Defense Budgets & Spending   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Defense & Militarization  
Payload • Jacqueline Feldscher

Astra aims to cut small-rocket costs via “clay-pigeon” target practice tied to Pentagon Golden Dome

Astra’s CEO Chris Kemp says the company will use “clay-pigeon” rocket target launches to drive scale and lower unit costs for both commercial and government customers. The approach aligns with the Pentagon’s Golden Dome space-based air and missile-defense concept, where realistic target practice is critical for validating intercept and tracking architectures.

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00
Satellite   Supply Chain   ESA   Space Exploration & Science Missions  
ohb.de • Stephanie von Neuhoff

OHB Reaches Important Milestone for ESA's PLATO Mission: Successful Tests Under Space Conditions Completed

By ohb.de: For weeks, the European Space Agency’s PLATO space telescope endured conditions that mirror the harsh reality of space: searing heat, extreme cold, and near absolute vacuum.

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
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 4 more
2026-04-22T13:39:18.717768-07:00