US admits weapons in orbit & Djibouti joins Artemis Accords - Space News (Sep 15, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Today's topics: US admits weapons in orbit - U.S. officials have publicly acknowledged on-orbit space control weapons for the first time, marking a major moment for space security and arms control debates. The admission by Air Force leadership and the U.S. Space Force could reshape how rivals and allies think about orbital defense. Djibouti joins Artemis Accords - NASA says Djibouti has become the 72nd signatory of the Artemis Accords and the eighth African country to join. The move expands international backing for principles covering transparency, debris mitigation, and responsible lunar exploration. Europe launches climate watch satellites - A Vega-C rocket has launched ESA's FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C Earth observation satellites from French Guiana. The mission strengthens climate monitoring by tracking plant fluorescence, ocean conditions, and land surface changes. China expands commercial mega constellation - China launched a Zhuque-2E rocket carrying ten networking satellites for a planned mega-constellation. The successful mission highlights the growth of Chinese commercial launch services and the global race to build large satellite networks. Solar superstorm drained radiation belt - Scientists analyzing the May 2024 solar superstorm found that Earth's outer Van Allen radiation belt was rapidly depleted of high-energy electrons. The research improves space weather forecasting and could help satellite operators prepare for extreme geomagnetic storms. Juno finds hidden heat on Io - NASA's Juno spacecraft has detected unexpected subsurface thermal emissions on Io, Jupiter's intensely volcanic moon. The finding suggests hidden heat sources or young lava flows and may force updates to models of tidal heating. Moon occults Venus in daylight - NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day highlighted a striking Moon occultation of Venus in broad daylight. The event offered a vivid reminder of solar system geometry and the dynamic motions visible even from Earth. Episode Transcript US admits weapons in orbit The biggest story today is a major shift in how openly governments are talking about military capabilities in space. U.S. officials, including Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, have publicly acknowledged that the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons designed to defend the joint force against hostile action. Very few technical details were released, but the significance is clear: this is one of the clearest official confirmations yet that orbit is being treated not just as infrastructure, but as an active warfighting domain. Analysts are already warning that the admission could intensify debates over deterrence, arms control, and the risk of a future orbital arms race. Djibouti joins Artemis Accords In a very different kind of space policy news, NASA says Djibouti has joined the Artemis Accords. That makes it the seventy-second signatory overall and the eighth African nation to endorse the framework for responsible exploration beyond Earth. The Accords focus on principles like transparency, data sharing, interoperability, and debris mitigation, so this is another sign that lunar governance is becoming a wider geopolitical project, not just a conversation among traditional space powers. Europe launches climate watch satellites Europe also had a strong launch day. A Vega-C rocket lifted off from French Guiana carrying two important Earth observation satellites: ESA's FLEX mission and Copernicus Sentinel-3C. FLEX is designed to measure the faint fluorescent glow from plants, giving scientists a new way to track photosynthesis and ecosystem stress, while Sentinel-3C will continue long-running observations of oceans and land. Together, these satellites add valuable tools for climate science, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. China expands commercial mega constellation China, meanwhile, added momentum to its own orbital buildout with a successful Zhuque-2E launch. The rocket placed ten networking satellites into orbit for a planned mega-constellation, underscoring how quickly large satellite networks are becoming a global priority. Even without full payload details, the broader trend is easy to see: more nations and companies are investing in constellations that can support communications, sensing, and strategic autonomy. Solar superstorm drained radiation belt On the science side, researchers have released a striking new analysis of the extreme solar superstorm from May of 2024. According to the study, the storm temporarily drained Earth's outer radiation belt of highly ene