{{First_Name|Explorer}}, welcome back!🚀
Busy week this one. The 41st Space Symposium, held April 13–16, 2026, in Colorado (U.S.) saw a lot of new developments in Commerce and Defense. Interesting updates in space Science as well and as usual, some stunning images.
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Hope you enjoy this Space!
IMAGES
Massive Iceberg Ends 40-Year Journey, Nears Collapse : Landsat 5, NOAA 21
Iceberg A‑23A, one of the largest and longest‑lived Antarctic icebergs on record, has completed its nearly 40‑year drift after breaking apart in the South Atlantic, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The berg, originally more than 6,000 square kilometers when grounded off Antarctica in 2020, had shrunk to about 170 square kilometers by late March 2026 as it moved into warmer waters north of South Georgia island. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory)
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Satellite data from Landsat, Terra, Aqua, NOAA‑21, and other platforms documented its trajectory from the Weddell Sea to its final disintegration, including rapid melt, surface ponding, and fragmentation. The U.S. National Ice Center transferred tracking to Argentina’s meteorological service in February as the berg entered shipping lanes. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory)
The Eye Of The Sahara, Richat Structure : Landsat 8,9
This is a new satellite image of the Richat Structure, a 40‑kilometer‑wide geologic dome on Mauritania’s Adrar Plateau, captured by Landsat 8 and 9 on March 5–6, 2026. The formation, known as the “Eye of the Sahara,” appears as concentric cuestas produced by differential erosion of uplifted sedimentary and igneous rock. The region contains Paleolithic tools, Neolithic art, and remnants of medieval settlements. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin)
First photographed from orbit during Gemini IV mission in the 1960s, the structure’s orange and gray bands correspond to varied rock types shaped by wind and ancient water flows. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin)
Lasers Pointing At The Tarantula Nebula : Very Large Telescope
ESO released a new image showing laser guide stars projected from the four 8‑meter Unit Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer as part of the GRAVITY+ upgrade, which installed new lasers in November 2025 to improve atmospheric turbulence correction. The beams excite sodium atoms about 90 kilometers above Earth to create artificial stars so the telescope can measure and correct the blurring caused by Earth’s atmosphere constantly shifting, which bends and distorts incoming starlight. The laser’s artificial star lets the telescope measure those distortions so it can correct them in real time.
The photograph, taken during testing by astronomer Anthony Berdeu, captures the lasers converging on the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, located roughly 160,000 light‑years away. Although not a VLTI science image, the scene illustrates the system’s ability to combine light from multiple telescopes to achieve higher‑resolution observations of distant astronomical targets. (Credit: A. Berdeu/ESO)
Trifid Nebula : Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble marked its 36th anniversary with a new image of the Trifid Nebula, revisiting a region it first observed in 1997 to track changes in a star‑forming cloud about 5,000 light‑years away in Sagittarius. The updated observations, enabled by a newer, wider‑field camera, reveal evolving jets, dust structures, and ultraviolet‑sculpted gas shaped for at least 300,000 years by massive nearby stars. The dataset highlights features such as Herbig–Haro 399, counter‑jets, eroding circumstellar material, and dense pillars, supporting studies of how young stars inject energy into their environments and how large‑scale structures influence star formation. (Credit: ASA, ESA, STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI))
Rubin Observatory’s wide‑field image of the Trifid Nebula spans about 56 light‑years, with a white box marking the four‑light‑year region targeted by Hubble at right. Rubin’s broadband view shows natural visible‑light colors, while Hubble’s narrowband composite maps sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen to red, green, and blue. The paired images contrast large‑scale nebular structure with Hubble’s detailed view of dust, gas, and young stars. (Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI))
A Luminous Spiral Galaxy : Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble has released a new image of IC 486, a barred spiral galaxy (a spiral galaxy with a central, cigar-shaped bar of stars, gas, and dust spanning its core, rather than a spherical nucleus) about 380 million light‑years away in Gemini. Unlike the Milky Way, whose supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at its center is dormant (quiescent) rather than actively accreting large amounts of matter, IC 486 has a bright active galactic nucleus (AGN) powered by a supermassive black hole more than 100 million solar masses. The image shows older stars concentrated in the luminous core, bluish star‑forming regions across the disk, and dust tracing molecular gas. (Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth)
This wide-field view of the spiral galaxy IC 486 from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope features a vibrant scene of distant background galaxies and foreground stars. Some stars appear with characteristic diffraction spikes. However, much of the field is dominated by the more diffuse, orange-red smudges of far more distant galaxies. (Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth)
SCIENCE
A Worst-Case Solar Storm Report Details Threats To GPS Networks And Global Infrastructure
This infographic illustrates how Earth’s magnetosphere acts as a protective shield against solar activity, particularly during normal conditions and potential solar storms. (Credit: Matthew Twombly)
A new assessment from the U.K. Science and Technology Facilities Council outlines the potential impacts of a worst‑case solar storm, warning that an event comparable to the 1859 Carrington storm could disable satellites, disrupt GPS, and damage power grids worldwide. The report, released in January 2026, describes a once‑in‑100‑to‑200‑year scenario involving powerful solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and severe geomagnetic storms capable of inducing currents that overload transformers and cause prolonged power outages.
