May 6, 2026

Scientists Stunned by New Organic Molecules Found on Mars (Source: SciTech Daily)
NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered a wide variety of organic molecules on Mars, including compounds often viewed as essential ingredients for the origin of life on Earth. These results come from a chemical experiment carried out on another planet for the first time. The findings show that the Martian surface can preserve molecules that might serve as indicators of ancient life.

However, the experiment cannot determine whether these organic compounds formed from past life on Mars, natural geological activity, or arrived via meteorites. To confirm any true signs of past life, scientists would need to return Martian rock samples to Earth for more detailed analysis. (5/4)

NASA Wants To Land Astronauts on the Moon in 2028. Will SpaceX’s Starship or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Lander Be Ready in Time? (Source: Space.com)
NASA recently outlined a revised plan for Artemis 3, which has the mission performing a crewed test in Earth orbit in late 2027 rather than the previously planned 2028 lunar landing. The mission will instead be an Earth-orbit rendezvous of NASA's Orion spacecraft with one or both of the program's moon landers, analogous to the Apollo 9 mission, setting up a lunar landing attempt with Artemis 4 in late 2028. But this plan relies on swift action by NASA's partners.

The agency earlier selected two private companies to provide crewed Artemis moon landers: SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System (HLS) and Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander, both of which are in development and facing tight deadlines for future missions. With a number of major milestones on the horizon, the coming months will indicate if these landers can be readied for their planned 2027 orbital tests.

Now that SpaceX is talking about a lunar settlement, it needs to get its Starship HLS lander ready. That vehicle, which NASA selected in 2021, is a specific configuration of Starship. SpaceX says that, as of late October last year, it has hit 49 milestones related to developing the subsystems, infrastructure and operations needed to land astronauts on the moon. Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mk2 crewed lander is a simpler system. The biggest test on the horizon is the launch of the smaller Blue Moon Mark-1 (Mk1) cargo lander, which is expected to launch to the moon later this year. (5/5)

NASA, Roscosmos Address Space Station Cracks (Source: Aviation Week)
As of early 2026, NASA and Roscosmos are investigating structural cracks in the PrK transfer tunnel of the Zvezda service module. While recent sealant applications by cosmonauts have temporarily stopped the air leaks, concerns remain regarding the long-term structural integrity of the aging module.

 NASA and Roscosmos disagree on the severity; NASA views it as a significant risk, whereas Roscosmos considers it safe to operate. Safety Measures: The PrK module is kept sealed when not in use. Additionally, when the hatch is opened for transferring supplies from Progress vehicles, US segment hatches are closed as a precautionary measure. (5/5)

Planet Launches Three High-Resolution Pelican Satellites Including one for the Swedish Armed Forces (Source: Spacewatch Global)
Planet Labs has launched three new Pelican satellites, one of which is the first satellite to orbit as part of the recently-announced satellite services agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF). The spacecraft were launched to orbit aboard the CAS500-2 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Planet has subsequently begun the commissioning process for the three satellites after successfully making initial contact. (5/5)

Polish Space Company Eycore Launches First SAR Earth Observation Satellite (Source: Space News)
Polish space company Eycore has launched Eycore-1, an Earth observation satellite equipped with the company’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology. The May 3 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base made Eycore the second privately-owned business in Europe to own its own SAR satellite. (5/5)

ESA Awards Thales Alenia Space €26 Million Contract for LISA Telescopes (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has awarded Thales Alenia Space a €26.1 million contract to develop six optical telescopes for the three spacecraft that will make up ESA’s LISA mission. Selected as ESA’s third Large-Class mission in July 2017, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be dedicated to detecting gravitational waves that occur during some of the most significant events in the Universe, such as when two black holes collide. (5/6)

Loft Orbital Expands Into Full-Service Constellation Deals (Source: SpaceNews)
Data and intelligence providers, along with governments, are outsourcing the construction and operation of Earth-observation constellations, favoring access to data and analytics over owning the satellites and ground systems that produce them. The shift is helping reshape parts of the space industry, enabling companies such as Loft Orbital to move beyond niche hosted-payload offerings into what executives describe as “constellations as a service.” (5/6)

