Kristian Stout and Michael Calabrese: The FCC Lets Satellite Innovation Breathe
The FCC is poised to vote on a draft order that would replace the 1990s‑era Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits with a performance‑based framework for non‑geostationary satellite constellations. The new rules would assess actual interference on legacy geostationary systems rather than rely on static worst‑case assumptions. The agency estimates the change could boost satellite broadband capacity up to sevenfold and generate more than $2 billion in economic value. By aligning regulation with modern adaptive technologies, the FCC aims to unlock spectrum efficiency while preserving protection for incumbent operators.
SpaceX Flies 25 Starlink Satellites to Orbit on Its 50th Falcon 9 Launch of the Year
SpaceX marked its 50th Falcon 9 launch of 2026 by sending 25 Starlink V2 Mini broadband satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission used first‑stage booster B1088, which was on its 15th flight after supporting NROL‑126, Transporter‑12,...
India Plans Space Laboratories in Universities to Build Future Space Workforce
India will establish seven dedicated space laboratories across universities and colleges, giving students practical exposure to satellite and launch technologies. The move follows rapid expansion of the Indian space ecosystem, which has attracted more than $600 million in private investment and...
China Launches PRSC-EO3 for Pakistan, Lofts Internet Test and Environment Monitoring Satellites
China conducted three orbital launches on April 24‑25, sending Pakistan's PRSC‑EO3 remote‑sensing satellite aboard a Long March 6, deploying four satellite‑internet test satellites on a Long March 2D, and placing the Daqi‑2 atmospheric‑monitoring satellite on a Long March 4C. The PRSC‑EO3 marks the third China‑Pakistan remote‑sensing...
Satellite Services for Yachts
Yacht satellite connectivity has moved from a single‑subscription model to a layered architecture that combines LEO, MEO and GEO services with dedicated safety and backup links. Operators such as KVH, OmniAccess and Marlink now offer managed packages that orchestrate traffic,...
NASA Reserves Science Payload Space for Mars Telecommunications Mission
NASA is reserving up to 20 kg of space on its Mars Telecommunications Network (MTN) satellite for a science payload, limited to a 55 × 55 × 45 cm volume, 60 watts power and 200‑1,000 megabits of data per day. The $700 million MTN, mandated by a 2023 budget...
Two Launches Today, by China and Russia
China launched Pakistan’s Earth‑observation satellite PRSC‑EO3 aboard a Long March 6 from Taiyuan, while Russia lifted a Progress cargo capsule on a Soyuz‑2 from Baikonur to resupply the International Space Station. Both missions marked the latest entries in a crowded 2026...
Contribution to Artemis II Moon Mission Sees Successful Test of a Space Camera Under Cosmic Ray Conditions
The GSI Helmholtzzentrum and FAIR accelerator facility successfully tested a specially modified Nikon Z9 camera under simulated cosmic‑ray conditions in March 2025. Heavy‑ion beams reproduced the high‑energy radiation environment of deep space, confirming the camera’s stable operation. The validated camera was flown...
Space Force Issues Twelve Companies Golden Dome Contracts Worth $3.2 Billion
The U.S. Space Force announced it has awarded Other Transaction Authority contracts worth $3.2 billion to twelve companies for the first‑phase prototype development of the Golden Dome space‑based missile‑defense system. The award list includes industry giants such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, SpaceX...
Space Force Faces Surge in Demand for Heavy-Lift Launches
The U.S. Space Force is expanding its heavy‑lift launch demand, adding 25 high‑energy missions to the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 2 program. This boost raises the total Lane 2 missions by nearly 50% to 79 over five years, straining...
One (More) Small Step for Mankind
The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, carrying four astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion capsule, marking the first crewed flight of the program. The essay reflects on how the rise of New Space companies—SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic—has democratized access to space, turning...
