May 14, 2026

Meet Blacknight Space Labs In-Orbit Infrastructure Accelerator (Source: Payload)
A new accelerator launched today to help early-stage space startups build the next generation of infrastructure in orbit. Blacknight Space Labs will provide five companies up to $100,000 each. In addition, accelerator companies will get startup 101 education, mentorship, assistance breaking into the defense space market—and help with everything from fundraising, to navigating the government contracting system, to finding customers. (5/14)

Space42 Reports Space Services Revenue Growth Despite Flat Results (Source: Via Satellite)
Space42’s overall revenues were flat in the three months to the end of March. However, while overall revenues remained flat, it did see a strong increase in revenues for the Space Services part of its business for this period. It saw a 15% growth in the quarter in this part of the business compared to the same stage last year. These were two of the highlights of the company’s latest financial results, issued May 13.

However, despite growth in Space Services, Space42’s overall revenues of $116 million in the quarter was virtually the same as last year. The company’s net profit for the quarter was $5 million, significantly down from last year. The growth in Space Services was driven by government business which continued to benefit, year-on-year, from the $700 million, 15-year capacity services contract that commenced on in July last year, following the successful launch of the Thuraya-4 satellite. (5/14)

Eutelsat: Revenue from OneWeb up 65% in Q1; Government Business Grew 11.8% on GEO and LEO Capacity (Source: Space Intel Report)
Satellite fleet operator Eutelsat reported an 11.8% increase in government revenue for the three months ending March 31 as global military demand more than offset the slack in US government business. Eutelsat said the increase included the growth in demand for Eutelsat OneWeb broadband LEO service in Ukraine. Starting later this year, Paris-based Eutelsat will begin to book revenue from its 10-year, billion-euro ($1.56-billion) contract with the French Defense Ministry for OneWeb capacity and the right to place hosted payloads on satellites. (5/13)

SpinLaunch and Aalyria Partner to Advance Next-Generation Satellite Connectivity (Source: SpinLaunch)
SpinLaunch announced a partnership with Aalyria Technologies. The two companies will collaborate on the design and development of infrastructure supporting SpinLaunch's low-cost Meridian low-Earth orbit (LEO) communications constellation. Aalyria will serve as a strategic partner, providing technical and commercial support for the Meridian constellation architecture. Central to the collaboration is the integration of Aalyria's Spacetime platform as a network orchestration layer for Meridian. (5/13)

Northwest Florida School District Partners with Space Florida to Link Students to Aerospace Industry (Source: WEAR)
The Okaloosa County School District and "Space Florida" are teaming up to connect students with careers in the aerospace industry. The school district and Space Florida announced the partnership on Wednesday during the 9th Annual Technology Coast Manufacturing & Engineering Network (TeCMEN) Industry Day.

Starting in the fall, high school students will be able to participate in career tech classes with Space Florida, which is an aerospace finance, development, and spaceport authority that offers an academy program to students. (5/13)

House Appropriators' Bill Would Keep NASA Funding Flat for FY-2027 (Source: Space News)
House appropriators advanced a spending bill Wednesday that keeps overall NASA funding flat for fiscal year 2027. The committee approved the commerce, justice and science spending bill on a 32-28 vote, sending it to the full House. The bill provides $24.438 billion for NASA, the same as the agency received in 2026 and rejecting a proposed 23% cut. The report accompanying the bill provided some additional details, such as calling for continued funding of several science missions slated for cancellation in the proposal. It also requires NASA to continue SLS and Orion until a commercial alternative that meets or exceeds their capabilities is proven. (5/14)

NASA Offers Artemis 3 Details (Source: Space News)
NASA said that the Artemis 3 mission, scheduled for next year, will launch into low Earth orbit on an SLS without an upper stage. NASA will instead use an inert "spacer" with the same dimensions as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) flown on the first two SLS launches. That allows NASA to save the final ICPS for Artemis 4 in 2028, giving it more time to adapt the Centaur upper stage that will be used on later SLS missions. The Orion spacecraft will rendezvous with lunar lander prototypes from Blue Origin and SpaceX, although NASA is still working out details such as whether astronauts will enter those landers after docking. Artemis 3 will spend more time in space than Artemis 2, which spanned a little more than nine days. (5/14)

