March 21, 2026

NASA’s Workhorse Crawler Has Been Hauling Rockets Since Apollo (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
When he’s not at work, Sam Dove drives a Chevy Silverado 1500. But on the job, he gets behind the wheel of a 16-million-pound behemoth that’s been transporting NASA’s rockets for more than 60 years. Dove gets to drive the crawler-transporter 2 (CT-2), which was one of two tracked vehicles originally designed to haul the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program.

“It’s the enormity of what you’re carrying, right? … Basically, you’re carrying $4 billion of hardware, so you don’t want to really mess up or run into anything,” he said about the most rewarding aspect of the job. “It’s the responsibility to do that and get everything out, and get it there safely in one piece.” 

CT-2, which was revamped to handle the heavier loads of the Artemis program compared to the shuttles and Saturn V rockets, can handle up to 18 million pounds. Without fuel, the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft and Mobile Launcher 1 come in at around 15 million pounds. “It’s all mojo, man. This thing’s powerful. There’s no magic dust. It’s all powerful,” he said. (3/19)

L3Harris Technologies completes Space Surveillance Telescope Refurbishment (Source: Australian Defense)
L3Harris Technologies, working alongside its partner nation, Australia, has completed a major mirror refurbishment for the US Space Force’s Space Surveillance Telescope (SST). “Working with our partners in Western Australia, maintainers of the Space Surveillance Telescope have successfully completed their first primary mirror recoat, significantly improving our ability to detect small targets in GEO," Mission Delta 2 commander, Col. Barry Croker, stated. (3/20)

Skyward Africa to Convene African Space Leaders and U.S. Policy Experts in Washington (Source: Asha Strategies)
As space becomes an increasingly important domain for economic development, national security, and technological innovation, African nations are expanding investments in satellite infrastructure, space research, and international partnerships. For this reason Asha Strategies will convene the Skyward Africa Space Salon, examining how Africa's space ambitions intersect with geopolitical competition, commercial space markets, and the role of diaspora talent in shaping the continent's technological future.

"Africa is increasingly becoming part of the global space conversation, from satellite infrastructure to earth observation and international partnerships. The Skyward Africa Space Salon brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and diaspora innovators shaping Africa's role in the global space economy," said Nneka Achapu, CEO of Asha Strategies. (3/19)

Middle Powers On the Move Toward Reduced US Reliance: Canada and Norway Deepen Space Defense Ties (Source: SpaceQ)
Canada and Norway have taken a step toward integrating their space and defence architectures, signing a new Letter of Intent (LOI) to deepen bilateral cooperation in the space domain. The agreement arrives as the two Arctic nations simultaneously move to modernize an 18-year-old free trade pact, signaling a comprehensive alignment of their economic, industrial, and national security interests. (3/19)

NASA Convening Artemis International Partners Next Week (Source: Space Policy Online)
NASA is bringing together the international partners in the Artemis program next week to discuss the program’s new architecture. NASA differentiates Artemis from the Apollo program by emphasizing that this time international partners will be an integral part. But recent changes are raising questions about their role, especially the future of the international Gateway lunar space station. (3/19)

As SpaceX Prepares for Texas Starship Launch, Gigabay Rises in Florida (Source: Florida Today)
As SpaceX prepares for its next Starship launch from Texas — the first version of the rocket that will launch from Florida — the company’s massive Starship maintenance facility continues to rise on the Kennedy Space Center skyline. Its name is Gigabay. The building's looming metal structure with black siding is easily visible from across the Indian River in Titusville. Situated at SpaceX’s Robert’s Road facility within Kennedy Space Center, it stands as a new landmark not too far from NASA's massive Vehicle Assembly Building. (3/20)

Blue Origin Files FCC Application for Orbital Data Center Constellation (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin is the latest company to propose a giant orbital data center constellation. The company filed an application with the FCC Thursday for what it calls "Project Sunrise," a constellation of up to 51,600 satellites in low Earth orbit that would serve as an orbital data center for AI and other space computing applications. The company provided few technical details about the system other than it would operate in sun-synchronous orbits and use optical intersatellite communications links with its separate TeraWave broadband constellation. Both SpaceX and Starcloud have also filed applications with the FCC in recent weeks for orbital data center constellations of up to 1 million satellites. (3/20)

