May 30, 2025

Rocket Lab Aims to Become a Prime Defense Contractor (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab says its acquisition of a payload developer is part of the company's efforts to become a defense prime contractor. Rocket Lab announced this week it signed an agreement to acquire Geost, which makes optical and infrared imaging payloads for satellites, for $275 million. In an interview, Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said the acquisition is part of a strategy to become a "disruptive, nontraditional prime," a full-spectrum defense contractor capable of building and deploying entire satellite systems for military customers. Beck said Rocket Lab is pitching agility, vertical integration and manufacturing speed as its competitive edge, and hinted that the company is considering additional acquisitions, possibly in satellite propulsion. (5/30)

If NASA Had Blown Up This Many Rockets, The Government Would Have Cancelled the Space Program (Source: Futurism)
As an institution, the Pentagon has come to be known for many things over the years — its transparency, its generosity, its cunning. Consistency is not one of them. SpaceX, a private company with a valuation of over $350 billion, is currently coasting off billions of dollars in Pentagon launch programs. Based on contracts in force in 2025, the company will now carry out the majority of US military space launches until at least 2036.

But in the wake of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's latest disastrous Starship failure — the company's third in a row — some are wondering if we weren't better off when spaceflight wasn't beholden to the whims of a few billionaires, but as a national project under NASA. While failure can be the name of the game when it comes to spaceflight innovations, it's fair to say SpaceX would crumble under the immense pressure put on NASA by the US government throughout the Cold War. (5/29)

CNES Issues Call for In-Orbit Refueling Services Demonstration (Source: European Spaceflight)
On 26 May, the French space agency CNES issued a call for proposals for the development of an in-orbit demonstration of the storage and refueling of cryogenic propellants. The CRYOSTARS (CRYOgenic Storage and Transfer for Advanced Rocket Systems) initiative is being managed under the Space Transportation Solutions vertical of CNES’s Priority Innovation Vectors program. (5/30)

White House Report Garbled Science with False AI Citations (Source: Washington Post)
Some of the citations that underpin the science in the White House’s sweeping “MAHA Report” appear to have been generated using artificial intelligence, resulting in numerous garbled scientific references and invented studies, AI experts said Thursday.

Of the 522 footnotes to scientific research in an initial version of the report sent to The Washington Post, at least 37 appear multiple times, according to a review of the report by The Post. Other citations include the wrong author, and several studies cited by the extensive health report do not exist at all. (5/29)

Trump Education Secretary Offers Chilling Warning to Universities: Align Research With Our Politics (Source: New Republic)
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is threatening to withhold federal funding from universities that don’t align themselves with Donald Trump’s administration. McMahon discussed whether other universities had to fear federal funding for academic research being ripped away, following the news that Trump planned to gut roughly $100 million in government contracts to Harvard. “Universities should continue to be able to do research as long as they’re abiding by the laws and are in sync, I think, with the administration and what the administration is trying to accomplish—but primarily, abiding by the laws,” McMahon said. (5/28)

Chinese Students Anxious and Angry After Rubio Vows to Revoke Visas (Source: ABC7)
Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some students would have their visas revoked. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the U.S.

Editor's Note: International students make a substantial financial contribution to U.S. universities, primarily through tuition payments. These students often pay full out-of-state tuition rates, considerably higher than the rates paid by domestic students. During the 2023–2024 academic year, over 1.1 million international students contributed ~$43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, much of it from tuition. These students are now actively discouraged from studying in the US. (5/29)

Will SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Ever Work – and What if it Doesn’t? (Source: New Scientist)
Another launch, another failure? With the ninth flight of SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket ending in the vehicle’s loss, questions are being asked about whether Elon Musk’s company can ever deliver on its promises to return people to the moon, launch new space stations and one day take astronauts to Mars. “I expected more progress from SpaceX by now,” says Laura Forczyk at space industry consultancy Astralytical. “It’s frustrating from an outsider’s perspective, because I’m rooting for them." The failure has raised fresh concerns about the future of the rocket, but is there any alternative to Elon Musk’s approach to space? (5/29)

Japan's Reusable Rocket Startup ISC Eyes Test Launch at Spaceport America (Source: Reuters)
A Tokyo-based rocket startup said on Wednesday it will test-launch a prototype in the United States in December using an American engine, aiming to achieve the first U.S.-Japan joint commercial launch and address Japan's rocket shortage. Japan lacks cost-competitive launchers at home, which the government sees as a bottleneck in its efforts to double the domestic space industry's size to 8 trillion yen ($55.4 billion) by the early 2030s.

