The GPS III Rollout Is Almost
Complete, But What Is It? (Source: Hackaday)
Just last week, the tenth GPS III satellite was placed in orbit by a
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Once it’s properly configured and operational,
it will join its peers to form the first complete “block” of
third-generation GPS satellites. Over the next decade, as many as 22
revised GPS III satellites are slated to take their position over the
Earth, eventually replacing all of the aging satellites that billions
of people currently rely on.
So what new capabilities do these third-generation GPS satellites
offer, and why has it taken so long to implement needed upgrades in
such a critical system? The new signals being transmitted by GPS III
satellites won’t just be louder than their predecessors, they’ll gain
some new features as well. For one thing, GPS III satellites will
transmit a standardized signal known as L1C which offers
interoperability with other global navigation systems such as Europe’s
Galileo, China’s BeiDou, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS), and Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.
In theory a compatible receiver will be able to process signals from
any combination of these systems simultaneously, improving overall
performance. To make GPS III transmissions even more secure, the
military is also getting their own signal known as M-code. As you might
expect, little is publicly known about M-code currently, but it’s a
safe bet that it utilizes encryption and other features to make it more
difficult for adversaries to create spoofed transmissions. (4/28)
Artemis III Will Launch No Earlier
Than Late 2027 (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers on Monday that SpaceX
and Blue Origin, the agency’s two lunar lander contractors, say they
could have their spacecraft ready for the next Artemis mission in Earth
orbit in late 2027, somewhat later than NASA’s previous schedule.
This mission, Artemis III, will not fly to the Moon. Instead, NASA will
launch an Orion capsule with a team of astronauts to rendezvous and
potentially dock with one or both landers in Earth orbit. The details
of the Artemis III flight plan remain under review, with key questions
about the orbit’s altitude and the configuration of the Space Launch
System rocket still unanswered. (4/27)
SpaceX Ties Musk Compensation to Mars
Colonization Goal (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX's board has approved a compensation plan for founder Elon Musk
with goals as futuristic and celestial as the company's ambitions:
colonizing Mars and running data centers in outer space. The details
of Musk's sweeping pay package, which have not been widely reported,
were revealed in the company's confidential registration statement
filed in recent weeks with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The lofty rewards dangled for Musk by SpaceX show the challenge of
holding the attention of the serial entrepreneur as he prepares to take
the rocket maker public. They also potentially set up SpaceX investors
for tensions with shareholders of Tesla, where Musk is CEO, say
corporate governance experts. Connecting science-fiction visions with
accounting commitments, the SpaceX board in January approved a pay
package for the world's richest man that will award 200 million in
super-voting restricted shares if the company hits a market value of
$7.5 trillion and establishes a permanent human colony on Mars with at
least 1 million people. (4/28)
European Rocket Developer is Retooling
an Abandoned Russian Launch Facility in South America (Source:
Extreme Tech)
European rocket developer MaiaSpace has been rebuilding and retooling
an old Soyuz rocket launch facility at Guiana Space Center in Kourou,
French Guiana. The plan is to have it ready for the maiden flight of
MaiaSpace's own reusable launch vehicle design by next year, with pad
tests scheduled for this year.
MaiaSpace has been working to beat back the encroaching jungle and
update the site for use in its future launch efforts. This isn't just a
case of burning off some vegetation and rewriting signage, though. The
facility also needed heavier construction efforts, and has already
required cutting through major structural supports. (4/27)
Did Decaying Dark Matter Help Create
the Universe's First Supermassive Black Holes? (Source:
Space.com)
New research suggests that supermassive black holes that existed before
the cosmos was 1 billion years old may have formed with a helping hand
from dark matter, the universe's most mysterious stuff. Researchers
think that it would only take energy equivalent to a billion trillionth
of the energy of a single AA battery to "supercharge" primordial gas
clouds, with the decay of dark matter capable of providing this. (4/27)
DoD Budget Proposes Space Operations
Centers in Alabama, Colorado, New Mexico, and North Dakota
(Source: Gazette)
The expansive $1.5 trillion DoD budget proposal for next year features
$250 million for a new space operations center on Schriever Space Force
Base. The center is one of four in the budget, which also proposes a
building at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., a building at
Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M., and a building at Grand
Forks Air Force Base in N.D., budget documents said. Each building is
slated to receive the same construction allocation, bringing the total
investment to $1 billion.
The new buildings will support space control, space-based sensing and
targeting and data transport, according to Air and Space Magazine,
which first reported the story. Schriever is also home to units focused
on GPS, satellite communications and missile defense analysis. (4/27)
California Commission Settles SpaceX
Launch Lawsuit (Source: Courthouse News Service)
A California commission has apologized to SpaceX as part of a lawsuit
settlement. SpaceX sued the California Coastal Commission after it
voted in 2024 against an increase in launches from Vandenberg Space
Force Base, with the company claiming the commission's move was
political discrimination for Musk's views. As part of a settlement
filed Tuesday in federal court, the commission issued a letter of
apology for that vote and agreed it can't block proposals by the Space
Force to allow increased launches from Vandenberg. The commission,
though, said it remained concerned about environmental impacts from
increased launch activity. (4/29)
SpaceX Wins Purdue Armstrong Space
Prize (Source: Purdue U)
A SpaceX team has won the first Neil Armstrong Space Prize from Purdue
University. The university announced last week it selected a team of
five from SpaceX who led development of landing and reuse of Falcon 9
boosters for the prize, intended to recognize achievements in space
discovery and innovation. The SpaceX team will formally receive the
prize at an event in Washington in September. (4/29)
Artemis 2 Astronauts Visit White House
(Source: Washington Post)
The Artemis 2 astronauts will be visiting the White House today. The
astronauts are scheduled to meet with President Trump in the Oval
Office this afternoon, according to a White House schedule. Trump
invited the crew to the White House when speaking to them during the
mission earlier this month. The visit comes as the White House budget
proposal for NASA would emphasize exploration, including an accelerated
pace of future Artemis missions, while cutting other parts of the
agency. (4/29)
Appropriators Criticize NASA Budget
Proposal (Source: Space News)
House and Senate appropriators criticized NASA's budget proposal,
saying it does not give the agency the resources it needs to carry out
its missions. At hearings Monday by the House Appropriations
Committee's commerce, justice and science (CJS) subcommittee and
Tuesday by its Senate counterpart, members from both parties said the
$18.8 billion budget proposal was insufficient, calling it
"disappointing" and "abysmal."
They reiterated concerns about cuts in areas ranging from science to
NASA's education office. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman defended the
request, saying it provided sufficient funding for priorities such as
exploration. The House CJS appropriations subcommittee is scheduled to
mark up its spending bill Thursday, while Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KN),
chairman of the Senate CJS appropriations subcommittee, said his
committee would use last year's spending bill, rather than the
administration's proposal, as a guide for its 2027 spending bill. (4/29)
Pentagon Budget Request Moves Space
Force Toward Space Tracking Role (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon's fiscal 2027 budget request is the clearest signal yet
that the U.S. Space Force is moving into a new role of tracking moving
targets from space. The proposal allocates more than $8 billion for
so-called moving target indicator, or MTI, systems, which are
satellites designed to follow objects on the ground and in the air in
near real time. Such tracking has traditionally been done by
specialized aircraft, but the Space Force says such aircraft face
threats that make them "increasingly unviable." The MTI mission
is split into two parts, one tracking moving targets on the ground and
other tracking aircraft and cruise missiles. The latter is more
difficult, but Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said earlier this month
at the Space Symposium that it is "technically feasible and grounded in
demonstrated technologies." (4/29)
BAE Wins Space Force RF Satellite
Links Contract for Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
BAE Systems won a Space Force contract to demonstrate an intersatellite
communications technology planned for Golden Dome. The $11.8 million
contract awarded Tuesday will test Link-182, a radio-frequency data
link standard adopted for the Space Force's planned MILNET data relay
network supporting the Golden Dome missile defense shield. SpaceX won a
$57 million awarded earlier this month for a similar demonstration of
intersatellite communications using Link-182. (4/29)
EraDrive Developing AI for Spacecraft
Autonomy (Source: Space News)
Silicon Valley startup EraDrive is working with Northrop Grumman to
enhance spacecraft autonomy with artificial intelligence. The companies
announced a teaming agreement to collaborate on using AI in robotic
missions, including in-orbit operations and supporting activities on
the ground. One example of that work would be incorporating AI into
inspection and servicing of spacecraft, assisting the Mission Robotic
Vehicle spacecraft by Northrop subsidiary SpaceLogistics. (4/29)
SpacePort Australia and Aexa Aerospace
Launch Joint Venture to Build Medical AI for Space Crews
(Source: Business News Australia)
Moree-based SpacePort Australia (SPA) and Houston-based Aexa Aerospace
have formalized a joint venture to develop what they describe as the
world's first deductive medical AI designed to assist, support and
treat spacecraft and station crew. The partnership, dubbed The Hamilton
Project, is named after NASA flight surgeon Dr Douglas Hamilton, who
served across 50 missions. The project aims to build an AI model
capable of functioning as a medical resource for crew operating in
environments where real-time access to physicians on Earth is limited
or impossible, such as deep-space missions or orbital stations. (4/27)
UCF Focuses on Space Hospitality
(Source: Central Florida Public Media)
The Rosen College of Hospitality Management has its sights set outside
our planet with its pursuits of space hospitality and tourism. As
humans inch closer to an off-planet settlement, there must be a space
to put every worker and tourist. This involves not only shelter, but
relaxation. Amy Gregory, the University of Central Florida’s Endowed
Chair of Space Tourism Programming & Initiatives, focuses on food
and lodging. She likened the space tourism industry to the cruise ship
industry. (4/28)
NASA Needs Your Help Spotting Meteors
Hitting the Moon (Source: Popular Science)
Establishing a long-term human presence on the moon is a daunting
challenge. Daunting—but not impossible. One way to help prepare for our
imminent arrival is to gain a better understanding of the frequency and
effects of meteorite strikes on the lunar surface.
NASA isn’t only relying on its brave squadron of astronauts like the
recently returned Artemis II crew to do the work, however. They need
help from anyone willing to spend some time gazing up at the moon from
here on Earth. For those ready and willing citizen scientists, it’s
time to contribute to the ongoing Impact Flash endeavor. (4/27)
Machine Learning Drives
High-Resolution Daily Soil Moisture Mapping Across China (Source:
Space Daily)
A research team from Nanjing University has developed a high-precision,
1 km resolution soil moisture dataset for China covering the period
2000 to 2025, using machine learning techniques to overcome
longstanding limitations in conventional data sources.
Soil moisture governs surface water evaporation, runoff, and the energy
exchange between land and atmosphere. During drought conditions, soil
moisture levels remain persistently low, while prior to heavy rainfall
events, the initial soil water content directly influences flood
formation. Despite the importance of this variable, traditional
observation methods carry significant drawbacks: ground-based
monitoring stations are sparse and unevenly distributed, satellite
remote sensing is susceptible to cloud interference, and numerical
weather models carry substantial computational costs as well as
systematic biases. (4/29)
Amentum Hiring About 100 Workers in
Florida for NASA Artemis Missions (Source: Florida Today)
Amentum is hiring about 100 workers to bolster staffing for NASA's
Artemis III, IV and V missions at Kennedy Space Center, and a hiring
event for job seekers is scheduled in Orlando. All job positions
support Amentum's $3.2 billion COMET contract, which covers Artemis
operations through 2033. COMET is an acronym for Consolidated
Operations, Management, Engineering and Test. (4/28)
RTX's Raytheon Delivers Second
Missile-Warning Sensor to U.S. Space Force (Source: RTX)
Raytheon has delivered its second sensor to Lockheed Martin for the
U.S. Space Force's Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared
(Next-Gen OPIR) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Block 0 satellite
program. The satellites, commonly referred to as NGG, will provide
enhanced missile warning and tracking to address evolving space-based
threats. Raytheon's sensor payloads use advanced optical designs and
algorithms to detect the heat signatures of missile launches, including
hypersonic weapon systems and other advanced threats. (4/28)
South Korea Nears Completion of
Five-Satellite Network to Monitor North Korea (Source: Korea
Herald)
South Korea is set to complete the deployment of its five-satellite
military reconnaissance constellation this month, marking a major step
toward strengthening its independent capabilities in the surveillance
of North Korea. (4/28)
April 28, 2026
Starship Progress at the Cape with
Hoping to Launch This Year (Source: NSF)
SpaceX continues to make progress on the Gigabay at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and the launch pads at LC-39A and the first pad at SLC-37. SpaceX hopes to launch from LC-39A sometime this year. At Gigabay, the primary steel truss has reached its maximum height, and crews are currently working on the final level. This final level will include some sort of penthouse like Mega Bays 1 and 2; it is unknown what SpaceX will place in this area. It has potential as a great location for an upgraded launch control center at Cape Canaveral, as the east side of the bay would offer unrestricted views of every launch pad. (4/23)
Blue Origin Is Eating SpaceX’s Lunch (Source: Medium)
The first Space Race was an intercontinental ideological battle that eventually culminated in one of the most complex acts of cross-border cooperation: the ISS. By comparison, the new ‘space race’ is just a billionaire dick-measuring contest, and, like most men who peaked twenty years ago, some are struggling to even get it up (i.e., Starship). Now, Blue Origin is beginning to overtake SpaceX, much like the tortoise to the hare. However, unlike Starship, their New Glenn rocket (which is Starship’s direct competitor) is actually walking the walk. (4/27)
Core Stage of NASA’s Artemis III Delivered to Kennedy Space Center (Source: MyNews 13)
Now that the Artemis II mission has wrapped up, NASA is gearing up for the next mission as the Artemis III’s core stage was delivered on Monday at the Kennedy Space Center. On Monday, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage (the biggest part of the rocket) completed a short 900-mile ferry ride from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans (where it was built) via the Pegasus barge. (4/27)
NASA ‘Received Responses’ From SpaceX and Blue Origin on Artemis III, Isaacman Says (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers Monday the agency “received responses” from both SpaceX and Blue Origin for the planned Artemis III mission in 2027. Artemis III is now planned as a crewed demonstration in low-Earth orbit in which an Orion crew capsule will practice rendezvous and docking with one or both of the lunar landers in development. Earlier this month, Isaacman told an audience at the Space Symposium that he’s “gaining confidence by the day that it’ll be both.” (4/28)
Building the STEM Pipeline (Source: AIAA)
The United States is in the midst of a “space revolution,” but the hands that will inherit the Earth and the space surrounding it is in short supply. “We need more hands on deck,” said Amy Medina Jorge, astronaut and middle school teacher from Texas who flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-32 mission in May 2025. Medina and Kristen Yip of Blue Origin spoke on the HUB Stage at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 about building the talent pipeline for space. (4/28)
AAC Clyde Space Triples Backlog with Eumetsat EPS-Sterna Contract (Source: Space Intel Report)
Small satellite hardware and service provide AAC Clyde Space, with a long-awaited large contract now firmly in hand, said its 2026 revenue should be about 475 million Swedish krona ($49.9 million), up 61% from 2025, with a 10% EBITDA margin and positive operating cash flow. Given its size, Sweden- and Scotland-based AAC Clyde is subject to dramatic ups and downs based on the status of just a few large contracts. The EPS-Sterna constellation of Arctic meteorological satellites was one of those. (4/28)
AI Sped Up James Webb Space Telescope Data Analysis From Years to Days. What Can It Do For the Rubin Observatory? (Source: Space.com)
AI image processing has sped up analysis of data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope from years to mere days or less, ushering in an avalanche of ground-breaking discoveries that may otherwise never have been made. And now, the technology will be used to enhance the quality of images taken by the Chile-based Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the newest astronomy power house, to make them appear as sharp as if they have been taken from space. (4/27)
Dassault Picks Spanish Startup Arkadia Space for VORTEX-D Spaceplane Propulsion (Source: AeroTime)
