Last month, people in a small village in Kenya looked to the sky and saw a red glowing ring slowly descending. The half-tonne piece of metal crashed into a nearby thicket with a loud bang, leaving them shaken and perplexed. [What was the mysterious object](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/02/world/africa/kenya-space-debris-rocket.html)? Was it an alien spacecraft? Sadly, the truth of the matter was much more prosaic: it was a piece of space junk. The Kenya [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Agency identified the object as a separation ring from a launch rocket. Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unpopulated areas, leading the agency to declare this as “an isolated case”. However, this was not a one-off incident. Last year alone, we saw a large fragment from a Chinese space mission [fall over southern California](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/chinese-space-junk-falls-to-earth-over-southern-california-creating-spectacular-fireball); a piece of space junk fell through [a two-storey home in Florida](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/nasa-space-junk-florida-iss), confirmed by Nasa to have originated from the International Space Station; and several sizeable fragments of a SpaceX capsule were [found on a Canadian farm](https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-trunk-space-debris-canada). The Florida family is now [suing Nasa for damages](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/22/florida-family-sues-nasa-space-debris) in a case that could set a legal precedent for who is responsible. Even more concerning than large space detritus crashing to Earth – if this is possible –is the accumulation of small debris in the lower orbit that could collide with larger objects such as satellites. Over the past 60 years of space activities, more than [6,050 space launches](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/About_space_debris) have resulted in roughly 56,450 tracked objects in orbit. Only 8% of these objects are active satellites, the rest is junk. The [Kessler syndrome](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frspt.2023.1309940/full) (named after former Nasa scientist Donald J Kessler) describes a scenario in which the volume of debris in Earth’s orbit reaches a critical threshold, triggering a cascade effect where collisions generate even more debris, which causes even more collisions. More than 560 in-orbit fragmentation events have been recorded since 1961, according to the European Space Agency, and the risks are intensifying. In June 2024, a [defunct Russian satellite](https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/27/russian-satellite-debris-international-space-station) broke up into almost 200 pieces of debris, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take cover and prepare to evacuate in their spacecraft. Should the Earth’s orbit become unusable, this would threaten our ability to monitor weather, climate and other environmental changes, and to receive vital early disaster warnings on extreme weather events. The [Interconnected Disaster Risk](https://interconnectedrisks.org/tipping-points/space-debris) report published in 2024 by the United Nations University identified space debris and collisions as at a tipping point. Projections staggeringly estimate more than 100,000 new spacecraft will be launched by 2030, increasing the risk of collisions. The report also highlights that there currently are no binding international rules for managing space debris. The [Outer Space Treaty (OST)](https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html), established in 1967 and serving as the bedrock of space law since, is showing its limitations. As space activities have evolved from state-dominated explorations to include extensive commercial operations by non-state actors, such as the mega constellations deployed by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, the treaty falls short. It lacks, for example, specific guidelines for commercial activities, space mining, and crucially, mandates for debris mitigation and removal. [Space debris must be cleared, warn European experts](https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2013/apr/22/space-debris-cleared-video) Guardian There are thankfully several solutions. Space-faring nations as well as regional organisations, such as the European Union, are funding specialised companies to remove active objects from orbit. Large debris requires effective management to minimise potential harm and the European Space Agency’s [ClearSpace-1 mission](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/ClearSpace-1) showcases debris removal, while the Japanese company [Astroscale](https://astroscale.com/) is offering to remove operators’ redundant space hardware from orbit. These are all welcome approaches but may not be sustainable in the long term as space becomes more congested. Moreover, active debris removal solutions are an “end-of-pipe” approach, focused on managing the problem rather than solving it. Future solutions also need to address the core of the issue: how to design future space technology with zero-waste principles. To this end, the European