Charged particles could degrade satellite electronics, shorten solar‑panel lifetimes, and in extreme cases cause spacecraft failures. Atmospheric heating during such storms would increase drag, accelerating orbital decay and potentially triggering uncontrolled reentries, similar to losses seen during moderate activity in 2022. Communication and navigation systems relying on weak signals, including GPS, radar, and aviation links, could experience multi‑day disruptions.
Meanwhile, limited public understanding of space weather increases vulnerability to misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fear‑driven behavior. The document warns that extreme events could prompt panic buying and undermine trust in official guidance, compounding technological disruptions.
Solar Wind Moves Three To Four Times Faster Than Earlier Estimates, Proba‑3 Data Finds
In the composite video, ultraviolet imagery from Proba‑2’s SWAP telescope is combined with enhanced visible‑light data from Proba‑3’s ASPIICS coronagraph. The sequence shows solar wind flowing outward in all directions, with some material falling back toward the Sun, and later captures a coronal mass ejection expanding to the right. (Credit: ESA/Proba-3/ASPIICS & ESA/Proba-2/SWAP (ROB), A. Debrabandere (ROB))
13 April, 2026
ESA’s Proba‑3 mission has delivered its first science results, showing that slow solar wind in the Sun’s inner corona travels three to four times faster than previously measured. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, come from more than 250 hours of high‑resolution coronagraph imagery collected during 57 artificial solar eclipses created by the mission’s two formation‑flying spacecraft.
The Sun’s corona—far hotter than the surface—is the source of space weather, but the region within three solar radii remains difficult to observe. Terrestrial eclipses offer only brief views of this gap. Proba‑3’s ASPIICS instrument will extend continuous observations from three solar radii down to 0.8 solar radii, enabling sustained study of the solar wind and coronal mass ejections. (Credit: ESA-F. Zonno)
Proba‑3’s ASPIICS instrument, capable of observing to 70,000 kilometers above the solar surface, tracked gusts of slow solar wind moving at 250–500 km/s, far above earlier estimates of roughly 100 km/s. The spacecraft’s precise alignment allows continuous five‑hour eclipse periods, revealing fine‑scale motions in the inner corona that have not been observed optically at such low altitudes.
The results provide the clearest view yet of how solar wind structures accelerate near the Sun, offering new constraints on the origins of space‑weather‑driving plasma flows.
Oldest Lunar South Pole Craters Hold Highest Likelihood Of Water Ice
Shadows stretch around Malapert Massif, a mountain near the moon's South Pole. (Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
13 April, 2026
A new study published April 7 in Nature Astronomy identifies the Moon’s oldest, darkest South Pole craters as the most likely locations for long‑term water‑ice deposits, narrowing where future missions may find accessible resources. The international team, including researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, concludes that lunar ice accumulated gradually over 3 to 3.5 billion years, rather than arriving in a single cometary impact.
Ice deposits detected by ISRO’s Chandrayaan‑1 appear in blue at the Moon’s south pole (left) and north pole (right). (Credit: NASA)
Using temperature models, orbital data, and simulations of the Moon’s shifting axial tilt, the study finds that craters remaining in permanent shadow for the longest periods show the strongest ice signatures, including sites such as Haworth Crater. Possible sources include ancient volcanic outgassing, repeated comet and asteroid impacts, and hydrogen delivered by the solar wind. These cold‑trap regions, some among the Moon’s oldest terrains, may contain the highest concentrations of ice, offering potential support for future crewed operations.
