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A couple of firsts in orbit and interesting new findings in space science. Plus: updates in governance and defense. Having trouble with links? Click the link below to read the unclipped publication. ↓

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Living kidney and liver tissue were produced in microgravity for the first time using 3D bioprinting. San Diego-based, Auxilium Biotechnologies reported the first in‑space production of kidney and liver tissue, using its AMP‑1 orbital bioprinter aboard the International Space Station in June. The system, operating with cell designs from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in North Carolina (U.S), also manufactured cartilage tissue and 28 nerve repair implants, marking the first mission to produce three distinct tissue types and implantable medical products during a single flight. The bioprinted materials returned to Earth on June 17 aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Auxilium said the demonstration shows a scalable, multi‑product biomanufacturing platform capable of autonomous tissue and device fabrication in microgravity. The company is pursuing future work with commercial station developers and expanding applications for biomedical research and organoid production in orbit.

A study in Nature Astronomy proposed the first peer‑reviewed technique for detecting thermonuclear warheads in orbit, offering a potential verification method for the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans nuclear weapons in space. Led by MIT nuclear physicist Areg Danagoulian and partly funded by the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, the work models how radiation in the inner Van Allen belt could trigger spallation (the breakup of a nucleus that ejects particles when struck by high‑energy protons) in fissile material, producing neutrons detectable by an inspecting CubeSat.

Simulations show a 9U satellite with a diamond‑scintillator detector (a sensor that pairs a plastic neutron scintillator with a diamond layer to detect neutrons while filtering out background noise) could confirm a signature within a week at 4 kilometers, or within hours with multiple inspectors. The approach follows U.S. allegations that Russia’s Kosmos‑2553 may have tested nuclear‑armed concepts and the former’s plans to put interceptors in space under the Golden Dome initiative. Researchers noted the method applies only to the inner belt and requires validation, while future work aims to distinguish offline reactors from weapons.

12 July, 2026

An international team of scientists warned that methane from lunar lander exhaust could rapidly contaminate scientifically valuable ice deposits at the moon’s poles, according to a study in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, published last year. Using the European Space Agency’s Argonaut mission as a case study, researchers modeled how methane released near the South Pole would travel across the surface, reaching the North Pole in under two lunar days and becoming cold‑trapped in permanently shadowed regions and dark craters within one lunar week, with 42% accumulating at the South Pole and 12% at the North Pole. Scientists believe that material from ancient asteroid and comet impacts could be trapped in the ice, including “prebiotic organic molecules” that may have existed before life formed on Earth.

The study found exhaust could accumulate in the same craters targeted for future sampling, raising concerns as Artemis missions and other landers prepare for polar operations. Researchers said colder landing sites and additional modeling and in‑situ measurements will be needed to assess contamination risks.

13 July, 2026

University of Warwick researchers identified some of the faintest space debris ever observed in geosynchronous orbit (GEO) by reprocessing archival Isaac Newton Telescope survey data with new blind‑stacking algorithms (an image‑processing method that tests many possible motion paths in a sequence and stacks those frames to reveal faint, moving objects hidden in the noise), uncovering 25 previously missed debris tracks and finding many fragments tumbling. Nearly 80% of the faint targets were not listed in public catalogs, shedding light on the gaps in GEO debris awareness.

The study notes that debris at 36,000 kilometers persists indefinitely due to negligible atmospheric drag, posing long‑term risks to large, high‑value satellites operating in the geostationary belt. The project, published in the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, involved collaborators in Australia and Japan.

13 July, 2026

Japan conducted the first flight test of its RV‑X reusable rocket prototype, completing a 40‑second hop at JAXA’s Noshiro facility on July 11. The 7.3-meter/24-foot vehicle rose 10 meters/33 feet, translated 15 meters/50 feet horizontally, and landed softly as planned. RV‑X, developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is a precursor to CALLISTO or Cooperative Action Leading to Launcher Innovation for Stage Toss-back Operation, a single‑stage reusable demonstrator jointly built by JAXA, the French space agency, CNES and the German Aerospace Center, DLR.

The test advances Japan’s effort to field a reusable successor to its H3 rocket, which entered service in 2023 but lacks reusability and has seen two partial failures in eight flights. RV‑X’s campaign mirrors SpaceX’s early Starhopper program, with the next test targeting a 100‑meter ascent, lateral maneuver, hover, and landing.

