Spaceflight NowWill Robinson-Smith

SpaceX to close 2025 with Falcon 9 launch of Italy's Cosmo‑SkyMed Second Generation FM3 from Vandenberg

SpaceX will close 2025 with a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying Italy's Cosmo‑SkyMed Second Generation Flight Model 3 (CSG‑FM3) Earth‑observation satellite, which is encapsulated in the rocket's payload fairing. The liftoff is scheduled as the company's final Falcon 9 mission of the year.

2025-12-27T06:00:25.663470-08:00
Space ExploredTheresa Cross

Orbital Data Centers: Why the Space Industry Is Betting on In‑Orbit Cloud Infrastructure

By Space Explored: A new phrase has been quietly circulating through space-industry discussions over the past year: Orbital data centers. The idea sounds...

2025-12-27T11:58:54.253611-08:00
Universe TodayAndy Tomaswick

Kirigami-enabled Solar Sails: Using Structural Cuts to Control and Turn Sailcraft

By Universe Today: Solar sails have some major advantages over traditional propulsion methods - most notably they don’t use any propellant. But, how exactly do they turn? In traditional sailing, a ship’s captain can simply adjust the angle of the sail itself to catch the wind at a different angle.

2025-12-27T03:54:23.461136-08:00