All posts tagged: Orbital

Borealis launched to shield UK satellites from orbital threats

Borealis launched to shield UK satellites from orbital threats

Published by skeptic

Britain has activated a new space monitoring and defence platform designed to strengthen protection for UK satellites and the services they support. The software, called Borealis, became operational six months earlier than planned and is now being used by the National Space Operations Centre to track potential threats in orbit. The system is designed to detect and analyse space debris, hostile satellites and other objects that could disrupt critical UK satellite infrastructure. Borealis will improve military decision-making by delivering faster, more accurate intelligence on space activity, helping safeguard communications, navigation systems, and national security operations. The launch comes alongside the release of the first images captured by Britain’s Noctis-1 military telescope, previously known as Nyx-Alpha. The telescope monitors objects orbiting Earth, including UK satellites, and feeds real-time tracking data into the Borealis platform to help prevent collisions and identify emerging threats. Commenting on the innovation, UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd MP said: “Borealis represents a significant step forward in the UK’s ability to monitor, protect and defend the critical space capabilities. “This joint investment by …

The largest orbital compute cluster is open for business

The largest orbital compute cluster is open for business

Published by skeptic

For all the hype about data centers in space, there just aren’t very many GPUs up there. As that starts to change, the near-term business of orbital compute is starting to take shape. The largest compute cluster currently in orbit was launched by Canada’s Kepler Communications in January, and boasts about 40 Nvidia Orin edge processors onboard 10 operational satellites, all linked together by laser communications links. The company now has 18 customers, and announced its newest on Monday — Sophia Space, a startup that will test the software for its unique orbital computer onboard Kepler’s constellation. Experts expect that we won’t see large-scale data centers like those envisioned by SpaceX or Blue Origin until the 2030s. The first step will be processing data that is collected in orbit to improve the capabilities of space-based sensors used by private companies and government agencies. Kepler doesn’t see itself as a data center company, but as infrastructure for applications in space, CEO Mina Mitry tells TechCrunch. It wants to be a layer that provides network services for …

Trump Hires Orbital Towing Company to Build Space Interceptors

Trump Hires Orbital Towing Company to Build Space Interceptors

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech When the goal is to construct a multi-tiered orbital missile-defense platform, there aren’t a lot of contractors to choose from. Sure, there’s Elon Musk’s SpaceX, whose satellites are inexplicably exploding in low earth orbit. Or there’s Moog Space and Defense Incorporated, currently the subject of a $77.9 million lawsuit after it delivered numerous spacecraft nearly a year behind schedule. In today’s orbital environment, beggars can’t be choosers, which may explain why Donald Trump tapped the space tug company Impulse Space to build the orbital layer of his convoluted Golden Dome missile defense system. First revealed by Bloomberg, the decision involves a partnership with controversial military tech firm Anduril Industries. The companies have inked a deal with the Pentagon to design prototypes of “space based interceptors,” which are vehicular weapons platforms meant to destroy US-bound missiles from orbit. Under the arrangement, Impulse would work beneath Anduril as a subcontractor, Bloomberg reported. Impulse, founded in 2021 by former SpaceX co-founder …

Can orbital data centers help justify a massive valuation for SpaceX?

Can orbital data centers help justify a massive valuation for SpaceX?

Published by skeptic

SpaceX has reportedly filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering in which the company would raise $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation. And according to CEO Elon Musk, orbital data centers will be a big part of SpaceX’s future. On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I discussed Musk’s vision, as well as other companies that are pursuing similar goals. It will take significant tech development and massive capital spending to make orbital data centers a reality, but as Sean noted, with “opposition happening around the country to data centers in general,” executives like Musk and Jeff Bezos may be thinking, “The engineering challenge may be less than the social challenge back here” on Earth. Read a preview of our conversation, edited for length and clarity, below. Sean: This has been a trend — I would say a rapidly forming trend — over the last half year to a year, and we have different examples of it. We have SpaceX; I feel like in some ways, Elon …

Elon Musk’s Orbital Data Centers Are Staggeringly Huge

Elon Musk’s Orbital Data Centers Are Staggeringly Huge

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Elon Musk’s promises tend to follow a formula. They involve a number ending in “-illion,” pertaining to something which will be built or deployed, and which will be accomplished within a number of years that is decidedly not an “-illion” — and that’s before we get into the continual revision as timelines slip and customers patience wears thin. And now, right on cue: an ambitious new plan for orbital data centers, which Musk envisions as a massive conglomeration of also-massive solar-powered satellites. Musk hopes to deploy up to one million of these satellites to provide a virtually unlimited source of computing power for AI, and told employees that generating AI compute in space will be cheaper than terrestrial data centers in just two to three years. Further beggaring belief is the size of each of these satellites, revealed in a presentation Musk gave this Sunday which provided a more detailed look at his orbital data center roadmap.  Based on …

Jeff Bezos’ Space Company Unveils Plans for Orbital Anti-Asteroid Defense Weapons

Jeff Bezos’ Space Company Unveils Plans for Orbital Anti-Asteroid Defense Weapons

