L3Harris investing upfront in bid for Golden Dome work
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 09:00
Sam Mehta has taken the helm of L3Harris Technologies’ Space & Mission Systems unit, steering the defense contractor toward a new playbook that builds capacity and supply chains in anticipation of demand rather than waiting for government contracts. The company is pouring hundreds of millions into expanding production sites across Florida, Indiana and Massachusetts, while investing heavily in digital engineering tools to speed development of missile‑defense assets like the Pentagon’s Golden Dome and infrared‑sensing payloads. Mehta is also positioning L3Harris as a merchant supplier of infrared sensors, willing to work with multiple vendors as the military shifts to multi‑vendor architectures. Finally, the firm is extending its tactical communications expertise into space‑enabled networks, partnering with Amazon’s planned low‑Earth‑orbit constellation to provide secure, beyond‑line‑of‑sight links for troops and command centers.
Jielong-3 launches internet test satellite, Kinetica-1 lofts 8 remote sensing sats
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 08:48
China's latest dual solid‑rocket launches added nine satellites to orbit, boosting its satellite‑internet and commercial remote‑sensing fleets. A Jielong‑3 launch from a sea‑based barge deployed a test satellite linked to the Guowang broadband megaconstellation, while a Kinetica‑1 rocket from Jiuquan sent eight high‑resolution imaging satellites into low‑Earth orbit for the Jilin‑1 constellation. The sea launch offers flexibility and reduces congestion at inland sites, and the Kinetica‑1’s success follows a recent failure, underscoring China’s rapid growth in launch cadence. These missions bring China closer to its goal of deploying roughly 13,000 broadband satellites this year.
President Trump signs legislation reauthorizing SBIR
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 03:01
President Donald Trump signed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act on April 13, reviving crucial funding for early‑stage space firms. The law extends the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through September 30, 2031. It also tightens applicant screening to ensure high‑quality projects receive support. This move promises to keep the U.S. At the forefront of space innovation.
Washington agrees on space urgency, but not on how to deliver
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 22:39
At an April forum ahead of the Space Symposium, U.S. Officials and industry leaders agreed the country must spend more, act faster, and coordinate better to outpace China in space, but they remain divided on how to turn that funding into real capability.
Q&A: Heather Pringle on what to expect from Space Symposium
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 20:59
Heather Pringle, CEO of the Space Foundation and former Air Force major general, previewed the nonprofit’s 41st annual Space Symposium, outlining key themes for the industry’s future. She emphasized the momentum driving growth in both civil and national security sectors, urging stakeholders to build on this resurgence. The symposium aims to bring together leaders from government, industry, and academia to discuss emerging technologies and collaboration opportunities. The event promises to shape the next decade of space innovation.
Global Defense Leaders Convene as Space Symposium 41 Addresses Orbital Security
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 23:31
The 41st Space Symposium opened Monday at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, marking a shift from its usual exploration focus. This year’s agenda centers on the growing militarization of Earth’s orbit, reflecting rising concerns over space security.
Cloudcomputing Targets 1.5M Identities in Spain and Finalizes Innovate IT Acquisition
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 18:54
Cloudcomputing, the Portuguese identity‑and‑access‑management specialist now part of Allurity, announced a significant expansion into Spain, unveiling a new Madrid hub to serve Iberian clients. The move will create dozens of jobs and extend the firm’s IAM solutions across public and private sectors. Cloudcomputing aims to leverage its European cybersecurity expertise to help Spanish businesses secure digital identities and data. This strategic push underscores Allurity’s commitment to strengthening its presence in the Iberian market.
Rohde & Schwarz Introduces Pulsar Signal Simulation to Advance Next-Gen PNT Testing
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 18:45
Rohde & Schwarz unveiled new signal‑simulation features for Pulsar, the high‑precision positioning, navigation and timing service built by Xona. The upgrade lets users emulate a wide array of GNSS and satellite signals—GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and more—within a single, integrated test platform. Engineers can now validate receivers and navigation algorithms under realistic conditions without needing live satellite links. This development promises faster, more reliable testing for aerospace, automotive and defense applications.
SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Chris Quilty, Quilty Space
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 15:46
Chris Quilty, Co‑CEO and President of Quilty Space, has spent the last two decades shaping the satellite industry’s market structure. At SmallSat Europe he will join a panel that will explore whether orbital environmental services can become a viable commercial business. The discussion will examine the opportunities and challenges of turning space‑environment monitoring into a profitable sector. This event highlights the growing importance of sustainable space operations.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 04:00
Super Typhoon Sinlaku, a Category 5 storm, barreled toward the Mariana Islands on April 13, 2026, with sustained winds of 280 km/h (175 mph), the highest intensity recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency that year.
NASA Invites Media to Rollout Event for Artemis III Moon Rocket Stage
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 21:34
NASA will roll the largest section of its Space Launch System, the top four‑fifths of the core stage, out of
NASA Announces 32nd Annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge Winners
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 21:23
NASA’s 32nd annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge concluded on April 10‑11 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. More than 500 students from 42 teams across 18 U.S. States, Puerto Rico, and international schools built and tested human‑powered and remote‑controlled lunar rovers over a nine‑month competition.
