All posts by TopSpacer

In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Settlement

Space Habitation Report – Aug.14.2026

Here is a new selection of videos, articles, and news items about space habitats (govt and commercial), living in space, and space settlement.

=== Current space inhabitants 

ISS – Crew of 7:

  • US : Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Anil Menon
  • Russia: Andrei Fedyaev, Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina
  • Europe: Sophie Adenot

China Tiangong station – Crew of 3:

  • Zhu Yangzhu
  • Zhang Zhiyuan
  • Lai Ka-ying

On July 14th a Russian Soyuz delivered Anil Menon of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina to the station.

A group photo of ISS residents on July 14th after the arrival of (front row from left) new Expedition 74 crew members Anil Menon of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina The second row includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev, and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. And the back row includes Sophie Adenot of ESA and NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams, and Jessica Meir. Credits: NASA

Until the departure on July 26 of NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, there were 10 people on the ISS, making for a total of 13 in orbit, counting the 3 Tiangong residents.

** Soyuz MS-28 undocking and departure | SciNews

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft undocked from the Rassvet module of the International Space Station (ISS) on 26 July 2026, at 07:03 UTC (03:03 EDT). Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Сергей Кудь-Сверчков), Sergei Mikaev (Сергей Микаев) and NASA astronaut Chris Williams are scheduled to land in Kazakhstan on 26 July 2026, at 10:25 UTC (06:25 EDT).

=== International Space Station & NASA

** NASA Astronaut Discusses Life in Space with Naval Academy Alumni Magazine – Tuesday, July 28, 2026 | NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview July 28 with U.S. Naval Academy’s “Shipmate” alumni magazine. Hathaway, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is in the midst of a long-duration mission aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.

** Sophie Adenot’s mid-mission highlights  | European Space Agency, ESA

Sophie is halfway through the εpsilon mission onboard the ISS, and she has already accomplished so much. Between hundreds of hours of scientific research and thousands of photographs taken from space, she has taken the time to share many unforgettable moments with us — inspiring millions along the way on social media.

“Many thanks to all of you following along on social media, and to all the incredible teams behind εpsilon! It’s been an amazing adventure so far, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your support. Looking forward to sharing the second half of the journey with you all!”, says Sophie.

** Sophie activates ESA’s new space exercise device  | European Space Agency, ESA

Following its arrival on board the International Space Station, Sophie completed the checkout and activation of the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D), marking the start of a two-year technology demonstration led by ESA in Columbus. During this period, astronauts will evaluate the device’s design, operational performance and effectiveness in counteracting the physical deconditioning caused by life in microgravity.

** ESA News:

** Why Can’t Russia Fix The Leaks In Their Space Station Modules? | Scott Manley

We’ve been hearing stories about the ongoing leaks on the ISS for years now, but a recent story highlighted NASA’s concerns with a plan that might have been far more risky.
I wanted to go back and explain the nature of the problem, and how the repairs are more than just slapping flex seal tape over the cracks. An accepted way to fix cracks in thin sheets is to drill a clean hole to distribute the stress over a larger area, stopping the crack from propagating further.

…

0:00 Intro
2:07 AI
3:54 Finding The Leaks
6:27 Cracks
7:42 Stop Drilling
9:19 The Repairs
11:29 Going Deeper
12:58 Old Hardware
15:33 Toppings

=== Commercial space habitats

** Axiom Space

— Building Axiom Station, a Next-Gen Commercial Space Station | Exclusive Interview | Australia in Space TV

What does it take to build the next generation space station that will replace the International Space Station?

In this exclusive interview from Axiom Space headquarters in Houston, Aaron Tullos, Vice President of Station Engineering, gives Australia in Space TV an inside look at the engineering behind the Axiom Station, a commercial space station designed to operate in low Earth orbit.

Aaron explains how Axiom Space is building on decades of lessons learned from the International Space Station, while introducing new technologies and design approaches to support future space research, manufacturing, and human exploration.

Standing in front of a full-scale wooden mock-up of the Habitation Module (Hab1), Aaron walks us through how engineers test designs, reduce costs, optimise mass and power, and prepare the station modules for assembly and launch.

..

— Axiom raises more funds: Axiom Space Closed Oversubscribed Financing at $525M+ | Axiom – June.4.2026

On June 4th, Axiom announced

the final close of its previously reported financing at more than $525 million, oversubscribed amid growing investor demand.

The upsize reflected an opportunistic extension driven by continued institutional and strategic interest in Axiom Space’s leadership of the commercial low-Earth orbit transition and the United States’ return to the Moon.

The close brought new capital onto Axiom Space’s cap table alongside the investors who anchored the round earlier this year. This positions the company to accelerate execution against its core programs: human spaceflight, spacesuits, and Axiom Station – the commercial successor to the International Space Station.

