MDA Space Reports 41 Commitments for CHORUS Ahead of Launch
MDA Space disclosed 41 early customer commitments for its upcoming CHORUS synthetic‑aperture‑radar constellation, comprising nine signed contracts and 32 letters of interest. The two‑satellite system pairs a broad‑area C‑band radar with a high‑resolution X‑band sensor supplied by ICEYE, enabling a “tipping and cueing” workflow. Commitments span North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia‑Pacific, underscoring global demand ahead of the planned late‑2026 Falcon 9 launch. The rollout is critical for MDA’s Geointelligence division as it prepares to replace RADARSAT‑2.
Why We Need to Treat Earth Like a Spaceship
The article uses the Artemis moon mission as a metaphor, urging us to treat Earth as a sealed spacecraft whose life‑support systems cannot be compromised. It argues that climate‑critical resources—air, water, soil—are finite and interdependent, demanding the same discipline astronauts...
The Animated Version of the Iconic "Hello, World" Image Reveals Striking New Details
NASA has opened a public archive containing more than 12,000 photos taken by Artemis II astronauts aboard Orion. Among the release is the iconic “Hello, world” Earth shot captured by commander Reid Wiseman as the spacecraft departed low‑Earth orbit. Image‑processing veteran...
Polish Startup Eycore Launches First SAR Satellite, Boosting National Space Capability
Polish space firm Eycore lifted its first synthetic‑aperture radar (SAR) satellite, Eycore‑1, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on May 3, 2026, becoming Europe’s second private owner of a SAR satellite. The launch unlocks a $14 million investment to expand domestic radar‑satellite...
NASA Raises Safety Objections to Blue Origin’s 51,600‑Satellite Project Sunrise LEO Constellation
NASA has formally objected to Blue Origin’s Project Sunrise, a planned 51,600‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit compute constellation for AI workloads. The agency cites significant safety, sustainability and orbital‑debris concerns, prompting a FCC review and demanding a detailed mitigation plan.
First Canada, Then the World: Nation’s Rocket Builders See a Bigger Opening in Space
Canadian rocket startups are rallying around a government‑backed push for sovereign launch capability after Ottawa committed roughly US$164 million to the effort. The funding includes about US$6 million in grants for each of three firms—Canada Rocket Company, NordSpace and Reaction Dynamics—aimed at...
Astranis Raises $450 Million to Expand GEO Satellite Production
Satellite maker Astranis announced a $450 million financing round, pushing total capital raised to more than $1.2 billion and valuing the company at roughly $2.8 billion. The Series E, co‑led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and other institutional...
Voyager Optimistic About Starlab as NASA Reconsiders Commercial Station Plans
Voyager Technologies says it is prepared to support NASA if the agency alters its Commercial Low‑Earth‑Orbit Destinations (CLD) strategy. In March, NASA signaled doubts that a standalone commercial station market has materialized and is weighing a procurement of a new...
NASA's Roman Poised to Transform Hunt for Elusive Neutron Stars
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, slated for launch in 2027, will conduct an unprecedented wide‑field infrared survey aimed at detecting isolated neutron stars through gravitational microlensing. Its 0.28‑arcsecond resolution and 2000‑square‑degree field of view surpass previous missions, enabling the identification of...
U.S. Space Force Picks ThinKom’s Hidden Satellite Ground Station
ThinKom Solutions won the U.S. Space Force’s 2026 Fight Tonight competition with its Containerized Digital Array, a transportable satellite ground station hidden inside a standard shipping container. The system uses concealed phased‑array antennas and supports multi‑orbit, multi‑band communications across LEO,...
LiveEO Secures €28 Million to Accelerate Push Into Defence Applications
German Earth‑observation firm LiveEO closed a €28 million ($30.5 million) funding round, with Helantic as the only new backer. The capital will expand its AI‑driven analytics suite and speed development of dual‑use defence and security products, aiming at Germany’s $38.2 billion space‑defence budget....
