Orbi

SpaceX is preparing to send its Starship megarocket to orbit for the first time today, September 28, with the flight being streamed live. The launch marks a milestone for the most powerful rocket ever built, a key vehicle in SpaceX's plans for deep space missions. Space enthusiasts and observers worldwide are watching closely to see whether the spacecraft completes its orbital attempt.

SpaceX is conducting the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, with the vehicle heading toward orbit from its launch site in Texas. Live coverage of the launch is drawing large audiences as watchers follow the progress of the most powerful rocket ever built. The flight is part of SpaceX's iterative testing programme toward future Moon and Mars missions.

DARPA is developing a robotic spacecraft designed to service and repair satellites in geosynchronous orbit, some 36,000 kilometres above Earth. The program, detailed by IEEE Spectrum, would allow malfunctioning or aging satellites to be fixed or refueled in place rather than decommissioned. Interest centers on how the robot would operate at such distances and what it means for the future of satellite maintenance and space security.

STS-51-F, a Space Shuttle mission launched in July 1985 aboard Challenger, suffered the shutdown of a main engine during ascent and became the only full mission to perform an abort-to-orbit, reaching a lower but usable orbit to complete its scientific work. The event remains a notable case study in flight contingency planning and crew performance under failure conditions.

A decommissioned Cold War-era US spy satellite has broken apart in orbit, shedding debris in space. The satellite, part of a programme whose craft carried whimsical codenames including one named after actress Farrah Fawcett, is reported to have fragmented while in orbit. Space watchers are tracking the debris and discussing the risks it could pose to other satellites and the growing problem of orbital junk from ageing military hardware.

Commentary published across several US regional newspapers argues there is a serious lack of transparency about what space weapons nations are developing, and even about what military hardware is already stationed in orbit. The piece highlights growing concern that governments disclose little about anti-satellite capabilities and other orbital weaponry, leaving the public and allies in the dark about an increasingly militarised domain.

A photographer has shared minimalist images of the Maison d'accueil de La Roche du Theil in Bains-sur-Oust, in the Morbihan area of Brittany, France. The pictures highlight the site's church and religious architecture in a calm, understated style. The photos are drawing modest attention from viewers interested in Breton heritage and religious buildings.

China's reusable space plane appears to have released an unidentified object into orbit, according to space tracking observations. The purpose of the object is unknown, and the development has drawn attention because Beijing has disclosed little about the vehicle's missions. Observers are watching whether the object maneuvers or communicates, with speculation ranging from testing of satellite-releasing capabilities to other classified activities.

Discussion is growing around orbital data centers — the idea of placing computing infrastructure in space to take advantage of continuous solar power and natural cooling. The proposal raises questions about launch costs, latency, radiation resilience, and who regulates space-based compute under international telecom and space law.

Reports carried across multiple US outlets highlight a lack of transparency about what space weapons nations are developing, and even uncertainty over what military assets are already deployed in orbit. Observers warn that governments rarely disclose their counterspace capabilities, making it difficult to assess threats to satellites. The coverage is fueling debate about the need for international norms and monitoring of militarisation in space.

SpaceX launched its Starship rocket, which reached orbit before exploding over the ocean. The test flight is being widely followed as Starship is central to SpaceX's ambitions for deep space missions, including plans for Moon and Mars travel. Explosions are common in the rocket's test programme, which uses each launch to gather data for future attempts.

Orbi, an AI coding agent, reportedly takes a GitHub issue and returns a reviewed, merged pull request, with one agent writing the fix and another handling review. A follow-up post examining the system's harness asks what its reviewer missed, suggesting developers are scrutinising how reliable the automated pipeline is. The discussion is drawing interest from the open-source and AI engineering communities.

Reports highlight growing concern over the lack of transparency around weapons and military objects placed in orbit. States are not required to disclose fully what capabilities they deploy in space, fuelling fears of an arms race above Earth and calls for stronger international rules and verification of what is actually circling the planet.

Google has launched prototype satellites carrying its AI chips to test whether data centres could one day operate in orbit. The experiment aims to assess whether space-based computing, powered by solar energy, could reduce terrestrial energy demands and support the huge power needs of AI. The move puts Google in direct comparison with rivals exploring similar orbital computing concepts.

SpaceX has released the first picture showing a Starship simulating the deployment of Starlink V3 satellites during its debut orbital flight test. The image offers a first look at how the company plans to launch its next-generation broadband satellites aboard Starship, a key step toward scaling the constellation.

Gaming creators Carry and Doorbin have released a new Minecraft episode in which they roleplay as police officers. The installment is drawing large audiences, with engagement approaching two million, as fans follow the pair's comedic take on law enforcement within the block-building game.

Astronomers have observed dwarf stars consuming material from orbiting companion bodies, a phenomenon reported by Scientific American. The observations offer a rare direct look at how stellar pairs interact, with stars stripping and absorbing matter from smaller partners in their orbit. Space and science communities are sharing the findings, discussing what they reveal about stellar evolution and the violent dynamics of binary and multi-body star systems.

A commentator is highlighting the African American women hired for their quilting skills, saying their patchwork artistry was instrumental, alongside embroiderers, in developing what is described as 'the walls'. She argues Black girls should be free to draw inspiration from these skilled women, pushing back against apparent criticism of that admiration. The post draws attention to a lesser-known history of Black craftswomen whose quilting abilities earned them professional recognition.

Space headlines this week are led by SpaceX's Starship program and its efforts to reach orbit, alongside NASA's upcoming Crew-13 launch to the International Space Station. A widely circulated space news roundup placed the two missions at the top of the agenda, reflecting strong public interest in both commercial deep-space development and routine crewed flights.

Orbital Robotics is preparing to send a pair of robotic arms to the International Space Station, where they will be used with the station's robots. The announcement, reported by GeekWire, highlights growing commercial involvement in orbital robotics. Details on launch timing and the arms' specific tasks were not provided beyond the company's readiness to send the hardware up.

NASA's plan to return astronauts to the Moon is facing scrutiny because it depends heavily on SpaceX's Starship. Commentators point out that before a crewed lunar landing can happen, Starship must demonstrate reliable, routine orbital missions, large-scale cryogenic fuel transfer in low-Earth orbit, and complex docking and landing procedures — none of which have yet been achieved. The debate centres on whether tying the Artemis programme so closely to Elon Musk's company puts the timeline at risk.

Asgardia, a self-declared 'space nation' founded by Russian scientist Igor Ashurbeyli and launched with American involvement, claims to be the first country with territory in orbit around Earth. Its satellite, Asgardia-1, carries stored data said to represent its citizens. Critics question whether a project without defined land or international recognition can legally call itself a nation.

On February 15, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter captured the largest solar prominence eruption ever recorded in a single field of view, using its Full High Resolution Imager. The eruption involved a massive structure of hot gas, held in place by complex magnetic fields, extending millions of kilometres from the Sun, offering a dramatic view of extreme solar activity.