** Gravitics

— BSV Podcast 0129: Gravitics | Balerion Space Ventures on Youtube

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with Colin Doughan, Co-Founder & CEO of Gravitics, to discuss space infrastructure.

— Orbital Carrier Pathfinder under construction:


** Starlab – Voyager Technologies

—  Inside Starlab, The Biggest Commercial Space Station! | Everyday Astronaut on Youtube – Aug.14.2026

Have you ever wondered what will replace the International Space Station once it’s de-orbited? Well, I sure have, and I’ve wondered what will replace it. So today I get to go inside Starlab by Voyager Technologies with their CEO Dylan Taylor to see what it’s all about!

— Several organizations have reserved space on Starlab:

— Starlab picks SES for station communications system: Starlab selects SES Space & Defence for always-on space station connectivity | SatellitePro M – July.27.2026

SES Space & Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES, has signed an agreement with Starlab to develop a communications architecture that will provide continuous, resilient and low-latency connectivity for the commercial space station throughout its operational lifecycle.

…

The partnership will utilise SES Space & Defense’s Low Earth Orbit Relay Services (LRS), powered by the company’s next-generation O3b mPOWER medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. The system is designed to overcome the intermittent connectivity typically experienced by low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft by relaying data through MEO satellites to ground networks in near real time.

— Starlab announces new agreements with customers reserving station access for research activities and payloads:

— Partnership with Voyager allows DigitalBlast of Japan to provide gateway services for companies seeking to use Starlab station for R&D: DigitalBlast Signs Starlab Space Station Reservation Agreement | APOC Wire – July.25.2026

DigitalBlast, Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shingo Horiguchi), a company that supports the growth of the space industry and the creation of new businesses, today announced that it has signed a Reservation Agreement for the use of the commercial space station “Starlab” with Starlab Space LLC (headquartered in Houston, Texas, U.S.), the developer and operator of Starlab, and recently held a signing ceremony….

… As interest in the commercial use of low Earth orbit (LEO) grows toward the post-ISS era, DigitalBlast will serve as a user-integration partner for R&D that puts the space environment to practical use, and will work to build itself into one of the gateways through which companies and research institutions in Japan and the wider Asia region can access orbit.

** VAST

— Haven-1 fluid systems:

— Waste handling on Haven-1

— Vast on Fox News:

— This New Space Station Is Full Of Modern Touches | Core Memory

The International Space Station is 25 years old, cost $155 billion, and leaks. A startup called Vast thinks it can build the replacement for about a billion dollars, and it plans to launch the first piece in 2027. In this episode, Ashlee Vance heads to Vast’s headquarters in Long Beach, California for a full tour of Haven-1, the spacecraft the company expects to be the world’s first commercial space station. Vast is the wildcard in the race to replace the ISS, moving faster than rivals like Axiom, Blue Origin and Starlab, and it’s doing it the SpaceX way: everything designed, built and tested in house, from the hatch to the micrometeorite shielding to the actual flight hull sitting next to the cafeteria.

The money comes from Jed McCaleb, the crypto billionaire who believes humanity needs a frontier and is willing to spend a fortune to open one. The building falls to CEO Max Haot, who walks Ashlee through mission control, the hull welding operation, and the numbers that make competitors nervous. Vast builds pressure vessels in six months for under $5 million while others pay 55 million euros and wait four years. NASA showed up in 2023 expecting a science fair. They’ve been coming back every quarter since.

Then NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, who spent 225 days on the ISS, takes over for the fun part: a space food taste test featuring freeze dried tiramisu and tales of trading for duck confit in orbit, the largest window ever flown to space, a zero gravity sleep pod that hugs you, and a walkthrough of Haven-1’s surprisingly roomy interior. Four people will live aboard for two week missions, with a SpaceX Dragon serving as taxi, lifeboat and bathroom. Ashlee walked in skeptical after 15 years of covering commercial space delays. He walked out believing this thing is actually going to fly.

…

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:31 Who’s Paying a Billion Dollars for This?
05:14 Why Vast Builds Everything Itself
07:43 Touching the Real Haven-1
10:12 Space Food Taste Test with an Astronaut
12:49 The Biggest Window to Ever Fly
14:10 How Do You Sleep in Space?
15:59 Is This Really Big Enough for Four People?
20:07 Is Vast Actually Going to Pull This Off?

— Other Vast news:

** Commercial space station news, articles, etc:

=== Chinese space habitats

** Shenzhou-23 Crew Advances Space Science Experiments, Interacts with Robot Assistant | CCTV Video News Agency

The three astronauts on China’s Shenzhou-23 mission performed a haul of experiments and interacted with a robotic assistant on the Tiangong space station over the past week as they were pressing ahead with scientific research and routine maintenance in orbit.

