Space Quote: LINK May Still Be in the Game

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The LINK spacecraft with a deployed solar array in Earth orbit. (Katalyst Space)

“LINK originally was in a multi-axis spin rotating at about 9 degrees per second, which resulted in sporadic communications and impeded LINK’s progress toward Swift. Using a series of burns from one of LINK’s electric propulsion thrusters, the Katalyst team now has slowed that spin to about 1.47 degrees per second. Katalyst plans to keep LINK at that spin rate as it proceeds with next steps for the mission. This includes uploading a flight software update in the coming days with new attitude controllers designed to maintain LINK’s stability in its current configuration. These updates would allow LINK to begin maneuvering to align with Swift’s orbit.”

-Statement by NASA on August 6, 2026 regarding efforts to resolve issues with the LINK spacecraft sent to boost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbital altitude. Launched on July 3, the spacecraft began to spin in space around July 25, which led to a temporary loss of contact with the ground crew. If all goes well, LINK could reach the observatory before the end of August.

Podcast: Is It Really an Exomoon?

Posted on by onespaceman2000

The recent news about the discovery of the first exomoon stirred up the astronomy community, including astronomy professor David Kipping, who needed to address it immediately on his Cool Worlds podcast.

The episode, “We Need to Talk About That “First Exomoon” Discovery,” is basically an hour-long monologue by Dr. Kipping as he discussed the discovery, compares it to earlier similar discoveries, goes over the current definition of a exomoon, and quotes other astronomers regarding their position on the discovery.

The bottom line is that the media may have overplayed the discovery, similar discoveries happened in the past, and the lack of a good definition for an exomoon makes any decision on this new discovery troublesome.

Dr. Kipping has a particular interest in exomoons, and he admits this bias at the start of the show, but he does a good job covering all of the terrain. It is an informative one-man debate reminiscent of the difficulties in defining Pluto.

I recommend you check it out.

Note: The episode can also be found on YouTube. Also, go to this earlier story for more by Dr. Kipping on exomoons.

Pic of the Week: Surface of the Sun

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Image of the Sun’s surface captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope.(NSF/NSO/AURA/MPS)

This week’s image is from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Solar Observatory (NSO). It shows the highest resolution image ever captured of the Sun’s surface. The image was captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope located in Maui, Hawaii.

Here is more from the NSF about this image:

Using the world’s most powerful solar telescope, the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope near the summit of Maui’s Haleakalā, combined with computer simulations, an international team of scientists from the NSO, NSF NCAR High Altitude Observatory (HAO), and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) found the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), tiny swirling patterns like small whirlpools, on the Sun’s surface. Researchers suggest that KHI might be a key reason why the Sun’s outer atmosphere gets so hot, and why magnetic energy builds up and moves around on the Sun. Magnetic energy fuels solar flares and eruptions—the kind of solar activity that can send bursts of energy toward Earth and affect satellites, power grids, and other technology. The discovery opens a new window into the fundamental physics of the Sun and other stars while underscoring the unmatched capabilities of the Inouye Solar Telescope.

Television: The Sci-Fi Space Shows of 2026

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Image from the TV series Star City. (Apple TV)

It has already been a pretty good year for television shows set in space, with the following series already premiering their first or new season since January:

  • Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, first season, Paramount+, premiered on January 15, 2026
  • For All Mankind, fifth season, Apple TV, premiered on March 27, 2026
  • Star City, first season, Apple TV, premiered on May 29, 2026
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, fourth season, Paramount+, premiered on July 23, 2026
  • The Ark, third season, Syfy, premiered on July 29, 2026

So what else can we expect to see this year? Here is a list of other series that are due for their next season as well as a new series almost ready to go.

  • Blade Runner 2099, new series, Amazon Prime, premiering November 25, 2026 (see trailer)
  • 3 Body Problem, second season, Netflix, premiering later this year
  • Dune: Prophecy, second season, HBO Max, premiering later this year
  • Alien: Earth, second season, FX on Hulu, premiering in 2027
  • Foundation, fourth season, Apple TV, premiering in 2027
  • Murderbot, second season, Apple TV, premiering in 2027
  • Pluribus, second season, Apple TV, premiering in late 2027 or 2028

As shown, we can expect three more sci-fi space series to premiere new seasons this year, with more to follow later. Eight new seasons in 2026 is an impressive number.

If you break down these 12 television series by the parties producing them, you have the following count:

  • Apple TV – 5 shows
  • Paramount+ – 2 shows
  • Amazon Prime – 1 show
  • FX – 1 show
  • HBO Max – 1 show
  • Netflix – 1 show
  • SyFy – 1 show

Kudos to Apple TV for backing so many of these space series over the years.

And stay tuned for the 2026 release dates for 3 Body Problem and Dune: Prophecy. The dates will be posted here as soon as they are known.

Update: One more show needs to be added to the list – Star Trek: Ahsoka. It is expected to return on January 20, 2027.

Video: NASA’s Progress with Phase 1 of the Moon Base

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): An artist’s rending of NASA efforts to create a permanent Moon Base. (NASA)

NASA is quickly learning that it needs to get out front with its own PR to promote efforts to build a Moon base near the lunar South Pole. With budget cuts always looming in the background, public support will be essential to ensure the US has a long-term presence on the Moon.

This latest video from NASA does a good job explaining the status of the various vendors creating landers and rovers for phase 1 of the Moon base, which extends to 2029. This phase will be limited to robotics preparing the lunar surface for later astronauts. The video covers the efforts of Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines, Voyager Lunar Systems, and Northrop Grumman.

The video is a helpful way to keep the public informed, but the best publicity will be success. The lunar landings to date by commercial partners have been mostly disappointing. The success of these upcoming missions is what will convince the public that we can really settle on the Moon.