{{First_Name|Explorer}}, welcome to our 100th issue!🚀
Thanks for sticking around. New developments in space science and research and significant updates about the Golden Dome this week.
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IMAGES
Space Warps And Einstein Rings : Euclid Mission
Euclid scientists reported the first catalogue of 500 galaxy–galaxy strong‑lens candidates from the mission’s Deep Field observations, identified through an AI‑based sweep, citizen‑science review, and expert modelling. Nearly all systems were previously unknown.
ESA expanded its Euclid mission science program with the release of Euclid Space Warps, a citizen‑science platform on Zooniverse designed to identify strong gravitational lenses in upcoming Euclid imaging. The project uses 300,000 AI‑filtered candidates drawn from 72 million galaxies in the mission’s first data release, with scientists expecting more than 10,000 confirmed lenses. Volunteers will classify arcs, rings, and distortions caused by massive galaxies bending spacetime, providing training data to refine automated detection. (Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by M. Walmsley, M. Huertas-Company, J.-C. Cuillandre)
Euclid identified 500 strong lenses in just 0.04% of its survey. The spacecraft, launched in 2023, continues returning roughly 100 gigabytes of data per day as it maps dark matter, dark energy, and large‑scale cosmic structure. (Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by M. Walmsley, M. Huertas-Company, J.-C. Cuillandre)
When light from a distant galaxy travels toward us, it can pass near another galaxy along the way. The foreground galaxy’s gravity and its dark‑matter halo bends the incoming light, creating an effect known as gravitational lensing. When the background galaxy, the lensing galaxy, and the telescope align precisely, the distorted image forms a circular structure called an Einstein ring. Einstein first predicted the existence of such rings in his general theory of relativity.
Euclid mission teams expect roughly 7000 candidates in the major cosmology data release planned for late 2026 and about 100,000 by the end of the mission, increasing the known sample by two orders of magnitude. (Credit: ESA)
A Potato Named Spudnik In Space : Astronaut Don Pettit
NASA astronaut Don Pettit’s improvised potato‑growing experiment aboard the International Space Station resurfaced this month, a year after his return from Expedition 72, where he became the oldest active astronaut at age 70. Pettit grew a purple potato he named “Spudnik” using a drink bag, Velcro anchoring, and a makeshift grow‑light terrarium, documenting the effort in a series of posts on X and Reddit. (Credit: Don Pettit)
Pettit referenced The Martian in describing potatoes as a promising nutrition source for future deep‑space horticulture, including potential Mars missions. (Credit: Don Pettit)
Images show the tuber sprouting in microgravity, with roots growing upward rather than downward due to the absence of gravity cues. Pettit noted that roots instead follow moisture and can grow erratically in orbit, requiring containment bags as stand‑ins for soil. (Credit: Don Pettit)
Ucayali River in the Amazon Rainforest, Peru : Astronaut Jessica Meir
The International Space Station captured a photograph of the Ucayali River in central Peru while orbiting 264 miles above the Amazon rainforest, showing one of the region’s major waterways and the principal headstream of the Amazon River. The image highlights the river’s course through lowland forest that supports diverse wildlife, including dolphins, manatees, reptiles, and birds. The Ucayali is a key component of the basin’s hydrology, carrying sediment and seasonal floodwaters that shape the broader Amazon system. (Credit: NASA/Jessica Meir; Image Processing: Lagrangian)
Kronotsky Volcano, Russia : Astronaut Chris Williams
Snow‑covered Kronotsky volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula was photographed from the International Space Station as it passed 267 miles above the Pacific Ocean. The image, taken by NASA astronaut Chris Williams, shows the stratovolcano’s near‑perfect conical symmetry, a feature often compared to Japan’s Mount Fuji. The view highlights the prominent structure within the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, where the volcano rises above surrounding terrain and remains one of the region’s most recognizable geological landmarks. (Credit: NASA/Chris Williams; Image Processing: Lagrangian)
The Sunset on ESO's Extremely Large Telescope, Chile : European Southern Observatory
ESO reports its Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) has passed 70% construction, with new imagery showing the facility illuminated at sunset atop Cerro Armazones in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The drone view captures cranes assembling the dome, scheduled for completion in 2027. The site sits at 3046 meters, offering dry, pristine observing conditions. Inside, the main structure for the 39‑meter optical and near‑infrared telescope is well advanced, with first light targeted for the end of the decade. (Credit: ESO/G. Vecchia)
Heat Shield, Artemis II Orion Spacecraft : US Navy
The discarded heat shield from NASA's Artemis II Orion spacecraft was photographed resting on the seafloor shortly after its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean and recovery operations on April 10, 2026.