Innovative Space Carrier (ISC) said its ASCA 1.0 reusable launcher will conduct a 100-meter flight and landing test in Spaceport America in New Mexico, using a Hadley rocket engine from U.S.-manufacturer Ursa Major. Founded in 2022 by former government official Hatada, ISC has signed partnerships including with the British 3D printer firm WAAM3D to fast-track the launcher development. (5/28)

Nigerian Scientist at MIT Develops Record-Breaking Prototype for Smallest GPS Tracker (Source: Guinness)
A Nigerian researcher at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a prototype for a GPS tracking device that’s just 22.93 mm x 11.92 mm (0.90 x 0.46 in) – tinier than a thumbprint. Now, its creator has been awarded with a Guinness World Records title for smallest GPS tracking device (prototype) – and his record-setting work was praised by the President of Nigeria for showing the world that “Nigerian youth can!” (5/28)

Karman Space & Defense Acquires Industrial Solid Propulsion (Source: Karman)
Karman Space & Defense announced it has acquired ISP, a leader in specialty energetic propulsion technologies including small boost motors and solid propellant gas generators. The transaction closed on May 28, 2025. On May 27, 2025, Karman successfully closed an offering to increase the size of its existing $300 million Term Loan B by $75 million. The majority of the proceeds from this offering were used to fund the acquisition of ISP, which consisted of $50 million in cash, approximately $5 million in Karman common shares and $5 million in potential earnout payments. (5/29)

Satellite Operators Unload Ground Stations to Battle Starlink (Source: Bloomberg)
For all the excitement about launching sophisticated satellites into orbit, operators often depend on a humbler business, ground stations back on Earth. Satellite operators trying to keep pace with Musk are selling their ground stations. The news follows Eutelsat's agreement to sell 80% of its ground station infrastructure to investment firm EQT Partners last December. Paris-based Eutelsat operates the OneWeb network that's the leading competitor to Starlink in low-Earth orbit. (5/28)

Hanwha Aerospace to Build Defense Plant in Germany (Source: KED Global)
Hanwha Aerospace Co. plans to build a precision missile manufacturing plant in Germany as part of its global strategy to expand its presence across Europe. The move comes as the defense affiliate of Korea’s chemicals-to-defense conglomerate Hanwha Group accelerates its push into Europe, aligned with the continent’s record defense spending and strategic shift toward domestically sourced armaments. (5/29)

Germany Steps Up to Replace ‘Unreliable’ US as Guarantor of European Security (Source: The Conversation)
Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to his Truth Social channel to proclaim that if it wasn’t for him, “lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia”. The following day the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, announced that his country would assist Ukraine in developing long-range missiles to deploy against targets inside Russia. Both statements are quite extraordinary.

Even by Trump’s own standards, the public declaration by a sitting US president that he is protecting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is unprecedented. Putin is under indictment for war crimes and has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than three years after having illegally annexed Crimea over a decade ago. There can now be no doubt left that the US has become an unreliable ally for Ukraine and its European partners.

While Trump continues to chase an impossible deal with Putin – even after threatening to abandon his mediation efforts less than ten days ago – Germany has doubled down on Ukraine’s defense. Germany is now also aiming to turn its Bundeswehr (the German army, navy and air force) into the “strongest conventional army in Europe”. Its most senior military officer and chief of defense, Carsten Breuer, has published plans for a rapid and wide-ranging expansion of defense capabilities. (5/29)

Mining the Solar System: Robots or People? (Source: NSS)
Will the future of space mining be dominated by tireless robots, or will human pioneers still have a role among the stars? In this episode, we explore the evolving vision of asteroid mining and the balance between automation and habitation. While machines may do the heavy lifting, there's a strong case for human oversight, settlement, and trade in deep space. From building rotating habitats in craters to forming interplanetary trade networks, we look at how mining outposts might grow into full-fledged space communities. Join us as we consider what it takes to make mining the solar system not just a robotic endeavor—but a human one. Click here. (5/28)

Turn Up the Sustain: The Gateway’s Demise (Source: Payload)
Few NASA projects have received as much high-profile criticism as the plan to put a space station called Gateway in orbit around the Moon. Space notables—moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, former NASA administrator Michael Griffin, Mars advocate Robert Zubrin, and planetary scientist Clive Neal—have all opined that the project is a waste of time, the wrong architecture, or a distraction from real priorities.

