The Moon is the only natural satellite of Earth. It orbits at about 384,400 km, completing a roughly monthly cycle and shaping tides, eclipses, and night skies.
NASA has outlined a plan to establish a permanent lunar base by 2030, aiming to learn how to live off Earth before venturing to Mars. Artemis II has sparked a renewed push toward sustained lunar presence, with a shift from mission-focused to campaign-style goals and the need for power, water, and flat landing sites. Private partners are eyed to support a growing lunar economy.
Astronomers have detected helium escaping from LHS 1140b, a rocky 'super-Earth' 48 light-years away that orbits in its star's habitable zone. The finding has confirmed an atmosphere around a habitable-zone rocky exoplanet for the first time and has been published in Science; teams used ground-based infrared spectroscopy and modelling.
SpaceX’s stock has fallen since its IPO last month. A failed Starship test flight led to a further drop, with shares trading below the IPO price and investors weighing the impact on SpaceX’s multi‑billion contracts and future launches.
India’s Skyroot Aerospace has successfully placed payloads into orbit with Vikram-1, marking the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach orbit. The mission validates propulsion, avionics, and control systems and signals a push to grow India’s private space sector. The launch signals a new era for small-satellite launches and cab-service style access to space.
Tesla has reported weak Q2 profits and heavy capital spending on AI, robotaxis and humanoid robots, turning free cash flow negative and sending its shares sharply lower. SpaceX has fallen since its IPO and heavy short interest is piling up. Investors are demanding clearer timelines for robotaxi, Optimus and Tesla–SpaceX collaboration as capital needs rise.
SpaceX’s Starship 13th flight has deployed Starlink satellites and tested heat-shield upgrades. The test landed in the Indian Ocean with an intact booster and a taller test profile. Analysts discuss remaining heat-shield challenges for rapid reuse and cost reduction, with NASA eyeing Artemis and lunar missions.
The Buck Moon has peaked with clear skies predicted across much of England and southern Scotland, though northern regions may face cloud. Forecasters say viewing conditions remain favourable for most observers, with the Moon’s brightness ongoing through the night. The next full Moon, the Sturgeon Moon, rises on 28 August.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage has struck the Moon near Einstein Crater at about 5,400 mph, carving a new crater and launching a dust plume. South Korea’s Danuri orbiter has photographed the site and released images. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to image the impact next week while scientists begin analysing ejecta and crater formation.
UKRI has pulled the Lovell telescope funding, triggering a funding crisis at Jodrell Bank. Observations are due to end in March 2028 unless new funds are found. A broad coalition is calling for immediate alternative funding.
SpaceX shares have fallen about 50% from their June peak as insiders gain new selling rights, ahead of several lockup expirations. Analysts expect a Q2 loss around $1.9 billion as the Starship program, Starlink revenue, and a possible Musk-Tesla tie‑up remain in focus.
SpaceX has released its first quarterly earnings since going public. Revenue has grown, but AI-related capex has surged, raising questions about sustainability as the stock price remains volatile. Investors warn that rapid spending could outpace revenue growth, while Starlink and data centres continue to drive cash flow.
The Armstrong family home in Wapakoneta remains a preserved link to the moon landing era. A longtime owner and former teacher has hosted nine astronauts, preserving memorabilia and welcoming visitors to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum nearby.
A study suggests that early animal digestion and fecal matter helped drive nutrient cycles, supporting marine life growth and possibly accelerating the Cambrian diversification. Coprolites trace the emergence of complex guts and debris distribution, hinting at a global fecal feedback that shaped oceans 540–520 million years ago.
A total solar eclipse has crossed Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain while the UK and Ireland have seen a deep partial eclipse — the most extensive across Britain since 1999. Scientists and agencies such as NASA have flown instruments and balloons into the path of totality to study the Sun's corona and to gather data for improving space‑weather forecasts.
In Scotland, Nicola’s Law seeks to make women’s health education mandatory for NHS staff after Nicola Thyne’s death from endometriosis-related complications. Campaigners say comprehensive training could curb dismissive care and reduce delays in treatment.
Tech giants and startups envisage a future where data centers orbit Earth. Insurers question pricing and risk; space debris and regulatory hurdles loom as hundreds of billions of dollars in hardware move into space.
A band of Europe witnesses a rare solar eclipse, with totality across parts of Spain, Iceland and Portugal. The event is being observed with safety warnings as millions prepare to view the sky-darkening phenomenon; high public interest is accompanied by safety campaigns and warnings about eye damage.
A deep partial lunar eclipse has occurred, with about 96% of the Moon in Earth's shadow for observers across much of the Americas. The event followed a recent total solar eclipse and is part of a pair of celestial events that are visible under clear skies. The maximum viewing is around midnight EDT, with visibility shifting by location. NASA notes the Artemis II mission remains a backdrop to ongoing space activity.
SpaceX has pledged $100 billion to build a 125,000‑acre Starbase in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, that it says will support thousands of Starship launches a year, add about 3,000 direct jobs and include propellant production, power generation and deep‑water shipping. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027; SpaceX targets initial launches by 2029 while state officials give a 2030 timeline.
The Chang’e-7 mission is delaying its launch as conditions for lift-off have not been met this year. The China Manned Space Agency has given a brief statement that the launch cannot take place within the planned window after a comprehensive assessment.