Dassault Aviation has selected Spanish propulsion company Arkadia Space to develop and supply the complete propulsion system for the VORTEX-D, the subscale demonstrator of its planned reusable European spaceplane. The contract covers a full reaction control system built around the company’s 250-newton ARIEL monopropellant thrusters, along with associated propellant tanks and control electronics. The system will handle precision maneuvering during the higher-altitude phases of the mission, where positional accuracy and reliability become critical for hypersonic re-entry. (4/27)
True Anomaly Raises $650 Million (Source: Space News)
Space defense startup True Anomaly has become the latest space unicorn with a $650 million funding round. The company announced Tuesday it raised a Series D round valuing the firm at $2.2 billion. True Anomaly builds spacecraft and software for U.S. national security missions, including its Jackal satellite, designed to maneuver in orbit, and Mosaic, a mission software platform. The fresh capital will be used to expand manufacturing and hiring, with the company aiming to produce up to 50 Jackal spacecraft annually at its facility near Denver. The financing coincides with the company's entry into the Pentagon's Golden Dome program, an effort to develop space-based interceptors designed to counter missile threats. It was one of 12 companies picked last week to develop interceptor prototypes. (4/28)
Seraphim Raising $474 Million for Space Companies (Source: Space News)
Seraphim Space's London-listed trust is seeking to raise more capital to invest in space companies. The fund announced Monday an offer for a new class of C-shares priced at one British pound each, with a goal of raising 350 million British pounds ($474 million). That trust holds shares in more than 10 space companies, including Iceye, All.Space, D-Orbit and HawkEye 360. Seraphim said the new capital will allow it to increase its stakes in existing holdings as well as "cherry-pick new investments" in other companies. (4/28)
Tensor Plans Role in Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Tensor, an early-stage company focused on space-based radio-frequency communications, is seeking a role in Golden Dome. The company says it is developing compact radios capable of rapidly moving targeting data between satellites and interceptors. The Space Force is projecting demand for thousands of radios capable of running a complex waveform known as Link-182, designed to allow satellites and interceptors to securely exchange data in orbit. Tensor is working on prototypes of a radio using Link-182 with ground tests planned for later this year. It is working with companies involved in the Golden Dome interceptor program. (4/28)
Atlas 5 Launches Amazon Leo Satellites on Monday Mission From Florida (Source: Spaceflight Now)
An Atlas 5 launched more Amazon Leo satellites Monday night. The Atlas 5 551 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 8:53 p.m. Eastern, placing 29 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. This was the second Atlas 5 launch for Amazon this month and marked the shortest turnaround between Atlas 5 launches at this pad. With this launch, Amazon has launched 270 satellites for its broadband constellation, which is designed to have more than 3,200 satellites. (4/28)
Russian Cargo Craft Docks at ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Monday evening. The Progress MS-34 spacecraft, called Progress 95 by NASA, docked with the station's Zvezda module on schedule at 8 p.m. Eastern, a little more than two days after its launch. The Progress is carrying about three tons of cargo, including supplies and fuel, for the station and is expected to remain there for about six months. (4/28)
India's Vikram-1 Rocket Readies for First Launch (Source: NDTV)
The first privately developed Indian orbital launch vehicle is on its way to its launch site. The Vikram-1 rocket, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, left its assembly facility in Hyderabad over the weekend, bound for the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The small launch vehicle will undergo more tests there before a launch attempt later this year. (4/28)
The Great Launch Constraint (Source: Space Review)
Blue Origin’s New Glenn suffered a failure on its third launch last week when an upper stage malfunction placed its payload in the wrong orbit. Jeff Foust reports this is a problem not just for Blue Origin but the broader launch industry, as multiple failures reduce launch capacity as demand for launches surges. Click here. (4/28)
Science Power Platform: the ISS’s Cancelled Power Module (Source: Space Review)
During much of the development of the International Space Station, one Russian contribution was a module that would have provided power and lab space. Maks Skiendzielewski charts the long history of the Science Power Platform, which never made it to orbit yet influenced the station’s design. Click here. (4/28)
A Fortress Moon for Cislunar Security (Source: Space Review)
Cislunar space is evolving from one of primarily scientific interest to one with more strategic importance. Alan Dugger examines one approach to better monitor the activities taking place in this region. Click here. (4/28)
Redefining Success in Space Diplomacy: Emerging Space Nations in the Artemis Era and the Case of Türkiye (Source: Space Review)
The role of space in diplomacy is changing as countries shift from seeking technical dominance to influence over governance. Elif Yüksel discusses that shift and how it affects on emerging country in space. Click here. (4/28)
The TWINSTAR Mission Concept: A Pragmatic Path to Finding Earth 2.0 (Source: Space Review)
One of the driving goals of astrophysics is to be able to observe an Earthlike planet orbiting another star. Sherine Ahmed El Baradei discusses one mission concept under study that could so for a relatively modest price. Click here. (4/28)
Space Force Budget Proposal Funds Commercial Providers (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Space Force's $71 billion budget request for fiscal year 2027 includes $2.5 billion for commercial services, but officials note that commercial technology is deeply embedded throughout various programs, making the actual investment much higher. The budget reflects a shift toward private sector technology, with efforts such as the Andromeda program and the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve. (4/27)
L3Harris Plans Huntsville Facility Expansion Following $1B Investment From Pentagon (Source: Huntsville Business Journal)
In a deal that gives the government future ownership in its Missile Solutions business, L3Harris Technologies has closed a $1 billion strategic investment from the Department of War, the company announced. The investment will be used to expand and modernize facilities – including Huntsville, accelerate research and development, and increase production capacity for critical national security technologies. (4/27)
Lunar Dust Transformed Into Structural Reinforcement for Moon Base Construction (Source: Space Daily)
As space agencies and private companies move toward sustained human presence on the moon, one of the central challenges is how to build strong, durable infrastructure without transporting every material from Earth. New research from Rice University points to a solution drawn from the lunar surface itself - transforming the moon's abrasive dust into a valuable structural resource. The study demonstrates that lunar regolith simulant - a terrestrial stand-in for the moon's fine, abrasive dust - can be incorporated into fiber-reinforced polymer composites to measurably improve their structural performance. (4/23)
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Reveals a Birthplace Far Colder Than Our Solar System (Source: Space Daily)
Although its precise source remains unknown, new research led by the University of Michigan has revealed fresh insights about the birthplace of the interstellar object designated 3I/ATLAS - and wherever that was, it was far colder than the environment that gave rise to our own solar system. The finding rests on the observation that 3I/ATLAS is remarkably rich in a specific form of water containing deuterium, a heavier isotope of hydrogen. (4/23)
Plato Clears Major Vacuum and Thermal Trials Ahead of 2027 Launch (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency's Plato mission has completed a demanding series of tests in space-like conditions, clearing an important milestone as the spacecraft moves toward a planned launch in January 2027. Plato recently came out of the Large Space Simulator at ESA's Test Centre, where engineers exposed the spacecraft to the vacuum and temperature extremes it will face in orbit. The campaign followed the long-standing engineering rule of testing a spacecraft as closely as possible to the way it will actually fly. (4/23)
Full Scale Space Rider Test Craft Set for Parafoil Glide Trials (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency has completed the first full scale test model of its reusable Space Rider spacecraft, marking a step toward flight trials of the vehicle's runway landing system. Space Rider is designed as an uncrewed reusable spacecraft that will operate in low Earth orbit for about two months at a time. Its cargo bay is intended to support a range of experiments and operations in orbit. At the end of each mission, the reentry module will return to Earth and glide under a parafoil to a runway landing. (4/22)
Chang'e 7 Preps for South Pole Mission as China Charts Expanding Lunar Program (Source: Space Daily)
China's Chang'e 7 spacecraft is undergoing final launch preparations at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, ahead of a planned liftoff in the second half of 2026. The mission will travel to the lunar south pole to conduct environmental surveys and assess the region's resource potential. The announcement came as China marked its 11th Space Day, with officials using the occasion to review the achievements of the Chang'e program and outline the road ahead for Chinese and international lunar exploration. (4/26)
China Breaks Foreign Monopoly with Mass-Produced Fingernail-Sized Atomic Clock (Source: Space Daily)
China has achieved mass production of a chip-scale atomic clock the size of a fingernail that loses just one second every 30,000 years, a development with direct applications in low-Earth-orbit satellites, underwater Beidou navigation systems, drone swarms and GPS-denied military environments.
The device was developed by Wuhan University's Satellite Navigation and Positioning Technology Research Center and is now manufactured commercially by Zhongke Taifeisi (Wuhan) Technology Co. At 2.3 cubic centimeters, it is approximately one-seventh the volume of comparable products made in the United States while delivering equivalent timekeeping performance. (4/26)
China Identifies Two New Lunar Minerals from Chang'e 5 Samples (Source: Space Daily)
Chinese scientists have identified two new minerals in lunar samples returned by the Chang'e 5 mission in late 2020, bringing the total number of lunar minerals discovered by China to three and the global count of named lunar minerals to eight. The China National Space Administration confirmed that both minerals have been reviewed and formally approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association. (4/26)
China's First Commercial Space Standards Aim To Cut Costs and Unify Industry (Source: Space Daily)
China has released its first set of commercial space standards, marking a shift from an industry characterized by fragmented technical specifications to one with a shared regulatory framework. Until now, rocket and satellite manufacturers each operated under their own technical rules, making coordination along the supply chain inefficient. The new standards establish common safety benchmarks and a shared technical language, allowing companies across the sector to work together more effectively. (4/26)
China Moves To Deepen Commercial Space Sector With Focus On In-Space Manufacturing (Source: Space Daily)
The China National Space Administration has called for stronger support of commercial space development, with particular emphasis on emerging sectors including space-based computing power and in-space manufacturing, as the agency works to expand commercial application scenarios and establish viable closed-loop business models.
CNSA Director and Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Shan Zhongde chaired an enterprise roundtable in Beijing that brought together leaders from 14 commercial space companies. The firms represented a broad cross-section of the industry, spanning rocket development, satellite manufacturing, commercial launch services, satellite telemetry, tracking and control, constellation construction, and satellite applications. Discussions covered development strategies, current challenges, and policy recommendations across several areas including research and production, licensing and access, launch applications, frequency coordination, in-orbit operations, and application promotion. (4/28)
Curiosity And Perseverance Rovers Reveal Opposite Ends Of Mars Ancient Past (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's two active Mars rovers have each assembled sweeping 360-degree panoramas from opposite sides of the planet, together painting a portrait of Mars that spans billions of years of geological and climatic history. Separated by 2,345 miles (3,775 kilometers) - roughly the overland distance between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. - Curiosity and Perseverance are simultaneously probing two very different eras of Martian time. (4/27)
Spaceflux Raises £9 Million in Seed Funding to Accelerate its Space Intelligence Services (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Spaceflux has raised £9 million in its seed round, raising £5.5 million in the initial round and an additional £3.5 million in an extension round, to accelerate its global expansion. Existing investor Blackfinch Ventures led the extension round with a major follow-on, alongside continued participation from Foresight Group and the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (managed by Future Planet Capital). (4/28)
SpaceX continues to make progress on the Gigabay at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and the launch pads at LC-39A and the first pad at SLC-37. SpaceX hopes to launch from LC-39A sometime this year. At Gigabay, the primary steel truss has reached its maximum height, and crews are currently working on the final level. This final level will include some sort of penthouse like Mega Bays 1 and 2; it is unknown what SpaceX will place in this area. It has potential as a great location for an upgraded launch control center at Cape Canaveral, as the east side of the bay would offer unrestricted views of every launch pad. (4/23)
Blue Origin Is Eating SpaceX’s Lunch (Source: Medium)
The first Space Race was an intercontinental ideological battle that eventually culminated in one of the most complex acts of cross-border cooperation: the ISS. By comparison, the new ‘space race’ is just a billionaire dick-measuring contest, and, like most men who peaked twenty years ago, some are struggling to even get it up (i.e., Starship). Now, Blue Origin is beginning to overtake SpaceX, much like the tortoise to the hare. However, unlike Starship, their New Glenn rocket (which is Starship’s direct competitor) is actually walking the walk. (4/27)
Core Stage of NASA’s Artemis III Delivered to Kennedy Space Center (Source: MyNews 13)
Now that the Artemis II mission has wrapped up, NASA is gearing up for the next mission as the Artemis III’s core stage was delivered on Monday at the Kennedy Space Center. On Monday, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s core stage (the biggest part of the rocket) completed a short 900-mile ferry ride from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans (where it was built) via the Pegasus barge. (4/27)
NASA ‘Received Responses’ From SpaceX and Blue Origin on Artemis III, Isaacman Says (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers Monday the agency “received responses” from both SpaceX and Blue Origin for the planned Artemis III mission in 2027. Artemis III is now planned as a crewed demonstration in low-Earth orbit in which an Orion crew capsule will practice rendezvous and docking with one or both of the lunar landers in development. Earlier this month, Isaacman told an audience at the Space Symposium that he’s “gaining confidence by the day that it’ll be both.” (4/28)
Building the STEM Pipeline (Source: AIAA)
The United States is in the midst of a “space revolution,” but the hands that will inherit the Earth and the space surrounding it is in short supply. “We need more hands on deck,” said Amy Medina Jorge, astronaut and middle school teacher from Texas who flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-32 mission in May 2025. Medina and Kristen Yip of Blue Origin spoke on the HUB Stage at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 about building the talent pipeline for space. (4/28)
AAC Clyde Space Triples Backlog with Eumetsat EPS-Sterna Contract (Source: Space Intel Report)
Small satellite hardware and service provide AAC Clyde Space, with a long-awaited large contract now firmly in hand, said its 2026 revenue should be about 475 million Swedish krona ($49.9 million), up 61% from 2025, with a 10% EBITDA margin and positive operating cash flow. Given its size, Sweden- and Scotland-based AAC Clyde is subject to dramatic ups and downs based on the status of just a few large contracts. The EPS-Sterna constellation of Arctic meteorological satellites was one of those. (4/28)
AI Sped Up James Webb Space Telescope Data Analysis From Years to Days. What Can It Do For the Rubin Observatory? (Source: Space.com)
AI image processing has sped up analysis of data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope from years to mere days or less, ushering in an avalanche of ground-breaking discoveries that may otherwise never have been made. And now, the technology will be used to enhance the quality of images taken by the Chile-based Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the newest astronomy power house, to make them appear as sharp as if they have been taken from space. (4/27)
Dassault Picks Spanish Startup Arkadia Space for VORTEX-D Spaceplane Propulsion (Source: AeroTime)
Dassault Aviation has selected Spanish propulsion company Arkadia Space to develop and supply the complete propulsion system for the VORTEX-D, the subscale demonstrator of its planned reusable European spaceplane. The contract covers a full reaction control system built around the company’s 250-newton ARIEL monopropellant thrusters, along with associated propellant tanks and control electronics. The system will handle precision maneuvering during the higher-altitude phases of the mission, where positional accuracy and reliability become critical for hypersonic re-entry. (4/27)
True Anomaly Raises $650 Million (Source: Space News)
