Ars Technica reports, “A NASA satellite that spent more than a decade coursing through the Van Allen radiation belts encircling Earth is about to fall back into the atmosphere. Most of the spacecraft will burn up during reentry, but a fraction of the material making up the 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) satellite will likely reach Earth’s surface without vaporizing in the atmosphere. Uncontrolled reentries of satellites with comparable mass happen quite regularly—multiple times per month, according to one recent study—but most of them are older spacecraft or spent rocket bodies.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Tag: Astronautics
March 2026: The Goddard Centennial
FROM THE INSTITUTE
This March 16th will mark the 100th anniversary of Dr. Robert Goddard’s historic first flight of a liquid propulsion rocket, back in 1926. That flight is rocketry’s closest equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk in 1903. And just like the similarly historic Kitty Hawk flight, Goddard’s pioneering first liquid propulsion flight opened the way to a world-changing future that all of humankind benefits from today.
NASA Taps ULA’s Centaur V to Power Future SLS Upper Stage
Spaceflight Now reports, “NASA officially selected United Launch Alliance’s Centaur 5 as the upper stage for its Space Launch System rocket starting with the Artemis 4 mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than early 2028. The Centaur 5 was developed as the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan rocket. The launch vehicle flew four times since its debut in January 2024 and the upper stage performed well across all flights.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Japan’s Next-Generation HTV-X Cargo Vehicle Leaves ISS After Four Months
SPACE reports, “Japan’s new HTV-X cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station today (March 6) after a four-month stay. The vehicle — known as HTV-X1, because it’s the first of its kind — was released by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm today at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT), right on schedule.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
JAXA’s uncrewed HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft departs from the ISS, after arriving Oct. 29, 2025.
NASA; YouTube
AIAA Announces 2026 Priority Issues to Advance U.S. Aerospace Leadership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2026 – Reston, Va. – AIAA CEO Clay Mowry announced the 2026 Priority Issues confronting the aerospace industry spanning aviation, national security, research and development, and space domains. AIAA is the world’s largest aerospace professional society representing over 33,000 engineers and 100 corporate members. AIAA’s 2026 Priority Issues are designed to inform policymakers and industry leaders on the most pressing issues affecting U.S. aerospace competitiveness, leadership and safety.
“Preserving America’s leadership position in aerospace requires the modernization of our aviation infrastructure, investment in R&D, a resilient industrial base, and clear, responsible policy frameworks that enable innovation while protecting national security,” Mowry said. AIAA’s 2026 Priority Issues reflect those hard realities in an increasingly competitive global aerospace marketplace.”
2026 Priority Issues
Aviation
- Air traffic control and infrastructure modernization through sustained FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) investment
- Advanced air mobility and autonomous flight integration
- Advanced materials and manufacturing technologies, including qualification, supply-chain, and workforce constraints
National Security
- Golden Dome for America/multi-layered defense readiness, including industrial-base, supply chain, and qualification standards
- Smart sustainment approaches to right-to-repair
- Acquisition reform to deliver capability at the speed of relevance
Research & Development
- R&D leadership and investment in laboratories and test infrastructure
- Internal research and development (IRAD) incentives and tax policy
- Academic ITAR and export-control modernization to protect the STEM pipeline
Space
- NASA budget growth, safety, and preserving science leadership
- The race to the Moon and Mars, including norms of behavior in cislunar space
- Space traffic management and space situational awareness for orbital safety
AIAA will engage with Congress, the administration, state and local officials throughout 2026 to provide technical expertise, standards development, and fora to support these priorities.
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With more than 33,000 individual members from 91 countries, and over 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.
Podcast: Industry Leaders Discuss Texas’ Space Strategy at ASCENDxTexas
Space News reports, “In this episode of Space Minds, Jeff Foust moderates a panel at AIAA AscendxTexas on the role Texas is playing in the space economy. With a series of industry leaders they discuss the capabilities and strategies required to stay competitive especially amid global competition and accelerating demand.”
Full Story (Space News)
Senate Committee Approves Legislation Supporting NASA’s Artemis Lunar Campaign
Ars Technica reports, “During a brief hearing on Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation spent only a few minutes ‘marking up’ new legislation that provides guidance to NASA for its various initiatives, including the Artemis program to land humans on the Moon. ‘Our bill authorizes critical funding for, and gives strategic direction to, the agency in line with the priorities of administrator Isaacman and the Trump administration,’ said the committee’s chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-Texas).”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
SpaceX Launches 29 Starlink Satellites on Falcon 9 Rocket from Cape Canaveral
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket soaring from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a pre-dawn liftoff on Wednesday with a batch of Starlink internet satellites onboard. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 happened at 5:52:20 a.m. EST (1052:20 UTC). The rocket flew on a north-easterly trajectory upon leaving the launch pad.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Launches 29 Starlink Satellites (Launch occurs at the 1:00:10 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
SpaceX Conducts Bicoastal Falcon 9 Launches, Deploys 54 Starlink Satellites
SPACE reports, “SpaceX marched into the new month with a pair of Starlink launches from opposite coasts.” The first Falcon 9 launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 5:10 a.m. EST, resulting in the successful deployment of 25 Starlink satellites (Group 17-23). “Nearly 12 hours later, at 9:56 p.m. EST (0256 GMT March 2), another Falcon 9 carrying 29 Starlink satellites (Group 10-41) launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
SpaceX launches 29 Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral on Falcon 9 rocket. (Launch occurs at the 1:00:16 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
Rocket Lab’s Growth Streak Continues, but Neutron Timeline Slips
Via Satellite reports, “Rocket Lab reached a new record for revenue and annual launches in 2025, but its sunny financial progress was clouded by another delay for the first Neutron launch. Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck told investors on Thursday that after a stage 1 tank ruptured during testing in January, Rocket Lab uncovered a manufacturing defect in the tank. The company is making minor design changes to the first stage tank, which will now have to undergo a test and qualification campaign. This pushes the first launch to the fourth quarter of this year. ”
Full Story (Via Satellite)