A Plan to Make Drugs in Orbit Is Going Commercial
Varda Space Industries has secured United Therapeutics as its first commercial partner to test drug manufacturing in orbit. The collaboration will send United's pulmonary‑arterial hypertension medicines to microgravity to grow novel crystal forms that could improve stability and efficacy. Varda uses small satellite capsules launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 rides, with the payload returning via parachute after a hypersonic re‑entry. If successful, the venture could open a new revenue stream for high‑value pharmaceuticals, leveraging the $7,000 per kilogram launch cost that makes space‑based production economically plausible for select drugs.
Exobiosphere, Voyager Partner on ISS Mission
Exobiosphere has signed a contract with Voyager Technologies Europe to launch its Orbital High‑Throughput Screening Device on the International Space Station. The automated mini‑lab fits into standard mid‑deck lockers, keeps organ cells alive and delivers therapeutics without astronaut intervention, promising...
Boeing 737 MAX & Beyond: The Safety Scandals That Forced Aviation To Change
The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months after two fatal crashes revealed a hidden MCAS software flaw. Investigations showed Boeing concealed the system from regulators, leading to worldwide scrutiny and stricter FAA oversight. Subsequent incidents, including a 2024 door‑plug...
Study Identifies Geysers the JUICE Mission Could Explore on Ganymede
An international team led by Dr. Anezina Solomonidou has identified four likely cryovolcanic vents—paterae—on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede using reprocessed Galileo NIMS data. These sites are slated as priority targets for ESA’s JUICE spacecraft, which will employ its MAJIS spectrometer and...
Details On The Rock That Got Stuck To The NASA Curiosity Rover Drill
NASA's Curiosity rover experienced a drill jam on 25 April 2026 when a rock dubbed “Atacama” adhered to the drill bit. Engineers worked remotely to free the rock, which finally detached on 1 May and fractured on impact. Mast‑camera images captured on...
How the U.S. Is Vulnerable to Space Attack in a China Conflict Scenario
Former United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno warns that a China‑China conflict could begin with a coordinated space and undersea‑cable disruption, leaving U.S. forces "blind." The scenario describes loss of communications over Taiwan and the Strait of Malacca, degraded missile‑warning...
May 12, 2026 Quick Space Links
The post bundles several space‑related updates: a Russian Angara rocket official was sentenced in absentia to seven years for fraud, Viasat unveiled a striking image of its ViaSat‑3 F2 satellite with its large reflector fully deployed, and the 2009 Atlantis launch...
Here’s How Much More Range The Boeing 787-9 Has Compared To The Airbus A330-900
The Boeing 787‑9 offers a 267‑mile (429‑km) longer range than the Airbus A330‑900, positioning it as the more capable ultra‑long‑haul aircraft. Both models have become staples for carriers seeking fuel‑efficient, wide‑body solutions, with the 787‑9’s composite construction delivering roughly 20%...
Networks Business Propels Revenue Growth for SES, Operator Cancels 2 GEO Sats
SES reported Q1 revenue of €847 million ($997 million), up roughly 50% and slightly above analyst forecasts, driven largely by its Networks division. Networks generated €556 million ($655 million), representing 66% of total revenue and posting over 100% year‑on‑year growth, especially in mobility and...
FCC Approves EchoStar Spectrum Sales, With Escrow Requirement
The FCC approved EchoStar's $42.6 billion spectrum sale to AT&T and SpaceX, attaching a $2.4 billion escrow to cover potential liabilities from tower‑company lawsuits. The escrow satisfies demands from the tower industry, which argues the funds ensure payment if courts rule in...
Star Catcher Industries Nabs $65M Series A
Star Catcher Industries announced a $65 million Series A round, led by B Capital with co‑leadership from Shield Capital and Cerberus Ventures. The new capital brings the company’s total funding to $88 million. Star Catcher is developing the first space‑based power grid that...
Curiosity Looks Closely at the Broken Slab that Had Been Stuck on Its Drill Bit
NASA’s Curiosity rover finally freed a 28‑pound rock slab dubbed "Atacama" that had been stuck on its drill bit, only to watch it shatter on the Martian surface. The science team quickly imaged the broken pieces and the newly exposed...
