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• Innospace plans second launch in 2026 after failure of first Hanbit-Nano rocket

  

  South Korea’s Innospace said it will attempt a second launch of its small rocket in the first half of 2026 after its inaugural flight failed shortly after liftoff Dec. 22.

  The post Innospace plans second launch in 2026 after failure of first Hanbit-Nano rocket appeared first on SpaceNews.

• Indian rocket launches AST SpaceMobile’s next-gen BlueBird 6 satellite

  

  An Indian LVM3 rocket launched AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation direct-to-device BlueBird satellite Dec. 23, kicking off a rollout of dozens of spacecraft built around the largest commercial communications antenna ever deployed in LEO.

  The post Indian rocket launches AST SpaceMobile’s next-gen BlueBird 6 satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

• ESA to hire 520 new staff as workforce expansion begins in 2026

  

  MILAN — The European Space Agency announced plans to hire approximately 520 new staff members starting in 2026, following decisions approved at ESA’s 342nd Council meeting earlier this month.  The recruitment will result in a net increase of about 400 staff, alongside the replacement of roughly 120 positions due to retirements. The move will bring […]

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• How physics AI is transforming the future of space engineering

  

  In this episode of Space Minds, host David Ariosto speaks with Juan Alonso — CTO and Co-founder of Luminary Cloud and professor at Stanford University — about the rapid transformation underway in aerospace engineering.

  The post How physics AI is transforming the future of space engineering appeared first on SpaceNews.

• Long March 12A reaches orbit in first reusable launch attempt, but landing fails

  

  A first launch of the Long March 12A Chinese state-owned reusable rocket reached orbit late Monday, but attempted recovery of the first stage downrange failed.

  The post Long March 12A reaches orbit in first reusable launch attempt, but landing fails appeared first on SpaceNews.