15 July, 2026

An international team of researchers reported new findings from the Hillsborough meteorite, a CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite that crashed through a home in Hillsborough, New Jersey, shortly after a July 16, 2024 daytime fireball produced a sonic boom over New York City, allowing scientists to preserve fragile minerals and organic compounds typically altered by Earth’s environment.

A study in Science Advances found evidence that ancient salty water altered minerals in the meteorite’s parent asteroid, leaving sodium‑rich fractures and preserving sodium‑carbonate salts previously seen only in samples from Bennu and Ryugu. Researchers classified the specimen as only the second witnessed CM1/2 fall and found carbon and nitrogen isotopes typical of CM‑type meteorites, along with a wide range of soluble organics and amino acids. Laboratory analyses also revealed a diverse suite of amino acids comparable to the Murchison meteorite. Trajectory data traced the rock to the Erigone asteroid family, in the inner asteroid belt. Researchers said the sample offers new insight into how water and organic material were distributed across primitive asteroids in the early solar system. Portions of the sample will be curated at the American Museum of Natural History.

15 July, 2026

A new Nature study led by researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Lancaster University reports that Earth’s response to extreme solar storms may have no upper limit, challenging decades of assumptions that geomagnetic activity saturates at high solar‑wind strengths. Researchers found that the apparent ceiling results from measurement bias: most extreme solar‑wind data come from spacecraft at Lagrange point 1 or L1, where readings overestimate the strength of plasma that later weakens before reaching Earth. Analysis of more than one million near‑Earth measurements showed upper‑atmosphere currents continue increasing with stronger solar wind, indicating rare, high‑intensity storms could generate greater impacts on satellites, communications, navigation systems, and power grids than current models predict. The findings come as the sun nears solar maximum, following multiple strong geomagnetic storms in 2024. Scientists said extreme events remain uncommon but require updated modeling to reflect the absence of a true response limit.

16 July, 2026

Astronomers Harvard University and Carnegie Institution for Science reported in Science reported the first confirmed atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet in a habitable zone, identifying helium around super‑Earth LHS 1140 b, 48 light‑years away. The finding, published in Science, marks the first direct atmospheric detection for a rocky world and the first such planet in a star’s temperate zone. LHS 1140 b, discovered in 2017, orbits an older red dwarf every 24.7 days and maintains temperatures suitable for liquid water. The planet, 5.6 Earth masses, receives 42 percent of Earth’s irradiation and shows signs of a layered atmosphere with helium‑dominated upper regions and heavier species confined below. Helium escape was detected in 2024 but absent in 2025. A second planet, LHS 1140 c, showed no atmosphere, suggesting divergent atmospheric retention within the system.

Using the WINERED spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope, researchers observed a clear helium signal during a 2024 transit.

SpaceX reported more than 355,000 collision‑avoidance maneuvers by Starlink satellites over the past year, including 207,152 between December 2025 and May 2026, according to its latest FCC filing. The constellation, now exceeding 10,000 satellites, averages over 40 maneuvers per spacecraft annually as conjunction alerts rise with growing traffic in low Earth orbit.

Aggregate collision risk will increase as maneuver counts climb and additional constellations deploy. Rising satellite density, unpredictable drag and limited trajectory‑prediction tools drive frequent “ghost” avoidance burns. Experts from the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety and the University of Birmingham in the U.K, have urged regulators to require operators to disclose projected maneuver rates and fuel needs before constellation approvals, noting overlapping orbital shells heighten long‑term congestion.

14 July, 2026

The U.K. government will release a new national space strategy in the coming weeks, outlining a whole‑of‑government approach centered on economic growth and national security, according to U.K. Space Agency director Rebecca Evernden. The plan will prioritize satellite communications, launch, space domain awareness, space sustainability, and in‑space servicing and manufacturing.

It follows a June 30 Defence Investment Plan that adds £2.3 billion / $3.1 billion for satellite communications and £880 million for ISR and space control through 2030, plus £9 billion / $12 billion for space defense systems from 2030–2035. Projects include a sovereign ISR system and joint deep‑space radar operations with Australia and the United States. Evernden emphasized international partnerships, naming Japan a priority partner, and said integrating the agency into Department for Science, Innovation and Technology or DSIT has strengthened cross‑government coordination.

