York Reassures Investors Amid Space
Force Changes (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems defended its financial outlook amid investor
concerns about the future of its biggest customer. In an earnings call
last week, York CEO Dirk Wallinger sought to reassure investors that
changes underway at the Pentagon and the Space Force do not undermine
the long-term need for proliferated military satellite networks.
York's rapid expansion has been driven almost entirely by contracts
tied to SDA's Transport Layer constellation, but the Pentagon is
transitioning Transport Layer into a broader architecture known as the
Space Data Network while ending SDA's status as a semi-autonomous
acquisition organization. While that has prompted speculation
SpaceX could dominate this new architecture through its MILNET work,
Wallinger argued that Congress will insist on competition, providing
opportunities for York to win future contracts. (5/18)
House Spending Bill Restores TraCSS
Development Funding (Source: Space News)
A House spending bill would fund continued work on the TraCSS space
traffic coordination system. The commerce, justice and science spending
bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week included
$50 million for the Office of Space Commerce, which is leading work on
TraCSS. The administration's proposal sought only $11 million for the
office, saying it would effectively halt work on the system. The bill's
report called on the office to continue development of TraCSS. The
administration sought to cancel TraCSS in its 2026 budget proposal, but
Congress provided funding to allow the office to continue work on the
system. (5/18)
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon to Pool
Spectrum for Improved D2D (Source: Space News)
The three major wireless operators in the United States said they will
join forces on direct-to-device (D2D) capabilities. AT&T, T-Mobile
and Verizon announced last week they had agreed in principle to pool
spectrum resources to improve D2D services, including standardizing
their approach to help rural mobile network operators reduce coverage
gaps. The companies provided few details about how that partnership
would work. The announcement split satellite operators: AST
SpaceMobile, which is working with AT&T and Verizon, said it
welcomes the partnership, while SpaceX, working with T-Mobile, said it
was skeptical, noting potential antitrust concerns. (5/18)
China's Zenk Space Raises $26 Million
for ZH-1 Launcher (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch startup Zenk Space has raised $26 million ahead of its
first launch attempt. The funding will provide solid financial backing
for the Zhihang-1 (ZH-1) inaugural mission and ensure all pre-launch
activities proceed smoothly, the company said. A separate report stated
the launch is scheduled for June. ZH-1 is designed to place 4,000
kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit using kerosene-liquid oxygen
engines from state-owned CASC's Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion
Technology. The company is studying reuse options for the rocket,
including recovering the engine bay from the first stage rather than
the entire booster. (5/18)
Tomorrow.io Raises $35 Million
(Source: Space News)
Commercial satellite weather company Tomorrow.io added $35 million to
its latest funding round. The company said Monday that the additional
capital brings its Series F round, announced in February, to $210
million. The investment will support development of a new generation of
satellites, called DeepSky, as well as accelerate development of an AI
platform for analyzing data from those satellites. (5/18)
China Launches More Broadband
Satellites on Long March 8 (Source: Xinhua)
China launched more satellites for a broadband constellation Sunday. A
Long March 8 lifted off from the Wenchang spaceport at 10:42 a.m.
Eastern, placing a group of satellites into orbit for Spacesail, a
broadband constellation. The report did not disclose how many
satellites were on board but previous launches carried 18. (5/18)
Amazon's $400M Space Coast Investment
Creates Jobs (Source: Florida Today)
Amazon has invested hundreds of millions on Florida's Space Coast,
creating more than 440 jobs and supporting 2,000 indirect jobs. The
investment includes distribution centers in Cocoa and Melbourne, a
satellite processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and
infrastructure upgrades at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Amazon
plans to build a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in West Melbourne,
creating more than 1,000 jobs. The company's Amazon Leo project aims to
provide space-based high-speed internet, with Cape Canaveral as a key
hub for satellite processing and launches. (5/17)
Starlink's Big Year (Source:
Quartz)
Starlink just crossed nine million customers, less than two months
after hitting eight million. SpaceX launched the service in 2019 as a
bet that low-Earth-orbit satellites could deliver broadband fast enough
to matter in places cable had never reached. The internet service now
operates in 155 countries, territories, and markets, with more than
9,000 satellites in orbit. It adds about 21,000 new users every day,
the kind of upward curve that helps explain why SpaceX is reportedly
aiming to go public this summer at a valuation near $1.75 trillion.
(5/18)
Elon Musk Really Needs Starship to
Work This Time (Source: Bloomberg)
After three years of explosions, redesigns and technical upgrades,
SpaceX's mission-critical Starship is scheduled to launch its 12th test
flight this week. The company laid out lofty goals in advance of its
upcoming IPO, and almost all hinge on its behemoth Starship being able
to transport a whole lot of heavy stuff into space all at once.
The rocket is supposed to deploy a larger fleet of Starlink satellites,
start a human base on the moon and set in motion Elon Musk’s latest
grand vision: a system of more than 1 million data center satellites to
support artificial intelligence. Starship, built and launched out of
SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, is also meant to unlock the
company’s ultimate goal of starting a human settlement on Mars. (5/18)
After the Triumph of Artemis II, Now
Comes the Hard Part (Source: The Hill)
The afterglow of Artemis II’s triumph has barely faded, and NASA is
already setting about placing the first footprints on the moon in over
50 years. However, all the things that the space agency and its
partners have to do makes sending four human beings around the moon
seem like a weekend excursion by comparison.
Artemis III was originally supposed to be the first human moon landing
since Apollo 17 over 50 years ago. But NASA Administrator Jared
Isaacman wisely decided that there needed to be an intermediate step
between Artemis II, the first crewed deep space mission of the 21st
century, and the next moon landing, which will now be designated as
Artemis IV. Increasingly, the question is not whether NASA and its
international and commercial partners will return to the moon, but when
it will happen.
President Trump would like to cap off his presidency with a crewed
lunar landing — the better to “make America great again” and enhance
his own legacy. The visuals are the stuff political dreams are made of:
Trump watching the mission of Artemis IV lift off from the Kennedy
Space Center, talking with the astronauts as they traverse the lunar
surface, as President Nixon did with the crew of Apollo 11, and then
greeting them when they return from the moon. (5/17)
SpaceX Starlink and Other Satellite
Megaconstellations Are Creating an ‘Unregulated Geoengineering
Experiment’, Scientists Say (Source: Space.com)
Space industry aficionados have big plans. They talk about the not so
distant future when hundreds of thousands or even millions of
satellites orbit planet Earth, beaming the internet to the unconnected,
processing data in orbital computer centers, generating solar power and
more. But this ambitious vision, which many in the sector think will
become reality sooner or later, worries atmospheric researchers.
Studies show that since the beginning of the mega-constellation era in
2020, concentrations of potentially dangerous high-altitude air
pollution stemming from satellite launches and re-entries has
significantly increased. Based on estimates described by researchers as
"conservative", the global space sector will have released by 2030 more
climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United
Kingdom.
If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass,
this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the
atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's climate, said
Eloise Marais. "The space industry pollution is like a small-scale,
unregulated geoengineering experiment that could have many unintended
and serious environmental consequences," she said. (5/18)
China's Satellite Navigation Industry
Reports Growth in 2025 (Source: Xinhua)
China's satellite navigation industry continues to expand, with the
total output value of the sector reaching 629 billion yuan (about $91.9
billion) in 2025, an increase of 9.24 percent year on year, according
to a newly released white paper. Nearly 1.4 billion smartphones in
China were equipped with BeiDou positioning capabilities by the end of
2025, accounting for about 98 percent of all mobile phones in the
country.
It also said that more than 160 million wearable devices supported
BeiDou positioning services. In addition, over 100 million passenger
cars had onboard devices using BeiDou services for navigation and
positioning. (5/18)
Taiwan Eyes Role in NASA Moon Program
After Receiving Proposal Request (Source: Focus Taiwan)
Taiwan has been invited for the first time to submit suggestions on
possible solutions for NASA's lunar exploration program, which the head
of Taiwan's space agency hopes will help the country gain a foothold in
the emerging global "lunar economy." Securing the invitation will
enable Taiwanese companies to bypass third-party system contractors and
work directly with the end-user, in this case NASA, Taiwan Space Agency
(TASA) Director-General Wu Jong-shinn said. (5/18)
Designing Safer Space Habitats
(Source: CASIS)
Understanding how microbes behave in closed environments is critical
for protecting human health, whether in space or on Earth. In our
latest case study, researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
and the University of California, San Diego mapped how microbes and
chemical traces accumulate across living spaces onboard the
International Space Station (ISS). They sampled more than 800 surfaces
to build the first 3D microbial and chemical map of the space station.
The study revealed that microbes don’t spread randomly but follow
patterns shaped by human activity, with astronauts as the primary
source. These insights could help engineers design safer habitats for
long-duration space missions. On Earth, they could improve microbial
control in hospitals, submarines, and other closed
environments—reducing health risks and building more resilient spaces.
(5/15)
Department of War Invests $191M to
Expand and Enhance the Solid Rocket Motor Industrial Base
(Source: DoD)
The DoW announced today the latest in a series of investments in the
solid rocket motor industrial base: an April 20, 2026, investment of
$27.3 million in DPA Title III funds to Pacific Scientific Energetic
Materials Company (PacSci EMC), in Chandler, Arizona. It supports DoW's
objectives to expand the munitions industrial base, bolster supply
chain resiliency, and increase domestic production in strategic
priority areas. (5/15)
Germany Gets Ahead in the New Space
Race (Source: DW)
In Germany alone, there are three companies working on launch vehicles.
Isar Aerospace in the Bavarian city of Munich is developing rockets, on
which many have set their hopes. Rocket Factory Augsburg and HyImpulse
Technologies in Neuenstadt am Kocher, which are also both in southern
Germany, currently have rockets in the testing phase.
Many German companies are also manufacturing satellites. "We have a
large number of downstream companies using satellite data to develop
new data-driven business models," says Wachter. These include OHB in
the northern city of Bremen, which is developing complete satellite
systems and components for Ariane rockets for example. The Exploration
Company, which is headquartered near Munich, builds reusable space
vehicles.
OroraTech provides solutions for monitoring wildfires from space for
example. Constellr's satellites can detect heat patterns that indicate
human activity, infrastructure load and environmental stress. The
Berlin-based company LiveEO analyzes satellite and drone data and
monitors global infrastructure networks, such as Deutsche Bahn's rail
lines. (5/16)
NASA Surprises the World and Flies the
X-59 Twice in the Same Day (Source: CPG)
NASA conducted, for the first time, two test flights of the X-59 on the
same day, marking an important milestone for the Quesst mission, a
project aimed at enabling commercial supersonic aircraft over land
areas with less sound impact. The tests took place on April 30, at the
Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, during the
11th and 12th flights of the experimental aircraft developed to reduce
the sonic boom to a sound more like a “soft thump.” The X-59 achieved
different technical objectives at altitudes between 12,000 and 43,000
feet and speeds of 528 to 627 mph, a range equivalent to approximately
Mach 0.8 to Mach 0.95. (5/15)
Artemis III Astronauts May Wear Prada
Space Suits (Source: Times of India)
NASA astronauts participating in the Artemis program could soon be
wearing spacesuits designed by Prada. The luxury fashion company
partnered with Axiom Space to help develop the new AxEMU lunar
spacesuits intended for future Artemis missions. (5/17)
India’s Mars Orbiter Cost Less Than
the Movie Gravity and Reached Its Destination on the First Attempt
(Source: Space Daily)
In November 2013, the Indian Space Research Organization launched its
Mars Orbiter Mission from Sriharikota on a Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle. The spacecraft, also known as Mangalyaan, entered Mars orbit
on 24 September 2014 at the first attempt. The total approved project
budget was approximately ₹454 crore, around $74 million USD at the
time. The 2013 film Gravity reportedly cost about $100 million to
produce, with some industry trackers listing the figure closer to $110
million. (5/15)
Bizarre Venus Surface Formations
Puzzle Planetary Scientists (Source: Universe Today)
Bizarre Venus surface formations (or coronae) are likely key to
understanding our twin planet’s heretofore inscrutable interior. Using
NASA Magellan spacecraft data from decades past, Anna Gulcher, an earth
and planetary scientist at Germany’s University of Freiburg, have
created innovative new 3D models of the largest coronae to better
understand Venus’ puzzling geodynamics.
The team used data from the Magellan spacecraft’s radar sensors, which
officially ceased functioning in 1994, to get a closer look at the
coronae’s surrounding topography and gravitational signatures. Coronae
display extraordinary diversity in size, morphology, topography,
gravity signatures, and tectonic setting, indicating that they do not
represent a single formation mechanism. (5/15)
Astronomers Catch Interstellar
Turbulence Warping Light across Milky Way (Source: Sci.News)
The space between stars in our Milky Way Galaxy, known as the
interstellar medium, is churning with clouds of ionized gas and
electrons. When waves of radio light from distant objects pass through
this turbulent material, they are bent and distorted in the same way
heat haze rising above a fire distorts our view of everything behind it.
The astronomers analyzed nearly a decade of archival observations from
NSF’s Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). They expected that when radio
light from the quasar passed though the Milky Way, it would spread out
into a smooth blur and fade away. Instead, they found persistent,
distinct patterns, producing structured, patchy distortions in the
light that could only have come from turbulence. (5/15)
Dragon Cargo Capsule Flew Its Sixth
Mission to the ISS (Source: Space Daily)
The capsule flying CRS-34 first reached the station in 2021. Five years
and six missions later, it has become the first cargo Dragon to match
the reuse record previously set only by SpaceX’s astronaut-carrying
Endeavour capsule, as Space.com reported. The Falcon 9 booster that
carried it also notched its sixth flight and sixth landing, returning
to Cape Canaveral about seven and a half minutes after liftoff. A
six-flight booster paired with a six-flight capsule on the same mission
would have been treated as historic a few years ago. (5/17)
Viasat's F2 Satellite 'Blooms,'
Targets 100+ Mbps in Push Against Starlink (Source: PC Mag)
As it loses subscribers to Starlink, Viasat is showing off a new
satellite that aims to deliver over 100Mbps downloads, possibly as soon
as this month. In November, Viasat launched the F2 satellite, which is
designed to serve customers across the Americas and promises to double
the company’s bandwidth capacity across its entire satellite fleet. On
Monday, Viasat posted a photo showing that a key component of the F2
satellite, the large reflector, is “fully deployed.” (5/12)
Ex-ISRO Scientist's $1 Billion Startup
Eyes Maiden Orbital Rocket Launch (Source: NDTV)
India's private space revolution is entering a decisive phase, and at
the heart of it stands a young company with big ambitions.
Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, India's first space tech unicorn, is
now preparing for its most significant milestone yet, the maiden
orbital launch of its Vikram 1 rocket in just a few weeks from
Sriharikota.
In eight years after leaving his secure job at ISRO, where he earned Rs
75,000 a month, Chandana, along with his cofounder Naga Bharath Daka,
has created a company now valued at Rs 10,000 crore, as per a
disclosure by the company. A mechanical engineer from IIT Kharagpur, he
recalled asking himself a simple question early in his career: what is
the most challenging machine ever built by humans? "For me it was
always a rocket. I was really inspired by launches across the globe. I
thought this is my calling; I need to get into the rocket industry," he
said. (5/17)
Rubin Tracks Skyscraper-Size
Asteroids, Failed Supernovas, and Interstellar Visitors (Source:
Quanta)
Over the years, anticipation has built for the start of observations at
the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the mountains of the Atacama Desert in
Chile. Originally imagined in the mid-1990s as the Dark Matter
Telescope, Rubin is designed to study our constantly moving and
changing universe in greater detail than ever before. Once every few
days for a decade, Rubin will take images of the entire night sky over
the Southern Hemisphere, creating the world’s largest time-lapse movie.
In Rubin’s first year alone, scientists expect the observatory to find
1 million undiscovered asteroids — as many as have been documented in
the previous 200 years of human history — as well as thousands of
comets and billions of stars and galaxies. (5/17)
IN-SPACe Leads Indian Space Delegation
to Italy (Source: GK Today)
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)
led a delegation of nine Indian space-tech companies to Italy on 16–17
May. IN-SPACe is the regulatory and promotional body for private space
activities in India under the Department of Space. It authorizes space
activities by non-government entities and supports the participation of
Indian companies in the space economy.
Nine Indian companies took part in the Venice event. The list included
Astrogate Labs, Astrobase Space Technologies, VyomIC, Suhora, Kepler
Aerospace, Hyspace Technologies, TakeMe2Space, Jarbits Pvt Ltd, and
Dhruva Space. Astrobase Space Technologies is based in Karnataka, while
Dhruva Space is an Indian space technology company engaged in satellite
systems and space infrastructure. (5/16)
NASA’s New AI Processor Is 500x Faster
Than Current Space Computers (Source: SciTech Daily)
NASA’s new AI-ready space chip could give future spacecraft a brain of
their own. NASA is developing a powerful new computer chip that could
dramatically change how future spacecraft operate in deep space.
Created through a commercial partnership, the advanced processor is
designed to give spacecraft the ability to process information far more
quickly and even make certain decisions independently during missions
far from Earth.
The agency’s High Performance Spaceflight Computing project is focused
on increasing the computing capabilities of spacecraft used for
exploration missions. Current spacecraft rely on older processors
because they are reliable and durable enough to survive the harsh
conditions of space. However, those chips lack the performance needed
for the next generation of missions. (5/16)
Europe Just Unveiled a Serious Rival
to SpaceX’s Starship (Source: SciTech Daily)
Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have now released one
of the most detailed independent studies of Starship’s performance to
date. Notably, they did not base their work on SpaceX’s public
performance claims. Instead, they reviewed the publicly streamed
footage from the first four integrated flight tests and extracted
telemetry data moment by moment.
They then used those data to create and test detailed performance
models of the vehicle. The resulting assessment presents Starship as a
system whose real capabilities are more carefully defined, yet still
more impressive than its promotional image might suggest. The analysis
confirmed that in its current form, a fully reusable Starship that can
deliver around 59 tons to low Earth orbit. That is roughly what a
Falcon Heavy can achieve without recovering any of its boosters at all.
