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Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

NASA and ESA firm up Rosalind Franklin Mars rover: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch targeted for 2028

NASA says it will back ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover mission in partnership with the European agency, with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy selected for a 2028 launch. The decision consolidates U.S.-European roles for an upcoming Mars science campaign aimed at advancing the search for life on the Red Planet.

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Taiwan calls for shared satcom constellation to scale secure communications as Starlink expands

2026-04-17T01:51:27.232531-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

2026-04-16T19:32:32.780706-07:00

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

T-Mobile ends free inflight Wi‑Fi for American and United customers as airlines pivot to Starlink connectivity

2026-04-16T05:59:34.065262-07:00

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SpaceNews.com

Taiwan calls for shared satcom constellation to scale secure communications as Starlink expands Taiwan’s space agency chief urged other countries to coordinate on a shared communications constellation to keep pace with the strategic and network scale of providers such as Starlink. The push frames multinational satcom collaboration as a response to rising geopolitical and operational importance of space-based connectivity.

2026-04-17T01:51:27.232531-07:00

Taiwan calls for shared satcom constellation to scale secure communications as Starlink expands

Ars Technica

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NASA and ESA firm up Rosalind Franklin Mars rover: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch targeted for 2028 NASA says it will back ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover mission in partnership with the European agency, with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy selected for a 2028 launch. The decision consolidates U.S.-European roles for an upcoming Mars science campaign aimed at advancing the search for life on the Red Planet.

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

NASA and ESA firm up Rosalind Franklin Mars rover: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch targeted for 2028

SpaceNews.com

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment Executives from three commercial space-station developers argued at the Space Symposium that the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) market is real and they can be ready by 2030, when the International Space Station is scheduled for retirement. Their remarks directly counter NASA’s claim that a commercial station market has yet to develop.

2026-04-16T19:32:32.780706-07:00

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

Via Satellite

Space Force, NATO leadership outline new threat picture and next-step missions for contested space domains U.S. Space Force senior leaders and a top NATO commander used Space Symposium to brief how they are identifying and managing adversary threats across emerging space defense domains. The discussion also set out the forward-looking mission needs to defend U.S. assets both at home and globally.

2026-04-16T18:16:59.084816-07:00

Space Force, NATO leadership outline new threat picture and next-step missions for contested space domains

Space Intel Report

Thales Alenia Space: US technology export curbs are a business risk—company still spends $100M+ annually in the US Thales Alenia Space says US technology export regulations pose a risk to its international program execution, but are “not a showstopper.” The manufacturer emphasized it continues investing “$100M plus per year” in the US, underscoring ongoing compliance and supply-chain commitment despite controls uncertainty.

2026-04-16T12:09:36.323705-07:00

Thales Alenia Space: US technology export curbs are a business risk—company still spends $100M+ annually in the US

Paddle Your Own Kanoo

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T-Mobile ends free inflight Wi‑Fi for American and United customers as airlines pivot to Starlink connectivity T-Mobile has removed United from its inflight Wi‑Fi offering and appears to have dropped free access for passengers with T‑Mobile plans on American and United. The carriers deny a deliberate T‑Mobile or connectivity pull; T‑Mobile provides a vague explanation while continuing to roll Starlink-based onboard Wi‑Fi.

2026-04-16T05:59:34.065262-07:00

T-Mobile ends free inflight Wi‑Fi for American and United customers as airlines pivot to Starlink connectivity

SpaceWatch Global

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor? A #SpaceWatchGl op-ed argues the U.S. is advancing Artemis “alone,” with European hardware participation that may not translate into European influence over lunar mission strategy. It frames Europe’s decision as a binary: remain a subcontractor—or build independent space-power capabilities.

2026-04-16T05:35:43.375007-07:00

Opinion: Europe risks ceding lunar strategy in Artemis—will it become a space power or stay a subcontractor?

SpaceWatch Global

Space Symposium 2026 spotlights Artemis momentum, global scale-up, and next-gen launch/supply-chain concepts SpaceWatch.GLOBAL’s coverage of the Space Symposium frames Houston 2029 as a new focal point for the Artemis-era space economy. Organizers cite record submissions (8,300 abstracts) and a rapidly expanding, transatlantic participation push, as sessions pivot from agility to autonomy and explore emerging “supply chain” enablers like electromagnetic launch concepts.

2026-04-16T05:35:43.174877-07:00

Space Symposium 2026 spotlights Artemis momentum, global scale-up, and next-gen launch/supply-chain concepts

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Space Policy & International Cooperation News

NASA and ESA firm up Rosalind Franklin Mars rover: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch targeted for 2028

Taiwan calls for shared satcom constellation to scale secure communications as Starlink expands

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

T-Mobile ends free inflight Wi‑Fi for American and United customers as airlines pivot to Starlink connectivity

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