Space News
Latest updates from across the universe.
Ever Restless Mount Dukono Erupts
The volcano on Indonesia’s Halmahera Island routinely ejects ash, volcanic gases, and volcanic bombs.
NASA Awards Initial Moon Base Rover and Lander Contracts
Pressing forward with plans to build a Moon Base as part of the Artemis program, today NASA announced awards of several service contracts to build and/or deliver landers and rovers […]
NASA outlines nearly $1 billion investment into initial Moon Base missions
NASA’s vision for a sprawling Moon Base will cover “hundreds of square miles” to cover the multitudes of various sites that the agency wants to explore.
Following Starship V3 debut, SpaceX prepares for follow up
Starship Version 3 flew for the first time this week in a mission of several… The post Following Starship V3 debut, SpaceX prepares for follow up appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
SpaceX wins $2.29 billion Space Force contract for military data network
The contract is for the development of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Data Network backbone The post SpaceX wins $2.29 billion Space Force contract for military data network appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA selects four companies for initial moon base awards
NASA announced May 26 the first contracts associated with its plans to develop a lunar base, picking four companies to develop and deliver landers and drones to the moon. The post NASA selects four companies for initial moon base awards appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA to Announce Artemis III Crew, Provide Mission Progress Update
NASA will provide an update on the agency’s Artemis III mission and announce the astronauts assigned to the test flight during a live event at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 9, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The event will stream on NASA+ and on the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to […]
Open Cosmos’ CEO on what it takes to bring IoT to space
Open Cosmos, based in the United Kingdom, is facing a 2028 deadline to field an ambitious broadband constellation for Europe. That system, ConnectedCosmos, aims to reduce reliance on undersea cables […] The post Open Cosmos’ CEO on what it takes to bring IoT to space appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA Astronauts to Answer Questions from Students in New York
Students in New York will hear from NASA astronaut Jessica Meir as she answers their prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) questions while aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will begin at 11:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 28, and will stream live on the agency’s Learn With NASA YouTube channel. This event […]
NASA takes steps toward building Moon Base, including discussing a "perimeter"
"We also obviously want to be very mindful of the Outer Space Treaty."
NASA Provides Update on Moon Base Rovers, Landers, Missions
During a Moon Base event Tuesday at NASA’s Headquarters in Washington, the agency announced new contracts for lunar rovers for crew to drive and uncrewed cargo landers bound for the Moon. NASA leaders also shared target launch timeframes and upcoming milestones for the first Moon Base infrastructure and exploration missions to the lunar South Pole […]
Live coverage: NASA updates progress towards established a Moon Base, Artemis 3 mission
The press conference on Tuesday, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 UTC), is the first major update from NASA since Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled the project in late March.
Starcloud orders Starlink lasers for orbital data center network
Starcloud has ordered optical terminals from SpaceX to use Starlink as a global data-relay network for its future orbital data centers, deepening ties with the company it is counting on to launch full-size spacecraft. The post Starcloud orders Starlink lasers for orbital data center network appeared first on SpaceNews.
The surge in military budgets can help Europe’s entrepreneurial space sector — if spending speeds up
AMSTERDAM – The recent surge in European defense spending could bolster Europe’s entrepreneurial space sector, but only if bureaucratic roadblocks are cleared, panelists said at the SmallSat Europe conference. While […] The post The surge in military budgets can help Europe’s entrepreneurial space sector — if spending speeds up appeared first on SpaceNews.
Voyager wins DARPA contract for solid rocket propellant technology
The $16.5 million award is for ‘thrust-control technology’ designed to make solid propulsion systems more adaptable across different missions and weapons programs The post Voyager wins DARPA contract for solid rocket propellant technology appeared first on SpaceNews.
