Space Technology Summary

Michaela Benthaus, a paraplegic engineer from Germany, recently made history as the first wheelchair-using astronaut to reach the edge of space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. The flight lasted ten minutes, taking her 65 miles above Earth, marking a significant step in inclusivity within space travel, according to The Guardian.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is facing scrutiny as debris from a recent rocket explosion posed an 'extreme safety risk' to three commercial flights, as reported by The US Sun and The Wall Street Journal. Additionally, a SpaceX Starlink satellite anomaly has been confirmed, with the satellite expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate within weeks, as noted by Yahoo News UK.

On the commercial front, SpaceX is preparing for a potential IPO in 2026, with discussions led by investor Bill Ackman regarding a merger with Sparc, as detailed in Seeking Alpha and The Motley Fool. Starlink's traffic has reportedly doubled, indicating strong demand for its satellite internet services, while competition for satellite internet is anticipated to intensify in 2026 as rivals gear up to challenge Starlink's market dominance, according to PCMag.