April 6, 2026

Moon Astronauts Forced to Do It in Bags as “Burning Odor” Emanates From Toilet (Source: Futurism)
NASA’s historic Artemis 2 mission launched without a hitch but their journey hasn’t been without hiccups. Their space toilet, in particular — the space agency’s newfangled Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) — has turned out to be a considerable pain point. Mere hours into their ten-day trip around the Moon, the toilet jammed, with NASA officials delivering the crew an unfortunate piece of news: it was only accepting solid waste.

While the issue was ultimately corrected when NASA astronaut Christina Koch realized the pump hadn’t been primed with enough liquid, the interplanetary commode broke down once again over the weekend. This time, “it’s an issue with dumping the waste out of the toilet,” as flight director Judd Frieling told reporters on Saturday, as quoted by CNN. “And so it appears to me that we probably have some frozen urine in the vent line.”

And in the midst of it all, yet another issue with the toilet manifested itself in a way that’s particularly alarming in the closed confines of a spacecraft. "When I opened up the hygiene bay, the rest of the crew could smell it pretty much immediately.” Ground control suspects the odor was caused by insulation around the door of the toilet heating up. (4/6)

Cecil Spaceport: How Collaboration Unlocks Regional Excellence (Source: Space Florida)
By 2035, Florida must be ready to support the transport of at least 5,000 metric tons of cargo to space annually. Meeting that demand won't happen at a single launch pad—it will require an integrated network of testing, manufacturing, reentry, and command infrastructure spread across the state. That's not a future vision. It's already being built. And Cecil Airport & Spaceport, quietly generating over $2 billion in annual economic impact from Northeast Florida, is a vital piece of that puzzle. 

Florida's spaceport system is far larger and far more strategic than any single location. From the busiest launch complex in the world to emerging testing and reentry facilities, Florida's spaceports operate as an integrated network, each with distinct capabilities and purposeful roles. Cecil Spaceport exemplifies why this collaborative approach has become our competitive advantage on the national stage.

Cecil Spaceport occupies a distinct and essential position within Florida's aerospace ecosystem. It brings substantial assets to that role: the third-longest runway in the state, a robust military and government presence, 320 acres set aside specifically for aerospace development, and critical infrastructure including an 18,200-square-foot hangar and a 60,000-square-foot concrete ramp designed for rocket testing and launch preparation. (4/6)

China and Europe Launch Rare Joint Space Mission (Source: Financial Times)
Europe and China are launching a joint space mission to study how Earth’s magnetic field shields the planet from harmful solar radiation, a rare example of collaboration as space competition intensifies. The ambitious project aims to understand how solar turbulence generates “space weather” and to predict geomagnetic storms that can disrupt terrestrial communications, knock out power grids and damage electronic equipment. A Vega-C rocket is set to launch the 2.3 tonne satellite, called Smile, from French Guiana into a highly elliptical orbit that will take it as far as 121,000km above the North Pole. (4/6)

More Military Concern on Space Supply Chains (Source: Space News)
Military space programs are suffering from supply chain constraints. As the Space Force envisions accelerated satellite production, officials are warning that key parts of the space industrial base may not be mature enough to keep up. The concerns center on highly specialized components, such as optical inter-satellite communication terminals, infrared sensor arrays and radiation-hardened microelectronics. The risks are concentrated among smaller, lower-tier suppliers that can remain mostly invisible until a disruption halts production. Those supply chain challenges have affected programs like the Space Development Agency's constellations of communications and missile-tracking satellites. (4/6)

Russian Soyuz Rocket Launches From Plesetsk (Source: Russian Space Web)
A Soyuz rocket launched a Russian military communications satellite on April 3. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia and placed a Meridian-M satellite into orbit. This was the 11th launch of a Meridian satellite, which provides communications services from highly elliptical orbits. (4/6)

NASA Officially Stops Work on SLS Mobile Launcher (Source: Space News)
NASA has stopped work on a mobile launch tower for a version of the Space Launch System the agency no longer plans to develop. Agency officials said last week they issued a stop-work order for Mobile Launcher 2 (ML-2), which was being built for the SLS Block 1B. NASA announced in late February it would no longer develop the SLS Block 1B, instead retaining the existing Block 1 version. Development of ML-2 has suffered major delays and cost overruns. NASA said it will use some components of ML-2 as spares for the existing mobile launch platform. (4/5)

