EUROPE'S PROBA-3 SATELLITES ACE LANDMARK FORMATION-FLYING TEST - A pair of spacecraft have demonstrated ultra-precise formation flying in orbit for the first time, marking a milestone with major implications for both science and future space missions. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission, consisting of two spacecraft called the Occulter and the Coronagraph, flew in perfect formation at a distance of 150 meters (492 feet) from each other with millimeter precision, the agency announced in a May 8 statement.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 13)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 26 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SFB - SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base Monday evening. The mission, dubbed Starlink 15-4, added another 26 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened 6:15 p.m. PDT (9:15 p.m. EDT, 0115 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 13)

ROCKET LAB TO DEBUT POINT-TO-POINT CARGO TRANSPORTATION CAPABILITY ON 2026 AIR FORCE MISSION - Rocket Lab is looking to demonstrate the reusability of its forthcoming Neutron rocket next year with a so-called ‘return-to-Earth’ mission no earlier than 2026. Ahead of its first quarter 2025 earnings call on Thursday, the company announced a new contract for the mission signed with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The mission is part of the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) solicitation, which focuses on the Department of Defense’s goal of establishing point-to-point cargo transportation using orbital-class rockets.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 12)

CHINA TO LAUNCH NEW MODULES TO TIANGONG SPACE STATION - China is preparing to launch new modules to its Tiangong space station to meet growing demands for science and potentially boost international cooperation. The Long March 5B, currently China’s most powerful rocket, is slated to launch new Tiangong modules, according to an official with China’s state-owned main space contractor. “According to the plan, the Long March 5B rocket will also carry out the future launches of additional modules for the crewed space station,” Wang Jue from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) told China Central Television (CCTV) April 30.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 12)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 900TH STARLINK SATELLITE OF 2025 DURING SATURDAY MORNING FLIGHT - SpaceX launched its 900th Starlink satellite of the year, overcoming some challenging weather moving through the area Saturday morning. The Starlink 6-91 mission adds another 28 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to the constellation of more than 7,400 satellites currently in low Earth orbit. This will also be SpaceX’s 250th Falcon 9 rocket launch to date from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 11)

FAILED SOVIET VENUS LANDER KOSMOS 482 CRASHES TO EARTH AFTER 53 YEARS IN ORBIT - A failed Soviet Venus lander's long space odyssey has come to an end. The Kosmos 482 probe crashed to Earth today (May 10) after circling our planet for more than five decades. Reentry occurred at 2:24 a.m. ET (0624 GMT or 9:24 a.m. Moscow time) over the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia, according to Russia's space agency Roscosmos. Kosmos 482 appears to have fallen harmlessly into the sea.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 11)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 26 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM VANDENBERG - SpaceX launched its first Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force of the month, after previously scrubbing the flight nearly a week ago. The Starlink 15-3 mission was previously scheduled to launch on Saturday, May 3, before SpaceX pushed it a day and then punted to Friday, May 9. The company didn’t state a reason for the launch delays.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 10)

FAILED SOVIET VENUS PROBE KOSMOS 482 IS EXPECTED TO FALL TO EARTH TONIGHT, BUT WHEN AND WHERE? HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW - It's still quite uncertain just where and when the craft will fall, although it is expected to reenter around 2:26 am ET on May 10 +/- 4.35 hours. According to the European Space Agency, the current reentry window for the Kosmos 482 Venus probe is 2:37 a.m. ET (0637 GMT) on May 10 +/- 3.28 hours. This story was updated to reflect the most current prediction.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 10)

VAST TO COMPLETE HAVEN-1 PRIMARY STRUCTURE IN JULY 2025, AHEAD OF TARGET MAY 2026 LAUNCH DATE - Space habitation company, Vast, is now one year away from being able to stake its claim as the first commercial space station in history. The company based in Long Beach, California, aims to launch its single-module Haven-1 space station on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2026. To that end, it completed both its primary structure and qualification article and is moving into manufacturing the flight version.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 9)

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