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 any Boeing Starliner crew flights. Estimated revenue for SpaceX from the added missions ranges from $1 billion to $2 billion, bringing total earnings from the contract to roughly $4 billion‑$6 billion that would have gone to Boeing. Boeing now faces a roughly $2 billion shortfall and no scheduled ISS missions for the remainder of the year.
China Launches Three Astronauts to Its Tiangong-3 Space Station
China successfully launched three astronauts aboard a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan to its Tiangong‑3 space station. The crew is slated to dock within 3.5 hours and begin a six‑month stay that could be extended to a year based on performance. One...
On the Space Show Twice This Week!
The Space Show is hosting two live Zoom panels to dissect SpaceX’s recent Starship/Superheavy test launch. A quick open‑lines show on Sunday, May 24, will feature the program’s board of advisors, who bring an engineering‑focused lens, while a longer session on...
FAA Clears New Glenn for Launch
The FAA has approved Blue Origin’s investigation report on the New Glenn NG‑3 launch, confirming that corrective actions have been taken after an off‑nominal thermal condition caused one BE‑3U engine to under‑perform and miss the target orbit. The company has not...
One of the Three Chinese Astronauts to Launch This Weekend Will Do a Yearlong Mission
China is set to launch the Shenzhou‑23 mission this weekend with three astronauts—Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying. One crew member will be selected in orbit for a year‑long stay on the Tiangong‑3 space station, marking the nation’s first...
Starlab Gets Another Investor
Starlab announced a strategic investment from 1789 Capital, though the amount remains undisclosed. The U.S.-led consortium, which includes Voyager Space, Airbus and Northrop Grumman, has already secured $383 million in a public offering and $217.5 million from NASA. This latest backing adds...
Using Webb Astronomers Think They Have Detected Daily Weather Changes on Exoplanet
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope’s infrared spectroscopic data say they have observed daily weather cycles on hot‑Jupiter WASP‑94A b, a gas giant about half Jupiter’s mass that orbits its star every four days. The observations reveal magnesium‑silicate clouds forming...
Zvezda Module on ISS Is Leaking Once Again
The Zvezda service module on the International Space Station has begun leaking air again, losing roughly one pound of atmosphere per day. The leak re‑emerged after recent repairs aimed at sealing stress fractures that appeared earlier this year. NASA confirmed...
Rocket Lab Launches Radar Satellite for Japanese Company Synspective
Rocket Lab successfully lifted off its Electron rocket from New Zealand, delivering the ninth radar satellite for Japan’s Synspective under a 27‑launch contract. The launch marks Rocket Lab’s seventh launch worldwide in 2026, placing it behind SpaceX, China and Russia in...
Watching SpaceX’s 12th Starship/Superheavy Orbital Test Flight Today
SpaceX is slated to launch the upgraded Starship/Superheavy on its 12th orbital test flight today, with a launch window opening at 5:30 pm Central. The vehicle will feature next‑generation Raptor engines and a newly built launch pad at Starbase, marking the...
Starfish Finally Gets a Docking Target for Its Otter Pup 2 Orbital Tug Demo
Starfish Space has secured a new docking target for its Otter Pup 2 orbital tug after the original ION satellite partnership fell through. The company will now rendezvous with Gilmour Space’s demo satellite ElaraSat, closing the gap to roughly 10 km before...
Space Force Study Says It Needs a Third Spaceport Besides Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
The Space Force is finalizing a congressional‑mandated study that concludes the service will need a third spaceport capable of heavy and super‑heavy launches, in addition to Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg. Both existing ports are approaching capacity limits, with projections of...
Astrolab’s Flip Lunar Rover Will Carry 4 NASA Payloads
Astrolab announced that its FLIP prototype lunar rover will host four NASA science payloads on Astrobotic’s Griffin lander. The agreement follows NASA’s 2024 cancellation of the Viper rover, which had been the original Griffin payload. Griffin is slated to touch...
France’s Space Agency CNES Gives ESA 5-Year Extension at French Guiana Spaceport
France’s space agency CNES and the European Space Agency have signed a five‑year contract to keep ESA operating the French Guiana spaceport. The deal covers three years of service with an optional two‑year extension and commits more than €1 billion (about...
Avio Completes Its First Vega-C Launch for ESA
Avio successfully executed its first Vega‑C launch for the European Space Agency, delivering the SMILE solar‑wind telescope into orbit. This marks the first Vega‑C mission managed directly by Avio rather than Arianespace, signalling a shift in ESA’s launch procurement. The...
12th Starship/Superheavy Test Delayed One Day to May 20, 2026
SpaceX announced that the 12th Starship/Superheavy orbital test flight has been pushed back by one day, now scheduled for May 20, 2026 with a launch window opening at 5:30 pm Central. The company gave no official reason, though short delays often stem from...
