Space News Mission Log — Satellite Launches, Orbital Events & Analysis
Daily space news, satellite launch reports, orbital debris analysis and weekly roundups — grounded in live tracking data from our network monitoring 84 published reports.
Satellite Proliferation Threatens Astronomy, Close Approaches Monitored
Astronomy faces challenges from the planned launch of 1.7 million satellites, while several close approaches in orbit are monitored.
James Webb Space Telescope: Current Location and Orbit
The James Webb Space Telescope is positioned at the second Lagrange point (L2), approximately 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, providing a stable environment for deep space observations.
Rubin’s First Photons: Inside the April 2025 Milestone
Rubin Observatory’s first photons arrived on 15 April 2025. This control-room photograph captures the human response to a milestone decades in the making.
The Stellar Dance of XZ Andromedae
XZ Andromedae, an Algol-type eclipsing binary, offers a celestial spectacle as its stars eclipse each other, creating a dynamic light curve.
What Is That Moving Light in the Night Sky? Explained
Moving lights in the night sky are often satellites or space debris. Learn how to identify them and understand their movement.
A starry night inside the Large Magellanic Cloud’s core
A crowded stellar landscape fills this infrared view of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Repeated VISTA observations reveal how its stars move and help map its hidden structure.
Witnessing a Celestial Dance: The Plane Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse, visible from half the Earth, creates a stunning celestial event. Captured with an aircraft in view, it highlights the beauty of astronomy.
Andromeda: A Timeless Cosmic Companion
The Andromeda Galaxy, first recorded over 1000 years ago, remains a key object of study in astronomy, revealing secrets about galaxy formation and dark matter.
Silent Mirror of the Atacama: SEST's Legacy
The Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope, once a pioneer in submillimetre astronomy, now reflects the starry skies of Chile's Atacama Desert.
NASA Awards Launch for StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector
NASA has awarded launch services for the StarBurst Gamma-Ray Detector, a significant step for gamma-ray astronomy. Starlink satellites continue to experience close approaches.
The Full Moon's Rise: A Celestial Ballet in Sicily
A stunning composite image captures the full moon rising over Sicily, revealing the interplay of twilight colours and lunar phases.
A Rare Triple Alignment: Plane, Space Station, and Sun
A stunning image captures a rare alignment of an airplane, the International Space Station, and sunspots against the Sun, revealing the intricate dance of celestial and terrestrial bodies.