Space Club Invites Nominations for
2026 News and Communications Awards, Plus Space Worker Hall of Fame (Source:
NSCFL)
The National Space Club Florida Committee invites nominations for the
2026 Kolcum News & Communications awards, Space Worker Hall of
Fame, andSpace Educator Awards. The deadline is Friday, July 10.
The Space Worker Hall of Fame Awards honor workers in space launch
technology, spaceflight support, human spaceflight advancement, and
spaceflight advocacy and education. The Kolcum News &
Communications Awards honor news media and communications professionals
for excellence in telling the space story. The Space Educator Award
honors one STEM educator who has made significant contributions to
inspiring students to pursue their dreams of being part of the U.S.
space program in Florida through engagement, impact, and community
activities. Click here.
(6/10)
Federal Science Agencies Face
"Generational Loss" with Workforce Cuts (Source: FNN)
Amid the Trump administration’s workforce overhauls, some federal
science agencies appear to be bearing the brunt of the changes,
according to new research from the Partnership for Public Service.
Federal workforce reductions, cuts to resources, and plans to increase
political influence in the grantmaking process are all leading to
declines in scientific development and innovation, said Max Stier, the
nonprofit’s president and CEO. The effects, Stier said, will be felt
for decades to come. “We’re talking about a generational loss here,”
Stier said. (6/9)
Can Germany and France Collaborate in
Space? (Source: Space News)
Maj. Gen. Wolfgang Ohl confirmed German Defense Minister Boris
Pistorius’ recent announcement that Germany is interested in taking a
leading role in creating and accelerating a European space command.
Germany had already proposed a pan-European alliance, which it offered
to coordinate, when it published its Space Safety and Security
Strategy. And Germany is seeking alliances with other German-speaking
countries — possibly already anticipating resistance from France.
Germany’s advance in space leadership signals a possible shift in the
European balance of power, from France toward Germany. Brig. Gen.
Jürgen Schrödl, said: “It is clear that the nations bringing the most
to the table will also want to contribute ideas and help shape the
discussion.” In other words, those putting the most resources expect to
lead the conversation.
France’s position: Will France accept German leadership? Nicolas
Moulin-Fournier, chief product officer at French startup Look Up Space,
may have offered some insight during SmallSat: “The French military
forces already have a complete set of assets, from telecom to military
systems, and there is definitely deep expertise within the French armed
forces. It makes sense to split efforts, coordinate, work together and
share information. Under which leadership, I don’t know.” (6/10)
New Astroscale Initiative Looks to
Improve Data for Spacecraft Reentry Studies (Source: Via
Satellite)
Astroscale is leading a new initiative to improve the study of
spacecraft reentry and atmospheric impact, while protecting sensitive
data for commercial operators. The company will lead the Atmospheric
Impact of Reentered Spacecraft (AIRS) initiative, a collaboration
between industry and academia, with Planet Labs and the U.K.’s
University of Southampton as founding participants. Astroscale
announced ARIS on Tuesday. (6/10)
Houston's Created Its Own Problem: The
Unnecessary Fight To Snatch Up The Discovery Space Shuttle Continues
(Source: Jalopnik)
The story has become so much more than just moving a space shuttle from
Virginia to Texas. Unfortunately embroiled in this "custody battle" is
the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, home to the space
shuttle Discovery for the last 15 years. The Smithsonian was a top
selection and the only non-negotiable destination for one of the space
shuttle orbiters when the program ended. The museum already had one of
NASA's orbiters, Space Shuttle Enterprise, on display. The Enterprise
would be given to another institution so that the Smithsonian could
receive the Discovery.
Houston will have you believe they were a top contender for receiving
one of those shuttles, even dubbing it the "Houston Shuttle Snub." But
it wasn't a snub, because the official report breaking down the
selection process says it was far from. Houston was ranked 10 of the 29
entries. By the final count, it landed seventh, with one of its
lowest-scoring categories having to do with attracting visitors,
especially internationally.
When each of the space orbiters' new homes were selected, NASA then
transferred ownership to those facilities. The Smithsonian is the
rightful owner and keeper of Space Shuttle Discovery. Neither Houston,
nor NASA have the ability to just take it off the museum floor. And
considering Discovery is 58 feet tall and 122 feet long, with a
wingspan of 78 feet and a weight of 86 tons, it's not something you can
just move without attracting some attention, either. The $86 million of
tax payer money set aside for the move likely won't cut it as retired
engineers from the program estimated the bill would be closer to the
hundreds of millions of dollars. (6/9)
U.S. Using GPS to Tell Spies What to Do
(Source: BoingBoing)
A roomful of smart people did the math and determined that a Russian
satellite has been jamming GPS signals over Europe. But it's not the
only new of orbital shenanigans to hit the wire this week. In
conversation with information security expert Steven Murdoch, the folks
at 404 Media discovered that the United States could be directing
covert operations using data hidden inside of the GPS signals that the
rest of us use to navigate to Starbucks.
He noted that the military has "specialized receivers that have the
ability to have keys loaded into them" and "presumably have the ability
to decrypt these special messages." Murdoch described how this
"forgotten 176-bit slot in the world's most successful navigation
signal turned out to be its quietest and most consequential broadcast."
(6/8)
An Invisible Forever Chemical Rain is
Falling Across the Planet (Source: Science Daily)
A surprising study suggests that chemicals introduced to protect the
ozone layer may have unintentionally created a growing global pollution
problem. Researchers found that refrigerants and certain anesthetic
gases have generated more than 335,000 tonnes of trifluoroacetic acid
(TFA), a highly persistent "forever chemical," that has been deposited
across Earth's surface since 2000. The pollutant is now showing up
everywhere from rainwater to remote Arctic ice, and scientists expect
levels to keep rising. (6/9)
Ocean Miles Deep May Have Once Covered
Region of Mars New Rover Will Land In (Source: AutoEvolution)
Europe’s first dedicated Mars rover, the Rosalind Franklin, is about
two years away from departing our planet and heading over to the Red
one to have a look at its mysteries. Rosalind Franklin carries the name
of a British chemist who specialized in the inner workings of DNA, and,
as such, it will dedicate its life to confirming the existence, past or
present, of life on Mars. And it's supposed to do so by digging deeper
into the planet's crust than anything before it.
That will be possible thanks to a massive drill that will allow it to
punch holes 6.6 feet (two meters) deep into the planet's crust so that
it can collect the samples that have been protected from radiation and
extreme temperatures and thus come with the highest chance of
containing proof of life's existence. The rover will collect the
samples from a region of Mars called Oxia Planum, a clay-rich, ancient
plain on Mars, located just north of the equator. Not just a plain, it
seems, but one that some four billion years in the past might have been
covered by a vast ocean measuring several miles deep. (6/8)
Bezos Challenges Musk’s Starlink in
Africa with First Satellite Gateway in Kenya (Source: Business
Insider Africa)
Amazon is moving to challenge Starlink in Africa by seeking approval to
build its first satellite gateway in Kenya, deepening competition in
the region’s fast-growing broadband market. The facility would connect
Amazon’s low-Earth orbit satellite network to terrestrial internet
infrastructure, improving speed and reducing latency. Kenya’s strong
tech ecosystem and Starlink’s rapid growth have made the country a key
battleground for satellite internet providers. (6/9)
SpaceX Coming for AT&T and Verizon
Now, T-Mobile Later (Source: PhoneArena)
SpaceX may not be directly targeting AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon's
wireless oligopoly just yet, but the broadband arena is a different
story. For the longest time, SpaceX was viewed as something of a niche
player, but the company is shedding that label now. While market share
stats and subscriber numbers may not indicate that yet, the recent
duress on shares of Comcast, Charter, AT&T, and Verizon tell a
different story.
Analyst Peter Supino views the company as a serious threat to
established players. Starlink was once seen as a last resort for rural
audiences with no other options. But as the tech improves, the user
base is exploding, with the company routinely doubling its subscriber
count year-over-year. Musk hasn't shied away from asserting confidence
in the company's ability to eventually surpass traditional internet and
wireless companies. Starlink's satellites cover a large area, so the
cost of adding new households is incredibly low compared to legacy
internet companies that have to lay down physical infrastructure first.
(6/9)
US Firm’s Reusable Launch System Goes
Beyond Mach 4 Speed Twice, Key for Suborbital Missions (Source:
Interesting Engineering)
A Washington-based firm has flown reusable launch system exceeding Mach
4. The rocket-free reusable launch opens path to affordable, repeatable
and scalable hypersonic and suborbital missions. General Hypersonics
conducted two launches exceeding Mach 4 from the same reusable launch
system, with the second launch occurring approximately 90 minutes after
the first.
The company claimed that the achievement sets another ram-accelerated
mass-to-velocity milestone and advances the company’s goal of making
high-cadence hypersonic and suborbital launch operations affordable and
repeatable. “What changes the conversation is this: we took a reusable
launch system beyond Mach 4 twice before lunch,” said Mark Russell.
The company completed both launches from the same reusable platform in
approximately 90 minutes. Both launches were conducted using manual
loading procedures, with automated loading systems currently under
development to further improve turnaround times and increase launch
cadence. General Hypersonics plans to increase automation within its
launch operations and move beyond high-speed testing toward routine
suborbital missions. (6/7)
Another Price Hike: Starlink Adds $10
'Monthly Kit Fee' for New Users (Source: PC Mag)
The cost of Starlink is going up for new users. The satellite internet
service has quietly introduced a "monthly kit fee" that adds $ 10 per
month to a Starlink Residential subscription. Users spotted the new fee
on Monday. It applies to the standard Starlink dish that SpaceX sends
with a new Residential subscription and appears to be rolling out
globally, popping up on Starlink.com for new customers in the US,
Canada, the UK, France, Australia, and Mexico. (6/9)
He Blew the Whistle on DOGE. Then His
Brakes Were Cut (Source: WIRED)
In April 2025, Dan Berulis, an IT staffer at the National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB), filed a Congressional whistleblower complaint
with an extraordinary and urgent claim: Musk-led DOGE had seemingly
compromised the agency’s data and appeared to be exfiltrating it out of
the NLRB entirely. Additionally, Berulis claimed that mere minutes
after DOGE members had accessed the agency’s data, there appeared to be
login attempts from an IP address in Russia.
At the time, DOGE teams were sweeping across government, firing federal
workers and accessing sensitive data and technical systems with no
oversight and little transparency. After Berulis went public with his
name and claims, a threatening note had been taped to his door,
including photos of him walking his dog that appeared to have been
taken by a drone. In a new defamation lawsuit, Berulis alleges that
Musk himself made him a target of further violence by falsely stating
that Berulis’ whistleblower claim against DOGE was fake.
The complaint was initially filed under seal because Berulis maintains
a security clearance that requires prepublication review. Five days
after the story went live, Berulis got in his car to visit to his
uncle, opting to take local roads instead of the major highway nearby.
Within about five minutes of leaving his house, Berulis realized
something was wrong. As he approached a stop sign at an intersection,
his car wouldn’t slow down. He ran off the road and into the sign. When
he examined his car, he found something that terrified him: His brake
lines had been cut. (6/2)
Two Companies Dominating Launch, with
a Dozen Others Barely Making a Dent (Source: Douglas Messier)
As we approach the northern summer and the midpoint of the year, the
global launch industry has two clear leaders and a dozen providers that
have barely launched at all. The 132 orbital launches are running
slight ahead of the same period in 2025. SpaceX completed 67 launches
and placed 1,689 payloads into orbit through June 8. Elon Musk’s
company accounted for 50.76 percent of 132 orbital attempts globally
and 80.09 percent of 2,109 payloads successfully placed into orbit.
The majority of SpaceX’s launches carried the company’s own satellites.
Fifty-four Falcon 9 rockets carried 1,440 Starlink satellites into
orbit, which amounted to 68.28 percent of all payloads that reached
space this year. SpaceX has launched 12,212 Starlink satellites since
2018. SpaceX accounted for 67 of 82 launches conducted by U.S.
companies. That amounts to 81.7 percent of the total. The figures do
not include SpaceX’s suborbital Starship launch in May or Rocket Lab’s
two suborbital HASTE launches earlier this year.
The government-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
(CASC) has conducted 26 launches and orbited 144 payloads. The company
accounted for 19.7 percent of all launches and 6.82 percent of all
payloads this year. Rocket Lab is a distant third with seven Electron
launches that orbited 16 payloads. The company accounted for 5.3
percent of launches and 0.76 percent of payloads. The company also
launched two suborbital HASTE rockets. (6/9)
NASA Names Artemis III Astronauts
(Source: New York Times)
NASA named on Tuesday the next four astronauts to take humans one step
closer to returning to the moon as part of the Artemis III mission:
Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio, the mission specialists; Luca Parmitano
of the European Space Agency, the pilot; and Randy Bresnik, the
commander. Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, told reporters that
he was “extremely confident” in the Artemis program timeline. “We’re
going to return to the moon before the end of 2028,” he said.
It is rare for NASA missions to feature all men. The last time there
was a crew of four men for a NASA mission was in 2023. Jeremy Parsons,
the Artemis program manager, offered a rosy update of the program’s
progress and a description of the mission. He said the Blue Origin
lander will launch first, followed by the crew in an Orion capsule on
top of the Space Launch System rocket. Orion and the Blue Origin lander
will dock in orbit for several days of operations while connected.
After those undock, SpaceX’s Starship will launch and dock with Orion
for a day together. The mission will last about two weeks, ending with
the crew splashing down in Orion. Blue Origin's New Glenn explosion
damaged the only launchpad Blue Origin has available to fly New Glenn.
The repairs present a problem for the accelerated timeline NASA is
aiming for with its Artemis program: If New Glenn has nowhere to launch
from by the time Artemis III is ready to fly, NASA could decide to push
back the mission. (6/9)
June 9, 2026
Electra Unveils Turbo-Electric
Airliner Concept Under NASA Technology Program (Source:
AeroTime)
Electra has unveiled a turbo-electric airliner concept developed under NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 program, showing a future 100-plus-seat aircraft that uses a double-bubble fuselage and electrically driven tail fans.
The Manassas, Virginia-based company said the concept could deliver up to a 17% efficiency improvement beyond gains expected by 2050 from advances in structures, engines and aerodynamics. The aircraft is a research concept intended to study how electrification, advanced aerodynamics and improved integration between the airframe and propulsion systems could shape future commercial aircraft. (6/8)
BryceTech Crowns Its First Start-Up Space Winner (Source: Aerospace America)
Finalists of BryceTech’s first-ever Start-Up Space Pitch Competition took the ASCEND stage twice – first to pitch their technology and market strategy before a panel of space and technology investors and then to share their vision with the broader ASCEND community. The winning firm was Exobiosphere, a Houston and Luxembourg-based space bio company that automates biological research in space. Exobiosphere aims to change how lifesaving therapies are discovered both on Earth and in orbit.
Its automated, high-throughput miniaturized laboratory can run up to 2,000 experiments at once on human-rated platforms and free flyers, giving scientists the statistical power they need to uncover new treatments faster and with greater confidence. Exobiosphere’s early customers – leading academics and hospitals like Cedars-Sinai – are using the platform to push the frontiers of space-based research, from stem cell studies to organoid models. (6/8)
Drug Development is Heading to Lower Earth Orbit (Source: CNBC)
Last year, space and defense technology company Redwire formed a dedicated subsidiary, SpaceMD, to commercialize pharmaceutical products developed in space. It has spent years developing orbital bioprinting but sees its most commercial opportunity in creating ways to administer drugs to patients. The most successful technology is the PIL-BOX, a new drug formulation technology. SpaceMD has already flown 54 PIL-BOX units – specialized, automated micro-laboratories designed to crystallize proteins in orbit – and has tested 37 drug compounds.
Space pharma originated with Merck. In 2014, it conducted crystal growth experiments on the ISS to better understand how the lack of gravity influences medicines, including its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda. Varda is betting on continuous orbital production and has developed 300-kilogram autonomous manufacturing satellites equipped with specialized re-entry pods. The active ingredients in drugs are so highly concentrated that Varda can generate significant value from relatively small loads.
BioOrbit is exploring a scalable system for crystallizing and manufacturing complex biologic drugs in space to enable at-home cancer treatments. It recently poached two high-level executives from Redwire. The aerospace industry established a robust supply chain for going to space, but only a narrow, expensive chain for returning. Existing spacecraft built for human re-entry, like SpaceX’s Dragon, are high-end, expensive vehicles engineered for safety. They are not economically viable for high-cadence, low-cost commercial manufacturing logistics. (6/9)
Users, Not Hardware, Will Drive Growth for the Next Era of Space Healthcare (Source: Aerospace America)
The center of gravity in the space economy is shifting from hardware to users. That was the message from Voyager Technologies’ director of International and Science Development, Manwei Chan. Chan argued that after decades focused on rockets, satellites, and space stations, the next era will be defined by who uses that infrastructure and why – especially in healthcare, where microgravity can unlock new science and business models.
“The next generation of space utilization is about the users, as opposed to the infrastructure,” Chan said, describing Voyager’s push to build a global science park network that lowers barriers for researchers and startups to access space-enabled R&D. The session brought together founders, economists, and investors to explore how to turn space-based health research into a scalable market – spotlighting pioneering start-ups, new commercial stations, and a healthcare investor intent on answering the question at the heart of adoption: who will pay, and for what? (6/8)
Eutelsat and Voimatel Partner to Expand LEO Satellite Connectivity Across Finland (Source: SatNews)
Global satellite operator Eutelsat Group has formalized a strategic distribution partnership with Finnish network infrastructure and service provider Voimatel to deploy low Earth orbit satellite connectivity services throughout Finland. This collaboration marks a significant expansion of high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband availability across the Nordic region, particularly targeting underserved corporate, industrial, and public sector organizations operating in geographically remote environments. (6/8)
Irish Company Secures €1 Million Contract with European Space Agency (Source: Irish Times)
Irish company Pilot Photonics has secured a €1 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for “space-proofing” satellite infrastructure. Pilot Photonics is a spin-out company of Dublin City University (DCU), headquartered in their Glasnevin campus with a team of 25 employees. Enterprise Ireland are shareholders in the company and have invested in their most recent round. The company develops integrated photonic chips, which use light rather than electrical signals to generate and carry information. (6/8)
USSF Seeking Small, Medium-Launch Providers At Vandenberg (Source: Aviation Week)
The U.S. Space Force is looking for launch providers that are interested in using a proposed Space Launch Complex-9 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Space Force is opening up an undeveloped site at its Western Range to support small- and medium-lift launch missions as the line to hitch a ride to space continues to lengthen. The service released a request for information (RFI) on June 8 to gauge interest from providers to develop the facility. (6/8)
Virgin Galactic’s Shares Take Wild Ride (Source: Orange County Business Journal)
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic, which aims to restart commercial flights later this year, saw its stock price swing wildly during a two-week stretch. After the shares closed at $2.47 on May 20, the craziness began over the next nine trading sessions, culminating in a more than threefold increase to $8.90 on June 1. Trading volume that day reached 286 million shares, about 15 times the daily average.
By June 3, shares of the company had plunged 50% to $4.29 for a market cap of $448 million. The trigger for the rise may have been news that Rich Huang’s RichRich Capital had taken a 5.3% stake in the company. Huang is an American investor whose company is based in Miami, according to filings.
Another trigger for the climb may have been the infamous short squeeze, in which traders who had bet the stock would fall scrambled to cover their positions when it rose. A reason for the sudden drop may be the Virgin Galactic filing on June 2 that it would issue new common stock to noteholders, diluting existing shareholders. The drop could also be linked to the industry becoming overheated, as evidenced by the Procure Space EFT Index doubling over the past year. (6/8)
How Elon Musk’s Friendship With the FCC Smooths the Way for SpaceX’s IPO (Source: New York Times)
In the past year, Brendan Carr, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has approved thousands of satellite launches for SpaceX’s broadband satellite business, Starlink. Elon Musk recommended Mr. Carr to Mr. Trump as an ideal leader for the agency. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Carr got the job. Since then, the F.C.C. chairman has lavished praise on Mr. Musk, repeatedly expressing his admiration for the tech mogul. He has greenlighted a satellite request from SpaceX and changed some of the agency’s rules to benefit the company.
