Space42, Skylo Plot D2D Service Launch
UAE‑based Space42 has signed a deal with Skylo Technologies to launch a direct‑to‑device (D2D) connectivity service that will extend its Thuraya‑4 satellite footprint across more than 37 countries. The offering uses Skylo’s non‑terrestrial network platform and a standards‑based architecture, allowing devices to connect via the same SIM and identity framework used on terrestrial networks. A successful two‑way voice call over Thuraya‑4 demonstrated commercial readiness, and the companies say the service is ready to go live pending regulatory approval. The partnership aligns with Space42’s strategy to become a leader in non‑terrestrial networks.
MDA Space Officially Opens New Montreal Facility to Support Satellite Prime Contractor Strategy
MDA Space has opened a 185,000‑square‑foot satellite manufacturing plant in Montreal, doubling its production footprint. The facility is designed for high‑volume assembly of the AURORA software‑defined satellites, targeting up to 400 units per year. Automated equipment and a proprietary test...
China Space Station: Docking of New Supply Ship
China’s Tianzhou‑10 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on May 11, after Tianzhou‑9 departed. The uncrewed vehicle delivered nearly 6.2 tons of supplies, including food, water, 700 kg of propellant, a new space treadmill, and three upgraded extravehicular activity...
Starship V3 Booster Roars to Life in Major SpaceX Test
SpaceX performed a full‑duration static fire of the Starship V3 Super Heavy booster, igniting all 33 Raptor engines on its Texas launch pad. The test, lasting about six seconds, demonstrated the integrated propulsion system’s performance and confirmed that the vehicle’s...
JWST Discovers a Galaxy that Doesn’t Spin in the Early Universe
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope examined three distant galaxies from roughly 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang. While one galaxy rotated normally and another appeared chaotic, the third—XMM‑VID1‑2075—was unexpectedly static, showing no measurable spin despite its massive size...
Underwater Volcano Plume Found to Destroy Atmospheric Methane
A team of atmospheric scientists has shown that the 2022 Hunga Tonga‑Hunga Ha’apai eruption generated a high‑altitude plume that chemically destroyed methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The finding, based on Sentinel‑5P satellite data, could force a rethink of how natural...
Airtel Africa Partners with SpaceX to Roll Out Starlink Direct‑to‑Cell Across 14 Markets
Airtel Africa announced a partnership with SpaceX to deploy Starlink Direct‑to‑Cell satellite connectivity across its 14‑country footprint. The move, timed with a $44 million Nairobi data‑centre build‑out, aims to extend broadband to underserved areas and intensify competition with Safaricom.
Cowboy Raises $275 Million to Build Rockets with Orbital Data Center Upper Stages
Cowboy Space, the former Aetherflux, closed a $275 million Series B round at a $2 billion valuation, bringing its total funding to roughly $365 million. The startup plans to build launch vehicles whose upper stages transform into orbital data‑center nodes, targeting AI‑intensive compute in...
Aetherflux Rebrands, Pivots Business—And Raises $275M
Aetherflux has rebranded as Cowboy Space Corporation and closed a $275 million Series B round at a $2 billion valuation. The company is pivoting from a sole focus on a solar‑power small‑sat constellation to a dual strategy that adds a dedicated launch vehicle...
SOCOM Taps SkyFi to Build Tactical EO Imagery Tools
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has selected commercial EO provider SkyFi to build a prototype sovereign intelligence platform that streamlines access to geospatial imagery for troops. The Phase 1 effort includes an Android Tactical Assault Kit plug‑in that lets operators task...
May 11, 1949: A Missile Range at Cape Canaveral
On May 11, 1949 President Harry Truman signed Public Law 60, establishing a joint Army‑Navy‑Air Force missile‑testing range at Cape Canaveral. The site’s Atlantic flight path, year‑round weather, and equatorial boost made it ideal for long‑range rockets. Early programs such as Redstone and Atlas...
