May 8, 2026

Lockheed Opposes Northrop Bid to Remove Firewall on Solid Rocket Motor Business (Source: Breaking Defense)
Northrop Grumman has quietly asked the Federal Trade Commission to remove restrictions on its solid rocket motor business, in a move that competitor Lockheed Martin opposes, setting up a rare regulatory battle between two of the world’s largest defense firms. The FTC’s decision could have implications not only for the defense industrial base, but for the Pentagon’s race to ramp up the production of missiles and backfill its stockpiles — an endeavor dependent on also ramping up the manufacture of solid rocket motors (SRMs). (5/6)

Brussels Shoots to Become the New Sheriff in Space (Source: Courthouse News Service)
Seeking to boost Europe’s space industry and help it catch up with the United States and China, the European Union is developing rules to prevent more junk from clogging Earth’s orbit, safeguard satellites from hackers and create a traffic control system for space. The proposed EU Space Act is an attempt to craft the world’s first chapters of space law that would set some guardrails around a revolution taking place in outer space — its rapid commercialization.

Does outer space need a traffic management system, like airports have, for the more than 14,000 satellites whizzing by overhead? What about pollution and junk in outer space? What are the rules there? Who’s making sure satellites sent into orbit don’t get hacked, causing serious harm to vital tasks back on Earth? The EU Space Act seeks to answer these questions and provide domestic space companies a common set of rules across the 27-nation bloc.

At the same time, it would force outside competitors, particularly American ones, to play by European rules in the race for the stars. Broadly, the law seeks to set up a traffic management system for spacecraft; lay down rules to ensure things launched into space don’t end up as dangerous floating junk or cause preventable pollution; and compel satellite operators to install heavy duty safeguards against cyberattacks. (5/6)

Why This Leader Calls Africa The New Eldorado For The Global Space Business (Source: Forbes)
As celestial prowess becomes a source for geopolitical strength, Africa’s capacity in the projected trillion-dollar space sector will influence its global sway. With as much at stake, the African Space Agency (AfSA) was formed in April 2025. AfSA, headquartered in Egypt, was years in the making, beginning in January 2016 when an African Union (AU) assembly adopted the African Space Policy and Strategy.

Despite its extensiveness across various topics and sub-agendas, a running theme throughout the declaration is its ambition for harmony within. “Regional collaboration is not just important, it is the defining principle of Africa’s space future,” said AfSA President Ouattara Tidiane. “By sharing infrastructure, harmonizing policies and regulatory framework, and aligning and leveraging investments, we reduce costs, avoid duplication, and accelerate progress."

With Africa’s space industry expected to reach $39.52 billion by 2030, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 7.97%, all signs point to a region prioritizing the cosmos. And for good reason. The downsides of foreign satellite reliance are immense. In a world where data is currency, establishing a competitive space presence is a matter of wealth and autonomy; and not doing so could cement irreversible dependency. (5/6)

Rocket Lab Awarded $30 Million Contract for HASTE Hypersonic Rocket Launches for Anduril (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has been selected by defense technology company Anduril Industries for multiple hypersonic test flights with its HASTE launch vehicle. The partnership brings together two defense industry leaders to advance one of the Department of War's most critical technology areas: scaled hypersonics that deliver Mach 5 and beyond capabilities for future defense missions. In a showcase of Rocket Lab’s responsive space capabilities, the first of these three missions is set to launch in less than 12 months: demonstrating contract to launch in a matter of months, not years. (5/7)

Rocket Lab To Acquire Robotics Leader Motiv Space Systems (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Motiv Space Systems, a California-based company specializing in space robotics, motion control systems, and precision mechanisms for spacecraft. The acquisition will add Mars-proven robotics heritage and capability for advanced planetary and national security missions, and also close one of the final gaps in Rocket Lab's vertical integration strategy by bringing in house costly and supply-constrained spacecraft components, including solar array drive assemblies (SADAs) and other precision mechanisms and motion control systems.

The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2026 subject to the completion of customary closing conditions. Motiv – which will be branded Rocket Lab Robotics – is renowned for its advanced multi-degree of freedom robotic arms, actuators, and drive electronics that have enabled some of the most ambitious space missions, including NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. (5/7)

Soon-to-Be SpaceX Billionaires are Gearing Up for a Windfall (Source: New York Post)
SpaceX’s looming IPO is set to mint more new billionaires than any liquidity event in history. Investors and employees are rushing to prepare for the windfall. “It’s completely life changing,” an anonymous source who invested in SpaceX nearly 20 years ago told me. While she’s made many successful investments, this single bet could increase her net worth 20 fold. “I didn’t think I’d be a billionaire,” she added.

SpaceX is expected to list on the Nasdaq in June, and the company’s valuation could exceed $2 trillion, making it the largest company ever to go public. (5/7)

Contractor Conversion Flaws Arise At NASA (Source: NASA Watch)
I have been hearing of some concern at NASA KSC (and elsewhere around NASA too) about a perceived rush to convert core functions from contractors to civil servants. At a top level there is a certain logic to this. But when reality pops up it gets messy. One issue has to do with waiving education requirements to retain civil servant expertise. Again, this makes some sense – people who have been doing the job and doing it well should be allowed to continue regardless of where they got their experience.

But when this is put in practice it is totally different. Some of the engineering folks at KSC have 10, 20, 30+ years of experience but are lacking college degrees. They are being told that this prevent or limits their ability to be converted from contractor to civil servant. At the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) the younger contractor engineers with degrees were converted – but the ‘legacy’ (older) engineers were laid off – and with them a lot of space muscle memory went out the door.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman responded to this issue on social media: "This is not true. The education requirement was dated and I addressed. If you are good enough to be an engineer as a NASA contractor you are good enough to be an engineer as a NASA civil servant." (5/7)

Dishonoring Public Service - Fewer Nominees for 2026 Heyman Medals, None From NASA (Sources: Washington Post, Partnership for Public Service)
The 25th annual Oscars-like ceremony for federal workers — the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals — honored the civil service under five previous administrations. But the current occupant of the White House specifically went unnamed Wednesday night. Fewer civil servants were nominated and received awards after many federal workers expressed a fear of retaliation if they drew too much attention, said Max Stier, chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service.

In total, the nonprofit organization received more than 140 nominations across 39 federal agencies and other offices, down from more than 350 nominations across 65 federal agencies and other offices last year. Stier said some people who were nominated asked that their names not be considered at all, though the Partnership for Public Service declined to provide further information about those who did not partake in this year’s event. “The workforce that remains has worried about what might happen to them if they’re recognized,” Stier said.

Editor's Note: Two NASA employees were honored in 2025, including John Blevins, Ph.D. (MSFC) and Richard Burns (GSFC). No NASA employees were among the 2026 honorees, but James Szykman of the EPA won for leading a cross-agency collaboration that validated NASA's TEMPO satellite to improve air pollution monitoring. (5/7)

Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska USA (Source: GSA)
Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska stands as a defining example of how bold decisions can reshape an industry. Established in the 1990s as the Kodiak Launch Complex, it became the first FAA-licensed U.S. launch site independent of federal ranges, opening new pathways for commercial flexibility and innovation.

Positioned at the nation’s northernmost orbital launch site, PSCA provides unmatched access to a wide range of orbital inclinations, supporting missions from small satellite deployment to advanced defense testing. Its state-owned, self-sustaining model has driven continuous evolution, enabling cost efficiencies, new capabilities, and diversified revenue streams.

From a greenfield concept to a thriving economic engine, PSCA’s legacy reflects independence, adaptability, and forward-thinking leadership. Its story continues to guide the next generation of spaceports as they build for a more dynamic and commercially driven future. Click here. (4/30)

Overview Energy Wins Air Force Contract to Study Space-Based Solar Power for Military Bases (Source: Space News)
Overview Energy has won a contract from the U.S. Air Force to study beaming space solar power to military installations, reviving a concept studied two decades ago. The startup, based in Ashburn, Virginia, announced May 6 it received a contract from the Secretary of the Air Force for Installation, Energy and Environment to study how space-based solar power could provide power to military installations, particularly in remote locations. (5/6)

Space Force To Add $4.4 Billion To RG-XX Contracting Vehicle (Source: Aviation Week)
The U.S. Space Force plans to add $4.4 billion for a nascent program to build next-generation space domain awareness satellites for geosynchronous orbit, a May 4 government notice says. The service in April awarded 14 companies a cumulative $1.84 billion contract to build those next-generation reconnaissance systems under a program called RG-XX, and surveillance satellites under an effort known as SG-XX, via a new contracting vehicle it calls Andromeda. (5/7)

What Has to Happen if NASA Wants to Land on the Moon Every Month (Source: Ars Technica)
The fundamentals for high-frequency missions to the lunar surface are in place. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program has assembled a roster of commercial providers to design and build robotic Moon landers. NASA has penciled in nine lunar landings for next year, followed by 10 in 2028.

NASA and its commercial partners must pick up the pace to come anywhere close to that. Isaacman acknowledged this in a Senate hearing last week. “We have to do more than talk,” Isaacman said. “For a very long time across all of NASA, we’ve talked a really good game but then we kind of sit and wait for our vendors and partners to deliver outcomes, and as a result we tend to be late and it tends to cost more, so how do you change that?”