The Space Station’s Past and Future Converge at ASCEND 2026
The International Space Station National Laboratory will host a full day of programming at ASCEND 2026, featuring nearly 60 technical papers on ISS utilization and a showcase of microgravity research that underpins medical breakthroughs. A highlight is the Orbital Edge Accelerator,...
SES and ARD Announce Decade-Long Satellite Distribution Extension
SES and Germany’s public broadcaster ARD have renewed their satellite distribution partnership through 2039, extending the use of SES’s Astra 19.2° East orbital slot for high‑definition TV. The deal guarantees uninterrupted Direct‑to‑Home service for millions of German households and reinforces ARD’s...
Access Hub and Maargin Release White Paper on Frugal LEO Constellations and Orbital AI
Access Hub and Maargin have released a white paper proposing a 324‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) constellation that can be built for $400‑$450 million. The "frugal engineering" model claims a 70‑90% cost reduction compared with traditional mega‑constellations while delivering broadband and sovereign digital services....
New NASA Technology Mimics Extreme Cold of the Lunar Night
NASA’s Glenn Research Center unveiled the Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig (LESTR), a dry‑vacuum system that can chill materials to 40 Kelvin (‑388 °F) without liquid cryogens. The rig replaces traditional nitrogen or helium baths, cutting safety complexity and cost while expanding...
FCC Overhauls Satellite Spectrum‑Sharing Rules, Unlocking $2 Billion Economic Gain
The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to replace the decades‑old Equivalent Power Flux Density framework with a performance‑based spectrum‑sharing regime for non‑geostationary satellites. The new rules, effective May 1, 2026, are projected to generate more than $2 billion in economic benefits and reshape...
Overview Energy Awarded Contract to Provide Space-Based Solar Power to U.S. Air Force
Overview Energy, a Virginia‑based solar aerospace startup, secured a U.S. Air Force contract to field its orbit‑to‑grid system for resilient power in logistics‑constrained environments. The technology places geosynchronous satellites in space to harvest solar energy and beam it via infrared...
Sweden Launches First Military Reconnaissance Satellite, Boosting European Space Defense
Sweden placed its inaugural military reconnaissance satellite into low‑Earth orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9, delivering a national imaging capability months before the 2030 deadline. Built by Planet Labs and operated by the Swedish Armed Forces, the system expands NATO‑aligned surveillance...
Curiosity Mars Rover: Struggle at Atacama
NASA’s Curiosity rover successfully freed its drill bit after it became lodged in the Atacama rock target on Mars. The rock, a 1.5‑ft‑wide, 28.6‑lb block, lifted with the drill sleeve, forcing engineers to re‑orient, vibrate, and percussion‑drive the arm over...
SWISSto12 Contracts HPS/LSS for Deployable Antenna Reflector on HummingSat GEO Mission
Swiss satellite‑communications firm SWISSto12 has awarded German consortium HPS/LSS a contract to build a 5‑meter deployable L‑band antenna reflector for its NEASTAR‑1 mission on the HummingSat GEO platform. The reflector will unfold in orbit, enabling direct‑to‑device media broadcasting from a...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Merek Chertkow, The Radiation Team
Merek Chertkow, CEO of The Radiation Team, offers a system‑level approach to radiation engineering for commercial and government satellites. Drawing on his SpaceX and Blue Origin experience, the firm tailors mitigation strategies to specific mission orbits, allowing the use of...
JWST Directly Characterizes Surface of Scorching Super‑Earth LHS 384b
An international team led by Sebastian Zieba and Laura Kreidberg used the James Webb Space Telescope to directly analyze the surface of the super‑Earth LHS 384b, finding a dark, Mercury‑like world with a dayside temperature of about 725 °C, 48.5 light‑years from...
Astranis Raises $450M+, Including $300M Series E
Astranis announced a $300 million Series E round co‑led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton, lifting its valuation to roughly $2.8 billion. The round also attracted Andreessen Horowitz, BlackRock, Baillie Gifford and Fidelity, and was complemented by a $155 million delayed‑draw credit facility from...
