May 26, 2026

Fabian Passes at 87 (Source: Collect Space)
Former NASA astronaut John Fabian has died. Fabian, part of the historic 35-member NASA astronaut class of 1978, flew on two shuttle missions, STS-7 in 1983 and STS-51G in 1985. He was the first to capture a satellite in orbit using the shuttle's Canadarm robotic arm on the STS-7 mission. He also served on the accident board the investigated the loss of the shuttle Challenger in 1986. He was 87. (5/26)

Ride Sally Ride (Source: Tropic Press)
It’s Sally Ride Day, celebrating the birth of the first American woman to fly into space. Since her pioneering launch aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, she has been followed by nearly 60 other women joining the more than 300 men who have “slipped the surly bonds of Earth.” Sally Ride would have turned 75 today had pancreatic cancer not claimed her a little more than a decade ago. (5/26)

NASA Readies Mission to Reverse the Swift Observatory’s Skyfall (Source: Aerospace America)
If left to its own devices, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will succumb to atmospheric drag and make a fiery reentry within months. NASA is aiming to prevent that, targeting June for the launch of a robotic spacecraft that is to autonomously rendezvous, capture and then boost Swift to a safe altitude. (5/26)

Stratolaunch Supports US Hypersonic Missile Defense Test With Talon-A3 Flight (Source: Aviation News Daily)
Stratolaunch has successfully supported a new US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) hypersonic flight test using its Talon-A3 test vehicle, launched from Mojave Air and Space Port aboard the company’s modified Boeing 747-400, marking another step in accelerating America’s hypersonic defense capabilities. (5/26)

UK Inaugurates New Space Domain Awareness Software Borealis (Source: Via Satellite)
A new space domain awareness (SDA) software for the U.K. government is now operational, six months ahead of schedule. The new software, called Borealis, improves tracking of satellites and space debris for the UK Ministry of Defense and the UK Space Agency. (5/26)

Starlink Could Compete with Terrestrial Wireless Networks (Source: Space News)
SpaceX's IPO documents show the company is planning to turn Starlink into a potential competitor for terrestrial wireless networks. The company's regulatory filing outlined how upgraded satellites and the spectrum it is acquiring from U.S.-based EchoStar would greatly improve services currently limited to messaging and light voice and data services, offering "the preferred connectivity experience" to customers regardless of location. That ambition contrasts with a more cautious view from telcos, including anchor mobile network operator partner T-Mobile, which provides the wireless spectrum Starlink Mobile satellites use to plug terrestrial coverage gaps across the United States. (5/26)

China's Mega Engine Tests Mega Engine (Source: Space News)
Chinese startup Mega Engine advanced its reusable staged-combustion rocket engine. A new Chinese commercial rocket engine startup has conducted a successful long-duration hot fire test of a closed-cycle kerosene-liquid oxygen engine. Xi’an-based Mega Engine Technology announced successful tests of its “Chi” engine in a Chinese social media post May 25, with a single engine accumulating 1,000 seconds of run time at rated conditions, with total program test accumulation reaching 2,000 seconds. (5/26)

Exolaunch and SEOPS Purchase Falcon 9 Missions for Rideshare (Source: Space News)
Two companies that help arrange rideshare launches of payloads are buying their own dedicated rideshare launches. Exolaunch announced Tuesday that it purchased two Falcon 9 launches for rideshare missions, called Exo-1 and -2, scheduled for late 2027 and 2028 respectively. SEOPS separately announced Tuesday it purchased a Falcon 9 launch for its Waymaker-1 rideshare mission in 2028. The companies said high demand for rideshare launches, like SpaceX's Transporter and Bandwagon missions prompted them to purchase their own rideshare launches. (5/26)

Orbit Fab and Thales Alenia Planning On-Orbit Refueling (Source: Space News)
Orbit Fab is partnering with Thales Alenia Space to study on-orbit refueling of satellites with electric propulsion systems. The companies said Tuesday they will explore integrating Orbit Fab's RAFTI refueling interface with electric propulsion systems developed by Thales Alenia Space, such as xenon-fueled Hall-effect thrusters, as part of a project supported by the U.K. Space Agency. RAFTI, short for Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface, is a docking and fuel-transfer port designed to allow satellites to connect with orbital fuel depots or servicing spacecraft for propellant replenishment. The project focuses on adapting the RAFTI interface for electric propulsion systems, an area of growing interest in Europe as operators seek ways to extend satellite lifetimes and support more maneuverable spacecraft. (5/26)

Atlantic Council Urges Clarity for Golden Dome (Source: Washington Times)
The Atlantic Council is urging the Pentagon and Congress to clarify the objectives of the Golden Dome missile defense initiative before debating its cost. The council notes a significant gap between the Congressional Budget Office's estimate of $1.2 trillion and the Pentagon's figure of $185 billion. "A clearly scoped, incrementally demonstrable program is achievable; a political deadline-driven moonshot risks becoming the most expensive procurement failure in American history," the council says in a report. (5/25)

