On the Space Show Twice This Week!
The Space Show is hosting two live Zoom panels to dissect SpaceX’s recent Starship/Superheavy test launch. A quick open‑lines show on Sunday, May 24, will feature the program’s board of advisors, who bring an engineering‑focused lens, while a longer session on Tuesday, May 26, will let host David Livingston explore broader political and cultural implications. Listeners can join by phone for free after emailing the host, whereas video participants must donate at least $100. The announcement also promotes Robert Zimmerman’s new book, "Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8," available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook formats.
One of the Three Chinese Astronauts to Launch This Weekend Will Do a Yearlong Mission
China is set to launch the Shenzhou‑23 mission this weekend with three astronauts—Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying. One crew member will be selected in orbit for a year‑long stay on the Tiangong‑3 space station, marking the nation’s first...
China’s Chang’e-7 Mission to Survey Moon’s South Pole Ahead of Planned Crewed Landing
China’s space agency announced that the Chang’e‑7 lunar mission will launch in the second half of 2026, targeting the Moon’s south pole to study terrain, environment and resource distribution. The probe will employ a multi‑component architecture that includes orbiting, landing,...
China Set for Latest Space Launch, with Hong Kong Astronaut Aboard
China’s Shenzhou‑23 mission will launch Sunday from Jiuquan, carrying three astronauts—including Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka‑ying—to the Tiangong space station. The crew will conduct scientific experiments, extravehicular activities and a cargo transfer, while one member will remain aboard for a year‑long...
New Starship Completes First Successful Mission
SpaceX’s upgraded Starship completed its twelfth test flight, reaching orbit, deploying 20 mock Starlink satellites and two specialized payloads before splashing down in the Indian Ocean and exploding. The Super Heavy booster separated as planned but failed to execute its...
Blue Origin Completes Investigation Into New Glenn Launch Failure
Blue Origin has wrapped up the FAA‑led investigation into the New Glenn NG‑3 failure, allowing the heavy‑lift vehicle to fly again. The mishap stemmed from a cryogenic leak that froze a hydraulic line, throttling one BE‑3U engine during the second‑stage burn...
The Fuel-Saving Lunar Trajectory that Looks Like the Long Way Round Could Solve One of Crewed Moon Travel’s Most Awkward...
Researchers have identified a new Earth‑Moon transfer that threads through the L1 Lagrange point, shaving roughly 59 m/s of delta‑v from the best low‑energy routes described in the literature. The trajectory enters the lunar manifold from the far side, a counter‑intuitive...
The Cassini Spacecraft Was Deliberately Flown Into Saturn in 2017 because NASA Refused to Risk Contaminating Enceladus, and in Its...
On September 15, 2017 NASA deliberately steered Cassini into Saturn’s atmosphere to eliminate any chance of contaminating the ocean‑bearing moon Enceladus. After 13 years of orbiting Saturn and revealing active geysers, subsurface oceans, and complex chemistry, the probe ran low...
SpaceX's Upgraded Starship V3 Launches For First Time
SpaceX successfully launched the upgraded Starship V3 from a brand‑new pad at Starbase, Texas, deploying 22 dummy Starlink satellites and two instrumented payloads. The 40‑story vehicle completed a sub‑orbital cruise, survived the loss of one upper‑stage Raptor engine, and performed...
SpaceX Completes Mostly Successful Starship Rocket Flight
SpaceX’s Starship completed its 12th integrated test flight on May 22, 2026, reaching orbit and surviving re‑entry despite two engine failures. The upper‑stage spacecraft performed a simulated ocean landing over the Indian Ocean using only two of the planned three engines before...
The National Space Society Congratulates SpaceX on Successful Starship Flight 12 Test
SpaceX successfully completed Starship Flight 12, the first integrated test of the next‑generation Version 3 Starship and Super Heavy booster, launching from the newly built Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The vehicle achieved lift‑off, ascent, stage separation and deployed 22 Starlink simulator payloads,...
The Space Race to Create Gym Equipment for Future Astronauts
A British‑engineered exercise kit called HIFIm is being trialled on parabolic flights to simulate weightlessness for future astronauts. The device promises to shrink daily workout time from the current two‑hour regimen on the International Space Station to just 30 minutes,...