Northrop Grumman JWST Tech Will Support Cislunar Navigation (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman is adapting technologies developed for the James Webb Space Telescope into a smaller navigation system for cislunar operations. Northrop said it developed a spacecraft navigation system called LR-450 that allows a vehicle to calculate its position, movement and orientation without relying on external signals such as GPS. The LR-450 system is based on technology it developed for JWST, which operates at the Earth-sun L2 Lagrange point. The system could also support applications intended to complement or back up traditional positioning, navigation and timing, or PNT, systems. (5/14)

AST SpaceMobile Considers Vulcan to Launch Some Satellites (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile may use ULA's Vulcan rocket for some of its direct-to-device satellites. Company executives said that five of its BlueBird satellites could launch on a single Vulcan, compared to eight on New Glenn and three on Falcon 9. The company had not previously disclosed plans to use Vulcan, and declined during the call to confirm it has a contract, stating only that it has been "developing other heavy launch providers for some time."

New Glenn has been grounded since a failed launch in April carrying a BlueBird satellite, but AST SpaceMobile said it expected the company to resume launches soon. Vulcan launches are also on hold because of a solid rocket booster anomaly in February. ULA said this week it has started stacking the Vulcan rocket for its next mission, carrying Amazon Leo satellites, while the investigation continues. (5/14)

China's Zhuque-2 Launcher Places Test Payload Into Polar Orbit (Source: Space News)
China's Zhuque-2 rocket returned to flight Wednesday night. The Zhuque-2E methane-liquid oxygen rocket, built by Landspace, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, placing a 2,800-kilogram test payload into polar orbit. It was the first launch of the Zhuque-2E since an August 2025 failure blamed on a voltage issue affecting the second stage, triggering a self-destruct. Landspace has incorporated improvements into the Zhuque-2E that allow it to place up to 4,000 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit and 6,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. (5/14)

OHB and Dassault Partner on VORTEX Spaceplane (Source: European Spaceflight)
OHB is partnering with Dassault Aviation on a spaceplane. The companies announced this week that OHB will provide a service module for Dassault's VORTEX spaceplane. Dassault announced last year it was developing a subscale prototype, VORTEX-D, with some funding from the French military. Dassault and OHB said the VORTEX-S would follow that prototype and is intended to provide cargo transportation to the International Space Station or future commercial space stations as part of an ESA program. (5/14)

Pathy Donates C$15M for Canadian Space Institute (Source: Concordia University)
A Canadian private astronaut is funding the creation of a space institute. Concordia University in Montreal announced that Mark Pathy is donating 15 million Canadian dollars for the Mark Pathy Space Institute at the university. The institute will support research and student training in space engineering. Pathy flew to the ISS in 2022 on Axiom Space'x Ax-1 mission. (5/14)

Space Force Targeting 2027 Launch For Astroscale Refueling Demo (Source: Aviation Week)
A U.S. Space Force-led on-orbit refueling demonstration is now slated for next year, with the refueler spacecraft currently manifested on a Space Force mission planned to launch in 2027. The service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) is coordinating two attempted refueling operations in geostationary orbit. (5/13)

Huntsville City Council to Consider $45 Million Investment for Space Command Headquarters (Source: WAFF)
The Huntsville City Council could soon approve a major investment tied to the future of U.S. Space Command at Redstone Arsenal. Council members will consider a resolution authorizing the mayor to proceed with a $45 million investment plan for the permanent headquarters. $15 million from the state would help build senior military housing. The remaining $30 million would go toward infrastructure improvements and utilities needed for the headquarters project. (5/13)

Crony Capitalism: FCC Angers Small Carriers by Helping AT&T and Starlink buy EchoStar Spectrum (Source: Ars Technica)
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved EchoStar’s sales of spectrum licenses to AT&T and Starlink operator SpaceX. The deals are worth $40 billion in total. The orders, issued by the agency’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Space Bureau, aren’t surprising given that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr essentially forced EchoStar to sell the licenses. Last year, Carr threatened to revoke the licenses after SpaceX alleged that EchoStar subsidiary Dish Network “barely uses” the spectrum to provide mobile service to US consumers. (5/13)

The Young Minds Space-Proofing ESA’s Missions (Source: ESA)
Assembling a spacecraft is a complicated process, and one that requires materials that are far from ordinary. To ensure the success of the European Space Agency’s missions, researchers in the Materials, Environments and Contamination Control Section investigate and test materials to ensure they will survive the harsh environment of space. The section is supported by many young researchers, who bring fresh and innovative ideas. (5/13)