But the more striking part of the paper is a detailed design for a
European alternative capable of launching over 70 tonnes to orbit,
called the RLV C5. The concept pairs the winged, reusable booster stage
from DLR’s long-running SpaceLiner project with an expendable upper
stage designed to maximize payload. It burns liquid hydrogen and liquid
oxygen, which is a more efficient combination than the methane and
oxygen that power Starship’s Raptor engines. In comparison, Starship is
more than three times heavier than the RLV C5 at launch. (5/17)
May 17, 2026
SpaceX to FCC: $4.5B Broadband Program
Is Unnecessary. Starlink Has It Covered (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is telling the FCC to consider ending a $4.5 billion fund that subsidizes voice and broadband in rural areas, arguing that Starlink has solved the connectivity gap by offering fast speeds at competitive rates. “The Commission’s universal service programs must adapt to a reality where the long-standing problem of high-speed broadband network access has effectively been solved, rendering most legacy High-Cost support mechanisms redundant,” the company wrote. (5/15)
New Theory of Dark Matter Could Solve Three Cosmic Mysteries (Source: Universe Today)
A new type of dark matter is proposed that can explain three astrophysical mysteries in vastly different fields. In essence, the study proposed that dense clumps of Self-Interacting Dark Matter (SIDM) can account for the gravitational effects of gravitational lenses, stellar streams, and satellite galaxies. The team's study, "Core-Collapsed SIDM Halos as the Common Origin of Dense Perturbers in Lenses, Streams, and Satellites,” suggests that particle interactions can lead to “gravothermal collapse,” where particles form extremely dense, compact cores a million times the mass of the Sun. (5/15)
NASA Shifts Wallops Management From Goddard to KSC (Source: NASA Watch)
NASA Wallops employees in Code 800 have been informed that they're now under KSC management effective immediately and that GSFC ETD leadership had been instructed to cancel their travel to Wallops. These employees were also told that an email with more details would be coming later this week. (5/13)
Starship V3 Will Do Something Completely New on Flight 12 (Source: Space.com)
While the mission will be Starship's 12th overall, it will mark the debut of the advanced new V3 vehicle, which features a number of important modifications and upgrades compared to its predecessors. (That helps explain the long launch lacuna.) Finally, while Starship will fly a familiar suborbital trajectory on Flight 12, it will do something completely new while it's up there — take a good, long look at itself.
The Flight 12 plan calls for Starship's upper stage, known as Ship, to deploy 22 dummy versions of SpaceX's Starlink broadband spacecraft. These will be "similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites," including two inspector spacecraft. They will scan Starship's heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship's heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. (5/14)
David Attenborough Turned 100 — and His Oldest Argument Against Space Exploration is the Same Conclusion Most Astronauts Come Home With (Source: Space Daily)
In October 1980, David Attenborough said the only place a human being was likely to travel within thirty or forty years was, in his words, “not nearly as interesting as this very precious earth of ours.” He has not changed his position in the forty-six years since. The line he is most often paired with — that he wishes the world were twice as big and half of it still unexplored. What has gone less remarked is that the position he has held for almost half a century — that the most interesting planet in the solar system is the one we are already standing on — is now also, with very few caveats, the conclusion most astronauts come home with. (5/14)
Space Force Awards Northrop Grumman $398 Million Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract to build a prototype communications satellite intended to demonstrate anti-jamming technologies for military operations in contested environments, the Space Systems Command said May 15. (5/16)
Rocket Lab Targets Missile Defense and Golden Dome as Its Next Growth Market (Source: Motley Foo;l)
By now you've heard the news: Golden Dome, President Trump's $151 billion plan to build a satellite-based missile shield over America, has been expanded with the award of a $3.2 billion umbrella contract to develop a system of "space-based interceptor" missiles, or SBIs, to shoot down hostile missiles. Concurrent with its earnings report last week, Rocket Lab announced Friday that it's partnering with RTX on the latter's bid for work under the SBI contract. (5/15)
New Golden Dome ‘Ecosystem Hub’ Will Vet New Tech, Monitor Industrial Base (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The leaders of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome program say a new “Ecosystem Hub” will make it easier for companies to pitch technology for the effort and for the government to monitor supply chain and cyber risks. The program established the hub in April, which Golden Dome Director Gen. Michael Guetlein has called a “one-stop-shop for industry” to do business with one of the Defense Department’s largest programs.
“Our intent is to build a gateway that will provide a single point of entry for anyone that wants to come in and see the Golden Dome problem set and then provide those innovative solutions that perhaps we haven’t even thought about yet that could solve some of our problems,” Marcia Holmes said. Holmes and Guetlein said the hub is meant to be a tool not only for companies looking to pitch solutions, but for the program to understand potential cyber vulnerabilities and supply chain constraints within the industrial base. (5/15)
NASA Still Maintains Some of the Voyager Spacecraft Code in a 1970s-Era Programming Language That Almost Nobody on Earth Fully Understands Anymore, and the Handful of Engineers Who Do Are Now in Their 80s (Source: Space Daily)
The popular story is that NASA still runs the Voyagers on software written in a programming language nobody alive can read, kept going by a handful of engineers all in their eighties, with no one queued up to replace them. In our reading of the record, parts of this are accurate. Parts are not. The underlying problem is real, and more specific than the headline suggests.
The Voyager onboard computers run assembly language written for purpose-built General Electric interrupt-driven processors, designed and fabricated in the early 1970s. Three computer systems sit on each spacecraft: the Computer Command Subsystem, the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem, and the Flight Data Subsystem.
The popular shorthand often says Voyager “runs on Fortran.” That appears to blur two things: onboard flight software and ground-side tools. The spacecraft’s low-level flight work depends on assembly-language programming on highly specialized hardware. Fortran has been associated with ground systems and older mission tooling. When NASA went looking for a replacement engineer in 2015, the brief covered both, but Suzy Dodd’s specific concern in the same coverage was finding people who could program in assembly and understand the intricacies of the spacecraft. (5/16)
Northrop Grumman Expands Florida Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing (Source: Defense Industry Europe)
Northrop Grumman operations across Florida include 17 sites. The company employs ~8,000 people in the state and operates three million square feet of facilities, generating ~$5.4 billion in annual economic output within Florida. The company said it works with nearly 500 suppliers in the state and contributed $1.2 million in charitable support for STEM education, workforce development and military and veteran programs during 2025. According to the company, employees also contributed more than 20,000 volunteer hours across local schools and nonprofit organizations.
The company stated that its operations support both military modernization programs and broader American manufacturing capabilities. At its facility in St. Augustine, Northrop Grumman operates the E-2 production line, which the company described as the longest-running production line in naval aviation history. Design and engineering work for the E-2D platform is carried out at the company’s facility in Melbourne. Florida would serve as a key manufacturing center if Northrop Grumman is selected for the F/A-XX program.
At the Kennedy Space Center, Northrop Grumman supports production and assembly work for the Space Launch System through its Booster Fabrication Facility. In the Orlando region, the company said its Apopka facility is developing advanced microelectronics packaging technologies through its Micro-Line production system. The company stated that the B-21 program originated in Melbourne, Florida, where engineers used digital modeling to integrate design, manufacturing and supplier data. (5/12)
SpaceX is telling the FCC to consider ending a $4.5 billion fund that subsidizes voice and broadband in rural areas, arguing that Starlink has solved the connectivity gap by offering fast speeds at competitive rates. “The Commission’s universal service programs must adapt to a reality where the long-standing problem of high-speed broadband network access has effectively been solved, rendering most legacy High-Cost support mechanisms redundant,” the company wrote. (5/15)
New Theory of Dark Matter Could Solve Three Cosmic Mysteries (Source: Universe Today)
A new type of dark matter is proposed that can explain three astrophysical mysteries in vastly different fields. In essence, the study proposed that dense clumps of Self-Interacting Dark Matter (SIDM) can account for the gravitational effects of gravitational lenses, stellar streams, and satellite galaxies. The team's study, "Core-Collapsed SIDM Halos as the Common Origin of Dense Perturbers in Lenses, Streams, and Satellites,” suggests that particle interactions can lead to “gravothermal collapse,” where particles form extremely dense, compact cores a million times the mass of the Sun. (5/15)
NASA Shifts Wallops Management From Goddard to KSC (Source: NASA Watch)
NASA Wallops employees in Code 800 have been informed that they're now under KSC management effective immediately and that GSFC ETD leadership had been instructed to cancel their travel to Wallops. These employees were also told that an email with more details would be coming later this week. (5/13)
Starship V3 Will Do Something Completely New on Flight 12 (Source: Space.com)
While the mission will be Starship's 12th overall, it will mark the debut of the advanced new V3 vehicle, which features a number of important modifications and upgrades compared to its predecessors. (That helps explain the long launch lacuna.) Finally, while Starship will fly a familiar suborbital trajectory on Flight 12, it will do something completely new while it's up there — take a good, long look at itself.
The Flight 12 plan calls for Starship's upper stage, known as Ship, to deploy 22 dummy versions of SpaceX's Starlink broadband spacecraft. These will be "similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites," including two inspector spacecraft. They will scan Starship's heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship's heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions. (5/14)
David Attenborough Turned 100 — and His Oldest Argument Against Space Exploration is the Same Conclusion Most Astronauts Come Home With (Source: Space Daily)
In October 1980, David Attenborough said the only place a human being was likely to travel within thirty or forty years was, in his words, “not nearly as interesting as this very precious earth of ours.” He has not changed his position in the forty-six years since. The line he is most often paired with — that he wishes the world were twice as big and half of it still unexplored. What has gone less remarked is that the position he has held for almost half a century — that the most interesting planet in the solar system is the one we are already standing on — is now also, with very few caveats, the conclusion most astronauts come home with. (5/14)
Space Force Awards Northrop Grumman $398 Million Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract to build a prototype communications satellite intended to demonstrate anti-jamming technologies for military operations in contested environments, the Space Systems Command said May 15. (5/16)
Rocket Lab Targets Missile Defense and Golden Dome as Its Next Growth Market (Source: Motley Foo;l)
By now you've heard the news: Golden Dome, President Trump's $151 billion plan to build a satellite-based missile shield over America, has been expanded with the award of a $3.2 billion umbrella contract to develop a system of "space-based interceptor" missiles, or SBIs, to shoot down hostile missiles. Concurrent with its earnings report last week, Rocket Lab announced Friday that it's partnering with RTX on the latter's bid for work under the SBI contract. (5/15)
New Golden Dome ‘Ecosystem Hub’ Will Vet New Tech, Monitor Industrial Base (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The leaders of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome program say a new “Ecosystem Hub” will make it easier for companies to pitch technology for the effort and for the government to monitor supply chain and cyber risks. The program established the hub in April, which Golden Dome Director Gen. Michael Guetlein has called a “one-stop-shop for industry” to do business with one of the Defense Department’s largest programs.
“Our intent is to build a gateway that will provide a single point of entry for anyone that wants to come in and see the Golden Dome problem set and then provide those innovative solutions that perhaps we haven’t even thought about yet that could solve some of our problems,” Marcia Holmes said. Holmes and Guetlein said the hub is meant to be a tool not only for companies looking to pitch solutions, but for the program to understand potential cyber vulnerabilities and supply chain constraints within the industrial base. (5/15)
NASA Still Maintains Some of the Voyager Spacecraft Code in a 1970s-Era Programming Language That Almost Nobody on Earth Fully Understands Anymore, and the Handful of Engineers Who Do Are Now in Their 80s (Source: Space Daily)
The popular story is that NASA still runs the Voyagers on software written in a programming language nobody alive can read, kept going by a handful of engineers all in their eighties, with no one queued up to replace them. In our reading of the record, parts of this are accurate. Parts are not. The underlying problem is real, and more specific than the headline suggests.
The Voyager onboard computers run assembly language written for purpose-built General Electric interrupt-driven processors, designed and fabricated in the early 1970s. Three computer systems sit on each spacecraft: the Computer Command Subsystem, the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem, and the Flight Data Subsystem.
The popular shorthand often says Voyager “runs on Fortran.” That appears to blur two things: onboard flight software and ground-side tools. The spacecraft’s low-level flight work depends on assembly-language programming on highly specialized hardware. Fortran has been associated with ground systems and older mission tooling. When NASA went looking for a replacement engineer in 2015, the brief covered both, but Suzy Dodd’s specific concern in the same coverage was finding people who could program in assembly and understand the intricacies of the spacecraft. (5/16)
Northrop Grumman Expands Florida Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing (Source: Defense Industry Europe)
Northrop Grumman operations across Florida include 17 sites. The company employs ~8,000 people in the state and operates three million square feet of facilities, generating ~$5.4 billion in annual economic output within Florida. The company said it works with nearly 500 suppliers in the state and contributed $1.2 million in charitable support for STEM education, workforce development and military and veteran programs during 2025. According to the company, employees also contributed more than 20,000 volunteer hours across local schools and nonprofit organizations.
The company stated that its operations support both military modernization programs and broader American manufacturing capabilities. At its facility in St. Augustine, Northrop Grumman operates the E-2 production line, which the company described as the longest-running production line in naval aviation history. Design and engineering work for the E-2D platform is carried out at the company’s facility in Melbourne. Florida would serve as a key manufacturing center if Northrop Grumman is selected for the F/A-XX program.
At the Kennedy Space Center, Northrop Grumman supports production and assembly work for the Space Launch System through its Booster Fabrication Facility. In the Orlando region, the company said its Apopka facility is developing advanced microelectronics packaging technologies through its Micro-Line production system. The company stated that the B-21 program originated in Melbourne, Florida, where engineers used digital modeling to integrate design, manufacturing and supplier data. (5/12)
May 16, 2026
ULA To Prep Future Vulcan Launch for
Amazon Despite Rocket Investigation (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance is running short on usable hardware this year, having to rely on its dwindling supply of Atlas V rockets while it continues an investigation into what went wrong on the last launch of its successor rocket Vulcan. Its next two launches will be the final Atlas V rockets set aside for commercial customer Amazon.
While Vulcan’s recent launches suffered solid rocket motor problems, its powerful Blue Origin-built BE-4 engines were able to compensate on both missions and get their payloads to orbit. The most recent flight, which was a national security mission, led the Space Force to declare it would no longer launch on Vulcan rockets until the booster issue was solved. ULA isn’t sitting idle, though, and has begun to prepare for its first Vulcan rocket set aside for Amazon. The company had already built out a second vertical integration facility that was meant to be a dedicated space to prepare commercial missions at SLC-41, while the original integration facility would be set aside for national security missions. (5/13)
ICEYE Hands Over POLSARIS SAR Satellite Constellation to Poland in Under a Year (Source: AeroTime)
Finnish space technology firm ICEYE has handed over a four-satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) reconnaissance constellation to the Polish armed forces, less than 12 months after contract signature. The company has described this as the fastest operational deployment of a satellite program on record.
The system, built under the MikroSAR program and operationally designated POLSARIS (Polish SAR Intelligence System), was transferred to Poland’s Geospatial Reconnaissance and Satellite Services Agency (ARGUS) on May 15, 2026. The contract with Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, worth approximately €200 million, was signed in May 2025. (5/15)
Avio CEO: Europe Should Invest in Current Rockets To Meet Surging Demand Instead of Years-Long Work on Startups (Source: Space Intel Report)
Orbital rocket and tactical defense propulsion hardware manufacturer Avio reported a 19% increase in revenue and a 30% increase in EBITDA for the three months ending March 31 as both its space and defense businesses continued their growth. Italy-based Avio, which is prime contractor for Europe’s medium-lift Vega C rocket and a supplier of the heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket’s strap-on boosters, is benefiting from its decision to build a solid-propulsion missile facility in the United States. The company argues that investing in operational, existing technology provides immediate solutions rather than waiting years for new European space startups to mature. (5/15)
AST SpaceMobile Inundates Investors With its Legitimate Achievements, but Launch Contracts Matter Most Now (Source: Space Intel Report)
With direct-to-device broadband startup AST SpaceMobile, raising cash for a multibillion-dollar network, aligning terrestrial spectrum from mobile network operators (MNOs) with future satellite spectrum and deploying each satellite’s 223-square-meter antenna in low Earth orbit — all of them legitimate achievements — must be set aside to focus on whether the company has contracted enough rockets to meet its goal of having 45 satellites in orbit by the end of this year. (5/14)
ESA Opens €16 Million Call for Suborbital Launch Campaign (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has opened a call for the design, development, manufacture, launch, and recovery of five scientific experiments aboard one or more sounding rockets in 2027 or 2028. The call has a maximum budget of €16 million. Initially announced in March and opened for proposals on 13 May, the call covers five experiments selected through ESA’s Exploration Science Announcement of Opportunity for Sounding Rocket Experiments, which was opened for proposals in March 2025. (5/14)
Blue Origin’s Latest Success Left its Biggest Rocket Grounded (Source: Seattle Times)
“The challenge of their approach, where they do everything slowly … there’s not a lot of opportunity for failure,” Anderson said. “We don’t know how long they’re going to be grounded or how long it’s going to take to get to the bottom of this.” But the delay likely won’t lead to any lost customers, thanks to a massive supply and demand imbalance in the industry, space consultants and analysts told The Seattle Times. There are only a handful of rocket companies able to deliver payloads to space and nearly all of them have experienced recent setbacks. (5/14)
TransAstra and U.S. Air Force Academy Sign Agreement to Advance Asteroid Mining for Dynamic Space Operations (Source: TransAstra)
Trans Astronautica Corporation announced the execution of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Air Force Academy Dean of Faculty (USAFA/DF). The two-year agreement establishes a joint research program to advance technologies for finding, capturing, and processing asteroids to enable U.S. space dominance and support U.S. Space Force Space Domain Awareness and Space Mobility and Logistics objectives. (5/14)
Musk’s Iron Grip on SpaceX Alarms Investors (Source: Telegraph)
US pension funds controlling more than $1 trillion of investments have raised concerns about the “extreme” levels of control Elon Musk will exert on SpaceX after the rocket business goes public. The leaders of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the public pension systems of both New York state and New York city have written to Mr. Musk urging him to “at least adhere to the baseline protections” for investors.
The outspoken billionaire is poised to launch a stock market float of his SpaceX empire in the coming weeks, valuing the rocket and AI business at as much as $1.75tn. The deal will hand Mr. Musk significant levels of authority, including the power to block his own removal as chief executive. US regulatory filings also showed that the world’s richest person increased his voting control of SpaceX in the wake of its $1.25tn merger with his xAI lab. He now controls 84pc of the company’s voting rights. (5/14)
Truck Driver Sues SpaceX After Being ‘Doused in Liquid Methane’ (Source: San Antonio Express News)
A lawsuit filed recently in McLennan County alleges negligence against Elon Musk’s space firm over a June 2024 mishap in which a tanker truck driver was “doused in liquid methane” while off-loading fuel into SpaceX’s tanks. Thaddeus Barideaux, of Tarrant County, was delivering liquid natural gas when SpaceX’s “equipment malfunctioned” and soaked him with no warning, causing “serious bodily injuries, including chemical burns,” according to the lawsuit. Barideaux was working for Applied Natural Gas Fuels Inc. and has since “undergone months of medical treatment and continues to suffer from permanent scarring and nerve damage,” it said. (5/14)
Space Leaders Worldwide May Fight SpaceX Lofting 1 Million Satellites (Source: Forbes)
If the FAA even hinted it might approve the lift-off of a million-strong SpaceX mega-constellation, “I would expect immediate and very strong objections from satellite operators, astronomers, insurers, national space agencies, defense organizations, and foreign governments,” says Brian Hurley, a world-leading expert who chronicles the rapid-fire expansion of the modern space sector, and its rippling effects across the spheres of national security and international affairs.
