NASA Wants to Use a Fleet of MoonFall
Drones to Scout the Lunar South Pole (Source: Defense News)
One aspect of the NASA chief's Artemis makeover is use of hopper drones
under what's called MoonFall. A Request for Proposals for moving
MoonFall forward was issued the day of the NASA Ignition event.
MoonFall involves the release of four camera and sensor-laden "drones"
over a still-to-be-selected site at the lunar south pole, Baker told
Space.com. "Our goal is that each drone can cover a range of roughly 30
miles," he said, "and get that done by the end of 2028." (4/27)
Meta Secures Overview Energy Space
Solar Power Capacity (Source: Payload)
Meta announced an agreement today to secure up to 1 GW of power
capacity through Overview Energy’s planned solar power-beaming
satellite system. The deal comes amid AI’s rapid expansion, which has
put a strain on terrestrial power grids. As large tech companies pour
billions into new data centers, their energy needs are already
equivalent to the entire power demand of Ireland in 2023, according to
one estimate—and are expected to double or triple by 2028. The
explosive demand has forced many data-center operators to get creative
about their power inputs. In January, Meta announced three deals to
secure up to 6.6 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2035, and now the tech
giant is turning its sights to space. (4/27)
Global Military Spending Reaches
Record $2.89 Trillion (Sources: Business Standard, Reuters)
Global military spending grew by 2.9% to $2.89 trillion last year,
marking the 11th year of increases, according to the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute. The US, China and Russia
accounted for 51% of the total, with US spending falling by 7.5% due to
a halt in aid to Ukraine. The decline in US spending is expected to be
temporary, with projections exceeding $1 trillion in 2026. (4/27)
FAA Plans User Fees for Commercial
Launches and Reentries (Source: Space News)
The FAA is moving forward with plans to charge user fees for commercial
launches and reentries. The agency, in a public notice last week, said
it will begin incorporating terms and conditions for user fees in new
licenses, while operators with existing licenses remain liable for fees
incurred for operations starting at the beginning of the year. Last
year's budget reconciliation act directed the FAA to start charging
fees based on the mass of the payload for each launch or reentry, with
the fees going to a fund for improving integration of launches and
reentries into the national airspace system.
The fees could generate more than $1 million for the FAA this year
alone, with revenue growing with increased launches and an escalating
fee schedule included in last year's bill. The FAA's commercial space
office, which saw its budget cut by 5% in 2026, is seeking a
significant increase in fiscal year 2027 to accommodate a growth in
launches. Editor's
Note: Maybe invest the proceeds into the Airport Improvement
Program (AIP) and expand grant eligibility to spaceports. (4/27)
Mars MTN Mission Opens 20 kg for
Science Opportunity (Source: Space News)
NASA is reserving a small amount of payload space on a Mars
communications mission for science. An updated draft RFP for the Mars
Telecommunications Network (MTN), released earlier this month, says the
agency plans to reserve up to 20 kilograms on the mission for a science
payload that the agency will select. NASA did not disclose what
payloads are being considered but noted that it could be used to deploy
cubesats once the mission arrives at Mars. MTN, formerly the Mars
Telecommunications Orbiter, would launch by the end of 2028 to provide
relay services for other spacecraft at Mars. NASA received $700 million
in last year's budget reconciliation act to fund the mission. (4/27)
India Plans New Class of Astronauts
(Source: Times of India)
India is planning to recruit a second class of astronauts. A committee
of Indian's space agency ISRO recommended that it select 10 more
astronauts, six of which would be military pilots and the other four
civilian scientists and engineers. India has four astronauts, all
Indian Air Force pilots; one of the four, Shubhanshu Shukla, flew on an
Axiom Space private astronaut mission to the ISS last year. The new
astronaut class would support an anticipated two crewed missions a year
for India's Gaganyaan program, with each mission carrying two or three
astronauts. (4/27)
Germany's RFA Plans July Launch at
SaxaVord (Source: RFA)
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg is projecting a first
launch as soon as July. The company announced Monday it filed for a
maritime license needed for the inaugural launch of its RFA ONE rocket
from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. The application
includes a date of no earlier than July 1 for the launch, but the
company emphasized that the date in the application was "a legally
required step for planning" and that it has yet to set an official
launch date for the mission. (4/27)
New York City Will Throw an Artemis
Parade if NASA Pays (Source: New York Post)
New York City is willing to throw a ticker-tape parade for the Artemis
2 astronauts — if someone else picks up the bill. Mayor Zohran Mamdani
said last week that his office is reviewing a request made by several
members of the city council for a parade for the crew. He noted,
though, that such parades are typically funded by the entity being
honored. The city's last ticker-tape parade was in 2024 for the New
York Liberty championship basketball team, with the team paying most of
the multimillion-dollar cost for the parade. (4/27)
ESA Paid €51.65 Million to Launch
Sentinel-1C on Vega-C Return to Flight (Source: European
Spaceflight)
European Space Agency disclosures show that the agency paid more than
€51 million to launch the European Commission’s Sentinel-1C Earth
observation satellite aboard a Vega C rocket on 5 December 2024. The
flight marked the rocket’s return to flight after being grounded for
nearly two years following a December 2022 failure.
While the European Union is responsible for the overall management of
the Copernicus Earth observation satellite constellation, ESA is tasked
with managing contracts with European industry for its development,
launch, and operation. As part of this responsibility, the agency
publishes an annual list of all contracts awarded with a value
exceeding €15,000. (4/27)
SpaceX Flies 25 Starlink Satellites
From California on its 50th Falcon 9 Launch of 2026
(Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket of the year from Vandenberg
Space Force Base on Sunday, carrying another batch of satellites for
its Starlink internet service. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-16 mission
from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred under cloudy skies . The
rocket carrying 25 of SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet
satellites took a southerly trajectory on departure from the central
California coast. (4/26)
April 26, 2026
People Will Be ‘Living and Working’ on
the Moon in the 2030s, Says Space Tech CEO (Source: CNBC)
People will be living and working on the moon within the next decade, according to the boss of space tech company Voyager Technologies. “We’ll have humans on the moon by the end of the 2020s, and we’ll have some lunar base — it’ll probably be an inflatable habitat with some life support,” said the firm’s chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor. Voyager went public in June and is widely known for its Starlab project that is set to replace the International Space Station, which is slated to be retired in 2030. (4/24)
India's First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1 Inches Closer To Launch (Source: The Hindu)
Skyroot Aerospace’s orbital rocket Vikram-I capable of launching satellites, was flagged off from the spacetech startup’s facility in Hyderabad on Saturday by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to Sriharikota, from where it is likely to be launched, to space, in June. Designed and developed in Hyderabad, the rocket, the first such privately developed in India, is 23-meter tall or the height of a seven storey building. It can carry a payload of 300 kgs though the company plans to have smaller payloads during the initial launches. (4/25)
Sonic Booms in Store Monday Morning with 1st SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Since 2024 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida could be in store for pair of double sonic booms Monday morning with the planned returned landing of both of the side boosters for the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch since 2024. The company is targeting an 85-minute launch window that opens at 10:21 a.m. for the heavy-lift rocket flying on the ViaSat-3 F3 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A. A backup window falls to Tuesday opening at 10:17 a.m. (4/26)
China Launches Pakistani Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a Pakistani satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday. The satellite, named PRSC-EO3, was lifted off at 8:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-6 carrier rocket and successfully entered its planned orbit. This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. (4/26)
China Unveils International Partners for Tianwen-3 Mars Mission (Source: Xinhua)
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced the results of its international collaboration selection for Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission. Following a call for cooperation proposals in April 2025, in which the CNSA announced it would open up 20 kilograms of payload resources for international collaboration, the agency received 28 applications. Five projects were subsequently selected based on the criteria of high scientific value, effective mission support, solid engineering feasibility and high technological maturity, the CNSA said.
According to the CNSA, three scientific instruments will be carried on the orbiter. The first is a Mars PEX Spectrometer developed by a team from the Committee on Space Research Panel on Exploration. It will search for signs of life and study surface minerals. The second is a Mars Molecular Ion Composition Analyzer led by Macau University of Science and Technology, designed to study the atmospheric escape process of Mars. The third is a Laser Heterodyne Spectrometer led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which will measure the profile distribution of water isotopes and wind fields in the Martian atmosphere.
The mission's service module will carry a Mars Terrestrial Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer developed by the University of Hong Kong. This instrument will look for signs of life, water-containing minerals, and help map Mars' surface resources. The lander will carry a Tianwen Laser Retroreflector Array-3 led by the National Laboratory of Frascati under the National Institute for Nuclear Physics of Italy. This device will create precise reference points on the Martian surface. (4/24)
China Issues its First Commercial Space Standard System (Source: Xinhua)
China released its first commercial space standard system on Friday, aiming to leverage standardization's guiding role in the development of the space industry and promote high-quality development of commercial space activities. The new standard system was issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the State Administration for Market Regulation in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, at the launch ceremony of the country's 11th Space Day that fell on Friday. The system focuses on carrier rockets, satellites, launch sites, application services and industry governance.
The system comprises six categories: industry governance, R&D and manufacturing, launch and TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command), space application services, basic and common items, and facilities and equipment. It plans for over 1,000 standard items, covering international and national standards at various levels. (4/24)
Russia Launches Progress Cargo Mission
to ISS (Source: Russian Space Web)
The second Russian cargo mission to the ISS in 2026 lifted off from Baikonur on April 26, just 35 days after Progress MS-33 headed to the station from a repaired launch pad at Site 31. The tight schedule was designed to restore the flow of supplies to the outpost after the interruption by the launch pad accident in November 2025. (4/25)
Space Force Faces Surge in Demand for Heavy-Lift Launches (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is significantly increasing its demand for heavy-lift rocket launches, projecting a surge in national security missions through 2029, which puts immense pressure on a limited, two-provider market. With only SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) currently certified for high-priority payloads, the Space Force faces surge in demand for heavy-lift launches. (4/25)
Creotech Instruments Secures €52 Million ESA Contract to Build Polish Satellite Constellation CAMILA (Source: Creotech)
Creotech Instruments has signed the largest contract with ESA to date — a landmark €52 million agreement for the CAMILA (Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis) satellite constellation. Under the contract, Creotech will provide a national constellation of at least three Earth observation satellites along with dedicated ground infrastructure. The contract also includes satellite launch services and the conduct of full-scale missions. This is a significant milestone not only for Poland’s rapidly growing space sector, but also for Europe’s strategic autonomy in satellite technology. (4/24)
Could Space-Based Data Centers Help Power U.S. Military Missions in the Future? (Source: Washington Times)
Data centers in space, and perhaps even on the moon, could become crucial to U.S. national security. That statement may have sounded like borderline science fiction just a few years ago. But military insiders and defense industry leaders say they believe a convergence of factors on Earth, including grass-roots political opposition, could dramatically slow the construction of the massive new data complexes needed to power today’s artificial intelligence models and other advanced technology. (4/24)
UCF, Industry Experts Share Insight on Evolution of Space Medicine (Source: UCF)
Hours before Artemis II splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, UCF researchers, university partners, an astronaut, and the former head of NASA gathered to start developing new technologies to keep space travelers healthy. They proclaimed there is no better place than UCF, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
“You are in a global destination for medical innovation,” Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona’s Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the UCF College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.
Space medicine is one of the council’s priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine’s aerospace medicine program focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth. (4/24)
Europe Blows Up Russian Soyuz Rocket Launch Site in French Guiana (Source: United 24)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has dismantled key elements of the launch complex used for Russian Soyuz-ST rockets at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, effectively ending the site’s operational role in joint missions with Russia. The demolition included a controlled explosion of a 52-meter mobile service tower that had been part of the Soyuz launch infrastructure. (4/25)
Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put U.S. on Edge (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone has proliferated—potentially offering battlefield guidance to Tehran and other U.S. adversaries. U.S. concerns about the use of such data in the Middle East grew after the Chinese artificial-intelligence company MizarVision claimed on social media to have tracked the movements of American aircraft carriers, F-22 stealth fighters and B-52 bombers by using AI to analyze satellite data. (4/23)
US Space Command: Russia is Now Operationalizing Co-Orbital ASAT Weapons (Source: Ars Technica)
After several tests of unusual “nesting doll” satellites in low-Earth orbit, Russia is now fielding operational anti-satellite weapons with valuable US government satellites in their crosshairs, the four-star general leading US Space Command said this week. Gen. Stephen Whiting didn’t name the system, but he was almost certainly referring to a Russian military program named Nivelir, which has launched four satellites shadowing US spy satellites owned by the National Reconnaissance Office in low-Earth orbit. After reaching orbit, the Nivelir satellites have released smaller ships to start their own maneuvers, and at least one of those lobbed a mystery object at high velocity during a test in 2020. (4/23)
Clouds of Water Ice Thread Stellar Nurseries in the Milky Way (Source: Science News)
A vast, frozen fog of interstellar ice has been charted across expanses of the Milky Way, poised to supply water to newborn worlds. Reaching hundreds of light-years in length, the icy clouds drape two of the galaxy’s active star-forming regions, astronomer Gary Melnick and colleagues report in the April 20 Astrophysical Journal. The findings paint the broadest picture thus far of interstellar ice’s distribution, and seem to confirm predictions that water, a key ingredient for life on Earth, occurs across huge areas of interstellar space, says Melnick, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. (4/23)
People will be living and working on the moon within the next decade, according to the boss of space tech company Voyager Technologies. “We’ll have humans on the moon by the end of the 2020s, and we’ll have some lunar base — it’ll probably be an inflatable habitat with some life support,” said the firm’s chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor. Voyager went public in June and is widely known for its Starlab project that is set to replace the International Space Station, which is slated to be retired in 2030. (4/24)
India's First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1 Inches Closer To Launch (Source: The Hindu)
Skyroot Aerospace’s orbital rocket Vikram-I capable of launching satellites, was flagged off from the spacetech startup’s facility in Hyderabad on Saturday by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to Sriharikota, from where it is likely to be launched, to space, in June. Designed and developed in Hyderabad, the rocket, the first such privately developed in India, is 23-meter tall or the height of a seven storey building. It can carry a payload of 300 kgs though the company plans to have smaller payloads during the initial launches. (4/25)
Sonic Booms in Store Monday Morning with 1st SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Since 2024 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida could be in store for pair of double sonic booms Monday morning with the planned returned landing of both of the side boosters for the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch since 2024. The company is targeting an 85-minute launch window that opens at 10:21 a.m. for the heavy-lift rocket flying on the ViaSat-3 F3 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A. A backup window falls to Tuesday opening at 10:17 a.m. (4/26)
China Launches Pakistani Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a Pakistani satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday. The satellite, named PRSC-EO3, was lifted off at 8:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-6 carrier rocket and successfully entered its planned orbit. This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. (4/26)
China Unveils International Partners for Tianwen-3 Mars Mission (Source: Xinhua)
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced the results of its international collaboration selection for Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission. Following a call for cooperation proposals in April 2025, in which the CNSA announced it would open up 20 kilograms of payload resources for international collaboration, the agency received 28 applications. Five projects were subsequently selected based on the criteria of high scientific value, effective mission support, solid engineering feasibility and high technological maturity, the CNSA said.
According to the CNSA, three scientific instruments will be carried on the orbiter. The first is a Mars PEX Spectrometer developed by a team from the Committee on Space Research Panel on Exploration. It will search for signs of life and study surface minerals. The second is a Mars Molecular Ion Composition Analyzer led by Macau University of Science and Technology, designed to study the atmospheric escape process of Mars. The third is a Laser Heterodyne Spectrometer led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which will measure the profile distribution of water isotopes and wind fields in the Martian atmosphere.
The mission's service module will carry a Mars Terrestrial Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer developed by the University of Hong Kong. This instrument will look for signs of life, water-containing minerals, and help map Mars' surface resources. The lander will carry a Tianwen Laser Retroreflector Array-3 led by the National Laboratory of Frascati under the National Institute for Nuclear Physics of Italy. This device will create precise reference points on the Martian surface. (4/24)
China Issues its First Commercial Space Standard System (Source: Xinhua)
China released its first commercial space standard system on Friday, aiming to leverage standardization's guiding role in the development of the space industry and promote high-quality development of commercial space activities. The new standard system was issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the State Administration for Market Regulation in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, at the launch ceremony of the country's 11th Space Day that fell on Friday. The system focuses on carrier rockets, satellites, launch sites, application services and industry governance.