Mr. Carr’s stance on SpaceX and Mr. Musk stands out from his behavior with other companies that the F.C.C. oversees. He started an investigation into the satellite company EchoStar, a SpaceX rival, after Mr. Musk’s company complained about it. He targeted the television networks ABC and NBC over their coverage of Mr. Trump, threatening to take away their broadcast licenses. And he threatened to block media and telecom deals over their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, opening investigations into Disney and Comcast. (6/8)
Texas Changed the Rules. SpaceX's Investors May Pay the Price (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Ahead of SpaceX’s hotly anticipated initial public offering slated for Friday, the coverage has mostly focused on Elon Musk, his supervoting shares and the company’s record valuation. But dual-class voting and trillion-dollar valuations are commonplace on Wall Street. What is novel sits in SpaceX’s bylaws — a document almost no one reads — and it would rewrite the bargain between a public company and its shareholders. Article X of SpaceX’s bylaws bars investors who believe the company has misled them from suing as a group.
There are no class actions: every claim must be brought alone. And for the securities fraud claims that matter most, Article X forces investors out of open court and into private arbitration, where the bar to class actions is hardest to challenge. Remove investors’ ability to band together, and meritorious fraud claims never get filed. SpaceX’s IPO filing concedes this point: for smaller claims, it warns, the costs of arbitrating without a class action “could exceed the potential recovery.”
The class action also does something arbitration cannot. A securities class action airs a company’s alleged misconduct in open court. Article X is possible only because SpaceX reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in 2024. The SEC removed the federal check on arbitration provisions last fall. But Delaware, where most public companies are incorporated, still bars forced shareholder arbitration. Texas does not. Competition among states for corporate charters, once an academic concern, now decides what protections an ordinary investor gets. (6/9)
SpaceX's 'Puny Free Float' is Sparking Concerns About Greater Stock Volatility (Source: Business Insider)
SpaceX will make its trading debut on Friday following what's expected to be the biggest IPO ever by a long shot. The company is aiming to raise $75 billion by selling stock at $135 a share, taking its valuation to around $1.75 trillion. But for an IPO with such eye-popping numbers being tossed around, SpaceX is issuing a relatively tiny amount of stock to the public this week.
That small "float"—which describes the portion of shares available to trade, with the rest being held by early investors and insiders—has prompted concerns about intense volatility in early trades. Most companies that trade on major indexes have about 80% of their stock available for public trading, according to Nasdaq. SpaceX's free float is projected to be dramatically lower, with roughly 4% of shares doled out to investors. Recent IPOs before SpaceX have also trended lower, with nearly a third of companies that went public in 2025 having free float lower than 30%. (6/8)
Falcon 9 Booster Breaks Reuse Record (Source: Ars Technica)
A little more than five years ago, a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket made its debut flight, boosting a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Over the next year, it would launch a pair of astronaut missions and a handful of commercial spacecraft.
But since then, this first stage booster, designated B 1067, has mostly flown Starlink missions. It has launched them one after another, always returning safely to a drone ship before undergoing refurbishment and flying again. Sometimes it has flown twice in a single month. On Monday morning, B 1067 once again took to the skies, launching 29 Starlink Internet satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida. Upon landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the vehicle completed its 35th mission overall, retaining its title as fleet leader for SpaceX.
The successful launch brings SpaceX closer to its most recently stated goal of qualifying its Falcon 9 first stage vehicles to support 40 missions each. Since that goal was outlined more than two years ago and the company has continued flying its experienced boosters safely across dozens of missions, SpaceX may be intending to push past 40 missions. (6/8)
Iceye Raises $1.6 Billion (Source: Space News)
Iceye, a Finnish company that builds and operates radar imaging satellites, announced Tuesday a funding round worth more than one billion euros ($1.16 billion). The company announced a Series F funding round Tuesday that includes 450 million euros in primary placements with several investors, with the rest coming from secondary placements of stock. The new round values the company at more than 10 billion euros. The company operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites and also sells satellites to governments. Iceye said the funding will allow it to scale up work with other governments worldwide while doubling satellite production to 100 per year. (6/9)
Germany's Isar Aerospace Raises $312 Million for Spectrum Rockets and Launch Sites (Source: Space News)
German launch company Isar Aerospace raised 270 million euros, also for global expansion. The company plans to use the funding to expand production of its Spectrum small launch vehicle while working to launch the rocket from new sites worldwide. The company launches from Andøya in Norway and announced a letter of intent last month to consider launching from a Canadian site. Isar also said it has rescheduled the second launch of Spectrum to between June 15 to 21 after technical and range issues postponed launch attempts earlier this year. (6/9)
BlackSky Wins NRO Contract Modification for Wide-Area Imaging Sat (Source: Space News)
BlackSky won a modification to an NRO contract to accelerate development of broad-area imaging satellites. The company said Tuesday it received the modification that puts the company on a "direct path" toward a multi-spectral, large-area mapping spacecraft in 2028. BlackSky announced in 2025 plans for satellites called AROS that would take imagery over wide areas, complementing its Gen-3 high-resolution imaging satellites. BlackSky did not disclose the value of the NRO contract modification, nor is the company saying how many AROS satellites it plans to deploy. (6/9)
China Picks Four Launchers for Commercial Cargo Program (Source: Space News)
The Chinese government has selected four Chinese launch companies for a commercial cargo transportation program. Launch firms Galactic Energy, CAS Space, OrienSpace and Landspace were shortlisted to launch the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, following the launch of a prototype of the supply vessel in March. The full-scale Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, one of two low-cost space station resupply spacecraft being developed to support the Tiangong space station, is tentatively scheduled for launch in January 2027. The announcement of the shortlisted companies did not disclose when a final provider for the launch would be announced. (6/9)
NASA May Seek Artemis Funding Bump (Source: Politico)
NASA may be looking for additional funding for Artemis. NASA has reportedly been in talks with congressional staff about supplemental funding, perhaps through a budget reconciliation bill, that could provide the agency with up to several billion dollars. The money would support accelerating the development of crewed lunar landers needed for Artemis by Blue Origin and SpaceX, an effort complicated by the New Glenn explosion. Congressional sources, though, noted doubts that a supplemental spending bill could pass in the coming months. (6/9)
Czech Astronaut Added to Vast ISS Mission (Source: Vast)
A Czech astronaut will go to the International Space Station on a Vast private astronaut mission. Vast said Monday it will work with the European Space Agency to send Aleš Svoboda to the ISS as the pilot on Vast's private astronaut mission in 2027. Svoboda is one of 12 reserve astronauts selected by ESA in 2022 for short-term flight opportunities such as this. Vast announced last week that veteran ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet of France will command that mission. (6/9)
Meteorite That Wiped Out the Dinosaurs Also Created Hydrothermal System (Source: Scientific American)
The meteorite which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs also created an underground environment suited to supporting new life, and new research suggests it lasted for millions of years longer than previously suspected. The finding has surprised the international team of researchers behind it, who came to their conclusions by pairing sophisticated new analysis of samples taken from the Chicxulub crater in Mexico with computer modelling of the geological effects of the meteorite 66 million years ago.
The research casts new light on how life may have first been incubated in hydrothermal systems in the earliest chapters of the Earth’s history, and could help direct the search for life on other planets. The immense heat brought together fractured rocks and hot water underground, creating a hydrothermal system beneath the crater. The researchers provide evidence that the system persisted for at least eight million years, around four times longer than previous estimates. (6/9)
What the ‘Dean of Valuation’ Thinks Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is Really Worth (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NYU Stern School of Business professor Aswath Damodaran, widely known as “Dean of Valuation,” breaks down SpaceX’s mega IPO and its three businesses. SpaceX aims to sell shares in its anticipated public offering this week at a valuation of around $1.77 trillion. That value could go even higher once it begins trading. The question investors will have to answer for themselves: Is it really worth that much? NYU’s Aswath Damodaran is skeptical of the outlook for the company’s artificial-intelligence unit. (6/7)
How SpaceX Became Embedded in America’s War Machine (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX’s years of courting the national-security establishment are paying off. The U.S. government is SpaceX’s largest single client, which the 24-year-old company identified as “Customer A” in securities filings ahead of its planned initial public offering. Revenue from the government, which totaled around $4 billion in 2025, is set to sharply climb over the next few years. Pledges to quickly deploy technology and ties cultivated with Pentagon have helped land new contracts totaling billions of dollars. (6/7)
Quantum Space to Go Public Via SPAC Merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. (Source: Quantum Space)
Quantum Space, a company building the next generation of advanced maneuverable spacecraft to disrupt the orbital economy, and Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI, a special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which Quantum Space will become a publicly traded company. (6/7)
WRC-27: the Next Arena for U.S.-China Space Competition (Sources: Space News, Via Satellite)
For anyone who wasn’t sure whether China was in it to win the space race and dominate the rapidly growing space economy, its filings in December for 200,000 more satellites should dispel all doubts. Beijing is seeking to position itself as a leader in low Earth orbit satellite constellations, electronic warfare and the space race more broadly. But the next battleground in this race is a regulatory conference, not the launchpad.
WRC-27, a quadrennial global telecom regulatory summit, will be hosted by the Chinese government in Shanghai. The U.S. delegation, which includes both multiple federal agencies and a large private sector contingent, has a lot of work to do to develop a national position, win over allies, and push for reform of the WRC process itself. In the lead-up to WRC-27, the U.S. needs to get moving on developing national positions on key agenda items, said Kim Baum at Astranis.
The location of WRC-27 in Shanghai, China, is already posing barriers to U.S. participation, given fears about American visitors potentially falling victim to hacking, said Baum. She said U.S. participation at previous regional preparatory meetings had been “incredibly limited” by security concerns. (6/8)
Yesterday’s Future: Space Settlement and Castles in the Sky (Source: Space Review)
Fifty years ago this month, an issue of National Geographic introduced many people to the concept of space settlements. Dwayne Day examines what it predicted for the faraway future of 2026 and why those visions fell short. Click here. (6/9)
America’s Most Exposed Power Projection Platforms: Why United States Space Force Installations Must Be Treated as Warfighting Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
Unlike other military services, the Space Force largely operates from permanent bases in the United States and allied nations rather than having forward-deployed bases. David Hanson argues that this means the military needs to pay more attention to securing those bases from cyber and physical attacks. Click here. (6/9)
The Vagueness of the Outer Space Treaty Was a Strategically Calculated Move (Source: Space Review)
One of the complaints about the Outer Space Treaty is that many of its provisions are vague and subject to wide-ranging interpretations. Aditya Raj discusses why that was intentional. Click here. (6/9)
The First Alien Intelligence May Not Be Alive (Source: Space Review)
Astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence have largely focused on biological life. David Falls explains why the first evidence of intelligence we might detect beyond Earth may not be biological in nature. Click here. (6/9)
NASA Astronauts Will Drive These New Electric Rovers On The Moon (Source: Autoblog)
The two finalists for the lunar rover contracts are Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, which were awarded $219 million and $220 million, respectively, to build and deliver the first phase of Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs). Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover and Astrolab’s CLV-1 (Crewed Lunar Vehicle) look similar as both clearly take inspiration from side-by-side vehicles. Each vehicle tips the scales at around a ton—not that light for our planet, but light enough on the Moon where 1 ton feels like 333 pounds—and is designed to carry two astronauts.
The rest of the specs won’t blow anyone away, as the top speed is 6 miles per hour for the Pegasus and 9 miles per hour for the CLV-1 on a flat lunar surface, and the rovers can tackle 20-degree inclines on the surface of the Moon. As you can imagine, both rovers are all-electric and can be driven either by astronauts onboard or remotely operated from Earth; if need be, they can also navigate autonomously.
There are some differences between them. Astrolab’s CLV-1, which is adapted from the company’s FLEX architecture, can transport astronauts, carry supplies, and support remote operations. It also comes in a compact stowed configuration that helps NASA save space during transportation. Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus, which is a lighter, mission-ready evolution of its Eagle rover designed to meet NASA’s updated crewed LTV requirements, incorporates Apollo‑heritage technologies and is powered by GM batteries that enable a driving range of 560 miles. (6/9)
Strange Stars Look Suspiciously Like They've Been Eating Planets (Source: Science Alert)
If someone turns up with crumbs on their chin, it's natural to wonder where the cookies went. Astronomers have found themselves asking that same question about a handful of very strange stars. Among thousands of stars studied by astronomers, six red dwarfs stood out for carrying traces of a strange element in their atmospheres.
In normal circumstances, this element should long ago have been annihilated deep within the stars' interiors. Its presence here suggests that these six stars have been raiding the cookie jar – if the cookie jar were full of Earth-like planets. (6/8)
Air Force, Space Force Seek to Hire Thousands of Civilian Employees, Reversing DOGE Cuts (Source: Dayton Daily News)
The Air Force and the Space Force are back in hiring mode. The Air Force fiscal year 2027 budget request funds an increase of 4,115 civilian “full time equivalents” job positions, while the Space Force FY27 budget request funds about 1,912 additional civilian positions. Some 70% of the requested civilian positions in the budget request seek to fill vacancies created by DOGE, which sought to cut waste across the federal government. (6/8)
RTX Invests $100M to Upgrade R.I. Missile Defense Facility (Source: Defense Post)
RTX has committed $100 million to expand its Raytheon facility in Rhode Island, responding to the increasing need for advanced air and missile defense systems. This significant investment is aimed at accelerating both radar testing and missile interceptor production, ensuring that the US Army and allies can receive these critical defense technologies more rapidly. (6/9)
NYC Pensions Boss Says SpaceX’s Disregard for Shareholders Has ‘No Precedent’ (Source: Bloomberg)
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine says the unprecedented control that Elon Musk will have over SpaceX represents a new level of disregard for regular shareholders’ rights. “I understand that we are in an era of founders wanting more control,” Levine said in an interview. But what Musk is planning with SpaceX “is way beyond what we’ve seen.” Levine oversees about $300 billion in both actively and passively managed portfolios in New York city’s public pension funds.
He says it would be “very complicated” to exclude SpaceX. “We’ve never divested from a single company,” he said. “We’ve done sector-based exclusion only,” so blacklisting SpaceX “would be unprecedented for us and it is not simple.” Instead, Levine says he plans to push for a more democratic corporate governance process from within. Musk can’t be allowed to “disempower” shareholders, he said, adding that investment professionals in New York have told him they want him to “keep fighting on this.” (6/9)
Indonesian ISPs and Satellite Operators Ask Regulators to Assure That Global Constellations Follow the Rules (Source: Space Intel Report)
Indonesian government and industry officials repeatedly stressed the need for sovereign space capacity as part of a development plan to 2045 that they said should include Indonesia-built telecommunications and Earth observation satellites and a domestic launch service. They also urged that a national consensus develop that requires global LEO operators to abide by the same regulations as those imposed on Indonesian companies. In telecommunications, Indonesian officials are preparing a national ecosystem to assure a domestic satellite manufacturing capability. (6/9)
Starlink India Launch Hits Security Roadblock Before SpaceX IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
India has effectively frozen approvals for Elon Musk’s space-based internet service Starlink to begin commercial operations, due to concerns over the use of its satellite terminals in the Iran war, according to people familiar with the matter.
Security agencies under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs have withheld the final clearances Starlink needs to launch, the people said, requesting not to be identified discussing information that is private. Reports that Starlink terminals were in use during the Middle East conflict despite the service not being licensed in Iran have heightened fears in New Delhi about its ability to control a US-based operator during geopolitical tensions, they said. (6/9)
Is America Ready for a Nuclear Explosion in Space? (Source: The Hill)
Gen. Stephen Whiting, the commander of U.S. Space Command, recently made waves when he publicly discussed a major threat that America’s newest military branch recently war-gamed — that of an adversary detonating a nuclear weapon in space. At first blush, the scenario seems far-fetched. In truth, though, it is a real possibility. More than a year ago, House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) raised the alarm that Russia could place a space-based nuclear device into orbit. That possibility was later confirmed by the Pentagon.
The White House grasps the danger. A December 2025 Executive Order on Space Superiority directs the country’s relevant agencies to create “a space security strategy that accounts for United States interests in, from, and to space” and “a technology plan for detecting, characterizing, and countering potential adversary placement of nuclear weapons in space.” That strategy, moreover, is expected as soon as June 16. (6/9)
Green Propulsion Deal Pairs Two European Satellite Firms for 2027 LEO Mission (Source: Journal of Space Commerce)
Arkadia Space and Reflex Aerospace have signed a commercial agreement to integrate Arkadia’s green propulsion system into an upcoming Reflex satellite mission targeting a Q2 2027 launch. Under the agreement, Arkadia Space will supply a complete hydrogen peroxide-based propulsion system to support orbital maneuvers and end-of-life deorbiting for a low Earth orbit satellite with an approximate launch mass of 440 pounds. The mission is scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Transporter-20 rideshare program. (6/9)
Why the International Space Station Keeps Leaking (Source: Axios)
NASA's decision to order ISS astronauts to prep for a hasty departure Friday was the latest — and most dramatic — episode in a years-long saga tied to mysterious leaks in a Russian module. The ISS is nearing the end of its expected lifespan, but it's still invaluable for America's crewed spaceflight and scientific ambitions. The leak rate in the Zvezda module's transfer tunnel doubled to roughly 2 pounds of air per day.
Russian cosmonauts prepared for an extensive repair that required using a saw to access cracks blamed for the leaks. Out of concern that the sawing method could temporarily destabilize the module, NASA ordered U.S.-led astronauts to enter the Crew Dragon and prepare for an emergency evacuation. Russia decided to halt the repair in favor of further data analysis. The crew was given the "all clear" and returned to normal operations. (6/8)
Space Telescopes Are Now Overwhelmed by Satellite Trails (Source: Universe Today)
A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv from researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, reports that 73.3% of images the agency’s new SPHEREx space telescope collected between May and September of last year were contaminated by at least one artificial satellite trail. And it’s only going to get worse from here. Typically this type of light pollution is primarily associated with ground telescopes. But, SPHEREx is an orbital satellite, traveling along an orbit that is 700km above the Earth’s surface. Apparently even that wasn’t enough to escape from the light trails. (6/8)
FCC Kicks Off Review of Amazon/Globalstar Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
The FCC has kicked off its review process for Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar, seeking comment on the deal by July 6. Amazon moved in April to acquire Globalstar in a $10.8 billion deal, including Globalstar’s satellite operations, infrastructure, and spectrum. According to Amazon’s formal application to the FCC for the license transfer, Globalstar will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon and retain its corporate identity and operate as an affiliate to Amazon Leo. (6/8)
KSAT to Lead European Pollution-Focused Poseidon EO Mission (Source: Via Satellite)
KSAT will lead a European satellite mission called Poseidon focused on tracking pollution, under an award announced Monday. The project intends to use optical and radar-based satellite technology to improve detecting oil spills in sea ice and identifying pollutants released by ships at sea. It is a three-year project, funded with 5 million euro ($5.8 million) from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe R&D program.
The mission’s full name is Pollution Observation from Space: Environmental Imagery for Detections in the Oceans & Nearshore, known as Poseidon. Norway-based KSAT will lead and coordinate the project with partners from Norway, the Maldives, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, South Korea and Greece. This is the first EC Horizon Europe project that KSAT will lead. (6/8)
Elon Musk Shows Detailed Design of AI Data Center Satellite (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk unveiled a more detailed look at an initial version of an AI data center satellite SpaceX plans to build, providing fresh insight into the ambitious project driving the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering. During a 30-minute video shared on his social media website X, SpaceX’s chief executive officer laid out his plans for the future, including the continued development of its Starship rocket and the joint Terafab facility with Tesla that aims to manufacture computer chips in the US. (6/8)
SpaceX IPO Demands Trust in Musk’s Entangled Empire (Source: Bloomberg)
The boundaries between Elon Musk’s companies are growing increasingly blurred through shared capital, talent and infrastructure. Investors must decide what that ecosystem is worth. SpaceX’s initial public offering is a bet on Elon Musk’s most audacious vision yet: an industrial empire combining hardware, software and artificial intelligence that brings rocket launches, satellites and computing resources into one sprawling conglomerate. (6/8)
Electra has unveiled a turbo-electric airliner concept developed under NASA’s Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 program, showing a future 100-plus-seat aircraft that uses a double-bubble fuselage and electrically driven tail fans.