MGUE Program To Move From Space Force To Air Force (Source: Defense Daily)
n fiscal 2027, the Air Force is to assume management of the Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) program from the Space Force. On April 9 last year, a Department of the Air Force memorandum directed the transfer in fiscal 2027 for MGUE Increment 2. (5/6)

SWISSto12 Strikes German Partnership Deal for D2D GEO Satellite (Source: Via Satellite)
Swissto12 has struck a key new partnership deal in Germany which could bring exciting new media broadcast capabilities to Geostationary (GEO) satellites. It will work with German high-performance space subsystem providers HPS/LSS. The Munich-based consortium that will provide a large deployable reflector subsystem (LDRS) for the NEASTAR-1 mission, built on the  HummingSat platform. This will enable what it claims is the world’s first direct-to-device media broadcasting capabilities from GEO. (5/6)

Space Force Accelerates DARC Deployment (Source: Executive Gov)
The US Space Force has deployed the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability ahead of schedule to address increasing risks from man-made objects and adversary actions in orbit. DARC, a network of ground-based sensors developed by Northrop Grumman, enhances space domain awareness by tracking objects in orbit, and the early deployment allows the Space Force to streamline testing and evaluation while supporting joint operations. (5/5)

Astranis Raises $450 Million to Expand Satellite Production (Source: Space News)
Astranis has raised more than $450 million in equity and debt to expand its production of small GEO communications satellites. The funding, announced Wednesday, includes a $300 million Series E round co-led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton, with participation from several other investors, along with $155 million in loan commitments from Trinity Capital. According to a source close to the deal, the latest funding values Astranis at $2.8 billion. Astranis said the new funding will be used to accelerate production of its small GEO satellites, which weigh a few hundred kilograms each, for commercial customers and to scale manufacturing to support U.S. military satellite procurements. (5/6)

Scout Space Raises $18 Million to Expand Virginia Manufacturing (Source: Space News)
Space domain awareness company Scout Space has raised $18 million. The funding will support upcoming missions and expand the company's manufacturing capacity, including the buildout of a 2,600-square-foot facility in Northern Virginia. Scout Space develops sensors and software designed to detect, track and characterize objects in orbit. The company's business model centers on supplying space domain awareness sensors and software that can be integrated onto a range of spacecraft, rather than building standalone satellites. (5/6)

Scolese to Retire From NRO (Source: Space News)
The head of the National Reconnaissance Office is preparing to retire. Chris Scolese has been director of the NRO since 2019, but will soon step down. The White House last month nominated Roger Mason, a defense industry executive with a background in intelligence, as Scolese's successor. His tenure has been marked by growing use of commercial capabilities, including a $1.8 billion contract with SpaceX for hundreds of reconnaissance satellites. (5/6)

Ukraine Testing Handheld Devices to Obtain Battlefield Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
Ukrainian troops used handheld devices to order satellite imagery directly from the battlefield. In a test run by imaging company Vantor, Ukrainian forces used handheld devices to task commercial imaging satellites, bypassing centralized intelligence workflows that typically slow delivery to the battlefield. The imagery was also shared simultaneously with other units operating hundreds of kilometers away, allowing distributed teams to coordinate targeting decisions. A process that typically unfolds in a sequence over hours was compressed into a continuous loop, Vantor said. (5/6)

Voyager Optimistic for Starlab Regardless of NASA Plans (Source: Space News)
Voyager Technologies says it is optimistic about the prospects for its Starlab Space joint venture regardless of the path NASA takes on commercial space stations. Voyager is the majority partner on Starlab Space, which is developing the Starlab space station with support from NASA as a potential successor to the International Space Station. In March, NASA said it was reconsidering its plans for backing such stations, concerned about the slow development of commercial markets. In an earnings call Tuesday, Voyager executives said they felt ready no matter what direction NASA goes. They also did not rule out funding Starlab without NASA support, but added they didn't think it would be necessary. (5/6)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission on Tuesday From California (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Tuesday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, putting 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the third by SpaceX in five days. (5/6)

