environment risks

SpaceNews.com

Commercial Space Federation issues white paper 'Perfecting Public-Private Partnerships' The Commercial Space Federation released a white paper, "Perfecting Public-Private Partnerships," offering recommendations to refine government–industry collaboration across commercial space activities. The guidance aims to standardize procurement approaches, risk‑sharing and contractual frameworks to accelerate commercial roles in civil, defense and national‑security missions.

2026-02-24T06:07:34.144508-08:00

Commercial Space Federation issues white paper 'Perfecting Public-Private Partnerships'

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Space Policy & International Cooperation News

Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time

EIB lends €25M to Luxembourg's OQ Technology to fund 20+ direct‑to‑device LEO satellites

Operator contact failures hinder deconfliction, increasing collision risk as satellite numbers grow

Rocket Lab US bid for Mynaric underscores Europe’s shift toward U.S. lasercom partnerships

News Timeline