15 July, 2026

Mali signaled its intent to enter the space sector, with Minister Alhamdou Ag Ilyène telling ITU Deputy Secretary‑General Tomas Lamanauskas that the country plans to establish a national space agency and pursue shared satellite capabilities within the Alliance of Sahel States. He said Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger aim to build confederal systems supporting connectivity, Earth observation, disaster management, agriculture, security and development, though no timeline or budget was provided.

The proposal follows 2024 discussions with Roscosmos on joint telecommunications and remote‑sensing satellites. Ag Ilyène asked the ITU for technical support and partnership facilitation. Lamanauskas reaffirmed the ITU’s readiness to assist Mali across digital transformation, cybersecurity, AI and connectivity infrastructure.

13 July, 2026

European government space spending rose 12% to €13.5 billion / $15.4 billion in 2025, ESA reported, countering a 3% global decline driven by reduced U.S. defense outlays and flat NASA funding. The U.S. spent less on military programs that include space‑related activities. Because the U.S. normally accounts for the largest share of global government space spending, any reduction has a big impact on the worldwide total. Meanwhile, NASA also did not receive a meaningful increase in funding compared to the previous year. When NASA’s budget doesn’t grow, it effectively reduces global growth because NASA is one of the world’s largest civil space agencies. Lower U.S. defense spending and stagnant NASA funding pulled down the global government space‑spending total, even though Europe increased its own budgets.

ESA expects budgets to climb more than 20% in 2026, with Germany planning €35 billion for space security by 2030 and France adding €4.2 billion for military space through 2040. The United States accounted for 58% of global government spending, followed by China at 15% and Europe at 11%. ESA highlighted Europe’s open market, which leaves domestic suppliers exposed to foreign competition and limits access to the €75 billion upstream sector dominated by defense. Private investment showed a widening gap: global funding surged 60% to €11.7 billion, while European ventures raised €1.4 billion, down 8%, despite posting their second‑highest annual total.

New US defense funding for L3Harris, Sierra Space, Slingshot Aerospace and Martin Materials Solutions to build missile‑tracking satellites, develop AI training systems and expand critical space‑material production, alongside a SpaceX launch advancing SDA’s missile‑tracking and transport‑layer satellites.

13 July, 2026

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency awarded $1.75 billion in contracts to L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space for 36 missile warning and missile defense satellites under the Accelerated Missile Defense Tranche 3 program, the agency said July 13. The spacecraft, slated for launch readiness by late 2028, expand the Tracking Layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which will support the Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

L3Harris will build 18 satellites with sensors similar to the Missile Defense Agency’s HBTSS payloads, while Sierra Space will produce 18 missile warning and tracking satellites. The satellites will operate through a common ground system and interoperate with Tranche 0, 1, 2 and earlier Tranche 3 spacecraft. The awards bring L3Harris’ total Tracking Layer backlog to 72 satellites and Sierra Space’s to 36.

15 July, 2026

Separately, Slingshot Aerospace received a $69.2 million U.S. Space Force contract to develop artificial intelligence–based training environments for satellite defense operations, the service said July 15. The 4½‑year SBIR Phase 3 award supports the Operational Test and Training Infrastructure program, which seeks realistic digital tools for rehearsing protect‑and‑defend missions in orbit.

Slingshot will deliver high‑fidelity simulations that allow operators to evaluate courses of action and practice decision‑making against an autonomous virtual adversary. The system is built around TALOS, an AI agent that models spacecraft behavior, generates response options and adapts to evolving scenarios. Slingshot, based in Colorado, previously developed the technology under an earlier SBIR award. The Space Force said digital environments are essential because many potential conflict scenarios cannot be safely replicated with operational satellites.

16 July, 2026

These developments come in the wake of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 resuming deployment of the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer on July 16, launching 21 York Space Systems satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission, T1TL‑E, is the third Tranche 1 batch and brings 63 Transport Layer spacecraft on orbit, half of the planned 126‑satellite tranche.

SDA previously launched 21 York satellites in September 2025 and 21 Lockheed Martin satellites in October 2025. The pause between missions followed hardware and software issues on the first 42 satellites, including thermal‑modeling errors, delayed ground contacts and propulsion challenges. SDA Director GP Sandhoo said the agency has shifted from a monthly cadence to readiness‑based launches. The Transport Layer will provide optical intersatellite links and relay data to military users, though SDA has not yet established the full mesh network.