The system comprises six categories: industry governance, R&D and manufacturing, launch and TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command), space application services, basic and common items, and facilities and equipment. It plans for over 1,000 standard items, covering international and national standards at various levels. (4/24)
Trump Ousts National Science Board Members (Source: Washington Post)
President Donald Trump terminated multiple scientists from the National Science Board, which guides the National Science Foundation. The board, established in 1950, helps govern the NSF’s $9 billion budget. The White House did not explain the dismissals. The board’s role includes advising Congress on science investments. This move follows similar changes in other federal science advisory boards since Trump’s second term began. (4/25)
The second Russian cargo mission to the ISS in 2026 lifted off from Baikonur on April 26, just 35 days after Progress MS-33 headed to the station from a repaired launch pad at Site 31. The tight schedule was designed to restore the flow of supplies to the outpost after the interruption by the launch pad accident in November 2025. (4/25)
Space Force Faces Surge in Demand for Heavy-Lift Launches (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is significantly increasing its demand for heavy-lift rocket launches, projecting a surge in national security missions through 2029, which puts immense pressure on a limited, two-provider market. With only SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) currently certified for high-priority payloads, the Space Force faces surge in demand for heavy-lift launches. (4/25)
Creotech Instruments Secures €52 Million ESA Contract to Build Polish Satellite Constellation CAMILA (Source: Creotech)
Creotech Instruments has signed the largest contract with ESA to date — a landmark €52 million agreement for the CAMILA (Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis) satellite constellation. Under the contract, Creotech will provide a national constellation of at least three Earth observation satellites along with dedicated ground infrastructure. The contract also includes satellite launch services and the conduct of full-scale missions. This is a significant milestone not only for Poland’s rapidly growing space sector, but also for Europe’s strategic autonomy in satellite technology. (4/24)
Could Space-Based Data Centers Help Power U.S. Military Missions in the Future? (Source: Washington Times)
Data centers in space, and perhaps even on the moon, could become crucial to U.S. national security. That statement may have sounded like borderline science fiction just a few years ago. But military insiders and defense industry leaders say they believe a convergence of factors on Earth, including grass-roots political opposition, could dramatically slow the construction of the massive new data complexes needed to power today’s artificial intelligence models and other advanced technology. (4/24)
UCF, Industry Experts Share Insight on Evolution of Space Medicine (Source: UCF)
Hours before Artemis II splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, UCF researchers, university partners, an astronaut, and the former head of NASA gathered to start developing new technologies to keep space travelers healthy. They proclaimed there is no better place than UCF, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
“You are in a global destination for medical innovation,” Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona’s Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the UCF College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.
Space medicine is one of the council’s priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine’s aerospace medicine program focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth. (4/24)
Europe Blows Up Russian Soyuz Rocket Launch Site in French Guiana (Source: United 24)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has dismantled key elements of the launch complex used for Russian Soyuz-ST rockets at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, effectively ending the site’s operational role in joint missions with Russia. The demolition included a controlled explosion of a 52-meter mobile service tower that had been part of the Soyuz launch infrastructure. (4/25)
Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put U.S. on Edge (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone has proliferated—potentially offering battlefield guidance to Tehran and other U.S. adversaries. U.S. concerns about the use of such data in the Middle East grew after the Chinese artificial-intelligence company MizarVision claimed on social media to have tracked the movements of American aircraft carriers, F-22 stealth fighters and B-52 bombers by using AI to analyze satellite data. (4/23)
US Space Command: Russia is Now Operationalizing Co-Orbital ASAT Weapons (Source: Ars Technica)
After several tests of unusual “nesting doll” satellites in low-Earth orbit, Russia is now fielding operational anti-satellite weapons with valuable US government satellites in their crosshairs, the four-star general leading US Space Command said this week. Gen. Stephen Whiting didn’t name the system, but he was almost certainly referring to a Russian military program named Nivelir, which has launched four satellites shadowing US spy satellites owned by the National Reconnaissance Office in low-Earth orbit. After reaching orbit, the Nivelir satellites have released smaller ships to start their own maneuvers, and at least one of those lobbed a mystery object at high velocity during a test in 2020. (4/23)
Clouds of Water Ice Thread Stellar Nurseries in the Milky Way (Source: Science News)
A vast, frozen fog of interstellar ice has been charted across expanses of the Milky Way, poised to supply water to newborn worlds. Reaching hundreds of light-years in length, the icy clouds drape two of the galaxy’s active star-forming regions, astronomer Gary Melnick and colleagues report in the April 20 Astrophysical Journal. The findings paint the broadest picture thus far of interstellar ice’s distribution, and seem to confirm predictions that water, a key ingredient for life on Earth, occurs across huge areas of interstellar space, says Melnick, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. (4/23)
April 25, 2026
UCF Students Dig Up Native Artifacts,
Pottery at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Hidden underground for centuries, the spinal column of a large shark eaten by Native Americans poked from the ink-black dirt wall of an archaeological test pit, evidence that hunter-gatherers roamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station long before the age of missiles and rockets. This Indigenous refuse-dumping site — loaded with discarded shells, broken pottery and wildlife bones — lies roughly 200 feet from the serene Banana River shoreline within the DeSoto Grove archaeological zone in a thickly vegetated, rarely glimpsed corner of the military installation. (4/24)
ESA Sheds Light on NASA Administrator’s Claims on Gateway Modules (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has provided details in response to claims made by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the condition of Gateway space station modules already delivered to the agency. During a hearing on 22 April, Isaacman testified that the two habitable volumes delivered were "corroded” and would delay the program “beyond 2030.” He was likely referring to the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and the International Habitation Module (I-HAB).
While HALO was part of NASA’s contribution to the station, with its construction led by Northrop Grumman, its primary structure was manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space. ESA confirmed that the HALO module, delivered to Northrop Grumman in April 2025, had arrived with signs of corrosion. While ESA confirmed that I-HAB had a similar but less severe issue, it clarified that the module had not yet been shipped to NASA.
"Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I-Hab, which was, in any case, in better condition than HALO from a corrosion point of view.” ESA said these elements were far from the only factors contributing to delays in the station’s development. US items like the life support system and the thermal control pump, "were also experiencing notable delays and technical complexity,” the ESA spokesperson said. (4/24)
SpaceX Lowers Price of Starlink Aviation Plans to Win Back Small Plane Owners (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is lowering the prices and changing the names of Starlink plans for small plane owners, but it might not be enough to win back the aviation community. A new email blast titled "More Data. Lower Price" touts Starlink's Aviation 300MPH plan, which SpaceX introduced in March for $250 per month alongside a $1,000 Aviation 450MPH plan.
Previously, aviators could use the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan on their aircraft, but as its name suggests, Aviation 300MPH capped the in-motion internet access at 300mph, so Roam was no longer an option on planes. It also swapped unlimited data for 20GB per month, and charged $10 for every extra GB used. (4/24)
The Governance Gap: Why Orbital Data Centers Need Certification Before They Scale (Source: Space News)
More companies around the world are forging ahead with plans for orbital data center constellations. But those plans will be stymied by a lack of shared architectures and standards, argues John David Callison, a global strategic sourcing executive and advisor at Abelian Security Council, and Joseph Minafra, lead of innovation and technical partnerships for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
"The absence of shared standards does more than slow progress; it distorts the economics," they wrote. "Investors price uncertainty, and in today’s environment, every orbital data center is effectively a first-of-its-kind system. That means unquantifiable technical risk, limited comparables and ultimately a higher cost of capital. Until interoperability and certification frameworks exist, financing will remain constrained not by ambition but by avoidable uncertainty." (4/25)
Astrobotic’s Detonation Engine Fires 4,000 Pounds of Thrust in Wild Test (Source: Gizmodo)
Space startup Astrobotic put its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) to the test for the first time, demonstrating a potentially groundbreaking technology that generates thrust by supersonic combustion. Astrobotic completed a series of hot-fire tests on two engine prototypes at Marshall Space Flight Center. Each engine produced more than 4,000 pounds of thrust (1,800 kilograms) for a combined 470 seconds of total runtime, including a single 300-second burn. The recent demonstration brings the private space industry one step closer to a more efficient rocket propulsion system that could allow crewed landers to travel to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars. (4/24)
Gilmour Space Concluded Investigation into the Debut Flight Failure of Australia’s First Orbital Rocket (Source: Douglas Messier)
Gilmour's Eris TestFlight1 lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on 30 July 2025, marking a major step forward for Australia’s sovereign space capability. The vehicle subsequently experienced an in-flight anomaly, resulting in the vehicle being lost within the designated safety area. Our investigation found that approximately nine seconds after ignition, one of the four first-stage hybrid rocket motors experienced a loss of thrust. A second motor exhibited similar behavior at around 17 seconds, reducing vehicle performance and bringing the mission to an early end.
Analysis identified two independent failure modes originating from the oxidizer pump subsystem. Electrical and thermal faults were observed in the electric pump motors and associated inverters, including components sourced from an external supplier. We now have a clearer understanding of the underlying causes. Based on the findings of the investigation, design, qualification, and process improvements are being evaluated and implemented. (4/24)
Golden Dome Dreams Face Harsh Budget Reality (Source: Politico)
Top Pentagon officials gathered Thursday in a hangar at a Navy base here surrounded by air defense hardware to declare that President Donald Trump’s hugely ambitious Golden Dome homeland air defense effort was moving forward. But that is an increasingly hard sell.
Gen. Mike Guetlein, the man leading the effort for the Pentagon, touted the progress made over the past 10 months and pledged to get the first key piece of sensor technology up and running by 2028 — a timeline that needs an alarmingly large number of things to go right in short order. Trump’s signature missile defense shield faces technical hurdles, funding questions and — perhaps most problematically — a Republican Congress that seems increasingly unlikely to provide the program with the tens of billions it needs to fully get off the ground.
The Trump administration envisions funding the program next year almost entirely through a party-line reconciliation bill. But top Republicans are already sounding skeptical, given GOP reluctance to embrace a bruising congressional budget battle ahead of this year’s high-stakes midterm elections. (4/23)
SpaceX Says Unproven AI Space Data Centers May Not Be Commercially Viable, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by Elon Musk in recent weeks. (4/21)
Space Force Awards Up To $3.2 billion for Golden Dome Interceptor Prototypes (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has awarded agreements worth up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile defense program, following an open solicitation from September 2025. Agreements were signed with Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics Mission Systems, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion Space. (4/24)
Central Florida Astronaut Luke Delaney Chosen for 1st NASA Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida’s Luke Delaney is headed to space. The astronaut who was raised in Volusia County received his first spaceflight assignment Thursday from NASA to be part of this September’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. (4/24)
Test Time for These Moon Drills (Source: Aerospace America)
A South Dakota company is preparing for trials with its devices for retrieving and transporting lunar regolith. For future moon outposts, scientists expect to get water, oxygen and hydrogen from lunar regolith. But first, that soil would need to be excavated and delivered from the bottom of permanently shadowed craters to rovers or to feed tall processing plants. (4/24)
25 Years of the International Space Station: Legacy, Science, and the Road Ahead (Source: AIAA)
In November 2025, the ISS marked 25 years of uninterrupted crewed operations – a record unmatched in human spaceflight. In January, a panel of experts at the AIAA SciTech Forum HUB stage discussed the station’s legacy and future of humanity in space, and underscored how the station’s engineering triumphs, international partnership, and scientific output have shaped today’s space agenda and will influence the transition to commercial platforms and deep space missions. (4/24)
Japan's Audacious Sample-Return Mission to the Mars Moon Phobos has Made it to the Launch Pad (Source: Space.com)
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft has arrived at the Tanegashima spaceport ahead of launch, which will kick off an audacious mission to bag samples from Mars' moon Phobos and deliver them to Earth. MMX recently completed its journey to the spaceport on Tanegashima island on March 31, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced recently on the social media platform X, and will now be prepared for a launch late this year. (4/24)
The Exploration Company Signs Agreement for Nyx Separation System (Source: European Spaceflight)
European in-space logistics startup The Exploration Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s OCCAM Space to develop a customized variant of its KISS-XL clampband. The clampband will handle the separation of The Exploration Company’s Nyx capsule from its launch vehicle once in orbit. (4/24)
NASA's TESS Spacecraft Discovers a Weird System of Exoplanets Unlike Anything Seen Before (Source: Space.com)
Using NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets (ASTEP) on the Antarctic Plateau, astronomers have discovered a rare and uniquely weird planetary system. The extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that swirl around the star TOI-201 have orbits that are changing so rapidly that astronomers can see the changes in real time. The behavior of the system, located around 370 light-years from Earth, is something scientists have never seen before. (4/22)
Hidden underground for centuries, the spinal column of a large shark eaten by Native Americans poked from the ink-black dirt wall of an archaeological test pit, evidence that hunter-gatherers roamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station long before the age of missiles and rockets. This Indigenous refuse-dumping site — loaded with discarded shells, broken pottery and wildlife bones — lies roughly 200 feet from the serene Banana River shoreline within the DeSoto Grove archaeological zone in a thickly vegetated, rarely glimpsed corner of the military installation. (4/24)
ESA Sheds Light on NASA Administrator’s Claims on Gateway Modules (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has provided details in response to claims made by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the condition of Gateway space station modules already delivered to the agency. During a hearing on 22 April, Isaacman testified that the two habitable volumes delivered were "corroded” and would delay the program “beyond 2030.” He was likely referring to the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and the International Habitation Module (I-HAB).
While HALO was part of NASA’s contribution to the station, with its construction led by Northrop Grumman, its primary structure was manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space. ESA confirmed that the HALO module, delivered to Northrop Grumman in April 2025, had arrived with signs of corrosion. While ESA confirmed that I-HAB had a similar but less severe issue, it clarified that the module had not yet been shipped to NASA.
"Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I-Hab, which was, in any case, in better condition than HALO from a corrosion point of view.” ESA said these elements were far from the only factors contributing to delays in the station’s development. US items like the life support system and the thermal control pump, "were also experiencing notable delays and technical complexity,” the ESA spokesperson said. (4/24)
SpaceX Lowers Price of Starlink Aviation Plans to Win Back Small Plane Owners (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is lowering the prices and changing the names of Starlink plans for small plane owners, but it might not be enough to win back the aviation community. A new email blast titled "More Data. Lower Price" touts Starlink's Aviation 300MPH plan, which SpaceX introduced in March for $250 per month alongside a $1,000 Aviation 450MPH plan.
Previously, aviators could use the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan on their aircraft, but as its name suggests, Aviation 300MPH capped the in-motion internet access at 300mph, so Roam was no longer an option on planes. It also swapped unlimited data for 20GB per month, and charged $10 for every extra GB used. (4/24)
The Governance Gap: Why Orbital Data Centers Need Certification Before They Scale (Source: Space News)
More companies around the world are forging ahead with plans for orbital data center constellations. But those plans will be stymied by a lack of shared architectures and standards, argues John David Callison, a global strategic sourcing executive and advisor at Abelian Security Council, and Joseph Minafra, lead of innovation and technical partnerships for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
"The absence of shared standards does more than slow progress; it distorts the economics," they wrote. "Investors price uncertainty, and in today’s environment, every orbital data center is effectively a first-of-its-kind system. That means unquantifiable technical risk, limited comparables and ultimately a higher cost of capital. Until interoperability and certification frameworks exist, financing will remain constrained not by ambition but by avoidable uncertainty." (4/25)
Astrobotic’s Detonation Engine Fires 4,000 Pounds of Thrust in Wild Test (Source: Gizmodo)
Space startup Astrobotic put its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) to the test for the first time, demonstrating a potentially groundbreaking technology that generates thrust by supersonic combustion. Astrobotic completed a series of hot-fire tests on two engine prototypes at Marshall Space Flight Center. Each engine produced more than 4,000 pounds of thrust (1,800 kilograms) for a combined 470 seconds of total runtime, including a single 300-second burn. The recent demonstration brings the private space industry one step closer to a more efficient rocket propulsion system that could allow crewed landers to travel to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars. (4/24)
Gilmour Space Concluded Investigation into the Debut Flight Failure of Australia’s First Orbital Rocket (Source: Douglas Messier)
Gilmour's Eris TestFlight1 lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on 30 July 2025, marking a major step forward for Australia’s sovereign space capability. The vehicle subsequently experienced an in-flight anomaly, resulting in the vehicle being lost within the designated safety area. Our investigation found that approximately nine seconds after ignition, one of the four first-stage hybrid rocket motors experienced a loss of thrust. A second motor exhibited similar behavior at around 17 seconds, reducing vehicle performance and bringing the mission to an early end.
Analysis identified two independent failure modes originating from the oxidizer pump subsystem. Electrical and thermal faults were observed in the electric pump motors and associated inverters, including components sourced from an external supplier. We now have a clearer understanding of the underlying causes. Based on the findings of the investigation, design, qualification, and process improvements are being evaluated and implemented. (4/24)
Golden Dome Dreams Face Harsh Budget Reality (Source: Politico)
Top Pentagon officials gathered Thursday in a hangar at a Navy base here surrounded by air defense hardware to declare that President Donald Trump’s hugely ambitious Golden Dome homeland air defense effort was moving forward. But that is an increasingly hard sell.
Gen. Mike Guetlein, the man leading the effort for the Pentagon, touted the progress made over the past 10 months and pledged to get the first key piece of sensor technology up and running by 2028 — a timeline that needs an alarmingly large number of things to go right in short order. Trump’s signature missile defense shield faces technical hurdles, funding questions and — perhaps most problematically — a Republican Congress that seems increasingly unlikely to provide the program with the tens of billions it needs to fully get off the ground.