“The objections would not only come from China and Russia,” says Hurley, founder of the influential think tank New Space Economy, which also publishes a digital magazine. “They would likely come from U.S. and European operators too, because the risk is not contained inside the company proposing the system.” (5/14)
Ukraine Launches its Own Satellites (Source: RBC)
Ukraine has begun deploying its own satellite network. The first two satellites are already in orbit, said Denys Shtilierman, co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point. According to him, developers plan to launch dozens more satellites into space as early as 2027, which will allow Ukraine to rely less on the US and private Western corporations. The impetus for the rapid development of Ukrainian technology was last year’s conflict in the Oval Office between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At that time, Washington blocked the transfer of intelligence data to Kyiv for a week. (5/14)
$6 Billion Slated for NASA Projects Managed by Marshall Space Flight Center (Source: AL.com)
More than $6 billion may be on the way to NASA for programs managed by Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-AL, announced this week. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It also includes provisions for the FBI’s mission at Redstone Arsenal. (5/14)
Canadian Astronomy Looks to Europe and Invests in the World’s Largest Telescope (Source: UdeM)
The European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) now under construction in Chile will soon be the most powerful optical and infrared telescope ever built — and Canada will have a major role in its development. To that end, scientists led by teams at Université de Montréal, the Mont-Mégantic Observatory (OMM), and the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) in partnership with the University of British Columbia have been awarded a federal grant of close to $11.3 million.
Canada is not currently a member of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the organization building and operating the ELT. However, through the CFI's investment in ANDES, Canadian astronomers will gain guaranteed access to the telescope, something that would otherwise not be possible. (5/15)
Satellite Launch Pollution Rapidly Accumulating in the Upper Atmosphere (Source: UCL)
The potent pollution from so-called “megaconstellation” satellite systems launched en masse into space since 2019 will account for nearly half (42%) of the total climate impact of space sector pollution by the end of the decade, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research team examined air pollution produced by the growing number of rocket launches, and the discarded rocket bodies and dead satellites falling back to Earth. The black carbon (soot) generated from these sources lingers in the upper atmosphere far longer than that from ground-based sources, resulting in a 500-fold greater impact on the climate. (5/14)
The Next Quantum Revolution May Require a Helium ‘Gold Rush’ on the Moon (Source: Scientific American)
Scientists estimate that somewhere on the order of a billion kilograms of helium-3 are lacquered onto the lunar surface. So the moon-based mining of helium-3 could, it seems, someday become a multitrillion-dollar industry. All this sets helium-3 apart from another much ballyhooed lunar resource: water ice, found in some of the moon’s deepest, darkest craters. But lunar water has little use on Earth. So “helium-3 is where the money is,” says Clive Neal.
That’s assuming there’s actually enough of it accessible on the moon to be profitably extracted. “Once you’ve proven you can do it, then you have to scale it, which has its own challenges,” says Paul van Susante. Helium-3 isn’t guaranteed to stick around on anything it strikes, but the moon that is relatively rich with ilmenite—a mineral made of iron, titanium and oxygen with a physical structure that acts like a trap for the gas. “Ilmenite is like a sponge. It holds onto the solar-wind-implanted species better than any other mineral on the moon,” Neal says. That means prospecting for lunar helium-3 starts by simply making mineralogical maps of the moon’s surface.
As straightforward as finding helium-3 might be, extracting it could prove much harder. “It’s like trying to mine spray paint from a wall,” Russell says. Similar to how cosmic impacts can agitate and heat lunar regolith to liberate trapped particles from the solar wind, machines can do much the same. “You then have to separate the helium-3 from the other stuff, which is nontrivial,” van Susante says. And then you must send it safely back to Earth. As of yet, though, no one has demonstrated (or even attempted) helium-3 extraction on the moon. That’s the top priority of several space resource companies, including Seattle-based Interlune, founded in 2020. (5/14)
Harrison Ford Not a Fan of Space Spending (Source: Telegraph)
Ford, who played Han Solo in Star Wars, has revealed he hates how much money is invested in space exploration. The American actor, 83, said instead of spending billions on space projects, we should focus on the one planet that already has “developed societies and hundreds of languages”, Earth. Ford has long been known for his environmental efforts off-screen. He claimed “we are wasting money going to space” after NASA unveiled plans to build a permanent base on the moon. (5/15)
Three’s a Party: US, China, and Now Russia are on the Prowl in GEO (Source: Ars Technica)
The world’s leading space powers desperately want to know what the others are up to high above the equator. For more than a decade, the US military has operated a fleet of “inspector” satellites designed to sidle up to other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit and take pictures. China started launching its satellites for a similar mission in 2018. Until now, Russia’s spying in geosynchronous orbit has primarily focused on eavesdropping on foreign communications.
A new kind of Russian satellite is now in the mix. This satellite, officially known as Kosmos 2589, was launched in June 2025 into a highly elliptical orbit alongside a smaller spacecraft designated Kosmos 2590. The two satellites performed a series of high-altitude rendezvous and proximity operations with one another before Kosmos 2589 began moving toward a more circular geosynchronous orbit, where it arrived in April. One of the US military’s GSSAP satellites was waiting for it. The US inspector spacecraft is now looping around Kosmos 2589, swinging near the newly arrived Russian satellite twice per day. (5/15)
Canada's Accelerates Budget Timeline Pressures Space Requests (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian space sector has just over a week to finalize its federal funding suggestions, following a scheduling shift in the government’s annual pre-budget consultation process. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) is currently accepting written briefs for the 2026 federal budget for the 2027-28 fiscal year. However, to align with the new fall budgeting cycle introduced in 2025, the committee has accelerated its timeline, moving the consultation period to the spring. The deadline for submissions is now Friday, May 22. (5/14)
SpaceX Launches CRS-34 ISS Cargo Mission from Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Sources: Florida Today, NASA)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on May 15. The 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission carried new scientific experiments and 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew. (5/15)
Customizable Drinks Could Provide Essential Nutrients During Space Missions (Source: ACS)
High-resistance exercises can help mitigate astronaut bone loss, but so can incorporating nutrient-enriched foods into the astronauts’ diets. “Fortified beverage emulsions could potentially help there, especially when providing nutrients at levels not met by normal nutrition,” says Schmidt. “We suggested omega-3 fatty acids to help protect against space radiation and increase the bone formation rate.” (5/15)
NASA Administrator Cuts Ribbon on New Training Complex at U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama (Source: Fox54)
A new chapter for Space Camp is officially taking off! The U.S. Space and Rocket Center cut the ribbon on the news Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex on Friday — a massive new facility designed to help train and inspire the next generation of explorers. The complex adds nearly 50,000 square feet of new training space to the USSRC. (5/15)
NASA Kicks Off Mars Telecom Network Competition (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA has formally kicked off the competition to meet its Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft requirement with delivery by the end of 2028. The agency has issued the long-expected request for proposal to develop a system to deliver robust and continuous communications between Earth and systems on Mars. (5/15)
Fluffy Ice Could Imperil Spacecraft Landings on Ocean Moons (Source: Science)
When water erupts on the ocean moons of Jupiter and Saturn, it could freeze into fluffy ice with the texture of a croissant, presenting a hazard for future lander missions. That’s the conclusion of a vacuum chamber experiment presented last week. The work shows water freezing into brittle, layered sheets 20 centimeters thick. In the low-gravity environment of Jupiter’s moon Europa, that would translate to fluffy ice several meters thick. (5/13)
SpaceX’s $75bn IPO Has Twenty-One Underwriters, Zero Are European (Source: European Business)
The offering will raise up to $75 billion — roughly three times the size of the previous record holder, Saudi Aramco’s 2019 listing — and is being run by a syndicate of twenty-one underwriters led by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. Up to 30% of shares will be allocated to retail investors, three times the standard for a deal of this size. Roadshow begins the week of June 8, with a retail investor event for 1,500 attendees on June 11.
Not a single European bank is in the syndicate. No Barclays, no Deutsche Bank, no BNP Paribas, no UBS, no Santander, no HSBC. The largest equity raise in financial history is being structured, syndicated and distributed without European participation at the bookrunner or co-manager level — and European institutional investors will have to buy SpaceX stock at a premium in the secondary market from the US clients who got the IPO allocation first. (5/15)
United Launch Alliance is running short on usable hardware this year, having to rely on its dwindling supply of Atlas V rockets while it continues an investigation into what went wrong on the last launch of its successor rocket Vulcan. Its next two launches will be the final Atlas V rockets set aside for commercial customer Amazon.
While Vulcan’s recent launches suffered solid rocket motor problems, its powerful Blue Origin-built BE-4 engines were able to compensate on both missions and get their payloads to orbit. The most recent flight, which was a national security mission, led the Space Force to declare it would no longer launch on Vulcan rockets until the booster issue was solved. ULA isn’t sitting idle, though, and has begun to prepare for its first Vulcan rocket set aside for Amazon. The company had already built out a second vertical integration facility that was meant to be a dedicated space to prepare commercial missions at SLC-41, while the original integration facility would be set aside for national security missions. (5/13)
ICEYE Hands Over POLSARIS SAR Satellite Constellation to Poland in Under a Year (Source: AeroTime)
Finnish space technology firm ICEYE has handed over a four-satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) reconnaissance constellation to the Polish armed forces, less than 12 months after contract signature. The company has described this as the fastest operational deployment of a satellite program on record.
The system, built under the MikroSAR program and operationally designated POLSARIS (Polish SAR Intelligence System), was transferred to Poland’s Geospatial Reconnaissance and Satellite Services Agency (ARGUS) on May 15, 2026. The contract with Poland’s Ministry of National Defense, worth approximately €200 million, was signed in May 2025. (5/15)
Avio CEO: Europe Should Invest in Current Rockets To Meet Surging Demand Instead of Years-Long Work on Startups (Source: Space Intel Report)
Orbital rocket and tactical defense propulsion hardware manufacturer Avio reported a 19% increase in revenue and a 30% increase in EBITDA for the three months ending March 31 as both its space and defense businesses continued their growth. Italy-based Avio, which is prime contractor for Europe’s medium-lift Vega C rocket and a supplier of the heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket’s strap-on boosters, is benefiting from its decision to build a solid-propulsion missile facility in the United States. The company argues that investing in operational, existing technology provides immediate solutions rather than waiting years for new European space startups to mature. (5/15)
AST SpaceMobile Inundates Investors With its Legitimate Achievements, but Launch Contracts Matter Most Now (Source: Space Intel Report)
With direct-to-device broadband startup AST SpaceMobile, raising cash for a multibillion-dollar network, aligning terrestrial spectrum from mobile network operators (MNOs) with future satellite spectrum and deploying each satellite’s 223-square-meter antenna in low Earth orbit — all of them legitimate achievements — must be set aside to focus on whether the company has contracted enough rockets to meet its goal of having 45 satellites in orbit by the end of this year. (5/14)
ESA Opens €16 Million Call for Suborbital Launch Campaign (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has opened a call for the design, development, manufacture, launch, and recovery of five scientific experiments aboard one or more sounding rockets in 2027 or 2028. The call has a maximum budget of €16 million. Initially announced in March and opened for proposals on 13 May, the call covers five experiments selected through ESA’s Exploration Science Announcement of Opportunity for Sounding Rocket Experiments, which was opened for proposals in March 2025. (5/14)
Blue Origin’s Latest Success Left its Biggest Rocket Grounded (Source: Seattle Times)
“The challenge of their approach, where they do everything slowly … there’s not a lot of opportunity for failure,” Anderson said. “We don’t know how long they’re going to be grounded or how long it’s going to take to get to the bottom of this.” But the delay likely won’t lead to any lost customers, thanks to a massive supply and demand imbalance in the industry, space consultants and analysts told The Seattle Times. There are only a handful of rocket companies able to deliver payloads to space and nearly all of them have experienced recent setbacks. (5/14)
TransAstra and U.S. Air Force Academy Sign Agreement to Advance Asteroid Mining for Dynamic Space Operations (Source: TransAstra)
Trans Astronautica Corporation announced the execution of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Air Force Academy Dean of Faculty (USAFA/DF). The two-year agreement establishes a joint research program to advance technologies for finding, capturing, and processing asteroids to enable U.S. space dominance and support U.S. Space Force Space Domain Awareness and Space Mobility and Logistics objectives. (5/14)
Musk’s Iron Grip on SpaceX Alarms Investors (Source: Telegraph)
US pension funds controlling more than $1 trillion of investments have raised concerns about the “extreme” levels of control Elon Musk will exert on SpaceX after the rocket business goes public. The leaders of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the public pension systems of both New York state and New York city have written to Mr. Musk urging him to “at least adhere to the baseline protections” for investors.
The outspoken billionaire is poised to launch a stock market float of his SpaceX empire in the coming weeks, valuing the rocket and AI business at as much as $1.75tn. The deal will hand Mr. Musk significant levels of authority, including the power to block his own removal as chief executive. US regulatory filings also showed that the world’s richest person increased his voting control of SpaceX in the wake of its $1.25tn merger with his xAI lab. He now controls 84pc of the company’s voting rights. (5/14)
Truck Driver Sues SpaceX After Being ‘Doused in Liquid Methane’ (Source: San Antonio Express News)
A lawsuit filed recently in McLennan County alleges negligence against Elon Musk’s space firm over a June 2024 mishap in which a tanker truck driver was “doused in liquid methane” while off-loading fuel into SpaceX’s tanks. Thaddeus Barideaux, of Tarrant County, was delivering liquid natural gas when SpaceX’s “equipment malfunctioned” and soaked him with no warning, causing “serious bodily injuries, including chemical burns,” according to the lawsuit. Barideaux was working for Applied Natural Gas Fuels Inc. and has since “undergone months of medical treatment and continues to suffer from permanent scarring and nerve damage,” it said. (5/14)
Space Leaders Worldwide May Fight SpaceX Lofting 1 Million Satellites (Source: Forbes)
If the FAA even hinted it might approve the lift-off of a million-strong SpaceX mega-constellation, “I would expect immediate and very strong objections from satellite operators, astronomers, insurers, national space agencies, defense organizations, and foreign governments,” says Brian Hurley, a world-leading expert who chronicles the rapid-fire expansion of the modern space sector, and its rippling effects across the spheres of national security and international affairs.
“The objections would not only come from China and Russia,” says Hurley, founder of the influential think tank New Space Economy, which also publishes a digital magazine. “They would likely come from U.S. and European operators too, because the risk is not contained inside the company proposing the system.” (5/14)
Ukraine Launches its Own Satellites (Source: RBC)
Ukraine has begun deploying its own satellite network. The first two satellites are already in orbit, said Denys Shtilierman, co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point. According to him, developers plan to launch dozens more satellites into space as early as 2027, which will allow Ukraine to rely less on the US and private Western corporations. The impetus for the rapid development of Ukrainian technology was last year’s conflict in the Oval Office between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At that time, Washington blocked the transfer of intelligence data to Kyiv for a week. (5/14)
$6 Billion Slated for NASA Projects Managed by Marshall Space Flight Center (Source: AL.com)
More than $6 billion may be on the way to NASA for programs managed by Huntsville’s Marshall Space Flight Center, U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-AL, announced this week. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It also includes provisions for the FBI’s mission at Redstone Arsenal. (5/14)
Canadian Astronomy Looks to Europe and Invests in the World’s Largest Telescope (Source: UdeM)
The European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) now under construction in Chile will soon be the most powerful optical and infrared telescope ever built — and Canada will have a major role in its development. To that end, scientists led by teams at Université de Montréal, the Mont-Mégantic Observatory (OMM), and the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) in partnership with the University of British Columbia have been awarded a federal grant of close to $11.3 million.
Canada is not currently a member of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the organization building and operating the ELT. However, through the CFI's investment in ANDES, Canadian astronomers will gain guaranteed access to the telescope, something that would otherwise not be possible. (5/15)
Satellite Launch Pollution Rapidly Accumulating in the Upper Atmosphere (Source: UCL)
The potent pollution from so-called “megaconstellation” satellite systems launched en masse into space since 2019 will account for nearly half (42%) of the total climate impact of space sector pollution by the end of the decade, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The research team examined air pollution produced by the growing number of rocket launches, and the discarded rocket bodies and dead satellites falling back to Earth. The black carbon (soot) generated from these sources lingers in the upper atmosphere far longer than that from ground-based sources, resulting in a 500-fold greater impact on the climate. (5/14)
The Next Quantum Revolution May Require a Helium ‘Gold Rush’ on the Moon (Source: Scientific American)
Scientists estimate that somewhere on the order of a billion kilograms of helium-3 are lacquered onto the lunar surface. So the moon-based mining of helium-3 could, it seems, someday become a multitrillion-dollar industry. All this sets helium-3 apart from another much ballyhooed lunar resource: water ice, found in some of the moon’s deepest, darkest craters. But lunar water has little use on Earth. So “helium-3 is where the money is,” says Clive Neal.
That’s assuming there’s actually enough of it accessible on the moon to be profitably extracted. “Once you’ve proven you can do it, then you have to scale it, which has its own challenges,” says Paul van Susante. Helium-3 isn’t guaranteed to stick around on anything it strikes, but the moon that is relatively rich with ilmenite—a mineral made of iron, titanium and oxygen with a physical structure that acts like a trap for the gas. “Ilmenite is like a sponge. It holds onto the solar-wind-implanted species better than any other mineral on the moon,” Neal says. That means prospecting for lunar helium-3 starts by simply making mineralogical maps of the moon’s surface.
As straightforward as finding helium-3 might be, extracting it could prove much harder. “It’s like trying to mine spray paint from a wall,” Russell says. Similar to how cosmic impacts can agitate and heat lunar regolith to liberate trapped particles from the solar wind, machines can do much the same. “You then have to separate the helium-3 from the other stuff, which is nontrivial,” van Susante says. And then you must send it safely back to Earth. As of yet, though, no one has demonstrated (or even attempted) helium-3 extraction on the moon. That’s the top priority of several space resource companies, including Seattle-based Interlune, founded in 2020. (5/14)
Harrison Ford Not a Fan of Space Spending (Source: Telegraph)
Ford, who played Han Solo in Star Wars, has revealed he hates how much money is invested in space exploration. The American actor, 83, said instead of spending billions on space projects, we should focus on the one planet that already has “developed societies and hundreds of languages”, Earth. Ford has long been known for his environmental efforts off-screen. He claimed “we are wasting money going to space” after NASA unveiled plans to build a permanent base on the moon. (5/15)
Three’s a Party: US, China, and Now Russia are on the Prowl in GEO (Source: Ars Technica)
The world’s leading space powers desperately want to know what the others are up to high above the equator. For more than a decade, the US military has operated a fleet of “inspector” satellites designed to sidle up to other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit and take pictures. China started launching its satellites for a similar mission in 2018. Until now, Russia’s spying in geosynchronous orbit has primarily focused on eavesdropping on foreign communications.