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Its rockets may have only reached orbit twice so far and its lunar lander is still many years out from getting anywhere near the Moon — but Amazon cofounder Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin is already looking far into the future. Last week, the company unveiled plans for a “Near-Earth Objects (NEO) Hunter mission concept for planetary defense,” a collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. The idea is to test “multiple asteroid-deflection techniques, including ion-beam deflection and robust direct kinetic impact, helping protect Earth from potential threats.” Working alongside JPL/Caltech, we’ve developed a Near-Earth Objects (NEO) Hunter mission concept for planetary defense using Blue Ring. NEO Hunter tests multiple asteroid-deflection techniques, including ion-beam deflection and robust direct kinetic impact, helping protect Earth… pic.twitter.com/ZWsdfJAtLq — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) March 11, 2026 The company is hoping to leverage its Blue Ring, an in-development spacecraft platform designed to be capable of refueling, transporting, and hosting satellites, for the unusual endeavor. …

SpaceX’s One Million Orbital Data Centers Would Be Debilitating for Astronomy Research, Scientists Say

SpaceX’s One Million Orbital Data Centers Would Be Debilitating for Astronomy Research, Scientists Say

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Earlier this week, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, successfully delivering 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. While such launches have become astonishingly commonplace, the company achieved a major milestone that day: getting more than 10,000 active Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth at one time, according to data compiled by Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The extent of SpaceX’s megaconstellation of broadband-beaming satellites is staggering — a seismic shift in the number of spacecraft in our planet’s orbit that has turned out to be a massive headache for astronomers worldwide. At first, the satellites reflected most of the Sun’s light, appearing as bright streaks in ground-based night sky observations. In fact, they’ve proven bright enough to be visible to the naked eye, often being mistaken for UFOs. Updated versions of the small, mostly aluminum terminals were designed to alleviate the problem with black paint and mirror film — changes that, while welcome, …

Reusable orbital vehicles market set to reach 3M by 2036

Reusable orbital vehicles market set to reach $263M by 2036

Published by skeptic

Vehicles engineered for multiple missions, with precision navigation and recovery capabilities, are emerging as critical infrastructure for the future of the space economy. The reusable orbital vehicles market is entering a transformative growth phase, driven by intensifying orbital congestion and the urgent need for sustainable space operations. Valued at $94.2m in 2026, the market for reusable orbital vehicles is projected to reach $263.3m by 2036, expanding at a CAGR of 10.8% over the forecast period. This is mainly due to the surging growth in satellite deployments, with organisations recognising the need for space debris mitigation and in-orbit servicing. “Reusable orbital vehicles are not just a cost innovation-they represent a structural shift in how space missions are designed and executed,” the report noted. “Companies that can demonstrate certified, multi-mission capabilities and integrate seamlessly with existing satellite ecosystems will capture disproportionate value in this market.” Key growth drivers of the reusable orbital vehicles market The increasing density of satellites and debris fragments is reshaping mission economics and risk management across the aerospace sector. Traditional single-use systems are …

Rally Orbital Massager Review: The Oscillating Revolution

Rally Orbital Massager Review: The Oscillating Revolution

Published by skeptic

Massage guns haven’t evolved much over the past two decades. Since Therabody introduced the triangular handle, most massage guns have kept to the same basic design. New releases will tweak the specs, improving battery life or swapping in new attachments, but the core remains intact. The Rally Orbital Massager, which launched in June 2025, tries something genuinely different. It not only abandons the standard pistol grip or triangular shape, but it also swaps out percussive therapy for an oscillating approach. The idea reportedly grew out of an odd but common DIY recovery trick: people using car buffers to knead sore muscles. It sounded a bit gimmicky when I first heard about the concept. But after two weeks of using the Rally after workouts and runs, it became the recovery tool I reach for most nights when I flop on the couch. An Orbital Approach to Muscle Recovery The Rally’s defining feature is its orbital technology. Instead of hammering one spot repeatedly like traditional percussive massage guns, the head moves in tight, continuous circles that glide …

China Provides Glimpse of Colossal Orbital Aircraft Carrier

China Provides Glimpse of Colossal Orbital Aircraft Carrier

Published by José Betancourt

Last weekend, a China Central Television YouTube channel shared a video showing off some recent developments in autonomous aerial vehicles. There were plenty of quotidian craft on display, like the Wing Loong II Long Range Drone and the Lanying R6000 Tiltrotor — remarkable achievements for a nation barely a century removed from semi-feudal rule to be sure, but not exactly breaking news. One segment of the video, however, showcased a conceptual spacecraft called the Luan Niao, an orbital mothership designed to launch uncrewed fighter drones and “hyper-ballistic missiles” from the edge of space. According to the Telegraph, the Luan Niao design specs point to a behemoth spaceship that would measure nearly 800 feet nose-to-tail and span some 2,244 feet in width. With that size, designers say it could weigh as much as 120,000 tons, with a payload of 88 “Xuan Nu” autonomous fighter drones that operate in the upper limits of the stratosphere. Xuan Nu fighters are also a conceptual spacecraft, a hypothetical 6th generation jet showcased at tech exhibitions to get students and the …