FROM THE INSTITUTE
Fresh off the reentry of its sixth vehicle over Australia and a newly announced commercial partnership with United Therapeutics, Varda Space Industries is positioning itself as a bridge between orbital research and real-world medicine, CEO and Co-founder Will Bruey said in a fireside chat Wednesday at ASCEND 2026.
Tag: Astronautics
ISS National Lab Provides Fresh Lens on Aging and Health, Sparking Space Medicine Programs Nationwide
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The biological research onboard the International Space Station (ISS) over the last 26 years hasn’t only benefited astronauts; it’s driven new understanding of human health on the ground.
SpaceX Targets 10,000 Launches a Year within Five Years
Reuters reports, “SpaceX aims to reach 10,000 launches annually within five years, but government officials will need to see improved reliability before approving such an expansion, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said hemet with SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, who told him about the company’s ambitious goal. SpaceX conducted 170 launches in 2025 deploying about 2,500 satellites.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Pushing the Envelope: Licensing Process for Space Launches Catching Up to Demand but More Resources, Flexibility Needed
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The FAA’s approval process for regulating space launches is steadily improving due to recent streamlining efforts, but it must continue to evolve to sustain the dynamic ramp-up in activity in the coming years, government and industry leaders told ASCEND 2026.
Space Force Seeks More Innovations to Characterize Space Threats, General Says
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Space Force, which is anticipating its biggest budget ever, must improve its “space domain awareness” as low Earth orbit becomes more crowded and adversaries pursue greater means to attack satellites and other assets, a top Space Force general told the ASCEND 2026 audience.
Experts Warn: Without Nuclear Power and National Will, America’s Lunar Future at Risk
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Policy and research experts from the University of Central Florida joined Arizona’s first space commissioner in a lively debate on America’s drive to the moon. The session explored what needs to happen from policy and technical perspectives to bring America’s lunar ambitions to fruition.
Isaacman Predicts Chinese Crewed Lunar Flyby by 2027
Space News reports, “The head of NASA says he expects China to perform a crewed flight around the moon in 2027, ratcheting up perceptions of a space race between China and the United States. In a May 19 keynote at the ASCEND conference here, Jared Isaacman warned a space industry audience that the next people to fly around the moon would be Chinese.”
Full Story (Space News)
NASA Administrator Calls on Space Industry to Move with Urgency
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Jared Isaacman took the stage at ASCEND 2026’s opening plenary with a singular message: NASA is a fundamentally different agency – one that will act with urgency to return to the moon, build a permanent base there, and realize the economic potential of operating on the lunar surface.
SpaceX Conducts 45th Starlink Mission of 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday night to send a batch of its Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit … Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 7:46 p.m. PDT (10:46 p.m. EDT / 0246 UTC). The rocket flew on a south-southwesterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg. (Launch occurs at the 30:00 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
SpaceX Targets May 21 Launch for Most Powerful Starship Yet
SPACE reports, “SpaceX will attempt to launch its biggest and most powerful Starship megarocket ever on Thursday (May 21). Liftoff is scheduled for Thursday (May 21) during a 90-minute window that opens at 6:30 p.m. EDT.”
Full Story (SPACE)