Kratos Wins $446 Million for Space Force Missile Warning Constellation (Source: Space News)
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions won a $446.8 million Space Force contract for the ground system for a new constellation of missile-warning satellites in medium Earth orbit. The contract covers ground management and integration for the service's Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking program, Space Systems Command announced Thursday. Kratos will provide the systems used to operate the satellites after launch, including sending commands, receiving sensor data and processing that information for delivery to military operators. The constellation features 12 satellites being built by Boeing subsidiary Millennium Space Systems and 10 under construction by BAE Systems. (3/20)

Fanning: Space Supply Chain Resiliency a "National Imperative" (Source: Breaking Defense)
The space manufacturing supply chain is facing significant challenges, including a lack of capacity for nine specialized components such as rocket motor nozzles and optical intersatellite links, according to a study by the Aerospace Industries Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Without deliberate steps to strengthen suppliers and modernize regulations, we risk turning today's momentum into tomorrow's bottlenecks. A resilient space supply chain is not optional -- it's a national imperative," said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. (3/19)

ESA Plans to Buy a Dragon Mission to ISS for European Crew (Source: Space News)
ESA is planning to fly a dedicated Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station. The ESA Council endorsed Thursday a proposal for a project called EPIC, the ESA Provided Institutional Crew. Under EPIC, ESA would charter a Crew Dragon mission to the ISS in early 2028, spending a month at the station. The four-person crew would include ESA astronauts and potentially those from international partners. ESA said it developed EPIC to create more flight opportunities for its astronaut corps, including five career astronauts selected in 2022. (3/20)

Kayhan Space Unveils Situational Awareness Terminal (Source: Space News)
Kayhan Space has unveiled a new software platform that turns data about orbital activities into business insights for investors and insurers. The Satcat Terminal is modeled on the Bloomberg terminal used by financial professionals and lets users query orbital activity in plain language, such as whether a constellation is expanding on schedule or if there have been unusual events around a specific satellite. The terminal is an expansion of Kayhan's work providing space situational awareness data for satellite operators. (3/20)

Portal Space Systems and Paladin Space Plan Debris Removal Service (Source: Space News)
Portal Space Systems is partnering with an Australian startup on a debris removal service. Portal announced Thursday an agreement with Paladin Space to include that company's Triton debris removal payload on a Starburst satellite launching in 2027. Triton is designed to detect and capture small debris and, mounted on the highly maneuverable Starburst bus, could capture between 20 to 50 pieces on a single mission. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement or details about the commercial model they are proposing for debris removal, but did announce a letter of intent with commercial space station developer Starlab Space to be a customer of that service. (3/20)

Artemis 2 SLS Rolls Out to Florida Launch Pad (Source: CBS)
Artemis 2 is heading back to the pad for a launch in early April. The rollout of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft started at 12:20 a.m. Eastern Friday, nearly four and a half hours late because of high winds. It will take about 12 hours for the vehicle to reach Launch Complex 39B, where workers will then begin final preparations for a launch scheduled as soon as April 1. [CBS]

Hubble Captures Comet Breakup (Source: New York Times)
Breaking up is not necessarily hard to do for a comet. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope captured the breakup of the nucleus of comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) in November, shortly after the comet made a close approach to the sun. While comet breakups are not unusual, Hubble was able to see the initial phases of the breakup as the icy nucleus split into several pieces. (3/20)

Platypi Prepare for Space (Source: Collect Space)
NASA's latest astronaut class now has its nickname: the Platypi. NASA said this week that the 10 members of the class, announced last September and formally known as Class 24, would be known as the Platypi. The nickname is part of a tradition of the NASA astronaut corps, with the name selected by the previous class, in this case the Flies. The Platypi nickname is intended to reflect diverse and sometimes hidden talents of the new astronaut class, like the platypus. (3/20)

