April 5, 2026

An Aerobot With ISRU Capabilities Could Explore Venus' Atmosphere for Years (Source: Universe Today)
Aerial robotic platforms (aerobots) that can operate for years may be an ideal choice for exploring Earth's "Sister Planet." While prototypes have been built in response to NASA's strategic plans, these designs lack a method for replenishing buoyant gases, limiting their lifetimes. According to a new proposal led by MIT researchers, In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) could extend the lifetime of aerobots by using electrolysis to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into buoyant gas products and an energy source. (4/3)

African Market for Satellite Services Offers Pent Up Demand (Source: Via Satellite)
With a large landmass of 11.7 million square miles, Africa has been a challenging place to set up satellite services. But that is changing. As of September, 2025, more than 21 African countries have established space programs and 18 have launched at least one satellite, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Now the real work of digital inclusion, enterprise application, and national development connecting millions of Africans begins, industry experts shared during SATShow Week.

Africa is one of the fastest growing satellite markets in the world with limited terrestrial infrastructure and growing demand for connectivity. African nations and companies have launched a combined total of 65 satellites, with over 120 additional satellites in development and expected to be launched by 2030. (4/3)

Gravitics Receives Strategic Funding Increase From SpaceWERX (Source: Via Satellite)
Gravitics has received a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract from SpaceWERX, the U.S. Space Force’s innovation arm, to accelerate development and demonstration of its Orbital Carrier architecture, the company said. Under the contract, Gravitics will flight-demonstrate a pathfinder Orbital Carrier on a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) rideshare mission and a Viper orbital transfer vehicle. The Viper demonstration includes plans to deploy a third-party payload to a high-energy orbit. (4/3)

Why Is NASA Bothering To Go Back to the Moon if We’ve Already Been There? (Source: Ars Technica)
The first time NASA launched humans toward the Moon, in December 1968, the United States was a deeply fractured nation. The historic flight of three people into the unknown brought a measure of solace to a country riven by assassinations, riots, political discord, and a deeply unpopular foreign war. If history does not repeat itself, it certainly rhymes. Today, four humans are on the way to the Moon, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. They do so, once again, amid a troubled world. Will Artemis II have a similar impact? Does it even matter?

Artemis II was not a global event. The world of today is, of course, incredibly different from that of the 1960s, especially the landscape of media competing for public attention. Just three US television networks graced the airwaves then, compared to hundreds today and a bazillion more online through viewing options like YouTube and social media. And increasingly, younger generations are as interested in creating content as they are in consuming it. The world population in 1968 was about 3.5 billion people, or a little less than half of today’s. Yet an estimated one-quarter of them watched broadcasts from the Moon. (4/2)

Insurance is Commercial Space Nuclear’s Biggest Headache (Source: Payload)
There are no good neighbors for the commercial space nuclear power business. Lots of challenges face commercial space nuclear missions—but experts at an industry seminar on Thursday only called one a “show stopper”—insurance. Entrepreneurs believe they can safely launch radioactive material into orbit without creating an accident of atomic proportions, but insurance companies are still balking at the word “nuclear,” according to company leaders.

“Insurance is a fundamentally conservative and reactionary industry,” said Stewart Forbes, an energy attorney with Hogan Lovells. “People still think Chernobyl or Fukushima or Three Mile Island, but that’s not the world we live in anymore.”

Nuclear reactors would remain inert, with controls engaged to keep them from going critical, until they enter orbit. The real—but small—risk would be a reactor that somehow re-enters Earth’s atmosphere after activation. (4/3)

Atlas V Launches its Heaviest-Ever Payload Saturday, Sending 29 Amazon Internet Satellites to Orbit From Florida (Source: Space.com)
A ULA Atlas V rocket launched its heaviest-ever payload on Saturday morning from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, carrying 29 satellites for the Amazon Leo broadband constellation to orbit. Together, those spacecraft weigh 18 tons, according to ULA. The Atlas V successfully deployed all 29 into their target orbit, according to ULA. (4/4)