SpaceX and the Coming Stock Tsunami (Source: Axios)
Elon Musk's $1 trillion-plus SpaceX isn't a public company yet, but its size and ambitions are already upending the stock market and sparking questions over the power and influence wielded by such behemoths. The IPO, expected next month, would signal the start of a new AI era for the public markets, potentially valuing SpaceX as much as $2 trillion. (5/14)

Varda Deepens Drugs-in-Space Bet After Win With AIDS Medication (Source: Bloomberg)
Varda Space Industries Inc. is expanding plans for orbital pharmaceutical manufacturing beyond its recent success in crystallizing HIV drug Ritonavir in space, Chief Executive Officer Will Bruey said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg because it is such a broad technology that affects so many drugs,” Bruey said Wednesday in an interview. (5/13)

A New US Military Wargame Series Began by Simulating a Nuclear Weapon in Orbit (Source: Ars Technica)
US Space Command is inviting commercial companies to participate in a new series of classified wargames. The first exercise simulated a scenario involving a potential nuclear detonation in orbit. Space Command is responsible for military activities in space and is separate from the Space Force, which provides the people and equipment to support those operations. The new wargames, called Apollo Insight, combine military and commercial expertise to respond to simulated threats in space. Space Command plans to conduct four Apollo Insight “tabletop exercises” this year. (5/13)

Brazilian Technology Helps NASA Assess Health Risks for Astronauts on Mission to the Moon (Source: FAPESP)
NASA's first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in half a century carried a device developed by Rodrigo Okamoto and his team at Condor Instruments, a São Paulo-based startup that received funding from FAPESP's Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program. The device, called an actigraph, is shaped like a wristwatch and incorporates accelerometers, as well as light and temperature sensors, to precisely map the user's sleep and wake patterns over the course of days or weeks. (5/13)

Preparations Underway for H3 Rocket Launch on June 10 (Source: NHK)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says preparations are underway to resume the launch of an H3 rocket on June 10 as planned, after addressing the cause of the previous mission's failure. The launch of the eighth H3 rocket last December had failed due to a problem with the payload support structure. The payload support structure has been corrected and tested to confirm it can withstand its load. JAXA says the 6th H3 rocket that will be launched next month is a new "Type 30" test vehicle that does not use boosters. It will be carrying metal structures instead of a satellite. (5/13)

New Technique Could Uncover the Secrets of ‘Ringing’ Black Holes (Source: Cambridge University)
When black holes merge, the collision produces a new, larger black hole that ‘rings’ like a plucked guitar string or a bell while it settles into its final, stable shape. But instead of sound waves, the new black hole rings with gravitational waves. The new black hole vibrates at a specific set of frequencies, depending on its mass and spin, which helps scientists learn about the object formed in the collision.

These vibrations, known as quasinormal modes, are the fingerprint of a black hole. Detecting them is central to testing Einstein’s general theory of relativity in the most extreme gravitational environments in the universe. Now, researchers from the University of Cambridge have developed a method to identify and catalogue these modes with greater accuracy than before. (5/13)

Will Starship Launch From Foreign Shores? SpaceX 'Constantly Exploring' Options for Megarocket Liftoff Sites (Source: Space.com)
Starship launches could soon be an international affair. SpaceX revealed on Tuesday (May 12) that it's hunting for additional launch sites for Starship, the giant rocket it's developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other tasks. And some of those sites may be on foreign shores. "We are constantly exploring to find viable sites to expand Starship operations in the future, both domestically and internationally," the company wrote on Tuesday. (5/13)

Intuitive Machines to UK Buy Ground Station Company (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd and Goonhilly USA Inc. for roughly $49.6 million to bolster its lunar communication infrastructure. The acquisition merges Goonhilly's UK-based, deep-space antenna network with Intuitive Machines' existing lunar services to support Artemis and commercial missions. (5/14)

Iridium to Acquire Aireon, Fusing Space-Based ADS-B with Satnav and Satcom (Source: Unmanned Airspace)
Iridium Communications announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aireon LLC, operator of the world’s only space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) air traffic surveillance system. “The acquisition of Aireon is a defining step in Iridium’s strategy to provide the foundational architecture for global aviation safety, bringing space-based surveillance, safety communications, PNT, and operational data together on a single network,” said Iridium in a press release. (5/14)

