April 16, 2026

SpaceX Launches Two Starlink Satellite Groups 19 Hours Apart From Florida and California (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX began and ended the day with Starlink launches. The company sent two Falcon 9 rockets soaring, first from Florida before sunrise on Tuesday (April 14), and then from California after sunset the same day (by local time zone). Both launches were successful, according to SpaceX. First up, were 29 of the broadband internet relay units (Starlink group 10-24) at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Then, about 19 hours later, 25 more Starlink satellites (group 17-27) lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California. (4/15)

U.S. Space Command Advances Work on Maneuver Warfare Strategy (Source: Aerospace America)
U.S. Space Command plans to hold exercises this year as it readies a maneuver warfare strategy for space. “When we look at scenarios involving a protracted conflict against a peer opponent, we need a new strategy that isn’t predictable or static,” Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, told an audience here. “U.S. Space Command must collaborate across the enterprise toward a maneuver warfare strategy.” (4/15)

This AI Prediction Model Could Help Shield Future Lunar Habitats Against Micrometeorites (Source: Aerospace America)
NASA has just begun to analyze the data collected from the 10-day Artemis II mission, but one standout moment so far is the number of micrometeorite impacts the crew observed during its April 6 lunar flyby. The astronauts saw six impact flashes in half an hour — suggesting these are more frequent occurrences than scientists previously predicted. A team of U.S. researchers might have a solution: an AI-based damage prediction system that will help designers protect future lunar habitats against such impacts. (4/15)

Defense Firms Unveil New Satellite Designs for Orbital Warfare (Source: SpaceNews)
U.S. defense contractors BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin are accelerating internal investments in maneuverable satellite designs, betting that military advocacy for “dynamic space operations” will translate into sustained demand for spacecraft that can move, coordinate and respond in orbit. At the Space Symposium this week, both firms outlined separate efforts to fund and fly demonstration spacecraft designed to maneuver on orbit, shadow other satellites and operate as part of more networked architectures. (4/15)

General Atomics Completes Pre-Ship Review for Space Force Weather Payload (Source: SatNews)
On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced the successful completion of the pre-ship review (PSR) for its advanced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) payload. This milestone clears the hardware for integration into the spacecraft bus, marking a critical advancement for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s EO/IR Weather System (EWS) program. (4/15)

Starlink is Propping Up SpaceX’s Business (Source: Robinhood)
Ahead of SpaceX’s highly anticipated IPO in June, we’re learning just how dependent the rocket and AI company is on its satellite internet business. New reporting from The Information shows that in 2025, Starlink generated $11.4 billion in revenue and $7.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA — a striking 63% margin — making it SpaceX’s only meaningful source of profit.

By contrast, the company’s core rocket launch business and its recently acquired AI unit, xAI, lagged far behind financially. The space launch business generated $4.1 billion in revenue and about $700 million in adjusted EBITDA, while the AI segment brought in $3.2 billion in revenue but lost roughly $1.2 billion on an EBITDA basis. In other words, Starlink accounted for most of SpaceX’s revenue — and more than all of its adjusted profit. (4/15)

KSAT and Kongsberg NanoAvionics Announce Partnership to Strengthen Smallsat Operations (Source: KSAT)
Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) announced their partnership to simplify mission deployment and lower the operational and financial burden for satellite owners. By combining NanoAvionics’ high-performance small satellite platforms with KSAT’s global ground infrastructure and operational expertise, the companies will deliver integrated, end-to-end satellite mission services. (4/15)

Amazon Leo to Power Apple Satellite Features (Source: Amazon News)
Amazon and Apple signed an agreement to provide satellite connectivity for current and future iPhone and Apple Watch features. Globalstar currently partners with Apple to power satellite service on iPhone 14 or later, as well as Apple Watch Ultra 3, allowing users to text emergency services, message friends and family, request roadside assistance, and share their location. With the new Amazon-Apple agreement, Amazon will continue to support iPhone and Apple Watch models currently using Globalstar’s existing and planned upcoming low Earth orbit satellite constellations, being manufactured by MDA Space, and collaborate with Apple on future satellite services using Amazon Leo's expanded satellite network. (4/14)