A new kind of Russian satellite is now in the mix. This satellite, officially known as Kosmos 2589, was launched in June 2025 into a highly elliptical orbit alongside a smaller spacecraft designated Kosmos 2590. The two satellites performed a series of high-altitude rendezvous and proximity operations with one another before Kosmos 2589 began moving toward a more circular geosynchronous orbit, where it arrived in April. One of the US military’s GSSAP satellites was waiting for it. The US inspector spacecraft is now looping around Kosmos 2589, swinging near the newly arrived Russian satellite twice per day. (5/15)
Canada's Accelerates Budget Timeline Pressures Space Requests (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian space sector has just over a week to finalize its federal funding suggestions, following a scheduling shift in the government’s annual pre-budget consultation process. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) is currently accepting written briefs for the 2026 federal budget for the 2027-28 fiscal year. However, to align with the new fall budgeting cycle introduced in 2025, the committee has accelerated its timeline, moving the consultation period to the spring. The deadline for submissions is now Friday, May 22. (5/14)
SpaceX Launches CRS-34 ISS Cargo Mission from Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Sources: Florida Today, NASA)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on May 15. The 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission carried new scientific experiments and 6,500 pounds of cargo for the space station’s Expedition 74 crew. (5/15)
Customizable Drinks Could Provide Essential Nutrients During Space Missions (Source: ACS)
High-resistance exercises can help mitigate astronaut bone loss, but so can incorporating nutrient-enriched foods into the astronauts’ diets. “Fortified beverage emulsions could potentially help there, especially when providing nutrients at levels not met by normal nutrition,” says Schmidt. “We suggested omega-3 fatty acids to help protect against space radiation and increase the bone formation rate.” (5/15)
NASA Administrator Cuts Ribbon on New Training Complex at U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama (Source: Fox54)
A new chapter for Space Camp is officially taking off! The U.S. Space and Rocket Center cut the ribbon on the news Inspiration4 Skills Training Complex on Friday — a massive new facility designed to help train and inspire the next generation of explorers. The complex adds nearly 50,000 square feet of new training space to the USSRC. (5/15)
NASA Kicks Off Mars Telecom Network Competition (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA has formally kicked off the competition to meet its Mars Telecommunications Network spacecraft requirement with delivery by the end of 2028. The agency has issued the long-expected request for proposal to develop a system to deliver robust and continuous communications between Earth and systems on Mars. (5/15)
Fluffy Ice Could Imperil Spacecraft Landings on Ocean Moons (Source: Science)
When water erupts on the ocean moons of Jupiter and Saturn, it could freeze into fluffy ice with the texture of a croissant, presenting a hazard for future lander missions. That’s the conclusion of a vacuum chamber experiment presented last week. The work shows water freezing into brittle, layered sheets 20 centimeters thick. In the low-gravity environment of Jupiter’s moon Europa, that would translate to fluffy ice several meters thick. (5/13)
SpaceX’s $75bn IPO Has Twenty-One Underwriters, Zero Are European (Source: European Business)
The offering will raise up to $75 billion — roughly three times the size of the previous record holder, Saudi Aramco’s 2019 listing — and is being run by a syndicate of twenty-one underwriters led by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. Up to 30% of shares will be allocated to retail investors, three times the standard for a deal of this size. Roadshow begins the week of June 8, with a retail investor event for 1,500 attendees on June 11.
Not a single European bank is in the syndicate. No Barclays, no Deutsche Bank, no BNP Paribas, no UBS, no Santander, no HSBC. The largest equity raise in financial history is being structured, syndicated and distributed without European participation at the bookrunner or co-manager level — and European institutional investors will have to buy SpaceX stock at a premium in the secondary market from the US clients who got the IPO allocation first. (5/15)
May 15, 2026
ULA Confirms Successful Solid Rocket
Booster Test as Vulcan Anomaly Investigation Continues (Source:
Spaceflight Now)
United Launch Alliance oversaw the completion of a critical milestone in mid-April on the road to resuming flights with its Vulcan rockets. On April 15, the company said Northrop Grumman performed a successful static fire test of a Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The test served to “demonstrate nozzle design enhancements which were already in work and an advanced propellant technology for future solid rocket motors across their portfolio.”
“The information gathered from this test, along with findings from the investigations will provide critical data to validate analytical models and support Vulcan’s return to flight,” the spokesperson said. During the launch a mission for the United States Space Force, dubbed USSF-87, one of the four SRBs attached to the Vulcan booster suffered a nozzle problem prior to SRB separation. The rocket rolled more than intended following the incident. (5/14)
NASA Picks Up X-59 Flight Test Tempo (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA is continuing to speed up the rate of X-59 flight tests as the Quesst low-boom supersonic demonstrator program builds up to its first Mach 1 faster-than-sound milestone flight. The needle nose Lockheed Martin Skunk Works-built aircraft has so far accumulated around 19.6 flight hours on 16 flights, eight of which were completed in April. (5/15)
U.S. Space Force Reorganizes, Pauses Commercial Accelerator Program (Source: Aerospace America)
The Space Force has reorganized its commercial innovation-focused laboratory, moving it under another program office in a change meant to accelerate the acquisition of participants’ software. However, the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing Lab — dubbed the SDA TAP Lab — said it is now in a “strategic pause” after its latest technology accelerator cohort wrapped up in March. (5/15)
Houston, the Freedom Plane Has Landed (Source: Boeing)
This month, the National Archives Freedom Plane, carrying documents foundational to American history, landed in Houston, Texas. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong spoke the famous words "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed", to NASA's mission control center, cementing the place of Apollo 11 in history. But the road to get there was a long one and for over a decade, the aerospace industry worked tirelessly to achieve the impossible. To honor the most recent Freedom Plane stop, we reflect on Boeing’s contributions to an iconic period of American history: the Space Race. Click here. (5/11)
Antarctic Microbes Head to Space (Source: CASIS)
An international team is sending microbes from Antarctica and Chile to the ISS to study how they withstand radiation and other spaceflight stressors. The investigation will leverage the MISSE Flight Facility, an ISS National Lab asset owned and operated by Aegis Aerospace, mounted externally on the space station, to expose the organisms to space for approximately six months.
The Polar Organisms Launched for Astrobiology Research in Ionizing Space (POLARIS) project will study six extremophiles, microorganisms naturally equipped to endure some of Earth’s most unforgiving environments. Funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the project brings together the Department of Defense Space Test Program, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Aegis Aerospace, Radix‑Lucis, and Biociencia Fundación Científica y Cultural, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Chile and AFOSR’s Southern Office of Aerospace Research and Development. (5/13)
Guetlein: Golden Dome Cost Estimate Inaccurate (Source: Space News)
The general leading development of Golden Dome said a recent $1.2 trillion cost estimate for the system is inaccurate. Speaking at a conference Thursday, Gen. Michael Guetlein said the Congressional Budget Office's estimate released earlier this week is not for "what we're building." The Pentagon has not released details of its Golden Dome architecture. Guetlein argued the report extrapolated from older defense acquisition models rather than the emerging commercial space manufacturing and launch systems his office expects to leverage. He acknowledged, though, that affordability remains the decisive issue for space-based interceptors and defended previous comments that the Pentagon will abandon the concept if it cannot be produced cheaply enough and at sufficient scale. (5/15)
China's MinoSpace Seeks $736 Million Through IPO (Source: Space News)
Chinese satellite manufacturer MinoSpace is seeking to raise $736 million in an IPO. The company's initial public offering application to Shanghai's STAR Market was accepted earlier this week. The company plans to use the IPO as a platform to build phase one of the 112-satellite Taijing constellation, with a mix of optical, multispectral and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites. MinoSpace also plans construction of an R&D center, research and development for satellite platform components, a next-gen communications satellite and a new SAR payload production facility. (5/15)
Cowboy Space Plans 20,000 Orbital Data Satellite 'Stampede' (Source: Space News)
Cowboy Space has filed plans with the FCC to deploy 20,000 orbital data center satellites. The company, previously known as Aetherflux, filed an application with the FCC this week for the Stampede constellation, but provided few details about the system other than that the satellites would be in dusk-dawn sun-synchronous orbits to provide continuous solar power. The company announced earlier this week a $275 million funding round for the system, which includes development of a launch vehicle whose upper stage would serve as the computing platforms. While massive by historical standards, Stampede is smaller than SpaceX's plan for up to one million satellites, Starcloud's 88,000-satellite system and Blue Origin's 51,600-satellite Project Sunrise. (5/15)
China's Kinitica-1 Launches (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese commercial rocket launched five satellites Friday. The Lijian-1, or Kinetica-1, rocket lifted off from Jiuquan, China. The rocket's payloads included Tianyan-27, a satellite to test infrared imaging systems and onboard processing. (5/15)
Virgin Galactic On Track for 2026 Flights (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic said Thursday that it remains on track to begin commercial flights with its new suborbital spaceplane by the end of the year. In an earnings call, the company said its first next-generation SpaceShip vehicle is going through ground tests now and should be complete by its next earnings call in August. The vehicle will then go to Spaceport America in New Mexico for flight tests, with commercial flights beginning by the end of the year. Virgin said it is seeing strong demand for a new tranche of tickets it is selling at $750,000 each, and reiterated it has the funding needed to get the vehicle into commercial service. (5/15)
SpaceX IPO Prospectus Coming Soon (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX could publish the prospectus for its IPO next week. The company is planning an investor roadshow the week of June 8, and regulations require the company to publish its prospectus at least 15 days before those presentations begin. SpaceX previously confidentially filed its prospectus with the SEC to allow it to work with the regulator on any issues before making it public. (5/15)
Wargame to Include Orbital Nuclear Explosion (Source: Ars Technica)
A recent space wargame included a scenario that was until recently considered unlikely: a nuclear explosion in orbit. Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said at an event this week that it included that "notional worst-case scenario" in a recent tabletop exercise involving military organizations, international partners and companies. Two years ago, officials said they had evidence that Russia was making efforts to deploy a nuclear weapon in orbit that, if detonated, could disable large numbers of satellites. (5/15)
Phyche Probe Passes Mars en Route to Asteroid (Source: Scientific American)
A NASA asteroid mission will fly by Mars today. NASA's Psyche spacecraft will pass about 4,500 kilometers above the surface of Mars at 3:28 p.m. Eastern. The gravity assist maneuver will put the spacecraft on a trajectory to arrive at the metallic main-belt asteroid Psyche in 2029. Psyche will collect images and other data during the flyby, including looking for any rings of dust around the planet. (5/15)
Data Centers in Space: A Pipe Dream, or AI’s Next Big Thing? (Sources: Wall Street Journal, SPACErePORT)
Nvidia recently posted a job straight out of a science-fiction epic: orbital data-center system architect. The chip maker and other technology giants are working to take an idea that has captivated futurists—channeling the sun’s power through spacecraft to support activity on Earth—and make it reality for artificial-intelligence computing. Nvidia's Vera Rubin Space Module is an enterprise GPU designed to process data and train AI models in space.
Meanwhile, Google's Project Suncatcher plans to use specialized, radiation-tolerant Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) aboard solar-powered satellites. SpaceX's Terafab initiative features a massive facility in Texas to manufacture chips, with the majority of this compute intended for space-based applications and orbiting solar data arrays. Companies like Star Catcher and Overview Energy plan to harness solar power in space and use lasers to beam it directly to space-based users, and Earth-based data centers like those developed for Meta.
While the physics are sound, engineers are actively working to solve the "savage" economic and design constraints of the environment. Without air or water, satellites can only dissipate immense computer heat using closed-loop infrared radiation panels. Cosmic rays will cause computational bit-flips and degrade silicon, requiring heavy hardware shielding and redundant error-correcting code. And transmitting raw data back and forth to Earth creates communication bottlenecks, meaning space data centers will likely focus on processing short queries or pre-loaded AI inference models. (5/12)
Casimir Raises $12M for Chips That Generate Power from Quantum Vacuum Fields (Source: Douglas Messier)
Casimir, a quantum energy technology company founded by former NASA advanced propulsion researcher Dr. Sonny White, announced the close of a $12 million seed round to commercialize the world’s first quantum vacuum energy source: semiconductor chips that harvest energy from quantum vacuum fields to produce continuous electrical power with no batteries, cords, or charging required.
The oversubscribed round exceeded its original $8 million target, reflecting strong investor confidence in Casimir’s solution to one of energy technology’s longest-standing challenges, harnessing the Casimir effect. The funding will accelerate chip performance optimization, targeting commercial availability of the company’s first-generation MicroSparc chip by 2028, positioning Casimir to disrupt the ultra-low-power electronics sector. (5/14)
DoD Civilian Workforce Losses Strain Military Installation Operations (Source: FNN)
The Pentagon’s deferred resignation program and other civilian workforce reduction efforts have led to staffing shortages in critical installation support roles, which have caused cost increases, inadequate oversight of installation projects and contributed to delays in project design and execution. Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and the environment, said the Defense Department is tracking personnel losses in key installation support roles that are negatively affecting the military construction enterprise. (5/14)
Sidus Space Reports Revenue Improvement (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, including revenues of $359,000, an increase of 51% compared to $238,000 in Q1 2025, driven by new customer contracts including Lonestar Data Holdings and Teledyne Marine. The company posted a gross loss of $1.1 million, a 36% improvement from a gross loss of $1.6 million in Q1 2025. (5/14)
Amazon Leo to Double Satellite Launches for Broadband (Source: Geekwire)
Amazon Leo plans to double its satellite launches and deployments in the next year to accelerate its satellite broadband service. The company has deployed 304 satellites and aims to increase this number significantly, although it has faced challenges such as a limited availability of launch vehicles, including a temporary grounding of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. (5/14)
Earth Observation Data is Getting Stuck in Orbit (Source: Space News)
Earth observation infrastructure needs a serious upgrade, so that ground infrastructure and data transfer can accommodate the vast quantities of data being captured and relayed from orbit, according to Cailabs CEO Jean-François Morizur. "Earth observation data is taking so long to be received, processed and distributed that it is degrading, losing its value and, in some cases, becoming unusable," he wrote. Morizur calls on private companies to build more ground stations, governments to provide steady demand for them and policymakers to establish shared standards across borders so that global infrastructure can work together. (5/14)
Staggering Defense Budget Could Weaken Bipartisan NDAA Support (Source: FNN)
Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget could weaken the broad bipartisan support for the must-pass defense policy bill as Democrats grow increasingly uneasy with the massive defense spending proposal. "My colleagues and I are overwhelmed at the amount of money that we're being forced to authorize and appropriate," Reed said.
The Pentagon is seeking $1.15 trillion for its base budget, while another $350 billion would come through a separate reconciliation package that Republicans could pass along party lines without Democratic support. Republicans would need near-unanimous support to pass another reconciliation package at a time when some Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly wary of deeper cuts to social programs amid rising living costs and looming midterm elections. (5/13)
Federal Employees Sue Agency Chief Over ‘Escalating’ Religious Messaging (Source: FNN)
Department of Agriculture employees are suing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over a series of emails she sent to staff, arguing that the “increasingly proselytizing” messages crossed a line and violated the First Amendment. The new lawsuit comes in response to an Easter message Rollins sent to USDA employees in April. Plaintiffs called Rollins’ message “unconstitutionally coercive,” as it sought “to impose her brand of Christianity on the agency’s 100,000 employees.” (5/13)
China’s Electronics Industry Could Upend America’s Lead In Space (Source: Aviation Week Network)
America’s lead in space has never been bigger: 3,720 satellites and payloads were launched last year, compared with 371 by runner-up China. Most of that is thanks to SpaceX’s partially reusable rocket, the Falcon 9. But that all could change drastically if China figures out how to stick the landing on its own reusable rocket, a missing technology constraining the nation’s space ambitions. (5/14)
Blue Origin Eyes Austin Suburb for $650M Industrial Megaproject (Source: The Real Deal)
Blue Origin is zeroing in on Hutto for a massive industrial campus that could cement Williamson County as Central Texas’ aerospace hub. The aerospace company is eyeing Hutto for a 1.3 million-square-foot manufacturing, research-and-development, warehouse and logistics project in the fast-growing Austin suburb. The project, publicly referred to only as “Project Blue Hub,” was the subject of a public hearing regarding potential financial incentives.
While Blue Origin was never named during the meeting, multiple sources said the company is behind the proposal. The details align closely with reporting from late last year about Blue Origin’s statewide search for a Texas manufacturing and logistics hub approaching $1 billion in investment. Officials said the proposed Hutto development would bring more than 2,000 jobs over five years with average annual salaries of roughly $88,000. Capital investment was pegged at more than $650 million, though state and regional economic development groups suggested the total project could ultimately cost $1 billion. (5/13)
Could This Be the Moment That Drug Manufacturing Takes Off in Orbit? (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA has enabled scientists to study the impact of microgravity on drug development for decades, beginning with the Space Shuttle. This work accelerated in the 2010s, with the completion of the International Space Station and full-time crew members devoted to scientific research.
There have been some notable successes during this timeframe, such as the ability to grow a more uniform crystalline form of the cancer drug Keytruda in 2019. This opened up the possibility of administering the drug via injection rather than requiring a patient to spend hours in a clinic setting to receive the drug intravenously.
NASA subsidized much of this work, typically paying the considerable costs to transport research to the ISS and for astronaut time to conduct research there. There were, however, trade-offs, such as long lead times to get research into space. Nevertheless, it has become clear that there could be some commercial applications for making drugs in space. (5/13)
United Launch Alliance oversaw the completion of a critical milestone in mid-April on the road to resuming flights with its Vulcan rockets. On April 15, the company said Northrop Grumman performed a successful static fire test of a Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 63XL Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The test served to “demonstrate nozzle design enhancements which were already in work and an advanced propellant technology for future solid rocket motors across their portfolio.”