Satellite Snaps Amazing 36th Birthday Pic of Hubble Space Telescope (Photo)
On April 24, 2026, Vantor’s WorldView Legion 4 satellite photographed NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope from just 62 km (38.4 mi) away, marking the telescope’s 36th birthday. The image shows Hubble’s cylindrical body, thermal shielding, solar arrays, and open aperture door with a ground‑sample...
Virgin Atlantic Accelerates Starlink Rollout to Create ‘Home Away From Home’ Experience
Virgin Atlantic is accelerating its rollout of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, beginning with free high‑speed Wi‑Fi on its Airbus A350 fleet in May. The first passenger flight, VS153 from London to New York, will showcase the service, with plans to...
The Aerospace and Defense Trade Is Taking Investors Deeper Into Space, and More ETFs Are up for the Mission
Investors are turning to exchange‑traded funds that target aerospace, defense, and space technologies as geopolitical tension from the Iran war fuels demand. VettaFi highlighted the Procure Space ETF (UFO), up roughly 19% since the conflict began, and the Global X...
Artemis II Broke Fred Haise's Distance Record, but He Is Happy to Pass It On
Artemis II’s crew set a new human‑distance record, traveling 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth—surpassing the Apollo 13 benchmark that stood for 56 years. The record was achieved on a free‑return trajectory that took the Orion capsule farther beyond the Moon’s far side than any...
Scientists Say They’ve Tested a Way to Get to Alpha Centauri in Just 20 Years
Researchers at Texas A&M University have demonstrated a laser‑propelled micro‑device called a metajet that can move in three dimensions without physical contact. The metajet’s metasurface pattern redirects incoming light, converting photon momentum into thrust, a principle the team says can...
Canadian Space Industry Companies: The Complete Guide to Every Major Player
The guide maps Canada’s rapidly expanding space sector, noting that MDA Space generated C$499 million (~$370 million) in 2025 revenue with a C$4 billion backlog, while satellite communications, Earth observation and launch services see strong growth. Start‑ups such as GHGSat, Kepler and Wyvern...
This Is Who's Developing Golden Dome's Orbital Interceptors—If They're Ever Built
The U.S. Space Force announced a roster of 12 companies—including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Anduril, and Booz Allen—receiving up to $3.2 billion in OTA contracts to develop Space‑Based Interceptors (SBIs) for the Golden Dome missile‑defense program. The awards target early‑stage prototypes and aim...
Australia: Satellite-Enabled Communications Strengthens Disaster Resilience
Australian researchers at Swinburne University, funded by SmartSat CRC, have created a low‑power satellite‑enabled communication terminal designed for disaster zones. The system combines a minimalist beacon, software‑defined radio, and LoRa‑satellite hybrid links to deliver text and voice messages when terrestrial...
Space Force Picks Firms to Develop Golden Dome’s Space-Based Interceptors
The U.S. Space Force announced that twelve companies, ranging from established primes to emerging defense firms, have been awarded Other Transaction Authority contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to develop space‑based interceptors for the Golden Dome missile‑defense shield. The program targets...
U.S. Issues Guidance for American Space Nuclear Power Initiative
On April 14, 2026 the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued National Security and Technology Memorandum‑3, launching the National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power. The program tasks NASA, the Department of War, the Department of Energy...
NASA Sees Industry Opportunity in Proposed Budget Cuts
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Congress that the agency can sustain its exploration and science agenda despite a proposed 23% budget cut to $18.8 billion for FY 2027 by leaning on commercial space services. The budget also includes $2.11 billion from the Working...
Air India Selects Hughes IFC for Airbus and Boeing Fleet
Air India Limited has signed an inflight connectivity (IFC) agreement with Hughes to equip its Airbus and Boeing wide‑body fleet with satellite‑based broadband. The partnership will deliver consistent, global Wi‑Fi coverage for passengers and crew, regardless of route. Hughes will...
Space Force Reveals $3.2B in Space-Based Interceptor Awards for Golden Dome
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command announced on April 24 that it has awarded 20 contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to 12 companies to develop space‑based interceptor (SBI) technology for the Golden Dome missile‑defense program. The contracts cover prototypes...
