Intuitive Machines to Acquire Goonhilly Earth Station and COMSAT to Scale Deep Space Network
Intuitive Machines announced a definitive agreement to acquire Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd and its U.S. subsidiary COMSAT, adding 44 antennas and deep‑space assets to its portfolio. The deal creates a vertically integrated space‑to‑ground network spanning the UK and the United States, capable of supporting missions from low‑Earth orbit to the Moon. Goonhilly will operate as a wholly‑owned subsidiary, preserving its UK identity to satisfy the UK National Security and Investment Act. The acquisition follows record Q1 2026 results and lifts full‑year revenue guidance to $900 million‑$1 billion, with closing expected in Q3 2026.
Graphene‑ITO Hybrid Electrodes Boost Nanoscale Current by 60% for Space Solar Cells
Scientists have demonstrated that graphene‑ITO hybrid transparent electrodes increase nanoscale tunneling current by nearly 60%, offering a path to lighter, higher‑efficiency solar panels for spacecraft. The breakthrough addresses the brittleness and conductivity limits of conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) layers,...
Analysts Predict SpaceX Valuation Could Drop 84% to $320 Billion
Analysts warn that SpaceX's planned IPO at a $2 trillion valuation could lose up to 84%, falling to roughly $320 billion. The forecast hinges on doubts about the company's recent $250 million acquisition of xAI and its space‑based AI data‑center strategy.
SpaceX Is Now a Spectrum Holder, Not Just a Satellite Operator
On May 12 the FCC approved two transactions moving about 115 MHz of mid‑ and low‑band spectrum from EchoStar to AT&T and SpaceX. AT&T receives 50 MHz (30 MHz of 3.45 GHz and 20 MHz of 600 MHz) while SpaceX is granted 65 MHz across AWS‑3, AWS‑4...
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...
International Crew Manifest 2020-2028: The Human Spaceflight Traffic Map of a Crowded Decade
The International Crew Manifest for 2020‑2028 visualizes human spaceflight evolving from occasional government flights into a dense, multi‑provider traffic network. The schedule intertwines ISS rotations, China’s Tiangong crew swaps, Artemis lunar missions, and an expanding slate of private and sub‑orbital...
Delta Air Lines Passed On Starlink For A Reason More Valuable Than Wi-Fi
Delta Air Lines announced a partnership with Amazon’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite network, Leo, to equip 500 aircraft beginning in 2028, opting out of SpaceX’s Starlink despite the latter’s proven airline deployments. The decision appears driven by Delta’s desire to retain its...
NASA Alters Artemis 3 Launch Vehicle Configuration
NASA announced that Artemis 3 will launch on the Space Launch System without its Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. Instead, an inert spacer built at Marshall Space Flight Center will occupy the ICPS interface, preserving the vehicle’s dimensions. The change reflects a...
NASA’s Next-Gen Space Processor for More Autonomous Spacecraft
NASA announced that its High Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) processor entered a multi‑month test campaign at JPL in February 2026. The radiation‑hardened system, built with Microchip’s PIC64‑HPSC family, claims up to 100 × the computational capacity of legacy flight computers and...
Anduril Signs $30M Deal with Rocket Lab for Three Hypersonic Test Flights
Anduril Industries hired Rocket Lab to execute three hypersonic test launches under the Pentagon’s HASTE program, paying $30 million. The contract sits alongside Rocket Lab’s larger $190 million DOD agreement and pushes the company’s defense backlog toward one‑third of its total pipeline.
Perfect Spacewalk Glove Fit Requires Custom Modeling, Trimmed Nails
Testing the fit of spacewalking gloves. My hands are in a low-pressure chamber, to see if the gloves will bulge too much during a spacewalk. I was lucky - when @nasa was making the new gloves, my hands were used...
SpaceX and Blue Origin Commit to 2027 Rendezvous Test
Let's go to the tape: "I've received responses from both vendors, both SpaceX and Blue Origin, to meet our needs for a late 2027 rendezvous, docking, and test the interoperability out of both landers in advance of a landing attempt in...
