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Artemis 3 commander confident crew will be ready for 2027 mission
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 22:22
NASA has named veteran astronaut Randy Bresnik commander of Artemis 3, with crew members Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio and ESA’s Luca Parmitano.
House appropriators back $55.5 billion Space Force budget, omit reconciliation funds
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 19:39
Draft defense legislation will fund the Pentagon at the requested discretionary levels but leaves out $350 billion of proposed reconciliation spending, raising concerns for the Golden Dome program and other space initiatives. The House appropriators approved a $55.5 billion budget for the Space Force, yet they omitted the reconciliation funds that could support those projects. This exclusion casts doubt on the future of key space programs. The bill’s passage will hinge on whether lawmakers can secure additional funding for these initiatives.
Commercial Space Federation (CSF) Welcomes Two New Space Supply Chain Members
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 15:00
On June 8, the Commercial Space Federation announced the addition of Besxar and Charter Space to its supply‑chain roster. The new partners bring cutting‑edge capabilities in semiconductor manufacturing beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Their expertise is poised to accelerate the development of next‑generation space infrastructure. The move underscores CSF’s commitment to expanding commercial capabilities in space.
Spire to pursue space-based missile warning in partnership with German defense firm
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 15:00
Spire Global and Germany’s Diehl Defence have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop space‑based missile warning and hypersonic threat detection systems. The partnership will fuse Spire’s constellation of small satellites, which harvest radio‑frequency, weather, and geospatial data, with Diehl’s defense expertise to connect space intelligence to military command‑and‑control networks. Although no contract or financial terms were disclosed, the MoU positions the companies to pursue future opportunities in Europe’s expanding space‑security market amid growing concerns over ballistic and hypersonic missiles. This collaboration reflects Germany’s push for sovereign missile‑warning capabilities and the broader European drive for strategic autonomy in defense.
UK startup Applied Atomics to enter US market with focus on military space mobility
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 14:00
U.K. Startup Applied Atomics has secured $4 million in pre‑seed funding, led by Oxford Science Enterprises, and is setting up a U.S. Base in Fairfax County, Virginia. The company is developing a multimode propulsion system that blends chemical and electric thrust using a single propellant, a technology that could give satellites the agility demanded by military customers.
NASA chief defends selection of all-male Artemis 3 crew
Also covered by: Space.com
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 23:21
NASA announced an all‑male crew for Artemis 3—commander Randy Bresnik, pilot Luca Parmitano, and mission specialists Frank Rubio and Andre Douglas—to conduct a low‑
Breaking the TRL Bottleneck: Space Phoenix Systems Debuts Cost-Effective Space Test-and-Return Service
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 21:07
Baltimore, MD – On June 10, 2026, Space Phoenix Systems, a leader in space logistics, unveiled its latest offering, the TR LEAP™ program. The Technology Readiness Level Acceleration Program is designed to fast‑track the development and deployment of space technologies. By streamlining testing, certification, and launch preparations, SPS aims to cut both time and cost for its clients. This launch marks a significant step toward accelerating innovation in the commercial space sector.
NOAA Activates First Dedicated U.S. Space Weather Satellite One Million Miles from Earth
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 19:31
NOAA’s new Space Weather Observations at L1 to Advance Readiness–1 (SOLAR‑1) observatory has officially entered operational service, marking a major milestone for national resilience to space‑weather threats. Positioned at the Sun‑Earth L1 point, the satellite continuously monitors solar activity, providing real‑time data on solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and radiation storms. The information feeds into early‑warning systems that protect power grids, aviation, and satellite operations from disruptive space‑weather events. With SOLAR‑1 online, the United States gains a critical edge in safeguarding its critical infrastructure from the Sun’s volatile activity.
Made in Space: UK funding boosts breakthrough space technologies
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 13:58
UK Space Minister announced over £19 million in funding at London Tech Week to boost British companies developing next‑generation space technology. Cardiff‑based Space Forge will receive £10 million to develop advanced propulsion systems. The investment aims to accelerate the UK’s position in the global space industry. This funding will help companies bring cutting‑edge solutions to market.
Curiosity Blog: Sols 4913-4919: Planetary explorers, freewheeling to the Yardang unit!
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 21:23
Curiosity is now heading south toward the Yardang unit, a field of wind‑shaped pale hills that promise fresh clues about Mars’ past. Over the last week the rover’s APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam instruments have been sampling interbedded dark and light bedrock, while Mastcam and ChemCam’s LD‑RMI capture wide‑angle images of striking features like the Mira Flores outlier and the Kimsa Chata trough. Environmental monitoring continues, with dust‑devil tracking and sky dust measurements added to each drive plan. The upcoming weekend drive will push further into the contrasting bedrock, leaving scientists eager to see what new surprises await.
