Blue Origin Fires New Glenn, Eyes California Launch Site for Debut
Blue Origin completed a 19‑second static fire of its refurbished New Glenn rocket on April 16, 2026, keeping the NG‑3 mission on schedule for April 19. At the same time, the company is in final negotiations with the U.S. Space Force to lease a launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, positioning the heavy‑lift vehicle for its first West‑Coast launch.
Asteroid-Mining Microbes Extract Metal From Rocks in Space
Scientists demonstrated that bacteria and fungi can leach precious metals from asteroid material in microgravity, marking a breakthrough for in‑situ resource utilization (ISRU). The BioAsteroid project tested the bacterium Sphingomonas desiccabilis and the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum on Earth and aboard...
I Built Dragon’s LiDAR, yet People Doubted Me
People oddly assumed that I didn’t understand LiDAR, even though I oversaw the custom LiDAR development that Dragon uses to dock with the Space Station
Voyager and IBM Demonstrate Post-Quantum Security on the International Space Station
Voyager Space and IBM have demonstrated a post‑quantum secured link between Earth and the International Space Station using Voyager’s Space Edge™ micro‑datacenter and IBM’s Quantum Safe Remediator. The system upgrades legacy encryption through a software proxy that translates to NIST‑standardized...
Space Force, NATO Commanders Share Threat Perspectives
At the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, senior leaders from the U.S. Space Force and NATO outlined a widening threat landscape that spans from low‑Earth orbit to deep space. Lt. Gen. Dennis Bythewood described the Space Force’s new S4S component,...
Northumbria University Wins £4m to Crack the Code on Earth’s Deadliest Space Radiation
Northumbria University has secured a £4 million (≈$5.1 million) grant from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council to study the erratic behavior of Earth’s radiation belts. Led by Professor Clare Watt, the five‑year project will merge spacecraft data from global missions...
Military Space Warfare Commercial Market Analysis 2026
U.S. defense agencies have reshaped military‑space procurement by opening the $151 billion SHIELD contract vehicle to 2,440 commercial vendors, integrating them into the Golden Dome missile‑defense architecture. The Space Development Agency awarded $3.5 billion for 72 Tranche 3 tracking‑layer satellites, while SpaceX’s MILNET...
OQ Technology Secures ESA Contract to Bring 5G Beamforming to Satellite‑to‑Phone Services
OQ Technology, the Luxembourg‑based satellite operator, was awarded an ESA ARTES contract to adapt terrestrial 5G beamforming for space‑based direct‑to‑device services. The project, dubbed BEAMSAT‑5G, builds on a recent €25 million (≈$27 million) venture debt round and targets commercial‑scale satellite “cell towers”...
PNT Satellite Operators: Current, Under Development, and Planned as of 2026
By April 2026 the only fully global sovereign PNT satellite operators are the United States (GPS), the European Union (Galileo), Russia (GLONASS) and China (BeiDou). Regional constellations such as Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC are expanding to improve local performance and...
U.S. Space Force Grants Lockheed Martin $68.6 M Modification for Next‑Gen OPIR
The U.S. Space Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $68.6 million contract modification for its next‑generation Over‑the‑Horizon Infrared (OPIR) system, bringing the program’s cumulative value to about $8.2 billion. The funds, drawn from FY‑2026 RDT&E, will support engineering and integration work at Lockheed’s...
Global Directory of Earth Observation Satellite Operators and Their Products and Services
In April 2026 the earth‑observation market is organized around four operator groups—optical, radar, specialist sensing, and public‑mission providers—and increasingly sells services rather than raw images. Commercial firms such as Maxar, Planet, Airbus, BlackSky, ICEYE and GHGSat bundle tasking, analytics, alerts and...
Rocket Lab Ascends to Clear #2 in Space Economy
Houston, we don’t have a problem. Rocket Lab is transforming into a legitimate powerhouse, becoming the clear #2 in the space economy.
New Open-Source Python-Based Software Boosts Space-Weather Modeling
University of Birmingham researchers, together with Los Alamos, Exeter and Northumbria, have released PIRAN, a free open‑source Python package that computes relativistic diffusion coefficients for wave‑particle interactions in Earth’s radiation belts. The tool reproduces results from legacy proprietary codes while...
Air Force Awarded Development Contract for Space-Based AMTI; Meink Says Risk Low
The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded a multi‑vendor contract to develop a space‑based air moving target indication (AMTI) system, with the first operational increment expected soon. Secretary Troy Meink emphasized that the technology’s risk is low, citing...
Boeing and Millennium Space Systems Add Mid-Class Resolute Satellite Bus
Boeing and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems unveiled Resolute, a new mid‑class satellite bus delivering 2‑4 kW of power. The platform bridges the capability gap between Millennium’s 50 W‑1 kW small sats and Boeing’s 4‑30 kW larger systems, leveraging existing flight computers, avionics, and...