A lunar eclipse will dim the Moon in the early hours of Friday, turning it reddish as Earth’s shadow darkens the surface. Visibility depends on clear skies and the Moon’s low western horizon.
SpaceX has announced a $100 billion plan to develop a 125,000-acre Starbase Louisiana on Pecan Island, expanding beyond Texas and Florida. The site will host methane production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing, and potentially an on-site airport. Construction starts next year, with the first launch expected in 2029, creating more than 3,000 jobs.
NASA has launched the $4–4.3 billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. The observatory has separated cleanly and is heading to Lagrange Point 2, about one million miles from Earth, for a five‑year primary mission to map billions of galaxies, search for exoplanets and study dark matter and dark energy.
President Trump has signed an executive order to begin creating a U.S. Space Academy to train astronauts, engineers and civil operators for NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the civilian spaceflight industry. A presidential commission chaired by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman will deliver proposals within 120 days; the academy’s location and funding remain undecided.
Lebanon and Israel are engaged in direct talks mediated by the US, after Hezbollah-triggered conflict escalations. A framework signed in June calls for Hezbollah disarmament and a staged Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, with Greece and Athens’ arms deal cited as regional context. Lebanon seeks renewed UNIFIL support as violence persists.
French president Emmanuel Macron has opened a two-day International Space Summit in Paris that has gathered officials, astronauts, researchers and industry leaders from about 120 countries to press Europe to build sovereign space capabilities, debate regulation and seek commercial deals. U.S. companies SpaceX and Blue Origin are absent after White House concerns over the event’s framing.
The LUX‑ZEPLIN (LZ) collaboration has reported a single unexplained particle interaction recorded on 16 June 2023 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility that matches the expected signature of a WIMP. The team has presented the finding at a conference, uploaded a paper and asked the wider physics community for scrutiny; the result falls short of the 5‑sigma discovery threshold.
Skywatchers have been treated to a string of September conjunctions and phases: Venus has paired with Spica, the Moon has aligned with the Pleiades, Mars and Jupiter, and a partial lunar eclipse has produced reddish tones across wide regions. Through October and November, the Pleiades, the Orionid and Leonid meteor showers, a planetary parade on 14 November and the Beaver supermoon on 24 November will provide more viewing opportunities.
New Mexico’s name remains unchanged as lawmakers urge Apple and Google to keep the state labeled New Mexico on maps. President Trump has sparked a broader renaming conversation by suggesting changes to Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, and now New Mexico, drawing swift pushback from state officials and lawmakers.
NASA has announced that Artemis II commanders Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover have stepped from active duties to emeritus status, remaining connected to lunar programs. Glover will lead at Cal Poly while Wiseman’s plans are ongoing. The pair will mentor personnel and advise future Artemis missions as the agency pivots toward near-term lunar milestones.
Europe is pushing to build sovereign space capabilities and reduce reliance on the United States for launches, satellites and defense-related space infrastructure. The International Space Summit in Paris has spotlighted EU ambitions, private sector growth, and tensions with U.S. and Chinese players.
Scientists have identified a 222‑metre‑wide, up to 43‑metre‑deep crater on the Moon formed in spring 2024 and first spotted in LRO images in 2025. The impact churned material across more than 100 km, produced a roughly 7‑km cold spot and has provided rare data scientists say will inform risk assessments for planned lunar bases.
Apple has introduced Reference Image, a feature for the iPhone 18 Pro that signs sensor data to produce an unalterable reference image. The tool lets users compare the original photo with later edits to verify authenticity, and will support Google SynthID in a software update later this year.
The United States is accelerating its space and lunar defense posture as officials announce on-orbit space control weapons and a doubling of the Space Force. Leaders say operations will defend US interests from low Earth orbit to cislunar space, signaling a shift in the military balance in space ahead of potential actions around the Moon.
A series of full Moons around harvest time has drawn public interest as this month’s Harvest Moon peaks over the UK while the autumnal equinox marks astronomical autumn in the northern hemisphere. Forecasters say clearer conditions will prevail in parts of southern England, with unsettled weather possible elsewhere.
SpaceX has flown Starship into low‑Earth orbit for the first time during its 14th test flight from Starbase, Texas, and has deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The Super Heavy booster has returned to the Gulf of Mexico; the upper stage has completed multiple orbits before a planned reentry and splashdown west of Chile during a roughly 10‑hour mission on Monday.
NASA has announced funding to complete a rebuild of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and certify it for use with United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, aiming to preserve two US- based options for crewed access to low-Earth orbit; the next crewed flight is planned for mid-2028, with cargo flights possible as soon as December 2026.
Arab News reports a moon-Pleiades conjunction marks a transition from summer to cooler weather in the Arabian Peninsula, guiding Bedouin and farming calendars. Wasm Al-Harif spans 27 days, Wasm Al-Wasm about 81 days, with rainfall and desert truffles tied to the pattern. The New Arab notes a gradual autumnal shift across the region, influenced by air masses and pressure patterns.
SpaceX’s Starship has reached orbit in its 14th test flight, deploying 26 Starlink V3 satellites. The mission marks a milestone in reusable, high-frequency access to space, while Starship’s successful orbital phase follows a string of suborbital tests. The mission will continue to advance NASA’s moon and Mars initiatives and could reshape commercial space activity.