Failing to Pass a Defense Budget Is a Self-Inflicted Wound in the Space Race
The White House budget proposes a historic $70 billion allocation for the U.S. Space Force, more than doubling its current $40 billion funding. A continuing resolution (CR), however, would slash the budget back to roughly $28 billion, halting new programs and capping hiring....
Moonfall Mission Deploys Four Ingenuity‑Based Drones to Lunar South Pole
Got out on a new mission and just have to share how cool of a name it is: Moonfall Not only does it sound like a movie (I think it actually was), but the mission will send 4 drones to explore...
NASA Details SpaceX CRS‑34 Cargo Launch to ISS
NASA's put out a nice summary of what SpaceX's CRS-34 cargo mission is taking to the ISS tomorrow. https://t.co/YPECspDVeR The media telecon should start in about 5 min at 11:00 am ET. Watch on YouTube: https://t.co/ib8KupXD5L
Metajets Use Light to Steer Interstellar Sails, Texas A&M Shows
Researchers at Texas A&M University have demonstrated a new micro‑device, called a metajet, that can steer light‑propelled sails by refracting laser light. The technology promises precise navigation for future interstellar probes, moving the concept of laser‑driven starships closer to reality.
Cost Optimism and Capacity Pessimism Widen Satellite Service Gap
This is too optimistic about AST cost per satellite and too pessimistic about Starlink V2 capacity per satellite, which makes the disparity even greater. And we still don't know if there will actually be sufficient demand to pay for D2D...
Questioning AST's Block 1 Tests Amid Faster Satellite Claims
Why is AST still doing this testing with Block 1? If "next gen satellites expected to nearly double these speeds" then what are the results from FM1 testing?
Italy Completes Air-Launched Rocket Demonstrator Test
Italy’s Aviolancio air‑launched suborbital demonstrator successfully flew on 22 April 2026 from the Houston Spaceport, releasing a T4i HAX25 sounding rocket from a Dornier Alpha Jet over the Gulf of Mexico. The test verified the four‑motor hybrid propulsion system and GMV‑supplied...
European Space Firms Post 80% Revenue Surge as Defence Funding Swells
Mark Boggett, chief executive of Seraphim Space Investment Trust, said the trust’s ten biggest portfolio firms posted 80% revenue growth over the past year. The boom is tied to a wave of European defence spending aimed at reducing reliance on...
China Launches Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft to Resupply Tiangong Space Station
China sent the Tianzhou-10 cargo vessel aloft on May 11, 2026, using a Long March-7 Y11 rocket from Wenchang. The spacecraft docked with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station, delivering fresh supplies and underscoring Beijing's push for...
ISS Expedition 74 Crew Conducts DNA Nano-Therapy and Space Agriculture Research
On Thursday, Expedition 74 crew members performed a suite of high‑impact experiments aboard the ISS. NASA engineer Jessica Meir used a spectrophotometer to study DNA‑like nanomaterials, data that could accelerate cancer‑targeting nano‑therapies. ESA’s Sophie Adenot tended alfalfa in the Veggie unit, probing...
PhilSA Warns vs Chinese Rocket Debris Near Palawan
The Philippine Space Agency confirmed that China’s Long March 7 rocket launched Monday and warned that debris could fall into Philippine waters. PhilSA identified three potential impact zones: 34 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc, 97 NM from Cabra Island, and 130 NM from Busuanga, Palawan....
Study Identifies Candidate Cryovolcanic Regions on Ganymede for ESA’s JUICE Mission
A new study has pinpointed twelve candidate cryovolcanic regions on Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, to guide ESA’s upcoming JUICE mission. The research combines high‑resolution imaging from past Galileo flybys with thermal modeling to identify surface features consistent with past or...
Why the $1.8 Trillion Global Space Economy Market Size Report Overstates the Space Market
The World Economic Forum and McKinsey’s 2024 report projects a $1.8 trillion global space economy by 2035, but the figure blends direct space‑sector revenue with "reach" revenues earned by unrelated industries that use space‑enabled services. Direct supplier sales were roughly $613 billion...
