June 26, 2026

Another 'Star' is Born: SpaceX Names AI Megaconstellation 'Starmind' (Source: Space.com)
Once again, SpaceX has looked to the stars for naming inspiration. Elon Musk confirmed on Tuesday (June 23) that SpaceX will call its planned AI satellite megaconstellation "Starmind". The choice should come as no surprise, as it continues the company's long-running stellar naming theme. Starmind is perhaps the most ambitious of all of these projects. If everything goes according to plan, the megaconstellation will be about 100 times bigger than the current version of Starlink. (6/25)

NASA Selects Rocket Lab to Launch Sun, Earth Science Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected Rocket Lab to provide the launch service for both the agency’s PolSIR (Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions. The two selections are part of NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. This contract allows the agency to award fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity launch service task orders during VADR’s 10-year ordering period, with a maximum total contract value of $300 million. (6/25)

Infleqtion Teams With Voyager in New Quantum Space Initiative (Source: Via Satellite)
A group of companies and organizations including Infleqtion, Voyager Technologies, Monarch Quantum, Armada, and the University of Colorado Boulder have joined forces to move the U.S.’s quantum space ambitions forward. This week, the partners announced America’s Quantum Space Initiative, to position the U.S. as a global leader in quantum tech.

The initiative is designed to foster collaboration across industry, academia, and government to accelerate innovation, expand opportunities for quantum technologies in space, and strengthen U.S. leadership in next-generation technologies. Founding innovators will help bring together leaders across these disciplines, identify opportunities for technology development, demonstration, and deployment, and accelerate the transition of quantum technologies from pioneering demonstrations to real-world space applications through a Quantum Space Hub. (6/25)

Japan Eyes Sovereign D2D Satellite Network (Source: Payload)
Japan plans to select a proposal this month for its domestically owned and operated D2D satellite network, called J-LEO. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has already allocated ~$1B in subsidies, covering up to half the total project cost. The winning operator will be required to match that investment with private funds—meaning the full build-out could run to ~$2B.

The autonomy argument: As an archipelago vulnerable to natural disasters, Japan has a clear rationale for pursuing D2D capabilities. Multiple Japanese mobile network operators (MNOs)— including KDDI, SoftBank, and NTT DOCOMO—already provide D2D services in partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink. Yet the Japanese government doesn’t see this option as reliable enough for data sovereignty. J-LEO will be a domestic alternative for LEO D2D comms, reducing dependency on foreign-controlled satellite (read: SpaceX Starlink) networks.

The J-LEO project will require companies to meet the following conditions: Achieve a nationwide rollout by March 2029; Complete all network and data control domestically in Japan; Support video calls on regular smartphones for at least 70% of the day; and Enable free roaming across carriers during disasters. (6/25)

R-Space is Set to Launch Austria’s First Commercial Satellite Aboard Isar Aerospace’s ‘Spectrum’ Vehicle (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Vienna-based newspace company, R-Space, has unveiled AT-Astra, its first fully in-house satellite mission and the first commercial satellite designed and built entirely in Austria. Scheduled for this autumn, the satellite will launch aboard the third flight of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway. (6/25)

SpaceComputer and Spacemanic Partner on Security Demo Mission (Source: Payload)
Digital security startup SpaceComputer will fly a demo mission of its secure compute architecture on a Spacemanic satellite in 2027. The architecture—dubbed Space Fabric—is SpaceComputer’s solution not only for the growing hacking threats on-orbit, but also for the increasing number of shared-compute modules operating on rideshare sats.

In its demo mission, Space Fabric aims to validate two novel security features that offer assurance and protection to virtual payloads. Space Fabric creates a physical barrier between different payloads on-board the same satellite, by setting up a wall within shared systems to ensure orbital compute operations aren’t tapped or altered. Space Fabric also provides cryptographic proofs to confirm that processes run in orbit were, in fact, run in orbit. (6/25)

House Appropriations Committee Approves $55.5 Billion for U.S. Space Force (Source: Space News)
The House Appropriations Committee on June 24 advanced a fiscal 2027 defense appropriations bill providing $1.07 trillion for the Pentagon, a $234 billion increase over enacted 2026 funding. For the Space Force, the bill allocates about $55.5 billion, including $35.3 billion for research and development, $9.6 billion for procurement, $8.8 billion for operations and maintenance, and $1.78 billion for military personnel. (6/25)

Pentagon Rushes to Allocate $152B Before Budget Cuts (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Pentagon is working quickly to allocate $152 billion from the "One Big Beautiful Bill" by the end of September to avoid an 8.3% cut to any unallocated funds. The bill funds a range of defense initiatives, including nuclear modernization and the Golden Dome system. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged the challenge, noting that only $26 billion has been contracted so far, and Elaine McCusker of the American Enterprise Institute emphasizes the importance of utilizing every dollar to address long-term issues. (6/24)

Space Force Relaunches Stalled Antenna Program (Source: Space News)
The US Space Force has relaunched its mobile satellite-control antenna program, originally halted after ending a $1.7 billion AeroVironment contract. This revived effort, under the Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource program, seeks commercially derived phased-array antennas to enhance the aging Satellite Control Network, which currently relies on mechanically steered dishes and faces capacity constraints as the number of satellites increases. The program aims for scalable production and supply-chain resilience, drawing interest from both established defense contractors and emerging commercial firms. (6/24)

Firefly Aerospace Acquires Space-ng AI Company (Source: Douglas Messier)
Firefly Aerospace has acquired Space-ng Inc., a leader in AI-powered vision navigation and autonomous guidance systems whose technology was used to land Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 on the Moon in March 2025. Space-ng brings high-resolution spacecraft cameras and AI compute hardware to Firefly’s Blue Ghost landers and Elytra orbital vehicles to enable advanced space domain awareness, onboard optical navigation, rendezvous and proximity operations, and docking without requiring GPS or GNSS. (6/25)

Small Satellite Operators Confront a Bottleneck to Space Access (Source: Space News)
At least nine SpaceX partners and customers tell SpaceNews that SpaceX is not accepting Transporter reservations beyond late 2028 or early 2029, and the manifest for the next couple of years is nearly full. Some customers said they expect SpaceX will extend Falcon 9 rideshares if its super heavy-lift Starship rocket does not come online as quickly as company leaders anticipate. But the lack of spots — potentially as few as half as many as in recent years — has left satellite companies scrambling to find a way to space. (6/25)

ICEYE to Double Radar-Satellite Capacity by Late 2027 as Demand Surges (Source: Defense News)
Finland’s ICEYE expects to double global production to 100 radar satellites by the end of 2027, the company told Defense News in a clarification of comments by CEO Rafal Modrzewski at a defense-industry conference in Brussels on Tuesday. (6/25)

SpaceX Plans to Build 'Starpipe' Natural Gas Pipeline in Texas to Fuel Starship Rockets (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX plans to begin next month building an eight‑mile (13-km) natural gas pipeline called "Starpipe" to its Texas launch facilities, according to county filings, as the company seeks to ramp up launches of its next‑generation Starship rocket. Starpipe, which will end at SpaceX’s Texas company town of Starbase, is ‌expected to be in service by January 26, according to a document filed last month with the Texas Railroad Commission by SpaceX affiliate Lone Star Mineral Development. (6/25)

Defense Research Facilities are ‘Deteriorating,’ Need Funding Reform (Source: Aerospace America)
The Pentagon’s aging research facilities need infrastructure investments and centralized information-sharing systems, according to a report released by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. The report followed a 90-day review of the Defense Research Enterprise, which includes in-house laboratories, federally-funded centers and affiliated university facilities.

The report found research, development, test and engineering “infrastructure is deteriorating” because authorized military construction projects “continually slip due to the Services’ reprioritizing of scarce” funding. (6/24)

13 Years and $500 Million for a Stage Adapter? Report Justifies NASA Cancellations (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA’s Office of the Inspector General prepared a memorandum on the elements of the Artemis Program that NASA was canceling as its focus shifted to the Moon’s surface. "Over the course of their life cycles, the combined contract values for these efforts ballooned from nearly $2.8 billion to $5.9 billion and NASA extended their contracted delivery dates by up to seven years,” states the report by the inspector general. “However, our projections indicate that if NASA allowed work to continue to completion, the systems would have cost more and taken longer than what was on contract.” (6/24)

China Dumping More Rocket Bodies in Space, Endangering Low Earth Orbit Satellites (Source: Breaking Defense)
China has been abandoning used launcher rocket stages in low Earth orbit (LEO) at an ever-increasing pace, putting both military and commercial satellites in that crowded orbital regime at greater risk of serious debris-creating collisions, according to a new report. Used rocket bodies are among the most dangerous kinds of space junk because they carry residual amounts of fuel that often causes them to explode, thus creating even more on-orbit debris.

The analysis from space monitoring firm LeoLabs found that from January 2021 to January 2025 China has abandoned 51 spent rocket bodies in LEO above 650 kilometers (about 404 miles) in altitude, more than doubling the number for the previous five years to bring the total to 96. (6/25)

Botswana Signs the Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Botswana became the 68th country to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters. Signed on June 25, 2026, by Minister of Communications and Innovation David Tshere, the nation committed to the transparent, safe, and peaceful exploration of space. (6/25)

Did NASA Just Find Evidence of Ancient Life on Mars? (Source: Space.com)
Could Martian mudstones be holding evidence of ancient microbes? New findings strengthen the case that the Red Planet once held life. New data from NASA's Perseverance rover has revealed complex carbon in two Martian mudstones found in Mars' Jezero crater, the same location where previous evidence of possible ancient life has been found.