One way, Isaacman said, is for NASA to offer more aid to the companies it is paying to develop Moon landers. “You start to embed subject matter experts across the supply chain to drive outcomes,” he said. “I don’t want to sit and watch on TV as a lander tips over,” Isaacman said. “I want a high batting average here, a high probability of success. I think the way you do that is you leverage a lot of the NASA expertise, incorporate it in the supply chain, and drive the outcomes that we’re looking for.” Click here. (5/6)

Solar Activity Makes Space Junk Crash to Earth Faster (Source: Space.com)
In the new study, researchers measured the trajectories of 17 pieces of space junk in low Earth orbit over a 36-year span, starting two generations ago. "For the first time, we find that, once solar activity passes a certain level, this loss of altitude happens noticeably more quickly," said Ayisha Ashruf. "This observation is expected to be key for planning sustainable space operations in the future." (5/6)

‘Whatever Russia Is Testing, It’s Sophisticated’: 2 Russian Satellites Get Within 10 Feet of Each Other in Orbit (Source: Space.com)
Two Russian spacecraft just demonstrated a very particular set of orbital skills. The satellites, known as COSMOS 2581 and COSMOS 2583, got within just 10 feet or so of each other on April 28. "This wasn't a coincidental pass — COSMOS 2583 performed several fine maneuvers to maintain this tight configuration," COMSPOC wrote. The two satellites and a third one, COSMOS 2582, launched to low Earth orbit in February 2025 atop a Soyuz rocket. According to COMSPOC, all three of them were involved in the recent rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), as was "Object F," a subsatellite previously deployed by COSMOS 2583. During the 10-foot close approach, "COSMOS 2582 trailed the formation at sub-100 km range, while Object F passed within 15 km of 2582 and within 10 km of 2581. (5/6)

May 7, 2026

India's Skyroot Achieves Unicorn Status with $1.1 Billion Valuation (Source: Space News)
Indian launch startup Skyroot Aerospace has become the country's first space unicorn with a $60 million funding round. The company announced the funding round Thursday, co-led by investment firms Sherpalo Ventures and GIC. The company has raised $160 million to date and the new round values the company at $1.1 billion. Skyroot is developing the Vikram-1 small launch vehicle, slated to make its first orbital launch attempt later this year. The funding will allow the company to scale up production of that rocket and also develop the larger Vikram-2 rocket. (5/7)

NGA Aims to Accelerate New Warfighting Capabilities (Source: Space News)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is working to accelerate development of new capabilities for warfighters. NGA Director Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp said at the GEOINT Symposium on Wednesday that she charged the agency's Rapid Capabilities Office to "take a lot of risk in acquisition" and use alternative contracting mechanisms, such as the Other Transaction Authority, to produce disruptive capabilities. Among the office's top priorities are moving advanced GEOINT capabilities supported by artificial intelligence to units operating in the field as well as finding new geospatial-intelligence products and services. (5/7)

Need for Speed in National Security Space (Source: Space News)
Speed is taking precedence over price in national security contracting. Companies say the ability to move quickly is eclipsing traditional priorities such as cost and, in some cases, even technical performance. The urgency reflects mounting concern over threats to the satellites that underpin U.S. military operations and economic activity. Officials say adversaries are moving faster than the traditional pace of government acquisition. A policy of spiral development, which often begins with a minimum viable product and proceeds through frequent upgrades, is replacing the traditional approach, where government agencies only accepted satellites or sensors that met extensive technical requirements. (5/7)

France's Eutelsat and India's Station Satcom Team for OneWeb Support for Maritime Market (Source: Space News)
French-led satellite operator Eutelsat and Indian maritime service provider Station Satcom have signed a multi-year agreement. Under the deal announced last week, Eutelsat will make its OneWeb broadband services available to across Station Satcom's maritime fleet. The agreement builds on a previous activation in 2025 covering hundreds of Station Satcom vessels and broadens the number of ships using OneWeb services to more than 1,000. (5/7)

Anthropic Could Use SpaceX Data Center (Source: Space News)
AI company Anthropic says it will consider using orbital data center satellites being developed by SpaceX. The companies announced an agreement Wednesday that, in the near term, gives Anthropic access to a SpaceX terrestrial data center. Anthropic added that it has "expressed interest" in working with SpaceX on several gigawatts of on-orbit computing capacity from SpaceX's proposed constellation of data center spacecraft. SpaceX announced in January plans to deploy up to 1 million satellites, which appeared initially to focus on supporting its own AI efforts through xAI. (5/7)

HawkEye360 Goes Public (Source: HawkEye360)
HawkEye360 is set to go public on the New York Stock Exchange today. The company announced late Wednesday it set a price of $26 per share for its IPO. That would raise $416 million for the company before commissions and other expenses. The company announced plans last month to go public, funding further development of its constellation of satellites that provide radio-frequency intelligence services. (5/7)

China's Nayuta Space Raises Funds for Reusable Horizontal-Landing Rocket Concept (Source: Space News)
Chinese commercial launch startup Nayuta Space raised funding for an unconventional rocket concept. The company said it raised an undisclosed amount of funding in Pre-A1 to Pre-A3 rounds for its Xuanniao-R rocket. The vehicle features a reusable first stage that would use aerodynamics to control its return, landing horizontally using thrusters. The company is planning a first launch as soon as 2027. (5/7)

Starfighters Space Hires Former Blue Origin Managers for Air-Launch (Source: Space News)
Starfighters Space has hired two former Blue Origin New Glenn managers to help advance its air-launch system. The company said Thursday that Jose Arias has joined as vice president of space operations, while Catrina Medeiros was named director of operations for Starlaunch. The company is developing an air-launch system that would use F-104 fighter jets as a platform for a small launch vehicle. Starfighters Space recently went public on the NYSE American stock exchange to help raise capital for the program, but is not providing updated timing guidance or customer mission details publicly. (5/7)

UAE's Space42 Teams with Iceye for Radar Imaging (Source: Space News)
Hybrid satellite constellations seek to combine communications and imagery. Space42 of the United Arab Emirates, formed through the merger of Yahsat's geostationary communications operations and Bayanat's geospatial analytics business, is working with Iceye on radar imaging satellites that will be part of Space42's Foresight LEO imagery constellation. Similarly, Japan's flagship satellite TV and broadband provider Sky Perfect JSAT is buying 10 Pelican high-resolution optical imagery satellites from Planet, while Open Cosmos, a startup originally focused on Earth observation satellites, recently outlined plans for a sovereign broadband and Internet of Things connectivity constellation. (5/7)

Iceye Brings Satellite Intelligence to French Army (Source: Aerotime)
Finnish synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operator ICEYE embedded a deployable ISR Cell at the core of a French Army infantry brigade during the ORION 2026 exercise in April 2026, the company said in a blog post on May 6, 2026. The deployment placed satellite tasking, downlink, and analysis directly inside a maneuver unit, marking one of the most concrete European tests to date of pushing space-based intelligence down to brigade-level decisions.

According to ICEYE, the cell operated alongside drone and other reconnaissance units to support targeting and fires coordination during Phase 4.2 of the exercise, contributing to the brigade’s sensor-to-shooter loop. (5/7)

Odin Space Opens U.S. Office in Los Angeles (Source: Space News)
London-based Odin Space is expanding to the U.S. with a new Los Angeles office, announced May 7, 2026, to accelerate its mission of mapping sub-centimeter orbital debris. The startup utilizes specialized nano-sensors to detect and analyze, in real-time, tiny, untrackable space debris that poses significant risks to satellites and spacecraft. The L.A. office, as detailed on the Odin Space website, aims to bolster partnerships in the U.S. space market for its debris monitoring services. (5/7)

Imagery Fusion Helping to Track Illegal Fishing (Source: Space News)
Satellite imagery is playing a growing role in operations. The Republic of the Marshall Islands worked with a New Zealand company, Starboard Maritime Intelligence, to fuse radar and optical imagery with AIS ship-tracking data to detect vessels suspected of illegal fishing in its waters. The effort reduced the detection time from days to hours. In another example highlighted by the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, a Muon Space satellite was able to detect a wildfire in Oregon in its earliest stages that other sensors had missed, enabling quick action to extinguish it. (5/7)

Vast to Collaborate with Lithuania (Source: Vast)
Commercial space station developer Vast has signed an agreement with Lithuania. The agreement between Vast and Innovation Agency Lithuania, announced Wednesday, covers the study of potential joint scientific research opportunities on the International Space Station or Vast's Haven-1 station, as well as collaboration with Lithuanian space companies. The agreement is the sixth between Vast and national space agencies related to international collaboration. (5/7)

Isaacman to Industry: Get Aligned or Else (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, discussing racing China to the moon on Wednesday, said this:
"I tell industry, you know, get aligned right now. Everything you lobby for better be in the interest of America's national imperative of returning to the moon because, if not, if we see the Chinese get to the moon before America is able to return, I'll be fired. I'll be at home watching on TV as all of you get hauled before Congress." (5/7)

Should Saturn's Huge Moon Titan be Humanity's Next Destination, After the Moon and Mars? (Source: Space.com)
After "re-booting" the moon and establishing a base there, followed by dispatching expeditionary crews to Mars, where should humanity go?

Next month, a first-of-its-kind gathering will blueprint an eventual crewed trek to tantalizing Titan, the largest of Saturn's many moons. That inaugural "Humans to Titan Summit" will make the case for an astronaut outing to that far-off moon, detailing the science goals and concepts of human missions to Titan as well as necessary forerunner robotic efforts. And there is already a robotic Titan mission on the books — NASA's nuclear-powered Dragonfly octocopter mission, which is targeted to launch in 2028. Could it help fuel a human leap? (5/7)

Ramon.Space Expands U.S. Engineering Operations with New Denver-Area Office (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Ramon.Space, a leader in space computing infrastructure, has announced the expansion of its U.S. engineering operations with a new office in Englewood, Colorado. The new facility will include a state-of-the-art lab and integration center and will serve as the company’s primary U.S. engineering hub. Ramon.Space’s solutions span compute, connectivity, and storage, enabling advanced in-orbit data processing across satellite communications, Earth observation, remote sensing, and space-based data center infrastructure. The site will support product development, customer engagement, and the company’s next phase of operational growth. (5/7)

SpaceX Is Starting To Move On From the World’s Most Successful Rocket (Source: Ars Technica)
It is far too soon to mention retirement, but astute observers of the space industry have noticed SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket is not launching as often as it used to. The decline is modest so far, and it does not signal any problem at SpaceX or with the Falcon 9. Rather, it is a manifestation of SpaceX’s eagerness to shift focus to the much larger Starship rocket, an enabler of what the company wants to do in space: missions to land on the Moon and Mars, orbital data centers, and next-gen Starlink.

