SpaceX Files Confidential $1.75‑$2 Trillion IPO Paperwork, Eyes June Roadshow
SpaceX has confidentially filed for an initial public offering that could value the Elon Musk‑led firm at $1.75‑$2 trillion. The company plans a roadshow the week of June 8, forcing investors to weigh growth prospects against valuation risk.
Google, SpaceX Eye Orbital AI Data Centers for Cooling
Google and SpaceX are reportedly talking about putting AI data centers into orbit; the pitch is solar power, space cooling, and maybe a way to keep the AI boom from eating every substation in Iowa https://t.co/CBBcuI5ngH #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech...
Real‑time 3D Map Reveals Crowded, Fragile Earth Orbit
Explore an interactive 3D map of the vast network of satellites and debris currently orbiting Earth, providing a real-time perspective on space traffic and the importance of orbital sustainability. https://t.co/57vAIVXwEW https://t.co/zMJLSZchkq
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...
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...
Ghost Ships Can't Hide From New Space-Based Tracking System
Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, together with JAXA and the University of Tokyo, demonstrated a new space‑based tracking system called AIRIS aboard the RAISE‑4 satellite. The AI‑driven camera performs edge computing in orbit, isolating ship silhouettes against the ocean and transmitting...
SES Cancels Two Satellites, Trims OPEX, Insurance Woes Persist
.@SES_Satellites cancels 2 @Thales_Alenia_S software-defined sats in post-Intelsat-purchase synergy move, reduces opex by 9% in Q1 2026, still struggles with insurers on 2-yr-old O3b mPower insurance claim. https://t.co/77aSRgX07W https://t.co/qd6Iy2tz3O
Graphene-ITO Electrodes Show Promise for More Efficient Space Solar Power
Researchers combined monolayer graphene with indium tin oxide (ITO) to create hybrid transparent electrodes, boosting nanoscale tunneling current by roughly 60% while preserving surface uniformity. Raman spectroscopy confirmed high‑quality graphene with minimal defects after transfer, and TUNA‑AFM mapping revealed smoother,...
Star Catcher Raises $65 Million to Build Orbital Power‑Grid Satellite Network
Star Catcher Industries announced a $65 million Series A round led by B Capital, with participation from Shield Capital and Cerberus Ventures. The funding will fund in‑space demonstrations of its solar‑beaming technology and scale a pipeline of $3 billion in prospective contracts.
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...
Delta's Starlink Deal Collapsed; United Gains Superior Wi‑Fi
Early SpaceX Investor Reveals Why Delta’s Starlink Deal Fell Apart — Now United Will Have Better Wifi For Years - View from the Wing https://t.co/LvQsxYdXql
Starlink's FCC Filings Reveal Realistic Per-Beam Spectral Efficiency
Starlink commitments to FCC on D2D spectral efficiency give a realistic view of what to expect when reusing spectrum across multiple beams: initial per beam efficiency is 0.3bps/Hz DL and 0.1bps/Hz UL, final efficiency is 0.6bps/Hz DL and 0.2bps/Hz UL...
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...
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...
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...
SpaceX and Google Mull Massive Partnership on Musk’s Orbital Data Dream: Report
SpaceX and Google are in exclusive talks to launch orbital data centers, a move aimed at easing AI’s exploding power appetite. Google’s internal Project Suncatcher plans to field TPU‑equipped satellites by early 2027, while SpaceX has filed FCC paperwork for...
CRS‑34 Launch Faces Only 20% Weather Go
SpX says the weather forecast for this evening's (May 12) CRS-34 cargo launch to the ISS is just 20% "go." Launch is at 7:16 pm ET. SpX webcast begins 20 min pre-launch. NASA coverage begins 7:00 pm ET. https://t.co/nCHB1NY6nc Backup...
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,...
Senators Affirm Need For U.S. Dominance In Space Exploration
U.S. senators reaffirmed the strategic imperative of American leadership in space during a briefing with the Artemis II crew, following the unanimous passage of the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026. The legislation secures funding and oversight for upcoming lunar and deep‑space...
FCC Proposes Making Spectrum Available for ‘Weird Space Stuff’
On March 26 the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled “Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff,” inviting comments by May 11, 2026. The agency outlines two pathways to free up radio spectrum for emerging space activities: expanding existing...
Hello Universe: NASA’s Next-Gen Space Processor Undergoes Testing
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has begun rigorous testing of its Next‑Gen Space Processor (NGSP), a radiation‑hardened computer designed for deep‑space missions. The prototype demonstrated a 30% reduction in power consumption and twice the processing speed of the agency’s legacy hardware....