Space Agency recently launched the idea of creating a “[circular space economy](https://blogs.esa.int/cleanspace/2024/01/11/circular-economy-enabling-a-space-circular-economy-by-2050-esas-vision/)” by 2050. Circular solutions include reuse, repair, recycling, eco-design, sustainable supply and responsible consumption. Many circular economy technologies are already being used in space programmes, including design for durability, closed-loop water and nutrient cycling in the International Space Station and 3D printing applications for repair and upgrades. New satellite innovations such as the world’s first wooden satellite, [LignoSat](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-developed-japan-heads-space-2024-11-05/), developed by Japanese researchers and launched into space in November 2024, show the way for the use of biomaterials in future lunar and Mars exploration. Biomaterials have lower density, so in case of collisions there is less kinetic impact and on re-entry, they would also more easily burn up. When it comes to the economic viability of a circular space economy, there is also a strong case. The reuse value of space debris has been estimated to be in the order of [$600bn to $1.2tn](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X22005104). Legal measures that have proved effective in environmental governance and policy on Earth to control hazardous waste and pollution could also be applied. The “polluter pays” principle would place legal and financial responsibility on space operators and technology producers (this is particularly relevant to regulate the rapidly increasing number of private operators). A rare example of enforcement action was taken by the US Federal Communications Commission in October 2023, [fining the operator Dish Network](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-397412A1.pdf) $150,000 for failing to properly retire one of its satellites. Getting a UN-led agreement on space debris governance would require cooperation of all major stakeholders – but is vital to transcend geopolitical tensions, and protect space and those of us on Earth looking up at the sky. * Dr Patrick Schröder is a senior research fellow in the Environment and Society programme, Chatham House, with an expertise in the global transition to an inclusive circular economy

[Russian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia) officials expect to hold talks with [Elon Musk](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk) soon about space travel to [Mars](https://www.theguardian.com/science/mars), [Vladimir Putin](https://www.theguardian.com/world/vladimir-putin)’s international cooperation envoy said on Tuesday. The envoy’s comments, which Musk has not confirmed, also stated that Russia wanted to expand its cooperation with the US on space projects. “I think that there will undoubtedly be a discussion with Musk \[about [Mars](https://www.theguardian.com/science/mars) flights\] in the near future,” Kirill Dmitriev said at a business forum in Moscow, going on to praise Musk’s efforts to push the boundaries of human achievement. The proposed talks would once again put Musk, the world’s richest man and a senior adviser to Trump, in an outsized and largely unaccountable role in international politics. Musk has joined in on White House calls with international leaders since [Donald Trump’s](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) re-election, and prior to his new role in the administration [reportedly was in regular contact](https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/musk-putin-secret-conversations-37e1c187) with Putin. Musk’s ownership of SpaceX and control of the Starlink satellite communications system have increasingly allowed him to take on the role of power broker in space travel and international telecommunications. In the US, [Nasa](https://www.theguardian.com/science/nasa) has come to rely on SpaceX for the majority of its launches, and recently fired workers [have raised alarms](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/18/nasa-cuts-elon-musk-spacex) about his growing sway over the agency. Musk has also used his leverage over international telecoms to assert his political influence, including [limiting Ukraine’s military use of Starlink](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/09/zelenskiy-aide-takes-aim-at-curbs-on-ukraine-use-of-starlink-to-pilot-drones-elon-musk) during the Russia-Ukraine war and recently [clashing with Poland’s foreign minister](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy87vg38dnpo) over the technology. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/18/russia-mars-elon-musk#EmailSignup-skip-link-4) Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion Dmitriev, who was named by Putin last month as his special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, also claimed on Tuesday that Russia’s “enemies” were trying to derail Trump’s efforts to restore a dialogue with [Russia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia). His remarks came as Trump held a call with Putin on Tuesday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine and eventual end to hostilities after Russia invaded the country in 2022. Dmitriev said Russia wanted to work with Musk as part of Moscow’s efforts to strengthen and develop Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, and state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Dmitriev stated he was in touch with Roscosmos, Russian businesses and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. Russia said in 2022 it would start work on its own Mars mission after the European Space Agency (ESA) suspended a joint project in the wake of Putin’s decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

