SSC’s Space Test Experiments Platform 2.0 to bolster USSF spacecraft procurement—12 companies selected – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-01 00:00
Space Test Experiments Platform ( STEP) 2.0 contract awarded to 12 vendors. STEP 2.0 establishes a 10-year multi-award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $237 million ceiling. The first STEP 2.0 Delivery Order is scheduled to start in January 2026.
Aerospacelab stellar JAXA contract through Mitsui Bussan Aerospace – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-01 00:00
Aerospacelab, in partnership with Mitsui Bussan Aerospace (MBA), proudly announces its selection by the Japan Exploration Agency (JAXA) to supply the platform that will host JAXA’s SAMRAI payload as part of a demonstration mission. This contract represents an important step in showcasing innovative international satellite solutions.
Lockheed Martin completes Orion development for Artemis II mission to the moon – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-01 00:00
Orion Artemis II spacecraft has been handed over to NASA for launch processing for a crewed mission to the Moon in 2026. The Orion spacecraft will host NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The 10-day journey will include flying 4,600 miles beyond the Moon and back to Earth.
SpaceX’s Saturday launch of Starlink’s Group 15-3 smallsats may have weather issues – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-01 00:00
Falcon 9 will launch 26 smallsats of Starlink Group 15-3 into low Earth orbit. The mission costs $52 million. The Falcon 9 first stage will attempt to land on ASDS OCISLY in the Pacific Ocean after its flight. The forecast calls for a temperature of 56°F, overcast clouds and 100% cloud cover.
SpaceX launches Starlink Group 6-75 smallsats on Thursday night at the Cape – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2025-05-01 00:00
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 successfully launched 28 Starlink Group 6-75 smallsats on Thursday, May 1, to low-Earth orbit. These 28 smallsats will join all the others that are building SpaceX’s smallsat constellation. This is the 18th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission.
NASA’s SPHEREx Space Telescope Begins Capturing Entire Sky
SPHEREx will provide new insights about what happened in the first fraction of a second after the big bang. In that brief instant, an event called cosmic inflation caused the universe to expand a trillion-trillionfold. Hundreds of thousands of images will be digitally woven together to create four all-sky maps in two years.