SPACE/COSMOS
Another blow for Elon Musk as his $150 billion ticket to Mars crashes
Elon Musk's Starlink internet is down for users worldwide.
Downdetector, a site that monitors online outages, shows issues hit the SpaceX internet around 1:30pm ET.
Users cited sluggish connections, intermittent service and in many cases, total blackout
Musk has previously stated that Starlink's profits are 'being used to pay for humanity getting to Mars.'
While it's unclear how much revenue the company generates daily, a widespread service disruption could pose a setback to those lofty interplanetary ambitions.
Some analysts project that Starlink could be valued at around $150 billion, considering factors such as projected revenues and market conditions, but the company has not made an official announcement.
Downdetector shows disruptions across the US, impacting users in Dallas, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Washington DC.
Parts of South America, the UK and Australia are also experiencing issues.
Elon Musk's Starlink internet is down, impacting users across America. Downdetector, a site that monitors online outages, shows issues hit the SpaceX internet around 1:30pm ET
The outage has left many customers frustrated, with many posting on Musk's X how this is the second outage in just the past few weeks.
'Starlink down, apparently, widespread. Website unresponsive. July 25, unexpected outage, never really explained. Again, today, Aug 18. What's up?' one user shared on X.
Another Starlink customer posted: 'Looks like @Starlink is down again. We’ve had more outages in the last month than in the last 5 years combined.'
Starlink's Residential plan costs $120 per month, while the Residential Lite plan costs $80 per month.
There are also Roam plans for users who need internet on the go, with prices ranging from $50 to $165 per month. And the standard Starlink kit costs $349 plus shipping.
In May, Musk unveiled bold new plans for SpaceX's strategy to colonize Mars, detailing what he called the next phase in space exploration.
While much of the presentation focused on landing a Tesla Optimus robot in 2026, the billionaire announced that SpaceX will also send Starlink satellites to provide internet to those who choose to live on the Martian world.
'Ideally, we'll be able to take anyone who wants to go to Mars,' he said. 'And bring all the equipment needed to make it self-sustaining, to let it grow on its own.'
The goal, he emphasized, is to ship enough resources to the Red Planet so that if supply missions from Earth suddenly stop, life on Mars can continue uninterrupted.
'Having two strong, self-sustaining planets will be critical for the long-term survival of civilization,' Musk added.
He believes a multiplanetary existence could extend humanity's lifespan tenfold.
SwRI study supports theory that asteroids Bennu and Ryugu are part of the Polana family
Spectral data of main belt asteroid Polana matches returned samples of near-Earth asteroids
image:
SwRI scientists reviewed spectral data of sample material taken from near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu (pictured above) and compared them with spectral data of main belt asteroid Polana from the James Webb Space Telescope and found that they closely match.
view moreCredit: NASA
SAN ANTONIO — August 18, 2025 — A Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) review of data collected from near-Earth asteroids Bennu and Ryugu supports the hypothesis that they were originally part of the Polana collisional family in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
The study compared spectroscopy data from Polana with spacecraft and laboratory data from Bennu and Ryugu samples, discovering similarities in their near-infrared spectrum sufficient to support the theory that they originate from the same parent asteroid.
“Very early in the formation of the solar system, we believe large asteroids collided and broke into pieces to form an ‘asteroid family’ with Polana as the largest remaining body,” said SwRI’s Dr. Anicia Arredondo, lead author of the study. “Theories suggest that remnants of that collision not only created Polana, but also Bennu and Ryugu as well. To test that theory, we started looking at spectra of all three bodies and comparing them to one another.”
Arredondo and her team applied for time on the James Webb Space Telescope to observe Polana using two different spectral instruments focusing on the near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths. She then compared that data with the spectral data from physical samples of Ryugu and Bennu collected by two different space missions. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft rendezvoused with Ryugu in 2018 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2020. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft encountered Bennu in 2020 and collected samples returned to Earth in late 2023.