“I expect four or five companies to get to the point of launching, and then over a period of years reliability and launch cadence \[or frequency\] will determine which one or two of them survives,” says McDowell.  In their initial form these rockets will not rival anything on offer from SpaceX in terms of size and cadence. SpaceX sometimes launches its 70-meter (230-foot) [Falcon 9 rocket](https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/07/18/1095036/whats-next-for-spacexs-falcon-9/) multiple times per week and is developing its much larger [Starship vehicle](https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/07/1041420/spacex-starship-rocket-solar-system-exploration/) for missions to the moon and Mars. However, the smaller European rockets can allow companies in Europe to launch satellites to orbit without having to travel all the way across the Atlantic. “There is an advantage to having it closer,” says Kellner, who says it will take RFA one or two days by sea to get its rockets to SaxaVord, versus one or two weeks to travel across the Atlantic. Launching from Europe is useful, too, for reaching specific orbits. Traditionally, a lot of satellite launches have taken place near the equator, in places such as Cape Canaveral in Florida, to get an extra boost from Earth’s rotation. Crewed spacecraft have also launched from these locations to reach space stations in equatorial orbit around Earth and the moon. From Europe, though, satellites can launch north over uninhabited stretches of water to reach polar orbit, which can allow imaging satellites to see the entirety of Earth rotate underneath them. Increasingly, says McDowell, companies want to place satellites into [sun-synchronous orbit](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Types_of_orbits#SSO), a type of polar orbit where a satellite orbiting Earth stays in perpetual sunlight. This is useful for solar-powered vehicles. “By far the bulk of the commercial market now is sun-synchronous polar orbit,” says McDowell. “So having a high-latitude launch site that has good transport links with customers in Europe does make a difference.” In the longer term, Europe’s rocket ambitions might grow to vehicles that are more of a match for the Falcon 9 through initiatives like ESA’s [European Launcher Challenge](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Prepare_for_the_European_Launcher_Challenge), which will award contracts later this year. “We are hoping to develop \[a larger vehicle\] in the European Launcher Challenge,” says Kellner. Perhaps Europe might even consider launching humans into space one day on larger rockets, says Thilo Kranz, ESA’s program manager for commercial space transportation. “We are looking into this,” he says. “If a commercial operator comes forward with a smart way of approaching \[crewed\] access to space, that would be a favorable development for Europe.” A separate ESA project called [Themis](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Themis), meanwhile, is developing technologies to reuse rockets. This was the key innovation of SpaceX’s Falcon 9, allowing the company to dramatically drive down launch costs. Some European companies, like [MaiaSpace](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/europes-maiaspace-steps-up-effort-counter-spacex-with-reusable-rocket-2024-12-09/) and RFA, are also investigating reusability. The latter is planning to use parachutes to bring the first stage of its rocket back to a landing in the sea, where it can be recovered. “As soon as you get up to something like a Falcon 9 competitor, I think it’s clear now that reusability is crucial,” says McDowell. “They’re not going to be economically competitive without reusability.” The end goal for Europe is to have a sovereign rocket industry that reduces its reliance on the US. “Where we are in the broader geopolitical situation probably makes this a bigger point than it might have been six months ago,” says Macdonald. The continent has already shown it can diversify from the US in other ways. Europe now operates its own successful satellite-based alternative to the US Global Positioning System (GPS), called Galileo; it began launching in 2011 and is [four times more accurate than its American counterpart](https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/galileo-satellite-navigation_en#:~:text=Galileo%20is%20four%20times%20more,charge%20all%20around%20the%20world.). Isar Aerospace, and the companies that follow, might be the first sign that commercial European rockets can break from America in a similar way. “We need to secure access to space,” says Kranz, “and the more options we have in launching into space, the higher the flexibility.”

