satellites

The UK military is jamming satellites belonging to other nations as a defensive measure, according to information given to the BBC. The disclosure sheds light on Britain's electronic warfare capabilities in orbit, an area governments rarely discuss publicly. The report has drawn attention to growing competition and defensive operations in space among major military powers.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to place machine learning infrastructure in space, according to a post on its research blog. The idea is to use solar-powered satellites to run AI compute, taking advantage of continuous sunlight in orbit. Early reactions are focused on the engineering challenges and the ambition of moving data centers off Earth.

New Jersey regulators have fined a data center operator $1.1 million after aerial imagery revealed 62 gas generators on the site that had not been properly disclosed or permitted. The case highlights how satellite and drone photography is increasingly being used by authorities to catch environmental and permitting violations that facilities hoped would remain out of sight.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly approve massive spaceflight projects, including satellite constellations large enough to alter the appearance of the night sky worldwide. Commentators note that despite public outcry over such projects, space law experts say there are few other regulatory avenues to challenge or block them, leaving the FCC with unusually concentrated authority over developments with global consequences.

The European Union has laid out a new Space Threat Response Architecture, an EU framework for detecting and responding to threats against European space assets such as satellites. The European External Action Service published an explanation of how the architecture will work, covering coordination among member states and protection of critical space infrastructure.

Indian space regulator IN-SPACe has introduced a framework for 'satellite-as-a-service', setting out rules for hosting payloads on satellites operated by Indian and foreign providers. The move allows companies, including foreign entities, to place instruments on satellites rather than building their own, lowering entry costs for space businesses and expanding India's commercial space ecosystem.

SpaceX carried out the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, deploying Starlink satellites during the mission. The flight marks another step in testing the vehicle's ability to carry payloads to orbit, a capability central to both SpaceX's satellite internet business and its long-term exploration plans. Observers are tracking how the rocket performs as the company works toward reusing the system.

The Council of the European Union has announced measures to strengthen the EU's architecture for responding to threats in space. The move is part of ongoing efforts to bolster European space security and resilience against hazards such as anti-satellite systems, cyber attacks on space infrastructure, and space debris. Details of the decision were published by the Council, though fuller specifics remain limited in the available reporting.

Dr M G Suresh Kumar discussed ISRO's move to open India's space sector to private companies in a Malayalam-language interview with Bijumohan. The conversation covers what greater private participation means for India's space programme, from satellite launches to commercial space ventures, as ISRO shifts from a purely state-run agency toward enabling private players in space activities.

Malaysia's Science Minister has called on Asean member states to develop common standards for the region's rapidly growing space sector. The appeal highlights the need for coordinated regulation and cooperation as Southeast Asian countries expand their space activities, from satellite services to related industries, arguing that a shared framework would help the bloc keep pace with global developments.

An astronomer is tracking the gradual orbital decay of Starlink satellites and using the rate at which they sink toward Earth as a kind of 'planetary barometer', since satellite drag responds to changes in upper-atmosphere density driven by solar activity and weather. The approach highlights growing scientific interest in the megaconstellation's side effects, with commenters debating whether thousands of low-orbit satellites could double as an unexpected global measurement network.

NASA has published a rundown of lessons learned from the mission that boosted the orbit of its Swift observatory, a space telescope that studies gamma-ray bursts. The agency says the operation offered practical insights into prolonging the life of aging satellites, and space-science watchers are passing the findings around.

The U.S. Space Force has issued a solicitation for commercial proposals to restructure the SCAR ground antenna network. The move would bring commercial operators into the satellite communications ground infrastructure that supports military tracking and control operations. No further details on contract scope, value, or timeline were included in the initial report.

New Zealand's Defence Force has indicated it expects greater sharing of space-related information and capabilities among partners, while keeping the same safeguards and controls in place. The announcement points to growing international cooperation on space domain awareness and satellite use, an area where New Zealand has been expanding its defence partnerships in recent years.