DESI Has Completed The Largest Three Dimensional Map Of The Universe
The largest ever 3D map of the Universe, created by the now-completed five-year Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. Researchers use DESI’s huge 3D map to study dark energy. Earth is at the center of this map, and every point represents a galaxy. (Credit:
DESI Collaboration and DESI Member Institutions/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor; Image Processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))
The visualization traces DESI’s five‑year survey from sky tiles to the completed 3D map, with Earth at the center of the wedges and each dot marking a galaxy. (Credit: DESI Collaboration and KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor)
15 April, 2026
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has completed all observations for its originally planned five‑year 3D map of the universe, producing the largest high‑resolution cosmological map to date. The survey, finished ahead of schedule, captured more than 47 million galaxies and quasars, exceeding the expected 34 million, along with over 20 million nearby stars used to study the Milky Way.
A small section of DESI’s year‑five map shows the Universe’s large‑scale structure shaped by gravity. Each dot marks a galaxy, with dense regions tracing the filaments of the cosmic web and large voids appearing between them. (Credit: DESI Collaboration and DESI Member Institutions/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor; Image Processing: M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))
A small patch of DESI’s 5000 fiber-optic “eyes” at work. The robotic fiber positioners can be seen moving around their patrol area. The fibers themselves are back-illuminated with blue light so that their positions can be measured with the Fiber View Camera. (Credit: Claire Poppett/DESI Collaboration)
NOIRLab reporting confirms the milestone and notes that DESI’s 5,000 fiber‑optic positioners repeatedly targeted distant galaxies roughly every 20 minutes, gathering photons that traveled for billions of years. The collaboration, involving more than 900 researchers across 70 institutions, will continue observations into 2028, expanding sky coverage to improve measurements of dark energy and dark matter.
Early analyses from DESI’s first three years suggested that dark energy may not be constant, a possibility the full dataset will now test with higher precision. The findings were published in two papers in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas Emits Water Ice And Dust Jets In High Activity Phase
Comet 3I/ATLAS appears differently in red and violet filters. In the red filter (shown as orange), the coma’s center is more compact and two tails are visible—one straight downward and a fainter one to the lower left. In the violet filter (shown as blue), the coma is larger and dimmer, with only one clear tail. The variations reflect how different gases and dust scatter or emit light at different wavelengths. (Credit: ESA)
15 April, 2026
New observations from multiple international teams show that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS underwent significant changes as it passed the Sun, revealing rapid outgassing, structural evolution, and unexpectedly high water production. The Subaru Telescope in Hawaii, run by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) reported that the comet’s nucleus fragmented into at least four pieces during perihelion, with images from the Hyper Suprime‑Cam showing a dramatic brightening and a newly formed dust tail. Researchers concluded that solar heating triggered a rapid transformation in the object’s morphology.
Meanwhile, ESA’s Juice spacecraft, en route to Jupiter, conducted remote sensing of 3I/ATLAS in late 2025, detecting the comet releasing about 1,000 kilograms of water vapour per second (around 70 Olympic swimming pools worth of water per day). For comparison, comet 67P releases 300 kg per second and Halley’s comet releases 20 000 kg per second. Juice’s instruments also identified icy grains, a compact nucleus, and distinct jets emerging from the surface. ESA noted that the spacecraft’s measurements provide the first in‑situ characterization of an interstellar comet by a planetary mission.
3I/ATLAS displayed unusual behavior compared with typical solar‑system comets, including rapid changes in brightness and dust structure as well as unexpectedly high activity level at large distances from the Sun.
Virtual Universe Shows Galaxies Evolving From The Dawn Of Time
A visualization from the COLIBRE simulations shows galaxies forming, merging, and evolving from the early universe to the present, with cold gas, dust, and stellar structures rendered as they change over billions of years. (Credit:
19 April, 2026
A new suite of cosmological simulations has produced the most detailed model to date of how galaxies formed and evolved from the first billion years after the Big Bang to the present. The COLIBRE "virtual universes," developed by an international team led by researchers at Leiden University, simulate cold gas and cosmic dust inside galaxies, which are key ingredients that earlier large‑scale models lacked and that strongly influence how galaxies form and appear. With these additions the simulations match real galaxies in both the nearby universe and the early epochs observed by JWST.
The left panel shows the cosmic web, with colors indicating the projected density of gas and stars. The two right panels zoom in on simulated galaxies, depicting dust‑obscured starlight in a face‑on disc galaxy (top) and an edge‑on disc galaxy (bottom). (Credit: Schaye et al. (2026))
The data was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The simulations also use significantly increased computing power and track how dust grains influence gas cooling, molecule formation, and the appearance of galaxies in telescopes, including comparisons with James Webb Space Telescope observations. The project also introduces audiovisual “sonified” outputs that encode physical processes such as star formation and black‑hole activity, offering new tools for analyzing virtual galaxies.