The Manassas, Virginia-based company said the concept could deliver up to a 17% efficiency improvement beyond gains expected by 2050 from advances in structures, engines and aerodynamics. The aircraft is a research concept intended to study how electrification, advanced aerodynamics and improved integration between the airframe and propulsion systems could shape future commercial aircraft. (6/8)
BryceTech Crowns Its First Start-Up Space Winner (Source: Aerospace America)
Finalists of BryceTech’s first-ever Start-Up Space Pitch Competition took the ASCEND stage twice – first to pitch their technology and market strategy before a panel of space and technology investors and then to share their vision with the broader ASCEND community. The winning firm was Exobiosphere, a Houston and Luxembourg-based space bio company that automates biological research in space. Exobiosphere aims to change how lifesaving therapies are discovered both on Earth and in orbit.
Its automated, high-throughput miniaturized laboratory can run up to 2,000 experiments at once on human-rated platforms and free flyers, giving scientists the statistical power they need to uncover new treatments faster and with greater confidence. Exobiosphere’s early customers – leading academics and hospitals like Cedars-Sinai – are using the platform to push the frontiers of space-based research, from stem cell studies to organoid models. (6/8)
Drug Development is Heading to Lower Earth Orbit (Source: CNBC)
Last year, space and defense technology company Redwire formed a dedicated subsidiary, SpaceMD, to commercialize pharmaceutical products developed in space. It has spent years developing orbital bioprinting but sees its most commercial opportunity in creating ways to administer drugs to patients. The most successful technology is the PIL-BOX, a new drug formulation technology. SpaceMD has already flown 54 PIL-BOX units – specialized, automated micro-laboratories designed to crystallize proteins in orbit – and has tested 37 drug compounds.
Space pharma originated with Merck. In 2014, it conducted crystal growth experiments on the ISS to better understand how the lack of gravity influences medicines, including its best-selling cancer drug Keytruda. Varda is betting on continuous orbital production and has developed 300-kilogram autonomous manufacturing satellites equipped with specialized re-entry pods. The active ingredients in drugs are so highly concentrated that Varda can generate significant value from relatively small loads.
BioOrbit is exploring a scalable system for crystallizing and manufacturing complex biologic drugs in space to enable at-home cancer treatments. It recently poached two high-level executives from Redwire. The aerospace industry established a robust supply chain for going to space, but only a narrow, expensive chain for returning. Existing spacecraft built for human re-entry, like SpaceX’s Dragon, are high-end, expensive vehicles engineered for safety. They are not economically viable for high-cadence, low-cost commercial manufacturing logistics. (6/9)
Users, Not Hardware, Will Drive Growth for the Next Era of Space Healthcare (Source: Aerospace America)
The center of gravity in the space economy is shifting from hardware to users. That was the message from Voyager Technologies’ director of International and Science Development, Manwei Chan. Chan argued that after decades focused on rockets, satellites, and space stations, the next era will be defined by who uses that infrastructure and why – especially in healthcare, where microgravity can unlock new science and business models.
“The next generation of space utilization is about the users, as opposed to the infrastructure,” Chan said, describing Voyager’s push to build a global science park network that lowers barriers for researchers and startups to access space-enabled R&D. The session brought together founders, economists, and investors to explore how to turn space-based health research into a scalable market – spotlighting pioneering start-ups, new commercial stations, and a healthcare investor intent on answering the question at the heart of adoption: who will pay, and for what? (6/8)
Eutelsat and Voimatel Partner to Expand LEO Satellite Connectivity Across Finland (Source: SatNews)
Global satellite operator Eutelsat Group has formalized a strategic distribution partnership with Finnish network infrastructure and service provider Voimatel to deploy low Earth orbit satellite connectivity services throughout Finland. This collaboration marks a significant expansion of high-speed, low-latency satellite broadband availability across the Nordic region, particularly targeting underserved corporate, industrial, and public sector organizations operating in geographically remote environments. (6/8)
Irish Company Secures €1 Million Contract with European Space Agency (Source: Irish Times)
Irish company Pilot Photonics has secured a €1 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for “space-proofing” satellite infrastructure. Pilot Photonics is a spin-out company of Dublin City University (DCU), headquartered in their Glasnevin campus with a team of 25 employees. Enterprise Ireland are shareholders in the company and have invested in their most recent round. The company develops integrated photonic chips, which use light rather than electrical signals to generate and carry information. (6/8)
USSF Seeking Small, Medium-Launch Providers At Vandenberg (Source: Aviation Week)
The U.S. Space Force is looking for launch providers that are interested in using a proposed Space Launch Complex-9 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Space Force is opening up an undeveloped site at its Western Range to support small- and medium-lift launch missions as the line to hitch a ride to space continues to lengthen. The service released a request for information (RFI) on June 8 to gauge interest from providers to develop the facility. (6/8)
Virgin Galactic’s Shares Take Wild Ride (Source: Orange County Business Journal)
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic, which aims to restart commercial flights later this year, saw its stock price swing wildly during a two-week stretch. After the shares closed at $2.47 on May 20, the craziness began over the next nine trading sessions, culminating in a more than threefold increase to $8.90 on June 1. Trading volume that day reached 286 million shares, about 15 times the daily average.
By June 3, shares of the company had plunged 50% to $4.29 for a market cap of $448 million. The trigger for the rise may have been news that Rich Huang’s RichRich Capital had taken a 5.3% stake in the company. Huang is an American investor whose company is based in Miami, according to filings.
Another trigger for the climb may have been the infamous short squeeze, in which traders who had bet the stock would fall scrambled to cover their positions when it rose. A reason for the sudden drop may be the Virgin Galactic filing on June 2 that it would issue new common stock to noteholders, diluting existing shareholders. The drop could also be linked to the industry becoming overheated, as evidenced by the Procure Space EFT Index doubling over the past year. (6/8)
How Elon Musk’s Friendship With the FCC Smooths the Way for SpaceX’s IPO (Source: New York Times)
In the past year, Brendan Carr, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has approved thousands of satellite launches for SpaceX’s broadband satellite business, Starlink. Elon Musk recommended Mr. Carr to Mr. Trump as an ideal leader for the agency. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Carr got the job. Since then, the F.C.C. chairman has lavished praise on Mr. Musk, repeatedly expressing his admiration for the tech mogul. He has greenlighted a satellite request from SpaceX and changed some of the agency’s rules to benefit the company.
Mr. Carr’s stance on SpaceX and Mr. Musk stands out from his behavior with other companies that the F.C.C. oversees. He started an investigation into the satellite company EchoStar, a SpaceX rival, after Mr. Musk’s company complained about it. He targeted the television networks ABC and NBC over their coverage of Mr. Trump, threatening to take away their broadcast licenses. And he threatened to block media and telecom deals over their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, opening investigations into Disney and Comcast. (6/8)
Texas Changed the Rules. SpaceX's Investors May Pay the Price (Source: Austin American-Statesman)
Ahead of SpaceX’s hotly anticipated initial public offering slated for Friday, the coverage has mostly focused on Elon Musk, his supervoting shares and the company’s record valuation. But dual-class voting and trillion-dollar valuations are commonplace on Wall Street. What is novel sits in SpaceX’s bylaws — a document almost no one reads — and it would rewrite the bargain between a public company and its shareholders. Article X of SpaceX’s bylaws bars investors who believe the company has misled them from suing as a group.
There are no class actions: every claim must be brought alone. And for the securities fraud claims that matter most, Article X forces investors out of open court and into private arbitration, where the bar to class actions is hardest to challenge. Remove investors’ ability to band together, and meritorious fraud claims never get filed. SpaceX’s IPO filing concedes this point: for smaller claims, it warns, the costs of arbitrating without a class action “could exceed the potential recovery.”
The class action also does something arbitration cannot. A securities class action airs a company’s alleged misconduct in open court. Article X is possible only because SpaceX reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in 2024. The SEC removed the federal check on arbitration provisions last fall. But Delaware, where most public companies are incorporated, still bars forced shareholder arbitration. Texas does not. Competition among states for corporate charters, once an academic concern, now decides what protections an ordinary investor gets. (6/9)
SpaceX's 'Puny Free Float' is Sparking Concerns About Greater Stock Volatility (Source: Business Insider)
SpaceX will make its trading debut on Friday following what's expected to be the biggest IPO ever by a long shot. The company is aiming to raise $75 billion by selling stock at $135 a share, taking its valuation to around $1.75 trillion. But for an IPO with such eye-popping numbers being tossed around, SpaceX is issuing a relatively tiny amount of stock to the public this week.
That small "float"—which describes the portion of shares available to trade, with the rest being held by early investors and insiders—has prompted concerns about intense volatility in early trades. Most companies that trade on major indexes have about 80% of their stock available for public trading, according to Nasdaq. SpaceX's free float is projected to be dramatically lower, with roughly 4% of shares doled out to investors. Recent IPOs before SpaceX have also trended lower, with nearly a third of companies that went public in 2025 having free float lower than 30%. (6/8)
Falcon 9 Booster Breaks Reuse Record (Source: Ars Technica)
A little more than five years ago, a shiny white Falcon 9 rocket made its debut flight, boosting a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Over the next year, it would launch a pair of astronaut missions and a handful of commercial spacecraft.
But since then, this first stage booster, designated B 1067, has mostly flown Starlink missions. It has launched them one after another, always returning safely to a drone ship before undergoing refurbishment and flying again. Sometimes it has flown twice in a single month. On Monday morning, B 1067 once again took to the skies, launching 29 Starlink Internet satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida. Upon landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the vehicle completed its 35th mission overall, retaining its title as fleet leader for SpaceX.
The successful launch brings SpaceX closer to its most recently stated goal of qualifying its Falcon 9 first stage vehicles to support 40 missions each. Since that goal was outlined more than two years ago and the company has continued flying its experienced boosters safely across dozens of missions, SpaceX may be intending to push past 40 missions. (6/8)
Iceye Raises $1.6 Billion (Source: Space News)
Iceye, a Finnish company that builds and operates radar imaging satellites, announced Tuesday a funding round worth more than one billion euros ($1.16 billion). The company announced a Series F funding round Tuesday that includes 450 million euros in primary placements with several investors, with the rest coming from secondary placements of stock. The new round values the company at more than 10 billion euros. The company operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites and also sells satellites to governments. Iceye said the funding will allow it to scale up work with other governments worldwide while doubling satellite production to 100 per year. (6/9)
Germany's Isar Aerospace Raises $312 Million for Spectrum Rockets and Launch Sites (Source: Space News)
German launch company Isar Aerospace raised 270 million euros, also for global expansion. The company plans to use the funding to expand production of its Spectrum small launch vehicle while working to launch the rocket from new sites worldwide. The company launches from Andøya in Norway and announced a letter of intent last month to consider launching from a Canadian site. Isar also said it has rescheduled the second launch of Spectrum to between June 15 to 21 after technical and range issues postponed launch attempts earlier this year. (6/9)
BlackSky Wins NRO Contract Modification for Wide-Area Imaging Sat (Source: Space News)
BlackSky won a modification to an NRO contract to accelerate development of broad-area imaging satellites. The company said Tuesday it received the modification that puts the company on a "direct path" toward a multi-spectral, large-area mapping spacecraft in 2028. BlackSky announced in 2025 plans for satellites called AROS that would take imagery over wide areas, complementing its Gen-3 high-resolution imaging satellites. BlackSky did not disclose the value of the NRO contract modification, nor is the company saying how many AROS satellites it plans to deploy. (6/9)
China Picks Four Launchers for Commercial Cargo Program (Source: Space News)
The Chinese government has selected four Chinese launch companies for a commercial cargo transportation program. Launch firms Galactic Energy, CAS Space, OrienSpace and Landspace were shortlisted to launch the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, following the launch of a prototype of the supply vessel in March. The full-scale Qingzhou cargo spacecraft, one of two low-cost space station resupply spacecraft being developed to support the Tiangong space station, is tentatively scheduled for launch in January 2027. The announcement of the shortlisted companies did not disclose when a final provider for the launch would be announced. (6/9)
NASA May Seek Artemis Funding Bump (Source: Politico)
NASA may be looking for additional funding for Artemis. NASA has reportedly been in talks with congressional staff about supplemental funding, perhaps through a budget reconciliation bill, that could provide the agency with up to several billion dollars. The money would support accelerating the development of crewed lunar landers needed for Artemis by Blue Origin and SpaceX, an effort complicated by the New Glenn explosion. Congressional sources, though, noted doubts that a supplemental spending bill could pass in the coming months. (6/9)
Czech Astronaut Added to Vast ISS Mission (Source: Vast)
A Czech astronaut will go to the International Space Station on a Vast private astronaut mission. Vast said Monday it will work with the European Space Agency to send Aleš Svoboda to the ISS as the pilot on Vast's private astronaut mission in 2027. Svoboda is one of 12 reserve astronauts selected by ESA in 2022 for short-term flight opportunities such as this. Vast announced last week that veteran ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet of France will command that mission. (6/9)
Meteorite That Wiped Out the Dinosaurs Also Created Hydrothermal System (Source: Scientific American)
The meteorite which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs also created an underground environment suited to supporting new life, and new research suggests it lasted for millions of years longer than previously suspected. The finding has surprised the international team of researchers behind it, who came to their conclusions by pairing sophisticated new analysis of samples taken from the Chicxulub crater in Mexico with computer modelling of the geological effects of the meteorite 66 million years ago.
The research casts new light on how life may have first been incubated in hydrothermal systems in the earliest chapters of the Earth’s history, and could help direct the search for life on other planets. The immense heat brought together fractured rocks and hot water underground, creating a hydrothermal system beneath the crater. The researchers provide evidence that the system persisted for at least eight million years, around four times longer than previous estimates. (6/9)
What the ‘Dean of Valuation’ Thinks Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is Really Worth (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NYU Stern School of Business professor Aswath Damodaran, widely known as “Dean of Valuation,” breaks down SpaceX’s mega IPO and its three businesses. SpaceX aims to sell shares in its anticipated public offering this week at a valuation of around $1.77 trillion. That value could go even higher once it begins trading. The question investors will have to answer for themselves: Is it really worth that much? NYU’s Aswath Damodaran is skeptical of the outlook for the company’s artificial-intelligence unit. (6/7)
How SpaceX Became Embedded in America’s War Machine (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX’s years of courting the national-security establishment are paying off. The U.S. government is SpaceX’s largest single client, which the 24-year-old company identified as “Customer A” in securities filings ahead of its planned initial public offering. Revenue from the government, which totaled around $4 billion in 2025, is set to sharply climb over the next few years. Pledges to quickly deploy technology and ties cultivated with Pentagon have helped land new contracts totaling billions of dollars. (6/7)
Quantum Space to Go Public Via SPAC Merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. (Source: Quantum Space)
Quantum Space, a company building the next generation of advanced maneuverable spacecraft to disrupt the orbital economy, and Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI, a special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement under which Quantum Space will become a publicly traded company. (6/7)
WRC-27: the Next Arena for U.S.-China Space Competition (Sources: Space News, Via Satellite)
For anyone who wasn’t sure whether China was in it to win the space race and dominate the rapidly growing space economy, its filings in December for 200,000 more satellites should dispel all doubts. Beijing is seeking to position itself as a leader in low Earth orbit satellite constellations, electronic warfare and the space race more broadly. But the next battleground in this race is a regulatory conference, not the launchpad.
WRC-27, a quadrennial global telecom regulatory summit, will be hosted by the Chinese government in Shanghai. The U.S. delegation, which includes both multiple federal agencies and a large private sector contingent, has a lot of work to do to develop a national position, win over allies, and push for reform of the WRC process itself. In the lead-up to WRC-27, the U.S. needs to get moving on developing national positions on key agenda items, said Kim Baum at Astranis.
The location of WRC-27 in Shanghai, China, is already posing barriers to U.S. participation, given fears about American visitors potentially falling victim to hacking, said Baum. She said U.S. participation at previous regional preparatory meetings had been “incredibly limited” by security concerns. (6/8)
Yesterday’s Future: Space Settlement and Castles in the Sky (Source: Space Review)
Fifty years ago this month, an issue of National Geographic introduced many people to the concept of space settlements. Dwayne Day examines what it predicted for the faraway future of 2026 and why those visions fell short. Click here. (6/9)
America’s Most Exposed Power Projection Platforms: Why United States Space Force Installations Must Be Treated as Warfighting Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
Unlike other military services, the Space Force largely operates from permanent bases in the United States and allied nations rather than having forward-deployed bases. David Hanson argues that this means the military needs to pay more attention to securing those bases from cyber and physical attacks. Click here. (6/9)
The Vagueness of the Outer Space Treaty Was a Strategically Calculated Move (Source: Space Review)
One of the complaints about the Outer Space Treaty is that many of its provisions are vague and subject to wide-ranging interpretations. Aditya Raj discusses why that was intentional. Click here. (6/9)
The First Alien Intelligence May Not Be Alive (Source: Space Review)
Astrobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence have largely focused on biological life. David Falls explains why the first evidence of intelligence we might detect beyond Earth may not be biological in nature. Click here. (6/9)
NASA Astronauts Will Drive These New Electric Rovers On The Moon (Source: Autoblog)
The two finalists for the lunar rover contracts are Astrolab and Lunar Outpost, which were awarded $219 million and $220 million, respectively, to build and deliver the first phase of Lunar Terrain Vehicles (LTVs). Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover and Astrolab’s CLV-1 (Crewed Lunar Vehicle) look similar as both clearly take inspiration from side-by-side vehicles. Each vehicle tips the scales at around a ton—not that light for our planet, but light enough on the Moon where 1 ton feels like 333 pounds—and is designed to carry two astronauts.
The rest of the specs won’t blow anyone away, as the top speed is 6 miles per hour for the Pegasus and 9 miles per hour for the CLV-1 on a flat lunar surface, and the rovers can tackle 20-degree inclines on the surface of the Moon. As you can imagine, both rovers are all-electric and can be driven either by astronauts onboard or remotely operated from Earth; if need be, they can also navigate autonomously.
There are some differences between them. Astrolab’s CLV-1, which is adapted from the company’s FLEX architecture, can transport astronauts, carry supplies, and support remote operations. It also comes in a compact stowed configuration that helps NASA save space during transportation. Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus, which is a lighter, mission-ready evolution of its Eagle rover designed to meet NASA’s updated crewed LTV requirements, incorporates Apollo‑heritage technologies and is powered by GM batteries that enable a driving range of 560 miles. (6/9)
Strange Stars Look Suspiciously Like They've Been Eating Planets (Source: Science Alert)
If someone turns up with crumbs on their chin, it's natural to wonder where the cookies went. Astronomers have found themselves asking that same question about a handful of very strange stars. Among thousands of stars studied by astronomers, six red dwarfs stood out for carrying traces of a strange element in their atmospheres.
