SPACEX'S NEXT PRIVATE ASTRONAUT MISSION TO ISS, AX-4, TO LAUNCH MAY 29 FOR AXIOM SPACE - The next private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is just a month away. Houston-based company Axiom Space announced on Tuesday (April 29) that it's targeting May 29 for the launch of its fourth crewed spaceflight to the orbiting lab, a mission known as Ax-4.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 2)

CHINA'S SHENZHOU 19 ASTRONAUTS RETURN TO EARTH AFTER 6 MONTHS ABOARD TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China's three-person Shenzhou 19 mission came home on Wednesday (April 30) after six months in orbit. The Shenzhou 19 spacecraft — carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze — undocked from the Tiangong space station on Tuesday (April 29) at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT; 4 a.m. on April 30 China Standard Time), according to Chinese space officials.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 2)

NASA'S EXPEDITION 19 CREW CAPTURED SATELLITE IMAGERY OF MAN-MADE OBJECT THAT'S SLOWING DOWN EARTH'S ROTATION - NASA’s Expedition 19 mission made history for multiple reasons. Launched in 2009, the crew conducted a range of scientific experiments aboard the International Space Station, worked on complex engineering tasks, and supported Earth observation programs. One of their most impressive observations was the capture of satellite imagery of the Three Gorges Dam in China, a human-made structure that scientists say is having an impact on the planet’s rotation.   More
(Source: Yahoo News UK - May 1)

ALPHA LAUNCH OF LOCKHEED TECH DEMO SATELLITE FAILS - A Firefly Alpha rocket malfunctioned during an April 29 launch, preventing a Lockheed Martin technology demonstration satellite on board from reaching orbit. The Alpha rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:37 a.m. Eastern. A launch attempt the previous day was scrubbed because of problems with ground support equipment that could not be resolved before the launch window closed for the day.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Apr 30)

VEGA-C ROCKET LAUNCHES EUROPEAN FOREST-MONITORING 'BIOMASS' SATELLITE TO ORBIT - A European forest-monitoring satellite headed toward orbit from South America early Tuesday morning (April 29). The European Space Agency's (ESA) Biomass spacecraft lifted off atop a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Tuesday at 5:15 a.m. EDT (0915 GMT; 6:15 a.m. local time in Korea). Arianespace's stream began at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT), and the launch can now be watched on demand.   More
(Source: Space.com - Apr 30)

CHINA LAUNCHES THIRD BATCH OF GUOWANG MEGACONSTELLATION SATELLITES - China launched a third batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites Tuesday, advancing its ambitious low Earth orbit communications network to rival Starlink and other global systems. A Long March 5B heavy lift rocket with a Yuanzheng-2 upper stage lifted off at 4:10 p.m. Eastern (2010 UTC) April 28 from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island, southern China, with the rocket climbing above heavy fog at the spaceport.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Apr 30)

VETERAN NASA ASTRONAUT SAYS ISS CAN OPERATE PAST 2030 - A veteran NASA astronaut just back from the International Space Station believes the orbiting facility can operate well past its planned 2030 retirement date — and he wouldn’t mind another trip there. Don Pettit returned to Earth April 19 (U.S. time) on a Soyuz spacecraft, completing his third long-duration expedition to the station. He spent 220 days in space on this flight and has logged 590 days in orbit in his career, behind only Peggy Whitson and Suni Williams among American astronauts.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Apr 30)

CHINA'S SHENZHOU 20 ASTRONAUTS TAKE CONTROL OF TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China's outgoing Shenzhou 19 crew have handed over the reins of the Tiangong space station to a new set of astronauts. The Shenzhou 20 mission launched on a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China on April 24. The spacecraft arrived at the Tiangong space station 6.5 hours later, completing its rendezvous and docking at 11:49 a.m. EDT (1549 GMT, 11:49 p.m. Beijing time).   More
(Source: Space.com - Apr 30)

NEW SATELLITE WILL SEE THROUGH CLOUDS TO 'WEIGH' EARTH'S FORESTS - A first-of-its-kind satellite due to launch on Tuesday will be able to see through clouds and leafy canopies to assess how they are protecting the planet from climate change. The Biomass satellite, from the European Space Agency, will "weigh" the Earth's forests, revealing how much planet-warming carbon is being stored within trees and therefore kept out of the atmosphere.   More
(Source: BBC - Apr 29)

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