The Trump administration envisions funding the program next year almost entirely through a party-line reconciliation bill. But top Republicans are already sounding skeptical, given GOP reluctance to embrace a bruising congressional budget battle ahead of this year’s high-stakes midterm elections. (4/23)
SpaceX Says Unproven AI Space Data Centers May Not Be Commercially Viable, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by Elon Musk in recent weeks. (4/21)
Space Force Awards Up To $3.2 billion for Golden Dome Interceptor Prototypes (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has awarded agreements worth up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile defense program, following an open solicitation from September 2025. Agreements were signed with Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics Mission Systems, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion Space. (4/24)
Central Florida Astronaut Luke Delaney Chosen for 1st NASA Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida’s Luke Delaney is headed to space. The astronaut who was raised in Volusia County received his first spaceflight assignment Thursday from NASA to be part of this September’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. (4/24)
Test Time for These Moon Drills (Source: Aerospace America)
A South Dakota company is preparing for trials with its devices for retrieving and transporting lunar regolith. For future moon outposts, scientists expect to get water, oxygen and hydrogen from lunar regolith. But first, that soil would need to be excavated and delivered from the bottom of permanently shadowed craters to rovers or to feed tall processing plants. (4/24)
25 Years of the International Space Station: Legacy, Science, and the Road Ahead (Source: AIAA)
In November 2025, the ISS marked 25 years of uninterrupted crewed operations – a record unmatched in human spaceflight. In January, a panel of experts at the AIAA SciTech Forum HUB stage discussed the station’s legacy and future of humanity in space, and underscored how the station’s engineering triumphs, international partnership, and scientific output have shaped today’s space agenda and will influence the transition to commercial platforms and deep space missions. (4/24)
Japan's Audacious Sample-Return Mission to the Mars Moon Phobos has Made it to the Launch Pad (Source: Space.com)
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft has arrived at the Tanegashima spaceport ahead of launch, which will kick off an audacious mission to bag samples from Mars' moon Phobos and deliver them to Earth. MMX recently completed its journey to the spaceport on Tanegashima island on March 31, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced recently on the social media platform X, and will now be prepared for a launch late this year. (4/24)
The Exploration Company Signs Agreement for Nyx Separation System (Source: European Spaceflight)
European in-space logistics startup The Exploration Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s OCCAM Space to develop a customized variant of its KISS-XL clampband. The clampband will handle the separation of The Exploration Company’s Nyx capsule from its launch vehicle once in orbit. (4/24)
NASA's TESS Spacecraft Discovers a Weird System of Exoplanets Unlike Anything Seen Before (Source: Space.com)
Using NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets (ASTEP) on the Antarctic Plateau, astronomers have discovered a rare and uniquely weird planetary system. The extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that swirl around the star TOI-201 have orbits that are changing so rapidly that astronomers can see the changes in real time. The behavior of the system, located around 370 light-years from Earth, is something scientists have never seen before. (4/22)
April 24, 2026
Iran Using Chinese Satellite Imagery
to Target US Forces (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Iran's use of Chinese satellites has alarmed U.S. officials. In a letter last week to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, raised concerns that satellites operated by Chinese companies are providing Iran with imagery it has used to target U.S. and Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict.
Moolenaar said it appeared one Chinese company, MizarVision, was using imagery from other sources, including Airbus, to identify U.S. ships and planes. Airbus denied images from its commercial satellites have been used by MizarVision. (4/24)
FCC Narrows Spectrum Access for Different Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
The FCC has dismissed efforts by satellite operators to acquire additional Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum for direct-to-device services. The regulator released a broad decision Thursday aimed at preserving market certainty for companies already using MSS bands to connect portable devices, from U.S.-based Globalstar and Iridium's "Big LEO" spectrum to 2 gigahertz and L-band frequencies.
Several companies, including SpaceX, Kepler Communications and AST SpaceMobile, sought access to that spectrum, but the FCC concluded their proposed uses created "significant harmful interference challenges to incumbent users." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the broad order positions the U.S. to lead the way in deploying direct-to-device services from space, enabling connectivity for standard devices beyond the reach of terrestrial cell towers. (4/24)
SpaceX Wins $57 Million Contract for Satellite Crosslinks Demo (Source: Space News)
SpaceX won a Space Force contract to demonstrate satellite crosslinks. The $57 million contract announced this week will fund a demonstration of satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network. MILNET is a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by SpaceX.
The contract announcement frames the effort broadly as supporting "U.S. warfighting capability" but Space Systems Command said last September that Link-182 would be the required space-to-space communications protocol for Golden Dome. (4/24)
Pentagon Seeks $2.3 Billion to Expand Maven AI Platform (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is asking Congress for $2.3 billion over the next five years to expand its Maven Smart System AI platform. Maven Smart System, developed by Palantir, traces its roots to Project Maven, launched in 2017 to accelerate the military's adoption of artificial intelligence. Initially focused on analyzing drone and surveillance imagery, the effort has expanded into a broader platform that ingests and processes data from satellites, radar, and other sensors to identify objects and potential threats in near real time. (4/24)
Jordan Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Jordan is the latest country to join the Artemis Accords. The country's ambassador to the U.S. signed the Accords Thursday at NASA Headquarters, making Jordan the 63rd country to sign overall and the second this week, after Latvia on Monday. The signing comes as NASA seeks to use the Accords, which outline best practices for safe and sustainable space exploration, as a vehicle for coordinating cooperation in Artemis. (4/24)
Astrobotic Tests Lunar Lander Engine (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has successfully tested an advanced rocket engine for use on its lunar landers and suborbital vehicles. The company said Thursday it completed a series of tests of Chakram, a rotating-detonation rocket engine (RDRE), at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
The company tested two prototype engines for 470 seconds, including a single 300-second burn, generating more than 4,000 pounds-force of thrust. RDRE is a technology that promises higher performance than traditional engines. Astrobotic says it envisions using the engine on future versions of its Griffin lunar lander as well as reusable suborbital vehicles it is developing. (4/24)
China Launches Experimental Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched experimental satellites Friday to test direct-to-device connectivity. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 2:35 a.m. Eastern. The rocket placed into orbit an unspecified number of test satellites that Chinese media said will test broadband connectivity from the satellites directly to phones. (4/24)
Russia Launches Classified Payloads on Angara (Source: Russian Space Web)
Russia launched classified payloads on an Angara rocket Thursday. The Angara 1.2 rocket launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 4:29 a.m. Eastern Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the launch carried multiple payloads but did not disclose additional details about it. (4/24)
NASA Announces Next ISS Crew (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced its next crew for the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-13 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The flight will be the first trip to space for all but Watkins, who went to the ISS on Crew-4 in 2022. Crew-13 is scheduled for launch no earlier than mid-September. (4/24)
SpaceX Reassigns Droneship to Transport Starships Between Texas and Florida (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX droneship has made its final trip supporting the Falcon 9. The company said this week that the ship Just Read the Instructions would end support for Falcon 9 landings after Tuesday's launch of a GPS 3 satellite. SpaceX said that with the company using only Space Launch Complex 40 for Falcon 9 launches, it needs only one droneship for landings, the A Shortfall of Gravitas. Just Read the Instructions , which has been used for Falcon landings for a decade, will now support Starship by transporting vehicles between Florida and SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. (4/24)
Advances in Europe’s Space Logistics (Source: ESA)
Europe’s in-space logistics roadmap for in-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling and On-board and shared intelligence completed multiple phases. A growing role for dual‑use space transportation applications, supporting both civil and defense needs, will rely on coordination, interoperability and rapid industrial maturation that are essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy and in today’s geopolitical situation.
ESA’s In‑Space Proof‑of‑Concepts initiative continues to move fast, exploring how development across rendezvous, refueling, intelligence and space logistics is helping Europe lay the foundations for a future in‑orbit transportation infrastructure and services. The Future Space Transportation Spring Session of 2026 brought together a record number of participants, a sign of the growing momentum in Europe around reusable launch systems and in‑orbit transportation. (4/24)
Italian Astronaut Says Space is Platform for Cooperation, Not Competition (Source: Korea Times)
The Embassy of Italy in Korea marked the sixth edition of Italian Space Day, Wednesday, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from both countries’ space sectors. Established in 2021, the annual event commemorates the 1964 launch of the San Marco satellite — Italy’s first satellite, which made it the world’s third nation to independently send a satellite into orbit — and aims to promote greater awareness of space activities and Italy’s contributions to the field. (4/24)
Space is Not 'Arena' of Major-Power Rivalry, China Will Build Open 'Friend Circle' in Space (Source: Global Times)
Space is not an "arena" of major-power rivalry, and China will continue to work with all parties to build an open "friend circle" in space and advance the common cause of the mankind's exploration of outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a question over how China will expand more inclusive space cooperation and whether the country will further open its space sector to international partners given that the global space race has entered a "Competition 2.0 phase" characterized by rule-making and alliance-building, as Friday marks the 11th Space Day of China and the 70th anniversary of China's space programs. (4/24)
Blue Origin Opens Luxembourg Office for European Coordination (Source: Luxembourg Times)
Blue Origin, the private space launch company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confirmed in June 2025 that it would open its European supply chain coordination office - its first outside the USA - in Luxembourg. The plan was to open before the end of the year. But then everything went silent. In an unexpected twist, the opening of the European HQ was eventually announced on 15 April 2026, not by the company but by Luxembourg Economy Minister Lex Delles. (4/23)
New Glenn Setback Adds To Launcher Woes (Source: Aviation Week)
The squeeze on space launch capacity that has for months been a headache for military and commercial customers has just become even more challenging. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has joined the list of launch vehicles that have encountered technical problems. (4/24)
SpaceX Is Widening Its Competitive Moat Ahead of a Record IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is no stranger to the stratosphere, and neither is its coming initial public offering. Investor interest in the IPO, expected this summer, has been climbing toward a record $2 trillion valuation as more details emerge about revenue opportunities such as direct-to-cell service and data centers in space. The offering seems like a bet on science fiction to generate enough sales from space to support such a sky-high price tag. After all, this is a company that first launched a rocket into orbit less than 20 years ago. (4/24)
Elon Musk’s Online Posts About White Victimhood See an Alarming Rise (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is on the cusp of a record-setting initial public offering that could soon make him a trillionaire. But in recent months he’s been increasingly vocal about something else: rallying White people to stand up for their race. “Whites are a rapidly dying minority,” Musk wrote in January in a post that has garnered more than 17 million views and 150,000 likes.
In a February post liked by more than 365,000 accounts, Musk declared that “there has been unrelenting hate and poisonous propaganda in the West against anyone White, straight or male over the past decade or more,” adding, “No more guilt trips. ENOUGH.”
Some observers draw a connection between this rhetoric and the intellectual milieu associated with the so-called PayPal Mafia—a network that includes figures like Peter Thiel and David Sacks—noting that several members have shown political positions over time that suggest a formative influence from their upbringing and ties to apartheid-era South Africa. (4/24)
Alabama Awards $500K to Upgrade Decatur River Dock Used by United Launch Alliance (Source: WAFF)
The Decatur-Morgan County Port Authority is receiving half a million dollars from the state to improve a dock on the Tennessee River primarily used by United Launch Alliance. This is part of a project at the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park roll-on/roll-off dock. The improvements include a new tie-off point and an extended walkway to dock the upcoming arrival of ULA’s second and newest rocket transportation ship, called SpaceShip. It carries parts to launch sites across the country. (4/23)
SpaceX’s IPO Will Help Elon Musk Consolidate Power. Investors Welcome It (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tesla’s shareholders already give Elon Musk leeway, entertaining the billionaire’s whims as he plows money into robots and blessing a $1 trillion pay package that will pay out if he hits long shot targets. He is poised to have even more sway at his rocket-maker, SpaceX, which is aiming to go public in June. (4/23)
GomSpace to Establish New Ukrainian Joint Venture for Sovereign Comms (Source: Via Satellite)
GomSpace, the Danish satellite company, looks to play a key role in developing sovereign satellite capabilities in Ukraine. It has signed a deal with its Ukrainian partner Stetman which will see the two companies establish the UASAT joint venture in Ukraine to jointly develop the capacity to enable sovereign satellite communication capabilities for Ukraine for dual‑use purposes. GomSpace announced the deal, April 22.
The partners plan to launch UASAT’s first satellite in the fall of 2026 to provide operational feedback for subsequent steps in the UASAT roadmap. The deal was signed at the EU‑Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels, with representatives from the EU’s Directorate‑General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ukrainian government in attendance. (4/24)
Rocket Lab Introduces Next-Generation Star Tracker Component (Source: Via Satellite)
Rocket Lab has introduced the next-generation of its star tracker lineup, expanding the company’s component offerings. The new High-Performance Star Tracker (ST-HP), is designed for longer duration spacecraft missions. Rocket Lab has flown more than 185 star tracker units overall; it’s heritage model ST-RT has more than 175 units on orbit since 2013. It also offers the ST-HV model, designed for more rapid production, which has more than 14 units on orbit. (4/24)
SDA’s Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results (Source: Via Satellite)
In March, the Space Development Agency’s Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said the agency was strategically pausing launches until May. He described technology hurdles, supply chain challenges, and balancing speed in the decision-making process. “Speed does not alleviate you from the fact that you still have to do the diligence you need to do,” Sandhoo said. “You still have to make sure the satellites are working, and make sure you know you’ve done all the right things.” (4/24)
Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp (Source: Payload)
Skeet shooting only works with a target. The same is true of interceptor tests. Astra is pitching its small rockets to the Pentagon as a potential target for Golden Dome interceptor tests, CEO Chris Kemp said. “We’re going to do target practice. We’re going to make the clay-pigeon rocket,” Kemp said. “That’s great, because that will drive scale for us…and allow us to bring our cost down for commercial customers, and other government customers.” (4/24)
Iran's use of Chinese satellites has alarmed U.S. officials. In a letter last week to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, raised concerns that satellites operated by Chinese companies are providing Iran with imagery it has used to target U.S. and Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict.
Moolenaar said it appeared one Chinese company, MizarVision, was using imagery from other sources, including Airbus, to identify U.S. ships and planes. Airbus denied images from its commercial satellites have been used by MizarVision. (4/24)
FCC Narrows Spectrum Access for Different Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
The FCC has dismissed efforts by satellite operators to acquire additional Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum for direct-to-device services. The regulator released a broad decision Thursday aimed at preserving market certainty for companies already using MSS bands to connect portable devices, from U.S.-based Globalstar and Iridium's "Big LEO" spectrum to 2 gigahertz and L-band frequencies.
Several companies, including SpaceX, Kepler Communications and AST SpaceMobile, sought access to that spectrum, but the FCC concluded their proposed uses created "significant harmful interference challenges to incumbent users." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the broad order positions the U.S. to lead the way in deploying direct-to-device services from space, enabling connectivity for standard devices beyond the reach of terrestrial cell towers. (4/24)
SpaceX Wins $57 Million Contract for Satellite Crosslinks Demo (Source: Space News)
SpaceX won a Space Force contract to demonstrate satellite crosslinks. The $57 million contract announced this week will fund a demonstration of satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network. MILNET is a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by SpaceX.
The contract announcement frames the effort broadly as supporting "U.S. warfighting capability" but Space Systems Command said last September that Link-182 would be the required space-to-space communications protocol for Golden Dome. (4/24)
Pentagon Seeks $2.3 Billion to Expand Maven AI Platform (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is asking Congress for $2.3 billion over the next five years to expand its Maven Smart System AI platform. Maven Smart System, developed by Palantir, traces its roots to Project Maven, launched in 2017 to accelerate the military's adoption of artificial intelligence. Initially focused on analyzing drone and surveillance imagery, the effort has expanded into a broader platform that ingests and processes data from satellites, radar, and other sensors to identify objects and potential threats in near real time. (4/24)
Jordan Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Jordan is the latest country to join the Artemis Accords. The country's ambassador to the U.S. signed the Accords Thursday at NASA Headquarters, making Jordan the 63rd country to sign overall and the second this week, after Latvia on Monday. The signing comes as NASA seeks to use the Accords, which outline best practices for safe and sustainable space exploration, as a vehicle for coordinating cooperation in Artemis. (4/24)
Astrobotic Tests Lunar Lander Engine (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has successfully tested an advanced rocket engine for use on its lunar landers and suborbital vehicles. The company said Thursday it completed a series of tests of Chakram, a rotating-detonation rocket engine (RDRE), at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
The company tested two prototype engines for 470 seconds, including a single 300-second burn, generating more than 4,000 pounds-force of thrust. RDRE is a technology that promises higher performance than traditional engines. Astrobotic says it envisions using the engine on future versions of its Griffin lunar lander as well as reusable suborbital vehicles it is developing. (4/24)
China Launches Experimental Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched experimental satellites Friday to test direct-to-device connectivity. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 2:35 a.m. Eastern. The rocket placed into orbit an unspecified number of test satellites that Chinese media said will test broadband connectivity from the satellites directly to phones. (4/24)
Russia Launches Classified Payloads on Angara (Source: Russian Space Web)
Russia launched classified payloads on an Angara rocket Thursday. The Angara 1.2 rocket launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 4:29 a.m. Eastern Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the launch carried multiple payloads but did not disclose additional details about it. (4/24)
NASA Announces Next ISS Crew (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced its next crew for the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-13 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The flight will be the first trip to space for all but Watkins, who went to the ISS on Crew-4 in 2022. Crew-13 is scheduled for launch no earlier than mid-September. (4/24)
SpaceX Reassigns Droneship to Transport Starships Between Texas and Florida (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX droneship has made its final trip supporting the Falcon 9. The company said this week that the ship Just Read the Instructions would end support for Falcon 9 landings after Tuesday's launch of a GPS 3 satellite. SpaceX said that with the company using only Space Launch Complex 40 for Falcon 9 launches, it needs only one droneship for landings, the A Shortfall of Gravitas. Just Read the Instructions , which has been used for Falcon landings for a decade, will now support Starship by transporting vehicles between Florida and SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. (4/24)
Advances in Europe’s Space Logistics (Source: ESA)
Europe’s in-space logistics roadmap for in-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling and On-board and shared intelligence completed multiple phases. A growing role for dual‑use space transportation applications, supporting both civil and defense needs, will rely on coordination, interoperability and rapid industrial maturation that are essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy and in today’s geopolitical situation.