So it’s no surprise that President Donald Trump’s top-line budget called for the cancellation of Gateway—or that, while it’s still full steam ahead at NASA and the program’s contractors, the Hill staffers, space advocates, and former NASA officials Payload spoke to don’t expect the station to be saved in its current form. And yet, after years of work, the core hardware for Gateway is being integrated and tested for a planned launch in 2027.

Could it be repurposed? And is there a method to Gateway’s madness after all? Well over a billion dollars of hardware has been delivered and is undergoing integration and testing—the Maxar PPE and Northrop’s HALO. Rumors abound that SpaceX, which is a participant in a Gateway resupply contract with a $7B ceiling, wants to keep that award and repurpose the station for Mars. While Gateway is designed for deep space, its propulsion system is intended for lunar activities and it would require a significant boost to make it to Mars. (5/29)

Maxar's Surdely to Lead Commercial Ops (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence has appointed longtime technology executive Todd Surdey to lead its commercial operations. Surdey takes on the role of senior vice president and general manager of Maxar's enterprise business segment, which supplies geospatial data and analytics to sectors including consumer mapping, energy, automotive and telecommunications. Surdey has worked for a variety of technology companies but is a newcomer to the geospatial intelligence field. The appointment reflects broader industry trends as satellite imagery companies seek to monetize their data assets through software-based solutions rather than relying solely on raw imagery sales. (5/30)

China's AI Plans Extend to Space (Source: Space News)
A new report says China's efforts to dominate in artificial intelligence extend to space. The report, released Thursday by the Special Competitive Studies Project and the intelligence firm Strider Technologies, describes a sweeping, state-led initiative to build out the physical backbone of AI dominance: massive data centers across the country, with plans that now stretch beyond Earth's atmosphere. Beijing is exploring the use of satellites equipped to function like data centers, capable of storing, processing and analyzing information in space. Earlier this month, the Chinese startup ADA Space and Zhejiang Lab launched the first 12 satellites of a planned supercomputing network of 2,800, with the goal of moving AI processing into space. (5/30)

China's Astronstone Raises $14 Million for Reusable Launcher (Source: Space News)
Another Chinese launch startup is taking a page from SpaceX's playbook. Astronstone announced Thursday that it raised more than 100 million yuan ($14 million) in early-stage funding for its AS-1 (Astronstone-1) stainless steel, methane-liquid oxygen reusable launch vehicle. The company says it is "fully aligning its technical approach with Elon Musk's SpaceX," including SpaceX's approach for Starship of using mechanical arms, or "chopsticks," to catch the vehicle back at the launch site.

AS-1 is smaller in scale than Starship, designed to place 10,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit when reused and 15,700 kilograms when the vehicle is expended. Astronstone says in the coming months it will focus on carrying out a second-stage rocket assembly test, a static fire test and a full-scale chopstick prototype ground test. (5/30)

UK Approves Intelsat Acquisition by SES (Source: Bloomberg)
The United Kingdom has given its approval for the acquisition of Intelsat by SES. The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday that based on the available information, it does not need to perform an in-depth review of the deal combining the two satellite operators. The European Union is continuing its own review of the acquisition, with a June 10 deadline. (5/30)

Union: NASA Closure of NYC Office Makes No Sense, Except as Attack on Science and Higher Ed (Source: Space.com)
A union representing some NASA employees has criticized the closure by the agency of offices in New York City. NASA announced last month it would close the offices of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies near Columbia University at the end of May, with the staff of the institute working remotely until NASA finds new offices. Matt Biggs, the president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the largest union representing NASA employees, said at a press conference this week that the decision makes little fiscal sense, since the lease with Columbia for the offices runs through 2031 and NASA cannot sublet the space. Biggs argued the closure was an attack on both science and higher education by the Trump administration. (5/30)

Astronomers Discover Possible Dwarf Planet Beyond Neptune (Source: New York Times)
Astronomers have discovered what may be a dwarf planet in the outer solar system. The object, designated 2017 OF201, is in an elliptical orbit far beyond Neptune, taking 24,000 years to complete one trip around the sun. Astronomers estimate the object is about 700 kilometers across. That's large enough to qualify as a "dwarf planet," a class of objects that includes Pluto that are larger than asteroids but deemed by the International Astronomical Union to be too small to be considered planets. The discovery came as part of efforts to look for a hypothesized "Planet Nine" in the outer solar system, although the orientation of the orbit of 2017 OF201 has raised doubts that such a planet exists there. (5/29)

Musk's Alleged Illegal Drug Use Allegedly Protected by SpaceX (Source: New York Times)
Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use. He told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. And he traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it.