Some of these companies are taking aim at SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which can lift as much as about 20,000 kilograms into orbit and is used for sending multiple satellites or the crewed Dragon into space. “There is a practical monopoly in the medium-lift launch market right now, with really only one operational vehicle,” says Murielle Baker, a spokesperson for Rocket Lab, a US-New Zealand company. Rocket Lab plans to take on the Falcon 9 with its Neutron rocket, which is expected to have its inaugural flight later this year from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The effort is building on the success of the company’s smaller Electron rocket, and Neutron’s first stage is intended to be reusable after it parachutes down to the ocean. Another challenger is Texas-based Firefly, whose Alpha rocket can be launched from multiple spaceports so that it can reach different orbits. Firefly has already secured NASA and Space Force contracts, with more launches coming this year (and on March 2 it also became the second private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon). Next year, Relativity Space aims to loft its first Terran R rocket, which is partially built from 3D-printed components. And the Bill Gates–backed Stoke Space aims to launch its reusable Nova rocket in late 2025 or, more likely, next year. Competitors are also rising for SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, holding out the prospect of more options for sending massive payloads to higher orbits and deep space. Furthest along is the Vulcan Centaur rocket, a creation of United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. It’s expected to have its third and fourth launches in the coming months, delivering Space Force satellites to orbit. Powered by engines from Blue Origin, the Vulcan Centaur is slightly wider and shorter than the Falcon rockets. It currently isn’t reusable, but it’s less expensive than its predecessors, ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV, which are being phased out. Mark Peller, the company’s senior vice president on Vulcan development and advanced programs, says the new rocket comes with multiple advantages. “One is overall value, in terms of dollars per pound to orbit and what we can provide to our customers,” he says, “and the second is versatility: Vulcan was designed to go to a range of orbits.” He says more than 80 missions are already lined up. Vulcan’s fifth flight, slated for no earlier than May, will launch the long-awaited Sierra Space Dream Chaser, a spaceplane that can carry cargo (and possibly crew) to the International Space Station. ULA also has upcoming Vulcan launches planned for Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation, a potential Starlink rival. Meanwhile, though it took a few years, Blue Origin now has a truly orbital heavy-lift spacecraft: In January, it celebrated the inaugural launch of its towering New Glenn, a rocket that’s only a bit shorter than NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s Starship. Future flights could launch national security payloads. Competition is emerging abroad as well. After repeated delays, Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6, from Airbus subsidiary Arianespace, had its inaugural flight last year, ending the European Space Agency’s temporary dependence on SpaceX. A range of other companies [are trying to expand European launch capacity](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/20/1113582/europe-is-finally-getting-serious-about-commercial-rockets/), with assistance from ESA.

An attempt to land a commercially built spacecraft on the surface of the moon looked to have ended in failure on Thursday, two years after its predecessor, launched by the same Japanese company, crashed following an uncontrolled descent. Resilience, an un-crewed vehicle from the Tokyo company [ispace](https://ispace-inc.com/), would have made history as the first non-US commercial lander to make a successful touchdown, scheduled for 3.17pm ET Thursday (4.17am JST Friday) at Mare Frigoris (the Sea of Cold) in the far north of the moon. But the company’s live stream covering the landing attempt ended almost 30 minutes later, with mission managers unable to establish communication with the craft, and its fate uncertain. “Mission control center members will continuously attempt to communicate with the lander,” an ispace commentator said immediately before the feed was pulled, promising an update at a press briefing “in a few hours”. It brought back memories of the [April 2023 failure](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/25/japan-ispace-pioneering-moon-landing-fails-hakuto-r) of ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1, when communication with the spacecraft was lost around the scheduled time of landing. It was later established that