Space Force’s Hardest Mission Is Writing a Song (Source: 404 Media)
In May 2022, the Chief of Space Operations (CSO) at the U.S. Space Force (USSF) “slapped the table on a final melody” for the agency’s new theme song. The goal was to have the song all done by mid- to late-August. Every branch of the armed forces has its own song, and the Space Force being a relatively new agency needed one too. The emails show in a very humdrum sort of way the painful bureaucracy behind a U.S. military agency making a song. The meetings, the catchups, the deadlines. The legal approvals. And even the suggestion that the agency start writing the song all over again. (4/15)

Space Investments Up for Early Stage Companies (Source: Space News)
Based on numbers in a quarterly report from the early-stage investor Space Capital, the first quarter saw $6.7 billion in global investments into space infrastructure. That’s more than twice the amount invested over that time last year. The report also notes that 2026 is on track to be a record-breaking investment year for space overall, citing recent interest in orbital data centers for AI applications and anticipation of reliable heavy launch that could see investments surpass 2025’s $55.3 billion. (4/15)

NASA KSC Signs Lease Agreement for "Spaceport Logistics Center" (Source: All Points)
NASA KSC has signed an exclusive lease with All Points Logistics for 64 acres at Kennedy Space Center. The lease enables development of a new multiuser spacecraft processing and logistics complex, including a 266,000 sq. ft. Spaceport Logistics Center and a 275,000 sq. ft. Spacecraft Processing Center near NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral together form the world’s busiest spaceport. Industry and government forecasts project more than 1,000 satellite launches per year from Florida beginning in 2028. All Points’ privately financed facilities will expand critical payload processing capacity and serve national security, civil, and commercial operators. The Spaceport Logistics Center is scheduled to open by end of 2027. (4/15)

How Much Revenue a Gigawatt of Compute Earns in Orbit (Source: Mach 33)
Two independent approaches converge on a revenue range of $10.7 billion to $16.0 billion per gigawatt of input power per year. The lower bound captures the advantage of higher Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). The upper bound prices in custom inference silicon performance of operations per delivered watt.

Silicon efficiency is the dominant variable, producing a $14.5 billion/GW swing across its feasible range. Revenue per GW is location-independent; orbital deployment wins on the cost side, where Wright's Law learning curves compress launch and subsystem costs with each replacement cycle while revenue holds. (4/15)

Starfighters Space and Blackstar Orbital Expand Technical Interchange (Source: Starfighters)
Starfighters Space announced an expanded technical interchange with Blackstar Orbital, a company pioneering advanced Return-to-Earth satellites, to support the development, integration planning, and flight test preparation of next-generation reusable space systems.

This extends beyond initial vehicle integration planning. In addition to integrating Blackstar’s SpaceDrone BX-02C.2 test article with the Starfighters F-104 platform, the scope includes vehicle physical characterization, carriage and release simulations, wind tunnel testing, mock-up validation, interface hardware planning, payload handling procedures, telemetry and data requirements, and drop-test and recovery planning.

Blackstar Orbital is developing a lifting-body “SpaceDrone,” designed to operate as a reusable, hypersonic satellite that can launch as a payload and return to Earth like a spaceplane. The current technical interchange is intended to determine whether the vehicle can be safely and effectively integrated, carried, and deployed from the Starfighters F-104 platform. (4/15)

ispace & Shimizu Corporation Sign Lunar Infrastructure Agreement (Source: ispace)
Japan's ispace and Shimizu Corp., a Japanese architecture, civil engineering and general contracting firm, have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning planning studies for infrastructure architecture in cislunar space including a lunar surface data center.

