May 1, 2025

Trump Suggests Single Contractor for FAA Modernization (Source: The Air Current)
President Donald Trump has proposed awarding a single contract for modernization of the national air traffic control system, naming Raytheon and IBM as potential candidates, a departure from the Federal Aviation Administration's plan to use multiple companies. The proposal comes as the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advances a plan to spend $12.5 billion for the project in the 2025 budget cycle. (4/30)

Apex Secures $200 Million to Ramp Up Satellite Bus Production (Source: Space Daily)
Apex Space has closed a $200 million Series C funding round to expand its production of standardized, high-volume satellite buses. The funding will accelerate Apex's ability to meet growing demand from both government and commercial customers. The announcement follows the successful one-year on-orbit milestone of Apex's first spacecraft. (4/30)

China Pioneers Daytime Satellite Laser Ranging in Earth Moon Space (Source: Space Daily)
Chinese researchers have made a landmark achievement in space navigation by successfully conducting the world's first daytime satellite laser ranging in the Earth-moon region. The breakthrough overcomes long-standing challenges associated with solar interference.

The milestone was reached by a team led by Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who on Sunday captured a laser return signal from the Tiandu-1 satellite. The satellite, located approximately 130,000 kilometers from Earth, reflected the laser using its onboard retroreflector. The experiment was performed using a newly upgraded near-infrared lunar laser ranging system on a 1.2-meter telescope. (5/1)

NASA Images Reveal Texan Conditions Not Seen Since 1936 (Source: Newsweek)
Stuck in the grip of an exceptional drought, the city of El Paso, Texas, is facing dusty conditions not seen in nearly 90 years. NASA has released an image of the latest dust storm captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the space agency's Aqua satellite, on April 27.

Particles can be seen streaming through the air from dried lakes and other parched areas in New Mexico and the Mexican state of Chihuahua toward El Paso and Las Cruces. Environmental scientist Thomas Gill of the University of Texas at El Paso has been using such satellite observations and modeling to track dust activity in the Borderplex Region that straddles the Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua border intersection. (5/1)

Someone’s Actually Winning the Trade War. It’s Elon Musk and Starlink (Source: Washington Post)
The past several weeks might have been tumultuous or even existential for a lot of U.S. businesses caught up in trade wars, but they’ve been pretty darn good for Starlink, the satellite company owned by Elon Musk. After years of regulatory holdups, Starlink reached distribution deals in March with two giant internet providers in India, the world’s most populous country, and won approval in neighboring Pakistan as well.

Another of America’s major trade partners, Vietnam, waived a rule that required Starlink to partner with a domestic company and said it would launch a five-year pilot program with Starlink. Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of garments to the U.S., just announced its own deal with Starlink after months of stalled negotiations. And in Lesotho, officials brushed aside long-standing objections to Starlink’s foreign ownership and granted the company a license.

All of these countries represent long-sought partnerships for Musk, and all of them but Lesotho will rank among Starlink’s top markets in terms of population. This flurry of expansion, of course, comes as most of the world views Musk as the second most powerful man in D.C. So it raises some obvious questions. Are America’s trade partners, desperate to duck Trump’s threats of devastating tariffs against pretty much every country on the planet, rushing to give Musk access to their markets because they think it’s good politics? (5/1)

FAA Could Get $15B to Update Airspace Management Systems (Source: Flying)
A budget reconciliation proposal put forward by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure would set aside $15 billion for the FAA to modernize air traffic control (ATC) systems. The money would help replace outdated ATC technology, update aspects of the system that need improvement, and facilitate the hiring of new controllers. (4/29)

Innovative Methods Refine Search for Lunar Ice (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists continue to push the boundaries of lunar exploration with new strategies to identify and map ice deposits on the Moon. Ice could play a vital role in supporting future human activity on the lunar surface, providing life support resources and fuel ingredients. At the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, researchers are leading two pioneering investigations to enhance our understanding of where and how much ice is hidden on the Moon.

A highly sensitive instrument known as ShadowCam aboard the Korea Lunar Pathfinder Orbiter is engineered to detect faint illumination reflected from crater walls, enabling scientists to peer into these obscured areas. Another effort uses sophisticated simulations to model how radar waves would travel through lunar regolith and interact with different materials. (4/24)

New Zealand Cracks Down on Foreign Actors Surveilling Space Activity (Source: Space Daily)
New Zealand said Monday it will crack down on foreign adversaries trying to covertly track space and satellite activity from within its territory. The country's intelligence service revealed last year that foreign entities had sought to establish space infrastructure in New Zealand that was supposedly for civilian research.