Pentagon Spars with SpaceX Over Starlink Price Hike During Iran War (Source: Reuters)
As U.S. kamikaze drones guided by Elon Musk’s Starlink network began to make visible gains in the war against Iran, senior SpaceX officials reached a conclusion: The Pentagon should be paying more for access to their satellite Wi-Fi network. Within weeks of the United States launching its bombing campaign, SpaceX executives ​met Pentagon officials and argued the military had been paying about $5,000 for connection per terminal while effectively using a higher tier of service worth closer to $25,000. (5/26)

Italy’s Lunar Habitat Clears NASA System Requirements Review (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Italian Space Agency announced that its Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module had been cleared by a NASA review board to progress toward a Preliminary Design Review in 2027. The first MPH module is expected to launch in 2033. When NASA “paused” development of the lunar Gateway space station and shifted its focus to building a base on the Moon’s surface, Italy’s MPH modules were identified as a key element of the initiative. (5/26)

Starlink and Amazon May Be Able to Buy Into EU Mobile Satellite Spectrum Plan (Source: Reuters)
Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's (AMZN.O), opens new tab low-earth-orbit satellite business may be able ​to acquire some European mobile satellite spectrum next year, two ‌people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. But they said two-thirds of the satellite spectrum that allows mobile devices and vehicles to communicate ​seamlessly even in remote locations, would be reserved for European ​companies. (5/26)

DoD Wants More Test Ranges for Contested Environments (Source: Breaking Defense)
The heads of US Special Operations Command and US Southern Command this week hit on a common need that each said they need to be ready for modern combat threats: more leeway to use test ranges that simulate contested environments. “We have to develop ranges and places where we can test and evaluate, rehearse those highly choreographed maneuvers and projections in these new, contested environments. That’s not easy to do,” said SOCOM Commander Adm. Frank Bradley.

“The FAA here in the United States controls the altitudes at which drones can fly, even over our military bases and ranges, and so we have to find places where these kind of more sophisticated projections of force can be rehearsed and can be tested and tried,” he said. Tension between the military and the FAA are hardly new, and the Pentagon has said it is working with its federal agency partner to extend US bases more leeway, at least when it comes to base defense. (5/21)

DARPA Readies Robotic Deep-Space Repair Satellite for 2026 Launch (Source: Space.com)
DARPA's long-delayed Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellite (RSGS) demonstrator is slated to launch as soon as this summer, the U.S. military's research and development group stated in a statement on Wednesday (May 20). And as the name suggests, robots will form an integral part of the spacecraft's work. The heart of the mission will be a "highly dexterous robotic servicing suite", DARPA stated, that should be able to jump in on several critical tasks to help satellites needing a boost: "on-orbit upgrades, inspections, anomaly resolution, and satellite relocation." (5/25)

Northern Norway is Ready to Launch. EU Space Regulation — and its New Arctic Policy – is Not (Source: Space News)
The European Commission is currently updating its Arctic policy, with a new policy statement expected this coming autumn. Unlike the latest policy from 2021, the update will place greater emphasis on security, defense and connectivity. These additions matter. But there is a risk that Brussels will articulate an ambitious Arctic policy while overlooking one of Europe’s most significant strategic assets: Andøya Spaceport in Northern Norway. The barrier preventing Andøya from becoming a standard part of Europe’s launch infrastructure is not technical, but political. (5/25)

Redwire Delivers Argonaut Robotic Arm Prototype (Source: European Spaceflight)
US-based space technology company Redwire has delivered an initial prototype of a robotic arm that could be used aboard the European Space Agency’s Argonaut lunar lander. The announcement comes as ESA has opened a call for proposals to demonstrate a similar system aboard the lander’s inaugural mission, which is expected to launch in 2030.

In early 2024, ESA awarded contracts to Redwire and Poland’s PIAP Space to deliver an initial prototype of the Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support (MANUS) system, a multi-use robotic arm for its future lunar lander platform. Redwire explained in 2024 that, under the contract, the company would build an initial prototype of the robotic arm to validate the system’s core features. It also stated that the company would then be able to “compete for a follow-on contract.”

The Argonaut 1 Moon Robotic Payload Mission call has a maximum budget of €68 million. Its geo-return targets, which ensure companies from member states receive contracts roughly proportional to their states’ contributions to a particular program, favor work in Germany, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, and Poland. Germany is allocated the largest potential share, ranging from 35% to 60% of the contract value. (5/25)

Germany’s New Telescope System for LEO and GEO Space Surveillance Nears Completion (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Germany’s advanced dual-telescope system in Meßstetten has passed its site acceptance testing and entered trial operations. Developed to monitor orbital activity from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), it significantly boosts Germany's sovereign space surveillance and collision avoidance capabilities. (5/25)

SpaceX Launches Starlink 10-47 Mission From Cape Canaveral (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Memorial Day, May 25, carrying 29 Starlink satellites. With this one there have been 35 orbital launches from the spaceport so far in 2026. (5/25)