May 19, 2026

Pentagon Funds Solid Rocket Motor Parts Production (Source: ExecutiveGov)
The Department of War has invested $32.7 million under the Defense Production Act Title III to enhance production of solid rocket motor components. Systima Technologies will use $5 million to establish an SRM nozzle production line, while R.E. Darling will use $27.7 million to expand production of SRM internal insulation components. (5/18)

Arkansas Town Thrives as Defense Manufacturing Hub (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Camden, Ark., has become a notable player in defense manufacturing, driven by a surge in demand for weapons due to the conflict in Ukraine. Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors have expanded operations, creating jobs and strengthening the local economy. The town has partnered with Southern Arkansas University Tech to develop a skilled workforce, attracting young engineers and revitalizing the community.(5/17)

USAF Eyes Decommissioned Oil Rigs for Rocket Recovery (Source: Air Force Times)
The US Air Force has proposed Project Able Baker, which would repurpose offshore oil rigs as platforms to recover rocket boosters. The proposal, called Project Able Baker, would solve two problems, the Air Force said. First, the new Sea-Based Recovery Stations would offer a cheaper way of retrieving reusable heavy-lift rockets so they can be launched again. And, it would provide a new purpose and refurbishment for decommissioned oil platforms before they become environmental hazards.

Other desired features of the offshore oil platforms include “passive/active flame deflection, remote fire suppression systems, and precision navigation aids for autonomous landing guidance.” In addition, these platforms should have “integrated barge or Vertical Takeoff and Landing systems to move boosters from the landing pad to transit vessels." Companies may also be asked to identify at least three offshore platforms that can handle heavy-lift rockets. (5/18)

The Small Changes to Dragonfly’s Rotors That Could Make a Big Difference (Source: Aerospace America)
One of the many firsts in planetary exploration that NASA will attempt with its Dragonfly mission is slated to occur before the spacecraft even reaches the surface of Titan. The plan for delivering the Mini Cooper-sized Dragonfly to the surface of this Saturnian moon is starkly different from most interplanetary probes. It won’t be lowered by a skycrane or have airbags cushioning the impact like a Mars rover. Instead, Dragonfly is to spin up its four dual rotors while still falling through Titan’s thick atmosphere, fly free of its protective aeroshell and touch down on the surface under its own power. (5/18)

Astrolight and Aristotle University to Boost Europe’s Space Connectivity with New Optical Ground Station in Greece (Source: Astrolight)
Astrolight, a space and defense company developing laser communication solutions across space, ground, and maritime domains, completed the commissioning of the Holomondas Optical Ground Station (OGS) in Greece this March. The station will support Greek In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) missions, now underway, with high-throughput, secure optical data transmissions from the satellites in orbit to the Holomondas OGS on Earth. (5/18)

Vast to Develop Satellite Buses (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast is expanding into satellite buses. On Tuesday, the company announced Vast Satellite, a line of high-power satellite buses leveraging technologies the company developed for its space stations. The first bus will produce 15 kilowatts of power and host payloads of 350 kilograms or more, with projected applications ranging from broadband communications to orbital data centers. Vast said a confidential customer has agreed to buy four satellites, with Vast planning to launch an initial set of 10 satellites in late 2027. (5/19)

European Imaging Companies Providing Imagery US Companies Won't (Source: Space News)
European imaging companies are stepping up to fill a gap in imagery of the Middle East. American companies have largely stopped the sale of images of the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the United States. Industry leaders at the third ESA EO Commercialization Forum in Seville, Spain, last week said the crisis created an opening for European Earth observation companies. Those companies said they have seen interest from global energy traders, insurers, shipping firms and news organizations, all of whom depend on commercial satellite imagery to monitor traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. However, it also highlighted Europe's remaining limitations, such as near-real-time capabilities available from larger American operators. (5/19)

DoD Wants More Companies to Join Golden Dome Effort (Source: Space News)
Pentagon officials are trying to convince commercial technology companies and their investors to participate in the Golden Dome missile defense system. At conferences, industry meetings and investor gatherings, Golden Dome officials have signaled that the Pentagon cannot build the system using conventional defense acquisition models alone.