The US Has Declared ‘Space Superiority’ Over Iran. What Does That Mean? (Source: Defense One)
The U.S. military declared space superiority over Iran this week, but defense experts question what that means given the country’s inchoate military space program and heavy reliance on space-based intelligence from other nations. It’s not clear if the country is still actively jamming or spoofing U.S. assets, and it’s highly unlikely that the U.S. Space Force has physically destroyed the country’s handful of satellites. (4/2)

Chandra Donelson Departs as Space Force CDAO (Source: Defense Scoop)
Chandra Donelson has announced that she is leaving her position as the Space Force’s chief data and artificial intelligence officer. Donelson was appointed as the Space Force CDAO in 2023, a role where she oversaw the data, AI and software integration for the Pentagon’s youngest service. She was notably involved in the Department of the Air Force’s broad experimentation with generative AI capabilities, and most recently led the Space Force’s adoption of GenAI.mil. (4/3)

JAA Selects RS&H to Guide Cecil Spaceport Re-Entry License Application (Source: Jax Daily Record)
Jacksonville-based architectural and engineering firm RS&H is tapped to help the Jacksonville Aviation Authority pursue a re-entry license at Cecil Airport, a step toward transforming the former naval air station from a one-way launch site into a two-way spaceport logistics hub. The re-entry license request for qualifications attracted 10 interested firms. According to the RFQ, the contract is expected to be executed this month. (4/3)

Smooth Sailing for Artemis Crew So Far (Source: Space Policy Online)
The Artemis II crew continues on a smooth course to the Moon today. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are now about halfway to their destination, with a loop around the Moon on Monday. (4/3)

India's Protoplanet Supports ISRO Astronaut Training (Source: India Today)
India’s ambitious human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, is steadily moving closer to reality, and a key player behind the scenes is Protoplanet, which is helping prepare astronauts for the extreme realities of space. Through its collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization, Protoplanet is spearheading a new generation of analog missions, Earth-based simulations designed to mimic the physical and psychological challenges of spaceflight. (4/3)

ISRO's Human Space Flight Centers (HSFC) along with Protoplanet began Mission Mitra in Ladakh on Thursday. Mitra or the Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Reliability Assessment is a high-altitude analog mission conducted in Ladakh. The harsh terrain and thin atmosphere of the region provide a near-space-like environment, allowing researchers to study how astronauts adapt to isolation, hypoxia and operational constraints. (4/4)

White House Seeks $5.6 Billion Cut to NASA Budget in 2027 (Source: Reuters)
The White ​House on ‌Friday proposed a $5.6 billion ​cut ​to NASA's budget ⁠for 2027, ​including a $3.4 ​billion cut to the space ​agency's ​science unit, a 23% ‌cut ⁠as NASA's new chief plans ​an ​array ⁠of new ​missions under ​the ⁠flagship U.S. moon ⁠program. (4/3)

White House Pitches Dramatic Space Force Budget Jump In 2027 (Source: Aviation Week)
The Trump administration wants to fund the U.S. Space Force’s request for a larger budget in fiscal 2027, and then some. The service could see a 430% increase in total procurement funding over 2026 under the proposed budget request, from $3.6 billion to $19.1 billion, according to documents released last week. (4/3)

From Artemis to ULA, Space Force Has Hands Full with 6 Different Rockets this Year (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA’s Artemis II mission got the limelight this week, but U.S. Space Force has an arsenal of other space-bound hardware muscling onto Florida’s launch pads this year. This year’s schedule from either Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station already features six different rockets. Vying for many of the same support assets are two from SpaceX, two from United Launch Alliance, one from Blue Origin plus NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.

Those launches require a juggling act, as they all need some of the same supplies, facilities and staff, said Space Launch Delta 45 commander Col. Brian Chatman. For example, many of the spacecraft operators want gaseous nitrogen (GN2) on hand during launches. The inert gas keeps their rocket hardware safe by pushing out more volatile propellants in the case of a scrub. A lot of that comes from a plant on Merritt Island, and NASA got first dibs on it last week. (4/4)