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- Issue 79 | Breaking Space News: Dec 1 - 7, 2025
Issue 79 | Breaking Space News: Dec 1 - 7, 2025
Menstrual Cups Successfully Tested in Spaceflight. This Week in Space News: Clocks on Mars Run Faster Than on Earth, ISS Hosts Eight Spacecraft, Microbes Could Transform Martian Soil for 3D‐Printed Habitats, Sugars and Polymers Found on Bennu, and Solar Insights Unearthed from Ancient Chinese Texts. Plus: Russian Cosmonaut Removed from SpaceX Flight, Missile Defense Agency Awards Contracts to Over 1,000 Companies, and Hypersonics, GEO Satellites, Nuclear Microreactors Draw Major Space and Defense Investment.
Lagrangian Despatch
December 08, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 55 minutes
Explorer, welcome back!🚀
Visual treats this week. The line between defense and commercial space keeps getting blurred. A lot of new intriguing research in science as well. Don’t forget to click below for the full newsletter experience. ⬇️⬇️
Hope you enjoy this Space!
New Research Shows Clocks on Mars Will Run Faster Than on Earth
International Space Station Hosts Eight Spacecraft Docked Simultaneously for First Time
Microbes Could Transform Martian Soil to Help 3D Print Habitats on the Red Planet
Sugars, Space Gum and Stardust Found in Bennu Asteroid Samples
Menstrual Cup Tested in Spaceflight Shows Potential for Long-Duration Missions
PRIMER
Baryon Asymmetry Or the Missing Antimatter Problem
The “missing antimatter” puzzle asks why the universe contains far more matter than antimatter, despite the fundamental laws of physics, particularly the Standard Model suggesting the Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of both. If those quantities had been perfectly balanced, they would have annihilated each other, leaving behind only radiation. Instead, a tiny excess of matter survived, forming stars, planets, and life. The origin of this imbalance remains one of physics’ biggest unsolved questions.
What the Problem Is
Baryon symmetry refers to the expected balance between baryons (matter particles like protons and neutrons) and antibaryons.
Observation: The universe we see is overwhelmingly made of matter. Antimatter is nearly absent, except in rare high‑energy processes.
Puzzle: If matter and antimatter were created equally, they should have annihilated each other, leaving behind only radiation. Yet stars, planets, and people exist.
Why It Matters
This imbalance, called baryon asymmetry, is one of the biggest unsolved problems in physics.
Neither the Standard Model of particle physics nor general relativity fully explains why matter won out.
Without this asymmetry, the universe would be empty of structure.
Possible Explanations
Charge–parity (CP) violation: Subtle differences in how matter and antimatter behave may have tipped the balance.
Baryogenesis theories: Propose mechanisms in the early universe that favored matter, such as interactions involving heavy particles or decays that broke symmetry.
Recent experiments: CERN’s LHCb collaboration reported evidence of CP violation in baryon decays, offering a new piece of the puzzle.
Why It’s Still Open
Current measurements of CP violation are too small to explain the observed imbalance.
Physicists continue searching for new physics beyond the Standard Model—possibly involving neutrinos, dark matter, or undiscovered forces.
IMAGES
Eye of the Sahara, Richat Structure : Copernicus Sentinel-2
Captured by Copernicus Sentinel‑2 in September 2025, this view shows the Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara, set within Mauritania’s Adrar plateau. The 50‑km‑wide formation, once thought to be a meteor impact site, is now understood as a deeply eroded uplifted dome of molten rock shaped by wind and water over more than 100 million years. The dark area encircling the formation is part of the plateau itself, composed of sedimentary rock rising about 200 m above the surrounding desert. These sands belong to the Erg Ouarane, a vast dune field stretching hundreds of kilometres toward Mali. Surrounding desert sands from the Erg Ouarane encroach on its southern edge, while sparse vegetation dots the dry riverbeds. (Credit: Modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), Processed by ESA)
This Sentinel‑2 false‑colour composite highlights the Richat Structure’s geology in striking detail. Quartzite sandstones resistant to erosion appear in red and pink, forming concentric ridges, while valleys of softer rock show as darker tones. The central rings rise about 80 m and contain older rocks than the outer layers. Vegetation along a dry riverbed appears purple, contrasting with the surrounding plateau. The bull’s‑eye pattern, visible from orbit since early crewed missions, remains a familiar landmark for astronauts. (Credit: Modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), Processed by ESA)
This axonometric view of the Richat Structure, acquired by NASA’s Terra satellite on 7 November 2000, offers a perspective that highlights the geological layering more clearly than overhead imagery. The concentric rings of resistant quartzite rise above valleys of softer rock, illustrating the dome’s erosion over millions of years. Standing 50 km across within Mauritania’s Adrar plateau, the formation’s bull’s‑eye pattern is emphasized by the angled vantage point, helping reveal how uplift and weathering shaped the Eye of the Sahara. (Credit: NASA/JPL/NIMA)
A Martian Butterfly : Mars Express, ESA
ESA’s Mars Express offers a flyover of a butterfly‑shaped impact crater in the Idaeus Fossae region of Mars. Formed when a space rock struck the surface at a shallow angle, the collision produced two wing‑like lobes of ejected material flanking an elongated central cavity. Measuring about 20 km east–west and 15 km north–south, the crater lies within the planet’s northern lowlands, where volcanic deposits, ridged terrain, and steep outcrops mark the surrounding landscape.
