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NASA Spaceflight • Ryan Weber

Super Heavy Block 3: SpaceX’s largest Super Heavy redesign since Block 1/2

SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster has already seen multiple design iterations, but the shift from Block 1/2 to Block 3 represents its biggest change to date. The Block 3 update is positioned as the next major step in making the redesigned Starship/Super Heavy system ready for upcoming test campaigns.

2026-05-18T11:40:01.640804-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch

2026-05-18T11:09:35.504992-07:00

Space Intel Report

ESA and CNES pledge €1 billion over three years to upgrade Kourou’s Guiana Space Centre; Vega-C VV29 scheduled for ESA’s Smile m

2026-05-18T10:23:53.882356-07:00

European Spaceflight

ESA delivers EuroSuit prototype to ISS for in-orbit testing by astronaut Sophie Adenot

2026-05-18T08:12:34.150739-07:00

News Timeline

NASA Spaceflight

Super Heavy Block 3: SpaceX’s largest Super Heavy redesign since Block 1/2 SpaceX’s Super Heavy booster has already seen multiple design iterations, but the shift from Block 1/2 to Block 3 represents its biggest change to date. The Block 3 update is positioned as the next major step in making the redesigned Starship/Super Heavy system ready for upcoming test campaigns.

2026-05-18T11:40:01.640804-07:00

Super Heavy Block 3: SpaceX’s largest Super Heavy redesign since Block 1/2

SpaceNews.com

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch Astrolab will fly its first lunar rover later this year with four NASA payloads, marking another step in NASA’s push to mature robotic surface capabilities ahead of sustained lunar operations. The package underscores how mission-specific payload integration is being built into early rover flight plans.

2026-05-18T11:09:35.504992-07:00

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch

Space Intel Report

ESA and CNES pledge €1 billion over three years to upgrade Kourou’s Guiana Space Centre; Vega-C VV29 scheduled for ESA’s Smile m ESA and CNES have signed a three-year commitment to maintain and upgrade Europe’s equatorial Guiana Space Center, backed by a combined €1 billion investment. The funding supports launch readiness at Kourou, where Vega-C is scheduled to fly VV29 carrying ESA’s Smile (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) mission on 19 May.

2026-05-18T10:23:53.882356-07:00

ESA and CNES pledge €1 billion over three years to upgrade Kourou’s Guiana Space Centre; Vega-C VV29 scheduled for ESA’s Smile m

European Spaceflight

ESA delivers EuroSuit prototype to ISS for in-orbit testing by astronaut Sophie Adenot The French space agency’s EuroSuit prototype has been delivered to the International Space Station, where it will be tested by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot. The in-orbit evaluation is intended to validate performance of the next-generation spacesuit hardware ahead of broader human spaceflight use.

2026-05-18T08:12:34.150739-07:00

ESA delivers EuroSuit prototype to ISS for in-orbit testing by astronaut Sophie Adenot

Ars Technica

US space ecosystem awaits Starship delivery as questions persist over when the program will start reliably delivering Reporting frames the US space enterprise as “desperately waiting” for SpaceX’s Starship to finally deliver, highlighting an uneven run of highs and lows as stakeholders look for schedule and performance certainty. The question centers on whether Starship can move from test-cycle variability to operational dependability.

2026-05-18T04:09:33.740356-07:00

US space ecosystem awaits Starship delivery as questions persist over when the program will start reliably delivering

Space.com

NASA rotorcraft testing pushes toward Mach-breaking performance for future Mars helicopters NASA is conducting tests on a next-generation Mars helicopter rotor designed to operate in the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere, with current work focused on pushing the rotor to break the sound barrier. The latest milestone is being showcased in a new video as NASA advances Mars rotorcraft development.

2026-05-17T08:06:18.242266-07:00

NASA rotorcraft testing pushes toward Mach-breaking performance for future Mars helicopters

Space.com

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days A giant radio telescope in West Virginia observed NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it flew around the Moon for five days, collecting precise tracking data on its motion. The effort produced high-resolution observations cited by NASA as visual confirmation of crewed operations beyond Earth orbit.

2026-05-17T05:04:01.561582-07:00

West Virginia radio telescope tracks Artemis II Orion around the Moon for five days

SpaceNews.com

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints NASA has released the final request for proposals for a Mars communications orbiter. The solicitation confirms technical and program requirements that narrow which companies are eligible to bid, setting the competitive field for the next dedicated interplanetary relay capability.

2026-05-16T15:53:12.684646-07:00

NASA issues final RFP for Mars communications orbiter with bidder eligibility constraints

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Space Exploration & Science Missions News

Super Heavy Block 3: SpaceX’s largest Super Heavy redesign since Block 1/2

Astrolab’s first lunar rover to carry four NASA payloads on late-2026 launch

ESA and CNES pledge €1 billion over three years to upgrade Kourou’s Guiana Space Centre; Vega-C VV29 scheduled for ESA’s Smile m

ESA delivers EuroSuit prototype to ISS for in-orbit testing by astronaut Sophie Adenot

News Timeline