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Strange Laws Governing Outer Space
January 5, 2026
Nobody owns the moon. You can’t buy a star. If your satellite crashes into someone else’s spacecraft, you might owe them money.
Space seems infinite and lawless, but humans have spent decades writing rules about what you can and can’t do up there. Some of these laws make perfect sense.
Others feel absurd when you really think about them.
The Treaty That Started Everything
In 1967, the United States and Soviet Union were racing to dominate space. Both countries wanted to plant flags, claim territory, and establish military bases on the moon.
Instead, they did something unexpected. They agreed to share.
The Outer Space Treaty became the foundation for all space law. More than 110 countries have signed it.
The core principle is simple: no nation can claim sovereignty over celestial bodies. The moon belongs to everyone, which means it belongs to no one.
This creates immediate problems. If nobody owns the moon, who decides what happens there? The treaty says space should be used for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all mankind.
Those words sound noble but don’t actually tell you much about what’s allowed.
You Can’t Own the Moon, But You Can Own What You Take
Here’s where things get weird. You can’t claim ownership of the moon itself, but you can own the rocks you bring back from it.
Think about that. The moon belongs to humanity as a whole, but the moment you scoop up some lunar dirt and bring it home, it becomes your property.
This distinction matters now that private companies want to mine asteroids. The resources you extract can be yours, even though the asteroid itself can’t be.
Several countries have passed laws explicitly allowing companies to own what they mine in space. The United States did this in 2015. Luxembourg followed soon after.
Critics say this creates a loophole big enough to fly a spaceship through. If you can own everything you take from a celestial body, do you really not own it? The debate continues.
Space Belongs to Everyone, Except When It Doesn’t
The Outer Space Treaty declares that space should benefit all countries, rich or poor. That’s the theory.
The reality is that only a handful of nations have the technology and money to do anything in space. This creates what lawyers call the “common heritage” problem.
Space belongs to humanity, but humanity can’t access it equally. India launches satellites. Luxembourg passes mining laws.
Most countries just watch from Earth. Some developing nations have argued that space resources should be shared or that profits from space mining should go into a fund for everyone.
Others say that’s unrealistic. Why would companies spend billions developing space technology if they can’t keep what they find?
The treaty’s idealistic language runs headlong into capitalism and technological inequality. Nobody has figured out how to resolve this.
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Liability for Space Junk
More than 34,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters orbit Earth right now. These include dead satellites, rocket parts, and fragments from collisions.
They travel at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour. Even a tiny piece can destroy a working satellite.
The 1972 Liability Convention says that if your space object damages someone else’s, you pay for it. Sounds reasonable.
But how do you prove which country a piece of debris came from? How do you calculate damages?
What if multiple pieces from different countries caused the problem? India destroyed one of its own satellites in 2019 as a weapons test.
The explosion created hundreds of new debris pieces. NASA called it a “terrible thing” because some of those fragments threatened the International Space Station.
But India faced no legal consequences. The treaty doesn’t prohibit creating debris, just damaging other countries’ property.
The Militarization Loophole
The Outer Space Treaty bans weapons of mass destruction in space. You can’t put nuclear weapons in orbit or on the moon.
This seems like a clear rule until you read the fine print. Only weapons of mass destruction are banned.
Conventional weapons are fine. You can put guns, missiles, and military surveillance equipment in space as long as they’re not nuclear, chemical, or biological.
China and Russia have both tested anti-satellite weapons. The United States has military satellites.
All of this is legal. The treaty also says the moon and other celestial bodies should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
But “peaceful” doesn’t mean “non-military.” It means “non-aggressive.”
Military activities are allowed as long as you’re not attacking anyone. That’s a distinction with a huge difference.
Space Tourism and Informed Consent
Commercial space tourism is here. Companies are selling tickets to orbit. But what happens if something goes wrong? Normal aviation law doesn’t cover space.
The rules are still being written. In the United States, space tourists must sign detailed informed consent forms.
These documents basically say that space travel is dangerous and if you die, that’s your problem. The government requires companies to warn passengers but doesn’t regulate safety standards the way it does for airlines.
This “buyer beware” approach treats space tourism more like extreme sports than transportation. You can go skydiving and die, and the skydiving company probably isn’t liable if they warned you properly.
Space tourism works the same way right now.
Who Rescues Astronauts?
The Rescue Agreement of 1968 says that if astronauts land in your territory due to an emergency, you have to help them and return them safely to their home country.
This applies even if you’re at war with that country. The rule made sense during the Cold War.
American and Soviet astronauts needed protection no matter where they landed. But it creates strange obligations.
If a Chinese spacecraft crashes in the United States tomorrow, Americans are legally required to rescue the crew and send them home safely. The agreement also applies to spacecraft, not just people.
If a spacecraft or its parts land in your country, you’re supposed to return them. This has led to diplomatic incidents.
When satellites fall, fragments can land anywhere. Countries have to negotiate the return of expensive space hardware.
Asteroid Mining Rights
Several asteroids contain more platinum than has ever been mined on Earth. The total value of mineral resources in the asteroid belt might exceed $100 quintillion.
That number is so large it’s almost meaningless. Companies want to mine these asteroids.
But the rules are murky. Can you claim an asteroid by landing on it?
By orbiting it? By being the first to announce your intention to mine it?
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The Outer Space Treaty says no, you can’t claim it. But the 2015 U.S. Space Act says American companies can keep what they extract.