GOVERNANCE
Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act Restores Federal Funding For Space Technology / Defense Firms
13 April, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act on April 13, restoring authority for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs through Sept. 30, 2031.
The legislation reestablishes more than $4 billion in annual early‑stage funding and adds enhanced national‑security screening for applicants after program authority lapsed Sept. 30 over concerns about ties to countries of concern. The U.S. Space Force, through SpaceWERX, has used SBIR awards to advance technologies including space‑based refueling, deployable solar arrays, propulsion systems, software‑defined radios and deep‑space navigation. Service leaders previously emphasized the programs’ importance to national security space and to building a broader industrial base. The reauthorization was welcomed at the 41st Annual Space Symposium, held at Colorado (U.S.) from 13 to 16 April, 2026, where companies had awaited clarity on paused solicitations. Small space firms rely on SBIR and STTR awards to support early R&D and demonstrate government interest to partners and investors.
US Lawmakers Challenge NASA Budget Cuts As White House Renews Push For Reductions
13 - 15 April, 2026
The new White House fiscal year 2027 budget proposal for NASA faces broad congressional pushback, with lawmakers and scientific organizations warning that the White House’s plan to cut the agency’s overall funding by 23% and reduce science spending by 47% would jeopardize dozens of missions and long‑term research efforts.
The FY 2027 request would reduce the agency’s top line to $18.8 billion, down from the $24.4 billion enacted for FY 2026, and sharply scale back science, technology, and operations programs. Even though NASA administrator, billionaire Jared Isaacman publicly supported the budget request, scientists described the proposal as the least transparent NASA budget in decades, noting that it omits prior‑year comparisons and does not explicitly list canceled missions, complicating efforts to assess impacts.
In Congress, bipartisan opposition has intensified. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, joined by Mark Kelly and Ben Ray Luján, urged appropriators to allocate at least $400 million for Mars Sample Return, calling the mission the top planetary science priority and warning that the proposed $3.4 billion cut to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate could terminate more than 40 missions. Their letter argued that reductions would undermine U.S. scientific leadership and erode critical workforce and infrastructure.
At the 41st Space Symposium, Sen. Jerry Moran, who chairs the Senate subcommittee responsible for NASA appropriations, said he will work to reverse the proposed cuts and target funding levels “similar to what we did last year,” emphasizing the need for a balanced portfolio across exploration, science, aeronautics, and workforce. He said the subcommittee plans a hearing with NASA Administrator Isaacman once full budget details are released. Moran added that while he supports accelerating Artemis, he has not yet reviewed cost estimates for new exploration initiatives, including a proposed lunar base and nuclear propulsion development.
Space Nuclear Power Development Advances As White House Issues New Policy
A still from a NASA animated video illustrating Space Reactor-1 Freedom. (Credit: NASA)
14 April, 2026
The White House issued a new policy directing NASA, the Defense Department and the Department of Energy to jointly develop space nuclear power systems that could launch as early as 2028.
Announced April 14 at the 41st Space Symposium, the six‑page directive, designated NSTM‑3, calls for parallel design competitions for low‑ to mid‑power reactors for orbital and lunar use, with high‑power systems targeted for the 2030s. NASA must begin work within 30 days on a 20‑kilowatt reactor with a lunar variant and may pursue lower‑power concepts to reduce cost and schedule risk. The Defense Department will outline potential mission applications within 90 days and support NASA efforts in the first year before running its own competition. The Department of Energy will assess industrial base readiness and lead cross‑cutting research. NASA’s recently announced Space Reactor‑1 Freedom (SR-1) mission, which will demonstrate nuclear electric propulsion using a 20‑kilowatt reactor, aligns with the policy’s objectives.
MILITARY
Gravitics Advances Orbital Carrier Program Under $60 Million Space Force Deal, Targets 2027 Demonstration
An illustration of Gravitics’ Medusa carrier and its Viper OTX. (Credit: Gravitics)
13 April, 2026
Gravitics has finalized a $60 million development effort with the U.S. Space Force to develop an orbital “carrier” platform designed to store and deploy multiple spacecraft for rapid-response missions. The Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) by SpaceWERX of the United States Space Force agreement, announced in 2025 and completed last month, pairs $30 million in government funding with matching private investment to validate technologies for the Medusa carrier and its Viper OTX “Orbital Transfer Express” maneuvering vehicles.
