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Ground equipment problem scrubs Starship launch attempt
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-22 01:30
SpaceX scrubbed its first V3 Starship launch on May 21 after a countdown halt at T‑40, citing problems with quick‑disconnect lines, water diverters and a hydraulic pin that failed
Sixth Varda mission successfully returns
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 22:24
Varda Space Industries completed its W‑6 reentry mission on May 18, landing the capsule at South Australia’s Koonibba Test Range after launching aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑16
Space Force on path to double active-duty force by 2030
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 21:21
The U.S. Space Force will add 2,800 active‑duty Guardians and 2,000 civilian employees in fiscal 2027, a move that will lift the service from about 10,000 to roughly 20,000 personnel by 2030. This expansion comes alongside a $71 billion budget—more than double the 2026 level—focused on missile‑defense satellites, launch systems, cyber protection and communications networks. Gen. Chance Saltzman said the growth is driven by the need for 40 new squadrons and a heightened emphasis on “space control,” with many new roles in cyber, engineering, intelligence and acquisitions. To recruit the specialized talent required, the Space Force is exploring direct commissioning, allowing experienced professionals to enter at higher officer ranks.
SpaceX scrubs first launch attempt of its Starship Version 3 rocket
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 13:13
SpaceX scrubbed its Starship‑Super Heavy Flight 12 launch on May 21 after a hydraulic pin failure in the final minute of countdown. The 407‑foot rocket, intended for a suborbital test that would deploy 20 Starlink simulators and a heat‑shield‑scan satellite, was postponed to Friday with hopes of overnight repairs. The mission will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico and the upper stage in the Indian Ocean if launched. SpaceX’s investment in Starship totals over $15 billion, with plans for future orbital flights as the next version gains readiness.
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Celia Pelaz, Spire Global
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 17:49
Celia Pelaz has been appointed COO of Spire Global, joining from HENSOLDT’s Management Board. The company is forecasting more than 30 % revenue growth in 2026, supported by a backlog of over $200 million. At SmallSat Europe, Pelaz will bring her proven operational playbook to accelerate Spire’s expansion. Her arrival marks a new era of growth for the satellite‑data firm.
From Disposable Assets to Multi-Mission Robotics: US Prepares for First In-Orbit Servicing Mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 18:32
On May 21, 2026, senior defense and aerospace officials announced that DARPA and Northrop Grumman have finalized the schedule for the historic robotic servicing mission to the International Space Station.
SpaceX Is Worth $1.75 Trillion. Only 7% of That Is Real.
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 18:15
SpaceX’s S‑1 filing divides the company into three distinct units—Connectivity, Space, and AI—of which only one is currently profitable. The document hints at an implied valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion as the company gears up for its June 11 pricing. Satellite operators should take note, as the filing outlines how each segment could impact the market. The details could shape investment decisions ahead of the SPCX debut.
Software-Defined Modems and Hardware Bottlenecks Strain Proliferated Defense Space Architectures
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 15:44
An unreleased U.S. Space Force internal assessment has flagged a critical satellite program. The program is designed to alert American forces of incoming hypersonic and ballistic missile attacks. The program is one of the service’s top priorities, according to the assessment.
Tornado Draws a Jagged Line in Mississippi
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-22 04:01
A powerful EF‑3 tornado tore through southern Mississippi on May 6, 2026, ripping trees, collapsing homes, and devastating a mobile‑home park in Lincoln County, with winds reaching 137 mph. The supercell tracked nearly 82 miles across seven counties, making it one of the longest tornadoes ever recorded in the state and the fifth of seven tornadoes that evening. NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite captured the jagged, brown track of the storm’s damage on May 12, providing a stark visual record of the devastation. The event highlights a growing trend of increasing tornado activity in the southeastern United States, as scientists note a shift of tornado‑prone weather eastward from traditional Tornado Alley.
NASA Joins Artemis Accords Workshop as Global Signings Rise
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 21:03
The United States and 30 other signatories gathered in Lima, Peru, for the fourth annual Artemis Accords workshop, marking the first time the event was held in South America. The workshop welcomed 67 nations in total, with six new members—Latvia, Jordan, Morocco, Malta, Ireland, and Paraguay—joining the coalition to promote safe, responsible lunar and Martian exploration.
NASA Seeks Interest for Artemis Mission CubeSats
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 20:11
NASA is inviting CubeSat teams to submit proposals by June 1 for potential rides on Artemis III, IV, and V, with the Space Launch System able to deploy 6U and 12U satellites from its upper stage. The agency has already flown 10 CubeSats on Artemis I and four on Artemis II and will provide integration and engineering support for future nanosatellites.
ESA Chief Calls on Europe to Double Funds for Space
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-22 06:17
Europe has boosted public spending on its space economy, yet ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher warns the region still lags behind the United States and must act decisively before the EU’s 2028‑2034 financial framework is finalized. He urges member states to double or triple their investment and coordinate efforts, warning that unilateral projects could leave Europe vulnerable after U.S. Shifts to pause Gateway and cancel Mars Sample Return. While nations like Germany, France, and Luxembourg are earmarking large sums for national programs, the lack of a unified strategy could undermine collective progress.
