June 3, 2025

BAE Systems Opens $250 Million Naval Ship Repair Facility in Florida (Source: Defense Industry Europe)
BAE Systems has officially opened a new state-of-the-art shiplift and land level ship repair facility at its Jacksonville shipyard in Florida. The $250 million project marks a major step forward in modernizing its ship repair operations and strengthening support for both the U.S. Navy and commercial maritime sector. (6/3)

A 23-Year-Old DOGE Crypto Bro Is Now Vetoing NSF Grants (Source: Tech Crunch)
Picture this: You’re a researcher who has spent years developing a grant proposal, gone through layers of expert review, and received National Science Foundation (NSF) approval. Then some kid barely out of college — whose main qualification appears to be founding a company that puts ads on the blockchain — logs into a Zoom meeting, pays more attention to his fingernails than the discussion, and kills your grant with an uninterested thumbs down.

Welcome to science under DOGE. This isn’t hyperbole. It’s exactly what prompted Alondra Nelson — a pioneering scholar at the intersection of tech, policy, and society who led the Social Science Research Council and headed the Office of Science and Technology Policy — to publicly resign from both the National Science Foundation and the Library of Congress. As she explained, the DOGE/Trump assault on institutions is systematically destroying scientific inquiry and academic freedom.

Meet Zachary Terrell, DOGE’s apparent authority on scientific merit. Fedscoop identified him as one of three DOGE operatives deployed to NSF. They had such little info on him that they didn’t even list any associations (unlike the other two DOGE kids at NSF). Terrell’s apparent qualifications for overruling decades of scientific expertise? A 2022 bachelor’s degree from Kansas State and a brief career in crypto. (6/2)

New Space-Based Research May Pave the Way for First Astronaut with Diabetes (Source: CASIS)
An investigation launching to the International Space Station (ISS) on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) aims to advance diabetes management in microgravity and open access to space for more people. Researchers will demonstrate the accuracy of glucose monitoring and the viability of insulin on the ISS, with the long-term goal of supporting astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes on future space missions.

The ISS National Lab-sponsored project, Suite Ride, is a partnership between Axiom Space and Burjeel Holdings PLC, a healthcare services provider based in the United Arab Emirates. According to the International Diabetes Federation, one in nine adults worldwide—which amounts to nearly 590 million people—are living with diabetes. That number is expected to rise to more than 780 million people by 2045. (6/3)

Musk Returns to His Tech Empire, Facing Questions of Inattention (Source: New York Times)
As Mr. Musk steps away from Washington, he faces concerns over his prolonged absence from his businesses including Tesla, SpaceX, xAI and X. Mr. Musk spent months backing Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and dismantling parts of the federal government, raising concerns that he had become an absentee leader at his various enterprises, including SpaceX.

Some of Mr. Musk’s companies have benefited from his proximity to the White House, with Mr. Trump at one point promoting Tesla cars on the White House lawn and SpaceX harvesting more government tie-ups with Starlink, its satellite internet service. X remains a powerful megaphone for Mr. Musk’s and Mr. Trump’s supporters. And Mr. Trump is a valuable ally with policy power who oversees agencies that regulate Mr. Musk’s businesses. (6/3)

Voyager Launches IPO with $1.6 Billion Valuation Target (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies launched its initial public offering (IPO) of shares June 2, targeting a valuation of $1.6 billion for the six-year-old space and defense company. Underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to 1.65 million additional Class A shares, on top of the 11 million initially offered, which are expected to be priced between $26 and $29 each. If fully subscribed at the top end of the range, the IPO could raise as much as $367 million in gross proceeds. (6/3)

Commercial Space Federation Announces the Creation of the Space Supply Chain Council (S2C2) (Source: Space News)
In an effort to strengthen advocacy for the U.S. space industry, the Commercial Space Federation (CSF) is proud to announce the creation of the Space Supply Chain Council (S2C2). The new S2C2 will work to define industry sector priorities, recommend policy positions, and provide updates on specific topics that impact CSF members.

The S2C2 will bring together leading aerospace component manufacturers, assembly integration and test providers, software developers, and logistics and transportation companies. These organizations represent multiple links of a complex supply chain essential to the robust industrial base that enables U.S. leadership in space. (6/3)

Space Force Awards BAE Systems $1.2 Billion Contract for Missile-Tracking Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force awarded BAE Systems a $1.2 billion contract for 10 missile-tracking satellites for a constellation in medium Earth orbit. The contract was awarded to BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems on May 29 through a firm fixed price Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement, the Space Systems Command said June 2 in a news release.

