Space.com
• Mike Wall
SpaceX is scheduled to launch 45 satellites into orbit from California in the early hours of May 3, with live coverage available. The planned multi-satellite deployment underscores continued cadence growth in orbital satellite delivery and constellation expansion efforts.
SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
By SpaceNews.com: GTON — President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess for promotion to four-star general and selected him to become the next chief of space operations, positioning a career operator to lead the U.S.
Air & Space Forces Mag
Breaking Defense
NASA Spaceflight
• Chris Bergin, Ryan Weber
By NASA Spaceflight: The return of Starship launches may be just weeks away, with notices for the upcoming Flight 12 launch attempt publishing notification for windows opening as early as May 12.
SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
By SpaceNews.com: NASA is planning to increase the total value of a contract for robotic lunar lander missions to support a proposed surge in flights for a moon base.
Ars Technica
• Eric Berger
By Ars Technica: It's not clear whether Virgin Galactic has the cash reserves to fund a prolonged test phase.
Space Intel Report
• Peter B. de Selding
By Space Intel Report: LA PLATA, Maryland — The European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), which for more than two decades has been producing satellite imagery-based security and military reports for EU nations, is on the threshold of a major increase in responsibility as the EU prepares to manage a constellation of high-revisit,.
Via Satellite
• Mark Holmes
By Via Satellite: Loft is to play a key role in an ambitious next-generation Earth Observation (EO) constellation project in France. It is to partner with Magellium Artal Group after winning a multi-year contract worth up to tens of millions of euros from the French Space Agency (CNES) for the deployment of this constellation.
NASA Spaceflight
• Haygen Warren
By NASA Spaceflight: Russia’s brand new Soyuz-5 rocket made its first flight on Saturday, lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday on a suborbital demonstration mission with a dummy payload that will pave the way for its entry into service.
SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