Better Moon-Tech Tops NASA Stakeholder Wishlist
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 23:25
NASA’s latest “shortfalls” ranking, released just before a major agency event on the Moon base, shows that better Moon infrastructure tops the list of concerns from hundreds of space stakeholders. The agency used input from over 450 experts on 187 ideas, narrowing them to 32 key gaps, many of which center on lunar surface mobility, land science payloads, and uncrewed spacecraft operations. In response, NASA has earmarked 40 focus areas for fiscal year 2026, including a south‑pole landing, regolith‑mobility demos, and tech that can survive the long lunar night. These priorities also cover broader goals such as propellant transfers, robotic assembly, and advanced photon detectors.
ESA Approves Two Scout Science Missions
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 12:36
ESA has approved two new low‑cost Scout satellites, Hibidis and SOVA‑S, each under €35 million and slated for launch within three years. Hibidis will use a Belgian hyperspectral imager to map forest understory biodiversity, while SOVA‑S will study upper‑atmosphere light emissions to improve climate models and GNSS accuracy. Both missions showcase how rapid, agile development can deliver impactful science on a budget. The projects involve partners from Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
SpaceX's 1st Starship V3 megarocket launch scrubbed at last minute. Sorry, Nicki Minaj
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-22 00:47
SpaceX attempted to launch its upgraded Starship V3 megarocket from Starbase in Texas on May 21, but scrubbed the flight at the T‑40‑second mark after technical glitches halted the countdown. The launch, watched by pop‑star Nicki Minaj, served as a wet dress rehearsal that exposed the challenges of getting the new vehicle to liftoff for the first time.
Watch Rocket Lab launch private Japanese Earth-observing satellite this morning
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 20:00
Rocket Lab is set to lift off its 78th Electron rocket on Friday, May 22, at 5:30 a.m. EDT to deliver Synspective’s Strix synthetic‑aperture‑radar satellite into low‑Earth orbit.
This exoplanet weather forecast by the James Webb Space Telescope calls for sandy skies and a clear (alien) sunset
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 18:01
The James Webb Space Telescope has, for the first time, captured a daily weather cycle on the hot Jupiter exoplanet WASP‑94Ab, revealing sand‑like magnesium silicate clouds in the morning that clear away by sunset. This cloud‑free evening view allowed astronomers to refine the planet’s atmospheric composition, finding that its oxygen and carbon levels are only about five times those of Jupiter, not the hundreds once thought. WASP‑94Ab is 1.7 times the size of Jupiter, orbits one of two stars in a binary system every four days at a scorching 2,200 °F, and its tidally locked rotation drives strong winds that loft and then sink the clouds.
'Stop lying!' Conspiracy theorist confronts Artemis 2 astronauts, accuses them of faking their moon mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 17:07
On May 12, 2026 a conspiracy theorist confronted NASA’s Artemis 2 crew on Capitol Hill, accusing them of faking their lunar flyby. The four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian pilot Jeremy Hansen—handled the provocation with calm restraint, with Glover offering a polite wave before walking away.
Lunar Outpost has big plans for the moon. The new Pegasus lunar rover is just the start
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 15:00
Colorado‑based Lunar Outpost has secured $30 million to develop its new Pegasus rover, a leaner, Apollo‑style vehicle slated for launch in 2028 to align with NASA’s Artemis 4 timeline. The company already sent its Eagle rover to the moon and plans to field more rovers than any other commercial firm, including autonomous MAPP platforms that will work alongside astronauts. CEO Michael Moreno says the goal is to build a self‑sufficient lunar infrastructure—habitats, launch pads, energy storage—using robotic crews rather than relying solely on human workers. With the Pegasus and other systems, Lunar Outpost aims to make the moon a stepping‑stone for broader human presence in deep space.
Ground system issue scrubs first launch of SpaceX's Starship V3 rocket
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-22 02:05
SpaceX was on the brink of launching the first flight of a taller, more powerful Starship on Thursday, but a problem with the launch tower forced a delay. After weather cleared and the countdown progressed smoothly, the sequence halted 40 seconds before liftoff, with the computer repeatedly stopping the clock. Despite five attempts to resume, the launch was ultimately called off, pushing the debut to at least one more day. The incident highlights the complexities of bringing new launch vehicles to the sky.
JWST maps the weather on a hot gas giant 700 light-years away
Original Publication Date: 2026-05-21 19:26
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have found that the hot, tidally‑locked gas giant WASP‑94A b, orbiting one star in a binary system 690 light‑years away, is cloudy in the morning but clear in the evening. This surprising day‑to‑night weather pattern suggests that exoplanet atmospheres may be far more dynamic than previously thought, potentially revising our understanding of their chemistry. With a mass slightly less than half of Jupiter’s but a diameter over 70 % larger, WASP‑94A b has a low density and an extended atmosphere that makes it easier to study via transmission spectroscopy. These insights underscore the importance of detailed observations for accurately characterizing distant worlds.