During reentry, Orion traveled nearly 35 times the speed of sound, exposing its heat shield to temperatures that may have reached 5,000°F / 2,800°C. The thermal protection system safeguarded the crew as the spacecraft completed its 694,481‑mile journey around the Moon and splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10. Initial inspections found the heat shield performed as expected, with no unusual conditions. Diver imagery and follow‑on checks showed the char‑loss behavior seen on Artemis I was significantly reduced and consistent with post‑Artemis I arc‑jet ground testing (an electrically generated high‑temperature plasma “jet” to blast a material sample with heat loads similar to what a spacecraft experiences when returning from space). (Credit: U.S. Navy)
SCIENCE
AI Processing Will Enhance Vera Rubin Observatory Images To Space‑Like Resolution, Remove Atmospheric Blur
Comparison of images taken by (from left to right) an Earth-based telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and those improved by the Neo AI network. (Credit: NAOJ/NASA/UCSC)
27 April, 2026
AI‑driven image processing developed for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is now being applied to improve ground‑based observations from Vera C. Rubin Observatory at Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz introduced a generative model called Neo to remove atmospheric distortion and sharpen Rubin’s wide‑field images, which are captured every three nights as part of a decade‑long sky survey. Trained on data from the Subaru Telescope (Japan), and data of the same sections taken by Hubble, the model improves measured galaxy‑shape parameters by factors of two to ten and recovers fine stellar and galactic structure typically lost to turbulence.
The approach builds on earlier UCSC work that accelerated Webb image analysis from years to days using NVIDIA GPU systems, enabling rapid identification of early‑universe galaxies and other features. The Rubin observatory, located at 8,770-feet / 2673 meters in the Atacama Desert and equipped with an 8.4‑meter mirror, began operations last year. The Neo model’s description has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.
NASA's MoonFall Hopper Drones Will Map Lunar South Pole For Artemis Missions
Credit: NASA/JPL
27 April, 2026
NASA is advancing its Artemis overhaul with new details on MoonFall, a planned series of four hopper‑style drones to be deployed over a yet‑to‑be‑selected site near the lunar south pole by 2028. The drones, each carrying 10 cameras and science instruments, are expected to survey roughly 30 miles / 50 kilometers apiece to support landing‑site selection and surface planning for future crews. The effort draws on flight‑proven Ingenuity helicopter technologies and will rely heavily on commercial partners, with selections targeted for June.
Prototype hardware is already in development, with captive‑carry tests (flying prototype hardware attached to a host vehicle so engineers can evaluate its navigation, sensors, and control systems in realistic conditions without releasing it) scheduled later this year, spacecraft integration planned for late summer 2027, and delivery to the launch site in 2028. NASA issued a Request for Proposals during its March 24 Ignition event, where leadership emphasized accelerating lunar preparations and reducing costs by deploying the drones mid‑descent rather than using a dedicated lander. Budget details for MoonFall remain under review.
Binary Stars Form Giant Planets More Efficiently Than Single Stars
A computer simulation of planets forming in a disc around a binary star. (Credit: Teasdale et al.)
27 April, 2026
Tatooine-like planets, with two stars maybe more common in the universe. Astrophysicists at the University of Central Lancashire reported that planets may form more readily around binary stars than around single stars, based on new simulations of gas‑disc evolution published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The models show that the inner regions of circumbinary discs create a turbulent or gravitationally unstable “forbidden zone” where planet formation is suppressed, but outer regions become unstable enough to fragment efficiently and produce multiple giant planets.
A computer simulation of planets forming in a disc around a binary star. (Credit: Teasdale et al.)
