June 6, 2025

Trump Administration Races to Fix a Big Mistake: DOGE Fired Too Many People (Source: Washington Post)
Early this spring, the Food and Drug Administration fired nearly 50 workers in the Office of Regulatory Policy — only to turn around and order them back to the office with one day’s notice. After dismissing thousands of probationary employees for fabricated “performance” issues, the IRS reversed course and told them to show up to work in late May.

And some staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development, dismantled in the first days of the Trump administration by a gleeful Elon Musk and his cost-cutting team at the U.S. DOGE Service, checked their inboxes this month to find an unexpected offer: Would you consider returning — to work for the State Department? Across the government, the Trump administration is scrambling to rehire many federal employees dismissed under DOGE’s staff-slashing initiatives after wiping out entire offices, in some cases imperiling key services.

Trump officials are trying to recover not only people who were fired, but also thousands of experienced senior staffers who are opting for a voluntary exit as the administration rolls out a second resignation offer. Thousands more staff are returning in fits and starts as a conflicting patchwork of court decisions overturn some of Trump’s large-scale firings. “They wanted to show they were gutting the government, but there was no thought about what parts might be worth keeping,” said one FDA staffer who was fired and rehired. “Now it feels like it was all just a game to them.” (6/6)

Might Trump Save SLS Out of Spite for Musk? (Source: Washington Post)
In another sign of how the rift between Trump and Musk is affecting national policy, space officials have said that the White House is likely to accept significant changes to the NASA budget that could adversely affect SpaceX.

Initially, the White House’s proposed budget for NASA called for the cancellation of the notoriously expensive and behind-schedule Space Launch System, as well as the Orion spacecraft. Cutting the rocket and capsule that would have been used to send astronauts to the moon could have been an enormous boon for SpaceX, as well as other commercial companies seeking to provide transportation services for NASA.

The Senate Commerce Committee, however, restored funding for both programs, including $4.1 billion for SLS, in what initially was expected to spark a fight between Congress and the White House. But in part because of the rift between Trump and Musk, the White House is likely to approve the changes. (6/6)

South Texans Fear SpaceX Beach Control as Elon Musk Plans Launch Surge (Source: My San Antonio)
Legislation that would give SpaceX — via the city of Starbase  — the authority to control the closures of a state highway and a popular public beach is one step away from becoming the new law of the land despite vociferous opposition from locals.

The bill, which was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for a signature on Monday, would give the city of Starbase, rather than the county, road closure control as soon as Sept. 1. The amended HB 5246 came after twin bills authored by Rio Grande Valley Republicans — state Rep. Janie Lopez, of San Benito, and state Sen. Adam Hinojosa, of Corpus Christi — failed to pass both legislative chambers. (6/4)

Starship Fallout Litters Texas and Mexico Beaches (Source: My San Antonio)
This week, beachcombers on the other side of the Rio Grande at a popular beach in Matamoros, Mexico, called Playa Bagdad, have found scores of SpaceX debris littering the sand. Photos taken near the Starbase launch site also show native vegetation, including coastal grasses and nopales, or Texas prickly pear cactus, scorched and bent from the heat of fired Raptor engines. (6/4)

Orange Partners with Eutelsat to Boost LEO Satellite Services (Source: Capacity)
Eutelsat and Orange have signed a deal that allows the telecom giant to expand its use of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services via Eutelsat’s OneWeb network. As a result of the partnership, Orange will grow its satellite service offerings by adding LEO-based solutions that offer fast, low-latency, reliable and secure connections for business and government clients worldwide. (6/5)

Starmer Risks Losing Grip on Starlink Rival to Macron (Source: The Telegraph)
Britain risks losing its grip on a rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink as part of French government rescue efforts to avert a debt crisis at the company. Eutelsat, which owns UK space business OneWeb, has been locked in talks with key shareholders including the French and British governments, as it seeks to raise funds to create a European alternative to Mr Musk’s satellite business.

