SpaceX Reveals Reason for Starship V3 Stand Down, Announces Next Launch Date
SpaceX scrubbed the inaugural test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 on May 21 after a hydraulic pin on the launch tower’s retractable arm failed to retract. Elon Musk announced the issue on X and said the team would repair it that night, targeting a second launch attempt for May 22 at 5:30 p.m. CT. The V3 version carries larger Raptor 3 engines, more propellant, upgraded grid fins, and enhanced heat shielding, positioning it for higher payloads and faster launch cadence. The delay underscores how a single ground‑system component can halt the world’s most powerful rocket.
U.S. Space Force Aims for 1,200 Launches a Year by 2036, Boosting Space‑Control Infrastructure
The U.S. Space Force announced that Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will be prepared to support roughly 1,200 launches per year by 2036. The goal is tied to a record‑high budget request for fiscal 2027 and a three‑pronged priority set...
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...
UK University Develops First AI Benchmark for Satellite Collision Avoidance
Northumbria University, together with the University of Sheffield and industry partners, has launched the SSA‑LaMB project – the first standardized AI benchmark for satellite collision avoidance. The initiative addresses the growing risk posed by more than 40,000 tracked objects and...
Better Moon-Tech Tops NASA Stakeholder Wishlist
NASA released its FY26 civil space technology shortfall prioritization, revealing that better Moon infrastructure topped the stakeholder wishlist. Over 450 space community members evaluated 187 proposals, narrowing them to 32 shortfalls, with lunar surface mobility, payload landing, and cislunar transport...
NASA's AWE Instrument Completes Mission to Study Earth's Effect on Space Weather
NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) completed its 30‑month mission on the International Space Station on May 21, 2026, after surpassing its two‑year design life. The instrument captured over 80 million infrared images of atmospheric gravity waves generated by severe weather such as...
Sixth Varda Mission Successfully Returns
Varda Space Industries successfully completed its sixth re‑entry mission (W‑6) on May 18, landing at Australia’s Koonibba Test Range. Funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Prometheus program, the flight tested autonomous navigation, temperature sensors for hypersonic heat‑shield validation, and carried...
NASA to Showcase Mission to Boost Swift Spacecraft’s Orbit
NASA will showcase a June 2026 mission to boost the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory using Katalyst’s LINK robotic servicing spacecraft. The LINK vehicle will be encapsulated in Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL launch vehicle and released from the L‑1011...
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....
JWST Maps the Weather on a Hot Gas Giant 700 Light-Years Away
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope’s limb‑resolved spectroscopy to split the transit of hot gas giant WASP‑94A b into separate morning‑ and evening‑limb spectra. The morning limb is shrouded in high‑altitude aerosols, while the evening limb shows clear water‑vapor signatures,...
SpaceX Is Worth $1.75 Trillion. Only 7% of That Is Real.
SpaceX filed a Form S‑1 on May 20 to raise up to $80 billion in a dual‑class IPO that would value the company at roughly $1.75 trillion, making it one of the world’s most valuable public firms. The prospectus breaks the business into three...
Musk's SpaceX Bonus Comes with Unique Condition: Colonize Mars
SpaceX filed for a Nasdaq IPO under the ticker SPCX, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation that would make it the largest public offering in Wall Street history. The prospectus ties Elon Musk’s personal bonus to two ambitious milestones: a market value...
America Is Preparing to Land Humans on the Moon While Quietly Proposing to Terminate 53 Science Missions, Lay Off Thousands...
The White House’s FY 2027 budget request trims NASA’s overall funding by roughly 23%, dropping the topline from $24.4 billion to $18.8 billion. While the Exploration directorate sees a modest 9% boost for Artemis, the Science Mission Directorate faces a 46% cut, shrinking...
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...
Viasat Advances Multi-Orbit Vision with Consistent IFC
Viasat unveiled its AERA antenna, a 2.9‑inch low‑profile device that simultaneously beams to both LEO and GEO satellites. The dual‑beam system dynamically routes latency‑sensitive traffic via LEO and high‑capacity demand via GEO, delivering seamless inflight connectivity. Boeing has placed AERA...
Redwire Names Voyager Subcontractor for DARPA Otter VLEO Mission
Redwire has named Voyager Technologies as a subcontractor for DARPA’s Otter very low Earth orbit (VLEO) mission, tasking Voyager with delivering its Acceleration Measurement System (AMS). The $44 million Phase‑2 contract aims to demonstrate the world’s first air‑breathing spacecraft, which must...
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...
DARPA and Northrop Grumman to Launch First US On-Orbit Satellite Servicing Mission This Summer
DARPA and Northrop Grumman are set to launch the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) mission this summer, marking the United States’ first on‑orbit satellite servicing capability. The robotic spacecraft will operate in geosynchronous orbit, performing inspection, repair, refueling and relocation...