Other countries have passed similar laws. This creates competing legal frameworks with no clear way to resolve disputes. Imagine two companies from different countries that both want to mine the same asteroid.
Who gets priority? What if one company’s mining operation interferes with another’s?
There’s no space traffic controller to sort this out.
The Lunar Embassy Scam
A man named Dennis Hope has claimed to have sold lunar real estate to millions of people since 1980. He argues that the Outer Space Treaty only prevents countries from owning the moon, not individuals.
Therefore, he claimed ownership and started selling plots. This is complete nonsense legally. The treaty prevents any sovereign claims, which include individuals.
Hope’s deeds are worthless. But people keep buying them as novelty gifts or because they genuinely believe they own a piece of the moon.
The scam reveals a gap in space law. The treaty clearly prohibits nations from claiming territory but doesn’t explicitly mention individuals or corporations.
Later legal interpretations have closed this loophole, but Hope keeps selling his fake deeds anyway.
Radio Frequencies and Orbital Slots
Space isn’t just about solid objects. Radio frequencies matter too.
Satellites need specific frequencies to communicate. Those frequencies are limited and regulated by international agreement.
Countries and companies apply for frequency allocations through the International Telecommunication Union. But this creates problems.
What if two countries want the same frequency for satellites serving the same region? Who decides?
Orbital slots face similar issues. Geostationary orbit—where satellites stay fixed over one point on Earth—has limited space.
Only so many satellites can occupy these valuable positions. Countries reserve slots even if they don’t have satellites ready to launch, which other nations say is unfair.
Space Crime and Jurisdiction
If someone commits a crime on the International Space Station, which country’s laws apply? The answer is complicated.
Each country has jurisdiction over its own modules. An American who commits a crime in the U.S. module faces American law.
But what if an American commits a crime in the Russian module? What if a Russian and an American get into a fight in a shared area?
The ISS partners have agreements covering this, but they’re not public. And they only cover the space station.
What happens when private space stations exist? What if someone commits a crime on a Moon base? The law hasn’t caught up to these scenarios yet.
Space Burials and Contamination
Several companies now offer space burials. They’ll put your ashes on a rocket and launch them into orbit or send them to the moon.
This raises questions nobody expected to deal with. The Outer Space Treaty requires countries to avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
Ashes don’t harm anything, but where does the law draw the line? What if someone wants to dump toxic waste in space?
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What about biological contamination? Scientists worry about “forward contamination”—bringing Earth microbes to other worlds—and “backward contamination”—bringing alien microbes to Earth.
NASA sterilizes Mars rovers because accidentally introducing Earth bacteria to Mars could ruin scientific experiments or harm potential Martian life. The law says you have to avoid harmful contamination but doesn’t define what counts as harmful.
As space activities increase, these questions matter more.
When Fiction Shapes Real Law
Science fiction has influenced space law more than most people realize. The concept of the “Prime Directive” from Star Trek—don’t interfere with alien civilizations—has been seriously discussed in legal and scientific circles.
The Outer Space Treaty’s language about avoiding harmful contamination partly comes from concerns raised in science fiction.
Arthur C. Clarke’s novel about geostationary satellites helped establish the idea that orbital slots are valuable and should be allocated fairly.
Space lawyers often reference fictional scenarios when trying to anticipate future problems. This makes sense when you think about it.
Until recently, only science fiction writers spent much time imagining what humans would actually do in space. Their stories identified problems before they became real.
The Rules Nobody Wrote Yet
Space law has massive gaps. What happens when someone establishes a permanent settlement on Mars? Do existing treaties apply?
Can Martian colonists declare independence? Who decides?
What about space advertising? Could a company project an ad onto the moon visible from Earth? Most people would hate this, but no law prevents it.
What if someone wants to modify an asteroid’s orbit? Move it closer to Earth for easier mining? That seems dangerous, but there’s no rule against it.
As technology advances, these gaps become problems. The treaties from the 1960s and 1970s were written for a different era.
They assumed nation-states would control space activities. Private companies barely existed in the space industry back then.
Now they’re the driving force. Countries keep talking about updating space law, but reaching an international agreement takes years.
Technology moves faster than diplomacy. By the time new rules are written, they’re often already outdated.
The Agreements We Haven’t Made
Back when space felt like a battlefield waiting to happen, two powerful nations stepped back from conflict. Out of that tension came early rules shaped entirely by fear of missiles above Earth.
These deals focused on calm cooperation instead of combat. Keeping orbits weapon free was the goal.
Peaceful missions and mutual gain became central simply because bombs in space scared everyone. Now space has changed.
Rules for the future must cover digging up resources, visitors traveling there, people living off Earth, and business operations.
There will have to be straightforward guidelines on permissions – what anyone is allowed to do – as well as ways to settle arguments when they happen.
Above everything else, those rules cannot just exist – they must actually work in practice. Right now, nations watch over their own actions – also keeping an eye on one another.
Nobody patrols orbit. No global tribunal exists that can halt the misuse of space rules. Resolutions come from the UN, yet they carry little weight.
Perhaps it fits somehow. With so much room out there, nations and private groups might just find their own corners to work in. Yet confusion could spark tension when orbits fill up.
What we’ve written about space law reflects less the stars, more who we are. Hopes for teamwork sit alongside dread of clashes – both aimed at the void.
