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Check latest news on Astronomy, Space Exploration, Planets, Earth, Mars, NASA news, Asteroid news and more on Interesting Engineering

8/31/2026
Earth-moon space laser communication verified at 248,000-mile distance

Earth-moon space laser communication verified at 248,000-mile distance

The optimized system hit 1.25 Mbps uplink and 100 Mbps downlink speeds.

NASA launches new telescope that can scan the universe 1,000 times faster than Hubble

NASA launches new telescope that can scan the universe 1,000 times faster than Hubble

Nancy Grace Roman telescope can scan vast areas of the sky rapidly, surveying the universe up to 1,000 times faster than Hubble.

Jijo Malayil

a day ago

This startup’s space mirrors could extend solar power into the night. Astronomers have concerns

This startup’s space mirrors could extend solar power into the night. Astronomers have concerns

Reflect Orbital’s satellites “are fundamentally incompatible with astronomy,” astronomer Samantha Lawler told IE in an interview.

Chris Young

a day ago

8/29/2026
Inside the 10-foot space telescope designed to hunt distant alien worlds

Inside the 10-foot space telescope designed to hunt distant alien worlds

The telescope’s instruments can fit inside a commercial rocket fairing.

8/27/2026
World’s first space-based quantum gravity sensor to map Earth’s shifting water and ice

World’s first space-based quantum gravity sensor to map Earth’s shifting water and ice

NASA’s quantum gravity sensor mission will test ultracold atoms in space to track water, ice, and underground resources.

Aamir Khollam

5 days ago

Four hours instead of 15,000 years: Interlune makes gas-rich moon dirt on Earth

Four hours instead of 15,000 years: Interlune makes gas-rich moon dirt on Earth

The company embedded helium-4 into ilmenite using an accelerated helium plasma process.

Mrigakshi Dixit

5 days ago

8/25/2026
Phased array antennas steer space signals without moving for military satellites

Phased array antennas steer space signals without moving for military satellites

Redwire is investing in phased array antennas to boost data links for future U.S. military satellite networks.

Aamir Khollam

7 days ago

Elon Musk’s SpaceX unveils world’s biggest $100B Louisiana spaceport with 10 launchpads

Elon Musk’s SpaceX unveils world’s biggest $100B Louisiana spaceport with 10 launchpads

“SpaceX makes sci-fi real.” Elon Musk’s reaction to the company’s colossal new Louisiana launch site.

Aamir Khollam

7 days ago

8/24/2026
New orbital power grid targets 10x boost for space-based computing and data centers

New orbital power grid targets 10x boost for space-based computing and data centers

Wireless power beaming could give orbital computers up to 10x more power without larger solar arrays.

Neetika Walter

8 days ago

8/23/2026
20 GW of computing capacity: NVIDIA-backed US startup to build data centers in space

20 GW of computing capacity: NVIDIA-backed US startup to build data centers in space

US company Starcloud is developing satellites equipped with high-performance GPUs, including NVIDIA hardware, to run AI workloads in space.

8/22/2026
China’s reusable rocket advances could strengthen the PLA’s space-based kill chain

China’s reusable rocket advances could strengthen the PLA’s space-based kill chain

China’s answer to reusable rockets could make its military satellite network more resilient.

Kaif Shaikh

10 days ago

8/21/2026
Auriga Space’s Winnie Lai on the future of electromagnetic weapons

Auriga Space’s Winnie Lai on the future of electromagnetic weapons

From satellite launches to drone defense, Auriga Space is rethinking how high-speed projectiles are fired.

8/20/2026
NASA’s Swift Observatory expected to re-enter atmosphere after rescue attempt fails

NASA’s Swift Observatory expected to re-enter atmosphere after rescue attempt fails

The primary mission goal, giving a legendary cosmic observer a second wind, is off the table.

Mrigakshi Dixit

12 days ago

Nuclear-powered heater to keep spacecraft alive through Moon’s freezing two-week night

Nuclear-powered heater to keep spacecraft alive through Moon’s freezing two-week night

Firefly and Zeno will test nuclear technology designed to protect spacecraft during prolonged lunar darkness.

Aamir Khollam

12 days ago

8/19/2026
World’s most powerful    superconducting magnetic actuator is space flight ready

World’s most powerful superconducting magnetic actuator is space flight ready

The Supertorquer is a world-first system that uses superconducting electromagnetics to control a spacecraft’s attitude.

Watch: China’s LandSpace beats SpaceX with world-first stainless-steel booster recovery

Watch: China’s LandSpace beats SpaceX with world-first stainless-steel booster recovery

This marks the world’s first stainless-steel booster recovery following an orbital launch, beating SpaceX’s Super Heavy to this milestone.

Mrigakshi Dixit

13 days ago

8/17/2026
NASA tests first-of-its-kind spacecraft navigation system that works without GPS

NASA tests first-of-its-kind spacecraft navigation system that works without GPS

NASA’s Starling mission tests FALCON, a system that lets spacecraft navigate without GPS.

Neetika Walter

15 days ago

Silent ion-powered robot swarms could map subsurface caves on Saturn’s moon Titan

Silent ion-powered robot swarms could map subsurface caves on Saturn’s moon Titan

Currently entering a nine-month Phase 1 feasibility study with a prospective two-year Phase 2 to follow, SPARK may miss the targeted 2028 launch.

Mrigakshi Dixit

15 days ago

8/15/2026
7 incredible telescope images that reveal the universe in extraordinary detail

7 incredible telescope images that reveal the universe in extraordinary detail

The universe looks very different through Hubble and Webb. Here are seven images that prove it.

Kaif Shaikh

17 days ago

3-orbit spacecraft could help US remove satellites nearing end of life

3-orbit spacecraft could help US remove satellites nearing end of life

US spacecraft could safely remove satellites nearing end of life.

Atharva Gosavi

17 days ago

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About Space

Space is both an engineering problem and a scientific one. It involves building systems that can survive harsh environments and using them to collect data that can't be gathered any other way. This category covers how spacecraft are designed and operated, and how space is used as a platform for science, observation, and experimentation.
Coverage at Interesting Engineering spans space discoveries, launch vehicles, satellites, space stations, planetary missions, and space-based observatories. That includes communications and navigation satellites, Earth observation and climate monitoring, astrophysics missions, planetary science, heliophysics, and exploration beyond Earth orbit. The focus is on how these missions are planned, built, and run, not just on their scientific results.
Space systems face constraints that don't exist elsewhere: mass limits, radiation exposure, extreme temperatures, long delays, and the inability to repair hardware once it's deployed. This category looks at how those constraints shape engineering choices, mission design, testing, and risk management. It also examines why space projects often take years to launch and even longer to deliver meaningful data.
On the science side, the category looks at how instruments are designed, calibrated, and validated, and how raw data becomes usable science. Space-based research often depends on long-term observations, precise measurements, and careful interpretation, especially when studying distant objects or slow-moving processes.
We also cover the growing complexity of orbital activity. Increased launch rates, commercial operators, and small satellites have expanded access to space while creating challenges around congestion, debris, and coordination. Scientific, commercial, and military uses increasingly overlap, shaping how space is governed and managed.
Rather than treating space as aspiration or spectacle, this category focuses on function. It tracks missions that deliver lasting scientific value, systems that operate reliably over time, and the practical work required to keep space both useful and usable.