103 Members of Congress Seek $9B for NASA Science (Source: Douglas Messier)
103 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a bipartisan letter calling for $9 billion for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The letter, led by Congressional Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Don Bacon (R-NE) and Judy Chu (D-CA), is another sign of the breadth of congressional support for NASA’s science activities ahead of the impending release of the administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget request. (3/20)

NASA Armstrong to Host Partnership Days (Source: NASA)
Companies, government agencies, and organizations are invited to explore collaboration opportunities in advanced research and technology development with NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center at Partnership Days on 15-16 April. (3/20)

Spire Targets 50% Growth in 2026 After Adjustments in 2025 (Source: Satellite Today)
After divesting its maritime business and paying down its debt in 2025, Spire Global has set a large revenue growth target for 2026 of 50%, CEO Theresa Condor told investors on Thursday. Condor called 2025 a “transformational year” for Spire, as it closed the acquisition of its maritime business and used the proceeds to pay down its debt. Excluding the impact of the maritime divestiture, Spire delivered 44% year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter. (3/20)

ESA Awards OHB a €248 Million Contract to Build Weather Satellite Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
German space technology company OHB has been awarded a €248 million contract by the European Space Agency to develop and build 20 small satellites for EUMETSAT’s EPS-Sterna weather satellite constellation. The EPS-Sterna constellation is an expansion of the capabilities successfully demonstrated by the Arctic Weather Satellite, which was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 in August 2024. (3/20)

JUICE is Planning To Do Science On Jupiter's "Minor" Moons Too (Source: Universe Today)
ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) probe is on its (very long) way to Jupiter, and will finally arrive at the King of Planets in 2031. Its primary mission is to focus on the “big three” icy moons - Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. But while JUICE is busy mapping Ganymede’s magnetic field, it will also be keeping a sharp eye on the other 94 moons in the Jupiter system. (3/19)

The Moon's Going To Get Crowded - We Should Protect Our Heritage On It While We Still Can (Source: Universe Today)
On Earth, protecting historical buildings is a relatively straightforward process - at least in developed countries. There are zoning laws and heritage registries - things that maintain the history but frustrate new developers. In space, things are much more complicated. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty dictates that nations retain jurisdiction over the hardware they send into space. It also requires countries to avoid “harmful interference” with other states’ activities. However, as the paper points out, that doesn’t stop a country from visiting an old site to retrieve material, or disrupt a culturally significant lunar landscape.

More recently, the Artemis Accords introduced principles specifically intended to preserve historically significant landing sites and artifacts. But the Accords are a non-binding multilateral agreement with no enforcement mechanism. And crucially, major spacefaring nations like China and Russia haven’t signed them, meaning they have no legal obligation to abide by them. In other words, the Accords, which were originally drawn up by America, which arguably has the most heritage to lose on the Moon, suffer from a distinct lack of global consensus. (3/19)

HyImpulse Signs Launch Agreement with SaxaVord (Source: Payload)
Germany’s HyImpulse Technologies announced a launch service agreement to begin flying from SaxaVord Spaceport, in the Shetland Islands. The suborbital flight, which is expected to lift off in Q3, is the latest in a  broader, European-wide push for sovereign launch capabilities much closer to home than French Guiana, which requires many of Europe’s launchers today—including Arianespace and Avio—to cross an ocean before passing the Kármán line. (3/19)

Modified Vulcan Expected to Launch This Summer (Source: Payload)
ULA is expecting to fly its first modified Vulcan this summer, interim CEO John Elbon told Payload. The upgrades will improve the performance of the nozzle and solid rocket boosters. The company was already planning the modifications before ULA suffered an anomaly with its Vulcan booster during a February mission for the Space Force. (3/18)

OHB Sweden to Build Sterna Weather Constellation (Source: ESA)
Thanks to the success of the Arctic Weather Satellite prototype and Eumetsat’s recent greenlight to develop a full constellation of similar satellites called Sterna, the European Space Agency has awarded OHB Sweden with the contract to build 20 satellites. This marks a major step toward better monitoring rapidly evolving weather, improving forecasts of severe events in vulnerable regions such as the Mediterranean, and closing critical data gaps over the Arctic – the fastest-warming region on Earth and a key driver of Europe’s weather systems. (3/18)

Canada-Japan Agreement Signals Shift to Dual-Use Space Defense Tech (Source: SpaceQ)
Canada and Japan are moving to integrate their space and defence industrial bases through a new “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” that prioritizes the co-development of frontier technologies and dual-use aerospace systems.