Scientists think this macromolecular (meaning large) complex carbon, could hold evidence that ancient microbial life once existed in the same sedimentary material, according to one new paper describing these observations. "Measurements of two mudstones show hundreds of organic detections, making this the most robust organic detection in Jezero crater," the paper reads. (6/24)

ESA Chief Calls for Greater European Space Autonomy as Trust in US Partnership Erodes (Source: Space.com)
The head of ESA has issued a wakeup call to decision makers amid partners canceling missions and geopolitical changes affecting the space sector. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher stated "Europe has become too exposed to decisions beyond its control." With trust in the U.S. as a reliable partner taking a hit, collaboration with other space actors such as Japan, South Korea and Australia could grow, while Europe also pursues its own capabilities. (6/24)

Is Space Tourism Finally Poised for Liftoff? (Source: New York Times)
The modern space tourism landscape is more robust and commercial than when Dennis Tito took flight in 2001. For one, it is dominated by private, billionaire-led companies: Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin lead the way, though their short-term plans have diverged in recent months. Twenty-five years later, the frenzy surrounding the initial public offering of SpaceX, along with the recent success of NASA’s Artemis II mission, has people dreaming of space travel again. (6/25)

The modern space tourism sector is evolving from suborbital joyrides toward deep-space travel. While Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin dominate suborbital flights, SpaceX aims to send private citizens around the Moon. Virgin Galactic focuses on suborbital spaceplanes, with flights departing from Spaceport America in New Mexico and the company adding new spaceships.

Blue Origin offers suborbital missions from Texas aboard its New Shepard rocket and is expected to resume flights after a stand-down to focus on New Glenn orbital rocket development. And SpaceX is developing its Starship to transport private individuals on week-long loops around the Moon. (6/25)

Capella Validates Mynaric Optical Terminal on Latest SAR Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Capella Space validated a Mynaric optical communications terminal on its newest satellite — the first time Capella has deployed an optical terminal. Capella Space released the first synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from its Acadia-10 satellite on Wednesday, after the satellite launched in March. The satellite is currently demonstrating data transfer at 2.5 gigabits per second in onboard tests. (6/25)

China Schedules Long March 10B Rocket Launch and Recovery Attempt (Source: Space News)
China is preparing for the highly anticipated debut flight of the reusable Long March 10B rocket, scheduled to launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site this month. The mission aims to conduct China's first orbital booster recovery by catching the rocket’s first stage at sea using an arrestor net. The Long March 10B is a commercial, partially reusable variant of the Long March 10 family. It features a methalox second stage and its first stage is powered by seven engines. (6/25)

UK's Shield Space and Switzerland's ClearSpace Partner to Defend Satellites From Orbital Threats (Source: Space News)
British startup Shield Space plans to combine its autonomous satellite operations software with ClearSpace’s in-orbit servicing capabilities to address emerging orbital threats. The collaboration will focus on integrating cutting-edge technologies designed to protect satellites. One such innovation is the use of compact sensor modules that provide high-performance inertial sensing optimized for aerospace applications. These sensors can help satellites detect and track potential threats in real-time. (6/24)

The Startup Preparing For Space’s Neighborhood Watch Era (Source: Aviation Week)
From a modest workshop in Southern California, a new startup is pursuing the ambitious vision of building patrol-like satellites for critical space infrastructure, much like the guards on alert around valuable facilities here on Earth.

Fortastra, founded last year, is preparing to test its first hardware on orbit to burn down risk on its long-term goal: building a line of satellites to serve as security guards in space for U.S. government, allies and partners, and commercial customers, founder and CEO Mike Smayda told Aviation Week at the company’s headquarters here. The company—with the unofficial tagline “Strength among the stars”—is readying its first two spacecraft for launch later this year on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 rideshare, he said. (5/24)

June 25, 2026

SpaceX Sheds $400bn in Market Value as Debut Rally Hits Reverse (Source: Financial Times)
SpaceX shed $400 billion in market value on Monday in a fresh bout of volatility for the rockets and AI company following its record-breaking Wall Street debut. The sharp reversal in SpaceX shares comes as US government bond yields have risen sharply on expectations the Federal Reserve will need to raise interest rates in the coming months to tame inflation. Higher yields on ultra-low-risk Treasuries are caustic for richly valued tech groups such as SpaceX, which trades at more than 100 times its revenue last year. The $400bn hit to SpaceX’s market capitalization on Monday ranks as the second-biggest one-day loss suffered by any company. (6/22)

Rocket Factory Augsburg Details RFA ONE Upgrades and RFA TWO Plans (Source: European Spaceflight)
During an OHB Capital Markets Update in May, German launch services provider Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) outlined its planned path toward developing a fully reusable heavy-lift rocket called RFA TWO. RFA was founded as a spin-off of OHB, which still holds a 65% stake in the company. It is currently developing its RFA ONE rocket, which it plans to launch for the first time later this year. The rocket is designed to deliver payloads of up to 1,300 kilograms to low Earth orbit.

Block 2 will introduce a reusable first stage and an upgraded Helix rocket engine, increasing the vehicle’s payload capacity to 1.5 tonnes to low Earth orbit when flown in an expendable configuration. The upgraded RFA ONE variant is expected to stand 45 meters tall and enter service in 2028. Beyond RFA ONE, the company plans to scale significantly from the smaller launcher to a fully reusable heavy-lift vehicle. RFA TWO would be powered by 100-tonne-thrust Helix X engines and capable of carrying up to 15 tonnes to low Earth orbit in a fully reusable configuration. (6/24)

UCF Official Takes Role as State Department Space Advisor (Source: USDOS)
Dr. Greg Autry has been assigned as Senior Advisor for Space in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES). Dr. Autry brings a distinguished record of public service, academic leadership, and entrepreneurial innovation to this role and will play a pivotal part in advancing U.S. leadership in space.
 
Dr. Autry joins OES from the University of Central Florida, where he serves as Associate Provost for Space. A seasoned space policy expert, he has served on the NASA Agency Review Team, as NASA's White House Liaison, and has twice been nominated by the President to serve as NASA's Chief Financial Officer. (6/24)

FAA, Air Space Intelligence Sign $875M Modernization Deal (Source: ExecutiveBiz)
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Air Space Intelligence an $875 million contract to modernize the National Airspace System over 12 years. Air Space Intelligence will deploy the Flow Management Data and Services and Strategic Management of Airspace, Routing and Trajectories platforms, aiming to improve efficiency and increase airspace capacity. (6/23)

Starlink to EU Commission: The US Respects ITU Priority Filings on Mobile Satellite Spectrum. You Should Too (Source: Space Intel Report)
SpaceX Starlink asked European regulators to justify their planned allocation of S-band mobile satellite spectrum given SpaceX’s pending $20-billion purchase of EchoStar’s S-band portfolio, which has global priority at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). At the D2D Policy Forum, David Goldman, SpaceX vice president for satellite policy, said Starlilnk was specifically told by US and other national regulators that they would not undertake national allocations of MSS spectrum. (6/23)

SpaceX Is Sitting on $100.8 Billion in Cash to Fund Starship and Starlink V3 (Source: Mach 33)
SpaceX held approximately $100.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 19, 2026, up from $15.9 billion at the end of Q1 2026, per its IPO prospectus and subsequent filing. The jump came almost entirely from its June 12 Nasdaq IPO, which raised $85.7 billion, the largest in history. The balance gives SpaceX one of the deepest cash positions of any company entering a heavy capital-spending phase.

SpaceX needs that cushion to scale two programs at once. It has spent more than $15 billion on Starship to date, including $930 million in Q1 2026 alone, and Starship is the only vehicle capable of deploying its next-generation V3 Starlink satellites, which begin reaching orbit in the second half of 2026. Each Starship flight is expected to add more than 20 times the Starlink capacity of a current Falcon launch, with individual V3 satellites delivering about one terabit per second, per SpaceNews. Funding that buildout from cash on hand, rather than leaning further on external capital, is what the IPO proceeds were raised to do. (6/23)

SpaceX Starfall Could Unlock New Markets (Source: Mach 33)
On June 23, 2026, SpaceX flew the first demo of Starfall, an uncrewed, disk-shaped capsule that can return about 1,000 kg of payload from orbit. The combination of Starship and Starfall will dramatically reduce the cost of returning goods from space, the precursor to the in-space manufacturing and point-to-point cargo industries.

Starfall targets two markets no one has cracked at scale: in-space manufacturing (purer pharmaceuticals, exotic alloys, flawless semiconductor wafers, etc.) and point-to-point cargo through low Earth orbit. Built to be mass-producible and autonomous, Starfall extends SpaceX's vertical integration from launch all the way to recovery, entering it into competition with other specialized reentry capsule players, such as Varda. (6/23)

Could Cosmic Memory Explain Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Black Holes? (Source: Science Daily)
A new theory suggests the universe is constantly recording its own history in the fabric of spacetime. If correct, this cosmic memory could help solve some of the biggest puzzles in physics, from black holes to dark matter and the universe’s ultimate fate.

At its core is a simple but powerful claim: spacetime is not smooth, but discrete – made of tiny “cells”, which is what quantum mechanics suggests. Each cell can store a quantum imprint of every interaction, like the passage of a particle or even the influence of a force such as electromagnetism or nuclear interactions, that passes through. Each event leaves behind a tiny change in the local quantum state of the spacetime cell. (6/18)

We Must Ensure the Next War is Won, Not Lost, in Space. That Starts with Acquisition (Source: Breaking Defense)
Our ability to maintain our advantages in space while denying them to a sophisticated adversary has become a baseline requirement for everything we do in the maritime, air, ground, and cyber domains. But even as America’s space capabilities play a vital role in modern operations, that advantage is not guaranteed, and our comfortable and familiar bureaucratic behaviors are actively putting it at risk.