Chinese Cargo Craft Departs TSS (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese cargo spacecraft undocked from the Tiangong space station. The Tianzhou-9 undocked from the station at 4:34 a.m. Eastern Wednesday and will later reenter, Chinese officials said. The undocking clears the way for a new cargo mission, scheduled to launch this weekend. (5/6)

Ground Stations Are Attractive Military Targets (Source: Space News)
Ground stations and related infrastructure are increasingly becoming targets in military conflicts. That has included a March missile strike on a SES teleport in Israel and drone strikes on AWS data centers in Bahrain and the UAE. The incidents underscore a broader shift: In an era when commercial space and cloud networks are increasingly woven into military operations, the infrastructure that receives, processes and distributes satellite data is drawing new scrutiny as a vulnerable point of attack. Companies are looking to address those risks through more distributed ground station networks and use of in-space data relays. (5/6)

Overview Energy to Study Space-Based Solar Power Beaming to Military Bases (Source: Space News)
Overview Energy won an Air Force contract to study delivering space-based solar power to remote military bases. Overview said Wednesday the contract will examine how its planned satellites, which generate solar power and transmit it to Earth through infrared lasers, could support military bases, reducing reliance on fuel deliveries that can be disrupted. A Pentagon study two decades ago identified powering remote bases as an initial market for space-based solar power, but launch costs prevented the business cases for the concept to close. Reduced launch costs and other advances now make space-based solar power viable, Overview argues. (5/6)

Divergent Space Technologies to Streamline Imagery Access (Source: Space News)
A startup has developed software to make it easier for military users to access commercial imagery. Divergent Space Technologies, a startup founded by a former NRO official, says its software platform anticipates when satellites will pass over areas of interest and automatically places orders across multiple vendors, aiming to replace a largely manual, fragmented process with something closer to real-time coordination. The system is still in development but is already being used by some U.S. and allied military organizations. (5/6)

UK's Online Oceans Secures $5.4 Million for Monitoring Undersea Activities Via Satellite (Source: Space News)
A British startup plans to use space technology to help monitor activities under the sea. Online Oceans announced April 29 it had secured 4 million British pounds ($5.4 million) in seed funding to ramp up deployments for Scout, a solar-powered vessel it recently began delivering to customers. Scout will use satellite connectivity to relay data from a wide variety of payloads, including cameras, weather instruments, acoustic sensors that listen for underwater activity. Scout relies on Iridium satellites for core communications and uses a modified Starlink terminal for high-bandwidth data. (5/6)

Loft Orbital Expands Into Full-Service Constellation Deals (Source: Space News)
Data and intelligence providers, along with governments, are outsourcing the construction and operation of Earth-observation constellations, favoring access to data and analytics over owning the satellites and ground systems that produce them. The shift is helping reshape parts of the space industry, enabling companies such as Loft Orbital to move beyond niche hosted-payload offerings into what executives describe as “constellations as a service.” (5/5)

New Venture Bringing Space Flight Training to the UAE Could Boost Tourism (Sources: Arabian Business, Khaleej Times)
A new private spaceflight venture led by entrepreneur Mac Malkawi is bringing astronaut training and human spaceflight preparation to the UAE, positioning the country as a global hub for the rapidly expanding space economy. The philanthropist and founder of Borderless Labs Inc (Blinc) said that space  travel could soon become more common and is working to make the UAE a hub for it.

Blinc, which is based in Abu Dhabi, also focuses on astronaut training, human spaceflight experiences, and education. It also has strong roots in Steam, ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) education, particularly for underserved communities in the Mena region. On Sunday, Blinc conducted its first test flight in the UAE in partnership with ActionFlight Ras Al Khaimah, which offers advanced aviation experiences. (5/5)

Crashed Rocket Company Orbex was Burning Through £2m a Month (Source: The Times)
A space rocket developer heavily backed by the state had been racking up losses of £2 million a month at the time it went bust. Orbital Express Launch, which traded as Orbex, had received more than £130 million of grant and equity funding as it tried to build reusable rockets. That included £29 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank and £26 million from the UK government. Business Growth Fund, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise also supported the company before its insolvency in February. (5/4)

California Reaches for the Stars with Space Accomplishments That Are Out of This World (Source: Gov.CA.Gov)
With diverse aerospace and technology companies, world-class research institutions, and a skilled workforce, the Golden State is driving innovation in advanced technologies. California remains a leader in the aerospace industry, as the top state for aerospace manufacturing and home to half of the nation’s space tech venture capital funding over the past five years.

