Teledyne CCD370 Sensors Launch on SMILE Mission
Teledyne Space Imaging has launched two CCD370 imaging sensors aboard ESA’s SMILE mission, which lifted off on a Vega‑C rocket from French Guiana on 19 May 2026. The sensors sit at the core of the Soft X‑ray Imager, capturing photons between 0.2 keV and 2.0 keV to map Earth’s magnetospheric boundary. Designed, manufactured and qualified in Chelmsford, UK, the CCD370s add to Teledyne’s heritage across more than 250 space projects. SMILE’s polar orbit will study how solar‑wind particles interact with Earth’s magnetic shield.
Trump Wants Ukraine’s Drone Technology
Ukraine’s wartime drone sector has scaled dramatically, now capable of producing up to 4 million units a year. Companies such as SkyFall are field‑testing advanced interceptors like the P1‑S amid ongoing conflict. The rapid industrialization has turned drones into a cornerstone...
Space 42: D2D Market “Massive”
Abu Dhabi‑based Space42, owner of the Al‑Yah/Yahsat and Thuraya constellations, announced a joint venture with California’s Viasat called Equatys to tap the Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) market, which it estimates at $50 billion (about €43.4 bn). The partnership will fund a 2,800‑satellite fleet spanning...
New Space System Will Better Protect UK Satellites as New Imagery Released
The UK has launched Borealis, a space‑surveillance software suite, six months ahead of schedule, using data from the newly operational Noctis‑1 military telescope. Borealis fuses imagery and telemetry to track debris, adversary satellites and UK assets, feeding the National Space...
From Conflict to Cleaning, Expo Showcases China's Drone Dominance
The Drone World Congress in Shenzhen drew over 1,200 exhibitors and an expected 150,000 attendees, showcasing China’s end‑to‑end dominance in the drone supply chain. Chinese firms, led by DJI, control roughly two‑thirds of the global commercial market and offer a...
The Qantas Fleet Order In 2000 That Locked It Out Of The World's Most Popular Widebody
In 2000 Qantas, led by CEO James Strong, placed a landmark fleet order that favored Airbus—12 A380s, 13 A330s, and six 747‑400ERs—while rejecting the Boeing 777, citing the aircraft’s size for domestic routes and Australia’s strict ETOPS limits that made...
Extreme Lunar Conditions Need an Extreme Test Rig
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has unveiled the Lunar Environment Test Rig (LESTR), a vacuum chamber that reproduces lunar‑night temperatures from 40 K to 125 K (‑233 °C to ‑148 °C). The rig uses a dry cryocooler, eliminating the need for liquid nitrogen, helium, or...
Watch Rocket Lab Launch Private Japanese Earth-Observing Satellite Early on May 22
Rocket Lab will lift off a Synspective synthetic‑aperture radar (SAR) satellite from New Zealand on May 22, 2026, in the “Viva La Strix” mission. The 18‑meter Electron rocket will place the Strix payload into a 355‑mile low‑Earth orbit, adding to Japan’s growing SAR constellation....
NASA Wins Four Telly Awards for Artemis Moon Coverage, More
NASA’s Artemis II mission— the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo— earned four 2026 Telly Awards, including a gold in Science & Technology and a silver for Live Events. The agency’s 24/7 livestream combined real‑time data, expert analysis and immersive visuals,...
AirAsia Chief Slams Tax Hike for International Flyers
AirAsia co‑founder Tony Fernandes criticised Thailand’s Airports Authority for raising the passenger service charge (PSC) to 1,120 baht ($31) per international traveler, an increase of 390 baht ($11) effective June 20. He warned that higher fees, combined with a proposed 300‑baht...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Celia Pelaz, Spire Global
Spire Global, a space‑to‑cloud analytics firm, has launched over 200 satellites across more than 40 missions and is now shifting focus from constellation building to recurring revenue generation. To steer this transition, the company hired Celia Pelaz, former COO of...
New Report: Time Is Now to Start Work on Guardians in Space to Counter China
A new Mitchell Institute paper authored by retired Col. Kyle Pumroy calls on the U.S. Space Force to begin deploying Guardians in low‑Earth orbit and eventually on the moon to counter China’s expanding human spaceflight program. The report highlights China’s...
Boeing’s Forgotten Jumbo Jet Is Now Worth Less Than $150 Million
The Boeing 747‑100, the original “Jumbo Jet,” entered service in 1970 and saw 167 units built. Today, its market value has fallen to under $150 million, far below the inflation‑adjusted $190 million original price and the $418 million list price of a new...
ONE Bow River Makes Strategic Growth Investment in VTOL UAS Innovator PteroDynamics
ONE Bow River National Defense Fund has made a strategic growth investment in PteroDynamics Inc., the developer of the Transwing autonomous VTOL unmanned aircraft system. The capital will accelerate engineering, flight testing and scale manufacturing of the 89‑lb P4 platform...
Bedford Pushes Back On ADS-B Fee Collection
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told a Senate subcommittee that ADS‑B was created solely as a safety and situational‑awareness tool, not for revenue collection. His remarks come as Congress drafts aviation safety legislation following the January 2025 mid‑air collision near Reagan...