For decades, the national security enterprise relied on “exquisite” space systems: massive, multi-billion-dollar satellites that take years to design and build but are expected to survive passively in orbit for 15 years or more. In the world we face today, these platforms are exceptionally soft targets. If an adversary jams a legacy communications node or destroys a critical observation asset today, replacing that capability takes years. This is a systemic vulnerability we cannot afford.

We must normalize a new tier of space capabilities built upon highly resilient, rapid, and mass-proliferated orbital architectures. True space superiority requires systems capable of active orbital mobility that can maneuver on demand, inspect anomalies in real time, and actively service or physically safeguard our critical infrastructure under fire by firing back. If an adversary disrupts an asset, three more should be ready to launch or reposition immediately. (6/24)

NASA Names Sean Gallagher as Chief Information Officer (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected Sean Gallagher as the agency’s chief information officer (CIO). In this role, he is responsible for the agency’s entire portfolio of Information Technology products and services. Gallagher has been serving in an acting capacity since January and his permanent role is effective immediately. (6/23)

Stellar Explosion Visible in Night Sky (Source: Space.com)
A once-in-a-lifetime stellar eruption could occur at any time, potentially causing a 'new star' to appear in the night sky. If it does, the star system T Coronae Borealis could suddenly brighten to rival Polaris, the North Star. "Blaze Star" T. Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a prime example of a recurring nova.

This thermonuclear explosion erupts from the atmosphere of a white dwarf star roughly once every 80 years, when it reaches a point of critical mass, having stripped vast quantities of material from a co-orbiting red giant. After each eruption, the white dwarf returns to vampirically feeding on its companion star, until ready to start the process anew. Recurring novas like T CrB are extremely rare, with only five known to exist within the entirety of the Milky Way, according to NASA. (6/23)

NASA’s Moon Plan Depends on 15 Starship Launches. There’s Just One Problem (Source: Gizmodo)
The report warns that Kennedy isn’t ready to support a high launch cadence for super heavy-lift rockets like Starship. “NASA’s launch infrastructure is dated and lacks the capacity to meet the growing demands of the agency and government and commercial partners,” it states. If NASA hopes to put astronauts back on the Moon before the decade is out, upgrading Kennedy’s aging infrastructure may prove just as critical as developing the spacecraft themselves. Otherwise, the agency’s lunar ambitions could end up bottlenecked not by vehicle readiness, but by the spaceport meant to launch them. (6/23)

Here's How Many Rovers NASA's Landed On Mars (And How Many Are Still Active) (Source: Jalopnik)
From the pint-sized Sojourner — the first rover to hit Mars' surface, in 1997 — to the markedly chonkier Perseverance that landed on the Red Planet in 2021, all five of NASA's rovers have served their NASA masters well. So what exactly have these high-tech (and presumably quite dusty) mobile science labs accomplished over the years? And what are the two remaining fully operational Mars rovers up to these days? Click here. (6/24)

Musk's Original 2001 Plan for Mars Wasn't a Colony — it Was a Tiny Greenhouse Called Mars Oasis, Meant to Grow Plants and Reignite Public Interest in Space (Source: Silicon Canals)
The most consequential Mars plan Elon Musk ever made was not Starship, not a million-person city, and not the colony rhetoric he is famous for now. It was a tabletop-sized greenhouse he never managed to launch. The mission was called Mars Oasis, and almost everything SpaceX became can be traced back to its failure. In 2001, a 30-year-old Musk was in Russia trying to buy a refurbished ICBM. He was not there to start a rocket company. He was there to bolt a small robotic greenhouse onto the top of a converted weapon and send it to another planet.

Beside everything that came later, the plan was almost disarmingly modest. A sealed chamber would land on the Martian surface, carry seeds or food crops, hydrate them inside a controlled enclosure, and send back a photograph of green life against red ground. That was the original emotional payload. Not Starship. Not a colony carved into the regolith. At the beginning, the plan was closer to a terrarium than an empire. (6/24)

Vast Signs Additional Partners for Commercial Space Station Microgravity Research (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast has partnered with four new organizations to expand its microgravity research and manufacturing network aboard its upcoming Haven stations. They include: UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, Auxilium Biotechnologies, LambdaVision, and BioOrbit. (6/24)

York Satellite Demonstrates Two-Way UHF Communications From Low Earth Orbit (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems said June 24 that a satellite it built for the U.S. Space Force successfully demonstrated two-way tactical communications using ultra-high-frequency (UHF) links from low Earth orbit. This was part of an experiment to test whether communications now provided by geostationary satellites can be delivered from low orbit. (6/24)

June 24, 2026

SpaceX Launches Starfall Test (and Probably Something Else) on Tuesday From Florida (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a test flight of its Starfall reentry vehicle Tuesday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:53 a.m. Eastern on what SpaceX called the Starfall Demo mission. The mission was designed to test the company's Starfall reentry vehicle, including demonstrating controlled flight in space and a reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX released few other details about the mission, including confirmation of a successful splashdown. The secretive nature of the launch and use of a droneship landing for the first stage despite the relatively small size of Starfall led to speculation that the launch also carried other, classified payloads. (6/24)

Sophia Space Picks Apex Bus for In-Space Computing (Source: Space News)
In-space computing company Sophia Space will use a satellite bus from Apex for its first mission. Sophia said Tuesday it plans to demonstrate its Thermal Integrated LEO Edge (TILE) compute module in 2027 in an Apex Nova bus. TILE is designed to enable passive computing alongside in-situ data processing, AI acceleration and edge computing for satellites, defense systems and commercial space stations. Sophia Space also raised $7 million in additional funding to accelerate that test flight, which had been scheduled for 2028. (6/24)

Loft Orbital Testing AI with JPL for Earth Science (Source: Space News)
Loft Orbital is working with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test the use of AI on spacecraft to improve Earth science monitoring. The company said Tuesday it signed an agreement with JPL to use the lab's AI software on its spacecraft, showing how it can be used to analyze imagery in real time onboard. That analysis can be used to autonomously identify areas of interest and transmit that information to other spacecraft for followup observations. Tests of the AI system started this month with additional tests planned for 2027 and 2028, as Loft deploys a 10-satellite system equipped with sensors and AI computing systems. (6/24)

Ireland's Ubotica Raises $11 Million for Satellite AI (Source: Space News)
Ubotica Technologies, an Irish company focused on artificial intelligence for spacecraft, has raised $11 million. The company said the funding round, led by Act Venture Capital and Greencode Ventures, will help it expand commercial sales of its maritime-intelligence platform. That platform, Live Maritime Intelligence (LMI), was unveiled in April and is designed to help satellites analyze data and take action in orbit. (6/24)

Satellogic and SynMax Developing AI for Imaging Satellites (Source: Space News)
Satellogic is partnering with analytics firm SynMax to develop AI-powered intelligence products for its imaging satellites. The companies said Tuesday that SynMax will integrate data collected by Satellogic's satellites with additional intelligence sources through its analytics platform, aiming to help customers detect changes, close coverage gaps and identify potential threats more quickly. Satellogic operates 18 Earth observation satellites and is preparing to begin deploying its next-generation Merlin constellation, which will provide daily global coverage at a resolution of one meter. (6/24)

New Zealand Joins NATO Responsive Launch Program (Source: Radio New Zealand)
New Zealand is joining a NATO responsive launch program. The New Zealand government said it had obtained observer status for Starlift, a NATO program to pool launch resources to be able to rapidly launch spacecraft during a crisis. The country's military said that joining Starlift was a "low-cost, low-risk step" to keep the country aligned with allies and keep open opportunities for future involvement. New Zealand's participation in Starlift would likely involve Rocket Lab, but officials provided no specifics. (6/24)

Japan's Rakuten Partners with AST SpaceMobile for Satellite Expansion (Source: Yomiuri Shimbun)
Japanese mobile operator Rakuten Mobile plans to partner with AST SpaceMobile. The companies are planning a joint venture that would fund multiple AST SpaceMobile satellites, using them to provide direct-to-device services to Rakuten Mobile customers. The companies did not disclose financial details of the partnership. (6/24)

Boeing Wins $2 Billion Contract for Space Force Commsats (Source: Space News)
Boeing won a contract worth up to $2 billion to build two next-generation military communications satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The contract announced Tuesday covers the design, development, production and testing of two satellites for the Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS, the military's primary narrowband communications constellation operating in geostationary orbit.