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>>24077341
while they're doing chores can they ship out the medbeds too?
thanks in advance
Trump’s New Executive Order on Space Has the Right Stuff
January 05, 2026
The new Executive Order on “ensuring space superiority” issued by President Trump is a milestone. For the first time, we now have a presidential document that recognizes the civilizational importance of space.
It is a strong and welcome statement on national space policy that for the first time clearly enunciates America’s economic interests in space, and the role of the Department of War in protect them.
For the first time, a single national security document puts all instruments of national spacepower – NASA, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of War – on the same map and same timeline.
Timed to coincide with the swearing in of the new NASA administrator, the order focuses on a number of policy issues where clarity was sorely needed.
It makes it clear that the United States will return to the Moon, and that its purpose there will be to lay the foundations for long-term Lunar economic development.
It also establishes clear deadlines: a return to the Lunar surface by 2028, and the establishment of permanent presence by 2030. And it correctly puts power first, committing to a commercial space nuclear power plant on the Lunar surface by 2030.
(This is undoubtedly the correct priority, because power is fundamental to enabling innovations of civilizational significance.)
The new Executive Order also makes it clear that the U.S. will not cede dominance of low-Earth orbit (LEO), restating a national strategy to transition to commercial space stations by 2030.
That, in turn, requires the White House, NASA and the Department of Commerce to collaborate in building a strong space industrial base and growing a vibrant commercial space economy – an effort that will seek to acquire $50 billion in new investment in domestic space markets by the end of the Administration.
But the biggest changes encapsulated in the new Presidential Order relate to the U.S. Space Force and Department of War.
For the past six years, there has been heated debate about whether the Space Force was meant to “look out or to look down” – that is, whether it was merely a joint force enabler or was expected to protect U.S. economic interests in space.
The new White House document is exceptionally clear in this regard, stating the policy objective of: “Securing and defending American vital national and economic security interests in, from, and to space by… ensuring the ability to detect, characterize, and counter threats to United States space interests from very low-Earth orbit and through cislunar space” and the responsibility to “implement a space security strategy that accounts for United States interests in, from, and to space; addresses current and projected threats to United States space interests from very low-Earth orbit through cislunar space.”
The document also for the first time recognizes the significant policy concern of another nation placing nuclear weapons in space, requiring the forthcoming strategy to include “a technology plan for detecting, characterizing, and countering potential adversary placement of nuclear weapons in space.”
It further reinforces the Administration’s commitment to the Gold Dome space-based missile defense, and to a responsive and adaptive national security space architecture.
All this makes the Trump administration’s new Executive Order a truly meaningful step forward. But success will depend on implementation.
As we saw with Trump 1.0, bureaucracies are slippery things that seek to prevent meaningful changes to the status quo.
If the White House wants to ensure that its new Order has the civilizational significance it intends, it will need to maintain strong oversight over its new marching order, so as to ensure that the bureaucratic response is a bang and not a whimper.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/01/05/trumps_new_executive_order_on_space_has_the_right_stuff_1156756.html
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/ensuring-american-space-superiority/
Indian space instrument hit by dust from alien objects every 1,000 seconds
January 5, 2025
India's first homegrown cosmic dust detector, the Dust EXperiment (DEX), has uncovered a relentless bombardment of microscopic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) slamming into orbital instruments every thousand seconds.
Launched aboard ISRO's PSLV-C58 XPoSat mission on January 1, 2024, via the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), the compact 3-kg device operated at 350 km altitude, registering high-speed impacts from comet and asteroid debris skimming Earth's atmosphere.
Developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, DEX employs hypervelocity impact detection principles.
From January 1 to February 9, 2024, it captured clear signals, like those on orbit 207, January 14, confirming dust particle strikes as frequent as once per 17 minutes.
These dust particles, finer than sand grains, originate from cometary tails and asteroid collisions, posing unseen risks to satellites and future crewed missions.
Pathfinding for Deep Space Safety
DEX's success marks a leap for Indian space instrumentation, delivering precise orbital debris measurements absent for decades.
Its low-power design proves robust for harsh environments, tuning acoustic "pings" from hypervelocity strikes to quantify size, speed and flux.
Beyond Earth, DEX blueprints planetary dust mapping. No direct IDP data exists for Venus's thick shroud or Mars's tenuous air—or even the Moon's vacuum—yet these hazards threaten landers, rovers and habitats.
PRL envisions DEX variants for Chandrayaan follow-ons or Mangalyaan successors, enabling safe navigation through unseen particle storms.
Safeguarding Satellites and Astronauts
The findings spotlight space weather's gritty side: cumulative erosion from billions of annual impacts.
Satellites lose solar panels and optics; manned missions to Moon or Mars face hull punctures without flux forecasts.
DEX data refines risk models, informing shielding for Gaganyaan, Artemis collaborations or Aditya-L1 extensions.
As ISRO eyes human deep-space ventures, this "cosmic invader" tally shows DEX's dual role: rewriting dust particle science while fortifying India's orbital defences.
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/techandscience/indian-space-instrument-hit-by-dust-from-alien-objects-every-1-000-seconds/ar-AA1TBkcv
Policy Reforms to Launch US Space Innovation
January 5, 2026
Competitiveness in the global space economy should be a priority for the United States, but ineffective regulations weigh down the American commercial space industry.
While last year’s executive order was a good start, additional regulatory reforms are necessary to address key roadblocks to U.S. space capabilities.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The United States is in a fight for dominance of the global space economy, so any market share gains other countries make are losses for Americans.
Space is a dual-use industry, meaning advancements in space capabilities have both economic and national security benefits.
