A Jielong-3 solid rocket lifted off from waters off the coast of Shandong at 1549 UTC March 22, successfully sending the CentiSpace-02 group of 10 satellites into orbit. m.spacechina.com/n2014789/n24...

In other news, after persisting and watching YouTube videos, my Areopress and I are now fully acquainted and it is producing some lovely coffee.

I know it’s a tough old industry, but on a human level, the comedians who are doing #SNLUK must have been terrified for weeks. I hope the nerves have settled. If it means anything coming from a middle aged white chap, this is holding up well as a U.K. version of SNL.

If you know anyone who’s dreading putting together their wedding speech - send them my way! www.mathew-owen.co.uk If you can re-post this I’d really appreciate it 👍

A burbling of activity on my feed suggesting a new McCartney album might be on the way. I shouldn’t get excited because nothing good ever happens in this timeline.

Tonight, I shall indulge myself in the privilege of ignoring world events, drinking Yorkshire Tea and listening to Big Big Train. I might even have a small glass of Laphroiag.

Proba 3 is saved !!! www.esa.int/Enabling_Sup...

Canada and Norway deepen space defence ties spaceq.ca/canada-and-n... Via #SpaceQ

Well of course it is. And those of us partaking in the dogs dinner that is HE in the UK can only look on and ponder at what things would have been like with strategic thinking and investment.

This says much about the state of Boeing's space business given the likelihood of Starship getting to the Moon by 2028.

Iran does not have ASAT capability. The only way this could be done is by use of the Russian Nudol system and that is WW3 territory, so unlikely in the extreme.

Is China a great power in space? Join me on 26 March for an online event hosted by the Astropolitics Working Group of @BritishIntS. Register: www.bisa.ac.uk/members/work...

As I’ve posted something negative, I shall restore the cosmic balance by saying that Suzanne by Leonard Cohen touches me in ways so deeply I cannot adequately express them.

Any version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

Cris is doing some absolutely amazing archival research into the origins of the foundational space treaties. Our discipline is truly blessed to have minds like him helping our understanding.

RIP to the magnificent Jane Lapotaire. An amazing actor - and as @matthewkilburn.bsky.social says, a rare and enviable acting intelligence

SpaceX alone wants there to be 100x as many satellites as you see here.

Large Series C signals scale-up of China’s laser satellite communications sector Shanghai-based laser communications startup BlueStar Optical Domain has raised funding in the region of $70 million, highlighting growing demand from China’s emerging satellite internet constellations.

An interesting choice of listening for me tonight: Tom Petty's Southern Accents. IMVHO, it has aged astonishingly well.

Crazy, right? Turns out a trip to Mars is *safer* during peak solar activity. The sun's basically a radiation shield then, cutting astronaut exposure in HALF. That's like, flying to the moon instead of twice that! 🤯

Who's your favourite Doctor Who?

China's 1st moon astronauts could land in Rimae Bode, a 'geological museum' on the lunar near side www.space.com/astronomy/mo...

A good legal analysis of the sinking of the Dena from IHL experts: www.justsecurity.org/133397/sinki...

I tend to get accused of rose-tinted specs when viewing China's approach to space. But this is a coherent and well thought through vision for deep space exploration, to match their coherent and well thought out approach to lunar exploration and LEO space stations.

☄️ Four years ago, NASA purposely smashed a spacecraft into a small asteroid to see if they could deflect it -- a test to prove humanity could protect Earth from threatening space rocks. New research out Friday says the experiment pushed the moonlet asteroid slightly off course u.afp.com/SuEX

The move comes as several private companies—including Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Vast, and Voyager—are finalizing designs for space stations and seeking clarity from the space agency.

Remember all those boasts about jobs and gasoline prices in the State of the Union? www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Zv...

As always, @andrewjonesspace.bsky.social is the best space-related China-watcher out there. This is an invaluable insight into the thinking of CNSA and PLA space ambitions.

I am absolutely not wishing an evil fate to befall that bloody announcer at the #cricket. But if he was suddenly struck dumb, I wouldn’t be sad.

There is a very persuasive argument to be made that Adil Rashid is England Men’s best ever white ball bowler #cricket

#Mynaric to provide laser terminals for ESA’s #HydRON project, testing secure, high-speed optical networking for European space infrastructure. 🔗 Read: https://spacewatch.global/2026/03/mynaric-wins-esa-contract-to-develop-optical-communications-technology-for-hydron-project/ #SpaceWatchNews #ESA

So, this is a *good thing*. Perhaps even better news is the cash dedicated to SSA capabilities and SST infrastructure

I may be wrong, but there is surely no problem that India can pose, where the answer involves Jamie Overton? #cricket

A cornerstone of the rules-based order, this is where things falling apart will get very dangerous, very quickly.

Right, enough wobbling on. I've got a cuppa to drink and a Mens #Cricket World Cup T20 Semi Final to prepare for.

This is going to be godawful (Clive James, Mark Tully, Mihir Bose and even Rick F-ing Stein have done this before). The problem is, I know enough people (including some who could legitimately be identified as being a parent of mine) who absolutely lap this gubbins up.

To say this would be devastating for the region is a huge understatement.

1/x I was a guest in an episode of the @euronews.com #podcast "Tech Talks", talking with host Alice Carnevali about "How to track a spy satellite". It was a very nice conversation, starting with how I got into this field, then discussing how we track #spy #satellites, and (cont.)

A good summary of the steps NASA is taking to accelerate the return to the Moon and the remaining challenges to get there by 2028 www.thespacereview.com/article/5171/1

Do you need help with your grammar and referencing? Are you a #postgrad student? Are you an #academic? Get real humans to help! Check us out at www.foxproofreading.co.uk #AcademicSky #academia #universities #proofreading #foxproofreading

VLEO and HAPS are going to increase in significance and usage over the next few years.

Mind, my predictions this weekend about the #cricket were pretty hopeless as well (that West Indies victory didn't quite materialise) so, frankly, don't listen to anything I say.

This is absolutely right on the money. I've had a flurry of emails and posts and emergency podcasts come into my inbox this weekend. All by smart people trying to read the runes. None of it makes a blind bit of difference. Prediction, as they say, is for the birds.

Good thread. I'd qualify though, our goal may not be regime *change* vs regime *destruction*. Rumsfeld's Iraq view in 2003 was just smash and leave. With military hardware, regime security nodes, economic infrastructure destroyed, we wouldn't have to care who ran Iraq or what happened next 1/

Most definitely worth reading in these troubled times…

My husband @mjowen174.bsky.social is very down and it’s difficult to see. He had a thriving writing business until AI came along but now he’s struggling to find work. Please repost this far and wide in the hope that he can find some writing work. www.mathew-owen.co.uk

NASA announced sweeping changes to its Artemis plan this morning in an effort to accelerate the Space Launch System's flight rate. But after years of the program being mismanaged, behind schedule, and over budget, I'm not sure what makes this time different... www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Here, look. Neil Sedaka wrote ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ and that’s more than enough. youtu.be/ivJq9lmCWkc?...