We’re beginning to see what the long, slow tail-off will look like. The changes are most apparent at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where SpaceX has launched the lion’s share of its rockets. Until last December, SpaceX launched Falcon 9s with regularity from two pads on Florida’s Space Coast—one at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and another a few miles to the south on military property at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX is transitioning the site at Kennedy, known as Launch Complex-39A, to launch Starships. LC-39A is out of the rotation for Falcon 9 launches, although it remains available for occasional flights of the more powerful triple-core Falcon Heavy. SpaceX launched the first Falcon Heavy in a year and a half last week from LC-39A, and a handful more Falcon Heavy flights are on tap later this year. (5/6)

Leonardo Space Reports Increased Q1 Revenue (Source: Space Intel Report)
Leonardo Space reported increased revenue profit and backlog in the three months ending March 31, meaning all three components of a planned European space industry merger have confirmed continued robust health in 2026. Airbus Space and Thales Alenia Space had earlier reported growth and profitability in advance of the three companies’ proposed merger in 2027, pending European Union regulatory approval. (5/6)

Data Fusion Provides a High-Definition Look At Mars' Temperature Maps (Source: Universe Today)
Researchers used a fancy AI-like algorithm to improve Martian orbiters' thermal resolution, providing a much better map to some of the most important resources we’ll be looking for. That data was looking at a physical property known as thermal inertia (TI). Basically, it’s a material’s resistance to external temperature changes.

For example, after the Sun sets on Mars, fine dust and loose sand will lose their heat rapidly, showing up as dark spots on an infrared map. On the other hand, bedrock and large boulders hold onto the heat from the Sun for much longer, glowing brightly on infrared images for much longer. By mapping these hot and cold sites, scientists can figure out plenty of physical properties about the surface - most notably its grain size and rock abundance. But other features, such as the presence of water ice, or the safety of landing sites, can also be gleaned from these images. (5/6)

SpaceX IPO Gives Musk Sweeping Power and Curbs Shareholder Rights (Source: CNA)
SpaceX has adopted corporate governance policies that will erode typical shareholder protections in unprecedented ways, giving founder Elon Musk virtually unchecked executive authority when the rocket maker goes public later this year. Excerpts of SpaceX's IPO registration statement reviewed by Reuters show the company is combining supervoting shares, mandatory arbitration, stricter rules on shareholder proposals and Texas corporate law to give Musk and other insiders broad control. At the same time, it sharply limits investors' ability to challenge management, sue in court and force votes on governance issues. (5/6)

Europe’s 1st Reusable Spacecraft ‘Space Rider’ Clears Key Hurdles on the Road To Launch (Source: Space.com)
Before Europe's new spacecraft design can lift off on its first mission, ESA must first test the hardest parts of bringing it home. Space Rider is advancing toward its first flight, with new milestones tackling two of the vehicle's biggest challenges: surviving the heat of reentry and executing a precise landing back on Earth. Engineers recently pushed the spacecraft's thermal protection system to extreme conditions while also completing assembly of a full-size drop-test model that will soon undergo a guided landing attempt. (5/6)

Bezos Shakes Up Blue Origin Staff Incentives Ahead of SpaceX IPO (Source: Reuters)
Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin has outlined a new stock plan for employees in an attempt to put an end to staff unrest and make the incentives more competitive with rival SpaceX. Bezos's efforts to make staff incentives more competitive come on the back of an intensifying rivalry between Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX, which recently filed for a U.S. initial public offering targeting a valuation of about $1.75 trillion.

The rocket maker briefed staff last week on a revamped incentive scheme after employees' widespread anger over its previous plan, as options under the earlier plan started to expire without any payout, Financial Times reported. The new plan seeks to address some of these complaints, and sets out a new strike price for the options of $9.50 a share, the FT report said.

The stock options are cash-settled, which means they will pay out rather than give employees an ownership stake, the report said. The scheme also adds to the list of "liquidity events" that would trigger a payout, and now includes external funding rounds or tender offers, the FT said, citing documents seen by them. Dave Limp, Blue Origin’s chief executive, told staff the group had no immediate plans for an IPO. (5/6)

SpaceX Flags at Least $55 Billion Investment in Chip Plant (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX estimated a chip factory it plans to build along with Tesla Inc. will cost at least $55 billion, with total investment potentially exceeding the amount the rocket maker aims to raise from a record initial public offering. The “next-generation, vertically integrated semiconductor manufacturing and advanced computing fabrication facility” may be located in Grimes County, Texas, according to a public notice. The estimated total capital investment could rise to $119 billion if additional phases of the project are completed. (5/6)

Ireland Just Signed up to a Global Pact Aimed at Keeping Things From Kicking Off in Space (Source: The Journal)
Ireland has signed up to a US-led agreement setting out how countries should operate in outer space. The Artemis Accords were signed by enterprise minister Peter Burke at NASA headquarters in Washington DC yesterday. The agreement sets out a shared set of principles for how countries involved in space exploration should cooperate.

In practice, it is intended to establish “peaceful use” of space, covering issues such as avoiding interference between spacecraft, sharing scientific data, assisting astronauts in distress and managing space debris. Speaking at the signing, Burke said the move strengthens Ireland’s engagement in the space sector and its cooperation with international partners, including the United States and the European Space Agency. (5/5)

UCF Professor Helps Bring Hospitality Into Emerging Space Tourism Industry (Source: UCF)
A UCF professor is helping send student research to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX mission scheduled for next summer. Dr. Amy Gregory, endowed chair for space tourism programming and initiatives at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, is a faculty facilitator on a student experiment selected for flight through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

The selected experiment, “A Kidney Stone in Microgravity — Examining Physical and Chemical Properties of Calcium Crystals Formed in Microgravity,” will study how calcium crystals form in space conditions and compare those results to Earth-based samples. The proposal states the research focuses on crystal formation processes related to kidney stones in astronauts.

Gregory also worked with students on a second proposal, “Gelatin in Microgravity: Bridging Molecular Food Science and Hospitality,” which received honorable mention but was not selected for flight. That project examined how gelatin forms and behaves in space conditions and how texture develops differently outside Earth’s environment. (5/1)

Scientist Accidentally Finds Shortcut to Mars That Could Slash Travel Time in Half (Source: Live Science)
Astronauts could complete a round trip to Mars in less than a year someday, potentially cutting current mission timelines in half, according to a new study that drew inspiration from asteroid trajectories. Under current mission profiles, reaching Mars, which is located about 50% farther from the sun than Earth is, takes roughly seven to 10 months.

Because Earth and Mars align for fuel-efficient transfers only every 26 months, astronauts must wait for a return window, stretching a full round trip to nearly three years. However, the new findings suggest that early, imprecise orbital estimates of near-Earth asteroids — which were historically used to assess impact risks, before being discarded in favor of more precise data — may contain valuable geometric clues for designing faster interplanetary routes.

For the October 2020 opposition, Souza's calculations showed that a very fast, roughly 34-day trip from Earth to Mars is geometrically possible if a spacecraft follows a path similar to the asteroid's early orbital plane. However, such a trajectory would require departure speeds of around 32.5 kilometers per second, well beyond current rocket capabilities, and a spacecraft would arrive at Mars traveling around 108,000 km/h — too fast for existing landing systems to handle safely, Souza noted in the paper. (5/5)

Buyers 'Interested' in Assets of Collapsed Orbex (Source: BBC)
Discussions are taking place to sell off various parts of a collapsed rockets manufacturer, according to the firm handling the sale. Moray-based Orbex was placed into administration earlier this year with the loss of more than 150 jobs. Administrators FRP Advisory said there had been a "high level" of interest from buyers, with 15 offers received for parts of the business and its assets. FRP said one bidder was given a short period of exclusivity to explore a bid and paid a £25,000 deposit, but that period had now lapsed. (5/5)

Collins on Women in Space (Source: CFPM)
Speaking as the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and command the spacecraft during a later Space Shuttle mission, Eileen Collins said that she congratulates Christina Koch and is “really proud of her. She has done great for the reputation of women.” But now that decades have passed since women weren’t allowed at NASA, Collins said women at NASA now most likely just want to be viewed as part of the mission or the crew rather than to stand out.

Meal Planning for Space Travel (Source: CFPM)
One professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management is taking fine dining to space by experimenting with microgravity-friendly dishes. The college is studying tofu formation in microgravity and producing delicious dishes to send beyond our planet. This includes the fan favorite sticky rice pudding with freeze dried mangos, according to Cesar Rivera Cruzado, Director of Food and Beverage Operations at Rosen College. Food on Earth is more than subsistence. Cruzado wants to bring that same dining experience to each space voyager. (5/5)

Alex MacDonald on Canada’s Orbital Launch Future (Source: SpaceQ)
Sovereign launch. Canadian rockets. These are buzzwords, backed by government funding, being invoked daily in the Canadian space community these days. But while many in the country may think this is a new phenomenon, Alex MacDonald reminded the audience Tuesday (May 5) at NordSpace’s Canadian Space Launch Conference in Ottawa that Canada has been here before.