May 14, 1973: Skylab Launches
On May 14, 1973, NASA launched Skylab, the United States' first space station, weighing 170,000 lb, the heaviest payload ever sent to orbit. Within a minute, the micrometeoroid/thermal shield ripped away, damaging both solar arrays and causing temperature spikes. After an 11‑day delay...
Accu Report Finds 47% of Tracked Objects in Earth Orbit Are Space Junk
Engineering component supplier Accu used U.S. Space Force data to reveal that 47% of the 33,269 trackable objects in Earth orbit are space junk. The finding underscores a mounting risk for satellite operators and fuels a growing market for debris‑removal...
Landspace Launches Improved Zhuque-2E, Long March 6A Lofts New Qianfan Satellite Group
China’s private launch firm Landspace successfully flew the upgraded Zhuque‑2E Y5, placing a 2,800‑kg payload into a 900‑km polar orbit and showcasing enhanced high‑mass capability. The rocket now delivers up to 4,000 kg to Sun‑synchronous orbit and 6,000 kg to low Earth...
ESA Opens €16 Million Call for Suborbital Launch Campaign
The European Space Agency has opened a €16 million (≈ $17.4 million) call for proposals to design, build, launch and recover up to five sounding‑rocket experiments in 2027‑28. Five experiments—CHIP‑II, LifeACTImm, FERMISE, P‑REX and LAMDA‑g—were selected, covering planetary formation, microgravity immunology, fire safety,...
India’s DST & IN-SPACe Win Integrated Sovereign Space & Geospatial Infrastructure Award | GWF 2026
India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IN‑SPACe captured the Integrated Sovereign Space and Geospatial Infrastructure Award at the Geospatial World Leadership Awards 2026 in Amsterdam. The honor highlights a policy continuum—from the 2021 Geospatial Guidelines through the 2022...
Exclusive Briefing: A Webinar with Rocket Lab
On May 25, Rocket Lab and Beyond Earth Ventures will host a one‑hour webinar aimed at investors, founders, and asset managers interested in the emerging space‑launch economy. The session will demystify launch as an infrastructure problem, explain how launch slots are...
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...
Landspace's Zhuque-2E Stretched Rocket Successfully Orbits 2.8‑ton Payload
On May 14 at 0300 UTC, Landspace launched Zhuque-2E flight Y5, introducing a new stretched version of this methalox launch vehicle. It placed a 2800 kg dummy payload in orbit.
Wristwatch-Like Device Enables Assessment of Health Risks for Astronauts on Mission to the Moon
NASA confirmed that the Artemis 2 crew will wear a wristwatch‑like actigraph developed by Brazil’s Condor Instruments. The device combines accelerometers, light‑spectrum and temperature sensors to map sleep‑wake cycles and melanopic exposure in real time. By capturing circadian data during the...
NASA Unveils Ultra-Black Coating to Boost Starshade Exoplanet Imaging
NASA engineers, in partnership with ZeCoat Corporation, have created an ultra‑black coating that dramatically reduces stray sunlight on starshade edges. The breakthrough promises cleaner shadows for space telescopes, a key step toward directly imaging Earth‑like worlds.
SpaceX Targets May 19 for Starship V3 Debut, Unveils Major Rocket Upgrades
SpaceX has set May 19 as the launch date for the first flight of its upgraded Starship Version 3 from Starbase, Texas. The vehicle incorporates larger Raptor 3 engines, a re‑engineered Super Heavy booster, and a taller upper stage designed to carry...
Intuitive Machines Inc (LUNR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Intuitive Machines reported a transformative Q1 2026, highlighted by the integration of Lantaris Space Systems and a $175 million equity raise that broadened its satellite platform portfolio. The company posted Q4 revenue of $44.8 million, a $33.1 million operating loss driven by acquisition...
Sidus Space Inc (SIDU) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Telesat Corporation reported 2025 revenue of $418 million and adjusted EBITDA of $213 million, while ending the year with $510 million in cash and $1.7 billion of debt maturing in December 2026. Management announced a three‑month delay of full global Lightspeed service to Q1 2028,...
Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 4 Clears Major Design Milestone Ahead of Lunar South Pole Mission
Firefly Aerospace announced that its Blue Ghost Mission 4 has cleared the preliminary design review, a critical checkpoint in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The dual‑spacecraft mission, featuring the Blue Ghost lander and the Elytra Dark orbital relay, targets...
SLS to Launch without Upper Stage for Artemis 3
NASA announced that the Space Launch System will launch Artemis 3 without an upper stage, using an inert spacer in place of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. The mission has been re‑scaled to a low‑Earth‑orbit test of rendezvous and docking with...
SES Extends IRIS² Review as Consortium Reaches Initial Project Milestone
SES announced on its May 12 Q1 2026 earnings call that the internal review of the EU‑backed IRIS² satellite constellation will be extended, pushing the final go/no‑go decision to mid‑2026. The SpaceRISE consortium—SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat—has reached the “Rendez‑vous 1” milestone, but SES...
SpinLaunch to Collaborate with Aalyria for Network Orchestration
SpinLaunch announced a partnership with Aalyria Technologies to integrate the latter’s Spacetime network‑orchestration software into the Meridian low‑Earth‑orbit communications constellation. The collaboration will provide a vendor‑agnostic control layer that accelerates Meridian’s ground‑segment readiness and supports rapid deployment of LEO satellites...
Secure World Foundation Issues Responsible Investment Guide for the Space Sector
Secure World Foundation released a February 2026 guide urging investors to treat space as a fragile, shared domain. The report notes that global capital poured into the sector reached roughly $55.3 billion in 2025, more than double the previous year. It argues...
Eyeing Space Junk Re-Entries: Repercussions for Earth’s Atmosphere
LiDAR technology has begun detecting metal clouds generated by re‑entering space debris, marking a new frontier in atmospheric monitoring. In February 2025, a lithium‑rich plume linked to a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage was observed, revealing that artificial debris contributes measurable mass...
SpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage Set to Strike Moon in August, Raising Lunar Debris Concerns
A discarded 45‑foot Falcon 9 upper‑stage booster launched in January 2025 is expected to slam into the Moon’s western edge on Aug. 5 at roughly 5,400 mph. The predicted impact has reignited discussions about lunar debris mitigation and the sustainability of future...
Bringing LEO to Private Networks: Logos Space Engineering VP Explains the Constellation’s Enterprise-Focused Design
Logos Space has secured FCC approval for a 4,178‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) constellation aimed at private, secure enterprise networks. Unlike consumer‑oriented constellations such as Starlink, the design emphasizes symmetric, Layer‑2/2.5 throughput and electronic‑warfare resilience for both commercial and government users. The...
SpaceX Prepares to Launch Next-Generation Starship, the Tallest and Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built
SpaceX announced the maiden flight of Starship V3, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, slated for May 19. The 407‑foot vehicle features new Raptor 3 engines, an upgraded Super Heavy booster, and a redesigned launch pad. The sub‑orbital test...
Laser Links Carry Data, Radio Secures Safety for Artemis2
Laser data links handled all the HD video and science data during NASA's recent #Artemis2 mission. This freed radio to be devoted to safety-critical telemetry connections. The two systems' division of labor is the blueprint for future deep-space missions. https://spectrum.ieee.org/free-space-optical-communication-artemis?share_id=9491502
SpaceX CRS-34 Launch Faces only 10% Favorable Weather
Weather is only 10% favorable for launch of SpaceX CRS-34 cargo mission to ISS in about half an hour at 6:50 pm ET.
Google and SpaceX Negotiate Orbital Data Centers to Dodge US Power Crunch
Alphabet’s Google is negotiating with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch solar‑powered data centers in orbit under the Project Suncatcher banner. The partnership targets a 2027 prototype rollout to sidestep mounting US power‑supply constraints and community opposition to massive terrestrial AI...