Under terms of the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop a basic concept for infrastructure in cislunar space and a phased implementation roadmap; examine basic concepts regarding construction sites, facility configurations, construction methods, power, thermal, and communications management; and discuss approaches to future demonstration, commercialization, and public-private partnerships. (4/15)
 
Vast Astronaut Flight Suit: Designed for the Next Era of Human Spaceflight (Source: Vast)
The Vast Astronaut Flight Suit showcases Vast’s focus on human-centric design. It will be worn by the crew for events, training, and upcoming missions aboard Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station, and during the sixth private astronaut mission on the International Space Station in partnership with NASA. (4/15)

Air Force Signs with The Spaceport Company (Source: The Spaceport Company)
The Spaceport Company signed a contract with the Air Force to counter malign influence on the high seas using cost-effective, commercial sea-based launch assets. Our customers under this contract vehicle include the Navy, the Strategic Capabilities Office, and, potentially, the Space Force and SOCOM. Phase 1 is complete and future phases will be executed this calendar year.

The total potential value of the contract exceeds $10 million. This is our fifth active DoD contract and our second multi-million dollar contract signed so far this year.

Tri-Sub is a three-column, stabilized, semi-submersible vessel designed to enhance offshore operations. Named for its triangular column configuration, the Tri-Sub combines mobility, versatility, and cost-efficiency to address industry's desire for scalable and modular offshore autonomous vessels. Our new facility in Cocoa, Florida, is capable of making at least 1 Tri-Sub per month. (4/15)

After Orbán, What Happens to Hungary's U.S. Space Deals? (Source: Space News)
Hungary has just witnessed a radical change in power. The center-right Tisza party led by Péter Magyar won 138 seats out of 199 and defeated Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power. Trump administration support for Orbán included partnerships to build out Hungarian space infrastructure, so it should not come as a surprise that on April 7 Hungary announced its first national communications satellite.

At the core of the agreement is a contract between Hungarian space and defense company 4iG and Northrop Grumman to build a GEO satellite under a program known as HUSAT. Together with Northrop Grumman, 4iG has also signed contracts with other U.S.-based companies such as L3Harris Technologies and Apex. The agreement follows the announcement a few months ago of 4iG's intention to invest in Axiom Space.

One question to keep in mind is what will happen to these space deals, signed prior to the election, now that Viktor Orbán has been voted out. It is still too early to assess the political strategy Magyar will adopt toward the United States, especially when it comes to delicate matters like defense and satellite communication. (4/15)

Sidus Space Expands Agreement with Lonestar Data Holdings for StarVault Orbital Data Storage Payload (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced the expansion of its existing agreement with Lonestar Data Holdings to build and deliver an additional StarVault orbital data storage payload. The amendment extends Sidus' role in enabling the world's first commercially operational space-based sovereign data storage service. Sidus is currently building the first StarVault payload, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than fall 2026 aboard LizzieSat-4 (LS-4). (4/15)

Space Force Urges Industry to Invest in Satellite Production Capacity (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon.

The Space Force’s $71 billion budget request, a 77 percent increase over last year, includes $19 billion for procurement—up from just $3.6 billion in fiscal ’26. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of Space Systems Command, told reporters here at the Space Symposium that the service plans to use that increase to award new contracts and fund major increases to existing production contracts. (4/14)

Peterson, Schriever Space Force Bases Expected to Need AI Data Centers (Source: Denver Gazette)
As the Space Force prepares for its workload to expand, Colorado Springs should expect to see military-centric data centers move to town. Hundreds of military satellites are expected to be sent into orbit to track threats, such as hypersonic missiles. The satellites will generate a tremendous amount of data that local Space Force guardians and industry partners will need help from artificial intelligence to process and use to make defense decisions, explained Ret. Gen. John Hyten. (4/14)

Telesat’s Risky Bid to Make Canada’s Starlink Gets Defense Boost (Source: Bloomberg)
Satellite operator Telesat is quietly trying to pull off perhaps the most audacious transformation in corporate Canada. Despite some financial cliffhanger moments, it’s started to see a big boost. Founded in 1969, Telesat has 13 satellites “parked” in geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above Earth, trained to beam broadcast signals and data down here. But revenue from that legacy business is sinking fast.

