National Initiative For American Space Nuclear Power
The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a memo under Executive Order 14369, directing a National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power. The plan calls for near‑term deployment of nuclear reactors on the Moon and in Earth orbit, with a lunar‑surface reactor slated for launch by 2030. OSTP will coordinate the effort across federal agencies, providing guidance to meet the President’s space‑superiority priority. The initiative marks the first coordinated federal push to commercialize space nuclear power for exploration and habitation.
Artemis 2 Is Not a European Triumph
Artemis 2 marked the first crewed Moon‑orbit mission in over 50 years, but Europe’s role remained largely invisible. ESA supplied three Orion Service Modules—totaling roughly $1.6 billion—and key Gateway hardware, yet no European astronaut flew; Canada’s Jeremy Hansen took the sole non‑U.S. seat....
Amazon Reaches Definitive Merger Deal with Globalstar with Support for Apple Devices
Amazon announced a definitive agreement to acquire Globalstar at $90 per share, a roughly 23% premium over the stock’s recent close of $72.89. The deal will integrate Globalstar’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite network with Amazon Leo, enabling direct‑to‑device (D2D) services. Amazon also secured...
Microgravity System Recycles SLA Resin And Enables Casting
A research team has unveiled a closed‑loop system that recycles unreacted SLA photopolymer resin and enables injection casting in microgravity. The design replaces gravity‑based settling with capillary‑driven fluid handling, membrane filtration, and inline sensors to recondition resin streams for reuse....
Telefónica Germany Pushes IoT Beyond Terrestrial Limits
Telefónica Germany announced the integration of narrowband satellite links into its 5G IoT portfolio, positioning satellite as a natural extension rather than a threat. The hybrid connectivity model lets devices switch between cellular and satellite networks to cover gaps in...
Japan Airlines Taps SES to Expand Multi-Orbit Inflight Connectivity
Japan Airlines has partnered with satellite operator SES to equip its long‑haul fleet with multi‑orbit inflight connectivity. The deal covers 20 Airbus A350‑900s, 10 Boeing 787‑9s in line‑fit and 11 787‑9s as retrofits, with installations slated to begin in 2027‑2028....
Meet Liliana Villarreal, the Latina Who Brought Artemis II Safely Back to Earth
Liliana Villarreal, a Colombian‑born aerospace engineer, served as NASA’s Landing and Recovery Director for Artemis II, overseeing the mission’s safe splashdown on April 10, 2026. The crew of four returned from lunar orbit after a 10‑day flight, reentering the atmosphere at 25,000 mph and...
NASA Is the Most Underrated Brand
Four astronauts completed Artemis II, the deepest crewed flight to date, looping the Moon with a 5.7 million‑pound rocket. The mission reignited public pride, with 80% of Americans rating NASA favorably and its website rivaling major tech brands in traffic. Despite higher...
What It’s Like to Be…an Aerospace Engineer
The latest episode of Dan Heath’s podcast "What It’s Like to Be…" features Swati Mohan, a NASA JPL aerospace engineer who helped guide the Perseverance rover through the infamous “seven minutes of terror” landing on Mars. Listeners hear how JPL’s ultra‑clean rooms...
ESA Publishes New Details on Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator
The European Space Agency (ESA) has opened a call for proposals to develop a Crew Launch Abort Demonstrator, allocating roughly $1.1 million for the System Level Definition phase that will run up to 12 months. The project will use an Ariane 6...
US Mobile’s New Bundle Combines Its Multi-Network Mobile Service with Starlink Residential Internet
US Mobile announced a partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink to bundle its prepaid, multi‑network cellular service with Starlink residential internet. The offering combines unlimited mobile plans that switch automatically among AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile with uncapped Starlink broadband, all managed through...
The Future of the Artemis Program
NASA’s Artemis II mission successfully completed a 700,000‑mile lunar flyby and splashed down off California, marking the United States’ return to crewed deep‑space travel after more than 50 years. The four‑astronaut crew demonstrated the Orion spacecraft’s performance and validated key navigation,...
Space Twitter’s Ad Hoc Heat Shield Analysis
NASA’s Artemis II splashdown image sparked a wave of speculation on Space Twitter after a bright, colored patch appeared on the capsule’s heat shield. Influencers and arm‑chair experts quickly labeled it a potential problem, despite the picture’s low resolution. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman...
Royal Navy Fleet to Get Satellite Tactical Data Links
The UK Ministry of Defence announced that Phase 2c of the Maritime Multi Link programme has hit its Equipment Delivery Date, paving the way for satellite‑based tactical data links on 13 Royal Navy vessels, including Type 23 frigates, Type 45 destroyers and the...
IVO Quantum Orbital Thrust Update
Between September and December 2025 IVO’s test satellite decayed 4,880 m, about 600 m less than its control twin, indicating an average upward drift of roughly 6.6 m per day. The drift aligns with the expected thrust from the IVO Quantum Drive (~1.75 mN)...
SpaceX Will Have Static Fire Testing of All 33 Engines
SpaceX announced that it will conduct static‑fire testing of all 33 Raptor engines slated for its Starship launch system. The tests are a key milestone before the vehicle’s high‑frequency launch schedule, which Musk envisions as 100‑plus times the annual cadence...
