Space News Roundup: NASA Moon Lander Contract, Muon Space, InnoSpace, Axiom Space & Starcloud

In this week’s space news roundup: NASA to open up Moon landing contract, Muon Space will use the Starlink network for downloading data. Relativity Space Updates, InnoSpace gets launch licence, New CEO for Axiom Space and Starcloud wants to build data centres in space.

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00:00 NASA Opens Up Human Landing System Contract for the Moon
16:00 Muon Space Will Tap into Starlink’s Laser Network
16:47 Relativity Space Update
19:31 Innospace gets license for first orbital launch attempt
21:04 New CEO for Axiom Space
22:28 How Starcloud Is Bringing Data Centres to Outer Space
25:14 Outro

Sources:

NASA opens SpaceX's moon lander contract to rivals over Starship delays: https://www.reuters.com/science/us-seek-rival-bids-artemis-3-spacex-lags-nasa-chief-says-2025-10-20/

How America fell behind China in the lunar space race—and how it can catch back up: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/how-america-fell-behind-china-in-the-lunar-space-race-and-how-it-can-catch-back-up/

US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief: https://www.moondaily.com/reports/US_soliciting_new_bids_for_Moon_mission_amid_SpaceX_delays_NASA_chief_999.html

Tensions flare between Musk and NASA over Moon mission: https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Tensions_flare_between_Musk_and_NASA_over_Moon_mission_999.html

NASA Opens Competition for Artemis III Lunar Lander: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/10/nasa-competition-artemis-iii-lunar-lander/

Elon Musk just declared war on NASA’s acting administrator, apparently: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/elon-musk-just-declared-war-on-nasas-acting-administrator-apparently/

Lockheed enters the lander chat: https://x.com/JackKuhr/status/1980349460279349600

NASA Selects Blue Origin as Second Artemis Lunar Lander Provider: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-blue-origin-as-second-artemis-lunar-lander-provider/

Innospace gets license for first orbital launch attempt: https://spacenews.com/innospace-gets-license-for-first-orbital-launch-attempt/

Innospace signs US$5.8 million space launch deal with German satellite firm MBS: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250919007400320

Muon Space Will Tap into Starlink’s Laser Network: https://payloadspace.com/muon-space-will-tap-into-starlinks-laser-network/

Muon Space and Starlink link-up X post: https://x.com/SERobinsonJr/status/1980670955723846040

Muon Space to Integrate SpaceX’s Starlink Mini Space Lasers Into Its Halo™ Satellite Platform: https://www.muonspace.com/press/muon-space-to-integrate-spacexs-starlink-mini-space-lasers-into-its-halo-tm-satellite-platform

How Starcloud Is Bringing Data Centres to Outer Space: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/starcloud/?linkId=100000388085273

Terran R Update: https://x.com/relativityspace/status/1978162852247839113

Eric Berger X Post on CEO change at Axiom Space: https://x.com/SciGuySpace/status/1978534805307302152