IJR News

US Acknowledges On-Orbit Space-Control Weapons — Sep 14, 2026The Space Force has deployed on-orbit space control weapons to defend U.S. forces and preserve space superiority, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly confirming their existence though no technical details were released. The announcements across conferences indicate ongoing development of both kinetic and non-kinetic space capabilities, including potential orbital strike and space-link interdiction, while the specifics remain classified and the broader strategic implications are debated.

BepiColombo spacecraft begin risky final approach to Mercury orbit — Sep 3, 2026The European Space Agency and Japan’s JAXA have begun the arrival phase of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury, with the two orbiters separating in preparation to enter Mercury’s orbit in November and split in December to map the planet. The highly automated, high-risk sequence—driven by Mercury’s proximity to the Sun and involving multiple flybys—underscores the mission’s complexity, with scientific observations slated to begin in the coming years.

Jared Kim Seven years of flybys and gravity assists just to fight the Sun's pull enough to slip into orbit - wild that Mercury is harder to reach than Pluto in some ways.

TakeMe2Space plans orbital data center with Nvidia GPUs on Falcon 9 — 10hTakeMe2Space plans two 100 kg satellites with 10 Nvidia Thor GPUs each on a Falcon 9 in late 2028, calling it India’s first networked orbital data center.

Derek Foss Processing Earth data right in orbit should cut down on transmission delays and bandwidth waste.

US Acknowledges Undisclosed On-Orbit Weapons — Sep 15, 2026China condemned the United States for deploying on‑orbit space weapons, urging Washington to halt preparations for space warfare and to uphold global strategic stability. Beijing reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful space use and warned against weaponising outer space or triggering an arms race, a view echoed as the US, and its allies, pursue space security capabilities.

NASA Orbiter Discovers Moon’s Largest Newly Formed Crater — Sep 16, 2026Robert Wagner spotted a bright spot with a dark ring in LRO data: McGetchin crater, 728 feet wide—the Moon’s largest newly formed impact, a 2024 strike scientists call once-in-a-lifetime.

Elena Vasquez It's wild that a crater this size formed just last year and the orbiter picked it up right away.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

US confirms on-orbit weapons to deter China and Russia — Sep 17, 2026Air Force Secretary Troy Meink disclosed undisclosed space-control weapons at National Harbor while withholding every detail, as Space Force plans to double and Moscow warns of gravest consequences.

Marcus Bell Keeping the details secret is fine but doubling the Space Force size will cost taxpayers plenty.

Air Force confirms US space-control weapons now operating in orbit — Sep 16, 2026Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirms deployed space-control weapons at a Maryland conference, drawing Beijing and Moscow protests while withholding the details that keep deterrence intact.

Priya Raman Deterrence works best when adversaries know we have the edge but can't predict exactly how we'll use it.

Rescue spacecraft runs out of fuel before saving NASA's Swift telescope — Sep 4, 2026A private mission by Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link got within 15 kilometers of NASA’s Swift Observatory and captured data and photos before running low on fuel, forcing an abandonment of the rescue attempt. NASA and company officials describe the effort as a high-risk, learning-focused in-orbit servicing experiment, with praise for pursuing extensions of Swift’s life despite the near-miss and costs involved.

Priya Raman Honestly impressed anyone's even attempting to service satellites we've already written off. Failure here still teaches them plenty for next time.

Besxar is building an orbital semiconductor factory, one SpaceX rocket at a time — Sep 9, 2026