The Seattle-based company said Medusa can host five to six reusable Viper tugs, which are intended to reposition payloads between orbits and support missions such as logistics, refueling and sensor hosting. A first demonstration is targeted for 2027 to test avionics, propulsion, flight software and ground control, followed by a 2028 Viper mission to deliver a third-party payload to a higher-energy orbit.
The architecture aligns with Space Force plans for “dynamic space operations” and could add to initiatives such as Golden Dome by pre‑positioning assets in low Earth orbit and, eventually, higher orbits.
Eutelsat Offers to Host US Defense Payloads As OneWeb Replenishment Campaign Begins
A rendering of Eutelsat’s OneWeb low Earth orbit constellation. (Credit: Eutelsat)
14 April, 2026
European satellite maker, Eutelsat’s U.S. subsidiary is in active talks with defense and intelligence agencies about hosting government payloads on the next generation of OneWeb satellites, as the operator prepares a 440‑satellite replenishment campaign with Airbus beginning in late 2026. Ian Canning, president and CEO of Eutelsat Network Solutions, said multiple agencies are evaluating slots for imaging and space‑domain‑awareness sensors on the low Earth orbit spacecraft, which fly at roughly 1,200 kilometers in near‑polar orbits.
The company is pre‑configuring satellites with size, weight and power margins for hosted payloads and will use mass simulators if no customer materializes, maintaining a launch cadence that starts in early 2027. Payload integration will occur in the United States, while the government would retain operational control of its sensors.
Eutelsat is also expanding military outreach for AstraPNT, an alternative positioning, navigation and timing service already used by U.S. units and being upgraded with mobile terminals for contested environments.
L3Harris Preemptively Invests To Support Golden Dome And US Missile‑Tracking Programs
In 2022, L3Harris acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne, the manufacturer of solid rocket motors, scramjets, warheads and missile‑defense technologies for hypersonic systems. (Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne artist concept)
14 April, 2026
L3Harris Technologies’ new space chief, Sam Mehta, is reshaping the company’s approach to missile‑defense and space‑based sensing as the Pentagon advances architectures such as Golden Dome. Mehta, who became president of Space & Mission Systems in March, said the company is investing ahead of demand rather than waiting for contract awards, including hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory and about $250 million to expand manufacturing facilities in Florida, Indiana and Massachusetts by roughly 150,000 square feet.
He acknowledged industry criticism that defense primes move slowly but said L3Harris is accelerating development through digital engineering and workflow tools. The company already builds low‑Earth‑orbit tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency and is a prime contractor on the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program.
Mehta aims to position L3Harris as a merchant supplier of infrared payloads and extend its tactical communications business into space‑enabled networks, including a 2025 partnership with Amazon’s planned LEO constellation to evaluate hosted payloads and secure links.
U.S. Military Plans For Maneuver Warfare And Pre‑Launch Missile Defense Tools Showcased At The Space Symposium
A render of the L3Harris HBTSS satellite meant to track hypersonic target. (Credit: L3Harris)
14 - 16 April, 2026
At the recent Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, senior U.S. intelligence and military leaders outlined converging priorities across space‑based sensing, maneuver, force design and missile defense, using the forum to preview how their agencies plan to respond to emerging threats.
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office is expanding partnerships across government, industry and academia to accelerate adoption of advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, Principal Deputy Director William Adkins said at the Symposium. The agency, which has awarded contracts to more than 150 commercial vendors in five years, is evaluating non‑Earth imagery from HEO, infrared data from SatVu and radio‑frequency observations from Sierra Nevada Corp., while integrating commercial and classified data to support military and intelligence users.
U.S. Space Command is pressing for a shift toward maneuverable satellites as rivals demonstrate orbital refueling and logistics capabilities. Gen. Stephen Whiting said satellites must be able to reposition frequently to avoid threats and maintain coverage, a model he described as “maneuver warfare.” The approach requires new doctrine, real‑time operational decision‑making and an on‑orbit logistics ecosystem that remains limited. Space Command is launching Apollo Maneuvers, a wargaming initiative to test sustained operations with maneuvering spacecraft.
Space Force leaders also released two foundational documents, Future Operating Environment 2040 and Objective Force 2040, outlining expected threats and a 15‑year force design emphasizing proliferated architectures, hybrid military‑commercial systems, and expanded ranks with specialized technical skills. China is identified as the primary pacing challenge, with conflict expected to feature persistent interference across cyber, electronic warfare and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Speaking about the the U.S. military attacks in Iran and Venezuela, neither of which were authorized by the U.S. congress, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said that they demonstrated “combat space power,” citing Guardians conducting electronic warfare operations and maintaining systems under fire. He warned that adversaries are fielding microwave weapons, lasers and nuclear‑capable anti‑satellite systems.