We Can Still Do This
Artemis II returned to Earth after a 695,000‑mile lunar flyby, marking the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 13 in 1972. The four‑person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—reentered the atmosphere at roughly 25,000 mph, showcasing NASA’s...
Splashdown. Now Comes The Greatest Danger
The article reflects on the profound psychological shift astronauts experience after returning from deep‑space missions, drawing parallels between Apollo crews and the recent Artemis II crew. The author recounts a university project measuring lunar mountain heights, emphasizing the spiritual “overview effect”...
The Artemis II Crew Is Home
NASA’s Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, safely splashed down in the Pacific on Friday, bringing home four astronauts after the first crewed lunar flyby in 54 years. The re‑entry generated plasma temperatures of roughly 5,000 °F, causing a six‑minute communications blackout before...
Artemis Crew Safely Splashes Down Off California Coast
NASA confirmed that the Artemis II crew safely re‑entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific off Southern California. The four‑person team—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen—completed a 10‑day lunar flyby, the first...
From Starbase to Orbit
The April 2026 update shows autonomous in‑space manufacturing has moved from concept to live orbital demonstration through DARPA’s NOM4D program, while the U.S. Space Force has formally incorporated SpaceX’s Starbase launch logistics into its warfighter technology portfolio. A single FCC...
This Dashboard Tracks Everything Going on with Artemis’ Orion Capsule as It Returns to Earth
NASA’s Artemis II mission is in its final phase, with the Orion capsule—nicknamed Integrity—scheduled to splash down off San Diego at 8:07 p.m. EDT on Friday. The crew has already completed a historic fly‑by of the Moon’s far side and returned high‑resolution imagery...
Space Junk: Do Scientists Have a Fix?
Space debris is reaching a critical mass, with the European Space Agency estimating over 15,100 tonnes in orbit, 1.2 million objects between 1 cm and 10 cm, and 140 million smaller fragments. A sub‑millimetre particle recently cracked the Shenzhou‑20 capsule window, forcing a rescue...
SpaceX Engine Explodes as Musk Targets $2 Trillion IPO
SpaceX suffered an engine fire during a Starship test in McGregor, Texas, just days after Elon Musk announced the test flight would be delayed to early‑mid May 2026. The company still targets an initial public offering with a $2 trillion valuation,...
KDDI and Okinawa Cellular's Au Starlink Direct Now Supports iPhones in US
KDDI and Okinawa Cellular have upgraded their au Starlink Direct service to work with 22 iPhone models, spanning the iPhone 13 through iPhone 17 line‑ups and the iPhone Air. The service delivers direct satellite‑to‑smartphone connectivity for customers roaming in the United States, bypassing traditional cellular...
Weekly Wrap: The Fight over MSS Spectrum Is in Full Swing
Amazon is in advanced talks to acquire Globalstar in a deal valued around $9 billion. Globalstar holds valuable mobile‑satellite service spectrum in the L/S‑band and, more critically, Band 53/n53 (2483.5‑2495 MHz) licensed in 11 countries, which Amazon could integrate into its Leo network...
One Starlink MVNO to Conquer All
US Mobile has become the first mobile‑virtual network operator to bundle residential Starlink satellite internet with a cellular plan. The offering gives subscribers a single subscription that provides broadband via Starlink and phone service that automatically switches among Verizon, AT&T...
SpaceX Is Keeping the Space Station Alive Again This Weekend
SpaceX will launch Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft on April 11, targeting the International Space Station with over 11,000 pounds of supplies for Expedition 73. The NG‑24 mission, named S.S. Steven R. Nagel, uses a Falcon 9 after Northrop switched from the...
Student-Built Instruments Head to Space
Astrophysics undergraduates Eva Godwin and Gael Gonzalez at the College of Charleston have built two research instruments that will fly aboard Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus‑24 cargo mission to the International Space Station. The payload includes a liquid‑lens optical camera for studying biological...
SpaceX Revenue Will Be Close to Around $27-30 Billion in 2026
SpaceX’s Starlink service is slated to generate roughly $20 billion in 2025, nearly doubling its 2024 earnings of $11.8 billion. Subscriber acquisition is accelerating from 750,000 to 1.5 million new users each month, reshaping the company’s revenue mix. The airline and maritime segments...
Two Day Delay for Blue Origin New Glenn
Blue Origin has pushed the third New Glenn launch from April 14 to April 16, citing that the rocket sections remain in the integration bay. The mission will carry AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7, a Block 2 communications satellite with a 2,400‑sq‑ft array and 120 Mbps peak...
The Role of SpaceAg in the Emerging Lunar Economy
Artemis II marks humanity’s return to the Moon, shifting focus from pure exploration to a sustained presence that will underpin a burgeoning lunar economy. The World Economic Forum forecasts the overall space market to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035, while the lunar...
SpaceX Starship 13 Should Be the First Orbital Flight
SpaceX’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licenses for Starship flights have been revised. Flight 12 retains a suborbital profile for both stages, with a launch window aimed at late April or early May. Flight 13’s license now authorizes a suborbital first stage followed...