Much has changed since the last NordSpace launch conference a year ago, MacDonald said in a keynote at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The Government of Canada began its Launch the North program, allocating more than $300 million to Maritime Launch Services and three Canadian launch companies (including NordSpace). The government also recently launched Bill C-28 to enact the Canadian Space Launch Act and regulate spaceflight. Artemis II is now a flown mission, bringing Canada’s space capabilities to the world stage. (5/5)

Local Sources Report SpaceX May Be Acquiring 136,000 Acres of Louisiana Coastal Marshland (Sources: Mach 33, Keaty Blog)
Local real estate insider Jim Keaty of Keaty Real Estate and multiple Vermilion Parish sources report credible but unconfirmed indications that SpaceX may be acquiring approximately 136,000 acres of coastal marshland near Pecan Island and Freshwater City in Louisiana. Supporting signals include cancelled hunting leases for the entire 2026 season, unsolicited offers from out-of-state speculators at three to ten times appraised value, and ExxonMobil's stalled wetlands permits for a 125,000-acre carbon capture project in the same footprint.

The proposed campus would reportedly focus on manufacturing, testing, and barge logistics via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway rather than new launch pads. If confirmed, this would be among the largest land deals in SpaceX's history, dwarfing Starbase Texas in raw acreage, and would slot into the company's vertical integration playbook in a way that directly supports Starship production cadence between Boca Chica and Florida.

The barge logistics angle fits Starship's road-impossible dimensions and the halfway-point geography of Vermilion Parish along the GIWW, while the ExxonMobil permitting stall suggests the seller side has motive rather than just speculative inquiry. Sophisticated investors should treat this as a pre-IPO infrastructure scaling rumour worth tracking through Vermilion Parish records, FAA environmental filings, and the forthcoming public S-1, with credible read-through to long-term Starship cadence assumptions and the IPO narrative around manufacturing capacity. (5/5)

Boom Supersonic CEO Floats Possible HQ Move: 'North Carolina Would Love to Have Us' (Source: Triad Business Journal)
As artificial regulations tighten in Colorado, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said the company could move the company's headquarters out of Colorado, citing concerns that tightening state regulations, particularly regarding artificial intelligence, hinder business growth and innovation. Scholl expressed that restrictive regulations increase compliance costs and, "If you can't move, you're dead."

Scholl mentioned that North Carolina and Texas are potential destinations for the company's headquarters. While based in Centennial, Colorado, the company has an established manufacturing presence at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, and had considered that location. (5/5)

From Alan Shepard to Artemis, Celebrating 65 Years of Americans in Space (Source: The Verge)
On the morning of May 5th, 1961, 37-year-old Alan Shepard woke up, ate a breakfast (consisting of a filet mignon wrapped in bacon, scrambled eggs, and orange juice), strapped into the Freedom 7 rocket, and blasted off into space, becoming the first American astronaut to do so. Shepard’s flight only lasted 15 minutes, but it provided enough critical information to serve as a foundation for America’s human spaceflight program in the years to come. (5/5)

US and Australian Companies Want to Start Removing Space Junk From Orbit in 2027 (Source: Space.com)
Two private companies are partnering up to establish a repeatable debris removal service for low Earth orbit. The U.S. firm Portal Space Systems and Australian startup Paladin Space are working together to establish the commercial Debris Removal as a Service (DRAAS) for removing multiple debris objects during a single mission.

The partnership, which Portal announced on March 19, will see a combining of respective technologies to make the service possible. The platform will be based on Portal's maneuverable, refuellable Starburst spacecraft and will integrate Paladin's Triton payload for imaging, classifying and capturing tumbling debris objects under 1 meter in size. (5/5)

Texas Homeowners Allege "Terrestrial Bombardment" From Starship Vibration and Noise, State and Federal Lawsuits Filed (Source: KWTX)
Almost 80 Central Texas residents who allege their homes have been damaged by SpaceX’s “daily barrage of terrestrial bombardment” are suing Elon Musk’s aerospace company in McGregor. The 77 plaintiffs, residents of McGregor, Moody, Crawford and Oglesby, collectively are seeking more than $1 million in damages in their lawsuit, filed Friday in Waco’s 414th State District Court.

The lawsuit alleges gross negligence and trespass and claims that regular rocket testing by SpaceX“ continues to physically, intentionally, and voluntarily cause massive airborne acoustic pressure waves and ground-borne seismic shockwaves to physically enter and invade Plaintiffs’ properties.” The peak volume of an October 2024 Starship launch was 110 decibels, enough to cause structural damage as far as 35 kilometers from the launch site, according to the lawsuit.

SpaceX did not respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit, which was filed the same week as a federal lawsuit in the U.S. Southern District of Texas in which 80 South Texas residents claim their homes were damaged by “massive” sonic booms from the SpaceX facility in South Texas. Editor's Note: I would expect the same legal action after Starship launches from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, with homes in Titusville and Cape Canaveral potentially suffering foundation damage from ground vibration. (5/4)

Edgesource Acquires Lyteworx (Source: Edgesource)
Edgesource, a small business delivering innovative national security solutions to defense, intelligence, diplomatic, and civilian communities, has acquired Lyteworx Automation Systems. Lyteworx brings an extensive suite of software products supporting space domain awareness, mission management, and AI-enabled data integration. Edgesource will support maturing these products and capabilities into solutions that are suitable for mission-speed simplified acquisition processes and are sustainable over the long term. (5/4)

May 6, 2026

Scientists Stunned by New Organic Molecules Found on Mars (Source: SciTech Daily)
NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered a wide variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds often viewed as essential ingredients for the origin of life on Earth. These results come from a chemical experiment carried out on another planet for the first time. The findings show that the Martian surface can preserve molecules that might serve as indicators of ancient life.

However, the experiment cannot determine whether these organic compounds formed from past life on Mars, natural geological activity, or arrived via meteorites. To confirm any true signs of past life, scientists would need to return Martian rock samples to Earth for more detailed analysis. (5/4)

NASA Wants To Land Astronauts on the Moon in 2028. Will SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Lander Be Ready in Time? (Source: Space.com)
NASA recently outlined a revised plan for Artemis 3, which has the mission performing a crewed test in Earth orbit in late 2027 rather than the previously planned 2028 lunar landing. The mission will instead be an Earth-orbit rendezvous of NASA's Orion spacecraft with one or both of the program's moon landers, analogous to the Apollo 9 mission, setting up a lunar landing attempt with Artemis 4 in late 2028. But this plan relies on swift action by NASA's partners.

The agency earlier selected two private companies to provide crewed Artemis moon landers: SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander, both of which are in development and facing tight deadlines for future missions. With a number of major milestones on the horizon, the coming months will indicate if these landers can be readied for their planned 2027 orbital tests.

Now that SpaceX is talking about a lunar settlement, it needs to get its Starship HLS lander ready. That vehicle, which NASA selected in 2021, is a specific configuration of Starship. SpaceX says that, as of late October last year, it has hit 49 milestones related to developing the subsystems, infrastructure and operations needed to land astronauts on the moon. Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mk2 crewed lander is a simpler system. The biggest test on the horizon is the launch of the smaller Blue Moon Mark-1 (Mk1) cargo lander, which is expected to launch to the moon later this year. (5/5)

NASA, Roscosmos Address Space Station Cracks (Source: Aviation Week)
As of early 2026, NASA and Roscosmos are investigating structural cracks in the PrK transfer tunnel of the Zvezda service module. While recent sealant applications by cosmonauts have temporarily stopped the air leaks, concerns remain regarding the long-term structural integrity of the aging module.

 NASA and Roscosmos disagree on the severity; NASA views it as a significant risk, whereas Roscosmos considers it safe to operate. Safety Measures: The PrK module is kept sealed when not in use. Additionally, when the hatch is opened for transferring supplies from Progress vehicles, US segment hatches are closed as a precautionary measure. (5/5)

Planet Launches Three High-Resolution Pelican Satellites Including one for the Swedish Armed Forces (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Planet Labs has launched three new Pelican satellites, one of which is the first satellite to orbit as part of the recently-announced satellite services agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF). The spacecraft were launched to orbit aboard the CAS500-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Planet has subsequently begun the commissioning process for the three satellites after successfully making initial contact. (5/5)

Polish Space Company Eycore Launches First SAR Earth Observation Satellite (Source: Space News)
Polish space company Eycore has launched Eycore-1, an Earth observation satellite equipped with the company’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology. The May 3 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base made Eycore the second privately-owned business in Europe to own its own SAR satellite. (5/5)

ESA Awards Thales Alenia Space €26 Million Contract for LISA Telescopes (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded Thales Alenia Space a €26.1 million contract to develop six optical telescopes for the three spacecraft that will make up ESA’s LISA mission. Selected as ESA’s third Large-Class mission in July 2017, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be dedicated to detecting gravitational waves that occur during some of the most significant events in the Universe, such as when two black holes collide. (5/6)

Loft Orbital Expands Into Full-Service Constellation Deals (Source: SpaceNews)
Data and intelligence providers, along with governments, are outsourcing the construction and operation of Earth-observation constellations, favoring access to data and analytics over owning the satellites and ground systems that produce them. The shift is helping reshape parts of the space industry, enabling companies such as Loft Orbital to move beyond niche hosted-payload offerings into what executives describe as “constellations as a service.” (5/6)