SpaceX Files S‑1 for $1.75T IPO, Unveils $700B Musk Pay Package and Mars‑robotics Roadmap
SpaceX filed its S‑1 on May 20, 2026, seeking a $1.75 trillion IPO valuation and granting Elon Musk a $700 billion restricted‑share package. The prospectus details a $4.9 billion 2025 loss, $18.7 billion revenue and a $28.5 trillion addressable market anchored by robotics for Mars colonization.
NASA Aligns Space Technology Investments with Industry Shortfalls and Ignition Initiative
NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate released 40 primary technology focus areas for FY 2026, targeting capabilities needed for sustained lunar infrastructure and deep‑space exploration. The list derives from the 2026 Civil Space Shortfall Ranking, which gathered input from 454 industry, academic...
Software-Defined Modems and Hardware Bottlenecks Strain Proliferated Defense Space Architectures
An internal Space Force assessment dated Jan. 16, 2026 labels a key satellite program for hypersonic and ballistic missile warning as one of the service’s lowest‑performing initiatives. The report blames a rapid‑procurement approach that sacrifices thorough testing, leading to software‑defined integration bottlenecks,...
Experts Warn: Without Nuclear Power and National Will, America’s Lunar Future at Risk
Policy experts from the University of Central Florida and Arizona’s space commissioner debated America’s lunar strategy at ASCEND 2026, stressing that sustained moon operations hinge on advanced nuclear power. While bipartisan support for Artemis remains, panelists argue NASA’s pace is...
Firefly Aerospace Expands Texas Campus to Launch Multi‑Vehicle Production Line
Firefly Aerospace has enlarged its Cedar Park, Texas campus to 144,000 sq ft, adding a four‑times‑larger cleanroom and parallel assembly lines for its Blue Ghost lunar lander and Elytra orbital transfer vehicle. The expansion, partly funded by a Texas Space Commission grant, also upgrades...
The Internet Was ‘Too Expensive’ Too
Orbital data centers (ODCs) are poised to follow the internet's early cost curve, shifting from perceived prohibitively expensive prototypes to scalable, industrial‑grade infrastructure. Advances in reusable launch vehicles and standardized "TILE" compute modules lower launch and deployment costs while accelerating...
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Launches AED 1 Billion International Space Cooperation Program
Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed launched the International Space Cooperation Program, allocating AED 1 billion (≈USD 272 million) to boost UAE space research through global partnerships. The initiative seeks to raise the sector’s added value by 60%, localize advanced technologies, and develop...
When Soviet Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev Launched to Mir in May 1991, the Country that Sent Him Was Still the USSR;...
Sergei Krikalev launched to the Mir space station in May 1991 as a Soviet cosmonaut and returned in March 1992 after 311 days, by which time the USSR had dissolved, his hometown was renamed Saint Petersburg, and the Baikonur launch site...
Europe Must Make Big Changes to Compete with US, Space Chief Warns
European Space Agency President Josef Aschbacher warned that Europe’s space sector is underfunded, slow, and fragmented compared with the United States. He highlighted that the U.S. accounts for about 60% of global public space funding while Europe contributes only 10%,...
Stellerian, Readying for First Demo, Seeks to Cut Out Ground Stations with Space Domain Awareness Software
Los Angeles‑based startup Stellerian is building ATLAS, software that turns a satellite’s star‑tracker and onboard computer into a space‑domain‑awareness sensor. By processing images in orbit, ATLAS can detect objects at signal‑to‑noise ratios as low as 1.5, eliminating the need to downlink...
SpaceX Wants to Fly a Rocket Every 53 Minutes
SpaceX’s Nasdaq filing under the ticker SPCX highlights its transformation into a near‑monopoly on low‑Earth orbit, now operating 9,600 Starlink satellites and controlling roughly three‑quarters of maneuverable assets. The company aims to scale launches to 10,000 per year within five...
SpaceX Aims for 10,000 Annual Launches Within Five Years, FAA Says
SpaceX told the FAA it aims to scale to 10,000 launches per year within five years, a leap from the 170 missions it completed in 2025 that placed about 2,500 satellites in orbit. The goal supports a broader plan to...
AI Consensus: SpaceX S‑1 Filing Signals
15 things you should know before investing in SpaceX. AI analysis of @SpaceX's S1 filing. From my AI agent (built by me and @blevlabs using his cognitive architecture). Here's the prompt I used. I'll post Grok's and several other AI responses...
Hydraulic Pin Issue May Delay Launch Until Tomorrow
The hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract. If that can be fixed tonight, there will be another launch attempt tomorrow at 5:30 CT.