SpaceX Schedules Starship V3 Launch for May 19
"A fresh set of maritime warnings issued late Monday indicated SpaceX is now targeting a [Starship V3] launch attempt on Tuesday, May 19." https://t.co/6iDAiJDgpn
Satellite and the Upcoming Spectrum Auction
The FCC is set to auction at least 100 MHz of the Upper C‑band spectrum by mid‑2027, ending the long‑standing cost stability that satellite broadcasters relied on. This forces a rapid migration toward Internet Protocol (IP) and hybrid Ku‑band/IP distribution models...
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-10 Cargo Craft to Resupply Tiangong Space Station
China sent the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft aloft from Wenchang on May 11, 2026, using a Long March-7 rocket. The vehicle docked with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station, delivering an extravehicular suit, consumables, propellant and scientific payloads....
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...
Sateliot, Turkcell Verify 5G NTN Connections
Turkcell partnered with Sateliot to demonstrate non‑terrestrial 5G (NTN) connectivity for IoT devices, conducting live trials in Barcelona and Istanbul. The tests linked Sateliot’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellites with Turkcell’s terrestrial 5G network, achieving seamless integration and continuous device coverage beyond the...
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...
Katalyst Wraps Testing at NASA Goddard for Swift Boost Mission
Katalyst announced it has finished a series of environmental and performance tests at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for its Swift Boost electric propulsion system. The testing campaign included thermal‑vacuum, vibration, and thrust‑stand evaluations, all of which met or exceeded...
SpaceX Launches New Wave of NRO Reconnaissance Satellites
SpaceX successfully launched the National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-172 mission on May 11, marking the agency’s 13th deployment of its “proliferated architecture” reconnaissance constellation. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base’s SLC‑4E at 7:13:50 p.m. PDT (10:13:50 p.m. EDT). The...
China Reveals AI-Powered Lunar Robot for 2029 Moon Mission
China’s Hong Kong University of Science and Technology team unveiled an AI‑powered lunar robot slated for the Chang’e‑8 mission in 2029. The 100‑kilogram, four‑wheeled rover combines a humanoid upper body with dual arms to transport payloads, install instruments and collect...
Building Artemis II’s Fault-Tolerant Computer
Artemis II’s Orion capsule relies on a next‑generation, fault‑tolerant computer that controls virtually every safety‑critical system, from life support to communications. Unlike the 1960s Apollo Guidance Computer’s 1 MHz processor and 4 KB of memory, Orion’s architecture uses redundant, radiation‑hardened processors and extensive...
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,...
A Spark of Independence
ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, slated for a 2028 launch to Mars, will feature the first European‑made Radioisotope Heater Unit (RHU) as part of the agency’s ENDURE programme. The RHU, which uses americium‑241 to generate heat, was prototyped by Perpetual Atomics...
Why Does the Orion Capsule Carry Four Astronauts While Apollo Carried Three?
NASA’s Orion capsule is built to carry four astronauts, unlike Apollo’s three, because Orion serves the Artemis program’s broader, modular architecture. The larger crew capacity reflects increased habitable volume, modern automation, and the need for flexibility in lunar‑orbit, Gateway, and...
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...
JWST Maps Cosmic Web in Record Detail Back to Universe's First Billion Years
Using its unprecedented infrared sensitivity, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has completed the COSMOS‑Web survey, the largest JWST General Observer program to date. Researchers at UC Riverside mapped the cosmic web with unprecedented detail, charting 164,000 galaxies across 13.7 billion years...
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...
AST SpaceMobile Aims for November Milestone, 45‑60 Birds Launching
"AST SpaceMobile ... expects to reach this milestone by November, according to a slide in its earnings presentation. It previously projected 45 to 60 of its next generation birds will launch this year." https://t.co/u3hzhbRey8 via @mobileworldlive
AST SpaceMobile Posts $14.7M Q1 Revenue, Reaffirms $150‑200M 2026 Outlook
AST SpaceMobile posted $14.7 million in first‑quarter revenue, driven by U.S. government contracts and gateway hardware sales, and reiterated its 2026 revenue target of $150‑200 million. The company’s $3.5 billion cash pile and a $1.2 billion commercial pipeline underpin optimism, while Alphabet’s stake drops...
Space42, Sindan Team Up to Test Autonomous Systems with Satellite Connectivity
Space42 and Sindan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly test satellite‑communication solutions on autonomous aerospace platforms. Announced at Make it in the Emirates 2026, the partnership aims to validate real‑time connectivity in operational conditions and aligns with the...
SpaceX Installs Starship Flight Termination System for May Launch
After Monday's WDR, SpaceX is destacking Starship to install its Flight Termination System ahead of a launch attempt next week, perhaps as soon as next Tuesday, May 19. https://t.co/7d8AbWKE4M