Often described as a cellphone network in space, the system allows users equipped with relatively small terminals to communicate far beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. Lockheed Martin built the five MUOS satellites currently operating, and competed with Boeing for this contract. The new satellites are scheduled for delivery by 2035. (6/24)

BAE to Build Imaging Satellites for Vantor (Source: Space News)
BAE Systems will build new imaging spacecraft for Vantor. The companies announced Wednesday that BAE Systems will build two Vantage satellites, capable of providing imagery at a resolution of 20 centimeters. The Vantage satellites will enter service by the end of the decade. The award returns a familiar name to Vantor’s supply chain. Before its acquisition by BAE Systems in 2024, Ball Aerospace built DigitalGlobe’s Earth-observation satellites, including WorldView-1, WorldView-2 and WorldView-3. Ball supplied the spacecraft buses, imaging instruments and camera systems. DigitalGlobe later became part of Maxar, then split off to become Vantor. (6/24)

Germany's OHB Raises $557.6 Million in Stock Sale, Supporting RFA and Other Ventures (Source: Space News)
OHB is raising about half a billion euros in a stock sale to fund expansion and potential acquisitions. The company announced this week it would sell shares to raise 490.2 million euros ($557.6 million) after expenses. The stock sale will increase the number of shares available on the public markets; previously, nearly all the shares were owned by the Fuchs family that founded the company and private equity firm KKR. OHB said the capital raised from the sale would allow it to capitalize on growing opportunities, particularly on civil and defense space activities in Europe. The funds will also help Rocket Factory Augsburg, a launch startup that OHB owns 65% of, as it prepares for its first launch later this year and development of upgraded vehicles. (6/24)

SpaceConnect Association to Support Non Geostationary Satellite Operators (Source: Space News)
A new trade association seeks to help the NGSO satellite industry, but is missing its largest player. The SpaceConnect Association, announced Wednesday, was founded by Amazon along with Globalstar, Iridium and Telesat. The organization says that it will work to advance policies to help companies like those developing non-geostationary orbit satellite systems. That includes agenda items for next year's World Radio Communication Conference and concerns about the EU Space Act. Notably absent from the group is SpaceX, by far the largest NGSO satellite operator. The group said that SpaceX is welcome to join. (6/24)

Hegseth: $1.5 Trillion DoD Budget Crucial for US Economic Stability (Source: New York Post)
SecDef Pete Hegseth has emphasized the need for significant defense spending to maintain America's economic strength, supporting President Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget and highlighting efforts to pass a financial audit and reduce non-priority spending. "If America loses its unquestioned military edge, no amount of fiscal austerity can maintain this nation's economic health," Hegseth writes. (6/23)

A US Military Exercise in Space Got Underway with Barely Anyone Noticing (Source: Ars Technica)
Victus Haze is the US military’s latest responsive space mission. The Space Force announced plans for the mission in 2024 when it selected Rocket Lab and True Anomaly to build and launch two satellites into low-Earth orbit. At a high level, the idea was to launch a small satellite built by True Anomaly first, posing as a satellite from a potential adversary, like China or Russia. Rocket Lab was supposed to have a satellite on standby to go up and inspect True Anomaly’s spacecraft, ready to launch on short notice once military officials gave the order. The objective of the Victus Haze mission is to demonstrate how the military and its commercial partners might be able to quickly go up and assess a threat in orbit. (6/22)

Former SES Exec John-Paul Hemingway to Lead Vast’s Satellite Business (Source: Via Satellite)
SES’s former CCO John-Paul Hemingway has joined Vast to lead business development for Vast’s new satellite manufacturing business. Hemingway is now senior vice president of satellite business development and commercialization for Vast. (6/22)

California Startup Building Commercial GPS Alternative as Jamming Threats Grow (Source: AeroTime)
As GPS jamming and spoofing become a growing concern for aviation, defense and space operators, a California satellite startup is developing a low-Earth-orbit navigation network designed to provide a commercial backup that is harder to jam. Xona Space Systems is developing Pulsar, a positioning, navigation and timing constellation that differs from GPS because its satellites will operate much closer to Earth. The company says the system is designed to provide high-accuracy location and timing services, including centimeter-level positioning. (6/22)

ISS De-Orbit Raises Concerns About Ocean Health Impacts (Source: Space.com)
NASA's plan to deorbit the ISS has stirred up a wave of reaction by a leading ocean conservation organization. The Ocean Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-headquartered group with a mission to improve global ocean health and the human relationship with the sea via carefully chosen strategies and projects, says the planned deorbit of the ISS "raises serious concerns for ocean health that the space community has not adequately grappled with," according to Mark Spalding, president of the foundation.

"There is a troubling structural gap in international law that the ISS de-orbit throws into sharp relief." Under the Space Liability Convention of 1972, if space debris falls on another nation's territory or damages property, Spalding said, the launching nation owes compensation - absolutely and without needing to prove fault. "But no equivalent protection exists for the ocean," he said.

"As a result, when space agencies have control over where debris falls, they aim for the high seas, and in doing so, they incur no legal obligation to pay for cleanup or environmental remediation," said Spalding. "The ocean and its creatures deserve the same protection that international law affords to national territories." (6/23)

Hidden Dark Force May Slow Cosmic Structure Growth, Not Speed it Up (Source: Phys.org)
Dark matter is often portrayed as a cosmic loner, interacting with itself and the rest of the universe only through gravity. But what if dark matter particles also exert a hidden force on one another? A new study explored this possibility and uncovered an unexpected result. While an additional attractive force does help dark matter particles cluster together, it does not necessarily produce the extra growth of cosmic structure that intuition would suggest. In fact, the opposite is usually the case. (6/23)

Europa’s Surface is Almost Too Clean (Source: Space Daily)
Europa, the ice-covered moon of Jupiter, has a problem that turns out to be a clue. Almost nothing has left a lasting mark on it. In a Solar System that has been pelting its planets and moons with rock and ice for four and a half billion years, an old surface should be crowded with impact craters. Europa’s is nearly bare. That absence is the whole story. If the craters are not there, the simplest reason is that the surface has not been around long enough to collect them.

Something keeps wiping it clean. To keep remaking a surface, a moon needs a source of energy, and Europa has a powerful one. Its orbit around Jupiter is slightly stretched, held that way by a steady gravitational tug-of-war with the neighbouring moons Io and Ganymede. As Europa travels that orbit, Jupiter’s enormous gravity flexes it, and the constant flexing generates heat inside the moon. (6/23)

Einstein Probe Detects Mysterious X-Ray Transient That Doesn't Fit Any Known Class (Source: Phys.org)
Astronomers have reported the discovery of an unusual X-ray transient detected by the Einstein Probe that does not fit any known class of cosmic explosions. On March 5, 2024, a space telescope called the Einstein Probe—designed to scan the sky for sudden X-ray flashes—caught a brief, never-before-seen source called EP240305a. It produced two brief X-ray flares, one right after the other, separated by about 200 seconds of quiet.

Researchers quickly pointed several telescopes at this source to gather more data in X-rays, infrared, optical and radio wavelengths. They noticed that the X-rays faded rapidly over the following days, while radio observations faded much more slowly over weeks, revealing evidence of an evolving jet. A faint, fading near-infrared source was spotted at the location, and there was no detection at optical wavelengths. (6/23)

NASA Awards Solutions for Federal Enterprise Procurement Contracts (Source: NASA)
NASA will begin processing the awards of multiple contracts for the Solutions for Enterprise‑wide Procurement (SEWP) VI Government-wide Acquisition Contract. The contract provides streamlined access to commercial products and services, including hardware, software, cloud services, cybersecurity tools, engineering and consulting services, and data intensive mission support capabilities. Click here. (6/23)

Ukranian Mobile Operator Kyivstar: We Have 6 Million Users of Starlink Mobile D2D Using 2×5 MHz; No Interference Issues (Source: Space Intel Report)
Ukrainian mobile network operator Kyivstar said it booked more than 5 million unique users in the first three months of using Starlink Mobile’s direct-to-device (D2D) service, with more than 9 million messages transmitted. The 2x 5MHz spectrum available for the service can support up to 2 million SMS users per day, including during blackouts, with a standard usage of up to 300,000 users per day. (6/23)

ESA Details Next Steps for Agency’s Gateway Contributions (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has made initial decisions on the future of its contributions to NASA’s Gateway space station after NASA “paused” the program. The agency largely expects to proceed with developing most of its planned Gateway hardware while awaiting the results of studies on how best to repurpose each element. ESA committed to providing three primary contributions to Gateway: the Lunar I-Hab habitation module, the Lunar View logistics and refueling module, and the Lunar Link communications system.

Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of human and robotic exploration, said work to develop I-Hab would continue until its critical design review, the last major design phase before full-scale manufacturing begins. The agency will then assess whether it can be repurposed. On Lunar View, Neuenschwander explained that the agency would “slow down the pace of activities.” The agency intends to “keep the key technologies required in order to go towards deep space exploration.” (6/23)

India to Share Rocket Tech to Hasten Development of Space Firms (Source: Bloomberg)
India said it plans to share its technology involving the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, the country’s most reliable rocket, to help speed up development of the local space industry. “We have released an expression of interest to transfer the technology of the PSLV rocket to the private sector,” Pawan Goenka, chairman of Indian National Space promotion and Authorization Centre, said in a recent interview. Only “companies that are majority owned and controlled by Indians” will qualify, he said. (6/22)

Military Expert Issues Warning About Australia’s Space Defenses (Source: News.com.au)
Chinese and Russian space weapons could leave Australia “deaf, dumb, and blind” at the beginning of a war, a military expert has warned. Dr Malcolm Davis from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said Australia’s enemies could target GPS satellites, leaving our forces unable to communicate and completely unaware of what’s happening on the battlefield. (6/23)

Australia Closer to Space Warfare as 16 Recruits Pass First Defense Space Command Training (Source: Nine.com)
Australia is one step closer to fighting the threat of space warfare as the first troops of a sophisticated new recruitment campaign earn their credentials. Sixteen recruits have graduated from the Defense Space Command’s inaugural training course as part of the government’s $10 billion investment into expanding the country’s capabilities over the next decade. (6/21)

Vandenberg Space Force Base Seeks Industry Partners to Revive Inactive Launch Complex (Source: EdHat)
The U.S. Space Force is looking for commercial partners to develop and operate a new small to medium rocket launch facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base, officials announced. Vandenberg has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking launch service providers interested in financing, designing, constructing, and operating Space Launch Complex-9 (SLC-9), one of 11 currently inactive launch sites at the base. The selected company would enter into a real property use agreement to provide launch services for the Department of War, other federal agencies, and commercial customers. (6/22)

SpaceX Shares Eke Out a Gain to Snap Three Day Losing Streak (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX shares ended higher on Tuesday, snapping a three-day selloff that wiped out more than $600 billion from the Elon Musk-led rocket and satellite company’s market value. The stock gained 1% to close at $156.11 after a choppy session that saw shares slip as much as 4.8%, then jump 7.1% before paring much of that advance by market close. The volatility came amid a broad-based slide in technology and other high-momentum stocks after a selloff in Korean chipmakers stoked fears about the rally in companies involved in artificial intelligence. (6/23)

With Help From Florida's RS&H, Utah's Spaceport Ambitions Enter a New Phase (Source: Tech Buzz)
In a Senate Building at the State Capitol, a committee of policymakers, aerospace experts, transportation leaders, and economic development officials took a step that could reshape the state’s economic and aerospace future. The Utah Spaceport Exploration Committee, meeting for the ninth time since its creation under SB 62 in the 2025 legislative session, formally advanced into Phase Two of a state-commissioned study to identify where — and how — Utah might build a commercial spaceport. The answer, at least for now, comes down to two places: Delta and Green River.