“The information gathered from this test, along with findings from the investigations will provide critical data to validate analytical models and support Vulcan’s return to flight,” the spokesperson said. During the launch a mission for the United States Space Force, dubbed USSF-87, one of the four SRBs attached to the Vulcan booster suffered a nozzle problem prior to SRB separation. The rocket rolled more than intended following the incident. (5/14)
NASA Picks Up X-59 Flight Test Tempo (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA is continuing to speed up the rate of X-59 flight tests as the Quesst low-boom supersonic demonstrator program builds up to its first Mach 1 faster-than-sound milestone flight. The needle nose Lockheed Martin Skunk Works-built aircraft has so far accumulated around 19.6 flight hours on 16 flights, eight of which were completed in April. (5/15)
U.S. Space Force Reorganizes, Pauses Commercial Accelerator Program (Source: Aerospace America)
The Space Force has reorganized its commercial innovation-focused laboratory, moving it under another program office in a change meant to accelerate the acquisition of participants’ software. However, the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Processing Lab — dubbed the SDA TAP Lab — said it is now in a “strategic pause” after its latest technology accelerator cohort wrapped up in March. (5/15)
Houston, the Freedom Plane Has Landed (Source: Boeing)
This month, the National Archives Freedom Plane, carrying documents foundational to American history, landed in Houston, Texas. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong spoke the famous words "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed", to NASA's mission control center, cementing the place of Apollo 11 in history. But the road to get there was a long one and for over a decade, the aerospace industry worked tirelessly to achieve the impossible. To honor the most recent Freedom Plane stop, we reflect on Boeing’s contributions to an iconic period of American history: the Space Race. Click here. (5/11)
Antarctic Microbes Head to Space (Source: CASIS)
An international team is sending microbes from Antarctica and Chile to the ISS to study how they withstand radiation and other spaceflight stressors. The investigation will leverage the MISSE Flight Facility, an ISS National Lab asset owned and operated by Aegis Aerospace, mounted externally on the space station, to expose the organisms to space for approximately six months.
The Polar Organisms Launched for Astrobiology Research in Ionizing Space (POLARIS) project will study six extremophiles, microorganisms naturally equipped to endure some of Earth’s most unforgiving environments. Funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the project brings together the Department of Defense Space Test Program, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Aegis Aerospace, Radix‑Lucis, and Biociencia Fundación Científica y Cultural, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Chile and AFOSR’s Southern Office of Aerospace Research and Development. (5/13)
Guetlein: Golden Dome Cost Estimate Inaccurate (Source: Space News)
The general leading development of Golden Dome said a recent $1.2 trillion cost estimate for the system is inaccurate. Speaking at a conference Thursday, Gen. Michael Guetlein said the Congressional Budget Office's estimate released earlier this week is not for "what we're building." The Pentagon has not released details of its Golden Dome architecture. Guetlein argued the report extrapolated from older defense acquisition models rather than the emerging commercial space manufacturing and launch systems his office expects to leverage. He acknowledged, though, that affordability remains the decisive issue for space-based interceptors and defended previous comments that the Pentagon will abandon the concept if it cannot be produced cheaply enough and at sufficient scale. (5/15)
China's MinoSpace Seeks $736 Million Through IPO (Source: Space News)
Chinese satellite manufacturer MinoSpace is seeking to raise $736 million in an IPO. The company's initial public offering application to Shanghai's STAR Market was accepted earlier this week. The company plans to use the IPO as a platform to build phase one of the 112-satellite Taijing constellation, with a mix of optical, multispectral and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellites. MinoSpace also plans construction of an R&D center, research and development for satellite platform components, a next-gen communications satellite and a new SAR payload production facility. (5/15)
Cowboy Space Plans 20,000 Orbital Data Satellite 'Stampede' (Source: Space News)
Cowboy Space has filed plans with the FCC to deploy 20,000 orbital data center satellites. The company, previously known as Aetherflux, filed an application with the FCC this week for the Stampede constellation, but provided few details about the system other than that the satellites would be in dusk-dawn sun-synchronous orbits to provide continuous solar power. The company announced earlier this week a $275 million funding round for the system, which includes development of a launch vehicle whose upper stage would serve as the computing platforms. While massive by historical standards, Stampede is smaller than SpaceX's plan for up to one million satellites, Starcloud's 88,000-satellite system and Blue Origin's 51,600-satellite Project Sunrise. (5/15)
China's Kinitica-1 Launches (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese commercial rocket launched five satellites Friday. The Lijian-1, or Kinetica-1, rocket lifted off from Jiuquan, China. The rocket's payloads included Tianyan-27, a satellite to test infrared imaging systems and onboard processing. (5/15)
Virgin Galactic On Track for 2026 Flights (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic said Thursday that it remains on track to begin commercial flights with its new suborbital spaceplane by the end of the year. In an earnings call, the company said its first next-generation SpaceShip vehicle is going through ground tests now and should be complete by its next earnings call in August. The vehicle will then go to Spaceport America in New Mexico for flight tests, with commercial flights beginning by the end of the year. Virgin said it is seeing strong demand for a new tranche of tickets it is selling at $750,000 each, and reiterated it has the funding needed to get the vehicle into commercial service. (5/15)
SpaceX IPO Prospectus Coming Soon (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX could publish the prospectus for its IPO next week. The company is planning an investor roadshow the week of June 8, and regulations require the company to publish its prospectus at least 15 days before those presentations begin. SpaceX previously confidentially filed its prospectus with the SEC to allow it to work with the regulator on any issues before making it public. (5/15)
Wargame to Include Orbital Nuclear Explosion (Source: Ars Technica)
A recent space wargame included a scenario that was until recently considered unlikely: a nuclear explosion in orbit. Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said at an event this week that it included that "notional worst-case scenario" in a recent tabletop exercise involving military organizations, international partners and companies. Two years ago, officials said they had evidence that Russia was making efforts to deploy a nuclear weapon in orbit that, if detonated, could disable large numbers of satellites. (5/15)
Phyche Probe Passes Mars en Route to Asteroid (Source: Scientific American)
A NASA asteroid mission will fly by Mars today. NASA's Psyche spacecraft will pass about 4,500 kilometers above the surface of Mars at 3:28 p.m. Eastern. The gravity assist maneuver will put the spacecraft on a trajectory to arrive at the metallic main-belt asteroid Psyche in 2029. Psyche will collect images and other data during the flyby, including looking for any rings of dust around the planet. (5/15)
Data Centers in Space: A Pipe Dream, or AI’s Next Big Thing? (Sources: Wall Street Journal, SPACErePORT)
Nvidia recently posted a job straight out of a science-fiction epic: orbital data-center system architect. The chip maker and other technology giants are working to take an idea that has captivated futurists—channeling the sun’s power through spacecraft to support activity on Earth—and make it reality for artificial-intelligence computing. Nvidia's Vera Rubin Space Module is an enterprise GPU designed to process data and train AI models in space.
Meanwhile, Google's Project Suncatcher plans to use specialized, radiation-tolerant Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) aboard solar-powered satellites. SpaceX's Terafab initiative features a massive facility in Texas to manufacture chips, with the majority of this compute intended for space-based applications and orbiting solar data arrays. Companies like Star Catcher and Overview Energy plan to harness solar power in space and use lasers to beam it directly to space-based users, and Earth-based data centers like those developed for Meta.
While the physics are sound, engineers are actively working to solve the "savage" economic and design constraints of the environment. Without air or water, satellites can only dissipate immense computer heat using closed-loop infrared radiation panels. Cosmic rays will cause computational bit-flips and degrade silicon, requiring heavy hardware shielding and redundant error-correcting code. And transmitting raw data back and forth to Earth creates communication bottlenecks, meaning space data centers will likely focus on processing short queries or pre-loaded AI inference models. (5/12)
Casimir Raises $12M for Chips That Generate Power from Quantum Vacuum Fields (Source: Douglas Messier)
Casimir, a quantum energy technology company founded by former NASA advanced propulsion researcher Dr. Sonny White, announced the close of a $12 million seed round to commercialize the world’s first quantum vacuum energy source: semiconductor chips that harvest energy from quantum vacuum fields to produce continuous electrical power with no batteries, cords, or charging required.
The oversubscribed round exceeded its original $8 million target, reflecting strong investor confidence in Casimir’s solution to one of energy technology’s longest-standing challenges, harnessing the Casimir effect. The funding will accelerate chip performance optimization, targeting commercial availability of the company’s first-generation MicroSparc chip by 2028, positioning Casimir to disrupt the ultra-low-power electronics sector. (5/14)
DoD Civilian Workforce Losses Strain Military Installation Operations (Source: FNN)
The Pentagon’s deferred resignation program and other civilian workforce reduction efforts have led to staffing shortages in critical installation support roles, which have caused cost increases, inadequate oversight of installation projects and contributed to delays in project design and execution. Dale Marks, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and the environment, said the Defense Department is tracking personnel losses in key installation support roles that are negatively affecting the military construction enterprise. (5/14)
Sidus Space Reports Revenue Improvement (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, including revenues of $359,000, an increase of 51% compared to $238,000 in Q1 2025, driven by new customer contracts including Lonestar Data Holdings and Teledyne Marine. The company posted a gross loss of $1.1 million, a 36% improvement from a gross loss of $1.6 million in Q1 2025. (5/14)
Amazon Leo to Double Satellite Launches for Broadband (Source: Geekwire)
Amazon Leo plans to double its satellite launches and deployments in the next year to accelerate its satellite broadband service. The company has deployed 304 satellites and aims to increase this number significantly, although it has faced challenges such as a limited availability of launch vehicles, including a temporary grounding of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. (5/14)
Earth Observation Data is Getting Stuck in Orbit (Source: Space News)
Earth observation infrastructure needs a serious upgrade, so that ground infrastructure and data transfer can accommodate the vast quantities of data being captured and relayed from orbit, according to Cailabs CEO Jean-François Morizur. "Earth observation data is taking so long to be received, processed and distributed that it is degrading, losing its value and, in some cases, becoming unusable," he wrote. Morizur calls on private companies to build more ground stations, governments to provide steady demand for them and policymakers to establish shared standards across borders so that global infrastructure can work together. (5/14)
Staggering Defense Budget Could Weaken Bipartisan NDAA Support (Source: FNN)
Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget could weaken the broad bipartisan support for the must-pass defense policy bill as Democrats grow increasingly uneasy with the massive defense spending proposal. "My colleagues and I are overwhelmed at the amount of money that we're being forced to authorize and appropriate," Reed said.
The Pentagon is seeking $1.15 trillion for its base budget, while another $350 billion would come through a separate reconciliation package that Republicans could pass along party lines without Democratic support. Republicans would need near-unanimous support to pass another reconciliation package at a time when some Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly wary of deeper cuts to social programs amid rising living costs and looming midterm elections. (5/13)
Federal Employees Sue Agency Chief Over ‘Escalating’ Religious Messaging (Source: FNN)
Department of Agriculture employees are suing Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins over a series of emails she sent to staff, arguing that the “increasingly proselytizing” messages crossed a line and violated the First Amendment. The new lawsuit comes in response to an Easter message Rollins sent to USDA employees in April. Plaintiffs called Rollins’ message “unconstitutionally coercive,” as it sought “to impose her brand of Christianity on the agency’s 100,000 employees.” (5/13)
China’s Electronics Industry Could Upend America’s Lead In Space (Source: Aviation Week Network)
America’s lead in space has never been bigger: 3,720 satellites and payloads were launched last year, compared with 371 by runner-up China. Most of that is thanks to SpaceX’s partially reusable rocket, the Falcon 9. But that all could change drastically if China figures out how to stick the landing on its own reusable rocket, a missing technology constraining the nation’s space ambitions. (5/14)
Blue Origin Eyes Austin Suburb for $650M Industrial Megaproject (Source: The Real Deal)
Blue Origin is zeroing in on Hutto for a massive industrial campus that could cement Williamson County as Central Texas’ aerospace hub. The aerospace company is eyeing Hutto for a 1.3 million-square-foot manufacturing, research-and-development, warehouse and logistics project in the fast-growing Austin suburb. The project, publicly referred to only as “Project Blue Hub,” was the subject of a public hearing regarding potential financial incentives.
While Blue Origin was never named during the meeting, multiple sources said the company is behind the proposal. The details align closely with reporting from late last year about Blue Origin’s statewide search for a Texas manufacturing and logistics hub approaching $1 billion in investment. Officials said the proposed Hutto development would bring more than 2,000 jobs over five years with average annual salaries of roughly $88,000. Capital investment was pegged at more than $650 million, though state and regional economic development groups suggested the total project could ultimately cost $1 billion. (5/13)
Could This Be the Moment That Drug Manufacturing Takes Off in Orbit? (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA has enabled scientists to study the impact of microgravity on drug development for decades, beginning with the Space Shuttle. This work accelerated in the 2010s, with the completion of the International Space Station and full-time crew members devoted to scientific research.
There have been some notable successes during this timeframe, such as the ability to grow a more uniform crystalline form of the cancer drug Keytruda in 2019. This opened up the possibility of administering the drug via injection rather than requiring a patient to spend hours in a clinic setting to receive the drug intravenously.
NASA subsidized much of this work, typically paying the considerable costs to transport research to the ISS and for astronaut time to conduct research there. There were, however, trade-offs, such as long lead times to get research into space. Nevertheless, it has become clear that there could be some commercial applications for making drugs in space. (5/13)
May 14, 2026
Meet Blacknight Space Labs In-Orbit
Infrastructure Accelerator (Source: Payload)
A new accelerator launched today to help early-stage space startups build the next generation of infrastructure in orbit. Blacknight Space Labs will provide five companies up to $100,000 each. In addition, accelerator companies will get startup 101 education, mentorship, assistance breaking into the defense space market—and help with everything from fundraising, to navigating the government contracting system, to finding customers. (5/14)
Space42 Reports Space Services Revenue Growth Despite Flat Results (Source: Via Satellite)
Space42’s overall revenues were flat in the three months to the end of March. However, while overall revenues remained flat, it did see a strong increase in revenues for the Space Services part of its business for this period. It saw a 15% growth in the quarter in this part of the business compared to the same stage last year. These were two of the highlights of the company’s latest financial results, issued May 13.
However, despite growth in Space Services, Space42’s overall revenues of $116 million in the quarter was virtually the same as last year. The company’s net profit for the quarter was $5 million, significantly down from last year. The growth in Space Services was driven by government business which continued to benefit, year-on-year, from the $700 million, 15-year capacity services contract that commenced on in July last year, following the successful launch of the Thuraya-4 satellite. (5/14)
Eutelsat: Revenue from OneWeb up 65% in Q1; Government Business Grew 11.8% on GEO and LEO Capacity (Source: Space Intel Report)
Satellite fleet operator Eutelsat reported an 11.8% increase in government revenue for the three months ending March 31 as global military demand more than offset the slack in US government business. Eutelsat said the increase included the growth in demand for Eutelsat OneWeb broadband LEO service in Ukraine. Starting later this year, Paris-based Eutelsat will begin to book revenue from its 10-year, billion-euro ($1.56-billion) contract with the French Defense Ministry for OneWeb capacity and the right to place hosted payloads on satellites. (5/13)
SpinLaunch and Aalyria Partner to Advance Next-Generation Satellite Connectivity (Source: SpinLaunch)
SpinLaunch announced a partnership with Aalyria Technologies. The two companies will collaborate on the design and development of infrastructure supporting SpinLaunch's low-cost Meridian low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications constellation. Aalyria will serve as a strategic partner, providing technical and commercial support for the Meridian constellation architecture. Central to the collaboration is the integration of Aalyria's Spacetime platform as a network orchestration layer for Meridian. (5/13)
Northwest Florida School District Partners with Space Florida to Link Students to Aerospace Industry (Source: WEAR)
The Okaloosa County School District and "Space Florida" are teaming up to connect students with careers in the aerospace industry. The school district and Space Florida announced the partnership on Wednesday during the 9th Annual Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) Industry Day.
Starting in the fall, high school students will be able to participate in career tech classes with Space Florida, which is an aerospace finance, development, and spaceport authority that offers an academy program to students. (5/13)
House Appropriators' Bill Would Keep NASA Funding Flat for FY-2027 (Source: Space News)
House appropriators advanced a spending bill Wednesday that keeps overall NASA funding flat for fiscal year 2027. The committee approved the commerce, justice and science spending bill on a 32-28 vote, sending it to the full House. The bill provides $24.438 billion for NASA, the same as the agency received in 2026 and rejecting a proposed 23% cut. The report accompanying the bill provided some additional details, such as calling for continued funding of several science missions slated for cancellation in the proposal. It also requires NASA to continue SLS and Orion until a commercial alternative that meets or exceeds their capabilities is proven. (5/14)
NASA Offers Artemis 3 Details (Source: Space News)
NASA said that the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for next year, will launch into low Earth orbit on an SLS without an upper stage. NASA will instead use an inert "spacer" with the same dimensions as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) flown on the first two SLS launches. That allows NASA to save the final ICPS for Artemis 4 in 2028, giving it more time to adapt the Centaur upper stage that will be used on later SLS missions. The Orion spacecraft will rendezvous with lunar lander prototypes from Blue Origin and SpaceX, although NASA is still working out details such as whether astronauts will enter those landers after docking. Artemis 3 will spend more time in space than Artemis 2, which spanned a little more than nine days. (5/14)
Northrop Grumman JWST Tech Will Support Cislunar Navigation (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman is adapting technologies developed for the James Webb Space Telescope into a smaller navigation system for cislunar operations. Northrop said it developed a spacecraft navigation system called LR-450 that allows a vehicle to calculate its position, movement and orientation without relying on external signals such as GPS. The LR-450 system is based on technology it developed for JWST, which operates at the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point. The system could also support applications intended to complement or back up traditional positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT, systems. (5/14)
AST SpaceMobile Considers Vulcan to Launch Some Satellites (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile may use ULA's Vulcan rocket for some of its direct-to-device satellites. Company executives said that five of its BlueBird satellites could launch on a single Vulcan, compared to eight on New Glenn and three on Falcon 9. The company had not previously disclosed plans to use Vulcan, and declined during the call to confirm it has a contract, stating only that it has been "developing other heavy launch providers for some time."
