May 10, 2025

Trump Assaults American Space Science (Source: Space News)
The cuts to NASA’s Science Directorate are part of an overall 24% slash to the space agency’s budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. Some of the other proposed program cancellations were justifiable. Topping this list was the useless Lunar Orbit Gateway. For the past half century, the Space Science Directorate, whose budget has hovered between 20 and 25% of NASA’s total, has been responsible for nearly 100% of the agency’s real accomplishments.

However of the $6 billion to be cut from NASA’s $25 billion budget, $3.5 billion will be taken the Space Science Directorate, reducing its budget 48% from $7.3 billion to $3.8 billion, while the remaining unproductive parts of the agency will only face a budgetary reduction of about 13%. Trump’s allies are circulating a number of lines to get conservatives to line up in support of the hatchet job on science. First among these is the claim that the Science Directorate should be cut because its Earth observation satellites are supposedly a tool for left wing climate alarmists.

This is simply untrue. The fact of the matter is that NASA’s Earth scientists have been quite willing to let their discoveries fall where they may, going so far as to show that carbon dioxide emissions accelerated global rates of plant growth by nearly 20% since 1985. Another argument is that we don’t need the Mars Sample Return mission, or any other program of robotic Mars explorations missions that might be done in its place, because SpaceX will allegedly launch its own Starship robotic mission to Mars in 2026. This line is wrong, and not merely because those promises are completely unrealistic. (5/9)

India's Woman Fighter Pilot Trailblazer Eyes Space (Source: Space Daily)
The excited little girl who first touched a plane two decades ago is now flying high as the face of India's fast-modernizing military and its only woman Rafale fighter pilot. Women were first inducted into the fighter pilot ranks in 2015, two decades after they were allowed to join the Indian Air Force (IAF). But her dreams are even bigger.

India is planning a manned space mission, and the pilot hopes that challenge will be her next frontier. "I succeeded in a field that was long reserved for men, and if I succeeded, then women can now work in any sector," she said, adding she had applied for training courses to be a test pilot. "I want to be an astronaut," she said. "So let's hope." (5/6)

SpaceX Launches 28 Starlink Satellites to From Florida on Saturday (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX sent another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast on May 10, its second launch in a little over six hours. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (5/10)

SpaceX Rocket Delivers 26 Starlink Satellites Into Orbit From Vandenberg on Friday (Source: Noozhawk)
After a several-day delay, a Falcon 9 rocket placed 26 Starlink satellites in orbit after lifting off Friday afternoon from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The two-stage rocket built by SpaceX blasted off from Space Launch Complex-4 on the South Base. (5/9)

Trump Administration to Revive National Space Council (Source: Politico)
The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration’s ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk. The revival of the council ends speculation that President Donald Trump would not bring back the office following lobbying from Musk’s SpaceX company. (5/9)

Lithuanian Firm to Test space Medicine on ISS (Source: LRT)
Delta Biosciences, a Lithuanian chemistry company, is partnering with ESA to launch a groundbreaking space medicine experiment aboard the ISS in 2026. The nearly three-year mission will test how radiation in space affects the stability of pharmaceuticals, including Delta Biosciences’ proprietary radioprotective compounds and radiation-resistant additives known as excipients. The goal is to extend the shelf life of medications for astronauts on long-duration missions, such as a future trip to Mars. (5/10)

Security Heightened At India’s Spaceport Amid Pakistan Tensions (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
Security has been tightened at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Center Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SDSC-SHAR) amidst the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the past three days. Under the supervision of Senior Commandant Sanjith Kumar, hundreds of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been deployed to ensure safety and security at India's premier spaceport. (5/9)

Trump’s Proposed NASA Cuts Undermine Nation on World Stage (Source: Las Vegas Sun)
NASA has always been one of America’s most ambitious dreams made real — a 60-year testament to the power of science, exploration and the collective power of a nation united in the pursuit of progress and exploration. So how is it that in 2025, on the eve of a new era in space exploration and scientific discovery, the federal government is preparing to starve the agency that put us on the moon, monitors our climate and fuels the technologies we rely on every day?

The Trump administration’s recently proposed fiscal year 2026 budget doesn’t just trim NASA’s sails, it threatens to ground the ship entirely. With a staggering 24% cut to NASA’s overall budget, the nation’s scientific leadership, technological innovation and even our national security hang in the balance. (5/10)

Startups Need a Clear Path to Working with the European Defense Agency (Source: Space News)
The 2024 Annual Report from the European Defence Agency (EDA) gives us many reasons to be optimistic. It shows a continent waking up to the need for more cooperation, faster and better innovation and more intelligent investment in security. But for all the progress Europe is making — and that shouldn’t be dismissed — it still lags behind the United States and China in one absolutely critical area: harnessing the power of startups.

But if Europe is serious about competing globally — more saliently, if Europe is serious about defending itself — then the EDA has to do more to boost its startups. There are fast-moving, high-impact companies run and staffed by thinkers and doers from some of the world’s best universities and research institutions, who stand ready to contribute. Many of them are developing cutting-edge solutions, from autonomous systems to advanced materials — solutions that could transform European defense and infrastructure. Despite all of this, the path for these startups to engage with the EDA remains unclear. (5/9)

GPS on the Moon: Spanish Firm Launches Lunar Navigation System (Source: Reuters)
Spanish technology company GMV has unveiled a GPS-like navigation system for the moon that aims to make lunar missions as intuitive as a drive across town with apps such as Google Maps or Waze. Called LUPIN, the project is part of a programme by the European Space Agency to test new positioning, navigation and timing techniques as interest in lunar surface exploration picks up again, whether for scientific research, potential mining opportunities or even future tourism. (5/9)