It is unclear whether Mr. Musk, 53, was taking drugs when he became a fixture at the White House this year and was handed the power to slash the federal bureaucracy. But he has exhibited erratic behavior, insulting cabinet members, gesturing like a Nazi and garbling his answers in a staged interview. At the same time, Mr. Musk’s family life has grown increasingly tumultuous as he has negotiated overlapping romantic relationships and private legal battles involving his growing brood of children

As a large government contractor, Mr. Musk’s aerospace firm, SpaceX, must maintain a drug-free work force and administers random drug tests to its employees. But Mr. Musk has received advance warning of the tests, according to people close to the process. SpaceX did not respond to questions about those warnings. (5/30)

3 City-Killing Asteroids Could Strike Earth Within Weeks (Source: New York Post)
Venus is concealing at least three city-killer asteroids that could strike Earth in weeks without warning, potentially wreaking havoc upon our planet before we can react. “Twenty co-orbital asteroids [space rocks in the orbit of two celestial bodies] of Venus are currently known,” the authors warned. The international research team wrote that at least three of the asteroids — 2020 SB, 524522 and 2020 CL1 — that circle the sun in tandem with our twin planet have unstable orbits that take them dangerously close to Earth. (5/28)

Over 1,200 FAA Employees to Leave the Job this Year (Source: Aviation A2Z)
Over 1,200 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are expected to leave the agency this year, raising concerns about staffing stability and operational safety in the U.S. air transit system. Major hubs like Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and airlines such as United Airlines (UA) may feel the impact as the FAA navigates ongoing technical failures, staffing shortages, and public scrutiny. (5/30)

World’s Largest Stellarator Delivers First Helium-3 (Source: Interesting Engineering)
Scientists at the world’s largest stellarator facility, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X), have successfully generated high-energy helium-3 ions for the first time. The experiment at W7-X, an advanced fusion reactor operated by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, addressed a crucial challenge in harnessing fusion power. Future fusion power plants will rely on efficiently containing a super-hot, multi-million-degree plasma. (5/28)

We Now Have a Good Idea About the Makeup of Uranus’ Atmosphere (Source: Ars Technica)
Uranus, the seventh planet in the Solar System, located between Saturn and Neptune, has long been a mystery. But by analyzing observations made by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope over a 20-year period, a research team from the University of Arizona and other institutions has provided new insights into the composition and dynamics of the planet’s atmosphere.

Information about Uranus is limited. What we know is that the planet is composed mainly of water and ammonia ice, its diameter is about 51,000 kilometers, about four times that of the Earth, and its mass is about 15 times greater than Earth’s. Uranus also has 13 rings and 28 satellites. (5/28)

Astronomers Discover Mysterious Object Firing Strange Signals at Earth Every 44 Minutes (Source: Live Science)
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious object flashing strange signals from deep space, and they have no idea what it is. The object, named ASKAP J1832-0911, spits out pulses of radio waves and X-rays for two minutes straight, once every 44 minutes. Detected by Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, the strange repeating signals are currently unexplained — and unravelling this cosmic mystery could reveal new physics, according to the researchers who discovered it. (5/28)

GSA Tech Workers Claim Musk, DOGE Fired Them in Retaliation (Source: FNN)
Federal tech workers recently fired from the General Services Administration’s 18F tech shop are appealing their removal, arguing that the Trump administration didn’t follow legal requirements when carrying out the workforce cuts. A group of 80 former 18F employees filed a class-action appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board on Wednesday. The appeal states 18F employees were “unlawfully targeted” by Elon Musk and DOGE when it fired all its employees, and that the Trump administration didn’t follow reduction-in-force (RIF) requirements.

