New Space Economy

On October 19, 2026, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Office of Inspector General released an audit identifying weaknesses in how the agency supports and manages decadal surveys. These independent assessments help determine which scientific questions deserve priority and which observations or missions could answer them. The audit found incomplete cost a...

Currently, about 16,000 satellites are orbiting Earth, providing everything from GPS service and weather reports to phone service in remote locations to people across the globe.

On October 31, 2015, the near-Earth object designated 2015 TB145 passed within 486,000 kilometers of Earth as radar dishes resolved surface concavities resembling a human skull. That flyby added a modern chapter to Halloween space lore, yet the holiday itself originated as an observational marker of Earth's orbital path around the Sun. Long before space agencies published season...

When Belgian American particle physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin,” it was a reminder that for more than a century, scientists have treated Antarctica’s environments as windows onto worlds beyond Earth.

Hokkaido Spaceport reached a construction milestone on October 14, 2026, when Taiki Town announced completion of the main municipal works for Launch Complex 1. The facilities include a vehicle assembly building, launch pad infrastructure, propellant-related facilities, and flame trenches that direct engine exhaust. Interstellar Technologies, the complex’s first launch customer, ...