Those two small, rural communities, separated by roughly 140 miles of high desert, survived a rigorous multi-criteria screening of seven candidate sites conducted by the committee’s consulting team, RS&H, a national aerospace infrastructure firm with six decades of spaceport work in its portfolio.

Founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1941, RS&H initially built its reputation designing military aviation facilities. By the 1960s, the firm had been selected to support NASA's piloted spaceflight infrastructure and U.S. Air Force missile programs. Over the decades, RS&H expanded into one of the country's leading aerospace infrastructure consultancies, working across airports, launch facilities, military installations, and commercial space projects. Today the company provides end-to-end spaceport consulting services. (6/19)

BRICS Space Agencies Meet in Bengaluru (Source: The Hindu)
The two day BRICS Heads of Space Agencies (HOSA) 2026 meet began on Tuesday in Bengaluru. India, as Chair of BRICS for 2026, is hosting HOSA and heads and senior representatives of the space agencies of the 11 BRICS member countries — Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates — are attending the meeting. The theme is ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’. (6/23)

Final Meetings Planned for Texas' Concho Valley Spaceport Feasibility Study (Supported by Florida's RS&H) (Source: Concho Valley Homepage)
The Concho Valley Council of Governments is set to host its final two spaceport feasibility study meetings soon in separate counties, offering residents an opportunity to ask questions about the region-wide evaluation. The meetings come months after CVCOG was awarded grant funding from the Texas Space Commission “to conduct a regional feasibility study examining the potential for inland spaceport development." The council selected Florida's RS&H to lead and conduct the study, with the first public meeting held in February. (6/22)

June 23, 2026

Satellogic Partners with SynMax to Build Intelligence Services Around Upcoming Merlin Constellation (Source: Space News)
Earth observation company Satellogic is partnering with analytics firm SynMax to develop AI-powered intelligence products built around the company’s new Merlin satellite constellation. The technology is aimed at defense and intelligence customers that want continuous monitoring rather than individual satellite images. (6/23)

New Model Could Help Scientists Home In on Habitable Exoplanets (Source: Space.com)
A new planetary habitability model could make the search for aliens more efficient by quickly identifying rocky worlds unlikely to sustain the atmospheres needed for life as we know it. The software, called the Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM), allows astronomers to screen exoplanets before committing valuable telescope time to detailed observations. The model assesses whether a rocky planet can build and retain an atmosphere over billions of years — a prerequisite for life as we know it. (6/23)

Loft Orbital to Test AI Models on Spacecraft for Earth Observation (Source: Space News)
Loft Orbital is expanding its collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to test advanced artificial intelligence software directly on commercial spacecraft. By utilizing onboard computers rather than traditional ground processing, the agencies aim to improve Earth science monitoring and remote sensing. (6/23)

SpaceX Has Lofted More Satellites Than Everyone Else in History, Combined (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX just notched a remarkable launch-dominance milestone. Elon Musk's company has now lofted more spacecraft than the rest of humanity combined — and its lead is likely to grow over the coming months and years. Investor and former space-industry executive Christian Keil highlighted the achievement in a June 12 X post, which noted that SpaceX had launched 15,262 satellites as of that date. The combined total for all other companies and organizations since the dawn of the space age in 1957 was 15,138, according to Keil. (6/22)

NASA-Funded Studies Yield Advanced Aircraft Concepts For The 2050s (Source: Aviation Week)
In 2010, U.S. industry completed a series of studies that set NASA’s aeronautics research agenda for the next two decades: hybrid wing bodies, truss-braced wings, hybrid-electric propulsion and high-rate composites. As industry prepares to select technologies for a next-generation single-aisle airliner to enter service in the mid-2030s, NASA has shifted its focus to the horizon to identify concepts and technologies for aircraft entering service in 2050 and beyond. (6/23)

Faster, Higher, Farther – Experts Chart the Next Era of High-Speed Civil Flight (Source: AIAA)
Industry and government leaders describe a high-speed aviation sector that is technically close to commercial reality yet still constrained by economics, regulation, and environmental concerns. Across supersonic jets, rocket-powered point-to-point concepts and low-boom demonstrators, panelists arrived at a shared conclusion: the technology is largely ready. The questions now involve financing, markets, standards, and proof that high-speed travel can be economically viable while remaining environmentally and socially acceptable. (6/23)

ESA Selects Florida-Based NUVIEW’s ‘Moonraker’ Mission for Lunar Terrain Mapping with LiDAR (Sources: Spacewatch Global, Florida Politics)
ESA has selected NUVIEW's Moonraker mission for a Phase A study - a LiDAR spacecraft to generate high-resolution 3D terrain maps of the Moon's polar regions for future landing sites. NUVIEW is an Orlando company aiming to map every inch of Earth in 3D — and Leonardo DiCaprio is an investor. The lunar mapping study is led by the company’s German arm, NUVIEW GmbH.

“Moonraker is a direct extension of our commercial LiDAR architecture into lunar orbit,” said Katie Graumann, who the company lists as CEO of its German entity. “By adapting the systems we are deploying for Earth observation, we can provide reliable, mission-critical terrain data that helps reduce risk for future lunar landings and surface operations.” (6/22)

PLD, Rocket Factory Augsburg, MaiaSpace: 3 European Launcher Challenge players Update Their Inaugural Flight Plans (Source: Space Intel Report)
Three of the four startup launch service providers competing in the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) — PLD Space, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) and MaiaSpace provided updates on their development status. The ELC mandates that each rocket conduct at least one successor orbital launch by 2027, and then demonstrate its path toward producing a larger version of its rocket.

PLD Space (Spain) plans its inaugural MIURA 5 flight from its launch site in Kourou, with plans to initiate commercial operations in 2027. MaiaSpace (France) is readying its Maia mini-launcher with an "aero-spike" and a reusable first stage. The company is preparing to launch a "minimum viable product" configuration to reach space, aiming for a full first-stage booster recovery by 2028.

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) (Germany) is targeting a maiden test flight this summer for its RFA ONE rocket. The initial test flight, slated to carry several satellites coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will launch from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland. (6/22)

Melroy Joins Gilmour Board (Source: Gilmour Space)
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy is joining the board of Gilmour Space. The Australian launch vehicle and satellite manufacturer announced Tuesday that Melroy, NASA's deputy administrator in the Biden administration and a former astronaut, was joining its board of directors. The company said they hoped Melroy would help the company as it seeks to expand internationally. Gilmour launched its first Eris rocket last year, which failed shortly after liftoff, and has not announced a date for its next launch attempt. (6/23)

3I/ATLAS is About 12 Billion Years Old (Source: Science)
An interstellar comet that passed through the solar system last year was extremely old. Observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, published Monday, showed that 3I/ATLAS formed about 12 billion years ago, or less than two billion years after the Big Bang. Scientists reached that conclusion based on the composition of the comet, including low amounts of a carbon isotope and presence of "semiheavy" water that forms in high-radiation regions common in the early universe. (6/23)

US Needs Space War Framework (Source: Space News)
A report finds that the U.S. military needs a framework for responding to hostile acts in space. A study by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, based on a January workshop, found that conflict in space is more complex than workshop participants expected due to the nature of the domain and a "lack of policy clarity." Participants concluded that the United States is already engaged in a sustained "gray-zone" competition with China in space and must prepare for conflict beyond simply protecting its satellite networks. The report argues that Washington needs a broader range of military response options, clearer rules for responding to hostile actions in space and greater investment in capabilities for space superiority. (6/23)

Rocket Lab Performs Responsive Launch From Virginia (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab performed an unannounced launch on short notice for a Space Force responsive space exercise. The Electron launch Friday at 6:19 a.m. Eastern was not announced in advance by the company or the Space Force and only confirmed on Monday, two days after a payload and upper stage from the launch appeared in a Space Force catalog. The launch took place less than 17 hours after the Space Force issued a formal launch order, beating the program's 24-hour requirement. The spacecraft launched by Rocket Lab, called Victus Haze Puma, is expected to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations with Jackal-004, a True Anomaly spacecraft already in orbit. (6/23)

NASA and Boeing Unsure of Starliner Return-to-Flight (Source: Space News)
NASA and Boeing are still uncertain when the Starliner spacecraft will make its next flight. At a meeting Monday of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, members said that NASA and Boeing are continuing to work through technical problems from Starliner's last flight two years ago, as well as implementing organizational changes recommended by an independent report released in February.

There is no scheduled launch date for Starliner-1, an uncrewed test flight that was previously expected to take place this year, and the panel's chair said the mission is now expected to launch sometime "in the next year or so." The panel said Boeing assured them of their commitment to the program, although NASA announced last month it plans to buy more SpaceX commercial crew flights because of Starliner delays. (6/23)

Executive Order Directs NASA to Focus on Quantum Innovation (Source: Space News)
A White House executive order on quantum technologies includes work for NASA. The "Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation" order, signed by President Trump Monday, gives NASA 120 days to submit a five-year plan for "developing and extending civilian quantum sensing and networking for space applications."