Separately, defense agencies and industry are advancing “left‑of‑launch” missile‑defense tools. Left‑of‑launch efforts focus on detecting and disrupting missile threats before they fire, combining foundational intelligence, indications and warnings, cyber operations and diverse sensing to stay ahead of evolving systems. Officials said the approach requires tightly integrated data and rapid processing as adversary missiles become faster and harder to track.Officials highlighted the need for integrated intelligence, diverse sensing phenomenologies and rapid data processing as threats become “faster and dimmer,” with cyberattacks expected throughout the timeline.
Meanwhile, private defense entities are responding in kind. BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin are increasing internal spending on maneuverable satellites as the Pentagon signals demand for more agile spacecraft. At the Space Symposium, BAE introduced Ascent, a 2,200‑kilogram, refuelable platform targeting a 2027 pathfinder launch for a classified customer. Lockheed detailed its Next‑Generation Space Dominance line, including the NGSD Vanguard and refuelable NGSD Sentinel, aimed at autonomous maneuvering and rendezvous operations, with demonstrations planned for 2028–29 and potential alignment with the Space Force’s RG‑XX program.
PlanetiQ Wins $15 Million Air Force Award For Advanced Weather Data
16 April, 2026
PlanetiQ received a $15 million U.S. Air Force Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract to develop and launch next‑generation satellites carrying advanced instruments for terrestrial and space‑weather monitoring. The two‑year agreement will support spacecraft equipped with upgraded GNSS radio occultation receivers to measure atmospheric temperature, pressure, water vapor and surface‑reflected signals, as well as polarimetric radio occultation data to improve precipitation characterization. PlanetiQ Chairman Chris McCormick said the award signals strong government interest in the company’s technology.
The new satellites are intended to reduce data latency and improve forecast accuracy for weather and environmental models. PlanetiQ will also refine data‑assimilation techniques to integrate multiple sensing phenomenologies on a single platform. CEO Ira Scharf said the combined measurements will provide more complete atmospheric and surface information for operational use.
According to the Air Force, the data will support applications including AI model training and performance evaluation. PlanetiQ’s existing constellation already supplies data to NASA and NOAA’s Commercial Data Program.
COMMERCIAL
Amazon Strengthens Direct‑To‑Device Strategy With Globalstar Buy; Unveils Gigabit Aviation Antenna For In‑Flight Connectivity
13 April, 2026
Amazon agreed to acquire satellite operator Globalstar in a deal valued at about $11.57 billion, a move intended to expand its Leo satellite network and accelerate direct‑to‑device services. The transaction gives Amazon control of Globalstar’s satellite operations, infrastructure, and globally authorized spectrum licenses, adding roughly two dozen satellites to its existing fleet of more than 200 and supporting future deployment of thousands of low‑Earth‑orbit spacecraft.
The acquisition is expected to close in 2027, with Globalstar shareholders receiving either $90 per share in cash or Amazon stock. Amazon also signed an agreement with Apple to continue supporting satellite connectivity features for iPhone and Apple Watch, which Globalstar currently powers.
Amazon plans to begin deploying its own direct‑to‑device system in 2028, integrating Globalstar’s capabilities as it seeks to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink, which operates more than 10,000 satellites worldwide.
The Amazon Leo Aviation Antenna measures 147 by 76 by 6.6 centimeters to help minimize drag and fuel consumption. (Credit: Amazon)
Meanwhile, Amazon separately unveiled a low‑profile aviation antenna designed to deliver up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload speeds to commercial aircraft, using its Leo satellite network for gate‑to‑gate connectivity. The electronically steered, no‑moving‑parts design supports single‑day installation and is built to withstand global flight conditions while minimizing drag. Amazon said the system will equip entire aircraft with high‑bandwidth service and is already under agreement with carriers including Delta and JetBlue
Xoople And L3Harris Build "Earth AI" Constellation To Stream Continuous Planet Data, Feed Machine Learning Models
L3Harris Technologies and Madrid‑based startup Xoople agreed to develop a satellite constellation built for “Earth AI,” a model that continuously feeds machine‑learning systems with optical, radar and radio‑frequency data rather than imagery for human review. Xoople, emerging from seven years in stealth, raised $130 million in Series B funding, bringing total investment to $225 million to support the constellation and data platform.