The visualization is derived from a digital terrain model combined with nadir and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard ESA’s Mars Express. Operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the HRSC data were systematically processed at the DLR Institute for Planetary Research in Berlin‑Adlershof. The Planetary Science and Remote Sensing group at Freie Universität Berlin then used these datasets to generate the flyover film, offering a detailed reconstruction of the Idaeus Fossae landscape. (Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)
The Idaeus Fossae region on Mars reveals striking geological features, including dark volcanic mineral deposits, steep outcrops, ridged terrain, and a distinctive butterfly‑shaped crater. The image was acquired by ESA’s Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on 8 November 2024 during orbit 26325, using nadir and colour channels aligned perpendicular to the surface. The original dataset offers a ground resolution of about 17 m per pixel, centred near 37°N and 309°E. (Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)
Young Debris Disks Around Distant Stars : VLT, ESO
This gallery of debris disks, observed with the SPHERE instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope, reveals the dusty remnants of planet formation around young stars. Each panel shows starlight scattered by fine dust grains, with the central star blocked out by a coronagraph to reduce glare. The disks display diverse structures, rings, bands, and asymmetries, produced by collisions among asteroids and comets, and shaped by the gravitational influence of giant planets. The dataset, based on observations of 161 nearby stars, yielded 51 resolved disks, including four imaged for the first time. These structures resemble features in our own solar system, such as the asteroid belt and Kuiper belt, offering indirect evidence of unseen small bodies and planets. The collection provides astronomers with systematic insights into how debris disks evolve, fade over tens of millions of years, and mark the transition from protoplanetary dust to mature planetary systems. (Credit: N. Engler et al./SPHERE Consortium/ESO)
Image of a debris disk around the star HR 4796 taken with the SPHERE instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. (Credit: N. Engler et al./SPHERE Consortium/ESO)
Sunspot Activity Captured Moments Before X‑Class Flares : GREGOR, Teide Observatory, Spain
This composite view shows active solar region NOAA 14274 observed in multiple wavelengths by the GREGOR solar telescope at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife, Spain, around 08:33 UT on 10 November 2025. The high‑resolution imagery captures intricate details of sunspot structure, magnetic field interactions, and turbulent plasma flows just before the region produced an X1.2‑class flare. Different wavelengths reveal contrasting layers of the solar atmosphere, from the photosphere’s dark umbra and penumbra to chromospheric filaments and bright flare precursors. GREGOR, Europe’s largest solar telescope, provides a ground‑based perspective that complements space‑based monitoring, offering rare insight into the fine‑scale dynamics driving solar eruptions. (Credit: AIP/C. Denker)
SCIENCE
New Research Shows Clocks on Mars Will Run Faster Than on Earth
NIST physicists show clocks run faster on Mars, advancing precise timekeeping for future missions. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
1 December, 2025
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S have produced the first precise calculation of how time passes on Mars, a step seen as critical for future exploration and communications.
"[Mars'] distance from the sun and its eccentric orbit make the variations in time larger,”
"A three-body problem is extremely complicated. Now we're dealing with four: the sun, Earth, the moon and Mars. The heavy lifting was more challenging than I initially thought."
Researchers Neil Ashby and Bijunath Patla, determined that clocks on Mars tick on average 477 microseconds faster per day than on Earth, with variations up to 226 microseconds due to the planet’s eccentric orbit and gravitational influences from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The findings, published in The Astronomical Journal on December 1, 2025, build on earlier NIST work defining lunar time.
The study required modeling Mars’ weaker surface gravity, five times less than Earth’s, and orbital dynamics to establish a reference point akin to sea level. The physicists emphasized that even small offsets matter: modern communication networks demand synchronization within fractions of a microsecond. For Mars missions, accurate timekeeping will underpin navigation, rover coordination, and eventual human settlement. Beyond practical applications, the research expands tests of Einstein’s relativity, showing how planetary environments alter the passage of time.
