China   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space  
SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

China's Space Epoch raises B‑round, targets 2026 orbital launch and booster recovery attempt

Chinese launch startup Space Epoch has closed a B‑round of financing as it prepares for its first orbital launch and booster recovery attempt in 2026. The funding will support vehicle testing, manufacturing scale‑up and development of recovery systems ahead of a planned late‑2026 flight.

2026-02-17T10:13:11.075499-08:00
Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Commercial Space   NASA  
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Universe Today • Alan Boyle

Elon Musk Eyes a Lunar City Before Mars — Expert Reality Check

By Universe Today: SpaceX founder Elon Musk now says he wants to build a city on the moon before building a city on Mars. Is either scenario realistic? In the latest episode of the Fiction Science podcast, biologist Scott Solomon, the author of a new book titled.

2026-02-17T10:30:24.401814-08:00
Satellite   Europe   Commercial Space   Space Defense & Militarization  
European Spaceflight • Andrew Parsonson

Earth Observation Data Provider SatVu Closes £30 Million Funding Round

By European Spaceflight: SatVu has secured £30 million in new funding to expand its thermal infrared Earth observation constellation.

2026-02-17T06:31:20.884154-08:00
China   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Policy & International Cooperation  
Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Chang’e-6 Far-Side Samples Challenge Late Heavy Bombardment Hypothesis

By Universe Today: Results are coming out from the samples returned by China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission to the far side of the Moon. They offer our first close-up look at the geology and history of the far side, and a recent paper published in Science Advances from researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has very interesting insights about the impact history of the Moon itself, and even some for the solar system at large.

2026-02-17T06:53:03.209781-08:00