The Pentagon's outreach reflects a recognition that many of the technologies relevant to Golden Dome are now emerging from commercial firms rather than exclusively from traditional defense contractors. The Golden Dome program office is trying to create an environment where startups, venture-backed firms and traditional defense companies can work together while the Pentagon evaluates which industrial capabilities and pools of private capital are available to support the effort. Editor's Note: It's hard to envision Golden Dome surviving beyond the present administration. (5/19)

Lynk Approved for D2D Satellite Services (Source: Space News)
Lynk has won regulatory approval to test how its direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services can extend private utility networks. The one-year FCC license allows Lynk to test satellite links over 900 megahertz spectrum from Anterix with smartphones, computers, advanced routers and other communications devices across seven areas in the U.S. Using mobile network operator spectrum from space, Lynk is currently enabling intermittent messaging and alert services outside terrestrial coverage in a handful of island nations using seven satellites. The company plans to ramp up satellite deployment to improve services after closing its merger with Omnispace, which holds satellite S-band spectrum once earmarked for its own D2D constellation. (5/19)

Senate Confirms Anderson as NASA Deputy Administrator (Source: Space News)
The Senate confirmed Matt Anderson on Monday as NASA's deputy administrator. The Senate voted 46-43 on party lines to confirm a set of nominees that included Anderson. He was first nominated to be deputy administrator last May and renominated in January, winning approval from the Senate Commerce Committee in March. NASA said in a statement that Anderson, as second-in-command of the agency, will help oversee NASA's operations and strategic initiatives. (5/19)

European-Chinese Mission Launched on Vega C Rocket (Source: Space News)
A European-Chinese space science mission successfully launched overnight. A Vega C rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:52 p.m. Eastern, placing the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) spacecraft into orbit. SMILE was jointly developed by ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to study how the Earth's magnetosphere interacts with solar storms. The launch was the first of the Vega C where Avio, the vehicle's prime contractor, also served as the launch operator. Arianespace had previously been the launch operator for Vega. (5/19)

NASA Payloads Added to Astrolab Lunar Rover (Source: Space News)
Four NASA payloads will fly on a lunar rover built by Astrolab. The company announced Monday it worked with NASA field centers to identify the payloads, including a laser retroreflector, lidar sensors, dust experiment and helium-3 instrument, for its FLIP rover. The payloads are flying through non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements. FLIP is scheduled to launch late this year on Astrobotic's Griffin-1 lander. (5/19)

Worker Dies at Starbase Construction Site (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Federal regulators are investigating the death of a worker at SpaceX's Starbase. The worker died at a construction site at Starbase early Friday, but local authorities have not disclosed the identity of the worker or the cause of death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday it is investigating the accident, which took place days before SpaceX plans to launch its next Starship test flight. (5/19)

NASA Transfers Lunar Cameras to Intuitive Machines (Source: Intuitive Machines)
NASA has transferred management of two lunar cameras to Intuitive Machines. NASA said Monday it handed over operations of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera on the LRO spacecraft and the ShadowCam instrument on South Korea's Danuri orbiter to Intuitive Machines after the principal investigators and science team members joined the company. The instruments had been managed by Arizona State University. Intuitive Machines said it received contracts worth $20 million over three years to continue operating the instruments. Images from the instruments will continue to be stored in NASA's Planetary Data System but Intuitive Machines plans to also use the images for orbital and surface navigation services. (5/19)

AIAA, Amazon Leo, Eutelsat, Iridium, and SpaceX Release Reference Guide: “Satellite Orbital Safety Best Practices 3.0” (Source: AIAA)
AIAA, along with Amazon Leo, Eutelsat, Iridium Communications, Inc., and SpaceX, have released the third edition of "Satellite Orbital Safety Best Practices 3.0.,” which provides additional lessons learned and adding clarity and rationale for the recommendations. The document provides a consolidated, high-level set of recommended best practices that span design, launch, orbital operations, and disposal. (5/19)

Skynopy to Support U-Space Missions With Ground Station Services (Source: Via Satellite)
Skynopy has won a new contract from U-Space, a Toulouse-based next-generation small satellite manufacturer. Skynopy will be U-Space’s ground station service provider for the operation of its two satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), SOAP and PANDORE. The two companies announced the deal, May 18. (5/19)

The Transatlantic Space Defense Timeline Mismatch is Now a NATO Problem (Source: SatNews)
The United States is fielding a tactical low-Earth orbit data fabric while European allies are in the early procurement phases of their own equivalent programs. NATO has not designated who arbitrates the interoperability standards between them, and the US-side requirements are hardening fastest. (5/19)

A 2027 Lunar Landing Will Put This Navigation Prototype to the Test (Source: Aerospace America)
Engineers at Sydney, Australia-based Advanced Navigation have designed a laser navigation prototype that could guide future spacecraft landings on the moon, and they’re now adapting the technology to build a sensor for drone navigation in GPS-denied airspace.

The lunar navigation prototype — dubbed LUNA, for Laser Unit for Navigation Aid — is set to be tested next year during Intuitive Machines’ IM-4 mission, the fourth such landing the Houston space exploration company is contracted for under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The completed LUNA device, which looks like a four-lensed camera jutting out of a box about the size of a six-pack of soda, is on track for delivery to Intuitive Machines later this year. (5/19)