Space Force Awards Viasat, SES $437 Million for Military Satellite Network
The U.S. Space Force has awarded Viasat and SES a combined $437.6 million contract to build communications satellites for the Protected Tactical Satcom‑Global (PTS‑G) program. The first “Swarm 1” batch will consist of four smaller geostationary satellites—two per contractor—targeted for delivery by...
SpaceX Launches Its Biggest Starship Mega Rocket yet on Test Flight
SpaceX launched the upgraded Starship V3, its largest and most powerful iteration, from Texas on a test flight carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites. The 407‑foot vehicle features bigger grid fins, a larger fuel transfer line, and enhanced avionics, marking the...
SpaceX Faces A Crucial Launch Test Ahead Of Its IPO
SpaceX submitted its long‑awaited IPO filing, positioning the company for a market debut that could value it in the trillions despite reporting $18 billion in revenue and nearly $5 billion in losses. Central to the offering is Starship, the fully reusable heavy‑lift...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Dr. Dietmar Pilz, European Space Agency
Dr. Dietmar Pilz, ESA’s Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, oversees a workforce of over 950 staff and 200 contractors responsible for engineering support across all ESA missions. Under his leadership, the agency successfully recovered the PROBA‑3 Coronagraph after a...
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman Workforce Message Signals a Mission-Centered Agency Realignment
On May 22, 2026 NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman issued a workforce message that reshapes the agency around mission delivery. The realignment moves all mission directorates to report directly to the administrator, merges several directorates into Human Spaceflight and Research & Technology units, and...
Starship V3 From Space: Satellite Snaps Amazing Photo of SpaceX Megarocket on the Pad
A Vantor WorldView Legion satellite captured a high‑resolution image of SpaceX’s 408‑foot Starship V3 on the launch pad at Starbase, Texas, on May 21, 2026. The launch was scrubbed minutes later due to technical issues, and SpaceX rescheduled the attempt for...
ST Engineering iDirect’s New CEO Kuppanna Talks Ground Tech’s Cloud-Native, Interoperable Future
ST Engineering iDirect appointed Sridhar Kuppanna as CEO, continuing the cloud‑native, software‑defined roadmap he helped craft as CTO. He outlined four strategic pillars: digital transformation to cloud‑native architecture, convergence of terrestrial and non‑terrestrial networks, standardization for interoperability, and AI‑driven automation....
NASA Is Opening up Bids for Who Will Run the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA announced it will solicit competitive bids to manage the Jet Propulsion Laboratory once Caltech’s 92‑year contract expires in 2028, marking the first open competition for the historic facility. The agency cites rapid growth in the U.S. space economy and...
CSA Releases 2025 State of the Space Sector Report: R&D Spending Surges as Broadcasting Continues Decline
The Canadian Space Agency’s 2025 State of the Space Sector Report shows the industry’s GDP contribution hit a record $3.8 billion CAD (≈$2.8 billion USD) in 2024, while total revenues slipped 1.2% to $5.0 billion CAD (≈$3.7 billion USD). R&D spending surged 48% year‑over‑year,...
Zvezda Module on ISS Is Leaking Once Again
The Zvezda service module on the International Space Station has begun leaking air again, losing roughly one pound of atmosphere per day. The leak re‑emerged after recent repairs aimed at sealing stress fractures that appeared earlier this year. NASA confirmed...
How SpaceX Is Making a Quiet Bet on Africa
SpaceX’s $1.75 trillion IPO prospectus reveals a quiet bet on Africa, positioning Starlink as a tool to bridge the continent’s digital divide. By sidestepping costly fiber and tower build‑outs, satellite internet could lower access costs for over 3 billion people. Yet affordability...
Rocket Lab Completes Ninth Launch Mission for Synspective
Rocket Lab successfully completed its ninth dedicated launch for Japan’s Earth‑observation firm Synspective, placing a new StriX synthetic‑aperture radar satellite into low‑Earth orbit. The mission, executed from the company’s New Zealand launch site, highlights the durability of the Rocket Lab‑Synspective partnership,...
