Astro Updates
Today's top space stories · auto-refreshes every 5 minutes
Space.com
US Space Force gives Rocket Lab $397 million to build threat-tracking 'Flatellites'
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Rocket Lab $397 million to manufacture a new fleet of "Flatellites" designed to detect and track airborne threats from space.
SpaceNews
Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded contracts to Spire Global and PlanetiQ to provide radio occultation data for terrestrial and space weather forecasts. The NOAA […] The post Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts appeared first on SpaceNews.
Arstechnica
Policy experts: Europe stuck between "rock and a hard place" on launch
It turns out that the economics of rocket reuse are pretty, pretty good.
Space.com
Can Venus cast a shadow? Here's how to see it for yourself
As Venus gets close to its greatest brilliancy in the evening sky, it’s a good time to test one of astronomy’s less believable claims.
Universe Today
Earth's Magnetosphere Might Not Protect Us From Superstorms After All
Science seems like a straightforward endeavour. You come up with a hypothesis, collect data to prove or disprove it, and analyze that data to see if the hypothesis is right. But anyone who actually does science will tell you many times it’s not that straightforward. And one of th
Space.com
Water can survive surprisingly close to the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, James Webb Space Telescope finds
Water and cosmic dust can survive in the harsh environment near Sagittarius A*, new observations reveal.
NASA
Total Solar Eclipse in Sunflower Field
This composite image shows the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millán de los Caballeros, Spain on, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse swept across parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. A partial eclipse was visible in parts of the U.S., […]
European Spaceflight
Avio Filings Shed Light on FD1 Rocket Demonstrator Test Flight
Environmental documents filed in Sardinia have revealed new details about Avio’s planned FD1 suborbital demonstrator flight test. The test will utilize a temporary launch facility being erected on the grounds of the Salto di Quirra Interforce Test Range. The 6.3-tonne single-stage demonstrator is being developed under a €181.6 million contract from the Italian government, funded […] The post Avio Filings Shed Light on FD1 Rocket Demonstrator Test Flight appeared first on European Spaceflight.
Space.com
ISS photobombs the sun during solar eclipse | Space photo of the day for Aug. 14, 2026
The silhouette of the ISS transiting across the sun's face during the Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse.
Space.com
On this day in space! Aug. 14, 1992: Meteorite shower hits Uganda
On Aug. 14, 1992, a space rock entered the atmosphere over Mbale, Uganda and exploded into hundreds of pieces!
ESA
Week in images: 10-14 August 2026
Week in images: 10-14 August 2026
SpaceNews
Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in.
In the beginning, mass constrained spaceflight. We live at the bottom of a gravity well, and the rocket equation punishes every kilogram we try to lift out of it. Mass […] The post Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in. appeared first on SpaceNews.
Astronomy.com
Aug. 14, 1959: Explorer 6 images Earth
NASA’s Explorer 6 satellite was launched Aug. 7, 1959, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft’s mission was to study Earth’s magnetic fields and radiation, as well as cosmic rays, geomagnetism, and micrometeorites. It also carried a photocell scanner, an instrument intended
SpaceNews
Blue Origin outlines plans for second Cape Canaveral launch pad
Blue Origin disclosed new details about its plans to not only rebuild but also expand its Florida launch site, adding a second pad for a larger version of New Glenn. The post Blue Origin outlines plans for second Cape Canaveral launch pad appeared first on SpaceNews.
ESA
Proba-3’s eclipse hours before totality in Europe
From the ESA Blogs.
Space.com
India-US space ties deepen as NASA invites ISRO to join moon base program
NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation to collaborate on its Moon Base program, which aims to build a permanent human outpost near the lunar south pole.
SpaceNews
Intuitive Machines wins contract for three GEO satellites
Intuitive Machines announced Aug. 13 that it won a $600 million contract from an undisclosed customer for three geostationary orbit communications satellites. The post Intuitive Machines wins contract for three GEO satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Arstechnica
Rocket Report: Rocket Lab shows off its flexibility; Blue Origin's two-pad plan
"We’ve never seen launch capacity so constrained."
ESA
A look back at the 2026 total solar eclipse
On 12 August 2026, Europe witnessed the first total solar eclipse in over two decades. Millions of people were awed by the Moon completely covering the Sun's bright disc, briefly turning day into night and revealing the Sun's outer atmosphere. Totality could be seen from Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal, while most of the rest of Europe saw a partial eclipse.
ESA
A double eclipse for Proba-3
From the ESA Blogs.
Space.com
SpaceX rocket's moon crash highlights 'a tangible operational risk' of lunar settlement
A SpaceX rocket body slammed into the moon earlier this month, showcasing a risk that will increase as humanity establishes a footprint on Earth's nearest neighbor.
Sky & Telescope
This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 14 – 23
After eclipsing the Sun last Wednesday, the Moon returns to the evening sky as a crescent low in twilight. Watch it pass Venus, then Spica. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 14 – 23 appeared first on Sky & Telescope .
SpaceNews
Bulgaria advances project to launch new space, defense innovation hub
WARSAW, Poland — Bulgaria’s government has approved a draft memorandum of understanding with local company Starbase Europe to collaborate on the development of a new space and defense innovation hub […] The post Bulgaria advances project to launch new space, defense innovation hub appeared first on SpaceNews.
SpaceNews
In-Orbit Services Market to Generate $3 Billion in Revenue Over the Next Decade
Paris, France | August 2026 – Novaspace’s latest In-Orbit Services Markets report projects that emerging in-orbit services will generate approximately $3 billion in cumulative service revenues over the next decade, highlighting the early development […] The post In-Orbit Services Market to Generate $3 Billion in Revenue Over the Next Decade appeared first on SpaceNews.
Space.com
Our expert thinks this portable Celestron telescope will delight beginners and younger stargazers
The perfect instrument for introducing beginner astronomers to the moon and stars
Astronomy.com
The Sky Today on Friday, August 14: Mars meets M35
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column. August 13: Catch streaming shooting stars Mars stands within 1° of the open cluster M35 in the early-morning sky. Both are located at the feet of Gemini the Twins, after Mars crossed into the constellatio
Astronomy.com
The Sky This Week from August 14 to 21: Mercury and Jupiter meet
Friday, August 14Mars stands within 1° of the open cluster M35 in the early-morning sky of the 14th. Both are located at the feet of Gemini the Twins, after Mars crossed into the constellation from Taurus just two days ago. Around 4:45 A.M. local daylight time, you’ll find the Re
NASA
APOD: 2026 August 14 – Total Solar Eclipse from Greenland
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 14 – Total… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Total Solar […]
Universe Today
A Rare Extragalactic Stellar Stream Reveals Hidden Dark Matter
Scientists have discovered a rare star formation hidden in a distant galaxy, unlike anything seen before beyond the Milky Way. What’s more, the discovery offers a brand new way to measure the distribution of dark matter in distant galaxies.
Universe Today
The Rooms We Build To Survive In, And The Ones We Build To Live In
What does a home actually need to do for us, beyond keeping the weather out? Engineers at MIT have started mapping the answer for astronauts heading to the Moon and Mars, tracing exactly how the walls, layouts and lighting around a person shape their stress, their loneliness and