Today’s Space News: Key Updates and Discoveries

After weeks of preparation, the space observatory has begun its science mission, taking about 3,600 unique images per day to create a map of the cosmos like no other. Launched on March 11, NASA’s SPHEREx space observatory has spent the last six weeks undergoing checkouts, calibrations, and other […]

Astronomers have discovered a likely explanation for a fracture in a huge cosmic “bone” in the Milky Way galaxy, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio telescopes. The bone appears to have been struck by a fast-moving, rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar. Neutron stars […]

THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED ON MAY 1, 2025(Added Advanced Air Vehicles Program Fellowship Opportunities.) This Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) solicitations page compiles the opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s aeronautical innovators and/or contribute to their research to enable […]

NASA is awarding up to $870,000 annually to 52 institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over the next four years. The investments aim to create opportunities for the next generation of innovators by supporting workforce development, science, technology, […]

Eta Aquarids & Waiting for a Nova!  The first week of May brings the annual Eta Aquarid meteors, peaking on the 6th. And sometime in the next few months, astronomers predict a “new star” or nova explosion will become visible to the unaided eye.  Skywatching Highlights All Month – Planet […]

SpaceX will be aiming to complete its 440th successful booster landing with this mission, using a Falcon 9 first stage booster flying for an 18th time. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is targeting 9:51 p.m. EDT (0151 UTC).

Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers uncovered a mysterious feature within the remnant, nicknamed the “Green Monster,” alongside a puzzling network of ejecta filaments forming a web of oxygen-rich material. When combined with X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the […]

Love Ham Radio? The HamSCI project fosters collaboration between amateur radio operators and professional researchers. Its goals are to advance scientific research and understanding through amateur radio activities, encourage the development of modern technologies to support this research, and […]

Inside a laboratory in the Space Systems Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a payload implementation team member harvests ‘Outredgeous’ romaine lettuce growing in the Advanced Plant Habitat ground unit on Thursday, April 24, 2025. The harvest is part of the ground […]

Sen. Ted Cruz made clear he was voting “yes” because of Isaacman’s commitment to prioritize the Moon. The post Isaacman Pays The Moon Price, Heads For Senate Floor appeared first on Payload.

While the company has only sent three of its Jackal satellites to LEO so far, its goal is to take on higher and higher orbits with Jackal missions to GEO and cislunar space as soon as next year. The post True Anomaly Raises $260M Series C appeared first on Payload.

Astronomers have been trying to discover evidence that worlds exist around stars other than our Sun since the 19th century. By the mid-1990s, technology finally caught up with the desire for discovery and led to the first discovery of a planet orbiting another sun-like star, Pegasi 51b. Why did it […]

Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Monday, April 28, 2025 Curiosity is back on the road! For sols 4525 and 4526, we have an isolated nominal plan in which the communication pass timing works out in such a way that the rover can fit in […]

The vote in front of the full Senate has yet to be scheduled. The committee was largely split along party lines, but the vote passed with bipartisan support.

"I believe pursuing both lunar and Martian objectives is not inherently cost-prohibitive."

Axiom’s Ax-4 will test CGMs & insulin stability in microgravity—potentially reshaping diabetes care for Earth & future astronauts. The post SpaceX set to launch Axiom’s mission for diabetes research on the ISS appeared first on TESLARATI.

The EU considers funding SES to support Starlink. With MEO satellites already serving NATO, SES could be key in Europe’s space autonomy push. The post EU considers SES to augment Starlink services appeared first on TESLARATI.

With 27 satellites in orbit, Amazon kicks off its $10B plan to deliver global broadband. Can Bezos’ Kuiper take on Musk’s Starlink? The post Amazon launches Kuiper satellites; Can it rival Starlink? appeared first on TESLARATI.

Payload spoke with several companies building next-gen lunar rovers—including Astrolab, ispace, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost—about the biggest challenges and opportunities in this sector.  The post Start Your Engines: The Lunar Rover Race Has Begun  appeared first on Payload.

Sheli Hinds Armstrong will serve as the first director of space tourism at the SpaceValley Foundation, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit. The post New Mexico Adds First Space Tourism Director appeared first on Payload.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee approved three bills on Tuesday morning designed to increase astronaut safety, tap the private sector for scientific data, and maintain US leadership for the next generation of deep space exploration. The post House Panel Advances Three Space Bills […]

Video: 00:02:59 ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).In orbit, this latest Earth Explorer mission will provide vital insights […]

Amazon’s long-awaited Starlink competitor finally has a toehold in orbit. The post Kuiper Launches First Production Internet Satellites  appeared first on Payload.

Radian Aerospace said it will build a hypersonic reentry vehicle to generate cash, and support the development of its sled-launched single-stage-to-orbit rocketplane. The post Radian Plans Re-entry Vehicle For Hypersonic Tests appeared first on Payload.