Sources said Emmanuel Macron’s government is considering dramatically increasing its stake in the business as part of a €1.5bn (£1.3bn) capital raise, taking its share of the company from around 13pc to 30pc. Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal, a BT investor and Eutelsat’s largest shareholder, is also understood to be considering further investment, The Telegraph understands, alongside other French investment funds. (6/5)

554 NASA Jobs To Be Cut at NASA Glenn in Trump Budget, Almost 40% of its Federal Workforce (Source: News 5 Cleveland)
The White House’s proposed budget for Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Research Center and the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky calls for cutting about 554 jobs over the next year. When compared to last year's budget, that amounts to a 38% cut of all federal NASA civil servants in the area. Right now, NASA Glenn employs about 1,400 civil servants. This proposal calls for trimming that number to 837. (6/5)

672 NASA Jobs To Be Cut at NASA Langley in Trump Budget (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
NASA Langley Research Center will lose funding for several projects and cut its workforce by 672 civil servants under the Trump administration’s proposal to slash about $163 billion in federal spending next fiscal year. In total, the budget would lay off nearly a third of NASA's workforce — more than 5,500 people across its 10 staffed centers. The technical supplement said centers will use cross-mission retraining opportunities and offer buyouts to meet the staffing requests. (6/4)

Redwire Receives NASA Approval to Advance Manufacturing Tech for Building Infrastructure on Moon and Mars (Source: Redwire)
Redwire Corp. announced that its advanced lunar and Martian manufacturing technology, Mason, has passed Critical Design Review (CDR) with NASA participation. Mason is a tool suite designed to operate on the Moon and Mars that will enable the construction of berms, landing pads and roads for future lunar and Martian habitats. The project, managed under a Tipping Point agreement with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, is part of a $12.9 million award to prototype Mason for broader plans to support a long-term presence and exploration on the lunar surface. (6/5)

One Year After Doomed Launch From Florida, What's Next for Starliner? (Source: Florida Today)
While latest Starliner flight test went far from according to plan, both NASA and Boeing have given signs that there's still hope for the Starliner to fly again – following a lot more development, no doubt. Boeing had plans to conduct more tests this summer at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico while making modifications to the vehicle to prepare it for routine spaceflight, NASA officials have said. That includes fixing the thruster issues from the first crewed spaceflight and conducting more propulsion system testing.

Teams have also been testing new methods for sealing the helium system to mitigate the risk of future leaks, NASA said in a March 27 blog post – its last public update about the Starliner spacecraft. "NASA is seeing the commitment from Boeing to adding the Starliner system to the nation’s crew transportation base," Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said in a March statement.

An independent watchdog report further determined in its 2024 report that other problems with Starliner also require modification before it can be certified. That includes a battery redesign plan and work to strengthen the landing airbag backing panel. But when Starliner could next fly – with or without a crew – remains to be determined. (6/6)

Orban Bets on New Astronaut to Launch Hungary Into Space Future (Source: Balkan Insight)
Hungary is close to reaching its goal of sending a Hungarian research astronaut into space, but the government has much loftier ambitions for its space program. The 33-year-old Tibor Kapu is awaiting the final countdown. If all goes to plan, on June 10, Kapu will blast off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on the private Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station (ISS), and in doing so become Hungary’s second astronaut to reach space. (6/6)

Stanford Students Chart Legal Frontiers in Outer Space (Source: Stanford Daily)
As the new space race of countries and corporations taking to the cosmos accelerates, students in the Stanford Space Law Society (SSLS) are at the forefront of addressing legal and policy challenges central to responsible and ethical governance of the “final frontier.” SSLS was established by a group of law students last year in collaboration with the Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI), one of the largest student organizations on campus. (6/6)

Musk Walks Back Threat to Decommission Dragon Spacecraft (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk seemingly backed down from a threat to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft that ferries cargo and people to the International Space Station for the US, made during an escalation of a spat between the billionaire and President Donald Trump.