International Space Station Hosts Eight Spacecraft Docked Simultaneously for First Time
On December 1, 2025, the International Space Station had all eight docking ports occupied, hosting SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon and Crew‑11 Dragon, JAXA’s HTV‑X1, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, the Soyuz MS‑27 and MS‑28 crew vehicles, and the Progress 92 and 93 cargo ships. (Credit: NASA)
1 December, 2025
For the first time in its 25‑year history, the International Space Station (ISS) has all eight docking ports occupied simultaneously. NASA confirmed the milestone on December 1, 2025, noting that the station hosted a mix of visiting vehicles: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon (Crew-11) and Cargo Dragon (CRS-33), Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo craft, Japan’s HTV‑X1 cargo vehicle, two Roscosmos Soyuz crew ships (MS‑27 and MS‑28), and two Progress cargo ships (Progress‑92 and Progress‑93). To accommodate the arrivals, controllers used Canadarm2 to temporarily reposition Cygnus, freeing a port for Soyuz MS‑28.
Cygnus will remain attached until at least March 2026, when it will depart carrying 11,000 pounds of trash for disposal in Earth’s atmosphere. The 10‑person crew Expedition 73 crew are balancing logistics with science. Following Soyuz MS‑28’s arrival on November 27, NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev began long‑duration research, including studies of microcirculation in extremities. Jonny Kim, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky are preparing to return to Earth on December 8, ending an eight‑month mission. Meanwhile, Mike Fincke advanced cryogenic fluid preservation experiments, Kimiya Yui studied cerebral blood flow, and Oleg Platonov processed microbial samples and vibration data.
The event marks the ISS operating as a logistical hub, managing both international crew rotations and commercial cargo deliveries. It also demonstrates the range of vehicles supporting station operations, with contributions from U.S. companies alongside Russian and Japanese programs. The ISS is no longer just a laboratory but a crowded crossroads of global spaceflight.
Microbes Could Transform Martian Soil to Help 3D Print Habitats on the Red Planet
AI SpaceFactory, a New York–based design firm, had secured second place in NASA’s Phase 3 Level 1 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, in 2018, recognized for advancing sustainable extraterrestrial construction. Now, Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Milan have proposed using bacterial co-cultures to transform Martian regolith into concrete-like material. (Credit: NASA)
2 December, 2025
Research from the Polytechnic University of Milan explores in-situ resource utilization for Mars. Scientists have proposed using bacterial co-cultures, to transform Martian regolith into concrete-like material. Continuous human presence on Mars faces both environmental extremes and technological limits. The planet’s thin carbon dioxide atmosphere, low pressure, and harsh radiation make conventional construction unfeasible, while transporting materials from Earth remains prohibitively costly. This has driven research into in situ resource utilization, with microbial engineering emerging as a promising path.
Recent studies highlight biomineralization, the ability of microorganisms to produce minerals, as a potential solution. A co-culture of Sporosarcina pasteurii and Chroococcidiopsis demonstrates how bacteria could transform Martian regolith into concrete-like material. The cyanobacterium generates oxygen and shields its partner from ultraviolet radiation, while Sporosarcina strengthens soil through calcium carbonate production. Together, they offer a feedstock for 3D printing habitats, potentially reducing reliance on Earth-based supply chains.
Beyond construction, these microbes could support oxygen generation, agriculture, and even long-term terraforming. Yet progress is constrained by delays in Mars sample return missions, limiting validation of these concepts.
Sugars, Space Gum and Stardust Found in Bennu Asteroid Samples
A joint team of Japanese and U.S. researchers has identified the bio-essential sugars ribose and glucose in asteroid Bennu samples returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. These results build on earlier detections of nucleobases—the genetic components of DNA and RNA—alongside phosphate and amino acids, the fundamental units of proteins. Together, the findings strengthen the case that meteorites may have delivered key molecular ingredients for life to the early Earth. (Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Dan Gallagher)
A tiny fragment of asteroid Bennu, returned to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, is examined under a transmission electron microscope. To prepare it for further study, researchers stabilized the particle with thin platinum strips—visible as an “L” shape on its surface—and attached a tungsten microneedle. The specimen measures just 30 micrometers, roughly one-thousandth of an inch across. (Credit: NASA/University of California, Berkeley)
2 December, 2025
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has delivered asteroid Bennu samples that are reshaping understanding of the early solar system and the origins of life.
Multiple researches published in Nature Geoscience and Nature Astronomy reveal the presence of bio-essential sugars, including ribose and glucose, alongside amino acids and nucleobases previously identified. According to scientists led by Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University in Japan, Ribose’s abundance compared to deoxyribose supports the “RNA world” hypothesis, suggesting RNA may have preceded DNA in early life systems. Meanwhile, researchers led by Scott Sandford at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and Zack Gainsforth of the University of California, Berkeley, also discovered a gum-like polymeric substance, rich in nitrogen and oxygen, never before seen in extraterrestrial material. This “space gum” may represent one of the earliest chemical alterations in Bennu’s parent body, offering clues to prebiotic chemistry.
