Latest · Jun 20, 2026
Who Will be the First Woman on the Moon?
We now know a woman won’t fly with ArtemisArtemis — NASA's program to return humans to the Moon and build a sustained lunar presence. III, but what of the big one: Artemis IV?
Read the column →The J Mission Index · Flagship
How far are we to a self-sustaining cislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. economy?
11/ 1008/38 milestones · data 2025
Earth-to-Orbit Access 16.7%28
LEO Commercialization & Habitation 16.7%4
In-Space Logistics & Refueling 11.1%7
CislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. Transport 16.7%15
Lunar Surface Infrastructure 11.1%0
ISRU & Resource Use 11.1%0
Economic Self-Sufficiency 16.7%13
0–100 distance to a self-sustaining cislunarCislunar — The region of space between Earth and the Moon, including lunar orbit — the arena J Mission tracks. economy · 7 pillars, weighted · continuous indicators (GCATGCAT — The General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects — an authoritative launch and payload catalog kept by astronomer Jonathan McDowell.) normalized distance-to-target + cited milestone checklists (OECD/JRCOECD / EC-JRC handbook — The standard recipe for building a composite indicator: a stated framework, explicit normalization, and transparent weights.) · methodology →
The Indexes
All indexes + methodology →Launch Cadence Index
260orbital YTD 2026
~312 projected · record 2025: 324Method · Launch Library 2 (live) + SpaceNews (excl. suborbital Starship)SpaceX Dominance
48% of launches
2025: 50.9%Method · Launch Library 2 (live) + SpaceNewsSpace-Economy Growth
38/100 · activity 2025
+7.8 vs 2024 · +25.3% YoYMethod · GCAT (McDowell) + Space-Track · computed in code; YoY min-max normalized, equal-weight (OECD/JRC)Space News Heat
71/ 100 vs 21-day high
▼ coolingMethod · GDELT DOC 2.0 (article volume)The Feed
Live · 23:35 UTCNews Wire SNAPI · RSS · multi-source
OCT 3123:35Universe TodayCeres' Water Ice Can Mask Massive Surface Salt DepositsOCT 3119:24Universe TodaySpace Outposts Beyond the Moon May Rely on Planetary AIOCT 3115:00Space.com9 nightmarish sci-fi spaceships to crawl aboard for Halloween if you dareOCT 3113:36Space.comThis Week In Space podcast: Episode 234 — Living in Lunar CavesOCT 3113:26Space.comOn this day in space! Oct. 31, 2015: Creepy skull-shaped Halloween asteroid flies by Earth, NASA names it the 'Great Pumpkin'OCT 3113:00Space.comThe moon, Mars, and Jupiter shine in the heart of the Lion overnight on Nov. 1-2OCT 3104:05NASAAPOD: 2026 October 31 – Night on a Spooky PlanetOCT 3101:52Universe TodayHera Probe Sees Asteroid Pair Separately for First TimeOCT 3022:46Spaceflight NowSpaceX closes out October with 700th Falcon 9 launch to dateOCT 3021:30Universe TodayWhat Could Split a Black Hole in Two?OCT 3019:31NASANASA Releases MAX POWER Key Events for Media, ParticipantsOCT 3018:46SpacePolicyOnlineGovernment Spending on Civil Space Topped $42 Billion in FY2026OCT 3017:50NASASpace Crops and Advanced Tech Wrap Up Week Following SpacewalkOCT 3015:56NASANASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Eerie Cat’s HeadOCT 3015:50Spaceflight NowTurkey aims for first Moon-orbiting mission in 2027OCT 3012:00PayloadTelesat Stays Quiet on C$2.4B GEO Debt Due in DecemberOCT 3006:29PayloadEurope Begins Funding Offensive In-Space CapabilitiesOCT 2923:45Spaceflight NowAs it happened: spacewalkers install new solar arrayOCT 2923:18PayloadArgotec Raises €50M To Scale Small Sat ManufacturingOCT 2921:57Spaceflight NowSpacewalking astronauts unfurl upgraded solar array to boost space station powerOCT 2912:11PayloadVirgin Galactic Unveils Apeiron, Delays Commercial Flights to Q2 2027OCT 2520:35SpacePolicyOnlineWhat’s Happening in Space Policy October 25-November 1, 2026OCT 2322:39SpacePolicyOnlineNASA is Full Steam Ahead on Artemis III, IV and VOCT 2303:23SpacePolicyOnlineNASA Safety Panel Concerned About Artemis IV, Future Access to LEOSignal Bluesky · AT Proto
NASASpaceflight.com@nasaspaceflight.comOCT 31 · 23:36So what happens if we reach the planned end of life of the ISS and commercial destinations aren't there yet? We don't de-orbit the ISS, is what @nasaadmin would recommend.
