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Viasat is considering making customized communications satellites for the U.S. military. The company is capitalizing on its commercial satellite portfolio to compete in the U.S. military and international satellite markets. Viasat has designed a dual-band geostationary satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) program, aimed at deploying smaller, jam-resistant satellites built on commercial lines. Viasat's proposal centers on a dual-band X/Ka-band small geostationary satellite architecture that draws heavily from the company's existing commercial technology. Viasat also plans to bid for contracts under a new U.S. Space Force procurement called Maneuverable Geosynchronous Orbit Commercial Satellite-Based Services program intended to tap commercial geostationary small satellites to bolster military communications. [SpaceNews]

Scientists and advocates remain focused on securing funding for NASA science programs. Last week, The Planetary Society organized an event where hundreds of people visited congressional offices seeking to overturn proposed cuts of nearly 50% to NASA science that jeopardized dozens of missions. House and Senate appropriations bills largely reject those cuts, but those bills have yet to pass and are on hold as a government shutdown puts the near-term focus on a continuing resolution to reopen the government. At another event last week, astronomers said they had some reassurance that the cuts would not take effect as NASA instructed programs to follow spending levels in a House bill, but warned that even if a final appropriations bill fully funds science, they may have to go through the same process next fiscal year. [SpaceNews]

The first launch of the more powerful version of the Ariane 6 won't take place this year. Arianespace said Thursday that the fourth and final launch of the Ariane 6 this year will be of a pair of Galileo satellites using the Ariane 62, with two solid-rocket boosters. That is the same version used on earlier Ariane 6 launches as well as one scheduled for early November. The first Ariane 64 launch, carrying Amazon Project Kuiper satellites, was previously projected to take place this year but will now slip into early 2026. The Ariane 64 is critical to Arianespace's plans to ramp up its flight rate as Amazon is the biggest commercial customer of the Ariane 6. [SpaceNews]

SpaceX has won approval to double its launch rate from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Department of the Air Force said this week it has completed an environmental review of proposals to allow SpaceX to perform 100 Falcon launches annually from the base, up from the current limit of 50, as well as use a second pad there at Space Launch Complex 6. The new pad will also allow SpaceX to perform Falcon Heavy launches from Vandenberg. The study estimates it will take 18 months to convert SLC-6, previously used by the Delta 4, for Falcon launches. [SpaceNews]

Launch startup iRocket says it is turning to missile development to support its plans for a reusable rocket. The company conducted a test last week of the IRX-100, a short-range missile using some of the technologies needed for its proposed Shockwave launcher. The company said IRX-100 could fill a niche for small, low-cost interceptors. The test comes as iRocket works toward a planned merger with BPGC Acquisition Corp., a publicly listed shell company backed by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. [SpaceNews]

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Two cosmonauts conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station Thursday. Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky spent a little more than six hours outside the station in a spacewalk that started at 1:10 p.m. Eastern. The two installed a semiconductor materials experiment on the exterior of the Nauka module and jettisoned a camera that had been mounted on the Zvezda module. [Space.com]

A startup has developed an alternative to traditional shielding materials for spacecraft. Atomic-6, a composite materials manufacturer, says its "Space Armor" material has demonstrated in lab tests the ability to protect spacecraft from micrometeoroid and debris impacts while weighing about 30% less than conventional aluminum shields. The material also resists fragmentation that could create more debris. Atomic-6 says it has a verbal offer to flight-test the technology next year. [SpaceNews]

The Orion spacecraft for the Artemis 2 mission has arrived at the Vehicle Assembly Building. The spacecraft was moved from a processing facility where its launch abort system was installed to the VAB overnight, where it will be integrated on top of the Space Launch System rocket. The move took place without publicity amid the ongoing government shutdown. NASA officials said last month they were targeting an Artemis 2 launch as soon as early February. [Spaceflight Now]

SpaceX Starshield spacecraft appear to be transmitting data in a band reserved for satellite uplinks. An amateur satellite tracker in Canada accidentally detected the transmissions, in a band from 2025 to 2110 megahertz, that he traced to satellites for Starshield, a military version of Starlink satellites. That band is reserved for uplinks to satellites, and downlinks there run the risk of interfering with commands being sent to other satellites. It is unclear what Starshield satellites are using the band for, other than any transmissions would be at relatively low data rates. [NPR]

The European Space Agency plans to increase its presence in Spain. ESA announced Thursday it signed a letter of intent with the Spanish space agency AEE to study potential new areas of development at the European Space Astronomy Centre, an ESA facility near Madrid. ESA also signed several contracts with Spanish companies, while AEE signed the ESA-led Zero-Debris Charter. [ESA]

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Immersive Space Theater

"A lot of people might say, what is an artist doing working in the space industry? But if you look very closely at what space analog is, it's a simulation. It's very much a form of immersive theatre, and there are some elements of role-playing, and that's something I study as a theatre and media professional. The idea is how can we apply things like escape room mechanics and virtual production methodologies and technologies to increase the fidelity of the simulation and thereby get better results."

– Dan Novy, an assistant professor of emerging media arts who is participating in a Mars analog mission in Armenia. [Univ. of Nebraska]

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