Global Scans · Space · Weekly Summary

• [New] In 2025, Japan plans to take its first steps to achieving space solar power by launching a 180 kg satellite into low Earth orbit to send a meagre 1 KW of power to a ground antenna. oilprice.com
• [New] The Japanese government will support the launch of giant solar panels measuring 2 km² into space to produce clean electricity using solar energy. oilprice.com
• [New] Putting solar panels in space could reduce Europe's terrestrial renewable energy needs by 80% by 2050. oilprice.com
• [New] ESA announced a rideshare mission with Japan's JAXA: Europe's Ramses probe will launch alongside JAXA's Destiny + spacecraft to study asteroid Apophis ahead of its 2029 Earth flyby. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] At home, Optus is leading a sovereign satellite project, partnering with Australian universities and defence agencies to launch a low earth orbit satellite by 2028. Melissa McIntosh MP
• [New] October would be Space Month at the FCC, kicking off two regulatory proceedings that could significantly accelerate U.S. satellite launches and space activities writ large. SpaceNews
• [New] Pending regulatory approval, SpaceX will acquire EchoStar's AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses, giving Musk's space company the rights to 50 MHz of spectrum in the 1.9 and lower 2 GHz spectrum bands. Ars Technica
• [New] The spectrum, combined with a SpaceX plan to launch up to 15,000 new and improved satellites for cellular service, could cause AT&T and Verizon to question their reliance on satellite company AST SpaceMobile. Ars Technica
• [New] A promising new opportunity is emerging in the data center space, with global interest growing rapidly. Wartsila
• [New] One of the missions China claims is testing space debris mitigation techniques has docked with multiple spacecraft in orbit, but US officials see it as a military threat. Wired
• [New] Failure to launch - the fate of the UK Space Agency - After a mere 15 years in existence, the UK Space Agency will cease to exist as an independent body next year. Royal Aeronautical Society
• [New] Germany, for example, recently announced a plan to invest 35 billion euro ($41 billion) in space defence capabilities by 2030. Via Satellite
• [New] With the launch of Geovis Insighter's SSA constellation, China is moving toward becoming a major player in the next era of space traffic control and orbital monitoring, a future where Earth's orbit will be more connected, and more closely watched, than ever before. The Daily Galaxy - Great Discoveries Channel
• [New] Geovis Insighter plans to build a constellation of 144 satellites, each dedicated to tracking and observing space objects in near-Earth orbit. The Daily Galaxy - Great Discoveries Channel
• [New] Haven-1, the world's first commercial space station and America's next space station, is now fully welded and will soon begin testing ahead of integration. Space-for-All at HobbySpace
• [New] Axiom Space and Spacebilt Inc. announced today a multi-organization collaboration to bring optically-interconnected orbital datacenter infrastructure to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2027. Space-for-All at HobbySpace
• [New] China will send a mission to its Tiangong space station, and Japan will conduct its first launch of a cargo resupply vehicle to the International Space Station. Observer
• [New] Alongside satellite launches from Amazon, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA), this month will see milestones in NASA's Artemis program - a series of lunar missions designed to prepare for eventual human journeys to Mars - with contributions from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Observer
• [New] The European Space Agency plans to launch the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover in 2028, with the mission focused on searching for signs of ancient life on Mars. SciTechDaily
• [New] The Starship upper stage will target multiple in-space objectives, including the deployment of eight Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites. NextBigFuture.com
• [New] India's space sector is projected to grow five-fold to $44 billion by 2033, driven mainly by downstream services such as Earth Observation (EO), SatCom, and NavIC. Guidely
• [New] The comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) will reach perihelion, meaning it will reach the closest point in its orbit to the Sun at a distance of 0.33 AU. CosmoBC
• Qingzhou was developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites in Shanghai and will serve the China Manned Space Agency by transporting cargo to Tiangong, working alongside the established Tianzhou fleet. Space Daily

Last updated: 13 October 2025