Get To Orbit

SpaceX has launched its Starship into orbit for the first time, a milestone in the development of the giant rocket designed for deep space missions. The flight was cut short before completion, but the company and observers are treating the launch itself as a major step forward in getting the vehicle off the ground and into space.

Researchers say blood tests have identified why astronauts often suffer constipation during spaceflight, pointing to changes in the body measurable in the blood while in orbit. The finding sheds light on a common but rarely discussed problem of long-duration missions and could help protect crew health on future trips to the Moon and Mars.

Google is testing its tensor processing units in space, a move that has analysts weighing which hyperscaler will first operate AI compute in orbit. Commentary argues that regardless of whether Google, Microsoft or Amazon gets there first, SpaceX stands to profit, since satellite deployment and orbital infrastructure depend heavily on its launch services.

Military space systems are shrinking, and the electronics inside them are running into tougher physical constraints. A new analysis from Military Embedded Systems examines the tradeoffs engineers face as spacecraft get smaller: radiation hardening, thermal management, power limits and component reliability all become harder to satisfy when size and weight drop. The piece argues that defense space programs must balance miniaturization against durability in harsh orbital environments.

A new question-and-answer feature examines how the space economy is evolving beyond rocket launches, with commercial activity increasingly centred on services in orbit itself, such as satellites, in-orbit operations and space infrastructure. The piece explores what this shift means for the industry and how companies are positioning themselves for the next phase of growth in orbit rather than just getting there.

Barron's reports that new space traffic rules associated with the Trump administration could provide a boost to SpaceX's stock valuation. The article suggests regulatory changes around managing traffic in orbit may benefit the company commercially. Details of the specific rules and the size of the potential uplift remain limited in the reporting.

NASA says the Crew-12 astronauts are ready to depart the International Space Station, while the newly arrived residents have started advanced health research aboard the orbiting laboratory. The studies focus on how long-duration spaceflight affects the human body, work that will support future deep-space missions. The overlap marks the usual handover period between station crews.

Google has estimated that SpaceX's Starship would need to fly around 1,600 times before space-based data centers could become commercially viable. The figure, reported by TechCrunch, highlights the enormous launch capacity required to move computing infrastructure into orbit, as tech companies explore space as a way to meet growing energy and cooling demands from AI workloads.

Google estimates that SpaceX's Starship would need to fly around 1,800 times before data centers in space could become commercially viable. The figure highlights the enormous launch capacity required to move computing infrastructure off Earth, and underscores how far current rocket capabilities remain from supporting large-scale orbital data centers.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have officially partnered to eliminate mobile coverage gaps across the United States. The collaboration between the three rival carriers is widely seen as a move to get ahead of satellite-based competitors such as Starlink and other low-earth-orbit providers that threaten to disrupt traditional cellular coverage.

A commercial space station's second module is being fitted with two solar arrays, which will expand the station's power supply as construction continues in orbit. The addition of the solar wings marks another step in building out private orbital infrastructure, though details on the operator, launch timing and deployment schedule have not yet been confirmed.

Google says SpaceX's Starship would need to fly around 1,600 times before data centers in space could become commercially viable, according to TechCrunch. The estimate puts a steep logistics hurdle in front of the emerging idea of orbiting computing infrastructure, which several tech companies have floated as demand for AI compute grows and terrestrial power constraints mount. It underscores that space-based data centers remain far from reality despite growing interest.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting the launch of the Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, with liftoff coverage carried live by US broadcasters. The flight will carry a new crew of astronauts to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA's commercial crew programme. Viewers are following the countdown and liftoff in real time as the mission gets underway from Florida.