Satellite   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space   Space Debris & Traffic Management  
Space Intel Report • Peter B. de Selding

Blue Origin’s New Glenn NG-3 delivers flown booster performance, but BlueBird 7 is lost after upper-stage anomaly and incorrect

Blue Origin’s NG-3 reused first stage reached its targets, but an anomaly on the New Glenn upper stage prevented AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 from reaching the correct orbit. AST says BlueBird 7 will be deorbited after reaching an unsurvivable low-orbit outcome, making the mission a total loss; the satellite is insured for $30M.

Also: Leonard David
2026-04-19T11:55:54.993918-07:00
Space Force   ULA   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Defense & Militarization   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Space Force weighs Vulcan flights without solid boosters

By SpaceNews.com: WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is exploring whether it can resume flights of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket without using the solid rocket boosters now under investigation, a workaround that could allow some missions to proceed even as the vehicle remains grounded for national security launches.

2026-04-19T11:04:27.649286-07:00
Satellite   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Commercial Space   Space Defense & Militarization  
SpaceNews.com • Sandra Erwin

Rhea Space Activity raises $6 million to develop GPS-free spacecraft navigation

By SpaceNews.com: hea Space Activity WASHINGTON — Rhea Space Activity, a Washington, D.C.-based space technology startup, has raised $6 million in a Series A funding round to advance navigation software designed to operate without GPS, the company said.

2026-04-19T04:04:27.650723-07:00
Event   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Commercial Space  
Spaceflight Now • Stephen Clark

SpaceX to attempt 600th Falcon booster landing amid West Coast Starlink mission

By Spaceflight Now: SpaceX is positioned to complete its 600th Falcon booster landing during a Starlink mission now planned for Sunday morning. The Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a south-southwesterly trajectory upon departure from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

2026-04-17T23:59:22.130000-07:00
Europe   ESA   Launch Vehicles & Space Transportation   Space Exploration & Science Missions   Space Policy & International Cooperation   Space Debris & Traffic Management   Policy & Regulation   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact   NASA  
Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

After a saga of broken promises, a European rover finally has a ride to Mars

By Ars Technica: NASA confirmed Thursday that SpaceX will launch the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover, perhaps as soon as late 2028, on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Also: SpaceNews.com, Space.com, Times of India and 7 more
2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00
Space Exploration & Science Missions   Human Spaceflight & Space Stations   Space Debris & Traffic Management   Asia-Pacific (APAC)  
SpaceNews.com • Andrew Jones

Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete third spacewalk, mission extended by a month

By SpaceNews.com: China’s Shenzhou-21 astronauts conducted an extravehicular activity outside the Tiangong space station Thursday, installing debris-protection hardware and inspecting the orbital outpost.

Also: South China Morning Post and china-in-space.com
2026-04-17T11:21:17.449783-07:00