Scout Space Closes $18M Series A
Scout Space announced an $18 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners, aimed at scaling its satellite‑sensor business. The funding will finance a 2,600‑sq‑ft manufacturing plant in Northern Virginia and nearly double the workforce to over 50 employees within 18...
Dutch Partners Explore Bringing Silicon PV Into Space
The Netherlands’ research institute TNO, solar‑module maker MCPV and aerospace giant Airbus have launched a joint programme to adapt terrestrial silicon photovoltaic technology for space use. The effort targets back‑contact silicon cells as a cheaper alternative to the gallium‑arsenide (GaAs)...
Fraunhofer IIS Tests High Bandwidths for NTN
In April 2026 Fraunhofer IIS proved a broadband 5G non‑terrestrial network connection over the German GEO satellite Heinrich Hertz using Ka‑band frequencies. The test employed 50‑100 MHz of spectrum and achieved peak data rates of 137 Mbit/s. A seamless handover between the satellite’s north...
Greenerwave and Telespazio France Sign Strategic Agreement to Distribute Multi-Orbit, Low-Power and Sovereign SATCOM Terminals in Europe
Greenerwave and Telespazio France, a Leonardo group subsidiary, have signed a strategic agreement to distribute Greenerwave’s low‑power, multi‑orbit (GEO/LEO) satellite communications terminals across France, the broader European market and the United Kingdom. The partnership targets defense, government and security customers,...
Scout Space Raises $18M To Expand Space Domain Awareness Systems
Scout Space announced a $18 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners to scale its space‑domain‑awareness platform. The capital will fund a new 2,600‑square‑foot manufacturing hub in Northern Virginia and accelerate production of its modular optical sensors and edge‑computing software....
Meta Teams with Overview and Noon Energy on Space‑Based Solar to Power AI Data Centers
Meta announced partnerships with Overview Energy and Noon Energy to build space‑based solar systems that could beam power to its AI‑intensive data centers. Demonstrations are scheduled for 2028, positioning the effort as a long‑term capacity solution rather than an immediate...
US Space Force Awards Up to $3.2 B to 12 Firms for Space‑Based Interceptor Prototypes
The U.S. Space Force has allocated up to $3.2 billion across 20 Other Transaction Authority agreements to 12 aerospace companies for prototype development of the Space‑Based Interceptor (SBI) program. The effort, part of the Golden Dome missile‑defense initiative, aims to field...
SpaceX Adds 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg, Boosting Constellation Past 10,000
SpaceX launched 24 additional Starlink broadband satellites on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, using booster B1081 on its 24th flight. The mission lifted the constellation to over 10,000 spacecraft and featured the 195th landing on the drone ship...
The New Space Race: NASA, Artemis, and the Race to the Moon
In this episode, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlines the agency’s aggressive push to accelerate Artemis moon missions, shifting launch cadence from years to months and rebuilding core in‑house competencies. He emphasizes the strategic importance of a sustained lunar presence for...
Solar Activity Makes Space Junk Crash to Earth Faster
A new study published May 6, 2026 in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences shows that space debris descends more rapidly during periods of heightened solar activity. Researchers tracked 17 low‑Earth‑orbit objects launched in the 1960s over a 36‑year span, linking their...
Swarm Satellites Distinguish Space Weather, Boost Early Warnings
Swarm satellites are enabling precise differentiation between electromagnetic signals from space weather and natural hazards, advancing early-warning systems and improving the resilience of critical infrastructure. spaceweather
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...
High Solar Activity Accelerates Low‑Earth‑Orbit Debris Decay
Space debris in low Earth orbit descends more rapidly when solar activity exceeds two-thirds of its peak, altering satellite collision risk and requiring updated mission planning as solar cycles intensify atmospheric drag. spaceweather
Telesat's GEO Business Falls 25%, Loss Triples
Seems like a lot. "Telesat’s Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite business declined 25% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026" Net loss for the quarter was CA$151 million ($111 million) compared to a CA$51 million ($37 million) loss in the prior year, https://t.co/cluTNPsoHJ
Space Junk Falls Back to Earth Faster as Sunspot Numbers Climb
Researchers at India’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre have demonstrated that heightened solar activity speeds the orbital decay of low‑Earth‑orbit debris. By monitoring 17 objects from 1986 to 2024 across three solar cycles, they pinpointed a sunspot‑number threshold—about 70 % of peak—beyond...