A rendering of of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending towards asteroid Bennu to collect a sample. (Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)
Additionally, according to another study led by Ann Nguyen of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Bennu samples contained unusually high concentrations of presolar dust from supernovae, six times greater than other astromaterials studied. This indicates Bennu’s parent body formed in a region enriched with stellar remnants. Together, these findings highlight asteroids as carriers of complex organic molecules and stardust, underscoring their role in seeding planets with the raw ingredients for life.
Researchers Use Ancient Chinese Eclipse Records to Refine Models of Earth’s Rotation and Solar Cycles
The Spring and Autumn Annals, an ancient Chinese chronicle, preserves humanity’s earliest datable written account of a total solar eclipse, recorded in 709 BCE. It notes: “In autumn, in the seventh month, on the renchen day, the first day of the month, the Sun was totally eclipsed.” The term renchen designates a specific day within the traditional 60-day Chinese calendar cycle. (Credit: National Archives of Japan)
2 December, 2025
Researchers are turning to ancient records to refine modern science, linking historical observations with contemporary astrophysics.
An international team reexamined the earliest datable record of a total solar eclipse, documented in 709 BCE in a Chinese chronicle, Spring and Autumn Annals. By correcting the coordinates of the ancient Lu Duchy capital, they derived more accurate measurements of Earth’s rotation speed at the time. The findings, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, also suggest the Sun was regaining activity after the Neo-Assyrian Grand Minimum, aligning with reconstructions from tree-ring radiocarbon data.
The “Hanshu” (Book of Han), an official Chinese dynastic history, offers further details on the 709 BCE eclipse. It records that the eclipsed Sun appeared “completely yellow above and below,” a description scientists interpret as one of the earliest references to the solar corona. (Credit: National Archives of Japan)
“What makes this record special isn’t just its age, but also a later addendum in the ‘Hanshu’ (Book of Han) based on a quote written seven centuries after the eclipse. It describes the eclipsed Sun as ‘completely yellow above and below.’ This addendum has been traditionally associated with a record of a solar corona. If this is truly the case, it represents one of the earliest surviving written descriptions of the solar corona.”
Such texts, a result of China’s strong traditions in astronomical record-keeping, often compiled for omenological purposes (the practice of interpreting the heavens as signs or portents), provide rare insights into celestial phenomena. Descriptions of the eclipse, possibly including one of the earliest accounts of the solar corona, offer independent validation of solar cycle models. These studies demonstrate how historical geography and ancient records remain vital tools for understanding Earth’s rotational history and the Sun’s long-term variability.
Menstrual Cup Tested in Spaceflight Shows Potential for Long-Duration Missions
Ligia Coelho, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the College of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the Carl Sagan Institute, is pictured holding a menstrual cup.(Credit: Sreang Hok/Cornell University)
2 December, 2025
Astronaut health research is expanding to include menstrual care. In 2022, the AstroCup team tested two silicone menstrual cups aboard an uncrewed rocket flight, exposing them to extreme acceleration and vibration. Post-flight analysis confirmed structural integrity and functionality, with water and glycerol tests showing no leakage. Results, published in npj Women’s Health, demonstrate that commercially available menstrual cups can withstand spaceflight conditions.
Most astronauts who menstruate currently rely on hormonal suppression or single-use products, but these approaches pose sustainability and medical challenges for missions lasting years. Hormonal regimens require extensive supplies and may carry risks such as blood clots, while disposable products generate waste difficult to manage in closed spacecraft systems. Researchers argue reusable devices could improve autonomy, reduce logistical burdens, and support reproductive health during extended stays on the Moon or Mars. Future studies aim to test menstrual products in reduced gravity and on the International Space Station.
GOVERNANCE
Russian Cosmonaut Removed From SpaceX Crew‑12 Mission Over Alleged US Security Violation
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, serving as Expedition 56 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander, rests in a chair shortly after landing with NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel in a remote area near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Oct. 4, 2018. Artemyev, 54, was removed from Crew‑12 over alleged ITAR violations, a U.S. law protecting sensitive defense technology.(Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
2 December, 2025
A Russian cosmonaut has been removed from SpaceX’s upcoming astronaut mission following allegations of violating U.S. national security rules, according to reports.
Roscosmos confirmed that veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev will no longer fly on NASA and SpaceX’s Crew‑12 mission, scheduled for launch from Florida in early 2026. He has been replaced by fellow cosmonaut Andrei Fedyayev, though Russia’s space agency offered only a vague explanation, citing Artemyev’s “transfer to another job.” Multiple reports, however, allege that Artemyev violated U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) during training, including photographing sensitive SpaceX documentation and exporting it via his phone.