The program is known as Resilient Missile Warning Tracking Epoch 2, which marks the second phase of the Space Force’s program to develop a missile-tracking network in medium Earth orbit (MEO). The constellation is intended to help defend against evolving missile threats, particularly hypersonic weapons. BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, based in Colorado, was formerly Ball Aerospace before BAE Systems acquired it in 2024. (6/2)

NASA’s Future in the Balance (Source: Space News)
NASA and the space community had geared up last week for more news about the 2026 budget proposal, including what missions were proposed for cancellation. Jeff Foust reports they also lost the person they had expected would soon take charge at the agency, adding to doubts and fears about the agency’s future. Click here. (6/3)
 
The Origins and Evolution of the Defense Support Program: DSP Forever? (Source: Space News)
The DSP missile warning satellites were to be phased out by the early 2000s as a new line of satellites entered service. But, Dwayne Day finds, DSP satellites appear to remain in service to this day. Click here. (6/3)
 
What Future for SpaceX? (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has become the dominant launch provider while its Starlink constellation gains millions of customers. Claude Lafleur, though, questions whether the company is still a good business. Click here. (6/3)
 
A New Model Helps to Figure Out Which Distant Planets May Host Life (Source: Space News)
Many worlds in our solar system and beyond may host life, but determining which are the most promising is a challenge. Daniel Apai describes a new effort to better quantify prospective habitable worlds. Click here. (6/3)

South Korea’s Venus-Focused Cubesat Advances as Larger Missions Face NASA Cuts (Source: Space News)
South Korea’s state-backed Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has ordered the first of five cubesats to study Venus from low Earth orbit (LEO) starting next year, bolstering sustained planetary research as flagship missions face budget uncertainty. Lithuania-based NanoAvionics announced June 2 it had secured a contract to provide an 8U satellite for CLOVE, or Chasing the Long-term Variability of Our Nearest Neighbor Planet Venus. The spacecraft would carry ultraviolet and near-infrared sensors from IBS to monitor Venus’ atmosphere. (6/2)

Complex Command/Control a Key Challenge for Golden Dome (Source: Space News)
One of the biggest challenges facing Golden Dome is how to handle a system of systems. The Golden Dome command and control system must integrate data from space-based sensors, ground-based radars and other sources to provide a unified operational picture and enable real-time decision-making, said an executive with Amentum, which has developed ground control systems for the Missile Defense Agency. Amentum, which merged with missile defense contractor Jacobs in September, recently rolled out what it calls a "common ground-space enterprise architecture" that it's pitching for Golden Dome. (6/3)

EchoStar Orders Dish GEO Satellite From Maxar (Source: Space News)
EchoStar has ordered another geostationary satellite for its Dish Network TV broadcast business even as the company flirts with bankruptcy. Maxar Space Systems said Monday it won a contract to build the ES XXVI geostationary satellite for EchoStar, which will provide broadcast services across the United States and Puerto Rico, continuing services provided by a mix of about 10 owned and leased payloads.

As demand for satellite TV declines, EchoStar has been pushing into connectivity services, including a terrestrial 5G network. The FCC, though, is investigating EchoStar's buildout of those systems, and the company said Friday it will not make a $326 million interest payment on debt backed by spectrum licenses due to that uncertainty. That move could trigger a bankruptcy filing that would pause FCC efforts to modify or revoke its licenses. (6/3)

Rocket Lab Launches BlackSky Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched a BlackSky imaging satellite Monday. An Electron rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 7:57 p.m. Eastern, deploying the BlackSky Gen-3 satellite into low Earth orbit nearly an hour later. This is BlackSky's second Gen-3 satellite, which features improved resolution and other capabilities. BlackSky bought five Electron launches from Rocket Lab in 2023, and this was the tenth Electron launch overall to carry BlackSky satellites. (6/3)

SpaceX Launches Tuesday Starlink Mission From Florida (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Tuesday, putting 23 Starlink satellites, 13 with direct-to-cell payloads, into orbit. The launch was scheduled for Sunday night but postponed a day for undisclosed reasons. (6/3)

Galactic Collision No Longer Certain (Source: Space.com)
One less thing to worry about: a collision between the Milky Way and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy is no longer a certainty. Astronomers had believed the two galaxies would collide in about five billion years, creating a merged galaxy dubbed "Milkomeda" while flinging many stars into intergalactic space. New models, though, show that the odds of such a collision are now no higher than 50-50, with only about a 2% chance of a head-on collision between the galaxies. (6/3)

Space Trek Academy Returns to KSC Visitor Complex for College Students (Source: FSGC)
The Atlantis Educational Services will be hosting two, Four-day academies called the Space Trek Academy at the Center for Space Education (CSE), Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC). The first Academy will be held from August 12-15, 2025, and the second one from August 19-22, 2025). The Academy is sponsored wholly by the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium. This Academy is open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a university or college in Florida.