MGUE Program To Move From Space Force To Air Force (Source: Defense Daily)
n fiscal 2027, the Air Force is to assume management of the Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) program from the Space Force. On April 9 last year, a Department of the Air Force memorandum directed the transfer in fiscal 2027 for MGUE Increment 2. (5/6)

SWISSto12 Strikes German Partnership Deal for D2D GEO Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Swissto12 has struck a key new partnership deal in Germany which could bring exciting new media broadcast capabilities to Geostationary (GEO) satellites. It will work with German high-performance space subsystem providers HPS/LSS. The Munich-based consortium that will provide a large deployable reflector subsystem (LDRS) for the NEASTAR-1 mission, built on the  HummingSat platform. This will enable what it claims is the world’s first direct-to-device media broadcasting capabilities from GEO. (5/6)

Space Force Accelerates DARC Deployment (Source: Executive Gov)
The US Space Force has deployed the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability ahead of schedule to address increasing risks from man-made objects and adversary actions in orbit. DARC, a network of ground-based sensors developed by Northrop Grumman, enhances space domain awareness by tracking objects in orbit, and the early deployment allows the Space Force to streamline testing and evaluation while supporting joint operations. (5/5)

Astranis Raises $450 Million to Expand Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Astranis has raised more than $450 million in equity and debt to expand its production of small GEO communications satellites. The funding, announced Wednesday, includes a $300 million Series E round co-led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton, with participation from several other investors, along with $155 million in loan commitments from Trinity Capital. According to a source close to the deal, the latest funding values Astranis at $2.8 billion. Astranis said the new funding will be used to accelerate production of its small GEO satellites, which weigh a few hundred kilograms each, for commercial customers and to scale manufacturing to support U.S. military satellite procurements. (5/6)

Scout Space Raises $18 Million to Expand Virginia Manufacturing (Source: Space News)
Space domain awareness company Scout Space has raised $18 million. The funding will support upcoming missions and expand the company's manufacturing capacity, including the buildout of a 2,600-square-foot facility in Northern Virginia. Scout Space develops sensors and software designed to detect, track and characterize objects in orbit. The company's business model centers on supplying space domain awareness sensors and software that can be integrated onto a range of spacecraft, rather than building standalone satellites. (5/6)

Scolese to Retire From NRO (Source: Space News)
The head of the National Reconnaissance Office is preparing to retire. Chris Scolese has been director of the NRO since 2019, but will soon step down. The White House last month nominated Roger Mason, a defense industry executive with a background in intelligence, as Scolese's successor. His tenure has been marked by growing use of commercial capabilities, including a $1.8 billion contract with SpaceX for hundreds of reconnaissance satellites. (5/6)

Ukraine Testing Handheld Devices to Obtain Battlefield Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
Ukrainian troops used handheld devices to order satellite imagery directly from the battlefield. In a test run by imaging company Vantor, Ukrainian forces used handheld devices to task commercial imaging satellites, bypassing centralized intelligence workflows that typically slow delivery to the battlefield. The imagery was also shared simultaneously with other units operating hundreds of kilometers away, allowing distributed teams to coordinate targeting decisions. A process that typically unfolds in a sequence over hours was compressed into a continuous loop, Vantor said. (5/6)

Voyager Optimistic for Starlab Regardless of NASA Plans (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies says it is optimistic about the prospects for its Starlab Space joint venture regardless of the path NASA takes on commercial space stations. Voyager is the majority partner on Starlab Space, which is developing the Starlab space station with support from NASA as a potential successor to the International Space Station. In March, NASA said it was reconsidering its plans for backing such stations, concerned about the slow development of commercial markets. In an earnings call Tuesday, Voyager executives said they felt ready no matter what direction NASA goes. They also did not rule out funding Starlab without NASA support, but added they didn't think it would be necessary. (5/6)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission on Tuesday From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Tuesday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, putting 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the third by SpaceX in five days. (5/6)

Chinese Cargo Craft Departs TSS (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese cargo spacecraft undocked from the Tiangong space station. The Tianzhou-9 undocked from the station at 4:34 a.m. Eastern Wednesday and will later reenter, Chinese officials said. The undocking clears the way for a new cargo mission, scheduled to launch this weekend. (5/6)

Ground Stations Are Attractive Military Targets (Source: Space News)
Ground stations and related infrastructure are increasingly becoming targets in military conflicts. That has included a March missile strike on a SES teleport in Israel and drone strikes on AWS data centers in Bahrain and the UAE. The incidents underscore a broader shift: In an era when commercial space and cloud networks are increasingly woven into military operations, the infrastructure that receives, processes and distributes satellite data is drawing new scrutiny as a vulnerable point of attack. Companies are looking to address those risks through more distributed ground station networks and use of in-space data relays. (5/6)

Overview Energy to Study Space-Based Solar Power Beaming to Military Bases (Source: Space News)
Overview Energy won an Air Force contract to study delivering space-based solar power to remote military bases. Overview said Wednesday the contract will examine how its planned satellites, which generate solar power and transmit it to Earth through infrared lasers, could support military bases, reducing reliance on fuel deliveries that can be disrupted. A Pentagon study two decades ago identified powering remote bases as an initial market for space-based solar power, but launch costs prevented the business cases for the concept to close. Reduced launch costs and other advances now make space-based solar power viable, Overview argues. (5/6)

Divergent Space Technologies to Streamline Imagery Access (Source: Space News)
A startup has developed software to make it easier for military users to access commercial imagery. Divergent Space Technologies, a startup founded by a former NRO official, says its software platform anticipates when satellites will pass over areas of interest and automatically places orders across multiple vendors, aiming to replace a largely manual, fragmented process with something closer to real-time coordination. The system is still in development but is already being used by some U.S. and allied military organizations. (5/6)

UK's Online Oceans Secures $5.4 Million for Monitoring Undersea Activities Via Satellite (Source: Space News)
A British startup plans to use space technology to help monitor activities under the sea. Online Oceans announced April 29 it had secured 4 million British pounds ($5.4 million) in seed funding to ramp up deployments for Scout, a solar-powered vessel it recently began delivering to customers. Scout will use satellite connectivity to relay data from a wide variety of payloads, including cameras, weather instruments, acoustic sensors that listen for underwater activity. Scout relies on Iridium satellites for core communications and uses a modified Starlink terminal for high-bandwidth data. (5/6)

Loft Orbital Expands Into Full-Service Constellation Deals (Source: Space News)
Data and intelligence providers, along with governments, are outsourcing the construction and operation of Earth-observation constellations, favoring access to data and analytics over owning the satellites and ground systems that produce them. The shift is helping reshape parts of the space industry, enabling companies such as Loft Orbital to move beyond niche hosted-payload offerings into what executives describe as “constellations as a service.” (5/5)

New Venture Bringing Space Flight Training to the UAE Could Boost Tourism (Sources: Arabian Business, Khaleej Times)
A new private spaceflight venture led by entrepreneur Mac Malkawi is bringing astronaut training and human spaceflight preparation to the UAE, positioning the country as a global hub for the rapidly expanding space economy. The philanthropist and founder of Borderless Labs Inc (Blinc) said that space  travel could soon become more common and is working to make the UAE a hub for it.

Blinc, which is based in Abu Dhabi, also focuses on astronaut training, human spaceflight experiences, and education. It also has strong roots in Steam, ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education, particularly for underserved communities in the Mena region. On Sunday, Blinc conducted its first test flight in the UAE in partnership with ActionFlight Ras Al Khaimah, which offers advanced aviation experiences. (5/5)

Crashed Rocket Company Orbex was Burning Through £2m a Month (Source: The Times)
A space rocket developer heavily backed by the state had been racking up losses of £2 million a month at the time it went bust. Orbital Express Launch, which traded as Orbex, had received more than £130 million of grant and equity funding as it tried to build reusable rockets. That included £29 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank and £26 million from the UK government. Business Growth Fund, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise also supported the company before its insolvency in February. (5/4)

California Reaches for the Stars with Space Accomplishments That Are Out of This World (Source: Gov.CA.Gov)
With diverse aerospace and technology companies, world-class research institutions, and a skilled workforce, the Golden State is driving innovation in advanced technologies. California remains a leader in the aerospace industry, as the top state for aerospace manufacturing and home to half of the nation’s space tech venture capital funding over the past five years.

The state is also home to all 5 traditional defense prime contractors: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics, and Raytheon. More than 500 companies and 16,000 workers in the state contributed to NASA’s Artemis II – the United State’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.