The incident has triggered an interdepartmental investigation in the United States and could strain already fragile ties between NASA and Roscosmos. Russia’s space program is increasingly reliant on U.S. commercial launch providers following setbacks to its own crewed launch infrastructure. Russia’s only active crew launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome was severely damaged during the Nov. 27, 2025 Soyuz MS‑28 launch, even though the mission itself successfully delivered two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut to the ISS. Experts say repairs could take months, raising uncertainty about when Russia can resume crewed flights, though analysts caution the incident is disruptive but not a crisis for ISS operations. Crew‑12 remains scheduled to deliver four astronauts to the ISS in early 2026.
Potential NASA Admin Isaacman and Former Chief Bridenstine Warn of Risks in US Artemis Plans as China Accelerates Lunar Goals
Testimonies before the U.S. Senate has sharpened debate over U.S. lunar strategy as competition with China intensifies. Jared Isaacman, billionaire entrepreneur and Trump’s nominee for NASA administrator, told lawmakers, in U.S. Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in Washington, D.C., on December 3, that the United States must not fall behind in returning to the Moon. He warned that “if we make a mistake, we may never catch up,” framing lunar presence as a strategic imperative rather than a symbolic milestone. Isaacman argued that China’s program, anchored by its Chang’e series of robotic missions and plans for a permanent lunar base in the 2030s, poses a direct challenge to U.S. leadership in cislunar space.
Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, while testifying at a separate hearing held in Washington D.C. on December 4 by the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives, offered a more critical perspective, saying the Artemis program has “lost a lot of time” and may need to be restructured. He pointed to delays in the Space Launch System, shifting political priorities, and fragmented planning as factors eroding momentum. Bridenstine suggested that without a reset, the U.S. risks ceding technological and geopolitical advantage to China, which has demonstrated steady progress through coordinated state investment.
Whether incremental adjustments to Artemis can deliver a sustainable lunar presence or whether a wholesale redesign is required, remains to be seen. Both Isaacman and Bridenstine hinted that lunar exploration is now a proxy for strategic competition, with implications for resource access, defense posture, and global influence. Space policy is increasingly framed in terms of national security, with urgency colliding against feasibility in shaping United States’ next steps beyond Earth.
MILITARY
US Missile Defense Agency Awards 1,014 Companies Under $151 Billion SHIELD Contract for Homeland Missile Defense Modernization
2 December, 2025
U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded places to 1,014 companies under the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) contract, a 10‑year indefinite‑delivery/indefinite‑quantity (IDIQ) vehicle with a ceiling of $151 billion. Selected from 2,463 proposals, the awards commit no immediate funding but establish a large pool, spanning large defense primes, mid‑tier firms, and startups, of prequalified vendors for future task orders. MDA emphasized that these awards should not be interpreted as early requirements for Golden Dome, the Trump administration’s initiative to build an integrated missile‑defense architecture against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise‑missile threats.
SHIELD is designed to accelerate procurement by narrowing competitions to companies already vetted under the vehicle. Its request for proposals outlined 19 broad scope areas, ranging from early science and disruptive technologies to sustainment and facilities. This overlap with potential Golden Dome technologies has fueled speculation, though MDA insists SHIELD is not exclusive to that program.
Industry observers highlight unresolved questions, including whether MDA will disclose future task order winners and how funding will be obligated. For contractors, SHIELD offers long‑term access to homeland defense modernization efforts at a time when missile defense is rising on Pentagon priority lists. Yet uncertainty remains over how much Golden Dome work will ultimately flow through SHIELD versus separate acquisition pathways. The scale of participation is unprecedented, signaling both demand for advanced missile defense and recognition of the industrial base’s breadth. The initiative is another example of how missile defense priorities are increasingly linked to space systems, cyber resilience, and multi‑domain deterrence strategies.
Shield AI Partners with Sedaro to Expand Defense Autonomy into Space Domain
Credit: Shield AI
3 December, 2025
Shield AI, a U.S. defense technology company known for autonomous aircraft systems, has announced a partnership with Sedaro, a software firm specializing in digital twins for satellites. The collaboration marks Shield AI’s formal expansion into the space domain, extending its autonomy expertise from aerial platforms to orbital assets. Sedaro's cloud-based tools enable real-time satellite modeling and autonomous control, reducing operational costs and improving resilience in contested environments.
Shield AI’s Hivemind Pilot will serve as Sedaro’s chosen autonomy software for orbital demonstrations, extending its proven use from air and sea into space. Hivemind is Shield AI’s AI‑driven autonomy stack originally developed for drones and uncrewed vehicles, enabling them to perceive, decide, and act without direct human control, even in GPS‑ or communications‑degraded environments. Under the agreement, Shield AI will rely on the Sedaro Platform to develop, test, and validate Hivemind in space‑relevant scenarios. The integration of Hivemind’s operational autonomy with Sedaro’s high‑fidelity simulations is expected to accelerate the design and verification of autonomous behaviors for future orbital missions.
