Top Stories

NASA and ESA Ground Stations Survive Spanish Wildfires

Wildfires burning across Spain came close to key ground stations operated by NASA and the European Space Agency. Both agencies confirm the facilities avoided serious damage despite fires spreading in the surrounding areas.

These stations handle deep space tracking and communications relay, so any outage would ripple through mission operations for spacecraft well beyond Earth orbit. No details yet on which specific antennas or complexes were closest to the fire lines, or whether operations were paused as a precaution.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Juno Finds Io’s Interior Runs Hotter Than Expected, Surface Smoother Than Predicted

Two flybys of Jupiter’s innermost Galilean moon by NASA’s Juno spacecraft turned up subsurface temperatures higher than models anticipated. Despite the moon’s extreme volcanic activity, teams also found large stretches of surface far smoother than expected.

Io remains the most volcanically active body in the solar system, driven by tidal flexing from Jupiter’s gravity. These new readings will feed into models of how that internal heat moves through the moon’s crust and where it escapes.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight.com

A Reporter’s Virtual Trip to the ISS Highlights Why the Station Still Matters

A space.com writer detailed a simulated visit to the International Space Station, using the experience to reflect on the station’s ongoing operational value. The piece leans on the simple point that the ISS has continuously supported crew for over two decades.

With retirement plans now locked in for the station later this decade, pieces like this are part of a broader push to document what the ISS represents before deorbit operations begin.

Read the full story: Space.com

Satellite of the Day

Gushenxing 1 (60014)

Gushenxing 1 is a compact Earth observation satellite developed and operated by Tsinghua University (TSHUA), one of China’s leading research institutions. Launched on June 6, 2024, aboard the Gushenxing 1 launch vehicle, this 20-kilogram satellite represents a growing trend of university-led space missions that advance scientific research while building domestic launch and satellite capabilities. The mission demonstrates China’s expanding role in small satellite development and indigenous space technology.

Operating in a sun-synchronous near-polar orbit at 97.5° inclination, Gushenxing 1 is positioned for consistent Earth observation and remote sensing applications. Its small form factor and lightweight design make it an efficient platform for experimental payloads and data collection missions. This type of CubeSat-class satellite is increasingly valuable for universities and research institutions seeking cost-effective access to space for academic purposes and technology demonstration.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track Gushenxing 1

Upcoming Space Launches

July 29

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-52 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (02:00 UTC) Deployment of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. Booster B1100 will attempt its eighth landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 7A:

  • Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (11:42 UTC) Details to be confirmed. Launch Preview

July 30

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6A:

  • Unknown Payload from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (00:52 UTC) China’s first solid-booster-augmented Long March variant, launching from Complex 9A. Payload details remain undisclosed. Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • NROL-95 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (06:37 UTC) A classified national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, launched under a government/top-secret mission designation. Watch Live

July 31

• Rocket Lab Electron:

  • LOXSAT 1 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (Time TBD) A technology demonstration mission for Eta Space, testing a cryogenic oxygen fluid management system aboard a Photon-LEO satellite bus, sponsored by NASA’s Tipping Point program. The system will collect in-orbit data for nine months to support future in-space cryogenic depots.

  • StriX Launch 11 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (Time TBD) Deployment of a synthetic aperture radar Earth-imaging satellite for Japanese company Synspective.

  • The Grain Goddess Provides (iQPS Launch 7) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (Time TBD) Launch of a synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese company iQPS. Watch Live Launch Preview

• Agency for Defense Development Mir:

  • Demo Flight from Sea Launch (ADD Offshore Launch Platform) (Time TBD) A test flight of South Korea’s Mir small satellite launch vehicle, developed for rapid-response launch capability. Launch Preview

August 1

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-53 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) Another batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites, with booster B1100 targeting its eighth landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. Watch Live

August 4

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 8A:
  • Unknown Payload from Commercial Launch Complex 1, Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (08:44 UTC) An upgraded Long March 8 variant capable of delivering up to 7 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit, launching from the newer commercial pad at Wenchang. Payload details remain unknown.

Schedule Changes

• Long March 8A | Unknown Payload: Status updated from “To Be Confirmed” to “Go for Launch.”

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.