May 15, 2026 Zimmerman/Batchelor Podcast
Robert Zimmerman’s new book *Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8* chronicles the historic 1968 mission that first took humans to another world. The title is now available in three formats: a hardback and paperback print edition, an ebook, and an audiobook....
SpaceX Launches Cargo Dragon to ISS
SpaceX launched an unmanned Dragon cargo freighter to the International Space Station on May 16, 2026, using a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. The booster completed its sixth flight and successfully returned to the launch site. The Dragon capsule,...
Intuitive Machines Buys British Ground Station Company
Intuitive Machines, a lunar lander startup, has agreed to acquire British ground‑station operator Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary Comsat for £37 million ($49.6 million), split between cash and stock. The purchase adds 30‑ and 32‑meter deep‑space antennas in Cornwall...
Europa Clipper and Juice Make Simultaneous UV Light Observatoins of Interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas
In November 2025 the Europa Clipper and JUICE spacecraft coordinated a rare simultaneous ultraviolet observation of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas as it passed between them. The dual‑view data captured hydrogen, oxygen and unusually high carbon emissions, with Europa Clipper imaging night‑side dust and JUICE recording...
Chinese Pseudo-Company Launches Its Expendable Zhuque-2 Rocket
Landspace, a Chinese private launch firm, successfully placed an experimental payload into orbit on May 14 using its expendable Zhuque‑2 rocket, the world’s first methane‑fuelled vehicle to reach orbit. The launch from Jiuquan was not reusable, unlike the larger Zhuque‑3, which...
Corroding Glacial Features Inside Martian Crater
On March 31, 2026 the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s high‑resolution camera photographed a 5.8‑mile‑wide unnamed crater in the planet’s northern mid‑latitude “glacier country.” The crater’s floor displays a peeling‑paint texture that points to active sublimation of near‑surface ice, while the softened rim suggests...
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...
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...
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...
China Launches Tianzhou Freighter to Tiangong-3 Station
China launched its tenth Tianzhou cargo freighter to the Tiangong‑3 space station on May 11, 2026, using a Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang. The agency plans to keep the vehicle in orbit for a full year, aiming to reduce the frequency of...
Vast Signs Deal with Lithuania
Vast Space announced a memorandum of understanding with Lithuania's Innovation Agency to explore joint scientific research on the International Space Station or Vast's own Haven‑1 commercial station, slated for a 2027 launch. The partnership also calls for educational programs and...
Katalyst Completes Final Ground Testing of Its Swift Rescue Spacecraft
Katalyst announced it has completed the final ground‑testing campaign for its Swift rescue spacecraft, LINK. The tests included vibration, thermal‑vacuum, and ion‑thruster firings at NASA Goddard and an Arizona facility. Integration onto a Northrop Grumman Pegasus launch vehicle is slated for...
USS Cobia – Its History and Future
Robert Zimmerman’s “Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8” recounts the historic 1968 mission that first took humans around another world. The book is now available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats, with autographed copies priced at $60 for hardback and...
Louisiana State Senator: Two Unnamed Aerospace Companies Are Bidding for Major Land Purchase
Louisiana State Senator Bob Hensgens confirmed that two unnamed aerospace companies are in talks with landowners about purchasing a 136,000‑acre (over 200 sq mi) Exxon‑owned parcel on the Gulf Coast. The land, located in Vermilion and Cameron parishes, has been speculated as...
Paraguay Becomes the 67th Nation to Sign Artemis Accords
Paraguay signed the Artemis Accords on July 9, becoming the 67th nation to join the U.S.-led space partnership. The addition follows a recent wave of smaller countries signing after the Artemis‑2 lunar flyby. NASA’s Jared Isaacman highlighted the accords’ focus on...
Juno Flies Past the Jupiter Moon Thebe
On May 1, 2026 NASA’s Juno spacecraft executed a close flyby of Jupiter’s inner moon Thebe, skimming within roughly 3,100 miles (5,000 km). The encounter yielded the clearest image of Thebe to date, captured by Juno’s Stellar Reference Unit camera, though the navigation‑focused...
Multiple Russian, Chinese, and American Satellites in Maneuvering Dance in Orbit
Recent reports document a series of proximity operations involving military satellites from Russia, China and the United States. Russia’s Cosmos‑2581, 2582 and 2583 flew within roughly 3 m of each other in low‑Earth orbit, while the U.S. inspector satellite USA‑325 and...
Lockheed Martin Fights Request to Ease 2018 Restrictions on Northrop Grumman’s Solid Rocket Business
Lockheed Martin has formally objected to Northrop Grumman’s petition to the FTC to lift a 2018 consent order that obligates Northrop to sell its solid rocket motors (SRMs) to competitors on a non‑discriminatory basis and to keep the SRM unit...
