April 22, 2026

Blue Origin Eyes BE-3U Thrust Deficiency In New Glenn Launch Failure (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin says initial data suggests one of two BE-3U upper-stage engines did not deliver sufficient thrust to dispatch the AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite to its intended orbit. The power issue occurred on the GS2 upper stage’s second burn, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said April 20. The issue has temporarily sidelined New Glenn as the company assesses what caused the malfunction. (4/22)

NASA Sets Early September Launch Date for Roman Space Telescope (Source: Space News)
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now scheduled for launch in early September as agency officials hail its early completion despite ongoing budget uncertainty for its science programs. NASA announced at a media event at the Goddard Space Flight Center April 21 that the space telescope had completed final assembly and testing ahead of shipment to the Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (4/22)

Northrop Grumman Takes $71 Million Charge on Vulcan Booster Issue (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman took a $71 million charge in the first quarter because of an anomaly with one of its solid rocket boosters on a Vulcan launch. The company said in its first quarter earnings announcement Tuesday it took the charge for "the evaluation and implementation of corrective actions for a solid rocket motor anomaly" involving its GEM 63XL booster. That booster is used on the Vulcan rocket, and on a February launch one of the boosters suffered an issue that caused it to shed debris but did not prevent the vehicle from completing its mission. Vulcan remains grounded as an investigation into the anomaly continues. (4/22)

China Backs Orbital Data Center Startup with $8.4 Billion in Credit Lines (Source: Space News)
A Chinese startup has secured billions of dollars in credit lines to work on orbital data centers. Beijing Orbital Twilight Technology Co., Ltd., also known as Orbital Chenguang, announced the completion of a Pre-A1 funding round Monday. The company did not disclose the amount of money raised but said it has obtained strategic credit lines totaling 57.7 billion yuan ($8.4 billion) from 12 major financial institutions.

The startup appears to represent a commercial node within a broader state-backed effort to develop space-based data center infrastructure. Orbital Chenguang is incubated by the Beijing Astro-future Institute of Space Technology, which has proposed a constellation of orbital data center satellites in sun-synchronous orbits by 2035. (4/22)

Trump Nominates Raytheon Exec to Oversee Space Acquisition (Source: Space News)
President Donald Trump has nominated Erich Hernandez-Baquero, a Raytheon executive, as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. If confirmed, Hernandez-Baquero will oversee the US military's procurement and deployment of space systems. (4/21)

FCC Grants AST SpaceMobile Approval for Direct-to-Cell 248 Satellite Constellation (Source: Douglas Messier)
AST SpaceMobile announced that the FCC has granted its application to modify its authorization to launch and operate its SpaceMobile non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite system in low Earth orbit (LEO). The authorization enables AST SpaceMobile to deploy and operate an NGSO constellation of up to 248 satellites to deliver Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) directly to unmodified mobile devices across the US. (4/22)

Trump Budget Would Halt TraCSS Work for Space Traffic Management (Source: Space News)
The Commerce Department's budget proposal would halt work on the TraCSS space traffic coordination system. The detailed budget, released Tuesday includes $11 million for the Office of Space Commerce, only a small amount of which would go toward TraCSS. The proposal states that the office will effectively put TraCSS on hold while it considers alternative approaches for running the system. That includes the potential for funding the system through user fees. (4/22)

DoD Provides Some Specifics on $1.5 Trillion FY-27 Budget Request (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon has outlined plans to seek nearly $1.5 trillion in fiscal year 2027, including a major increase in Space Force spending. The $1.45 trillion request for defense for fiscal year 2027 represents a $440.9 billion or a 44% increase from 2026. The U.S. Space Force would see its budget climb to $71.2 billion, more than double the roughly $32 billion enacted for 2026. The service plans to add about 2,800 personnel, while supporting 31 national security space launches and investing $2.2 billion to modernize U.S. launch ranges. Of the $71.2 billion proposed for the Space Force, over $12 billion would come through a budget reconciliation package separate from the standard appropriations process. (4/22)

Pentagon Fiscal ’27 Budget Aims to ‘Operationalize’ Golden Dome (Source: Aerospace America)
The $17.9 billion sought for Golden Dome in fiscal year 2027 would allow the Pentagon to “operationalize” the proposed missile defense shield, according to briefing materials released. This funding would also allow the Pentagon to hire 506 full-time, civilian employees “to support Golden Dome for America and accelerate homeland missile defense development,” according to budget documents released today by the U.S. Defense Department. (4/22)