In each case, they had "deliberately hidden" the full capabilities, which may have helped foreign military activity, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service said. New regulations will come into force in July to stop "foreign interference" with infrastructure that can track and control spacecraft, surveil space and transfer data to and from spacecraft. The remedy includes fines and potential jail time for violators. (4/28)

Sidus Space and Saturn Satellite Networks Plan Next-Generation GEO Satellite Platform (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has agreed with Saturn Satellite Networks to collaborate on the development and deployment of Saturn’s SBN-X platform — a new low-cost, high-performance GEO satellite solution. Saturn intends to award Sidus a scope of work that includes Assembly, Integration, and Testing at Sidus’ advanced manufacturing facilities near the Cape Canaveral Spaceport; acquisition of certain satellite subcomponents; as well as mechanical component engineering and manufacturing services. (4/30)

Flares From Magnetized Stars Can Forge Planets' Worth of Gold (Source: Phys.org)
Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown birthplace of some of the universe's rarest elements: a giant flare unleashed by a supermagnetized star. The astronomers calculated that such flares could be responsible for forging up to 10% of our galaxy's gold, platinum and other heavy elements. The discovery also resolves a decades-long mystery concerning a bright flash of light and particles spotted by a space telescope in December 2004.

The light came from a magnetar—a type of star wrapped in magnetic fields trillions of times as strong as Earth's—that had unleashed a giant flare. The powerful blast of radiation only lasted a few seconds, but it released more energy than the sun does in 1 million years. While the flare's origin was quickly identified, a second, smaller signal from the star, peaking 10 minutes later, confounded scientists at the time. For 20 years, that signal went unexplained. (4/29)

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission Exceeds All Expectations (Source: Daily Galaxy)
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander mission has set new standards for private space exploration. After its successful landing on March 2, 2025, the lander provided crucial insights into the moon’s surface conditions and validated advanced technologies designed for future lunar missions. Click here. (4/29)

Space Place to Found a Community Not a Colony (Source: China Daily)
Although the United States tries to peddle the "China threat" theory to smear the country's space exploration, the world sees a different picture. China is willing to deepen its cooperation and exchanges with other countries to advance space exploration and the peaceful use of outer space and to make better use of space technology for the interests of all people around the world. It is Washington that sees space as a new arena for geopolitical games and a first-come-first-served virgin land that the US must colonize to meet its own narrow ends.

China's vision of lowering the "threshold" for developing countries to enter and explore space is also a manifestation of the country fulfilling its international obligations as a major spacefaring nation that is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind. China remains open to cooperation with other countries, including the US, for the peaceful exploration of space. (4/30)

Oman’s Etlaq Spaceport Testing Rockets for Start-Ups Ahead of Expansion (Source: The National)
Oman’s Etlaq spaceport is positioning itself as a fast-track launch site for start-ups, offering quick access to rocket testing, while plans for construction of a full-scale orbital spaceport are progressing ahead of a scheduled 2027 opening. Through its Genesis program, Etlaq has created temporary but fully operational facilities at the coastal desert site in Duqm, allowing companies to plan and execute high-altitude missions in as little as 13 weeks.

The streamlined process is designed to cater to the growing demand from private launch companies, in stark contrast to the practice in countries such the US, where launch approval from the Federal Aviation Administration can take months. The Genesis operations occupy only about 10 percent of the total space allocated for the spaceport. (4/30)

New President of the Polish Space Agency (Source: Defence24)
On 29 April, the Minister of Development and Technology, Krzysztof Paszyk, presented the letter of appointment to the position of President of the Polish Space Agency (POLSA). Dr. Marta Ewa Wachowicz has been appointed as the new President of the Polish Space Agency. It is worth noting that she holds an academic background in space research. She earned her PhD in physics in the field of space physics at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences. (4/30)

True Anomaly Raises $260 Million (Source: Space News)
True Anomaly has raised $260 million. The company designs spacecraft that can maneuver near other satellites in orbit, technology that aligns with U.S. efforts to bolster space domain awareness and respond to potential threats in orbit. The company said the funding will support work on four missions over the next 18 months as well as development of new products and growth of the company from 170 to 250 employees. (5/1)

Isaacman Advances in Confirmation Process (Source: Space News)
Jared Isaacman is a step closer to becoming NASA's next administrator after a committee vote Wednesday. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 19-9 to advance Isaacman's nomination to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. The committee's chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and ranking member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said they both supported the nomination based on Isaacman's commitment to continue the Artemis lunar exploration effort. The full Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on the nomination. (5/1)

Waltz Defends Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Mike Waltz, the president's [now former] national security adviser, defended the Golden Dome missile defense initiative amid congressional debates. Speaking at The Hill & Valley Forum Wednesday, Waltz drew parallels between Golden Dome and Trump's push to establish the Space Force during his first term, an effort ridiculed by some but which Waltz said with hindsight is now "prescient."

