SHENZHOU-19 ASTRONAUTS COMPLETE THIRD SPACEWALK, INSTALL FINAL DEBRIS SHIELDING ON TIANGONG - A pair of Chinese astronauts embarked on an extravehicular activity outside the Tiangong space station Friday, as the crew approaches the end of their six-month-long stay in orbit. Astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong returned to the Wentian science module at 8:50 a.m. Eastern (1250 UTC) March 21, completing their seven-hour extravehicular activity (EVA). Cai initially opened the Wentian hatch at 1:45 a.m. (0545 UT), according to China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSA.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Mar 26)

NASA INVITES MEDIA TO SPACEX’S 32ND RESUPPLY LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION - Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Monday, April 21, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch is the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency.   More
(Source: NASA - Mar 26)

STARLINK RIVAL AST SPACEMOBILE TIPS NEW SATELLITE PROTOTYPE - AST SpaceMobile—a rival to SpaceX’s cellular Starlink system—is requesting permission to launch a new prototype satellite that differs from the company’s original plans. On Friday, AST asked the FCC for experimental authority to launch and operate an "FM1" satellite. At first glance, it appears to be a second-generation BlueBird satellite. The FM1 and second-gen BlueBird satellites are both 223 square meters, or about three times larger than first-gen BlueBirds, which launched in September and have successfully powered demo video calls.   More
(Source: PCMag - Mar 25)

THIS SATELLITE COULD ONE DAY BE USED TO EAT OTHER SATELLITES - Space junk left over from the tens of thousands of satellites we’ve launched into orbit is a real problem. It not only affects researchers on the International Space Station, which has to dodge debris to avoid a hole-punched hull, but sometimes crash-lands here on Earth, as it recently did when some unidentified man-made space junk crashed into a Kenyan village. A British company called Magdrive is trying to solve these problems.   More
(Source: VICE - Mar 25)

SPACEX LAUNCHES NATIONAL SECURITY SATELLITE FOR NRO ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - The National Reconnaissance Office, which manages the American military’s spy satellites, launched its fifth mission of the 2025 out of roughly a dozen planned for the year. The flight, dubbed NROL-69, lifted off onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to an undisclosed orbital location. The launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 1:48 p.m. EDT (1748 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 25)

CZECH REPUBLIC, UKRAINE LAUNCH SPY SATELLITE PROJECT - The Czech Republic is moving forward with the creation of a joint satellite reconnaissance constellation with Ukraine designed to provide high-resolution optical surveillance capabilities in support of Ukraine’s defense needs. According to Militarnyi outlet, the project stems from an October 2022 agreement between the Czech and Ukrainian governments to establish a joint defense cluster.   More
(Source: Defence Blog - Mar 24)

NASA TO COVER NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S 21ST CARGO SPACE STATION DEPARTURE - After delivering more than 8,200 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo to the orbiting laboratory for NASA and its international partners, Northrop Grumman's uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Friday, March 28. Watch NASA's live coverage of undocking and departure at 6:30 a.m. EDT on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after its capture (Credits: NASA). Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm shortly after its capture (Credits: NASA). This mission was the company's 21st commercial resupply mission to the space station for NASA.   More
(Source: PR Newswire - Mar 23)

CHINA IS PRACTICING ‘DOGFIGHTING’ WITH SATELLITES AS IT RAMPS UP SPACE CAPABILITIES: US SPACE FORCE - China is practicing “dogfighting” satellites as part of its expanding capabilities in space, according to the United States Space Force, which warned that Washington’s key rivals are closing the technology gap as space becomes increasingly critical to security on Earth. The Space Force observed “five different objects in space maneuvering in and out and around each other in synchronicity and in control,” its vice chief of space operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein said Tuesday at a defense conference.    More
(Source: CNN - Mar 22)

NASA DEFENDS DECISIONS ABOUT ASTRONAUTS, SAYS THEY NEVER WERE 'STRANDED' - After the safe return Tuesday of two astronauts left behind for months on the International Space Station, the White House characterized the pair as "stranded" and trumpeted their return as a "rescue." Those are words that NASA has been resisting for months. It made for an awkward situation in a post-splashdown press conference, when NASA administrators insisted they could have brought Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home at any time, while also seeking not to contradict the president.   More
(Source: Phys.org - Mar 21)

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