Rafael Mentges
@mentges.bsky.social
Space Economist. Interested in European Integration, industrial policy, innovation, strategic sovereignty, and of course things like launchers, SatCom, EO ...
I have another profile focused more on my old interests: Macro, monetary policy and banking.
I have another profile focused more on my old interests: Macro, monetary policy and banking.
Pinned
Rafael Mentges
@mentges.bsky.social
· Nov 19
Ok, here is an updated version of my space policy starter pack.
Let's make #BlueSpace the best platform for space news, space econ and space law discussions.
@sharestuff.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/PRWt1qf
Let's make #BlueSpace the best platform for space news, space econ and space law discussions.
@sharestuff.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/PRWt1qf
"German reentry startup ATMOS Space Cargo and Luxembourg-based manufacturer Space Cargo Unlimited (SCU) are aiming to launch their first collaborative mission to orbit and back in 2026."
ATMOS and Space Cargo Unlimited Target First Reentry Mission in 2026
The mission will be the first of seven where ATMOS’ Phoenix reentry vehicle will carry SCU’s BentoBox platform to orbit and back.
payloadspace.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 PM
"German reentry startup ATMOS Space Cargo and Luxembourg-based manufacturer Space Cargo Unlimited (SCU) are aiming to launch their first collaborative mission to orbit and back in 2026."
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Shenzhou-20's Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie are back on Earth after returning via the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, a new spacecraft will be sent up to Tiangong in the near future
Details -> www.china-in-space.com/p/shenzhou-2...
Details -> www.china-in-space.com/p/shenzhou-2...
November 14, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Shenzhou-20's Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie are back on Earth after returning via the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, a new spacecraft will be sent up to Tiangong in the near future
Details -> www.china-in-space.com/p/shenzhou-2...
Details -> www.china-in-space.com/p/shenzhou-2...
Whey psychology professors were unknowingly enlisted in a psychology experiment:
"In their department, professors paid for their own tea and coffee in the mailroom, using an honesty box.
Over a period of ten weeks, the notice above the honesty box showed either a picture of flowers ...
"In their department, professors paid for their own tea and coffee in the mailroom, using an honesty box.
Over a period of ten weeks, the notice above the honesty box showed either a picture of flowers ...
November 14, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Whey psychology professors were unknowingly enlisted in a psychology experiment:
"In their department, professors paid for their own tea and coffee in the mailroom, using an honesty box.
Over a period of ten weeks, the notice above the honesty box showed either a picture of flowers ...
"In their department, professors paid for their own tea and coffee in the mailroom, using an honesty box.
Over a period of ten weeks, the notice above the honesty box showed either a picture of flowers ...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
The X4 CME from AR 4274 generated a nice coronal mass ejection (CME), but most of the blast is headed away from our planet. This is because the active region is positioned on the Sun's limb and not facing Earth like it was last week. Still, we may see a clip from this CME.
#heliophysics
#heliophysics
November 14, 2025 at 3:54 PM
The X4 CME from AR 4274 generated a nice coronal mass ejection (CME), but most of the blast is headed away from our planet. This is because the active region is positioned on the Sun's limb and not facing Earth like it was last week. Still, we may see a clip from this CME.
#heliophysics
#heliophysics
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
New countries. New friends. New skills. New ideas.
This is Erasmus+.
In 2026, over €5 billion is available for organisations and partnerships to support:
🔹 Mobility for study and training
🔹 Meaningful partnerships
🔹 Skills for future jobs
Time to apply ↓
link.europa.eu/f7DF4m
This is Erasmus+.
In 2026, over €5 billion is available for organisations and partnerships to support:
🔹 Mobility for study and training
🔹 Meaningful partnerships
🔹 Skills for future jobs
Time to apply ↓
link.europa.eu/f7DF4m
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 AM
New countries. New friends. New skills. New ideas.
This is Erasmus+.
In 2026, over €5 billion is available for organisations and partnerships to support:
🔹 Mobility for study and training
🔹 Meaningful partnerships
🔹 Skills for future jobs
Time to apply ↓
link.europa.eu/f7DF4m
This is Erasmus+.
In 2026, over €5 billion is available for organisations and partnerships to support:
🔹 Mobility for study and training
🔹 Meaningful partnerships
🔹 Skills for future jobs
Time to apply ↓
link.europa.eu/f7DF4m
Project Kuiper is now Amazon Leo. Makes sense. But I wonder whether the hardware in orbit is still called Kuiper satellites or Kuiper constellation and amazon leo is the whole thing including (with a focus on) the services.
www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-...
www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-...
Project Kuiper is now Amazon Leo
Amazon Leo is a simple nod to the low Earth orbit satellite constellation that powers the network.
www.aboutamazon.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Project Kuiper is now Amazon Leo. Makes sense. But I wonder whether the hardware in orbit is still called Kuiper satellites or Kuiper constellation and amazon leo is the whole thing including (with a focus on) the services.
www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-...
www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Blue Origin has sent two spacecraft toward Mars for NASA and successfully landed New Glenn's first-stage for the first time!
For @proximareport.bsky.social -> proximareport.com/new-glenn-bo...