Italy’s Lunar Habitat Clears NASA System Requirements Review
The Italian Space Agency announced on 22 May that its Multi-Purpose Habitation (MPH) module had been cleared by a NASA review board to progress toward a Preliminary Design Review in 2027. The first MPH module is expected to launch in 2033. When NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced in March 2026 that the agency would “pause” […] The post Italy’s Lunar Habitat Clears NASA System Requirements Review appeared first on European Spaceflight.
Chennai City Lights
Chennai, on India’s southern coast along the Bay of Bengal and with a metropolitan population of about 8.7 million, shines with white LED streetlights in this photograph taken at approximately 9:13 p.m. local time on May 2, 2026, from the International Space Station. Earth observations from the space station let us see how our planet […]
Analyst on China's spent rocket stages: "Things only continue to get worse"
Spent upper stages are the most dangerous kind of space debris.
Regulations and access to capital continue to hinder Europe’s smallsat industry
Burdensome regulations and limited access to capital continue to act as a drag on Europe’s smallsat sector despite proposed new legislation and an influx of defense spending. The post Regulations and access to capital continue to hinder Europe’s smallsat industry appeared first on SpaceNews.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
The Starlink 17-37 mission will fly on the 60th Falcon 9 rocket launched in 2026. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 7:50 a.m. PDT (10:50 a.m. EDT / 1450 UTC).
New Instrument Used Antarctic Ice Sheet to Probe Extreme Universe
The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) is a NASA Astrophysics Pioneers Program mission designed to detect the most energetic particles in the universe.
Chinese startup Mega Engine advances reusable staged-combustion rocket engine
A new Chinese commercial rocket engine startup has conducted a successful long-duration hot fire test of a closed-cycle kerosene-liquid oxygen engine. The post Chinese startup Mega Engine advances reusable staged-combustion rocket engine appeared first on SpaceNews.
Orbit Fab, Thales Alenia to study refueling for electric-propulsion satellites
The companies will explore integrating Orbit Fab’s refueling interface with electric propulsion systems developed by Thales Alenia Space The post Orbit Fab, Thales Alenia to study refueling for electric-propulsion satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.
Exolaunch and SEOPS purchase Falcon 9 launches for dedicated rideshare missions
Two companies best known for brokering payload space on SpaceX rideshare launches have each purchased Falcon 9 launches to meet the growing demand for such missions. The post Exolaunch and SEOPS purchase Falcon 9 launches for dedicated rideshare missions appeared first on SpaceNews.
A Full Moon Checkup
Once a month during the full Moon, Landsat 9 turns from Earth to image the lunar surface, helping keep the spacecraft’s data accurate and consistent.
Launch Preview: Starlink and Amazon Leo missions fill manifest
Six orbital launches are expected worldwide this week, headlined by four Falcon 9 Starlink missions… The post Launch Preview: Starlink and Amazon Leo missions fill manifest appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
Starship V3 Debuts, with Mixed Results
Starship's 12th flight test ended with mixed results, advancing the program in some ways and stumbling backwards in others.
Redwire Delivers Argonaut Robotic Arm Prototype
US-based space technology company Redwire has delivered an initial prototype of a robotic arm that could be used aboard the European Space Agency’s Argonaut lunar lander. The announcement comes as ESA has opened a call for proposals to demonstrate a similar system aboard the lander’s inaugural mission, which is expected to launch in 2030. In […] The post Redwire Delivers Argonaut Robotic Arm Prototype appeared first on European Spaceflight.
Northern Norway is ready to launch. EU Space Regulation — and its new Arctic policy – is not.
The European Commission is currently updating its Arctic policy, with a new policy statement expected this coming autumn. Unlike the latest policy from 2021, the update will place greater emphasis […] The post Northern Norway is ready to launch. EU Space Regulation — and its new Arctic policy – is not. appeared first on SpaceNews.
An Early “Decoration Day” Celebration
In a precursor to Memorial Day, people in Charleston, South Carolina, honored fallen Civil War troops with flowers, songs, and marches at an event at a racetrack on May 1, 1865.