Indian Rocket Startup Skyroot Raises $60 Million in Private Investment Capital
Indian launch startup Skyroot announced a $60 million private‑investment round that lifts its total capital to $160 million and values the company at $1.1 billion. The round was co‑led by Sherpalo Ventures, backed by early Google investor Ram Shriram, and Singapore’s sovereign wealth...
May 6, 2026 Zimmerman/Batchelor Podcast
Robert Zimmerman’s new book *Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8* chronicles the historic 1968 mission that first took humans to another world. The title is now available in hardback, paperback, ebook and audiobook formats, with a foreword by Valerie Anders and...
Will Canada’s Telesat Really Complete Its Lightspeed Constellation by 2028?
Telesat says its Lightspeed low‑Earth‑orbit satellite network will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2028, after investing $171 million in Q1 and bringing total spend to roughly $2.7 billion. The company reported progress on design reviews, user terminals, software and...
SpaceX Launches 24 More Starlink Satellites
SpaceX successfully launched 24 additional Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base, using a Falcon 9 that completed its 24th first‑stage flight and landed on a Pacific drone ship. The addition pushes the Starlink constellation toward the 4,000‑satellite milestone, reinforcing its...
May 5, 2026 Quick Space Links
NASA investigators revealed a Chinese national phishing campaign that stole software from NASA and the Department of Defense, highlighting growing cyber threats to U.S. space assets. NASA also announced it is evaluating commercial communications providers, including Starlink and other LEO...
Two Lawsuits Against SpaceX, Claiming Company Operations Damage Local Homes
SpaceX is facing two separate lawsuits alleging that its Starship launch and test activities have damaged nearby homes. The first suit involves about 80 homeowners living 5‑10 miles from the Boca Chica launch complex, who claim vibrations, noise and broken...
Malta Signs Artemis Accords
Malta signed the Artemis Accords on May 4, becoming the alliance’s 66th member. The ceremony in Kalkara featured NASA, the U.S. State Department, and Malta’s senior ministers. Malta joins a rapidly expanding roster that includes Ireland, Latvia, Jordan, Morocco and...
May 4, 2026 Quick Space Links
The post curates a set of recent space‑related links, including a video of a Soyuz‑2 fairing unintentionally returning from orbit, a 3D‑printing firm highlighting Sierra Space’s use of its printers for the Dream Chaser vehicle, and historical notes on the...
Sunspot Update: The Number of Sunspot Continues to Decline
NOAA’s latest solar‑cycle graph shows sunspot numbers in March and April 2026 remaining exceptionally low, far beneath the agency’s April 2025 forecast. The observed counts continue a trend of under‑performance against multiple prediction curves dating back to 2007, 2009, and 2020....
China Imposes Extensive Regulations on Its Pseudo-Commercial Space Industry
China has released a comprehensive "Commercial Spaceflight Standards System" that governs its burgeoning pseudo‑commercial space sector. The six‑area framework addresses market access, safety supervision, debris mitigation, certification, energy conservation, and occupational health. CNSA Administrator Shan Zhongde convened a round‑table with...
Is SpaceX Buying a 200-Plus Square Mile Patch of Louisiana?
Unconfirmed reports suggest SpaceX is negotiating to buy a 136,000‑acre (about 212 sq mi) parcel of former Exxon marshland near Pecan Island, Louisiana. If true, the deal would be the largest private land acquisition in Vermilion Parish and dwarf SpaceX’s 100‑acre Boca...
SpaceX Launches 29 More Starlink Satellites
SpaceX launched 29 additional Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, marking the 31st flight of booster B1069, which landed on a drone ship after a 63‑day turnaround. The mission brings SpaceX’s total 2026 launches to 53, extending its...
Russia Completes 1st Test, Suborbital, of Its New Soyuz-5 Rocket
Russia’s state‑run space agency announced that the Soyuz‑5 carrier rocket completed its first suborbital test flight on April 28, 2026, launching from Baikonur with a dummy payload. The vehicle is powered by what officials call the world’s most powerful liquid‑fuel...
The Present State of India’s Space Program
India’s space agency ISRO released its 2025‑26 annual report, highlighting achievements while glossing over critical setbacks. The report claims successful static tests of the PSLV’s HPS3 upper‑stage motor, yet the rocket suffered a second launch failure in January 2026, contradicting...
Falcon 9 Upper Stage to Hit the Moon in August
The upper stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 that launched Firefly’s Blue Ghost and Ispace’s Hakuto‑R2 lunar landers in January 2025 is projected to hit the Moon on August 5 2026 at 2:44 a.m. Eastern Time, traveling roughly 5,400 mph (1.5 mi/s). Astronomer Bill Gray used publicly available U.S....
Morocco Signs the Artemis Accords
Morocco became the 64th nation to sign the Artemis Accords on April 29, with the signing witnessed by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Ambassador Duke Buchan III. The move follows a recent surge of new signatories—including Latvia and Jordan—after...