In normal circumstances, this element should long ago have been annihilated deep within the stars' interiors. Its presence here suggests that these six stars have been raiding the cookie jar – if the cookie jar were full of Earth-like planets. (6/8)
Air Force, Space Force Seek to Hire Thousands of Civilian Employees, Reversing DOGE Cuts (Source: Dayton Daily News)
The Air Force and the Space Force are back in hiring mode. The Air Force fiscal year 2027 budget request funds an increase of 4,115 civilian “full time equivalents” job positions, while the Space Force FY27 budget request funds about 1,912 additional civilian positions. Some 70% of the requested civilian positions in the budget request seek to fill vacancies created by DOGE, which sought to cut waste across the federal government. (6/8)
RTX Invests $100M to Upgrade R.I. Missile Defense Facility (Source: Defense Post)
RTX has committed $100 million to expand its Raytheon facility in Rhode Island, responding to the increasing need for advanced air and missile defense systems. This significant investment is aimed at accelerating both radar testing and missile interceptor production, ensuring that the US Army and allies can receive these critical defense technologies more rapidly. (6/9)
NYC Pensions Boss Says SpaceX’s Disregard for Shareholders Has ‘No Precedent’ (Source: Bloomberg)
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine says the unprecedented control that Elon Musk will have over SpaceX represents a new level of disregard for regular shareholders’ rights. “I understand that we are in an era of founders wanting more control,” Levine said in an interview. But what Musk is planning with SpaceX “is way beyond what we’ve seen.” Levine oversees about $300 billion in both actively and passively managed portfolios in New York city’s public pension funds.
He says it would be “very complicated” to exclude SpaceX. “We’ve never divested from a single company,” he said. “We’ve done sector-based exclusion only,” so blacklisting SpaceX “would be unprecedented for us and it is not simple.” Instead, Levine says he plans to push for a more democratic corporate governance process from within. Musk can’t be allowed to “disempower” shareholders, he said, adding that investment professionals in New York have told him they want him to “keep fighting on this.” (6/9)
Indonesian ISPs and Satellite Operators Ask Regulators to Assure That Global Constellations Follow the Rules (Source: Space Intel Report)
Indonesian government and industry officials repeatedly stressed the need for sovereign space capacity as part of a development plan to 2045 that they said should include Indonesia-built telecommunications and Earth observation satellites and a domestic launch service. They also urged that a national consensus develop that requires global LEO operators to abide by the same regulations as those imposed on Indonesian companies. In telecommunications, Indonesian officials are preparing a national ecosystem to assure a domestic satellite manufacturing capability. (6/9)
Starlink India Launch Hits Security Roadblock Before SpaceX IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
India has effectively frozen approvals for Elon Musk’s space-based internet service Starlink to begin commercial operations, due to concerns over the use of its satellite terminals in the Iran war, according to people familiar with the matter.
Security agencies under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs have withheld the final clearances Starlink needs to launch, the people said, requesting not to be identified discussing information that is private. Reports that Starlink terminals were in use during the Middle East conflict despite the service not being licensed in Iran have heightened fears in New Delhi about its ability to control a US-based operator during geopolitical tensions, they said. (6/9)
Is America Ready for a Nuclear Explosion in Space? (Source: The Hill)
Gen. Stephen Whiting, the commander of U.S. Space Command, recently made waves when he publicly discussed a major threat that America’s newest military branch recently war-gamed — that of an adversary detonating a nuclear weapon in space. At first blush, the scenario seems far-fetched. In truth, though, it is a real possibility. More than a year ago, House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) raised the alarm that Russia could place a space-based nuclear device into orbit. That possibility was later confirmed by the Pentagon.
The White House grasps the danger. A December 2025 Executive Order on Space Superiority directs the country’s relevant agencies to create “a space security strategy that accounts for United States interests in, from, and to space” and “a technology plan for detecting, characterizing, and countering potential adversary placement of nuclear weapons in space.” That strategy, moreover, is expected as soon as June 16. (6/9)
Green Propulsion Deal Pairs Two European Satellite Firms for 2027 LEO Mission (Source: Journal of Space Commerce)
Arkadia Space and Reflex Aerospace have signed a commercial agreement to integrate Arkadia’s green propulsion system into an upcoming Reflex satellite mission targeting a Q2 2027 launch. Under the agreement, Arkadia Space will supply a complete hydrogen peroxide-based propulsion system to support orbital maneuvers and end-of-life deorbiting for a low Earth orbit satellite with an approximate launch mass of 440 pounds. The mission is scheduled to fly on SpaceX’s Transporter-20 rideshare program. (6/9)
Why the International Space Station Keeps Leaking (Source: Axios)
NASA's decision to order ISS astronauts to prep for a hasty departure Friday was the latest — and most dramatic — episode in a years-long saga tied to mysterious leaks in a Russian module. The ISS is nearing the end of its expected lifespan, but it's still invaluable for America's crewed spaceflight and scientific ambitions. The leak rate in the Zvezda module's transfer tunnel doubled to roughly 2 pounds of air per day.
Russian cosmonauts prepared for an extensive repair that required using a saw to access cracks blamed for the leaks. Out of concern that the sawing method could temporarily destabilize the module, NASA ordered U.S.-led astronauts to enter the Crew Dragon and prepare for an emergency evacuation. Russia decided to halt the repair in favor of further data analysis. The crew was given the "all clear" and returned to normal operations. (6/8)
Space Telescopes Are Now Overwhelmed by Satellite Trails (Source: Universe Today)
A new paper, available in pre-print on arXiv from researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center, reports that 73.3% of images the agency’s new SPHEREx space telescope collected between May and September of last year were contaminated by at least one artificial satellite trail. And it’s only going to get worse from here. Typically this type of light pollution is primarily associated with ground telescopes. But, SPHEREx is an orbital satellite, traveling along an orbit that is 700km above the Earth’s surface. Apparently even that wasn’t enough to escape from the light trails. (6/8)
FCC Kicks Off Review of Amazon/Globalstar Deal (Source: Via Satellite)
The FCC has kicked off its review process for Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar, seeking comment on the deal by July 6. Amazon moved in April to acquire Globalstar in a $10.8 billion deal, including Globalstar’s satellite operations, infrastructure, and spectrum. According to Amazon’s formal application to the FCC for the license transfer, Globalstar will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon and retain its corporate identity and operate as an affiliate to Amazon Leo. (6/8)
KSAT to Lead European Pollution-Focused Poseidon EO Mission (Source: Via Satellite)
KSAT will lead a European satellite mission called Poseidon focused on tracking pollution, under an award announced Monday. The project intends to use optical and radar-based satellite technology to improve detecting oil spills in sea ice and identifying pollutants released by ships at sea. It is a three-year project, funded with 5 million euro ($5.8 million) from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe R&D program.
The mission’s full name is Pollution Observation from Space: Environmental Imagery for Detections in the Oceans & Nearshore, known as Poseidon. Norway-based KSAT will lead and coordinate the project with partners from Norway, the Maldives, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, South Korea and Greece. This is the first EC Horizon Europe project that KSAT will lead. (6/8)
Elon Musk Shows Detailed Design of AI Data Center Satellite (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk unveiled a more detailed look at an initial version of an AI data center satellite SpaceX plans to build, providing fresh insight into the ambitious project driving the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering. During a 30-minute video shared on his social media website X, SpaceX’s chief executive officer laid out his plans for the future, including the continued development of its Starship rocket and the joint Terafab facility with Tesla that aims to manufacture computer chips in the US. (6/8)
SpaceX IPO Demands Trust in Musk’s Entangled Empire (Source: Bloomberg)
The boundaries between Elon Musk’s companies are growing increasingly blurred through shared capital, talent and infrastructure. Investors must decide what that ecosystem is worth. SpaceX’s initial public offering is a bet on Elon Musk’s most audacious vision yet: an industrial empire combining hardware, software and artificial intelligence that brings rocket launches, satellites and computing resources into one sprawling conglomerate. (6/8)
July 8, 2026
Mars Radiation Risks (Source:
Space Daily)
Mars has no global magnetic field and an atmosphere with about one per cent of Earth’s surface pressure, so the surface sits exposed to galactic cosmic rays and the occasional storm of particles from the Sun. We know roughly how much, because the Curiosity rover carried a detector through the trip and across the surface. According to the measurements published by the RAD team in the journal Science, the round-trip transit alone would deliver about 0.66 sieverts under current propulsion and ordinary solar conditions, and a full mission with around 500 days on the surface would bring the total close to one sievert.
A dose of one sievert is associated with roughly a five per cent increase in lifetime fatal cancer risk. NASA’s current career limit is 600 millisieverts and the European Space Agency’s is 1,000. By either standard, a conventional Mars mission consumes a large fraction of an astronaut’s lifetime radiation allowance, and may exceed NASA’s. The exact figure would depend on shielding, propulsion, trajectory and the solar cycle, but the scale of the problem is not in doubt. (6/7)
Mars Dust Risks (Source: Space Daily)
Martian dust is often only a few micrometres across, a small fraction of the width of a human hair, fine enough to lodge deep in the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. A 2025 review catalogued what that dust carries: perchlorates, which can disrupt the thyroid and the production of blood cells; silica, the cause of silicosis in miners and stoneworkers on Earth; iron oxides; and trace toxic metals whose amounts are still debated. Researchers note that inhaling only a few milligrams would exceed a safe daily dose by Earth standards.
The dust is also electrostatically charged, so it clings to suits and rides back inside, the same problem the Apollo crews met with lunar dust, which left them coughing with what they called lunar hay fever after only a few days. Mars crews will be outside far more often, for far longer. Keeping the dust out, through filters, airlocks, suitports and constant cleaning, becomes a permanent housekeeping operation. It is unglamorous, repetitive and central to staying healthy. (6/7)
NASA to Select New Headquarters Washington DC Location by End of Year (Source: Space News)
NASA plans to find a new headquarters building by the end of this year while remaining in the Washington area. "The current NASA Headquarters lease expires in August 2028, and the agency already has evaluated multiple options including leasing or purchasing within the District of Columbia. Through a request for information published in November, NASA began process. (6/7)
Mars has no global magnetic field and an atmosphere with about one per cent of Earth’s surface pressure, so the surface sits exposed to galactic cosmic rays and the occasional storm of particles from the Sun. We know roughly how much, because the Curiosity rover carried a detector through the trip and across the surface. According to the measurements published by the RAD team in the journal Science, the round-trip transit alone would deliver about 0.66 sieverts under current propulsion and ordinary solar conditions, and a full mission with around 500 days on the surface would bring the total close to one sievert.
A dose of one sievert is associated with roughly a five per cent increase in lifetime fatal cancer risk. NASA’s current career limit is 600 millisieverts and the European Space Agency’s is 1,000. By either standard, a conventional Mars mission consumes a large fraction of an astronaut’s lifetime radiation allowance, and may exceed NASA’s. The exact figure would depend on shielding, propulsion, trajectory and the solar cycle, but the scale of the problem is not in doubt. (6/7)
Mars Dust Risks (Source: Space Daily)
Martian dust is often only a few micrometres across, a small fraction of the width of a human hair, fine enough to lodge deep in the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. A 2025 review catalogued what that dust carries: perchlorates, which can disrupt the thyroid and the production of blood cells; silica, the cause of silicosis in miners and stoneworkers on Earth; iron oxides; and trace toxic metals whose amounts are still debated. Researchers note that inhaling only a few milligrams would exceed a safe daily dose by Earth standards.
The dust is also electrostatically charged, so it clings to suits and rides back inside, the same problem the Apollo crews met with lunar dust, which left them coughing with what they called lunar hay fever after only a few days. Mars crews will be outside far more often, for far longer. Keeping the dust out, through filters, airlocks, suitports and constant cleaning, becomes a permanent housekeeping operation. It is unglamorous, repetitive and central to staying healthy. (6/7)
NASA to Select New Headquarters Washington DC Location by End of Year (Source: Space News)
NASA plans to find a new headquarters building by the end of this year while remaining in the Washington area. "The current NASA Headquarters lease expires in August 2028, and the agency already has evaluated multiple options including leasing or purchasing within the District of Columbia. Through a request for information published in November, NASA began process. (6/7)
June 7, 2026
Space Unicorn Herd Grows
(Source: Space News)
Sky-high valuations, emerging technologies and eager investors have created a new breed of startups that their financial backers see as central to the next phase of the space economy. A new analysis by SpaceNews counts 30 privately held space companies with unicorn status, meaning they are valued at $1 billion or more. Roughly two-thirds achieved that status since the beginning of 2025. Notably, more than half of those that became unicorns since January were founded within the past five years. (6/7)
NASA Interested in Hubble Reboost if Costs Can Be Reduced (Source: Space News)
NASA is open to reboosting the Hubble Space Telescope, provided its operating costs can be lowered to justify the investment. Because it was built in a different era, maintaining the 35-year-old observatory is highly expensive, and NASA requires a leaner budget before committing to extending its mission. The agency is using the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory as a test case. NASA contracted Katalyst Space to dock with and boost the decaying satellite, which provides a more affordable model for potentially rescuing Hubble. (6/6)
Could Meteor Storms Harm NASA's Future Moon Missions? (Source: Space.com)
Meteor showers are among the most beautiful phenomena to brighten Earth's sky, but could the fast moving space rocks that accompany major events threaten or delay future Artemis moon missions as NASA and its partners plan for a lunar landing attempt? NASA estimates that approximately 48.5 tons (44,000 kilograms) of naturally occurring space debris falls into Earth's atmosphere each day. If a major meteor shower outburst or storm is forecast during a mission or crew activity, the mission would be delayed or the crew kept inside until the outburst or storm is over. (6/6)
Today’s Kids Would Rather be YouTubers Than Astronauts (Source: 1440)
While the other children in your kindergarten class might have wanted to be firefighters or astronauts when they grew up, modern kids are different. Lego conducted a study that found children were more likely to say they wanted to be a YouTuber when they grew up than an astronaut. (6/7)
Putting the Pieces Together for Galileo Second Generation (Source: ESA)
The second generation of Galileo satellites are marching steadily towards completion. Many of the satellite components have been built and tested and are now being assembled into the satellites that will fly in space in the coming years. Two families of second generation satellites are being built: one by Airbus Defence and Space and one by Thales Alenia Space. These two families will be fully interoperable with one another and with the current Galileo satellites while enabling new services and capabilities for Europe’s satellite navigation constellation. (6/5)
Russia Says Its Starlink Rival ‘Rassvet’ Will Launch Commercially in 2027 (Source: Kyiv Post)
Russia plans to launch a commercial satellite internet service “Rassvet” by next year, CEO of Iks Holding Alexei Shelobkov said at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday, describing it as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. The company developing the system, Bureau 1440, says it launched its first 16 low-orbit Rassvet satellites in March 2026, and plans to reach up to 900 satellites by 2035. (6/5)
Stop Letting China Exploit NASA Research (Source: Washington Examiner)
NASA says it explores and innovates “for the benefit of humanity,” but that should not mean the United States explores scientific frontiers on behalf of its enemies. The U.S. must do more to prevent sensitive research from being given away to China and other adversaries. It can start by strengthening a law that is already on the books.
In 2011, Congress passed the Wolf Amendment, a recurring provision in NASA’s appropriations acts, prohibits the agency from using federal funds for bilateral cooperation with China or Chinese-owned companies unless Congress authorizes it and the FBI certifies that the activity poses no national security risk. A recent report by the U.S. House Select Committee on China found that enforcement of the Wolf Amendment has been lackluster at best.
The committee identified “hundreds of co-authored publications demonstrating bilateral research relationships with Chinese entities that acknowledge NASA support or funding.” “Research supported by NASA and other U.S. federal agencies has in several instances involved collaborations with institutions that are part of China’s defense research and industrial base,” the committee noted. (6/6)
Date is Set for Bigger Booster, More Powerful Ariane 6 (Source: ESA)
The next Ariane 6 rocket launch is set for liftoff on 17 June 2026 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and it will be even more powerful than before due to the rocket being equipped with boosters based on the upgraded P160C motor. Ariane 6 is the latest generation of Europe’s largest and most powerful rocket. It’s next flight, VA269, will fly with four boosters based on the P160C motor, offering 14 tonnes more solid propellant per booster, compared to the P120C motors used so far. The Ariane 6 will launch 36 satellites for Amazon Leo the third flight for the communications constellation. (6/5)
The Moons of Uranus May Hold the Key to Finding Missing Planets (Source: WIRED)
Current models suggest that at some point after their formation, the giant planets went through a phase of such extreme instability that one or even two bodies the size of Uranus or Neptune were ejected into interstellar space. If that scenario occurred, we may find clues in the most unexpected places in the solar system, such as the moons of Jupiter and, especially, those of Uranus. A recent article analyzed 122 possible scenarios to assess how the satellite systems of the "left behind" planets would have reacted.
The researchers concluded that it would be extremely difficult to explain the current characteristics of Uranus' moons without some episode of violent instability. And that type of instability only appears in models where more giant planets existed than we see today. Most likely, the authors point out, the moons of Uranus were destabilized at least twice in the past: First by the impact that tilted the planet, and then by close encounters between giant planets during the instability. That chaos, fueled by the presence of one or more planets that were later ejected, would have destroyed and rebuilt the system of moons to what we see today. (6/6)
Qianfan Reaches 200 Satellites (Source: China In Space)
The Qianfan mega-constellation, sometimes referred to as SpaceSail, is operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co. aiming to provide space-based internet connectivity services in China and abroad in places including Brazil, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and via airlines, as soon as the end of this year. As of December 2025, the deployment aims should have 324 satellites launched in 20261, another 324 in 2027, and 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, followed by 5,000 in 2030, with 15,000 total satellites approved to operate. (6/5)
Proposed U.S. Grant Funding Rules Spark Worry, Backlash in Astronomy (Source: Sky & Telescope)
The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a 412-page document rewriting how federal grants should be issued and overseen across all agencies. The changes to the procedures, which were previously altered in 2024 to make the grants process clearer, were sweeping, touching on areas from international collaboration to academic publication costs. But the through line is made explicit: to align federal grant-making with “administration policies and priorities set by the President."
Immediately, it has sparked backlash from astronomers and planetary scientists, who see grave challenges for science if the rules come to fruition. The proposal “threatens the entire space enterprise,” says Meredith MacGregor (Johns Hopkins University). Many of the suggested changes “sound minor but would completely mess up how we do science.” (6/5)
Leaf Space Partners with D-Orbit and EnduroSat to Test Connectivity Service (Source: Space News)
Italian ground segment operator Leaf Space unveiled a new space connectivity service May 27. The technology, named TreeNet, aims to make space communications more seamless by treating individual satellites as nodes in an interconnected communications network. The company also announced partnerships and launch timelines to bring the project to fruition. (6/5)
German Research Focuses on Regolith Melting for 3D Printing (Source: DLR)
Exploring the Moon will require infrastructure such as habitats and roads. Transporting materials for this from Earth would be extremely costly, so it would be considerably simpler to use lunar regolith – loose, fragmented dust and rocks on the Moon’s surface – instead. Current research is focused on melting lunar regolith and using it in a process similar to 3D printing. The advantage of this method would be that only the technological equipment need be transported to the Moon; the energy required for melting could be generated using solar panels.
For the experiment conducted by Germany's Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, a system was developed that can melt regolith under vacuum conditions using laser radiation across a diameter of approximately ten millimeters. During parabolic flights, researchers aim to investigate how vacuum and varying gravity levels affect the melting process. The experiment will also investigate whether and how the melting process could contaminate the laser optics and thus render them unusable. (6/6)
Europe is Rearming Together — Except in Space (Source: Space News)
It's time for European nations to embrace smaller, more flexible military coalitions in space, according to RAND Europe Space Hub analyst Aleix Nadal. He argues that Europe, independently of broader international coalitions, "lacks the operational mechanisms and integrated command structures needed to compete, deter and, if necessary, fight in a contested orbital environment."
"Operationally, the irony is striking," Nadal wrote. "Even as European countries pursue greater defense autonomy elsewhere, their most advanced space cooperation continues to occur within U.S.-led frameworks such as Operation Olympic Defender and the Combined Space Operations initiative." Nadal argues that Europe shouldn't withdraw from broader military and security alliances, but that it needs to build up a stronger European pillar of its own, ensuring sovereignty and minitateral cooperation within the continent. (6/6)
SETI Updates Rules for Evaluating ETs (Source: Douglas Messier)
The IAA SETI Committee announced today updated rules for evaluating and revealing the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. Acknowledging that any credible detection of extraterrestrial technology would be a transformative event for humanity, the new Declaration establishes a rigorous framework for verification, transparency and global risk communication.