Congress and federal agencies must significantly reform the regulatory landscape governing the space industry to realize these benefits.
The Federal Aviation Administration needs to streamline the licensing process for launch and reentry vehicles and revise Part 450 rules to make compliance more straightforward for licensees.
The Federal Communications Commission should make rocket launch spectrum more readily available to accommodate the growing number of space operators and increased launch cadences.
Congress should ensure that there is better public-private coordination, additional funding, and more key personnel at the federal launch ranges to upgrade their infrastructure and enhance operational capacity.
Congress must revise environmental laws that leave rocket and spaceport permitting in limbo so space operators can innovate rapidly enough to maintain global competitiveness.
Introduction
Today, the United States faces fierce competition for a fixed market share of globally traded advanced industries, including space industries.
This competition is win-lose, meaning any market share that another country gains is lost from the U.S. economy.
1 For example, if another country develops better rocket launch capabilities than that of the United States, then the U.S. share of the global launch industry will fall.
American market share is important because space is a dual-use industry, meaning that advancing America’s space capabilities has both economic and national security benefits.
2 Many commercial space operators use federal infrastructure for launches, and the military often uses commercial launch vehicles and payloads for national security missions.
Space-based defense capabilities are important as adversary nations develop offensive space technologies.
3 Further developing the commercial space industry is critical for protecting the homeland.
A robust space industry will enhance American economic welfare and defense capabilities by creating new industries, spurring economic growth, supporting national security missions, and enabling innovation, all of which lead to key developments in related industries such as telecommunications, agriculture, precision navigation, and healthcare.
As such, the United States should make competing in the space economy a policy priority.
The United States is currently the global leader in space, but regulatory bottlenecks, insufficient resources, and aging infrastructure risk ceding the advantage to China.
cont.
https://itif.org/publications/2026/01/05/policy-reforms-to-launch-us-space-innovation/
https://www.edexlive.com/news/2026-a-turning-point-for-the-indian-space-programme
2026, a turning point for the Indian space programme
05 Jan 2026, 3:27 am
2025 in the history of the Republic of India would be prominently remembered as the year it fought its first high-technological precision-strike battle of the escalatory kind, Operation Sindoor, against the global terror hub of Pakistan.
ISRO, in a departure from its earlier reticent posture, announced the pinpointed strikes at terrorist-cum-military installations deep inside the enemy territory that were, to a great degree, made possible by the country’s space capabilities.
The acknowledgement, little noticed, made it amply clear that India is now operating a civil-military fusion space programme.
2026 will be a revelatory year for the Indian space programme, as it will adapt to the fast- shifting global paradigm.
The world is confronting four significant challenges analogous to those experienced in the 1930s – a period of protracted conflict, demographic upheaval, decelerating growth in Western economies and the rapid obsolescence of the institutions that have supported the world order established in the 20th century.
These challenges are fomenting protectionism and autarky; a notable illustration is the transformation of the US Department of Defence into the Department of War, which signals the United States’ readiness for deglobalisation and geoeconomic multipolarity.
Europe too is transcending towards a war economy. Consequently, these challenges are expected to impact the globalised space economy adversely in 2026.
India’s emerging commercial space sector has experienced rapid developments with aspirations over the past five years to establish enduring international business connections within the Western space market.
The responses elicited from governments for India’s Op Sindoor have offered a reality check to the Indian commercial space sector.
The commercial space sector and the Department of Space will reevaluate their international cooperation strategies and pursue space partnerships with nations that have genuine interests in India’s progress, given that India is the fastest-growing large economy globally.
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India also is a crucial pole of the multipolar global order. In 2026, India will be required to assess aspects concerning its sovereignty and self-reliance in space technology, telecommunications and the space supply chain.
The Indian commercial space sector must prepare to meet the needs of the armed forces and intelligence agencies in maintaining stability within India’s sphere of influence, which now includes outer space.
In 2026, India will embark on the Gaganyaan missions for its ambitious human-rated spaceflight initiative, which includes raising the Bhartiya Antriksh Station.
The safety of Indian ‘vyomanauts’, especially those operating in low-Earth orbit, would prompt India to reflect deeply on the rampant occupation of low-Earth orbit, a finite space, by inconsiderately deployed satellite constellations.
The Chinese space station and the International Space Station are already facing significant issues related to densely packed satellites in the same orbits and the fragments they produce.
However, since both space stations are built by conflicting factions, and the biggest constellations come from the same two countries, neither is ready to tone down the orbital squatter in the interest of the global commons in space.
India will have to step up Gaganyaan; more than being an inspirational project, it will have to fulfil its duty to ensure secure and sustainable access for itself and for all nations in outer space.
2026 will also be an important year from the purview of new space launch competencies.
The first commercial launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, ISRO’s newly developed launcher commercially built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, will happen this year.
Also, the first-ever orbital launch of Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 would happen in 2026, giving the Indian space programme two small-satellite launchers that could meet on-demand launch needs.
Not to forget, the solid-fuelled small satellite launcher that the defence forces are building for their quick-reaction applications, but are tight-lipped about, popularly known as VEDA, would also see progress in 2026.
In 2026, ISRO will showcase various innovative indigenous space technologies, including the travelling-wave tube amplifier for advanced space communications, quantum key distribution for secure encrypted communications, and high-thrust electric propulsion systems designed for agile, manoeuvrable satellites and spacecraft for interplanetary and cislunar missions.