Avio Delays SMILE Launch After Component Production Issue Identified (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Italian launch services provider Avio has postponed the launch of the ESA's SMILE mission aboard a Vega C rocket after an issue was identified on the production line of a subsystem component. Avio began preparations for the launch of SMILE in mid-February with the transfer of the P120C first stage from the Booster Storage Building to the ZLV launch pad. The transfer marked the beginning of the first Vega flight managed by Avio itself, after the company’s split from Arianespace-managed flights. (4/6)

Fast and Furious: Aerospace Firms Reduce Hypersonic Design to Months, Not Years (Source: AIAA)
Used to be, designing hypersonic aircraft, a complex and lengthy process, presented a choice: One could choose low-fidelity and have it quickly, or high-fidelity and it would take seemingly forever. Those days may be gone if aerospace firms Specter Aerospace and nTop have their way. Now, hypersonic aircraft can be designed quickly, with high fidelity, at scale, reducing time from development requirements to validated design in days instead of weeks or months, said presenters on the HUB stage at AIAA SciTech Forum on 13 January. (4/6)

SDA’s Sandhoo Likely to Lead Space Force Missile Warning & Tracking Portfolio (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force intends to tap the acting director of the Space Development Agency (SDA), Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo, to lead its new Missile Warning and Tracking Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) office, multiple sources have told Breaking Defense. In that job, Sandhoo will be responsible for developing the sensor satellites required to enable the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative. (4/6)

Brevard County Company 3D Prints Tools for Orion Capsule (Source: MyNews 13)
The company is 3D printing tools used to assemble the Orion space capsule. Ken Brace is the owner of Rapid Prototyping Services, a company that is 3D printing parts for NASA. "During the assembly process of the capsule, they use these tools to drill holes in the enclosure, to add bracketry, add seats to the capsule," he explained.

Brace has been turning out tools for NASA for 22 years, and he has been 3D printing drill fixtures for the Orion program since 2014. His company’s machines have 3D printed 3,000 parts for NASA and its contractors. “We started 3D printing the tools instead of machining them at 50 percent savings for the tool costs," he said.

Brace is also saving NASA time. He prints some tools overnight and contractors pick them up the next morning to take them into work. That means NASA does not have to wait three weeks for a tool to come in from a machine shop. Lockheed Martin gave Brace’s company an award several years ago for saving NASA money on the tooling and for helping to accelerate parts of the Orion program. (3/31)

Space Command Headquarters to Move 200 Employees to Alabama This Year, Lawsuit Bristles (Source: The Gazette)
Space Command headquarters could have 200 employees working from Alabama this year, as Colorado and the Trump administration exchange barbed letters as part of a pending lawsuit.

Colorado’s lawsuit against the administration alleges the federal government is retaliating against it for its mail-in voting system and has taken numerous steps to punish the state, including moving the command, revoking Department of Energy Funds, planning to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, and denying the state federal aid following floods, among other measures.

The Colorado Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Justice recently exchanged barbed letters ahead of an anticipated motion by the Trump administration to dismiss the lawsuit. At the same time, Gen. Stephen Whiting recently told the Senate Armed Services Committee that work is underway on interim office space for the command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. (4/6)

As Rocket Launches Increase, They May Be Polluting the Skies (Source: Undark)
Rocket launches used to be a rare occurrence. But with access to space proliferating, partly thanks to an abundance of commercial space companies, global launches have risen exponentially: In the last five years, they’ve nearly tripled. According to an analysis by SpaceNews, in 2025 alone, humans shot about 320 rockets into space.

All those rockets produce a fair amount pollution, from the sooty plumes that catapult them into orbit and beyond to derelict satellites that burn up upon reentry. Regulators have been monitoring and restricting other air pollutants especially since the 1970s, including the exhaust from cars and jet engines. Many researchers believe such regulations are overdue for rocket engines — especially because nobody really knows exactly how much damage those pollutants cause.