California industry leaders made this mission a reality, providing advanced manufacturing; software development; safety and security services; and specialized components such as valves, harnesses, clamps, batteries, and cables. Click here. (5/4)

Firefly Aerospace Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace issued financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Highlights include record revenue of $80.9 million, up 40% from the prior quarter. Firefly expects 2026 full-year revenue to be between $420 million and $450 million. (5/4)

Explosive Event Rocks Water Deluge System at Starbase, Impact on Launch Plans TBD (Source: Gizmodo)
We’re possibly one week away from witnessing the first flight of the upgraded Starship rocket, and things are heating up at SpaceX’s launch site. Literally. A significant explosive event erupted at SpaceX’s facility in Texas during a test of Starship’s water deluge system on Sunday. The company revealed last week that there were some issues with the deluge system, which uses water to absorb heat and energy from the rocket as it lifts off. It’s not clear yet how the incident will affect Starship’s upcoming test flight. (5/5)

Blue Origin Moon Lander Completes Testing at NASA Vacuum Chamber (Source: NASA)
Environmental testing of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander has been completed inside Thermal Vacuum Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Also known as Endurance, MK1 is an uncrewed cargo lander funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration mission to advance Human Landing System capabilities in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The tests in Chamber A represent a public-private partnership model, with Blue Origin conducting work through a reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

Endurance will demonstrate precision landing, cryogenic propulsion, and autonomous guidance, navigation, and control capabilities in support of future lunar surface operations. In addition to its primary objectives, MK1 will carry two NASA science and technology payloads under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to the lunar South Pole region this year. (5/5)

Battle for the Heavens: Intelligence Satellite Vulnerability in the 1970s (Source: Space Review)
Officials today frequently discuss how intelligence satellites are vulnerable to attack. Dwayne Day discusses how a report in the 1970s examined threats to reconnaissance satellites and ways to address those threats. Click here. (5/5)
 
The Moonbase Moment (Source: Space Review)
The centerpiece of NASA’s new lunar exploration plans is a lunar base announced at an event in March. Jeff Foust reports there is strong interest in developing the base despite uncertainties about what infrastructure will be needed and how the base will be used. Click here. (5/5)
 
Governance is Always Late to the Party. Here’s Why That’s Not an Accident (Source: Space Review)
Regulation of space activities aways appears to lag their technical and economic feasibility. G. Theresa Quitto-Dickerson explains this structural issue and how the industry can overcome it. Click here. (5/5)
 
The Fallacy of the Overview Effect: Perception, Power, and Strategic Reality in Space (Source: Space Review)
Many have hailed the “Overview Effect” people say they feel during spaceflight as a way of way of erasing political boundaries that divide humanity. Christopher Stone argues that experience does little to change the realities of geopolitics. Click here. (5/5)

ESA Taps Edge Aerospace for Space Cloud Contract (Source: Payload)
In-space computing startup Edge Aerospace landed a contract under ESA’s Space Cloud program to study the future of orbital data centers. Under the agreement, announced today, the Luxembourg-based company will develop an architecture and use-case road-map for orbital data centers. The company will study the commercial viability of orbital-compute power; and uncover ways Europe can leverage the new capability for commercial, civil, and defense applications. (5/5)

May 5, 2026

STMicroelectronics Expects its Space Business to Reach More than $3B Over Three Years (Source: Via Satellite)
Global semiconductor company STMicroelectronics — a supplier to SpaceX and other space companies – expects to earn more than $3 billion from its space business over the next three years. Remi El-Ouazzane gave an update on its space business during a virtual presentation on Monday, reporting a 243% increase in revenue related to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) programs over a four-year period — from $175 million in 2021 to $600 million in 2025. (5/4)

SSC Raises Andromeda IDIQ Cap to $6.24B (Source: GovConWire)
Space Systems Command plans to increase the ceiling on the Andromeda indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from $1.84 billion to $6.24 billion to address projected threats beyond 2030. The contract, which supports space domain awareness technologies, including systems engineering and operational support, includes 14 companies, such as Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies. (5/5)

U.S. Space Force Awards $3.2 Billion for Space-Based Interceptor Layer (Source: SatNews)
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command announced on Monday, May 4, the award of 20 Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements totaling up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies. The funding is part of the Golden Dome for America’s Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program, a generational effort to establish a proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) constellation capable of intercepting ballistic and hypersonic threats during boost, midcourse, and glide phases.

Awardees include a mix of traditional defense primes like Booz Allen Hamilton and emerging commercial space firms such as True Anomaly and SciTec, a subsidiary of Firefly Aerospace. (5/4)

Italy’s Earth Monitoring Program Reaches New Milestone (Source: ESA)
Italy’s IRIDE Earth observation program has added seven more satellites to its Hawk for Earth Observation (HEO) constellation, enhancing the strategic data it provides for Italy’s environmental, emergency and security services. The launch took place on Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from California, bringing the total number of IRIDE satellites in orbit to 31. (5/4)

Anduril Teams With Multiple Contractors on Golden Dome Interceptors (Source: Space News)
Anduril Industries is partnering with a group of commercial space companies and a research lab on Golden Dome interceptors. Anduril said Tuesday it is working with Impulse Space, Inversion Space, K2 Space, Sandia National Laboratories and Voyager Technologies. Anduril is one of 12 companies selected by the Space Force to build space-based interceptors, a core element of the Pentagon's planned layered missile defense architecture. (5/5)

NRO Adds Companies to Imagery Program (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office is adding three companies to a program to acquire commercial satellite imagery. The NRO said Monday that EarthDaily Analytics, Iceye and Pixxel have been selected under its Commercial Solutions Opening program, a contracting approach designed to evaluate emerging commercial technologies with fewer upfront requirements. Pixxel will provide hyperspectral imagery and EarthDaily will provide optical and multispectral imagery. Iceye, which has been selling synthetic aperture radar imagery to the NRO since 2022, received a new award focused on non-traditional radio-frequency sensing using its radar satellites. (5/5)

Pixxel Plans Data Center Tests (Source: Space News)
Pixxel is planning to test orbital data center technologies. The company said Monday it is collaborating with Indian AI technology firm Sarvam to provide onboard language models and an inference software platform on a pathfinder satellite that will be ready for launch before the end of the year. The technology would be used to analyze imagery collected by the satellite, but could also be a step toward satellites devoted to orbital data center applications. (5/5)

Firefly's Next Alpha Launch This Summer (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace expects to perform the first launch of its upgraded Alpha rocket later this summer. In an earnings call Monday, Firefly executives said the first Alpha Block 2 launch is projected for late summer, with two more Alpha launches before the end of the year. The Block 2 features upgrades intended to improve the reliability of the rocket. Firefly sees strong demand for Alpha, particularly in national security space. The company also said it expects it is well-positioned to capture demand from NASA's revised Artemis plans, noting it had already expanded cleanroom space to support production of additional lunar landers. (5/5)

Interlune to Develop Helium-3 Extraction Tech for NASA (Source: Space News)
Interlune received a NASA contract to develop a payload for extracting helium-3 from lunar regolith. The company said Monday it won a $6.9 million contract from NASA's space technology directorate that will test how heating and mechanical processing can liberate helium-3 embedded in lunar regolith. Interlune has long-term ambitions to mine helium-3 from the moon, returning it to Earth for applications such as quantum computing. The payload is planned to launch in 2028 on a lander yet to be selected by the company. (5/5)

Tech Firms Partner to Push Intelligence Processing Closer to the Battlefield (Source: Space News)
Several companies are working together on how to access and use commercial satellite imagery and other geospatial intelligence when communications networks are unreliable or unavailable. The initiative, called Coalition Edge, brings together companies focused on analytics, cloud infrastructure and connectivity to process and deliver intelligence directly in the field. Coalition Edge is built around what participants describe as an "edge intelligence stack," a combination of computing hardware, software and networking tools designed to process data closer to where it is collected. The group has been demonstrating the technology on the show floor at the GEOINT Symposium. (5/5)

South Korea's Hancom InSpace Expands Observation Constellation (Source: Space News)
South Korea's Hancom InSpace is expanding its Earth observation constellation. The company says its Sejong-3 cubesat, launched on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission in March, is undergoing commissioning. Sejong-3 has a hyperspectral imager, complementing multispectral imagers on Sejong-2 and -4, launched last year. (5/5)

AI Tools Risk Loss of Trust in Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
AI tools risk undermining trust in satellite imagery. In the recent conflict in the Middle East, some organizations have altered satellite images or created false images using AI tools claiming to show evidence of attacks. Experts say growing AI capabilities will only make it easier to manipulate or generate false satellite images, but also noted that the wealth of available satellite imagery makes it easier than ever to debunk false claims. (5/5)

DARPA Seeks to Reshape Space Portfolio (Source: Space News)
The head of DARPA wants to reshape the agency's space portfolio. Stephen Winchell said DARPA's space programs must function less as a collection of high-risk experiments and more as a conduit to a fast-moving commercial market. DARPA is focusing on foundational building blocks such as propulsion, maneuverability and the ability to assemble and sustain large structures in orbit, alongside analytical tools to plan and manage increasingly complex space operations. DARPA is considering a new "Grand Challenge" focused on cislunar navigation, a technical problem centered on how spacecraft determine their position and trajectory in the region between Earth and the moon, where GPS-like infrastructure is unavailable. (5/5)

NATO Must Accelerate Geospatial Data Fusion (Source: Space News)
A NATO official says the alliance must update policies and strengthen relationships among allies to accelerate the fusion of commercial and national geospatial intelligence. Maj. Gen. Paul Lynch, NATO deputy assistant secretary general for intelligence, said at the GEOINT Symposium Monday that the war in Ukraine has shown the benefits of combining intelligence from its member states along with commercial imagery, but also the challenges of integrating that data. NATO needs standards that enable commercial, national and NATO-partner data processed by AI to contribute to the same operational picture, he said, and be able to do that work quickly. (5/5)

Bridenstine Takes CEO Position at Quantum Space (Source: Space News)
Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is the new CEO of Quantum Space. The company announced Tuesday it hired Bridenstine to lead the firm as it seeks national security space work. Quantum Space is developing Ranger, a highly maneuverable spacecraft, and recently won a contract from DARPA to study a lunar orbiter. It is also part of the Space Force's Andromeda program for monitoring activities in geosynchronous orbit. Bridenstine said the planned capabilities of Ranger, slated to fly its first mission next year, and the growing importance of highly maneuverable space activities attracted him to the job. (5/5)

Ireland and Malta Sign Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Ireland and Malta are the latest countries to sign the Artemis Accords. Malta signed the Accords at an event in Malta Monday, followed later in the day by Ireland in a ceremony at NASA Headquarters. With the signings, all of ESA's full and associate members have joined the Accords, along with all but one EU nation. Sixty-six countries have signed the Accords, outlining best practices in space exploration, including five in just over two weeks. (5/5)

Interlune Wins NASA Contract for Helium-3 Extraction Payload (Source: Space News)
Interlune has secured a $6.9 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract from NASA to develop a payload designed to extract helium-3 and other gases from lunar regolith. The 18-month, firm-fixed-price contract with NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Game Changing Development program aims to test this technology on the Moon to support future in-situ resource utilization. (5/4)

Embry‑Riddle Team’s Lunar Energy Project Advances to NASA Challenge Finals (Source: ERAU)
A team of students from Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University has designed a system to provide multi-day energy storage on the moon without needing to transport huge battery systems from Earth. Their proposal has advanced to the competition finals of NASA’s Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) program. The system would collect solar heat during the lunar day, storing it in the lunar soil, or regolith. During the two-week lunar night, the heat would be converted into electricity. (4/20)

Lockheed Martin, Firefly and Seagate Team to Launch Satellites From the Sea (Source: Defense Blog)
Lockheed Martin, Seagate Space, and Firefly Aerospace announced a three-way strategic collaboration to develop sea-based launch capabilities for national security missions, a partnership that brings together a defense prime with decades of missile heritage, an offshore launch platform operator, and a commercial rocket company whose Alpha vehicle has been carving out a role in the responsive launch market.