Space Force Budget Includes $1.8 Billion To Modernize Launch at Vandenberg And Cape Canaveral (Source: Defense Daily)
Part of the Department of the Air Force's $13.6 billion operations and maintenance (O&M) budget in fiscal 2027 for facility improvements--a $7.2 billion increase from last year's appropriation--is to bolster support infrastructure to handle an expected increase in launches. The $13.6 billion includes $7.5 billion in discretionary funding and another $6.1 billion in a future reconciliation bill. (4/22)

Canadian Bill Aims to Spur Space Launches (Source: CBC)
A new bill is intended to encourage the development of Canadian space launches. The Canadian Space Launch Act, introduced Tuesday by Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, is intended to foster domestic launches in the country. It would create a new regulatory framework for launches and reentries, as well as set financial responsibility and indemnification requirements. (4/22)

Astronauts Join to Promote US Civics and Score Politicians (Source: Wall Street Journal)
More than 100 former astronauts have established a nonpartisan group intended to promote civil responsibility. Astronauts For America, whose members include former NASA astronauts who identify as Democrats, Republicans and independents, says it will develop scorecards to assess politicians on adherence to the rule of law, promoting civil discourse and willingness to work on a bipartisan basis. In an open letter, the former astronauts warned of "a steady erosion of our founding values and principles that weakens our democratic systems" but did not single out any particular politician. (4/22)

Estonians at European Space Agency Help Turn Space Dreams Into Reality (Source: ERR)
A group of Estonians working at a European Space Agency research hub in the Netherlands are helping design, test and launch missions, bringing complex space systems to life. They are part of the team at the European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC), the agency's main research hub, where about 3,200 staff develop satellites and missions from concept to launch. 

Estonia joined the ESA in 2015. The agency serves as Europe's multinational counterpart to NASA and other countries' national space agencies, with its ESTEC center, located just north of The Hague, focused on satellite design, development and testing. (4/20)

Ukraine’s Cyber Division Infiltrates Russian Military Satellite Comms “Gonets” in Multi-Year Breach (Source: United 24)
Ukrainian cyber specialists reportedly have breached “Gonets,” a Russian low-orbit satellite communications system marketed as Moscow’s answer to Starlink. Specialists have secured highly classified internal documents over a multi-year intelligence operation. The joint CYBINT (Cyber Intelligence) operation was conducted by the 256th Cyber Assault Division, the “Ukrainian Militant” analytical group, and the InformNapalm intelligence community. (4/21)

Musk and Insiders to Retain Voting Control of SpaceX After IPO, Filing Shows (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX plans to cement founder Elon Musk's control after its IPO, granting ​him and a small group of insiders super-voting shares that will outweigh other investors, according to excerpts of the company's IPO ‌filing. The prospectus, which was confidentially filed this month, provides fresh details of the company’s financials and corporate governance. Upon completion of the offering, Musk will stay on as chief executive officer, chief technical officer, and will serve as chairman of SpaceX’s nine-member board of directors. (4/21)

Number of Launches Expected to Soar From Virginia Spaceport Soon (Source: WAVY)
Seeing a rocket pass by in the predawn sky can be exciting, but seeing one from the Eastern Shore is even better, with the opportunity to do so expected to increase significantly in the years ahead. Rocket Lab recently announced that there would be at least 20 launches from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the years ahead — a big deal for Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO and executive director Ted Mercer said the spaceport is ready for the new rapid launch schedule. And they have been practicing how fast they can turn around a launch pad. (4/20)

Space Exploration Without Government (Source: Townhall)
Private spaceflight has a long tradition. And today it clearly dominates over state-led spaceflight. Of the 324 rocket launches worldwide last year, 165 were carried out by SpaceX. This means that a private company conducted more rocket launches than all the countries of the world combined. After SpaceX, in second place, comes the private company of the New Zealander Peter Beck, Rocket Lab. It carried out 21 successful rocket launches, almost three times as many as Europe. And of the roughly 15,000 active satellites in space, 10,000 alone are Starlink satellites.

If, in 100 years, people look back on the history of space exploration and spaceflight, the years from 1960 to 2010—when state-led spaceflight clearly dominated—may be seen as the exception. But for private spaceflight and projects such as asteroid mining or even the settlement of the Moon and Mars to have a future, one crucial condition must be met: it must be possible to acquire—or claim—land on celestial bodies as property. Under the Outer Space Treaty, this is prohibited for states, and it remains unclear whether this prohibition also applies to private individuals. But without private property, no economic system on Earth functions—why should socialism suddenly work in space? (4/21)

An Unhinged Journey Through NASA’s Manic Photo Publishing System (Source: Peta Pixel)
NASA’s historic Artemis II mission delivered many absolutely spectacular photos and inspired a new generation of people to love space exploration. It also provided a fresh opportunity to explore the often confusing, disjointed landscape that is NASA’s photo publishing system. NASA is a great organization full of exceptional people doing incredible work. However, as the Artemis II image onslaught showed, it’s not always as easy as it should be to actually see that important, often beautiful, work.