Anthropic Eyes Gigawatt Orbital AI Compute via Rumored Dario Centers
It is just a rumor that the SpaceX capacity Anthropic will use will be provided by satellites called: "Dario Centers." "As part of this agreement, Anthropic also expressed interest in partnering to develop multiple gigawatts of orbital AI compute capacity." https://t.co/qlH6StuyIB
Anthropic Aims to Build Gigawatts of Orbital AI Compute
"As part of this agreement, Anthropic also expressed interest in partnering to develop multiple gigawatts of orbital AI compute capacity." 🤔
Astronomers Unlock a Sharper View From JWST Using a ‘Keyhole’ Trick
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has gained a new resolution boost through its Aperture Masking Interferometer (AMI), a 5‑centimetre mask with seven holes that turns the 6.5‑metre mirror into a mini‑interferometer. After initial failures caused by infrared detector charge‑leakage, a...
Overview Energy Secures US Air Force Space Solar Contract
Overview Energy awarded contract to provide space-based solar power to U.S. Air Force #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/xQw97BIOKl
STMicroelectronics Boosts Starlink Chip Revenue Eightfold
.#STMicroelectronics @relouzzane: Chip deliveries to @Starlink, $175M in 2021 & $600M in 2025; our BOM up 8x between Starlink v1.5 and v3, now $10s of 000s per satellite. We're pursuing other LEO operators, including Chinese (for UTs only, not sat...
Reliance Eyes LEO Satellites to Build India's Answer to Starlink
Reliance Industries is exploring a multi‑billion‑dollar entry into low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite communications, to be housed within its Jio Platforms unit. Six internal teams are already working on satellite design, launch logistics, payloads and user terminals, while senior executives steer the...
Telesat's Lightspeed Advances Amid GEO Debt Crunch
.@Telesat: Lightspeed constellation network development, inc gateways & user terminals, on track.Downward spiral of GEO business continues; how to refinance $1.7B in debt maturing this Dec remains an issue. @Intellian @MDA_space.https://t.co/n8DnGZGmlF https://t.co/Yh8RP7C7Fv
NASA’s STORIE Set To Observe Earth’s Ring Current
NASA’s STORIE mission will launch aboard SpaceX’s 34th ISS resupply flight and attach to the station’s exterior. The instrument will image energetic neutral atoms to reveal the composition and dynamics of Earth’s ring current, a key component of space weather....
Lockheed Martin Completes Core‑Mate Phase for First GPS IIIF Satellite Ahead of Launch
Lockheed Martin announced that Space Vehicle 11 (SV11) has passed the core‑mate phase, the first GPS IIIF satellite slated for launch. The milestone accelerates the U.S. Space Force’s next‑generation navigation constellation, featuring a 60‑fold anti‑jamming boost and new military M‑Code capability.
Reduced-Gravity CPR Simulator Shows Unique Hemodynamics for Space Resuscitation
A high-fidelity CPR simulator replicates blood flow in reduced gravity, revealing distinct hemodynamic responses compared to Earth conditions and offering new insights for resuscitation strategies during space missions. spacemedicine
Space Mission Lessons: Risk, Teamwork, Endurance Revealed
Thrilled to be bringing my live talk “The Sky is Not the Limit: Lessons from a Year in Space” to Australia this November. I’ll take audiences behind the scenes of my 143-million-mile mission- the risks, teamwork, and endurance that made...
Anduril to Work With Impulse Space, K2 Space, Voyager, and Others on Space-Based Interceptor Award
Anduril Industries secured an Other Transaction Authority contract from the U.S. Space Force to prototype technologies for space‑based interceptors under the Golden Dome initiative. The company announced a consortium that includes Impulse Space, Inversion Space, K2 Space, Sandia National Laboratories...