“It might be another 10 years until we found how large the influences on the atmosphere actually are,” said Leonard Schulz, a geophysicist at the University of Braunschweig – Institute of Technology in Northern Germany. By that time, he added, the pollution could accumulate to the point that, you cannot easily reverse it. (4/6)

Isaacman Says Artemis II Would Not Be Possible 'if it Wasn't for President Trump' (Source: Fox News)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the success of the historic Artemis II mission currently underway would not be possible "if it wasn't for President Trump," as the Orion spacecraft is set to pass beyond the far side of the moon in the next 24 hours.

Isaacman detailed the mission’s progress, how technology has assisted in the success of Artemis II so far, and the role that President Donald Trump has played in the Artemis program during an interview. "I want to be incredibly clear, we would not be at this moment right now with Artemis II if it wasn't for President Trump," Isaacman told Fox. "And we certainly would not have an achievable path now to get back to the lunar surface and build that enduring presence." (4/5)

NASA Families Don’t Go to the Moon, but They’re on the Mission, Too (Source: New York Times)
When the astronaut Reid Wiseman learned that he would be commanding NASA’s Artemis II mission around the moon, his immediate reaction was not excitement. “It was pretty heavy,” Mr. Wiseman said on NASA’s Curious Universe podcast. In part, that is because he is the sole parent of two daughters. “It was not like you just won the lottery and you’re running out and jumping for joy,” he said. “It was not that feeling at all.” (4/5)

China Starts Feasibility Study for Space-Based Intelligent Computing Constellation (Source: Xinhua)
China has launched a comprehensive feasibility study and pre-project assessment for a space-based intelligent computing constellation, a senior official from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has said. Yu Guobin, deputy director of the administration's commercial space department, revealed that the administration has taken the lead in organizing the project's kick-off meeting and expert panel sessions. The work is proceeding in an orderly manner, reported the Science and Technology Daily.

Space-based computing refers to the deployment of computational capacity in space, enabling seamless global coverage through satellite networking. Compared with terrestrial data centers, its greatest advantages lie in real-time responsiveness and global coverage. (4/5)

NASA Shoehorns in Human Science on Artemis II Moon Mission (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
While the primary goal of the Artemis II mission is the ensure the Orion spacecraft is safe for humans, NASA did find time to fit some science on board during the 10-day lunar fly-by. “The most complex machine we’re flying is the human, and we have to understand the human as a system in order to be successful,” said Steven Platts, NASA’s chief scientist for its human research program. “That’s our job. That’s what we’re doing.”

The four main human science experiments all involve the four crew on board, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. or Artemis II, the studies delve deeper into immunology, physical measurements like blood pressure, and a sleep and human interaction study using a watch-like tool dubbed ARCHeR, which stands for Artemis Research for Crew Health & Readiness. (4/5)

Roscosmos Chief: Russia Should Not Interrupt Manned Spaceflight Program (Source: TASS)
Russia must not interrupt its manned spaceflight program, so it is important to synchronize the completion dates of the ISS and the deployment of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), Dmitry Bakanov, CEO of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos, said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov. He also announced that the first ROS module will be deployed in 2028. "It is important for us to synchronize the completion dates of the International Space Station and the deployment of the Russian Orbital Station so that there is no interruption in our manned spaceflight program," Bakanov said. (4/6)

Roscosmos Chief: ISS Coming Down in 2030 (Source: TASS)
The deorbiting of the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to be completed in 2030, CEO of Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Corporation Dmitry Bakanov said. The Russian Orbital Station (ROS) should be launched at exactly this time, becoming a fully-fledged, independent national station in orbit where we will conduct our experiments," Bakanov said. The first ROS module will be deployed in 2028. Bakanov also emphasized the importance of synchronizing the completion of work on the ISS and the deployment of the ROS. (4/6)

Aussie Quantum Clock Innovation Becomes a World-First Capability (Source: Australian Space Agency)
The launch of a novel Australian technology could create a new era of ultra‑precise timekeeping in space. QuantX Labs' optical frequency comb was lifted into orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US — paving the way for a new level of security for the navigation and timing services we rely every day on Earth. The next-generation Aussie technology was aboard Exotrail’s spacevan orbital transfer vehicle that was launched on Transporter-16, SpaceX's latest rideshare mission. Varda Space Industries' W-6 mission was also part of the same SpaceX launch, its W-5 space capsule landed in the outback earlier this year. (3/31)