Musk initially pledged to decommission the spacecraft after Trump’s threat to pull Musk’s governmental contracts, which was prompted by Musk’s near-incessant bashing of the president’s tax bill on X, his social media service. However, just hours later, he responded to a post suggesting he take a step back and cool off for a couple of days, replying “Good advice. OK, we won’t decommission Dragon.” (6/6)

Europe’s $3.1B Satellite Merger Won’t Rival Musk’s Starlink (Source: The Next Web)
Two satellite heavyweights are about to form a European rival to Starlink. But they’ll face an uphill battle to compete with Elon Musk’s firm. Luxembourg-based SES’ proposed $3.1bn takeover of Intelsat is set to get the green light from EU officials, Reuters reports. A final verdict is expected by June 10. 

The merged company would have a fleet of more than 100 geostationary and 26 medium Earth orbit satellites. Intelsat would contribute 75 of those probes, which provide a range of services, including TV, radio, satellite internet, and secure communications for governments and militaries. (6/5)

Tallahassee Budget Conference: House, Senate Back $3M for Space Florida Financing Program (Source: Florida Politics)
The House and Senate are closer to an agreement on Space Florida funding. The two sides reached a deal in the budget conference to allocate $3 million for the aerospace industry financing program, following the House’s initial proposal of $6 million.

The line-item isn’t closed out in the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations budget, which means it could potentially change, although it doesn’t seem likely. The House is also offering $17 million for Space and Defense that is omitted in the Senate budget.

Editor's Note: Meanwhile in Texas, a $300 million appropriation is being considered for the Texas Space Commission for grants and other support to that state's aerospace companies. (6/5)

Private Lunar Lander From Japan Crashes Into Moon in Failed Mission (Source: AP)
A private lunar lander from Japan crashed while attempting a touchdown Friday, the latest casualty in the commercial rush to the moon. The Tokyo-based company ispace declared the mission a failure several hours after communication was lost with the lander. Flight controllers scrambled to gain contact, but were met with only silence and said they were concluding the mission.

Communications ceased less than two minutes before the spacecraft’s scheduled landing on the moon with a mini rover. Until then, the descent from lunar orbit seemed to be going well. CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada apologized to everyone who contributed to the mission, the second lunar strikeout for ispace. Two years ago, the company’s first moonshot ended in a crash landing, giving rise to the name “Resilience” for its successor lander. (6/5)

Europe Will Have to be More Tenacious to Land its First Rover on the Moon (Source: Tech Crunch)
Europe likely just suffered a setback in its attempt to reach another milestone in the commercial race to use lunar resources. Tenacious, which was set to become the first European-made rover to land on the moon, was aboard a lander that lost contact during its landing attempt.

Mission controllers have since then determined that communication was unlikely to be restored, leading to the conclusion of the mission. This marks the second failure of the HAKUTO-R commercial lunar exploration program, two years after a previous crash that had already shattered hopes.

This loss will be particularly felt in Japan; ispace, the company behind HAKUTO-R and the currently missing Resilience lander that carried Tenacious, is a publicly listed Japanese company. But it is also a blow to Europe: The European Space Agency (ESA) supported the mission; and the rover was designed, assembled, tested, and manufactured by ispace-EUROPE out of Luxembourg. (6/5)

Trump-Driven Workforce Cuts at KSC Could Top 13,000 (Source: SPACErePORT)
Florida officials are hearing unofficial estimates of 13,000 for the number of civil service and contractor workers that could lose their jobs if President Trump's proposed NASA budget is passed. That number includes people supporting SLS, Orion, Exploration Ground Systems, the ISS, and other programs. NASA would halt much of KSC's Artemis work after the program's 3rd SLS launch.

The Trump budget also reduces to zero the budget for public affairs at KSC, which is astonishing given the visitor traffic to the center associated with Artemis and ISS launches and other operations. These potential cuts are on top of the already painful reduction-in-force cuts initiated by Elon Musk's DOGE. (6/6)

HASC Members Complain of Trump's Delays in Providing DoD Budget Request for FY-2026 (Source: Space News)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee criticized the White House for delays in a fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. At a hearing Thursday about the Air Force and Space Force, committee chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) said the lack of a formal budget proposal from the administration is undermining Congress' ability to provide strategic guidance and funding for national defense.