The team found that binaries can generate planets rapidly and in greater numbers through disc fragmentation than solitary stars, with a higher fraction growing into gas giants larger than Jupiter. The outer disk becomes highly productive once beyond the unstable inner boundary. Some objects are ejected entirely, becoming free‑floating planets. The results help explain the more than 50 circumbinary exoplanets already identified, including several on wide orbits, and suggest gravitational instability may be a key formation pathway. The findings also outline targets for future observations with ALMA, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Extremely Large Telescope.
Gateway, Commercial Space Station Hardware Shows Corrosion As Agencies Work To Restore Modules
The lunar Gateway’s HALO module at Thales Alenia Space in Italy ahead of transport to Northrop Grumman in the United States. (Credit: Thales Alenia Space)
28 April, 2026
NASA, ESA and commercial station developer Axiom Space are addressing corrosion found in multiple pressurized modules built by Thales Alenia Space for the lunar Gateway and Axiom Station. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers April 22 that corrosion in the HALO and I‑Hab modules would have pushed Gateway operations beyond 2030.
NASA has not detailed the issue, but Northrop Grumman confirmed repairs are underway on HALO, delivered in April 2025, using NASA‑approved processes and targeted for completion by the end of the third quarter. ESA said I‑Hab showed a similar but less severe condition and remains in Italy, with a “tiger team” investigating forging, surface treatment and material factors. Thales Alenia Space said the metallurgical behavior is known and will be resolved by late 2026. Axiom Space reported limited corrosion on its first module, now mitigated with no expected schedule impact. ESA noted other U.S.‑supplied Gateway systems also face delays.
The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) is a key module for NASA’s Lunar Gateway station, designed by Northrop Grumman to serve as a pressurized, crew-tended habitat for Artemis astronauts in deep space. However, as of March-April 2026, the NASA Lunar Gateway program, including the HALO module, has been effectively cancelled and "paused" to redirect funding toward a sustained lunar surface base.
Drone Radar Could Guide Selection Of Mars Sites With Shallow Buried Ice
A drone carrying a ground-penetrating radar instrument lifts off from Galena Creek Rock Glacier in Wyoming. (Credit: Jack W. Holt)
28 April, 2026
Researchers at the University of Arizona demonstrated that drone‑mounted ground‑penetrating radar can map debris‑covered glaciers on Earth in detail relevant to locating buried ice on Mars, according to a study in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Working at field sites in Alaska and Wyoming, the team tested how flight altitude, speed, and radar alignment affect measurements of debris thickness and internal ice layers. The method was validated by comparing radar results with direct excavations and drilling.
A stereo view captured by the University of Arizona–led HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a viscous‑flow landform in Deuteronilus Mensae, a region thought to host substantial buried ice. (Credit: HiRISE / CTX)
The approach targets a key limitation of orbital radars, which can detect large Martian ice deposits but cannot determine how much rock and sediment lie above them. Lead author Roberto Aguilar said the technique could help mission planners identify drilling sites where ice lies closest to the surface, supporting future resource use and climate‑record studies. The team also confirmed through simulations that radar signals were not distorted by nearby terrain features, strengthening the case for drone‑based scouting in planetary exploration.
Thinner-Than-Hair Shielding Material Can Block Radiation In Extreme Environments
Electromagnetic and neutron radiation often occur together in space, nuclear, and medical settings, but conventional shielding materials are heavy and rigid. The research team combined carbon nanotubes, which block electromagnetic waves, with boron nitride nanotubes, which absorb neutrons, to create a single thin composite layer that handles both. Blending the nanotubes with a PDMS polymer produced a lightweight, flexible film, positioning the material as a potential next‑generation shielding solution for a wide range of structures and devices. (Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology)
28 April, 2026
A research team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology reported developing an ultrathin composite material capable of blocking both electromagnetic waves and neutron radiation, addressing a longstanding limitation in shielding technologies used in spacecraft, nuclear facilities, semiconductor manufacturing and medical systems. The film, described as thinner than a human hair and stretchable like rubber, combines carbon nanotubes, which absorb and reflect electromagnetic waves, with boron nitride nanotubes that capture neutrons. The materials naturally form a shell‑like structure, enabling a single layer to block 99.999% of electromagnetic waves and reduce neutron exposure by about 72%.