Former 18F employees said they were a target for “retaliation” over their political beliefs; work that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion; and “whistleblowing about DOGE’s improper access to systems and personnel and influence over GSA management.” (5/28)

Shaky Ground for Artemis as SpaceX Lags Behind HLS Requirements (Source: Aviation Week)
"If you had told me in 2009-10 that 10 years later NASA would award a contract to a company to demonstrate a capability that would render irrelevant the three programs -- SLS, Orion and Exploration Ground Systems -- that the agency had  been spending $3-4 billion a year on since 2011, I would have said you were nuts, but that's what they did when they gave SpaceX an HLS contract," says Jim Muncy of PoliSpace.

But after two years and eight flight tests, the Starship's reusable upper stage has yet to reach orbit. In addition, for NASA's Artemis Moon landings, the Starship will need to be refueled in Earth orbit, a technology that has not yet been demonstrated. At least 15 Starships will been to be launched with fuel before the Starship HLS sets out for deep space. (8/19)

Starfighters Space to Host Investor Review (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space, the innovative aerospace company operating the world’s largest commercial supersonic aircraft fleet out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is pleased to announce that in partnership with Equifund Technologies, LLC, it will host a Q1 2025 business review and management discussion for investors on June 4. Starfighters Space is currently undertaking a Reg-A+ offering hosted with Equifund for early-stage investing opportunities. To date, Starfighters Space has raised over $21 million from investors. Click here. (5/29)

Public-Private Sector Partnerships For Space Systems Innovation And Security (Source: Forbes)
A new paradigm for space systems that integrates public and private efforts can be made possible by the government encouraging investment through grants and public-private partnerships (PPPs). Setting space research and development as a top priority will result in a hub for sophisticated manufacturing and new capabilities.

For government operations to successfully deliver necessary services and benefits, public-private partnerships are vital. These collaborations can lower expenses for agencies, streamline operations, and readily scale in response to fluctuations in demand.

Companies can share their R&D expertise to assist in filling the gaps in government funding. For the next generation of scientists and engineers who will lead and succeed, combining public and private sector funding and research pipelines can also create a competitive, long-lasting bridge. (5/28)

Northrop Invests $50 Million Into Firefly for Launch Vehicle Development (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman is investing $50 million into Firefly Aerospace to further development of a medium-lift launch vehicle with a new name. The companies announced May 29 that Northrop would invest $50 million in Firefly, joining a $175 million Series D round that Firefly announced in November. That round valued Firefly at more than $2 billion.

The investment will go towards development of a launch vehicle formerly known as MLV and now known as Eclipse. The medium-class launch vehicle is designed to place up to 16,300 kilograms into low Earth orbit. (5/29)

Musk Exits DOGE Leaving Threadbare Agencies and Strained Workers (Sources: Mother Jones, Bloomberg)
Throughout the federal government, knowledge loss has been most visible in the sciences. Cuts at HHS, particularly into vital cancer, diabetes, and aging research, have been relatively well covered. The US has also been arresting and indefinitely detaining immigrant scientists, like Harvard Medical School’s Kseniia Petrova, who’s been in custody since February for failing to declare frog embryos she was bringing from France at her boss’s request.

“It should scare the crap out of anyone with half a brain cell,” a scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency says, “that our government is crippled. Our science is crippled.” Serious consequences will be felt in both the long and short term. Layoffs and early retirements at NOAA, for instance, have cost what one advocate estimated was 27,000 years in collective knowledge and experience.

Elsewhere, the cuts and overall knowledge loss could eventually prove deadly. An emergency management specialist at HHS told Mother Jones that constant cuts and voluntary departures have raised concerns that agencies across the government that play a role in emergency management won’t be ready in the event of a serious incident: a nationwide cyberattack, for instance, or another pandemic or a hurricane. (5/29)

Kymeta and Eutelsat OneWeb Deploy Dual-Orbit SATCOM Terminal to Support Defense Networks (Source: OneWeb)
The new Goshawk u8 flat-panel terminal from Kymeta is now officially available on Eutelsat OneWeb's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, enhancing multi-orbit connectivity options for global government and military customers. Designed to function seamlessly across both LEO and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) networks, the terminal addresses a growing demand for resilient and versatile communications infrastructure in defense applications. (5/28)

Nanchang Satellite Drives Environmental Protection and Low Altitude Innovation (Source: Space Daily)
Jiangxi province has marked a technological milestone with the launch of its first domestically developed ecological monitoring satellite, "Nanchang Aerospace-1". Lifted into orbit aboard a Zhuque-2 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on May 17 at 12:12 pm, the satellite was co-developed by Nanchang Hangkong University and Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute. This achievement showcases Jiangxi's expanding capabilities in interdisciplinary aerospace innovation.