Space defense startup True Anomaly has become the latest space unicorn with a $650 million funding round. The company announced Tuesday it raised a Series D round valuing the firm at $2.2 billion. True Anomaly builds spacecraft and software for U.S. national security missions, including its Jackal satellite, designed to maneuver in orbit, and Mosaic, a mission software platform. The fresh capital will be used to expand manufacturing and hiring, with the company aiming to produce up to 50 Jackal spacecraft annually at its facility near Denver. The financing coincides with the company's entry into the Pentagon's Golden Dome program, an effort to develop space-based interceptors designed to counter missile threats. It was one of 12 companies picked last week to develop interceptor prototypes. (4/28)
Seraphim Raising $474 Million for Space Companies (Source: Space News)
Seraphim Space's London-listed trust is seeking to raise more capital to invest in space companies. The fund announced Monday an offer for a new class of C-shares priced at one British pound each, with a goal of raising 350 million British pounds ($474 million). That trust holds shares in more than 10 space companies, including Iceye, All.Space, D-Orbit and HawkEye 360. Seraphim said the new capital will allow it to increase its stakes in existing holdings as well as "cherry-pick new investments" in other companies. (4/28)
Tensor Plans Role in Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
Tensor, an early-stage company focused on space-based radio-frequency communications, is seeking a role in Golden Dome. The company says it is developing compact radios capable of rapidly moving targeting data between satellites and interceptors. The Space Force is projecting demand for thousands of radios capable of running a complex waveform known as Link-182, designed to allow satellites and interceptors to securely exchange data in orbit. Tensor is working on prototypes of a radio using Link-182 with ground tests planned for later this year. It is working with companies involved in the Golden Dome interceptor program. (4/28)
Atlas 5 Launches Amazon Leo Satellites on Monday Mission From Florida (Source: Spaceflight Now)
An Atlas 5 launched more Amazon Leo satellites Monday night. The Atlas 5 551 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 8:53 p.m. Eastern, placing 29 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. This was the second Atlas 5 launch for Amazon this month and marked the shortest turnaround between Atlas 5 launches at this pad. With this launch, Amazon has launched 270 satellites for its broadband constellation, which is designed to have more than 3,200 satellites. (4/28)
Russian Cargo Craft Docks at ISS (Source: NASA)
A Progress cargo spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Monday evening. The Progress MS-34 spacecraft, called Progress 95 by NASA, docked with the station's Zvezda module on schedule at 8 p.m. Eastern, a little more than two days after its launch. The Progress is carrying about three tons of cargo, including supplies and fuel, for the station and is expected to remain there for about six months. (4/28)
India's Vikram-1 Rocket Readies for First Launch (Source: NDTV)
The first privately developed Indian orbital launch vehicle is on its way to its launch site. The Vikram-1 rocket, developed by Skyroot Aerospace, left its assembly facility in Hyderabad over the weekend, bound for the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The small launch vehicle will undergo more tests there before a launch attempt later this year. (4/28)
The Great Launch Constraint (Source: Space Review)
Blue Origin’s New Glenn suffered a failure on its third launch last week when an upper stage malfunction placed its payload in the wrong orbit. Jeff Foust reports this is a problem not just for Blue Origin but the broader launch industry, as multiple failures reduce launch capacity as demand for launches surges. Click here. (4/28)
Science Power Platform: the ISS’s Cancelled Power Module (Source: Space Review)
During much of the development of the International Space Station, one Russian contribution was a module that would have provided power and lab space. Maks Skiendzielewski charts the long history of the Science Power Platform, which never made it to orbit yet influenced the station’s design. Click here. (4/28)
A Fortress Moon for Cislunar Security (Source: Space Review)
Cislunar space is evolving from one of primarily scientific interest to one with more strategic importance. Alan Dugger examines one approach to better monitor the activities taking place in this region. Click here. (4/28)
Redefining Success in Space Diplomacy: Emerging Space Nations in the Artemis Era and the Case of Türkiye (Source: Space Review)
The role of space in diplomacy is changing as countries shift from seeking technical dominance to influence over governance. Elif Yüksel discusses that shift and how it affects on emerging country in space. Click here. (4/28)
The TWINSTAR Mission Concept: A Pragmatic Path to Finding Earth 2.0 (Source: Space Review)
One of the driving goals of astrophysics is to be able to observe an Earthlike planet orbiting another star. Sherine Ahmed El Baradei discusses one mission concept under study that could so for a relatively modest price. Click here. (4/28)
Space Force Budget Proposal Funds Commercial Providers (Source: Air & Space Forces)
The Space Force's $71 billion budget request for fiscal year 2027 includes $2.5 billion for commercial services, but officials note that commercial technology is deeply embedded throughout various programs, making the actual investment much higher. The budget reflects a shift toward private sector technology, with efforts such as the Andromeda program and the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve. (4/27)
L3Harris Plans Huntsville Facility Expansion Following $1B Investment From Pentagon (Source: Huntsville Business Journal)
In a deal that gives the government future ownership in its Missile Solutions business, L3Harris Technologies has closed a $1 billion strategic investment from the Department of War, the company announced. The investment will be used to expand and modernize facilities – including Huntsville, accelerate research and development, and increase production capacity for critical national security technologies. (4/27)
Lunar Dust Transformed Into Structural Reinforcement for Moon Base Construction (Source: Space Daily)
As space agencies and private companies move toward sustained human presence on the moon, one of the central challenges is how to build strong, durable infrastructure without transporting every material from Earth. New research from Rice University points to a solution drawn from the lunar surface itself - transforming the moon's abrasive dust into a valuable structural resource. The study demonstrates that lunar regolith simulant - a terrestrial stand-in for the moon's fine, abrasive dust - can be incorporated into fiber-reinforced polymer composites to measurably improve their structural performance. (4/23)
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Reveals a Birthplace Far Colder Than Our Solar System (Source: Space Daily)
Although its precise source remains unknown, new research led by the University of Michigan has revealed fresh insights about the birthplace of the interstellar object designated 3I/ATLAS - and wherever that was, it was far colder than the environment that gave rise to our own solar system. The finding rests on the observation that 3I/ATLAS is remarkably rich in a specific form of water containing deuterium, a heavier isotope of hydrogen. (4/23)
Plato Clears Major Vacuum and Thermal Trials Ahead of 2027 Launch (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency's Plato mission has completed a demanding series of tests in space-like conditions, clearing an important milestone as the spacecraft moves toward a planned launch in January 2027. Plato recently came out of the Large Space Simulator at ESA's Test Centre, where engineers exposed the spacecraft to the vacuum and temperature extremes it will face in orbit. The campaign followed the long-standing engineering rule of testing a spacecraft as closely as possible to the way it will actually fly. (4/23)
Full Scale Space Rider Test Craft Set for Parafoil Glide Trials (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency has completed the first full scale test model of its reusable Space Rider spacecraft, marking a step toward flight trials of the vehicle's runway landing system. Space Rider is designed as an uncrewed reusable spacecraft that will operate in low Earth orbit for about two months at a time. Its cargo bay is intended to support a range of experiments and operations in orbit. At the end of each mission, the reentry module will return to Earth and glide under a parafoil to a runway landing. (4/22)
Chang'e 7 Preps for South Pole Mission as China Charts Expanding Lunar Program (Source: Space Daily)
China's Chang'e 7 spacecraft is undergoing final launch preparations at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, ahead of a planned liftoff in the second half of 2026. The mission will travel to the lunar south pole to conduct environmental surveys and assess the region's resource potential. The announcement came as China marked its 11th Space Day, with officials using the occasion to review the achievements of the Chang'e program and outline the road ahead for Chinese and international lunar exploration. (4/26)
China Breaks Foreign Monopoly with Mass-Produced Fingernail-Sized Atomic Clock (Source: Space Daily)
China has achieved mass production of a chip-scale atomic clock the size of a fingernail that loses just one second every 30,000 years, a development with direct applications in low-Earth-orbit satellites, underwater Beidou navigation systems, drone swarms and GPS-denied military environments.
The device was developed by Wuhan University's Satellite Navigation and Positioning Technology Research Center and is now manufactured commercially by Zhongke Taifeisi (Wuhan) Technology Co. At 2.3 cubic centimeters, it is approximately one-seventh the volume of comparable products made in the United States while delivering equivalent timekeeping performance. (4/26)
China Identifies Two New Lunar Minerals from Chang'e 5 Samples (Source: Space Daily)
Chinese scientists have identified two new minerals in lunar samples returned by the Chang'e 5 mission in late 2020, bringing the total number of lunar minerals discovered by China to three and the global count of named lunar minerals to eight. The China National Space Administration confirmed that both minerals have been reviewed and formally approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association. (4/26)
China's First Commercial Space Standards Aim To Cut Costs and Unify Industry (Source: Space Daily)
China has released its first set of commercial space standards, marking a shift from an industry characterized by fragmented technical specifications to one with a shared regulatory framework. Until now, rocket and satellite manufacturers each operated under their own technical rules, making coordination along the supply chain inefficient. The new standards establish common safety benchmarks and a shared technical language, allowing companies across the sector to work together more effectively. (4/26)
China Moves To Deepen Commercial Space Sector With Focus On In-Space Manufacturing (Source: Space Daily)
The China National Space Administration has called for stronger support of commercial space development, with particular emphasis on emerging sectors including space-based computing power and in-space manufacturing, as the agency works to expand commercial application scenarios and establish viable closed-loop business models.
CNSA Director and Vice-Minister of Industry and Information Technology Shan Zhongde chaired an enterprise roundtable in Beijing that brought together leaders from 14 commercial space companies. The firms represented a broad cross-section of the industry, spanning rocket development, satellite manufacturing, commercial launch services, satellite telemetry, tracking and control, constellation construction, and satellite applications. Discussions covered development strategies, current challenges, and policy recommendations across several areas including research and production, licensing and access, launch applications, frequency coordination, in-orbit operations, and application promotion. (4/28)
Curiosity And Perseverance Rovers Reveal Opposite Ends Of Mars Ancient Past (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's two active Mars rovers have each assembled sweeping 360-degree panoramas from opposite sides of the planet, together painting a portrait of Mars that spans billions of years of geological and climatic history. Separated by 2,345 miles (3,775 kilometers) - roughly the overland distance between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. - Curiosity and Perseverance are simultaneously probing two very different eras of Martian time. (4/27)
Spaceflux Raises £9 Million in Seed Funding to Accelerate its Space Intelligence Services (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Spaceflux has raised £9 million in its seed round, raising £5.5 million in the initial round and an additional £3.5 million in an extension round, to accelerate its global expansion. Existing investor Blackfinch Ventures led the extension round with a major follow-on, alongside continued participation from Foresight Group and the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (managed by Future Planet Capital). (4/28)
April 27, 2026
NASA Wants to Use a Fleet of MoonFall
Drones to Scout the Lunar South Pole (Source: Defense News)
One aspect of the NASA chief's Artemis makeover is use of hopper drones under what's called MoonFall. A Request for Proposals for moving MoonFall forward was issued the day of the NASA Ignition event. MoonFall involves the release of four camera and sensor-laden "drones" over a still-to-be-selected site at the lunar south pole, Baker told Space.com. "Our goal is that each drone can cover a range of roughly 30 miles," he said, "and get that done by the end of 2028." (4/27)
Meta Secures Overview Energy Space Solar Power Capacity (Source: Payload)
Meta announced an agreement today to secure up to 1 GW of power capacity through Overview Energy’s planned solar power-beaming satellite system. The deal comes amid AI’s rapid expansion, which has put a strain on terrestrial power grids. As large tech companies pour billions into new data centers, their energy needs are already equivalent to the entire power demand of Ireland in 2023, according to one estimate—and are expected to double or triple by 2028. The explosive demand has forced many data-center operators to get creative about their power inputs. In January, Meta announced three deals to secure up to 6.6 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2035, and now the tech giant is turning its sights to space. (4/27)
Global Military Spending Reaches Record $2.89 Trillion (Sources: Business Standard, Reuters)
Global military spending grew by 2.9% to $2.89 trillion last year, marking the 11th year of increases, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The US, China and Russia accounted for 51% of the total, with US spending falling by 7.5% due to a halt in aid to Ukraine. The decline in US spending is expected to be temporary, with projections exceeding $1 trillion in 2026. (4/27)
FAA Plans User Fees for Commercial Launches and Reentries (Source: Space News)
The FAA is moving forward with plans to charge user fees for commercial launches and reentries. The agency, in a public notice last week, said it will begin incorporating terms and conditions for user fees in new licenses, while operators with existing licenses remain liable for fees incurred for operations starting at the beginning of the year. Last year's budget reconciliation act directed the FAA to start charging fees based on the mass of the payload for each launch or reentry, with the fees going to a fund for improving integration of launches and reentries into the national airspace system.
The fees could generate more than $1 million for the FAA this year alone, with revenue growing with increased launches and an escalating fee schedule included in last year's bill. The FAA's commercial space office, which saw its budget cut by 5% in 2026, is seeking a significant increase in fiscal year 2027 to accommodate a growth in launches. Editor's Note: Maybe invest the proceeds into the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and expand grant eligibility to spaceports. (4/27)
Mars MTN Mission Opens 20 kg for Science Opportunity (Source: Space News)
NASA is reserving a small amount of payload space on a Mars communications mission for science. An updated draft RFP for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), released earlier this month, says the agency plans to reserve up to 20 kilograms on the mission for a science payload that the agency will select. NASA did not disclose what payloads are being considered but noted that it could be used to deploy cubesats once the mission arrives at Mars. MTN, formerly the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, would launch by the end of 2028 to provide relay services for other spacecraft at Mars. NASA received $700 million in last year's budget reconciliation act to fund the mission. (4/27)
India Plans New Class of Astronauts (Source: Times of India)
India is planning to recruit a second class of astronauts. A committee of Indian's space agency ISRO recommended that it select 10 more astronauts, six of which would be military pilots and the other four civilian scientists and engineers. India has four astronauts, all Indian Air Force pilots; one of the four, Shubhanshu Shukla, flew on an Axiom Space private astronaut mission to the ISS last year. The new astronaut class would support an anticipated two crewed missions a year for India's Gaganyaan program, with each mission carrying two or three astronauts. (4/27)
Germany's RFA Plans July Launch at SaxaVord (Source: RFA)
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg is projecting a first launch as soon as July. The company announced Monday it filed for a maritime license needed for the inaugural launch of its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. The application includes a date of no earlier than July 1 for the launch, but the company emphasized that the date in the application was "a legally required step for planning" and that it has yet to set an official launch date for the mission. (4/27)
New York City Will Throw an Artemis Parade if NASA Pays (Source: New York Post)
New York City is willing to throw a ticker-tape parade for the Artemis 2 astronauts — if someone else picks up the bill. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last week that his office is reviewing a request made by several members of the city council for a parade for the crew. He noted, though, that such parades are typically funded by the entity being honored. The city's last ticker-tape parade was in 2024 for the New York Liberty championship basketball team, with the team paying most of the multimillion-dollar cost for the parade. (4/27)
ESA Paid €51.65 Million to Launch Sentinel-1C on Vega-C Return to Flight (Source: European Spaceflight)
European Space Agency disclosures show that the agency paid more than €51 million to launch the European Commission’s Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite aboard a Vega C rocket on 5 December 2024. The flight marked the rocket’s return to flight after being grounded for nearly two years following a December 2022 failure.