** Articles, news, etc:

=== Lunar habitation

** NASA Moon Base development plan:

** Interlune and Vermeer collaborating on development of groundwork equipment for the Moon: Interlune builds on partnership with equipment company to lay the groundwork for moon infrastructure | GeekWire – July.30.2026

Seattle-based Interlune is expanding its partnership with Vermeer, an Iowa-based industrial equipment manufacturer, to develop construction tools for use on the moon.

The two companies forged their initial strategic partnership to further Interlune’s plans to extract helium-3 from tons of moon dirt and rocks, also known as regolith. Their full-scale prototype of a lunar excavator was unveiled a little more than a year ago.

At the time, Interlune was focused on mining helium-3 and bringing it back to Earth for applications ranging from quantum computing to medical imaging and nuclear fusion. But a major shift came in March when NASA announced a 10-year, $30 billion initiative to build the infrastructure for a moon base.

In this video, Jacob Keeley of Vermeer describes the Interlune x Vermeer space harvester:

See also: Moon Machinery Partnership for Lunar Base Work | Leonard David – July.31.2026

** Vermeer also partnering with Astrosport Space on lunar construction equipment: Astroport and Vermeer Collaborate to Pioneer “Lunar Iron” for Lunar Base Infrastructure | Businesswire/Vermeer – Apr.15.2026

Astroport Space Technologies, Inc., a leader in lunar construction, today announced at the 20th International Conference on Engineering, Science, Construction and Operations in Challenging Environments (ASCE Earth & Space 2026), a collaboration with global agricultural and industrial equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation to help in the development of autonomous construction machinery to aid in building a permanent human presence on the Moon.

The collaboration contributes Vermeer’s surface mining expertise to Astroport’s specialized work in robotic autonomy and lunar soil (regolith). The primary focus of this collaboration is on “lunarization” of Vermeer surface mining machinery using Astroport’s Universal Tool Implement Payload Adapter (UTIPA) technology, a modular adapter system of interchangeable tools designed for robotic construction in the Moon’s extreme environment. Beginning with a surface miner application, the teams will utilize UTIPA technology to adjust heavy equipment’s traditional reliance on mass and weight, in order to operate in the Moon’s low gravity environment and survive massive temperature swings and harsh lunar surface conditions.

** Lunar settlement articles, news, etc

=== Mars habitation

**  In partnership with South Seattle College, the Mars Society will develop a third Moon-Mars analog research station:

According to the Society announcement:

The Mars Society, through its Seattle Chapter, and South Seattle College (SSC) have signed a 10-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) establishing a multi-program partnership to build a Moon and Mars analog research station on the South Seattle College campus in West Seattle and create a regional education and workforce pathway for the next generation of aerospace researchers, technicians and engineers.

The agreement, signed by SSC President Dr. Monica Brown and Mars Society Executive Director James L. Burk, covers four interconnected efforts: a Moon and Mars analog research station on the SSC campus, a joint space studies curriculum and stackable certificate pathway, a student capstone project and internship program tied to industry partners, and a regional workforce pipeline and community engagement effort.

The Society

… currently operates research stations in Utah and Canada, where crews live and work under simulated Mars mission conditions. This work includes human factors studies, equipment testing, biology and geology field research, medical testing and safety drills. A research station on SSC’s campus would extend the hands-on side of this research, which aligns naturally with the strengths of a skilled trades-focused institution. 

** Mars settlement articles, news, etc

=== Large In-Space Habitats 

** Space Habitats: The Megastructures We’ll Call Home | Isaac Arthur

Explore the future of space habitats, from rotating cylinders and torus colonies to orbital cities, asteroid homes, and the megastructures humanity may one day live inside.

…

0:00 Intro
4:37 The Sunflower
14:07 The O’Neill Cylinder
49:00 Lewis One
57:40 Stanford Torus
1:22:19 Kalpana One
1:28:14 Nebula
1:29:27 Bernal Sphere
1:54:13 Bishop Ring
2:03:23 Topopolis
2:27:36 McKendree Cylinder
2:33:57 Hammer Habs
2:59:01 Rungworlds
3:04:35 Conglomerations
3:38:45 Epilogue

** Jerry Stone – Island Zero, A Study of A First Space Settlement – NSS Space Ambassadors Presentation | National Space Society

Jerry Stone from the British Interplanetary Society joins the NSS Space Ambassadors and gives his first presentation on the topic of “Island Zero,” a large space station providing artificial gravity. In mid-1969, Professor Gerard K. O’Neill put a question to a study group at Princeton University: “Is a planetary surface the right place for an expanding technological civilization?”