New Glenn has been grounded since a failed launch in April carrying a BlueBird satellite, but AST SpaceMobile said it expected the company to resume launches soon. Vulcan launches are also on hold because of a solid rocket booster anomaly in February. ULA said this week it has started stacking the Vulcan rocket for its next mission, carrying Amazon Leo satellites, while the investigation continues. (5/14)
China's Zhuque-2 Launcher Places Test Payload Into Polar Orbit (Source: Space News)
China's Zhuque-2 rocket returned to flight Wednesday night. The Zhuque-2E methane-liquid oxygen rocket, built by Landspace, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, placing a 2,800-kilogram test payload into polar orbit. It was the first launch of the Zhuque-2E since an August 2025 failure blamed on a voltage issue affecting the second stage, triggering a self-destruct. Landspace has incorporated improvements into the Zhuque-2E that allow it to place up to 4,000 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit and 6,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. (5/14)
OHB and Dassault Partner on VORTEX Spaceplane (Source: European Spaceflight)
OHB is partnering with Dassault Aviation on a spaceplane. The companies announced this week that OHB will provide a service module for Dassault's VORTEX spaceplane. Dassault announced last year it was developing a subscale prototype, VORTEX-D, with some funding from the French military. Dassault and OHB said the VORTEX-S would follow that prototype and is intended to provide cargo transportation to the International Space Station or future commercial space stations as part of an ESA program. (5/14)
Pathy Donates C$15M for Canadian Space Institute (Source: Concordia University)
A Canadian private astronaut is funding the creation of a space institute. Concordia University in Montreal announced that Mark Pathy is donating 15 million Canadian dollars for the Mark Pathy Space Institute at the university. The institute will support research and student training in space engineering. Pathy flew to the ISS in 2022 on Axiom Space'x Ax-1 mission. (5/14)
Space Force Targeting 2027 Launch For Astroscale Refueling Demo (Source: Aviation Week)
A U.S. Space Force-led on-orbit refueling demonstration is now slated for next year, with the refueler spacecraft currently manifested on a Space Force mission planned to launch in 2027. The service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) is coordinating two attempted refueling operations in geostationary orbit. (5/13)
Huntsville City Council to Consider $45 Million Investment for Space Command Headquarters (Source: WAFF)
The Huntsville City Council could soon approve a major investment tied to the future of U.S. Space Command at Redstone Arsenal. Council members will consider a resolution authorizing the mayor to proceed with a $45 million investment plan for the permanent headquarters. $15 million from the state would help build senior military housing. The remaining $30 million would go toward infrastructure improvements and utilities needed for the headquarters project. (5/13)
Crony Capitalism: FCC Angers Small Carriers by Helping AT&T and Starlink buy EchoStar Spectrum (Source: Ars Technica)
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved EchoStar’s sales of spectrum licenses to AT&T and Starlink operator SpaceX. The deals are worth $40 billion in total. The orders, issued by the agency’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Space Bureau, aren’t surprising given that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr essentially forced EchoStar to sell the licenses. Last year, Carr threatened to revoke the licenses after SpaceX alleged that EchoStar subsidiary Dish Network “barely uses” the spectrum to provide mobile service to US consumers. (5/13)
The Young Minds Space-Proofing ESA’s Missions (Source: ESA)
Assembling a spacecraft is a complicated process, and one that requires materials that are far from ordinary. To ensure the success of the European Space Agency’s missions, researchers in the Materials, Environments and Contamination Control Section investigate and test materials to ensure they will survive the harsh environment of space. The section is supported by many young researchers, who bring fresh and innovative ideas. (5/13)
SpaceX and the Coming Stock Tsunami (Source: Axios)
Elon Musk's $1 trillion-plus SpaceX isn't a public company yet, but its size and ambitions are already upending the stock market and sparking questions over the power and influence wielded by such behemoths. The IPO, expected next month, would signal the start of a new AI era for the public markets, potentially valuing SpaceX as much as $2 trillion. (5/14)
Varda Deepens Drugs-in-Space Bet After Win With AIDS Medication (Source: Bloomberg)
Varda Space Industries Inc. is expanding plans for orbital pharmaceutical manufacturing beyond its recent success in crystallizing HIV drug Ritonavir in space, Chief Executive Officer Will Bruey said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg because it is such a broad technology that affects so many drugs,” Bruey said Wednesday in an interview. (5/13)
A New US Military Wargame Series Began by Simulating a Nuclear Weapon in Orbit (Source: Ars Technica)
US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit. Space Command is responsible for military activities in space and is separate from the Space Force, which provides the people and equipment to support those operations. The new wargames, called Apollo Insight, combine military and commercial expertise to respond to simulated threats in space. Space Command plans to conduct four Apollo Insight “tabletop exercises” this year. (5/13)
Brazilian Technology Helps NASA Assess Health Risks for Astronauts on Mission to the Moon (Source: FAPESP)
NASA's first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in half a century carried a device developed by Rodrigo Okamoto and his team at Condor Instruments, a São Paulo-based startup that received funding from FAPESP's Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program. The device, called an actigraph, is shaped like a wristwatch and incorporates accelerometers, as well as light and temperature sensors, to precisely map the user's sleep and wake patterns over the course of days or weeks. (5/13)
Preparations Underway for H3 Rocket Launch on June 10 (Source: NHK)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says preparations are underway to resume the launch of an H3 rocket on June 10 as planned, after addressing the cause of the previous mission's failure. The launch of the eighth H3 rocket last December had failed due to a problem with the payload support structure. The payload support structure has been corrected and tested to confirm it can withstand its load. JAXA says the 6th H3 rocket that will be launched next month is a new "Type 30" test vehicle that does not use boosters. It will be carrying metal structures instead of a satellite. (5/13)
New Technique Could Uncover the Secrets of ‘Ringing’ Black Holes (Source: Cambridge University)
When black holes merge, the collision produces a new, larger black hole that ‘rings’ like a plucked guitar string or a bell while it settles into its final, stable shape. But instead of sound waves, the new black hole rings with gravitational waves. The new black hole vibrates at a specific set of frequencies, depending on its mass and spin, which helps scientists learn about the object formed in the collision.
These vibrations, known as quasinormal modes, are the fingerprint of a black hole. Detecting them is central to testing Einstein’s general theory of relativity in the most extreme gravitational environments in the universe. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a method to identify and catalogue these modes with greater accuracy than before. (5/13)
Will Starship Launch From Foreign Shores? SpaceX 'Constantly Exploring' Options for Megarocket Liftoff Sites (Source: Space.com)
Starship launches could soon be an international affair. SpaceX revealed on Tuesday (May 12) that it's hunting for additional launch sites for Starship, the giant rocket it's developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other tasks. And some of those sites may be on foreign shores. "We are constantly exploring to find viable sites to expand Starship operations in the future, both domestically and internationally," the company wrote on Tuesday. (5/13)
Intuitive Machines to UK Buy Ground Station Company (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd and Goonhilly USA Inc. for roughly $49.6 million to bolster its lunar communication infrastructure. The acquisition merges Goonhilly's UK-based, deep-space antenna network with Intuitive Machines' existing lunar services to support Artemis and commercial missions. (5/14)
Iridium to Acquire Aireon, Fusing Space-Based ADS-B with Satnav and Satcom (Source: Unmanned Airspace)
Iridium Communications announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aireon LLC, operator of the world’s only space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) air traffic surveillance system. “The acquisition of Aireon is a defining step in Iridium’s strategy to provide the foundational architecture for global aviation safety, bringing space-based surveillance, safety communications, PNT, and operational data together on a single network,” said Iridium in a press release. (5/14)
Thales Alenia Space Ship ExoMars Structural Models to France for Testing (Source: European Spaceflight)
Thales Alenia Space has shipped the structural models for ESA’s ExoMars mission to its facility in Cannes for vibration and acoustic testing. In April 2024, ESA awarded a Thales Alenia Space-led consortium a €522 million contract for the revised ExoMars mission. The company is working towards a 2028 launch window, with the mission slated to be carried to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. On 12 May, Thales Alenia Space announced that the ExoMars structural models had been shipped to its Cannes facility after being fully integrated and qualified at the company’s Turin site for initial testing. (5/13)
ispace to Send Leicester Spectrometer to Moon (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ispace and the University of Leicester have signed a payload service agreement to deliver a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface on a future, unspecified mission. This partnership focuses on analyzing lunar surface composition, enhancing scientific exploration capabilities, and demonstrating advanced technology. The Raman spectrometer will be transported by an ispace lunar lander to analyze lunar materials. This instrument is designed to provide detailed insights into the mineralogy and composition of the Moon's surface. (5/14)
AST SpaceMobile Confirms Target for 45 BlueBirds This Year, Despite Blue Origin Launch Failure (Source: Via Satellite)
AST SpaceMobile still expects to have 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit this year despite the recent failure on a Blue Origin launch. CEO Abel Avellan told investors on Monday that it is preparing to launch with SpaceX in mid-June, in mission that will launch three BlueBird satellites. AST SpaceMobile reported first quarter financials on May 11, reporting $14.7 million in revenue in the first quarter. (5/13)
Army Awards Leidos $2.7 Billion To Accelerate Hypersonic Work (Source: Defense Daily)
Leidos on Tuesday said it received a $2.7 billion Army contract to unify two hypersonic programs it is developing for the Army and Navy in an effort to accelerate acquisition of the programs. The contract will combine the Thermal Protection Shield, which Leidos has been working on for at least five years to develop materials for hypersonic weapons that shield them from extreme environments in flight, and the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). (5/13)
Uranus and Neptune Could be Full of Rocks, New Study Suggests (Source: Space.com)
Could Uranus and Neptune be full of rocks? One new study thinks so. Uranus and Neptune are two planets that have historically been classified and thought of as "ice giants," orbiting far out in the freezing edges of our solar system. But it's possible that our understanding of these planets' makeup could be totally off, and their atmospheres could be full of rocks, researchers suggest in a new study. (5/13)
NRO's Satellite Network Supports Ground Target Mission (Source: Aviation Week)
The National Reconnaissance Office has confirmed its low-Earth orbit satellite constellation is supporting ground-moving target indication missions, enhancing space-based sensing and targeting capabilities. The NRO has launched hundreds of satellites as part of the effort, and the NROL-172 mission, which was launched Saturday, is part of the initiative. (5/12)
European Space Ventures Raise $715 Million (Source: Space News)
The top-funded European space ventures in 2025 raised a combined 629 million euros (about $715 million). More than 50% of that total was concentrated in five companies: ICEYE (195 million euros, about $222 million), Isar Aerospace (150 million euros, about $171 million), EnduroSat (133 million euros, about $151 million), Aerospacelab (94 million euros, about $107 million) and Cailabs (57 million euros, about $65 million). Several of these companies originate from relatively small industrial ecosystems, including Finland, Bulgaria and Belgium. (5/13)
Starfighters Space Engages Integrated Launch Solutions (ILS) to Advance STARLAUNCH Pathway (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space has engaged Integrated Launch Solutions to provide engineering and technical integration support as Starfighters advances the STARLAUNCH pathway from design and analysis toward flight and launch services. Starfighters has engaged ILS to support mission design, systems engineering, regulatory and safety compliance, and range integration. (5/13)
California's Aerospace Valley (Source: PBS)
From the moment Chuck Yeager shattered the sound barrier in 1947, California’s Aerospace Valley has served as one of the world’s most important proving grounds for aviation and space innovation. Today, the Aerospace Valley remains at the forefront of flight technology advancement and continues to be the center for transforming dreams and bold ideas into what will define the future of flight. Click here. (3/31)
America 250: A Portrait of Florida: Cape Canaveral (Source: Visit Florida)
Cape Canaveral, Florida, is where more human space flights have launched than anywhere else on Earth. Here, closer to the equator, the planet is spinning east at nearly 900 miles per hour, giving every launch a head start. More fuel, less payload, bigger ambition. From this stretch of coast, Americans left our planet, touched the moon, and came home again. Here, human courage was tested and the spirit of exploration was exemplified. And Cape Canaveral remains a place where innovation and daring drive American progress beyond the boundaries of the Earth. Click here. (5/12)
A new accelerator launched today to help early-stage space startups build the next generation of infrastructure in orbit. Blacknight Space Labs will provide five companies up to $100,000 each. In addition, accelerator companies will get startup 101 education, mentorship, assistance breaking into the defense space market—and help with everything from fundraising, to navigating the government contracting system, to finding customers. (5/14)
Space42 Reports Space Services Revenue Growth Despite Flat Results (Source: Via Satellite)
Space42’s overall revenues were flat in the three months to the end of March. However, while overall revenues remained flat, it did see a strong increase in revenues for the Space Services part of its business for this period. It saw a 15% growth in the quarter in this part of the business compared to the same stage last year. These were two of the highlights of the company’s latest financial results, issued May 13.
However, despite growth in Space Services, Space42’s overall revenues of $116 million in the quarter was virtually the same as last year. The company’s net profit for the quarter was $5 million, significantly down from last year. The growth in Space Services was driven by government business which continued to benefit, year-on-year, from the $700 million, 15-year capacity services contract that commenced on in July last year, following the successful launch of the Thuraya-4 satellite. (5/14)
Eutelsat: Revenue from OneWeb up 65% in Q1; Government Business Grew 11.8% on GEO and LEO Capacity (Source: Space Intel Report)
Satellite fleet operator Eutelsat reported an 11.8% increase in government revenue for the three months ending March 31 as global military demand more than offset the slack in US government business. Eutelsat said the increase included the growth in demand for Eutelsat OneWeb broadband LEO service in Ukraine. Starting later this year, Paris-based Eutelsat will begin to book revenue from its 10-year, billion-euro ($1.56-billion) contract with the French Defense Ministry for OneWeb capacity and the right to place hosted payloads on satellites. (5/13)
SpinLaunch and Aalyria Partner to Advance Next-Generation Satellite Connectivity (Source: SpinLaunch)
SpinLaunch announced a partnership with Aalyria Technologies. The two companies will collaborate on the design and development of infrastructure supporting SpinLaunch's low-cost Meridian low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications constellation. Aalyria will serve as a strategic partner, providing technical and commercial support for the Meridian constellation architecture. Central to the collaboration is the integration of Aalyria's Spacetime platform as a network orchestration layer for Meridian. (5/13)
Northwest Florida School District Partners with Space Florida to Link Students to Aerospace Industry (Source: WEAR)
The Okaloosa County School District and "Space Florida" are teaming up to connect students with careers in the aerospace industry. The school district and Space Florida announced the partnership on Wednesday during the 9th Annual Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) Industry Day.
Starting in the fall, high school students will be able to participate in career tech classes with Space Florida, which is an aerospace finance, development, and spaceport authority that offers an academy program to students. (5/13)
House Appropriators' Bill Would Keep NASA Funding Flat for FY-2027 (Source: Space News)
House appropriators advanced a spending bill Wednesday that keeps overall NASA funding flat for fiscal year 2027. The committee approved the commerce, justice and science spending bill on a 32-28 vote, sending it to the full House. The bill provides $24.438 billion for NASA, the same as the agency received in 2026 and rejecting a proposed 23% cut. The report accompanying the bill provided some additional details, such as calling for continued funding of several science missions slated for cancellation in the proposal. It also requires NASA to continue SLS and Orion until a commercial alternative that meets or exceeds their capabilities is proven. (5/14)
NASA Offers Artemis 3 Details (Source: Space News)
NASA said that the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for next year, will launch into low Earth orbit on an SLS without an upper stage. NASA will instead use an inert "spacer" with the same dimensions as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) flown on the first two SLS launches. That allows NASA to save the final ICPS for Artemis 4 in 2028, giving it more time to adapt the Centaur upper stage that will be used on later SLS missions. The Orion spacecraft will rendezvous with lunar lander prototypes from Blue Origin and SpaceX, although NASA is still working out details such as whether astronauts will enter those landers after docking. Artemis 3 will spend more time in space than Artemis 2, which spanned a little more than nine days. (5/14)
Northrop Grumman JWST Tech Will Support Cislunar Navigation (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman is adapting technologies developed for the James Webb Space Telescope into a smaller navigation system for cislunar operations. Northrop said it developed a spacecraft navigation system called LR-450 that allows a vehicle to calculate its position, movement and orientation without relying on external signals such as GPS. The LR-450 system is based on technology it developed for JWST, which operates at the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point. The system could also support applications intended to complement or back up traditional positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT, systems. (5/14)
AST SpaceMobile Considers Vulcan to Launch Some Satellites (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile may use ULA's Vulcan rocket for some of its direct-to-device satellites. Company executives said that five of its BlueBird satellites could launch on a single Vulcan, compared to eight on New Glenn and three on Falcon 9. The company had not previously disclosed plans to use Vulcan, and declined during the call to confirm it has a contract, stating only that it has been "developing other heavy launch providers for some time."
