May 16, 2025

Thrusters Reactivated on Voyager 1 Probe (Source: Space.com)
Controllers have reactivated a set of thrusters on Voyager 1 that have not been used in two decades. NASA said engineers were able to turn on the backup set of thrusters that were turned off in 2004 and thought to be no longer functional. The backup thrusters are needed since the performance of the spacecraft's primary thrusters is degrading. The mission wanted the backup thrusters working by early this month, when a Deep Space Network antenna used to transmit commands to the spacecraft went offline for upgrades. Having the backup thrusters working ensures the spacecraft can maintain attitude control during the outage if the primary thrusters fail. (5/16)

Australian Launch Delayed Indefinitely (Source: Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
Gilmour Space has indefinitely delayed its first launch after a mishap involving the rocket's payload fairing. The company said Thursday that, during prelaunch preparations, the payload fairing for the Eris rocket accidentally separated. The company added there was no other damage to the rocket, and that it will replace the fairing and conduct a full investigation. The company did not estimate when it would be ready to make a launch attempt, but the company's CEO said the investigation would take as long as two weeks. (5/16)

Too Soon to Estimate Golden Dome's Cost (Source: Space News)
The commanding general of the Space Force said it is too soon to estimate how much the Golden Dome missile defense initiative will cost. Speaking at an event Thursday, Gen. Chance Saltzman said the Pentagon was still in the "early planning" of the system that seeks to create a comprehensive shield protecting the United States against an array of missile threats, with extensive use of space systems.

Asked, though, about a recent Congressional Budget Office report that Golden Dome could cost more than $500 billion, he said he's "never seen an early estimate that was too high." At a separate event, Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, the Space Force's deputy chief of operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, said an early glimpse into the potential cost will come in the Pentagon's upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget request. (5/16)

DoD Cancels Eutelsat Contract (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat lost a large contract with the Defense Department to provide satellite communications services. The canceled contract reflects shifting geographic priorities under the new U.S. administration, Eutelsat said, alongside broader efforts to cut government spending, with the company adding that the canceled contract "might be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction" by the Trump administration. Overall, Eutelsat reported 300 million euros ($336 million) in total revenue for the three months of 2025, the company's fiscal third quarter, down 1.9% from the same quarter a year ago. Despite the lost contract, the company reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance, expecting results to remain broadly in line with the previous fiscal year. (5/16)

Dems Frustrated at Lack of Clarity on NASA Budget Cuts (Source: Space News)
A hearing about the threat posed by asteroid impacts also discussed the threat of budget cut impacts at NASA. The hearing by the House Science Committee's space subcommittee Thursday was devoted to NASA's planetary defense program, a small part of the overall agency budget but one with high public interest and broad political support. Democratic members of the committee used the hearing to seek information about the effects of a proposed 47% funding cut for science in NASA's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.

An agency official said there was little information NASA could provide now beyond the "skinny" budget proposal released two weeks ago. NASA delayed a call for research proposals in February to give it time to evaluate the impact of the cuts, and the agency now expects to release that call as soon as the end of the month. (5/16)

Solestial Raises $17 Million, Gets New CEO (Source: Space News)
Solestial, a company developing spacecraft solar power systems, has raised $17 million and hired a new CEO. The company announced the Series A round Thursday led by AE Ventures, which it will use to expand manufacturing of silicon photovoltaics for space applications. Solestial's technology relies on silicon rather than gallium or rare earth elements, reducing supply chain issues while also offering greater flexibility and reduced mass. Solestial also announced it hired as its new CEO Margo de Naray, former Astra senior vice president and general manager of space products and services. (5/16)

Virgin Galactic Says New Spaceplane Development is On Track (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic says work on its new spaceplanes remains on track. The company used an earnings call Thursday to highlight progress on the new vehicles, stating that it is holding a schedule that calls for the first commercial flights, carrying research payloads, to begin in summer 2026, with private astronaut missions starting that fall. Virgin also expects to reopen ticket sales in the first quarter of next year, but with ticket prices likely higher than the $600,000 it previously charged. (5/16)

NOAA Scrambles to Fill Forecasting Jobs as Hurricane Season Looms (Source: Washington Post)
Some National Weather Service forecasting teams are so critically understaffed that the agency is offering to pay moving expenses for any staff willing to transfer to those offices. The 155 vacancies the agency is seeking to fill by May 27 include key weather forecasting positions at offices in coastal Texas and Louisiana, states that could face threats when the Atlantic hurricane season begins in a few weeks.

The number of vacancies underscores how in the administration’s efforts to streamline government and boost efficiency it may be threatening core agency functions, he said. “For most of the last half century NWS has been a 24/7 operation — not anymore thanks to Elon Musk,” said Tom Fahy. (5/14)

Norway Joins Artemis Accords as 55th Signatory (Source: NASA)
Following an international signing ceremony Thursday, NASA congratulated Norway on becoming the latest country to join the Artemis Accords, committing to the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration of space.