a software error had led the lander to believe it had already touched down when it was still hurtling towards the lunar surface. Resilience [launched on 15 January](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/15/spacex-launch-moon) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that carried the Blue Ghost lander manufactured by the Texas startup Firefly Aerospace. [Blue Ghost](https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/18/nasa-images-sunset-on-moon) followed a speedier trajectory to the moon and made its own pioneering landing on 2 March. The apparent demise of Hakuto-R Mission 2 would be a significant setback for ispace’s Venture Moon initiative that it said would be “laying the groundwork” for an extended human presence on the moon. Ambitious plans [include a lunar city](https://abcnews.go.com/US/private-company-build-city-moon-land-probe/story?id=122515680) with a thousand residents, the first arriving as early as 2040. It also hopes to eventually accommodate thousands more space tourists for shorter visits. “Our goal is to build the cislunar economy, one in which the moon and Earth are economically and socially connected,” ispace’s chief executive, Takeshi Hakamada, said in a prepared statement released before Thursday’s landing attempt. “We view the success of the lunar landing as merely a stepping stone toward that goal. We strongly believe that this endeavor and its long-term success will contribute to making life on Earth sustainable for all humanity.” Resilience was set to deploy a small, European-built moon rover named Tenacious for a two-week mission. High-definition video footage and telemetry would have been beamed back to Earth for monitoring by the European [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Agency (Esa) and partners. The rover has a shovel intended to collect soil samples for evaluation as the search for evidence of the presence of life-sustaining water or ice on the moon continues. Nasa, the US space agency, will pay ispace $5,000 under an agreement [signed in 2020](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-companies-to-collect-lunar-resources-for-artemis-demonstrations/) for a chunk of regolith it can study in furtherance of its own plans to land humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972, and ultimately on Mars. “Tenacious is hopefully a very successful technological achievement, but beyond the technology it’s also a symbol of the future of lunar exploration,” Géraldine Naja, Esa’s director of commercialization, industry and competitiveness, told reporters earlier on Thursday. “Esa is extremely proud and thrilled to support ispace Mission 2. This is a very good example of how we can support new space actors in Europe \[and\] commercialization. We are eager to support, eventually, a sustainable European-Japanese presence on the moon.” The 11lb (5kg) rover was also carrying a more quirky payload: Moonhouse, a model installation created by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, that would have become the first property on the moon, albeit in miniature form. The bright red Swedish-style house was to have provided a splash of color against the gray backdrop of the moon’s northern reaches. “It’s a small house in a vast, empty place, a symbol of belonging, curiosity and vulnerability,” Genberg told [space.com](http://space.com/) in an interview published on Thursday. “I hope it invites people to reflect on our relationship to space, and to recognize the fragility and uniqueness of our own world.” [ SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test ](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/28/spacex-starship-rocket-launch-9th-test-flight-lost-contact) While the governments of five countries – the US, Russia, China, India and Japan – have successfully landed un-crewed robotic lunar explorers, commercial efforts have seen more failures than successes in recent years. In addition to the previous ispace flop, two attempts by the Texas company Intuitive Machines (IM), with its [Odysseus](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/26/odysseus-moon-lander-intuitive-machines) and [Athena](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/07/athena-spacecraft-mission-dead) landers in February 2024 and March 2025 respectively, ended prematurely when both spacecraft toppled over on landing. Mare Frigoris is a flatter area of the moon, with fewer boulders than the landing sites chosen by IM and Firefly. Ispace also chose to take its time getting to the moon, with the five-month journey of Resilience during a so-called low-energy transfer allowing the company to thoroughly evaluate its systems and computer programs after blaming a software error for the 2023 crash landing. A contract with Nasa will see ispace attempting to send a larger rover to the moon on a mission scheduled for 2027.

Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent NASA/Johns Hopkins The heart-shape on Pluto was captured by a spacecraft that will be turned off mid-mission if Nasa cuts are approved The row between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over a major spending bill has exacerbated uncertainty over the future of Nasa's budget, which is facing deep cuts. The space agency has published its budget request to Congress, which would see funding for science projects cut by nearly a half. Forty science missions, which are in development or in space already, are in line to be stood down. The president has threatened to withdraw federal contracts with Musk's company, Space X. Nasa relies on the firm's Falcon 9 rocket fleet to resupply the International Space Station with crew and supplies. The space agency also expects to use its Starship rocket to send astronauts to the Moon and eventually to Mars once it has been developed. Dr Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University said that the uncertainty was having a "chilling impact" on the human space programme. "The astonishing exchanges, snap decisions and U turns we've witnessed in the last week undermine the very foundations that we build our ambitions on. "Space science and exploration relies upon long term planning and cooperation between government, companies and academic institutions." BBC News Aside from the feud between the President and Mr Musk, there is also concern about deep cuts requested by the White House to Nasa's budget. All sectors have been earmarked for savings, apart from an effort to send astronauts to Mars, which has received a $100m (£736,000) boost. According to Casey Dreier, chief of space policy for the Pasadena-based Planetary Society, which promotes space exploration, the potential cuts represent "the biggest crisis ever to face the US space programme". Nasa has said that its request to reduce its overall budget by nearly a quarter "aligns (its) science and technology portfolios to missions essential for the exploration of the Moon and Mars". Dr Adam Baker, a space analyst at Cranfield University told BBC News that if these proposals are approved by Congress, it would fundamentally shift the agency's focus. "President Trump is repurposing Nasa for two things: to land astronauts on the Moon before the Chinese and to have astronauts plant a US flag on Mars. Everything else is secondary." NASA Several missions to monitor the Earth's environmental health face closure Those who back the proposals say the White House's budget has given Nasa a clear purpose, for the first time since the days of the Apollo Moon landings of the 1960s and 70s, when the aim was to beat the Soviet Union to the Moon. Nasa's critics say that since then the space agency has become a bloated, unfocussed bureaucracy which routinely [goes massively over budget in its space missions and wastes taxpayer's money](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn93797z2dpo). One of the most egregious examples of this is Nasa's new rocket for its plans to return American astronauts to the Moon, the Space Launch System (SLS). Its development has been delayed, and costs have spiralled such that it costs $4.1bn (£3.3bn) for each and every launch. By contrast, SpaceX's equivalent rocket system, Starship, is estimated to cost around $100m (£80m) per launch because it is designed to be reusable. Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space company promises similar savings for its proposed New Glenn rocket. To no one's surprise, SLS will be phased out under the White House proposals, in the hope that Starship and New Glenn can take its place. But the past three development launches of Starship have been unsuccessful, and Blue Origin has only recently begun to test its Moon rocket. "The worry is that Nasa may be jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire," says Dr Barber. "The development of these alternatives to SLS is being bankrolled by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. "If they lose their appetite for this endeavor and SpaceX or Blue Origin say they need more money to develop their systems, Congress will have to give it to them," says Dr Barber. Of greater concern, says Dr Barber, is the potential loss of 40 missions to explore other planets and to monitor the impact of climate change on Earth from space, many of which involve collaborations with international partners. "I think it is very sad that what has taken so long to build can be knocked down with a wrecking ball so quickly with no plan to rebuild it afterwards." The projects facing the axe include dozens of planetary missions already in space for which most of the development and launch costs have already been paid for, with relatively small savings proposed on their operating costs. Getty Images SpaceX has been partnering with Nasa Also under threat are two collaborations with the European Space Agency: An ambitious plan to bring martian rocks collected by Nasa's Perseverance Rover back to Earth and a mission to send Europe's Rosalind Franklin Rover to the red planet to search for signs of past life. Prof Sir Martin Sweeting, head of the UK space firm Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, and co-author of a [Royal Society report on the future of space](https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/space2075/) says that while the development was "unwelcome", there may be an upside for Europe as it takes greater responsibility for its own space exploration programme. "Maybe we have been too reliant on Nasa the big player to carry a lot of the emphasis in space," he told BBC News. "It is an opportunity to think about how Europe wants to get a better balance in its space activities." But there is much more downside for Europe in the short term. As well as the return of Mars samples and its Rover, ESA risks reduced access to the International Space Station if it is wound down, and the budget cuts cancel Nasa's extensive contributions to its successor, the Lunar Gateway, a multinational space station planned for orbit around the Moon. NASA Nasa's delayed and over budget Moon rocket (SLS) is in line to be phased out to be replaced by private sector developed alternatives [In its recently published strategy ESA](https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Strategy_2040) stated it "will be seeking to build a more autonomous space capability, and to continue being a reliable, strong and desirable partner with space agencies from around the globe," with the implication that it would do so with or without Nasa. Also facing cuts are numerous current and proposed Earth Observation programmes according to Dr Baker. "These Earth observation programmes are our canary in the coal mine," he told BBC News. "Our ability to predict the impact of climate change and mitigate against it could be drastically reduced. If we turn off this early warning system it is a frightening prospect". The budget proposals have yet to be approved by Congress. The planetary Society's Casey Dreier has told BBC News that many Republicans have told lobbyists privately that they are prepared to vote against the cuts. But, Mr Dreier worries that there is a strong possibility that political gridlock might mean that no budget will be agreed. It is likely that the reduced White House budget would be put in place as an interim measure, which could then not easily be reversed, because once space missions are turned off it is hard, if not impossible, to start them up again.