18 July, 2026

The Pentagon awarded $7.1 million under the Defense Production Act to Martin Materials Solutions to expand U.S. manufacturing of space‑qualified cover glass used on satellite solar arrays. The July 17 award will establish and scale production at the company’s Twinsburg, Ohio facility, addressing supply‑chain risks for a component that protects photovoltaic cells from radiation, micrometeorites and damaging light wavelengths while preserving structural integrity.

Martin Materials is one of few U.S. suppliers of cover glass and also produces thermal‑control mirror glass for spacecraft. The funding is intended to support defense priorities by increasing domestic capacity and reducing reliance on limited domestic and foreign sources. The Pentagon said the investment will add equipment, personnel and materials needed to secure a sustainable U.S. supply of critical satellite power‑system components.

16 July, 2026

The U.S. Defense Innovation Unit issued a solicitation for commercial systems capable of beaming electrical power between spacecraft and from orbit to the ground, aiming for an on‑orbit prototype within two years and an operational capability by fiscal 2030. Companies must submit proposals by July 22 and complete a laboratory demonstration within 12 months, followed by government assessment for orbital testing.

DIU is prioritizing space‑to‑space and space‑to‑ground transmission systems that could extend spacecraft operations or supply power to remote military units. The project spans four areas: space‑to‑space transmitters, space‑to‑ground transmitters, receivers, and components to reduce size and manufacturing complexity. The effort is being conducted through DIU’s Commercial Solutions Opening process using Other Transaction authority, which requires participation by nontraditional contractors or cost‑sharing. A successful prototype could lead to production contracts across the Defense Department as commercial and defense firms expand investment in power‑beaming technologies.

Outgoing Space Force chief, Saltzman cautions that orbital conflict would endanger all satellites, urges allied responsibility amid growing Chinese and Russian counterspace systems, while incoming Schiess supports major budget growth; the service raises NSSL Lane 1 contracts to $17 billion, to support growing launch needs.

15 July, 2026

General Chance Saltzman used his final public address as U.S. Space Force chief to warn that any conflict extending into orbit would expose satellites from all nations, urging allied responsibility for a stable space domain. Speaking July 15 in London, he said China and Russia are developing systems that could jam or disable spacecraft, prompting the Space Force’s shift toward space control and his Competitive Endurance strategy to avoid surprise, deny first‑strike advantage and field counterspace capabilities that limit debris.

Saltzman emphasized building combat‑credible forces over attempting to calculate deterrence, expanded allied cooperation, and cautioned that challenges in acquisition speed, interoperability and information sharing must be managed rather than solved. He retires next month after 35 years.

16 July, 2026

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Space Force, Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, told U.S. lawmakers July 16 that the administration’s $71.1 billion budget request is necessary to counter China’s rapidly expanding military space capabilities. Schiess said most funding would support weapons, facilities and training, with plans to add roughly 4,800 personnel. He warned China is fielding systems to track U.S. forces across the Pacific and said the Space Force must disrupt those networks while protecting U.S. satellites. Schiess backed limits on commercial involvement in counterspace weapons, endorsed preserving the Space Development Agency’s rapid acquisition model and said recent conflicts highlight the need for resilience, electronic‑interference response and AI‑enabled space‑domain awareness.

17 July, 2026

Separately, the Space Force raised the ceiling of its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contract vehicle from $5.6 billion to $17 billion, citing a sharp increase in projected satellite missions through fiscal 2029. The July 17 notice expands the cumulative value of task orders competed among SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Stoke Space, Impulse Space and Relativity Space.

Lane 1 covers commercially styled missions that do not require full certification, allowing newer providers to compete once their systems demonstrate readiness. Lane 2, on the other hand, is the NSSL tier reserved for the military’s highest‑priority missions. The increase follows Space Systems Command’s identification of 25 additional Phase 3 Lane 2 missions beyond the original 54, signaling significantly higher demand across both launch categories since the strategy was set in 2024.

13 July, 2026

Reditus Space completed assembly of ENOS, a 200‑kilogram recoverable reentry vehicle slated to launch later this year on a SpaceX rideshare mission. ENOS will spend two months in orbit before splashing down off Florida, returning up to 60 kilograms of payload. The single‑system design enables most of the spacecraft to survive reentry for reuse, supported by a proprietary RHEA thermal protection material developed with NASA.

The mission will demonstrate thermal management, reentry performance and jettisonable “backpack” systems while carrying customer payloads from pharmaceutical, semiconductor and hypersonic technology firms. The startup built ENOS in 15 months with $7.1 million in seed funding and sees SpaceX’s Starfall as validation of growing demand for commercial reentry vehicles.

