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PLD Space commits €35M to expand Miura 5 launch complex at Kourou’s ELM-Diamant site

PLD Space says it will invest €35 million in the 2025–2026 development and deployment of its Launch Complex at Europe’s only operational spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou (ELM-Diamant). The company frames the capex as a way to accelerate civil works ahead of Miura 5’s late-2026 inaugural flight.

2026-06-01T03:41:09.367969-07:00

Space Intel Report

Business Finland approves €28.3M final tranche to scale ICEYE SAR manufacturing and expand into optical/RF sensors and AI-enable

2026-06-01T05:00:29.707267-07:00

Universe Today

Roman Telescope infrared mirror complete for launch-ready flight configuration

2026-05-31T21:26:06.334959-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

Webb makes first direct measurement of a supermassive black hole in the early universe

2026-05-31T16:40:57.777843-07:00

News Timeline

Space Intel Report

Business Finland approves €28.3M final tranche to scale ICEYE SAR manufacturing and expand into optical/RF sensors and AI-enable Finland’s Business Finland has approved a €28.3 million continuation grant to ICEYE, the final tranche of a prior R&D investment decision. The funding is intended to expand SAR satellite manufacturing capability and accelerate next-generation, AI-enabled satellite intelligence, including work into optical and radio-frequency (RF) sensing.

2026-06-01T05:00:29.707267-07:00

Business Finland approves €28.3M final tranche to scale ICEYE SAR manufacturing and expand into optical/RF sensors and AI-enable

techfundingnews.com

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PLD Space commits €35M to expand Miura 5 launch complex at Kourou’s ELM-Diamant site PLD Space says it will invest €35 million in the 2025–2026 development and deployment of its Launch Complex at Europe’s only operational spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou (ELM-Diamant). The company frames the capex as a way to accelerate civil works ahead of Miura 5’s late-2026 inaugural flight.

2026-06-01T03:41:09.367969-07:00

PLD Space commits €35M to expand Miura 5 launch complex at Kourou’s ELM-Diamant site

Universe Today

Roman Telescope infrared mirror complete for launch-ready flight configuration Roman Telescope’s massive infrared mirror is reported as ready to fly, marking a key hardware milestone for the mission’s exoplanet and dusty-disk imaging work. The readiness step follows the program’s earlier move into pre-launch assembly and timeline positioning.

2026-05-31T21:26:06.334959-07:00

Roman Telescope infrared mirror complete for launch-ready flight configuration

NASA Spaceflight

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Webb makes first direct measurement of a supermassive black hole in the early universe Using data from the joint NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team reports the first direct measurement of a supermassive black hole in the early universe, refining understanding of “Little Red Dots.” The result underscores Webb’s ability to capture high-redshift black hole signatures directly rather than infer them indirectly.

2026-05-31T16:40:57.777843-07:00

Webb makes first direct measurement of a supermassive black hole in the early universe

Universe Today

JWST is “sniffing” alien atmospheres as Habitable Worlds Observatory moves into construction to hunt for extraterrestrial biolog The James Webb Space Telescope is already probing potential signs of life by analyzing alien atmospheres, while the Habitable Worlds Observatory is being built specifically to search for biology beyond Earth. The shift underscores how JWST-era observations will feed into dedicated follow-on missions.

2026-05-31T15:54:27.152834-07:00

JWST is “sniffing” alien atmospheres as Habitable Worlds Observatory moves into construction to hunt for extraterrestrial biolog

European Spaceflight

Italy to Use Italian Navy Tall Ship as Human-Stress Analog for Long-Duration Spaceflight The Italian Space Agency (ASI) will use the Italian Navy’s 95-year-old tall ship as a platform to study how the human body responds to the stresses of long-duration spaceflight. The onboard research is intended to provide operational insight into physiological effects relevant to extended missions.

2026-05-31T07:27:33.819333-07:00

Italy to Use Italian Navy Tall Ship as Human-Stress Analog for Long-Duration Spaceflight

Wall Street Journal

Earth’s rotation is slowing, forcing updates to timekeeping to protect GPS, navigation apps and satellite operations New reporting highlights that Earth’s day is getting longer as the planet’s rotation slows, requiring periodic adjustments to maintain precise time. Even millisecond-level shifts can ripple through systems that depend on accurate clocks, including GPS, navigation apps and satellite operations.

2026-05-29T13:51:17.301452-07:00

Earth’s rotation is slowing, forcing updates to timekeeping to protect GPS, navigation apps and satellite operations

Associated Press

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Shenzhou-21 crew returns to Earth after nearly seven-month Tiangong stay, handing off via Shenzhou-22 China’s Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew parachuted into the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia, ending a ~7-month mission on the Tiangong space station. The return followed a station handover that used Shenzhou-22, launched empty in November 2025 to replace Shenzhou-20 after space-debris damage.

2026-05-29T06:10:27.080349-07:00

Shenzhou-21 crew returns to Earth after nearly seven-month Tiangong stay, handing off via Shenzhou-22

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

PLD Space commits €35M to expand Miura 5 launch complex at Kourou’s ELM-Diamant site

Business Finland approves €28.3M final tranche to scale ICEYE SAR manufacturing and expand into optical/RF sensors and AI-enable

Roman Telescope infrared mirror complete for launch-ready flight configuration

Webb makes first direct measurement of a supermassive black hole in the early universe

News Timeline