At the heart of the new rules is a reaffirmation of a core scientific principle: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Under the revised protocols, no public announcement should be made until a signal or artifact has been rigorously authenticated by independent organizations using different instrumentation. “We do not shout “alien” the moment we see a strange blip,” Garrett added. “The scientific method demands we check, check again, and then ask others to check.” (6/6)
Port Canaveral Juggles Requisite Space Duties Amid Cruise Juggernaut (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The cruise business remains king at Port Canaveral, but the burgeoning space industry has muscled its way into the duties performed by the port authority. Despite the port having already passed a 2019 resolution of support of that industry, several commercial launch providers lobbied to have it added to the port’s charter, a move that was ensconced into law in 2024. Now the port is required to hold regular public hearings on it.
SpaceX and Blue Origin have been busy at the port, but they are still a relatively small portion of business. “They don’t pay the bills around here,” said Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. For fiscal 2025, the port hit a record of nearly $220 million in operating revenue, with about $182 million credited to cruise-related operations including parking. Cargo, which includes space, came to $24.5 million. Of that, SpaceX and Blue Origin combined to shell out more than $4.2 million, a big jump from previous years, but still only 2% of total revenue.
While still small, it is a growing footprint. Space-related cargo revenue was only just under $3 million in 2024, a little over $1.7 million in 2023 and over $1.3 million in 2022. As it has grown, the port has had to come to an especially smooth relationship with the most active launch company, SpaceX. SpaceX had 90 boosters transported and offloaded on the port’s north cargo terminals by the authority’s three mobile harbor cranes. SpaceX also recovered 192 fairings that also had to move through the port. (6/6)
It’s Possible That SpaceX Could Collapse Spectacularly (Source: Futurism)
The Financial Times‘ Richard Waters asks whether SpaceX will be able to justify its unprecedented valuation five or ten years from now. Even for Musk, it’s an aggressive price-to-earnings ratio that could blow up in his face if investors start to lose faith. The conversation surrounding plans for shorting SpaceX is hitting a fever pitch, setting the stage for what could be a wild stock market ride.
Adding to the drama is that now that SpaceX has transformed into an AI company, analysts are becoming antsy that the massive IPO, alongside OpenAI and Anthropic’s, could place even more strain on an already bloated Wall Street. Could its stock market debut be the straw that broke the camel’s back, bursting the bubble by dissipating all of that pent-up excitement?
If Musk’s EV maker Tesla is anything to go by, SpaceX’s business fundamentals likely won’t be a major factor. Tesla’s sky-high valuation has long been propped up by promises of a humanoid robot and autonomous driving-filled future, while the company’s actual revenue has lagged far behind. (6/5)
Second Insourcing Wave Starts At JSC (Source: NASA Watch)
The second contractor insourcing wave at NASA has started at JSC. MCC staff contractors were recently insourced. Now many more JSC contractors are going to be converted in flight ops, exploration, and engineering. Job postings in July will be open to all applicants. No telework will be allowed. (6/5)
NASA Concludes Antenna Mishap Investigation (Source: NASA)
On Sep. 16, 2025, the DSS‑14 antenna over‑rotated while actively tracking the Juno mission, placing excessive stress on cabling and associated structural supports. Water lines tied to the antenna’s fire‑suppression system also were damaged, causing significant flooding in the facility. There were no injuries. The board found the mishap primarily stemmed from software weaknesses, human error, and an undetected failure in the antenna’s hydraulic limit system.
NASA has completed the investigation into the damage sustained at the 70-meter radio-frequency antenna, known as the Deep Space Station 14, at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California. The agency has classified the event as a Type A mishap based on the total cost of damages. The antenna will remain offline to complete repairs and previously scheduled upgrades. (6/5)
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NASA's X-59 Goes Supersonic (Source: Orion News)
NASA's X-59 reached Mach 1.1 over Edwards Air Force Base — the first supersonic pass of an aircraft specifically designed to produce no conventional sonic boom. Concorde generated ~105 PldB at ground level — comparable to a thunderclap. The X-59 is targeting 75 PLdB. The difference sounds small. It isn't. At 75 PLdB, you'd describe what you heard as a car door closing on the next street.
That 30 PLdB reduction is encoded in every line of the airframe: a 29-metre fuselage that prevents shock waves from merging on their way to the ground, an engine mounted on top to isolate intake shocks from the wing surfaces, a cockpit with no windscreen because glass would break the contour the acoustics require. The flight matters not because it broke a record -- but because it starts a regulatory clock.
The FAA has banned supersonic flight over U.S. land since 1973. Not based on a noise standard, but as a blanket speed prohibition. The X-59's community overflight surveys — planned for later in 2026 — will generate the first empirical data capable of replacing that ban with an actual noise limit. Yesterday was the first day of the evidence base needed to change it. (6/6)
Hypersonicc Dark Eagle, Tested at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Enters Service (Source: @spacestories)
The US military has moved a weapon out of the lab that sounds almost unfair. It's called Dark Eagle, the Army's Long-Range Mach 5 hypersonic weapon, and it is being fielded in 2026. It is capable of maneuvering on the way down so it can't be intercepted like a normal missile. In a joint Army-Navy test from Cape Canaveral in March 2026, the missile launched and flew above Mach 5 successfully.
Reports indicate a single Dark Eagle battery could strike targets as far as Beijing from Guam, or Moscow from Europe, arriving faster than most defenses can respond. The first operational missiles are headed to a unit based in the Pacific Northwest. (6/6)
Sky-high valuations, emerging technologies and eager investors have created a new breed of startups that their financial backers see as central to the next phase of the space economy. A new analysis by SpaceNews counts 30 privately held space companies with unicorn status, meaning they are valued at $1 billion or more. Roughly two-thirds achieved that status since the beginning of 2025. Notably, more than half of those that became unicorns since January were founded within the past five years. (6/7)
NASA Interested in Hubble Reboost if Costs Can Be Reduced (Source: Space News)
NASA is open to reboosting the Hubble Space Telescope, provided its operating costs can be lowered to justify the investment. Because it was built in a different era, maintaining the 35-year-old observatory is highly expensive, and NASA requires a leaner budget before committing to extending its mission. The agency is using the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory as a test case. NASA contracted Katalyst Space to dock with and boost the decaying satellite, which provides a more affordable model for potentially rescuing Hubble. (6/6)
Could Meteor Storms Harm NASA's Future Moon Missions? (Source: Space.com)
Meteor showers are among the most beautiful phenomena to brighten Earth's sky, but could the fast moving space rocks that accompany major events threaten or delay future Artemis moon missions as NASA and its partners plan for a lunar landing attempt? NASA estimates that approximately 48.5 tons (44,000 kilograms) of naturally occurring space debris falls into Earth's atmosphere each day. If a major meteor shower outburst or storm is forecast during a mission or crew activity, the mission would be delayed or the crew kept inside until the outburst or storm is over. (6/6)
Today’s Kids Would Rather be YouTubers Than Astronauts (Source: 1440)
While the other children in your kindergarten class might have wanted to be firefighters or astronauts when they grew up, modern kids are different. Lego conducted a study that found children were more likely to say they wanted to be a YouTuber when they grew up than an astronaut. (6/7)
Putting the Pieces Together for Galileo Second Generation (Source: ESA)
The second generation of Galileo satellites are marching steadily towards completion. Many of the satellite components have been built and tested and are now being assembled into the satellites that will fly in space in the coming years. Two families of second generation satellites are being built: one by Airbus Defence and Space and one by Thales Alenia Space. These two families will be fully interoperable with one another and with the current Galileo satellites while enabling new services and capabilities for Europe’s satellite navigation constellation. (6/5)
Russia Says Its Starlink Rival ‘Rassvet’ Will Launch Commercially in 2027 (Source: Kyiv Post)
Russia plans to launch a commercial satellite internet service “Rassvet” by next year, CEO of Iks Holding Alexei Shelobkov said at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday, describing it as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. The company developing the system, Bureau 1440, says it launched its first 16 low-orbit Rassvet satellites in March 2026, and plans to reach up to 900 satellites by 2035. (6/5)
Stop Letting China Exploit NASA Research (Source: Washington Examiner)
NASA says it explores and innovates “for the benefit of humanity,” but that should not mean the United States explores scientific frontiers on behalf of its enemies. The U.S. must do more to prevent sensitive research from being given away to China and other adversaries. It can start by strengthening a law that is already on the books.
In 2011, Congress passed the Wolf Amendment, a recurring provision in NASA’s appropriations acts, prohibits the agency from using federal funds for bilateral cooperation with China or Chinese-owned companies unless Congress authorizes it and the FBI certifies that the activity poses no national security risk. A recent report by the U.S. House Select Committee on China found that enforcement of the Wolf Amendment has been lackluster at best.
The committee identified “hundreds of co-authored publications demonstrating bilateral research relationships with Chinese entities that acknowledge NASA support or funding.” “Research supported by NASA and other U.S. federal agencies has in several instances involved collaborations with institutions that are part of China’s defense research and industrial base,” the committee noted. (6/6)
Date is Set for Bigger Booster, More Powerful Ariane 6 (Source: ESA)
The next Ariane 6 rocket launch is set for liftoff on 17 June 2026 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and it will be even more powerful than before due to the rocket being equipped with boosters based on the upgraded P160C motor. Ariane 6 is the latest generation of Europe’s largest and most powerful rocket. It’s next flight, VA269, will fly with four boosters based on the P160C motor, offering 14 tonnes more solid propellant per booster, compared to the P120C motors used so far. The Ariane 6 will launch 36 satellites for Amazon Leo the third flight for the communications constellation. (6/5)
The Moons of Uranus May Hold the Key to Finding Missing Planets (Source: WIRED)
Current models suggest that at some point after their formation, the giant planets went through a phase of such extreme instability that one or even two bodies the size of Uranus or Neptune were ejected into interstellar space. If that scenario occurred, we may find clues in the most unexpected places in the solar system, such as the moons of Jupiter and, especially, those of Uranus. A recent article analyzed 122 possible scenarios to assess how the satellite systems of the "left behind" planets would have reacted.
The researchers concluded that it would be extremely difficult to explain the current characteristics of Uranus' moons without some episode of violent instability. And that type of instability only appears in models where more giant planets existed than we see today. Most likely, the authors point out, the moons of Uranus were destabilized at least twice in the past: First by the impact that tilted the planet, and then by close encounters between giant planets during the instability. That chaos, fueled by the presence of one or more planets that were later ejected, would have destroyed and rebuilt the system of moons to what we see today. (6/6)
Qianfan Reaches 200 Satellites (Source: China In Space)
The Qianfan mega-constellation, sometimes referred to as SpaceSail, is operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies Co. aiming to provide space-based internet connectivity services in China and abroad in places including Brazil, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and via airlines, as soon as the end of this year. As of December 2025, the deployment aims should have 324 satellites launched in 20261, another 324 in 2027, and 4,000 in 2028 and 2029, followed by 5,000 in 2030, with 15,000 total satellites approved to operate. (6/5)
Proposed U.S. Grant Funding Rules Spark Worry, Backlash in Astronomy (Source: Sky & Telescope)
The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a 412-page document rewriting how federal grants should be issued and overseen across all agencies. The changes to the procedures, which were previously altered in 2024 to make the grants process clearer, were sweeping, touching on areas from international collaboration to academic publication costs. But the through line is made explicit: to align federal grant-making with “administration policies and priorities set by the President."
Immediately, it has sparked backlash from astronomers and planetary scientists, who see grave challenges for science if the rules come to fruition. The proposal “threatens the entire space enterprise,” says Meredith MacGregor (Johns Hopkins University). Many of the suggested changes “sound minor but would completely mess up how we do science.” (6/5)
Leaf Space Partners with D-Orbit and EnduroSat to Test Connectivity Service (Source: Space News)
Italian ground segment operator Leaf Space unveiled a new space connectivity service May 27. The technology, named TreeNet, aims to make space communications more seamless by treating individual satellites as nodes in an interconnected communications network. The company also announced partnerships and launch timelines to bring the project to fruition. (6/5)
German Research Focuses on Regolith Melting for 3D Printing (Source: DLR)
Exploring the Moon will require infrastructure such as habitats and roads. Transporting materials for this from Earth would be extremely costly, so it would be considerably simpler to use lunar regolith – loose, fragmented dust and rocks on the Moon’s surface – instead. Current research is focused on melting lunar regolith and using it in a process similar to 3D printing. The advantage of this method would be that only the technological equipment need be transported to the Moon; the energy required for melting could be generated using solar panels.
For the experiment conducted by Germany's Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, a system was developed that can melt regolith under vacuum conditions using laser radiation across a diameter of approximately ten millimeters. During parabolic flights, researchers aim to investigate how vacuum and varying gravity levels affect the melting process. The experiment will also investigate whether and how the melting process could contaminate the laser optics and thus render them unusable. (6/6)
Europe is Rearming Together — Except in Space (Source: Space News)
It's time for European nations to embrace smaller, more flexible military coalitions in space, according to RAND Europe Space Hub analyst Aleix Nadal. He argues that Europe, independently of broader international coalitions, "lacks the operational mechanisms and integrated command structures needed to compete, deter and, if necessary, fight in a contested orbital environment."
"Operationally, the irony is striking," Nadal wrote. "Even as European countries pursue greater defense autonomy elsewhere, their most advanced space cooperation continues to occur within U.S.-led frameworks such as Operation Olympic Defender and the Combined Space Operations initiative." Nadal argues that Europe shouldn't withdraw from broader military and security alliances, but that it needs to build up a stronger European pillar of its own, ensuring sovereignty and minitateral cooperation within the continent. (6/6)
SETI Updates Rules for Evaluating ETs (Source: Douglas Messier)
The IAA SETI Committee announced today updated rules for evaluating and revealing the detection of extraterrestrial intelligence. Acknowledging that any credible detection of extraterrestrial technology would be a transformative event for humanity, the new Declaration establishes a rigorous framework for verification, transparency and global risk communication.
At the heart of the new rules is a reaffirmation of a core scientific principle: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Under the revised protocols, no public announcement should be made until a signal or artifact has been rigorously authenticated by independent organizations using different instrumentation. “We do not shout “alien” the moment we see a strange blip,” Garrett added. “The scientific method demands we check, check again, and then ask others to check.” (6/6)
Port Canaveral Juggles Requisite Space Duties Amid Cruise Juggernaut (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The cruise business remains king at Port Canaveral, but the burgeoning space industry has muscled its way into the duties performed by the port authority. Despite the port having already passed a 2019 resolution of support of that industry, several commercial launch providers lobbied to have it added to the port’s charter, a move that was ensconced into law in 2024. Now the port is required to hold regular public hearings on it.
SpaceX and Blue Origin have been busy at the port, but they are still a relatively small portion of business. “They don’t pay the bills around here,” said Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. For fiscal 2025, the port hit a record of nearly $220 million in operating revenue, with about $182 million credited to cruise-related operations including parking. Cargo, which includes space, came to $24.5 million. Of that, SpaceX and Blue Origin combined to shell out more than $4.2 million, a big jump from previous years, but still only 2% of total revenue.
While still small, it is a growing footprint. Space-related cargo revenue was only just under $3 million in 2024, a little over $1.7 million in 2023 and over $1.3 million in 2022. As it has grown, the port has had to come to an especially smooth relationship with the most active launch company, SpaceX. SpaceX had 90 boosters transported and offloaded on the port’s north cargo terminals by the authority’s three mobile harbor cranes. SpaceX also recovered 192 fairings that also had to move through the port. (6/6)
It’s Possible That SpaceX Could Collapse Spectacularly (Source: Futurism)
The Financial Times‘ Richard Waters asks whether SpaceX will be able to justify its unprecedented valuation five or ten years from now. Even for Musk, it’s an aggressive price-to-earnings ratio that could blow up in his face if investors start to lose faith. The conversation surrounding plans for shorting SpaceX is hitting a fever pitch, setting the stage for what could be a wild stock market ride.
Adding to the drama is that now that SpaceX has transformed into an AI company, analysts are becoming antsy that the massive IPO, alongside OpenAI and Anthropic’s, could place even more strain on an already bloated Wall Street. Could its stock market debut be the straw that broke the camel’s back, bursting the bubble by dissipating all of that pent-up excitement?
If Musk’s EV maker Tesla is anything to go by, SpaceX’s business fundamentals likely won’t be a major factor. Tesla’s sky-high valuation has long been propped up by promises of a humanoid robot and autonomous driving-filled future, while the company’s actual revenue has lagged far behind. (6/5)
Second Insourcing Wave Starts At JSC (Source: NASA Watch)
The second contractor insourcing wave at NASA has started at JSC. MCC staff contractors were recently insourced. Now many more JSC contractors are going to be converted in flight ops, exploration, and engineering. Job postings in July will be open to all applicants. No telework will be allowed. (6/5)
NASA Concludes Antenna Mishap Investigation (Source: NASA)
On Sep. 16, 2025, the DSS‑14 antenna over‑rotated while actively tracking the Juno mission, placing excessive stress on cabling and associated structural supports. Water lines tied to the antenna’s fire‑suppression system also were damaged, causing significant flooding in the facility. There were no injuries. The board found the mishap primarily stemmed from software weaknesses, human error, and an undetected failure in the antenna’s hydraulic limit system.
NASA has completed the investigation into the damage sustained at the 70-meter radio-frequency antenna, known as the Deep Space Station 14, at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California. The agency has classified the event as a Type A mishap based on the total cost of damages. The antenna will remain offline to complete repairs and previously scheduled upgrades. (6/5)
(6/5)
NASA's X-59 Goes Supersonic (Source: Orion News)
NASA's X-59 reached Mach 1.1 over Edwards Air Force Base — the first supersonic pass of an aircraft specifically designed to produce no conventional sonic boom. Concorde generated ~105 PldB at ground level — comparable to a thunderclap. The X-59 is targeting 75 PLdB. The difference sounds small. It isn't. At 75 PLdB, you'd describe what you heard as a car door closing on the next street.
That 30 PLdB reduction is encoded in every line of the airframe: a 29-metre fuselage that prevents shock waves from merging on their way to the ground, an engine mounted on top to isolate intake shocks from the wing surfaces, a cockpit with no windscreen because glass would break the contour the acoustics require. The flight matters not because it broke a record -- but because it starts a regulatory clock.
The FAA has banned supersonic flight over U.S. land since 1973. Not based on a noise standard, but as a blanket speed prohibition. The X-59's community overflight surveys — planned for later in 2026 — will generate the first empirical data capable of replacing that ban with an actual noise limit. Yesterday was the first day of the evidence base needed to change it. (6/6)
Hypersonicc Dark Eagle, Tested at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Enters Service (Source: @spacestories)
The US military has moved a weapon out of the lab that sounds almost unfair. It's called Dark Eagle, the Army's Long-Range Mach 5 hypersonic weapon, and it is being fielded in 2026. It is capable of maneuvering on the way down so it can't be intercepted like a normal missile. In a joint Army-Navy test from Cape Canaveral in March 2026, the missile launched and flew above Mach 5 successfully.