"Okay, where's my camera? I gotta record that."

A satellite developed by British academics and engineers is set to become the first in the world to measure the condition of the Earth's forests in 3D from space.  

ESA’s groundbreaking Biomass satellite, designed to provide unprecedented insights into the world’s forests and their crucial role in Earth’s carbon cycle, has been launched. The satellite lifted off aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 April at […]

Video: 00:02:01 ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite has launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).In orbit, this latest Earth Explorer mission will provide vital insights into […]

“Demand has increased more than production capacity has,” CEO Ian Cinnamon told Payload. “This allows us to vertically integrate faster, and buy more parts ahead of time and stock inventory.” The post Apex Raises $200M Series C appeared first on Payload.

The mission is the second planned Falcon 9 launch for SpaceX in the span of six hours. Liftoff from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is targeting 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 UTC).

"When the flight docs say I'm ready to go back, I'm ready to do it."

The rescheduled mission comes following the April 9 scrub due to poor weather and a period on the Eastern Range marked by a noted lack of orbital launches. Liftoff from pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is targeting Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 UTC).

Image: The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), ESA’s state-of-the-art timekeeping facility, is now installed on the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. This still image, captured by external cameras on the Station, shows ACES after installation. For 25 years, cameras on […]

Starlink is poised to launch in South Korea this year, pending regulatory approvals, as global demand for low-orbit satellite connectivity surges. On April 27, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced system improvements to facilitate low-orbit satellite communication services like […]

A prototype anti-sat weapon Russia launched into orbit in 2022 is tumbling out of control, according to commercial SSA companies who spotted it. That’s a sign the spacecraft is no longer functional. The post Tumbling Russian Sat Highlights Counterspace Threat appeared first on Payload.

China announced that it will share lunar samples with international researchers and fly other nations’ payloads aboard future Moon and Mars missions—a giant leap for Beijing’s space diplomacy efforts. The post China Shares Moon Rocks, Steps Up Space Collaboration appeared first on Payload.

After years of careful design and preparation, ESA’s Earth Explorer Biomass satellite is set for launch tomorrow, 29 April at 11:15 CEST, aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.This groundbreaking mission will offer unprecedented insights into the state and evolution of […]

SpaceX’s satellite internet venture Starlink has yet to secure an operating license in India. Starlink is facing regulatory delays in India despite ongoing progress. India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed that the company must meet stringent requirements before launching […]

The Starlink 12-23 mission included 13 Direct to Cell Starlink satellites. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred Sunday, April 27, at 10:09 p.m. EDT (0209 UTC).

Alphabet Inc.’s first-quarter profit soared, boosted by an $8 billion unrealized gain from its investment in SpaceX. Since 2015, Alphabet has been a key SpaceX investor, joining Fidelity Investments to inject $1 billion for a 10% stake in the space firm. The tech giant reported a 46% surge in net […]

Launch of the Starlink 11-9 mission carrying 27 satellites for SpaceX's internet service slipped a day from Sunday to Monday. Liftoff from pad 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 1:42 p.m. PDT (4:42 p.m. EDT, 2042 UTC).

The rocket, designated FLTA006 by Firefly Aerospace, carried a technology demonstration for Lockheed Martin’s LM400 Technology Demonstration (Tech Demo) satellite bus. The mission, dubbed ‘Message in a Booster,’ lifted off at the beginning of the Tuesday launch window at 6:37 a.m. PDT (9:37 […]

The announcement comes nearly nine months after Axiom Space’s previous CEO, Mike Suffredini stepped down from the position “for personal reasons.” The company’s Executive Chairman and co-founder, Kim Ghaffarian, has been serving as interim-CEO since early August.

Axiom chief revenue officer Tejpaul Bhatia will be the space station company’s new CEO, the company announced Friday afternoon. The post Axiom Space Goes In-House For New CEO Bhatia appeared first on Payload.

T-Mobile cut the price of its Starlink cellular service to $10 per month as it gears up for a July launch and aims to broaden access. The carrier also seeks FCC approval to extend Starlink cellular service to legacy devices, citing life-saving potential. “After gauging the incredible response […]

The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), ESA’s state-of-the-art timekeeping facility, has been successfully installed on the International Space Station, marking the start of a new chapter in space-based precision science. 

SpaceX called out rival Echostar for allegedly failing to meet deployment requirements for radio spectrum in the 2 GHz band, using novel evidence: A spectrum analysis performed by a Starlink satellite.  The post SpaceX’s Spectrum Surveillance Ups Ante in FCC Fight appeared first on Payload.

Satellite developed by British academics and engineers set to become the first in the world to measure condition of the Earth's forests from space.

With 90% voter support expected, Starbase City could soon become reality. The space-age town will support SpaceX's mission to Mars. The post SpaceX’s Starbase nears city status with voter support appeared first on TESLARATI.