OpenAI’s GPT-5 is slated for release this summer, with Sam Altman calling it “materially better” than GPT-4 and hinting limited advertising outside the output stream. Anthropic unveiled Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 in May, claiming top SWE-bench scores and improved memory with built-in tool use. Google DeepMind’s Gemini evolves into a “universal assistant” at…
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The global in-orbit servicing market is forecast to grow from about $2.4–$2.7 billion in the mid-2020s to roughly $8 billion by 2034, a CAGR of about 11–12%. Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics’ Mission Extension Vehicle, MEV-1, docked to Intelsat-901 in 2020, restoring operations and extending life by more than 5 years. MEV-2 docked with IS-10-02 in 2021,…
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ICESat-2 (NASA) launched September 15, 2018 on a Delta II rocket and carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), a photon-counting laser that operates from a ~481 km near-polar orbit (92°) with ground tracks repeating every 91 days to map ice sheets, sea-ice freeboard, glacier height, and forest canopy. CryoSat-2 (ESA) launched April 8,…
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In June 2025, Texas approved a provision granting Starbase authority to close State Highway 4 and Boca Chica Beach during launches, transferring that power from county authorities to SpaceX-aligned Starbase officials. The FAA raised SpaceX’s Starbase launch-permit cap from 5 to 25 launches per year. On June 16, 2025, a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg (VSFB)…
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Since 1993, TOPEX/Poseidon and the Jason series have produced a continuous global mean sea level record, showing a rise of about 3.1–3.3 millimeters per year with acceleration to over 4 millimeters per year in the last decade and by 2023 the global mean sea level was over 100 millimeters higher than in 1993. Seasat (1978)…
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On June 23, 2025, ULA’s Atlas V launched 27 Amazon Project Kuiper satellites, bringing the constellation to 54 in Low-Earth Orbit and targeting a 3,232-satellite network. Spain’s INFOCA expanded wildfire response by integrating SPOT satellite devices with Globalstar and Technosylva wildfire modelling for real-time location tracking, with a webinar scheduled for June 30, 2025. A…
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On June 22, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, bombing Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, after which Iran’s parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas flows, amounting to about 20 million barrels per day. Brent crude rose about 10% in…
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In June 2025, a Chinese team led by Prof. Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts & Telecommunications and Dr. Liu Chao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences down-linked 1 Gbps from a GEO satellite 36,000 km away using a 2 W infrared laser. The coverage framed the feat as pulverizing Starlink, but there is…
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Operation Midnight Hammer, conducted June 21–22, 2025, targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. Seven B-2 Spirit bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base flew an 18-hour mission to Iran, delivering 14 GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Pens, marking the first-ever operational use of the MOP. To maximize surprise, at least six…
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Operation Midnight Hammer occurred June 21–22, 2025, a one-night U.S. stealth airstrike targeting Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Seven B-2 Spirit bombers departed Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, for an ~18-hour flight to Iran with mid-air refuelings, escorted by F-22 and F-35 fighters and electronic warfare support aircraft. The raid delivered 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator…
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