The order also directs the Pentagon to identify at least three next-generation quantum sensor projects within 60 days to prioritize for fielding by September 2028. That order, and a separate one on quantum cryptography, came the same day as U.S.-based quantum technology firm Infleqtion announced America's Quantum Space Initiative, an industry coalition aiming to advance demonstrations to operational capability. (6/23)

China's Spaceplane Releases Object in Orbit (Source: Space News)
A Chinese spaceplane has released an object in orbit. Space surveillance firm LeoLabs said Monday that its radars tracked the release of an object from the Shenlong spaceplane earlier that day. The spaceplane has been in low Earth orbit since its launch in February on its fourth mission. The detection of the object follows a pattern of China's spaceplane releasing subsatellites after reaching orbit. The spaceplane's second and third orbital missions included the main spacecraft appearing to conduct rendezvous and proximity operations with the released objects. (6/23)

China Launches Commsat on Long March 7A (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a communications test satellite Monday. A Long March 7A rocket lifted off from the Wenchang spaceport at 10:10 p.m. Eastern and placed in orbit the Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing 26A spacecraft. Chinese media said the satellite will be used for video and data communications and related testing. (6/23)

China Procurement Filing Suggests New 7-Meter Diameter Rocket in Development (Source: Space News)
China appears to be working on reusable rockets seven meters in diameter. Procurement filings by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation show the company is obtaining equipment needed to make stainless steel components for rockets seven meters across. The moves correlate with a development recommendation circulated in May 2023, in which a presentation slide suggested developing rockets of 5 meters, 7 meters and 10 meters in diameter. The smallest and largest diameters correspond to the Long March 10 and Long March 9, respectively, but there has been no public discussion of a rocket seven meters in diameter, which would be similar to Blue Origin's New Glenn. (6/23)

'Let's Not Fool the Public': Why Moon Art Should Be More Realistic in the Artemis Age (Source: Space.com)
The moon is in need of good and accurate artists! As NASA's Artemis program hits its stride, and in a few years "reboots" our moon with a human presence, there's an urgent need to guard against artistic misrepresentations of the lunar landscape, experts say. We've all seen those alluring lunar renderings of vehicles and astronauts bounding about while setting up equipment and putting in place a moon base.

"We are telling the public the moon is easy — it is not!" That's the matter-of-fact warning from Daniel Britt, the Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences in the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida. He's also the director of the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science. (6/22)

Report: Kennedy Space Center Not Ready for Era of Super Heavy Rockets (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA’s infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center, the crown jewel of US spaceports, is aging and approaching its limit due to increased demand from private companies, including SpaceX and Blue Origin, a new NASA Inspector General report finds. "NASA’s launch infrastructure is dated and often does not provide the capacity to meet the growing demands of the agency and its partners," it states.

The report covers NASA’s launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. However, the most noteworthy information in the report concerns the Florida spaceport, where demand from SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicles is expected to stress NASA.
 
NASA only has a handful of launch pads at Kennedy. Launch Complex 39A is currently leased by SpaceX for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, and also houses a new launch facility that will soon support Starship launches. Launch Complex 39B is home to NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, and Launch Complex 39C has not been used due to its proximity to this pad. Finally, NASA has built a 10-acre site, Launch Complex 48, that it may lease to small launch vehicle companies. (6/22)

Starlink Denied Entry as Namibia Rebuffs 624 Appeals for License (Source: Bloomberg)
Namibia rejected more than 600 appeals against its decision to deny trillionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink a license to operate in the country, including a challenge brought by the satellite internet provider. Of the 624 reconsideration requests, only two met the jurisdictional threshold for review, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia said Monday. Neither presented sufficient legal or factual grounds to change the original decision, it said. (6/22)

Northwood Unveils New Antenna, Expanded Network Capacity (Source: Payload)
Northwood Space unveiled a new satellite ground antenna today—called Prism—as part of an effort to significantly increase its ground station network capacity over the coming years. The new hardware comes amid Northwood’s rapid global expansion of its physical ground station footprint, and will allow the company to support more data downlinks over a wider range of frequencies. (6/22)

America is About to Cede Africa’s Space Industry to China (Source: Space News)
Africa's emerging space industry offers a strategic, high-leverage avenue for an "America First" foreign policy. By focusing on space technology, the U.S. can tap into an area where it still holds a decisive competitive advantage, securing long-term influence and economic partnerships across the continent.

If the Trump administration is serious about executing its “America First in Africa” policy and transforming American engagement on the continent, it needs to pivot foreign aid toward strategic, business-driven collaborations. Satellite data, telecommunications infrastructure, and Earth observation yield tangible, mutual benefits for American contractors and African nations.

 While ambitious, investing in launch infrastructure presents immense long-term value. High upfront costs for these sites and associated vehicle ecosystems make alternative replacement systems economically impractical, ensuring deep and lasting alliances. (6/22)

Austrian Space Forum Trains Six New Analog Astronauts for its Mars Mission Simulation (Source: Spacewatch Global)
The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) recently presented their Analog Astronaut Class of 2026, comprising six researchers (four women and two men) from six different European countries. They are currently undergoing intensive training for the AMADEE-27 Mars analog mission, which will be staged in the Monsaraz region of Portugal in early 2027. The crew, selected from across Europe, consists of specialists in medicine, physics, engineering, and research. (6/22)

Firefly Aerospace Expected to Secure $110 Million US EXIM Loan (Source: Reuters)
Rocket and spacecraft maker Firefly Aerospace (FLY.O), opens new tab is expected to secure a $110 million U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) loan that would help fund the company's expansion of spacecraft production facilities in Texas, according to a document ‌reviewed by Reuters. The bank's three board members are poised for a Tuesday morning vote on the loan, which is part of an EXIM initiative to help U.S. firms compete globally ​with foreign companies in artificial intelligence, space and other areas, according to the document. (6/23)

Could We Actually Terraform Mars? Scientists are Trying to Find Out (Source: Space.com)
Scientists are engaged in research with an eye toward transforming the cold climes of Mars into a far more habitable place for Earthlings in the future. One notion proposed is the dispersion of an aerosol meant to help warm up Mars' atmosphere. The idea is projected to be a first step toward terraforming the Red Planet. Also emerging recently as a new field of study is "applied astrobiology," which seeks to appraise what would be needed to create sustainable habitats and biospheres beyond Earth.

Scientists have drawn up a research blueprint for assessing the viability of warming the Red Planet, outlining what it might take to make Mars a place in space where life can thrive. Importantly, that roadmap does not presuppose that warming Mars is desirable. Rather, its purpose is to identify what is required for Mars to be warmed, what it would cost and what could go wrong. (6/22)

German Satellite Maker OHB Launches Share Sale with KKR (Source: Reuters)
German satellite maker OHB is launching ​a share sale with KKR to bring in new investors and ‌seek a higher valuation as interest in space stocks rises after Elon Musk's blockbuster SpaceX listing.
The combined offering would more than triple OHB's free float and imply a ​market value of 6.3 billion euros, positioning the company to ​capitalize on a surge in investor appetite for the ⁠sector.

OHB said it will issue up to 1.7 million new shares ​at 300 euros each, raising up to 510.7 million euros. KKR-owned ​Orchid Lux HoldCo will sell up to 1.23 million existing shares, according to a bookrunner for the deal. (6/22)

Seasoned Leadership Could Help Quantum Space’s IPO Take Off (Source: The Hill)
Quantum Space will initiate an IPO by merging with the special purpose acquisition company, Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI. The deal is supposed to close later this year. Quantum Space was founded several years ago with a proposed line of spacecraft called Ranger. Ranger would operate from low Earth orbit to cis-lunar space in a variety of roles.

Quantum Space is headquartered in Maryland, close to Washington, D.C., where most of its potential customers are located. It has a manufacturing plant in Hawthorne, California, an integration facility in Huntsville, and a new parts and large tanks manufacturing facility being built in Tulsa. Last month, Quantum Space named former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine as its CEO. Bridenstine brings a lot of education and experience to the role.

After leaving NASA, Bridenstine returned to his home in Tulsa, where he founded the Artemis Group, an aerospace-focused consulting and lobbying firm. Bridenstine’s education, experience and knowledge of space issues, as well as his contacts in Washington, will be important once Ranger becomes operational. (6/21)

SpaceX Declines for a Third Day After Announcing Bond Sale (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX shares slipped for a third straight day after the Elon Musk-led company said it is selling investment-grade bonds for the first time, part of what’s expected to be a massive borrowing spree to fund its artificial-intelligence ambitions. The stock fell as much as 13% Monday in New York, shedding more than $300 billion in market value and briefly dropping below the level it closed at on the first day of trading. The drop follows a retreat of more than 8% over Wednesday and Thursday. SpaceX shares were down another 7% in early trade on Monday.