Bennu and Ryugu are considered near-Earth asteroids because they orbit the Sun within the orbit of Mars; however, they are not considered a danger to Earth, having a closest approach of about 1.9 and 1 million miles, respectively. Both Bennu and Ryugu are relatively small compared to Polana. Bennu is about one third of a mile in diameter, or about the size of the Empire State Building. Ryugu is twice as large, but Polana dwarfs them both, measuring roughly 33 miles wide. Scientists believe Jupiter’s gravity pushed Bennu and Ryugu out of their orbit close to Polana.
“They are similar enough that we feel confident that all three asteroids could have come from the same parent body,” Arredondo said.
The team noted that the spectral data from the asteroids had variances and differences, but not enough to disprove the hypothesis that they all share a common origin.
“Polana, Bennu and Ryugu have all had their own journeys through our solar system since the impact that may have formed them,” said SwRI’s Dr. Tracy Becker, a co-author of the paper. “Bennu and Ryugu are now much closer to the Sun than Polana, so their surfaces may be more affected by solar radiation and solar particles.
“Likewise, Polana is possibly older than Bennu and Ryugu and thus would have been exposed to micrometeoroid impacts for a longer period,” Becker added. “That could also change aspects of its surface, including its composition.”
The “JWST spectroscopy of (142) Polana: Connection to NEAs (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu” paper will be published in the Planetary Science Journal and will be accessible at DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/ade395.
For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/earth-space/space-research-technology/space-science/planetary-science.
Journal
The Planetary Science Journal
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
JWST spectroscopy of (142) Polana: Connection to NEAs (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu”
Article Publication Date
18-Aug-2025
SwRI develops orbital debris detection system for spacecraft
Researchers aim to characterize debris field around Earth with impact detection technology
Southwest Research Institute
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Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed and tested a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system that detects when a satellite or spacecraft experiences an impact. The test article pictured was equipped with the MMOD detection and characterization system and struck with debris fired from SwRI’s light gas gun to simulate orbital impact scenarios.
view moreCredit: Southwest Research Institute
SAN ANTONIO — August 18, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed and tested a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system designed for satellites and spacecraft to monitor impacts from space debris. The system provides critical post-impact data, ensuring awareness of an impact even when damage is not immediately apparent.
Space debris around Earth is a growing problem, a result of commercial satellites exploding, anti-satellite missile tests and accidents that contribute to a growing junk field. Depending on its location, debris can remain in orbit for years, posing a threat to operational spacecraft.
The MMOD system can be mounted onto a spacecraft or integrated into its design. It consists of a structural element embedded with sensors that collect data for software analysis to identify impact details. These data can provide insights into the size and volume of particles orbiting Earth, including many that are too small to be seen from the planet’s surface. It can also alert spacecraft or satellites when they’ve been hit.
“Most spacecraft survive minor impacts without systems breaking or operators on Earth knowing,” said SwRI Institute Scientist Dr. Sidney Chocron, who led development of the MMOD detection and characterization system. “Our device is designed to send data back to Earth with important insights before any damage is apparent, which can also influence future design decisions.”
SwRI used its light gas gun, which can replicate the vacuum of space and the impact conditions of space debris, to fire small projectiles at panels equipped with the MMOD detection and characterization device. The results are detailed in a recent study led by Chocron.
“While not every aspect of the space environment can be replicated, our tests create realistic particle impacts,” Chocron said. “This helps determine whether structures can withstand such collisions. It also allows us to evaluate the efficacy of the MMOD detection and characterization system, which can detect when and where impacts occur as well as the speed and composition of the debris involved.”
These data could also help NASA and the industry develop more resilient future spacecraft. While it doesn’t help existing spacecraft directly avoid collisions, it could play a role in early warning systems. If a satellite detects a debris strike, it could warn others in the same orbit to move out of the way, if possible.
Now that the system has been successfully tested at full scale, SwRI is working to secure funding for a flight-ready version.
“Ultimately, our primary goal is to map and characterize the MMOD debris field around the Earth to better protect future missions,” Chocron said. “Our MMOD detection and characterization system is a step toward better understanding and mitigating those risks.”