While the European Union is responsible for the overall management of the Copernicus Earth observation satellite constellation, ESA is tasked with managing contracts with European industry for its development, launch, and operation. As part of this responsibility, the agency publishes an annual list of all contracts awarded with a value exceeding €15,000. (4/27)
SpaceX Flies 25 Starlink Satellites From California on its 50th Falcon 9 Launch of 2026 (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket of the year from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday, carrying another batch of satellites for its Starlink internet service. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-16 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred under cloudy skies . The rocket carrying 25 of SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet satellites took a southerly trajectory on departure from the central California coast. (4/26)
One aspect of the NASA chief's Artemis makeover is use of hopper drones under what's called MoonFall. A Request for Proposals for moving MoonFall forward was issued the day of the NASA Ignition event. MoonFall involves the release of four camera and sensor-laden "drones" over a still-to-be-selected site at the lunar south pole, Baker told Space.com. "Our goal is that each drone can cover a range of roughly 30 miles," he said, "and get that done by the end of 2028." (4/27)
Meta Secures Overview Energy Space Solar Power Capacity (Source: Payload)
Meta announced an agreement today to secure up to 1 GW of power capacity through Overview Energy’s planned solar power-beaming satellite system. The deal comes amid AI’s rapid expansion, which has put a strain on terrestrial power grids. As large tech companies pour billions into new data centers, their energy needs are already equivalent to the entire power demand of Ireland in 2023, according to one estimate—and are expected to double or triple by 2028. The explosive demand has forced many data-center operators to get creative about their power inputs. In January, Meta announced three deals to secure up to 6.6 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2035, and now the tech giant is turning its sights to space. (4/27)
Global Military Spending Reaches Record $2.89 Trillion (Sources: Business Standard, Reuters)
Global military spending grew by 2.9% to $2.89 trillion last year, marking the 11th year of increases, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The US, China and Russia accounted for 51% of the total, with US spending falling by 7.5% due to a halt in aid to Ukraine. The decline in US spending is expected to be temporary, with projections exceeding $1 trillion in 2026. (4/27)
FAA Plans User Fees for Commercial Launches and Reentries (Source: Space News)
The FAA is moving forward with plans to charge user fees for commercial launches and reentries. The agency, in a public notice last week, said it will begin incorporating terms and conditions for user fees in new licenses, while operators with existing licenses remain liable for fees incurred for operations starting at the beginning of the year. Last year's budget reconciliation act directed the FAA to start charging fees based on the mass of the payload for each launch or reentry, with the fees going to a fund for improving integration of launches and reentries into the national airspace system.
The fees could generate more than $1 million for the FAA this year alone, with revenue growing with increased launches and an escalating fee schedule included in last year's bill. The FAA's commercial space office, which saw its budget cut by 5% in 2026, is seeking a significant increase in fiscal year 2027 to accommodate a growth in launches. Editor's Note: Maybe invest the proceeds into the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and expand grant eligibility to spaceports. (4/27)
Mars MTN Mission Opens 20 kg for Science Opportunity (Source: Space News)
NASA is reserving a small amount of payload space on a Mars communications mission for science. An updated draft RFP for the Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN), released earlier this month, says the agency plans to reserve up to 20 kilograms on the mission for a science payload that the agency will select. NASA did not disclose what payloads are being considered but noted that it could be used to deploy cubesats once the mission arrives at Mars. MTN, formerly the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, would launch by the end of 2028 to provide relay services for other spacecraft at Mars. NASA received $700 million in last year's budget reconciliation act to fund the mission. (4/27)
India Plans New Class of Astronauts (Source: Times of India)
India is planning to recruit a second class of astronauts. A committee of Indian's space agency ISRO recommended that it select 10 more astronauts, six of which would be military pilots and the other four civilian scientists and engineers. India has four astronauts, all Indian Air Force pilots; one of the four, Shubhanshu Shukla, flew on an Axiom Space private astronaut mission to the ISS last year. The new astronaut class would support an anticipated two crewed missions a year for India's Gaganyaan program, with each mission carrying two or three astronauts. (4/27)
Germany's RFA Plans July Launch at SaxaVord (Source: RFA)
German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg is projecting a first launch as soon as July. The company announced Monday it filed for a maritime license needed for the inaugural launch of its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. The application includes a date of no earlier than July 1 for the launch, but the company emphasized that the date in the application was "a legally required step for planning" and that it has yet to set an official launch date for the mission. (4/27)
New York City Will Throw an Artemis Parade if NASA Pays (Source: New York Post)
New York City is willing to throw a ticker-tape parade for the Artemis 2 astronauts — if someone else picks up the bill. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last week that his office is reviewing a request made by several members of the city council for a parade for the crew. He noted, though, that such parades are typically funded by the entity being honored. The city's last ticker-tape parade was in 2024 for the New York Liberty championship basketball team, with the team paying most of the multimillion-dollar cost for the parade. (4/27)
ESA Paid €51.65 Million to Launch Sentinel-1C on Vega-C Return to Flight (Source: European Spaceflight)
European Space Agency disclosures show that the agency paid more than €51 million to launch the European Commission’s Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite aboard a Vega C rocket on 5 December 2024. The flight marked the rocket’s return to flight after being grounded for nearly two years following a December 2022 failure.
While the European Union is responsible for the overall management of the Copernicus Earth observation satellite constellation, ESA is tasked with managing contracts with European industry for its development, launch, and operation. As part of this responsibility, the agency publishes an annual list of all contracts awarded with a value exceeding €15,000. (4/27)
SpaceX Flies 25 Starlink Satellites From California on its 50th Falcon 9 Launch of 2026 (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket of the year from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday, carrying another batch of satellites for its Starlink internet service. Liftoff of the Starlink 17-16 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred under cloudy skies . The rocket carrying 25 of SpaceX’s Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet satellites took a southerly trajectory on departure from the central California coast. (4/26)
April 26, 2026
People Will Be ‘Living and Working’ on
the Moon in the 2030s, Says Space Tech CEO (Source: CNBC)
People will be living and working on the moon within the next decade, according to the boss of space tech company Voyager Technologies. “We’ll have humans on the moon by the end of the 2020s, and we’ll have some lunar base — it’ll probably be an inflatable habitat with some life support,” said the firm’s chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor. Voyager went public in June and is widely known for its Starlab project that is set to replace the International Space Station, which is slated to be retired in 2030. (4/24)
India's First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1 Inches Closer To Launch (Source: The Hindu)
Skyroot Aerospace’s orbital rocket Vikram-I capable of launching satellites, was flagged off from the spacetech startup’s facility in Hyderabad on Saturday by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to Sriharikota, from where it is likely to be launched, to space, in June. Designed and developed in Hyderabad, the rocket, the first such privately developed in India, is 23-meter tall or the height of a seven storey building. It can carry a payload of 300 kgs though the company plans to have smaller payloads during the initial launches. (4/25)
Sonic Booms in Store Monday Morning with 1st SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Since 2024 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida could be in store for pair of double sonic booms Monday morning with the planned returned landing of both of the side boosters for the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch since 2024. The company is targeting an 85-minute launch window that opens at 10:21 a.m. for the heavy-lift rocket flying on the ViaSat-3 F3 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A. A backup window falls to Tuesday opening at 10:17 a.m. (4/26)
China Launches Pakistani Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a Pakistani satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday. The satellite, named PRSC-EO3, was lifted off at 8:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-6 carrier rocket and successfully entered its planned orbit. This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. (4/26)
China Unveils International Partners for Tianwen-3 Mars Mission (Source: Xinhua)
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced the results of its international collaboration selection for Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission. Following a call for cooperation proposals in April 2025, in which the CNSA announced it would open up 20 kilograms of payload resources for international collaboration, the agency received 28 applications. Five projects were subsequently selected based on the criteria of high scientific value, effective mission support, solid engineering feasibility and high technological maturity, the CNSA said.
According to the CNSA, three scientific instruments will be carried on the orbiter. The first is a Mars PEX Spectrometer developed by a team from the Committee on Space Research Panel on Exploration. It will search for signs of life and study surface minerals. The second is a Mars Molecular Ion Composition Analyzer led by Macau University of Science and Technology, designed to study the atmospheric escape process of Mars. The third is a Laser Heterodyne Spectrometer led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which will measure the profile distribution of water isotopes and wind fields in the Martian atmosphere.
The mission's service module will carry a Mars Terrestrial Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer developed by the University of Hong Kong. This instrument will look for signs of life, water-containing minerals, and help map Mars' surface resources. The lander will carry a Tianwen Laser Retroreflector Array-3 led by the National Laboratory of Frascati under the National Institute for Nuclear Physics of Italy. This device will create precise reference points on the Martian surface. (4/24)
China Issues its First Commercial Space Standard System (Source: Xinhua)
China released its first commercial space standard system on Friday, aiming to leverage standardization's guiding role in the development of the space industry and promote high-quality development of commercial space activities. The new standard system was issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the State Administration for Market Regulation in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, at the launch ceremony of the country's 11th Space Day that fell on Friday. The system focuses on carrier rockets, satellites, launch sites, application services and industry governance.
The system comprises six categories: industry governance, R&D and manufacturing, launch and TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command), space application services, basic and common items, and facilities and equipment. It plans for over 1,000 standard items, covering international and national standards at various levels. (4/24)
Russia Launches Progress Cargo Mission
to ISS (Source: Russian Space Web)
The second Russian cargo mission to the ISS in 2026 lifted off from Baikonur on April 26, just 35 days after Progress MS-33 headed to the station from a repaired launch pad at Site 31. The tight schedule was designed to restore the flow of supplies to the outpost after the interruption by the launch pad accident in November 2025. (4/25)
Space Force Faces Surge in Demand for Heavy-Lift Launches (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is significantly increasing its demand for heavy-lift rocket launches, projecting a surge in national security missions through 2029, which puts immense pressure on a limited, two-provider market. With only SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) currently certified for high-priority payloads, the Space Force faces surge in demand for heavy-lift launches. (4/25)
Creotech Instruments Secures €52 Million ESA Contract to Build Polish Satellite Constellation CAMILA (Source: Creotech)
Creotech Instruments has signed the largest contract with ESA to date — a landmark €52 million agreement for the CAMILA (Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis) satellite constellation. Under the contract, Creotech will provide a national constellation of at least three Earth observation satellites along with dedicated ground infrastructure. The contract also includes satellite launch services and the conduct of full-scale missions. This is a significant milestone not only for Poland’s rapidly growing space sector, but also for Europe’s strategic autonomy in satellite technology. (4/24)
Could Space-Based Data Centers Help Power U.S. Military Missions in the Future? (Source: Washington Times)
Data centers in space, and perhaps even on the moon, could become crucial to U.S. national security. That statement may have sounded like borderline science fiction just a few years ago. But military insiders and defense industry leaders say they believe a convergence of factors on Earth, including grass-roots political opposition, could dramatically slow the construction of the massive new data complexes needed to power today’s artificial intelligence models and other advanced technology. (4/24)
UCF, Industry Experts Share Insight on Evolution of Space Medicine (Source: UCF)
Hours before Artemis II splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, UCF researchers, university partners, an astronaut, and the former head of NASA gathered to start developing new technologies to keep space travelers healthy. They proclaimed there is no better place than UCF, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
“You are in a global destination for medical innovation,” Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona’s Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the UCF College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.
Space medicine is one of the council’s priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine’s aerospace medicine program focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth. (4/24)
Europe Blows Up Russian Soyuz Rocket Launch Site in French Guiana (Source: United 24)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has dismantled key elements of the launch complex used for Russian Soyuz-ST rockets at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, effectively ending the site’s operational role in joint missions with Russia. The demolition included a controlled explosion of a 52-meter mobile service tower that had been part of the Soyuz launch infrastructure. (4/25)
Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put U.S. on Edge (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone has proliferated—potentially offering battlefield guidance to Tehran and other U.S. adversaries. U.S. concerns about the use of such data in the Middle East grew after the Chinese artificial-intelligence company MizarVision claimed on social media to have tracked the movements of American aircraft carriers, F-22 stealth fighters and B-52 bombers by using AI to analyze satellite data. (4/23)
US Space Command: Russia is Now Operationalizing Co-Orbital ASAT Weapons (Source: Ars Technica)
After several tests of unusual “nesting doll” satellites in low-Earth orbit, Russia is now fielding operational anti-satellite weapons with valuable US government satellites in their crosshairs, the four-star general leading US Space Command said this week. Gen. Stephen Whiting didn’t name the system, but he was almost certainly referring to a Russian military program named Nivelir, which has launched four satellites shadowing US spy satellites owned by the National Reconnaissance Office in low-Earth orbit. After reaching orbit, the Nivelir satellites have released smaller ships to start their own maneuvers, and at least one of those lobbed a mystery object at high velocity during a test in 2020. (4/23)
Clouds of Water Ice Thread Stellar Nurseries in the Milky Way (Source: Science News)
A vast, frozen fog of interstellar ice has been charted across expanses of the Milky Way, poised to supply water to newborn worlds. Reaching hundreds of light-years in length, the icy clouds drape two of the galaxy’s active star-forming regions, astronomer Gary Melnick and colleagues report in the April 20 Astrophysical Journal. The findings paint the broadest picture thus far of interstellar ice’s distribution, and seem to confirm predictions that water, a key ingredient for life on Earth, occurs across huge areas of interstellar space, says Melnick, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. (4/23)
People will be living and working on the moon within the next decade, according to the boss of space tech company Voyager Technologies. “We’ll have humans on the moon by the end of the 2020s, and we’ll have some lunar base — it’ll probably be an inflatable habitat with some life support,” said the firm’s chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor. Voyager went public in June and is widely known for its Starlab project that is set to replace the International Space Station, which is slated to be retired in 2030. (4/24)
India's First Private Orbital Rocket Vikram-1 Inches Closer To Launch (Source: The Hindu)
Skyroot Aerospace’s orbital rocket Vikram-I capable of launching satellites, was flagged off from the spacetech startup’s facility in Hyderabad on Saturday by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to Sriharikota, from where it is likely to be launched, to space, in June. Designed and developed in Hyderabad, the rocket, the first such privately developed in India, is 23-meter tall or the height of a seven storey building. It can carry a payload of 300 kgs though the company plans to have smaller payloads during the initial launches. (4/25)
Sonic Booms in Store Monday Morning with 1st SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch Since 2024 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida could be in store for pair of double sonic booms Monday morning with the planned returned landing of both of the side boosters for the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch since 2024. The company is targeting an 85-minute launch window that opens at 10:21 a.m. for the heavy-lift rocket flying on the ViaSat-3 F3 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A. A backup window falls to Tuesday opening at 10:17 a.m. (4/26)
China Launches Pakistani Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a Pakistani satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday. The satellite, named PRSC-EO3, was lifted off at 8:15 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-6 carrier rocket and successfully entered its planned orbit. This launch marked the 640th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. (4/26)
China Unveils International Partners for Tianwen-3 Mars Mission (Source: Xinhua)
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced the results of its international collaboration selection for Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission. Following a call for cooperation proposals in April 2025, in which the CNSA announced it would open up 20 kilograms of payload resources for international collaboration, the agency received 28 applications. Five projects were subsequently selected based on the criteria of high scientific value, effective mission support, solid engineering feasibility and high technological maturity, the CNSA said.
According to the CNSA, three scientific instruments will be carried on the orbiter. The first is a Mars PEX Spectrometer developed by a team from the Committee on Space Research Panel on Exploration. It will search for signs of life and study surface minerals. The second is a Mars Molecular Ion Composition Analyzer led by Macau University of Science and Technology, designed to study the atmospheric escape process of Mars. The third is a Laser Heterodyne Spectrometer led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which will measure the profile distribution of water isotopes and wind fields in the Martian atmosphere.