Reports indicate a single Dark Eagle battery could strike targets as far as Beijing from Guam, or Moscow from Europe, arriving faster than most defenses can respond. The first operational missiles are headed to a unit based in the Pacific Northwest. (6/6)
June 6, 2026
Planet Reports 42% Increase in Q1
Revenue, with 20% Boost in Commercial Business (Source: Space
Intel Report)
Planet Labs PBC reported record revenue for the three months ending Jan. 31, including a 20% increase in commercial revenue, to $17 million, which the company said results from a “reset” of its approach that is now bearing fruit. Planet reported a negative $1million in adjusted EBITDA for the quarter but said it is maintaining course for positive EBITDA for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31. (6/5)
Apex’s Valuation Rises to $2.3 Billion After Latest $200 Million Raise (Source: Space News)
Apex has raised more than $200 million to expand in-house satellite production capabilities, announcing a funding round June 5 it says nearly doubled the four-year-old manufacturer’s valuation to $2.3 billion. (6/5)
SpaceX Inks $30 Billion Computing Power Deal With Google (Source: Bloomberg)
Google has agreed to pay Elon Musk’s SpaceX $920 million a month for computing power as part of a cloud services deal that runs through mid-2029, its second such agreement with an AI competitor in a matter of weeks. Google will pay SpaceX the monthly fee from October this year through June 2029, SpaceX said in the filing Friday. That amounts to about $30 billion through the time of the agreement. (6/5)
China and Hong Kong Users Unable to Access SpaceX Website, IPO Documents (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX's website and IPO marketing documents were not accessible on Friday in Hong Kong and mainland China, a Reuters review showed, a step that threatens to curb participation by investors there in a listing expected to be the world's largest. Reuters could not immediately establish why and since when the website of SpaceX, the rocket, satellite and AI company, and the IPO material were restricted in mainland China and the world's No. 1 wealth hub of Hong Kong. (6/5)
FCC Gives Amazon Leo 50% Deployment Waiver, With Conditions on Spectrum Priority (Source: Via Satellite)
The FCC granted Amazon a deadline waiver to launch half of its constellation by the end of July, but the waiver came with conditions on spectrum priority. Amazon has had an FCC deadline to launch half of its planned 3,232-satellite Amazon Leo constellation by July 30 – a deadline that was set in 2020 when the constellation was initially approved.
At this point, Amazon has 331 satellites in orbit, just a fraction of the 1,616 satellites needed to meet the deadline. Amazon asked the FCC for a waiver or extension on the 50% deployment milestone earlier this year, citing a shortage in launch availability. (6/5)
Safety Officials Finally Have a Good Idea of What a Big Rocket Explosion Can Do (Source: Ars Technica)
The Cape Canaveral Spaceport is gearing up for a flurry of new arrivals. SpaceX is building multiple launch pads for its super-heavy Starship rocket, which will operate within a few miles of launch pads operated by rivals Blue Origin and ULA. Two other companies, Stoke Space and Relativity Space, are also developing launch sites nearby. Competitors have worried that daily launches and landings of SpaceX’s super-heavy Starship rocket might force evacuations of their own facilities for safety reasons.
The Space Force maintains strict rules for methane/liquid oxygen, or methalox, rockets. With more data on how methane-fueled rockets explode, officials expect the keep-out zones to get smaller over time. To this end, NASA, the Space Force, and SpaceX have conducted sub-scale ground tests to gather measurements on methane’s explosive yield. The Blast Danger Area (BDA) for last week’s ill-fated New Glenn test—based on the assumption of 100 percent TNT blast equivalency—spanned a diameter of 7,174 feet, or an average distance of 3,587 feet from the pad. That is approximately two-thirds of a mile.
The farthest debris found so far was thrown a half-mile from the launch pad, Chatman said. He said engineers collected “phenomenal data” from the explosion, and officials will use the measurements to improve models on methalox rocket explosions. SpaceX’s combined Starship and Super Heavy booster is the only methane-fueled rocket larger than New Glenn with plans to launch from Cape Canaveral. (6/5)
Leidos Debuts SATCOM Dashboard for Pentagon Operators (Source: Air Force Technology)
Leidos, in collaboration with US Space Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency, has developed the Joint Management Tool, a cloud-based platform that provides real-time monitoring of satellite communications resources. The tool is expected to reduce reporting and analysis time, allowing operators to focus on mission execution. (6/4)
Florida Venture Forum and Space Florida Announce Winners of Venture Conference Investment (Source: Space Florida)
Florida Venture Forum announced the recipients of $150,000 in award dollars and investment from Space Florida during its 18th annual Early Stage Venture Conference in Orlando. Winning companies will also be eligible for a share of $80,000 in legal services. The conference featured 32 selected companies from a highly competitive pool of applicants across the state. A panel of judges representing Space Florida and Florida Venture Forum evaluated each company based on innovation, market opportunity, and alignment with Florida’s targeted high-growth sectors, including aerospace, defense, and emerging technologies.
Six standout companies were selected to receive a combined total of $150,000 in Space Florida investment to help accelerate their growth and commercialization efforts, including Aloft Biotechnologies, E&P Technologies, SmartCare 360, Radical Solutions, Dirty Bastard, and Mayott Aerospace. (6/3)
ISS Air Leak Forces Temporary Evacuation Alert (Source: Reuters)
NASA reverses evacuation alert order for astronauts aboard space station
A worsening air leak aboard the ISS prompted five astronauts to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for roughly two hours on Friday as Russia attempted to fix a crack on its portion of the orbital laboratory, NASA said. The four astronauts of NASA’s Crew‑12 mission aboard the station — two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut — along with another U.S. astronaut were ordered by NASA mission control to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station. NASA reversed that order roughly two hours later and told the astronauts they could return to the station as the agency and its Russian counterparts examined the rate of leaking air. (6/5)
EU’s Answer to Musk’s SpaceX Set to Test New Merger Regime (Source: Bloomberg)
A proposed satellite joint venture between Airbus SE, Leonardo SpA and Thales SA is set to test the EU’s revamped merger framework, which aims to help create globally competitive European champions. The companies signed a preliminary agreement in October to create a European firm that could have the ability to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But the alliance, dubbed Project Bromo, is leading to widespread worries among unions as well as suppliers. Labor unions in Germany are wary of France taking too much power while in France groups are worried about job cuts. (6/5)
Southern Launch and SpaceWorks Reach Agreement for Orbital Re-entries (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Southern Launch has signed a new agreement with US-based SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. to host multiple re-entry missions at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. The agreement enables SpaceWorks to advance its growing portfolio of atmospheric Re-Entry Devices (RED) and further demonstrates confidence in the Koonibba Test Range as the leading global location for the safe and reliable return of spacecraft and high-value payloads.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp says, "SpaceWorks are developing re-entry capsules for the return of payloads manufactured in space. Southern Launch offers world leading expertise and infrastructure to support their missions. We look forward to welcoming their capsules back to Earth at the Koonibba Test Range." (6/5)
Planet Labs PBC reported record revenue for the three months ending Jan. 31, including a 20% increase in commercial revenue, to $17 million, which the company said results from a “reset” of its approach that is now bearing fruit. Planet reported a negative $1million in adjusted EBITDA for the quarter but said it is maintaining course for positive EBITDA for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31. (6/5)
Apex’s Valuation Rises to $2.3 Billion After Latest $200 Million Raise (Source: Space News)
Apex has raised more than $200 million to expand in-house satellite production capabilities, announcing a funding round June 5 it says nearly doubled the four-year-old manufacturer’s valuation to $2.3 billion. (6/5)
SpaceX Inks $30 Billion Computing Power Deal With Google (Source: Bloomberg)
Google has agreed to pay Elon Musk’s SpaceX $920 million a month for computing power as part of a cloud services deal that runs through mid-2029, its second such agreement with an AI competitor in a matter of weeks. Google will pay SpaceX the monthly fee from October this year through June 2029, SpaceX said in the filing Friday. That amounts to about $30 billion through the time of the agreement. (6/5)
China and Hong Kong Users Unable to Access SpaceX Website, IPO Documents (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX's website and IPO marketing documents were not accessible on Friday in Hong Kong and mainland China, a Reuters review showed, a step that threatens to curb participation by investors there in a listing expected to be the world's largest. Reuters could not immediately establish why and since when the website of SpaceX, the rocket, satellite and AI company, and the IPO material were restricted in mainland China and the world's No. 1 wealth hub of Hong Kong. (6/5)
FCC Gives Amazon Leo 50% Deployment Waiver, With Conditions on Spectrum Priority (Source: Via Satellite)
The FCC granted Amazon a deadline waiver to launch half of its constellation by the end of July, but the waiver came with conditions on spectrum priority. Amazon has had an FCC deadline to launch half of its planned 3,232-satellite Amazon Leo constellation by July 30 – a deadline that was set in 2020 when the constellation was initially approved.
At this point, Amazon has 331 satellites in orbit, just a fraction of the 1,616 satellites needed to meet the deadline. Amazon asked the FCC for a waiver or extension on the 50% deployment milestone earlier this year, citing a shortage in launch availability. (6/5)
Safety Officials Finally Have a Good Idea of What a Big Rocket Explosion Can Do (Source: Ars Technica)
The Cape Canaveral Spaceport is gearing up for a flurry of new arrivals. SpaceX is building multiple launch pads for its super-heavy Starship rocket, which will operate within a few miles of launch pads operated by rivals Blue Origin and ULA. Two other companies, Stoke Space and Relativity Space, are also developing launch sites nearby. Competitors have worried that daily launches and landings of SpaceX’s super-heavy Starship rocket might force evacuations of their own facilities for safety reasons.
The Space Force maintains strict rules for methane/liquid oxygen, or methalox, rockets. With more data on how methane-fueled rockets explode, officials expect the keep-out zones to get smaller over time. To this end, NASA, the Space Force, and SpaceX have conducted sub-scale ground tests to gather measurements on methane’s explosive yield. The Blast Danger Area (BDA) for last week’s ill-fated New Glenn test—based on the assumption of 100 percent TNT blast equivalency—spanned a diameter of 7,174 feet, or an average distance of 3,587 feet from the pad. That is approximately two-thirds of a mile.
The farthest debris found so far was thrown a half-mile from the launch pad, Chatman said. He said engineers collected “phenomenal data” from the explosion, and officials will use the measurements to improve models on methalox rocket explosions. SpaceX’s combined Starship and Super Heavy booster is the only methane-fueled rocket larger than New Glenn with plans to launch from Cape Canaveral. (6/5)
Leidos Debuts SATCOM Dashboard for Pentagon Operators (Source: Air Force Technology)
Leidos, in collaboration with US Space Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency, has developed the Joint Management Tool, a cloud-based platform that provides real-time monitoring of satellite communications resources. The tool is expected to reduce reporting and analysis time, allowing operators to focus on mission execution. (6/4)
Florida Venture Forum and Space Florida Announce Winners of Venture Conference Investment (Source: Space Florida)
Florida Venture Forum announced the recipients of $150,000 in award dollars and investment from Space Florida during its 18th annual Early Stage Venture Conference in Orlando. Winning companies will also be eligible for a share of $80,000 in legal services. The conference featured 32 selected companies from a highly competitive pool of applicants across the state. A panel of judges representing Space Florida and Florida Venture Forum evaluated each company based on innovation, market opportunity, and alignment with Florida’s targeted high-growth sectors, including aerospace, defense, and emerging technologies.
Six standout companies were selected to receive a combined total of $150,000 in Space Florida investment to help accelerate their growth and commercialization efforts, including Aloft Biotechnologies, E&P Technologies, SmartCare 360, Radical Solutions, Dirty Bastard, and Mayott Aerospace. (6/3)
ISS Air Leak Forces Temporary Evacuation Alert (Source: Reuters)
NASA reverses evacuation alert order for astronauts aboard space station
A worsening air leak aboard the ISS prompted five astronauts to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for roughly two hours on Friday as Russia attempted to fix a crack on its portion of the orbital laboratory, NASA said. The four astronauts of NASA’s Crew‑12 mission aboard the station — two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut — along with another U.S. astronaut were ordered by NASA mission control to enter their Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the station. NASA reversed that order roughly two hours later and told the astronauts they could return to the station as the agency and its Russian counterparts examined the rate of leaking air. (6/5)
EU’s Answer to Musk’s SpaceX Set to Test New Merger Regime (Source: Bloomberg)
A proposed satellite joint venture between Airbus SE, Leonardo SpA and Thales SA is set to test the EU’s revamped merger framework, which aims to help create globally competitive European champions. The companies signed a preliminary agreement in October to create a European firm that could have the ability to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But the alliance, dubbed Project Bromo, is leading to widespread worries among unions as well as suppliers. Labor unions in Germany are wary of France taking too much power while in France groups are worried about job cuts. (6/5)
Southern Launch and SpaceWorks Reach Agreement for Orbital Re-entries (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Southern Launch has signed a new agreement with US-based SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. to host multiple re-entry missions at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia. The agreement enables SpaceWorks to advance its growing portfolio of atmospheric Re-Entry Devices (RED) and further demonstrates confidence in the Koonibba Test Range as the leading global location for the safe and reliable return of spacecraft and high-value payloads.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp says, "SpaceWorks are developing re-entry capsules for the return of payloads manufactured in space. Southern Launch offers world leading expertise and infrastructure to support their missions. We look forward to welcoming their capsules back to Earth at the Koonibba Test Range." (6/5)
June 5, 2026
Unseenlabs’ BRO-22 to Become the First
Foreign Private Satellite Launched Aboard Japan’s H3 (Source:
Unseenlabs)
Unseenlabs announces the upcoming launch of BRO-22, the first satellite from a foreign private company to fly aboard Japan’s H3 Launch Vehicle (H3 rocket). Scheduled for June 10, the launch will take place from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at Tanegashima Space Center. The satellite will be integrated by Space BD. BRO-22 will strengthen Unseenlabs’ space-based RF detection constellation dedicated to maritime surveillance. (6/4)
Pesquet to Command 2027 Vast Mission to ISS (Source: Space Daily)
Frenchman Thomas Pesquet has spent close to 400 days in space across two missions, run the International Space Station as its commander, and logged more spacewalk time than any other European. In 2027 he is set to go back — not on a NASA rotation or an ESA barter flight, but at the helm of a private mission sold to the French government by California-based Vast. (6/4)
Raptor Failures Cloud Starship Readiness (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine — the powerplant the company has spent the better part of two years marketing as a simpler, more reliable replacement for the troubled Raptor 2 — failed multiple times in its maiden flight during exactly the kind of high-stress maneuver it was designed to handle. The Super Heavy booster’s engines began dropping offline seconds into a planned boostback burn, the stage lost the thrust needed to reverse course, and it fell back through the atmosphere and struck the Gulf at high speed. The FAA has now grounded Starship pending a mishap investigation.
The most-watched new rocket engine in the world failed in its debut, and it failed in the precise scenario SpaceX needs it to survive for Starship to ever become operational. The stage came down inside an FAA-activated Debris Response Area, and the agency confirmed the debris fell inside the hazard zone with no reports of public injury or damage to public property. In its own post-flight statement, the FAA reported that the event caused six departure delays and five airborne holding events, with no diversions — the kind of secondary disruption that has become a recurring concern as Starship cadence grows.
The booster failure was not the only Raptor anomaly of the day. One of the 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy shut down roughly a minute and 42 seconds into ascent, and one of the six engines on the upper stage also cut out before its planned duration. The FAA’s determination formally classifies the incident as a mishap, triggering a federally supervised root-cause review that SpaceX must complete and have approved before another Starship lifts off from Starbase, Texas. (6/3)
The Steady Hand at SpaceX Is Not Elon Musk (Source: New York Times)
Elon Musk has dined with President Trump at the White House, lost a flashy trial where he testified against his rival Sam Altman and accompanied Mr. Trump to China for a major diplomatic summit. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, has had a different itinerary over the last six months. She spoke at a telecom trade show in Barcelona, Spain, to boost SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink; mingled with politicians in India, a potentially large market for the company; and appeared with tech executives at the White House to pledge that their data centers would not increase energy prices for Americans.
For 24 years, Ms. Shotwell has played the adult-in-the-room foil to Mr. Musk at SpaceX. While he was advising Mr. Trump and running his other companies, such as the electric carmaker Tesla, she was singularly focused on developing SpaceX’s business as the rocket and satellite maker grew into a more than $1 trillion company. That work — and her ultimate loyalty to Mr. Musk — has made her one of the world’s most powerful female executives, who is now being thrust into the spotlight as SpaceX prepares for a blockbuster initial public offering this month. Unlike Mr. Musk, Ms. Shotwell, 62, has long kept a low profile. She rarely posts on social media — usually in service of SpaceX, when she does — and makes just the occasional public appearance. (6/4)
Starship Flight 12: Damage Spotted at Starbase Integration Tower (Source: Basenor)
Post-flight inspections at Starbase are turning up an unexpected detail: what appears to be the only significant damage at the launch complex after Starship Flight 12 is localized to a single structure — one that may house the primary control system for the integration tower. Analyst Zack Golden of @CSI_Starbase flagged the finding, noting the damage pattern suggests a high-energy event occurred inside the structure rather than surface-level blast or debris impact.
The newly identified damage to the internal structure near the integration tower adds a layer of complexity to the post-flight picture. Golden stopped short of a definitive conclusion — the tweet was cut off mid-sentence — but the framing raises a real question about whether ground support systems sustained meaningful damage beyond the visible perimeter. SpaceX has not yet commented publicly on this specific finding. As the mishap investigation continues, the condition of the integration tower's control infrastructure will likely factor into the timeline for returning Pad 2 to operational status. (6/1)
Inside the Race to Build a Moon Base (Source: Politico)
NASA envisions a sprawling lunar outpost outfitted with moon buggies, drones, and landers — and a lot of those high-tech gizmos are slated to be ready before the end of President Donald Trump’s term. Those ambitions face some harsh realities: NASA, so far, doesn't have the money to pay for it all. One of the rockets NASA was banking on using to land on the moon just blew up.
And the lunar surface itself presents engineering challenges that industry is still grappling with. Here’s one of NASA’s top officials on the challenges ahead: “When you think about the lunar surface and the endeavor of building a moon base, it’s going to be extremely hard and it dawns on us every day how little we know about the lunar surface,” Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA’s Moon Base program manager, said during a Tuesday briefing. (6/29)
NASA's Moon Base Starts Taking Shape with Rovers, Landers, and Drones (Source: Earth.com)
Three phases will structure the build, running from now through 2032 and beyond and leading toward routine crew rotations. The first phase, running through 2029, focuses on scouting and testing. NASA wants as many as 25 missions in that window, most of them robotic, hauling roughly four tons of gear to the surface to learn what survives and what fails.
Two American companies have won the job of building the first lunar vehicles. NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to deliver the first lunar rovers astronauts will steer across the Moon’s surface. Both teams have 18 months to finalize their designs, conduct crewed evaluations, and qualify their machines for flight. Deploying both rovers early will give NASA valuable terrain data before any astronaut steps off a lander, supporting the agency’s goal of achieving crewed surface mobility by 2028.
Getting those rovers to the South Pole falls to a separate set of landers. NASA handed Blue Origin $188 million, with an option worth another $280 million, to haul the hardware to the surface before any boots arrive. Three early flights have already been identified. The first, targeted for fall 2026 at the earliest, will use a Blue Origin lander to touch down near Shackleton Crater and measure how rocket exhaust disturbs the lunar surface. (6/3)
Physicists Propose That Our Universe May Contain Three Dimensions of Time (Source: Bright Side)
Space and time looked settled, at least in broad outline. Einstein’s special relativity gave physics a durable framework for describing motion, and for more than a century one boundary seemed firm: light speed marked the edge of what any observer could cross. A new proposal asks what happens if that edge is not treated as a hard ban. Now physicists argue that special relativity can be extended to include observers moving faster than light.
The idea does not claim such observers have been found in nature. But it does suggest that throwing them out of the theory may have hidden something important, namely a possible link between relativity and the strange rules of quantum mechanics. Their latest study, “Relativity of superluminal observers in 1 + 3 spacetime,” keeps mathematical terms that are usually discarded because they describe superluminal motion.
