Asteroids contain mind-boggling amounts of valuable metals – like 16 Psyche, seen here, which holds massive reserves of iron. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 5 February 2026 A niche corner of the commercial space sector is attracting attention from United States national security planners, not because of
Nuclear Space Micro-Reactor Concept Model. By Mrigakshi Dixit, Published by Interesting Engineering, 2 February 2026 The UK Space Agency’s ambitious dream of establishing a nuclear-powered Moon base has dimmed. Reports suggest that Rolls-Royce has placed its lunar micro-reactor development on indefinite hold after government funding expired. Despite receiving £9m in
An artist's concept of possible nuclear fission reactors on the Moon. Credit: NASA By Jennifer M. Doreen, Published by NASA, 13 January 2026 NASA, along with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced Tuesday a renewed commitment to their longstanding partnership to support the research and development of a fission
We may already have some of the tools we need for the next generation of space exploration. (Image credit: NASA) By Sharmila Kuthunur, Published by Space.com, 31 December 2025 "It's really not a question of robotic exploration or human exploration," Ehlmann said. "It is an 'and' — it's robotic and
An image of the NGC 5353/4 galaxy group made with a telescope at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, USA on the night of Saturday 25 May 2019. The diagonal lines running across the image are trails of reflected light left by Starlink satellites as they passed through the telescope’s field of
A Long March 3B carrier rocket carrying an experimental satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on December 30, 2021 in Xichang, China. Liu Guoxing / VCG via Getty Images By Martin Belam, Published by The Guardian, 2 December 2025 In today’s newsletter: As suppliers get ready to
The entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vault By David Stuckenberg, Published by Space News, 20 November 2025 Humanity is losing the genetic diversity that sustains life on Earth at a pace that should alarm every nation. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization,
By Simonetta Di Pippo, Published by Space.com, 15 November 2025 A vital question is whether the moon's water ice be used without some level of appropriation In the 1960s, Frank Sinatra’s song Fly Me to the Moon became closely associated with the Apollo missions. The optimistic track was recorded in