The mission's service module will carry a Mars Terrestrial Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer developed by the University of Hong Kong. This instrument will look for signs of life, water-containing minerals, and help map Mars' surface resources. The lander will carry a Tianwen Laser Retroreflector Array-3 led by the National Laboratory of Frascati under the National Institute for Nuclear Physics of Italy. This device will create precise reference points on the Martian surface. (4/24)
China Issues its First Commercial Space Standard System (Source: Xinhua)
China released its first commercial space standard system on Friday, aiming to leverage standardization's guiding role in the development of the space industry and promote high-quality development of commercial space activities. The new standard system was issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the State Administration for Market Regulation in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, at the launch ceremony of the country's 11th Space Day that fell on Friday. The system focuses on carrier rockets, satellites, launch sites, application services and industry governance.
The system comprises six categories: industry governance, R&D and manufacturing, launch and TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command), space application services, basic and common items, and facilities and equipment. It plans for over 1,000 standard items, covering international and national standards at various levels. (4/24)
Trump Ousts National Science Board Members (Source: Washington Post)
President Donald Trump terminated multiple scientists from the National Science Board, which guides the National Science Foundation. The board, established in 1950, helps govern the NSF’s $9 billion budget. The White House did not explain the dismissals. The board’s role includes advising Congress on science investments. This move follows similar changes in other federal science advisory boards since Trump’s second term began. (4/25)
The second Russian cargo mission to the ISS in 2026 lifted off from Baikonur on April 26, just 35 days after Progress MS-33 headed to the station from a repaired launch pad at Site 31. The tight schedule was designed to restore the flow of supplies to the outpost after the interruption by the launch pad accident in November 2025. (4/25)
Space Force Faces Surge in Demand for Heavy-Lift Launches (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is significantly increasing its demand for heavy-lift rocket launches, projecting a surge in national security missions through 2029, which puts immense pressure on a limited, two-provider market. With only SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) currently certified for high-priority payloads, the Space Force faces surge in demand for heavy-lift launches. (4/25)
Creotech Instruments Secures €52 Million ESA Contract to Build Polish Satellite Constellation CAMILA (Source: Creotech)
Creotech Instruments has signed the largest contract with ESA to date — a landmark €52 million agreement for the CAMILA (Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis) satellite constellation. Under the contract, Creotech will provide a national constellation of at least three Earth observation satellites along with dedicated ground infrastructure. The contract also includes satellite launch services and the conduct of full-scale missions. This is a significant milestone not only for Poland’s rapidly growing space sector, but also for Europe’s strategic autonomy in satellite technology. (4/24)
Could Space-Based Data Centers Help Power U.S. Military Missions in the Future? (Source: Washington Times)
Data centers in space, and perhaps even on the moon, could become crucial to U.S. national security. That statement may have sounded like borderline science fiction just a few years ago. But military insiders and defense industry leaders say they believe a convergence of factors on Earth, including grass-roots political opposition, could dramatically slow the construction of the massive new data complexes needed to power today’s artificial intelligence models and other advanced technology. (4/24)
UCF, Industry Experts Share Insight on Evolution of Space Medicine (Source: UCF)
Hours before Artemis II splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, UCF researchers, university partners, an astronaut, and the former head of NASA gathered to start developing new technologies to keep space travelers healthy. They proclaimed there is no better place than UCF, the closest medical school to Kennedy Space Center, to create a new frontier in healthcare as humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
“You are in a global destination for medical innovation,” Michal Masternak told participants in the Star Nona 2026 event in Lake Nona’s Medical City. An anti-aging and cancer researcher at the UCF College of Medicine, Masternak organized the event as part of the Lake Nona Research Council, which is focused on encouraging interdisciplinary scientific partnerships between industry, academia and healthcare.
Space medicine is one of the council’s priorities. Deep space travel and the commercialization of space bring unique health challenges that science is just beginning to explore. The College of Medicine’s aerospace medicine program focuses on how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth. (4/24)
Europe Blows Up Russian Soyuz Rocket Launch Site in French Guiana (Source: United 24)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has dismantled key elements of the launch complex used for Russian Soyuz-ST rockets at the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, effectively ending the site’s operational role in joint missions with Russia. The demolition included a controlled explosion of a 52-meter mobile service tower that had been part of the Soyuz launch infrastructure. (4/25)
Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put U.S. on Edge (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone has proliferated—potentially offering battlefield guidance to Tehran and other U.S. adversaries. U.S. concerns about the use of such data in the Middle East grew after the Chinese artificial-intelligence company MizarVision claimed on social media to have tracked the movements of American aircraft carriers, F-22 stealth fighters and B-52 bombers by using AI to analyze satellite data. (4/23)
US Space Command: Russia is Now Operationalizing Co-Orbital ASAT Weapons (Source: Ars Technica)
After several tests of unusual “nesting doll” satellites in low-Earth orbit, Russia is now fielding operational anti-satellite weapons with valuable US government satellites in their crosshairs, the four-star general leading US Space Command said this week. Gen. Stephen Whiting didn’t name the system, but he was almost certainly referring to a Russian military program named Nivelir, which has launched four satellites shadowing US spy satellites owned by the National Reconnaissance Office in low-Earth orbit. After reaching orbit, the Nivelir satellites have released smaller ships to start their own maneuvers, and at least one of those lobbed a mystery object at high velocity during a test in 2020. (4/23)
Clouds of Water Ice Thread Stellar Nurseries in the Milky Way (Source: Science News)
A vast, frozen fog of interstellar ice has been charted across expanses of the Milky Way, poised to supply water to newborn worlds. Reaching hundreds of light-years in length, the icy clouds drape two of the galaxy’s active star-forming regions, astronomer Gary Melnick and colleagues report in the April 20 Astrophysical Journal. The findings paint the broadest picture thus far of interstellar ice’s distribution, and seem to confirm predictions that water, a key ingredient for life on Earth, occurs across huge areas of interstellar space, says Melnick, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. (4/23)
April 25, 2026
UCF Students Dig Up Native Artifacts,
Pottery at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Hidden underground for centuries, the spinal column of a large shark eaten by Native Americans poked from the ink-black dirt wall of an archaeological test pit, evidence that hunter-gatherers roamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station long before the age of missiles and rockets. This Indigenous refuse-dumping site — loaded with discarded shells, broken pottery and wildlife bones — lies roughly 200 feet from the serene Banana River shoreline within the DeSoto Grove archaeological zone in a thickly vegetated, rarely glimpsed corner of the military installation. (4/24)
ESA Sheds Light on NASA Administrator’s Claims on Gateway Modules (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has provided details in response to claims made by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the condition of Gateway space station modules already delivered to the agency. During a hearing on 22 April, Isaacman testified that the two habitable volumes delivered were "corroded” and would delay the program “beyond 2030.” He was likely referring to the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and the International Habitation Module (I-HAB).
While HALO was part of NASA’s contribution to the station, with its construction led by Northrop Grumman, its primary structure was manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space. ESA confirmed that the HALO module, delivered to Northrop Grumman in April 2025, had arrived with signs of corrosion. While ESA confirmed that I-HAB had a similar but less severe issue, it clarified that the module had not yet been shipped to NASA.
"Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I-Hab, which was, in any case, in better condition than HALO from a corrosion point of view.” ESA said these elements were far from the only factors contributing to delays in the station’s development. US items like the life support system and the thermal control pump, "were also experiencing notable delays and technical complexity,” the ESA spokesperson said. (4/24)
SpaceX Lowers Price of Starlink Aviation Plans to Win Back Small Plane Owners (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is lowering the prices and changing the names of Starlink plans for small plane owners, but it might not be enough to win back the aviation community. A new email blast titled "More Data. Lower Price" touts Starlink's Aviation 300MPH plan, which SpaceX introduced in March for $250 per month alongside a $1,000 Aviation 450MPH plan.
Previously, aviators could use the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan on their aircraft, but as its name suggests, Aviation 300MPH capped the in-motion internet access at 300mph, so Roam was no longer an option on planes. It also swapped unlimited data for 20GB per month, and charged $10 for every extra GB used. (4/24)
The Governance Gap: Why Orbital Data Centers Need Certification Before They Scale (Source: Space News)
More companies around the world are forging ahead with plans for orbital data center constellations. But those plans will be stymied by a lack of shared architectures and standards, argues John David Callison, a global strategic sourcing executive and advisor at Abelian Security Council, and Joseph Minafra, lead of innovation and technical partnerships for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
"The absence of shared standards does more than slow progress; it distorts the economics," they wrote. "Investors price uncertainty, and in today’s environment, every orbital data center is effectively a first-of-its-kind system. That means unquantifiable technical risk, limited comparables and ultimately a higher cost of capital. Until interoperability and certification frameworks exist, financing will remain constrained not by ambition but by avoidable uncertainty." (4/25)
Astrobotic’s Detonation Engine Fires 4,000 Pounds of Thrust in Wild Test (Source: Gizmodo)
Space startup Astrobotic put its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) to the test for the first time, demonstrating a potentially groundbreaking technology that generates thrust by supersonic combustion. Astrobotic completed a series of hot-fire tests on two engine prototypes at Marshall Space Flight Center. Each engine produced more than 4,000 pounds of thrust (1,800 kilograms) for a combined 470 seconds of total runtime, including a single 300-second burn. The recent demonstration brings the private space industry one step closer to a more efficient rocket propulsion system that could allow crewed landers to travel to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars. (4/24)
Gilmour Space Concluded Investigation into the Debut Flight Failure of Australia’s First Orbital Rocket (Source: Douglas Messier)
Gilmour's Eris TestFlight1 lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on 30 July 2025, marking a major step forward for Australia’s sovereign space capability. The vehicle subsequently experienced an in-flight anomaly, resulting in the vehicle being lost within the designated safety area. Our investigation found that approximately nine seconds after ignition, one of the four first-stage hybrid rocket motors experienced a loss of thrust. A second motor exhibited similar behavior at around 17 seconds, reducing vehicle performance and bringing the mission to an early end.
Analysis identified two independent failure modes originating from the oxidizer pump subsystem. Electrical and thermal faults were observed in the electric pump motors and associated inverters, including components sourced from an external supplier. We now have a clearer understanding of the underlying causes. Based on the findings of the investigation, design, qualification, and process improvements are being evaluated and implemented. (4/24)
Golden Dome Dreams Face Harsh Budget Reality (Source: Politico)
Top Pentagon officials gathered Thursday in a hangar at a Navy base here surrounded by air defense hardware to declare that President Donald Trump’s hugely ambitious Golden Dome homeland air defense effort was moving forward. But that is an increasingly hard sell.
Gen. Mike Guetlein, the man leading the effort for the Pentagon, touted the progress made over the past 10 months and pledged to get the first key piece of sensor technology up and running by 2028 — a timeline that needs an alarmingly large number of things to go right in short order. Trump’s signature missile defense shield faces technical hurdles, funding questions and — perhaps most problematically — a Republican Congress that seems increasingly unlikely to provide the program with the tens of billions it needs to fully get off the ground.
The Trump administration envisions funding the program next year almost entirely through a party-line reconciliation bill. But top Republicans are already sounding skeptical, given GOP reluctance to embrace a bruising congressional budget battle ahead of this year’s high-stakes midterm elections. (4/23)
SpaceX Says Unproven AI Space Data Centers May Not Be Commercially Viable, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by Elon Musk in recent weeks. (4/21)
Space Force Awards Up To $3.2 billion for Golden Dome Interceptor Prototypes (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has awarded agreements worth up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile defense program, following an open solicitation from September 2025. Agreements were signed with Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics Mission Systems, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion Space. (4/24)
Central Florida Astronaut Luke Delaney Chosen for 1st NASA Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida’s Luke Delaney is headed to space. The astronaut who was raised in Volusia County received his first spaceflight assignment Thursday from NASA to be part of this September’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. (4/24)
Test Time for These Moon Drills (Source: Aerospace America)
A South Dakota company is preparing for trials with its devices for retrieving and transporting lunar regolith. For future moon outposts, scientists expect to get water, oxygen and hydrogen from lunar regolith. But first, that soil would need to be excavated and delivered from the bottom of permanently shadowed craters to rovers or to feed tall processing plants. (4/24)
25 Years of the International Space Station: Legacy, Science, and the Road Ahead (Source: AIAA)
In November 2025, the ISS marked 25 years of uninterrupted crewed operations – a record unmatched in human spaceflight. In January, a panel of experts at the AIAA SciTech Forum HUB stage discussed the station’s legacy and future of humanity in space, and underscored how the station’s engineering triumphs, international partnership, and scientific output have shaped today’s space agenda and will influence the transition to commercial platforms and deep space missions. (4/24)
Japan's Audacious Sample-Return Mission to the Mars Moon Phobos has Made it to the Launch Pad (Source: Space.com)
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft has arrived at the Tanegashima spaceport ahead of launch, which will kick off an audacious mission to bag samples from Mars' moon Phobos and deliver them to Earth. MMX recently completed its journey to the spaceport on Tanegashima island on March 31, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced recently on the social media platform X, and will now be prepared for a launch late this year. (4/24)
The Exploration Company Signs Agreement for Nyx Separation System (Source: European Spaceflight)
European in-space logistics startup The Exploration Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s OCCAM Space to develop a customized variant of its KISS-XL clampband. The clampband will handle the separation of The Exploration Company’s Nyx capsule from its launch vehicle once in orbit. (4/24)
NASA's TESS Spacecraft Discovers a Weird System of Exoplanets Unlike Anything Seen Before (Source: Space.com)
Using NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets (ASTEP) on the Antarctic Plateau, astronomers have discovered a rare and uniquely weird planetary system. The extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that swirl around the star TOI-201 have orbits that are changing so rapidly that astronomers can see the changes in real time. The behavior of the system, located around 370 light-years from Earth, is something scientists have never seen before. (4/22)
Hidden underground for centuries, the spinal column of a large shark eaten by Native Americans poked from the ink-black dirt wall of an archaeological test pit, evidence that hunter-gatherers roamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station long before the age of missiles and rockets. This Indigenous refuse-dumping site — loaded with discarded shells, broken pottery and wildlife bones — lies roughly 200 feet from the serene Banana River shoreline within the DeSoto Grove archaeological zone in a thickly vegetated, rarely glimpsed corner of the military installation. (4/24)
ESA Sheds Light on NASA Administrator’s Claims on Gateway Modules (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA has provided details in response to claims made by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the condition of Gateway space station modules already delivered to the agency. During a hearing on 22 April, Isaacman testified that the two habitable volumes delivered were "corroded” and would delay the program “beyond 2030.” He was likely referring to the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and the International Habitation Module (I-HAB).
While HALO was part of NASA’s contribution to the station, with its construction led by Northrop Grumman, its primary structure was manufactured in Italy by Thales Alenia Space. ESA confirmed that the HALO module, delivered to Northrop Grumman in April 2025, had arrived with signs of corrosion. While ESA confirmed that I-HAB had a similar but less severe issue, it clarified that the module had not yet been shipped to NASA.
"Based on the investigation and available data, the corrosion issue was understood to be technically manageable and did not constitute a showstopper for I-Hab, which was, in any case, in better condition than HALO from a corrosion point of view.” ESA said these elements were far from the only factors contributing to delays in the station’s development. US items like the life support system and the thermal control pump, "were also experiencing notable delays and technical complexity,” the ESA spokesperson said. (4/24)
SpaceX Lowers Price of Starlink Aviation Plans to Win Back Small Plane Owners (Source: PC Mag)
SpaceX is lowering the prices and changing the names of Starlink plans for small plane owners, but it might not be enough to win back the aviation community. A new email blast titled "More Data. Lower Price" touts Starlink's Aviation 300MPH plan, which SpaceX introduced in March for $250 per month alongside a $1,000 Aviation 450MPH plan.