New Glenn has been grounded since a failed launch in April carrying a BlueBird satellite, but AST SpaceMobile said it expected the company to resume launches soon. Vulcan launches are also on hold because of a solid rocket booster anomaly in February. ULA said this week it has started stacking the Vulcan rocket for its next mission, carrying Amazon Leo satellites, while the investigation continues. (5/14)
China's Zhuque-2 Launcher Places Test Payload Into Polar Orbit (Source: Space News)
China's Zhuque-2 rocket returned to flight Wednesday night. The Zhuque-2E methane-liquid oxygen rocket, built by Landspace, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, placing a 2,800-kilogram test payload into polar orbit. It was the first launch of the Zhuque-2E since an August 2025 failure blamed on a voltage issue affecting the second stage, triggering a self-destruct. Landspace has incorporated improvements into the Zhuque-2E that allow it to place up to 4,000 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit and 6,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. (5/14)
OHB and Dassault Partner on VORTEX Spaceplane (Source: European Spaceflight)
OHB is partnering with Dassault Aviation on a spaceplane. The companies announced this week that OHB will provide a service module for Dassault's VORTEX spaceplane. Dassault announced last year it was developing a subscale prototype, VORTEX-D, with some funding from the French military. Dassault and OHB said the VORTEX-S would follow that prototype and is intended to provide cargo transportation to the International Space Station or future commercial space stations as part of an ESA program. (5/14)
Pathy Donates C$15M for Canadian Space Institute (Source: Concordia University)
A Canadian private astronaut is funding the creation of a space institute. Concordia University in Montreal announced that Mark Pathy is donating 15 million Canadian dollars for the Mark Pathy Space Institute at the university. The institute will support research and student training in space engineering. Pathy flew to the ISS in 2022 on Axiom Space'x Ax-1 mission. (5/14)
Space Force Targeting 2027 Launch For Astroscale Refueling Demo (Source: Aviation Week)
A U.S. Space Force-led on-orbit refueling demonstration is now slated for next year, with the refueler spacecraft currently manifested on a Space Force mission planned to launch in 2027. The service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) is coordinating two attempted refueling operations in geostationary orbit. (5/13)
Huntsville City Council to Consider $45 Million Investment for Space Command Headquarters (Source: WAFF)
The Huntsville City Council could soon approve a major investment tied to the future of U.S. Space Command at Redstone Arsenal. Council members will consider a resolution authorizing the mayor to proceed with a $45 million investment plan for the permanent headquarters. $15 million from the state would help build senior military housing. The remaining $30 million would go toward infrastructure improvements and utilities needed for the headquarters project. (5/13)
Crony Capitalism: FCC Angers Small Carriers by Helping AT&T and Starlink buy EchoStar Spectrum (Source: Ars Technica)
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved EchoStar’s sales of spectrum licenses to AT&T and Starlink operator SpaceX. The deals are worth $40 billion in total. The orders, issued by the agency’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Space Bureau, aren’t surprising given that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr essentially forced EchoStar to sell the licenses. Last year, Carr threatened to revoke the licenses after SpaceX alleged that EchoStar subsidiary Dish Network “barely uses” the spectrum to provide mobile service to US consumers. (5/13)
The Young Minds Space-Proofing ESA’s Missions (Source: ESA)
Assembling a spacecraft is a complicated process, and one that requires materials that are far from ordinary. To ensure the success of the European Space Agency’s missions, researchers in the Materials, Environments and Contamination Control Section investigate and test materials to ensure they will survive the harsh environment of space. The section is supported by many young researchers, who bring fresh and innovative ideas. (5/13)
SpaceX and the Coming Stock Tsunami (Source: Axios)
Elon Musk's $1 trillion-plus SpaceX isn't a public company yet, but its size and ambitions are already upending the stock market and sparking questions over the power and influence wielded by such behemoths. The IPO, expected next month, would signal the start of a new AI era for the public markets, potentially valuing SpaceX as much as $2 trillion. (5/14)
Varda Deepens Drugs-in-Space Bet After Win With AIDS Medication (Source: Bloomberg)
Varda Space Industries Inc. is expanding plans for orbital pharmaceutical manufacturing beyond its recent success in crystallizing HIV drug Ritonavir in space, Chief Executive Officer Will Bruey said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg because it is such a broad technology that affects so many drugs,” Bruey said Wednesday in an interview. (5/13)
A New US Military Wargame Series Began by Simulating a Nuclear Weapon in Orbit (Source: Ars Technica)
US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit. Space Command is responsible for military activities in space and is separate from the Space Force, which provides the people and equipment to support those operations. The new wargames, called Apollo Insight, combine military and commercial expertise to respond to simulated threats in space. Space Command plans to conduct four Apollo Insight “tabletop exercises” this year. (5/13)
Brazilian Technology Helps NASA Assess Health Risks for Astronauts on Mission to the Moon (Source: FAPESP)
NASA's first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in half a century carried a device developed by Rodrigo Okamoto and his team at Condor Instruments, a São Paulo-based startup that received funding from FAPESP's Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program. The device, called an actigraph, is shaped like a wristwatch and incorporates accelerometers, as well as light and temperature sensors, to precisely map the user's sleep and wake patterns over the course of days or weeks. (5/13)
Preparations Underway for H3 Rocket Launch on June 10 (Source: NHK)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says preparations are underway to resume the launch of an H3 rocket on June 10 as planned, after addressing the cause of the previous mission's failure. The launch of the eighth H3 rocket last December had failed due to a problem with the payload support structure. The payload support structure has been corrected and tested to confirm it can withstand its load. JAXA says the 6th H3 rocket that will be launched next month is a new "Type 30" test vehicle that does not use boosters. It will be carrying metal structures instead of a satellite. (5/13)
New Technique Could Uncover the Secrets of ‘Ringing’ Black Holes (Source: Cambridge University)
When black holes merge, the collision produces a new, larger black hole that ‘rings’ like a plucked guitar string or a bell while it settles into its final, stable shape. But instead of sound waves, the new black hole rings with gravitational waves. The new black hole vibrates at a specific set of frequencies, depending on its mass and spin, which helps scientists learn about the object formed in the collision.
These vibrations, known as quasinormal modes, are the fingerprint of a black hole. Detecting them is central to testing Einstein’s general theory of relativity in the most extreme gravitational environments in the universe. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a method to identify and catalogue these modes with greater accuracy than before. (5/13)
Will Starship Launch From Foreign Shores? SpaceX 'Constantly Exploring' Options for Megarocket Liftoff Sites (Source: Space.com)
Starship launches could soon be an international affair. SpaceX revealed on Tuesday (May 12) that it's hunting for additional launch sites for Starship, the giant rocket it's developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other tasks. And some of those sites may be on foreign shores. "We are constantly exploring to find viable sites to expand Starship operations in the future, both domestically and internationally," the company wrote on Tuesday. (5/13)
Intuitive Machines to UK Buy Ground Station Company (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd and Goonhilly USA Inc. for roughly $49.6 million to bolster its lunar communication infrastructure. The acquisition merges Goonhilly's UK-based, deep-space antenna network with Intuitive Machines' existing lunar services to support Artemis and commercial missions. (5/14)
Iridium to Acquire Aireon, Fusing Space-Based ADS-B with Satnav and Satcom (Source: Unmanned Airspace)
Iridium Communications announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aireon LLC, operator of the world’s only space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) air traffic surveillance system. “The acquisition of Aireon is a defining step in Iridium’s strategy to provide the foundational architecture for global aviation safety, bringing space-based surveillance, safety communications, PNT, and operational data together on a single network,” said Iridium in a press release. (5/14)
Thales Alenia Space Ship ExoMars Structural Models to France for Testing (Source: European Spaceflight)
Thales Alenia Space has shipped the structural models for ESA’s ExoMars mission to its facility in Cannes for vibration and acoustic testing. In April 2024, ESA awarded a Thales Alenia Space-led consortium a €522 million contract for the revised ExoMars mission. The company is working towards a 2028 launch window, with the mission slated to be carried to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. On 12 May, Thales Alenia Space announced that the ExoMars structural models had been shipped to its Cannes facility after being fully integrated and qualified at the company’s Turin site for initial testing. (5/13)
ispace to Send Leicester Spectrometer to Moon (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ispace and the University of Leicester have signed a payload service agreement to deliver a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface on a future, unspecified mission. This partnership focuses on analyzing lunar surface composition, enhancing scientific exploration capabilities, and demonstrating advanced technology. The Raman spectrometer will be transported by an ispace lunar lander to analyze lunar materials. This instrument is designed to provide detailed insights into the mineralogy and composition of the Moon's surface. (5/14)
AST SpaceMobile Confirms Target for 45 BlueBirds This Year, Despite Blue Origin Launch Failure (Source: Via Satellite)
AST SpaceMobile still expects to have 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit this year despite the recent failure on a Blue Origin launch. CEO Abel Avellan told investors on Monday that it is preparing to launch with SpaceX in mid-June, in mission that will launch three BlueBird satellites. AST SpaceMobile reported first quarter financials on May 11, reporting $14.7 million in revenue in the first quarter. (5/13)
Army Awards Leidos $2.7 Billion To Accelerate Hypersonic Work (Source: Defense Daily)
Leidos on Tuesday said it received a $2.7 billion Army contract to unify two hypersonic programs it is developing for the Army and Navy in an effort to accelerate acquisition of the programs. The contract will combine the Thermal Protection Shield, which Leidos has been working on for at least five years to develop materials for hypersonic weapons that shield them from extreme environments in flight, and the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). (5/13)
Uranus and Neptune Could be Full of Rocks, New Study Suggests (Source: Space.com)
Could Uranus and Neptune be full of rocks? One new study thinks so. Uranus and Neptune are two planets that have historically been classified and thought of as "ice giants," orbiting far out in the freezing edges of our solar system. But it's possible that our understanding of these planets' makeup could be totally off, and their atmospheres could be full of rocks, researchers suggest in a new study. (5/13)
NRO's Satellite Network Supports Ground Target Mission (Source: Aviation Week)
The National Reconnaissance Office has confirmed its low-Earth orbit satellite constellation is supporting ground-moving target indication missions, enhancing space-based sensing and targeting capabilities. The NRO has launched hundreds of satellites as part of the effort, and the NROL-172 mission, which was launched Saturday, is part of the initiative. (5/12)
European Space Ventures Raise $715 Million (Source: Space News)
The top-funded European space ventures in 2025 raised a combined 629 million euros (about $715 million). More than 50% of that total was concentrated in five companies: ICEYE (195 million euros, about $222 million), Isar Aerospace (150 million euros, about $171 million), EnduroSat (133 million euros, about $151 million), Aerospacelab (94 million euros, about $107 million) and Cailabs (57 million euros, about $65 million). Several of these companies originate from relatively small industrial ecosystems, including Finland, Bulgaria and Belgium. (5/13)
Starfighters Space Engages Integrated Launch Solutions (ILS) to Advance STARLAUNCH Pathway (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space has engaged Integrated Launch Solutions to provide engineering and technical integration support as Starfighters advances the STARLAUNCH pathway from design and analysis toward flight and launch services. Starfighters has engaged ILS to support mission design, systems engineering, regulatory and safety compliance, and range integration. (5/13)
California's Aerospace Valley (Source: PBS)
From the moment Chuck Yeager shattered the sound barrier in 1947, California’s Aerospace Valley has served as one of the world’s most important proving grounds for aviation and space innovation. Today, the Aerospace Valley remains at the forefront of flight technology advancement and continues to be the center for transforming dreams and bold ideas into what will define the future of flight. Click here. (3/31)
America 250: A Portrait of Florida: Cape Canaveral (Source: Visit Florida)
Cape Canaveral, Florida, is where more human space flights have launched than anywhere else on Earth. Here, closer to the equator, the planet is spinning east at nearly 900 miles per hour, giving every launch a head start. More fuel, less payload, bigger ambition. From this stretch of coast, Americans left our planet, touched the moon, and came home again. Here, human courage was tested and the spirit of exploration was exemplified. And Cape Canaveral remains a place where innovation and daring drive American progress beyond the boundaries of the Earth. Click here. (5/12)
May 13, 2026
Firefly Aerospace Subsidiary SciTec
Awarded AFRL Contract for Advanced Algorithm R&D and Verification
Architecture (Source: Firefly)
SciTec, a Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) company, has been awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support development of the Advanced Algorithm R&D and Verification Architecture. The effort focuses on advancing state-of-the-art sensor system research and development across the electromagnetic spectrum to enhance future capabilities in global persistent awareness. (5/11)
CBO Ups Golden Dome Cost Estimate to $1.2 Trillion (Source: Space News)
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Golden Dome missile defense system will cost $1.2 trillion, far higher than the Pentagon's estimates. The CBO said Tuesday its 20-year cost estimate is driven by plans for Golden Dome to have space-based interceptors, which alone would account for about $743 billion. CBO emphasized that the study was not based on a detailed administration blueprint because the Defense Department has not publicly released the architecture it intends to build.
Instead, the CBO used a notional missile defense system derived from the language of Trump's January 2025 executive order directing the Pentagon to pursue what became known as Golden Dome. The Pentagon has offered a cost estimate of $185 billion for Golden Dome. Separately, SpaceNews will host an event about the role software could play in such initiatives this afternoon. (5/13)
FCC Approves EchoStar Spectrum Sale to SpaceX (Source: Space News)
The FCC approved the sale of EchoStar spectrum to SpaceX for direct-to-device services. The commission said Tuesday it would allow the geostationary satellite operator to sell around 115 megahertz of spectrum in separate deals that were announced last year with SpaceX and AT&T. Collectively, the pacts were worth more than $40 billion. However, EchoStar must set up a $2.4 billion escrow account for claims from infrastructure partners involved in the 5G network its Dish subsidiary abandoned following the spectrum sales. SpaceX's deal with EchoStar, valued at $22 billion, covers around 65 megahertz of nationwide spectrum that the FCC says promises "generational upgrades" for direct-to-device services. (5/13)
SES Cancels Two Satellites Ordered From Thales Alenia (Source: Space News)
SES has canceled orders for two GEO satellites being built by Thales Alenia Space. SES said Tuesday it canceled the satellites, ordered by Intelsat before its acquisition by SES, as part of post-merger fleet rationalization efforts. SES will instead extend the lives of existing satellites using on-orbit services ordered from SpaceLogistics, Starfish Space and Infinite Orbits. The IS-41 and IS-44 satellites were ordered by Intelsat in 2022 and planned for launch in 2027 to provide broadband across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The change comes after Eutelsat canceled its Flexsat Americas GEO satellite, also being built by Thales Alenia. (5/13)
SpaceX Sets May 19 for Next Starship Launch From Texas (Source: Space News)
SpaceX is planning a first launch of the latest version of Starship next week. The company said Tuesday it set a May 19 date for the Flight 12 mission from its Starbase facility in South Texas. Flight 12 will be the first launch of version 3 of Starship, with various upgrades to the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to improve performance. The company has called Starship version 3 the "production" version of the vehicle that will be used for deploying larger Starlink satellites and for Artemis lunar landings. (5/13)
Varda and United Therapeutics Agree on Microgravity Pharma R&D (Source: Space News)
Varda Space Industries has signed a deal with a pharmaceutical company. Varda announced Wednesday it will collaborate with United Therapeutics to develop improved drugs in microgravity, starting with treatments for rare pulmonary disease. Those tests will be performed on Varda's spacecraft, which host pharmaceutical payloads and return the results in reentry capsules. Varda has identified the pharmaceutical industry as a key customer of its vehicles, citing interest in using microgravity to create novel drugs that can't be produced on Earth. (5/13)
China Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites on Long March 6 (Source: CGTN)
China launched a set of broadband constellation satellites Tuesday. A Long March 6 rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 7:59 a.m. Eastern and placed into orbit 18 satellites for the Qianfan or Spacesail Constellation. The satellites join 126 others already in orbit for a constellation intended to ultimately have more than 10,000 spacecraft. (5/13)
Google Considers Launching Orbital Data Centers (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Google is in talks with SpaceX and other companies about launching orbital data center satellites. The discussions Google is having are focused with SpaceX, sources said, but also include other, unnamed launch providers. Google is working to demonstrate orbital data center technology with Planet on an effort called Project Suncatcher. Unlike other companies, including SpaceX as well as Blue Origin and Starcloud, Google has not yet publicly filed plans to deploy its own data center constellation. (5/13)
Blue Origin Considers External Fundraising (Source: Financial Times)
Blue Origin is considering for the first time raising outside capital. The company's CEO, Dave Limp, told employees in an all-hands meeting that it would need to bring in outside funding to significantly increase its launch rate. The company has been funded to date solely by founder Jeff Bezos and revenue from contracts. Limp did not state how much money Blue Origin would need beyond "a lot of capital," and added that while it was unlikely Bezos would sell Blue Origin, the company could go public at some point. (5/13)
TrustPoint to Demo GPS-Independent Navigation (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint won a Space Force contract to demonstrate a GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing system. The $4 million award announced Tuesday is a Tactical Funding Increase, or TACFI, issued through SpaceWERX, the organization that manages the Space Force's Small Business Innovation Research contracts. Within the next 12 months, TrustPoint plans to manufacture and deploy a four-satellite system supported by four ground stations to test positioning, navigation and timing services independent of GPS. (5/13)
Quantum Space to Build Satellite Factory in Oklahoma (Source: Space News)
Quantum Space announced plans to build its highly maneuverable satellites in Oklahoma. The company said Tuesday it will establish a manufacturing facility in Tulsa for its Ranger spacecraft, creating at least 50 jobs there. The Tulsa facility will be in addition to its headquarters in Maryland and a propulsion integration and test facility in California. The announcement came a week after Quantum Space hired former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who lives in Tulsa, as its new CEO.
Editor's Note: Although not specified here, it would be unusual if this project did not include financial incentives from Oklahoma's manufacturing incentive programs. Oklahoma already offers programs commonly used for aerospace and advanced manufacturing projects, including payroll rebates, aerospace/manufacturing tax credits, sales tax exemptions for manufacturers, and property tax abatements. Because it involves redevelopment of a former Spartan Aircraft manufacturing complex, maybe a Space Park tax exempt bond financing is possible. (5/13)
Who Owns the Most Satellites? (Source: Visual Capitalist)
Satellites are becoming the backbone of the modern space economy. From broadband internet to Earth observation, orbital infrastructure now supports industries far beyond aerospace. SpaceX dominates the global satellite count with 10,262 operational satellites. That’s more than 16 times OneWeb’s 632 satellites, the next-largest named operator. The ranking shows how quickly private networks have scaled since the beginning of the space race. Public organizations like NASA and national militaries now operate a minor portion with just 894 satellites among the named owners in the dataset. (5/12)
Russia is Building Engines for Interstellar Travel While Nearly Two-Thirds of Rural Households Still Have No Indoor Plumbing (Source: Space Daily)
In February 2026, Rosatom announced a prototype plasma rocket engine that its scientists claim could reduce the travel time to Mars from eight months to thirty days. The announcement was widely covered as a propulsion breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service says nearly two-thirds of rural Russian households have no access to indoor toilets. Of those, 48.1 percent use outhouses and 18.4 percent have no sewage system at all. Nationally, roughly 22.6 percent of Russian households lack indoor plumbing. Russia holds the distinction, noted by the WaterAid NGO, of leading the developed world in this measure.
At the same time, Russia’s draft federal budget for 2025 to 2027 allocates 942.3 billion rubles to space activities — an 18 percent increase over the previous budgetary period. In 2025 alone, planned space expenditure stands at approximately 317 billion rubles. These two facts are not presented here as a indictment. They are presented as a structural question worth taking seriously: what does it mean for a state to fund interstellar propulsion research while a significant portion of its rural population uses outhouses? And is this gap unusual, or is it, in fact, how space programs have always worked? (5/12)
Space Force to Overhaul Key Early Warning, Surveillance Radars Around the World (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force plans to overhaul eight legacy missile warning and space surveillance radars located around the world, taking them from analog to digital operations, according to a May 7 notice. Under the Ground Based Radar Digitization project, or GBRD, the service will install new hardware and software on the radars, upgrading everything from front-end antennas to back-end data processors. Editor's Note: Among them is the huge C-6 radar at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (5/11)
US, Close Allies Creating Joint ‘Orbital Warfare’ Plan (Source: Breaking Defense)
US Space Command (SPACECOM) and its six closest space-savvy allies expect to complete a joint plan for conducting future “orbital warfare” by the end of the year, SPACECOM Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting said. Like the US military, the allied militaries participating in SPACECOM’s Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender (MF-OOD) have been internally discussing “the need for protect and defend capabilities, orbital warfare capabilities.” Thus, the group decided the time has come to figure out how to work together via a collective concept of operations (CONOPS). (5/12)
Pentagon Tells Satellite Builders: Good Enough Now Beats Perfect Later (Source: Space Daily)
he U.S. military space business is being pushed toward a blunt new standard: deliver useful capability faster, then improve it later. That message is coming most clearly from the Space Force, where senior leaders have been describing speed not as a procurement preference, but as an operational requirement. In a fast-moving threat environment, the old bargain of waiting years for a more complete system is losing ground to a different one: put something workable in orbit, learn from it, and upgrade in increments. (5/7)
Evidence the Universe Isn't Uniform (Source: Live Science)
Astronomers have developed a new way to test one of the central assumptions of modern cosmology — that the universe behaves uniformly on the largest scales. When applying the method to real observational data, the researchers found tentative signs that this assumption may not fully hold, potentially pointing to new physics beyond the standard cosmological model. (5/12)
Companies Are Racing to Put Satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) is often defined as nearly 100 miles above Earth, but no more than roughly 1,200 miles up. It’s home to well-known spacecraft like the ISS and the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s also increasingly lucrative real estate for tech companies that want to cover the Earth in broadband internet. Investors expect the market for low Earth orbit satellites to grow to about $108 billion by 2035. There's a lot at stake in the corporate fight over LEO, and Amazon and others hope to put a dent in SpaceX's dominance there.