Thales Alenia Space Ship ExoMars Structural Models to France for Testing (Source: European Spaceflight)
Thales Alenia Space has shipped the structural models for ESA’s ExoMars mission to its facility in Cannes for vibration and acoustic testing. In April 2024, ESA awarded a Thales Alenia Space-led consortium a €522 million contract for the revised ExoMars mission. The company is working towards a 2028 launch window, with the mission slated to be carried to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. On 12 May, Thales Alenia Space announced that the ExoMars structural models had been shipped to its Cannes facility after being fully integrated and qualified at the company’s Turin site for initial testing. (5/13)

ispace to Send Leicester Spectrometer to Moon (Source: Spacewatch Global)
ispace and the University of Leicester have signed a payload service agreement to deliver a Raman spectrometer to the lunar surface on a future, unspecified mission. This partnership focuses on analyzing lunar surface composition, enhancing scientific exploration capabilities, and demonstrating advanced technology. The Raman spectrometer will be transported by an ispace lunar lander to analyze lunar materials. This instrument is designed to provide detailed insights into the mineralogy and composition of the Moon's surface. (5/14)

AST SpaceMobile Confirms Target for 45 BlueBirds This Year, Despite Blue Origin Launch Failure (Source: Via Satellite)
AST SpaceMobile still expects to have 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit this year despite the recent failure on a Blue Origin launch. CEO Abel Avellan told investors on Monday that it is preparing to launch with SpaceX in mid-June, in mission that will launch three BlueBird satellites. AST SpaceMobile reported first quarter financials on May 11, reporting $14.7 million in revenue in the first quarter. (5/13)

Army Awards Leidos $2.7 Billion To Accelerate Hypersonic Work (Source: Defense Daily)
Leidos on Tuesday said it received a $2.7 billion Army contract to unify two hypersonic programs it is developing for the Army and Navy in an effort to accelerate acquisition of the programs. The contract will combine the Thermal Protection Shield, which Leidos has been working on for at least five years to develop materials for hypersonic weapons that shield them from extreme environments in flight, and the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). (5/13)

Uranus and Neptune Could be Full of Rocks, New Study Suggests (Source: Space.com)
Could Uranus and Neptune be full of rocks? One new study thinks so. Uranus and Neptune are two planets that have historically been classified and thought of as "ice giants," orbiting far out in the freezing edges of our solar system. But it's possible that our understanding of these planets' makeup could be totally off, and their atmospheres could be full of rocks, researchers suggest in a new study. (5/13)

NRO's Satellite Network Supports Ground Target Mission (Source: Aviation Week)
The National Reconnaissance Office has confirmed its low-Earth orbit satellite constellation is supporting ground-moving target indication missions, enhancing space-based sensing and targeting capabilities. The NRO has launched hundreds of satellites as part of the effort, and the NROL-172 mission, which was launched Saturday, is part of the initiative. (5/12)

European Space Ventures Raise $715 Million (Source: Space News)
The top-funded European space ventures in 2025 raised a combined 629 million euros (about $715 million). More than 50% of that total was concentrated in five companies: ICEYE (195 million euros, about $222 million), Isar Aerospace (150 million euros, about $171 million), EnduroSat (133 million euros, about $151 million), Aerospacelab (94 million euros, about $107 million) and Cailabs (57 million euros, about $65 million). Several of these companies originate from relatively small industrial ecosystems, including Finland, Bulgaria and Belgium. (5/13)

Starfighters Space Engages Integrated Launch Solutions (ILS) to Advance STARLAUNCH Pathway (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space has engaged Integrated Launch Solutions to provide engineering and technical integration support as Starfighters advances the STARLAUNCH pathway from design and analysis toward flight and launch services. Starfighters has engaged ILS to support mission design, systems engineering, regulatory and safety compliance, and range integration. (5/13)

California's Aerospace Valley (Source: PBS)
From the moment Chuck Yeager shattered the sound barrier in 1947, California’s Aerospace Valley has served as one of the world’s most important proving grounds for aviation and space innovation. Today, the Aerospace Valley remains at the forefront of flight technology advancement and continues to be the center for transforming dreams and bold ideas into what will define the future of flight. Click here. (3/31)

America 250: A Portrait of Florida: Cape Canaveral (Source: Visit Florida)
Cape Canaveral, Florida, is where more human space flights have launched than anywhere else on Earth. Here, closer to the equator, the planet is spinning east at nearly 900 miles per hour, giving every launch a head start. More fuel, less payload, bigger ambition. From this stretch of coast, Americans left our planet, touched the moon, and came home again. Here, human courage was tested and the spirit of exploration was exemplified. And Cape Canaveral remains a place where innovation and daring drive American progress beyond the boundaries of the Earth. Click here. (5/12)