Varda CEO Foresees Space-Based Medicine Moving From Research Novelty to Manufacturing Mainstream
Varda Space Industries announced its first public pharma partnership with United Therapeutics, aiming to fly a microgravity‑manufactured drug in 2027 and begin production the following year. CEO Will Bruey framed the deal as proof that space‑based manufacturing is moving from...
Exploring Next Steps for On-Orbit Data Centers
At ASCEND, Aerospace Corporation’s Kelley Litzner highlighted the growing need for orbital data centers to process the surge of space‑generated data. He argued that latency‑critical missions to the Moon, Mars, and deep‑space destinations will require on‑orbit compute and storage. While...
VLEO Gains Momentum as Space Force, Industry Weigh Dual-Use Potential
Very low Earth orbit (vLEO), ranging from 180‑250 km, is emerging as a dual‑use layer for defense and commercial missions, offering sharper imagery, lower latency, and efficient spectrum use. The U.S. Space Force is actively scouting a “killer app,” emphasizing low‑power...
Musk's SpaceX Scrubs Latest Test Launch of Massive Starship Rocket
SpaceX postponed the scheduled launch of its full‑scale Starship prototype after a technical anomaly was detected moments before liftoff on Thursday. The massive, fully reusable vehicle is central to Elon Musk’s vision for lunar missions, Mars colonization, and commercial payload...
Leveraging AUKUS and Southern Geography: Building Australia’s Dual-Use Space Infrastructure for Strategic Resilience
The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) Site 1 in Western Australia is slated to reach full operational status by 2027, delivering early tracking data for AUKUS partners. Its location in the Pilbara region enables dual‑use functions such as commercial re‑entry...
May 22, 1969: Snoopy’s Closest Approach to the Moon
Apollo 10 served as the final dress rehearsal for the first Moon landing, launching on May 18, 1969. The crew named the Lunar Module “Snoopy” and on May 22 brought it within 9 miles (14.4 km) of the Sea of Tranquility, testing radar, flight‑control and docking...
SpaceX IPO Filing Casts Starlink Mobile as Future Wireless Challenger
SpaceX’s IPO filing positions Starlink Mobile as a direct‑to‑smartphone service that could rival terrestrial carriers, not just a remote‑area backup. The prospectus cites $632 million in mobile connectivity revenue last year and projects a $740 billion total addressable market. Partnerships with T‑Mobile,...
Rocket Lab Launches Ninth Synspective Satellite
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket lifted off from New Zealand on May 22, delivering Synspective’s ninth StriX synthetic‑aperture‑radar satellite into a 572‑km orbit. The launch brings the total Electron missions to 88 and marks the ninth launch for Synspective this year, part of...
Teledyne CCD370 Sensors Launch on SMILE Mission
Teledyne Space Imaging has launched two CCD370 imaging sensors aboard ESA’s SMILE mission, which lifted off on a Vega‑C rocket from French Guiana on 19 May 2026. The sensors sit at the core of the Soft X‑ray Imager, capturing photons...
Countdown Glitch Delays World's Biggest Rocket as SpaceX Targets Friday Retry
SpaceX postponed the launch of its upgraded Starship V3 on May 21 after a hydraulic pin failed to retract, causing multiple countdown interruptions. The company now targets a Friday, May 22, 5:30 pm local (2230 GMT) launch from South Padre Island, Texas....
No Place Like Home
The article uses the iconic line “There’s no place like home” to frame a vivid tour of our solar system, anchored by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft photo of a crescent Earth taken during its 2009 flyby. It contrasts...
It’s a Scrub for First Flight of Starship V3, But SpaceX Has Other News
SpaceX scrubbed the first flight of Starship Version 3 (IFT‑12) on May 21, 2026 after repeated holds at T‑40 seconds revealed a water‑diverter fault, a quick‑disconnect issue, and a hydraulic pin that failed to retract. The test marks the debut of a significantly...
Space 42: D2D Market “Massive”
Abu Dhabi‑based Space42, owner of the Al‑Yah/Yahsat and Thuraya constellations, announced a joint venture with California’s Viasat called Equatys to tap the Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) market, which it estimates at $50 billion (about €43.4 bn). The partnership will fund a 2,800‑satellite fleet spanning...