For @proximareport.bsky.social -> proximareport.com/new-glenn-bo...
November 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Blue Origin has sent two spacecraft toward Mars for NASA and successfully landed New Glenn's first-stage for the first time!
For @proximareport.bsky.social -> proximareport.com/new-glenn-bo...
For @proximareport.bsky.social -> proximareport.com/new-glenn-bo...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Very interesting and new paper about the “Constitution of Innovation“ constitutionofinnovation.eu which Marin Wolf picked up in the FT as well:
November 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Very interesting and new paper about the “Constitution of Innovation“ constitutionofinnovation.eu which Marin Wolf picked up in the FT as well:
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Our Space Rider project now has its blueprint poster, learn more about the future uncrewed, reuseable robotic laboratory the size of two minivans. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
November 13, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Our Space Rider project now has its blueprint poster, learn more about the future uncrewed, reuseable robotic laboratory the size of two minivans. www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Advancing economic measurement conference happening soon and streaming on YouTube: www.nber.org/conferences/...
Advancing Economic Measurement, Fall 2025
www.nber.org
November 13, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Advancing economic measurement conference happening soon and streaming on YouTube: www.nber.org/conferences/...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
SBIs will require defensive capabilities to help protect them from adversary ASATS -- and that is a cost factor/tech challenge that is not often included in ongoing discussions about investment requirements. breakingdefense.com/2025/11/gold...
Golden Dome SBIs will need to be defended from adversary attack: Experts - Breaking Defense
The satellites will need to be defended "not only from adversary kinetic or local orbital issues, but also from cyber attacks, electronic jamming and laser attacks," said Patrick Binning, a professor ...
breakingdefense.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:46 PM
SBIs will require defensive capabilities to help protect them from adversary ASATS -- and that is a cost factor/tech challenge that is not often included in ongoing discussions about investment requirements. breakingdefense.com/2025/11/gold...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
How high are OpenAI’s compute costs? Possibly a lot higher than we thought on.ft.com/43qoQ2L
How high are OpenAI’s compute costs? Possibly a lot higher than we thought
Inference inferred, revenue reconstructed, cash burn quantified
on.ft.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM
How high are OpenAI’s compute costs? Possibly a lot higher than we thought on.ft.com/43qoQ2L
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
In procuring drones, Germany is applying the lessons that Western armed forces should be taking from the war in Ukraine, @rikefranke.bsky.social writes.
Germany Tries Something New—and Risky—on Defense Acquisitions
In procuring drones, Germany is applying the lessons that Western armed forces should be taking from the war in Ukraine.
www.worldpoliticsreview.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
In procuring drones, Germany is applying the lessons that Western armed forces should be taking from the war in Ukraine, @rikefranke.bsky.social writes.
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
An important scoop from @edzitron.com here on OpenAI's finances—which underlines that reporters really need to be more skeptical of the annual recurring revenue metrics that companies are sharing with them:
www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Exclusive: Here's How Much OpenAI Spends On Inference and Its Revenue Share With Microsoft
As with my Anthropic exclusive from a few weeks ago, though this feels like a natural premium piece, I decided it was better to publish on my free one so that you could all enjoy it. If you liked or f...
www.wheresyoured.at
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
An important scoop from @edzitron.com here on OpenAI's finances—which underlines that reporters really need to be more skeptical of the annual recurring revenue metrics that companies are sharing with them:
www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
www.wheresyoured.at/oai_docs/
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Launch of New Glenn-2 for today has been called off due to space weather conditions. [The aurora have been awesome even here in the DC area.]
x.com/blueorigin/s...
x.com/blueorigin/s...
November 12, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Launch of New Glenn-2 for today has been called off due to space weather conditions. [The aurora have been awesome even here in the DC area.]
x.com/blueorigin/s...
x.com/blueorigin/s...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Another European satellite manufacturer joins the recent funding wave. This time, France’s U-Space has secured €24 million to ramp up production and expand into international markets.
europeanspaceflight.com/french-satel...
europeanspaceflight.com/french-satel...
French Satellite Manufacturer U-Space Raises €24M in Series A Funding
French satellite manufacturer U-Space has raised €24 million in funding to support its industrial ramp-up and its expansion into new markets.
europeanspaceflight.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Another European satellite manufacturer joins the recent funding wave. This time, France’s U-Space has secured €24 million to ramp up production and expand into international markets.
europeanspaceflight.com/french-satel...
europeanspaceflight.com/french-satel...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Hey look it's a @vrubinobs.bsky.social difference imaging zooniverse game! Help us classify real vs bogus detections with REAL RUBIN DATA! www.zooniverse.org/projects/ebe...
November 11, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Hey look it's a @vrubinobs.bsky.social difference imaging zooniverse game! Help us classify real vs bogus detections with REAL RUBIN DATA! www.zooniverse.org/projects/ebe...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
🛰 Alors même qu'il a été éteint, le télescope spatial Gaia continue de faire des découvertes impressionnantes ! Son prochain jeu de données devrait contenir ~120 000 nouvelles exoplanètes 🤯 Elles sont identifiées en mesurant le très faible mouvement des étoiles qu'elles induisent
Gaia will find ~120,000 exoplanets, mostly super-Jupiters!