He said that, without a formal proposal, Congress could act unilaterally on defense spending. Members also questioned apparent contradictions between the Defense Department's rhetoric about space as a critical warfare domain and the administration's preliminary budget outline that keeps defense spending flat. A budget outline released last week seeks $26 billion for the Space Force in 2026, down from $28.7 billion in 2025. (6/6)

Legislation Would Deepen US and Indo-Pacific Space Cooperation (Source: Space News)
Bipartisan legislation released Thursday would deepen military space cooperation between the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific allies. The "Quad Space Act" by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) would direct the Secretary of Defense to begin talks with the other Quad governments — Australia, India and Japan — to identify shared security priorities in space, ranging from space situational awareness to industrial policy, and to report back to Congress with a roadmap for deeper coordination. Though the bill does not allocate funding or authorize new programs, its backers hope to attach it as an item of special interest in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. (6/6)

Cruz Proposes $10 Billion Budget Add-On for More SLS Rockets, Gateway Completion, ISS De-Orbit (Source: Space News)
The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is seeking $10 billion for NASA in a budget reconciliation bill. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) released Thursday his "legislative directives" he wants to include in the reconciliation bill on topics ranging from the Coast Guard to air traffic control modernization.

The proposal would seek to undo some of the cuts to human spaceflight programs in the administration's 2026 budget request, adding $4.1 billion for producing two more SLS rockets and $2.6 billion to complete the lunar Gateway. The bill would also support ISS operations and production of a deorbit vehicle. The proposal, though, does not address deep cuts to NASA's science and space technology programs in the 2026 budget request. (6/6)

Petro Among Potential Replacements for Isaacman (Source: SPACErePORT)
Along with two retired military generals, former NASA KSC Director and current NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro is rumored to be among those being considered to replace Jared Isaacman as President Trump's next nominee to lead NASA. (6/6)

China Launches More Broadband Constellation Satellites (Source: Space News)
China launched the fourth group of satellites for a broadband megaconstellation Thursday. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch carried an undisclosed number of satellites for the Guowang megaconstellation. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said the launch was a success but provided no details about the payload. The secretive nature of the satellites has led to speculation that they could include dual-use or national security payloads, like SpaceX's classified Starshield program. (6/6)

White House Pushes Accelerated DoD Procurement Reform (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon is entering a new stage in a long-running conflict: procurement reform. The Trump administration has directed an overhaul of defense acquisition by accelerating modernization and embracing commercial innovation, goals that, if realized, could provide a critical edge in space. Space Force officials say they are already making progress on reforms that include taking a more commercial approach to projects, but acknowledge they are still grappling with problems in long-running programs. These procurement struggles occur against the backdrop of what defense officials describe as an accelerating space race with China. (6/6)

Epps Retires From NASA Astronaut Corps (Source: NASA)
An astronaut who waited nearly 15 years before finally going to space is retiring from NASA. The agency said Thursday that Jeanette Epps retired from the agency at the end of last week. She was selected as part of the 2009 astronaut class and was originally assigned to a Soyuz mission to the ISS in 2018. However, months before the launch she was replaced for reasons that neither she nor NASA disclosed. Epps was later reassigned to the first operational mission of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, but as that mission suffered delays, she was reassigned to the Crew-8 mission that flew to the ISS last year, spending 235 days in space. (6/6)

Orlando-Based Titans Space Industries Plans Include Spaceplane, Space Station, Cislunar Support (Source: TSI)
Titans Space Industries is a privately held company dedicated to developing innovative and cost-effective space exploration technologies. The company is committed to making space accessible to all and is working to develop a variety of spaceflight programs, including human spaceflight, cargo transportation, and space tourism. TSI's vision is to lead the way in making space travel a reality for millions of people around the world. Click here. (6/5)

