2025 Week 17 | Collection of this Various News from the Past Week

I. Quote of the Week

“For the first time internationally, we have achieved the ability to use satellites to track other satellites, instead of relying on ground stations.”

Wang Wenbin, a Chinese Center for Space Utilization researcher, describing how a team salvaged failing spacecraft travelling to the Moon.

II. Immediate Awareness

1 The Space Force is adopting a tiered mission assurance approach in its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 strategy, establishing two procurement lanes: Lane 1 for emerging commercial providers with medium-lift rockets and relaxed oversight, and Lane 2 for established companies meeting stringent security and performance standards, thereby broadening access for newer firms while maintaining high standards for critical missions.

2 Astranis has secured a $115 million contract with Chunghwa Telecom to launch Taiwan's first dedicated communications satellite, despite facing operational challenges with a separate satellite in its Block 2 series, and allowing Taiwan to continue to develop resilient systems in the face of Chinese subjugation pressure.

3 The Trump party concept of a Golden Dome, realistic or not, is bringing together a number of aerospace companies to position themselves for potentially lucrative contracts, looking to utilize government dollars to build infrastructure that could be used for the ‘Golden Dome’ or other ventures.

4 Looking to further cement its name in the space industry, the Texas Space Commission awarded over $26 million in grants to five aerospace companies to support advanced manufacturing, lunar research, battery development, and hypersonic propulsion projects.

5 Boeing and its partner HRL Laboratories have achieved a significant milestone in their Q4S mission by completing construction of a ground twin system to be used in demonstrating quantum entanglement swapping in space, a crucial step toward potentially revolutionizing communications as we know it.

6 In a rare move, Northrop Grumman launched a Minotaur IV rocket to lob multiple classified payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), marking the first Minotaur launch from the site in over a decade, while also demonstrating US rapid-launch capabilities outside of expected lanes.

7 The ESA has concluded a critical testing phase for its Space Rider service module, bringing Europe's first reusable space transportation vehicle closer to reality, at a critical time when dependence on the US is politically seen as a liability rather than a sign of trust and partnership.

8 The Spanish government has approved a €1.011 billion loan to Hisdesat for the development of two PAZ 2 Earth observation satellites to ensure national security, strategic autonomy, and support for its domestic space industry, versus relying on foreign satellite systems.

9 ATMOS Space Cargo secured €1 million in new funding from Mätch VC to advance its reusable PHOENIX capsule technology, aiming to enhance European access to space logistics.

10 DARPA, which rarely solicits lunar missions, has issued a call for proposals for the LASSO mission—a small orbiter to map lunar water ice and test advanced space technologies.