Latest · Jun 20, 2026
Who Will be the First Woman on the Moon?
We now know a woman won’t fly with ArtemisArtemis — NASA's program to return humans to the Moon and build a sustained lunar presence. III, but what of the big one: Artemis IV?
Read the column →The J Mission Index · Flagship
How far are we to a self-sustaining cislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. economy?
11/ 1008/38 milestones · data 2025
Earth-to-Orbit Access 16.7%28
LEO Commercialization & Habitation 16.7%4
In-Space Logistics & Refueling 11.1%7
CislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. Transport 16.7%15
Lunar Surface Infrastructure 11.1%0
ISRU & Resource Use 11.1%0
Economic Self-Sufficiency 16.7%13
0–100 distance to a self-sustaining cislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. economy · 7 pillars, weighted · continuous indicators (GCATGCAT — The General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects — an authoritative launch and payload catalog kept by astronomer Jonathan McDowell.) normalized distance-to-target + cited milestone checklists (OECD/JRCOECD / EC-JRC handbook — The standard recipe for building a composite indicator: a stated framework, explicit normalization, and transparent weights.) · methodology →
The Indexes
All indexes + methodology →Launch Cadence Index
242orbital YTD 2026
~317 projected · record 2025: 324Method · Launch Library 2 (live) + SpaceNews (excl. suborbital Starship)SpaceX Dominance
48% of launches
2025: 50.9%Method · Launch Library 2 (live) + SpaceNewsSpace-Economy Growth
38/100 · activity 2025
+7.8 vs 2024 · +25.3% YoYMethod · GCAT (McDowell) + Space-Track · computed in code; YoY min-max normalized, equal-weight (OECD/JRC)Space News Heat
100/ 100 vs 21-day high
▲ risingMethod · GDELT DOC 2.0 (article volume)The Feed
Live · 23:43 UTCNews Wire SNAPI · RSS · multi-source
OCT 623:43NASASpaceflightCrew-12 set to depart the ISS after eighth months in orbitOCT 619:55ArstechnicaIt looks like the Atlantic storm season may finally produce a hurricaneOCT 619:20SpaceNewsDeposition Sciences, Inc. Expands Sunshade® Tape Offering with New 12″ × 30″ FormatOCT 618:31NASANASA to Cover Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Spacecraft DepartureOCT 618:27NASAOctober 2026 Satellite PuzzlerOCT 618:22NASALunar Grounding ChallengeOCT 617:57NASACrew-12 Ready to Depart as New Residents Begin Advanced Health ResearchOCT 617:30PayloadColorado Springs, Huntsville Team Up on Golden DomeOCT 616:00ArstechnicaWhy is NASA bringing 7,500 contractors back to work as civil servants?OCT 614:37ESAESA at IAC 2026 – Day 2OCT 614:27European SpaceflightThe EU Extends SALTO Deadline Again as Themis Hop Test SlipsOCT 613:00ESAWebb captures commotion from nebula’s stellar jetsOCT 613:00PayloadHawkEye 360 Turns its RF-Sensors to Orbital TargetsOCT 612:35NASASpaceflightNASA progress with SLS vehicles for upcoming Artemis missionsOCT 612:29ESAHow to record rocket emissionsOCT 612:11PayloadTurkey Uses IAC Stage to Pitch Peace & Homegrown HardwareOCT 611:09Universe TodayTo Keep GPS Constellations From Drifting, Look To The MoonOCT 610:12Universe TodayA Buried Volcano on the Moon Hints At An Ancient Lunar DynamoOCT 608:34ESAWatch Sophie Adenot return to EarthOCT 522:33Universe TodayNew Simulations Connect the First Galaxies to the Universe We See TodayOCT 515:52Universe TodayChandra X-ray Observatory Drops New View of our Galaxy’s Unruly CentreOCT 513:00PayloadNebex Partners with Thrusters Unlimited to Unlock $700M for Mexico’s Space EcosystemOCT 420:33Spaceflight NowSpaceX scrubs launch attempt for 21 data transport satellites for the Space Development AgencyOCT 419:58SpacePolicyOnlineWhat’s Happening in Space Policy October 4-10, 2026Signal Bluesky · AT Proto
NASASpaceflight.com@nasaspaceflight.comOCT 7 · 00:18Crew-12 is set to depart the ISS on Dragon Freedom ahead of their return to Earth.
