Satellite   Supply Chain   ESA   Space Exploration & Science Missions  
ohb.de • Stephanie von Neuhoff

ESA’s PLATO mission clears first pre-launch thermal vacuum tests with OHB ahead of early-2027 Ariane 6 launch

OHB has completed PLATO’s first major pre-launch test campaign, finishing a thermal vacuum test campaign that replicated the key harsh conditions of space (searing heat, extreme cold, and near-absolute vacuum). The milestone reinforces ESA’s schedule for an early-2027 launch on Ariane 6.

2026-04-23T07:35:14.123038-07:00
Satellite   Space Force   Commercial Space   Space Defense & Militarization  
SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

SpaceX wins $57 million U.S. military contract for satellite crosslink demo

By SpaceNews.com: GTON — The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX a $57 million contract to demonstrate satellite-to-satellite communications using Link-182, a radio-frequency data link standard the Space Force has adopted for its MILNET data relay network.

2026-04-23T14:50:27.221197-07:00
ISS   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Human Spaceflight & Space Stations   Commercial Space  
collectSPACE

Frontier fashion: Vast reveals flight suit, tests timepiece for commercial space station

By collectSPACE: After 25 years of U.S. astronauts wearing off-the-rack clothes while in Earth orbit, a company working to launch the world's first commercial space station has adopted a custom approach to its crew attire.

2026-04-22T19:50:53.912897-07:00
MRO   L3Harris   Orders   Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs)   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Boeing   NASA  
NASA • Charles G. Hatfield

NASA's 777 Aircraft Returns with Science Flights on Horizon

By NASA: NASA’s Boeing 777 has returned to the agency’s fleet after undergoing heavy structural modifications as it transforms from a giant passenger plane into the agency’s next-generation airborne science laboratory.

Also: Air Data News, FlightGlobal and 3 more
2026-04-22T13:39:18.717768-07:00