Many of these advancements are expected to become standard features in Indian satellites and spacecraft in the future.
The trivial silos of civilian, commercial, and military space ambitions established in the past are fast disintegrating. A civil-military-fused space programme dedicated to India’s strategic and security interests will emerge clearly in 2026.
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https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/ai-accelerates-discovery-of-nanomaterials-built-for-extreme-space-environments-247740/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-025-04389-2
AI accelerates discovery of nanomaterials built for extreme space environments
January 05th 2026 - 11:10am
Researchers at Woldia University in Ethiopia have published a peer-reviewed analysis in Springer Nature describing how artificial intelligence (AI) can design multifunctional nanomaterials that endure the severe thermal and radiation conditions of space.
The study, titled AI-driven design of multifunctional nanomaterials in revolutionizing high-temperature, high-power solutions for space technology, shows how data-driven design can overcome the physical limits of conventional aerospace alloys and composites.
Spacecraft operate in conditions ranging from –270 °C to +150 °C under constant radiation bombardment and micrometeoroid impact. Traditional materials struggle to balance low mass with mechanical strength, radiation tolerance, and thermal stability.
The researchers report that coupling AI algorithms with nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) enables property combinations previously considered incompatible.
Their framework produced examples including thermal-interface materials exceeding 200 W/m K conductivity, radiation-tolerant magnetic alloys with 50 percent lower demagnetization, and optical coatings that maintained more than 95 percent solar reflectivity after repeated thermal cycling.
Carbon nanomaterials and AI optimization
Carbon nanomaterials form the backbone of current progress. Graphene’s in-plane thermal conductivity approaches 5 000 W/m K, while CNTs reach 3 500 W/m K and exhibit tensile strengths near 100 GPa.
Their incorporation in composite matrices improves heat dissipation, electrical stability, and impact resistance. Machine-learning models refine growth parameters for CNT forests and graphene layers, predicting how alignment and defect density affect performance.
Hybrid CNT–graphene structures achieve directional heat transport and lower mass compared with metallic spreaders used in satellites.
CNT-reinforced polymers increase heat-exchanger efficiency by about 300 percent, while graphene-based supercapacitors deliver energy densities above 200 Wh/kg under radiation exposure.
Nanocomposites combining carbon allotropes with hydrogen-rich polymers offer lighter radiation shielding that protects electronics and crew during long-duration missions.
In propulsion, CNT-doped ionic-liquid propellants improve charge mobility and stability, raising specific impulse by roughly 15 percent in electrospray thrusters.
BNNTs complement this by protecting thruster grids from erosion at temperatures above 800 °C. Together, these materials enhance efficiency and durability without mass penalties—a critical factor when launch costs exceed $2 500 per kilogram.
AI-driven additive manufacturing processes are now fabricating graphene–polyethylene composites with thermal conductivities over 100 W/m K, enabling scalable production of heat-management structures for satellites.
Magnetic and optical materials for radiation and thermal control
Magnetic nanomaterials are vital for propulsion, navigation, and radiation shielding. AI-designed high-entropy alloys—particularly Fe–Co–Ni–Cr systems—exhibit 40 percent higher saturation magnetization and improved irradiation stability compared with conventional magnetic alloys.
Samarium–cobalt (Sm–Co) and iron–cobalt–gadolinium (Fe–Co–Gd) compounds optimized through combinatorial learning reduce radiation-induced demagnetization by half.
These alloys protect electric-motor components and preserve precision in navigation instruments such as atom interferometers operating in deep-space conditions.
Optical nanomaterials address thermal control through radiative engineering.
Reinforcement-learning algorithms have designed SiO₂–Ta₂O₅ multilayer coatings that reflect 97 percent of solar radiation while emitting 94 percent of infrared heat, lowering satellite surface temperatures by up to 15 °C.
Neural-network-optimized oxide stacks, including SiO₂–TiO₂ architectures, maintain 99 percent reflectivity and remain stable after 1 000 thermal cycles, removing the need for active cooling in power-dense electronics.
Quantum-dot and metasurface designs extend these capabilities. Machine-learning-optimized ZrO₂–Ag coatings enable passive cooling of 18 °C while preserving visible-light reflectivity.
AI pattern-recognition tools now accelerate discovery of nanoscale features that maximize emissivity and durability in lunar or Martian environments.
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Data and manufacturing challenges
AI models depend on extensive datasets describing material behavior under combined radiation, thermal, and vacuum conditions—data that remain scarce above 800 °C. This scarcity limits model accuracy and transferability to new mission profiles.
Molecular-dynamics and density-functional-theory simulations reveal atomic-scale damage mechanisms such as vacancy clustering and grain-boundary diffusion, yet their computational cost makes large-scale screening impractical without AI acceleration.
Manufacturing and scalability remain critical bottlenecks. Producing defect-free graphene sheets or aligned CNT arrays at industrial scale continues to pose challenges.
Macroscopic composites often underperform because of agglomeration or anisotropy introduced during processing.
Durability in the space environment is another open issue: CNTs and graphene degrade when exposed to atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation, causing changes in surface charge and reduced conductivity over long missions.
These degradation pathways require extended validation before operational deployment.
Autonomous self-driving laboratories now couple automated synthesis with AI analysis, cutting validation cycles by about 70 percent.
Digital-twin frameworks forecast real-time degradation under combined stress with less than 7 percent error, and can predict the lifetime of thermal-interface materials within 5 percent accuracy.