Trump/Musk Split Becomes a Chasm, With Threats to Cancel SpaceX Contracts (Source: New York Times)
Musk appeared to be frustrated at Trump’s withdrawal of Jared Isaacman. On Thursday, Trump said that he had revoked the nomination because Isaacman was “a Democrat.” In response, Musk reshared a Trump post on X from December in which the president had praised Isaacman as “ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”

President Trump threatened to cut billions of dollars in federal contracts and tax subsidies for Elon Musk’s companies on Thursday, the latest escalation in the growing feud between the two men. “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” the president wrote, prompting shares in publicly traded competitors to SpaceX to rise in value. AST Spacemobile rose as much as 5.8 percent while EchoStar rose more than 15 percent.

Last year, Musk’s companies were promised $3 billion across nearly 100 different contracts with 17 federal agencies. Most of those contracts are for SpaceX. In response, Musk said SpaceX “will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.” Presumably the company would bring back the one currently docked at the ISS and not strand the four astronauts it took to orbit. Without Dragon, NASA would find itself in an immediate bind because it does not have other readily available alternatives to carry astronauts, food or supplies to the space station. (6/5)

Hydrosat Poised to Launch Second Thermal-Infrared Satellite (Source: Space News)
Hydrosat announced plans June 5 to gather thermal-infrared imagery with a second satellite launching later this month on the SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare. VanZyl-2 has four times the imaging capacity of VanZyl-1, Hydrosat’s first spacecraft launched in August. VanZyl-1 observes 2 million square kilometers daily. (6/5)

Celebrating NOTU: 1950 to 2025 (and beyond) at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: EDC of FSC)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast proudly celebrates the Naval Ordinance Test Unit (NOTU) 75 years as a military proving ground on Florida's Space Coast. NOTU was officially established on June 1, 1950 and will continue its sea-based strategic deterrence mission through 2084. 

Back in 2005, the EDC worked with our community leaders to present a compelling case for NOTU's strategic location to remain on the Space Coast – successfully reversing the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation. By saving NOTU’s post in Cape Canaveral, we’ve built upon success to retain and create over 1500 military, civilian and contracting jobs. This includes US Navy Strategic Weapons Systems Ashore, Draper, and Lockheed Martin Fleet Ballistic Missile Headquarters to name a few. (6/5)

Cocoa Beach Celebrates 100 Years (Source: City of Cocoa Beach)
Town of Cocoa Beach was established on June 5, 1925. In mid-1940s, the United States was embroiled in the Cold War and pumped billions of dollars into military projects, including the creation of the missile test facility at Cape Canaveral. Late in the 1950s NASA was created, placing Cocoa Beach in an international spotlight as a home for astronauts and rocket launches. During the moon-boom years, from the 1960s to 1970s, the city saw a population boom of 286% (3,475 to 9,952). Unfortunately, from 1969 to the mid 70s, massive post-Apollo layoffs greatly impacted the Cocoa Beach's population and economy. (6/5)

Europe’s Earth-Mars Tugboat Mission Is Looking for Passengers to Join Its First Voyage (Source: Daily Galaxy)
The European Space Agency (ESA) is embarking on a bold new venture that could reshape the way we explore Mars. Dubbed LightShip, this interplanetary tugboat will transport cargo between Earth and Mars with the promise of reducing costs and increasing the frequency of missions. Designed to be solar-powered and reusable, Lightship represents a significant step toward making Mars exploration more affordable and regular.

At its core, LightShip is designed to serve as a reusable spacecraft that can transport cargo, including scientific instruments, between Earth and Mars. Once its cargo is delivered to various orbits around Mars, the spacecraft will remain in high orbit—just under 6,000 kilometers above the surface—acting as a communication relay before returning to Earth.

The first mission of LightShip is set for 2032, and ESA is already seeking additional scientific payloads to accompany the spacecraft. While high-resolution cameras will be part of the initial mission, ESA is looking to include instruments that can monitor Mars’ atmospheric conditions—weather, wind, and dust storms—that will offer invaluable insights into the Martian environment. (6/5)