Those terms, the authors say, do not merely add an exotic option to relativity. They change the picture of what a particle is. They argue that the underlying mathematics contains both subluminal and superluminal branches. Usually, the faster-than-light branch is dismissed as physically meaningless. But if it is kept, they write, “the notion of a particle moving along a single path must be abandoned and replaced by a propagation along many paths, exactly like in quantum theory.” (6/3)
Honeywell to Lay Off 60 Workers Ahead of Aerospace Spinoff (Source: ABC15)
Honeywell International is cutting jobs in Arizona ahead of a planned spinoff of its aerospace division, slated for later this month. Honeywell on May 27 filed a WARN — or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — with Arizona’s Department of Economic Security stating it will cut 60 jobs at its Chandler facility. (6/3)
HASC Saves Next-Gen OPIR Polar (Source: Space News)
The House Armed Services Committee moved to save a Space Force missile warning satellite program planned for cancellation. The committee approved its 2027 National Defense Authorization Act after a markup Thursday, sending the bill to the full House. The bill includes language preserving Next-Gen OPIR Polar, a Northrop Grumman program under development since 2018 to provide missile-warning coverage over polar regions.
The Space Force proposed canceling the program in its 2027 budget request because satellite constellations in low and medium Earth orbits could carry out the work of Next-Gen OPIR Polar, but the committee concluded it remains a critical capability and authorized $415 million for it. The committee also raised questions about the Space Force's recent procurement contract awards for the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global secure communications program while expressing frustration with the Pentagon's management of its positioning, navigation and timing enterprise. (6/5)
Apex Raises $200 Million to Expand in California (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturer Apex raised an additional $200 million. The company announced Friday a new funding round that values Apex at $2.3 billion, nearly double its previous valuation. The company, which has now raised more than $700 million, said its new round was not driven by an immediate need for capital but was instead based on interest in the company and its line of satellite buses. The funds will allow Apex to expand office space at its Los Angeles factory. (6/5)
Axiom Raises $175 Million for Space Station and Space Suit Work (Source: Space News)
Axiom Space has added more than $175 million to a funding round from earlier this year. The company said Thursday it made a final close of that funding round at more than $525 million, up from the $350 million it announced in February. The additional funding comes from existing investors as well as MUFG Bank Ltd., Japan's largest bank. The additional funds, the company said, will support work on its space station and spacesuit programs as well as its broader space infrastructure and technology advancement roadmap. (6/5)
AstroForge Completes Asteroid Probe (Source: Space News)
AstroForge announced Thursday it completed assembly of its next asteroid mission. The DeepSpace-2 spacecraft is set to launch later this year as a rideshare payload on the Falcon 9 launch of the Intuitive Machines IM-3 lunar lander mission. The spacecraft will fly by a near Earth asteroid the company will select closer to launch. DeepSpace-2 incorporates lessons learned from Odin, a spacecraft it launched last year but which malfunctioned shortly after deployment. The low-cost spacecraft is designed to support AstroForge's future asteroid mining missions as well as scientific missions. (6/5)
China Launches Qianfan Satellites on Long March 6A (Source: Space News)
A pair of Chinese launches deployed satellites for the Qianfan constellation. A Long March 6A lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 7:39 a.m. Eastern Thursday, followed by a Long March 8 Friday from the Wenchang spaceport. Each launch carried 18 Qianfan satellites, bringing the total number of satellites in orbit for the broadband constellation to more than 200. (6/5)
NASA Considers Different Launcher for Blue Moon Landers (Source: Spaceflight Now)
NASA is considering other launch options for Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a Fox Business TV interview Thursday that NASA was "decoupling the lander from the launch vehicle" after the pad explosion of a New Glenn rocket this week. That would mean considering options other than New Glenn for the Blue Moon Mark 1 and Mark 2 landers, intended for robotic and crewed missions respectively. Moving the lander to another vehicle would require extensive engineering analysis and potentially changes to infrastructure at the alternative rocket's launch site to allow Blue Moon to be fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen on the pad before launch. (6/5)
Paper Claims the “Asteroid” Japan’s Probe Is Approaching Is Actually a Derelict Spacecraft (Source: Futurism)
After successfully rendezvousing with near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in June 2018 and sending a sampled cache of rocks back to Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft is now making its long journey to its next destination, a tiny and rapidly spinning asteroid dubbed 1998 KY26. The spacecraft is expected to reach the mysterious space rock by July 2031, giving scientists plenty of time to come up with theories as to what it could find once it gets there.
But according to Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who has spent years pondering the nature of ‘Oumuamua and its unusual behavior, 1998 KY26 could be something else entirely. As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, Loeb and his colleagues suggest the object could instead be a long-lost relic of the Soviet space program. “In particular, we identify it as potentially a relic of a historical Russian mission to Mars, the Phobos 1 probe, which suffered a failure 2 months after the launch in July 1988, due to upload of a faulty command,” Loeb explained. (6/2)
SpaceX Conducting Third Mishap Investigation Since January 2025 (Source: MyRGV)
paceX has landed Super Heavy boosters back at the launch site on three occasions, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico, following launch and stage separation from Starship minutes into the flight. Super Heavy B19, the first Version 3 (V3) of the booster, did not manage a Gulf splashdown on May 22 as part of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12. Instead, the vehicle lost its engines prematurely, preventing a planned soft splashdown, and slammed into the waves at a high rate of speed.
“Looks like booster’s coming in hot,” noted a SpaceX live-stream commentator shortly before contact was lost with the booster. It’s not clear whether the booster self-destructed before hitting the water or did so intact. By Federal Aviation Administration standards, the incident was serious enough to warrant an investigation into why Super Heavy failed. (6/2)
Greece’s HellasSat Operator: With Diverse Revenue Base, GovSatCom and Future Optical, We’re Profitable & Debt-Free (Source: Space Intel Report)
Greece’s HellasSat telecom satellite fleet operator, once considered a clear target for consolidation and ultimately purchased by Arabsat for $280 million, now finds itself in the thick of Europe’s sovereignty-focused space picture. HellasSat, which has exclusive use of Greece’s satellite spectrum from the 39 degrees east slot, is providing HellaSat-2 and -3 capacity for the EU’s GovSatCom program alongside government satellites from France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain. GovSatCom service began in January. (6/2)
Hatcher Takes Command at Space Forces Korea (Source: AFNS)
Leadership of U.S. Space Forces - Korea, the theater space component assigned to U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, was passed June 2 from Col. John D. Patrick to Col. Dorian C. Hatcher at a change of command ceremony held at Osan Air Base. (6/3)
Space Force to Build New Colorado Facility, Move Acquisition Unit and Expand Officer Training (Source: Aerospace America)
As the Space Force prepares for rapid growth in the coming years, it wants to build a new operations center in Colorado Springs to support the Golden Dome program and “a lot of space testing,” according to the lawmaker representing the district. (6/4)
SSC Expands Other Transaction Authority Use By 470% (Source: Aviation Week)
Space Systems Command (SSC) is now leaning heavily on other transaction authorities (OTAs) to award key contracts, the command’s deputy chief said June 3. The U.S. Space Force’s acquisition field command has increased the number of OTA contracts it has awarded by 470% over the past year, SSC Deputy Commander Col. Andrew Menschner said. (6/3)
The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Drop Test (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Exploration Company has completed a key milestone in the development of its Nyx spacecraft after successfully conducting a drop test designed to validate the performance of its recovery system. Nyx is designed as a reusable space capsule that will be used to transport cargo and, potentially, crew to low Earth orbit. The company is currently working toward an initial demonstration of Nyx in 2028 with support from the European Space Agency. (6/4)
NRO Could Increase Commercial Satellite Buys, Nominee Says (Source: Defense Daily)
Roger Mason, nominee for director of the National Reconnaissance Office, has told Congress that the NRO might increase purchases of commercial satellites. The NRO has launched hundreds of low-Earth-orbit satellites in the past two years to supplement expensive high-end systems. "We have to look differently at our requirements," Mason says. (6/3)
NASA, UAH Team Up on Nuclear Propulsion (Source: Axios)
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are partnering to advance nuclear thermal propulsion technology for space exploration. "We've got to scale that up big time," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says of nuclear propulsion, which he calls "the next 'giant leap' technology." (6/2)
SpaceX Now Targets $75 Billion IPO Raise (Source: Space News)
SpaceX plans to raise at least $75 billion in an IPO that would value the company at more than $1.75 trillion. The company released an updated prospectus for its initial public offering on Wednesday, disclosing it will sell more than 555.5 million shares at $135 per share. The offering includes an option to sell 83.3 million additional shares in the 30 days after the IPO, bringing the total raised to more than $86 billion. SpaceX said the proceeds would go toward various initiatives aimed at improvements in launch, satellite constellations and artificial intelligence, but with few details. The documents also showed that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will hold more than 80% of the voting power of the company's shares, giving him control over any matters requiring shareholder approval. Shares are expected to begin trading at the end of next week. (6/4)
NASA Wants to Streamline Nuclear Propulsion Demo (Source: Space News)
NASA wants to streamline the management of a nuclear propulsion demo mission the agency hopes to launch in just two and a half years. NASA announced the Space Reactor 1 (SR-1) Freedom mission at the Ignition event in March to test nuclear electric propulsion technologies on a mission to Mars scheduled to launch at the end of 2028. Agency officials said they are working to streamline management processes to meet a timeline they acknowledge is "ambitious," but noted SR-1 Freedom will use some existing hardware, like the Power and Propulsion Element for the lunar Gateway. NASA has not disclosed a cost estimate for SR-1 Freedom, which was not included in the agency's 2027 budget request. (6/4)
Measured Pace for More ESA/China Collaboration (Source: Space News)
Prospects for future scientific collaboration between the European Space Agency and China look distant despite the successful launch of a joint mission. The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, spacecraft lifted off on a Vega C rocket last month to study the Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind. SMILE was a joint mission of ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, after the launch senior officials representing both organizations stopped short of committing to more and deeper cooperation in the future, despite parallel and overlapping interests and activities. They committed only to modest "organic collaboration" between missions being independently developed by Europe and China. (6/4)
Japan's Murata Considers Xona Positioning/Timing Tech (Source: Space News)
A Japanese electronics manufacturer is considering using a commercial space-based timing service being developed by Xona Space Systems. Murata Manufacturing signed an agreement with Xona to explore the use of the startup's satellite-based positioning and timing service in telecommunications, data centers, financial networks and other industries that depend on precise timing signals. Xona is developing a positioning, navigation and timing service known as Pulsar through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit as an alternative or backup to GPS. Murata will evaluate applications for Xona's service in data centers and financial institutions that require highly accurate timing synchronization. (6/4)
Space Florida Supports Seagate Ocean Launch Platform Effort (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Seagate Space, a startup developing ocean-based launch platforms, won support from Space Florida. The state space development agency approved this week an equipment purchase and leaseback agreement with Seagate for hardware the company will use for its offshore launch platform. Seagate recently announced it is working with Firefly Aerospace to explore the use of that platform for Firefly's Alpha rocket. (6/4)
Orbital Airbag Concept Could Shield From Solar Storms (Source: Science)
An "orbital airbag" could shield the Earth from solar storms. A concept by researchers published this week proposes to deploy a constellation of satellites called StormWall that would release hundreds of tons of gas into high Earth orbits just before a solar storm reaches the Earth. The gas would turn to plasma that would act as a shield, reducing the strength of a severe geomagnetic storm by up to two-thirds. That could protect both spacecraft and terrestrial electrical grids from the worst effects of such storms. (6/4)
SpaceX Launches California and Florida Starlink Missions (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX performed a pair of Starlink launches within the last 24 hours. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Wednesday, placing 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. A second Falcon 9 lifted off Thursday from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida, carrying 29 Starlink satellites. The Florida launch was scheduled for Wednesday morning but postponed by weather. (6/4)
China Aims to Enable Space-Based Computing (Source: Space News)
China is establishing an industrial policy framework to support a push to build space-based computing infrastructure. The Space Computing Working Committee of the China Computer Industry Association held its inaugural meeting Wednesday. The committee, established under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's (MIIT) Electronic Information Department, says it has received applications from more than 100 organizations involved in space-based computing technologies who want to join. It is the second such committee formed in 2026, following the establishment of the Space Computing Power Professional Committee in April with a focus on standards and applications. (6/4)
NASA Advances Roman Telescope Launch to Aug. 30 (Source: NASA)
NASA has moved up the launch date for the Roman Space Telescope. The agency said Wednesday that the space telescope is now set to launch Aug. 30 on a Falcon Heavy from the Kennedy Space Center. NASA had earlier set a September launch for the mission. Roman is scheduled to ship by barge this month from the Goddard Space Flight Center to KSC for final launch preparations. (6/4)
Space Force Responded Immediately After New Glenn Blast (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
“I had just gotten home and sat down in the living room, talking to my kids and wife, and looked out the window and saw the explosion,” said Space Launch Delta 45 Commander Col. Brian Chatman, who lives about 10 miles south on Patrick Space Force Base.
“Saw the explosion and called over to the fire team and activated the EOC (Emergency Operations Center),” Chatman said. “From there, I ended up heading up to the Cape, joining the emergency operations center as the personnel started coming in, and then we started making real-time decisions on what the next steps were.”
The explosion came at 9 p.m., the EOC activated by 9:05 p.m., and it was fully up and running by 9:19 p.m., he said. “By 9:30 (p.m.) we had 100% accountability of all personnel in and around the areas. What we saw was from the conservative safety measures that we employ with each and every hazardous activity we do out here, from the blast damage assessment roadblocks that we had put in place, we had no casualties, no injuries associated with this this anomalous event,” he said. (6/4)
Space Force Conducts Blast Damage Assessment (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Launch Delta 45 Commander Col. Brian Chatman said they had found debris as far as 1/2 mile from the launch site, and the over-pressure damage hit surrounding facilities at the Space Force station. The blast damage assessment (BDA) for the incident expands to 7,172 feet in diameter from the site.
“We just dropped that BDA, and my teams are just going out now to take a look at some of the other facilities,” Chatman said. We do know from an overpressure perspective, we did have damage over the Hangar C where some of the windows were blown out in that area.” He expects the data from the explosion will help refine the safety zones for launch support of these larger rockets.
“We can feed back into our models and really fine tune the models that we have. We know we have a conservative approach to lox-methane,” he said. “We know that we will be able to bring in that BDA, that blast damage area, to some level.” For Starship, that blast damage area at launch will be even larger at 12,000 feet, which is more than 2 miles. (6/4)
Meteorite Found in Sahara Desert May Be 1st Evidence of Lost Solar System World (Source: Space.com)
A rare meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains the first definitive evidence of a long-lost world that may have rivaled the moon in size and existed just a few million years after the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago, according to a new study.
The meteorite, known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, is a roughly one-pound (454-gram) rock discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2019. Scientists classify it as an angrite, a rare type of meteorite that ranks among the oldest volcanic rocks in the solar system. This particular chunk of space rock, known as NWA 12774, preserves an unusual chemical signature that suggests some of the solar system's earliest worlds developed differently from other rocky planets, researchers say. (6/4)
US to quadruple size of Space Force command at air base in Japan
US to Quadruple Size of Space Force Command at Air Base in Japan (Source: Stars and Stripes)
U.S. Space Forces Japan is getting its own headquarters and another 60 guardians over the next year, according to its new commander. Col. John Patrick took over the organization Wednesday morning from Col. Ryan Laughton during a ceremony at Yokota’s Enlisted Club. The unit, established in December 2024, is focused on communications, space resilience, navigation and missile defense. (6/3)
SpaceX Mounts Surprise Push for 180-Day Phone Unlocking Rule (Source: PC Mag)
A new effort to require US carriers to unlock their phones is emerging with SpaceX surprisingly backing the effort. Last Thursday, the company joined three other industry groups, including the Rural Wireless Association, in calling the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a nationwide policy to automatically unlock phones tied to a carrier’s network 180 days after activation. (6/1)
HD 189733b Not Earthlike, Temperature Reaches 2,000 Degrees and Winds Scream (Source: Space Daily)
Point the right instrument at HD 189733b and the color that comes back is a deep cobalt blue, the kind of blue a person who grew up with photographs of Earth from orbit would recognize in an instant. Astronomers determined the color in 2013 using the Hubble Space Telescope, and the resemblance to a pale blue dot is almost uncanny. It is also a trap.
The assumption underneath that blue, that a blue world is a watery world and therefore something like home, is exactly what HD 189733b dismantles. The blue does not come from water. HD 189733b is a hot Jupiter, with no ocean to reflect a sky. The color comes from the atmosphere itself. NASA describes it this way: “The cobalt blue color comes not from the reflection of a tropical ocean, as on Earth, but rather a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles.” (6/1)
Unseenlabs announces the upcoming launch of BRO-22, the first satellite from a foreign private company to fly aboard Japan’s H3 Launch Vehicle (H3 rocket). Scheduled for June 10, the launch will take place from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at Tanegashima Space Center. The satellite will be integrated by Space BD. BRO-22 will strengthen Unseenlabs’ space-based RF detection constellation dedicated to maritime surveillance. (6/4)
Pesquet to Command 2027 Vast Mission to ISS (Source: Space Daily)
Frenchman Thomas Pesquet has spent close to 400 days in space across two missions, run the International Space Station as its commander, and logged more spacewalk time than any other European. In 2027 he is set to go back — not on a NASA rotation or an ESA barter flight, but at the helm of a private mission sold to the French government by California-based Vast. (6/4)
Raptor Failures Cloud Starship Readiness (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX’s Raptor 3 engine — the powerplant the company has spent the better part of two years marketing as a simpler, more reliable replacement for the troubled Raptor 2 — failed multiple times in its maiden flight during exactly the kind of high-stress maneuver it was designed to handle. The Super Heavy booster’s engines began dropping offline seconds into a planned boostback burn, the stage lost the thrust needed to reverse course, and it fell back through the atmosphere and struck the Gulf at high speed. The FAA has now grounded Starship pending a mishap investigation.
The most-watched new rocket engine in the world failed in its debut, and it failed in the precise scenario SpaceX needs it to survive for Starship to ever become operational. The stage came down inside an FAA-activated Debris Response Area, and the agency confirmed the debris fell inside the hazard zone with no reports of public injury or damage to public property. In its own post-flight statement, the FAA reported that the event caused six departure delays and five airborne holding events, with no diversions — the kind of secondary disruption that has become a recurring concern as Starship cadence grows.
The booster failure was not the only Raptor anomaly of the day. One of the 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy shut down roughly a minute and 42 seconds into ascent, and one of the six engines on the upper stage also cut out before its planned duration. The FAA’s determination formally classifies the incident as a mishap, triggering a federally supervised root-cause review that SpaceX must complete and have approved before another Starship lifts off from Starbase, Texas. (6/3)
The Steady Hand at SpaceX Is Not Elon Musk (Source: New York Times)
Elon Musk has dined with President Trump at the White House, lost a flashy trial where he testified against his rival Sam Altman and accompanied Mr. Trump to China for a major diplomatic summit. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, has had a different itinerary over the last six months. She spoke at a telecom trade show in Barcelona, Spain, to boost SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink; mingled with politicians in India, a potentially large market for the company; and appeared with tech executives at the White House to pledge that their data centers would not increase energy prices for Americans.
For 24 years, Ms. Shotwell has played the adult-in-the-room foil to Mr. Musk at SpaceX. While he was advising Mr. Trump and running his other companies, such as the electric carmaker Tesla, she was singularly focused on developing SpaceX’s business as the rocket and satellite maker grew into a more than $1 trillion company. That work — and her ultimate loyalty to Mr. Musk — has made her one of the world’s most powerful female executives, who is now being thrust into the spotlight as SpaceX prepares for a blockbuster initial public offering this month. Unlike Mr. Musk, Ms. Shotwell, 62, has long kept a low profile. She rarely posts on social media — usually in service of SpaceX, when she does — and makes just the occasional public appearance. (6/4)
Starship Flight 12: Damage Spotted at Starbase Integration Tower (Source: Basenor)
Post-flight inspections at Starbase are turning up an unexpected detail: what appears to be the only significant damage at the launch complex after Starship Flight 12 is localized to a single structure — one that may house the primary control system for the integration tower. Analyst Zack Golden of @CSI_Starbase flagged the finding, noting the damage pattern suggests a high-energy event occurred inside the structure rather than surface-level blast or debris impact.