The unexpected result from their studies was that the answer was “No.” A much better place, it seemed, would be in vast habitats constructed in high orbit, at a special location known as the Lagrange points L4 and L5.

It is now almost 40 years since the original studies were conducted, and many advancement shave been made since the 1970s. There have been improvements in materials science, engineering, computing and robotics, and other areas that can make this program more efficient.

The aims of Island Zero will include:

Living under simulated gravity
Construction from modular units and space -produced components
Growing a large percentage of food in space
Development of a space manufacturing facility

Island Zero units could be used to house the construction force for Island One, the first large space settlement. Overall, Island Zero presents a relatively low-cost means of providing a logical progressive approach towards the construction of large settlements in space.

** National Space Society initiates design of a large in-space habitat : National Space Society announces Rotating Space Settlement Design Project | Space Settlement Progress – July.29.2026

In a presentation at this year’s International Space Development Conference, which took place in McLean, Virginia, June 4th through June 7th, National Space Society (NSS) COO/SVP Dale Skran announced the kickoff of an open-source Rotating Space Settlement Design (RSSD) Project. The initiative has been under active development for over a year within the NSS Space Settlement Advocacy Committee (SSAC) and the NSS Board of Scientific and Technical Advisors (BSTA). Full disclosure: Yours truly is a member of the SSAC. It was officially approved as an NSS Project last March. The content of this post is based on Skran’s presentation, supplemented with subsequent material presented to the SSAC, with permission.

The current RSSD project Study Group core team consists of Dale Skran, Frederick (Rick) Jenet, PhD, and Bryce Meyer, with all BSTA and SSAC members actively involved in review and discussion. Work is currently focused on establishing a foundational set of design inputs in the form of “Questions” (see below). A dedicated workshop to refine these questions will be held at the NSS Space Settlement Summit taking place at the University of Central Florida, October 25th and 26th. This will be followed by a public announcement and formal request for comment from the broader community. In addition, the “RSSD Terms of Reference” (TOR) will be published in the NSS Space Settlement Journal.

…

What is the Objective of the RSSD Project?

The core goal is to produce the first complete buildable engineering design for a rotating space settlement. The project is primarily an engineering and systems-design effort, not a policy activity, although legal and economic aspects are necessarily included because they affect feasibility.

See also: Orbital Space Settlement Design Project – NSS.

=== Technologies and strategies for space settlement

** Additive Manufacturing in Microgravity | Isaac Arthur

The most expensive part of space travel isn’t the fuel. It’s the cargo. Additive manufacturing isn’t a sci-fi magic trick; it’s the key to building shipyards and telescopes at scales rockets were never meant to handle. We aren’t just launching ships anymore; we’re moving the factory to the void.

…

Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:10 Additive Manufacturing Is Not a Printer
8:04 The Physics of Printing in Freefall
12:23 Low Gravity, Regolith, and the “Messy Middle”
17:01 CT Scan
17:59 Printing at Scales Rockets Can’t Touch

=== Other space habitat and settlement news, articles, reports, etc.

=== Earth views from ISS

** Observing Blue Jets from ISS:

** Night side as seen by ISS: 

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) | NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

(Optional High Definition feed.)

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

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Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for August 2026

Check out the night sky this month, August 2026. Highlights include the Perseid meteor shower, a bright Venus in the evening, and both a partial solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse. The sights are described in these videos and links to websites:

** What’s Up: August 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL

A solar eclipse, one of the year’s best meteor showers, Venus at its brightest in the evening sky, and a partial lunar eclipse to close out the month.

On August 12, a total solar eclipse crosses northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, northern Spain, and a small corner of Portugal. In parts of the United States, from Alaska to North Carolina, the eclipse will be partial. Use certified eclipse glasses or a safe solar viewer whenever any part of the Sun is visible.

Later that night, the Perseid meteor shower peaks under the dark skies of the New Moon. Around August 14 through 16, Venus shines low in the west after sunset, and on August 27-28, a partial lunar eclipse is visible from much of the Americas and parts of Europe and Africa.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Solar eclipse
0:41 Perseid meteor shower
1:27 Venus after sunset
1:41 Partial lunar eclipse
2:22 August Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/.

“….where in the night sky to look for the Perseid meteor shower.” Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

** How to see the August 2026 solar eclipse and Perseid meteor shower | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky this month, including the August 2026 solar eclipse and the peak of one of the year’s best meteor showers.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – August 2026 | Sky & Telescope Youtube

This month we’ve got three big celestial events to cover: eclipses of the Sun and Moon, and especially good prospects for the Perseid meteor shower. Plus we’ll track down a few planets, and gaze at the center of our galaxy. So load up on the bug juice, and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.