QuinStar Technology Recognized by Northrop Grumman for Strengthening Defense Industrial Base Through Innovation and Collaboration
QuinStar Technology was honored by Northrop Grumman at its Supplier Excellence Awards for Supplier Strategic Excellence, highlighting the company's pivotal role in the defense industrial base. The award underscores QuinStar’s contributions to next‑generation weapons, aircraft, missile‑defense, and space systems. Northrop’s...
Almost Half of Everything Orbiting Earth Is Space Junk
Nearly half of all tracked objects orbiting Earth are classified as space junk, with 12,550 debris fragments representing 47% of the 33,269 known items. China is responsible for 34% of the debris, while the United States and the Russian‑aligned CIS...
Neo Space Group Selects ThinKom ThinAir Antenna for Multiple Airlines
Neo Space Group (NSG) has selected ThinKom’s ThinAir Ka2517 phased‑array antenna for installation on Saudia’s A320s and Riyadh Air’s upcoming A321neo fleet. Integrated by RAVE Aerospace, the kit will deliver multi‑orbit inflight connectivity through SES’s Open Orbits platform, offering up...
Stellar Entertainment Becomes Content Service Provider for Tigerair Taiwan
Stellar Entertainment has been appointed as the Content Service Provider for Tigerair Taiwan’s first inflight entertainment (IFE) offering across its A320 fleet. Working with Bluebox Aviation Systems’ wireless Wow platform, Stellar will stream Hollywood blockbusters, regional hits and popular TV...
AIX 2026 Points to Next Era of Cabin Innovation
The 25th Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) convened in Hamburg April 14‑16, drawing over 12,500 attendees and nearly 500 exhibitors, underscoring the cabin’s role as a key airline differentiator. The show highlighted premiumization, lightweight modular seating, and a shift in inflight...
Quantum Space to Build Spacecraft in Tulsa
Quantum Space announced it will establish a manufacturing line for its Ranger series spacecraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with production slated to begin in early 2027. The 25,000‑to‑40,000‑square‑foot facility will initially create about 50 high‑skill jobs and will be housed in...
Hyundai, KAI Move To Restart Supernal eVTOL Program
Hyundai Motor Group and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a memorandum of understanding to restart Supernal’s electric vertical‑takeoff and landing (eVTOL) program. Under the deal, Supernal will lead aircraft design while KAI contributes development expertise, and both will collaborate on...
Drone-Killing Drone: Air Force Tests APKWS Laser-Guided Rockets on MQ-9
The U.S. Air Force and General Atomics successfully tested laser‑guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets launched from an MQ‑9A Reaper drone at the Nevada Test and Training Range. All shots, including hits on aerial targets, were successful, proving...
Golden Dome Plan Would Cost $1.2 Trillion, CBO Finds
The Congressional Budget Office released a new estimate that the Golden Dome missile‑defense program would cost roughly $1.2 trillion over two decades, far exceeding the White House’s $185 billion budget request. The bulk of the cost—about $730 billion—is tied to space‑based interceptors, a...
Fenix Space Company Profile: Reusable Tow-Launch Access for Orbital and Hypersonic Markets
Fenix Space, a California‑based aerospace startup, completed a week‑long flight‑test campaign of its alpha prototype in May 2026, demonstrating tow‑launch separation and autonomous glider maneuvers. The company plans to launch commercial services by 2028, initially targeting hypersonic test flights and small‑satellite...
Perseverance Rover Snaps Selfie in Mars’s Western Frontier
NASA's Perseverance rover has taken a self‑portrait from the western edge of Jezero crater, marking the first selfie from that region on Mars. The image, captured by the rover’s navigation cameras, shows the rover’s mast and the surrounding basaltic terrain....
Russia Is Building Engines for Interstellar Travel While Nearly Two-Thirds of Rural Households Still Have No Indoor Plumbing — and...
In February 2026 Rosatom unveiled a prototype plasma rocket engine that can generate six newtons of thrust using 300 kW of power and promises to shrink a Mars transit from eight months to about 30 days. The test was conducted in a...