Planetary Science Caucus Rejects NASA FY 2027 Budget Request
President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget released the FY 2027 budget request that slashes NASA’s total budget by 23% and trims the Science Mission Directorate by 47%. The proposal would cancel more than 40 planetary missions, including the high‑profile Mars...
CBS News to Present "Artemis II Return to Earth" A One-Hour Special, Friday, April 10
CBS News will broadcast a live, one‑hour special titled “Artemis II Return to Earth” on Friday, April 10, from 7:30‑8:30 PM ET. Anchor Jericka Duncan will be joined by astronaut Suni Williams, Lt. Col. Dave Mahan and other reporters from New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., and San Diego. The program...
ESA Spent €82 Million to Launch Sentinel-1D Satellite on Ariane 6
The European Space Agency disclosed that the Sentinel‑1D Earth‑observation satellite launched on an Ariane 62 rocket in November 2025 cost €82,070,773, roughly $89 million. The mission was originally slated for a Vega‑C launch, but the rocket’s two‑year grounding forced a switch to...
Building Momentum
NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo, launched in early April 2026 after a modest start. Real‑time images of the Orion capsule sparked a surge of media attention, temporarily eclipsing the usual news cycle. The excitement is expected...
Liquid Metals as Vital Materials for Future Deep-Space Missions
A research team led by Prof. Liu Jing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shown that room‑temperature liquid metals can serve as critical materials for deep‑space missions. Published in Cell Press Blue, the study highlights liquid‑metal‑based power systems, propulsion, thermal‑management,...
Life From Space? I Have Questions
Scientists analyzing samples from the carbon‑rich asteroids Ryugu and Bennu have identified all five nucleobases that form DNA and RNA, confirming that these fundamental organic molecules can arise through abiotic processes in space. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, add...
A Direct Line From LEO: Problem or Opportunity?
Regulators are lagging behind the rapid expansion of low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellite services, creating uncertainty for operators seeking global coverage. Industry leaders from the GSOA and GSMA warn that fragmented spectrum rules, legal‑intercept mandates, and cross‑border interference standards could add costly...
🌊 Everything to Know About the Artemis II Mission
NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off on April 1 2026, sending four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—on a ten‑day lunar flyby aboard the Space Launch System. The flight marks the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in...
Artemis 2- Orion Lunar Flyby
NASA’s Artemis II mission delivered the first crew‑captured images during a lunar flyby. The photos reveal previously unseen regions, including impact craters, ancient lava flows, surface fractures, and a rare in‑space solar eclipse. Astronauts also recorded an Earthrise/Earthset and six meteoroid...
Why Space Compute Is Science Fiction (DDCU 4/7)
The post argues that underwater and space‑based data centers remain speculative, not imminent solutions for AI‑driven demand. It cites Microsoft’s Project Natick—a 12‑rack, 864‑server pod submerged off Scotland’s Orkney Islands from 2018 to 2020—as an engineering curiosity that yielded modest...
Are Musk and Bezos Turning the Sky Into a Landfill?
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin have jointly filed to launch roughly 1.1 million satellites, dwarfing today’s constellations and aiming to create orbital AI data centers. A recent German‑British study detected a ten‑fold lithium spike 60 miles up after a...
Artemis II Photos
NASA has added a new Flickr album featuring photos from the Artemis II mission, the first crewed test flight of Orion and the Space Launch System. The collection includes “Earthset,” a visual homage to Apollo 8’s Earthrise, and a striking image of...
State of Tuesday: WHITEY ON THE MOON
Victor Glover, the Black astronaut piloting NASA’s Artemis II mission, publicly invoked Christian teachings while the crew passed behind the Moon. His remarks sparked immediate praise from conservative circles, while liberal commentators highlighted NASA’s broader diversity agenda. The post ties Glover’s...
Earth Observation Weekly Briefing - April 7, 2026
TerraWatch’s April 7 briefing highlights that orbital data centres remain a core Earth observation (EO) business, but their long‑term role is uncertain as edge computing gains traction. The piece outlines how EO providers currently monetize raw satellite imagery through centralized...
China Upgrades GPS Rival, BeiDou as It Eyes International expansion...China Sees IPOs Increase 56% as Restrictions eased...Chinese University Claims to...
China is overhauling its BeiDou satellite navigation system, trimming the constellation to 37 third‑generation satellites to boost global coverage and challenge GPS dominance. In the first quarter of 2026, mainland IPOs surged 56% to roughly $3.7 bn after the regulator eased...
The Exploration Company Completes Nyx Test Model Pressure Tests
The Exploration Company announced on 31 March that it has completed pressure testing of the Nyx Structural Test Model’s pressurised compartment, confirming the structure behaves as expected. The test article, built by France’s CNIM Systèmes Industriels and delivered in mid‑February,...
The Artemis II Launch: A Global Milestone and a Mirror for China’s Ambitions
In early April 2026 NASA launched Artemis II, its most powerful rocket carrying four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar orbit mission, the first crewed Moon flight since 1972. The flight serves as a critical test for the Orion capsule, the Space...
