News

NASA Spaceflight • Sean Yoder

SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL (NG‑24/CRS‑24) to the ISS

NASA and Northrop Grumman will launch the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft (NG‑24/CRS‑24) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in early April. The second flight of the larger Cygnus XL will deliver roughly 11,000 lb (≈5,000 kg) of science, supplies and equipment to the ISS.

2026-04-06T15:16:42.227346-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA’s Moon ship and rocket are performing — commercial lunar landers remain the open question

2026-04-06T12:01:51.352233-07:00

Universe Today

Blue Origin unveils Oasis‑1 prospectors to map mineable water at the lunar south pole

2026-04-06T11:01:43.691453-07:00

Payload

SpaceX and Amazon reshape satcom: rapid LEO proliferation, market duopoly and governance strain

2026-04-06T05:51:44.674574-07:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

❗️

SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL (NG‑24/CRS‑24) to the ISS NASA and Northrop Grumman will launch the Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft (NG‑24/CRS‑24) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral in early April. The second flight of the larger Cygnus XL will deliver roughly 11,000 lb (≈5,000 kg) of science, supplies and equipment to the ISS.

2026-04-06T15:16:42.227346-07:00

SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL (NG‑24/CRS‑24) to the ISS

Ars Technica

❗️

NASA’s Moon ship and rocket are performing — commercial lunar landers remain the open question NASA says its Moon "ship" and rocket systems are performing as expected, but the plan for commercial lunar landers remains unsettled; agency officials cite “real commitment” from both Blue and from SpaceX while a definitive lander path has yet to emerge.

2026-04-06T12:01:51.352233-07:00

NASA’s Moon ship and rocket are performing — commercial lunar landers remain the open question

Universe Today

Blue Origin unveils Oasis‑1 prospectors to map mineable water at the lunar south pole Blue Origin unveiled Oasis‑1 at LPSC, a lunar prospecting concept deploying low‑flying prospectors over permanently shadowed regions at the Moon’s south pole to convert broad water‑ice estimates into mineable‑scale prospecting data. The mission targets the water locked in PSRs, a critical resource for a permanent lunar presence.

2026-04-06T11:01:43.691453-07:00

Blue Origin unveils Oasis‑1 prospectors to map mineable water at the lunar south pole

Payload

❗️

SpaceX and Amazon reshape satcom: rapid LEO proliferation, market duopoly and governance strain SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s rebranded Amazon Leo have accelerated LEO satellite deployments, with Starlink operating more than 10,020 spacecraft and serving over 10 million subscribers while Amazon has 212 production satellites and a limited enterprise beta. The surge—11,539 operational satellites by end‑2024—reshapes commercial satcom economics, competition and orbital governance.

2026-04-06T05:51:44.674574-07:00

SpaceX and Amazon reshape satcom: rapid LEO proliferation, market duopoly and governance strain

Payload

Inside Orion’s windows: an Artemis II supplier profile Part of our Artemis II supplier series, this piece examines the design and supplier work behind the Orion spacecraft’s windows. For astronauts who invested decades of training, the ability to see space firsthand — enabled by those windows — is a key part of the mission payoff.

2026-04-06T05:36:07.575116-07:00

Inside Orion’s windows: an Artemis II supplier profile

SpaceNews.com

Seagate Space, Firefly sign MOU to develop offshore launch infrastructure for Alpha Seagate Space and Firefly Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding to develop offshore launch infrastructure for Firefly’s Alpha small launch vehicle, aiming to expand launch-site options beyond land-based ranges and provide maritime facilities to support Alpha's operational flexibility and commercial satellite deployments.

2026-04-06T05:27:22.470157-07:00

Seagate Space, Firefly sign MOU to develop offshore launch infrastructure for Alpha

European Spaceflight

❗️

Avio delays ESA's SMILE launch after Vega C subsystem production issue Avio has delayed the planned launch of ESA's SMILE mission aboard a Vega C rocket after identifying a subsystem production issue, prompting an as-yet-unspecified schedule slip while the manufacturer addresses the fault. ESA and Avio will reassess launch readiness and implement corrective production steps before announcing a new date.

2026-04-06T01:25:56.393695-07:00

Avio delays ESA's SMILE launch after Vega C subsystem production issue

Wall Street Journal

Starship Heavy could enable on‑orbit munitions and rapid strike An opinion piece argues SpaceX's Starship heavy‑lift capability could allow the U.S. to store powerful munitions in orbit for near‑instantaneous deployment, reducing risk to troops and compressing strike timelines. That would shift operational concepts, procurement needs and arms‑control considerations for military space.

2026-04-05T22:17:51.841970-07:00

Starship Heavy could enable on‑orbit munitions and rapid strike

Menu

Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation News

SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL (NG‑24/CRS‑24) to the ISS

NASA’s Moon ship and rocket are performing — commercial lunar landers remain the open question

Blue Origin unveils Oasis‑1 prospectors to map mineable water at the lunar south pole

SpaceX and Amazon reshape satcom: rapid LEO proliferation, market duopoly and governance strain

News Timeline