Perseverance Stuns in New Selfie
NASA’s Perseverance rover released a self‑portrait assembled from 61 images taken at the Lac de Charmes outcrop on March 11, 2026 (sol 1797). The composite shows the rover’s mast training and a circular abrasion patch created to expose fresh rock for analysis,...
Two Overnight Launches From SpaceX and China
SpaceX lifted off from Vandenberg with a classified batch of National Reconnaissance Office satellites on a Falcon 9, marking the booster’s ninth flight and a successful drone‑ship landing. China followed with a Long March 6A launch from Taiyuan, adding up to 18 Qianfan...
ExoMars 2028 Structural Models Arrive in Cannes for Environmental Testing
On May 12, 2026 Thales Alenia Space completed integration of ExoMars 2028 structural models in Turin and shipped them to Cannes for vibration and acoustic testing. The models replicate the carrier and entry‑descent‑landing modules that will deliver the Rosalind Franklin...
Archer, Joby Expect to Begin Commercial Air Taxi Flights in US Cities This Year
Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation announced they expect to launch commercial air‑taxi services in U.S. cities later this year, under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. Archer has filed applications for about a dozen locations, while Joby is installing charging...
Pentagon Relents, Seeks Funds for E-7 Wedgetail
The Pentagon has filed a budget amendment to restore funding for the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, the planned replacement for the aging E-3 AWACS, in the FY2027 request. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the House Appropriations Committee the aircraft remains...
Stratom, AFRL Demonstrate New C-130 Cargo Handling System
Stratom demonstrated its Expeditionary Cargo Loader (XCL) on a C‑130 in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The remote‑controlled, tracked system can move up to 10,000 lb within a single 463L pallet slot, freeing space for two to five additional...
Air India Looks to Suspend Flights to Key Foreign Destinations Such as Chicago
Air India, owned by the Tata Group, announced it will temporarily suspend flights to several long‑haul destinations, including Chicago, as jet‑fuel prices remain elevated. The airline has already reduced frequencies on international routes by 5‑25% in May, with North American...
Star Catcher Company Profile: Space Power Infrastructure for the Next Orbital Economy
Star Catcher Industries, a Jacksonville‑based space‑infrastructure startup, is developing the first orbital power‑as‑a‑service network that beams concentrated solar energy to satellites using their existing solar arrays. The company announced a $65 million Series A on May 12, 2026, bringing total capital to $88 million...
MQ-9 Reaper Demonstrates Precision Rocket Strike Capability
General Atomics and the U.S. Air Force demonstrated that the MQ‑9 Reaper can fire BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II rockets. In a test on the Nevada Test and Training Range, the unmanned aircraft launched multiple rockets at...
BryceTech to Steer Investment and Innovation Conversation at ASCEND 2026
BryceTech will curate a two‑day track at ASCEND 2026 in Washington, D.C., designating May 19 as Investors Day and May 20 as Innovators Day. The program will showcase the firm’s 10th‑year Start‑Up Space Report, which documented $10.9 billion in start‑up space investment in 2025,...
NATO to Cultivate Vetted Counter-Drone Vendor Pool for Nations to Pick and Choose
NATO is launching a pilot marketplace that will offer 18 vetted counter‑drone (C‑UAS) systems for member nations to procure quickly. The alliance will invite vendors to pitch by mid‑May, select the solutions within two months, and aim to have contracts...
Gideon Tanker Completes Its Maiden U.S. Flight Before Delivery to the Israeli Air Force
Israel’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that the first KC-46 Pegasus tanker, nicknamed Gideon, completed its maiden flight in U.S. airspace on May 4. The aircraft, built by Boeing, carries roughly 212,000 lb of fuel and is slated for delivery to the Israeli...
Space Force Awards TrustPoint $4 Million for LEO Navigation Demonstration
Space Force awarded Virginia startup TrustPoint a fully funded $4 million TACFI contract to demonstrate a GPS‑independent low‑Earth‑orbit navigation system. The company will build and launch a four‑satellite constellation and four ground stations within 12 months, conducting a live trilateration test. TrustPoint’s...