The system will integrate with cloud infrastructure including Microsoft’s Planetary Computer Pro and is intended to provide real‑time, structured information about global activity. L3Harris said the partnership is a shift up the value chain, moving beyond payload development to help define satellite and system architecture requirements for AI‑ready measurements.
ESA Selects Canadian Kepler To Build Lead Next Phase Of Hydron Multi‑Orbit Laser System
HydRON is a high-throughput space optical network and forms part of ESA’s ScyLight program for secure and laser communication technology. (Credit: ESA)
14 April, 2026
ESA advanced its HydRON initiative, intended to create a “fibre in the sky” laser‑communications network, by contracting Toronto‑based Kepler Communications to lead Element 3, the program’s interoperability and industry‑integration phase. The €18.6 million award, announced at the Space Symposium, tasks Kepler with manufacturing and launching a host satellite carrying multiple European optical terminals and a space‑situational‑awareness payload. Hardware contributions will come from TESAT, Mbryonics, Astrolight, and Vyoma, whose sensor will track orbital objects and debris.
HydRON aims to demonstrate real‑time, high‑capacity, low‑latency, multi‑orbit optical data transport, extending terrestrial fibre‑network performance into space. ESA describes the system as a sovereign, European‑led communications layer capable of terabit‑per‑second throughput, reduced interference, and higher security compared to congested radio‑frequency links. The program is structured in three parts: a LEO optical‑relay constellation, expansion to higher orbits, and industry‑driven interoperability demonstrations—now underway through Kepler’s contract.
Kepler previously led HydRON’s first phase under a 2024 award to demonstrate a ten‑satellite LEO optical‑transport system. Under the new contract, the company will handle payload hosting, launch preparation, and in‑orbit operations, with the satellite also joining Kepler’s commercial network. ESA officials said the effort supports Europe’s goal of building a resilient, secure optical‑communications infrastructure and strengthening industrial capability across partner nations, including Canada, whose participation enables Kepler’s role.
Vast Introduces New Docking System For Future Multi‑Module Space Stations
A prototype of the Large Docking Adapter is now undergoing testing, with Vast preparing to issue the design as an open‑source standard. (Credit: Vast)
15 April, 2026
Space Station developer, Vast introduced a Large Docking Adapter intended to support future heavy space station modules and large visiting vehicles, offering a 3.8‑meter interface with higher rigidity than the International Docking Adapter (IDA) now used on the ISS. Announced April 15 at the Space Symposium, the system is designed for modules exceeding 20 tons and can also function as a launch vehicle separation mechanism.
Vast has built a prototype for six‑degree‑of‑freedom testing in Long Beach and plans to publish the standard in May as an open, industry‑wide interface. The company said it will sell the adapter but aims for agencies, vehicle providers, and station developers to adopt and build compatible systems. Vast does not plan to use the adapter on Haven‑1 or its proposed Haven‑2 station, which will retain IDA ports. The company also unveiled its microgravity‑optimized flight suit, incorporating astronaut feedback and intended for crews visiting its stations.
NASA Confirms Voyager As Third Company To Fly Private Astronauts To ISS
15 April, 2026
NASA selected Voyager Technologies for its seventh private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, marking the company’s first ISS assignment and expanding NASA’s roster of commercial providers. The VOYG‑1 mission will launch no earlier than 2028 from Florida and spend up to 14 days at the station, with Voyager submitting four proposed crew members for NASA and international partner approval.
The award follows earlier private missions by Axiom Space and Vast, making Voyager the third company to secure a NASA private astronaut flight. NASA will provide consumables, cargo services, storage, and cold‑sample return, while Voyager uses the mission to advance life‑support, crew‑operations, and systems‑integration work tied to future commercial stations and deep‑space platforms. Voyager said the mission builds on its ISS commercial airlock heritage and supports its broader infrastructure and lunar initiatives.
Orbital Data Centers Gain Momentum As Aethero, TakeMe2Space and Phantom Scale Up
Aethero engineers work on Titan, designed to deliver high‑performance data processing and AI capabilities in orbit. (Credit: Aethero)
16 April, 2026
Aethero, radiation-hardened edge computing hardware developer, will launch its Titan mission this fall to demonstrate more than 16,000 TFLOPS (Teraflops: stands for tera-floating-point operations per second, representing a computer’s ability to perform one trillion mathematical calculations per second) of in‑orbit computing using its NxA‑ECM module integrated on EnduroSat’s ESPA‑class FRAME‑15 bus. The system, powered by 3.4 kilowatts, uses Nvidia’s Blackwell‑based Jetson Thor processors and Kubernetes‑based clustering to support real‑time data processing and autonomous operations.
