An INAF research group selected nine LRN transients for study and reconstructed the full post-merger history for two events, AT 2011kp and AT 1997bs.

LRN-produced dust is eventually dispersed into space and can be incorporated into gas-rich nebulae that form new stars and planetary systems over thousands to millions of years.

The dust produced by each LRN event is primarily composed of carbon compounds such as graphite or amorphous carbon rather than silicates.

LRNs produce dense, hot, luminous ejecta during their brightest phase that can obscure the underlying merger remnant in optical light.

Each LRN event produces about 0.001 solar masses of dust, which is roughly 300 times the mass of the Earth.

The James Webb Space Telescope public data from 2023 and 2024 in the near and mid-infrared were used to detect the two post-merger systems many years after their impacts.

Because LRNs are much more frequent than supernovae, LRNs can contribute nearly as much to cosmic dust production as supernovae when integrated over occurrence rates.

Post-merger remnants observed by the INAF group resemble very large red supergiant–like stars with radii of hundreds of times the Sun’s radius.

LRNs result from the merger of two ordinary stars with possible masses ranging from below one solar mass up to about 50 solar masses.

LRN remnants remain visible in the near-infrared because the mergers produce substantial amounts of dust that obscure optical emission.

A Luminous Red Nova (LRN) is a transient astronomical explosion produced when two stars collide and merge.

The INAF researchers also searched for pre- and post-merger images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

The INAF team recovered AT 1997bs twenty-seven years after the merger using archival and new data.

Hisdesat and the Spanish Ministry of Defense have initiated a request for proposals (RFQ) process for the SpainSat NG III satellite.

Hisdesat implemented the RFQ measure after analyzing the latest reports from the main contractor of the SpainSat NG II satellite.

SpainSat II will not interfere with present or future space operations while in its current orbit.

Hisdesat remains committed to the strategic goals of the SpainSat NG program and to providing the planned services.

The space particle that collided with SpainSat II was estimated to be millimetric in size and to weigh only a few grams.

The damage to SpainSat II will prevent the satellite from completing its mission.

SpainSat II is stable, complete, and in a highly eccentric orbit.

The loss of SpainSat II will not cause economic harm because the satellite is insured against this kind of damage.

A high-speed impact on a vital area of SpainSat II caused non-recoverable damage to the satellite.

Until SpainSat NG III enters into operation, services will be provided through SpainSat NG I from 29ºE and SpainSat from 30ºW.

The RFQ process was initiated after confirmation that SpainSat II was damaged by a collision with a small particle of indeterminate origin.

After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, OneWeb completed deployment of its constellation using SpaceX Falcon 9 and ISRO’s LVM3 rockets.

MaiaSpace’s launcher can also operate in an expendable configuration for higher performance and could place up to four tonnes into orbit according to the company.

Under the MaiaSpace agreement, Eutelsat is using a launch provider that has not yet conducted any orbital flights.

Arianespace is studying potential collaborations and synergies with MaiaSpace and other companies supported by the European Launcher Challenge.

MaiaSpace is developing a small launcher it describes as Europe’s first reusable launcher with a booster designed to land on an autonomous platform for reuse.

Eutelsat signed an agreement with French startup MaiaSpace to launch some of its OneWeb replacement satellites.

Airbus Defence and Space is the manufacturer of the OneWeb satellites.

Arianespace’s assessment indicates that Ariane 6 could carry some OneWeb satellites in 2027 but could not deploy a complete OneWeb constellation in 2027.

MaiaSpace was founded as a subsidiary of ArianeGroup in 2022.

The original OneWeb satellites weighed approximately 150 kilograms each.

Arianespace’s assessment indicates that Ariane 6 will have substantially greater capacity from 2028 and could deploy a complete constellation starting in 2028.

Eutelsat and MaiaSpace announced on 16 January a multiple-launch agreement to deploy OneWeb satellites on MaiaSpace’s small launcher currently in development.

Most of the original OneWeb constellation was launched on Russian Soyuz rockets.

MaiaSpace and Spanish company PLD Space were selected to receive funding through the European Launcher Challenge established by the European Space Agency at its ministerial conference in November.

MaiaSpace’s planned launches for Eutelsat are expected to begin in 2027.

Eutelsat ordered 100 OneWeb satellites in December 2024 and ordered 340 additional OneWeb satellites on 12 January 2025.

Neither Eutelsat nor MaiaSpace disclosed the terms of the launch agreement, including its value, the number of launches, or the number of satellites to be deployed.

The agreement with MaiaSpace is the first time Eutelsat has revealed details about its plans for launching replacement OneWeb satellites.

The National Reconnaissance Office established a Space Cyber Program to serve as the central hub for space cyber activities across the agency effective Oct. 1, 2025.

Daniel Gizinski, president of Comtech’s Satellite & Space Segment, recommended the UCSD/UMD study as mandatory reading for satellite professionals.

UC San Diego and the University of Maryland researchers used an off-the-shelf $800 satellite receiver over three years to intercept unencrypted communications from geosynchronous satellites and collect private customer data.

Aaron Schulman was a UCSD professor who co-led the research that intercepted unprotected geosynchronous satellite communications.

SK Telecom aims to lead Korea in cybersecurity by 2028 and to establish a globally recognized security system within five years of the plan’s launch.

Promptlock was discovered in 2025 as malware that relied on AI during execution and dynamically changed forms throughout operations to evade detection.

A major Cloudflare outage in October 2025 caused high-profile sites including ChatGPT and X to go offline.

SK Telecom had close to 30 million mobile customers when a 2025 cyber incident put data at risk for nearly 27 million users.