Johnathon Caldwell, vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems for Lockheed Martin Space, described it as an effort to blend Lockheed Martin’s legacy in missile defense, targets, and countermeasures with what he called the innovative spirit of Firefly and Seagate. The three companies will work together on mission-application concepts and flight-demonstration projects that leverage Seagate’s Gateway offshore launch platform. (5/4)

All Points Inks NASA Lease to Build 200-Foot-Tall Spacecraft Complex at KSC (Source: Florida Today)
After years of behind-the-scenes planning, All Points Logistics has secured a 64-acre lease from NASA to construct more than a half-million square feet of spacecraft pre-launch processing facilities at Kennedy Space Center. The Merritt Island aerospace-logistics company hopes to break ground for construction in fall.

If all goes smoothly, a logistics facility may open in late 2027, followed by a 200-foot-tall processing facility in early 2028. CEO Phil Monkress said demand to assemble, integrate, fuel and test satellites and spacecraft is now "even more than we even imagined." He cited NASA's new goal to construct a base on the moon's surface and President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile-defense system. (5/4)

Space-BACN Satellite Laser Link Program Shifts From DARPA to DIU (Source: Breaking Defense)
DARPA is winding down its Space-BACN project, which was developing a key underpinning technology for the sprawling Golden Dome missile defense initiative, Breaking Defense has learned. However, the program will effectively continue under new ownership, as company officials involved say it is being transitioned away from DARPA and over to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The idea is for DIU to open up a bid process for on-orbit demonstration of the Space-BACN terminal configuration, they explained. (5/4)

Spaceflight is Hard on the Heart, Yet Artificial Ones Grow Better in Space Than on Earth (Source: Space.com)
The human heart shrivels away in space, but researchers have found that mini-hearts grown from human stem cells sprout in space significantly faster than in labs on Earth. Weird things happen to astronauts' hearts in microgravity. Without the sense of up and down, the flow of blood in the body changes. More of the fluid gathers in the head, and there is suddenly less of it not just in the legs but also in the heart itself. Not having to push the body against the resistance of gravity, the heart shrinks, weakens and even changes its shape, becoming more circular.

Even heart muscle cells flown in petri dishes to the International Space Station (ISS) deteriorate. Their ability to contract declines and their metabolism changes. Yet, when researchers tried to grow human mini-hearts from stem cells on board the ISS, they found they could produce them more easily and in higher quantities, Arun Sharma, director of the Center for Space Medicine Research at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, told Space.com. (5/3)

NASA Welcomes Malta as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory (Source: NASA)
The Republic of Malta became the 65th signatory to the Artemis Accords on Monday during a ceremony in the town of Kalkara with NASA and U.S. Department of State officials present. Malta’s Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country. (5/4)

Global Smallsat Deployment Accelerates, with 16,900 Satellites Projected Through 2035 (Source: Novaspace)
Novaspace’s Prospects for the Small Satellite Market report forecasts 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to be launched between 2026 and 2035. This equates to an average of 230 tons per year, or approximately 640 kg launched daily, driven by growing sovereign constellation demand.

Smallsats are expected to account for 33% of all satellites launched over the period, but only 6% of total mass, underscoring the continued dominance of larger systems in overall launch weight. While large-scale constellations such as Starlink continue to influence demand, market expansion is increasingly supported by a broader base of national and regional programs. (5/4)

Booz Allen Hamilton Wins Contract to Develop Space-Based Interceptor Prototype (Source: Defense Industry Europe)
Booz Allen Hamilton has been awarded an agreement by the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command to develop a prototype system for the Space-Based Interceptor program. The award supports the Golden Dome for America initiative focused on space-based missile defense. (5/4)

Pixxel Pushes Into Orbital Data Centers for Faster Geospatial Intelligence (Source: Space News)
Indian hyperspectral imaging startup Pixxel has partnered with AI firm Sarvam AI to develop and launch "Pathfinder," India’s first orbital data center satellite, with a target launch as early as Q4 2026. The 200 kg-class satellite is designed to test in-orbit AI processing and high-performance computing to deliver immediate geospatial intelligence, bypassing the need to first transmit large amounts of raw data to Earth. (5/4)

OroraTech Deploys Wildfire Constellation for Greece (Source: Space News)
On May 3, OroraTech successfully deployed four thermal-imaging satellites for the Hellenic Fire System to provide near real-time, high-resolution wildfire monitoring for Greece. The satellites, launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, form the world’s first national dedicated wildfire surveillance constellation. (5/4)

SpaceX’s AI Pivot Promises the Stars. Could it Cost NASA the Moon? (Source: Scientific American)
SpaceX announced a deal in April with Cursor, an AI-code-writing start-up, signaling the rocket firm’s intention to acquire it for $60 billion. That’s more than twice NASA’s current annual budget—and also about how much capital SpaceX could raise from its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) in June. The plan to snap up Cursor is part of a huge shift at SpaceX toward AI, as it pursues creating a vast network of data centers in space. Meanwhile Musk’s other trillion-dollar-plus company, Tesla, is expanding its own investments in AI and robotics.

“Is space going to be the place where AI is used, or is AI going to be the means for us to do more in space?” Jason Bimm asks. Meanwhile, the company’s lofty talk of space exploration beyond the moon, especially of Mars, has notably lessened.

SpaceX’s supporters, partners and critics alike now seek to understand its AI pivot. “This speaks to the—optimistically, the nimbleness—but also the idiosyncrasies and fickleness of having a space company led by a single person, rather than a space program run by and for the public,” says Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the nonprofit Planetary Society. (5/4)

Spaceflux Raises £9 Million To Expand Space Intelligence Globally (Source: Spaceflux)
London-based space intelligence company Spaceflux has raised £3.5 million in an extension to its seed round, bringing total funding to £9 million which will accelerate global expansion. The new capital will supercharge growth of the company’s AI-powered space intelligence products including Pattern of Life analytics, on top of Spaceflux’s Cortex platform, to scale sovereign and operational deployments for allied governments. (4/27)

Welcome to the Great American Satellite Age (Source: WIRED)
Basalt Space is part of a generation of startups aiming to broaden reliable and secure access to satellite imaging, navigation, and communication services. As they envision it, more of the world will be continually photographed, more items will be tracked, and customers won’t have to fear gatekeepers like Starlink cutting off their transmissions.

Basalt wants to provide any client with their own set of five to 15 satellites in a similar fashion to how cloud computing firms give companies access to data centers full of sophisticated servers. Faster satellite data could help farmers stop pests and diseases before they spread widely. Operating the satellites using AI in place of people is an essential but unproven part of Basalt’s business plans. But the startup already has been aided by the rapid decrease in costs of manufacturing and launching satellites over the past five years.

The Trump administration’s recent decision to relax some regulatory hurdles has also helped, according to Bhatti. “A lot of the hoops that you would jump through are gone, and that's welcomed by everyone in the industry,” he says, declining to get into specifics. The war in Iran has also provided a golden opportunity to pitch the technology. (5/4)

Astronomers Detect First Pluto Cousin With Thin Atmosphere (Source: Gizmodo)
Astronomers have confirmed, for the first time, a trans-Neptunian object with a thin atmosphere—something previously thought exclusive to Pluto among similar objects. Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are small icy bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune. (5/4)

Ohio Native John Glenn Was Hero of American Aeronautics (Source: Columbus Dispatch)
"Zero G and I feel fine," U.S. astronaut John Glenn said during his historic voyage to the stars in 1962. Glenn, a small-town boy who later became one of Ohio's longest-serving U.S. senator, is remembered as the first American to orbit Earth in one of the opening legs of the space race that spanned the 1950s and '60s. Glenn resigned as an astronaut on Jan. 16, 1964. He was promoted to colonel in October 1964 and retired from the Marine Corps on Jan. 1, 1965.