ESA’s In‑Space Proof‑of‑Concepts initiative continues to move fast, exploring how development across rendezvous, refueling, intelligence and space logistics is helping Europe lay the foundations for a future in‑orbit transportation infrastructure and services. The Future Space Transportation Spring Session of 2026 brought together a record number of participants, a sign of the growing momentum in Europe around reusable launch systems and in‑orbit transportation. (4/24)
Italian Astronaut Says Space is Platform for Cooperation, Not Competition (Source: Korea Times)
The Embassy of Italy in Korea marked the sixth edition of Italian Space Day, Wednesday, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from both countries’ space sectors. Established in 2021, the annual event commemorates the 1964 launch of the San Marco satellite — Italy’s first satellite, which made it the world’s third nation to independently send a satellite into orbit — and aims to promote greater awareness of space activities and Italy’s contributions to the field. (4/24)
Space is Not 'Arena' of Major-Power Rivalry, China Will Build Open 'Friend Circle' in Space (Source: Global Times)
Space is not an "arena" of major-power rivalry, and China will continue to work with all parties to build an open "friend circle" in space and advance the common cause of the mankind's exploration of outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a question over how China will expand more inclusive space cooperation and whether the country will further open its space sector to international partners given that the global space race has entered a "Competition 2.0 phase" characterized by rule-making and alliance-building, as Friday marks the 11th Space Day of China and the 70th anniversary of China's space programs. (4/24)
Blue Origin Opens Luxembourg Office for European Coordination (Source: Luxembourg Times)
Blue Origin, the private space launch company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confirmed in June 2025 that it would open its European supply chain coordination office - its first outside the USA - in Luxembourg. The plan was to open before the end of the year. But then everything went silent. In an unexpected twist, the opening of the European HQ was eventually announced on 15 April 2026, not by the company but by Luxembourg Economy Minister Lex Delles. (4/23)
New Glenn Setback Adds To Launcher Woes (Source: Aviation Week)
The squeeze on space launch capacity that has for months been a headache for military and commercial customers has just become even more challenging. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has joined the list of launch vehicles that have encountered technical problems. (4/24)
SpaceX Is Widening Its Competitive Moat Ahead of a Record IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is no stranger to the stratosphere, and neither is its coming initial public offering. Investor interest in the IPO, expected this summer, has been climbing toward a record $2 trillion valuation as more details emerge about revenue opportunities such as direct-to-cell service and data centers in space. The offering seems like a bet on science fiction to generate enough sales from space to support such a sky-high price tag. After all, this is a company that first launched a rocket into orbit less than 20 years ago. (4/24)
Elon Musk’s Online Posts About White Victimhood See an Alarming Rise (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is on the cusp of a record-setting initial public offering that could soon make him a trillionaire. But in recent months he’s been increasingly vocal about something else: rallying White people to stand up for their race. “Whites are a rapidly dying minority,” Musk wrote in January in a post that has garnered more than 17 million views and 150,000 likes.
In a February post liked by more than 365,000 accounts, Musk declared that “there has been unrelenting hate and poisonous propaganda in the West against anyone White, straight or male over the past decade or more,” adding, “No more guilt trips. ENOUGH.”
Some observers draw a connection between this rhetoric and the intellectual milieu associated with the so-called PayPal Mafia—a network that includes figures like Peter Thiel and David Sacks—noting that several members have shown political positions over time that suggest a formative influence from their upbringing and ties to apartheid-era South Africa. (4/24)
Alabama Awards $500K to Upgrade Decatur River Dock Used by United Launch Alliance (Source: WAFF)
The Decatur-Morgan County Port Authority is receiving half a million dollars from the state to improve a dock on the Tennessee River primarily used by United Launch Alliance. This is part of a project at the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park roll-on/roll-off dock. The improvements include a new tie-off point and an extended walkway to dock the upcoming arrival of ULA’s second and newest rocket transportation ship, called SpaceShip. It carries parts to launch sites across the country. (4/23)
SpaceX’s IPO Will Help Elon Musk Consolidate Power. Investors Welcome It (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tesla’s shareholders already give Elon Musk leeway, entertaining the billionaire’s whims as he plows money into robots and blessing a $1 trillion pay package that will pay out if he hits long shot targets. He is poised to have even more sway at his rocket-maker, SpaceX, which is aiming to go public in June. (4/23)
GomSpace to Establish New Ukrainian Joint Venture for Sovereign Comms (Source: Via Satellite)
GomSpace, the Danish satellite company, looks to play a key role in developing sovereign satellite capabilities in Ukraine. It has signed a deal with its Ukrainian partner Stetman which will see the two companies establish the UASAT joint venture in Ukraine to jointly develop the capacity to enable sovereign satellite communication capabilities for Ukraine for dual‑use purposes. GomSpace announced the deal, April 22.
The partners plan to launch UASAT’s first satellite in the fall of 2026 to provide operational feedback for subsequent steps in the UASAT roadmap. The deal was signed at the EU‑Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels, with representatives from the EU’s Directorate‑General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ukrainian government in attendance. (4/24)
Rocket Lab Introduces Next-Generation Star Tracker Component (Source: Via Satellite)
Rocket Lab has introduced the next-generation of its star tracker lineup, expanding the company’s component offerings. The new High-Performance Star Tracker (ST-HP), is designed for longer duration spacecraft missions. Rocket Lab has flown more than 185 star tracker units overall; it’s heritage model ST-RT has more than 175 units on orbit since 2013. It also offers the ST-HV model, designed for more rapid production, which has more than 14 units on orbit. (4/24)
SDA’s Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results (Source: Via Satellite)
In March, the Space Development Agency’s Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said the agency was strategically pausing launches until May. He described technology hurdles, supply chain challenges, and balancing speed in the decision-making process. “Speed does not alleviate you from the fact that you still have to do the diligence you need to do,” Sandhoo said. “You still have to make sure the satellites are working, and make sure you know you’ve done all the right things.” (4/24)
Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp (Source: Payload)
Skeet shooting only works with a target. The same is true of interceptor tests. Astra is pitching its small rockets to the Pentagon as a potential target for Golden Dome interceptor tests, CEO Chris Kemp said. “We’re going to do target practice. We’re going to make the clay-pigeon rocket,” Kemp said. “That’s great, because that will drive scale for us…and allow us to bring our cost down for commercial customers, and other government customers.” (4/24)
April 23, 2026
House Appropriators Omit Civilian
Federal Pay Raise From 2027 Spending Bill (Source: FNN)
The prospects of a civilian federal pay raise next year are continuing to diminish, after House appropriators made no mention of a pay increase in their 2027 spending legislation. The House Appropriations Committee’s financial services and general government (FSGG) bill for fiscal 2027, which advanced along party lines Wednesday evening, says nothing on funding for a civilian pay raise. Although not yet final, that increases the chances federal employees will miss out on a salary increase next year. (4/22)
Sidus Space Advances its Fortis Next-Generation Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced continued advancements to its Fortis Command and Data Handling (C&DH) platform, a modular 3U OpenVPX system designed to support rapid development, configuration flexibility, and long-term scalability across next-generation space and defense missions. (4/23)
DoD Completes $1 Billion Investment in L3Harris Missile Business (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has completed a $1 billion investment in L3Harris Technologies' missile business. L3Harris said Thursday that the Defense Department had closed the deal, announced in January. The capital will be directed to L3Harris's Missile Solutions unit, a newly consolidated division focused on missile propulsion and related systems, to expand production there. The investment will turn into common equity if L3Harris proceeds with plans to spin off Mission Solutions as a standalone, publicly traded entity in the second half of this year. L3Harris said it will retain roughly 80% ownership of the business. (4/23)
Mason Nominated to Lead NRO (Source: Space News)
The White House has nominated an industry executive to be the next director of the National Reconnaissance Office. The president on Wednesday nominated Roger Mason, chief growth officer at V2X, a publicly traded firm based in Reston, Virginia, that provides logistics and technical services to the Pentagon and intelligence community. Mason previously held senior executive roles at Parsons Corporation and Peraton, both of which have deep ties to national security and intelligence programs. Mason, if confirmed, would succeed Chris Scolese, who has been director of the NRO since 2019. (4/23)
Rocket Lab Electron Launches Japanese Payloads From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
An Electron rocket launched a set of Japanese cubesats Wednesday night. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:09 p.m. Eastern, deploying eight cubesats sponsored by the Japanese space agency JAXA into sun-synchronous orbits. The cubesats, developed by Japanese companies and universities, are designed to test advanced technologies. The launch was the second of two ordered by JAXA last fall for launching tech demo smallsats prompted by problems with Japan's Epsilon small launcher. The launch came a little more than 24 hours after the suborbital version of Electron, HASTE, launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a classified mission. (4/23)
Atmos Space Cargo Raises ~$30 Million for Reentry Missions (Source: Space News)
Atmos Space Cargo raised about $30 million to fly a series of reentry missions. The German-French startup announced its Series A round Wednesday led by European funds Balnord and Expansion Ventures. The funding will go toward three flights of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft, which can carry 100 kilograms of payload for microgravity research and manufacturing, returning it to Earth with an inflatable heat shield. The first mission is planned for the second half of this year. Atmos plans to develop a larger spacecraft, Phoenix 3, with 10 times the payload capacity as Phoenix. 2. The company also announced Atmos Works, a dedicated business unit focused on European government and defense customers. (4/23)
Pakistani Astronauts Train for Mission to China's TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Two Pakistani astronauts will begin training for a flight to China's Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Agency announced Wednesday that Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will come to China soon to begin training, with one of them to fly a short-duration mission to Tiangong. That person will be the first foreign astronaut to go to Tiangong. (4/23)
ESA and EDA Launch Joint Study to Strengthen Europe’s Earth Observation Capabilities (Source: ESA)
Signaling Europe and the European Space Agency’s increasing investment in defense, ESA and the European Defense Agency launch a joint study to identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. According to the agency, the 18-month study will identify critical capability gaps and define technology development priorities up to 2040 to ensure the continent is secure and prepared. (4/22)
Voyager Expands Global Footprint with South Korean Agreement (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies signed an agreement with Yonsei University in South Korea. The strategic cooperation will advance the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park ecosystem. Voyager and Yonsei University will develop research programs and applications for public and private sector use. This includes reserved research resources, tenant opportunities and cross-border collaboration within the VISTA ecosystem. (4/21)
Leidos, MapLarge Secure Space Force Software Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control. The awards this week are the first under a new program called Kronos that develops software tools used by military and intelligence units. The prototype awards are valued at about $1.4 million for Leidos and $500,000 for MapLarge, and will allow the companies to develop software that can process intelligence data and integrate it into operational workflows. (4/23)
SETI Institute Launches Lab to Study Human Dimensions of Finding Life Beyond Earth (Source: Space Daily)
The SETI Institute has announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth. The lab's mission is to anticipate and explore humanity's responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, and futures studies to examine implications and guide preparedness. (4/23)
SpaceX and Tesla are on an Inevitable Collision Course (Source: Financial Times)
If rocketmaker SpaceX indeed goes public in June, Elon Musk could be conducting quarterly earnings calls for two companies. But how long until that reverts to one? On Wednesday afternoon, the world’s richest man hosted the first-quarter call for Tesla, his electric-vehicle maker. Sales of automobiles, which grew 16 percent year on year, were hardly discussed. Instead, the company is focused on energy storage, robotaxis and Optimus, its bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot.
If Tesla increasingly feels like a science project, all the more reason to think its natural home is under one roof with SpaceX, which last year merged with Musk’s social network and AI company xAI. SpaceX is set to list at what could be a near-$2tn valuation. The possibly sidelined electric-vehicle business still generates serious cash flow, even if sales have moderated from historic levels and factories are being retrofitted for robot production. (4/22)
Univity Funds VLEO 5G Demonstrators with $32 Million Raised (Source: Space News)
French startup Univity has raised around $32 million to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrators into very low Earth orbit next year, ahead of plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space. (4/23)
Ohio is Built for Space (Source: Jobs Ohio)
Whether your space company needs robust education and training, strong R&D, or access to mission-critical partners like the NASA Glenn Research Center, the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC), and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Ohio has it all. Our military and federal presence make Ohio a proving ground for space missions, while our world-class workforce, shovel-ready sites, and business-friendly policies ensure you can grow bigger and succeed faster. It’s no wonder space businesses soar in Ohio. (4/22)
Lawmakers Promise to Reject Proposed NASA Cuts—Again (Source: Payload)
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were committed to boosting NASA’s FY2027 budget, during a hearing on Wednesday. The Trump administration proposed an $18.8B NASA budget—a $5.6B cut from the funding level approved by Congress for FY2026. The topline funding level—and the proposed cuts—largely mirror the administration’s budget request last year for the space agency, which was overwhelmingly rejected by Congress. It sounds like history may repeat itself—at least, if it’s up to bipartisan members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. (4/22)
Space Force Awards Contracts to Leidos, MapLarge for ‘Battle Planning’ Software (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control — the process of understanding what is happening in orbit, deciding what it means and directing a response. (4/22)
Mars or the Moon or AI Musk's Changing Goals for SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
For years, SpaceX’s mission was clear: get humans to Mars. “The most powerful thing we could do is establish a second, self-sustaining civilization outside of Earth,” Elon Musk, SpaceX’s chief executive, told Forbes in 2003, a year after founding the company. “And the only place that’s really feasible is Mars.”
But over the last six months, Mr. Musk has shifted SpaceX’s priorities. Though the tech mogul once forecast that humans would take off for Mars as early as 2024, he has de-emphasized reaching the planet. Instead, SpaceX on Tuesday said it had struck a deal with the artificial intelligence start-up Cursor that could result in its acquiring the young company for $60 billion. And Mr. Musk, 54, has proposed other moonshots that could drive more attention and investment to SpaceX as it prepares for one of the largest-ever initial public offerings.
Among his pronouncements are A.I. data centers that could orbit Earth, moon-based factories and an A.I. chip manufacturing plant. The changing goals have caused whiplash. “It’s a hallucinogenic business plan,” said Ross Gerber, the chief executive of Gerber Kawasaki, an investment firm that owns SpaceX shares. He added that Mr. Musk “has lost his mind” as he tries to drum up excitement for the public offering. (4/22)
Eutelsat Signs New Broadcast Deals in Mexico and Caribbean (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat has announced three new broadcast deals this week in Mexico and the Caribbean. The satellite operator is to partner with Co-op Cable, introducing an expanded direct-to-home (DTH) and connectivity offering across the Caribbean using the Eutelsat 65 West A (E65WA) satellite. Co-op Cable aims to enhance its service portfolio to deliver bundled television and internet services, combining high-quality satellite TV distribution with advanced GEO-based connectivity. (4/22)
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 40th Starlink mission of the year when its Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday night. The Starlink 17-14 mission will add another 24 broadband internet satellites to the company’s low Earth orbit constellation, which consists of more than 10,200 spacecraft. (4/23)
The prospects of a civilian federal pay raise next year are continuing to diminish, after House appropriators made no mention of a pay increase in their 2027 spending legislation. The House Appropriations Committee’s financial services and general government (FSGG) bill for fiscal 2027, which advanced along party lines Wednesday evening, says nothing on funding for a civilian pay raise. Although not yet final, that increases the chances federal employees will miss out on a salary increase next year. (4/22)
Sidus Space Advances its Fortis Next-Generation Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced continued advancements to its Fortis Command and Data Handling (C&DH) platform, a modular 3U OpenVPX system designed to support rapid development, configuration flexibility, and long-term scalability across next-generation space and defense missions. (4/23)
DoD Completes $1 Billion Investment in L3Harris Missile Business (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has completed a $1 billion investment in L3Harris Technologies' missile business. L3Harris said Thursday that the Defense Department had closed the deal, announced in January. The capital will be directed to L3Harris's Missile Solutions unit, a newly consolidated division focused on missile propulsion and related systems, to expand production there. The investment will turn into common equity if L3Harris proceeds with plans to spin off Mission Solutions as a standalone, publicly traded entity in the second half of this year. L3Harris said it will retain roughly 80% ownership of the business. (4/23)
Mason Nominated to Lead NRO (Source: Space News)
The White House has nominated an industry executive to be the next director of the National Reconnaissance Office. The president on Wednesday nominated Roger Mason, chief growth officer at V2X, a publicly traded firm based in Reston, Virginia, that provides logistics and technical services to the Pentagon and intelligence community. Mason previously held senior executive roles at Parsons Corporation and Peraton, both of which have deep ties to national security and intelligence programs. Mason, if confirmed, would succeed Chris Scolese, who has been director of the NRO since 2019. (4/23)
Rocket Lab Electron Launches Japanese Payloads From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
An Electron rocket launched a set of Japanese cubesats Wednesday night. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:09 p.m. Eastern, deploying eight cubesats sponsored by the Japanese space agency JAXA into sun-synchronous orbits. The cubesats, developed by Japanese companies and universities, are designed to test advanced technologies. The launch was the second of two ordered by JAXA last fall for launching tech demo smallsats prompted by problems with Japan's Epsilon small launcher. The launch came a little more than 24 hours after the suborbital version of Electron, HASTE, launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a classified mission. (4/23)
Atmos Space Cargo Raises ~$30 Million for Reentry Missions (Source: Space News)
Atmos Space Cargo raised about $30 million to fly a series of reentry missions. The German-French startup announced its Series A round Wednesday led by European funds Balnord and Expansion Ventures. The funding will go toward three flights of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft, which can carry 100 kilograms of payload for microgravity research and manufacturing, returning it to Earth with an inflatable heat shield. The first mission is planned for the second half of this year. Atmos plans to develop a larger spacecraft, Phoenix 3, with 10 times the payload capacity as Phoenix. 2. The company also announced Atmos Works, a dedicated business unit focused on European government and defense customers. (4/23)
Pakistani Astronauts Train for Mission to China's TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Two Pakistani astronauts will begin training for a flight to China's Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Agency announced Wednesday that Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will come to China soon to begin training, with one of them to fly a short-duration mission to Tiangong. That person will be the first foreign astronaut to go to Tiangong. (4/23)
ESA and EDA Launch Joint Study to Strengthen Europe’s Earth Observation Capabilities (Source: ESA)
Signaling Europe and the European Space Agency’s increasing investment in defense, ESA and the European Defense Agency launch a joint study to identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. According to the agency, the 18-month study will identify critical capability gaps and define technology development priorities up to 2040 to ensure the continent is secure and prepared. (4/22)
Voyager Expands Global Footprint with South Korean Agreement (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies signed an agreement with Yonsei University in South Korea. The strategic cooperation will advance the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park ecosystem. Voyager and Yonsei University will develop research programs and applications for public and private sector use. This includes reserved research resources, tenant opportunities and cross-border collaboration within the VISTA ecosystem. (4/21)
Leidos, MapLarge Secure Space Force Software Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control. The awards this week are the first under a new program called Kronos that develops software tools used by military and intelligence units. The prototype awards are valued at about $1.4 million for Leidos and $500,000 for MapLarge, and will allow the companies to develop software that can process intelligence data and integrate it into operational workflows. (4/23)
SETI Institute Launches Lab to Study Human Dimensions of Finding Life Beyond Earth (Source: Space Daily)
The SETI Institute has announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth. The lab's mission is to anticipate and explore humanity's responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, and futures studies to examine implications and guide preparedness. (4/23)
SpaceX and Tesla are on an Inevitable Collision Course (Source: Financial Times)
If rocketmaker SpaceX indeed goes public in June, Elon Musk could be conducting quarterly earnings calls for two companies. But how long until that reverts to one? On Wednesday afternoon, the world’s richest man hosted the first-quarter call for Tesla, his electric-vehicle maker. Sales of automobiles, which grew 16 percent year on year, were hardly discussed. Instead, the company is focused on energy storage, robotaxis and Optimus, its bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot.
