Space News for Saturday, February 07, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:25) NASA seeks to bolster workforce, reduce reliance on contractors(00:51) Viasat sees orbital data center partnership opportunity(01:17) ‘We helped usher in the modern era of AI in NGA.’(01:35) ‘Serving the country and pushing the boundaries of human existence is very purposeful.’(02:10) ‘I loved thinking about how to make science possible for America and for the world’(02:40) ‘You need competent people in the government to direct and make decisions.’(03:12) ‘Now it’s time to turn the baton over to others. I hope there’s somebody else to grab that baton.’(03:34) SpaceX shifts away from Dragon launches at pad 39A as Starship looms(04:11) ULA offloads first Vulcan rocket at Vandenberg at it preps its next Cape launch(04:55) Silicon Sensing Expands Distribution in North America(05:28) A Grand, Snow-Rimmed Canyon(05:53) NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launch, Docking(06:28) Strong Solar Flare(06:55) Boreal Forests Are Shifting North(07:24) ReOrbit and Google Cloud Kick Start “Space Cloud” Data Network(07:54) Voyager, Max Space Team on Expandable Tech(08:21) Will astronauts aboard the ISS get to watch Super Bowl LX?(08:49) Peak Design 7L sling bag review(09:09) SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA is officially on for Feb. 11 as FAA clears Falcon 9 rocket to fly again(09:36) James Webb Space Telescope finds precursors to 'building blocks of life' in nearby galaxy(10:05) Halo: Campaign Evolved: Release date rumors, platforms, and everything else we know about the Halo remake(10:33) NASA space telescope sees interstellar visitor comet 3I/ATLAS flare up while exiting the solar system(11:05) Nimoy-Knight Foundation honors 'Girl Spock' and her mission to become the 1st openly autistic woman in space(11:31) COVID-19 cleared the skies but also supercharged methane emissions(12:02) Lawmakers ask what it would take to "store" the International Space Station(12:32) Rocket Report: SpaceX probes upper stage malfunction; Starship testing resumes