NASA Awards Data Engineering, Informatics Support Contract
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 20:58
NASA has awarded Development Seed of Washington a performance‑based contract worth up to $76 million to support the Office of Data Science and Informatics at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The agreement kicks off on May 15, 2026, with a two‑year base period and three one‑year options that could extend services through June 2031. Development Seed will provide system architecture expertise, maintain NASA’s data tools, and develop AI and machine‑learning solutions to improve science data stewardship. This partnership aims to strengthen NASA’s data science capabilities for future space missions.
Launch Preview: Falcon 9 to launch Starlink satellites, New Glenn to launch with flown booster
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 20:29
This week, six orbital launches are slated across the globe, with SpaceX rolling out three Starlink constellations—two from California and one from Florida—while Blue Origin gears up to fly its New Glenn rocket with a previously flown booster. China will launch two rockets from Jiuquan, the Lijian‑1 and the Chang Zheng‑2D, both carrying undisclosed payloads.
Exclusive: Vast Debuts Flight Suit For Haven-1, Private Astronaut Missions
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 01:00
Vast has unveiled a new flight suit for its Haven‑1 station, featuring cargo pants, a tech t‑shirt, and a versatile jacket that can be worn separately or zipped together. Designed for microgravity, the suits include pockets, Velcro fasteners, and flexible material for mobility, and will be custom‑tailored with mission patches and flight wings. Astronauts will wear the cargo pants and t‑shirt for most of their time aboard, donning the jacket for hatch operations or public events.
Atomic-6 Launches Orbital Data Center Marketplace
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 13:00
Atomic‑6, a Georgia‑based composite manufacturer, has launched ODC.Space, a marketplace that lets customers “add to cart” orbital compute solutions. The platform acts as a general contractor, linking AI developers, software providers, and government agencies with suppliers to assemble data‑center architectures without building spacecraft themselves.
Sophia Space and Kepler Sign Agreement to Demo ODC Tech
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 13:00
Sophia Space has teamed with Kepler Communications to launch its orbital‑data‑center operating system, SOOS, onto Kepler’s distributed in‑orbit compute network, marking the first real‑world test of the software. The partnership could let Kepler expand Sophia’s reach in its network and offer in‑orbit compute services to a broader customer base. Sophia plans to upload SOOS to the network by year‑end, running it in an isolated container to prove it can operate in orbit, while the company aims to deploy its first “Tiles” data‑center hardware by the second half of 2027. If successful, the collaboration could accelerate AI weather forecasting, Earth‑observing analytics, and even defense data services in space.
The moon's oldest and darkest craters could be hiding the most water ice. That's good news for future astronauts
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-14 10:00
New research indicates that the oldest, darkest craters near the Moon’s south pole—those that have stayed in permanent shadow the longest—are the most likely places to find water ice. Scientists conclude the ice accumulated gradually over billions of years, rather than arriving in a single comet impact, and that the Moon’s shifting tilt means current shadowed craters may have changed over time. This discovery comes as Artemis 2 revives lunar exploration, highlighting the potential for local water to support future astronauts by providing drinking water, fuel, and breathable air. The patchy distribution of ice underscores the importance of targeted missions to these prime locations.
NASA science faces 'very serious threat' from new White House budget, experts say
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 20:00
The White House’s FY 2027 budget proposal slashes NASA’s overall funding by 23 % and cuts the Science Mission Directorate by 47 %, threatening to eliminate more than a third of the agency’s projects. Space advocates, led by the Planetary Society, have condemned the opaque request for re‑introducing last year’s unpopular mission cancellations, including New Horizons, Juno and OSIRIS‑APEX. The cuts would also dent U.S. Contributions to international efforts such as the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover.
Huge Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship arrives at space station
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 17:31
Space Exploration Missions International Space Station Huge Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship arrives at space station News. Robotic capture of the S.S. Steven R. Nagel took place at 1:20 p.m. EDT on Monday (April 13)
How Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman saved the mission's moon mascot: 'It's hard not to love this little guy. I can't let Rise out of my sight'
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 17:04
NASA’s Artemis 2 commander Reid Wiseman celebrated the spacecraft’s safe splashdown by hugging Flight Surgeon Richard Scheuring on the flight deck of the USS John P. Murtha. The reunion unfolded in the Pacific off California on April 10, 2026, with a Navy MH‑60 Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 hovering nearby. The moment highlighted the teamwork that ensured the mission’s successful return. The crew’s safe arrival marks a major milestone for the Artemis program.
Artemis 2 astronauts celebrate successful return to Earth | Space photo of the day for April 13, 2026
Original Publication Date: 2026-04-13 15:54
NASA’s Artemis 2 crew, led by pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, returned to Earth after a 10‑day lunar fly‑by, splashing down in the Pacific on April 10. The astronauts endured a high‑speed re‑entry, reaching temperatures up to 5,000 °F, before being extracted by boat, helicopter, and a Navy recovery ship. Their triumphant smiles in the media highlight the historic first crewed lunar visit since Apollo and underscore the mission’s scientific and technical achievements.