Overview by Eleanor Day
www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/10/crew...SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 22:43NorthStar SDA sensor expansion on track despite investor redemptions
NorthStar Earth and Space remains on track to expand its in-orbit space domain awareness network, CEO Stewart Bain said, despite heavy investor withdrawals from the bla…SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 21:34Space Force experiment uses HawkEye 360 satellites to listen for signals in orbit
An 18-month experiment showed commercial RF monitoring satellites can detect transmissions from spacecraft in…
https://spacenews.com/space-force-experimen…SpacePolicyOnline@spacepolicyonline.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 19:27NASA has opened a "Lunar Grounding Challenge" for innovative designs and solutions for "electrostatic discharge protection" for astronauts between their spacesuits and lunar landers/rovers. Submissions due January 15, 2027. www.nasa.gov/…SpacePolicyOnline@spacepolicyonline.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 19:01NASA will provide live coverage of the departure of Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL CRS-24 from the ISS on Friday, Oct 9, beginning at 12:30 pm ET. Release from Canadarm2 is at 12:45 pm ET. Reentry is on Sunday, but no coverage of that. www.…NASASpaceflight.com@nasaspaceflight.comOCT 6 · 17:47Join us 🔴LIVE🔴 Today, October 6th, from 2:00 p.m. CDT / 19:00 UTC on NSF’s Starbase Live stream for another Raptorside Chat.
We’ll discuss all the latest developments at Starbase and beyond and try to answer any questions you may have!…Kevin M. Gill@kevinmgill.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 16:54The rings cross the sky brilliantly, seeming to disappear behind the fiery sunset clouds of Los Angeles yesterday.
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Original: flic.kr/p/2sEHSJeEuropean Space Agency@esa.intOCT 6 · 15:42On Day 2 of #IAC2026, we met with space leaders from around the world to reinforce cooperation in exploration, science, climate and innovation.
Read more: esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_at_IAC_2026_Day_2
Credits: International Astr…Andrew Parsonson@andrewparsonson.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 15:34The EU has extended the SALTO project deadline to the end of 2026 as the first hop test of Europe’s Themis reusable rocket demonstrator slips further.
europeanspaceflight.com/the-eu-exten...Loren Grush@lorengrush.bsky.socialOCT 6 · 13:04Got to chat w/ NASA's Carlos García-Galán about Phase Two of the moon base and how the agency is going to get a whole bunch of equipment to the lunar surface. NASA is close to announcing block buys of rockets and is aware of the coming Sp…ESA Space Science@science.esa.intOCT 6 · 13:00A glowing stellar nursery 👶⭐
Webb’s infrared sensitivity has revealed the protostars & stars of NGC 7129, a stellar nursery that lies 3,300 light-years from Earth.
In the centre, lies the massive star LkH(alpha) 234, which has carved i…European Space Agency@esa.intOCT 6 · 09:17We’re in Antalya for #IAC2026
On the first day, discussions focused on strengthening Europe’s space capabilities, international cooperation and the future of exploration. More updates to come!
Read more: esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_ne…ESA Space Science@science.esa.intOCT 6 · 07:01Bepi and Mio are almost at Mercury, and they would love to hear from you 💌
Send them a #WelcomeToMercury message for a chance to win a trip to ESA's mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, this December.
Wish them well 👉 esa.int/Welcom…NASAWATCH@nasawatch.bsky.socialOCT 5 · 21:02NASA FY26 Performance Expectations and Standards
nasawatch.com/2026/10/05/n...
"I want to share important updates based on new guidance we received from OPM and reaffirm agency expectations around performance ratings."NASAWATCH@nasawatch.bsky.socialOCT 5 · 19:20Roddenberry Entertainment and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Join To Celebrate Landmark Anniversaries
www.prnewswire.com/news-release...
@nasajpl.bsky.social #NASA #StarTrek @miquai.bsky.social y.social @mikeokuda.bsky.social @kenastro…Kevin M. Gill@kevinmgill.bsky.socialOCT 5 · 17:45Sol 1999 WATSON images from the Mars Perseverance Rover of what looks to be some variety of quartz and a conglomerate.
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