Latvia to Sign Artemis Accords
NASA announced that Latvia will sign the Artemis Accords on April 20, 2026, becoming the 62nd nation to join the U.S.-led space partnership. The ceremony at NASA Headquarters will feature Latvia’s minister for education and science alongside senior U.S. officials....
Atos Drives DestinE Ecosystem Growth with ESA-Led Service Deployment and Call
Atos announced that the European Space Agency has tasked it with launching an Open Competition to expand the DestinE ecosystem, a European Union‑co‑funded digital twin of Earth. Twelve innovative service providers were selected to deliver advanced applications, ranging from hyper‑local...
SpaceX Starship Next Launch Targets May 2026 for V3 Debut
SpaceX’s twelfth integrated Starship test, Flight 12, targets a May 2026 launch from the newly built Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The mission will be the first flight of the Starship V3 configuration, featuring 33 Raptor 3 engines and a payload capacity of over...
Most Space Stocks Fail Rigorous Valuation Checklist
Saw this question on Reddit: "Space stocks - are they the real bubble?" Fair question when $PL is up 1,106% in 12 months Here's the quick framework I use: 1. Revenue growth rate vs valuation multiple - is the market pricing in 5...
Artemis II Crew Describes Moon Mission and Splashdown Moment
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen held a post‑mission press conference after completing Artemis II, a ten‑day crewed flight that looped around the Moon and returned to Earth. The mission launched on 1 April from...
Repurposing NASA’s Gateway Partnerships in the Face of ‘Ignition’
NASA announced a pause to its Gateway lunar‑orbit station, redirecting resources to the newly unveiled Ignition program that targets a permanent surface base on the Moon. The shift follows the Artemis II splashdown and comes amid a proposed $3.4 billion cut to...
NASA’s SPHEREx Maps Water Ice Across Cygnus X Star‑Forming Complex
NASA’s SPHEREx infrared observatory has produced a high‑resolution map of water‑ice distribution throughout the turbulent Cygnus X star‑forming region. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, confirm that ice concentrates in the densest dust lanes, offering new constraints on models of...
NASA Shifts Mobile Launcher 1 to VAB Ahead of Artemis III
NASA moved Mobile Launcher 1 from Launch Pad 39B to the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building on April 16, 2026, marking a key step in preparing for the Artemis III lunar mission. The 4‑mile trek on crawler‑transporter 2 follows the Artemis II flight and precedes...
NASA Artemis II Astronauts Say Thank You to the World
NASA’s Artemis II mission returned on April 1 after a historic 10‑day lunar flyby, marking the first crewed journey around the Moon in over five decades. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen highlighted both the triumphs—testing Orion’s manual piloting and...
Space-Based Missile Defense May Cost Too Much for Golden Dome’s 12-Figure Spending Plan
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein told the House Armed Services Committee that boost‑phase space interceptors, a centerpiece of the Golden Dome missile‑defense plan, are unlikely to be affordable at scale. The program’s budget has swelled to roughly $185 billion, with a...
The First Woman And First Person Of Color Just Went To The Moon
NASA’s Artemis program successfully landed the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, marking a historic milestone for human spaceflight. The achievement came after the Trump administration removed the “first woman and first person of color”...
Optical Links Replace Radio as Space Data Bottleneck
The radio spectrum is reaching the limit of space-to-Earth communication, with more spacecraft in orbit and more data to transmit each year. That’s why startup Transcelestial is working on optical communications for transferring data from Earth to space. https://spectrum.ieee.org/satellite-communication-laser-radio-transcelestial
When Words Can’t Express The Wonders You’ve Seen
Keith Cowing, former NASA employee and founder of NASA Watch, reflected on a once‑in‑a‑lifetime moment when he and astronaut Scott Parazynski displayed four Apollo 11 moon rocks at the base of Mt. Everest. The anecdote resurfaced during a BBC World interview with astronaut...
Orbiting Needs Speed, Not Height: Artemis II Curve Explained
Why does the @nasa Artemis II curve so much on launch? Getting into orbit is more about going fast than going up. For low Earth orbit, it's over 80 percent kinetic energy. https://www.instagram.com/p/DXMmMxrAOtJ/?img_index=1
Potential Space Florida Deal for 'Project Jaguar' Could Be First to Use New Spaceport PABs
Space Florida is preparing a conduit financing package for the confidential "Project Jaguar," authorizing up to $235 million in taxable and tax‑exempt bonds. The deal would be the first to employ private‑activity bonds (PABs) for a spaceport under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,...
New Data From Webb Suggests Two of Uranus’ Outer Rings Are Starkly Different
Astronomers using JWST infrared data from February 2025, combined with Keck and Hubble observations, have determined that Uranus’s outer μ and ν rings are compositionally distinct. The μ ring is dominated by water‑ice grains likely sourced from micrometeorite impacts on...
Starlink Outage Hit Drone Tests, Exposing Pentagon’s Growing Reliance on SpaceX
In August 2024 a global Starlink outage crippled two dozen U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessels off California, halting communications for about an hour. Internal Navy documents show the outage exposed a single point of failure for the Pentagon’s autonomous drone...