See also

** August 2026 Night Sky: Total Solar Eclipse, Perseid Meteor Shower & Comet Tempel 2 | Late Night Astronomy

Wondering what you can see in the night sky this August? This monthly guide covers the Total Solar Eclipse, the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, Comet 10P/Tempel, and a partial lunar eclipse.

…

Timestamps:
0:00 Night Sky August 2026
0:30 Total Solar Eclipse (August 12)
2:12 Perseid Meteor Shower Peak
3:20 Partial Lunar Eclipse (August 27)
4:10 Ouranos Sponsored Ad
5:29 Comet 10P/Tempel 2 Viewing Guide
6:23 The Moon
7:04 The Planets
8:46 Deep Sky Challenge

** What’s in the Sky this Month | August 2026 | High Point Scientific on Youtube

In this episode of What’s in the Sky this Month, Teagan reviews some of the beautiful celestial objects you can see in August!

Read the full August 2026 Newsletter: https://www.highpointscientific.com/a…

…

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:37 – Nearest Neighbors
02:13 – Partial Lunar Eclipse
03:30 – Perseid Meteor Shower
04:26 – Messier 27 – The Dumbbell Nebula
05:22 – NGC 7000 – The North America Nebula
06:21 – Messier 2
07:05 – Conclusion

** Night Sky Notebook August 2026 | Peter Detterline

What’s happening in the sky for the month of August 2026.

** See also:

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Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Radio

Student satellite projects – July.2026

For many decades, students in university programs have designed and built small satellites and operated them in orbit. With the arrival of standardized Cubesat designs and hardware, high school and even grade school students have joined in the smallsat fun. Such endeavors grew out of the AMSAT initiative of the amateur radio community, which launched the first non-government satellites in 1961.  (For more smallsat history, see Satellite Building in the HS archives.) Note that the term Amateur Satellites refers to the use of amateur radio bands for communications, not the quality of the satellites.

Here is a brief sampling of recent student smallsat projects and programs:

**LionCub CubeSat  built by the students of the Columbia Space Initiative waits aboard ISS for deployment into orbit: Columbia Space Initiative’s ‘Lion Cub’ satellite reaches International Space Station | Columbia Spectator – June.11.2026

On April 11, student-built satellite Lion Cub arrived at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket. The nanosatellite is scheduled to remain docked at the ISS until June 29, when it will be deployed into low Earth orbit in what Smith described as “very ceremoniously for us, kind of unceremoniously in video, it just sort of gets ejected out of a launch rail.” At that point, Lion Cub will attempt its central mission: releasing a small stuffed Roaree and photographing it against the backdrop of space.

The CubeSat team first formed in 2022, when a group of students set out to build a satellite without fully knowing how they would get it to space. In 2023, the team proposed Lioness, CSI’s larger scientific satellite mission, and secured a NASA launch contract. The team later joined a multi-university collaboration led by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to build Lion Cub, a smaller proof-of-concept satellite that Archer Ankrum, SEAS ’29, a member of the structures team, described as “a test to prepare ourselves” for the full process before the stakes were higher.

** Qatar grade school students learn about the design, construction, and applications of smallsats: Students explore space tech through CubeSat challenge | Qatar Tribune – June.18.2026

More than 180 Grade-8 students at Qatar Academy Doha (QAD), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), took part in the CubeSat Explorer Challenge- a hands-on learning experience organised by Boeing, INJAZ Qatar and Pure Minds Academy to spark early interest in space, satellite technology and other STEM-related careers.

“This programme didn’t just introduce students to space – it brought space to them. It’s no longer a distant concept, but an accessible, exciting career path they can pursue and build here in Qatar,” said Wael Zaoud, Boeing managing director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Qatar is steadily expanding its space capabilities and creating opportunities for the next generation of engineers and researchers. As a company that helped put the first human on the Moon, Boeing is proud to support young talent who will shape Qatar’s aerospace industry.”

The CubeSat Explorer Challenge introduced school students to the role satellites play in modern economies. Working in teams, students designed and built miniature satellite prototypes equipped with environmental sensors, programmed microcontrollers, collected live data and presented their findings. Through the experience, students gained insight into how satellite technologies support decision-making in areas such as air quality monitoring and climate research.

**  MARMOTSat CubeSat built by University of Victoria student team reaches orbit to study ionosphere: MARMOTSat takes flight: University of Victoria CubeSat launched into space | Canadian Space Agency – July.8.2026

University of Victoria's MARMOTSat satellite during integration at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). (Credit: CSA)
“University of Victoria’s MARMOTSat satellite during integration at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)”. Credit: Canadian Space Agency

More about MARMOSat:

MARMOTSat, the second CubeSat from UVic’s Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and the UVic Satellite Design Team (UVSD) is set to launch in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite has already been integrated into its deployment canister at the Canadian Space Agency, and the team expects it to reach orbit and deploy within hours of liftoff. 