For example, when the Artemis II crew’s first photos from space were downstreamed to Earth, it was a mad rush to share them. One image ended up on NASA’s excellent Image of the Day page in Full HD resolution. Others wound up on a dedicated webpage, “Artemis II Journey to the Moon,” which is very hard to get to unless you stumble upon a link somewhere else. Then there is, of course, NASA Images, which can be accessed directly from the NASA website homepage through the top nav bar. Eventually, many images also end up on NASA’s Flickr page. (4/20)

Resilient Fungus Might Survive Mars and Space (Source: ASM)
Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long, brutal trip to Mars. In a paper published this week, researchers isolated fungal microbes from NASA cleanrooms—facilities used in the assembly, testing and launch of spacecraft—that had persisted after decontamination. When subjected to simulations of the harsh pressure, temperature and radiation conditions of space travel and Mars, asexual reproductive spores called conidia, of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus, survived. (4/20)

Scientists Found a 'Bathtub Ring' on Mars. Could it be Evidence of an Ancient Red Planet Ocean? (Source: Space.com)
A huge geological structure on Mars resembling a bathtub ring may be evidence of an ocean that once covered a third of the Red Planet's surface, a new study finds. Decades of previous research have suggested that although Mars is now famously the "Red Planet," it once possessed liquid water on its surface. However, it remains uncertain whether that water was limited to lakes and streams, or if there was enough to form long-lasting oceans. Solving this mystery could shed light on whether ancient Mars once hosted life as we know it.

Past missions to Mars have discovered many geological features that resemble shorelines. However, the shorelines are found at varying elevations across the planet. If they were truly signs of a stable ocean, they would ideally all line up at the same elevation in much the same way sea levels are consistent on Earth. (4/20)

ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Turns Cambridge Into a Launchpad for Space Innovation (Source: CASIS)
On April 23 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the ISS National Lab's Orbital Edge Accelerator hosts a networking event connecting founders, venture investors, and industry leaders building space-enabled companies. The event provides an inside look at the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator, which offers more than $500,000 per project in private capital, mentorship, and access to space-based testing aboard the ISS National Lab. (4/21)

Zeno Power Completes Final Design Review for Space Nuclear Battery to Power Lunar Missions (Source: Douglas Messier)
Zeno Power announced the successful completion of the Final Design Review (FDR) for its space nuclear battery being developed under NASA’s Harmonia Radioisotope Power System for Artemis Tipping Point program. The milestone confirms the system design meets all performance requirements, delivers 3.5 times the originally specified power output, and advances the program into build and fabrication phases. Zeno and partners will complete a terrestrial demonstration of the system in early 2027, advancing the technology toward flight qualification for lunar missions beginning in 2028. (4/21)

What Christina Koch Said About Leaving Earth Is Hitting People Hard (Source: Men's Journal)
NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned from the historic Artemis II lunar flyby mission with a wealth of new research for scientists to explore — and with a new perspective about life on Earth. One week since the crew’s return to Earth, Koch posted an emotional message on social media — acknowledging the beauty of the simple things in life.

“This moment,” Koch wrote on Instagram. “People often ask if I was scared. My answer is I was aware of the risks. When I left my home for the last time on March 27, I looked around and thought about how much I loved my humble little life. Unexpectedly, a part of me started to miss it terribly for the small chance in the future that could come to be. I know a morning cup of coffee on the porch with your best friend is a simple and universally small thing. But it is also everything.” (4/19)

Blue Origin’s Failure May Hamstring NASA’s Moon Plans (Source: New York Times)
A rocket built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company appeared to launch perfectly on Sunday, its booster even landing successfully on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. A few hours later, however, it became clear that all had not gone well. The massive New Glenn rocket had failed in its primary task: putting a commercial satellite into the proper orbit. This is a setback not only for Blue Origin, but also possibly NASA. Although the space agency played no role in Sunday’s mission, it is counting on Blue Origin to support the Artemis moon program. (4/21)

NASA’s New Superalloy (Source: Aerospace America)
The heat inside the combustion chamber of a rocket or turbine engine can create a hellscape for metal components, with temperatures often exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. To ensure the injectors, nozzles, preburners, shrouds and turbine blades can withstand the heat, engine designers and builders have long relied on two kinds of superalloy metal mixtures — but neither amounts to a perfect solution. Nickel-based mixtures are relatively cheap but weaken at temperatures over 1,000 C, degrees, whereas superalloys of refractory metals like niobium remain strong above 1,000 C but are up to 100 times more expensive, plus they’re corrosion-prone.