Stealth Satellite Signals Restore Connectivity for Millions in Iran Blackout
NetFreedom Pioneers deployed its Toosheh stealth‑signal platform to broadcast files over ordinary satellite TV, giving limited but vital connectivity to an estimated 90 million people cut off by Iran’s Jan 8, 2026 internet blackout. The workaround bypassed deep‑packet inspection and state‑controlled gateways, illustrating...
Blue Origin New Glenn 3 Has a Good Static Fire
Blue Origin successfully completed a static‑fire test of New Glenn 3 and is eyeing a Saturday or Sunday launch of the second commercial AST SpaceMobile direct‑to‑cellphone (DTC) satellite. AST SpaceMobile needs 40‑60 operational satellites to begin intermittent service and aims to have roughly 240...
Ofcom Clears VodafoneThree for Direct-to-Device Satellite Mobile Service
Ofcom has approved VodafoneThree’s request to amend its spectrum licence, allowing the merged carrier to deliver direct‑to‑device satellite connectivity for voice, SMS and data on ordinary smartphones. The move follows similar approvals for O2 and a pending handset‑rule update, signaling...
EarthDaily CEO Discusses the Launch of Commercial Operations and Daily Data Capabilities
EarthDaily, a Vancouver‑based EO and analytics firm, is scaling to a full 10‑satellite constellation and will begin commercial data services in September 2025. The first satellite, launched in June 2025, has validated the platform, with six more slated for May...
Starlink Outage Halts Navy Unmanned Vessel Test
“Last August, U.S. Navy officials carrying out a test of unmanned vessels realized they had hit a single point of failure: Starlink. A global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network affecting millions of Starlink users had left two dozen...
Wet Dress Rehearsal Boosts Confidence for Upcoming Flight
Nice full Wet Dress today is making flight in a few weeks look real good. We are close my friends.
First U.S. ‘Runway-to-Space’ Challenge for Spaceplane Payload Test Flights, Flying From Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport
The Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) and Dawn Aerospace have launched the Runway-to-Space Spaceplane Challenge, inviting Oklahoma‑based universities and research institutions to fly payloads on Dawn’s Aurora suborbital spaceplane from the Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport. The competition will fund...
We’d Have Landed on Moon With Full Control
“If you had given us the keys to the lander, we would have taken it down and landed on the Moon.” https://t.co/GDANrzqFE6
Artemis 4 Targets Moon’s South Pole for Water
Artemis 4 in early 2028 aims for a crewed landing on the Moon's south pole. Why the south pole? That's where we've found ice in permanently shadowed craters. Water on the Moon changes everything.
CIRA Tests Space Rider Reentry Performance with Damaged Heat Shield
The Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA) successfully tested Space Rider’s thermal protection system after deliberately damaging a body‑flap with a high‑velocity impact and exposing it to 1,200 °C plasma for over 600 seconds. The ISiComp ceramic‑composite material retained its dimensions, proving resilience...
ITAR Restrictions Pose Risk, Not Deal‑Breaker, $100M Spend Continues
.@Thales_Alenia_S: US #ITAR, #DPAS space tech export restrictions are a risk, not a showstopper. We still spend $100M or more per year on US components. @voyagertech_ @SpaceSymposium @Starlab_Space.https://t.co/GsZ51fq6T8 https://t.co/UfdSaAZ784
Starship V3 Set for First Test Flight Soon
Starship V3 booster & ship will be ready for their first test flight in a few weeks
Commercial Station Builders Counter NASA’s Assessment of LEO Market
Commercial space‑station developers Vast, Axiom Space and Starlab pushed back against NASA’s claim that a low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) market has not yet materialized. They argue they can be operational and profitable by the time the International Space Station retires in 2030,...
Mobile Launcher Returns to VAB for Artemis III Prep
The Mobile Launcher is on its way back to the VAB today to start getting ready for Artemis III. Departed the pad at 8:11 am ET. https://t.co/ZeDzYf5S67
NASA Greenlights ROSA Support for ExoMars Rover
NASA has given approval for the Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation (ROSA) project to begin implementation. This is the addl support NASA is providing to ESA to get the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover w/drill to Mars. https://t.co/mBPdDblJzg
Starlink Fixed Internet Now Rivals Cable Services
"I think increasingly Starlink’s fixed internet service is capable enough that it can provide a comparable service to some cable internet options and could become a direct competitor to some cable, DSL or copper ... services,” thanks @rcrwirelessnews ! https://t.co/vgp8DLQuCp
Rogers Gains North America’s Largest Satellite Coverage
"By combining the reach of Rogers Satellite, a first of its kind service in Canada, and T-Satellite, the first and only satellite-to-mobile network in the U.S. offered by T-Mobile, Rogers now has the most coverage in Canada and the U.S." https://t.co/CV30Bj93Uh
NASA Bets on Blue Origin for Lunar Victory
For the first time, but probably not the last, NASA and the United States are counting on Blue Origin to deliver a meaningful win on the Moon. https://t.co/lBZt9oTdXy