The Space Race - Weekly Roundup April 8th

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Hey there, dear space friends!

What a week! Between new science on the Moon, bacteria repairing moon bricks, AI-powered satellites, and early steps toward terraforming Mars, it feels like sci-fi is turning into reality. I’ve pulled together the most exciting updates, and trust me, there’s a lot to be excited about

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Now, let’s get into it👇

🛰️ Fram2: So Many Space Firsts Written in Just 4 Days

Fram2 has been pure history in motion. First private crew over the poles. First Crew Dragon to splash down in the Pacific. First human X-rays in orbit. First mushrooms grown in microgravity. Fram2 redefined what’s possible in commercial spaceflight. Beautifully ambitious and successful!

Read more 👉🏻 Fram2 completes polar orbit private astronaut mission 

🏗️ HALO Lunar Module Lands in the US

Big things are happening for Moon exploration. NASA just welcomed HALO, the first living space for astronauts orbiting the Moon. Built in Italy and flown to Arizona, it’s one step closer to launch. HALO will power Artemis missions, enable deep space science and pave the way to Mars.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA Welcomes Gateway Lunar Space Station’s HALO Module to US 

🔥 Booster 14 Breaks New Ground for Starship

SpaceX just fired up Booster 14: the first Super Heavy ever reused for a static fire. With 29 reused Raptors and only 4 new ones, this marks a bold step toward full reusability. Flight 9 is coming, Ship 35 is next, and Starship’s future just got a lot more real.

Read more 👉🏻 Booster 14 Completes Milestone Static Fire Ahead of Flight 9

🚀 All-Female Flight Sparks Big Debate

Blue Origin’s next launch should be a celebration: an all-female crew led by Katy Perry.

But not everyone’s cheering. Critics like Olivia Munn call it tone-deaf and extravagant during tough times. Glam, fame and space tourism collide with real-world struggles. Is it progress or privilege? NS-31 is making headlines before even lifting off.

Read more 👉🏻 Blue Origin faces backlash ahead of historic all-female spaceflight with Katy Perry

🧠 Satellites That Think for Themselves

Two startups just pulled off something big: real satellite autonomy. NOVI and Sedaro showed that a small spacecraft can analyze data and make decisions in orbit: no Earth commands needed. Basically, it's like giving satellites a brain. This changes everything for AI in space, from defense to deep space automation.

Read more 👉🏻 Startups demonstrate in-orbit satellite autonomy 

🌕 Moon Dust Could Power Lunar Cities

A team of scientists just figured out how to turn Moon dust into solar panels, and it’s a game-changer. Using simulated lunar regolith, they made solar cells that resist radiation and could power future Moon bases without hauling expensive gear from Earth. This could slash mission costs and unlock lunar living.

Read more 👉🏻 Lunar Regolith Could Power a Future Lunar Station 

🧬 Chinese Space Station Tackles Muscles and Microchips

China’s space station is doing way more than hosting astronauts: it’s becoming a science powerhouse. Researchers just grew muscle cells in orbit to fight atrophy and developed next-gen semiconductors in microgravity. From biotech to bendable electronics, these breakthroughs could shape medicine and tech both on Earth and on future deep-space missions.

Read more 👉🏻 Space station advances muscle and semiconductor science 

🔭 Euclid Unveils Galaxies and Cosmic Secrets

ESA just dropped jaw-dropping images and data from the Euclid space telescope: and it’s only 0.4% of what’s coming! In just one week, Euclid spotted 26 million galaxies, discovered nearly 500 gravitational lenses, and let AI and citizen scientists map the cosmos. The universe just got a whole lot clearer.

Read more 👉🏻 ESA releases first set of Euclid images and data 

🧱 Moon Bricks That Heal Themselves with Bacteria

Scientists may have found a way to keep future lunar habitats from crumbling using bacteria. New research shows that Sporosarcina pasteurii can fill cracks in Moon bricks made from lunar dust. These living sealants could patch damage from extreme Moon conditions. Next stop? Testing them in space on India’s Gaganyaan mission.

Read more 👉🏻 How bacteria could help build and maintain cities on the moon 

📡 Amazon’s Kuiper Preps for Liftoff

Amazon is ready to launch its first Project Kuiper satellites on April 9 from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket. The mission kicks off a plan to deploy over 3,200 satellites to deliver global internet — especially to underserved areas — and rival SpaceX’s Starlink in orbit.

Read more 👉🏻 Amazon’s inaugural Project Kuiper to soon liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast

👨‍🚀 NASA Opens Door to New ISS Commanders

NASA just put out a call for two more private astronaut missions to the ISS, and for the first time, they might not be led by former NASA astronauts. The agency is considering letting ESA, JAXA or CSA veterans take the lead, signaling a big shift in how private space missions are run.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA seeks proposals for two private astronaut missions to ISS

♻️ Don’t Burn It: Reuse It!

Instead of letting Artemis’ European Service Modules burn up after use, scientists say: let’s turn them into science missions. These amazing space-tested vehicles could study asteroids, impact the Moon to reveal water, or even orbit Mars or Venus. Why waste them when they could unlock new frontiers?

Read more 👉🏻 Artemis ESM's Could be Repurposed for Future Missions 

🌌 Terraforming Mars Starts with Tiny Particles

Warming up Mars might not need giant mirrors or nuclear bombs, just clever science. A new study suggests spraying graphene and aluminum aerosols into the Martian atmosphere could kickstart the first stage of terraforming. It’s early days, but the dream of making Mars livable just got a bit more real.

Read more 👉🏻 Here's how we could quickly raise temperatures on Mars 

📹 Our latest videos

Here are the latest videos we've published on our YouTube channel this week:

• The Truth About The ISS 

• NASA Reveals Major New Discovery on Mars 

• NASA's Most Important Aircraft

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Get ready for an exciting week as rockets take flight around the globe! 🚀

Today, Tuesday, Apr 8th:

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 11-11 Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.

• Soyuz 2.1a (ROSCOSMOS, Russia) – Soyuz MS-27 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan.

Wednesday, Apr 9th: Atlas V 551 (United Launch Alliance, USA) – Project Kuiper (KA-01) Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Friday, Apr 11th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 12-17 Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA.

Saturday, Apr 12th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – NROL-192 Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.

Monday, Apr 14th:

• Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 6-73 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

• New Shepard (Blue Origin, USA) – NS-31 Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA.

And that’s it for this week. Stay curious! 😊 

Juan and the team at The Space Race