SpaceX shareholders and potential investors should be aware that the end of lockup periods could cause further price declines. Lockup periods prevent early investors and employees who've been granted stock options from sell their shares right away. SpaceX shares have a staggered schedule for their lockup periods: 20% to 30% of shares will come off their lockup before the first earnings report in July or August. An additional 7% of the stock will be available after either 70, 90, 105, 120, or 135 days beyond the IPO date. A further 28% of the stock will leave its lockup period after the second-quarter report. The rest will be available 180 days after the IPO date. The traditional lockup period is 180 days. This staggered schedule is unusual. (6/22)

Financing the Final Frontier: Ledger or Lens? (Source: Space Review)
A recent $1.25 trillion cost estimate for Golden Dome caused some sticker shock. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant discuss how the total cost is less important than how the program, including its space-based elements, is financed. Click here. (6/22)
 
A History of the APAS Docking System (Source: Space Review)
A docking system developed for Apollo-Soyuz evolved over the years for use on Mir and the International Space Station. Maks Skiendzielewski charts the history of the APAS docking system. Click here. (6/22)
 
Yellow Fleets: Stranded Ships in Suez and the Persian Gulf (Source: Space Review)
The conflict in the Middle East has kept many ships trapped in the Persian Gulf for months. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger describe a similar incident in the Suez Canal more than a half-century ago that was monitored by spy satellites. Click here. (6/22)
 
Space Autonomy Needs an Authority Architecture Before 2027 (Source: Space Review)
Threats to space assets mean a greater reliance on autonomy to protect them from attack. Burak Oktenli argues this means taking decisions now on what measures spacecraft can take autonomously and who will be responsible for their effects. Click here. (6/22)

June 22, 2026

‘Space Gun’ Startup Hopes to Offer Affordable Hypersonic Weapon Testing (Source: Aerospace America)
Executives at Longshot Space Technologies typically pitch the company as an alternative launch provider building a “space gun” to shoot payloads into orbit. However, upcoming tests of its launcher will further a different application: hypersonics testing. Longshot plans to build increasingly large multi-injection guns, or light gas guns. Depending on the size of these tube-shaped launchers, payloads could be fired at hypersonic speeds for military target practice or — theoretically — at high enough speeds to reach low-Earth orbit. (6/19)

SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket Just Had Its Invisible Pollution Studied For The First Time Ever (Source: BGR)
In February of 2025, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket caused a bit of a public stir when its engine failed, causing an uncontrolled re-entry back to Earth. It was supposed to land in the Pacific Ocean, but instead, parts of Europe were pelted with rocket debris. There was even large debris landing within town limits in Poland, putting people at risk. This allowed a unique study of the atmospheric pollution the Falcon 9 rocket caused.

As the rocket broke apart in the atmosphere, it released a plume of lithium vapor that drifted more than 1,000 miles across the European continent. Scientists used the event as a unique opportunity to study how re-entering spacecraft can introduce pollutants into the upper atmosphere and potentially alter its chemical composition.

Researchers detected lithium levels about 10 times higher than normal in the upper atmosphere for about 20 hours after the Falcon 9 rocket re-entered over Europe. By modeling atmospheric winds, they were able to trace the lithium plume back to the rocket's flight path, providing what they say is the first direct evidence of upper-atmosphere pollution caused by re-entering space debris. The study was published in Nature in 2026. (6/21)

Rocket Launches are Set to Skyrocket Soon at Vandenberg SFB (Source: KMPH)
Vandenberg Space Force Base on California's Central Coast has been a quiet outpost for decades, averaging less than 10 rocket launches per year for almost the past 50 years. But that has changed big time in the past couple of years, and last year was their busiest year ever: 66 rocket launches. That trend will continue, as the Air Force authorized up to 100 launches per year from Vandenberg last October. Most of those will be a mid-sized rocket from Space-X - the Falcon 9. But Vandenberg now has authorization for up to 5 much bigger Falcon Heavy launches. (6/20)

French Labor Unions Demand CNES Cancel ISS & Vast Space Flights (Source: Douglas Messier)
Four labor unions are calling for CNES to cancel plans to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and Vast Space’s commercial Haven-1 station as the French space agency faces €330 million in budget cuts.

“The surprise announcement of a contract (with a figure kept confidential) with the American start-up Vast—intended to support and finance a space tourism business model at the expense of the CNES’s [Corporate Social Responsibility] commitments, environmental concerns, science, and French industrial sovereignty—is unacceptable. Trade unions are demanding the cancellation of this arrangement and genuine consultation regarding the objectives and methods of French space exploration,” the CNES Joint Union Committee said in an announcement. (6/22)

Solid Rocket Motor Makers Open to Increased Production Commitments (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman said it and other companies are able to significantly increase production of solid rocket motors provided the government makes long-term procurement commitments. The Pentagon has warned that shortages of solid rocket motors could constrain plans to sharply increase missile production.

Manufacturers are responding to those concerns and are prepared to increase output, but annual appropriations and shorter-duration contracts make it difficult to make the long-term investments needed to support sustained growth. While the Pentagon has embraced multiyear authority for munitions contracts, Northrop noted that still depends on annual appropriations.

Editor's Note: Space Coast-based Vaya seeks to diversify its hybrid-motor space launch technology to address the need for missile motors. The company is designing versions of its hybrid motors for use in missiles. (6/22)

SpaceX Launches Sunday Starlink Mission From California (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Sunday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:39 p.m. Eastern carrying 24 Starlink satellites. The launch was the 33rd flight of this Falcon 9 booster, two short of the company's current record for Falcon 9 booster reuse. (6/22)

Roman Telescope Arrives in Florida for Launch (Source: Spaceflight Now)
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has arrived in Florida for launch preparations. A barge carrying Roman arrived at the Kennedy Space Center Sunday, about a week after leaving Baltimore. Roman will undergo final preparations at KSC for its launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket currently scheduled for as soon as Aug. 30. (6/22)

Blue Origin May Use Former Space Perspective Facility at Space Coast Airport (Source: Florida Today)
Blue Origin is interested in taking over a building in Florida that had been used by a stratospheric ballooning company. Blue Origin is in talks to purchase the 200-meter-long structure at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville that had been used by Space Perspective to manufacture balloons. Space Perspective planned to fly capsules carrying tourists to altitudes of about 30 kilometers, but ran into financial problems last year. Airport officials did not disclose what Blue Origin was planning to use that building for. (6/22)

Northstar to Provide Space Surveillance for Canada's Military (Source: Northstar Earth and Space)
Northstar Earth and Space won a contract to provide space surveillance services for the Canadian military. The company announced last week an award from the Royal Canadian Air Force's 3 Canadian Space Division worth 40 million dollars Canadian ($28.2 million) to provide space surveillance capabilities for the next 12 months. The Montréal-based company announced plans in April to go public through a SPAC merger. (6/22)

Flyby Provides Details on Donaldjohanson Asteroid (Source: Scientific American)
Observations by a NASA spacecraft revealed the unusual nature of a main-belt asteroid. A paper published last week summarized observations made by NASA's Lucy spacecraft when it flew by the asteroid Donaldjohanson in April 2025. The asteroid has two lobes connected by a "neck" of material with few large craters. Planetary scientists believe Donaldjohanson formed about 155 million years ago from debris when a larger asteroid shattered in a collision. The lack of craters in the neck connecting the lobes may be linked to landslides as the asteroid's rotation period slowed. Lucy flew by Donaldjohanson on its way to study Trojan asteroids that lead and follow Jupiter in its orbit. (6/22)

ESA Astronaut Tests European Spacesuit Prototype Aboard ISS (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot has tested a European intravehicular activity (IVA) spacesuit prototype aboard the ISS. In addition to testing in space, a second prototype has undergone a water survival test campaign in Marseille. The EuroSuit project was initiated by the French space agency CNES in December 2023, with its development led by a consortium that includes Spartan Space, the Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology (MEDES), and sporting goods retailer Decathlon. (6/22)

Parker Solar Probe Flew Through Solar Corona and Found a Unpredicted Source of High-Energy Particles (Source: Space Daily)
When NASA’s Parker Solar Probe passed through the solar corona during perihelion encounters at the heliospheric current sheet, its instruments recorded energetic protons at energies far above what existing models of particle acceleration at that location could account for. The team identified magnetic reconnection at the heliospheric current sheet as the mechanism responsible. The proton energies detected were, in the study’s framing, approximately a thousand times greater than the available magnetic energy per particle that models of this process had predicted. (6/20)

Canada Acquires BAE Radar System to Monitor Arctic (Source: CBC)
In 2026, Canada finalized a $2.5-billion agreement with Australia and BAE Systems Australia for the acquisition of the Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar system. Signed by Secretary of State Stephen Fuhr and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, the deal reflects a collaborative approach under Canada's Defense Industrial Strategy. The agreement marks the first of two planned radar units, with the second to be located further north, and is part of a broader effort to improve Arctic surveillance and security. (6/21)

Microgravity Rounds the Heart (Source: Space Daily)
Spend long enough in orbit and your own body starts to change shape. With gravity no longer pulling on it in the usual way, an astronaut’s heart can grow slightly more spherical, and their spine can stretch enough that they return to Earth measurably taller than when they left. Both changes are real, both are temporary, and both come down to the same thing: a body built for gravity, briefly relieved of it. (6/21)

Selling Deeds for Moon Property (Source: Space Daily)
Dennis Hope walked into a county clerk’s office in 1980 and filed a claim of ownership over the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Io, and every other solid body in the solar system except Earth. He was broke, recently divorced, and driving a beat-up car when the idea hit him. Forty-five years later, his company Lunar Embassy has reportedly sold more than 2.5 million lunar deeds at around $20 to $30 an acre, to customers including three former U.S. presidents and a long list of Hollywood celebrities. Every one of those deeds is, under international law, worth precisely nothing. (6/19)

June 21, 2026

No One Wants AI Data Centers on Earth. Do They Make Sense in Space? (Source: CNBC)
Engineering and technical issues are being solved and SpaceX now has considerably more capital, but economically, the concept remains challenging even as rocket launches become cheaper, though Jeff Bezos and Google are also chasing it. Long-term, the best argument for data centers in space may be that the cost of building them on Earth is likely to go up over time — while land use, water use, and electricity use all remain points of tension with the public — and all while the cost of building in space may come down.

Some investors contend the company has no choice but to make the idea work if it hopes to justify its public market valuations over time. “The company comes down to data centers in space,” Duncan Davidson, a partner at Bullpen Capital, said on CNBC’s “The Exchange” the week before the IPO. “That is the big, long-term play.”