Soaring Showcases Autonomous Aerial Medical Resupply Capability During U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps 44th Medical Brigade Operational Validation
Soaring participated in the U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps 44th Medical Brigade field exercise to validate autonomous Class VIII medical resupply. The company deployed two M25 unmanned aircraft, each delivering up to 25 lb over a 10‑km round trip, and trained soldiers...
The NRO Just Quietly Flew Its 13th Mission in a Constellation Buildout Almost Nobody Covers — and the Real Story...
SpaceX launched NROL‑172, the 13th mission in the National Reconnaissance Office’s proliferated satellite architecture. The launch, from Vandenberg on a Falcon 9 with a recovered booster, is routine on the surface but marks the continued shift from a few large, expensive...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Gregg Burgess, Orion Space Solutions
Gregg Burgess, President of Orion Space Solutions, highlighted the company’s focus on very low Earth orbit (VLEO) satellites at SmallSat Europe. Orion’s flagship DARPA Ouija nanosatellite aims for long‑duration VLEO operations while measuring ionospheric conditions. In March 2026 the firm...
EU Doubles Down on Carbon Tax for International Flights
The European Commission announced it will push ahead with extending its Emissions Trading System to all flights departing the EU, including long‑haul routes to non‑European destinations. A review slated for July aims to ensure a level playing field and could...
Lufthansa Group Acquires Majority (90%) Stake In Italy’s ITA Airways
Lufthansa Group is exercising its option to raise its ownership of Italy’s ITA Airways from 41% to 90%, paying €325 million (about $350 million) in a deal slated for June 2026. The transaction, subject to EU and US antitrust clearance, should close...
Star Catcher Closes $65M Series A
Star Catcher announced a $65 million Series A round, lifting its total capital to $88 million. The round was led by B Capital and co‑led by Shield Capital and Cerberus Ventures, with board seats for former Space Force chief Jay Raymond and senior energy...
Star Catcher Just Raised $65 Million to Build the World's First Power Grid in Space — with Lasers
Star Catcher Industries announced a $65 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $88 million, to develop the first orbital power grid that beams energy via lasers. The company’s “power node” satellites will harvest solar power and transmit it to client...
Airbility, Schübeler Partner to Develop Electric Ducted Fans for eVTOLs
Airbility, a South Korean advanced air‑mobility firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany’s Schübeler GmbH to co‑develop electric ducted‑fan (EDF) propulsion systems for eVTOL aircraft. The MoU outlines joint work on customized EDFs, next‑generation fan technology, hybrid propulsion...
A Cross-Country Southwest Flight's Windshield Cracked at 37,000 Feet and Forced a Diversion
Southwest Airlines Flight 2665, a 19‑year‑old Boeing 737, departed Albuquerque for Baltimore on May 11 but was forced to divert to Tulsa after the crew reported a cracked windshield at 37,000 feet. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were rebooked...
Electric Airliners – No, Don’t Laugh, They Will Soon Start to Make Sense
In April 2026 Norway’s aviation partners announced test flights of Electra’s nine‑seat hybrid‑electric Ultra Short regional aircraft, slated for 2027. The aircraft can carry nine passengers over 1,100 nautical miles with a 45‑minute reserve and has already won an FAA...
Sky Mali Halts Flights Amid Security Crisis
Sky Mali announced on April 28 that it is suspending all domestic flights to Gao and Mopti, citing passenger and crew safety amid a surge in jihadist and separatist attacks. The violence, led by al‑Qaeda‑linked JNIM and Tuareg rebels, escalated on...
Revolutionising Autonomous Airfreight Through Smart Ground Integration
Grasshopper Air Mobility is developing the GH e350, an autonomous heavy‑cargo drone that can transport palletised loads up to 350 kg and dock directly with warehouse charging and loading stations. The platform consolidates multiple logistics hand‑offs into a single, standardized transfer,...
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Israel Sent Iron Dome Air Defense Systems to UAE, US Envoy Says
Israel has transferred Iron Dome air‑defense batteries and trained personnel to the United Arab Emirates, according to U.S. envoy Mike Huckabee. The move aims to bolster the UAE’s ability to intercept Iranian missile and drone attacks that have intensified since...