The satellite features an advanced remote sensing suite capable of continuous environmental surveillance. It focuses on critical regions such as Poyang Lake, Ganjiang River, and the Yangtze River Basin, delivering key data for safeguarding habitats of endangered wildlife including finless porpoises and Siberian cranes. With integrated 3D real-scene imaging and participation in a space-air-ground observation network, the satellite detects fine-scale runway damage, monitors meteorological conditions for aviation, and supports drone navigation logistics. (5/28)

NASA Astronauts Butch and Suni Emerge From Recovery After Long Starliner Mission (Source: Reuters)
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the U.S. astronauts left on the International Space Station last year by Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule, are on the up after returning to Earth in March, emerging from weeks of physical therapy to ramp up work with Boeing and various NASA programs.

"Right now, we're just coming off of the rehab portion of our return," Wilmore, 62, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. "Gravity stinks for a period, and that period varies for different people, but eventually you get over those neurovestibular balance type of issues." (5/28)

The Sun is Killing Off SpaceX's Starlink Satellites (Source: New Scientist)
Eruptions from the sun are shortening the lives of satellites in Earth orbit, particularly large constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink – which could be both beneficial and a cause for concern. The sun goes through an 11-year cycle of activity, peaking with a period known as solar maximum, which most recently occurred in late 2024. During these periods, increased eruptions from the sun can create geomagnetic storms that heat our planet’s atmosphere, causing it to swell outwards in size and increasing drag on satellites. (5/27)

Space Philosophy 101 From Jared Isaacman (Source: NASA Watch)
"Regarding Artemis II and III, they do represent the fastest path back to the Moon and they are supported by the President’s skinny budget. Now for Artemis III landing to succeed, one or more commercial providers will need to have perfected their reusable heavy-lift launch capabilities. At that point, we should have several viable options that can compete to launch routine and affordable deep space missions–including to the Moon." (5/28)

Musk’s SpaceX Town in Texas Warns Residents of Rezoning for Mixed Use (Source: CNBC)
Starbase, Texas, has notified some residents that they might “lose the right to continue using” their property as they do today, according to a memo obtained by CNBC. The town, home to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is considering a new zoning ordinance and citywide map. The notice, sent to property owners in a proposed “Mixed Use District,” would allow for “residential, office, retail, and small-scale service uses.” Starbase plans to host a public hearing on June 23 about the proposed new zoning and map for the town. (5/29)

Space Coast EDC Awarded $832K for Cape Canaveral Spaceport Wastewater Infrastructure Evaluation (Source: Space Coast Daily)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC) was awarded $750,000 in DoD funds from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. Additional matching funds of $82,500 were awarded from Florida’s Department of Commerce to address the aging wastewater infrastructure in Brevard County at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) provides wastewater treatment for the U.S. Government and Space Launch Programs at CCSFS and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

In this role, the County’s Utility Services Department will lead and manage the Feasibility Study. The Phase 2 Feasibility Study follows up on the 2023 EDC grant-funded study on Conceptual Alternatives Evaluation for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Wastewater Treatment Options. The effort aims to enable continued growth of launch operations while protecting the Indian River Lagoon. (5/20)

Space Florida Takes Aim at Updating Spaceport Master Plan (Source: Space Florida)
We’ve heard much recently about “traffic jams” and being at “capacity” here at Cape Canaveral. Reality at present, however, is different. Over the past four years our federal and commercial partners have done incredible work increasing the launch rate through automation, innovative process improvements and using existing infrastructure smartly. 

The next iterations of Space Florida’s Cape Canaveral Spaceport and Florida Spaceport System master plans will tackle the challenge of developing sustainable, integrated options that set a solid course for the future. We will look to other modes of transportation with proven models of success to guide the effort. We will leverage thoughts and concepts that have been discussed for over a decade. And most importantly, we will work fully and transparently alongside all stakeholders to ensure options provide continuous and assured access to space.

The time is now to craft the plan with corresponding steps to making a sustainable unified spaceport a reality. What does this model look like? While commercial airport and seaport models offer useful precedents, there is no predetermined answer. What we do know, however, is that if America is to remain leaders in space, we must adopt a spaceport system that is nimble, optimized, integrated, and can better leverage investment. (5/29)