
NASA and Boeing say preparations continue for July Starliner test flight
NASA and Boeing said May 26 they are still working towards a July launch of the CST-100 Starliner on a crewed test flight despite “emerging issues” and concerns raised by a safety panel.

SpaceX launches Badr-8 to bolster Arabsat’s satellite fleet
SpaceX launched the Badr-8 TV broadcast and telecoms satellite May 27 for Saudi Arabia-based fleet operator Arabsat, equipped with a jamming-resistant optical communications payload demonstrator.

Software problem blamed for ispace lunar lander crash
A software glitch kept a lunar lander from properly determining its altitude, leading to a crash on its landing attempt last month, Japanese company ispace announced May 26.

L3Harris wins $80 million Air Force contract for satcom experiments
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth $80.8 million to conduct communications experiments using multiple commercial space internet services.

SpaceX investment in Starship approaches $5 billion
SpaceX will have spent $5 billion or more on its Starship vehicle and launch infrastructure by the end of this year, according to court filings and comments by the company’s chief executive.

NASA safety panel skeptical of Starliner readiness for crewed flight
The chair of a NASA safety panel urged the agency not to rush into a crewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner vehicle, calling for an independent “deep look” at technical issues with the spacecraft.

Orbit Fab selects Impulse Space’s orbital vehicle for in-space refueling demo
Orbit Fab announced May 25 it selected an orbital vehicle made by startup Impulse Space to host a fuel depot for an in-orbit refueling demonstration funded by the U.S. military.

Kleos enters partnership with General Atomics
Kleos Space announced a partnership with General Atomics Commonwealth Computer Research aimed at making it easier for analysts around the world to derive insights from Kleos’ radio frequency data.

Virgin Galactic makes first suborbital spaceflight in nearly two years
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle flew to space for the first time in nearly two years May 25 on what the company projected to be the vehicle’s final test flight before commencing commercial operations.

Viasat’s Inmarsat acquisition clears all regulatory hurdles
Viasat has secured all regulatory clearances needed to buy British satellite operator Inmarsat after getting unconditional approval from the European Commission May 25.

Iceye introduces Dwell imaging mode
Iceye unveiled an imaging mode at the GEOINT Symposium that distinguishes human-made from natural objects and highlights moving vehicles.

Impulse and Relativity target 2026 for launch of first Mars lander mission
Two companies are preparing for a 2026 launch of what they believe will be the first commercial robotic Mars lander mission, the start of what the companies plan to be a regular series of such missions.

Fleet Space secures $33 million for mineral exploration constellation
Fleet Space Technologies has raised around $33 million in a Series C round to expand its satellite-based mineral exploration services.

BlackSky, Spire roll out space-based maritime tracking service
BlackSky and Spire Global announced May 24 they are offering a new monitoring service that tracks ships via satellites.

Japan’s GITAI raises $29 million for space robotics business
Japanese space robotics venture GITAI has raised around $29 million to accelerate technology development and its U.S. expansion plans.

Debut Astranis satellite beams first signals to Alaska
The first Astranis-built satellite has reached geostationary orbit over Alaska and completed a key end-to-end payload test following its Falcon Heavy launch at the end of April, the Californian manufacturer announced May 24.
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