CACI Opens up More on Its Arka Acquisition and the Path Forward
CACI International closed its $2.6 billion acquisition of Arka Group in March, adding 1,100 employees and advanced space‑based imaging sensors to its portfolio. CEO John Mengucci highlighted ground‑processing as the primary synergy, with Arka’s authorizations enabling agentic AI for geospatial intelligence...
Josh Kutryk Will Officially Go to ISS No Earlier than September, but Aboard SpaceX
The Canadian Space Agency announced that astronaut Josh Kutryk will fly to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX Crew‑13, with launch no earlier than September 2026. The reassignment follows the cancellation of his earlier Starliner‑1 assignment and aligns with Canada’s...
Is Starlink Turning Elon Musk Into a Star Lord?
Elon Musk’s Starlink suffered a global outage that left two dozen U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessels adrift, exposing a single point of failure in the military’s reliance on SpaceX’s MILNET satellite network. MILNET, a 480‑satellite subset of the 10,000‑satellite Starlink...
ISED Launches Search for Next Canadian Space Agency President
The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has opened applications for the next President of the Canadian Space Agency, with a deadline of May 21 2026. The full‑time role pays CAD 253,300–298,000 annually (approximately $187,000–$220,000 USD) and requires residence in...
NASA’s TESS Spacecraft Identifies Rare and Unprecedented Planetary System
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) teamed with the Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets (ASTEP) to uncover a planetary system unlike any seen before. The system hosts multiple planets ranging from Earth‑size to Neptune‑class, some on ultra‑short orbital periods under...
25 Years of the International Space Station: Legacy, Science, and the Road Ahead
The International Space Station celebrated 25 years of uninterrupted crewed operations, highlighting its unprecedented engineering feats and multinational partnership among 15 governments. Experts at the AIAA SciTech Forum emphasized the station’s role as a microgravity test kitchen that has accelerated...
SDA’s Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results
The Space Development Agency (SDA) is accelerating its procurement model, demanding proven results from startups while tolerating higher risk to meet tight timelines for its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). Using OTA contracts and a spiral development approach, SDA pushes...
DND Issues $6.75M IDEaS Challenge for Multi-Modal AI to Fuse Space and Terrestrial Data
The Canadian Department of National Defence has opened the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) challenge, offering up to $6.75 million CAD (≈ $5 million USD) in phased funding for multi‑modal AI that can fuse satellite imagery, RF signals, EO/IR video and...
China Launches Another “Set of Test Satellites Promoting Internet Technology”
China’s state‑run media reported that a Long March 2D rocket lifted off from Xichang, deploying a new batch of test satellites aimed at advancing internet technology. The payloads will focus on direct satellite‑to‑phone broadband and integrating space‑ground networks. No details were...
Firefly Highlights Alpha Flight 8 Progress with AFP Composite Barrel Builds
Firefly Aerospace announced that its Alpha Flight 8 mission, slated for late Q2 2026, is in the integration and test phase, leveraging an automated‑fiber‑placement (AFP) machine from Ingersoll Machine Tools to produce four carbon‑fiber composite barrels. The Block II upgrade adds a 7‑foot...
NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions From Missouri Students
NASA will host a live, prerecorded Q&A session on April 30 where astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway answer STEM questions from Missouri K‑12 students while aboard the International Space Station. The broadcast begins at 10:50 a.m. EDT on the Learn With...
Prepare for Launch: Solar Powers the $600 Billion Space Industry
The space economy is set to surge from $630 billion in 2023 to $1.8 trillion by 2035, driving massive demand for high‑performance solar power. While gallium‑arsenide (GaAs) cells remain the efficiency benchmark, their production is constrained to roughly 2 MW per year, creating...
Space Data-Center News: Roundup of Extraterrestrial AI Endeavors
In April 2026 a wave of space‑compute announcements pushed orbital data centers closer to commercial reality. Sophia Space teamed with Kepler Communications to run its software on a ten‑satellite cluster of Nvidia Orin processors, while Deloitte activated two additional cyber‑defense...
