May 2, 2025

Space Force Plans Special Operations Command (Source: Task & Purpose)
Space Force already has at least one ‘Space Ranger’ and several “Space Cowboys” who’ve completed an infamous “spur ride” with 1st Infantry Division cavalry scouts. But now the newest military service will have its own special operations component. The smallest branch plans to stand up its own component inside U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, which oversees the missions and operations of elite units like Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets. The Guardians won’t be crawling through mud or eating snakes, but they will be teamed up with and work to support special operators under SOCOM’s operational control as part of Space Force Special Operations Command. (5/1)

Largest Sample Yet for Biological and Materials Science From China's TSS (Source: Space Daily)
The latest batch of experimental samples from China's Tiangong space station has safely returned to Earth, totaling approximately 37.25 kilograms and spanning 25 scientific investigations. Delivered by the Shenzhou-19 return capsule, this marks the eighth consignment of space station research materials.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) reported that the experiments covered space life sciences, advanced materials, and novel space technologies. After recovery at the landing site, time-sensitive biological samples were promptly sent to Beijing and transferred to scientists following inspection by CAS's Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization.

This batch included 20 types of biological samples, the most diverse collected to date during Tiangong's operational phase. These included bone cells, human stem cells, bronchial epithelial cells, embryos from humans and animals, protein samples, and fruit flies. (5/2)

Aerospacelab Chosen to Supply Satellite Platform for JAXA Mission Via Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (Source: Space Daily)
Aerospacelab has secured a key contract to provide the satellite platform for a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) demonstration mission, in collaboration with Japanese partner Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA). The platform will host JAXA's SAMRAI payload, marking Aerospacelab's first direct engagement with both MBA and JAXA. (5/1)

Myriota Adds 16 Satellites Through Expanded Spire Global Agreement to Boost IoT Network (Source: Space Daily)
Spire Global has announced an expanded agreement with Australian IoT company Myriota to design, build, and operate 16 new satellites carrying advanced second-generation payloads. The deal strengthens Myriota's partnership with Spire Space Services and extends its total satellite fleet to over 40 spacecraft.

The collaboration, which began in 2021, has enabled Myriota to scale its Internet of Things (IoT) platform by leveraging Spire satellites equipped to host and execute Myriota's proprietary network software. With the latest agreement, Myriota takes a further step by integrating its technology into dedicated satellite hardware. (5/1)

US Weather Forecasting is More Crippled Than Previously Known as Hurricane Season Nears (Source: CNN)
The National Weather Service is in worse shape than previously known, according to interviews with current and former meteorologists, due to a combination of layoffs, early retirements and preexisting vacancies. The nation’s forecasting agency is in tatters as what could be a destructive hurricane season nears. Several current and former agency meteorologists told CNN they are concerned forecasts and life-saving warnings are not going to be issued in time. (5/2)

Another Hurricane Season Concern: FEMA Cuts (Source: Bloomberg)
Trump has sent hostile signals about his plans for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security arm that helps states prepare for and recover from disasters and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. He’s mused about making FEMA “go away.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said she wants to eliminate it.

Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for Trump’s second term, calls for whittling the agency’s focus down to merely responding in the short term to disasters. To that end, Trump has already shut down FEMA grants for making places more disaster-resilient — an investment that Sandra Knight, a deputy administrator at FEMA under President Barack Obama, told me has a return of $8 for every $1 spent. (4/29)

Aerospace Delegation From Spain Visits Space Coast (Source: Space Coast Daily)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast recently welcomed a high-level aerospace delegation from Spain’s Basque Country, traveling from Washington, D.C., to explore firsthand the innovation ecosystem that makes our region the launchpad of tomorrow.

The delegation, coordinated by Basque Trade & Investment, represented 11 dynamic aerospace companies and research institutions, including Satlantis, Sener, and Idom.  Their mission was to identify strategic growth opportunities and tap into global networks that accelerate technological advancement. (4/13)

Controversial SpaceX Beach Closure Bill Revived in Texas Legislature (Sources: My San Antonio, San Antonio Express-News)
Two days after state lawmakers voted down a controversial bill that would give SpaceX control over South Texas' popular Boca Chica Beach, the bill has been revived and referred to the full House for a vote. In a late-night vote on Wednesday, April 30, all 15 members of the Texas House Committee on State Affairs took Senate Bill 2188 up for reconsideration after initially quashing it by a vote of 7-to-6 on Monday.

With the earlier defeat, South Texans were celebrating a victory over the controversial proposal to cede control of public beach and road closures to the private company. County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. also disapproved of the measure that would shift the authority from him to the mayor of Starbase — the proposed SpaceX company town area residents will vote on Saturday.