NASA might soon be able to offer a better alternative: GRX-810, a nickel-based superalloy in formulation over the last several years that combines the best attributes of today’s alloys. Early tests indicate the material retains its strength above 1,000 C while also remaining resistant to corrosion. The current phase of testing seeks to address the cost portion of the equation. Since October, researchers have been evaluating a new manufacturing method that, if successful, could expand the use of GRX-810. (3/30)

Mirroring Mango Salad: How ISS Culture Shaped Artemis 2 (Source: Space Review)
During the Artemis 2 missions, the astronauts in Orion made a call to their counterparts on the International Space Station. Deana Weibel explains how the experience of the ISS means the Artemis astronauts are very different from those of the Apollo era. Click here. (4/21)
 
Big Little Rocket: The N1 Moon Rocket and the Cognitive Dissonance of Spy Satellite Photography (Source: Space Review)
For years, most of the information about the Soviet Union’s N1 rocket came from satellite images. Dwayne Day discusses how new images of the N1 are emerging to provide new insights about the Moon rocket. Click here. (4/21)
 
Commercial Space Station Developers Make Their Business Case to NASA (Source: Space Review)
Last month, NASA proposed major changes to its program supporting the development of commercial space stations, arguing markets for them have not emerged. Jeff Foust reports from a conference last week where several space station developers made their case there are markets. Click here. (4/21)
 
When the Orbital Layer is the Kill Chain (Source: Space Review)
Experts have debated the role that artificial intelligence has played in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Bharath Gopalaswamy argues that the debate ignores the enabling role of space capabilities, which bring with them new challenges and vulnerabilities. Click here. (4/21)

SpaceX is Working with Cursor and Has an Option to Buy the Startup for $60 Billion (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX said it has struck a deal with Cursor to develop a next generation “coding and knowledge work AI,” which includes a surprising provision—an option to buy the popular software development platform for $60 billion later this year. Partnering with and potentially purchasing a leader in the hottest AI product category can only be seen in the context of SpaceX’s much-anticipated public offering. Investors seeking more value in the IPO might see its engagement with Cursor as another way to extract value from Elon Musk’s increasingly sprawling tech conglomerate. (4/21)

UK Space Command: Allies Should Assume the US Role in Space Control Will Diminish (Source: Space Intel Report)
The chief of UK Space Command said US allies need to ratchet up their investment in space control on the assumption that US will be reducing its effort. “For many years we have benefited from assured space control, but delivered by the United States,” Maj. Gen. Paul Tedman said. “And of course there is no infinite capacity in the United States to do that, so we need to do better burden-share on that.” (4/21)

NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Building Blocks of Life on Mars. Scientists Aren't Sure How They Got There (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has found a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. The finding marks the first time a new kind of chemical experiment has been performed on another planet. (4/21)

Spain’s Pangea Propulsion Secures €2 Million From the Catalan Government (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Catalan government has agreed to provide Pangea Propulsion with €2 million in financing to expand its manufacturing and testing capacity. Founded in 2018 as Pangea Aerospace, Pangea Propulsion initially developed a small launch vehicle called Meso, a project it abandoned in 2023 to focus on offering propulsion solutions. In 2025, the company closed a €23 million Series A funding round and secured a €7.27 million grant from the Spanish government’s Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities. (4/21)

China Unveils a Massive 5-Meter Composite Module for its Next-Generation Reusable Rocket (Source: Universe Today)
So far, America has remained ahead in the new space race. But its biggest rival is making continual steps to catch up. China announced another step in that direction with the unveiling of its first ever reusable five-meter-wide composite propulsion module, announced in a press release on April 11th.

The module was designed by the China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC), the primary state contractor for the Chinese space program. Specifically, it was developed at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is also known as the First Academy of the CASC. It marks the largest integrated composite structure ever manufactured domestically for China’s aerospace sector. The first prototype was completed in just seven months, from initial design to delivery, underscoring the rapid development timeline. (4/21)

KACST and ispace Sign Strategic Partnership to Collaborate on the Development of Lunar Exploration Technologies in Saudi Arabia, Riyad (Source: Spacewatch Africa)
Japan's ispace announced the signing of a strategic partnership with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in its capacity as the national laboratory and innovation park in Saudi Arabia, to expand cooperation in the development of lunar exploration technologies and build national capabilities in this field, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. (4/20)

ESA Contracts Kepler-Led Consortium for the Third Phase of the HydRON Laser Communications Project (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ESA has awarded Kepler €18.6 million to lead the next phase of HydRON, its high-throughput laser communications network for satellite constellations. (4/21)