SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
The U.S. Senate confirmed Matt Anderson as NASA Deputy Administrator on May 18, 2026, positioning him as the agency’s second-in-command. The confirmation follows multiple reports highlighting the role’s seniority within NASA leadership and its importance for day-to-day oversight.
SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
By SpaceWatch Global: The African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF) was launched yesterday, strengthening nowcasting capabilities across Africa.
Wall Street Journal
• Micah Maidenberg
By Wall Street Journal: Workplace accident came days before the Elon Musk-led company plans to launch a new version of its Starship rocket.
SpaceNews.com
• Mike Gruss
By SpaceNews.com: MILAN – As U.S. satellite imagery companies have pulled back from sharing visuals of Iran and the broader area around the Gulf conflict, European Earth-observation firms are moving to fill the vacuum.
NASA Spaceflight
• Ryan Weber
By NASA Spaceflight: The first stage of Starship, the Super Heavy booster, has already undergone many changes during its development. This most recent design change, from Block 1/2 boosters to Block 3, is by far the biggest leap.
Space Intel Report
• Peter B. de Selding
By Space Intel Report: LA PLATA, Maryland —Maritime connectivity service provider KVH Industries reported a 27% increase in revenue and a sharply reduced operating loss for the three months ending March 31 and said its business is on the way to being provided mainly by SpaceX Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb LEO services.
SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
By SpaceNews.com: Astrolab’s first lunar rover will carry four NASA payloads on a mission planned to launch later this year.
Space Intel Report
• Peter B. de Selding
By Space Intel Report: LA PLATA, Maryland — The European Space Agency (ESA) and the French space agency, CNES, have signed a three-year commitment to maintain and upgrade Europe’s equatorial Guiana Space Center spaceport with a combined investment of 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion).
