News about space: events, facts and developments on tafs uz.
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Dmitry Bakanov said the ISS may be deorbited into the ocean in 2031–2032 — later than the originally planned date. The schedule shift is linked to the United States' request to extend joint operation of the station until 2030.
Otabek YusupovOn October 28, the Italian company Space Industries opened the Stellar Hub plant in Settimo Torinese for the assembly, integration and testing of satellites weighing up to 600 kg. At the heart of the facility is a 2,000-square-meter clean room and all types of testing on a single site.
Aziz KarimovNASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who was stranded on the ISS for 286 days instead of the planned eight, highlighted the UAE's commitment to space exploration at a symposium in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, the country launched the first commercial satellite fully assembled on its territory and announced a 1 billion dirham strategy.
Otabek YusupovAt the Starmus festival, astronauts Chris Hadfield and Victor Glover gave an interview to Euronews Culture: they spoke about their impressions of space, compared real spaceflights with their depiction in cinema, and discussed whether the 'new space race' is becoming rivalry or cooperation. Glover and his Artemis II crew received the Stephen Hawking Medal.
Otabek YusupovOn December 15 in Rome, ESA member states will consider a proposal by the agency's Director General Josef Aschbacher to invest about 10 billion euros over ten years in Europe's own system for delivering astronauts to orbit. These are calculations, not allocated funds: the decision will rest with the states.
Otabek YusupovSpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on October 25 on the social network X that using Starlink in offensive operations could make the system a legitimate target for retaliatory strikes. According to him, a strike on the satellites would create a debris field and a 'domino effect'. Earlier, on October 24, he claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had used Starlink to control offensive drones, and that this capability had been restricted.
Otabek YusupovAfter the launch of the Chinese Long March-6A rocket from the Taiyuan spaceport, a glowing dome-shaped cloud resembling a jellyfish appeared over Shanxi province. The carrier placed the Yaogan-50 03 remote sensing satellite into orbit. The phenomenon is explained by the expansion of exhaust gases in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
Otabek YusupovSpaceX head Elon Musk said that an attack on Starlink satellites could trigger a chain reaction creating a vast field of space debris. He insists on preserving the system's civilian status and opposes its use in offensive operations, while allowing its use for military infrastructure.
Otabek YusupovThe Financial Times concludes that Europe has fallen far behind in the modern space race and is unlikely to make up the lost ground. The outlet points to the gap in satellite communications: the European OneWeb has about 600 satellites versus more than 10,000 for Starlink. Earlier, Bloomberg estimated Europe's share of global space investment at roughly 10% public and 22% private.
Sevara AzamovaAccording to the draft 2027 budget, Ankara will allocate about 100 billion Turkish lira ($2.01 billion) to the aviation and space industry in 2027–2029. Spending on the space program will grow from $176 million in 2026 to $745 million by 2029. The funds will go toward the National Space Program, airport infrastructure, and preparation of the first lunar mission.
Javlon TursunovRussian cosmonaut Alexander Lazutkin told RIA Novosti that humanity is not yet ready to send people to Mars. Among the key problems he cited supplying the crew with food, protection from space radiation, and the impact of a two-year flight on health and psyche, noting that even a modern spacecraft does not guarantee the expedition's success.
Sevara AzamovaElon Musk, in Walter Isaacson's podcast, suggested that with the development of AI and robotics, conventional money may become unnecessary, and its value will be measured in physical quantities — mass, power, and energy. Space exploration, in his assessment, could expand the economy a millionfold.
Javlon TursunovThe outlet Kun.uz told the story of the Soviet satellite «Kosmos-954», launched in September 1977 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with a nuclear reactor on board. The craft, officially presented as scientific but, according to the outlet, having a military purpose, carried about 30 kg of uranium enriched to 90%.
Javlon TursunovCreotech CEO Grzegorz Brona told Reuters the company will open a new plant in the Masovian Voivodeship in 2029 with capacity of up to 40 satellites a year (100 of a single model), versus 10 now in Piaseczno. He warned that Europe will need American rockets for years to come, calling launch vehicles an instrument of political pressure by the Trump administration.
Sardor QodirovShip 40, which flew on July 24 during the 13th suborbital flight with a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean, was towed by sea for 24 days and delivered to the port of Brownsville in Texas on October 7. It is now being studied in a hangar at Starbase.
Sardor QodirovA junior researcher at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in an article for Global Times, listed three key tasks for the exploration of Mars: communication between the planets, delivery of cargo and samples, and sustaining human life. China plans the Tianwen-3 mission around 2028, with soil return by 2031.
Madina UsmonovaJaume Sanpera, CEO of Spanish satellite operator Sateliot, said Europe needs to “wake up” and avoid becoming dependent on two global blocs. The company recently placed five new satellites of its low Earth orbit communications constellation into orbit.
Sardor Qodirov
