A planet spotted 336 light-years from Earth could help scientists learn more about whether there is a large "Planet Nine" or "Planet X" lurking in the outskirts of our solar system.
Why it matters: Scientists have been hunting for the hypothetical Planet Nine for years. The new characterization of this alien planet by the Hubble Space Telescope shows that worlds like the theoretical planet can exist in other solar systems.
Amazon Web Services' new space division — started this summer — is now working to reduce earthly limits on the collection and use of space data.
Why it matters: Commanding a satellite to point to a specific spot on Earth, collecting the desired data and then beaming the information back through a ground station to customers can take 24 hours or more. That kind of delay can make the data outdated and in some cases unusable.
President Trump put the American space program front-and-center during his tenure, defining priorities in orbit and beyond that will outlast his four years as president.
The big picture: The Trump administration helped open up new commercial opportunities in orbit, building on years of work by the space industry. But some question whether those gains are sustainable in the long term.