The team used an ink made from mixed nanomaterials and polymers to 3D‑print structures using direct‑ink‑writing. The method supports complex geometries, including honeycomb patterns, and allows thickness and shielding performance to be tuned through design. By tailoring the internal architecture, the material’s electromagnetic‑wave shielding can be further improved, enabling customized protection solutions for applications ranging from electronic devices to aerospace systems and wearable equipment. (Credit: Korea Institute of Science and Technology)
The team demonstrated that the material maintains performance when stretched to more than twice its length, withstands temperatures from –196°C to 250°C, and can be 3D‑printed into shapes such as honeycomb lattices that improve shielding by up to 15%. KIST said the approach could reduce weight and complexity in applications ranging from satellites and space stations to nuclear and medical equipment. The findings were published in a study in the journal Advanced Materials.
Space Research Enables Rapid Modeling Of Heart Muscle Weakening And 3D Cardiac Tissue Engineering In Microgravity
28 April, 2026
Space‑based cardiac research took center stage at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation’s 46th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, where Arun Sharma, director of the Center for Space Medicine Research at Cedars‑Sinai, outlined how microgravity is accelerating studies of heart failure and advancing engineered‑tissue manufacturing. Sharma said cardiovascular deconditioning in orbit weakens heart muscle and alters metabolism within weeks, enabling rapid modeling of disease processes. His team has flown multiple experiments to the International Space Station examining cellular mechanisms of heart failure and producing stem‑cell‑derived heart organoids.
While heart cells deteriorate in microgravity, organoid production increases, with low‑gravity conditions supporting more complex 3D structures and vascular networks. Sharma said these findings could improve pre‑transplant optimization and inform development of induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiac patches (lab‑grown sheets of human heart muscle made from reprogrammed adult cells) now being tested on Earth. Space‑grown tissues may eventually yield thicker, more robust patches and more physiologic valves or conduits. Additional heart cell experiments are scheduled to launch on NASA’s SpaceX CRS‑35 mission no earlier than August.
GOVERNANCE
SpaceX Debris From Firefly's 2025 Lunar Mission Expected To Impact Moon In August
Blue Ghost Mission 1 fairing encapsulation. (Credit: SpaceX)
29 August, 2026
A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage from the January 2025 launch of Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 is on track to impact the moon on August 5, according to tracking by Project Pluto. The booster, designated 2025‑010D, delivered Firefly’s lander, which achieved the first fully successful commercial lunar landing on March 2 and set a longevity record at Mare Crisium, as well as Japan’s HAKUTO‑R M2 lander, which was lost during descent after a rangefinder failure.
Project Pluto’s Bill Gray said the upper stage’s orbit has gradually evolved toward a lunar collision and that the impact will occur on the moon’s sunlit near side, though it is unlikely to be visible from Earth. Gray noted the event poses no hazard but emphasized ongoing issues with disposal of high‑energy hardware in cislunar space. He added that while debris risks to orbiting spacecraft are low, future human activity on the lunar surface will raise the importance of managing upper‑stage trajectories.
Lawmakers Oppose White House's NASA Funding Cuts And Restore 2026 Levels
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during its review of NASA’s fiscal year 2027 budget request on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. (Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
29 - 30 April, 2026
U.S. House appropriators advanced a fiscal year 2027 spending bill that rejects the White House’s proposed 23% cut to NASA, instead holding the agency at its 2026 funding level of $24.438 billion. The Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee approved the measure by an 8–6 vote on April 30, sending it to full committee for a markup session on May 13. The bill shifts funding within NASA’s accounts, increasing exploration to $8.926 billion while reducing science to $6 billion, still well above the administration’s $3.9 billion request, and making smaller cuts to aeronautics and space technology. It also eliminates the Office of STEM Engagement but relocates its major programs to Safety, Security and Mission Services.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in both chambers criticized the administration’s budget proposal in hearings with Administrator Jared Isaacman, citing concerns about cuts to more than 50 science missions and delays in NASA’s overdue operating plans. Committee leaders said maintaining higher funding is essential to sustaining Artemis momentum and competing with China in lunar exploration.
