Plus: Isaacman's second confirmation hearing
By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: China's Zhuque-3 launches but doesn't land intact, companies team up to develop software to automate spacecraft operations, Isaacman prepares for his second NASA confirmation hearing and more.
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Top Stories
China's Zhuque-3 rocket achieved orbit in its first launch late Tuesday but the booster failed to make a landing. The first Zhuque-3 lifted off at around 11:02 p.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Falcon 9-class rocket, developed by Landspace, achieved orbit, although the company did not disclose what payload, if any, was on board. The company attempted a landing of the first stage on a pad 390 kilometers downrange from the launch site, but the booster appeared to malfunction when starting its landing burn and instead crashed near the pad. The mission is a milestone for Chinese spaceflight, marking the country's first attempt at recovery of a stage from an orbital launch, a key capability needed for more frequent and less expensive launches. Another Chinese rocket with a reusable first stage, the Long March 12A, could attempt its first launch and landing attempt later this month. [SpaceNews]
Nuclear power startup Antares raised $96 million to develop "microreactors" for use on Earth and in space. The company announced Tuesday a Series B round of debt and equity that it says will support work on a small reactor design that it plans to start next year. Antares sees potential demand for its reactors from the military and NASA, the latter for the agency's Fission Surface Power program to develop a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor for use on the moon by the end of the decade. NASA issued a draft solicitation for the program in late August and plans to release an updated draft at the end of this week. [SpaceNews]
Shield AI, a defense technology firm known for autonomous aircraft software, is venturing into the space sector. The company said Wednesday it will work with Sedaro, a startup whose cloud-based simulation tools are used by the U.S. Space Force and major defense contractors, to adapt Shield AI's Hivemind Pilot system for satellite operations. The companies hope to show how their software can allow spacecraft to manage more tasks without relying on ground controllers. The deal aligns with increased interest in AI technologies to give satellites more freedom to maneuver and respond to threats. [SpaceNews]
Shares in Eutelsat tumbled after one of its major shareholders decided to sell part of its stake in the company. Eutelsat shares were down more than 7% in midday trading in Europe Wednesday after SoftBank moved to sell about half its stake in the satellite operator. SoftBank had owned about 10% of Eutelsat before a capital raise this summer that saw the French government move to double its stake in the company to nearly 30%. SoftBank did not comment on why it was selling the shares. [CNBC]
Jared Isaacman will emphasize a space race with China at his Senate confirmation hearing today. Isaacman, renominated last month to be NASA administrator, warned in a draft of his opening remarks that "we may never catch up" in space if the United States falls behind China. His statement also discusses the importance of developing technologies like nuclear propulsion as well as avoiding a gap in human presence in low Earth orbit. The billionaire, who has ties to Elon Musk, said he is not seeking "personal gain" or to "favor or enrich contractors" as NASA administrator. [Bloomberg]
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Other News
SpaceX conducted its third launch in less than 48 hours Tuesday afternoon. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 5:18 p.m. Eastern and placed 29 Starlink satellites in orbit. The launch came after one early Monday from Florida and another early Tuesday from California, all carrying Starlink satellites. [Orlando Sentinel]
NASA may consider supporting a second lunar rover developer as a "warm backup" option for Artemis. NASA is expected to soon award a contract for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program to one of three competitors, supporting production of that company's rover that would be used by astronauts on future Artemis missions as well as commercial applications. NASA has said it would select only one company, in contrast to other commercial services procurements where it has picked two or more. Many in industry have pushed NASA to pick two companies, citing the need for a backup should one of the selected companies falter. NASA has stated it only has funding for one company, but is considering an approach where it would provide a smaller amount of money to a second company to keep working on its rover at a slower pace. [Ars Technica]
NASA will fly a robotic arm in space that could be used for in-space servicing applications. The agency announced Tuesday the Fly Foundational Robots mission, which will send a robotic arm from Motiv Space Systems into orbit in late 2027 as a hosted payload on a spacecraft from Astro Digital. NASA says it will use the robotic arm to test how it could be used to service or repair spacecraft. NASA will also allow "guest roboticists" to use the robotic arm for tests. [NASA]
The South Korean government has finalized a budget for the country's space agency. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) will get 1.12 trillion won ($760 million) next year in a budget passed by the National Assembly Tuesday, a 16% increase from this year. The budget includes funding in six core areas from space transportation and satellite utilization to exploration and support for the country's aerospace industry. [ChosunBiz]
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FROM SPACENEWS |  | Ever wanted to pick the brains of the reporters who power SpaceNews? Join us Friday, Dec. 5 at 12 PM ET for your chance to engage with our newsroom team during a subscriber-only live conversation. Chief content and strategy officer Mike Gruss will lead a discussion with senior staff writers Jeff Foust, Sandra Erwin and Jason Rainbow on their latest coverage and what's on the horizon as we look ahead to 2026. Subscribe now and submit your questions. | | |
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| Lunar Bandwagon
| "Just think, 365 days ago, I had to tell investors why we're going to the moon. Now, no one can shut up about it. Everybody wants to go to the moon."
| – Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, speaking at the SpaceNews Icon Awards ceremony Tuesday where he accepted the 2025 Icon Award for Commercial Space Achievement for the company's successful Blue Ghost 1 lander mission.
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