There is no cost to the student, except for travel to the KSCVC. Students will be provided lodging. Lunch and dinner will be provided to every participant. Participating students will also be given the opportunity to visit the KSC Visitor Complex, one afternoon. After the balloon launches on August 15 and 22nd, there will be an award ceremony where every participant will be provided a certificate of completion. Click here. (6/3)

Trump and DOGE Cuts at NASA and NSF a "Staggering" Blow to US Space Leadership (Source: EarthSky)
The White House proposes a $6 billion cut in NASA budget, an overall 24% reduction from previous year – and a shocking 47% cut in funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, an extinction-level event for the Earth & space sciences. Proposed NASA and NSF cuts feel like when ISIS destroyed the monuments of Palmyra with sledgehammers. These things not only pay for themselves, they return several dollars for every $1 spent. Kill the science, kill the spin-offs, startups, patents, talent pool and global influence. (6/1)

DOGE "Efficiencies" Backfire at NASA and Other Agencies (Source: Washington Post)
Many federal employees said they supported closer inspections of how the government spends money. But in practice, they said, the Trump administration’s chokehold is tangling up basic, everyday tasks. At NASA, employees recently wrote several detailed paragraphs, across multiple rounds of emails, to win approval to buy simple fastening bolts, according to a staffer and records obtained by The Post.

At the Food and Drug Administration, once-routine tests on food — monitoring for accuracy in labeling, coloring and exposure to heavy metals — were delayed significantly, a former employee said. That’s because the agency began requiring department-level approval for expenses at every step.

At the GSA, more than 1,500 project requests — included fully executed leases and notices saying construction can begin — backed up in an internal tracker awaiting political appointees’ attention, records show. Some items waited for months, and almost 200 are still on hold, while about 300 were never approved, an employee said. (6/2)

Space Forge Raises $30M to Make Chip Materials in Space (Source: Tech Crunch)
From AI to EVs, demand for semiconductors is exploding, but silicon is hitting its limits. Making more efficient chips requires new materials, ones far less ubiquitous than sand, but the solution might be out there — literally. Space Forge, a U.K. startup headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, recently raised a £22.6 million (approximately $30 million) Series A to make wafer materials in space, where unique conditions unlock new possibilities. (5/31)

Space Tourism: Tourists Coming to Space Coast for Launches Spend 17% More Per Day Than Other Visitors (Source: Florida Today)
Tourists who come to the Space Coast primarily to watch a rocket launch present a lucrative revenue opportunity for local hotels, restaurants and attractions. Data compiled by the Space Coast Office of Tourism shows that these tourists, on average, spend more than other overnight visitors coming to Brevard County.

And with the cadence of rocket launches increasing, that mean more opportunities to attract these visitors at a time when overall tourism could be waning because of economic and political concerns. There have been 45 rocket launches in Brevard so far during the first five months of 2025, putting the area on pace for more than 105 launches this year. (5/28)

Space Centre Australia Announces North Queensland Spaceport (Source: Space & Defense)
Space Centre Australia (SCA) has announced the development of the Atakani Space Centre, a spaceport development in Cape York, Queensland. The announcement was made during the Australian Space Summit & Exhibition 2025, held last week in Sydney. Once developed, the Atakani Space Centre will become the cornerstone of Australia’s space infrastructure, offering large-scale launch solutions and fostering international collaboration. (6/2)

Some Pushback Against Isaacman Dismissal (Source: The Hill)
Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer and Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) pushed back on a decision by the White House to pull the nomination of tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator. "There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with @elonmusk,” Loomer said. A White House spokesperson recently told The Hill that it was “essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.” (6/1)

Blue Origin Prepares To Leapfrog SpaceX To The Moon (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin’s Mark 1 lunar lander began life as a structural test article for what the company hoped would be a follow-on contract to its original 2020 Human Landing System technology development partnership with NASA. Blue Origin plans to attempt a lunar landing this year.

"If successful, the MK1, which is 26 ft. tall and 10 ft. in diameter, would become the largest vehicle to touch down on the surface of the Moon, eclipsing the Apollo program’s Lunar Modules (LM) that landed crews six times in 1969-72. Fully fueled, the MK1 weighs 47,000 lb., compared with the 36,200-lb. mass of the extended Apollo LM.” (5/28)

Louisiana Legislature Passes Bill Banning Chemtrails for Weather Control (Source: Fox 8 News)
A bill that would ban so-called “chemtrails” in Louisiana advanced out of the state House of Representatives on May 29, despite scientific consensus that aircraft exhaust does not modify weather. Republican State Rep. Kimberly Landry Coates defended SB46 on the House floor, saying she is concerned about aircraft leaving white streaks across the sky, which she claims are creating clouds and affecting weather patterns. “This bill is to prevent any chemicals above us in the air, specifically to modify the weather,” Coates said. (5/30)