Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky successfully completed the first spacewalk of 2025 from the International Space Station on October 16. The more than six-hour extravehicular activity involved installing a semiconductor experiment, jettisoning an old camera, and performing maintenance on the station's Russian segment.
Thales Alenia Space has officially opened its Space Smart Factory in Rome, a cutting-edge digital manufacturing facility, on October 7, 2025. Italian President Sergio Mattarella attended the inauguration of the €100 million plant, which aims to produce over 100 satellites annually and bolster Europe's space industry.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) are co-organizing the 7th Quantum Technology Conference from October 7-9, 2025, in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. The event will focus on quantum technology applications in space, fostering collaboration and showcasing breakthroughs.
San Marino RTV has officially announced that 12-year-old Martina Crv, also known as Martina Cervellin, will represent the nation at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Tbilisi, Georgia. She will perform the song 'Beyond the Stars', co-written and produced by Eliza G, Karin Amadori, Valerio Carboni, and SaintPaul. The contest is set for December 13.
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and Angola's Space Programme Management Office (GGPEN) formalized an implementation plan in October 2025, expanding their collaboration across various space segments. This builds on a July 2025 MoU, focusing on Earth observation, space situational awareness, and human capital development to advance Africa's space capabilities.
The traditional waka hourua Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti, on its celestial navigation journey Te Hekenga ki Tua from Aotearoa to Samoa, has recently passed Niue. This significant leg of the voyage relies on ancient wayfinding techniques, continuing a decade of preparation by its crew from Te Kura Waka.
Blue Origin and Luxembourg have partnered on the 'Oasis-1' mission, the first phase of Project Oasis, to create detailed maps of lunar resources. The mission aims to identify water ice, Helium-3, and other valuable materials using advanced orbital technologies, fostering a sustainable space economy and reducing deep-space mission costs.
NASA and the Australian Space Agency have signed a new framework agreement at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, strengthening collaboration in aeronautics and space exploration. The agreement, signed by Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy and Australian Space Agency Head Enrico Palermo, aims to foster joint projects from Earth observation to lunar and Martian missions.
The European Space Agency and CSIRO are bringing online the new 35-meter New Norcia 3 deep space antenna in Western Australia on October 4, 2025. This advanced facility, part of ESA's Estrack network, will enhance communication with deep-space missions, supporting exploration and scientific data return.
Apple has celebrated the grand reopening of its iconic Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, September 26, 2025. The reimagined four-story space returns to its original location, blending modern architecture with Japanese aesthetics, and showcasing the latest Apple products and services.
In the remote desert regions of Mauritania, particularly around Bir Moghrein, local meteorite hunters are increasingly using social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook to sell their celestial finds to an international market. This unregulated trade provides economic opportunities for nomadic communities, with highly sought-after Martian and Lunar meteorites fetching significant prices globally.
The 2025 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS (TMA) successfully concluded on September 20, 2025, at the Macao Outdoor Performance Venue. Marking its first-ever outdoor ceremony and the first Korean awards show at this 50,000-capacity venue, the event celebrated K-Pop's biggest stars, with Stray Kids, aespa, and IVE among the top honorees.
NASA's Perseverance rover has found promising evidence of potential ancient microscopic life in Martian rocks, specifically within a dried-up river channel. Scientists emphasize that further analysis of the collected samples is needed to confirm these findings, as non-biological processes could also be responsible.
Astronomers have found potential evidence of an atmosphere on a rocky, Earth-sized planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system, suggesting the possibility of liquid water and the potential for life. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers detected hints of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1e, though further observations are needed to confirm this finding.
Astronomers are cautiously excited about exoplanet K2-18b, a potential "Hycean world" with hints of life, including a tentative detection of dimethyl sulfide. Further observations with the James Webb Space Telescope are underway to confirm these findings and determine if this distant world truly harbors life.
Chinese scientists aboard the Tiangong space station achieved a world record by heating tungsten alloy to over 3100 degrees Celsius in a container-free laboratory, enabling the study of heat-resistant materials under extreme conditions. This breakthrough provides crucial data for developing advanced materials that could be used in spacecraft armor and rocket engines.
A recent analysis of lunar samples retrieved by China's Chang'e-6 mission has provided significant revelations about the moon's volcanic activity, indicating it wasn't dormant as previously thought. The research indicates that continued volcanic eruptions occurred due to a unique thermodynamic process affecting the lunar mantle, highlighting the differing evolution of the moon's near and far sides.
President Trump has announced the relocation of the U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama, a move influenced by his grievances against the predominantly Democratic state. He claimed that the transition would generate numerous jobs and enhance America's capabilities in space, while also criticizing Colorado's voting practices.
Astronomers have captured unprecedented images of the Butterfly Nebula, revealing its scorching central star and complex structure, including a dusty core and jets of material. These findings also uncovered carbon-based molecules, offering new insights into the formation of these components within the nebula.
Astronaut Chen Dong conducted a series of successful extravehicular activities as part of the Shenzhou-20 mission aboard China's space station, utilizing the advanced extravehicular spacesuit B, which has achieved a milestone of supporting 20 spacewalks.