Once in orbit, MARMOTSat will collect data on the structure and composition of the ionosphere, the charged layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that plays a role in everything from radio propagation to satellite navigation. Researchers are particularly interested in how the ionosphere is shifting in response to human-caused climate change, which is a connection that is still not well understood. 

** SNAPPY, the Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics CubeSat. was developed by students and researchers at Wichita State University. The NASA funded spacecraft reached orbit on May 3, 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg AFB in California.

“The Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics (SNAPPY) CubeSat being prepared for integration into the EXOpod Nova deployer.” Credits: NASA

** College of Charleston students built an imaging payload for a CubeSat that reached space in July: College of Charleston Small-Satellite Payload Launches to Space | Today at CofC- July.7.2026

Two College of Charleston students built ultraviolet imaging systems, one of which went to the ISS in April of 2026 and another was integrated into a Cubesat that reached orbit on July 7th:

** SPARCS ( Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) at Arizona State University

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a small space telescope about the size and shape of a family-size cereal box, launched on SpaceX rocket into low-earth orbit on January 11, 2026.

The science mission which SPARCS will undertake is monitoring the flares and sunspot activity of low-mass stars of M and K spectral type, in the far- and near-ultraviolet to assess how habitable the space environment is for planets orbiting these kinds of stars.

See also the interview with Danny Jacobs , Professor at Arizona State’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and Josh Sink, a student working on SPARCS:  ASU students are using a toaster-size satellite to search the galaxy for habitable planets | KJZZ.org – June.15.2026

BRODIE: What have you learned by doing this? Not necessarily just about sort of the data and what it is telling you, but maybe what have you learned about things that might interest you or about yourself or about sort of the universe more broadly?

SINK: Yeah, there’s there’s so many things that I’ve learned from this project. I think the realm of satellites in general, I really didn’t understand and the potential for science. So if our little toaster that’s out in space with a telescope is able to contribute to something as big as like looking for habitable planets and things like that, I think it really put in perspective like how cool science really is and how cool space is.

And on the technical side of things, I’ve learned a whole lot of data this, satellite that, right? But I think the absolute coolest thing is just the potential for what we can actually do out there.

** CUonOrbit is Carleton University’s CubeSat Team, which is developing a satellite to detect wildfires: Inside CUonOrbit: Carleton’s Student Team Reaches New Heights | Carleton  Faculty of Engineering and Design – May.19.2026

The club brings together more than 50 students passionate about aerospace, astrophysics and space technology. Through technical projects, outreach initiatives and industry engagement, the team has built a growing presence within Canada’s space sector while giving students direct experience in mission design, systems engineering and research collaboration.

Today, the team is working on one of its most ambitious initiatives yet: the development of Carleton’s first student-led 3U CubeSat focused on wildfire detection. Alongside the CubeSat mission, CUonOrbit has also completed three high-altitude balloon launches, with a fourth mission planned for summer 2026.

** PHAT-Sat (Precision Hyperspectral Agricultural Tracking Satellite) in development by the Wildcat Space Program at Kansas State University: Oberlin student part of Wildcat Space Program satellite design at K-State | Hays Post – May.24.2026

By 2030, the PHAT-Sat project plans to launch a three-unit CubeSat equipped with advanced, hyperspectral cameras that can point toward Kansas and the surrounding region and help detect crop health anomalies. Farmers and drought managers could then analyze that satellite imagery to implement precision agriculture techniques for better irrigation, resource management and sustainability.

In the meantime, the class decided to formulate a “pathfinder” mission to PHAT-Sat by spinning off what had previously been a smaller, secondary payload into NuKAT, a two-unit satellite tentatively set to launch in 2027.

NuKAT will help validate the Microstructured Semiconductor Neutron Detector — produced by the K-State-affiliated Radiation Detection Technologies Inc. — as a viable sensor for use in the various radiation environments found in space, said Colby Johnston, principal investigator for the NuKAT mission.

** SAL-E  becomes 13th smallsat from the PolySat Lab at Cal State Polytechnic University in  San Luis Obispo to reach orbit: Student researchers loft 13th satellite from Vandenberg in latest orbital win | Mustang News – May.24.2026

Students at Cal Poly’s hands-on aerospace lab watched months of design and late-night fabrication reach orbit when their latest CubeSat rode a launch vehicle out of Vandenberg late last month. The mission not only puts a small satellite into space — it also underlines how undergraduate labs are training the next generation of engineers in real flight operations. …

… Cal Poly’s PolySat Lab — a multidisciplinary, student-run workshop that builds compact research satellites — confirmed the CubeSat reached orbit after a launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base at about 4 a.m. on March 30. Ground teams have established two-way contact and continue to track and receive data from the spacecraft.