MILITARY
US Space Force Accelerates Golden Dome Efforts With Space Based Interceptor, Grows Link‑182 And Crosslink Infrastructure
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget accelerates Space‑Based Interceptor program, expands Moving Target Indicator and Overhead Persistent Infrared modernization, proposes terminating Polar OPIR, and funds industry work spanning Northrop Grumman sensors, K2 optical links, SpaceX and BAE Link‑182 demos, and Tensor MILNET radios.
On April 24, U.S. Space Force formally launched the Space‑Based Interceptor program, a central element of the Golden Dome missile‑defense architecture ordered under Executive Order 14186 and intended to demonstrate an initial orbital intercept capability by 2028. The effort aims to field a proliferated low Earth orbit constellation capable of boost, midcourse, and glide‑phase engagements against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise‑missile threats.
Space Systems Command has awarded 20 Other Transaction Authority agreements to 12 companies, including Anduril, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, True Anomaly, and Turion Space, with a combined potential value of up to $3.2 billion. Program officials said OTA contracting is intended to expand competition and accelerate design work. Col. Bryon McClain and Gen. Michael Guetlein emphasized the need to outpace rapidly advancing adversary capabilities, while withholding technical details for security reasons. The SBI program office is based at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
28 - 30 April, 2026
More recently, the Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request allocates more than $8 billion to develop space‑based moving target indication systems, signaling a major shift of airborne tracking missions into orbit. The Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office are advancing a low Earth orbit GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator) constellation, with $1.1 billion requested for procurement and $235 million for R&D in 2027. AMTI development is earlier‑stage, supported by $7.1 billion in a reconciliation package to expand high‑band radar coverage, plus $140 million for complementary sensing. The Space Force has awarded base contracts to nine vendors under a system‑of‑systems approach and established a new acquisition executive to oversee AMTI architecture and data transport.
However, the fiscal budget proposed terminating the polar leg of Space Force’s Next‑Gen OPIR program even as Northrop Grumman announced April 30 it had taken delivery of the mission’s missile‑warning sensor. The $3.4 billion effort, launched in 2018 to field two highly elliptical‑orbit satellites, is zeroed out beginning in 2027, with documents citing sufficient polar coverage from emerging low and medium‑Earth‑orbit missile‑warning constellations. Congress has already moved to block cancellation in the 2026 appropriations bill. Northrop said the program remains on schedule and emphasized the sensor’s role in detecting faint heat signatures.
The broader OPIR program has faced delays, with its first GEO satellite now postponed beyond 2025, but will still continue. Space Force also selected K2 Space, the California-based satellite bus developer, to demonstrate optical crosslinks for the OPIR Initiative.
Overhead Persistent Infrared Space Modernization Initiative is a 2026–2027 effort to replace the aging Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites and to move high‑volume missile‑warning data between satellites in LEO and MEO and down to new ground station system called FORGE (Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution).
Space Force will use K2 Space–built satellites to test high‑volume data transfer between spacecraft and to ground. Budget documents cite K2’s vehicles as the flagship SMI investment for fiscal 2027, with $180 million requested, including $7.3 million for crosslink tests. The work supports Golden Dome, which requires rapid data transport across a distributed sensor‑interceptor network. K2’s first “Mega‑class” satellite, Gravitas, launched March 30 carrying 12 payloads, with 10 more planned next year as the company builds flight heritage for government and commercial customers.
Meanwhile, Tensor, an L.A.-based startup is positioning itself to supply compact radios capable of transmitting Link‑182, a key component for the Golden Dome missile‑defense architecture.
Link‑182 is the U.S. Space Force’s new space‑to‑space radio waveform (the technical standard) designed to let satellites and missile‑defense interceptors exchange targeting data securely and in milliseconds. It operates in L and S‑band frequencies and will serve as the core communications standard for MILNET, the SpaceX’s Starshield‑based relay network supporting the Golden Dome architecture. In short, Link‑182 is the signal; MILNET is the system that carries it.
Founded in 2025 and now moving from design into prototype hardware, Tensor is developing radios for the Space Force’s projected demand for thousands of units as part of its next‑generation MILNET communications network. The company is pursuing SBIR contracts and working with Golden Dome vendors, with early prototypes expected in the third quarter and ground demonstrations in the fourth. The advancement of Link‑182 satellite communications was part of Space Systems Command’s recent $3.2 billion award.