SpaceX is hardly alone in what has become a race to compute in space. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has voiced similar aspirations for his rocket and AI ventures, Blue Origin and Prometheus, respectively. In March, Blue Origin submitted plans to the FCC to launch 51,600 data center satellites into low Earth orbit. Alphabet’s search giant Google has entered the race through a collaboration with Earth observation satellite maker Planet Labs on Project Suncatcher, an orbital data center initiative. (6/21)

SpaceX's Starfall Disk Capsule Bets on Orbital Manufacturing Scale (Source: Tech Times)
SpaceX is preparing to fly its first Starfall prototype on Tuesday, June 23, in a low-profile demo that could upend the economics of an entire emerging industry. The disk-shaped reentry capsule is designed to return up to 1,000 kilograms of cargo from orbit. The company has said nothing publicly about the vehicle. What is known comes almost entirely from regulatory filings with the FAA and the FCC.

The significance of Tuesday's test reaches well beyond a single flight. Every orbital manufacturing company currently operating — including Varda Space Industries, which has built the market from scratch over six missions — uses SpaceX's own Falcon 9 rideshares to get their capsules to orbit. If Starfall works, SpaceX will be competing for the cargo return contracts of customers who already depend on it for launch.

Starfall is not a scaled-down Dragon. It abandons the conical geometry that has defined reentry capsules since Apollo and replaces it with a flat, circular disk — 3.1 meters in diameter and just 0.75 meters tall. The total dry mass is approximately 2,100 kilograms, split between a 1,400-kilogram aluminum top plate and a 700-kilogram carbon-fiber heat shield. Competitors in the space-return market currently bring back dozens of kilograms per mission. Starfall, at a minimum, represents a 30-fold increase in single-flight return capacity. (6/20)

Texas Supreme Court Denies Request to Save Beach From SpaceX (Source: Independent)
SpaceX can keep closing a Texas beach to launch rockets from the company’s nearby Starbase, according to the state’s Supreme Court. The state’s highest court rejected claims brought by environmental groups that barring public access to Boca Chica Beach violated the state’s constitution. Friday’s unanimous, 24-page opinion overruled an appeals court that had sided with environmental groups and reinstated a trial judge’s decision to throw out their lawsuit.

State Attorney General Ken Paxton, who intervened in the case, praised the ruling on social media. “Texas law allows for portions of a beach to be secured for Texans’ safety, which is exactly what’s needed to ensure SpaceX has a safe and operational launch site,” wrote Paxton, who defeated Republican Sen. John Cornyn in last month’s GOP Senate primary with the help of President Donald Trump. (6/21)

Astrobotic's Sale to Voyager to Allows Rapid Scale-Up (Source: Space News)
Lunar lander developer Astrobotic decided to sell to Voyager Technologies so it could quickly scale up to meet the projected demands of NASA’s lunar base initiative. John Thornton, chief executive of Astrobotic, said the decision to sell the company to Voyager came after concluding that it was the fastest approach to scaling up the company to meet NASA’s needs after the agency announced its lunar base plans at the Ignition event in March.

“The alternate path would have been raise some money, maybe try to go IPO after that. That probably takes 18 months all in,” he said. “With the partnership with Voyager, we basically have access to public markets imminently when we close. That gives us an ability to scale now.” (6/20)

Wright-Patt AFB Set to Grow More with New Space Force Facility (Source: WDTN)
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is already the single largest employer in the state, and now it is set to generate even more jobs through a massive new investment. The base will be the home of a newly announced $370 million Space Force intelligence facility. (6/19)

Keeping Track of Human Spaceflight Numbers (Source: Space Daily)
The total number of human beings who have left Earth’s atmosphere across the entire history of spaceflight is, by current estimates, approximately 700. NASA has contributed roughly 360 of these. The Soviet and subsequent Russian programs have contributed approximately 135. The European Space Agency, JAXA in Japan, the Canadian Space Agency, the Chinese taikonaut program, and several smaller national programs account for most of the rest. The 120 commercial civilians who have flown since 2021 represent approximately 17 percent of this cumulative total, almost none of them with the professional training that defined every previous generation of spacefarer. (6/20)

South Korea Seeks Site for Second Spaceport (Source: AJP)
South Korea will open a nationwide search for the site of a second spaceport, the country's space agency said, as it prepares for an expected surge in launches driven by reusable rockets. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) announced Sunday it would invite bids from local governments until August 6 to host the facility, which is intended to support more than 10 reusable-rocket launches a year from the mid-to-late 2030s. The agency aims to complete the second center by 2034 on a site of about 5.6 million square meters, comparable in scale to the existing Naro Space Center, equipped with launch, landing and maintenance facilities for reusable vehicles. (6/21)

Arianespace Counts on Ariane 6 for Launch Industry Comeback (Source: Financial Times)
Ariane had a successful launch on Wednesday using its most powerful version yet to transport 36 satellites for the tech giant, showcasing the rocket’s precision and reliability. It hopes the flight will entice new customers and bolster its reputation as a homegrown option for Europe. The sceptics it wants to win back include governments in its own back yard that fund Ariane through the European Space Agency but have also used SpaceX rockets, which can be half the price.

SpaceX gained further ground as Ariane 6 production delays left the continent without a launcher for a year, forcing the EU in 2023 to pay the US company to send its Galileo satellite navigation system to space. Ariane 6 has successfully completed all its eight flights since its first mission in July 2024 after replacing its retired predecessor, a feat that executives are eager to highlight, given that SpaceX’s main launch vehicle, Falcon 9, managed just four flights in its first two years. (6/21)

Starlink Satellites are Doing a Lot More Than Providing Internet (Source: SlashGear)
Rogers Communications, a major Canadian media conglomerate, teamed up with Starlink to help spot these fires as quickly as possible, even in the most remote of regions. Starlink doesn't directly detect these wildfires, however it does connect specialized detection equipment, like Pano AI cameras, to authorities. These Pano AI devices take 360-degree pictures in short intervals and are programmed to look for signs of a fire, like smoke.

Swarm, which was acquired by Starlink in 2021, has been used by conservation organizations like Rainforest Connection, which monitors the Amazon for illegal logging operations. Using cutting-edge audio sensors, the sounds of wood cutting machines and engines are picked up in remote areas of the jungle, then transmitted over Starlink to nearby intervention teams. (6/20)

New Mexico Incentives Fuel BlackVe Expansion in Albuquerque (Source: KOB4)
New Mexico and Albuquerque will put more than $1.5 million into aerospace company BlackVe’s expansion, a project officials said will bring 152 high-paying jobs. BlackVe plans to expand its Albuquerque headquarters and add jobs over the next 10 years. The state will provide $1 million through the New Mexico Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) fund, and the City of Albuquerque will add $250,000 in local LEDA funds plus a 20-year Industrial Revenue Bond.

BlackVe also received up to $295,000 through the state’s Job Training Incentive Program to hire and train nine employees. Officials said the expansion is expected to create more than $228 million in total economic impact for New Mexico. They said BlackVe will receive the money as it meets construction and hiring benchmarks, and the city will act as fiscal agent. BlackVe, founded in 2024, makes multi-mission spacecraft and uses advanced production technology to speed up how satellites are designed, built and operated. (6/19)

Port Officials Concerned About LC-51 Development at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Hometown News)
The proposed Launch Complex 51 would occupy a 50-acre site with supporting infrastructure and buildings. Operations from Launch Complex 46 would move there to place them farther from Blue Origin’s Launch Complex 36 blast zone, where a recent catastrophic explosion damaged the pad. However, the new complex’s location could still affect port activity.

At the June Canaveral Port Authority meeting, Port Canaveral CEO John Murray said, “It will be the closest active launch facility to the port. So, we’re looking at launch-related safety and exclusion zones that could temporarily or intermittently restrict navigation.” Murray said the port’s concerns include potential impacts on commercial, cruise and military vessel traffic, as well as disruption to the Canaveral Sand Bypass project. No decision will be made until studies address local impacts, environmental concerns and wetlands issues. Editor's Note: Development of LC-51 would clear the way for Blue Origin to develop a second launch pad at the Cape, on property currently used by the Navy and Space Florida at LC-46. (6/19)

All-Male NASA Artemis Crew Creates Backlash as Priorities Shift (Source: Bloomberg)
When NASA unveiled the four-person crew of its Artemis III mission last week, it didn’t take long for the general public to notice a common feature of the group: all four astronauts were men. NASA said the selection was not political. But it triggered a wave of disappointment from former NASA officials, space industry insiders and enthusiasts invested in the agency’s effort to put US astronauts back on the moon for the first time in more than half a century — and their hope that one of them will be a woman.

“Do I think this was chosen maliciously? Obviously no,” Emily Calandrelli, a science author who flew to space with Blue Origin, wrote on Instagram. “Do I think those in the selection process had a bias and ultimately when there were four men selected no one in the room thought it was a ‘big enough’ issue to try to correct? Yes.” Whether deliberate or by coincidence, the irony of the omission was immediately glaring. (6/19)

Do We Need a Lunar Building Code to Build Moon Bases Safely? (Source: Space.com)
Here on Earth, centuries of accumulated engineering knowhow, hard-learned lessons, and societal evolution have shaped a robust framework of building standards that govern how we build and maintain buildings today. But now, as humanity prepares to put in place a "sustained presence" on the moon, how do we guarantee the safety and integrity of structures built in an environment for which no such tradition exists?

At the 26th Space Resources Roundtable held June 2-5 on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, one expert says what's needed is a lunar building code, the development of specific design criteria for the moon. Both NASA and China's space agency are planning to build habitats, landing pads, equipment shelters, and tall towers on the moon. But all that construction could be off to a shaky start, suggests Nerma Caluk. Caluk said there's a need to leverage terrestrial building experiences. (6/20)