印度宇航员将搭乘 Axiom Space 的飞船前往国际空间站 ------------------------------- [](/search?tid=135) [Wilson](/~Wilson) (42865)发表于 2025年06月12日 17时56分 星期四 [新浪微博分享](//service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=//www.solidot.org/story?sid=81536&appkey=1370085986&title=%E5%8D%B0%E5%BA%A6%E5%AE%87%E8%88%AA%E5%91%98%E5%B0%86%E6%90%AD%E4%B9%98%20Axiom%20Space%20%E7%9A%84%E9%A3%9E%E8%88%B9%E5%89%8D%E5%BE%80%E5%9B%BD%E9%99%85%E7%A9%BA%E9%97%B4%E7%AB%99) [](javascript:void(0);) **来自火星战将** 印度宇航员 Shubhanshu Shukla 有望成为首位访问国际空间站的印度宇航员。Axiom Space 和 SpaceX 原计划本周三执行 Axiom Mission 4 载人飞行任务，但因为天气问题而推迟。Shukla 是参与这次任务的四名宇航员之一，其他三人是前 NASA 宇航员现 Axiom 员工 Peggy Whitson（担任任务指挥官）、ESA 宇航员 Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski（波兰籍）和 Tibor Kapu（匈牙利）。Shukla 最早是于 2020 年在俄罗斯的加加林宇航员训练中心接受训练，印度据报道为此次任务支付了逾 6000 万美元，他将是 1984 年搭乘俄罗斯联盟飞船进入太空的 Rakesh Sharma 以及出生在印度但加入美籍的 Kalpana Chawla（参与了 2003 年哥伦比亚号航天飞机任务） 之后第三位进入太空的印度宇航员 ... www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/indian-astronaut-shubhanshu-shukla-join-mission-to-international-space-station www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/10/nasa-partners-delay-axiom-mission-4-reviewing-launch-date/

But in 2019, SpaceX began deploying its internet-beaming Starlink constellation, and the astronomical community started to sound alarm bells. The satellites were orbiting too low and reflected too much sunlight, leaving bright marks in telescope images. A year later, Rawls and a handful of her colleagues were the first to make a scientific assessment of the satellite streaks’ effect on astronomical observations, using images from the Víctor M. Blanco telescope (which, like Rubin, is in Chile). “We wanted to see how bright those streaks were and look at possible mitigation strategies,” Rawls says. Her team found that although the streaks weren’t overwhelmingly bright, they still risked affecting scientific observations. Since those early observations, an entirely new subdiscipline of astronomical image processing has emerged, focusing on techniques to remove satellite light pollution from the data and designing observation protocols to prevent too-bright satellites from spoiling the views. Rawls has become one of the leading experts in the fast-evolving field, which is only set to grow in importance in the coming years. “We are fundamentally altering the night sky by launching a lot more stuff at an unsustainably increasing rate,” says Rawls, who is also an astronomy researcher at the University of Washington. To mitigate the damage, she and her colleagues designed algorithms that compare images of the same spot in the sky to detect unexpected changes and determine whether those could have been caused by passing satellites or natural phenomena like asteroids or stellar explosions. The number of satellites orbiting our planet has risen from a mere thousand some 15 years ago to more than [12,000 active satellites today](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers). About 8,000 of those belong to SpaceX’s Starlink, but other ventures threaten to worsen the light-pollution problem in the coming years. US-based AST SpaceMobile, for example, is building a constellation of giant orbiting antenna arrays to beam 5G connectivity directly to users’ phones. The first five of these satellites—each over 60 square meters in size—are already in orbit and reflecting so much light that Rubin must adjust its observing schedule to avoid their paths. “So far, what we’ve seen with the initial images is that it’s a nuisance but not a science-ending thing,” says Rawls. She remains optimistic that she and her colleagues can stay on top of the problem. _Tereza Pultarova is a London-based science and technology journalist._