Separately, Space Force awarded BAE Systems an $11.8 million contract to demonstrate satellite‑to‑satellite communications using Link‑182. The award follows a separate $57 million contract to SpaceX for Link‑182 system development; Space Systems Command said it received six proposals. BAE’s demonstration is scheduled to conclude by April 2027. Link‑182 is intended to enable direct in‑orbit data exchange among satellites and future space‑based interceptors, reducing reliance on ground stations. The Space Force is seeking compact L and S‑band radios capable of operating with the waveform across the MILNET Starshield constellation.
York Space Systems Acquires All.Space To Expand Multi‑Orbit Terminal Portfolio
An All.Space Hydra 2 terminal installed on a Defender vehicle. (Credit: All.Space)
30 April, 2026
York Space Systems has signed an agreement to acquire U.K.-based multi-link satellite terminal manufacturer All.Space in a deal valued at about $355 million, expanding the company beyond satellite production into user equipment and network connectivity. The transaction, expected to close in the third quarter, includes $155 million in cash and up to 5.9 million York shares. All.Space will remain a wholly owned York subsidiary, continuing to serve customers across commercial and defense satellite markets.
All.Space, formerly Isotropic Systems, builds multi‑orbit, multi‑band phased‑array terminals capable of maintaining simultaneous links across LEO, MEO, and GEO networks, with recent deliveries to the U.S. Navy and Army. The acquisition follows York’s purchases of Orbion Space Technology and Atlas Space Operations, signaling a strategy to integrate spacecraft, propulsion, ground infrastructure, and user terminals across commercial and national security markets.
COMMERCIAL
Meta Signs Deal With Overview Energy For 1GW Of Space‑Based Solar Power By 2030
An infographic showing Overview Energy’s on-demand solar-power beaming and redirection. (Credit: Overview Energy)
27 April, 2026
Meta signed an agreement with Overview Energy to secure up to one gigawatt of space‑based solar power for its data centers by 2030, marking one of the largest commercial commitments yet to orbital energy systems. Overview, developer of solar power-beaming satellite system, plans an in‑space demonstration in 2028 of technology that collects solar power in orbit and beams it to terrestrial solar farms via infrared lasers, enabling continuous generation when ground arrays are idle.
The deal comes as Meta expands gigawatt‑scale U.S. data center construction and seeks diversified power sources, including geothermal, nuclear, and long‑duration storage. Overview emerged from stealth in 2023 after demonstrating key transmission technologies and argues that placing power infrastructure in space is more practical than deploying orbital data centers. Its approach contrasts with recent FCC filings from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and startups proposing large constellations for in‑orbit computing. Analysts say data center operators could become anchor customers for space‑based solar power.
Canadian Space Agency Cancels Spire Global Contract For WildFireSat Constellation
Infographic outlining the technical components of the WildFireSat mission. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)
29 April, 2026
The Canadian Space Agency has terminated its 72 million Canadian dollar contract with Spire Global to build the WildFireSat constellation, ending work on a planned fleet of 10 infrared‑equipped cubesats intended to improve wildfire monitoring by 2029. Spire disclosed the cancellation in an April 24 SEC filing, noting the government ended the agreement for convenience and provided no explanation.
Spire executives previously said work had been paused pending discussions on timing and requirements and had removed expected revenue from 2026 forecasts. CSA confirmed the termination but said it remains committed to delivering wildfire‑monitoring capability within the existing budget in partnership with Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The agency plans to reengage industry on next steps. Nine 8U satellites were slated to launch in 2029 into a dusk‑dawn sun‑synchronous orbit, with a tenth as a ground spare, using infrared sensors supplied by OroraTech and built at Spire’s Canadian facilities.
