NASA Spaceflight
• John Sharp
For the week commencing May 4, 2026, the launch roster includes two Falcon 9 flights and one Chang Zheng 7. SpaceX’s launches are set to add 48 Starlink satellites to Group 17 within its broader constellation of more than 7,000 spacecraft.
Space.com
• Sharmila Kuthunur
By Space.com: Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly analyzed the surface of a distant super-Earth, revealing a dark, airless, Mercury-like world.
SpaceNews.com
• Jason Rainbow
By SpaceNews.com: Indian hyperspectral imaging startup Pixxel plans to test orbital data center technology on a pathfinder satellite designed to deliver geospatial intelligence directly from space.
SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
By SpaceNews.com: Interlune, a startup with plans to harvest helium-3 from the moon, has won a NASA contract to develop a payload to test ways to extract it from regolith.
Breaking Defense
• Theresa Hitchens
By Breaking Defense: Space-BACN's optical inter-satellite links and related tech are transitioning to the Defense Innovation Unit for a future on-orbit pathfinder, according to industry execs.
SpaceNews.com
By SpaceNews.com: Paris, France – May 2026 – The 11th edition of Novaspace’s Prospects for the Small Satellite Market report forecasts 16,900 small satellites (under 500 kg) to be launched between 2026 and 2035.
SpaceNews.com
• Emma Gatti
By SpaceNews.com: KRAKOW — Four OroraTech satellites that are part of the Hellenic Fire System launched and deployed on May 3, the Munich-based company announced.
SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
By SpaceNews.com: As SpaceX prepares for the first flight of version 3 of its Starship vehicle, the company is facing a new legal challenge from local residents.
SpaceWatch Global
• Torsten Kriening
Universe Today
• Matthew Williams
NASA Spaceflight
• Chris Bergin, Ryan Weber