The companies emphasize that autonomy in space is increasingly critical as satellite constellations grow in scale and complexity. Shield AI’s move illustrates wider defense sector interest in integrating artificial intelligence into orbital operations, while Sedaro gains a partner with established defense ties. The partnership is part of a trend, we have talked about often, where defense‑oriented firms are entering commercial and military space markets, highlighting the convergence of autonomy, digital engineering, and national security imperatives.
COMMERCIAL
Deloitte Selects Spire to Build Eight Satellites for Silent Shield Cybersecurity Mission
Deloitte‑1, the company’s first satellite launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑13 mission, carries the Silent Shield cyber defense payload designed to detect and mitigate anomalies in orbit. (Credit: SpaceX)
1 December, 2025
Deloitte has selected space services provider, Spire Global to design and manufacture eight satellites for its new Silent Shield cybersecurity mission, marking a notable intersection of commercial satellite technology and cyber defense. Silent Shield is expected to provide secure, resilient communications and monitoring capabilities from orbit, addressing growing concerns over cyber threats to critical infrastructure. Spire will leverage its proven satellite bus and manufacturing expertise, with production scheduled at its facility in Glasgow, Scotland. The satellites, equipped with advanced radio frequency, and geolocation payloads, are intended to operate as a constellation, offering redundancy and global coverage, while integrating advanced encryption and secure data handling.
Earlier this year, Deloitte, in collaboration with Spire, launched its first satellite, Deloitte‑1, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑13 mission as part of the Silent Shield program. The satellite carried a cyber defense payload designed to detect intrusions and anomalies in real time. Using Spire’s satellite technology, Deloitte has been able to study signaling patterns, validate the system’s performance, and conduct cyberattack simulations in orbit. These tests are expected to strengthen the resilience and security of space systems to demonstrate how Silent Shield can evaluate and mitigate cyber threats in operational environments.
Deloitte positions the mission as part of its broader strategy to expand cyber resilience solutions into space, reflecting a trend of private firms entering domains traditionally dominated by government programs. This also goes to how satellite platforms are increasingly being adapted for cybersecurity applications, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in merging space technology with digital defense.
2 December, 2025
SpaceX and Amazon’s satellite broadband ventures stand to receive a modest share of the U.S. federal BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) funding, though fiber remains the dominant technology choice across most states. According to New Street Research, the two companies together account for about 4% of nearly $20 billion in proposed allocations, covering roughly 21% of eligible locations.
In California’s $1.57 billion plan, now under U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) review, Amazon secured 6% of funding and 27% of locations despite lacking an operational network, while SpaceX received 14% of locations but only 4% of funding. Nationally, fiber providers such as Comcast and AT&T captured 86% of funding and 65% of locations, yet SpaceX and Amazon still won more sites than any wired operator, around 464,000 and 410,000 respectively.
SpaceX has protested decisions sidelining satellites in favor of terrestrial technologies, after NTIA pledged a technology‑neutral approach. Deployment costs are estimated at $1.24 billion for SpaceX and $574 million for Amazon, with government support covering over half. Tensions remain over $21 billion in unassigned funds.
Arianespace’s Vega‑C Success with Korean Satellite, Isar Syndeo‑3 Contract, and LandSpace Zhuque‑3 Failure Shape Launch Landscape
On December 1, 2025, an Arianespace Vega‑C rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, carrying South Korea’s KOMPSAT‑7 Earth‑observation satellite. (Credit: Arianespace)
1 December, 2025
Europe and Asia marked contrasting milestones in space launch activity this week. French Arianespace successfully deployed South Korea’s KOMPSAT‑7 (KOrea Multi-Purpose SATellite-7) Earth observation satellite aboard the Vega‑C rocket from French Guiana. The mission, conducted for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), placed the satellite into sun‑synchronous orbit, at an altitude of 576 km/358 miles, to provide “ultra high‑resolution imaging” for environmental monitoring and disaster response. The launch also demonstrated Vega‑C’s return to service after earlier setbacks, reinforcing Europe’s ambitions to maintain independent access to space for medium‑class payloads. The 1,810-kilogram/3,990-pound KOMPSAT‑7 is a successor to KOMPSAT-3A, which was launched in 2015. It is also the first Korean satellite to incorporate optical data transmission technology, allowing real‑time handling of large volumes of Earth‑observation imagery through electro‑optical modules and integrated onboard storage and processing systems.
Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket lifts off from Andøya Spaceport in Norway on March 30, 2025, during its first orbital test flight. (Credit: Isar Aerospace)
Meanwhile, Europe’s private sector advanced its role in institutional missions. German launch service provider, Isar Aerospace signed a contract with the European Space Agency under the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation Programme (IOD/IOV), to launch a demonstration mission. ESA later confirmed Isar’s selection for the Syndeo‑3 mission to orbit, and can be seen as a show of growing confidence in commercial launch providers to complement established players. The launch is slated to take place from Isar’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway from Q4 2026.
