European SpaceflightAndrew Parsonson

ESA disputes Gateway-delay claims, says HALO and I-HAB corrosion isn’t the primary driver

The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed corrosion issues on HALO and I-HAB but pushed back against claims that those problems were the primary cause of delays to the Gateway station’s development. ESA’s response also directly addresses assertions attributed to the NASA administrator regarding the source of schedule risk.

2026-04-24T10:23:31.115211-07:00
Via SatelliteBen Ackman

SDA's Need for Speed Pushes Startups for Results

By Via Satellite: The Space Development Agency was founded to work on tight deadlines. It issues contracts to numerous commercial partners at an unprecedented rate, in a model designed to boost speed and lower costs, industry experts said.

2026-04-24T11:20:31.063372-07:00
PayloadJacqueline Feldscher

Astra Targets Golden Dome With Small Rockets, Says CEO Chris Kemp

By Payload: “We’re going to do target practice. We’re going to make the clay-pigeon rocket,” Kemp said. “That’s great, because that will drive scale for us…and allow us to bring our cost down for commercial customers, and other government customers.”.

2026-04-24T08:10:03.259417-07:00
ohb.deStephanie 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
SpaceNews.comSandra 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