FROM THE INSTITUTE
Novaspace will make its ASCEND debut this year with a dedicated half day aimed at unpacking three of the space sector’s fastest-moving trends: direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity, cloud-enabled space infrastructure, and the next AI-fueled era of remote sensing. The programming on 21 May, marks the first time the consultancy has served as a programming partner for ASCEND.
Tag: May 2026
NASA Alters Artemis 3 Launch Vehicle Configuration
Space News reports, “NASA plans to fly the Space Launch System on Artemis 3 without an upper stage as the agency begins to define revised plans for the mission. NASA, in a May 13 update on Artemis 3, said the SLS will launch with an inert ‘spacer’ in place of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage on the mission. The spacer, being built at Marshall Space Flight Center, will have the same dimensions and interfaces as the ICPS.”
Full Story (Space News)
Boeing Reports Strong April With 57 Widebody Orders
Aviation Week reports, “Boeing booked 109 unidentified orders in April, including commitments for 57 widebodies, the company said May 12. The unidentified orders, released as part of its monthly orders and deliveries report, comprise 28 777Xs, 29 787s and 52 737 MAXs.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Starship V3 and Launch Pad 2 Set for Debut Mission May 19
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 19, for the long awaited debut of the third major iteration of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket.” The mission will test a host of changes made to both the launch vehicle and the launch infrastructure as SpaceX prepares to support the Artemis 3 mission.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Pickering Lecture to Feature NASA–ISRO Radar Mission’s Early Findings at ASCEND 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Paul A. Rosen, project scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will deliver the Pickering Lecture at ASCEND 2026 on Thursday, 21 May. A 34-year NASA veteran and JPL Fellow who specializes in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Rosen will detail early findings from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission and how it is changing the ways scientists and agencies monitor Earth.
MQ-9 Reaper Demonstrates Precision Rocket Strike Capability
Aviation Week reports, “MQ-9 Reapers fired BAE Systems precision-guided rockets during a recent demonstration by General Atomics Aeronautics Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and the U.S. Air Force. The medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) launched several Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II rockets at ground and aerial targets on the Nevada Test and Training Range, the MQ-9 manufacturer said.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
SpaceX Launches New Wave of NRO Reconnaissance Satellites
Spaceflight Now reports, “The National Reconnaissance Office flew its 13th mission supporting an intelligence-gathering constellation it calls the “proliferated architecture” on Monday night. As with the first dozen missions, this batch of satellites (of an undisclosed quantity) flew to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, dubbed NROL-172, launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff happened at 7:13:50 p.m. PDT (10:13:50 p.m. EDT / 0213:50 UTC), nearly four hours after the opening of the window.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches NROL-172 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. (Launch occurs at 30:26 mark)
Spaceflight Now: YouTube
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BryceTech to Steer Investment and Innovation Conversation at ASCEND 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
When ASCEND 2026 convenes in Washington, D.C., 19-21 May, BryceTech will step into a new role: curating a dedicated two-day track that aims to connect investors, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders across the commercial space ecosystem. “We set this up … with the theme of investment and innovators,” said Elaine Gresham, director of the Space Center of Excellence at BryceTech, explaining that 19 May is designated as Investors Day and 20 May as Innovators Day.
NFL Veteran Joshua Dobbs Pursues Aviation Dreams in a Cirrus SR22
Flying Magazine reports, “Most professional athletes talk about life after football in vague, distant terms, something they’ll figure out when the time comes. Joshua Dobbs is unlike most professional athletes. The 31-year-old NFL quarterback, now entering his 10th professional season, holds an aerospace engineering degree from the University of Tennessee, has interned at NASA, runs a STEM-focused charitable foundation, and recently completed his private pilot license in a Cirrus SR22. He’s now weeks away from his IFR check ride.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Starship V3 Booster Roars to Life in Major SpaceX Test
SPACE reports that SpaceX just took a big step toward its next Starship test flight, firing up all 33 engines of the vehicle’s Super Heavy on the pad in Texas.
Full Story (SPACE)