The newly identified damage to the internal structure near the integration tower adds a layer of complexity to the post-flight picture. Golden stopped short of a definitive conclusion — the tweet was cut off mid-sentence — but the framing raises a real question about whether ground support systems sustained meaningful damage beyond the visible perimeter. SpaceX has not yet commented publicly on this specific finding. As the mishap investigation continues, the condition of the integration tower's control infrastructure will likely factor into the timeline for returning Pad 2 to operational status. (6/1)
Inside the Race to Build a Moon Base (Source: Politico)
NASA envisions a sprawling lunar outpost outfitted with moon buggies, drones, and landers — and a lot of those high-tech gizmos are slated to be ready before the end of President Donald Trump’s term. Those ambitions face some harsh realities: NASA, so far, doesn't have the money to pay for it all. One of the rockets NASA was banking on using to land on the moon just blew up.
And the lunar surface itself presents engineering challenges that industry is still grappling with. Here’s one of NASA’s top officials on the challenges ahead: “When you think about the lunar surface and the endeavor of building a moon base, it’s going to be extremely hard and it dawns on us every day how little we know about the lunar surface,” Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA’s Moon Base program manager, said during a Tuesday briefing. (6/29)
NASA's Moon Base Starts Taking Shape with Rovers, Landers, and Drones (Source: Earth.com)
Three phases will structure the build, running from now through 2032 and beyond and leading toward routine crew rotations. The first phase, running through 2029, focuses on scouting and testing. NASA wants as many as 25 missions in that window, most of them robotic, hauling roughly four tons of gear to the surface to learn what survives and what fails.
Two American companies have won the job of building the first lunar vehicles. NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to deliver the first lunar rovers astronauts will steer across the Moon’s surface. Both teams have 18 months to finalize their designs, conduct crewed evaluations, and qualify their machines for flight. Deploying both rovers early will give NASA valuable terrain data before any astronaut steps off a lander, supporting the agency’s goal of achieving crewed surface mobility by 2028.
Getting those rovers to the South Pole falls to a separate set of landers. NASA handed Blue Origin $188 million, with an option worth another $280 million, to haul the hardware to the surface before any boots arrive. Three early flights have already been identified. The first, targeted for fall 2026 at the earliest, will use a Blue Origin lander to touch down near Shackleton Crater and measure how rocket exhaust disturbs the lunar surface. (6/3)
Physicists Propose That Our Universe May Contain Three Dimensions of Time (Source: Bright Side)
Space and time looked settled, at least in broad outline. Einstein’s special relativity gave physics a durable framework for describing motion, and for more than a century one boundary seemed firm: light speed marked the edge of what any observer could cross. A new proposal asks what happens if that edge is not treated as a hard ban. Now physicists argue that special relativity can be extended to include observers moving faster than light.
The idea does not claim such observers have been found in nature. But it does suggest that throwing them out of the theory may have hidden something important, namely a possible link between relativity and the strange rules of quantum mechanics. Their latest study, “Relativity of superluminal observers in 1 + 3 spacetime,” keeps mathematical terms that are usually discarded because they describe superluminal motion.
Those terms, the authors say, do not merely add an exotic option to relativity. They change the picture of what a particle is. They argue that the underlying mathematics contains both subluminal and superluminal branches. Usually, the faster-than-light branch is dismissed as physically meaningless. But if it is kept, they write, “the notion of a particle moving along a single path must be abandoned and replaced by a propagation along many paths, exactly like in quantum theory.” (6/3)
Honeywell to Lay Off 60 Workers Ahead of Aerospace Spinoff (Source: ABC15)
Honeywell International is cutting jobs in Arizona ahead of a planned spinoff of its aerospace division, slated for later this month. Honeywell on May 27 filed a WARN — or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — with Arizona’s Department of Economic Security stating it will cut 60 jobs at its Chandler facility. (6/3)
HASC Saves Next-Gen OPIR Polar (Source: Space News)
The House Armed Services Committee moved to save a Space Force missile warning satellite program planned for cancellation. The committee approved its 2027 National Defense Authorization Act after a markup Thursday, sending the bill to the full House. The bill includes language preserving Next-Gen OPIR Polar, a Northrop Grumman program under development since 2018 to provide missile-warning coverage over polar regions.
The Space Force proposed canceling the program in its 2027 budget request because satellite constellations in low and medium Earth orbits could carry out the work of Next-Gen OPIR Polar, but the committee concluded it remains a critical capability and authorized $415 million for it. The committee also raised questions about the Space Force's recent procurement contract awards for the Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global secure communications program while expressing frustration with the Pentagon's management of its positioning, navigation and timing enterprise. (6/5)
Apex Raises $200 Million to Expand in California (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturer Apex raised an additional $200 million. The company announced Friday a new funding round that values Apex at $2.3 billion, nearly double its previous valuation. The company, which has now raised more than $700 million, said its new round was not driven by an immediate need for capital but was instead based on interest in the company and its line of satellite buses. The funds will allow Apex to expand office space at its Los Angeles factory. (6/5)
Axiom Raises $175 Million for Space Station and Space Suit Work (Source: Space News)
Axiom Space has added more than $175 million to a funding round from earlier this year. The company said Thursday it made a final close of that funding round at more than $525 million, up from the $350 million it announced in February. The additional funding comes from existing investors as well as MUFG Bank Ltd., Japan's largest bank. The additional funds, the company said, will support work on its space station and spacesuit programs as well as its broader space infrastructure and technology advancement roadmap. (6/5)
AstroForge Completes Asteroid Probe (Source: Space News)
AstroForge announced Thursday it completed assembly of its next asteroid mission. The DeepSpace-2 spacecraft is set to launch later this year as a rideshare payload on the Falcon 9 launch of the Intuitive Machines IM-3 lunar lander mission. The spacecraft will fly by a near Earth asteroid the company will select closer to launch. DeepSpace-2 incorporates lessons learned from Odin, a spacecraft it launched last year but which malfunctioned shortly after deployment. The low-cost spacecraft is designed to support AstroForge's future asteroid mining missions as well as scientific missions. (6/5)
China Launches Qianfan Satellites on Long March 6A (Source: Space News)
A pair of Chinese launches deployed satellites for the Qianfan constellation. A Long March 6A lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 7:39 a.m. Eastern Thursday, followed by a Long March 8 Friday from the Wenchang spaceport. Each launch carried 18 Qianfan satellites, bringing the total number of satellites in orbit for the broadband constellation to more than 200. (6/5)
NASA Considers Different Launcher for Blue Moon Landers (Source: Spaceflight Now)
NASA is considering other launch options for Blue Origin's Blue Moon landers. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a Fox Business TV interview Thursday that NASA was "decoupling the lander from the launch vehicle" after the pad explosion of a New Glenn rocket this week. That would mean considering options other than New Glenn for the Blue Moon Mark 1 and Mark 2 landers, intended for robotic and crewed missions respectively. Moving the lander to another vehicle would require extensive engineering analysis and potentially changes to infrastructure at the alternative rocket's launch site to allow Blue Moon to be fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen on the pad before launch. (6/5)
Paper Claims the “Asteroid” Japan’s Probe Is Approaching Is Actually a Derelict Spacecraft (Source: Futurism)
After successfully rendezvousing with near-Earth asteroid Ryugu in June 2018 and sending a sampled cache of rocks back to Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft is now making its long journey to its next destination, a tiny and rapidly spinning asteroid dubbed 1998 KY26. The spacecraft is expected to reach the mysterious space rock by July 2031, giving scientists plenty of time to come up with theories as to what it could find once it gets there.
But according to Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who has spent years pondering the nature of ‘Oumuamua and its unusual behavior, 1998 KY26 could be something else entirely. As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, Loeb and his colleagues suggest the object could instead be a long-lost relic of the Soviet space program. “In particular, we identify it as potentially a relic of a historical Russian mission to Mars, the Phobos 1 probe, which suffered a failure 2 months after the launch in July 1988, due to upload of a faulty command,” Loeb explained. (6/2)
SpaceX Conducting Third Mishap Investigation Since January 2025 (Source: MyRGV)
paceX has landed Super Heavy boosters back at the launch site on three occasions, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico, following launch and stage separation from Starship minutes into the flight. Super Heavy B19, the first Version 3 (V3) of the booster, did not manage a Gulf splashdown on May 22 as part of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 12. Instead, the vehicle lost its engines prematurely, preventing a planned soft splashdown, and slammed into the waves at a high rate of speed.
“Looks like booster’s coming in hot,” noted a SpaceX live-stream commentator shortly before contact was lost with the booster. It’s not clear whether the booster self-destructed before hitting the water or did so intact. By Federal Aviation Administration standards, the incident was serious enough to warrant an investigation into why Super Heavy failed. (6/2)
Greece’s HellasSat Operator: With Diverse Revenue Base, GovSatCom and Future Optical, We’re Profitable & Debt-Free (Source: Space Intel Report)
Greece’s HellasSat telecom satellite fleet operator, once considered a clear target for consolidation and ultimately purchased by Arabsat for $280 million, now finds itself in the thick of Europe’s sovereignty-focused space picture. HellasSat, which has exclusive use of Greece’s satellite spectrum from the 39 degrees east slot, is providing HellaSat-2 and -3 capacity for the EU’s GovSatCom program alongside government satellites from France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain. GovSatCom service began in January. (6/2)
Hatcher Takes Command at Space Forces Korea (Source: AFNS)
Leadership of U.S. Space Forces - Korea, the theater space component assigned to U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, was passed June 2 from Col. John D. Patrick to Col. Dorian C. Hatcher at a change of command ceremony held at Osan Air Base. (6/3)
Space Force to Build New Colorado Facility, Move Acquisition Unit and Expand Officer Training (Source: Aerospace America)
As the Space Force prepares for rapid growth in the coming years, it wants to build a new operations center in Colorado Springs to support the Golden Dome program and “a lot of space testing,” according to the lawmaker representing the district. (6/4)
SSC Expands Other Transaction Authority Use By 470% (Source: Aviation Week)
Space Systems Command (SSC) is now leaning heavily on other transaction authorities (OTAs) to award key contracts, the command’s deputy chief said June 3. The U.S. Space Force’s acquisition field command has increased the number of OTA contracts it has awarded by 470% over the past year, SSC Deputy Commander Col. Andrew Menschner said. (6/3)
The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Drop Test (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Exploration Company has completed a key milestone in the development of its Nyx spacecraft after successfully conducting a drop test designed to validate the performance of its recovery system. Nyx is designed as a reusable space capsule that will be used to transport cargo and, potentially, crew to low Earth orbit. The company is currently working toward an initial demonstration of Nyx in 2028 with support from the European Space Agency. (6/4)
NRO Could Increase Commercial Satellite Buys, Nominee Says (Source: Defense Daily)
Roger Mason, nominee for director of the National Reconnaissance Office, has told Congress that the NRO might increase purchases of commercial satellites. The NRO has launched hundreds of low-Earth-orbit satellites in the past two years to supplement expensive high-end systems. "We have to look differently at our requirements," Mason says. (6/3)
NASA, UAH Team Up on Nuclear Propulsion (Source: Axios)
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are partnering to advance nuclear thermal propulsion technology for space exploration. "We've got to scale that up big time," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says of nuclear propulsion, which he calls "the next 'giant leap' technology." (6/2)
SpaceX Now Targets $75 Billion IPO Raise (Source: Space News)
SpaceX plans to raise at least $75 billion in an IPO that would value the company at more than $1.75 trillion. The company released an updated prospectus for its initial public offering on Wednesday, disclosing it will sell more than 555.5 million shares at $135 per share. The offering includes an option to sell 83.3 million additional shares in the 30 days after the IPO, bringing the total raised to more than $86 billion. SpaceX said the proceeds would go toward various initiatives aimed at improvements in launch, satellite constellations and artificial intelligence, but with few details. The documents also showed that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will hold more than 80% of the voting power of the company's shares, giving him control over any matters requiring shareholder approval. Shares are expected to begin trading at the end of next week. (6/4)
NASA Wants to Streamline Nuclear Propulsion Demo (Source: Space News)
NASA wants to streamline the management of a nuclear propulsion demo mission the agency hopes to launch in just two and a half years. NASA announced the Space Reactor 1 (SR-1) Freedom mission at the Ignition event in March to test nuclear electric propulsion technologies on a mission to Mars scheduled to launch at the end of 2028. Agency officials said they are working to streamline management processes to meet a timeline they acknowledge is "ambitious," but noted SR-1 Freedom will use some existing hardware, like the Power and Propulsion Element for the lunar Gateway. NASA has not disclosed a cost estimate for SR-1 Freedom, which was not included in the agency's 2027 budget request. (6/4)
Measured Pace for More ESA/China Collaboration (Source: Space News)
Prospects for future scientific collaboration between the European Space Agency and China look distant despite the successful launch of a joint mission. The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, spacecraft lifted off on a Vega C rocket last month to study the Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind. SMILE was a joint mission of ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, after the launch senior officials representing both organizations stopped short of committing to more and deeper cooperation in the future, despite parallel and overlapping interests and activities. They committed only to modest "organic collaboration" between missions being independently developed by Europe and China. (6/4)
Japan's Murata Considers Xona Positioning/Timing Tech (Source: Space News)
A Japanese electronics manufacturer is considering using a commercial space-based timing service being developed by Xona Space Systems. Murata Manufacturing signed an agreement with Xona to explore the use of the startup's satellite-based positioning and timing service in telecommunications, data centers, financial networks and other industries that depend on precise timing signals. Xona is developing a positioning, navigation and timing service known as Pulsar through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit as an alternative or backup to GPS. Murata will evaluate applications for Xona's service in data centers and financial institutions that require highly accurate timing synchronization. (6/4)
Space Florida Supports Seagate Ocean Launch Platform Effort (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Seagate Space, a startup developing ocean-based launch platforms, won support from Space Florida. The state space development agency approved this week an equipment purchase and leaseback agreement with Seagate for hardware the company will use for its offshore launch platform. Seagate recently announced it is working with Firefly Aerospace to explore the use of that platform for Firefly's Alpha rocket. (6/4)
Orbital Airbag Concept Could Shield From Solar Storms (Source: Science)
An "orbital airbag" could shield the Earth from solar storms. A concept by researchers published this week proposes to deploy a constellation of satellites called StormWall that would release hundreds of tons of gas into high Earth orbits just before a solar storm reaches the Earth. The gas would turn to plasma that would act as a shield, reducing the strength of a severe geomagnetic storm by up to two-thirds. That could protect both spacecraft and terrestrial electrical grids from the worst effects of such storms. (6/4)
SpaceX Launches California and Florida Starlink Missions (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX performed a pair of Starlink launches within the last 24 hours. One Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Wednesday, placing 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. A second Falcon 9 lifted off Thursday from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida, carrying 29 Starlink satellites. The Florida launch was scheduled for Wednesday morning but postponed by weather. (6/4)
China Aims to Enable Space-Based Computing (Source: Space News)
China is establishing an industrial policy framework to support a push to build space-based computing infrastructure. The Space Computing Working Committee of the China Computer Industry Association held its inaugural meeting Wednesday. The committee, established under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's (MIIT) Electronic Information Department, says it has received applications from more than 100 organizations involved in space-based computing technologies who want to join. It is the second such committee formed in 2026, following the establishment of the Space Computing Power Professional Committee in April with a focus on standards and applications. (6/4)
NASA Advances Roman Telescope Launch to Aug. 30 (Source: NASA)
NASA has moved up the launch date for the Roman Space Telescope. The agency said Wednesday that the space telescope is now set to launch Aug. 30 on a Falcon Heavy from the Kennedy Space Center. NASA had earlier set a September launch for the mission. Roman is scheduled to ship by barge this month from the Goddard Space Flight Center to KSC for final launch preparations. (6/4)
Space Force Responded Immediately After New Glenn Blast (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
“I had just gotten home and sat down in the living room, talking to my kids and wife, and looked out the window and saw the explosion,” said Space Launch Delta 45 Commander Col. Brian Chatman, who lives about 10 miles south on Patrick Space Force Base.
“Saw the explosion and called over to the fire team and activated the EOC (Emergency Operations Center),” Chatman said. “From there, I ended up heading up to the Cape, joining the emergency operations center as the personnel started coming in, and then we started making real-time decisions on what the next steps were.”
The explosion came at 9 p.m., the EOC activated by 9:05 p.m., and it was fully up and running by 9:19 p.m., he said. “By 9:30 (p.m.) we had 100% accountability of all personnel in and around the areas. What we saw was from the conservative safety measures that we employ with each and every hazardous activity we do out here, from the blast damage assessment roadblocks that we had put in place, we had no casualties, no injuries associated with this this anomalous event,” he said. (6/4)
Space Force Conducts Blast Damage Assessment (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Launch Delta 45 Commander Col. Brian Chatman said they had found debris as far as 1/2 mile from the launch site, and the over-pressure damage hit surrounding facilities at the Space Force station. The blast damage assessment (BDA) for the incident expands to 7,172 feet in diameter from the site.
“We just dropped that BDA, and my teams are just going out now to take a look at some of the other facilities,” Chatman said. We do know from an overpressure perspective, we did have damage over the Hangar C where some of the windows were blown out in that area.” He expects the data from the explosion will help refine the safety zones for launch support of these larger rockets.
“We can feed back into our models and really fine tune the models that we have. We know we have a conservative approach to lox-methane,” he said. “We know that we will be able to bring in that BDA, that blast damage area, to some level.” For Starship, that blast damage area at launch will be even larger at 12,000 feet, which is more than 2 miles. (6/4)
Meteorite Found in Sahara Desert May Be 1st Evidence of Lost Solar System World (Source: Space.com)
A rare meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains the first definitive evidence of a long-lost world that may have rivaled the moon in size and existed just a few million years after the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago, according to a new study.
The meteorite, known as Northwest Africa (NWA) 12774, is a roughly one-pound (454-gram) rock discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2019. Scientists classify it as an angrite, a rare type of meteorite that ranks among the oldest volcanic rocks in the solar system. This particular chunk of space rock, known as NWA 12774, preserves an unusual chemical signature that suggests some of the solar system's earliest worlds developed differently from other rocky planets, researchers say. (6/4)
US to quadruple size of Space Force command at air base in Japan
US to Quadruple Size of Space Force Command at Air Base in Japan (Source: Stars and Stripes)
U.S. Space Forces Japan is getting its own headquarters and another 60 guardians over the next year, according to its new commander. Col. John Patrick took over the organization Wednesday morning from Col. Ryan Laughton during a ceremony at Yokota’s Enlisted Club. The unit, established in December 2024, is focused on communications, space resilience, navigation and missile defense. (6/3)
SpaceX Mounts Surprise Push for 180-Day Phone Unlocking Rule (Source: PC Mag)
A new effort to require US carriers to unlock their phones is emerging with SpaceX surprisingly backing the effort. Last Thursday, the company joined three other industry groups, including the Rural Wireless Association, in calling the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a nationwide policy to automatically unlock phones tied to a carrier’s network 180 days after activation. (6/1)
HD 189733b Not Earthlike, Temperature Reaches 2,000 Degrees and Winds Scream (Source: Space Daily)
Point the right instrument at HD 189733b and the color that comes back is a deep cobalt blue, the kind of blue a person who grew up with photographs of Earth from orbit would recognize in an instant. Astronomers determined the color in 2013 using the Hubble Space Telescope, and the resemblance to a pale blue dot is almost uncanny. It is also a trap.
The assumption underneath that blue, that a blue world is a watery world and therefore something like home, is exactly what HD 189733b dismantles. The blue does not come from water. HD 189733b is a hot Jupiter, with no ocean to reflect a sky. The color comes from the atmosphere itself. NASA describes it this way: “The cobalt blue color comes not from the reflection of a tropical ocean, as on Earth, but rather a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles.” (6/1)
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