Iran has likely carried out an undeclared missile test at its Imam Khomeini Spaceport. That's according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press. Iran has not formally acknowledged the test last week at a circular pad that has hosted other major launches by the country’s civilian space program. A single lawmaker in Iran’s parliament, however, claimed without offering evidence that Tehran tested a possible intercontinental ballistic missile. The test and the claim raise concerns that Iran may be trying to expanding the reach of its missiles as tensions remain high ahead of United Nations sanctions, which are likely to be reimposed this weekend over Tehran’s nuclear program.

NASA has 10 new astronauts chosen from more than 8,000 applicants. The space agency introduced its 2025 astronaut class Monday. The six women and four men will undergo two years of training before becoming eligible for spaceflight, including trips to the moon and possibly Mars. It's the 24th astronaut class for NASA since the original Mercury Seven made their debut in 1959. The previous class was in 2021. Only 370 people have been selected by NASA as astronauts, making it an extraordinarily small and elite group.

When Israel targeted Hamas leaders meeting in Qatar to consider a Gaza ceasefire proposal, Israeli fighter jets over the Red Sea launched ballistic missiles in the strike. That's according to a U.S. defense official who spoke to The Associated Press. The official had direct knowledge about how Israel conducted the strike and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. The Sept. 9 attack killed six people in Doha and disrupted diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Another official described the strike as launched far outside Qatar's airspace. The Pentagon, the White House, Qatar and the Israeli military aren't commenting on details of the attack.

Israel is expanding its surveillance capabilities with a new satellite that it says is part of a broader investment to monitor the broader Middle East. Military officials and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the satellite, launched late Tuesday, will join Israel’s existing roster of satellites and enhance its ability to collect images like the 12,000 gathered over Iran during a 12-day war earlier this year. Israel’s decades-old space program has expanded its fleet with several satellite launches in recent years and is one of the few globally with high resolution monitoring and intelligence gathering capabilities.

For decades, Europe has relied upon the U.S. for its security among the stars. But the Trump administration’s “America First” policies, plus a commercial market that’s growing exponentially, has prompted Europeans to rethink their approach. The state-owned Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden, is among the sites building out orbital rocket programs to allow Europe to advance in the global space race and launch satellites from the continent’s mainland. Currently, Europe’s only space base capable of launching rockets and satellites into orbit is in the sparsely populated French Guiana. An expert believes a successful orbital launch from continental Europe could occur within the next year.