That's what he told EJ when he joined us on last week's Flame Tre…SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 23:16Cape pressing ahead with spaceport upgrades despite near-term launch downturn
Despite a downturn in launches from Cape Canaveral this year, the Space Force is continues work to support much higher launch rates, including assigning anothe…NASASpaceflight.com@nasaspaceflight.comOCT 31 · 22:04SpaceX has rounded off an impressive week of testing involving the flight vehicles for Starship's next two missions, capping it off with a Halloween celebration projected on the Megabay.
➡️youtu.be/Ztup1nOdKc8ESA Space Science@science.esa.intOCT 31 · 21:02Happy Dark Matter Day from the #DarkUniverse detective, Euclid!
Earlier this year, @ec-euclid.bsky.social scientists published this first demonstration that Euclid can trace massive structures dominated by usually invisible dark matter.
…SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 21:01China outlines uncrewed test campaign for buildup to crewed moon landing
HELSINKI — China will fly a standalone Lanyue lunar lander mission and a full-scale uncrewed landing rehearsal before attempting to land astronauts on the moon befo…Andrew Jones@andrewjonesspace.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 10:36China has reaffirmed its commitment to landing its first astronauts on the Moon before 2030, reports Global Times from the 7th Manned Space Symposium, in Beijing (Oct 31–Nov 1). This is despite apparent delays to key milestone tests this …Jonathan McDowell@planet4589.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 10:33LAUNCH at 1821 UTC Oct 30 of Indian's IRNSS-1L navigation sat on a GSLV Mk II from Satish Dhawan.Garrett Reisman@astro-g-dogg.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 05:02These kids were inspiring but they also are very concerned about the future of our country. We have a lot of work to do.Jeff Foust@jfoust.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 00:16NASA released today a media advisory for its Max Power (er, MAX POWER) airshow listing various briefings planned for the event—weeks after the deadline for media accreditation. Another win for NASA comms.
www.nasa.gov/news-release...Kevin M. Gill@kevinmgill.bsky.socialOCT 31 · 00:15Adding the ability to create meshes from stereo pairs in Mars Raw Utils. The results so far are...not great. Lots of fine tuning and error left to work through. Also cleaned up a boatload of technical debt.Rocket Lab@rocketlabcorp.comOCT 30 · 19:22Neutron’s Stage 2 and Thrust Module have arrived to Launch Complex 3 – another major step forward for the team that brings us closer to Neutron’s debutSpacePolicyOnline@spacepolicyonline.bsky.socialOCT 30 · 18:54Government Spending on Civil Space Topped $42 Billion in FY2026 https://
spacepolicyonline.com/news/governm...European Space Agency@esa.intOCT 30 · 14:38Meet our Space Safety fleet.
These missions help us monitor solar storms and asteroids, deal with space debris, and keep Earth and space safer for everyone.
🔗 esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/10/ESA_Space_Safety_Fleet
@operations.es…ESA Operations@operations.esa.intOCT 30 · 14:09👻 Space can be scary. Solar storms ⚡asteroids ☄️ and orbital debris 🛰️ pose risks to the services we rely on every day. Check out our ESA Space Safety fleet and explore the missions keeping Earth and space safe: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed…ESA Space Science@science.esa.intOCT 30 · 13:59A spacecraft that waits for its target to be discovered 🔭
Once launched, our Comet Interceptor will be ‘parked’ in space, ready to intercept a comet from the outer reaches of the Solar System, or perhaps even an interstellar visitor.
H…Andrew Parsonson@andrewparsonson.bsky.socialOCT 30 · 11:05CNES has begun ground qualification testing for the Callisto reusable rocket demonstrator in French Guiana ahead of its planned first flight in 2027.
europeanspaceflight.com/ground-quali...