NASA’s STORIE Mission and the Science of Earth’s Ring Current
NASA’s Storm Time O⁺ Ring current Imaging Evolution (STORIE) mission is slated for launch on May 12 2026 aboard SpaceX’s CRS‑34 cargo flight. After robotic installation on the ISS Columbus module, the instrument will image Earth’s ring current from an outside‑the‑station perspective...
A Skeptical Perspective on the Race for the Moon Between China and America: Who Cares?
The article questions the relevance of the U.S.–China lunar race, noting that public enthusiasm is modest—only about 12% of Americans view a crewed Moon landing as a top NASA priority. It outlines the Artemis program’s hardware achievements and its dependence...
Mengzhou-1 and Long March 10A: China’s Moon Rocket and Capsule Prepare for First Flight
China is preparing the Mengzhou‑1 mission, a test flight of its next‑generation crew capsule, to launch aboard the Long March 10A rocket in 2026. The flight will dock with the Tiangong space station, deliver supplies, and return, providing a critical orbital validation...
Space-Enabled Applications: A Comprehensive Guide to the Services Powered by Space Systems
The guide outlines how satellite‑derived services—communications, positioning, timing, and Earth observation—have become essential infrastructure across consumer, enterprise, and government sectors. It cites the World Economic Forum and McKinsey forecast that the global space economy could expand from $630 billion in 2023...
Satellite Services for Parametric Insurance Market Analysis 2026
Earth observation is reshaping parametric insurance by providing satellite‑derived triggers for drought, flood, fire, and renewable‑energy risks. The African Risk Capacity’s $5.4 million payout to Mozambique after the 2024/25 drought and Cyclone Chido illustrated how a measured index can release funds instantly,...
Satellite Repair and Refueling Architecture for Upgradable and Orbit-Changing Spacecraft
The satellite industry is shifting toward serviceable designs that incorporate standardized docking ports, modular bus units, and onboard software that permits authenticated upgrades. The 2020 Mission Extension Vehicle docking with Intelsat IS‑901 demonstrated that robotic refueling and repair are feasible when...
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...
NASA’s Spacecraft Is About to Slingshot Past Mars — and the View Is Already Breathtaking
On 15 May NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will skim 2,800 miles above Mars at roughly 12,300 mph, using the planet’s gravity to bend its trajectory toward the metal‑rich asteroid Psyche. The flyby, a propellant‑saving maneuver for the solar‑electric‑propulsion craft, follows a 12‑hour thruster burn...
China Launches Tianzhou-10 Cargo Spacecraft to Resupply Tiangong Station
China launched the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft on May 11, 2026, using a Long March‑7 rocket from Hainan. The vehicle will dock with the Tiangong space station to deliver consumables, propellant, scientific payloads and an extravehicular spacesuit. This mission is the fifth...
SpaceX to Launch Classified NROL-172 Reconnaissance Payload From Vandenberg on May 11
SpaceX will lift a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload, NROL‑172, aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on May 11 at 3:28 p.m. The mission uses a booster on its second flight, underscoring the commercial provider’s growing role in...
Planet Labs Shares Jump 10.8% After Greece Secures Thermal Satellite Constellation
Planet Labs' German unit landed a two‑year, seven‑figure contract with Greece’s National Satellite Space Project, sparking a 10.8% surge in the company's stock. The deal coincides with the launch of Greece’s first thermal imaging satellites, a €200 million (€215 million) national program...
JWST Uncovers Massive Non‑Rotating “Red Monster” Galaxy From Cosmic Dawn
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified XMM‑VID1‑2075, a massive, evolved galaxy formed when the universe was under 2 billion years old that exhibits virtually no rotation. The discovery, reported in Nature Astronomy, forces a rethink of how the...
T‑Mobile, Starlink Unveil SuperBroadband: Nationwide Hybrid 5G‑Satellite Service
T‑Mobile and SpaceX’s Starlink have launched SuperBroadband, a hybrid business internet offering that pairs 5G with satellite connectivity. The service guarantees 99.99% uptime where both networks overlap and reaches every ZIP code in the United States, aiming to reshape enterprise...