Previously, aviators could use the $165-per-month Starlink Roam plan on their aircraft, but as its name suggests, Aviation 300MPH capped the in-motion internet access at 300mph, so Roam was no longer an option on planes. It also swapped unlimited data for 20GB per month, and charged $10 for every extra GB used. (4/24)
The Governance Gap: Why Orbital Data Centers Need Certification Before They Scale (Source: Space News)
More companies around the world are forging ahead with plans for orbital data center constellations. But those plans will be stymied by a lack of shared architectures and standards, argues John David Callison, a global strategic sourcing executive and advisor at Abelian Security Council, and Joseph Minafra, lead of innovation and technical partnerships for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute.
"The absence of shared standards does more than slow progress; it distorts the economics," they wrote. "Investors price uncertainty, and in today’s environment, every orbital data center is effectively a first-of-its-kind system. That means unquantifiable technical risk, limited comparables and ultimately a higher cost of capital. Until interoperability and certification frameworks exist, financing will remain constrained not by ambition but by avoidable uncertainty." (4/25)
Astrobotic’s Detonation Engine Fires 4,000 Pounds of Thrust in Wild Test (Source: Gizmodo)
Space startup Astrobotic put its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) to the test for the first time, demonstrating a potentially groundbreaking technology that generates thrust by supersonic combustion. Astrobotic completed a series of hot-fire tests on two engine prototypes at Marshall Space Flight Center. Each engine produced more than 4,000 pounds of thrust (1,800 kilograms) for a combined 470 seconds of total runtime, including a single 300-second burn. The recent demonstration brings the private space industry one step closer to a more efficient rocket propulsion system that could allow crewed landers to travel to deep space destinations such as the Moon and Mars. (4/24)
Gilmour Space Concluded Investigation into the Debut Flight Failure of Australia’s First Orbital Rocket (Source: Douglas Messier)
Gilmour's Eris TestFlight1 lifted off from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport on 30 July 2025, marking a major step forward for Australia’s sovereign space capability. The vehicle subsequently experienced an in-flight anomaly, resulting in the vehicle being lost within the designated safety area. Our investigation found that approximately nine seconds after ignition, one of the four first-stage hybrid rocket motors experienced a loss of thrust. A second motor exhibited similar behavior at around 17 seconds, reducing vehicle performance and bringing the mission to an early end.
Analysis identified two independent failure modes originating from the oxidizer pump subsystem. Electrical and thermal faults were observed in the electric pump motors and associated inverters, including components sourced from an external supplier. We now have a clearer understanding of the underlying causes. Based on the findings of the investigation, design, qualification, and process improvements are being evaluated and implemented. (4/24)
Golden Dome Dreams Face Harsh Budget Reality (Source: Politico)
Top Pentagon officials gathered Thursday in a hangar at a Navy base here surrounded by air defense hardware to declare that President Donald Trump’s hugely ambitious Golden Dome homeland air defense effort was moving forward. But that is an increasingly hard sell.
Gen. Mike Guetlein, the man leading the effort for the Pentagon, touted the progress made over the past 10 months and pledged to get the first key piece of sensor technology up and running by 2028 — a timeline that needs an alarmingly large number of things to go right in short order. Trump’s signature missile defense shield faces technical hurdles, funding questions and — perhaps most problematically — a Republican Congress that seems increasingly unlikely to provide the program with the tens of billions it needs to fully get off the ground.
The Trump administration envisions funding the program next year almost entirely through a party-line reconciliation bill. But top Republicans are already sounding skeptical, given GOP reluctance to embrace a bruising congressional budget battle ahead of this year’s high-stakes midterm elections. (4/23)
SpaceX Says Unproven AI Space Data Centers May Not Be Commercially Viable, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by Elon Musk in recent weeks. (4/21)
Space Force Awards Up To $3.2 billion for Golden Dome Interceptor Prototypes (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force has awarded agreements worth up to $3.2 billion to a group of 12 companies to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile defense program, following an open solicitation from September 2025. Agreements were signed with Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics Mission Systems, GITAI USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, Sci-Tec, SpaceX, True Anomaly and Turion Space. (4/24)
Central Florida Astronaut Luke Delaney Chosen for 1st NASA Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida’s Luke Delaney is headed to space. The astronaut who was raised in Volusia County received his first spaceflight assignment Thursday from NASA to be part of this September’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station. (4/24)
Test Time for These Moon Drills (Source: Aerospace America)
A South Dakota company is preparing for trials with its devices for retrieving and transporting lunar regolith. For future moon outposts, scientists expect to get water, oxygen and hydrogen from lunar regolith. But first, that soil would need to be excavated and delivered from the bottom of permanently shadowed craters to rovers or to feed tall processing plants. (4/24)
25 Years of the International Space Station: Legacy, Science, and the Road Ahead (Source: AIAA)
In November 2025, the ISS marked 25 years of uninterrupted crewed operations – a record unmatched in human spaceflight. In January, a panel of experts at the AIAA SciTech Forum HUB stage discussed the station’s legacy and future of humanity in space, and underscored how the station’s engineering triumphs, international partnership, and scientific output have shaped today’s space agenda and will influence the transition to commercial platforms and deep space missions. (4/24)
Japan's Audacious Sample-Return Mission to the Mars Moon Phobos has Made it to the Launch Pad (Source: Space.com)
Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft has arrived at the Tanegashima spaceport ahead of launch, which will kick off an audacious mission to bag samples from Mars' moon Phobos and deliver them to Earth. MMX recently completed its journey to the spaceport on Tanegashima island on March 31, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced recently on the social media platform X, and will now be prepared for a launch late this year. (4/24)
The Exploration Company Signs Agreement for Nyx Separation System (Source: European Spaceflight)
European in-space logistics startup The Exploration Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain’s OCCAM Space to develop a customized variant of its KISS-XL clampband. The clampband will handle the separation of The Exploration Company’s Nyx capsule from its launch vehicle once in orbit. (4/24)
NASA's TESS Spacecraft Discovers a Weird System of Exoplanets Unlike Anything Seen Before (Source: Space.com)
Using NASA's exoplanet-hunting spacecraft TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets (ASTEP) on the Antarctic Plateau, astronomers have discovered a rare and uniquely weird planetary system. The extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, that swirl around the star TOI-201 have orbits that are changing so rapidly that astronomers can see the changes in real time. The behavior of the system, located around 370 light-years from Earth, is something scientists have never seen before. (4/22)
April 24, 2026
Iran Using Chinese Satellite Imagery
to Target US Forces (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Iran's use of Chinese satellites has alarmed U.S. officials. In a letter last week to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, raised concerns that satellites operated by Chinese companies are providing Iran with imagery it has used to target U.S. and Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict.
Moolenaar said it appeared one Chinese company, MizarVision, was using imagery from other sources, including Airbus, to identify U.S. ships and planes. Airbus denied images from its commercial satellites have been used by MizarVision. (4/24)
FCC Narrows Spectrum Access for Different Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
The FCC has dismissed efforts by satellite operators to acquire additional Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum for direct-to-device services. The regulator released a broad decision Thursday aimed at preserving market certainty for companies already using MSS bands to connect portable devices, from U.S.-based Globalstar and Iridium's "Big LEO" spectrum to 2 gigahertz and L-band frequencies.
Several companies, including SpaceX, Kepler Communications and AST SpaceMobile, sought access to that spectrum, but the FCC concluded their proposed uses created "significant harmful interference challenges to incumbent users." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the broad order positions the U.S. to lead the way in deploying direct-to-device services from space, enabling connectivity for standard devices beyond the reach of terrestrial cell towers. (4/24)
SpaceX Wins $57 Million Contract for Satellite Crosslinks Demo (Source: Space News)
SpaceX won a Space Force contract to demonstrate satellite crosslinks. The $57 million contract announced this week will fund a demonstration of satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network. MILNET is a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by SpaceX.
The contract announcement frames the effort broadly as supporting "U.S. warfighting capability" but Space Systems Command said last September that Link-182 would be the required space-to-space communications protocol for Golden Dome. (4/24)
Pentagon Seeks $2.3 Billion to Expand Maven AI Platform (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is asking Congress for $2.3 billion over the next five years to expand its Maven Smart System AI platform. Maven Smart System, developed by Palantir, traces its roots to Project Maven, launched in 2017 to accelerate the military's adoption of artificial intelligence. Initially focused on analyzing drone and surveillance imagery, the effort has expanded into a broader platform that ingests and processes data from satellites, radar, and other sensors to identify objects and potential threats in near real time. (4/24)
Jordan Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Jordan is the latest country to join the Artemis Accords. The country's ambassador to the U.S. signed the Accords Thursday at NASA Headquarters, making Jordan the 63rd country to sign overall and the second this week, after Latvia on Monday. The signing comes as NASA seeks to use the Accords, which outline best practices for safe and sustainable space exploration, as a vehicle for coordinating cooperation in Artemis. (4/24)
Astrobotic Tests Lunar Lander Engine (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has successfully tested an advanced rocket engine for use on its lunar landers and suborbital vehicles. The company said Thursday it completed a series of tests of Chakram, a rotating-detonation rocket engine (RDRE), at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
The company tested two prototype engines for 470 seconds, including a single 300-second burn, generating more than 4,000 pounds-force of thrust. RDRE is a technology that promises higher performance than traditional engines. Astrobotic says it envisions using the engine on future versions of its Griffin lunar lander as well as reusable suborbital vehicles it is developing. (4/24)
China Launches Experimental Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched experimental satellites Friday to test direct-to-device connectivity. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 2:35 a.m. Eastern. The rocket placed into orbit an unspecified number of test satellites that Chinese media said will test broadband connectivity from the satellites directly to phones. (4/24)
Russia Launches Classified Payloads on Angara (Source: Russian Space Web)
Russia launched classified payloads on an Angara rocket Thursday. The Angara 1.2 rocket launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 4:29 a.m. Eastern Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the launch carried multiple payloads but did not disclose additional details about it. (4/24)
NASA Announces Next ISS Crew (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced its next crew for the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-13 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The flight will be the first trip to space for all but Watkins, who went to the ISS on Crew-4 in 2022. Crew-13 is scheduled for launch no earlier than mid-September. (4/24)
SpaceX Reassigns Droneship to Transport Starships Between Texas and Florida (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX droneship has made its final trip supporting the Falcon 9. The company said this week that the ship Just Read the Instructions would end support for Falcon 9 landings after Tuesday's launch of a GPS 3 satellite. SpaceX said that with the company using only Space Launch Complex 40 for Falcon 9 launches, it needs only one droneship for landings, the A Shortfall of Gravitas. Just Read the Instructions , which has been used for Falcon landings for a decade, will now support Starship by transporting vehicles between Florida and SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. (4/24)
Advances in Europe’s Space Logistics (Source: ESA)
Europe’s in-space logistics roadmap for in-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling and On-board and shared intelligence completed multiple phases. A growing role for dual‑use space transportation applications, supporting both civil and defense needs, will rely on coordination, interoperability and rapid industrial maturation that are essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy and in today’s geopolitical situation.
ESA’s In‑Space Proof‑of‑Concepts initiative continues to move fast, exploring how development across rendezvous, refueling, intelligence and space logistics is helping Europe lay the foundations for a future in‑orbit transportation infrastructure and services. The Future Space Transportation Spring Session of 2026 brought together a record number of participants, a sign of the growing momentum in Europe around reusable launch systems and in‑orbit transportation. (4/24)
Italian Astronaut Says Space is Platform for Cooperation, Not Competition (Source: Korea Times)
The Embassy of Italy in Korea marked the sixth edition of Italian Space Day, Wednesday, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from both countries’ space sectors. Established in 2021, the annual event commemorates the 1964 launch of the San Marco satellite — Italy’s first satellite, which made it the world’s third nation to independently send a satellite into orbit — and aims to promote greater awareness of space activities and Italy’s contributions to the field. (4/24)
Space is Not 'Arena' of Major-Power Rivalry, China Will Build Open 'Friend Circle' in Space (Source: Global Times)
Space is not an "arena" of major-power rivalry, and China will continue to work with all parties to build an open "friend circle" in space and advance the common cause of the mankind's exploration of outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a question over how China will expand more inclusive space cooperation and whether the country will further open its space sector to international partners given that the global space race has entered a "Competition 2.0 phase" characterized by rule-making and alliance-building, as Friday marks the 11th Space Day of China and the 70th anniversary of China's space programs. (4/24)
Blue Origin Opens Luxembourg Office for European Coordination (Source: Luxembourg Times)
Blue Origin, the private space launch company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confirmed in June 2025 that it would open its European supply chain coordination office - its first outside the USA - in Luxembourg. The plan was to open before the end of the year. But then everything went silent. In an unexpected twist, the opening of the European HQ was eventually announced on 15 April 2026, not by the company but by Luxembourg Economy Minister Lex Delles. (4/23)
New Glenn Setback Adds To Launcher Woes (Source: Aviation Week)
The squeeze on space launch capacity that has for months been a headache for military and commercial customers has just become even more challenging. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has joined the list of launch vehicles that have encountered technical problems. (4/24)
SpaceX Is Widening Its Competitive Moat Ahead of a Record IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is no stranger to the stratosphere, and neither is its coming initial public offering. Investor interest in the IPO, expected this summer, has been climbing toward a record $2 trillion valuation as more details emerge about revenue opportunities such as direct-to-cell service and data centers in space. The offering seems like a bet on science fiction to generate enough sales from space to support such a sky-high price tag. After all, this is a company that first launched a rocket into orbit less than 20 years ago. (4/24)
Elon Musk’s Online Posts About White Victimhood See an Alarming Rise (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is on the cusp of a record-setting initial public offering that could soon make him a trillionaire. But in recent months he’s been increasingly vocal about something else: rallying White people to stand up for their race. “Whites are a rapidly dying minority,” Musk wrote in January in a post that has garnered more than 17 million views and 150,000 likes.
In a February post liked by more than 365,000 accounts, Musk declared that “there has been unrelenting hate and poisonous propaganda in the West against anyone White, straight or male over the past decade or more,” adding, “No more guilt trips. ENOUGH.”
Some observers draw a connection between this rhetoric and the intellectual milieu associated with the so-called PayPal Mafia—a network that includes figures like Peter Thiel and David Sacks—noting that several members have shown political positions over time that suggest a formative influence from their upbringing and ties to apartheid-era South Africa. (4/24)
Alabama Awards $500K to Upgrade Decatur River Dock Used by United Launch Alliance (Source: WAFF)
The Decatur-Morgan County Port Authority is receiving half a million dollars from the state to improve a dock on the Tennessee River primarily used by United Launch Alliance. This is part of a project at the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park roll-on/roll-off dock. The improvements include a new tie-off point and an extended walkway to dock the upcoming arrival of ULA’s second and newest rocket transportation ship, called SpaceShip. It carries parts to launch sites across the country. (4/23)
SpaceX’s IPO Will Help Elon Musk Consolidate Power. Investors Welcome It (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tesla’s shareholders already give Elon Musk leeway, entertaining the billionaire’s whims as he plows money into robots and blessing a $1 trillion pay package that will pay out if he hits long shot targets. He is poised to have even more sway at his rocket-maker, SpaceX, which is aiming to go public in June. (4/23)
GomSpace to Establish New Ukrainian Joint Venture for Sovereign Comms (Source: Via Satellite)
GomSpace, the Danish satellite company, looks to play a key role in developing sovereign satellite capabilities in Ukraine. It has signed a deal with its Ukrainian partner Stetman which will see the two companies establish the UASAT joint venture in Ukraine to jointly develop the capacity to enable sovereign satellite communication capabilities for Ukraine for dual‑use purposes. GomSpace announced the deal, April 22.
