European Spaceflight
• Andrew Parsonson
Astroscale has selected Isar Aerospace to launch its ELSA‑M orbital debris‑removal demonstrator, with liftoff scheduled no earlier than 2028. The contract advances a commercial demonstration of active debris‑removal techniques in low Earth orbit and sets a concrete near‑term flight timeline.
SpaceNews.com
• Andrew Jones
By SpaceNews.com: China ends month-long launch hiatus with separate Guowang and Shiyan-30 satellite missions China resumed orbital launch activity Thursday with a pair of missions lifting off from Hainan and Xichang spaceports, launching satellite internet and technology test satellites.
Financial Times
• Tim Bradshaw
By Financial Times: Tech billionaire’s desire to put computer infrastructure into orbit is central to $1.25tn plan to merge SpaceX with xAI.
SpaceNews.com
• Emma Gatti
By SpaceNews.com: Q&A: Rebecca Evernden on UK space strategy.
SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
By SpaceWatch Global: Spire Global, Inc. has successfully received its first data from the Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HyMS) demonstrator satellite.
Payload
• Austin Corona
By Payload: “Africans don't choose sides, at least for now…so these countries are typically not locked into one provider,” said Mustapha Iderawumi, a senior analyst at Space in Africa—a Lagos, Nigeria-based market research firm.
SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
By SpaceNews.com: The Senate Commerce Committee voted March 12 to send the nomination of Matt Anderson as NASA deputy administrator to the full Senate.
Payload
• Douglas Gorman
By Payload: Jaffart is leading the charge to build up ESA’s defensive posture. Payload chatted with him to hear his plans for the new role.
SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
