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Setting up a permanent lunar presence needs investment in biology In December 1972, Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent 75 hours on the lunar surface during Apollo 17. They drove a rover, conducted three spacewalks and collected samples across the […] The post Setting up a permanent lunar presence needs investment in biology appeared first on SpaceNews.

Revolv Space enters in-orbit servicing market with Infinite Orbits deal WARSAW, Poland — The Italian-Dutch company Revolv Space has announced that French in-orbit services provider Infinite Orbits has selected its Solar Array Drive Assemblies (SADAs), the devices used to manage […] The post Revolv Space enters in-orbit servicing market with Infinite Orbits deal appeared first on SpaceNews.

Germany pushes European military space command initiative AMSTERDAM — A senior German military official said Europe needs a coordinated approach to military space operations and proposed the creation of a European Space Component Command hosted by Germany […] The post Germany pushes European military space command initiative appeared first on SpaceNews.

CEO Series: Lux Aeternas Brian Taylor on whats next for on-orbit servicing In this episode of Space Minds, David Ariosto talks with Lux Aeterna CEO Brian Taylor about the problems with disposable satellites and the use for on-orbit servicing. Sponsored by Arcfield […] The post CEO Series: Lux Aeternas Brian Taylor on whats next for on-orbit servicing appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Propulsion Imperative Behind Golden Dome Missile defense has traditionally been framed around detection, tracking and interception. Golden Dome changes that calculus, broadening the focus to the entire distributed infrastructure enabling the architecture, placing propulsion front […] The post The Propulsion Imperative Behind Golden Dome appeared first on SpaceNews.

Europes biggest space opportunity comes after launch At most major European space summits, the sovereignty debate has long been overshadowed by talk of launchers, constellations and the symbolism of a national presence. On the sidelines, however, the […] The post Europes biggest space opportunity comes after launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

Virgin Galactic returns Unity to flight to prepare for next-generation spaceplane The Virgin Galactic spaceplane used for the companys first commercial flights has returned to service to train its pilots for its next-generation spacecraft. The post Virgin Galactic returns Unity to flight to prepare for next-generation spaceplane appeared first on SpaceNews.

FAA requires mishap investigation into latest Starship launch The Federal Aviation Administration will require SpaceX to complete an investigation into its latest Starship test flight before allowing the vehicle to fly again. The post FAA requires mishap investigation into latest Starship launch appeared first on SpaceNews.

House Armed Services draft bill eliminates SDA, Space RCO as separate entities HASC 2027 NDAA supports realignment of the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office under a portfolio-based acquisition structure The post House Armed Services draft bill eliminates SDA, Space RCO as separate entities appeared first on SpaceNews.

Mars to Titan: the next rallying call? Where will humans go after Mars? Is Mars the end of the line or is it a steppingstone to somewhere else? If we moon-to-Mars, do we then Mars-to-somewhere else? These […] The post Mars to Titan: the next rallying call? appeared first on SpaceNews.

European space industry warns EU Space Act could slow competitiveness AMSTERDAM – European industry representatives and legal experts are worried that the EU Space Act is too slow, too rigid and too bureaucratic. Speaking at SmallSat Europe, panelists said they […] The post European space industry warns EU Space Act could slow competitiveness appeared first on SpaceNews.

As geopolitics reshape space, SpinLaunch sees an opening SpinLaunch CEO Massimiliano Massi Ladovaz paints an ambitious picture of a rapidly shifting space industry driven as much by geopolitics and sovereignty as by engineering innovation. Ladovaz argued that SpinLaunchs […] The post As geopolitics reshape space, SpinLaunch sees an opening appeared first on SpaceNews.

Former Ukraine official calls for stricter restrictions on Russian use of Starlink AMSTERDAM – A former senior Ukrainian defense official called on SpaceX to tighten controls on Starlink terminals that she said are reaching Russian forces through third-party countries or intermediaries. Kateryna […] The post Former Ukraine official calls for stricter restrictions on Russian use of Starlink appeared first on SpaceNews.

Kongsberg NanoAvionics sets sights on building and supporting sovereign constellations NanoAvionics, founded in 2014, was known for producing individual satellites and small constellations until April, when the company won a 122.5-million-euro contract ($142 million) to build the initial 280 satellites […] The post Kongsberg NanoAvionics sets sights on building and supporting sovereign constellations appeared first on SpaceNews.

Sitael Accelerates Growth in Space:New Missions, Industrial Capacity and a Trajectory Towards 2031 • SITAEL announces a growth plan targeting €200 million in revenues by 2031, currently supported by over €150 million in backlog and nine launches planned by 2030.• The company confirms […] The post Sitael Accelerates Growth in Space:New Missions, Industrial Capacity and a Trajectory Towards 2031 appeared first on SpaceNews.