His comments came the same day that the strategic forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee debated the program, with subcommittee chairman Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) calling it essential for defending from missile attacks. By contrast, ranking member Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) called Golden Dome a "fantasy" that could trigger an arms race. (5/1)

NASA Delays SMEX Mission (Source: Space News)
NASA is delaying a call for proposals for an astrophysics mission by at least a year. NASA said this week that the announcement of opportunity for the next Small Explorer, or SMEX, mission that was to be released in April had been delayed to at least April 2026. NASA did not disclose the reason for the delay, but at a committee meeting last month an agency official said the release of the call for proposals would be linked to budgets the agency expected for 2026 and beyond. The administration is reportedly proposing to cut NASA science programs by nearly 50%, with even steeper cuts to astrophysics. A top-level "skinny" budget proposal for 2026 could be released as soon as Friday, with the more detailed budget to come in late May. (5/1)

Thruster Problem With Psyche Probe (Source: Space News)
NASA is investigating a problem with the electric thrusters on its Psyche probe. NASA said the spacecraft turned off its Hall effect thrusters in early April after a drop in pressure in a line that feeds xenon propellant to them. Options to fix the problem include switching to a backup propellant line. The agency said it has until mid-June to implement a solution before the spacecraft's trajectory is significantly affected. Psyche uses electric propulsion along with a Mars flyby next year to reach the main belt asteroid Psyche in 2029. (5/1)

ISS Maneuvers to Avoid Chinese Debris (Source: NASA)
The ISS performed a maneuver Wednesday to avoid a piece of Chinese space debris. A Progress spacecraft docked to the station fired its thrusters for three and a half minutes to adjust the station's orbit and provide more clearance from a piece of debris from a 2005 launch. Without the maneuver the debris would have passed about two-thirds of a kilometer from the station. (5/1)

NASA Swaps SLS Engine (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA swapped a shuttle-era main engine on the Space Launch System rocket being prepared for the Artemis 2 mission. The agency said that one of the four RS-25 engines has a hydraulic leak and the program decided to replace the entire engine. SLS uses engines originally built for the shuttle program for its first four launches, with later launches using new engines. The engine swap won't delay the schedule for the Artemis 2 mission, scheduled for early 2026. (5/1)

Canada Urged to Develop Spaceport (Source: SpaceQ)
Canada needs to develop domestic launch capabilities to join the "club" of respected space powers. That was the message from a session of the Canadian Space Launch Conference this week. Industry and government panelists argued that Canada needs to invest in key strategic capabilities, like launch, to gain access to key programs by U.S. and NATO allies. Doing so, they said, will also give Canada "agency over our own decisions" in space and related areas. (5/1)

Cornwall Spaceport Funding Revoked (Source: Falmouth Packet)
A UK spaceport has lost funding from a local government because of conflict-of-interest concerns. The Cornwall Council awarded £200,000 ($265,000) to Spaceport Cornwall earlier this year. Days later, a councilor, Louis Gardner, announced plans to step down and take a job with the spaceport. Gardner had not disclosed plans to go work for the spaceport when the council considered the funding. The council has since revoked the funding after concluding it did not offer "best value for money for the taxpayer." (5/1)

Environmental Consequences for Musk's Starbase Town (Source: Fast Company)
Birds, animals, and other wildlife have been damaged by nearby rocket launches, claims Mary Angela Branch, a board member of Save RGV, a nonprofit environmental justice group that has opposed efforts by SpaceX to expand and increase launches near important wetlands and protected parkland. SpaceX has previously denied the accuracy of these environmental claims. “It’s a dead zone now,” said Branch, who has had a home in the area for nearly a decade.