Northrop Grumman Readies Mission Robotic Vehicle for Summer Launch, Expanding On‑orbit Servicing
Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics division secured a dedicated SpaceX launch for its Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) this summer, adding two robotic arms and a refueling interface to the emerging on‑orbit servicing market. The launch will also carry three Mission Extension Pods,...
Bloomberg TV to Air Most of Starship's 12th Test Flight
Bloomberg TV will carry as much of Starship's 12th test flight as possible, if it goes tonight. Hoping to chat with @chadsonofchad too.
Space Force Eyes 2027 Demonstrations of In-Space Refueling and Satellite Servicing
The U.S. Space Force is set to launch two separate in‑space service demonstrations in 2027: a satellite refueling test using Astroscale’s Provisioner and an autonomous docking trial with Starfish Space’s Otter. Both missions are part of the USSF‑23 launch, which...
SpaceX to File for IPO
SpaceX filed a prospectus outlining an IPO that could launch as early as next month, segmenting its operations into Space, Connectivity and AI. The Connectivity unit, driven by Starlink, posted $3.26 billion in quarterly revenue and a $1.19 billion profit, while the...
Pentagon Enforces Commercial Satellite Blackout Over Middle East War Zone
The U.S. government and major commercial satellite firms have imposed a blackout on high‑resolution imagery over Iran and the wider Middle East conflict zone. The restriction, ordered by the White House, forces all new and archival images to undergo Pentagon...
SpaceX's S-1 Lays Out Its Government Work and Market Ambitions
SpaceX filed its S‑1 prospectus, revealing projected 2025 revenue of about $18.7 billion, with roughly 20 % coming from U.S. government contracts. The filing incorporates financials from Musk’s recently merged xAI and X businesses, inflating the revenue base. The S‑1 underscores SpaceX’s...
SpaceX Filing Kicks Off Countdown to Massive IPO
Oy “Our mission is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multiplanetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars,” Musk wrote SpaceX Filing Starts Countdown to Massive IPO https://t.co/jPx4yGifOS
Cowboy Space and the Case for Orbital AI Data Centers
Cowboy Space Corp., formerly Aetherflux, raised a $275 million Series B at a $2 billion valuation and unveiled a plan to build solar‑powered AI data centers in low Earth orbit that double as the rocket upper stage. The design integrates launch vehicle, power...
SpaceX Targets AI, Lunar Economy, and Human Augmentation
SpaceX "Growth Strategies:" Develop orbital AI Compute at scale, manufacture AI chips at scale, establish a lunar economy, transport humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars, and develop human augmentation systems..."
SpaceX Will Be Worth Trillions, but the Space Station that Made It Possible Is Worth Even More — if We...
SpaceX is poised for a $2 trillion IPO, a valuation that mirrors the potential worth of the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS, built with roughly $250 billion of taxpayer money, has generated scientific and technological assets that remain financially untapped under...
NAN123: How ION Meets the Out-of-This-World Challenges of Deep-Space Networking
In this episode of Network Automation Nerds, host Eric Cho and co‑host Drew Conner‑Merry sit down with delay‑tolerant networking specialist Scott Spicer to explore how NASA’s ION software tackles the extreme latency and connectivity challenges of deep‑space communications—from the Moon’s...
York Space Secures $187M Satellite Constellation Deal, Raising Stakes for Defense CIOs
York Space Systems landed a $187 million commercial contract for its M‑CLASS satellite constellation, expanding its backlog to $642 million and signaling heightened data‑processing and security needs for defense CIOs. The deal, coupled with new jam‑resistant terminals, underscores the growing role of...
NASA Targets 2030 Moon Nuclear Reactor to Power Lunar Base
NASA announced a plan to design, build, launch and land a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030, a move intended to sustain a permanent lunar outpost. Experts warn the schedule is aggressive, while rivals China and Russia are targeting...
Vast Launches 15 kW Satellite Bus, Secures First Order for Four High‑Power Satellites
Vast announced a 15‑kilowatt satellite bus line, securing a confidential customer order for four units with an option for up to 200 more. The company aims to fly ten satellites in a single launch by late 2027, leveraging technology proven...
Poland Just Made Sovereign SAR the European Default
Poland has taken operational control of POLSARIS, a four‑satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, after ICEYE delivered the system in under twelve months. The €200 million (~$218 million) programme, managed by the newly created ARGUS agency, makes Warsaw one of the few...
China Reports Major Breakthrough in Space Solar Power Technology
China’s Zhuri project achieved a landmark test, wirelessly transmitting 1,180 watts over 100 metres and powering a moving drone at 143 watts, demonstrating one‑to‑many microwave energy delivery. The system reached 20.8% DC‑to‑DC efficiency and 88% beam‑collection, positioning China for a...