UK University Develops First AI Benchmark for Satellite Collision Avoidance
Northumbria University, together with the University of Sheffield and industry partners, has launched the SSA‑LaMB project – the first standardized AI benchmark for satellite collision avoidance. The initiative addresses the growing risk posed by more than 40,000 tracked objects and...
Better Moon-Tech Tops NASA Stakeholder Wishlist
NASA released its FY26 civil space technology shortfall prioritization, revealing that better Moon infrastructure topped the stakeholder wishlist. Over 450 space community members evaluated 187 proposals, narrowing them to 32 shortfalls, with lunar surface mobility, payload landing, and cislunar transport...
NASA's AWE Instrument Completes Mission to Study Earth's Effect on Space Weather
NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) completed its 30‑month mission on the International Space Station on May 21, 2026, after surpassing its two‑year design life. The instrument captured over 80 million infrared images of atmospheric gravity waves generated by severe weather such as...
Sixth Varda Mission Successfully Returns
Varda Space Industries successfully completed its sixth re‑entry mission (W‑6) on May 18, landing at Australia’s Koonibba Test Range. Funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Prometheus program, the flight tested autonomous navigation, temperature sensors for hypersonic heat‑shield validation, and carried...
NASA to Showcase Mission to Boost Swift Spacecraft’s Orbit
NASA will showcase a June 2026 mission to boost the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory using Katalyst’s LINK robotic servicing spacecraft. The LINK vehicle will be encapsulated in Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL launch vehicle and released from the L‑1011...
Extreme Lunar Conditions Need an Extreme Test Rig
NASA’s Glenn Research Center has unveiled the Lunar Environment Test Rig (LESTR), a vacuum chamber that reproduces lunar‑night temperatures from 40 K to 125 K (‑233 °C to ‑148 °C). The rig uses a dry cryocooler, eliminating the need for liquid nitrogen, helium, or...
Watch Rocket Lab Launch Private Japanese Earth-Observing Satellite Early on May 22
Rocket Lab will lift off a Synspective synthetic‑aperture radar (SAR) satellite from New Zealand on May 22, 2026, in the “Viva La Strix” mission. The 18‑meter Electron rocket will place the Strix payload into a 355‑mile low‑Earth orbit, adding to Japan’s growing SAR constellation....
JWST Maps the Weather on a Hot Gas Giant 700 Light-Years Away
Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope’s limb‑resolved spectroscopy to split the transit of hot gas giant WASP‑94A b into separate morning‑ and evening‑limb spectra. The morning limb is shrouded in high‑altitude aerosols, while the evening limb shows clear water‑vapor signatures,...
SpaceX Is Worth $1.75 Trillion. Only 7% of That Is Real.
SpaceX filed a Form S‑1 on May 20 to raise up to $80 billion in a dual‑class IPO that would value the company at roughly $1.75 trillion, making it one of the world’s most valuable public firms. The prospectus breaks the business into three...
Musk's SpaceX Bonus Comes with Unique Condition: Colonize Mars
SpaceX filed for a Nasdaq IPO under the ticker SPCX, targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation that would make it the largest public offering in Wall Street history. The prospectus ties Elon Musk’s personal bonus to two ambitious milestones: a market value...
America Is Preparing to Land Humans on the Moon While Quietly Proposing to Terminate 53 Science Missions, Lay Off Thousands...
The White House’s FY 2027 budget request trims NASA’s overall funding by roughly 23%, dropping the topline from $24.4 billion to $18.8 billion. While the Exploration directorate sees a modest 9% boost for Artemis, the Science Mission Directorate faces a 46% cut, shrinking...
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Celia Pelaz, Spire Global
Spire Global, a space‑to‑cloud analytics firm, has launched over 200 satellites across more than 40 missions and is now shifting focus from constellation building to recurring revenue generation. To steer this transition, the company hired Celia Pelaz, former COO of...
Viasat Advances Multi-Orbit Vision with Consistent IFC
Viasat unveiled its AERA antenna, a 2.9‑inch low‑profile device that simultaneously beams to both LEO and GEO satellites. The dual‑beam system dynamically routes latency‑sensitive traffic via LEO and high‑capacity demand via GEO, delivering seamless inflight connectivity. Boeing has placed AERA...