Syndeo‑3 functions as an orbital testbed, carrying ten experiments from institutions in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the European Commission. U.S.-based Redwire Corporation is the prime contractor for the satellite, which will employ its Hammerhead platform, a spacecraft bus built for flexible payload integration in Low Earth Orbit. ESA notes that Syndeo‑3 is the largest spacecraft yet launched under the IOD/IOV program. Run by ESA for the European Commission, the program is designed to lower the cost of space access for emerging technologies, enabling European organizations to test innovations in orbit before moving to commercialization.
3 December, 2025
On December 3, 2025, LandSpace carried out the maiden flight of its ZQ‑3 (Rosefinch‑3) carrier rocket from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. (Credit: LandSpace)
In China, efforts to achieve rocket reusability faced a setback. The Zhuque‑3, developed by Beijing-based private aerospace company LandSpace, reached orbit on its debut flight but exploded during its attempted landing. The methane‑fueled (methalox) rocket was intended to demonstrate vertical recovery similar to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. While the payload was successfully deployed, the failed landing illustrates the technical challenges of reusability, particularly for new entrants. Chinese state media emphasized the achievement of orbital insertion but acknowledged the need for further testing.
On December 3, China’s 66‑meter tall and 4.5 meters wide, Zhuque‑3 rocket suffered an anomalous burn during a Gobi Desert test, preventing its first stage from reaching the landing site. The failure highlights intense competition among Chinese private firms pursuing reusable launchers, including Space Pioneer and iSpace. LandSpace previously marked a milestone in 2023 as the nation’s first company to launch a methane‑fueled rocket.
Hypersonics, GEO Satellites, Nuclear Microreactors, and Secure Communications Attract Millions in Space and Defense Investment
Reditus, Ascendarc, Antares, Trusted Space, and Castelion Announce Funding Deals Driving Space and Defense Innovation
Capital flows are shaping strategic capabilities across multiple domains. Last week saw significant funding announcements in line with the expanding intersection of space, defense, and advanced energy technologies.
A rendering of the Enos spacecraft. (Credit: Reditus Space)
1 December, 2025
Atlanta (U.S.)-based Reditus Space, a seed‑stage venture focused on hypersonic systems, raised $7.1 million to accelerate development of reusable hypersonic spacecraft for microgravity research and in-space manufacturing. The company positions itself at the convergence of space access and defense applications, aiming to leverage hypersonic flight for both rapid transport and potential military utility. Its early financing reflects investor interest in technologies that blur the line between aerospace innovation and national security priorities.
Reditus will use the funding to launch ENOS, a reusable free‑flying spacecraft with a 40‑kg return payload, on a SpaceX rideshare next summer. Customers in pharma, biotech, and advanced materials have booked slots. ENOS is billed as the largest commercial free‑flyer recovered to date, developed in ~15 months by a 13‑person team. Full reusability is targeted by 2027.
2 December, 2025
Energy innovation also drew significant investment. Texas-based Antares raised $96 million in Series B funding to advance nuclear microreactor technology. The company’s compact reactors are expected to provide reliable, transportable power for space missions and terrestrial defense applications. The American Nuclear Society emphasized the potential for microreactors to support lunar and Martian infrastructure, while also serving remote military bases.
In summer 2025, Antares conducted an electrically‑heated reactor test with NASA) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Earlier in April, the company was chosen by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) program to supply power for Department of Defense (DoD) installations. By August, Antares secured High‑Assay Low‑Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel feedstock from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and was selected for DOE’s new reactor pilot program, providing a fast‑track route for demonstration and licensing.
3 December, 2025
In the satellite sector, small GEO-maker Ascendarc secured a $200 million heads‑of‑agreement with D.C.-based aerospace asset financer Space Leasing International (SLI) for two next‑generation Ka‑band geostationary satellites. Under the deal, SLI will purchase and operate the spacecraft, expanding its connectivity capacity through a leasing model. This deal illustrates how leasing models are becoming central to commercial satellite economics, enabling operators to expand capacity without bearing full development risk. Ascendarc’s agreement signals confidence in GEO platforms despite the broader industry shift toward low Earth orbit constellations.
4 December, 2025
Trusted Space, a firm focused on secure satellite communications, received a strategic growth investment from Washington Harbour Partners. The undisclosed sum is intended to scale its cybersecurity‑driven satellite services, aligning with heightened concerns over protecting orbital assets from interference and cyber threats.
Trusted Space, based in Leesburg, Virginia, provides mission engineering, modeling, simulation, and AI‑driven autonomy solutions for space operations. The company focuses on secure satellite communications and multi‑domain mission support, aiming to enhance resilience against cyber and operational threats. Washington Harbour Partners, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, is a private investment firm founded in 2019 that specializes in opportunistic investments across defense technology, cybersecurity, government IT, and software.
