Washington, D.C. – SpaceNews is pleased to announce the expanded role of longtime commercial space reporter Jason Rainbow, who will now serve as Senior Staff Writer and Business Intelligence Manager.

This is a bonus edition of Space Minds by SpaceNews.

ST. LOUIS – Hyperspectral imagery startup Kuva Space will expand its focus on maritime-domain awareness with its second satellite scheduled to launch in June.

NASA says a “multi-year” budget shortfall even before the cuts in the fiscal year 2026 budget have led it to consider reductions in crew size and research on the ISS.

The Golden Dome program represents one of the most ambitious missile defense initiatives in U.S. history.

The post Trump taps Space Force general to lead $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense program appeared first on SpaceNews.

ST. LOUIS – Hyperspectral imagery startup Kuva Space is expanding its focus on maritime-domain awareness and preparing to launch its second satellite in June.

To create a crumbly crater rich in ice and chunky blocks soaked in layers of martian history – like this one recently observed by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express – follow this recipe:

1. Toss a space rock into Mars to form a classic circular base
2. Layer with molten lava 
3. Carve channels with liquid water
4. Chill to create ice, and freeze-thaw multiple times to slowly expand crater edges
5. Sprinkle generously with volcanic dust, and leave to set
6. Serve to hungry Mars fans!

Boston MA (SPX) May 21, 2025
One of the most profound open questions in modern physics is: "Is gravity quantum?" The other fundamental forces - electromagnetic, weak, and strong - have all been successfully described, but no complete and consistent quantum theory of gravity yet exists. "Theoretical physicists have proposed many possible scenarios, from gravity being inherently classical to fully quantum, but the

Sydney, Australia (SPX) May 21, 2025
Paladin Space, a startup incubated at the University of South Australia's Innovation and Collaboration Centre, has introduced Triton, the first reusable space payload designed to capture and store multiple pieces of orbital debris for potential recycling. This breakthrough technology was demonstrated at a private event hosted by the ICC. The company's next objectives include securing early

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 21, 2025
Exolaunch has signed new multi-year launch agreements with SpaceX, ensuring small satellite launch capacity through 2028 on Falcon 9 rideshare missions. The agreements span various orbital inclinations including sun-synchronous, mid-inclination, near-polar, and dawn-dusk trajectories to meet diverse mission requirements. These contracts allow Exolaunch to continue integrating and deploying