The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention and the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. (5/15)

Kazakhstan Denies Reports Russia to Seek Early Termination of Baikonur Spaceport Use (Source: Space Daily)
Kazakhstan said Thursday there were no talks on Russia giving up its lease on the Baikonur spaceport before it runs out in 2050, amid reports Moscow is looking to ditch the ageing cosmodrome. The spaceport is used by Russia to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

But Moscow has signaled it aims to pull out of the ISS -- one of the rare projects where Russian cooperation continues with Western countries -- as early as 2028. That has put the status of Baikonur at risk, with Kazakh media reporting that Russia could give up renting the facility sometime between 2026 and 2028. "The question of early termination of the lease, or transfer of the city of Baikonur to the full control of the Kazakh side, is not being considered at this time," the Kazakh aerospace industry ministry said. (5/15)

China Completes Testing of Powerful Reusable Liquid Rocket Engine (Source: Space Daily)
China has successfully completed full-scale testing of a 140-tonne liquid oxygen-methane rocket engine, a critical component for the nation's reusable carrier rockets, according to its developer, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology. The engine, boasting the highest thrust among China's current open-cycle liquid oxygen-methane models, represents a significant advancement in the country's reusable space vehicle program.

This engine is intended to power a new generation of reusable launch vehicles, supporting both space-Earth transportation systems and heavy-lift rockets. The academy emphasized that this latest achievement marks a critical milestone, demonstrating rapid progress with the engine's development completed in just seven months. (5/14)

New Study Reveals Record-Breaking Solar Storm from 12,350 BC (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists have identified the most intense solar particle storm ever detected, dating back to 12,350 BC, significantly revising our understanding of ancient space weather and radiocarbon dating. This groundbreaking discovery was made possible through the SOCOL:14C-Ex model, developed by researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland, designed to analyze extreme solar storms under ancient glacial conditions.

The study identified an 18% stronger spike in radiocarbon than the previously strongest known event from AD 775. This marks the most intense solar storm detected in tree-ring archives, far surpassing modern records. "Compared to the largest event of the modern satellite era - the 2005 particle storm - the ancient 12,350 BC event was over 500 times more intense, according to our estimates," explained Dr. Kseniia Golubenko. (5/15)

Trump’s NASA Budget — Shifting From Star Trek to Dune? (Source: Space Policy Online)
The space community is still trying to grasp the implications of the Trump Administration’s proposal to slice almost 25 percent out of NASA’s budget, adding money for Moon-to-Mars and cutting it everywhere else. Details are pending and some hope the proposal never becomes reality once a NASA Administrator is in place and Congress weighs in, but for now the proposal is the plan. One former NASA official wonders if it signals a seismic shift, from the bright space future envisioned in Star Trek to the darker world of Frank Herbert’s Dune.

After talking through the proposed 47 percent cut to NASA’s science portfolio and the nationwide workforce impacts it presages at NASA centers and universities, NASA’s former Chief Economist Alex MacDonald mused about the signal it sends. “I think this is one of the hard things for the community, dealing with the shift from kind of living in the Star Trek ideal where we did space exploration for science, for international partnerships, peaceful exploration. And we’re moving maybe a little bit more into the Dune world where spaceflight is about power and resources and conflict. That’s the hard part of what the community is struggling with.” (5/14)

Space Force Officer Reacts After Supreme Court Allows Transgender Military Ban (Source: NPR)
A ruling from the Supreme Court last week allowed the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender military service members, while legal challenges to the policy move forward. The U.S. military is currently offering voluntary separation to trans troops — after which it will initiate an involuntary separation process.

Col. Bree Fram, an openly transgender member of the U.S. Space Force, is also one of the highest-ranking transgender service members in the armed forces. Click here. (5/13) 

NASA’s Artemis III Core Stage Receives Thermal Protection Coating (Source: NASA)
NASA completed another step to ready its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the Artemis III mission as crews at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans recently applied a thermal protection system to the core stage’s liquid hydrogen tank. (5/13)

Telstra Just Months Away From Offering Satellite Text Messaging to Aussies Via Starlink (Source: Finder)
Earlier this year, Telstra announced it was teaming up with Starlink to use SpaceX's technology to connect Aussies in remote areas. Since April, it has sent more than 55,000 text messages using Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra. Around 500+ of these were sent during a live trial in areas beyond Telstra's mobile network coverage, including parts of NT, WA, QLD and NSW. The types of text messages sent include GPS coordinates and emojis. (5/15)

Spire Global Selected for U.S. Space Force Contract with $237 Million Ceiling (Source: Spire)
Spire Global has been selected by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract under the Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0 program. The 10-year contract has a ceiling of $237 million and is part of the Department of Defense’s broader Space Test Program.

