Moog Technology Keeps Artemis II Astronauts Safe During Historic Lunar Mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 00:41
Moog Inc., a global leader in precision motion and fluid control systems, has once again proven its importance to spaceflight by safeguarding the Artemis II crew on NASA’s historic lunar mission. The company’s high‑performance components were integrated into critical spacecraft subsystems, ensuring reliable operation under the extreme conditions of deep‑space travel.
Orion splashes down to successfully end Artemis 2 mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 00:16
NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, the first crewed flight beyond Earth orbit in more than five decades, safely splashed down in the Pacific on April 10 after a nine‑day journey that took astronauts beyond the moon’s orbit.
HawkEye 360 files to go public
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 17:36
HawkEye 360, a defense‑oriented space firm from Herndon, Virginia, filed an S‑1 with the SEC on April 10, signaling its intent to go public under the ticker “HAWK” on the New York Stock Exchange. The company operates a constellation of small satellites that triangulate radio‑frequency signals for U.S. Military, intelligence agencies and allied governments, helping track ships, monitor spectrum use and identify electronic systems. With more than $500 million in venture funding, HawkEye 360 joins a growing list of national‑security‑focused space companies—such as Voyager Technologies, Firefly Aerospace and York Space Systems—making the jump to public markets. This move marks a key milestone in the firm’s long‑term strategy to commercialize RF intelligence beyond traditional government domains.
Spacety raises $190 million to scale satellite manufacturing, plans IPO
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 16:59
Chinese satellite maker Spacety has closed a $190 million equity round, drawing investment from state‑linked industrial funds and domestic venture capital to expand its vertically integrated “build‑manage‑use” satellite manufacturing and data services. The funding will scale satellite production, accelerate commercial remote‑sensing services, and strengthen full‑chain integration, all while aligning with China’s strategy to build a “space power.” Spacety, which faced U.S. Treasury sanctions in 2023 for alleged radar imagery supplied to Russia, is proceeding with the capital raise despite limited access to international markets. The company has also begun the IPO process, positioning it for a public listing amid a broader boom in China’s commercial space sector.
GSOA and Novaspace Launch the Space Industry Forum (SIF) 2026 in Singapore
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 14:48
Paris, April 2026 – GSOA and Novaspace have unveiled the inaugural Space Industry Forum, set for May 19, 2026, at Singapore's Fullerton Hotel. The event will bring together leaders from the burgeoning space sector to discuss emerging technologies, market trends, and international collaboration. As a flagship initiative, the forum aims to position Singapore as a central hub for space industry networking and investment. The first edition promises a dynamic agenda featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions, and networking sessions.
NASA confident Artemis 2 heat shield will protect crew during re-entry
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 17:42
NASA is inspecting the Artemis 2 Orion heat shield at Kennedy Space Center before it is installed, as a four‑astronaut crew prepares to return from a lunar flyby. The 16.5‑foot‑wide shield must survive temperatures up to 5,000 degrees as the capsule re‑enters at 24,000 mph over the Pacific. Despite earlier damage to a similar shield on the unpiloted Artemis 1 mission, engineers have re‑engineered the re‑entry trajectory and confirmed the existing shield will perform safely.
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Chiara Manfletti, Neuraspace
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 15:42
Neuraspace CEO Chiara Manfletti heads a Portuguese company that currently safeguards Spire Global’s 100‑plus satellite constellation. At SmallSat Europe, she will join a panel evaluating whether Europe’s small‑satellite industry is advancing quickly enough. The discussion will explore regulatory, technical, and market challenges that could shape the sector’s future. Manfletti’s insights aim to guide policymakers and investors toward a more mature European space ecosystem.
NASA Welcomes Record-Setting Artemis II Moonfarers Back to Earth
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 02:31
NASA’s Artemis II crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—completed a 10‑day journey around the Moon and back, setting a new human distance record of 694,481 miles and a farthest point of 252,756 miles from Earth. The Orion spacecraft splashed down at 5:07 p.m. PDT off the coast of San Diego, where a combined NASA‑military team extracted the astronauts, conducted medical checks and ferried them to the USS John P. Murtha. After the safe return, the crew will head to Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefing and recovery. NASA now turns its focus to assembling Artemis III and building the lunar base, marking a decisive step toward a sustained presence on the Moon.
New Perspective of Home
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 16:33
During Artemis II’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, the crew captured a striking view of the Moon and Earth aligned in the same frame, each partially illuminated by the Sun. The Moon, sharply detailed in the foreground, contrasts with the smaller, softly lit Earth in the background, while a faint reflection in the spacecraft window adds subtle depth to the image. The astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—will return to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at about 8:07 p.m. EDT. Tune in to watch their safe return with NASA.
Indoor Testing Facilities available at the NASA Unmanned Autonomy Research Complex (NUARC)
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-09 21:54
NASA’s new WindShaper fan array offers researchers a powerful tool for studying low‑speed and hovering flight, featuring a 9‑by‑7‑foot grid of 1,134 fans that can be individually programmed via Python to create precise wind gradients and gusts up to 16 m/s. Each fan can accelerate at 4 m/s² and decelerate at 2.5 m/s², allowing the system to replicate steady winds, sudden gusts, and complex wind patterns. Complementing the array, the WindProbe hand‑held device uses an OptiTrack motion‑capture system to capture the position and orientation of a 5‑hole cone probe, providing quick, high‑resolution flow surveys. Together, the WindShaper and WindProbe give flight researchers unprecedented control and measurement capability in a laboratory setting.