Amazon faces a strict FCC deadline to have half its constellation in orbit by July 2026. Amazon is securing deals with telecommunications firms like Vodafone and Verizon, and has partnered for in-flight Wi-Fi with airlines. The industry is moving from proprietary, expensive technology toward mass-market commercial offerings, with Deloitte predicting global LEO subscribers will surpass 15 million by the end of 2026. (5/11)
Starship V3 Sports Various Upgrades (Source: Ars Technica)
For the third time in three years, SpaceX has stacked a new version of its enormous Starship rocket on a launch pad in South Texas, just a few miles north of the US-Mexico border. The newest-generation Starship, known as Starship Version 3, is taller and more powerful than the ones that came before it.
The upgrades on Starship are numerous. Perhaps the most notable changes are higher-thrust, more efficient Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, a new reusable lattice-like structure at the top of the booster for hot staging, and three—not four—modified grid fins to help bring the first stage back to Earth for recovery and reuse. (5/12)
Space Force Awards TrustPoint $4 Million for LEO Navigation Demonstration (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint, a Virginia startup developing a low-Earth-orbit navigation system intended to complement or back up GPS, said May 12 it received a $4 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate a GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing system. The startup is developing C-band system as alternative to GPS. (5/12)
Fenix Space Flies Tow-Launch Prototype (Source: Payload)
California-based Fenix Space completed a week-long testing campaign of its Fenix alpha prototype launch vehicle, validating the launcher’s ability to take off and land—without the use of a launch pad. Fenix Space is hoping to offer customers an alternative to vertical launch at a time when the nation’s spaceports are becoming increasingly congested. Its launch system is designed to reach orbit by first gliding behind a tow aircraft, then detaching and propelling itself the rest of the way.
Over four flight tests, Fenix demonstrated its ability to separate from its ride in the sky and perform autonomous flight maneuvers using a proprietary GNC software and avionics package that will one-day fly on the full-sized Fenix 1.0 vehicle. The company’s horizontal-lift approach means it can take off and land from standard runways, and the DoD is actively supporting the development and testing effort. (5/12)
NASA Space Act Agreement to Advance Space Based Data Storage for Resilient Space Infrastructure (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Tampa-based Lonestar Data Holdings has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA through Ames Research Center in California. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration focused on advancing technologies and operational concepts supporting lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute infrastructure, and next-generation space communications architectures.
The collaboration is intended to help accelerate development of secure, independent, and disaster-resilient data capabilities beyond Earth. The initial activities under the agreement are expected to focus on technical collaboration and evaluation of lunar-edge data infrastructure concepts designed to support future commercial, civil, and scientific space missions. (5/12)
SpaceX Expanding at Texas Port (Source: Jorge Gutierrez)
SpaceX is expanding at the Port of Brownsville. They’ve already secured a small site called “Fish Camp” and are negotiating a 50-year lease for an 83-acre terminal to move and assemble Starship components before shipping them to Florida. The big terminal deal is still under review. Port officials want a clear plan with specific construction milestones before giving the final approval. Meanwhile, SpaceX is officially a tenant, and activity at the port is ramping up fast.
Beyond SpaceX, there’s massive investment and thousands of jobs coming. A $3.2 billion high-tech shipyard focused on autonomous defense and commercial vessels, plus the $4 billion America First Refinery, the first new Gulf Coast refinery in 50 years. Brownsville is quickly becoming a key hub for technology, energy, and trade in the years ahead. (5/8)
Akers and Tanner Inducted Into Astronaut Hall of Fame (Source: KSCVC)
The 2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on May 16. This year, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is inducting astronauts Tom Akers and Joe Tanner. Both demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. (5/12)
Cocoa Beach Plans Festival of Spaceflight in May 2027 (Source: City of Cocoa Beach)
The Festival of Spaceflight is scheduled for the weekend of March 19-21, 2027. There are many opportunities to help put it all together. It will be a commitment for several months, but the rewards will be priceless. There will be a lot of moving parts and mostly organization skills are needed. Planned are a parade, a 5K race, a community picnic, and other events. Volunteers are needed. (5/12)
SciTec, a Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY) company, has been awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support development of the Advanced Algorithm R&D and Verification Architecture. The effort focuses on advancing state-of-the-art sensor system research and development across the electromagnetic spectrum to enhance future capabilities in global persistent awareness. (5/11)
CBO Ups Golden Dome Cost Estimate to $1.2 Trillion (Source: Space News)
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Golden Dome missile defense system will cost $1.2 trillion, far higher than the Pentagon's estimates. The CBO said Tuesday its 20-year cost estimate is driven by plans for Golden Dome to have space-based interceptors, which alone would account for about $743 billion. CBO emphasized that the study was not based on a detailed administration blueprint because the Defense Department has not publicly released the architecture it intends to build.
Instead, the CBO used a notional missile defense system derived from the language of Trump's January 2025 executive order directing the Pentagon to pursue what became known as Golden Dome. The Pentagon has offered a cost estimate of $185 billion for Golden Dome. Separately, SpaceNews will host an event about the role software could play in such initiatives this afternoon. (5/13)
FCC Approves EchoStar Spectrum Sale to SpaceX (Source: Space News)
The FCC approved the sale of EchoStar spectrum to SpaceX for direct-to-device services. The commission said Tuesday it would allow the geostationary satellite operator to sell around 115 megahertz of spectrum in separate deals that were announced last year with SpaceX and AT&T. Collectively, the pacts were worth more than $40 billion. However, EchoStar must set up a $2.4 billion escrow account for claims from infrastructure partners involved in the 5G network its Dish subsidiary abandoned following the spectrum sales. SpaceX's deal with EchoStar, valued at $22 billion, covers around 65 megahertz of nationwide spectrum that the FCC says promises "generational upgrades" for direct-to-device services. (5/13)
SES Cancels Two Satellites Ordered From Thales Alenia (Source: Space News)
SES has canceled orders for two GEO satellites being built by Thales Alenia Space. SES said Tuesday it canceled the satellites, ordered by Intelsat before its acquisition by SES, as part of post-merger fleet rationalization efforts. SES will instead extend the lives of existing satellites using on-orbit services ordered from SpaceLogistics, Starfish Space and Infinite Orbits. The IS-41 and IS-44 satellites were ordered by Intelsat in 2022 and planned for launch in 2027 to provide broadband across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The change comes after Eutelsat canceled its Flexsat Americas GEO satellite, also being built by Thales Alenia. (5/13)
SpaceX Sets May 19 for Next Starship Launch From Texas (Source: Space News)
SpaceX is planning a first launch of the latest version of Starship next week. The company said Tuesday it set a May 19 date for the Flight 12 mission from its Starbase facility in South Texas. Flight 12 will be the first launch of version 3 of Starship, with various upgrades to the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to improve performance. The company has called Starship version 3 the "production" version of the vehicle that will be used for deploying larger Starlink satellites and for Artemis lunar landings. (5/13)
Varda and United Therapeutics Agree on Microgravity Pharma R&D (Source: Space News)
Varda Space Industries has signed a deal with a pharmaceutical company. Varda announced Wednesday it will collaborate with United Therapeutics to develop improved drugs in microgravity, starting with treatments for rare pulmonary disease. Those tests will be performed on Varda's spacecraft, which host pharmaceutical payloads and return the results in reentry capsules. Varda has identified the pharmaceutical industry as a key customer of its vehicles, citing interest in using microgravity to create novel drugs that can't be produced on Earth. (5/13)
China Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites on Long March 6 (Source: CGTN)
China launched a set of broadband constellation satellites Tuesday. A Long March 6 rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 7:59 a.m. Eastern and placed into orbit 18 satellites for the Qianfan or Spacesail Constellation. The satellites join 126 others already in orbit for a constellation intended to ultimately have more than 10,000 spacecraft. (5/13)
Google Considers Launching Orbital Data Centers (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Google is in talks with SpaceX and other companies about launching orbital data center satellites. The discussions Google is having are focused with SpaceX, sources said, but also include other, unnamed launch providers. Google is working to demonstrate orbital data center technology with Planet on an effort called Project Suncatcher. Unlike other companies, including SpaceX as well as Blue Origin and Starcloud, Google has not yet publicly filed plans to deploy its own data center constellation. (5/13)
Blue Origin Considers External Fundraising (Source: Financial Times)
Blue Origin is considering for the first time raising outside capital. The company's CEO, Dave Limp, told employees in an all-hands meeting that it would need to bring in outside funding to significantly increase its launch rate. The company has been funded to date solely by founder Jeff Bezos and revenue from contracts. Limp did not state how much money Blue Origin would need beyond "a lot of capital," and added that while it was unlikely Bezos would sell Blue Origin, the company could go public at some point. (5/13)
TrustPoint to Demo GPS-Independent Navigation (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint won a Space Force contract to demonstrate a GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing system. The $4 million award announced Tuesday is a Tactical Funding Increase, or TACFI, issued through SpaceWERX, the organization that manages the Space Force's Small Business Innovation Research contracts. Within the next 12 months, TrustPoint plans to manufacture and deploy a four-satellite system supported by four ground stations to test positioning, navigation and timing services independent of GPS. (5/13)
Quantum Space to Build Satellite Factory in Oklahoma (Source: Space News)
Quantum Space announced plans to build its highly maneuverable satellites in Oklahoma. The company said Tuesday it will establish a manufacturing facility in Tulsa for its Ranger spacecraft, creating at least 50 jobs there. The Tulsa facility will be in addition to its headquarters in Maryland and a propulsion integration and test facility in California. The announcement came a week after Quantum Space hired former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who lives in Tulsa, as its new CEO.
Editor's Note: Although not specified here, it would be unusual if this project did not include financial incentives from Oklahoma's manufacturing incentive programs. Oklahoma already offers programs commonly used for aerospace and advanced manufacturing projects, including payroll rebates, aerospace/manufacturing tax credits, sales tax exemptions for manufacturers, and property tax abatements. Because it involves redevelopment of a former Spartan Aircraft manufacturing complex, maybe a Space Park tax exempt bond financing is possible. (5/13)
Who Owns the Most Satellites? (Source: Visual Capitalist)
Satellites are becoming the backbone of the modern space economy. From broadband internet to Earth observation, orbital infrastructure now supports industries far beyond aerospace. SpaceX dominates the global satellite count with 10,262 operational satellites. That’s more than 16 times OneWeb’s 632 satellites, the next-largest named operator. The ranking shows how quickly private networks have scaled since the beginning of the space race. Public organizations like NASA and national militaries now operate a minor portion with just 894 satellites among the named owners in the dataset. (5/12)
Russia is Building Engines for Interstellar Travel While Nearly Two-Thirds of Rural Households Still Have No Indoor Plumbing (Source: Space Daily)
In February 2026, Rosatom announced a prototype plasma rocket engine that its scientists claim could reduce the travel time to Mars from eight months to thirty days. The announcement was widely covered as a propulsion breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service says nearly two-thirds of rural Russian households have no access to indoor toilets. Of those, 48.1 percent use outhouses and 18.4 percent have no sewage system at all. Nationally, roughly 22.6 percent of Russian households lack indoor plumbing. Russia holds the distinction, noted by the WaterAid NGO, of leading the developed world in this measure.
At the same time, Russia’s draft federal budget for 2025 to 2027 allocates 942.3 billion rubles to space activities — an 18 percent increase over the previous budgetary period. In 2025 alone, planned space expenditure stands at approximately 317 billion rubles. These two facts are not presented here as a indictment. They are presented as a structural question worth taking seriously: what does it mean for a state to fund interstellar propulsion research while a significant portion of its rural population uses outhouses? And is this gap unusual, or is it, in fact, how space programs have always worked? (5/12)
Space Force to Overhaul Key Early Warning, Surveillance Radars Around the World (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force plans to overhaul eight legacy missile warning and space surveillance radars located around the world, taking them from analog to digital operations, according to a May 7 notice. Under the Ground Based Radar Digitization project, or GBRD, the service will install new hardware and software on the radars, upgrading everything from front-end antennas to back-end data processors. Editor's Note: Among them is the huge C-6 radar at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (5/11)
US, Close Allies Creating Joint ‘Orbital Warfare’ Plan (Source: Breaking Defense)
US Space Command (SPACECOM) and its six closest space-savvy allies expect to complete a joint plan for conducting future “orbital warfare” by the end of the year, SPACECOM Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting said. Like the US military, the allied militaries participating in SPACECOM’s Multinational Force Operation Olympic Defender (MF-OOD) have been internally discussing “the need for protect and defend capabilities, orbital warfare capabilities.” Thus, the group decided the time has come to figure out how to work together via a collective concept of operations (CONOPS). (5/12)
Pentagon Tells Satellite Builders: Good Enough Now Beats Perfect Later (Source: Space Daily)
he U.S. military space business is being pushed toward a blunt new standard: deliver useful capability faster, then improve it later. That message is coming most clearly from the Space Force, where senior leaders have been describing speed not as a procurement preference, but as an operational requirement. In a fast-moving threat environment, the old bargain of waiting years for a more complete system is losing ground to a different one: put something workable in orbit, learn from it, and upgrade in increments. (5/7)
Evidence the Universe Isn't Uniform (Source: Live Science)
Astronomers have developed a new way to test one of the central assumptions of modern cosmology — that the universe behaves uniformly on the largest scales. When applying the method to real observational data, the researchers found tentative signs that this assumption may not fully hold, potentially pointing to new physics beyond the standard cosmological model. (5/12)
Companies Are Racing to Put Satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) is often defined as nearly 100 miles above Earth, but no more than roughly 1,200 miles up. It’s home to well-known spacecraft like the ISS and the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s also increasingly lucrative real estate for tech companies that want to cover the Earth in broadband internet. Investors expect the market for low Earth orbit satellites to grow to about $108 billion by 2035. There's a lot at stake in the corporate fight over LEO, and Amazon and others hope to put a dent in SpaceX's dominance there.
Amazon faces a strict FCC deadline to have half its constellation in orbit by July 2026. Amazon is securing deals with telecommunications firms like Vodafone and Verizon, and has partnered for in-flight Wi-Fi with airlines. The industry is moving from proprietary, expensive technology toward mass-market commercial offerings, with Deloitte predicting global LEO subscribers will surpass 15 million by the end of 2026. (5/11)
Starship V3 Sports Various Upgrades (Source: Ars Technica)
For the third time in three years, SpaceX has stacked a new version of its enormous Starship rocket on a launch pad in South Texas, just a few miles north of the US-Mexico border. The newest-generation Starship, known as Starship Version 3, is taller and more powerful than the ones that came before it.
The upgrades on Starship are numerous. Perhaps the most notable changes are higher-thrust, more efficient Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage, a new reusable lattice-like structure at the top of the booster for hot staging, and three—not four—modified grid fins to help bring the first stage back to Earth for recovery and reuse. (5/12)
Space Force Awards TrustPoint $4 Million for LEO Navigation Demonstration (Source: Space News)
TrustPoint, a Virginia startup developing a low-Earth-orbit navigation system intended to complement or back up GPS, said May 12 it received a $4 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to demonstrate a GPS-independent positioning, navigation and timing system. The startup is developing C-band system as alternative to GPS. (5/12)
Fenix Space Flies Tow-Launch Prototype (Source: Payload)
California-based Fenix Space completed a week-long testing campaign of its Fenix alpha prototype launch vehicle, validating the launcher’s ability to take off and land—without the use of a launch pad. Fenix Space is hoping to offer customers an alternative to vertical launch at a time when the nation’s spaceports are becoming increasingly congested. Its launch system is designed to reach orbit by first gliding behind a tow aircraft, then detaching and propelling itself the rest of the way.
Over four flight tests, Fenix demonstrated its ability to separate from its ride in the sky and perform autonomous flight maneuvers using a proprietary GNC software and avionics package that will one-day fly on the full-sized Fenix 1.0 vehicle. The company’s horizontal-lift approach means it can take off and land from standard runways, and the DoD is actively supporting the development and testing effort. (5/12)
NASA Space Act Agreement to Advance Space Based Data Storage for Resilient Space Infrastructure (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Tampa-based Lonestar Data Holdings has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA through Ames Research Center in California. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration focused on advancing technologies and operational concepts supporting lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute infrastructure, and next-generation space communications architectures.
The collaboration is intended to help accelerate development of secure, independent, and disaster-resilient data capabilities beyond Earth. The initial activities under the agreement are expected to focus on technical collaboration and evaluation of lunar-edge data infrastructure concepts designed to support future commercial, civil, and scientific space missions. (5/12)
SpaceX Expanding at Texas Port (Source: Jorge Gutierrez)
SpaceX is expanding at the Port of Brownsville. They’ve already secured a small site called “Fish Camp” and are negotiating a 50-year lease for an 83-acre terminal to move and assemble Starship components before shipping them to Florida. The big terminal deal is still under review. Port officials want a clear plan with specific construction milestones before giving the final approval. Meanwhile, SpaceX is officially a tenant, and activity at the port is ramping up fast.
Beyond SpaceX, there’s massive investment and thousands of jobs coming. A $3.2 billion high-tech shipyard focused on autonomous defense and commercial vessels, plus the $4 billion America First Refinery, the first new Gulf Coast refinery in 50 years. Brownsville is quickly becoming a key hub for technology, energy, and trade in the years ahead. (5/8)
Akers and Tanner Inducted Into Astronaut Hall of Fame (Source: KSCVC)
The 2026 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on May 16. This year, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is inducting astronauts Tom Akers and Joe Tanner. Both demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in furthering NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery. (5/12)
Cocoa Beach Plans Festival of Spaceflight in May 2027 (Source: City of Cocoa Beach)
The Festival of Spaceflight is scheduled for the weekend of March 19-21, 2027. There are many opportunities to help put it all together. It will be a commitment for several months, but the rewards will be priceless. There will be a lot of moving parts and mostly organization skills are needed. Planned are a parade, a 5K race, a community picnic, and other events. Volunteers are needed. (5/12)
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