Spire is eligible to compete for future task orders to design, build, integrate and operate satellite buses that host experimental payloads. These platforms will support the rapid deployment and on-orbit demonstration of emerging space technologies, with work awarded in phases over the duration of the contract. (5/14)

More Speculation on Future of Space Command in Southern Colorado (Source: KKTV)
Commentary this week from national lawmakers has once again raised the possibility of Space Command moving from Southern Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama. On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Dr. Troy Meink as the 27th Secretary of the Air Force. One Alabama lawmaker said that is a sign of progress in the process to decide the future location of Space Command. “That right there also starts the process to bring us a Secretary of the Air Force, which will then bring a recommendation for Space Command,” Rep. Dale Strong said. (5/14)

Ukraine's Space Policy Directorate: MoD Explains Role of New Body (Source: RBC-Ukraine)
In March, Ukraine established the Space Policy Directorate. It has now been revealed who will be part of the new body and what its responsibilities will be, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The Directorate will operate in three main areas, according to the Ministry of Defense.

First, it will improve the regulatory and legal framework and develop documents to advance the military's space capabilities. Second, the Directorate will focus on technological expertise. It will collaborate with research institutions, centers, and developers to identify promising technologies and specialists for integration into the defense sector. Third, it will establish partnerships with international governmental and commercial entities, signing contracts for the supply of technologies and data. (5/14)

No One Knows Who’s in Charge of Trump’s Dramatic Space Policy (Source: Politico)
The White House has galactic-sized plans for space. But no one seems to know who will carry them out. Space industry officials and Capitol Hill staffers describe a rudderless administration when it comes to space policy, with no single person driving the big shifts. This has left them confused about the White House’s priorities and their role in the process, even as President Donald Trump pushes to put humans back on the moon, land an astronaut on Mars and redefine American space power.

Interviews with 12 industry officials and Hill staff — many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic — revealed broad confusion over who’s in charge. The people said they usually turn to one of the three White House bodies covering space to make sense of it all, particularly the National Space Council, which typically takes the lead in drafting space policy and executing the president’s orders. But the council so far is unstaffed, although the White House intends to revive it. (5/14)

For the First Time in the US, a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Takes Flight, at Spaceport America (Source: Ars Technica)
A US-based propulsion company, Venus Aerospace, said Wednesday it had completed a short flight test of its rotating detonation rocket engine at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company's chief executive and co-founder, Sassie Duggleby, characterized the flight as "historic." It is believed to be the first US-based flight test of an idea that has been discussed academically for decades, a rotating detonation rocket engine. The concept has previously been tested in a handful of other countries, but never with a high-thrust engine. (5/14)

On DOGE's Chopping Block: The Iconic NASA Office that Changed Climate Science Forever (Source: Fast Company)
In recent months, the drama around Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Trump’s efforts to defund federal agencies, and the court cases challenging these moves have consumed the news. It’s understandable that an announcement last month about a small office lease on the Upper West Side of Manhattan being canceled didn’t get much attention.

But that 43,000-square-foot space near Columbia University is home to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, or GISS, a NASA research outfit, think tank, and pioneer in climate change research that will see its lease terminated by the end of the month, per a NASA spokesperson. Currently, the institute has no permanent home to move into. (5/14)

DOGE is Incinerating What Makes America Great (Source: SPACErePORT)
When discussing incentives for SpaceX expansion over a decade ago, Elon Musk told Florida legislators that "investment follows talent." So it is astonishing to see DOGE and the Trump administration implement the seemingly mindless incineration of the science and research capabilities that have been the driving force behind a century of American global leadership.

Our governmental and academic research institutions, and the people who provide their brainpower, are being weakened or eliminated in a pursuit of short-term cost savings. It could take decades to rebuild what is now being lost. It is simply wrong to argue that the private sector will fund the kinds of research and technology development now performed by our national labs and universities; companies are averse to the risks and expense involved in hard-science investment.

The brightest minds from around the world have historically come to the USA to be part of its culture of scientific discovery and technological innovation. Now those people are frightened to enter our hostile borders, and our now-diminished support for science makes America even less attractive. Is this how we outcompete China? Is this how we make America "great again"? (5/15)

NASA’s Magellan Mission Reveals Possible Tectonic Activity on Venus (Source: University of Maryland)
Vast, quasi-circular features on Venus’ surface may reveal that the planet has ongoing tectonics, according to new research based on data gathered more than 30 years ago by NASA’s Magellan mission. On Earth, the planet’s surface is continually renewed by the constant shifting and recycling of massive sections of crust, called tectonic plates, that float atop a viscous interior. Venus doesn’t have tectonic plates, but its surface is still being deformed by molten material from below. (5/14)

Power System Glitch Delays Australian-Made Rocket Launch (Source: Space Daily)
An Australian aerospace firm said Thursday it has delayed a historic first attempt to launch a locally developed rocket into orbit, with a jar of Vegemite as its payload. Gilmour Space Technologies said a ground system glitch forced it to postpone the first test launch of its three-stage Eris rocket by a day until Friday. (5/15)