Planet To Develop New Short-Wave IR Tanager with Carbon Mapper, NASA JPL To Expand Methane, Trace‑Gas Monitoring
Planet’s Tanager‑1 Satellite Detected This Methane Plume Over Midland, Texas, In May 2025. (Credit: Planet And Carbon Mapper)
30 April, 2026
Planet is expanding its methane and trace‑gas‑monitoring capabilities with a new shortwave‑infrared (SWIR) version of its Tanager spacecraft, scheduled to launch as early as 2028. Unlike the hyperspectral Tanager‑1 launched in 2024, the SWIR‑only satellite will target specific atmospheric bands and provide five times the area coverage, collecting 30‑meter‑resolution data across 100‑kilometer swaths. Planet also plans to build at least three additional Tanager‑1‑class satellites. The SWIR spacecraft is being developed with Carbon Mapper and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which provides the imaging spectrometers, and will use the Carbon Mapper-led Advanced Emissions Monitoring Imaging Spectrometer (AEMIS) airborne system in partnership with JPL.
Carbon Mapper has identified more than 11,000 methane plumes from nearly 5,000 global sources to date. Planet said the expanded constellation will support methane monitoring and commercial applications including mineral exploration, fire‑fuel assessment, and fire‑source detection. Both Tanager variants are designed to complement each other and extend coverage across biodiversity, water‑quality, and mineral‑mapping use cases while demonstrating Planet’s ability to scale spacecraft production.
China’s Cosmoleap Secures Major Funding To Build Reusable Yueqian‑1 Methalox Launcher And Tower Catch System
An illustration of Leap-1A lifting off under the power of nine YF-209 liquid methane and liquid oxygen burning engines. (Credit: Cosmoleap)
30 April, 2026
Cosmoleap, the Chinese launch startup, has raised 500 million yuan / $73 million to advance development of its reusable Yueqian‑1 launch vehicle and a tower‑based catch‑and‑landing system modeled on SpaceX’s “chopstick” architecture. The Beijing‑based startup said April 29 the round was led by Haiyuan Square with participation from Houpu Capital, Zhuque Capital, Zhenyuan Capital, Zhikong Capital, Junlian Capital and Zhongguancun Development Group.
Funds will support product development, testing, validation and team expansion. Cosmoleap plans to begin final assembly and testing of the 70‑meter, 4.2‑meter‑diameter rocket in the second half of 2026 ahead of a 2027 debut. Yueqian‑1 is designed to lift 18,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit, or 12,000 kilograms with first‑stage recovery, and uses the company’s Qingyu‑11 methalox engine, with additional testing of CASC’s YF‑209. The funding follows a 100 million Yuan / $14 million round and a 2024 tower test. The investment comes amid broader Chinese backing for reusable launch systems, including efforts by Astronstone, Landspace, CASC and Space Pioneer.
SpaceComputer Preps For Distributed Computing Infrastructure Orbital Trial
30 April, 2026
SpaceComputer, a Singapore‑based startup developing a distributed, satellite-based network for ultra-secure, tamper-resistant, and confidential computing in orbit, is preparing to test its Space Fabric hardware and software on an unidentified satellite launching in October. Space Fabric links ground stations and satellites through secure, physically isolated computing elements, with printed circuit boards generating cryptographic keys in orbit and incorporating redundant secure modules for data integrity.
The system is designed to enable satellites to share computing resources and support applications ranging from secure communications to geospatial data provenance. SpaceComputer is also developing Orbitport, an API intended to provide a secure gateway between satellites, payloads, and terrestrial compute to streamline interactions with ground‑station providers. The company has raised $10 million in pre‑seed and seed funding since its 2024 founding by blockchain entrepreneur Daniel Bar and network‑security researcher Filip Rezabek. Advisors include UC Santa Barbara computer science professor Dahlia Malke and former SpaceX propulsion vice president Will Heltsley.
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Quantum Gravity Model Rewrites Origin Of Inflation With No Added Assumptions
An artist's impression of gravitational waves generated by binary neutron stars. (Credits: R. Hurt/Caltech-JPL)
Scientists at the University of Waterloo proposed a new framework for the universe’s origin, reporting that rapid early expansion or “inflation” can emerge directly from Quadratic Quantum Gravity without additional assumptions. The model, developed by Niayesh Afshordi and colleagues at Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute, remains mathematically stable at energies comparable to the Big Bang and links early‑universe behavior to standard cosmological models.