Viasat Secures $307 Million Marine Corps Satellite Contract
Viasat has been awarded a five‑year, $307 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver multi‑orbit, multi‑band commercial satellite communications under the MECS2 program. The award, announced by the Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, keeps Viasat as the sole...
NBTC Requests Longer Suspension of Satellite Orbital Slot
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has asked the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to extend the suspension of frequency use for the 119.5° East orbital slot until September 30 2027. The extension is needed because satellite operator Thaicom, through its subsidiary...
SpaceX Fires All 33 Starship V3 Engines, but Lawsuit Threatens Launch Cadence
SpaceX successfully performed a full‑duration, full‑thrust static fire of all 33 Raptor engines on its first Starship V3 Super Heavy booster at Starbase, Texas. The milestone clears a key propulsion hurdle ahead of a mid‑May launch window, but a lawsuit...
NASA's Moon Base Plans Highlight Landing Knowledge Gaps
As NASA eyes lunar base, there's still much to learn about landing on the Moon https://t.co/3TDG6xTcs0 https://t.co/PVk0mAMLY2
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...
China's Taiji Program Debuts Picometer‑Precision Interferometer
A research team at the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, unveiled a full‑function interferometer optical bench that reaches picometer‑level measurement accuracy and satisfies the technical thresholds for the upcoming Taiji‑2 mission. The breakthrough reduces noise tenfold and promises...
NASA’s Psyche Mission Chief Offers Interplanetary Team‑Building Playbook for Leaders
Lindy Elkins‑Tanton, principal investigator of NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche asteroid mission, disclosed the leadership tactics that saved the launch after a cold‑thruster glitch. In a new interview and her book *Mission Ready*, she translates those high‑stakes practices into actionable guidance for...
Amazon to Acquire Globalstar for $11.57 B, Boosting Satellite Cellular Reach
Amazon announced a binding agreement to acquire Globalstar for $11.57 billion, offering shareholders $90 cash per share or 0.3210 Amazon shares. The deal, slated to close in 2027, gives Amazon direct‑to‑cellular capabilities for its Leo satellite broadband service and expands its...
Rocket Lab Reports Growing Demand for Commercial Space Products. Stock Surges 34%
Rocket Lab posted $63.7 million in launch revenue and $136.7 million from its space‑systems segment for the first quarter of 2026, totaling $200.4 million and surpassing Wall Street forecasts. The company’s backlog more than doubled to $2.2 billion and it announced the acquisition of...
Orbex Was Burning £2 Million a Month Before Collapse, Administrators Reveal
Orbex, the Scottish launch‑vehicle developer, entered administration in February 2026 after burning roughly £2 million ($2.5 M) each month, accumulating about £73.3 million ($91.6 M) in losses. The firm had secured more than £130 million ($162 M) in grant and equity financing, including £29 million from the...
Why the Dust on the Moon Is Sharper than Broken Glass and How that Single Fact Is Forcing NASA to...
NASA’s Artemis program is confronting a fundamental engineering obstacle: lunar dust that is sharper than broken glass. Decades after Apollo astronauts suffered abrasions, respiratory irritation, and equipment failures, studies show that micrometeorite‑shaped regolith particles can cut through Kevlar, jam seals,...
Pentagon Launches Public UFO Archive, Reveals Apollo 17 Sightings
On May 8 the Pentagon opened a public website hosting thousands of declassified UFO and UAP documents, featuring 1972 Apollo 17 astronaut sightings. The move, driven by a Trump administration directive, aims to increase transparency and could reshape aerospace research and policy.
Startup Wants to Run AI Inference From Space
Orbital Inc., a Los Angeles startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, announced plans to build a constellation of low‑Earth‑orbit satellites that run AI inference workloads. The company envisions up to 10,000 fridge‑sized satellites, each delivering roughly 100 kW of solar‑powered compute via GPU...