NASA Awards Contract for Construction Services in California
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 20:32
NASA has awarded a $450 million, five‑year construction contract to 34 small businesses for facility upgrades at the Armstrong Flight Research Center, Ames Research Center, and other regional agencies. The contract covers general construction, modification, maintenance, demolition, and new builds that incorporate LEED and BIM practices for sustainable project execution. Awardees include Abide International, Anderson Burton Construction, and many others, ensuring a broad range of modernization work across the Western region. This follows NASA’s previous regional construction contract and supports the agency’s commitment to efficient, environmentally responsible infrastructure.
NASA, NOAA to Hold Joint Session at 23rd Symposium on Operational Environmental Satellite Systems
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 18:09
NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program, partnered with NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Commercial Data Program (CDP), is inviting researchers to submit abstracts for a joint session at the 2027 American Meteor
NASA Equips Astronauts, Industry with Robotic Intelligence
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 17:00
PickNik Inc. Has demonstrated its MoveIt Pro robotic control software at NASA’s Integrated Mobile Evaluation Testbed, enabling a robotic arm to identify a spacecraft hatch, open it, and transfer cargo bags into storage bins—tasks slated for future Artemis missions. The work, funded through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, showcases the agency’s role in advancing robotic motion control and decision‑making for lunar operations. MoveIt Pro, released commercially in 2023, has already found customers such as BMW, Lightspeed, and Hivebotics, illustrating how space‑derived technology can boost Earth‑based manufacturing and construction. NASA’s early investment has helped transform years of research into a market‑ready product that benefits both lunar exploration and terrestrial industries.
Stoke Space completes Nova Stage 1 structural verification
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 21:51
Stoke Space has successfully proto‑qualified the first stage of its Nova medium‑lift rocket at its Moses Lake test site, completing 46 structural checks and proving resilience in hurricane‑force winds and lightning. The 27‑meter reusable first stage, powered by seven methalox Zenith engines, will launch from refurbished Launch Complex‑14 in Cape Canaveral later this year. With a 3,110‑kN thrust at liftoff and a second stage that can restart in orbit, Nova can deliver up to 3,000 kg to low‑Earth orbit or 2,500 kg to geostationary transfer. The company plans its debut heliocentric mission to validate performance before testing full recovery of both stages.
Symphony Space Unveils Adagio-XL ODC Sat
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 13:00
Symphony Space is expanding into the orbital data center market with its new Adagio‑XL satellite, slated for launch in late 2029. The 1,200‑kg platform boosts power to 100 kW—ten times its predecessor’s 12 kW—and features advanced heat‑dissipation for GPU‑heavy payloads. A robotic arm will allow operators to swap in new chips mid‑flight, giving data‑center owners the ability to keep their hardware current over a 15‑year orbit. The company’s partnership with Catalyst Data Centers aims to translate terrestrial data‑center expertise into accessible orbital rack space.
Orbital Raises $5M Pre-Seed to Build ODC Constellation
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 12:44
Orbital, a Los Angeles‑based startup, secured $5 million in pre‑seed funding led by a16z’s Speedrun accelerator, with backing from dozens of other venture firms. The money will build a constellation of small, GPU‑powered satellites—about fridge‑sized with tennis‑court solar arrays—that can perform AI inference workloads while staying in constant ground contact via optical links. Orbital plans a demo mission in 2027, the first full satellite, Orbital‑1, in 2028, and ultimately a network of more than 100,000 satellites, all designed for low cost through automation. The company’s strategy is to outpace competitors by delivering the most economically efficient orbital data‑center solution.
James Webb Space Telescope finds evidence the mysterious 'little red dots' are black hole stars
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 21:00
Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have finally cracked the mystery of the universe’s so‑called “little red
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs may have created a vast underground habitat for life that lasted 8 million years
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 18:00
Scientists now believe the Chicxulub asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs also created the longest‑lived underground hydrothermal system on Earth, lasting at least 8 million years—four times longer than previously thought. Advanced computer models and rock samples from the Yucatán crater show that hot, water‑filled fractures persisted long after the blast, providing a habitat for microbes. These findings suggest that impact‑generated environments could support life for millions of years, offering clues for life on other planets like Mars. The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, reshapes our understanding of how catastrophic events can also nurture life.
NASA's ambitious Artemis 3 mission includes 3 giant rocket launches, 2 private moon landers and 1 big question: Can it all work together?
Original Publication Date: 2026-06-10 16:41
NASA’s upcoming Artemis 3 mission, slated for 2027, will launch four astronauts aboard Orion and involve a coordinated ballet of three powerful rockets—NASA’s Space Launch System, SpaceX’s Starship, and Blue Origin’s New Glenn—to place two private moon landers into orbit. The crew will test Orion’s ability to rendezvous and dock with both landers, practicing life‑support, suit donning, and ingress/egress operations in low‑Earth orbit.