Castelion conducts a test launch of its advanced hypersonic missile, demonstrating emerging capabilities in strategic deterrence. (Credit: Castelion)
5 December, 2025
The largest raise came from hypersonic defense company, Castelion, which secured $350 million in Series B financing to accelerate mass production of hypersonic weapons under Project Ranger. The defense technology company plans to expand manufacturing capacity for U.S. programs, positioning itself as a key supplier in the Pentagon’s push for operational hypersonic systems. The scale of the investment is certainly indicative of intensifying competition in hypersonic development globally.
These announcements reveal a landscape where commercial space ventures, defense contractors, and energy innovators are increasingly interconnected. Hypersonics, nuclear power, and satellite leasing are not isolated pursuits but part of a broader ecosystem in which private capital is driving capabilities with both civilian and military implications.
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Japan-US Joint Neutrino Studies Narrow Uncertainties on Matter–Antimatter Asymmetry
Japan’s Super‑Kamiokande detector, a key facility contributing to the latest high‑precision neutrino oscillation results. (Credit: Super‑Kamiokande collaboration)
Two of the world’s leading neutrino experiments, NOvA in the United States and T2K in Japan, have combined data to refine measurements of how neutrinos and antineutrinos behave, seeking clues to why matter dominates over antimatter in the universe.
This image shows a perspective of the NOvA far detector in Minnesota. The instrument contains 344,000 cells, each stretching 50 feet and filled with mineral oil mixed with light‑emitting chemicals. When a neutrino collides within the detector, it generates a cascade of energetic particles that pass through the cells, producing flashes of light. Scientists record and analyze these signals to trace how the neutrinos have transformed during their 810‑kilometer journey from Fermilab. (Credit: Reidar Hahn/Fermilab)
The international collaboration, detailed in Nature, represents the most precise joint analysis yet of neutrino oscillations. Neutrinos, often called “ghost particles” for their ability to pass through matter largely undisturbed, exist in three flavors and can switch identities or oscillate as they travel over long distances. NOvA (NuMI Off-axis νe Appearance) sends beams from Fermilab to a detector in Minnesota, while T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) directs a beam of neutrinos, 295 kilometers away, from J-PARC accelerator in Tokai to the Super‑Kamiokande detector. Both aim to determine whether neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts, antineutrinos exhibit differences in behavior, i.e., asymmetry. Detecting such an asymmetry could provide insight into why matter prevailed over antimatter during the universe’s earliest moments, and a potential explanation for the missing antimatter problem.
Results remain inconclusive on mass ordering and asymmetry, but the combined dataset narrows uncertainties and strengthens the case for future experiments. Upcoming projects such as the U.S.‑based Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) and Japan’s Hyper‑Kamiokande are expected to deliver more definitive answers in the 2030s, underscoring neutrino physics as central to cosmology.
Astronomers Detect One of the Largest Rotating Structures in the Universe
Illustration showing neutral hydrogen rotation in galaxies (right) located within an extended filament (middle). The galaxies display a coordinated bulk rotational motion that traces the structure of the large‑scale cosmic web (left). (Credit: Lyla Jung)
Astronomers have identified one of the largest rotating structures ever observed in the universe: a vast filament of galaxies within the cosmic web, about 140 million light‑years away.
The spinning filament was identified by an international team using neutral hydrogen observation data from South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope as part of the MIGHTEE (MeerKAT International GHz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration) deep sky survey, directed by Professor Matt Jarvis at the University of Oxford. Researchers combined these radio observations with optical data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), revealing a cosmic filament in which embedded galaxies display both aligned rotational axes and an overall bulk rotation, i.e., the galaxies are not only rotating individually but also moving together in a coordinated spin with the filament itself.
Within this filament lies a razor‑thin chain of 14 hydrogen-rich galaxies, stretching 5.5 million light‑years long and 117,000 light‑years wide. The larger structure spans roughly 50 million light‑years and contains more than 280 galaxies. The structure, nicknamed the “teacup,” demonstrates that angular momentum can be organized on scales far beyond individual galaxies or clusters, across hundreds of millions of light‑years. The discovery, reported in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, challenges current models of cosmic evolution, which struggle to explain how such large‑scale rotation develops.
Neutral Hydrogen refers to hydrogen atoms with one proton and one electron, and not ionized. It is the most abundant element in the universe and a fundamental tracer of galactic structure. Neutral hydrogen observations are radio measurements of atomic hydrogen gas in space, typically using the 21‑centimeter emission line. - Neutral hydrogen emits radiation at a wavelength of 21 centimeters (frequency ~1420 MHz) when the electron flips its spin relative to the proton. This “hyperfine transition” is weak but detectable across vast distances by radio telescopes like South Africa's MeerKAT. - By measuring Doppler shifts in the 21‑cm line, astronomers map the velocity, rotation, and distribution of hydrogen gas in galaxies and cosmic filaments.
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