So it’s now financing an entirely new network of 198 satellites, made by Ontario’s MDA Space, to be flung into low-Earth orbit. These spacecraft will whizz much faster and much closer to Earth in a complex network that Telesat hopes will give Canada an answer to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Ottawa-based Telesat puts the cost of its own new satellite “constellation,” known as Lightspeed, at $4.6 billion. That’s about twice its stock market value. The financial strain and maneuvers required to achieve this, despite hefty government loans, have caused tension with its lenders. Launches are, finally, due to start in December. (4/14)

Why Space Tourism Failed to Launch (Source: The Telegraph)
Within a few years of Dennis Tito touching back down on Earth after his Russian tourism flight, numerous dreamers and entrepreneurs had come forth with their visions to take amateur astronauts into space – including the space-enthusiast engineer Burt Rutan, the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and our own Sir Richard Branson. You can’t blame the billionaires for dreaming. But 25 years later, where is the space tourism dream?

What has gone wrong for space travel? One thing’s for sure, it certainly isn’t that the interest isn’t there. More than 600 people have already paid a deposit to go into space with Virgin Galactic. As you might expect, the industry is also benefiting from the ramped-up interest in space exploration in recent years.

For all the utopian visions of space tourism for the masses, though, the truth is that the ventures that exist are a deeply elite pursuit, with more space tourists being either high-net-worth individuals. In fact, it turns out those private astronauts who paid $450,000 for a seat on a Virgin Galactic flight might be the lucky ones. The company has increased ticket prices ahead of its planned relaunch this year, with the entry cost now a dizzying $750,000. (4/14)

Is Houston Still Space City? What Artemis II's Homecoming Reveals About Civic Pride, Nostalgia (Source: Houston Chronicle)
On Saturday, the Artemis II crew touched down at Ellington Field after a 10-day mission that took them farther from our home planet than any humans ever have been. And they returned not to Cape Canaveral, where they launched, but to Houston, where they live and train and are known by name to the people who spend years preparing them for this.

Houston and the space program had a real romance once. But I'm not sure whether it's survived, or whether the "Space City" identity has become something most Houstonians relate to the way San Antonians relate to the Alamo. Is our moniker an iconic source of pride to be defended against any outsider who dares talk smack, or is it a reference to a far-flung place that school-age children are hauled to on boring, sweaty field trips and then mostly forgotten about until a relative comes to town?

Consider what Houston actually did to mark the most significant crewed space mission in half a century. In January, NASA got a segment during a Texans game. Space Center Houston did its job by throwing a watch party in Clear Lake. The Rockets played a video on their scoreboard. That support from our biggest institutions isn't nothing, but it's also not the city that once lined the streets of downtown to honor its astronauts and collectively held its breath as its neighbors were launched toward the moon. (4/14)

NASA Seeks Proposals for Commercial TDRSS Replacement (Source: Space News)
NASA issued April 10 a draft solicitation for Project NEXUS, a part of the broader Commercial Services Project. That document is an effort by the agency to move from traditional government owned and operated communications systems to commercial services. The goal is to replace the existing Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. (4/15)

Senators Seek Increased Funding for NASA Mars Missions (Source: Space News)
Several senators are asking appropriators to increase funding for NASA’s robotic Mars exploration efforts to at least $400 million, fearing “severe and irreversible harm” if funding is not restored. (4/15)

Vast Offers New Docking Adapter for Large Space Stations (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast unveiled a new docking interface called the Large Docking Adapter, which the company is offering to the broader industry for future large stations and spacecraft. (4/15)

Turion Space Raises $75 Million to Expand Maneuverable Satellite Fleet (Source: Space News)
The California-based startup, which develops satellites and payloads focused on space domain awareness and non-Earth imaging, said it raised more than $75 million in a Series B funding round. (4/15)