NASA Details Artemis III Plan: Spacer, Longer Orion Stay, HLS Docking
NASA Outlines Preliminary Artemis III Mission Plans. https://t.co/qhj0gZvuhe Will use a "spacer" in place of ICPS, circular low Earth orbit, crew will spend more time in Orion than Artemis II, dock with both HLS "pathfinders," maybe enter one. Maybe cubesats.
Delaying Artemis III May Enable More Moon‑Ready Vehicle
NASA wants to fly Artemis III next year. But the longer NASA waits to fly Artemis III, the better chance it will have to fly with a higher-fidelity vehicle—that is, one closer to landing on the Moon than being a...
Sidus Space Schedules Q1 2026 Earnings Call, Promises 2026 Launch Roadmap
Sidus Space announced that its first‑quarter 2026 financial results conference call will take place on May 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The company said the call will detail its 2026 launch roadmap, signaling its next phase of growth in the small‑sat...
Secure $150M Funding for Habitable Worlds Observatory
A few tweaks to the NASA language in the report here, including ensuring the Habitable Worlds Observatory is funded at no less than FY26 levels ($150M).
SpaceX Targets May 19 for First Starship V3 Launch
"SpaceX announced May 12 that it is planning a launch of the first Starship version 3 vehicle as soon as May 19 from its Starbase facility in South Texas. Liftoff is planned for 6:30 p.m. Eastern." https://t.co/ms7b4TA9iP via @SpaceNews_Inc
Two Spacecraft Observed Both Hemispheres of Interstellar Comet Simultaneously
Two space‑based observatories—NASA's Parker Solar Probe and ESA's Solar Orbiter—successfully imaged both hemispheres of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov at the same time. The coordinated campaign delivered high‑resolution visible and ultraviolet data that captured distinct outgassing jets on the comet's northern...
NASA Outlines Preliminary Artemis III Mission Plans
NASA released preliminary plans for Artemis III, an Earth‑orbit test flight slated for next year. The mission will launch four crew members aboard Orion on an SLS rocket that uses a non‑propulsive “spacer” in place of the interim upper stage. While...
Starship V3 and Launch Pad 2 Set for Debut Mission May 19
SpaceX has set May 19, 2026 as the earliest date for the debut of Starship V3, its third major iteration, launching from the newly constructed Launch Pad 2 at Boca Chica. The flight will evaluate a suite of upgrades, including higher‑thrust Raptor engines, revised...
231 - What Will Define Operator Advantage in Asia's Satellite Market?
In this episode, Nathan DeRuiter of NovaSpace breaks down the fragmented satellite capacity market across Asian nations, highlighting how new GEO launches and LEO constellations—especially Starlink and emerging Chinese systems—are reshaping supply, pricing power, and competitive dynamics. He explains how...
NASA’s Planet-Hunting TESS Reveals Dazzling Night Sky
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has released an all‑sky mosaic compiled from 96 observation sectors spanning April 2018 to September 2025. The image marks 679 confirmed exoplanets and 5,165 candidate worlds, filling gaps left by earlier surveys. TESS’s four‑camera system continuously...
Iran War Opens Opportunity for China to Flex Its GPS Alternative
China’s Beidou satellite navigation system has become a critical tool for Iran amid the ongoing conflict, offering the country a GPS‑free alternative for military and civilian operations. The system’s prominence was highlighted during President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing,...
SpaceX Starship V3 Completes Rehearsal Ahead of Possible May 19 Test Flight
SpaceX announced that its 124‑meter Starship V3 megarocket finished a full launch‑rehearsal on Monday, topping up more than 5,000 metric tons of propellant. The milestone clears the path for the vehicle’s 12th flight, which could launch as early as May 19, a...
Exclusive: LEAP Launches Its First Rocket
LEAP, a Colorado‑based startup, completed the inaugural flight of its Bullfrog suborbital vehicle, reaching roughly 40 km altitude from Mojave’s Friends of Amateur Rocketry pad. The test validated a dual‑mode rocket engine, low‑cost proprietary fuel tanks and a rapid, containerized launch...