Chemical Facility Security News: Short Takes – 2-1-26

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Short Takes – 2-1-26 – Space Geek Edition

Here’s why Blue Origin just ended its suborbital space tourism program. ArsTechnica.com commentary. Pull quote: “The decision to end New Shepard will inconvenience a few dozen very rich people waiting their turn to go into space on New Shepard, but more broadly, it is a win for the US space industry. Blue Origin has justifiably been criticized for trying to do too many things at once, resulting in all of its programs moving too slowly. Focusing on New Glenn and the lunar lander program in the near term will be a great boon for space access and the nation’s competition with China to secure the Moon.”

NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Astronaut Mission to International Space Station. AxiomSpace.com article. Pull quote: ““Voyager’s role on Ax-5 reflects a proven mission-management heritage built through years of supporting commercial payloads on the space station,” said Dylan Taylor, chairman & CEO, Voyager Technologies. “We are proud to partner with Axiom Space in support of the Ax-5 mission. As commercial LEO destinations mature into sustained operational domains, missions like Ax-5 will further demonstrate the power of end-to-end execution across human spaceflight, research payloads, and the commercial infrastructure shaping the future space economy.””

SpaceX files plans for million-satellite orbital data center constellation. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Much of the filing emphasizes the advantages of orbital data centers, a concept being explored by both established companies and startups. SpaceX argues that rising costs and power demands of terrestrial data centers, combined with falling launch costs, could make space-based computing more economical in the coming years.”

GAO flags risks in Space Development Agency’s missile-tracking satellite program. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “GAO issued six recommendations, including urging SDA to conduct more rigorous assessments of technology readiness, develop an architecture-level schedule, improve collaboration with warfighters, and require more complete cost data from contractors. The Department of Defense concurred with most of the recommendations but only partially agreed with one.” Report link.

Space Command’s case for orbital logistics: Why the Pentagon is being urged to think beyond launch. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Speaking Jan. 28 at the SpaceCom Space Mobility conference, Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, laid out a detailed case for building a space transportation and logistics infrastructure that would allow U.S. satellites to maneuver, be repaired, refueled and sustained in orbit — much as U.S. forces on land, sea and in the air depend on vast logistics networks to operate and fight.”

NASA considering alternatives for Gateway logistics. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Work on Gateway logistics paused last year following the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, which sought to cancel the Gateway. Congress, however, funded the program in the budget reconciliation bill passed last July.”

China eyes space resources, space tourism and on-orbit digital infrastructure. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Regarding space-based digital infrastructure, CASC proposes gigawatt-scale space-based computing infrastructure, envisioning integrated cloud-edge-terminal architecture in orbit. Concepts include space data processed in space and joint space-ground computing. This aligns with Chinese interests in reducing reliance on downlink bandwidth, autonomous satellite operations and space-based AI and data processing, as demonstrated by experimental satellites and push to develop capabilities including optical inter-satellite links.”

U.S. Space Command to bring commercial firms into classified wargame on nuclear threats in space. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Analysts note that the treaty’s [1967 Outer Space Treaty] prohibition is narrower than it sometimes appears. It does not ban all weapons in space. Anti-satellite weapons, electronic warfare, cyber operations and other counterspace capabilities fall outside the WMD ban and have been developed for years under national military doctrines.”