US confirms orbital space weapons & SpaceX launches classified USSF-259 - Space News (Sep 17, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Today's topics: US confirms orbital space weapons - The U.S. Space Force has publicly confirmed operational space control weapons in orbit, marking a major shift in space security and deterrence. The disclosure raises new questions about military competition, orbital norms, and the future of cislunar defense. SpaceX launches classified USSF-259 - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg carrying the classified USSF-259 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The flight also highlighted routine booster reuse, with the first stage completing its 13th mission and landing successfully at sea. Progress 96 heads to ISS - Russia’s Progress 96 cargo spacecraft launched from Baikonur on a resupply run to the International Space Station. The mission is delivering nearly three tons of food, fuel, water, oxygen, and equipment to support station operations. New Horizons finds Pluto flows - NASA’s New Horizons mission has uncovered evidence that liquid nitrogen may have flowed across Pluto’s surface in the geologically recent past. The finding suggests Pluto is more dynamic and active than scientists once believed. Rare new moon impact crater - NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified McGetchin, the largest newly formed crater ever detected through before-and-after imaging. The rare lunar impact appears to have happened between April and May 2024 and may represent a once-in-a-century event. Curiosity marks 5,000 Mars sols - NASA’s Curiosity rover has reached 5,000 sols on Mars, a remarkable endurance milestone for the long-running mission in Gale Crater. A new panoramic postcard marks the occasion and highlights Curiosity’s continuing science at Mount Sharp. Earth’s center of mass shifts - NASA scientists have improved measurements of seasonal movement in Earth’s center of mass. The millimeter-scale shifts are driven by changing distributions of water, ice, oceans, and atmospheric pressure around the planet. Webb reveals stellar nursery cloud - The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a dramatic view of the star-forming region IC 348. The image reveals gas, dust, and newborn stars, helping scientists study how stars and brown dwarfs take shape. JUICE prepares Earth gravity assist - ESA’s JUICE spacecraft is approaching an Earth flyby that will give it a gravity assist on its long journey to Jupiter. The maneuver is a key step in the mission to explore the icy ocean moons Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. Roman Telescope mission extended - NASA has powered on instruments aboard the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and extended its planned mission to 22 years. The move signals strong confidence in Roman’s future role in studying dark energy, exoplanets, and the large-scale universe. Episode Transcript US confirms orbital space weapons First up, a major shift in space security. A top U.S. official has publicly confirmed that the Space Force now has operational space control weapons on orbit. That is the clearest acknowledgment yet that space is being treated not just as a support domain for communications and navigation, but as an active military environment. The announcement is likely to intensify debate over deterrence, transparency, and what responsible behavior in orbit should look like in the years ahead. SpaceX launches classified USSF-259 Next, SpaceX carried out another national security launch with a Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket lifted off with the classified USSF-259 payload for the U.S. Space Force, and the first-stage booster landed successfully on a droneship in the Pacific after its 13th flight. The payload remains secret, but the routine nature of the launch and landing shows just how normalized high-tempo reusable launch operations have become. Progress 96 heads to ISS Russia’s Progress 96 cargo spacecraft is now on its way to the International Space Station after launching from Baikonur aboard a Soyuz rocket. The freighter is carrying nearly three tons of supplies, including food, water, fuel, oxygen, and equipment for station crews. It is expected to dock automatically after a three-day trip, continuing the steady flow of logistics that keeps the ISS functioning as a long-duration research lab. New Horizons finds Pluto flows One of the most intriguing science stories today comes from Pluto. Researchers using New Horizons data say they have found signs that liquid nitrogen may have flowed across the dwarf planet’s surface in the recent geological past. The evidence appears in features on Sputnik Planitia, where shapes in the ice resemble channels and deposits. If confirm