15 July, 2026

Icarus Robotics, the space-robotics startup, selected Texas-based KULR Technology Group to supply K1S battery systems for Joy, a dexterous free‑flying robot slated to support astronauts on the Joyride‑1 mission to the International Space Station in early 2027. The batteries, customized to Joy’s size and performance needs, meet NASA crewed‑vehicle safety requirements and previously flew on a cubesat aboard Artemis 2.

Icarus said emerging orbital, lunar and deep‑space infrastructure will require higher‑power electromechanical systems than traditional satellites. KULR is developing batteries for autonomous platforms, noting robots and their power systems will be essential for inspection, repair and assembly of off‑Earth infrastructure.

15 July, 2026

Satellite Orbital Access and Removal or SOAR, a Florida startup focused on small‑debris mitigation, partnered with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to develop the Passive Orbital Debris Removal System, a rotating multi‑panel satellite designed to intercept objects 10 centimeters and smaller. The system uses layered Whipple shielding and onboard sensors to log impact frequency and momentum transfer.

UTEP’s National Security Institute will lead architecture studies to target high‑consequence orbits where small debris objects can be traveling at speeds of 7,000 miles per hour or more. SOAR cites rising dependence on low‑Earth‑orbit assets and growing debris populations, with ESA estimating more than 140 million sub‑10‑centimeter objects. The effort follows $7.1 million in seed funding and guidance from orbital‑debris researcher Donald Kessler.

16 July, 2026

Swiss aerospace and telecom company, Swissto12 raised €61 million / $70 million in Series C funding to scale production of its small geostationary HummingSat spacecraft amid more than $500 million in contracted orders. The first of seven satellites is slated for SES in 2027, with additional missions for Viasat, Astrium Mobile and Space Compass through 2029.

The company said demand for small GEO platforms is rising as operators pursue multi‑orbit architectures and lower‑cost regional coverage. ESA has provided $84.8 million through its ARTES program. Swissto12 reported $140 million in 2025 revenue, a 110% compound annual growth rate since 2022, and expects positive EBITDA in 2026.

18 July, 2026

Indian launch startup and the country’s first space unicorn, Skyroot Aerospace, successfully completed its first orbital launch attempt. Skyroot’s Vikram‑1 rocket reached orbit on its inaugural flight July 18, becoming India’s first privately built orbital launcher. The seven‑story vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre after a brief delay, with all three solid stages and the restartable Orbit Adjustment Module performing to plan. The payloads, including Skyroot’s SCOPE satellite, a technology demo from Germany’s DCUBED, Grahaa Space’s SOLARAS S3 satellite, and Embrace, a debris‑capture robotic arm from Cosmoserve Space, were placed into a 450‑kilometer orbit.

The mission, Aagaman which means “arrival” in Sanskrit, is the first of three planned development flights. Vikram‑1’s upper stage enables multi‑orbit deployments, advancing Skyroot’s goal of dedicated small‑satellite launches. The company raised $60 million in May to scale production and develop the larger Vikram‑2 as India expands private‑sector access to ISRO facilities.

The CMS or Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has reported the first direct observation of a "diffusion wake" in quark-gluon plasma, a phenomenon predicted more than two decades ago.

The key thing for your audience:

The plasma, a hot, dense state resembling the early universe, forms when lead nuclei collide near light speed, freeing quarks and gluons into particle jets. As these partons (the collective term for the constituents inside protons and neutrons, namely quarks and gluons) cross the medium, plowing through quark-gluon plasma, they shed energy, leaving a trailing disturbance much like the V-shaped wake behind a boat. Earlier searches using Z boson-and-jet events lacked statistical significance.

Researchers led by the University of Illinois Chicago instead analyzed back-to-back dijet events (a collision that produces two jets of particles flying off back-to-back in opposite directions), revealing a depletion of low-momentum particles behind jets. The signal, strongest in central collisions, exceeded five standard deviations. The work was accepted June 25 in Physical Review Letters.

CMS is one of the two large general‑purpose particle‑physics detectors at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Under normal conditions, partons are never found alone; they're always locked together inside protons, neutrons, and similar particles. It's only when you smash nuclei together at near-light-speed that you free them into the quark-gluon plasma, which is why an accelerator like the LHC is needed to study them in the first place.

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