Friction-stir additive manufacturing techniques have also produced radiation-resistant metal-matrix composites, demonstrating how process optimization and AI design are merging in practical production.
Toward hybrid AI-physics models
Hybrid AI-physics models are emerging as the next priority. These systems combine neural networks with thermodynamic and quantum-mechanical constraints to improve predictions for temperatures above 1 000 °C.
Quantum machine-learning methods can accelerate density-functional calculations by factors between 10³ and 10⁶, allowing rapid screening of thousands of candidate structures per day.
Researchers also recommend forming international consortia to develop standardized datasets for extreme environments and harmonized validation protocols for radiation, thermal, and mechanical performance.
Reproducible benchmarks would allow AI models trained at different institutions to interoperate and cross-validate.
Advances in on-orbit additive manufacturing could complement these computational gains.
In-space production platforms using graphene-polyethylene filaments or polymer–ceramic hybrids may fabricate or repair spacecraft components directly in microgravity, reducing reliance on Earth-based manufacturing.
Bio-inspired architectures and self-healing nanocomposites remain long-term objectives aimed at spacecraft capable of autonomous recovery from micrometeoroid impacts or radiation damage.
The Woldia University study concludes that AI-driven design has already achieved measurable results—thermal materials exceeding 200 W/m K, radiation-hard alloys with 50 percent less demagnetization, and coatings retaining >95 percent reflectivity after extended cycling.
Yet data scarcity, manufacturing reproducibility, and modeling accuracy at high temperature remain major barriers.
Future work should prioritize scalable synthesis of defect-free graphene and aligned CNTs, development of hybrid AI-physics models for reliable high-temperature prediction, and further automation in additive manufacturing.
Establishing international datasets and sustainable nanomanufacturing protocols will be essential.
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Iran Space Agency: Three Satellites Successfully Complete Initial In‑Orbit Tests
5 January 2026 - 08:18
Three Iranian satellites of Zafar, Paya, and Kowsar have successfully entered the orbital testing phase, completing a range of initial in-orbit tests during the first week after launch with a favorable technical status, Iran’s Space Agency announced on Sunday.
According to the space agency, assessments indicate that the process of evaluating and stabilizing the subsystems of all three satellites is proceeding according to plan.
During the in-orbit tests, the satellites entered the subsystem performance evaluation phase, with their overall conditions reported as satisfactory.
The agency noted that due to a problem that occurred during the orbital injection stage of the Paya satellite by the launch vehicle, special focus was placed on stabilizing this satellite.
Necessary corrective measures were carried out with high precision to address the issue.
Regarding Paya’s orbital tests, the satellite has successfully completed tests related to power supply and distribution subsystems, thermal management, telemetry and telecommand communications, positioning, stabilization, attitude control and pointing.
The process of testing its imaging communication subsystem is currently underway.
Kowsar has also successfully carried out tests of its power supply and distribution subsystems, thermal management, telemetry and telecommand communications, positioning and stabilization.
It has now entered the stage of testing its attitude control and pointing subsystems.
Zafar, meanwhile, has completed initial tests related to power supply and distribution, thermal management, positioning, and telemetry and telecommand communications.
Complementary tests on related subsystems are currently in progress. The satellite’s rotational stability has also been assessed as appropriate.
Once the ongoing tests are completed, stages related to attitude control as well as data transmission, storage, and retransmission will begin.
The Iran Space Agency explained that in-orbit satellite testing is a precise, step-by-step and multi-week process conducted after launch, during which the performance of each subsystem is gradually evaluated under real orbital conditions.
Based on existing plans, summaries of technical measures and the results of these tests will be gradually made available to specialists and those interested in the space industry.
https://en.abna24.com/news/1769592/Iran-Space-Agency-Three-Satellites-Successfully-Complete-Initial
How China's astronauts train in a deep cave for space missions
11:56, 05-Jan-2026
Twenty-eight Chinese astronauts have recently completed a nearly month-long extreme environment training program inside a deep cave in Wulong, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
Divided into four groups, they took turns staying continuously in the cave for six days and five nights. Far from a routine expedition, the exercise was designed as a highly realistic simulation of space missions.
With an average temperature of just 8 degrees Celsius and humidity reaching 99 percent, the cave's darkness, confinement and constant risks closely mirrored the isolation and challenges of spaceflight.
Working in teams of seven, the astronauts followed real space mission schedules, carrying out more than a dozen intensive tasks including cave exploration, environmental monitoring and simulated space-to-ground communications.
Selecting the training site took months. Experts surveyed more than 10 caves across seven provinces and cities, seeking terrain complex enough to test astronauts while meeting strict safety standards.
A critical hidden risk was radon, a radioactive gas. Candidate caves were monitored for a full year to ensure radon levels were completely safe before the cave in Wulong was finally selected as the training site.
The training posed serious challenges for the participants.
Astronauts crawled through narrow rock crevices barely wide enough for one person, climbed and rappelled down cliffs tens of meters high using rope techniques and tackled carefully designed "surprise missions."
These included sudden scenarios such as a simulated teammate injury to test emergency decision-making, or the transfer of "special materials" – moving an open bottle of water through rugged, confined passages without spilling a single drop.
Each task placed teamwork, communication and adaptability under intense pressure.
Psychological resilience was another major focus. In darkness, astronauts experienced shifting mental challenges.
Some reported that the early stage was dominated by cold and damp conditions that disrupted sleep, while later they developed distorted perceptions of time.