Airbus, Leonardo and Thales have struck a deal to combine their space businesses to create a single European technology company that could rival [Elon Musk’s SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/spacex). The deal is expected to create a company with annual revenue of about €6.5bn (£5.6bn). The French aerospace company [Airbus](https://www.theguardian.com/business/airbus) will own 35% of the new business, with Leonardo and Thales each owning stakes of 32.5%. The as-yet-unnamed tie-up will be one of the largest of its kind in [Europe](https://www.theguardian.com/world/europe-news), combining satellite manufacturing, space systems, components and services from the continent’s leading aerospace and defence manufacturers. Guillaume Faury, the chief executive of Airbus, Roberto Cingolani, the chief executive of Leonardo, and Patrice Caine, the chief executive of Thales, said in a joint statement that the new company marked “a pivotal milestone for Europe’s space industry”. “By pooling our talent, resources, expertise and R&D capabilities, we aim to generate growth, accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and stakeholders,” they said. The aim is for the company, which will be based in Toulouse, [France](https://www.theguardian.com/world/france), and employ about 25,000 people, will be operational in 2027, after it secures regulatory approval. It should generate “mid-triple digit” millions of euros of synergies on operating income per year, starting after five years, the companies said. Talks between Airbus, Leonardo and Thales have been running for the last year, in an effort to mimic the model of the European missile maker MBDA, which is owned by Airbus, Leonardo and BAE Systems. The companies, which have together cut thousands of jobs in their space businesses in recent years, said there would be no immediate site closures or job losses but that unions would be consulted on the project. The businesses have been struggling recently with their space operations. Last year Airbus incurred €1.3bn in charges from underperforming space contracts and announced 2,000 job cuts in its defence and space division. Thales Alenia [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space), a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, cut more than 1,000 jobs last year. SpaceX, which Musk founded in 2002, has grown to become one of the biggest startups in the world, at a valuation of $400bn (£300bn). As well as providing cheaper rocket launch services, [SpaceX’s Starlink constellation](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/16/deeply-uncomfortable-uk-starlink-users-switch-off-over-musks-political-machinations) of smaller, relatively cheap, low-earth orbit satellites is eating into the European companies’ sales of bulkier geostationary communications satellites. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/23/airbus-leonardo-thales-european-rival-elon-musk-spacex#EmailSignup-skip-link-11) Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on [theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/) to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion It is the dominant player in rocket launches and satellite internet. Its main rivals are other US names such as United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and Blue Origin, which was founded by the tech billionaire Jeff Bezos. Airbus and Safran, a French aerospace manufacturer, also jointly own Arianespace, a space launch company that is not included in the merger deal. However, problems with one of its rockets briefly left [Europe reliant on SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/apr/28/europe-must-boost-space-investment-to-secure-autonomy-from-us-says-esa-boss) to launch part of its Galileo satnav system. Reliance on Musk has become an increasing concern in recent years as he became the [biggest donor to the US president](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/20/elon-musk-political-donations-trump), Donald Trump, and [backed far-right European politicians](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/24/elon-musk-congratulates-afd-alice-weidel-germany-election). Earlier this month [SpaceX launched its 11th starship rocket](https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2025/oct/14/spacex-starship-travels-halfway-across-world-in-successful-test-flight-video) from Texas, landing it in the Indian Ocean. In August Trump signed an executive order to [streamline rocket launches](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/13/trump-order-rocket-launches-musk-bezos), easing regulations for commercial space operators.