If Tesla increasingly feels like a science project, all the more reason to think its natural home is under one roof with SpaceX, which last year merged with Musk’s social network and AI company xAI. SpaceX is set to list at what could be a near-$2tn valuation. The possibly sidelined electric-vehicle business still generates serious cash flow, even if sales have moderated from historic levels and factories are being retrofitted for robot production. (4/22)
Univity Funds VLEO 5G Demonstrators with $32 Million Raised (Source: Space News)
French startup Univity has raised around $32 million to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrators into very low Earth orbit next year, ahead of plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space. (4/23)
Ohio is Built for Space (Source: Jobs Ohio)
Whether your space company needs robust education and training, strong R&D, or access to mission-critical partners like the NASA Glenn Research Center, the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC), and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Ohio has it all. Our military and federal presence make Ohio a proving ground for space missions, while our world-class workforce, shovel-ready sites, and business-friendly policies ensure you can grow bigger and succeed faster. It’s no wonder space businesses soar in Ohio. (4/22)
Lawmakers Promise to Reject Proposed NASA Cuts—Again (Source: Payload)
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were committed to boosting NASA’s FY2027 budget, during a hearing on Wednesday. The Trump administration proposed an $18.8B NASA budget—a $5.6B cut from the funding level approved by Congress for FY2026. The topline funding level—and the proposed cuts—largely mirror the administration’s budget request last year for the space agency, which was overwhelmingly rejected by Congress. It sounds like history may repeat itself—at least, if it’s up to bipartisan members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. (4/22)
Space Force Awards Contracts to Leidos, MapLarge for ‘Battle Planning’ Software (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control — the process of understanding what is happening in orbit, deciding what it means and directing a response. (4/22)
Mars or the Moon or AI Musk's Changing Goals for SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
For years, SpaceX’s mission was clear: get humans to Mars. “The most powerful thing we could do is establish a second, self-sustaining civilization outside of Earth,” Elon Musk, SpaceX’s chief executive, told Forbes in 2003, a year after founding the company. “And the only place that’s really feasible is Mars.”
But over the last six months, Mr. Musk has shifted SpaceX’s priorities. Though the tech mogul once forecast that humans would take off for Mars as early as 2024, he has de-emphasized reaching the planet. Instead, SpaceX on Tuesday said it had struck a deal with the artificial intelligence start-up Cursor that could result in its acquiring the young company for $60 billion. And Mr. Musk, 54, has proposed other moonshots that could drive more attention and investment to SpaceX as it prepares for one of the largest-ever initial public offerings.
Among his pronouncements are A.I. data centers that could orbit Earth, moon-based factories and an A.I. chip manufacturing plant. The changing goals have caused whiplash. “It’s a hallucinogenic business plan,” said Ross Gerber, the chief executive of Gerber Kawasaki, an investment firm that owns SpaceX shares. He added that Mr. Musk “has lost his mind” as he tries to drum up excitement for the public offering. (4/22)
Eutelsat Signs New Broadcast Deals in Mexico and Caribbean (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat has announced three new broadcast deals this week in Mexico and the Caribbean. The satellite operator is to partner with Co-op Cable, introducing an expanded direct-to-home (DTH) and connectivity offering across the Caribbean using the Eutelsat 65 West A (E65WA) satellite. Co-op Cable aims to enhance its service portfolio to deliver bundled television and internet services, combining high-quality satellite TV distribution with advanced GEO-based connectivity. (4/22)
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 40th Starlink mission of the year when its Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday night. The Starlink 17-14 mission will add another 24 broadband internet satellites to the company’s low Earth orbit constellation, which consists of more than 10,200 spacecraft. (4/23)
April 22, 2026
Blue Origin Eyes BE-3U Thrust
Deficiency In New Glenn Launch Failure (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin says initial data suggests one of two BE-3U upper-stage engines did not deliver sufficient thrust to dispatch the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite to its intended orbit. The power issue occurred on the GS2 upper stage’s second burn, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said April 20. The issue has temporarily sidelined New Glenn as the company assesses what caused the malfunction. (4/22)
NASA Sets Early September Launch Date for Roman Space Telescope (Source: Space News)
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now scheduled for launch in early September as agency officials hail its early completion despite ongoing budget uncertainty for its science programs. NASA announced at a media event at the Goddard Space Flight Center April 21 that the space telescope had completed final assembly and testing ahead of shipment to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (4/22)
Northrop Grumman Takes $71 Million Charge on Vulcan Booster Issue (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman took a $71 million charge in the first quarter because of an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters on a Vulcan launch. The company said in its first quarter earnings announcement Tuesday it took the charge for "the evaluation and implementation of corrective actions for a solid rocket motor anomaly" involving its GEM 63XL booster. That booster is used on the Vulcan rocket, and on a February launch one of the boosters suffered an issue that caused it to shed debris but did not prevent the vehicle from completing its mission. Vulcan remains grounded as an investigation into the anomaly continues. (4/22)
China Backs Orbital Data Center Startup with $8.4 Billion in Credit Lines (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup has secured billions of dollars in credit lines to work on orbital data centers. Beijing Orbital Twilight Technology Co., Ltd., also known as Orbital Chenguang, announced the completion of a Pre-A1 funding round Monday. The company did not disclose the amount of money raised but said it has obtained strategic credit lines totaling 57.7 billion yuan ($8.4 billion) from 12 major financial institutions.
The startup appears to represent a commercial node within a broader state-backed effort to develop space-based data center infrastructure. Orbital Chenguang is incubated by the Beijing Astro-future Institute of Space Technology, which has proposed a constellation of orbital data center satellites in sun-synchronous orbits by 2035. (4/22)
Trump Nominates Raytheon Exec to Oversee Space Acquisition (Source: Space News)
President Donald Trump has nominated Erich Hernandez-Baquero, a Raytheon executive, as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. If confirmed, Hernandez-Baquero will oversee the US military's procurement and deployment of space systems. (4/21)
FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Approval for Direct-to-Cell 248 Satellite Constellation (Source: Douglas Messier)
AST SpaceMobile announced that the FCC has granted its application to modify its authorization to launch and operate its SpaceMobile non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system in low Earth orbit (LEO). The authorization enables AST SpaceMobile to deploy and operate an NGSO constellation of up to 248 satellites to deliver Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) directly to unmodified mobile devices across the US. (4/22)
Trump Budget Would Halt TraCSS Work for Space Traffic Management (Source: Space News)
The Commerce Department's budget proposal would halt work on the TraCSS space traffic coordination system. The detailed budget, released Tuesday includes $11 million for the Office of Space Commerce, only a small amount of which would go toward TraCSS. The proposal states that the office will effectively put TraCSS on hold while it considers alternative approaches for running the system. That includes the potential for funding the system through user fees. (4/22)
DoD Provides Some Specifics on $1.5 Trillion FY-27 Budget Request (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has outlined plans to seek nearly $1.5 trillion in fiscal year 2027, including a major increase in Space Force spending. The $1.45 trillion request for defense for fiscal year 2027 represents a $440.9 billion or a 44% increase from 2026. The U.S. Space Force would see its budget climb to $71.2 billion, more than double the roughly $32 billion enacted for 2026. The service plans to add about 2,800 personnel, while supporting 31 national security space launches and investing $2.2 billion to modernize U.S. launch ranges. Of the $71.2 billion proposed for the Space Force, over $12 billion would come through a budget reconciliation package separate from the standard appropriations process. (4/22)
Pentagon Fiscal ’27 Budget Aims to ‘Operationalize’ Golden Dome (Source: Aerospace America)
The $17.9 billion sought for Golden Dome in fiscal year 2027 would allow the Pentagon to “operationalize” the proposed missile defense shield, according to briefing materials released. This funding would also allow the Pentagon to hire 506 full-time, civilian employees “to support Golden Dome for America and accelerate homeland missile defense development,” according to budget documents released today by the U.S. Defense Department. (4/22)
Space Force Budget Includes $1.8 Billion To Modernize Launch at Vandenberg And Cape Canaveral (Source: Defense Daily)
Part of the Department of the Air Force's $13.6 billion operations and maintenance (O&M) budget in fiscal 2027 for facility improvements--a $7.2 billion increase from last year's appropriation--is to bolster support infrastructure to handle an expected increase in launches. The $13.6 billion includes $7.5 billion in discretionary funding and another $6.1 billion in a future reconciliation bill. (4/22)
Canadian Bill Aims to Spur Space Launches (Source: CBC)
A new bill is intended to encourage the development of Canadian space launches. The Canadian Space Launch Act, introduced Tuesday by Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, is intended to foster domestic launches in the country. It would create a new regulatory framework for launches and reentries, as well as set financial responsibility and indemnification requirements. (4/22)
Astronauts Join to Promote US Civics and Score Politicians (Source: Wall Street Journal)
More than 100 former astronauts have established a nonpartisan group intended to promote civil responsibility. Astronauts For America, whose members include former NASA astronauts who identify as Democrats, Republicans and independents, says it will develop scorecards to assess politicians on adherence to the rule of law, promoting civil discourse and willingness to work on a bipartisan basis. In an open letter, the former astronauts warned of "a steady erosion of our founding values and principles that weakens our democratic systems" but did not single out any particular politician. (4/22)
Estonians at European Space Agency Help Turn Space Dreams Into Reality (Source: ERR)
A group of Estonians working at a European Space Agency research hub in the Netherlands are helping design, test and launch missions, bringing complex space systems to life. They are part of the team at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC), the agency's main research hub, where about 3,200 staff develop satellites and missions from concept to launch.
Estonia joined the ESA in 2015. The agency serves as Europe's multinational counterpart to NASA and other countries' national space agencies, with its ESTEC center, located just north of The Hague, focused on satellite design, development and testing. (4/20)
Ukraine’s Cyber Division Infiltrates Russian Military Satellite Comms “Gonets” in Multi-Year Breach (Source: United 24)
Ukrainian cyber specialists reportedly have breached “Gonets,” a Russian low-orbit satellite communications system marketed as Moscow’s answer to Starlink. Specialists have secured highly classified internal documents over a multi-year intelligence operation. The joint CYBINT (Cyber Intelligence) operation was conducted by the 256th Cyber Assault Division, the “Ukrainian Militant” analytical group, and the InformNapalm intelligence community. (4/21)
Musk and Insiders to Retain Voting Control of SpaceX After IPO, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX plans to cement founder Elon Musk's control after its IPO, granting him and a small group of insiders super-voting shares that will outweigh other investors, according to excerpts of the company's IPO filing. The prospectus, which was confidentially filed this month, provides fresh details of the company’s financials and corporate governance. Upon completion of the offering, Musk will stay on as chief executive officer, chief technical officer, and will serve as chairman of SpaceX’s nine-member board of directors. (4/21)
Number of Launches Expected to Soar From Virginia Spaceport Soon (Source: WAVY)
Seeing a rocket pass by in the predawn sky can be exciting, but seeing one from the Eastern Shore is even better, with the opportunity to do so expected to increase significantly in the years ahead. Rocket Lab recently announced that there would be at least 20 launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the years ahead — a big deal for Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO and executive director Ted Mercer said the spaceport is ready for the new rapid launch schedule. And they have been practicing how fast they can turn around a launch pad. (4/20)
Space Exploration Without Government (Source: Townhall)
Private spaceflight has a long tradition. And today it clearly dominates over state-led spaceflight. Of the 324 rocket launches worldwide last year, 165 were carried out by SpaceX. This means that a private company conducted more rocket launches than all the countries of the world combined. After SpaceX, in second place, comes the private company of the New Zealander Peter Beck, Rocket Lab. It carried out 21 successful rocket launches, almost three times as many as Europe. And of the roughly 15,000 active satellites in space, 10,000 alone are Starlink satellites.
If, in 100 years, people look back on the history of space exploration and spaceflight, the years from 1960 to 2010—when state-led spaceflight clearly dominated—may be seen as the exception. But for private spaceflight and projects such as asteroid mining or even the settlement of the Moon and Mars to have a future, one crucial condition must be met: it must be possible to acquire—or claim—land on celestial bodies as property. Under the Outer Space Treaty, this is prohibited for states, and it remains unclear whether this prohibition also applies to private individuals. But without private property, no economic system on Earth functions—why should socialism suddenly work in space? (4/21)
An Unhinged Journey Through NASA’s Manic Photo Publishing System (Source: Peta Pixel)
NASA’s historic Artemis II mission delivered many absolutely spectacular photos and inspired a new generation of people to love space exploration. It also provided a fresh opportunity to explore the often confusing, disjointed landscape that is NASA’s photo publishing system. NASA is a great organization full of exceptional people doing incredible work. However, as the Artemis II image onslaught showed, it’s not always as easy as it should be to actually see that important, often beautiful, work.
For example, when the Artemis II crew’s first photos from space were downstreamed to Earth, it was a mad rush to share them. One image ended up on NASA’s excellent Image of the Day page in Full HD resolution. Others wound up on a dedicated webpage, “Artemis II Journey to the Moon,” which is very hard to get to unless you stumble upon a link somewhere else. Then there is, of course, NASA Images, which can be accessed directly from the NASA website homepage through the top nav bar. Eventually, many images also end up on NASA’s Flickr page. (4/20)
Resilient Fungus Might Survive Mars and Space (Source: ASM)
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published this week, researchers isolated fungal microbes from NASA cleanrooms—facilities used in the assembly, testing and launch of spacecraft—that had persisted after decontamination. When subjected to simulations of the harsh pressure, temperature and radiation conditions of space travel and Mars, asexual reproductive spores called conidia, of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus, survived. (4/20)
Scientists Found a 'Bathtub Ring' on Mars. Could it be Evidence of an Ancient Red Planet Ocean? (Source: Space.com)
A huge geological structure on Mars resembling a bathtub ring may be evidence of an ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet's surface, a new study finds. Decades of previous research have suggested that although Mars is now famously the "Red Planet," it once possessed liquid water on its surface. However, it remains uncertain whether that water was limited to lakes and streams, or if there was enough to form long-lasting oceans. Solving this mystery could shed light on whether ancient Mars once hosted life as we know it.
Past missions to Mars have discovered many geological features that resemble shorelines. However, the shorelines are found at varying elevations across the planet. If they were truly signs of a stable ocean, they would ideally all line up at the same elevation in much the same way sea levels are consistent on Earth. (4/20)
ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Turns Cambridge Into a Launchpad for Space Innovation (Source: CASIS)
On April 23 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the ISS National Lab's Orbital Edge Accelerator hosts a networking event connecting founders, venture investors, and industry leaders building space-enabled companies. The event provides an inside look at the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator, which offers more than $500,000 per project in private capital, mentorship, and access to space-based testing aboard the ISS National Lab. (4/21)
Zeno Power Completes Final Design Review for Space Nuclear Battery to Power Lunar Missions (Source: Douglas Messier)
Zeno Power announced the successful completion of the Final Design Review (FDR) for its space nuclear battery being developed under NASA’s Harmonia Radioisotope Power System for Artemis Tipping Point program. The milestone confirms the system design meets all performance requirements, delivers 3.5 times the originally specified power output, and advances the program into build and fabrication phases. Zeno and partners will complete a terrestrial demonstration of the system in early 2027, advancing the technology toward flight qualification for lunar missions beginning in 2028. (4/21)
What Christina Koch Said About Leaving Earth Is Hitting People Hard (Source: Men's Journal)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned from the historic Artemis II lunar flyby mission with a wealth of new research for scientists to explore — and with a new perspective about life on Earth. One week since the crew’s return to Earth, Koch posted an emotional message on social media — acknowledging the beauty of the simple things in life.