From 2014–2025 at L2, it tracked >1B stars so precisely: a pinhead on the Moon from Earth!
Full data by 2030; first release predicts 7,500 planets.
Also: hypervelocity stars, quad systems & ancient galaxy merger remnants. 🔭 🧪 #science
From 2014–2025 at L2, it tracked >1B stars so precisely: a pinhead on the Moon from Earth!
Full data by 2030; first release predicts 7,500 planets.
Also: hypervelocity stars, quad systems & ancient galaxy merger remnants. 🔭 🧪 #science
When you repeatedly measure the positions of over a billion stars so accurately that you can see a star moving by an amount equal to the size of a pinhead on the Moon, as seen from Earth... you find amazing things!
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
November 12, 2025 at 11:08 AM
🛰 Alors même qu'il a été éteint, le télescope spatial Gaia continue de faire des découvertes impressionnantes ! Son prochain jeu de données devrait contenir ~120 000 nouvelles exoplanètes 🤯 Elles sont identifiées en mesurant le très faible mouvement des étoiles qu'elles induisent
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
OHB has established the European Spaceport Company to consolidate its launch infrastructure projects, including its participation in the German Offshore Spaceport project.
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-establis...
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-establis...
OHB Establishes the European Spaceport Company - European Spaceflight
Germany's OHB has established the European Spaceport Company to consolidate its launch infrastructure projects.
europeanspaceflight.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
OHB has established the European Spaceport Company to consolidate its launch infrastructure projects, including its participation in the German Offshore Spaceport project.
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-establis...
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-establis...
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
November 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Macron is inaugurating on today, November 12, in Toulouse, the new buildings of the Space Command and is unveiling France’s space strategy. The French armed forces will acquire new capabilities to respond to hostile activities carried out by Russia from space.
Satellites de combat, lasers, brouilleurs: à Toulouse, la France contre-attaque face à la guerre spatiale de la Russie
Emmanuel Macron inaugure ce mercredi 12 novembre à Toulouse les nouveaux bâtiments du Commandement de l'espace, créé en 2019, et dévoile la stratégie spatiale de la France. L'armée française va se doter de nouvelles capacités pour faire face aux activités hostiles menées par la Russie depuis l'espace.
www.geo.fr
November 12, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Macron is inaugurating on today, November 12, in Toulouse, the new buildings of the Space Command and is unveiling France’s space strategy. The French armed forces will acquire new capabilities to respond to hostile activities carried out by Russia from space.
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Palantir update via www.wired.com/story/alex-k...
November 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Palantir update via www.wired.com/story/alex-k...
We continue to fuck this up so badly.
The International Energy Agency once predicted that demand for fossil fuels would peak this decade. But as global commitment to climate change policy fades, so have hopes of hitting "peak oil" any time soon. Here are the IEA's new forecasts.
Read the full story on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/47BdLOH
Read the full story on #FTEdit 👉 on.ft.com/47BdLOH
November 12, 2025 at 11:48 AM
We continue to fuck this up so badly.
Reposted by Rafael Mentges
Stärkster Sonnensturm des Jahres!
Vom 9. bis 11. November kam es auf der Sonne zu mehreren intensiven Eruptionen, darunter ein Sonnenflare der Stärke X5.1. Der geomagnetische Sturm erreicht Kategorie G4 („Severe“). Mögliche Folge: Störungen bei Satellitennavigation und Funk: s.dlr.de/sonnenerrupt...
Vom 9. bis 11. November kam es auf der Sonne zu mehreren intensiven Eruptionen, darunter ein Sonnenflare der Stärke X5.1. Der geomagnetische Sturm erreicht Kategorie G4 („Severe“). Mögliche Folge: Störungen bei Satellitennavigation und Funk: s.dlr.de/sonnenerrupt...
November 12, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Stärkster Sonnensturm des Jahres!
Vom 9. bis 11. November kam es auf der Sonne zu mehreren intensiven Eruptionen, darunter ein Sonnenflare der Stärke X5.1. Der geomagnetische Sturm erreicht Kategorie G4 („Severe“). Mögliche Folge: Störungen bei Satellitennavigation und Funk: s.dlr.de/sonnenerrupt...
Vom 9. bis 11. November kam es auf der Sonne zu mehreren intensiven Eruptionen, darunter ein Sonnenflare der Stärke X5.1. Der geomagnetische Sturm erreicht Kategorie G4 („Severe“). Mögliche Folge: Störungen bei Satellitennavigation und Funk: s.dlr.de/sonnenerrupt...
There seems to be a lot of news coming from OHB recently.
OHB Digital Connect has secured a €10.7 million contract to supply 86 receivers for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory in South Africa.
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-awarded-...
europeanspaceflight.com/ohb-awarded-...
OHB Awarded Germany’s First Square Kilometre Array Observatory Contract
OHB Digital Connect has secured a €10.7 million contract to supply 86 receivers for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory in South Africa.
europeanspaceflight.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 AM
There seems to be a lot of news coming from OHB recently.