CMC Body Flap for Space Rider TPS Passes Plasma Test After Hypervelocity Impact
ESA’s reusable Space Rider program advanced its thermal protection system testing at Italy’s CIRA facility, where a sub‑scale body flap made from the ISiComp carbon‑fiber‑reinforced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) endured a hypervelocity impact and subsequent plasma exposure. The 2.3 mm aluminum...
April 24, 1990: Hubble Launches
The Hubble Space Telescope lifted off aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990, marking the culmination of nearly two decades of design, engineering, and international collaboration. Initial concepts emerged in the early 1960s, with NASA formalizing the design team...
Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp
Astra is pitching its small, single‑use rockets as realistic targets for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile‑defense tests, arguing that expendable vehicles better simulate actual threats and can lower testing costs. CEO Chris Kemp says the program will drive scale and...
Trump Taps Space Execs For Military Space Roles
President Donald Trump has nominated Raytheon vice president Erich Hernandez‑Baquero as the Air Force assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, and V2X chief growth officer Roger Mason as the next head of the National Reconnaissance Office. Both appointments require...
How We Protected the UK and Space in March 2026
The National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) reported that March 2026 saw a 10% rise in atmospheric re‑entries, with 72 objects – 55 satellites, 12 rocket bodies and five debris pieces – burning up. Collision‑avoidance events for UK‑licensed satellites dropped to...
The Governance Gap: Why Orbital Data Centers Need Certification Before They Scale
Orbital and lunar data centers are reaching a scaling inflection point, but their supply chains lack unified governance and certification. Without industry‑wide standards, each project remains a bespoke, high‑risk venture, inflating capital costs and deterring investors. The article argues that...
One NZ Commences DoC Sensor Pilot
One NZ is partnering with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation to pilot 50 smart sensors in remote toilets, huts and wastewater systems, using satellite connectivity. The DoC manages about 2,000 toilets and currently relies on costly helicopter and vehicle inspections. Early...
Amazon Leo Enters Live Sport as DP World Tour Rolls Out Satellite Internet Across Events
The DP World Tour has partnered with Amazon to roll out its low‑Earth‑orbit satellite network, Amazon Leo, across more than 40 tournaments starting in 2026. This makes the golf circuit the first professional sport to deploy LEO satellite internet at...
Test Time for These Moon Drills
A South Dakota startup, AeroFly, is developing two auger‑based systems to move lunar regolith and extract water for future Artemis outposts. The LEONA project will demonstrate a 2‑meter horizontal auger that sublimates ice into vapor, while the Rego‑LIFT system will...
Braving the Arctic for Upcoming Polar-Focused Satellites
The European Space Agency is preparing three new Copernicus satellites—CIMR, CRISTAL and ROSE‑L—to improve Arctic sea‑ice monitoring. To validate the instruments, an international team is conducting a six‑week field campaign on the sea ice near Cambridge Bay, collecting coordinated ground‑based...
Satellite Startup Univity Raises €27m to Throw Its Hat Into the Ring
French satellite startup Univity announced a €27 million ($29 M) Series A round to develop its VLEO‑based 5G constellation, uniSky. The funding, led by Blast and backed by Expansion Capital and Bpifrance’s Deeptech 2030, will finance the uniShape demonstrator – two low‑orbit satellites that...
Telecom News: AST SpaceMobile, Xfinity, AT&T
AST SpaceMobile received FCC commercial authorization to launch a 248‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit network that will deliver direct‑to‑device cellular broadband across the United States. Xfinity Mobile introduced two new plans—Mobile Plus at $45 per line with lifetime device protection and Mobile Select...
People Will Be 'Living and Working' On the Moon in the 2030s, Says Space Tech CEO
Voyager Technologies CEO Dylan Taylor told CNBC’s CONVERGE LIVE that an inflatable lunar habitat could be operational by the end of the 2020s, with a permanent human presence on the Moon emerging in the early 2030s. He highlighted a broader...