Titan follows Aethero’s Phobos CubeSat, launched March 30 on Transporter‑16 and now undergoing health checks, which delivers about 157 TFLOPS, a 60% increase over the 2024 Deimos demonstrator. Unlike earlier single‑node missions, Titan links multiple compute modules into a coordinated platform intended to operate as a space‑based cloud system. The mission is slated to fly on SpaceX’s Transporter‑18 rideshare in October, with EnduroSat’s production capacity enabling potential future expansion into a distributed orbital computing network.
Indian edge computing and “thinking” satellite startup, TakeMe2Space is seeking $55 million to build a 50‑kilowatt orbital data center after a $5 million seed round in January, aiming to establish the basic compute unit for future gigawatt‑scale infrastructure. Its first cubesat, launched in December 2024 on a PSLV, provided flight heritage and supported three customers running AI inference. The startup will launch a six‑unit cubesat with an Nvidia Jetson module on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare in October, followed by a four‑satellite, 100‑kilogram-class constellation in 2027 using optical inter-satellite links. The company targets $15 million in annual revenue with five kilowatts of in‑orbit compute and plans to offer 100 terabytes of storage. Early markets include agriculture and insurance, with vertical integration keeping manufacturing costs low.
Phantom Space, small launch vehicle and satellite producer, advanced its vertically integrated strategy for orbital data infrastructure with the acquisition of Thermal Management Technologies, adding in‑house thermal control capabilities for high‑density computing payloads. The deal follows Phantom’s purchase of Vector Launch assets to support its Daytona rocket ahead of a planned 2027 debut.
Phantom said integrating TMT is accelerating development of its planned 66‑satellite Phantom Cloud constellation, aimed at data backhaul, edge processing and cloud‑like storage in low Earth orbit. A two‑spacecraft Block I demonstration is targeted for late 2027 under experimental authorizations. The company is also developing 10‑kilowatt Galactic Sky “micro data centers” and has early partners including Ubotica, Assured Space Access and Secured2 as it positions itself within the emerging orbital data center market.
Blue Origin Reuses New Glenn Booster For First Time, Lands It At Sea, But Places Massive AST SpaceMobile Satellite In Wrong Orbit
New Glenn on the launch pad at LC-36 ahead of the NG-3 mission on April 13, 2026. (Credit: Blue Origin)
19 April, 2026
Blue Origin achieved its first reuse of a New Glenn booster during the NG‑3 mission on April 19, successfully landing the previously flown first stage on the droneship Jacklyn after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. The booster, refurbished after flying NASA’s Escapade mission, touched down about six minutes after launch, marking the company’s second consecutive recovery attempt to succeed.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, the mission’s primary payload, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird‑7 direct‑to‑cell satellite, separated and powered on but was deployed into a lower‑than‑planned orbit by the rocket’s upper stage. AST SpaceMobile said the altitude is too low for the spacecraft’s onboard propulsion to sustain operations, and the satellite will be de‑orbited, with losses expected to be covered by insurance.
Blue Origin said early data indicate insufficient thrust during the second BE‑3U engine burn, prompting an FAA‑overseen mishap investigation that will keep New Glenn grounded until the review is complete.
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Astronomers Have Identified The Most Primitive Star Ever Found
In the outer edges of the Milky Way, near the satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, researchers have discovered the most metal-poor, chemically primitive star ever found, according to new research from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. (Credit: ESO/VMC Survey)
Astronomers have identified SDSS J0715‑7334 as one of the most chemically pristine stars ever observed, marking a rare example of an ancient object that likely formed outside the Milky Way before migrating into it. The star, discovered by a University of Chicago undergraduate team using Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, contains less than 0.005% of the Sun’s metal content, indicating it formed shortly after the first stellar explosions enriched the early universe.
Follow‑up observations with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph showed the star is nearly devoid of heavy elements, including carbon, placing it among the most metal‑poor stars known and suggesting it originated in a companion galaxy, likely the Large Magellanic Cloud, before entering the Milky Way. SDSS J0715‑7334 was identified about 80,000 light‑years away, where its motion suggests it is migrating from the Large Magellanic Cloud’s outer halo. That trajectory led the students to nickname it the “Ancient Immigrant.”
Despatch Out. 👽🛸