The partners plan to launch UASAT’s first satellite in the fall of 2026 to provide operational feedback for subsequent steps in the UASAT roadmap. The deal was signed at the EU‑Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels, with representatives from the EU’s Directorate‑General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ukrainian government in attendance. (4/24)
Rocket Lab Introduces Next-Generation Star Tracker Component (Source: Via Satellite)
Rocket Lab has introduced the next-generation of its star tracker lineup, expanding the company’s component offerings. The new High-Performance Star Tracker (ST-HP), is designed for longer duration spacecraft missions. Rocket Lab has flown more than 185 star tracker units overall; it’s heritage model ST-RT has more than 175 units on orbit since 2013. It also offers the ST-HV model, designed for more rapid production, which has more than 14 units on orbit. (4/24)
SDA’s Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results (Source: Via Satellite)
In March, the Space Development Agency’s Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said the agency was strategically pausing launches until May. He described technology hurdles, supply chain challenges, and balancing speed in the decision-making process. “Speed does not alleviate you from the fact that you still have to do the diligence you need to do,” Sandhoo said. “You still have to make sure the satellites are working, and make sure you know you’ve done all the right things.” (4/24)
Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp (Source: Payload)
Skeet shooting only works with a target. The same is true of interceptor tests. Astra is pitching its small rockets to the Pentagon as a potential target for Golden Dome interceptor tests, CEO Chris Kemp said. “We’re going to do target practice. We’re going to make the clay-pigeon rocket,” Kemp said. “That’s great, because that will drive scale for us…and allow us to bring our cost down for commercial customers, and other government customers.” (4/24)
Iran's use of Chinese satellites has alarmed U.S. officials. In a letter last week to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, raised concerns that satellites operated by Chinese companies are providing Iran with imagery it has used to target U.S. and Israeli forces during the ongoing conflict.
Moolenaar said it appeared one Chinese company, MizarVision, was using imagery from other sources, including Airbus, to identify U.S. ships and planes. Airbus denied images from its commercial satellites have been used by MizarVision. (4/24)
FCC Narrows Spectrum Access for Different Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
The FCC has dismissed efforts by satellite operators to acquire additional Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum for direct-to-device services. The regulator released a broad decision Thursday aimed at preserving market certainty for companies already using MSS bands to connect portable devices, from U.S.-based Globalstar and Iridium's "Big LEO" spectrum to 2 gigahertz and L-band frequencies.
Several companies, including SpaceX, Kepler Communications and AST SpaceMobile, sought access to that spectrum, but the FCC concluded their proposed uses created "significant harmful interference challenges to incumbent users." FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the broad order positions the U.S. to lead the way in deploying direct-to-device services from space, enabling connectivity for standard devices beyond the reach of terrestrial cell towers. (4/24)
SpaceX Wins $57 Million Contract for Satellite Crosslinks Demo (Source: Space News)
SpaceX won a Space Force contract to demonstrate satellite crosslinks. The $57 million contract announced this week will fund a demonstration of satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network. MILNET is a planned constellation of Starshield communications satellites in low Earth orbit built by SpaceX.
The contract announcement frames the effort broadly as supporting "U.S. warfighting capability" but Space Systems Command said last September that Link-182 would be the required space-to-space communications protocol for Golden Dome. (4/24)
Pentagon Seeks $2.3 Billion to Expand Maven AI Platform (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is asking Congress for $2.3 billion over the next five years to expand its Maven Smart System AI platform. Maven Smart System, developed by Palantir, traces its roots to Project Maven, launched in 2017 to accelerate the military's adoption of artificial intelligence. Initially focused on analyzing drone and surveillance imagery, the effort has expanded into a broader platform that ingests and processes data from satellites, radar, and other sensors to identify objects and potential threats in near real time. (4/24)
Jordan Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Jordan is the latest country to join the Artemis Accords. The country's ambassador to the U.S. signed the Accords Thursday at NASA Headquarters, making Jordan the 63rd country to sign overall and the second this week, after Latvia on Monday. The signing comes as NASA seeks to use the Accords, which outline best practices for safe and sustainable space exploration, as a vehicle for coordinating cooperation in Artemis. (4/24)
Astrobotic Tests Lunar Lander Engine (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has successfully tested an advanced rocket engine for use on its lunar landers and suborbital vehicles. The company said Thursday it completed a series of tests of Chakram, a rotating-detonation rocket engine (RDRE), at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
The company tested two prototype engines for 470 seconds, including a single 300-second burn, generating more than 4,000 pounds-force of thrust. RDRE is a technology that promises higher performance than traditional engines. Astrobotic says it envisions using the engine on future versions of its Griffin lunar lander as well as reusable suborbital vehicles it is developing. (4/24)
China Launches Experimental Satellites on Long March 2D (Source: Xinhua)
China launched experimental satellites Friday to test direct-to-device connectivity. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 2:35 a.m. Eastern. The rocket placed into orbit an unspecified number of test satellites that Chinese media said will test broadband connectivity from the satellites directly to phones. (4/24)
Russia Launches Classified Payloads on Angara (Source: Russian Space Web)
Russia launched classified payloads on an Angara rocket Thursday. The Angara 1.2 rocket launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 4:29 a.m. Eastern Thursday. The Russian Ministry of Defense said the launch carried multiple payloads but did not disclose additional details about it. (4/24)
NASA Announces Next ISS Crew (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced its next crew for the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-13 mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon. They will be joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The flight will be the first trip to space for all but Watkins, who went to the ISS on Crew-4 in 2022. Crew-13 is scheduled for launch no earlier than mid-September. (4/24)
SpaceX Reassigns Droneship to Transport Starships Between Texas and Florida (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX droneship has made its final trip supporting the Falcon 9. The company said this week that the ship Just Read the Instructions would end support for Falcon 9 landings after Tuesday's launch of a GPS 3 satellite. SpaceX said that with the company using only Space Launch Complex 40 for Falcon 9 launches, it needs only one droneship for landings, the A Shortfall of Gravitas. Just Read the Instructions , which has been used for Falcon landings for a decade, will now support Starship by transporting vehicles between Florida and SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. (4/24)
Advances in Europe’s Space Logistics (Source: ESA)
Europe’s in-space logistics roadmap for in-orbit cryogenic propellant storage and refilling and On-board and shared intelligence completed multiple phases. A growing role for dual‑use space transportation applications, supporting both civil and defense needs, will rely on coordination, interoperability and rapid industrial maturation that are essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy and in today’s geopolitical situation.
ESA’s In‑Space Proof‑of‑Concepts initiative continues to move fast, exploring how development across rendezvous, refueling, intelligence and space logistics is helping Europe lay the foundations for a future in‑orbit transportation infrastructure and services. The Future Space Transportation Spring Session of 2026 brought together a record number of participants, a sign of the growing momentum in Europe around reusable launch systems and in‑orbit transportation. (4/24)
Italian Astronaut Says Space is Platform for Cooperation, Not Competition (Source: Korea Times)
The Embassy of Italy in Korea marked the sixth edition of Italian Space Day, Wednesday, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and academic experts from both countries’ space sectors. Established in 2021, the annual event commemorates the 1964 launch of the San Marco satellite — Italy’s first satellite, which made it the world’s third nation to independently send a satellite into orbit — and aims to promote greater awareness of space activities and Italy’s contributions to the field. (4/24)
Space is Not 'Arena' of Major-Power Rivalry, China Will Build Open 'Friend Circle' in Space (Source: Global Times)
Space is not an "arena" of major-power rivalry, and China will continue to work with all parties to build an open "friend circle" in space and advance the common cause of the mankind's exploration of outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a question over how China will expand more inclusive space cooperation and whether the country will further open its space sector to international partners given that the global space race has entered a "Competition 2.0 phase" characterized by rule-making and alliance-building, as Friday marks the 11th Space Day of China and the 70th anniversary of China's space programs. (4/24)
Blue Origin Opens Luxembourg Office for European Coordination (Source: Luxembourg Times)
Blue Origin, the private space launch company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, confirmed in June 2025 that it would open its European supply chain coordination office - its first outside the USA - in Luxembourg. The plan was to open before the end of the year. But then everything went silent. In an unexpected twist, the opening of the European HQ was eventually announced on 15 April 2026, not by the company but by Luxembourg Economy Minister Lex Delles. (4/23)
New Glenn Setback Adds To Launcher Woes (Source: Aviation Week)
The squeeze on space launch capacity that has for months been a headache for military and commercial customers has just become even more challenging. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has joined the list of launch vehicles that have encountered technical problems. (4/24)
SpaceX Is Widening Its Competitive Moat Ahead of a Record IPO (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX is no stranger to the stratosphere, and neither is its coming initial public offering. Investor interest in the IPO, expected this summer, has been climbing toward a record $2 trillion valuation as more details emerge about revenue opportunities such as direct-to-cell service and data centers in space. The offering seems like a bet on science fiction to generate enough sales from space to support such a sky-high price tag. After all, this is a company that first launched a rocket into orbit less than 20 years ago. (4/24)
Elon Musk’s Online Posts About White Victimhood See an Alarming Rise (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, is on the cusp of a record-setting initial public offering that could soon make him a trillionaire. But in recent months he’s been increasingly vocal about something else: rallying White people to stand up for their race. “Whites are a rapidly dying minority,” Musk wrote in January in a post that has garnered more than 17 million views and 150,000 likes.
In a February post liked by more than 365,000 accounts, Musk declared that “there has been unrelenting hate and poisonous propaganda in the West against anyone White, straight or male over the past decade or more,” adding, “No more guilt trips. ENOUGH.”
Some observers draw a connection between this rhetoric and the intellectual milieu associated with the so-called PayPal Mafia—a network that includes figures like Peter Thiel and David Sacks—noting that several members have shown political positions over time that suggest a formative influence from their upbringing and ties to apartheid-era South Africa. (4/24)
Alabama Awards $500K to Upgrade Decatur River Dock Used by United Launch Alliance (Source: WAFF)
The Decatur-Morgan County Port Authority is receiving half a million dollars from the state to improve a dock on the Tennessee River primarily used by United Launch Alliance. This is part of a project at the Mallard-Fox Creek Industrial Park roll-on/roll-off dock. The improvements include a new tie-off point and an extended walkway to dock the upcoming arrival of ULA’s second and newest rocket transportation ship, called SpaceShip. It carries parts to launch sites across the country. (4/23)
SpaceX’s IPO Will Help Elon Musk Consolidate Power. Investors Welcome It (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tesla’s shareholders already give Elon Musk leeway, entertaining the billionaire’s whims as he plows money into robots and blessing a $1 trillion pay package that will pay out if he hits long shot targets. He is poised to have even more sway at his rocket-maker, SpaceX, which is aiming to go public in June. (4/23)
GomSpace to Establish New Ukrainian Joint Venture for Sovereign Comms (Source: Via Satellite)
GomSpace, the Danish satellite company, looks to play a key role in developing sovereign satellite capabilities in Ukraine. It has signed a deal with its Ukrainian partner Stetman which will see the two companies establish the UASAT joint venture in Ukraine to jointly develop the capacity to enable sovereign satellite communication capabilities for Ukraine for dual‑use purposes. GomSpace announced the deal, April 22.
The partners plan to launch UASAT’s first satellite in the fall of 2026 to provide operational feedback for subsequent steps in the UASAT roadmap. The deal was signed at the EU‑Ukraine Business Summit in Brussels, with representatives from the EU’s Directorate‑General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Ukrainian government in attendance. (4/24)
Rocket Lab Introduces Next-Generation Star Tracker Component (Source: Via Satellite)
Rocket Lab has introduced the next-generation of its star tracker lineup, expanding the company’s component offerings. The new High-Performance Star Tracker (ST-HP), is designed for longer duration spacecraft missions. Rocket Lab has flown more than 185 star tracker units overall; it’s heritage model ST-RT has more than 175 units on orbit since 2013. It also offers the ST-HV model, designed for more rapid production, which has more than 14 units on orbit. (4/24)
SDA’s Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results (Source: Via Satellite)
In March, the Space Development Agency’s Acting Director Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo said the agency was strategically pausing launches until May. He described technology hurdles, supply chain challenges, and balancing speed in the decision-making process. “Speed does not alleviate you from the fact that you still have to do the diligence you need to do,” Sandhoo said. “You still have to make sure the satellites are working, and make sure you know you’ve done all the right things.” (4/24)
Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp (Source: Payload)
Skeet shooting only works with a target. The same is true of interceptor tests. Astra is pitching its small rockets to the Pentagon as a potential target for Golden Dome interceptor tests, CEO Chris Kemp said. “We’re going to do target practice. We’re going to make the clay-pigeon rocket,” Kemp said. “That’s great, because that will drive scale for us…and allow us to bring our cost down for commercial customers, and other government customers.” (4/24)
April 23, 2026
House Appropriators Omit Civilian
Federal Pay Raise From 2027 Spending Bill (Source: FNN)
The prospects of a civilian federal pay raise next year are continuing to diminish, after House appropriators made no mention of a pay increase in their 2027 spending legislation. The House Appropriations Committee’s financial services and general government (FSGG) bill for fiscal 2027, which advanced along party lines Wednesday evening, says nothing on funding for a civilian pay raise. Although not yet final, that increases the chances federal employees will miss out on a salary increase next year. (4/22)
Sidus Space Advances its Fortis Next-Generation Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced continued advancements to its Fortis Command and Data Handling (C&DH) platform, a modular 3U OpenVPX system designed to support rapid development, configuration flexibility, and long-term scalability across next-generation space and defense missions. (4/23)
DoD Completes $1 Billion Investment in L3Harris Missile Business (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has completed a $1 billion investment in L3Harris Technologies' missile business. L3Harris said Thursday that the Defense Department had closed the deal, announced in January. The capital will be directed to L3Harris's Missile Solutions unit, a newly consolidated division focused on missile propulsion and related systems, to expand production there. The investment will turn into common equity if L3Harris proceeds with plans to spin off Mission Solutions as a standalone, publicly traded entity in the second half of this year. L3Harris said it will retain roughly 80% ownership of the business. (4/23)
Mason Nominated to Lead NRO (Source: Space News)
The White House has nominated an industry executive to be the next director of the National Reconnaissance Office. The president on Wednesday nominated Roger Mason, chief growth officer at V2X, a publicly traded firm based in Reston, Virginia, that provides logistics and technical services to the Pentagon and intelligence community. Mason previously held senior executive roles at Parsons Corporation and Peraton, both of which have deep ties to national security and intelligence programs. Mason, if confirmed, would succeed Chris Scolese, who has been director of the NRO since 2019. (4/23)
Rocket Lab Electron Launches Japanese Payloads From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
An Electron rocket launched a set of Japanese cubesats Wednesday night. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:09 p.m. Eastern, deploying eight cubesats sponsored by the Japanese space agency JAXA into sun-synchronous orbits. The cubesats, developed by Japanese companies and universities, are designed to test advanced technologies. The launch was the second of two ordered by JAXA last fall for launching tech demo smallsats prompted by problems with Japan's Epsilon small launcher. The launch came a little more than 24 hours after the suborbital version of Electron, HASTE, launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a classified mission. (4/23)
Atmos Space Cargo Raises ~$30 Million for Reentry Missions (Source: Space News)
Atmos Space Cargo raised about $30 million to fly a series of reentry missions. The German-French startup announced its Series A round Wednesday led by European funds Balnord and Expansion Ventures. The funding will go toward three flights of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft, which can carry 100 kilograms of payload for microgravity research and manufacturing, returning it to Earth with an inflatable heat shield. The first mission is planned for the second half of this year. Atmos plans to develop a larger spacecraft, Phoenix 3, with 10 times the payload capacity as Phoenix. 2. The company also announced Atmos Works, a dedicated business unit focused on European government and defense customers. (4/23)
Pakistani Astronauts Train for Mission to China's TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Two Pakistani astronauts will begin training for a flight to China's Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Agency announced Wednesday that Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will come to China soon to begin training, with one of them to fly a short-duration mission to Tiangong. That person will be the first foreign astronaut to go to Tiangong. (4/23)
ESA and EDA Launch Joint Study to Strengthen Europe’s Earth Observation Capabilities (Source: ESA)
Signaling Europe and the European Space Agency’s increasing investment in defense, ESA and the European Defense Agency launch a joint study to identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. According to the agency, the 18-month study will identify critical capability gaps and define technology development priorities up to 2040 to ensure the continent is secure and prepared. (4/22)
Voyager Expands Global Footprint with South Korean Agreement (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies signed an agreement with Yonsei University in South Korea. The strategic cooperation will advance the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park ecosystem. Voyager and Yonsei University will develop research programs and applications for public and private sector use. This includes reserved research resources, tenant opportunities and cross-border collaboration within the VISTA ecosystem. (4/21)
Leidos, MapLarge Secure Space Force Software Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control. The awards this week are the first under a new program called Kronos that develops software tools used by military and intelligence units. The prototype awards are valued at about $1.4 million for Leidos and $500,000 for MapLarge, and will allow the companies to develop software that can process intelligence data and integrate it into operational workflows. (4/23)
SETI Institute Launches Lab to Study Human Dimensions of Finding Life Beyond Earth (Source: Space Daily)
The SETI Institute has announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth. The lab's mission is to anticipate and explore humanity's responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, and futures studies to examine implications and guide preparedness. (4/23)
SpaceX and Tesla are on an Inevitable Collision Course (Source: Financial Times)
If rocketmaker SpaceX indeed goes public in June, Elon Musk could be conducting quarterly earnings calls for two companies. But how long until that reverts to one? On Wednesday afternoon, the world’s richest man hosted the first-quarter call for Tesla, his electric-vehicle maker. Sales of automobiles, which grew 16 percent year on year, were hardly discussed. Instead, the company is focused on energy storage, robotaxis and Optimus, its bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot.