As a US senator, Glenn focused on nuclear non-proliferation and pushed for more funding for space exploration, education and scientific research. In 1998, Glenn returned to space, flying on the Discovery shuttle flight, a 9-day mission where he became the oldest person in space. (5/4)

US to Bolster Missile Defense with New Contract for Space-Based, Combat-Proven Interceptors (Source: Interesting Engineering)
The United States is making efforts to bolster layered missile defense. The Space Force Systems Command has selected Lockheed Martin to develop capabilities supporting the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program. These agreements mark progress toward fielding core elements of an integrated, layered homeland defense solution. (5/3)

Astronomers Explore the Surface Composition of a Nearby Super-Earth (Source: Phys.org)
Using MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team of researchers analyzed the surface composition of the rocky exoplanet LHS 3844 b. Beyond characterizing exoplanetary atmospheres, this kind of deciphering the geological properties of planets orbiting distant stars is the next step in unveiling their nature. (5/4)

Small Near-Earth Asteroids Show Distinct Composition From Larger Objects (Source: Space Daily)
An international team of planetary scientists has found that the smallest near-Earth asteroids differ markedly in composition from kilometer-scale objects, a size-dependent trend with direct implications for meteorite origin studies, asteroid-family evolution, and planetary defense modeling.

The study, led by Dr. Nick Moskovitz of Lowell Observatory, analyzed 189 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and identified a clear compositional shift as object size decreases. S-complex asteroids - the type most closely linked to ordinary chondrites, the most common class of meteorites - account for roughly 65 percent of kilometer-scale NEAs but fall to about one-third of objects smaller than 50 meters. (5/4)

NASA’s STORIE Mission to Tell Tale of Earth’s Ring Current (Source: NASA)
NASA is preparing to launch a mission designed to provide a unique, inside-out view of the ring current. Called STORIE (Storm Time O+ Ring current Imaging Evolution), it is scheduled to launch in May aboard the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission is flying as part of the Space Test Program – Houston 11 (STP-H11) payload, a partnership between the U.S. Space Force and NASA. Once it is robotically installed on the exterior of the space station (expected a few days after its arrival), STORIE will look outward at the ring current, helping scientists answer longstanding questions about how it grows and shrinks and what kind of particles it’s made of. (5/1)

Space Radiation Doesn’t Sleep: Why Its Effects on the Human Body Are Never “Almost Zero” (Source: SpaceInfo Club)
Space radiation does not pause, slow down, or become harmless just because we are asleep. It interacts continuously with our bodies — with our cells, our DNA, and our biological systems — regardless of whether we are active or resting. And here’s the irony: sleep is one of the most biologically active phases of our day. It’s when the body carries out critical processes such as tissue repair, immune regulation, and hormone release — including growth hormone. Suggesting that radiation effects vanish during this phase is not only incorrect, but it also reveals a deeper misunderstanding of both physics and human biology. (4/16)

DAMPE Space Telescope Narrows Field on Cosmic Ray Origins (Source: Space Daily)
The DAMPE space telescope has identified a universal feature in the energy spectra of cosmic ray nuclei -- from protons to iron -- that strongly favors rigidity-dependent models of cosmic ray acceleration and transport over competing alternatives, according to a new study published in Nature.

DAMPE, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer, was launched in December 2015 and has been accumulating high-precision measurements of cosmic ray particle fluxes from orbit. The international mission includes a major contribution from the astrophysics group at the Department of Nuclear and Particle Physics at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), which helped develop one of the instrument's key sub-detectors and led parts of the data analysis. (5/4)

Loft Orbital to Deploy Six EarthDaily Satellites in Single Launch as Fleet Expansion Accelerates (Source: Space Daily)
Loft Orbital and EarthDaily Analytics announced a mission planned for the current quarter that will deploy six EarthDaily satellites on a single launch. The mission represents a significant step in completing the EarthDaily Constellation and will double the size of Loft Orbital's on-orbit fleet. The six-satellite launch is part of a broader Loft campaign to deploy more than 20 satellites, including two full constellations, within an 18-month period. The effort effectively doubles Loft's on-orbit presence. (5/4)

Vantor Wins $70 Million NGA Contract for Imagery System (Source: Space News)
Vantor won a $70 million contract to operate and enhance a web-based imagery system for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Under the one-year contract option announced Monday, Vantor will continue to upgrade the latest version of the platform, Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (GEGD) Pro, which provides secure access to commercial and government-furnished imagery and data for U.S. national security and civilian agency users. GEGD Pro provides access to Vantor's extensive archive of high-resolution electro-optical imagery along with imagery and data from other electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar satellite operators. While GEGD Pro was built for NGA, the underlying software platform could serve international customers seeking sovereign capabilities. (5/4)

NGA Pushes for Access and Innovation for Satellite Intel (Source: Space News)
NGA is opening more of its programs to commercial vendors to gain faster access to satellite data and analysis. NGA's deputy director, Brett Markham, said NGA is looking to expand programs such as Luno, in which companies deliver AI-enabled geospatial intelligence products derived from satellite imagery and other sources. Unlike traditional procurement of raw imagery, Luno is designed to buy finished intelligence products such as change detection, facility monitoring and activity analysis produced using AI and other analytics tools. Markham said NGA established a Rapid Capabilities Office to streamline acquisition and move emerging technologies from companies into operational use more quickly.

NGA is also pushing to make greater use of AI tools. Markham said at the conference that NGA is using AI to reduce latency and narrow uncertainty for intelligence analysts. Those tools are needed to deal with a growing amount of geospatial data from satellites and other sensors. The rapid adoption of AI-driven analytics has raised expectations that geospatial intelligence can deliver near-constant awareness, but he cautioned that perception is outpacing reality. (5/4)

Orbital Data Center Skeptic Won Over (Source: Space News)
A skeptic of orbital data centers is now more bullish about their prospects. In an interview during a SpaceNews event last week, Delian Asparouhov, a partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda Space Industries, said he was initially skeptical of orbital data centers because of the scale of the infrastructure and costs involved. However, lower launch costs and technology maturity projected over the next decade have made the business case more compelling to him, along with growing challenges facing terrestrial data centers. (5/4)

Taylor Geospatial Releases Open Source Agricultural Imagery Dataset (Source: Space News)
Taylor Geospatial has released the first global dataset showing the boundaries of agricultural fields. The nonprofit organization worked with the Microsoft AI for Good Lab to develop the open and publicly available dataset with applications for food security, carbon accounting, precision agriculture and water-quality analysis. The Fields of the World project also revealed the challenges of applying machine learning and computer vision to satellite data. (5/4)

IonQ to Offer Radar Imagery Through Capella (Source: Space News)
IonQ said it will begin offering a satellite data product based on radar imagery from its subsidiary, Capella Space. The service detects subtle changes in the Earth's surface using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, or InSAR, with millimeter-level precision. The company says the service has applications from civil engineering to disaster preparedness and response. IonQ acquired Capella in May 2025 and operates eight Capella Acadia radar imaging spacecraft in mid-inclination and sun-synchronous orbits. (5/4)

ESA Spells Out Satellite Benefits – and Risks (Source: SatNews)
A major study on April 30 from the European Space Agency (ESA) reminds us of the aids provided by satellites in zones of interest outside our individual specialties. And the benefits are not just considerable but in most cases they are growing in influence and revenues. But so are the risks associated with the failure of a sector. The ESA study admits that its risk forecasts are hypothetical – and its numbers are very much focused on its European members – and Canada. (5/4)

ESA Considers Shifting Harmony from Vega C to Ariane 6 (Source: European Spaceflight)
The ESA has published a RFI that suggests it is considering shifting the launch of its Harmony satellites from Vega C to Ariane 6. In October 2024, ESA awarded OHB a €280 million contract to develop and build a pair of satellites for its Harmony mission, which will monitor shifts in the shape of Earth’s land surface caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity. While neither ESA nor OHB identified a proposed launch vehicle at the time, a Thales Alenia Space release from the same day announcing its subcontract for the mission’s Synthetic Aperture Radar instruments identified Vega C as the planned launch vehicle. (5/4)

The Preference for Fixed-Price Contracts Receives Accountability Boost (Source: FNN)
President Trump’s latest acquisition-focused executive order, released April 30, is mandating the use of firm fixed price contracts, with limited exceptions, or a justification by agency leaders as to why other contract types, like labor hours or cost reimbursement, are necessary.

The EO is defining fixed price contracts based on Part 16 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations: “A firm-fixed-price contract provides for a price that is not subject to any adjustment on the basis of the contractor’s cost experience in performing the contract. This contract type places upon the contractor maximum risk and full responsibility for all costs and resulting profit or loss.” (5/1)

BlackSky Lands 30 Million Dollar Assured ISR Contract With International Defense Customer (Source: Space Daily)
BlackSky Technology Inc. has secured a nearly $30 million, one-year Assured subscription contract from an international defense customer seeking guaranteed access to real-time space-based tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

The customer moved from an initial six-figure Early Access pilot program to the full subscription deal in under six months, a timeline that BlackSky attributed to incremental validation of mission value and ease of integration into the customer's existing operations. The award also follows BlackSky's commissioning of its fourth next-generation Gen-3 satellite and the general availability opening of Gen-3 very high-resolution imagery services. (5/4)

RO-21 Expands Unseenlabs’ Satellites Constellation for Radio Frequency Detection (Source: Unseen Labs)
Unseenlabs announces the successful launch of BRO-21, the latest satellite in its constellation dedicated to maritime surveillance. BRO-21 is a GEN 1 satellite that expands Unseenlabs’ radio frequency (RF) detection for maritime surveillance.  (5/4)

GomSpace Joins Innovation Fund Denmark–Supported SATSOL Project to Strengthen European Space Solar Supply Chain (Source: GomSpace)
GomSpace has joined SATSOL, a three‑year Grand Solution project sponsored by Innovation Fund Denmark, with a total funding of MSEK 21.9 from which MSEK 3.3 for GomSpace contribution. The project is led by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and includes METR and Nice Visions as consortium partners. SATSOL aims to address the supply constraints in space‑qualified solar cells by establishing a Danish‑centered production of low‑cost, high‑efficiency silicon photovoltaic modules for space applications. (3/28)