The SAL-E mission

is named after Astronaut Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in Space and an inspiration for women and the LGBTQ+ community. The objectives of this mission are to evaluate CPCL’s capability of designing, manufacturing, and testing a CubeSat while simultaneously providing a project management basis for future CPCL flight missions. SAL-E launched successfully on SpaceX’s Transporter 16 rideshare mission and first contact was made soon after.

The CubeSat concept was actually first developed by a collaboration between teams at Cal Poly and Stanford.

** CubeSat Demo, Space Tech Outreach Draw Students at IEEE WAMS-2026 in Narsapur | Deccan Chronicle – June.11.2026

A live CubeSat tracking demonstration and outreach sessions on space technology, healthcare and defence applications drew school students’ attention on the second day of the 5th IEEE Wireless, Antenna and Microwave Symposium (WAMS-2026) at a college in Narsapur.

**  LEOPARDSat-1 Cubesat built by the  CubeCats student group at the University of Cincinnati will soon be deployed from the ISS: Satellite built by local students set for deployment after months at space station | Local12 – July.1.2026

[CubeCats President Everett Metzler] said leaks on the International Space Station pushed back the deployment and that he only learned a few days ago it was going ahead. The deployment is the final step in a 10-year plan to deliver LeopardSat-1 from the maker space into the hands of a NASA astronaut.

“An astronaut is going put it inside of an airlock, and then put the deployer outside, and it’s going to launch into space. So, at first, it’s going to start tumbling, then it’s slowly going to detumble over time, and then after a few hours, it’s going to start and – hopefully – transmit back to us,” Metzler said.

Metzler said the satellite carries different carbon-based materials to test how they hold up against radiation in space. He said finding the right material could help make longer missions to the moon and even Mars possible.

The CubeCats’ work will continue after deployment. The group still has to record the data and is already planning its next satellite.

See also,

** KENSAT is a one person run project that will send a CubeSat

carrying an LLM into low earth orbit — designed, owned, and operated by a single individual rather than a state or a corporation. It performs inference in space, and beams the answer back to anyone listening.

The spacecraft’s owner Ken Chan has made the project open source: KENSAT, Edge-AI Compute in Orbit | GitHub. The spacecrat will run

… a large language model on-orbit. A power-gated NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano executes neural-network inference in space, and the results are downlinked over a custom UHF radio link to amateur ground stations. 

The KENSAT spacecrate will go into

… a 520 km sun-synchronous orbit and circle the planet about sixteen times a day.

On board: a tiny always-on flight computer that keeps the satellite alive, a GPU that runs the language model, a UHF radio for talking to the ground, and a small lithium battery topped up by body-mounted solar panels.

The radio antenna is a pair of tape-measure strips that spring open the moment the satellite is ejected from its deployer. No motors, no actuators, no moving parts that can fail.

This article says KENSAT could reach orbit this fall: This Home-Built CubeSat Is Launching an LLM Into Orbit | Hackster.io – July.1.2026

Getting a complex electronics project off the ground is never easy, but Ken Chan’s latest creation presents some unique challenges. That’s because Chan’s project is designed to literally get off the ground — way off. It is called KENSAT, and it is a 2U CubeSat that is scheduled to go into orbit around the Earth this fall. Perhaps the coolest thing about KENSAT is that it’s not being built in a NASA clean room, but in Chan’s home lab.

Resources:

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Let’s Go To Space:
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**

Spacecraft Design for CubeSats – A Comprehensive Guide
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Astronomy, Education

Night sky highlights for July 2026

Check out the night sky this month, July 2026. Here are videos and links to websites highlighting the top sights to observe.

** What’s Up: July 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL

A predawn meetup between the Moon and planets, a returning comet, dark skies for the Milky Way, and Saturn’s unusually thin rings.

Before sunrise on July 11 and 12, look east/southeast for the waning crescent Moon, Mars, and Saturn. Uranus is in the same part of the sky, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to spot it.

Around July 14, use binoculars or a telescope to seek Comet 10P/Tempel 2 under dark skies of the New Moon. Those nights are also a great time to look for the Milky Way, while later in the month Saturn’s rings appear strikingly thin through a telescope.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Moon, Mars, Saturn, and Uranus before dawn
0:47 Comet 10P/Tempel 2
1:35 Dark skies for the Milky Way
2:34 Saturn’s thin rings
2:57 July Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/.

** What to see in the night sky: July 2026 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky this month, from the Moon and planets to the constellations and deep-sky objects.

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – July 2026 | Sky & Telescope Youtube

This month’s episode offers great tips on how to be a better stargazer. It also highlights the bright star Spica, now prominent high in the southwest after evening twilight. It’s leading the parade of constellations, along with the brilliant planet Venus, that will grace the Northern Hemisphere’s summer skies. So grab curiosity and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.