Psychologists supported the teams through daily group discussions and continuous monitoring. Notably, astronauts from different cohorts bonded quickly, forging trust through shared challenges.
To support the training, more than 700 kilograms of equipment and supplies were delivered to the underground base using a combination of drone hoisting and human relay transport.
All waste generated during the mission was carefully packed and removed, ensuring both scientific training and cave conservation.
From deep underground to outer space, this "downward" exploration was conducted to prepare for future "upward" journeys.
The training enhanced astronauts' ability to cope with unknown risks, providing valuable experience for long-term space station missions and future crewed lunar exploration.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-01-05/How-China-s-astronauts-train-in-a-deep-cave-for-space-missions-1JGe2T6BYHe/p.html
National Indigenous Space Academy announces first industry partner
January 5, 2026 at 8.55am
The National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) has announced its first industry partner, with Boeing committing to fully fund a student place in the program.
Now in its third year, NISA — a first-of-its-kind initiative delivered through Monash University's Faculty of Engineering and supported by the Australian Space Agency and CSIRO — provides First Nations students with hands-on experience at the forefront of space exploration through placements at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and RAL Space in the United Kingdom.
Founded by Wadjak/Ballardong man, Professor Chris Lawrence, the academy offers students the opportunity to build expertise across disciplines, including planetary science, space exploration, robotics and astrophysics.
Professor Lawrence, who has recently been appointed Professor of Practice in Space Innovation and Security Capabilities in the Faculty of Engineering, said the partnership with Boeing would have a significant impact on the program and its students.
"NISA is life-changing for our students, empowering them to work on real-life space missions," NISA's Director said.
"The Boeing scholarship will support an Indigenous student to literally reach for the stars and shape their future; perhaps as our first Indigenous Australian astronaut."
He previously told National Indigenous Times: "Can we imagine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people going into space?"
"Can we imagine that we could have an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronaut up there working on the International Space Station: Going to the moon, going to Mars, going to other planets? Because that's where we can be," he said.
Michael Edwards, Vice President, Global Technology, Boeing Technology Innovation, said the company was working alongside Monash and NISA to create opportunities for First Nations students pursuing careers in aerospace.
"Alongside Monash and NISA, we are helping create meaningful opportunities for First Nations students who want to pursue exciting careers in aerospace," Mr Edwards said.
"This industry is geared to those who dream about flight and finding new ways to explore our world and beyond. Programs like this will help ensure Australia remains at the forefront of aerospace and innovation."
Students are selected on academic merit, with NISA open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduate and postgraduate students studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics at any Australian university.
Monash Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President Professor Robyn Ward said the university is committed to supporting Indigenous excellence and expanding global opportunities in space science and engineering.
"Boeing's partnership strengthens a program that is fast emerging as a flagship for Indigenous excellence in STEM, and reflects Monash's advanced space capabilities and ambitions," Professor Ward said.
Applications for NISA's 2026 program are open until 27 February. Students can apply via the NISA website.
https://nit.com.au/05-01-2026/21996/national-indigenous-space-academy-announces-first-industry-partner
https://www.monash.edu/engineering/nisa
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/space-force-launch-interest-cape-vandenberg-pads/
Space Force requests launch provider interest in Cape and Vandenberg pads
January 4, 2026
In a strategic push to bolster launch infrastructure amid growing military and commercial demands for orbital access, the United States Space Force has issued two separate Requests for Information (RFIs) in late December 2025, signaling its intent to make prime real estate available for large-scale rockets on the East and West Coasts.
The first RFI targets Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Florida’s Space Coast.
This historic site, located at the southern tip of Cape Canaveral just south of Blue Origin’s Launch Complex 36, has a history dating back to the late 1980s.
Originally built to support U.S. Navy Trident missile tests, SLC-46 has since hosted a mix of suborbital and limited orbital missions.
These include two Lockheed Martin Athena launches in the 1990s, a Minotaur mission in 2017, and two attempts by Astra’s Rocket 3.3 in 2022 (both unsuccessful).
More recently, it served NASA’s Orion Ascent Abort-2 test in 2018 and has been a key venue for military missile demonstrations over the Atlantic.
The Space Force defines “super heavy-lift” capability as rockets able to deliver more than 50,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit—a threshold met by very few vehicles currently in development.
The RFI emphasizes increasing launch diversity on the Eastern Range, explicitly stating that the goal is to introduce new launch vehicles rather than provide additional pads for existing ones.
This criterion could limit interest from dominant players like SpaceX, which is already developing multiple pads for its Starship vehicle on the East Coast, including ongoing work at Space Launch Complexes 37 and 39A.
However, the only other site SpaceX has officially cited interest in has been LC-49, which then stalled during an environmental process with NASA.
Blue Origin could be interested, having recently flown its New Glenn rocket from nearby Launch Complex 36, and is now developing a more powerful variant (potentially 9×4 configuration).
A dedicated pad at SLC-46 could enable a higher launch cadence for New Glenn or future larger iterations, especially as the company ramps up operations to meet national security and commercial needs.
Alternative pads for Blue Origin, outside of the KSC/Cape area, have also been rumored.
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The Space Force has made clear that any lease of SLC-46 is conditional on the U.S. Navy first relocating its ongoing operations from the site to another location on the Space Coast—a process the military branch would handle independently.
Once complete, the selected launch provider would be responsible for removing any remaining Navy-related infrastructure.