To read the Hypervelocity Impact Symposium paper “Tests and Simulations for an On-Orbit Micrometeoroid Detector,” visit: https://doi.org/10.1115/HVIS2024-011.
For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/defense-security/blast-impact/ballistics-explosives/computational-mechanics.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed and tested a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system that detects when a satellite or spacecraft experiences an impact.
Credit
Southwest Research Institute
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Tests and Simulations for an On-Orbit Micrometeoroid Detector
SwRI-led work confirms decades-old theoretical models about solar reconnection
Research helps fill crucial observation gaps about process that drives solar flares, coronal mass ejections
Southwest Research Institute
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An SwRI-led study of the Sun confirms decades-old theoretical models about solar magnetic reconnection. Measurements from NASA’s Solar Parker Probe helped fill crucial gaps in the data about processes that drive solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other space weather phenomena. The measurements were taken from the region pictured in the white box, which was identified as the source of a coronal mass ejection. The figures shown here are taken from images captured by the ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission.
view moreCredit: ESA/NASA/Solar Orbiter
SAN ANTONIO — August 18, 2025 — New research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has confirmed decades-old theoretical models about magnetic reconnection, the process that releases stored magnetic energy to drive solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other space weather phenomena. The data was captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP), which is the only spacecraft to have flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere.
Magnetic reconnection occurs when magnetic field lines in plasma sever and reconnect in a new configuration, releasing large amounts of stored energy. On the Sun, this energy release often results in solar activity that can affect technology on Earth, a phenomenon known as space weather. Modeling solar magnetic reconnection accurately may help predict coronal mass ejections, solar flares and other space weather events that can impact satellites, communication systems and even power grids on Earth.
“Reconnection operates at different spatial and temporal scales, in space plasmas ranging from the Sun to Earth’s magnetosphere to laboratory settings to cosmic scales,” said Dr. Ritesh Patel, a research scientist in SwRI’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado, and lead author of a new paper published in Nature Astronomy. “Since the late 1990s, we have been able to identify reconnection in the solar corona through imaging and spectroscopy. In-situ detection was possible in Earth's magnetosphere with the launch of missions like NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Similar studies in the solar corona, however, only became possible when NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018."
PSP’s record-breaking proximity to the Sun has enabled new opportunities for study. A Sept. 6, 2022, approach revealed a huge eruption, providing an opportunity to image and sample the plasma and magnetic field properties in detail for the first time. Using a combination of imaging and in-situ diagnostic techniques as well as complementary observations from the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter, the SwRI-led team confirmed that PSP had flown through a reconnection region in the solar atmosphere for the very first time.
“We’ve been developing the theory of magnetic reconnection for almost 70 years, so we had a basic idea of how different parameters would behave,” Patel said. “The measurements and observations received from the encounter have validated numerical simulation models that have existed for decades within some degree of uncertainty. The data will serve as strong constraints for future models and provide a path to understand PSP’s solar measurements from other timeframes and events.”
NASA’s MMS mission, led by SwRI, provided researchers with an idea of how reconnection occurs in the near-Earth environment on a smaller scale. The 2022 PSP observations now provide researchers with the missing piece connecting Earth scale to solar scale reconnection. SwRI will next work to identify whether reconnection mechanisms accompanied with turbulence or fluctuations and waves of the magnetic fields are present in the solar regions PSP identified as having active reconnection.
“Ongoing work provides discoveries at different scales, which allows us to see how energy is transferred and how particles are accelerated,” Patel said. “Understanding these processes at the Sun can help better predict solar activity and improve our understanding of the near-Earth environment.”
The Parker Solar Probe was developed as part of NASA’s Living with a Star program to explore aspects of the Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The Living with a Star program is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory designed, built and currently operates the spacecraft and manages the mission for NASA.
To read the Nature Astronomy paper online, visit: www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02623-6 or DOI: 10.1038/s41550-025-02623-6.
For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/markets/earth-space/space-research-technology/space-science/heliophysics.
Journal
Nature
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Direct in situ observations of eruption-associated magnetic reconnection in the solar corona
Article Publication Date
18-Aug-2025
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