Reactions to the outcome of the new vote were swift. Stuart Diamond, chair of the South Texas chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, called the results disappointing, saying that the bill could set a dangerous precedent for the public’s right to access all 367 miles of Texas coastline. “We believe that it’s a violation of the constitutionally protected Open Beaches Act for all Texans,” Diamond said. SB2188 will now head to the House Calendars Committee, which will schedule it for a vote before the full Texas House. But time is of the essence. The 89th Texas Legislative Session is slated to adjourn on June 2. (5/1)

White House Proposal Could Gut Climate Modeling the World Depends On (Source: ProPublica)
Over the past two months, the Trump administration has taken steps to eliminate regulations addressing climate change, pull back funding for climate programs and cancel methods used to evaluate how climate change is affecting American society and its economy. Now it is directly undermining the science and research of climate change itself, in ways that some of the nation’s most distinguished scientists say will have dangerous consequences.

Proposed cuts to NOAA are targeting a 57-year-old partnership between Princeton University and the U.S. government that produces what many consider the world’s most advanced climate modeling and forecasting systems. NOAA’s work extends deep into the heart of the American economy — businesses use it to navigate risk and find opportunity — and it undergirds both American defense and geopolitical planning.

The possible elimination of the lab, called the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, in concert with potential cuts to other NOAA operations, threatens irreparable harm not only to global understanding of climate change and long-range scenarios for the planet but to the country’s safety, competitiveness and national security. (4/24)

Advocacy Groups Urge Congress to Protect NASA Budget From Trump Cuts (Source: NASA Watch)
We write to express our profound alarm to the reported Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal emerging from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to cut an astonishing 47% of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) budget in a single year. Such a drastic reduction would inflict immediate and irreparable damage upon the nation’s space science enterprise. Click here. (4/30)

Space Test Experiments Platform 2.0 To Bolster USSF Spacecraft Procurement (Source: USSF)
The Space Force's Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Space Test Program (STP) office is paving the way to procure full lifecycle solutions for Science & Technology experiments through a Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0 contract awarded to 12 vendors. STEP 2.0 establishes a 10-year multi-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $237M ceiling to bolster spacecraft procurement within STP. Click here. (5/1)

Lockheed Martin Delivers Completed Orion to NASA for Artemis 2 (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin formally delivered to NASA May 1 the Orion spacecraft for Artemis 2, keeping that mission on track for a launch in early 2026. NASA took acceptance of the Orion spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, signing paperwork marking completion of Lockheed’s work to assemble the spacecraft. The spacecraft is now the responsibility of the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program. (5/2)

Trump Nominee to USAF Faces Questions About DEI-Focused Retribution (Source: Space News)
A former Space Force officer nominated to be undersecretary of the Air Force faced tough questions at his confirmation hearing Thursday. Matthew Lohmeier is a former Space Force lieutenant colonel who was removed from command in 2021 after publicly criticizing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the military. Some Democratic senators read aloud Lohmeier's previous public comments that suggested he might seek retribution against officers who supported DEI programs if confirmed to the position. Lohmeier during the hearing sought to distance his nomination from those past statements and told senators he would push for a politically neutral military. (5/2)

Ursa Major Wins AFRL Contract to Test Rocket Engine (Source: Space News)
Ursa Major won an Air Force Research Lab contract to conduct flight testing of its Draper engine. The $28.5 million contract, announced Thursday, covers the flight demonstration and integration of the engine into a test vehicle, with work scheduled through early 2027. The engine produces 4,000 pounds-force of thrust and uses storable propellants that make it suitable for use in missiles. Ursa Major completed ground tests of Draper in 2024. (5/2)

Another All-Female Spacewalk at ISS (Source: AP)
Two NASA astronauts successfully completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station Thursday. Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers wrapped up the spacewalk, lasting five hours and 44 minutes, at 2:49 p.m. Eastern. The two completed their primary tasks of relocating a communications antenna and installing a mounting bracket for a new solar array. They also completed some additional "get-ahead" tasks while outside the station. The spacewalk was McClain's third and the first for Ayers. (5/2)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Thursday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 9:51 p.m. Eastern, placing 28 Starlink satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9 booster for this launch completed its 18th flight with a droneship landing. (5/2)

NASA SPHEREx Telescope Begins Observations (Source: NASA)
NASA's SPHEREx space observatory has started observations. The spacecraft, launched into Earth orbit in early March, completed six weeks of checkouts and has started its mission to map the entire sky at 102 distinct infrared wavelengths. It will create four such maps over its two-year primary mission. SPHEREx, or Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, will provide data for astronomers probing the origins of the universe and presence of water in the Milky Way, among other objectives. (5/2)