If Tesla increasingly feels like a science project, all the more reason to think its natural home is under one roof with SpaceX, which last year merged with Musk’s social network and AI company xAI. SpaceX is set to list at what could be a near-$2tn valuation. The possibly sidelined electric-vehicle business still generates serious cash flow, even if sales have moderated from historic levels and factories are being retrofitted for robot production. (4/22)
Univity Funds VLEO 5G Demonstrators with $32 Million Raised (Source: Space News)
French startup Univity has raised around $32 million to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrators into very low Earth orbit next year, ahead of plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space. (4/23)
Ohio is Built for Space (Source: Jobs Ohio)
Whether your space company needs robust education and training, strong R&D, or access to mission-critical partners like the NASA Glenn Research Center, the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC), and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Ohio has it all. Our military and federal presence make Ohio a proving ground for space missions, while our world-class workforce, shovel-ready sites, and business-friendly policies ensure you can grow bigger and succeed faster. It’s no wonder space businesses soar in Ohio. (4/22)
Lawmakers Promise to Reject Proposed NASA Cuts—Again (Source: Payload)
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were committed to boosting NASA’s FY2027 budget, during a hearing on Wednesday. The Trump administration proposed an $18.8B NASA budget—a $5.6B cut from the funding level approved by Congress for FY2026. The topline funding level—and the proposed cuts—largely mirror the administration’s budget request last year for the space agency, which was overwhelmingly rejected by Congress. It sounds like history may repeat itself—at least, if it’s up to bipartisan members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. (4/22)
Space Force Awards Contracts to Leidos, MapLarge for ‘Battle Planning’ Software (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control — the process of understanding what is happening in orbit, deciding what it means and directing a response. (4/22)
Mars or the Moon or AI Musk's Changing Goals for SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
For years, SpaceX’s mission was clear: get humans to Mars. “The most powerful thing we could do is establish a second, self-sustaining civilization outside of Earth,” Elon Musk, SpaceX’s chief executive, told Forbes in 2003, a year after founding the company. “And the only place that’s really feasible is Mars.”
But over the last six months, Mr. Musk has shifted SpaceX’s priorities. Though the tech mogul once forecast that humans would take off for Mars as early as 2024, he has de-emphasized reaching the planet. Instead, SpaceX on Tuesday said it had struck a deal with the artificial intelligence start-up Cursor that could result in its acquiring the young company for $60 billion. And Mr. Musk, 54, has proposed other moonshots that could drive more attention and investment to SpaceX as it prepares for one of the largest-ever initial public offerings.
Among his pronouncements are A.I. data centers that could orbit Earth, moon-based factories and an A.I. chip manufacturing plant. The changing goals have caused whiplash. “It’s a hallucinogenic business plan,” said Ross Gerber, the chief executive of Gerber Kawasaki, an investment firm that owns SpaceX shares. He added that Mr. Musk “has lost his mind” as he tries to drum up excitement for the public offering. (4/22)
Eutelsat Signs New Broadcast Deals in Mexico and Caribbean (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat has announced three new broadcast deals this week in Mexico and the Caribbean. The satellite operator is to partner with Co-op Cable, introducing an expanded direct-to-home (DTH) and connectivity offering across the Caribbean using the Eutelsat 65 West A (E65WA) satellite. Co-op Cable aims to enhance its service portfolio to deliver bundled television and internet services, combining high-quality satellite TV distribution with advanced GEO-based connectivity. (4/22)
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 40th Starlink mission of the year when its Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday night. The Starlink 17-14 mission will add another 24 broadband internet satellites to the company’s low Earth orbit constellation, which consists of more than 10,200 spacecraft. (4/23)
The prospects of a civilian federal pay raise next year are continuing to diminish, after House appropriators made no mention of a pay increase in their 2027 spending legislation. The House Appropriations Committee’s financial services and general government (FSGG) bill for fiscal 2027, which advanced along party lines Wednesday evening, says nothing on funding for a civilian pay raise. Although not yet final, that increases the chances federal employees will miss out on a salary increase next year. (4/22)
Sidus Space Advances its Fortis Next-Generation Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced continued advancements to its Fortis Command and Data Handling (C&DH) platform, a modular 3U OpenVPX system designed to support rapid development, configuration flexibility, and long-term scalability across next-generation space and defense missions. (4/23)
DoD Completes $1 Billion Investment in L3Harris Missile Business (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has completed a $1 billion investment in L3Harris Technologies' missile business. L3Harris said Thursday that the Defense Department had closed the deal, announced in January. The capital will be directed to L3Harris's Missile Solutions unit, a newly consolidated division focused on missile propulsion and related systems, to expand production there. The investment will turn into common equity if L3Harris proceeds with plans to spin off Mission Solutions as a standalone, publicly traded entity in the second half of this year. L3Harris said it will retain roughly 80% ownership of the business. (4/23)
Mason Nominated to Lead NRO (Source: Space News)
The White House has nominated an industry executive to be the next director of the National Reconnaissance Office. The president on Wednesday nominated Roger Mason, chief growth officer at V2X, a publicly traded firm based in Reston, Virginia, that provides logistics and technical services to the Pentagon and intelligence community. Mason previously held senior executive roles at Parsons Corporation and Peraton, both of which have deep ties to national security and intelligence programs. Mason, if confirmed, would succeed Chris Scolese, who has been director of the NRO since 2019. (4/23)
Rocket Lab Electron Launches Japanese Payloads From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
An Electron rocket launched a set of Japanese cubesats Wednesday night. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 11:09 p.m. Eastern, deploying eight cubesats sponsored by the Japanese space agency JAXA into sun-synchronous orbits. The cubesats, developed by Japanese companies and universities, are designed to test advanced technologies. The launch was the second of two ordered by JAXA last fall for launching tech demo smallsats prompted by problems with Japan's Epsilon small launcher. The launch came a little more than 24 hours after the suborbital version of Electron, HASTE, launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a classified mission. (4/23)
Atmos Space Cargo Raises ~$30 Million for Reentry Missions (Source: Space News)
Atmos Space Cargo raised about $30 million to fly a series of reentry missions. The German-French startup announced its Series A round Wednesday led by European funds Balnord and Expansion Ventures. The funding will go toward three flights of its Phoenix 2 spacecraft, which can carry 100 kilograms of payload for microgravity research and manufacturing, returning it to Earth with an inflatable heat shield. The first mission is planned for the second half of this year. Atmos plans to develop a larger spacecraft, Phoenix 3, with 10 times the payload capacity as Phoenix. 2. The company also announced Atmos Works, a dedicated business unit focused on European government and defense customers. (4/23)
Pakistani Astronauts Train for Mission to China's TSS (Source: Xinhua)
Two Pakistani astronauts will begin training for a flight to China's Tiangong space station. The China Manned Space Agency announced Wednesday that Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will come to China soon to begin training, with one of them to fly a short-duration mission to Tiangong. That person will be the first foreign astronaut to go to Tiangong. (4/23)
ESA and EDA Launch Joint Study to Strengthen Europe’s Earth Observation Capabilities (Source: ESA)
Signaling Europe and the European Space Agency’s increasing investment in defense, ESA and the European Defense Agency launch a joint study to identify strategic and technological gaps in Europe’s Earth observation capabilities. According to the agency, the 18-month study will identify critical capability gaps and define technology development priorities up to 2040 to ensure the continent is secure and prepared. (4/22)
Voyager Expands Global Footprint with South Korean Agreement (Source: Voyager)
Voyager Technologies signed an agreement with Yonsei University in South Korea. The strategic cooperation will advance the Voyager Institute for Space, Technology and Advancement (VISTA) science park ecosystem. Voyager and Yonsei University will develop research programs and applications for public and private sector use. This includes reserved research resources, tenant opportunities and cross-border collaboration within the VISTA ecosystem. (4/21)
Leidos, MapLarge Secure Space Force Software Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control. The awards this week are the first under a new program called Kronos that develops software tools used by military and intelligence units. The prototype awards are valued at about $1.4 million for Leidos and $500,000 for MapLarge, and will allow the companies to develop software that can process intelligence data and integrate it into operational workflows. (4/23)
SETI Institute Launches Lab to Study Human Dimensions of Finding Life Beyond Earth (Source: Space Daily)
The SETI Institute has announced the launch of the Discovery and Futures Lab, a new interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to understanding the global scientific, philosophical, and societal dimensions of discovering life beyond Earth. The lab's mission is to anticipate and explore humanity's responses to the discovery of life beyond Earth by connecting science with other kinds of research. It unites experts in astrobiology, SETI, social science, ethics, law, communication research, and futures studies to examine implications and guide preparedness. (4/23)
SpaceX and Tesla are on an Inevitable Collision Course (Source: Financial Times)
If rocketmaker SpaceX indeed goes public in June, Elon Musk could be conducting quarterly earnings calls for two companies. But how long until that reverts to one? On Wednesday afternoon, the world’s richest man hosted the first-quarter call for Tesla, his electric-vehicle maker. Sales of automobiles, which grew 16 percent year on year, were hardly discussed. Instead, the company is focused on energy storage, robotaxis and Optimus, its bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot.
If Tesla increasingly feels like a science project, all the more reason to think its natural home is under one roof with SpaceX, which last year merged with Musk’s social network and AI company xAI. SpaceX is set to list at what could be a near-$2tn valuation. The possibly sidelined electric-vehicle business still generates serious cash flow, even if sales have moderated from historic levels and factories are being retrofitted for robot production. (4/22)
Univity Funds VLEO 5G Demonstrators with $32 Million Raised (Source: Space News)
French startup Univity has raised around $32 million to deploy a pair of 5G demonstrators into very low Earth orbit next year, ahead of plans for at least 1,600 VLEO satellites to help telecom operators extend 5G coverage from space. (4/23)
Ohio is Built for Space (Source: Jobs Ohio)
Whether your space company needs robust education and training, strong R&D, or access to mission-critical partners like the NASA Glenn Research Center, the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC), and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), Ohio has it all. Our military and federal presence make Ohio a proving ground for space missions, while our world-class workforce, shovel-ready sites, and business-friendly policies ensure you can grow bigger and succeed faster. It’s no wonder space businesses soar in Ohio. (4/22)
Lawmakers Promise to Reject Proposed NASA Cuts—Again (Source: Payload)
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they were committed to boosting NASA’s FY2027 budget, during a hearing on Wednesday. The Trump administration proposed an $18.8B NASA budget—a $5.6B cut from the funding level approved by Congress for FY2026. The topline funding level—and the proposed cuts—largely mirror the administration’s budget request last year for the space agency, which was overwhelmingly rejected by Congress. It sounds like history may repeat itself—at least, if it’s up to bipartisan members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. (4/22)
Space Force Awards Contracts to Leidos, MapLarge for ‘Battle Planning’ Software (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded contracts to data analytics firms Leidos and MapLarge to support what the military calls battle management and command and control — the process of understanding what is happening in orbit, deciding what it means and directing a response. (4/22)
Mars or the Moon or AI Musk's Changing Goals for SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
For years, SpaceX’s mission was clear: get humans to Mars. “The most powerful thing we could do is establish a second, self-sustaining civilization outside of Earth,” Elon Musk, SpaceX’s chief executive, told Forbes in 2003, a year after founding the company. “And the only place that’s really feasible is Mars.”
But over the last six months, Mr. Musk has shifted SpaceX’s priorities. Though the tech mogul once forecast that humans would take off for Mars as early as 2024, he has de-emphasized reaching the planet. Instead, SpaceX on Tuesday said it had struck a deal with the artificial intelligence start-up Cursor that could result in its acquiring the young company for $60 billion. And Mr. Musk, 54, has proposed other moonshots that could drive more attention and investment to SpaceX as it prepares for one of the largest-ever initial public offerings.
Among his pronouncements are A.I. data centers that could orbit Earth, moon-based factories and an A.I. chip manufacturing plant. The changing goals have caused whiplash. “It’s a hallucinogenic business plan,” said Ross Gerber, the chief executive of Gerber Kawasaki, an investment firm that owns SpaceX shares. He added that Mr. Musk “has lost his mind” as he tries to drum up excitement for the public offering. (4/22)
Eutelsat Signs New Broadcast Deals in Mexico and Caribbean (Source: Via Satellite)
Eutelsat has announced three new broadcast deals this week in Mexico and the Caribbean. The satellite operator is to partner with Co-op Cable, introducing an expanded direct-to-home (DTH) and connectivity offering across the Caribbean using the Eutelsat 65 West A (E65WA) satellite. Co-op Cable aims to enhance its service portfolio to deliver bundled television and internet services, combining high-quality satellite TV distribution with advanced GEO-based connectivity. (4/22)
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched its 40th Starlink mission of the year when its Falcon 9 rocket took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday night. The Starlink 17-14 mission will add another 24 broadband internet satellites to the company’s low Earth orbit constellation, which consists of more than 10,200 spacecraft. (4/23)
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