A banner year for military space funding— with an unclear path beyond

One concept for the Golden Dome missile defense system with space-based elements. (credit: Redwire) By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 24 February 2026 Reconciliation boost lifts 2026 totals, but sustainability questions loom for missile defense and Space Development Agency WASHINGTON — Funding for the U.S. Space Force this fiscal

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Lithium Plume in Our Atmosphere Traced Back to Returning SpaceX Rocket

Artist's impression of a Falcon 9 upper stage with payload in 2015. (SpaceX) By Robyn Schofield & Robert George Ryan, Published by Science Alert, 23 February 2026 Space junk returning to the Earth is introducing metal pollution to the pristine upper atmosphere as it burns up on re-entry, a new

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U.S. military operators review sensor data at the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. Credit: U.S. Air Force

Space Force’s role in Iran, Venezuela raids fueling push for more resources

U.S. military operators review sensor data at the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. Space Delta 5 supports and presents combat-ready forces to command and control the Combined Space Operations Center, which closes blue kill chains by delivering space-enabled effects—including GPS, missile warning and electromagnetic interference

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Study Confirms: Reentering SpaceX Rockets Are Peppering the Upper Atmosphere With Metal Pollution

The Falcon 9 upper stage re-entering the atmosphere above Berlin, Germany, on February 19, 2025. Gerd Baumgarten By Passant Rabie, Published by Space & Spaceflight, 19 February 2026 For the first time, scientists were able to directly detect upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris. On February 19, 2025, a Falcon 9

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SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium

Long exposure photographs showed the Falcon 9 rocket debris over Berlin in 2025 By Georgina Rannard, Published by the BBC, 19 February 2026 When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our atmosphere. Now scientists

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USSF Wants to Get Battle Management Tools from Lab to Operations Faster

Crews of the National Space Defense Center at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo. provide threat-focused space domain awareness across the national security space enterprise. (U.S. Space Force photo by Kathryn Damon) By Courtney Albon, Publsihed by Air & Space Forces, 19 February 2026 The Space Force team responsible for developing

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