Building on the momentum of January’s Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement (ETTA), Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae signaled a shift toward joint defense procurement, specifically targeting space communications, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. For the Canadian space sector, the agreement marks a transition from traditional scientific collaboration to a security alliance aimed at ensuring resilient orbital infrastructure and “sovereign” technological advantages in a contested Indo-Pacific. (3/19)

Intuitive Machines Misses on Revenue After Government Shutdown (Source: Bloomberg)
Intuitive Machines Inc., a provider of space services and maker of spacecraft, reported worse-than-expected financial results as the government shutdown in late 2025 hurt revenue. Houston-based Intuitive Machines announced on Thursday that it posted revenue of about $45 million for the final three months of 2025, lower than the average of $53.6 million expected by analysts polled by Bloomberg. (3/19)

French launch company acquires component manufacturer. French launch startup Sirius Space Services has acquired the high-precision metal-component manufacturer AMM-42, part of the company’s vertical integration efforts to bring key manufacturing capabilities in-house, European Spaceflight reports. This is Sirius’ second such purchase in less than a year, following its acquisition of SERM in June 2025. That acquisition specialized in advanced metal manufacturing and is bolstering its parent company’s additive manufacturing capacity, particularly for combustion chambers and turbopumps.

Sirius Acquires AMM-42 (Source: Ars Technica)
French launch company acquires component manufacturer. French launch startup Sirius Space Services has acquired the high-precision metal-component manufacturer AMM-42, part of the company’s vertical integration efforts to bring key manufacturing capabilities in-house, European Spaceflight reports. This is Sirius’ second such purchase in less than a year, following its acquisition of SERM in June 2025. That acquisition specialized in advanced metal manufacturing and is bolstering its parent company’s additive manufacturing capacity, particularly for combustion chambers and turbopumps. (3/20)

NASA Won’t Give Up Hope on Silent MAVEN Mars Probe: ‘We’re Still Looking for It’ (Source: Space.com)
NASA has yet to reestablish contact with its MAVEN Mars spacecraft despite ongoing efforts, agency officials said Monday. NASA lost contact with MAVEN on Dec. 6, 2025, after the spacecraft was expected to emerge from Mars' far side. Communications received two days earlier showed the spacecraft was operating normally — with "no indications of problems whatsoever." However, analysis of a fragment of tracking data from the day contact was lost suggests MAVEN was rotating in an unexpected manner as it emerged from behind Mars and was no longer in its planned orbit, according to NASA.

NASA resumed attempts to contact MAVEN after the solar conjunction ended, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful, Louise Prockter said. "We haven't officially said MAVEN is lost yet. We're still looking for it." NASA has deployed additional assets to locate the spacecraft, including the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Observatory. (3/20)

For Satellite Startups, War Pays Better Than Climate Change (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A flock of companies sent satellites into space in recent years promising to beam down crucial new insights into the Earth’s fast-changing climate. But many are increasingly focused on scanning warzones. “Most of the demand right now—I would say probably two thirds, maybe more—is defense-related,” said Max Gulde, chief executive of German satellite startup Constellr. (3/19)

Cyprus Becomes Associate Member of the European Space Agency (Source: AeroMorning)
The Republic of Cyprus became an Associate Member of the European Space Agency (ESA) on 17 March 2026, following the entry into force of the Association Agreement signed on 23 October 2025. The seven year agreement opens the way for Cyprus’s participation in ESA’s optional programs. (3/19)