MTG-S1 + SENTINEL-4 TAKE A STEP CLOSER TO SPACE - The second of the Meteosat Third Generation satellites and the first instrument for the Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission have arrived at Cape Canaveral harbor in the United States. The Sentinel-4 instrument, which will monitor air quality over Europe, sits on board the MTG-Sounder (MTG-S) satellite. The latter, which carries the MTG-S Infrared Sounder, is one of the three MTG satellites that will provide improved data for weather forecasting and storm detection. More (Source: SatNews - May 8)
OLD SOVIET VENUS LANDER'S FALL TO EARTH WILL BE NO ORDINARY SPACE JUNK CRASH. HERE'S WHY - This will be no ordinary space junk fall. The Soviet Union's failed Kosmos 482 spacecraft will crash to Earth in the coming days after more than 50 years in orbit. Its homecoming may not spark the sorts of artificial meteor showers we're used to seeing from falling rocket bodies and other pieces of debris, however, because Kosmos 482 was built different: It's a Venus lander. More (Source: Space.com - May 8)
FOREST SATELLITE’S BIG ANTENNA OPENS UP - Just a week after its launch, ESA’s Biomass mission has reached another critical milestone on its path to delivering unprecedented insights into the world’s forests and their vital role in Earth’s carbon cycle – the satellite’s 12-metre-diameter antenna is now fully deployed. More (Source: European Space Agency - May 8)
SPACEX LAUNCH 28 STARLINK SATELLITES ON 470TH FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCH - SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit on Tuesday night. The Starlink 6-93 mission was the company’s 470th Falcon 9 rocket launch to date and added another 28 satellites to the constellation of more than 7,300 currently on orbit. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 9:17 p.m. EDT (0117 UTC). More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 7)
NASA BUDGET PROPOSAL DRAWS STRONG CRITICISM - he White House’s proposal to cut NASA’s budget by nearly 25% and cancel several major programs has drawn criticism from industry and members of Congress, while raising concerns among international partners. The top-level or “skinny” budget released by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget May 2 proposed $18.8 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2026, a $6 billion cut from the $24.9 billion the agency received in 2025. The budget called for the cancellation of the lunar Gateway, ending the Space Launch System and Orion programs after Artemis 3 and termination of science missions like Mars Sample Return. It also proposed curtailing use of the International Space Station and sharp cuts in space technology funding. More (Source: SpaceNews - May 7)
A SOVIET SPACECRAFT WILL CRASH TO EARTH THIS MONTH - A Soviet space probe stuck in orbit since a failed 1972 launch is expected to crash to Earth this month. The spacecraft, dubbed Kosmos 482, is predicted to reenter Earth’s atmosphere sometime overnight between May 9 and May 10, according to the U.S. Space Force as well as satellite analyst Marco Langbroek at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands. More (Source: ScienceNews - May 7)
SPACEX TO LAUNCH 28 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX is preparing to launch its latest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit on Tuesday night. The Starlink 6-93 mission will be the company’s 470th Falcon 9 rocket launch to date and will add another 28 satellites to the constellation of more than 7,300 currently on orbit. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 6)
SCIENTISTS CHASED A FALLING SPACECRAFT WITH A PLANE TO UNDERSTAND SATELLITE AIR POLLUTION - A dramatic aircraft chase of a falling spacecraft has provided new insights into the fiery processes that accompany the atmospheric demise of retired satellites. The measurements will help scientists better understand how satellite air pollution affects Earth's atmosphere. In early September last year, a team of European scientists boarded a rented business jet on Easter Island to trace the atmospheric reentry of Salsa, one of the European Space Agency's (ESA) four identical Cluster satellites. The aircraft was fitted with 26 cameras to capture the brief occurrence in different wavelengths of light. More (Source: Space.com - May 6)
SPACEX LAUNCHES LARGEST BATCH OF STARLINK V2 MINI SATELLITES TO DATE - SpaceX launched its largest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to date in a predawn Falcon 9 flight on Sunday. Onboard the Starlink 6-84 mission are 29 of what the company calls Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites, which were first publicly mentioned in the company’s 2024 Progress Report. These satellites are about 225 kg lighter than the previous versions of the Starlink V2 Mini. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 5)
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