Just eleven days later, on December 30, 2025, the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California released a second RFI for a proposed new facility: Space Launch Complex 14 (SLC-14).
Located at the extreme southeast end of the base—near the dock historically used by SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to receive boosters and fairings—this undeveloped site is envisioned to support both heavy-lift (20,000 kg+ to orbit) and super heavy-lift vehicles.
Unlike the Florida RFI, Vandenberg’s proposal is more inclusive, potentially accommodating a broader range of rockets. Candidates could include Relativity Space’s Terran R (targeting up to 33,000 kg to orbit) or Blue Origin’s New Glenn’s West Coast aspirations.
SpaceX, while lacking a current Starship proposal for Vandenberg, could potentially adapt existing infrastructure under its tenure, such as Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6), in the future, although officially it is only designated for Falcon launches at present.
As to the reasons for this RFI, it’s likely focused on the Space Force’s broader goal of enhancing resilience and capacity for national security payloads.
With increasing demand for satellites, hypersonic testing, and potential future missions—including orbital data centers requiring sun-synchronous or polar orbits—Vandenberg’s geography offers unique advantages.
Launches from the West Coast naturally favor high-inclination trajectories, making it ideal for constellations in polar or sun-synchronous paths, which are harder to achieve efficiently from Florida.
This was one of the primary interests with the ill-fated attempt to conduct polar orbit military launches from SLC-6 with Shuttle Discovery. Those plans came to a halt when the USAF reduced its interest in the Shuttle after the loss of Challenger in 1986.
Notably, these RFIs are not binding commitments but formal market surveys to gauge industry interest and capabilities.
Responses are expected within weeks (with the Vandenberg deadline adjusted to 45 days), after which the Space Force would proceed to environmental reviews, safety analyses, and potential lease agreements.
If sufficient viable proposals emerge, the developments could dramatically expand options for super heavy-lift vehicles over the next decade.
The timing aligns with a rapidly evolving space landscape. In 2025, the U.S. witnessed record orbital launch activity, driven largely by SpaceX’s Starlink deployments and growing commercial satellite constellations.
Meanwhile, competitors like Blue Origin and Relativity are advancing toward operational status with heavy-lift rockets.
The Pentagon’s push for more pads addresses potential bottlenecks, ensuring the military can access affordable, diverse, and frequent launch services without relying on a single provider.
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80 people killed in US raid on Venezuela – NYT
5 Jan, 2026 07:46
The death toll from the US raid to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro has risen to at least 80, which includes both soldiers and civilians, the New York Times reported on Sunday, citing a senior Venezuelan official.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez confirmed that US forces had killed a “large part” of Maduro’s security detail in the operation, without giving a figure. Venezuelan officials also accused the US of hitting civilian areas but have not released an official death toll yet.
Meanwhile, Cuban officials say 32 of its citizens, including military personnel, were killed in the attack. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has announced that January 5th and 6th will be official days of mourning.
“Our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings,” he said.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto paid tribute to the deceased Cubans who “offered their lives” while carrying out duties as part of cooperation and defense missions, while describing the US raid as a “criminal and infamous” attack.
US President Donald Trump said no American troops had been killed, while suggesting some service members may have been wounded. Two unnamed US officials told the New York Times that about half a dozen soldiers were injured during the operation to capture Maduro and his wife.
Media reports have suggested that the US bombardment targeted several key military sites, communication infrastructure, and depots.
However, American officials have said the airstrikes were meant to provide cover for seizing Maduro so that he could be brought to America to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Venezuela’s leadership has long denied accusations that it is connected with the drug trade, arguing that the charges coming from the US only serve as a pretext for regime change.
https://www.rt.com/news/630586-80-people-killed-venezuela/
Trump: Alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Putin’s house never happened
5 Jan 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. intelligence had determined that Kremlin claims Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state residence with drones last week were false.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that while the investigation found evidence of something unrelated nearby they did not find that Putin’s residence in Novgorod province, some 300 miles northwest of Moscow, was targeted.
“I don’t believe that strike happened, now that we’ve able to check,” said Trump, a week after Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting the residence with more than 90 drones and threatened retaliation and consequences for talks aimed at ending the war with Ukraine.
“There is something that happened fairly nearby but had nothing to do with this… nobody knew at that moment. I mean, that was the first I heard about it. He said that his house was attacked,” Trump said.
Last week, Trump said he was “very angry” and concerned when he heard about the attack directly from Putin, saying it was not the right time for offense, to attack Putin’s house, during such a delicate period, referring to ongoing U.S.-peace-brokering efforts.
However, he acknowledged at the time that the alleged attack may never have taken place and vowed his intelligence officials would get to the truth.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had issued an immediate and categorical denial, calling it a “complete fabrication” and “typical Russian lies.”
Coming immediately after Dec. 28 U.S.-Ukrainian talks at Mar-a-Lago on a peace framework that both sides hailed as making “good progress,” Zelensky and European officials said the attack claim was calculated to justify more Russian strikes on Ukraine and to try derail the peace process.
As far back as New Year’s Eve, Trump reposted an editorial in the New York Post casting doubt on the Kremlin’s claims and arguing Putin’s “‘attack’ bluster” proved Moscow was the party obstructing the path to peace.
https://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-alleged-ukrainian-drone-attack-on-putins-house-never-happened/
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/522496/Trump-downplays-alleged-Ukrainian-drone-strike-on-Putin-s-Novgorod