“It’s the saddest thing, since it was a very underappreciated area. You’d see herons, ducks, butterflies, birds, and egrets on the tidal flats. There is nothing there now, it’s just brown and dead.” Another organization, Defenders of Wildlife, has chronicled habitat destruction from falling debris and wildfires. Advocates like Branch and local environmental groups fear damage could increase when Starbase becomes not just a company facility and launch site—but its own town. (5/1)

Rep. Angie Craig, Critic of Musk, Donating SpaceX PAC Campaign Contributions (Source: Minnesota Reformer)
A political fund associated with SpaceX — the company founded by world’s richest man Elon Musk — has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, who announced her campaign for U.S. Senate this week. The SpaceX PAC is a corporate political action committee that has donated generously to Republican and Democratic members of Congress across the country, including U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and Minnesota Republicans, in addition to Craig.

The SpaceX PAC hasn’t received donations from Elon Musk, though he is the company CEO. The SpaceX PAC’s treasurer is the treasury director for SpaceX, and the PAC email address is that of a company lobbyist. In 2024, Craig’s campaign for U.S. House received $10,000 from the SpaceX PAC, while Craig’s leadership PAC received a $2,500 donation. (4/30)

Democratic Lawmakers Call for Review of Musk's Role in Golden Dome (Source: Reuters)
A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers has called for a review of Elon Musk's role in the bidding process for the "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, a project championed by President Donald Trump. In a letter dated May 1 and sent to the acting US Defense Department Inspector General, the group, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Greg Casar, requested a probe into the origins of the procurement process, citing concerns over the involvement of Elon Musk's SpaceX. (5/1)

Firefly Alpha Rocket Grounded After In-Flight Anomaly (Source: Flying)
Firefly Aerospace’s two-stage Alpha rocket on Monday suffered a failure during the first of 25 missions purchased last year by customer Lockheed Martin, marking its fourth partial or complete failure in six launch attempts. The mishap prevented Lockheed’s payload—a technology demonstration satellite—from reaching orbit. The FAA on Tuesday said it will require Firefly to complete a mishap investigation before Alpha is cleared for its next launch. (4/30)

First Kuiper Launch Down, 79 To Go (Source: Aviation Week)
As a shipper, Amazon knows firsthand the challenges of timely and on-budget delivery services. So it was with great anticipation and not a little relief that its initial clutch of Kuiper satellites reached orbit April 28, kicking off what could be the mega-retailer’s next Kindle-class product: global broadband service. The company has FCC authorization to operate up to 12,000 Starlink satellites, and it has requested to launch an additional 30,000.

Kuiper Atlas 1 (KA-01) was the first of 77 launches that Amazon purchased from ULA, Arianespace and Blue Origin—plus three from SpaceX—to deliver its network into orbit. The bulk of the flights went to ULA, which plans seven more launches on Atlas V rockets, a heritage system that is being retired, and 38 missions on its new Vulcan booster. (5/1)

Where Camels Roam and Rockets Launch: Inside Oman’s Remote Coastal Desert Spaceport (Source: The National)
Etlaq spaceport in Duqm – a quiet coastal town about five hours from the Omani capital of Muscat – is still very much under construction. But the ambition behind it is crystal clear: Oman is building a commercial launch site that could one day rival Cape Canaveral in Florida or Baikonur in Kazakhstan, with private companies sending rockets into orbit right on the edge of the Arabian Sea.

In December, Etlaq hosted its first test flight - a 6.5-metre rocket that launched successfully from its pad in Duqm. That moment set the stage for five more launches planned this year, giving start-ups a chance to test their rockets, while Omani engineers sharpen their skills before the spaceport begins full commercial services, scheduled for the end of 2027. (5/1)

NASA Has Used the US Military for Astronaut Rescue for Decades. So Why Ask Private Companies for Help Now? (Source: Space.com)
NASA is asking private industry and academia for ideas for new rescue services for its astronauts on Earth in the event of emergencies during rocket launches, spacecraft free flight or landings. The agency published a request for information (RFI) on April 23 seeking information from "all interested parties," including private businesses and universities, for astronaut crew rescue services for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

Currently, the DoD is responsible for rescuing astronauts in the event of emergencies here on Earth, NASA notes in the RFI. But the agency is now looking for more options for "rescue during off-nominal situations beyond the requirements of CCP mission providers," the RFI notes. A spokesperson from NASA's Commercial Crew Program said these commercial options, if they are available, may be more cost-effective and flexible than what is currently available. In addition, the request is "part of NASA's continued effort to enable a robust commercial industry and supports policy that encourages development of a thriving United States commercial sector." (4/30)