Artemis II returns to Earth after historic 10-day mission around the Moon
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 15:16
Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Orion, returned to Earth after a 10‑day voyage that included a historic lunar flyby. The four‑person crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—re‑entered over the Pacific, splashing down off San Diego at 5:07 PM PDT, traveling at a record‑setting 38,405 km/h. The mission confirmed key systems for future lunar travel, broke Apollo 13’s farthest‑point record, and showcased a 57‑minute solar eclipse observed from the capsule. The safe splashdown marked a milestone for the Artemis program and human spaceflight overall.
Albedo Ratchets Up the Power for its Second VLEO Flight
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 12:00
Albedo has unveiled its new VLEO satellite bus, Vicinity, slated for a 2027 launch as the follow‑up to its 2025 Clarity‑1 mission.
Moog’s “Tip to Tail” Contributions to the Artemis II Flight
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 11:55
Artemis II is set to splash down in the Pacific today after a record‑length 10‑day mission, with the four‑person crew eager to step out of their camper‑van sized capsule. A 700‑pound hatch will need to be opened by a counterbalance actuator system built by Moog Inc., a company that supplies more than 100 different pieces of hardware from thrust‑vector controls to launch‑abort actuators. Moog, founded in 1950, has long supported major Artemis partners like Boeing and Northrop Grumman, and is expanding its actuation production in New York while preparing a new electromechanical system for Artemis III.
Artemis 3 and beyond: What's next for NASA after Artemis 2 moon success
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 10:00
NASA’s Artemis 2 crew returned safely to San Diego after a 10‑day lunar fly‑by, marking the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17. However, the agency has shifted its strategy: Artemis 3, slated for mid‑2027, will remain in Earth orbit to test Orion’s docking with SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. If successful, Artemis 4 will land astronauts near the moon’s south pole in late 2028, paving the way for a permanent lunar base by 2032.
Splashdown! Artemis 2 astronauts return to Earth after historic NASA mission to the moon
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 00:24
NASA’s Artemis 2 mission has safely returned, with its four astronauts splashing down off San Diego’s coast on April 10 after a historic lunar fly‑by. Launched on April 1 aboard the Space Launch System, it was the first crewed flight of the SLS and Orion and the first time humans have gone to the moon since 1972. The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—completed a record‑breaking free‑return trajectory, making history as the first person of color to leave Earth orbit and the first non‑American and first woman to do so. NASA officials celebrated the safe return, noting the mission’s significance for future moon exploration.
NEAF 2026 returns to New York this weekend with all-star astronaut lineup and 'world's largest' space expo
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 19:00
The Northeast Astronomy Forum & Space Expo 2026 will open on Saturday, April 11, and close Sunday, April 12, at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, marking its 35th year as the world’s largest astronomy and space expo. Over 4,000 professionals, amateurs and space enthusiasts will gather for NASA talks, hands‑on telescope sessions, and demonstrations from more than 100 global vendors, making it a true “shopping paradise” for stargazers. The event’s all‑star lineup includes pioneering NASA astronauts Anna Fisher and Chris Pettit, along with other leading space scientists and explorers who will share insights on human spaceflight and cutting‑edge research. NEAF promises a packed schedule of workshops, planetarium shows, and live demos that bring the cosmos right to the heart of New York State.
The Artemis 2 astronauts saw a rare solar eclipse from beyond the moon. Here's what it looked like
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 17:18
Artemis 2 astronauts aboard Orion witnessed a rare solar eclipse from beyond the Moon, with the lunar disk fully covering the Sun for about 53 minutes—longer than any Earth‑based eclipse. NASA’s new timelapse captures the Sun’s corona in unprecedented detail, revealing faint coronal structures and background stars that are normally obscured by Earth’s atmosphere. The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—benefited from the extended totality as the spacecraft passed into the Moon’s shadow, providing a unique scientific opportunity. As the mission concludes, Artemis 2 is set to splash down off the coast of San Diego on April 10.
Why I'm hunting for Comet Pan-STARRS right now — before it's too late
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 17:00
Astronomers have spotted a rare long‑period comet, C/2025 R3 (Pan‑STARRS), that will make its first appearance in the inner solar system in 170,000 years. The faint visitor will be visible just before sunrise from early April 8 through its perihelion on April 19‑20, brightening from magnitude +6 to as bright as +3. Although it may become visible to the naked eye under very dark skies, binoculars or a telescope will give a much clearer view, especially as the comet climbs toward the sun and twilight. For anyone eager to catch this fleeting glimpse of a relic from the solar system’s edge, the best window is the quiet hours of dawn in early April.
Four astronauts are back home after a daring ride around the Moon
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-11 01:21
NASA’s Orion capsule slammed into the Pacific at over 30 times the speed of sound, blazing a trail of 5,000‑degree‑F plasma that briefly cut radio links with Houston. The spacecraft, carrying four astronauts, completed its return to Earth after a six‑minute communications blackout and was guided toward a splashdown zone southwest of San Diego. Airborne trackers streamed live footage as Orion jettisoned its parachute cover, deployed a series of chutes, and slowed to a safe 8:07 pm EDT splashdown. A U.S. Navy recovery ship stood by, ready to welcome the crew home.
Orion helium leak no threat to Artemis II reentry but will require redesign
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-10 00:55
Artemis II has largely stayed on schedule despite minor toilet and waste‑disposal hiccups, with NASA making only a few tweaks to the flight plan since the lunar flyby launch on April 1. After a close encounter with the Moon, ground controllers reshuffled the timeline as the crew of four sped back toward Earth. Mission managers canceled a planned manual piloting demonstration to instead run an extra propulsion‑system test aimed at diagnosing a small helium leak that could affect Orion’s rocket‑engine fuel delivery. The additional data will help ensure the spacecraft’s propulsion remains reliable for the upcoming return to Earth.