Today’s Space News: Key Updates and Discoveries

Written by Denise Buckner, Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center  Over the past few weeks, Perseverance has been investigating some curious spherules peppered across the “Witch Hazel Hill” region along the rim of Jezero crater. A striking cluster of the small […]

In the waters off New England, one of Earth’s rarest mammals swims slowly, mouth agape. The North Atlantic right whale filters clouds of tiny reddish zooplankton — called Calanus finmarchicus — from the sea. These zooplankton, no bigger than grains of rice, are the whale’s lifeline. Only […]

NASA Langley Research Center’s integral role in the past, present, and future of flight was on full display April 25-27 during the Air Power Over Hampton Roads air show. The air show, held at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), which neighbors NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia, attracted thousands […]

A beautiful but skewed spiral galaxy dazzles in this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxy, called Arp 184 or NGC 1961, sits about 190 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Camelopardalis (The Giraffe). The name Arp 184 comes from the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies […]

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher emphasises the importance of cooperation in space activities

As NASA works to establish a long-term presence on the Moon, researchers have reached a breakthrough by extracting oxygen at a commercial scale from simulated lunar soil at Swamp Works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The achievement moves NASA one step closer to its goal of utilizing […]

Though they don’t orbit around our Sun, sub-Neptunes are the most common type of exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, that have been observed in our galaxy. These small, gassy planets are shrouded in mystery…and often, a lot of haze. Now, by observing exoplanet TOI-421 b, NASA’s […]

SpaceX’s Starlink saw an unprecedented demand in Spain and Portugal during a historic blackout, as mobile and internet users turned to the service amid widespread telecom disruptions. The Iberian Peninsula’s power outage exposed vulnerabilities in traditional networks, driving a 35% surge in […]

The Goddard OCKO has a large collection of case studies covering a wide range of missions and technical topics, including launch decision making, project management, procurement, instrument development, risk management, systems engineering and more. These case studies can be used to facilitate […]

Our guide to the people, companies and concepts that stand to gain, and those that are in trouble. The post Trump’s “Skinny” Space Budget Winners and Losers appeared first on Payload.

Amid shifting global power balances and an ongoing war on European soil, it’s more important than ever for Europe to quickly address its fragmented, painfully slow, and overly cautious procurement process—or risk permanently lagging behind those who want to do it harm.  The post Op-ed: A […]

SpaceX’s Starbase has officially become a city following a decisive vote over the weekend. Starbase City officials seeks to increase SpaceX launches from five to 25 annually. On Saturday, eligible residents—mostly SpaceX employees—voted 212 to 6 to incorporate a 1.6-square-mile patch of […]

"It came out of nowhere, and it was really violent."

Not long ago, laser communication was experimental, tested through one-off missions and technology demonstrators. But today, Kepler Communications has proved that optical networking in space is no longer theoretical—it’s operational. Several critical shifts have propelled optical communications […]

Written by Natalie Moore, Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems Earth planning date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025 We’re back in our standard “touch and go” plan regime today, where we sandwich a midday remote science block between morning-APXS and afternoon-MAHLI contact […]

The ability to launch 29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites comes from a shift by SpaceX to an “optimized” version of the spacecraft introduced in 2024. Liftoff from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is targeting 4:54 a.m. EDT (0854 UTC).

SpaceX decided to scrub a launch attempt on Saturday, May 3 and then postponed the launch with new launch date announced.

The budget proposal coming from the White House would also reduce spending on the International Space Station program by more than $500 million.

The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is pictured backing away from the International Space Station shortly after undocking on April 19, 2025. Three hours later, the spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan, returning astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner to Earth. While aboard the […]

Details on open funding opportunities from the UK Space Agency, the space sector, academic, education and community partners.

Apply for UK Space Agency funding for AI Satcom and Ground Station Innovation.

"SLS alone costs $4 billion per launch and is 140 percent over budget."

The Trump administration’s proposed budget for NASA focuses on beating China back to the Moon and sending the first humans to Mars at the expense of every other part of the space agency’s budget. The post NASA’s FY26 Plan Would Cut Gateway, Phase Out SLS, Orion appeared first on Payload.

The Trump-Vance Administration released toplines of the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 2026 on Friday. The budget accelerates human space exploration of the Moon and Mars with a fiscally responsible portfolio of missions. “This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue […]

Video: 00:03:23 Astrophysicist and Nobel Prize Laureate Didier Queloz answers the who, what, where, when and why of exoplanets in this 3-part series. 

T-Mobile’s Starlink cellular is set to deliver satellite connectivity to users on rival carriers. The Starlink cellular beta program could double as a free trial for T-Mobile’s 5G network, blending space-based innovation with a strategic push to attract new customers. T-Mobile’s Starlink […]

"Gives you a sense of how big this crisis is."

As the new Biomass satellite settles into life in orbit following its launch on 29 April, ESA has released its most extensive satellite-based maps of above-ground forest carbon to date. Spanning nearly two decades, the dataset offers the clearest global picture yet of how forest carbon stocks have […]

Week in images: 28 April - 02 May 2025 Discover our week through the lens

As warfare becomes increasingly dependent on space-based infrastructure and the link between space capabilities and terrestrial systems, AV aims to use its technologies to connect military tech in different domains. The post AeroVironment Acquires BlueHalo in $4.1B Deal appeared first on Payload.

It is scheduled to carry four astronauts around the Moon in early 2026. The post Lockheed Martin Hands Over Orion for Artemis II appeared first on Payload.

"A commitment to keeping on with the Moon mission is the key requirement."

The UK Space Agency seeks nominations for the Chair of its Space Exploration Advisory Committee (SEAC).

Image: The Ocean and Land Colour Instrument on Copernicus Sentinel-3 captured this image of Earth’s biggest iceberg, A23a, on 5 April 2025.

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).

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.

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.

"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.