Starclouds path to 88,000 computing satellites In November, Starcloud sent a small satellite called Starcloud-1 into orbit via a SpaceX launch. The 60-kilogram spacecraft was the first to carry a compute system with an NVIDIA H100 […] The post Starclouds path to 88,000 computing satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

Schaeffler AG joins forces with Spire to build sovereign European satellites AMSTERDAM – Spire Global revealed another element of its campaign to rapidly scale satellite production in German: strategic cooperation with Schaeffer AG, a major German manufacturer of automotive systems and […] The post Schaeffler AG joins forces with Spire to build sovereign European satellites appeared first on SpaceNews.

Spire expands European manufacturing with Munich plant AMSTERDAM – Spire Global has established a facility in Munich to develop and manufacture as many as 100 small satellites annually. With manufacturing plants in Boulder, Colorado, Glasgow, Scotland, and […] The post Spire expands European manufacturing with Munich plant appeared first on SpaceNews.

Artemis 2 captured the worlds attention. It should change how we think about supply chains. The Artemis 2 mission has captured global attention for obvious reasons. It signals a return to the moon, reflects geopolitical ambition and showcases the next phase of human spaceflight. But […] The post Artemis 2 captured the worlds attention. It should change how we think about supply chains. appeared first on SpaceNews.

Europes satellite spectrum proposal clouds SpaceX and Viasat plans Europe has proposed reserving two-thirds of 2 gigahertz mobile satellite spectrum up for renewal next year for European operators, complicating SpaceXs direct-to-device ambitions and the outlook for Viasats European Aviation Network. The post Europes satellite spectrum proposal clouds SpaceX and Viasat plans appeared first on SpaceNews.

Worlds smallest deployable operational optical ground station proves capability in successful trials Oxford, UK – 27 May 2026 Archangel Lightworks, the laser communications company, has successfully completed field trials of the TERRA-M, the worlds smallest deployable operational optical ground station, proving its […] The post Worlds smallest deployable operational optical ground station proves capability in successful trials appeared first on SpaceNews.

European space industry watching SpaceX IPO plans Space companies and investors in Europe are closely watching SpaceXs plans to go public, an event that could spur new investment in other companies. The post European space industry watching SpaceX IPO plans appeared first on SpaceNews.

Nations opt for a mix of sovereign, bilateral, federated and commercial space capabilities AMSTERDAM – European nations are adopting a mix of sovereign, bilateral, federated and dual-use commercial technologies to enhance military readiness. When we talk about sovereignty, independence, safety or security, we […] The post Nations opt for a mix of sovereign, bilateral, federated and commercial space capabilities appeared first on SpaceNews.

SpaceX wins $2.29 billion Space Force contract for military data network The contract is for the development of the U.S. Space Forces Space Data Network backbone The post SpaceX wins $2.29 billion Space Force contract for military data network appeared first on SpaceNews.

NASA selects four companies for initial moon base awards NASA announced May 26 the first contracts associated with its plans to develop a lunar base, picking four companies to develop and deliver landers and drones to the moon. The post NASA selects four companies for initial moon base awards appeared first on SpaceNews.

Open Cosmos CEO on what it takes to bring IoT to space Open Cosmos, based in the United Kingdom, is facing a 2028 deadline to field an ambitious broadband constellation for Europe. That system, ConnectedCosmos, aims to reduce reliance on undersea cables […] The post Open Cosmos CEO on what it takes to bring IoT to space appeared first on SpaceNews.

Starcloud orders Starlink lasers for orbital data center network Starcloud has ordered optical terminals from SpaceX to use Starlink as a global data-relay network for its future orbital data centers, deepening ties with the company it is counting on to launch full-size spacecraft. The post Starcloud orders Starlink lasers for orbital data center network appeared first on SpaceNews.

The surge in military budgets can help Europes entrepreneurial space sector — if spending speeds up AMSTERDAM – The recent surge in European defense spending could bolster Europes entrepreneurial space sector, but only if bureaucratic roadblocks are cleared, panelists said at the SmallSat Europe conference. While […] The post The surge in military budgets can help Europes entrepreneurial space sector — if spending speeds up appeared first on SpaceNews.

Voyager wins DARPA contract for solid rocket propellant technology The $16.5 million award is for thrust-control technology designed to make solid propulsion systems more adaptable across different missions and weapons programs The post Voyager wins DARPA contract for solid rocket propellant technology appeared first on SpaceNews.

Regulations and access to capital continue to hinder Europes smallsat industry Burdensome regulations and limited access to capital continue to act as a drag on Europes smallsat sector despite proposed new legislation and an influx of defense spending. The post Regulations and access to capital continue to hinder Europes smallsat industry appeared first on SpaceNews.