Space News

Lunar Occultation of Venus

On Wednesday, June 17, skywatchers across the United States—and parts of Canada—enjoyed a rare event: a daytime lunar occultation of Venus. A lunar occultation occurs when the Moon moves directly in front of another celestial object from our viewpoint on Earth, briefly hiding it from sight. This time, the Moon slipped in front of Venus […]

Media briefing ahead of FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch

On 4 September 2026, media representatives joined an online briefing ahead of the launch of ESA’s FLEX and the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellites.

Isar Aerospace Calls Off 4 September Spectrum Launch Attempt

German launch services provider Isar Aerospace appears to have scrubbed a planned 4 September attempt to conduct the second flight of its Spectrum rocket. The company called off the attempt several hours after launch-related road closures came into effect. At 10:39 CEST on 4 September, Nordland Police announced that land and maritime traffic restrictions around […]

Week in images: 31 Aug - 04 Sep 2026

Week in images: 31 Aug - 04 Sep 2026

German Space Situation Awareness Startup Project-S Emerges from Stealth

Munich-based space situational awareness startup Project-S has emerged from stealth with what it describes as “multi-million-euro backing.” The company is currently preparing for the first in-orbit demonstration of its active radar, with a spokesperson telling European Spaceflight that it is scheduled to be launched aboard a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission next month. On 2 September, […]

How Sentinel-3 tracks climate change

Copernicus Sentinel-3 is one of the most diverse missions for measuring and monitoring Earth’s climate systems. It captures a breadth of data about the environment and has contributed substantially to what we know about climate change over the past decade. The launch of the mission’s third satellite heralds the continuity of this vital source of knowledge.

APOD: 2026 September 4 – Na Uhane Mahoe Huki Pu i ke Ola

A Trio of Tropical Cyclones in the Pacific

The Pacific was buzzing with storms while the Atlantic was notably quiet.

Schiess Takes Charge of U.S. Space Force

Gen. Douglas Schiess took charge of the U.S. Space Force today at a Change of Responsibility ceremony outside Washington, D.C. Outgoing Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman praised his successor […]

Schiess takes command of Space Force as the service prepares for expansion

Gen. Douglas Schiess succeeds Gen. Chance Saltzman as the third chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force

NASA to Cover Progress 96 Spacecraft Launch, Docking

NASA will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Roscosmos cargo spacecraft carrying about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the crew aboard the International Space Station. The unpiloted Progress 96 resupply spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 12:15 p.m. EDT (9:15 p.m. Baikonur time), Wednesday, Sept. 9, on a […]

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4988-4994: More New Tricks for an Old Dog

Written by Michelle Minitti, MAHLI Deputy Principal Investigator Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 After Curiosity’s 14 years on the surface, Mars continues to surprise. Both of our workspaces this week contained features unlike quite anything we have seen in the past — broad, shallow pits (like the one in the image above) dotted […]