“This moment,” Koch wrote on Instagram. “People often ask if I was scared. My answer is I was aware of the risks. When I left my home for the last time on March 27, I looked around and thought about how much I loved my humble little life. Unexpectedly, a part of me started to miss it terribly for the small chance in the future that could come to be. I know a morning cup of coffee on the porch with your best friend is a simple and universally small thing. But it is also everything.” (4/19)
Blue Origin’s Failure May Hamstring NASA’s Moon Plans (Source: New York Times)
A rocket built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company appeared to launch perfectly on Sunday, its booster even landing successfully on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. A few hours later, however, it became clear that all had not gone well. The massive New Glenn rocket had failed in its primary task: putting a commercial satellite into the proper orbit. This is a setback not only for Blue Origin, but also possibly NASA. Although the space agency played no role in Sunday’s mission, it is counting on Blue Origin to support the Artemis moon program. (4/21)
NASA’s New Superalloy (Source: Aerospace America)
The heat inside the combustion chamber of a rocket or turbine engine can create a hellscape for metal components, with temperatures often exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. To ensure the injectors, nozzles, preburners, shrouds and turbine blades can withstand the heat, engine designers and builders have long relied on two kinds of superalloy metal mixtures — but neither amounts to a perfect solution. Nickel-based mixtures are relatively cheap but weaken at temperatures over 1,000 C, degrees, whereas superalloys of refractory metals like niobium remain strong above 1,000 C but are up to 100 times more expensive, plus they’re corrosion-prone.
NASA might soon be able to offer a better alternative: GRX-810, a nickel-based superalloy in formulation over the last several years that combines the best attributes of today’s alloys. Early tests indicate the material retains its strength above 1,000 C while also remaining resistant to corrosion. The current phase of testing seeks to address the cost portion of the equation. Since October, researchers have been evaluating a new manufacturing method that, if successful, could expand the use of GRX-810. (3/30)
Mirroring Mango Salad: How ISS Culture Shaped Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
During the Artemis 2 missions, the astronauts in Orion made a call to their counterparts on the International Space Station. Deana Weibel explains how the experience of the ISS means the Artemis astronauts are very different from those of the Apollo era. Click here. (4/21)
Big Little Rocket: The N1 Moon Rocket and the Cognitive Dissonance of Spy Satellite Photography (Source: Space Review)
For years, most of the information about the Soviet Union’s N1 rocket came from satellite images. Dwayne Day discusses how new images of the N1 are emerging to provide new insights about the Moon rocket. Click here. (4/21)
Commercial Space Station Developers Make Their Business Case to NASA (Source: Space Review)
Last month, NASA proposed major changes to its program supporting the development of commercial space stations, arguing markets for them have not emerged. Jeff Foust reports from a conference last week where several space station developers made their case there are markets. Click here. (4/21)
When the Orbital Layer is the Kill Chain (Source: Space Review)
Experts have debated the role that artificial intelligence has played in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Bharath Gopalaswamy argues that the debate ignores the enabling role of space capabilities, which bring with them new challenges and vulnerabilities. Click here. (4/21)
SpaceX is Working with Cursor and Has an Option to Buy the Startup for $60 Billion (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX said it has struck a deal with Cursor to develop a next generation “coding and knowledge work AI,” which includes a surprising provision—an option to buy the popular software development platform for $60 billion later this year. Partnering with and potentially purchasing a leader in the hottest AI product category can only be seen in the context of SpaceX’s much-anticipated public offering. Investors seeking more value in the IPO might see its engagement with Cursor as another way to extract value from Elon Musk’s increasingly sprawling tech conglomerate. (4/21)
UK Space Command: Allies Should Assume the US Role in Space Control Will Diminish (Source: Space Intel Report)
The chief of UK Space Command said US allies need to ratchet up their investment in space control on the assumption that US will be reducing its effort. “For many years we have benefited from assured space control, but delivered by the United States,” Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman said. “And of course there is no infinite capacity in the United States to do that, so we need to do better burden-share on that.” (4/21)
NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Building Blocks of Life on Mars. Scientists Aren't Sure How They Got There (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has found a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. The finding marks the first time a new kind of chemical experiment has been performed on another planet. (4/21)
Spain’s Pangea Propulsion Secures €2 Million From the Catalan Government (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Catalan government has agreed to provide Pangea Propulsion with €2 million in financing to expand its manufacturing and testing capacity. Founded in 2018 as Pangea Aerospace, Pangea Propulsion initially developed a small launch vehicle called Meso, a project it abandoned in 2023 to focus on offering propulsion solutions. In 2025, the company closed a €23 million Series A funding round and secured a €7.27 million grant from the Spanish government’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. (4/21)
China Unveils a Massive 5-Meter Composite Module for its Next-Generation Reusable Rocket (Source: Universe Today)
So far, America has remained ahead in the new space race. But its biggest rival is making continual steps to catch up. China announced another step in that direction with the unveiling of its first ever reusable five-meter-wide composite propulsion module, announced in a press release on April 11th.
The module was designed by the China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC), the primary state contractor for the Chinese space program. Specifically, it was developed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is also known as the First Academy of the CASC. It marks the largest integrated composite structure ever manufactured domestically for China’s aerospace sector. The first prototype was completed in just seven months, from initial design to delivery, underscoring the rapid development timeline. (4/21)
KACST and ispace Sign Strategic Partnership to Collaborate on the Development of Lunar Exploration Technologies in Saudi Arabia, Riyad (Source: Spacewatch Africa)
Japan's ispace announced the signing of a strategic partnership with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in its capacity as the national laboratory and innovation park in Saudi Arabia, to expand cooperation in the development of lunar exploration technologies and build national capabilities in this field, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. (4/20)
ESA Contracts Kepler-Led Consortium for the Third Phase of the HydRON Laser Communications Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ESA has awarded Kepler €18.6 million to lead the next phase of HydRON, its high-throughput laser communications network for satellite constellations. (4/21)
Blue Origin says initial data suggests one of two BE-3U upper-stage engines did not deliver sufficient thrust to dispatch the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite to its intended orbit. The power issue occurred on the GS2 upper stage’s second burn, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said April 20. The issue has temporarily sidelined New Glenn as the company assesses what caused the malfunction. (4/22)
NASA Sets Early September Launch Date for Roman Space Telescope (Source: Space News)
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now scheduled for launch in early September as agency officials hail its early completion despite ongoing budget uncertainty for its science programs. NASA announced at a media event at the Goddard Space Flight Center April 21 that the space telescope had completed final assembly and testing ahead of shipment to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (4/22)
Northrop Grumman Takes $71 Million Charge on Vulcan Booster Issue (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman took a $71 million charge in the first quarter because of an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters on a Vulcan launch. The company said in its first quarter earnings announcement Tuesday it took the charge for "the evaluation and implementation of corrective actions for a solid rocket motor anomaly" involving its GEM 63XL booster. That booster is used on the Vulcan rocket, and on a February launch one of the boosters suffered an issue that caused it to shed debris but did not prevent the vehicle from completing its mission. Vulcan remains grounded as an investigation into the anomaly continues. (4/22)
China Backs Orbital Data Center Startup with $8.4 Billion in Credit Lines (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup has secured billions of dollars in credit lines to work on orbital data centers. Beijing Orbital Twilight Technology Co., Ltd., also known as Orbital Chenguang, announced the completion of a Pre-A1 funding round Monday. The company did not disclose the amount of money raised but said it has obtained strategic credit lines totaling 57.7 billion yuan ($8.4 billion) from 12 major financial institutions.
The startup appears to represent a commercial node within a broader state-backed effort to develop space-based data center infrastructure. Orbital Chenguang is incubated by the Beijing Astro-future Institute of Space Technology, which has proposed a constellation of orbital data center satellites in sun-synchronous orbits by 2035. (4/22)
Trump Nominates Raytheon Exec to Oversee Space Acquisition (Source: Space News)
President Donald Trump has nominated Erich Hernandez-Baquero, a Raytheon executive, as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. If confirmed, Hernandez-Baquero will oversee the US military's procurement and deployment of space systems. (4/21)
FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Approval for Direct-to-Cell 248 Satellite Constellation (Source: Douglas Messier)
AST SpaceMobile announced that the FCC has granted its application to modify its authorization to launch and operate its SpaceMobile non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system in low Earth orbit (LEO). The authorization enables AST SpaceMobile to deploy and operate an NGSO constellation of up to 248 satellites to deliver Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) directly to unmodified mobile devices across the US. (4/22)
Trump Budget Would Halt TraCSS Work for Space Traffic Management (Source: Space News)
The Commerce Department's budget proposal would halt work on the TraCSS space traffic coordination system. The detailed budget, released Tuesday includes $11 million for the Office of Space Commerce, only a small amount of which would go toward TraCSS. The proposal states that the office will effectively put TraCSS on hold while it considers alternative approaches for running the system. That includes the potential for funding the system through user fees. (4/22)
DoD Provides Some Specifics on $1.5 Trillion FY-27 Budget Request (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has outlined plans to seek nearly $1.5 trillion in fiscal year 2027, including a major increase in Space Force spending. The $1.45 trillion request for defense for fiscal year 2027 represents a $440.9 billion or a 44% increase from 2026. The U.S. Space Force would see its budget climb to $71.2 billion, more than double the roughly $32 billion enacted for 2026. The service plans to add about 2,800 personnel, while supporting 31 national security space launches and investing $2.2 billion to modernize U.S. launch ranges. Of the $71.2 billion proposed for the Space Force, over $12 billion would come through a budget reconciliation package separate from the standard appropriations process. (4/22)
Pentagon Fiscal ’27 Budget Aims to ‘Operationalize’ Golden Dome (Source: Aerospace America)
The $17.9 billion sought for Golden Dome in fiscal year 2027 would allow the Pentagon to “operationalize” the proposed missile defense shield, according to briefing materials released. This funding would also allow the Pentagon to hire 506 full-time, civilian employees “to support Golden Dome for America and accelerate homeland missile defense development,” according to budget documents released today by the U.S. Defense Department. (4/22)
Space Force Budget Includes $1.8 Billion To Modernize Launch at Vandenberg And Cape Canaveral (Source: Defense Daily)
Part of the Department of the Air Force's $13.6 billion operations and maintenance (O&M) budget in fiscal 2027 for facility improvements--a $7.2 billion increase from last year's appropriation--is to bolster support infrastructure to handle an expected increase in launches. The $13.6 billion includes $7.5 billion in discretionary funding and another $6.1 billion in a future reconciliation bill. (4/22)
Canadian Bill Aims to Spur Space Launches (Source: CBC)
A new bill is intended to encourage the development of Canadian space launches. The Canadian Space Launch Act, introduced Tuesday by Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, is intended to foster domestic launches in the country. It would create a new regulatory framework for launches and reentries, as well as set financial responsibility and indemnification requirements. (4/22)
Astronauts Join to Promote US Civics and Score Politicians (Source: Wall Street Journal)
More than 100 former astronauts have established a nonpartisan group intended to promote civil responsibility. Astronauts For America, whose members include former NASA astronauts who identify as Democrats, Republicans and independents, says it will develop scorecards to assess politicians on adherence to the rule of law, promoting civil discourse and willingness to work on a bipartisan basis. In an open letter, the former astronauts warned of "a steady erosion of our founding values and principles that weakens our democratic systems" but did not single out any particular politician. (4/22)
Estonians at European Space Agency Help Turn Space Dreams Into Reality (Source: ERR)
A group of Estonians working at a European Space Agency research hub in the Netherlands are helping design, test and launch missions, bringing complex space systems to life. They are part of the team at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC), the agency's main research hub, where about 3,200 staff develop satellites and missions from concept to launch.
Estonia joined the ESA in 2015. The agency serves as Europe's multinational counterpart to NASA and other countries' national space agencies, with its ESTEC center, located just north of The Hague, focused on satellite design, development and testing. (4/20)
Ukraine’s Cyber Division Infiltrates Russian Military Satellite Comms “Gonets” in Multi-Year Breach (Source: United 24)
Ukrainian cyber specialists reportedly have breached “Gonets,” a Russian low-orbit satellite communications system marketed as Moscow’s answer to Starlink. Specialists have secured highly classified internal documents over a multi-year intelligence operation. The joint CYBINT (Cyber Intelligence) operation was conducted by the 256th Cyber Assault Division, the “Ukrainian Militant” analytical group, and the InformNapalm intelligence community. (4/21)
Musk and Insiders to Retain Voting Control of SpaceX After IPO, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX plans to cement founder Elon Musk's control after its IPO, granting him and a small group of insiders super-voting shares that will outweigh other investors, according to excerpts of the company's IPO filing. The prospectus, which was confidentially filed this month, provides fresh details of the company’s financials and corporate governance. Upon completion of the offering, Musk will stay on as chief executive officer, chief technical officer, and will serve as chairman of SpaceX’s nine-member board of directors. (4/21)
Number of Launches Expected to Soar From Virginia Spaceport Soon (Source: WAVY)
Seeing a rocket pass by in the predawn sky can be exciting, but seeing one from the Eastern Shore is even better, with the opportunity to do so expected to increase significantly in the years ahead. Rocket Lab recently announced that there would be at least 20 launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the years ahead — a big deal for Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO and executive director Ted Mercer said the spaceport is ready for the new rapid launch schedule. And they have been practicing how fast they can turn around a launch pad. (4/20)
Space Exploration Without Government (Source: Townhall)
Private spaceflight has a long tradition. And today it clearly dominates over state-led spaceflight. Of the 324 rocket launches worldwide last year, 165 were carried out by SpaceX. This means that a private company conducted more rocket launches than all the countries of the world combined. After SpaceX, in second place, comes the private company of the New Zealander Peter Beck, Rocket Lab. It carried out 21 successful rocket launches, almost three times as many as Europe. And of the roughly 15,000 active satellites in space, 10,000 alone are Starlink satellites.
If, in 100 years, people look back on the history of space exploration and spaceflight, the years from 1960 to 2010—when state-led spaceflight clearly dominated—may be seen as the exception. But for private spaceflight and projects such as asteroid mining or even the settlement of the Moon and Mars to have a future, one crucial condition must be met: it must be possible to acquire—or claim—land on celestial bodies as property. Under the Outer Space Treaty, this is prohibited for states, and it remains unclear whether this prohibition also applies to private individuals. But without private property, no economic system on Earth functions—why should socialism suddenly work in space? (4/21)
An Unhinged Journey Through NASA’s Manic Photo Publishing System (Source: Peta Pixel)
NASA’s historic Artemis II mission delivered many absolutely spectacular photos and inspired a new generation of people to love space exploration. It also provided a fresh opportunity to explore the often confusing, disjointed landscape that is NASA’s photo publishing system. NASA is a great organization full of exceptional people doing incredible work. However, as the Artemis II image onslaught showed, it’s not always as easy as it should be to actually see that important, often beautiful, work.
For example, when the Artemis II crew’s first photos from space were downstreamed to Earth, it was a mad rush to share them. One image ended up on NASA’s excellent Image of the Day page in Full HD resolution. Others wound up on a dedicated webpage, “Artemis II Journey to the Moon,” which is very hard to get to unless you stumble upon a link somewhere else. Then there is, of course, NASA Images, which can be accessed directly from the NASA website homepage through the top nav bar. Eventually, many images also end up on NASA’s Flickr page. (4/20)
Resilient Fungus Might Survive Mars and Space (Source: ASM)
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published this week, researchers isolated fungal microbes from NASA cleanrooms—facilities used in the assembly, testing and launch of spacecraft—that had persisted after decontamination. When subjected to simulations of the harsh pressure, temperature and radiation conditions of space travel and Mars, asexual reproductive spores called conidia, of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus, survived. (4/20)
Scientists Found a 'Bathtub Ring' on Mars. Could it be Evidence of an Ancient Red Planet Ocean? (Source: Space.com)
A huge geological structure on Mars resembling a bathtub ring may be evidence of an ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet's surface, a new study finds. Decades of previous research have suggested that although Mars is now famously the "Red Planet," it once possessed liquid water on its surface. However, it remains uncertain whether that water was limited to lakes and streams, or if there was enough to form long-lasting oceans. Solving this mystery could shed light on whether ancient Mars once hosted life as we know it.
Past missions to Mars have discovered many geological features that resemble shorelines. However, the shorelines are found at varying elevations across the planet. If they were truly signs of a stable ocean, they would ideally all line up at the same elevation in much the same way sea levels are consistent on Earth. (4/20)
ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Turns Cambridge Into a Launchpad for Space Innovation (Source: CASIS)
On April 23 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the ISS National Lab's Orbital Edge Accelerator hosts a networking event connecting founders, venture investors, and industry leaders building space-enabled companies. The event provides an inside look at the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator, which offers more than $500,000 per project in private capital, mentorship, and access to space-based testing aboard the ISS National Lab. (4/21)
Zeno Power Completes Final Design Review for Space Nuclear Battery to Power Lunar Missions (Source: Douglas Messier)
Zeno Power announced the successful completion of the Final Design Review (FDR) for its space nuclear battery being developed under NASA’s Harmonia Radioisotope Power System for Artemis Tipping Point program. The milestone confirms the system design meets all performance requirements, delivers 3.5 times the originally specified power output, and advances the program into build and fabrication phases. Zeno and partners will complete a terrestrial demonstration of the system in early 2027, advancing the technology toward flight qualification for lunar missions beginning in 2028. (4/21)
What Christina Koch Said About Leaving Earth Is Hitting People Hard (Source: Men's Journal)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned from the historic Artemis II lunar flyby mission with a wealth of new research for scientists to explore — and with a new perspective about life on Earth. One week since the crew’s return to Earth, Koch posted an emotional message on social media — acknowledging the beauty of the simple things in life.