This new approach links gravity with quantum mechanics (the framework that governs subatomic behavior). While general relativity has been highly successful, it breaks down under the extreme conditions present at the universe’s origin. To address this, the researchers turned to something called Quadratic Quantum Gravity, a formulation that stays mathematically consistent even at the enormous energy scales associated with the Big Bang, and produces testable predictions.
“Our approach asks whether some of that early-universe behavior could come directly from gravity itself, once gravity is extended in a way that remains better behaved at extremely high energies. So, instead of treating the Big Bang as a point where our equations fail and then patching over that with additional assumptions, we study a theory in which gravity already contains the ingredients needed to describe that ultra-early phase more consistently. This is what physicists call an ultraviolet completion: a theory that remains complete and self-consistent even at arbitrarily high energies."
The team found that inflation arises naturally in this formulation and predicts a minimum level of primordial gravitational waves, offering a potential observational test for future detectors. The work appears as Ultraviolet Completion of the Big Bang in Quadratic Gravity in Physical Review Letters. Co‑authors Ruolin Liu and Jerome Quintin plan to refine predictions and explore connections to particle physics as new surveys and CMB experiments reach sensitivities capable of probing quantum‑gravity‑scale signatures.
James Webb Telescope's Litte Red Dots Maybe Supermassive Black Hole
In the main optical‑infrared view, the object appears as a faint red speck marked by a white box. In the Chandra X‑ray inset, it appears as a bright white source with a purple glow, earning the nickname “X‑ray dot” because it is the only known little red dot to emit X‑rays. (Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Max Plank Inst./R. Hviding et al.; Optical/IR; NASA/ESA/STScI/HST; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk)
Astronomers identified the first X‑ray counterpart to one of the James Webb Space Telescope’s “little red dots,” strengthening evidence that the compact, distant objects may host growing supermassive black holes. The X‑ray source, catalogued as 3DHST‑AEGIS‑12014, lies 11.8 billion light‑years away and was found by matching JWST imaging with archival data from NASA’s Chandra X‑ray Observatory. Researchers said the object’s X‑ray energy resembles that of quasars, but its alignment with a little red dot suggests a transitional phase in which radiation escapes through gaps in a dense gas cloud surrounding a growing black hole. Variability in the X‑ray brightness supports partial obscuration.
This illustration depicts the object as a patchy red gas cloud surrounding a central black hole. Researchers suggest the X‑ray dot represents a transitional stage in which gaps in the surrounding gas allow X‑rays from the growing black hole to escape and be detected. (Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/M. Weiss; adapted by K. Arcand and J. Major)
Little red dots, measured at only a few hundred light‑years across, have been proposed as massive gas clouds collapsing around nascent black holes. Prior studies detected water vapor in several of them, indicating relatively cool temperatures. Little red dots, first identified after JWST began operations, have been proposed as early black hole “seeds” embedded in massive gas clouds. The new detection, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, offers the strongest evidence yet linking little red dots to early black hole and galaxy formation.
Milky Way Star‑Forming Disc Ends At Forty Thousand Light‑Years From Center
An illustration showing the inside-out growth and stellar migration in the Milky Way. Inside the star-forming disc (within ~12 kpc), abundant cold gas fuels continuous star formation, producing young stars. Beyond this break radius, star formation drops sharply, and the outer regions are instead dominated by stars that formed in the inner disk and later migrated outward. (Credit: Prof. Joseph Caruana, University of Malta)
An international team mapped the outer limit of the Milky Way’s star‑forming disc, reporting that most star formation occurs within 40,000 light‑years of the Galactic Center. Using ages of more than 100,000 giant stars from LAMOST (Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope in China) and APOGEE (Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in the United States), spectroscopic surveys combined with European Space Agency's Gaia measurements, researchers identified a U‑shaped age pattern across the disc. Stellar ages decrease with distance from the center, consistent with inside‑out galaxy growth, but begin increasing again beyond 35,000–40,000 light‑years. This reversal creates a characteristic “U-shaped” age profile.
Comparisons with galaxy‑evolution simulations show this age minimum marks a sharp drop in star‑formation efficiency, defining the disc’s true boundary. Stars found farther out occupy nearly circular orbits, indicating they migrated from inner regions through interactions with spiral structure rather than being scattered by mergers. The study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, involved institutions across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Despatch Out. 👽🛸