The state is also home to all 5 traditional defense prime contractors: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics, and Raytheon. More than 500 companies and 16,000 workers in the state contributed to NASA’s Artemis II – the United State’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years.

California industry leaders made this mission a reality, providing advanced manufacturing; software development; safety and security services; and specialized components such as valves, harnesses, clamps, batteries, and cables. Click here. (5/4)

Firefly Aerospace Announces First Quarter 2026 Financial Results (Source: Firefly)
Firefly Aerospace issued financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Highlights include record revenue of $80.9 million, up 40% from the prior quarter. Firefly expects 2026 full-year revenue to be between $420 million and $450 million. (5/4)

Explosive Event Rocks Water Deluge System at Starbase, Impact on Launch Plans TBD (Source: Gizmodo)
We’re possibly one week away from witnessing the first flight of the upgraded Starship rocket, and things are heating up at SpaceX’s launch site. Literally. A significant explosive event erupted at SpaceX’s facility in Texas during a test of Starship’s water deluge system on Sunday. The company revealed last week that there were some issues with the deluge system, which uses water to absorb heat and energy from the rocket as it lifts off. It’s not clear yet how the incident will affect Starship’s upcoming test flight. (5/5)

Blue Origin Moon Lander Completes Testing at NASA Vacuum Chamber (Source: NASA)
Environmental testing of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) lunar lander has been completed inside Thermal Vacuum Chamber A at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Also known as Endurance, MK1 is an uncrewed cargo lander funded by Blue Origin as a commercial demonstration mission to advance Human Landing System capabilities in support of NASA’s Artemis program. The tests in Chamber A represent a public-private partnership model, with Blue Origin conducting work through a reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

Endurance will demonstrate precision landing, cryogenic propulsion, and autonomous guidance, navigation, and control capabilities in support of future lunar surface operations. In addition to its primary objectives, MK1 will carry two NASA science and technology payloads under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative to the lunar South Pole region this year. (5/5)

Battle for the Heavens: Intelligence Satellite Vulnerability in the 1970s (Source: Space Review)
Officials today frequently discuss how intelligence satellites are vulnerable to attack. Dwayne Day discusses how a report in the 1970s examined threats to reconnaissance satellites and ways to address those threats. Click here. (5/5)
 
The Moonbase Moment (Source: Space Review)
The centerpiece of NASA’s new lunar exploration plans is a lunar base announced at an event in March. Jeff Foust reports there is strong interest in developing the base despite uncertainties about what infrastructure will be needed and how the base will be used. Click here. (5/5)
 
Governance is Always Late to the Party. Here’s Why That’s Not an Accident (Source: Space Review)
Regulation of space activities aways appears to lag their technical and economic feasibility. G. Theresa Quitto-Dickerson explains this structural issue and how the industry can overcome it. Click here. (5/5)
 
The Fallacy of the Overview Effect: Perception, Power, and Strategic Reality in Space (Source: Space Review)
Many have hailed the “Overview Effect” people say they feel during spaceflight as a way of way of erasing political boundaries that divide humanity. Christopher Stone argues that experience does little to change the realities of geopolitics. Click here. (5/5)

ESA Taps Edge Aerospace for Space Cloud Contract (Source: Payload)
In-space computing startup Edge Aerospace landed a contract under ESA’s Space Cloud program to study the future of orbital data centers. Under the agreement, announced today, the Luxembourg-based company will develop an architecture and use-case road-map for orbital data centers. The company will study the commercial viability of orbital-compute power; and uncover ways Europe can leverage the new capability for commercial, civil, and defense applications. (5/5)