“This moment,” Koch wrote on Instagram. “People often ask if I was scared. My answer is I was aware of the risks. When I left my home for the last time on March 27, I looked around and thought about how much I loved my humble little life. Unexpectedly, a part of me started to miss it terribly for the small chance in the future that could come to be. I know a morning cup of coffee on the porch with your best friend is a simple and universally small thing. But it is also everything.” (4/19)
Blue Origin’s Failure May Hamstring NASA’s Moon Plans (Source: New York Times)
A rocket built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company appeared to launch perfectly on Sunday, its booster even landing successfully on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. A few hours later, however, it became clear that all had not gone well. The massive New Glenn rocket had failed in its primary task: putting a commercial satellite into the proper orbit. This is a setback not only for Blue Origin, but also possibly NASA. Although the space agency played no role in Sunday’s mission, it is counting on Blue Origin to support the Artemis moon program. (4/21)
NASA’s New Superalloy (Source: Aerospace America)
The heat inside the combustion chamber of a rocket or turbine engine can create a hellscape for metal components, with temperatures often exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. To ensure the injectors, nozzles, preburners, shrouds and turbine blades can withstand the heat, engine designers and builders have long relied on two kinds of superalloy metal mixtures — but neither amounts to a perfect solution. Nickel-based mixtures are relatively cheap but weaken at temperatures over 1,000 C, degrees, whereas superalloys of refractory metals like niobium remain strong above 1,000 C but are up to 100 times more expensive, plus they’re corrosion-prone.
NASA might soon be able to offer a better alternative: GRX-810, a nickel-based superalloy in formulation over the last several years that combines the best attributes of today’s alloys. Early tests indicate the material retains its strength above 1,000 C while also remaining resistant to corrosion. The current phase of testing seeks to address the cost portion of the equation. Since October, researchers have been evaluating a new manufacturing method that, if successful, could expand the use of GRX-810. (3/30)
Mirroring Mango Salad: How ISS Culture Shaped Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
During the Artemis 2 missions, the astronauts in Orion made a call to their counterparts on the International Space Station. Deana Weibel explains how the experience of the ISS means the Artemis astronauts are very different from those of the Apollo era. Click here. (4/21)
Big Little Rocket: The N1 Moon Rocket and the Cognitive Dissonance of Spy Satellite Photography (Source: Space Review)
For years, most of the information about the Soviet Union’s N1 rocket came from satellite images. Dwayne Day discusses how new images of the N1 are emerging to provide new insights about the Moon rocket. Click here. (4/21)
Commercial Space Station Developers Make Their Business Case to NASA (Source: Space Review)
Last month, NASA proposed major changes to its program supporting the development of commercial space stations, arguing markets for them have not emerged. Jeff Foust reports from a conference last week where several space station developers made their case there are markets. Click here. (4/21)
When the Orbital Layer is the Kill Chain (Source: Space Review)
Experts have debated the role that artificial intelligence has played in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Bharath Gopalaswamy argues that the debate ignores the enabling role of space capabilities, which bring with them new challenges and vulnerabilities. Click here. (4/21)
SpaceX is Working with Cursor and Has an Option to Buy the Startup for $60 Billion (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX said it has struck a deal with Cursor to develop a next generation “coding and knowledge work AI,” which includes a surprising provision—an option to buy the popular software development platform for $60 billion later this year. Partnering with and potentially purchasing a leader in the hottest AI product category can only be seen in the context of SpaceX’s much-anticipated public offering. Investors seeking more value in the IPO might see its engagement with Cursor as another way to extract value from Elon Musk’s increasingly sprawling tech conglomerate. (4/21)
UK Space Command: Allies Should Assume the US Role in Space Control Will Diminish (Source: Space Intel Report)
The chief of UK Space Command said US allies need to ratchet up their investment in space control on the assumption that US will be reducing its effort. “For many years we have benefited from assured space control, but delivered by the United States,” Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman said. “And of course there is no infinite capacity in the United States to do that, so we need to do better burden-share on that.” (4/21)
NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Building Blocks of Life on Mars. Scientists Aren't Sure How They Got There (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has found a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. The finding marks the first time a new kind of chemical experiment has been performed on another planet. (4/21)
Spain’s Pangea Propulsion Secures €2 Million From the Catalan Government (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Catalan government has agreed to provide Pangea Propulsion with €2 million in financing to expand its manufacturing and testing capacity. Founded in 2018 as Pangea Aerospace, Pangea Propulsion initially developed a small launch vehicle called Meso, a project it abandoned in 2023 to focus on offering propulsion solutions. In 2025, the company closed a €23 million Series A funding round and secured a €7.27 million grant from the Spanish government’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. (4/21)
China Unveils a Massive 5-Meter Composite Module for its Next-Generation Reusable Rocket (Source: Universe Today)
So far, America has remained ahead in the new space race. But its biggest rival is making continual steps to catch up. China announced another step in that direction with the unveiling of its first ever reusable five-meter-wide composite propulsion module, announced in a press release on April 11th.
The module was designed by the China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC), the primary state contractor for the Chinese space program. Specifically, it was developed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is also known as the First Academy of the CASC. It marks the largest integrated composite structure ever manufactured domestically for China’s aerospace sector. The first prototype was completed in just seven months, from initial design to delivery, underscoring the rapid development timeline. (4/21)
KACST and ispace Sign Strategic Partnership to Collaborate on the Development of Lunar Exploration Technologies in Saudi Arabia, Riyad (Source: Spacewatch Africa)
Japan's ispace announced the signing of a strategic partnership with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in its capacity as the national laboratory and innovation park in Saudi Arabia, to expand cooperation in the development of lunar exploration technologies and build national capabilities in this field, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. (4/20)
ESA Contracts Kepler-Led Consortium for the Third Phase of the HydRON Laser Communications Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ESA has awarded Kepler €18.6 million to lead the next phase of HydRON, its high-throughput laser communications network for satellite constellations. (4/21)
April 21, 2026
Artemis Spacesuit Development Risks
Further Delays (Source: Space News)
Spacesuits needed for Artemis lunar missions may not be ready in time, NASA's inspector general warned Monday. The report by the agency's Office of Inspector General noted that work on the Artemis lunar spacesuit by Axiom Space was already more than a year behind schedule.
If the suit's development follows average timelines for recent spaceflight programs, the report concluded the suit may not be ready until 2031, three years later than the current schedule for the first crewed Artemis lunar landing. The conclusion contrasts with claims by Axiom and NASA that spacesuit development is going well, with an in-space test planned in 2027. Administrator Jared Isaacman said he was confident the suit would be ready for the Artemis 4 lunar landing mission in 2028. (4/21)
FAA Grounds New Glenn After Upper Stage Mishap (Source: BBC)
Blue Origin's newest rocket has been grounded after the FAA ordered an investigation into a "mishap" involving the failed launch of a satellite. Blue Origin's chief executive Dave Limp said the failure was caused by a lack of "sufficient thrust" in an engine. The FAA is requiring Blue Origin to conduct a mishap investigation. The FAA will oversee the Blue Origin-led investigation, be involved in every step of the process and approve Blue Origin's final report, including any corrective actions. (4/21)
SpaceX Launches Final GPS III Satellite for the U.S. Space Force (Source: Spaceflight Now)
The U.S. Space Force launched its final Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite into medium Earth orbit in the predawn hours of Tuesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff was from LC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (4/21)
DoD Ends Troubled RTX GPS Program (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has officially ended a program to develop a next-generation GPS ground system after extensive overruns. The Defense Department said Monday it has formally terminated the Next Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, ending a 15-year effort to modernize the ground system for GPS. OCX was intended to replace the current GPS ground system, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan, as well as the separate system used for launch, anomaly response and satellite disposal.
Officials concluded the system could not deliver the required capabilities on a timeline or at a level of risk acceptable to support the modernization of the GPS constellation. The program, led by RTX, was awarded in 2010 and had accumulated costs of about $6.27 billion as of January 2026, including government testing and program support expenses. The Space Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $105 million contract to continue upgrading the existing Architecture Evolution Plan system as an alternative to OCX. (4/21)
Canada's NordSpace to Develop VLEO Satellite for Canada's Military (Source: Space News)
Canadian startup NordSpace has won funding from the Canadian military to study a very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite. The company announced a one-year contract Tuesday worth around $183,000 from Canada's Department of National Defence to advance conceptual technologies toward hardware tests. The company said the study will advance technologies that are critical for a proposed VLEO constellation called Kestrel that it aims to begin deploying from 2028 to provide low-latency, 10-centimeter spatial resolution imaging. (4/21)
Japan's H3 Could Fly Again in Summer After December Failure (Source: Kyodo)
Japan's H3 rocket could return to flight in June. The Japanese space agency JAXA is considering a launch of the rocket in June with a test payload designed to collect data on the vehicle. The H3 has been grounded since a launch failure in December linked to structural flaws in the rocket's payload adapter. (4/21)
Russian Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the ISS on Monday. The Progress MS-32 spacecraft, called Progress 93 by NASA, undocked from the station's Zvezda module for a planned destructive reentry. The spacecraft arrived at the station in September with about three tons of cargo. A new Progress mission, Progress MS-34, is scheduled to launch to the station this weekend. (4/21)
China Ramps Up Satellite Manufacture (Source: Space News)
China is ramping up its ability to mass-manufacture satellites to support constellations. Chinese space industry outlet Hello Space has identified at least 55 satellite factories in China, with 36 already in operation. According to the analysis, this provides a total production capacity of 4,050 satellites per year from the already operational facilities, with a projected additional capacity of 3,310 satellites from the future factories.
This is in part to help meet the requirements of the Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellations, which are planned to comprise a total of 28,000 satellites, as well as future proposed systems. However, the number of satellites actually reaching orbit is far lower than that capacity, thanks to launch constraints and the still-maturing commercial viability of large satellite constellations. (4/20)
Russia Launches Military Payload on Soyuz Rocket (Source: Russian Space Web)
A Soyuz rocket launched a Russian military payload. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome Thursday at 7:17 p.m. Eastern carrying a classified mission for the Russian Ministry of Defense. By Saturday, the U.S. Space Force had tracked 10 objects from the launch in two sets of inclinations, suggesting a plane-change maneuver by the rocket's Volga upper stage during the flight. (4/20)
China Extends Astronaut Stay on TSS (Source: Space News)
Chinese astronauts currently on the Tiangong space station will spend an extra month there. The three astronauts, who arrived at the station in late October on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft for a six-month stay, will now return by late May. That is linked to a switch in spacecraft for their return: Shenzhou-21 was used by the astronauts who arrived on Shenzhou-20 after that spacecraft suffered damage from a micrometeoroid or orbital debris impact. China launched the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft in late November that will be used by the current crew. (4/20)
NASA Switches Off Voyager 1 Instrument as Power Levels Decline (Source: NASA)
NASA has turned off an instrument on Voyager 1 as that spacecraft's power levels decline. NASA announced Friday it turned off the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) experiment to conserve power after an unexpected dip in power readings on the spacecraft in late February during a routine maneuver. The version of LECP on Voyager 2 was turned off last year. The two Voyager spacecraft use radioisotope thermoelectric generators to produce power, and those power levels are dropping as the plutonium in them decays. (4/20)
NASA Switches Off Swift Instrument as Orbit Decays (Source: NASA)
NASA announced Friday it turned off the Burst Alert Telescope instrument on its Swift gamma-ray observatory spacecraft to conserve power as that spacecraft's low Earth orbit decays. NASA is modifying operations of the spacecraft to reduce drag, buying time for the launch of a reboost mission being developed by Katalyst Space slated for as soon as June. (4/20)
Artemis III Moon Rocket Rolls Out of Factory Onto Barge (Source: Boeing)
Boeing rolled the top four-fifths of the Artemis III core stage from New Orleans and loaded it for barge shipment to Kennedy Space Center. It will travel without the engine section so engines can be installed at Kennedy, which speeds up production. (4/20)
Moon Base Essentials Include Transportation, Surface Power (Source: Aerospace America)
Reliable transportation, persistent communication relays and surface power are among the technologies and capabilities needed for NASA’s planned moon base to succeed, an industry panel told attendees at Space Symposium. The first phase, which spans through 2028, calls for conducting nearly monthly launches of robotic spacecraft to the lunar surface to begin testing early versions of the instrumentation and equipment required for “permanent habitation,” said Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA’s moon base program manager, in on-stage remarks before the panel. (4/20)
This Giant Telescope Could Discover Habitable Exoplanets and Secrets of Our Universe — If it Gets its Funding (Source: Space.com)
The Giant Magellan Telescope project is gearing up for a crucial 12–24 months, with their final design phase underway as the team behind the project seek further funding to make the dream of the 25.4-meter (83 feet) multi-mirror telescope a reality. (4/20)
ESA Taps Kepler to Lead Next Stage of HydRON Optical Program (Source: Via Satellite)
The European Space Agency has selected Toronto-based Kepler Communications as prime contractor for HydRON Element 3, the third part of a sovereign optical communications constellation. HydRON, short for High-throughput Optical Network, is a sovereign European data transport layer. Kepler was tapped to lead the first stage of the program in October 2024 with a $39 million contract to demonstrate a ten-satellite data transport system in LEO. (4/17)
What’s This Fast-Moving Wave of Darkness Creeping Across Mars? (Source: Scientific American)
Volcanic ash is creeping across the surface of Mars with startling speed. A side-by-side comparison with views of the same patch recorded by NASA’s Viking orbiters in 1976 reveals a striking spread of that dark coloration. Visible changes to the Martian surface are more often marked by millions of years, not by dozens of them. This wouldn’t be the first time observers have witnessed strange waves of darkness spreading on Mars. (4/17)
Space Force Sets Up ‘Cislunar Coordination’ Office to Focus Beyond Earth Orbit (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is setting up a dedicated acquisition office focused on cislunar space, the region between Earth and the moon, as it begins to more formally assess requirements beyond traditional Earth orbit. Officials say civil-military overlap with NASA will grow as lunar activity accelerates. The new group will be led by Jamie Stearns, who has been serving as the head of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Vehicle’s Directorate space control shop at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. (4/20)
Vast and Cedars-Sinai Partner on Microgravity Science and Crew Health (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Vast announced a strategic collaboration with Cedars-Sinai, one of the nation’s premier academic health systems and a pioneer in regenerative medicine and biomedical research. Cedars-Sinai has established the Center for Space Medicine Research to advance space medicine. The center has sent several experiments to space to study how microgravity influences cell biology and human physiology. It also is advancing the use of microgravity to manufacture unique biomaterials in space for translational use on Earth.
Vast and Cedars-Sinai will work together on a broad range of initiatives, including collaborative research and development in areas including stem cell and organoid research and biomanufacturing technology demonstrations in microgravity, with applications in regenerative medicine, longevity, and disease modeling. Additional collaboration areas include astronaut medical support, space-based research, and joint education and outreach initiatives. (4/20)
Rheinmetall Signs MoU with the Norwegian Municipality of Andøy to Establish a Satellite Test Center in Andøya (Source: Rheinmetall)
Andøy Municipality and Rheinmetall Nordic AS have agreed to enable the establishment of the Rheinmetall Integrated Process Facility (RhIPF) at Prærien Business Park. The planned facility is intended to serve as a satellite test center and will represent a significant contribution to the growing space and defense industry cluster at Andøya. The project remains subject to a final investment decision by Rheinmetall AG. Rheinmetall retains exclusive rights to a designated area in Andøy. (4/17)
Amazon Leo Satellite Internet Comes to Professional Golf (Source: Amazon)
The DP World Tour has partnered with Amazon Leo to bring fast, reliable satellite internet to its golf tournaments around the world—a first in professional sports. The Tour hosts 42 tournaments across 25 countries and five continents each year, many in remote or rural locations where traditional internet infrastructure is limited or non-existent. (4/20)
AI and Robotics Will Aid, Not End, Human Space Exploration (Source: The Hill)
The new technologies of AI and robotics will take over tasks that involve pattern optimization and matching. Humans will still retain tasks that require creativity, emotional intelligence and determining why actions need to be undertaken.
What does that mean for a lunar base? An AI data center on the moon would have several functions, including controlling robot rovers to map terrain and prospect for resources; processing imagery and sensor readings on site and transmitting the results back to Earth; maintaining the base’s systems, especially life support, and predicting equipment failures before they occur; monitoring astronauts’ health and maintaining situational awareness around the base, especially detecting incoming space debris.
Robots, working in partnership with the astronauts, will perform manual labor that doesn’t require human ingenuity. Exploration teams will likely include at least one humanoid robot along with the astronauts. The humans at the lunar base, relieved of the drudgery of maintaining the facility, will be free to explore the moon, uncover its secrets and exploit its resources. (4/19)
Largest-Ever 3D Map of the Universe Shows 47 Million Galaxies (Source: Life Science)
The image is from the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is mounted on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, uses 5,000 robotic fiber-optic sensors to capture light from distant celestial objects. Each tiny point in the image represents a galaxy mapped by DESI. The galaxies aren't randomly distributed; instead, they form in filaments and clusters known as the cosmic web. Between these luminous strands of galaxies are vast empty regions known as voids, where few stars or galaxies exist. (4/18)
Japanese Gundam Robot Heading to ISS (Source: Japan Times)
A spherical robot resembling Haro, a character from the popular Mobile Suit Gundam anime, is set to go to work on the ISS. Space Entry Co., a Japanese robotics company, planned the project and commissioned th design from the creator of Haro. It will be launched from the US to Japan's Kibo module on the ISS.