See also

** Top Things To See In July’s Sky, Including a Double Meteor Shower. | The Secrets of the Universe

Astronomy Calendar July 2026: Must-watch events this month

…

CHAPTERS

00:00 Week 1
01:02 Week 2
02:22 Week 3
03:50 Week 4
04:55 Week 5
07:23 Planet Round-up

** The Night Sky | July 2026 | Comet Tempel 2 | Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower | Late Night Astronomy

A major meteor shower peaks and we continue to track a comet traveling through our solar system. Let’s take a look at what you can go out to see in the night sky for July of 2026.

…

Timestamps:
0:00 Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
1:34 The Moon
2:10 Ouranos Ad
3:21 The Planets
4:12 Comet Tempel 2
4:56 Deep Sky Challenge

** What’s in the Sky this Month | July 2026 | High Point Scientific on Youtube

In this episode of What’s in the Sky this Month, Teagan reviews some of the beautiful celestial objects you can see in July!

Read the full July 2026 Newsletter: https://www.highpointscientific.com/a…

…

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:36 – The Trifid Nebula
01:38 – Messier 12
02:48 – Omicron Cygni
03:41 – The Blinking Planetary Nebula
04:32 – The Fireworks Galaxy
05:24 – Nearest Neighbors
06:47 – Conclusion

** Night Sky Notebook July 2026 | Peter Detterline

What’s happening in the sky in July 2026.

** See also:

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—- Books —

Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide, Eighth Edition

Astronomy, Education, Space participation

Night sky highlights for June 2026

Check out the night sky this month, June 2026. Here are videos and links to websites highlighting the top sights to observe.

** What’s Up: June 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA | NASA JPL

Venus and Jupiter meet after sunset, the Moon passes in front of Venus, summer begins, and deep-sky treasures rise into view.

To start June, look west after sunset to spot Venus and Jupiter shining close together, with Mercury joining the view low in the sky.

Around June 9, Venus and Jupiter appear especially close in a planetary conjunction.

From June 11 through 15, Mercury joins the scene, creating a mini-parade of planets near the western horizon.

On June 17, from some locations, the Moon passes in front of Venus in an event called a lunar occultation. For viewers outside the exact viewing path, the Moon and Venus may still appear close together. [Important safety note: For many viewers, this event happens during the daytime. Never point binoculars, a telescope, or a camera near the Sun unless you are using proper solar-safe equipment.]

June also brings the summer solstice, marking the start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

And once the sky gets dark, look for the Summer Triangle and deep-sky objects like the Dumbbell Nebula, Ring Nebula, North America Nebula, and Veil Nebula.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Venus and Jupiter after sunset
0:23 Planetary conjunction
0:35 Mercury joins the lineup
1:09 Moon passes in front of Venus
2:03 Summer solstice
2:43 Summer Triangle and deep-sky objects
3:27 Moon phases

Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/…

The evening sky in the west on June 14th. Credits: NASA

** What to see in the night sky: February 2026 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky this month.

 

** Sky & Telescope’s Sky Tour Podcast – June 2026 | Sky & Telescope Youtube

This month’s episode highlights the close pairing of Venus and Jupiter under way in the western sky after sunset. You’ll also learn why astronomers are fixated on a star in Corona Borealis — and how to find a huge but dim constellation that will likely be new to you. So grab curiosity and come along on this month’s Sky Tour.

See also

** The Night Sky | June 2026 | Venus and Jupiter Meet | Moon Moves in front of Venus | Comet Tempel 2 | Late Night Astronomy

Venus and Jupiter make a close pass to each other right after sunset and the Moon moves in front of Venus. Let’s take a look at what you can go out to see in the night sky for June of 2026!

…

Timestamps:
0:00 Jupiter and Venus Close Together
1:13 Lunar Occultation of Venus
2:18 The Moon
2:53 The Planets
3:26 Comet 10/P Tempel 2
4:24 Deep Sky Challenge

** What’s in the Sky this Month | June 2026 | High Point Scientific on Youtube

In this episode of What’s in the Sky this Month, Teagan reviews some of the beautiful celestial objects you can see in June!

Read the full June 2026 Newsletter: https://www.highpointscientific.com/a…

…

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:26 – Nearest Neighbors
02:03 – The Splinter Galaxy
03:33 – Messier 4
04:55 – Messier 51
06:08 – Messier 92
07:17 – Nu Draconis – Kuma
08:19 – Conclusion

** Night Sky Notebook June 2026 | Peter Detterline

** See also:

=== Amazon Associate Ads ===

Telescopes for every budget

—- Books —

Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide, Eighth Edition