Short Takes – 9-23-25 -Space Geek Edition

NASA safety panel warns Starship lunar lander could be delayed by years. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Hill did not detail the problems or their impact. But SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, speaking Sept. 16 at World Space Business Week, said propellant transfer worried her more than docking Starships in orbit. “Hopefully it’s not as hard as some of my engineers think it could be,” she said.”

NASA puts in an order with Blue Origin to work on sending VIPER rover to moon’s south pole. GeekWire.com article. Pull quote: “VIPER was originally due to go to the moon aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin lander, but last year, NASA put the mission on hold due to cost increases and schedule delays. This year, NASA said it was exploring “alternative approaches” for getting VIPER to the moon — a process that led up to today’s announcement.”

Space Force chief: Current satellite tracking ‘too slow’ for modern threats. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The general’s comments underscore growing Pentagon concerns about what military officials call “space domain awareness” — the comprehensive tracking and understanding of all objects and activities in Earth’s orbit. This capability, which encompasses monitoring satellites, debris, and potential threats, has become critical as space transforms from a largely benign environment into a contested warfighting domain.”

Astronaut Walter Villadei Tests AxEMU Suit Performance with Lunar Geology Tools. AxiomSpace.com press article. Pull quote: “This test provided valuable astronaut feedback on the ergonomics of the tools, lunar sample collection procedures, and the overall readiness of the suit to enable lunar geology tasks. The tools tested included a sample bag dispenser, sample bags, a scoop, a hammer, and an easel. Each item was installed and used to mimic geology tasks that will be performed on the lunar surface. Additionally, Villadei used the Don Doff Frame (DDF) in the Human Landing System Airlock to get in and out of the AxEMU before and after the test.”

Successful flight on Falcon 9 for EOS-8’’, MECANO ID’s Satellite Ejection System. SpaceNews.com press release. Pull quote: “By combining mechanical robustness, institutional validation, proven flight heritage, and market responsiveness, EOS-8’’ establishes itself as a reference solution for satellite deployment. Building on this flight experience and 30 years of expertise in the space industry, MECANO ID looks forward to continuing collaborations with agencies, manufacturers, and operators to support the growth of space missions in the decades ahead.”

ReOrbit raises 45 million euros to increase spacecraft production. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Space and defense have merged, and in that geopolitical environment, what we are hearing is that every country wants to modernize their own space capabilities and thereby their defense capabilities,” he said. “In that sense, a lot of countries are looking at geopolitically neutral companies, and the Nordics have largely been seen as such.””

Impulse Space and Anduril to demonstrate autonomous spacecraft maneuvers in GEO. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The demonstration, targeted for 2026, will attempt to showcase a spacecraft’s ability to approach, image and maneuver around other objects in orbit without direct human control. Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in the geostationary belt 36,000 kilometers above Earth — where the most valuable military and commercial satellites operate — is viewed as a capability of strategic importance.”

A new report finds China’s space program will soon equal that of the US. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “Roll is the co-author of a new report, titled "Redshift," on the acceleration of China's commercial and civil space activities and the threat these pose to similar efforts in the United States. Published on Tuesday, the report was sponsored by the US-based Commercial Space Federation, which advocates for the country's commercial space industry. It is a sobering read and comes as China not only projects to land humans on the lunar surface before the US can return, but also is advancing across several spaceflight fronts to challenge America.”