The aluminum robot, measuring 21 centimeters in diameter, moves through the microgravity environment by blowing air through fans. It is equipped with a camera and microphone to facilitate communication between astronauts and personnel on Earth. (4/20)
SpaceX Notches Landing Milestone After Sunday Starlink Launch From Florida (Source: Space.com)
At SpaceX, what has gone up has now successfully come down 600 times. The company marked its 600th successful landing with the recovery of the first-stage booster that put a new batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Sunday. (4/20)
France, Poland Boost Defence Ties with Military Satellite Project (Source: Reuters)
France and Poland will build a telecommunications satellite for the Polish military, the companies involved in the project said on Monday, as Paris and Warsaw strengthen their economic and defence ties. Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and Poland's RADMOR will jointly develop a satellite in geostationary orbit, which will support military communications for Poland's armed forces. (4/20)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has Discovered 11,000 New Asteroids, and It's Barely Even Started! (Source: Universe Today)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory was built with an ambitious purpose in mind. As part of its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Rubin Observatory will gather about 30 petabytes of data. This will include creating an inventory of the Solar System, transient objects (such as supernovae and variable stars), and mapping the Milky Way. Using preliminary data gathered by the Observatory, scientists have already discovered 11,000 new asteroids in the Solar System. These results were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (IAU-MPC). (4/19)
More Work Needed to Streamline EU Space Act; Hold the Line on 2028-34 Defense & Space Budget (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Defense and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said more modification was needed for the proposed EU Space Act and urged the EU Parliament to hold the line on the Commission’s proposed defense and space budget for 2028-2024. Kublius said he would accept, in principle, a parliamentary proposal that an industry board be created to actively take part in the Space Act’s evolution. (4/20)
Six New Isolated Millisecond Pulsars Discovered with FAST (Source: Phys.org)
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), Chinese astronomers have inspected two nearby galactic globular clusters, namely NGC 6517 and NGC 7078. The study resulted in the discovery of six new millisecond pulsars in these clusters, which are isolated and faint. (4/20)
Hunt For Ancient Ocean Features On Mars Reveals Red Planet’s Equivalent Of A Continental Shelf (Source: IFL Science)
Since the first close-up observations of Mars, the ground of the Red Planet has revealed evidence of rivers, lakes, and more. The whole northern hemisphere of Mars is at a lower elevation, showing fewer craters than the southern. This suggested an ancient ocean, but the evidence for a shore was a bit muddled. New research drops that approach completely and finds a better way to showcase evidence of this bygone body of water.
The possible Martian ocean shorelines appeared to have wildly different elevations, with variations of kilometers. On top of that, on Earth, the location of shorelines changes significantly, some by tens of meters per year. The researchers ask behind the new study asked themselves if shorelines are the best topographic signature of an ocean. They came up with something better. (4/15)
NASA Welcomes Latvia as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory (Source: NASA)
The Republic of Latvia signed the Artemis Accords Monday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 62nd nation to commit to responsible space exploration for all humanity. (4/20)
Spacesuits needed for Artemis lunar missions may not be ready in time, NASA's inspector general warned Monday. The report by the agency's Office of Inspector General noted that work on the Artemis lunar spacesuit by Axiom Space was already more than a year behind schedule.
If the suit's development follows average timelines for recent spaceflight programs, the report concluded the suit may not be ready until 2031, three years later than the current schedule for the first crewed Artemis lunar landing. The conclusion contrasts with claims by Axiom and NASA that spacesuit development is going well, with an in-space test planned in 2027. Administrator Jared Isaacman said he was confident the suit would be ready for the Artemis 4 lunar landing mission in 2028. (4/21)
FAA Grounds New Glenn After Upper Stage Mishap (Source: BBC)
Blue Origin's newest rocket has been grounded after the FAA ordered an investigation into a "mishap" involving the failed launch of a satellite. Blue Origin's chief executive Dave Limp said the failure was caused by a lack of "sufficient thrust" in an engine. The FAA is requiring Blue Origin to conduct a mishap investigation. The FAA will oversee the Blue Origin-led investigation, be involved in every step of the process and approve Blue Origin's final report, including any corrective actions. (4/21)
SpaceX Launches Final GPS III Satellite for the U.S. Space Force (Source: Spaceflight Now)
The U.S. Space Force launched its final Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite into medium Earth orbit in the predawn hours of Tuesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff was from LC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (4/21)
DoD Ends Troubled RTX GPS Program (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has officially ended a program to develop a next-generation GPS ground system after extensive overruns. The Defense Department said Monday it has formally terminated the Next Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, ending a 15-year effort to modernize the ground system for GPS. OCX was intended to replace the current GPS ground system, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan, as well as the separate system used for launch, anomaly response and satellite disposal.
Officials concluded the system could not deliver the required capabilities on a timeline or at a level of risk acceptable to support the modernization of the GPS constellation. The program, led by RTX, was awarded in 2010 and had accumulated costs of about $6.27 billion as of January 2026, including government testing and program support expenses. The Space Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $105 million contract to continue upgrading the existing Architecture Evolution Plan system as an alternative to OCX. (4/21)
Canada's NordSpace to Develop VLEO Satellite for Canada's Military (Source: Space News)
Canadian startup NordSpace has won funding from the Canadian military to study a very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellite. The company announced a one-year contract Tuesday worth around $183,000 from Canada's Department of National Defence to advance conceptual technologies toward hardware tests. The company said the study will advance technologies that are critical for a proposed VLEO constellation called Kestrel that it aims to begin deploying from 2028 to provide low-latency, 10-centimeter spatial resolution imaging. (4/21)
Japan's H3 Could Fly Again in Summer After December Failure (Source: Kyodo)
Japan's H3 rocket could return to flight in June. The Japanese space agency JAXA is considering a launch of the rocket in June with a test payload designed to collect data on the vehicle. The H3 has been grounded since a launch failure in December linked to structural flaws in the rocket's payload adapter. (4/21)
Russian Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft undocked from the ISS on Monday. The Progress MS-32 spacecraft, called Progress 93 by NASA, undocked from the station's Zvezda module for a planned destructive reentry. The spacecraft arrived at the station in September with about three tons of cargo. A new Progress mission, Progress MS-34, is scheduled to launch to the station this weekend. (4/21)
China Ramps Up Satellite Manufacture (Source: Space News)
China is ramping up its ability to mass-manufacture satellites to support constellations. Chinese space industry outlet Hello Space has identified at least 55 satellite factories in China, with 36 already in operation. According to the analysis, this provides a total production capacity of 4,050 satellites per year from the already operational facilities, with a projected additional capacity of 3,310 satellites from the future factories.
This is in part to help meet the requirements of the Guowang and Qianfan megaconstellations, which are planned to comprise a total of 28,000 satellites, as well as future proposed systems. However, the number of satellites actually reaching orbit is far lower than that capacity, thanks to launch constraints and the still-maturing commercial viability of large satellite constellations. (4/20)
Russia Launches Military Payload on Soyuz Rocket (Source: Russian Space Web)
A Soyuz rocket launched a Russian military payload. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome Thursday at 7:17 p.m. Eastern carrying a classified mission for the Russian Ministry of Defense. By Saturday, the U.S. Space Force had tracked 10 objects from the launch in two sets of inclinations, suggesting a plane-change maneuver by the rocket's Volga upper stage during the flight. (4/20)
China Extends Astronaut Stay on TSS (Source: Space News)
Chinese astronauts currently on the Tiangong space station will spend an extra month there. The three astronauts, who arrived at the station in late October on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft for a six-month stay, will now return by late May. That is linked to a switch in spacecraft for their return: Shenzhou-21 was used by the astronauts who arrived on Shenzhou-20 after that spacecraft suffered damage from a micrometeoroid or orbital debris impact. China launched the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft in late November that will be used by the current crew. (4/20)
NASA Switches Off Voyager 1 Instrument as Power Levels Decline (Source: NASA)
NASA has turned off an instrument on Voyager 1 as that spacecraft's power levels decline. NASA announced Friday it turned off the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) experiment to conserve power after an unexpected dip in power readings on the spacecraft in late February during a routine maneuver. The version of LECP on Voyager 2 was turned off last year. The two Voyager spacecraft use radioisotope thermoelectric generators to produce power, and those power levels are dropping as the plutonium in them decays. (4/20)
NASA Switches Off Swift Instrument as Orbit Decays (Source: NASA)
NASA announced Friday it turned off the Burst Alert Telescope instrument on its Swift gamma-ray observatory spacecraft to conserve power as that spacecraft's low Earth orbit decays. NASA is modifying operations of the spacecraft to reduce drag, buying time for the launch of a reboost mission being developed by Katalyst Space slated for as soon as June. (4/20)
Artemis III Moon Rocket Rolls Out of Factory Onto Barge (Source: Boeing)
Boeing rolled the top four-fifths of the Artemis III core stage from New Orleans and loaded it for barge shipment to Kennedy Space Center. It will travel without the engine section so engines can be installed at Kennedy, which speeds up production. (4/20)
Moon Base Essentials Include Transportation, Surface Power (Source: Aerospace America)
Reliable transportation, persistent communication relays and surface power are among the technologies and capabilities needed for NASA’s planned moon base to succeed, an industry panel told attendees at Space Symposium. The first phase, which spans through 2028, calls for conducting nearly monthly launches of robotic spacecraft to the lunar surface to begin testing early versions of the instrumentation and equipment required for “permanent habitation,” said Carlos Garcia-Galan, NASA’s moon base program manager, in on-stage remarks before the panel. (4/20)
This Giant Telescope Could Discover Habitable Exoplanets and Secrets of Our Universe — If it Gets its Funding (Source: Space.com)
The Giant Magellan Telescope project is gearing up for a crucial 12–24 months, with their final design phase underway as the team behind the project seek further funding to make the dream of the 25.4-meter (83 feet) multi-mirror telescope a reality. (4/20)
ESA Taps Kepler to Lead Next Stage of HydRON Optical Program (Source: Via Satellite)
The European Space Agency has selected Toronto-based Kepler Communications as prime contractor for HydRON Element 3, the third part of a sovereign optical communications constellation. HydRON, short for High-throughput Optical Network, is a sovereign European data transport layer. Kepler was tapped to lead the first stage of the program in October 2024 with a $39 million contract to demonstrate a ten-satellite data transport system in LEO. (4/17)
What’s This Fast-Moving Wave of Darkness Creeping Across Mars? (Source: Scientific American)
Volcanic ash is creeping across the surface of Mars with startling speed. A side-by-side comparison with views of the same patch recorded by NASA’s Viking orbiters in 1976 reveals a striking spread of that dark coloration. Visible changes to the Martian surface are more often marked by millions of years, not by dozens of them. This wouldn’t be the first time observers have witnessed strange waves of darkness spreading on Mars. (4/17)
Space Force Sets Up ‘Cislunar Coordination’ Office to Focus Beyond Earth Orbit (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is setting up a dedicated acquisition office focused on cislunar space, the region between Earth and the moon, as it begins to more formally assess requirements beyond traditional Earth orbit. Officials say civil-military overlap with NASA will grow as lunar activity accelerates. The new group will be led by Jamie Stearns, who has been serving as the head of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Vehicle’s Directorate space control shop at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. (4/20)
Vast and Cedars-Sinai Partner on Microgravity Science and Crew Health (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Vast announced a strategic collaboration with Cedars-Sinai, one of the nation’s premier academic health systems and a pioneer in regenerative medicine and biomedical research. Cedars-Sinai has established the Center for Space Medicine Research to advance space medicine. The center has sent several experiments to space to study how microgravity influences cell biology and human physiology. It also is advancing the use of microgravity to manufacture unique biomaterials in space for translational use on Earth.
Vast and Cedars-Sinai will work together on a broad range of initiatives, including collaborative research and development in areas including stem cell and organoid research and biomanufacturing technology demonstrations in microgravity, with applications in regenerative medicine, longevity, and disease modeling. Additional collaboration areas include astronaut medical support, space-based research, and joint education and outreach initiatives. (4/20)
Rheinmetall Signs MoU with the Norwegian Municipality of Andøy to Establish a Satellite Test Center in Andøya (Source: Rheinmetall)
Andøy Municipality and Rheinmetall Nordic AS have agreed to enable the establishment of the Rheinmetall Integrated Process Facility (RhIPF) at Prærien Business Park. The planned facility is intended to serve as a satellite test center and will represent a significant contribution to the growing space and defense industry cluster at Andøya. The project remains subject to a final investment decision by Rheinmetall AG. Rheinmetall retains exclusive rights to a designated area in Andøy. (4/17)
Amazon Leo Satellite Internet Comes to Professional Golf (Source: Amazon)
The DP World Tour has partnered with Amazon Leo to bring fast, reliable satellite internet to its golf tournaments around the world—a first in professional sports. The Tour hosts 42 tournaments across 25 countries and five continents each year, many in remote or rural locations where traditional internet infrastructure is limited or non-existent. (4/20)
AI and Robotics Will Aid, Not End, Human Space Exploration (Source: The Hill)
The new technologies of AI and robotics will take over tasks that involve pattern optimization and matching. Humans will still retain tasks that require creativity, emotional intelligence and determining why actions need to be undertaken.
What does that mean for a lunar base? An AI data center on the moon would have several functions, including controlling robot rovers to map terrain and prospect for resources; processing imagery and sensor readings on site and transmitting the results back to Earth; maintaining the base’s systems, especially life support, and predicting equipment failures before they occur; monitoring astronauts’ health and maintaining situational awareness around the base, especially detecting incoming space debris.
Robots, working in partnership with the astronauts, will perform manual labor that doesn’t require human ingenuity. Exploration teams will likely include at least one humanoid robot along with the astronauts. The humans at the lunar base, relieved of the drudgery of maintaining the facility, will be free to explore the moon, uncover its secrets and exploit its resources. (4/19)
Largest-Ever 3D Map of the Universe Shows 47 Million Galaxies (Source: Life Science)
The image is from the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever created. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which is mounted on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, uses 5,000 robotic fiber-optic sensors to capture light from distant celestial objects. Each tiny point in the image represents a galaxy mapped by DESI. The galaxies aren't randomly distributed; instead, they form in filaments and clusters known as the cosmic web. Between these luminous strands of galaxies are vast empty regions known as voids, where few stars or galaxies exist. (4/18)
Japanese Gundam Robot Heading to ISS (Source: Japan Times)
A spherical robot resembling Haro, a character from the popular Mobile Suit Gundam anime, is set to go to work on the ISS. Space Entry Co., a Japanese robotics company, planned the project and commissioned th design from the creator of Haro. It will be launched from the US to Japan's Kibo module on the ISS.
The aluminum robot, measuring 21 centimeters in diameter, moves through the microgravity environment by blowing air through fans. It is equipped with a camera and microphone to facilitate communication between astronauts and personnel on Earth. (4/20)
SpaceX Notches Landing Milestone After Sunday Starlink Launch From Florida (Source: Space.com)
At SpaceX, what has gone up has now successfully come down 600 times. The company marked its 600th successful landing with the recovery of the first-stage booster that put a new batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Sunday. (4/20)
France, Poland Boost Defence Ties with Military Satellite Project (Source: Reuters)
France and Poland will build a telecommunications satellite for the Polish military, the companies involved in the project said on Monday, as Paris and Warsaw strengthen their economic and defence ties. Thales Alenia Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and Poland's RADMOR will jointly develop a satellite in geostationary orbit, which will support military communications for Poland's armed forces. (4/20)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has Discovered 11,000 New Asteroids, and It's Barely Even Started! (Source: Universe Today)
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory was built with an ambitious purpose in mind. As part of its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the Rubin Observatory will gather about 30 petabytes of data. This will include creating an inventory of the Solar System, transient objects (such as supernovae and variable stars), and mapping the Milky Way. Using preliminary data gathered by the Observatory, scientists have already discovered 11,000 new asteroids in the Solar System. These results were confirmed by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center (IAU-MPC). (4/19)
More Work Needed to Streamline EU Space Act; Hold the Line on 2028-34 Defense & Space Budget (Source: Space Intel Report)
European Defense and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said more modification was needed for the proposed EU Space Act and urged the EU Parliament to hold the line on the Commission’s proposed defense and space budget for 2028-2024. Kublius said he would accept, in principle, a parliamentary proposal that an industry board be created to actively take part in the Space Act’s evolution. (4/20)
Six New Isolated Millisecond Pulsars Discovered with FAST (Source: Phys.org)
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), Chinese astronomers have inspected two nearby galactic globular clusters, namely NGC 6517 and NGC 7078. The study resulted in the discovery of six new millisecond pulsars in these clusters, which are isolated and faint. (4/20)
Hunt For Ancient Ocean Features On Mars Reveals Red Planet’s Equivalent Of A Continental Shelf (Source: IFL Science)
Since the first close-up observations of Mars, the ground of the Red Planet has revealed evidence of rivers, lakes, and more. The whole northern hemisphere of Mars is at a lower elevation, showing fewer craters than the southern. This suggested an ancient ocean, but the evidence for a shore was a bit muddled. New research drops that approach completely and finds a better way to showcase evidence of this bygone body of water.
The possible Martian ocean shorelines appeared to have wildly different elevations, with variations of kilometers. On top of that, on Earth, the location of shorelines changes significantly, some by tens of meters per year. The researchers ask behind the new study asked themselves if shorelines are the best topographic signature of an ocean. They came up with something better. (4/15)
NASA Welcomes Latvia as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory (Source: NASA)
The Republic of Latvia signed the Artemis Accords Monday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 62nd nation to commit to responsible space exploration for all humanity. (4/20)
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