ULA’s Atlas-5 Rocket Launches 29 Leo Satellites for Amazon
United Launch Alliance successfully launched 29 additional low‑Earth‑orbit satellites for Amazon on an Atlas‑5 from Cape Canaveral. The launch brings Amazon’s total to 331 satellites, still far short of the 1,616 required by its FCC license deadline in July. With Atlas‑5 nearing retirement and its replacement Vulcan grounded, ULA is accelerating the remaining Atlas‑5 flights. Amazon has asked the FCC for a deadline extension as several launch providers are delayed.
Firefly Announces New Stock Sale Aimed at Raising More than a Half Billion in New Funds
Firefly Aerospace announced a public offering of 12 million shares at $48 each, targeting roughly $576 million in gross proceeds. The deal includes a 30‑day over‑allotment option for an additional 1.8 million shares and is slated to close on June 1, 2026. Net proceeds will...
Curiosity Drill Samples Taken at Different Elevations Show Different Martian Climates
Scientists analyzed 20 drill cores collected by NASA's Curiosity rover over its 14‑year mission and found clear mineral evidence that Gale Crater’s climate varied with elevation. Hematite crystals from high‑altitude samples measured under 10 nm, while those from lower elevations grew...
New Study Using Chandrayaan-2 Data Again Suggests Ice in Crater Near Moon’s South Pole
Indian researchers have re‑analyzed Chandrayaan‑2 Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar data and identified strong evidence of water ice beneath the surface of several permanently shadowed craters near the Moon’s south pole. The most compelling signal comes from a 1.1‑kilometre‑wide crater...
More Opposition to the EU’s New Space Law, This Time From European Companies
European aerospace leaders at SmallSat Europe voiced strong opposition to the EU’s draft Space Act, calling it monopolistic, slow and overly rigid. They warned that a twelve‑month licensing process would cripple the fast‑moving commercial space sector. Critics argue the legislation...
FAA Grounds Starship/Superheavy Pending Completion of SpaceX’s Investigation
The FAA has grounded SpaceX's Starship and SuperHeavy launch system following a mishap on the May 22 Flight 12 mission, where the SuperHeavy booster experienced engine failure during its return to the Gulf of America. The agency requires SpaceX to conduct a...
Space Force Awards SpaceX $2.29 Billion Contract for Military Data Constellation
The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract to expand its Starshield military variant of the Starlink constellation. The deal funds a low‑Earth‑orbit data‑transport constellation that will become the backbone of the Pentagon’s Space Data Network, linking sensors to...
A Call to My Readers: Find the Location of NASA’s Lunar Base!
During a recent NASA press conference, program executive Carlos García‑Galán displayed a graphic of the agency’s planned unmanned lunar base near the Moon’s south pole. The map, however, omitted crater names, latitude‑longitude coordinates, and a scale, leaving its exact location...
A Review of What Happened and What’s Next for Starship/Superheavy
SpaceX’s 12th Starship/Super‑Heavy test flight concluded last week with the Super‑Heavy booster separating cleanly and both stages completing their burns and re‑entries without major issues. The flight generated data that will inform refinements ahead of the next test, scheduled for...
NASA Outlines New Program of Unmanned Missions to Moon
NASA unveiled an aggressive, unmanned lunar program designed to lay the groundwork for a future crewed base. The plan calls for up to 25 landings by 2029, beginning with four missions this year and adding new contracts for Blue Origin,...
NASA Approves Lunar Habitation Module Design From Italy’s Space Agency
NASA has given preliminary approval to the Italian Space Agency’s Multi‑Purpose Habitation (MPH) module, clearing it for a 2027 Preliminary Design Review with a target launch in 2033. The MPH reuses the habitable‑module design originally built for the cancelled Lunar...
Voyager Wins $16.5 Million DARPA Contract to Give Solid-Fueled Rockets Variable Thrust
Voyager Technologies secured a $16.5 million contract from DARPA to develop variable‑thrust capability for solid‑fuel rocket motors. Over a 20‑month period the startup will create proof‑of‑concept hot‑fire tests, integrate structural health monitoring, and design scalable manufacturing processes. The effort targets all...
The Geology of the Moon’s Far Side, Revealed in Pictures Taken During Artemis-2
During Artemis‑2’s lunar flyby, commander Reid Wiseman captured a series of far‑side photographs following astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy’s stacking protocol. Using a Nikon D5 DSLR with an 80‑400 mm lens, Wiseman recorded burst exposures that McCarthy later combined into high‑contrast, color‑enhanced images. The...
SpaceX Launches 29 More Starlink Satellites
SpaceX lifted off from Cape Canaveral early Thursday, deploying 29 additional Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9. The mission marked the 28th flight of booster B1078, tying it for seventh‑most‑flown launch vehicle in history. The first stage landed on a drone...
NASA Practically Eliminates Any Starliner Flights Before ISS Retires
NASA’s May 18 procurement filing adds up to six additional crewed flights for SpaceX, extending its commercial crew contract through late 2030. The extension covers three years of ISS operations at a cadence of one mission every six months, effectively crowding out...