Head of Roscosmos Announces Upcoming Talks with NASA Head Candidate (Source: TASS)
Talks between Roscosmos and Jared Isaacman, a candidate for the position of NASA Head, are expected to take place soon, Head of Russian state space corporation Dmitry Bakanov told reporters. "We will be speaking with Jared Isaacman soon," Bakanov said. (5/9)

Soviet Kosmos 482 Spacecraft Crashes Into an Unknown Site on Earth (Source: NBC)
A Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 on a failed mission to Venus is believed to have crashed back onto Earth early on Saturday morning. The European Space Agency, which was monitoring the craft's uncontrolled descent, said it was last spotted by radar over Germany. At the time of its expected crash, radars could no longer detect the Kosmos 482, concluding that “it is most likely that the reentry has already occurred.” (5/10)

NASA Wallops to Support Sounding Rocket Launches (Source: NASA)
Precision sounding rockets are scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during a window extending from May 11-18, 2025. No real-time launch status updates will be available. The launch will not be livestreamed, and updates will not be provided during the countdown. The rocket launch may be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region. (5/9)

Space Force Weighs Options for Boosting Launch Resiliency, Capacity (Source: Defense News)
The Space Force is eyeing options to increase its launch capacity and resiliency as demand for U.S. national security and commercial launch continue to strain existing launch infrastructure. Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, who serves as program executive officer for assured access to space and oversees the service’s launch range operations, said this week the service is exploring a range of leads for increasing launch access — from new spaceports to international partnerships to newer models like sea-based launch. At the same time, it’s also investing in overburdened infrastructure at its current sites.

The service is “not in dire straits,” when it comes to launch capacity, she said, but its infrastructure is supporting a higher mission cadence than any other spaceport in the world — most of that driven by commercial launch business. “Where we’re seeing the need for added capacity is to be able to continue to support those commercial payloads,” Panzenhagen said. “What we need for the national security space launch, what we’re always looking for, is that added resiliency.” (5/7)

Engine Change Delays ispace-Built Lunar Lander Mission (Source: Space News)
A change in engines will cause the launch of a lunar lander being built for a NASA-funded mission to slip from 2026 to 2027. In a May 9 statement, ispace U.S., the American subsidiary of Japan’s ispace, said it will use a new engine called VoidRunner for its Apex 1.0 lunar lander. That lander is being developed by ispace U.S. for a team led by Draper flying a mission that is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. (5/9)

Anderson Nominated as NASA Deputy Administrator (Source: Space News)
The White House has nominated Matthew Anderson, a former Air Force officer, to be NASA's deputy administrator. Anderson served 24 years in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel in 2021, and is now a vice president at CACI International. He also is one of the leaders of the Space Force Association, an advocacy group. The nomination took some in the space community by surprise since he has not worked with NASA. However, Anderson knows Jared Isaacman, the nominee for NASA administrator, and has publicly supported that nomination. (5/9)

ClearSpace Advances Active Debris Removal Mission (Source: Space News)
ClearSpace has completed the next phase of work on a proposed active debris removal mission for the U.K. Space Agency. The Swiss company said Wednesday it finished the second phase of the project by testing and refining technology to remove satellites from low Earth orbit. ClearSpace and Astroscale are competing for a contract from the space agency to remove two defunct satellites from LEO. (5/9)

Sierra Space Demos NavSat Prototype (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space has completed a ground-based demonstration of a prototype navigation satellite. The demonstration, conducted in a laboratory using a "FlatSat" setup, tested Sierra Space's satellite hardware and flight software, along with ground communications systems. Sierra Space, based in Colorado, is one of three companies selected in 2024 to compete in the Space Force's Resilient GPS program, which aims to supplement traditional GPS satellites with smaller, commercially developed systems. (5/9)

Starlink Gains in India (Source: Business Today)
Starlink is a step closer to beginning service in India. SpaceX received a letter of intent this week from the Indian government's Department of Telecommunications, giving its approval for the company to offer Starlink services in the country. The notice confirmed that SpaceX accepted national security requirements for offering service in the country, including local data processing and use of domestic sources for ground segment equipment. SpaceX still needs a license from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre as well as a spectrum allocation before it can operate in India. (5/9)

Dems Request Details on Musk's DoD and NASA Conflicts of Interest (Source: Space News)
Top Democrats on two House committees are asking NASA and the Pentagon for details about potential conflicts of interest involving Elon Musk. The letter from ranking members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Science Committee sought details on how NASA and the Defense Department are addressing potential conflicts of interest involving Musk's roles as both CEO of SpaceX and a senior adviser to President Trump. The letter also cited concerns that Chinese investors have put money into SpaceX through offshore accounts. This is the latest in a series of letters from congressional Democrats about such issues, which have gotten little traction to date. (5/9)

PEER Sees Musk Influence in Potential NOAA Pollution Research (Source: The Guardian)
Environmental advocates are concerned that NOAA will cancel research into atmospheric pollution from reentering satellites. An advocacy group, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said it is looking into whether Elon Musk played a role in a proposal by NOAA to close its office of atmospheric research and freeze funding of existing grants. That office had funded research into the effects on the upper atmosphere from the reentries of satellites, which can deposit metals that can affect atmospheric chemistry. (5/9)

Japan's Alexspace Plans IPO (Source: Reuters)
Japanese satellite imagery company Alexspace is reportedly planning an IPO. The company, which operates several small satellites to provide imagery, as well as builds satellites for other companies, has filed with the Tokyo Stock Exchange to go public as soon as June. The company is working on a new set of seven imaging satellites next year, as well as a prototype of that series slated to launch next month. Axelspace would be the first Japanese space startup to go public in recent years, following satellite servicing company Astroscale, lunar lander developer ispace and SAR companies iQPS and Synspective. (5/9)