Top Stories

Northrop Grumman Books $71M Charge on Vulcan Solid Rocket Booster Anomaly

Northrop Grumman took a $71 million charge in Q1 2026 tied to an anomaly with a solid rocket booster supplied to ULA’s Vulcan rocket. The issue has grounded the vehicle. No launch schedule has been confirmed.

For anyone tracking Vulcan payloads awaiting launch, this anomaly directly affects manifest timelines. Any satellites scheduled on Vulcan are in a holding pattern until ULA clears the booster issue.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Trump Nominates Raytheon ISR Executive for Top Space Acquisition Role

Erich Hernandez-Baquero, currently VP for space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at Raytheon, has been tapped by the Trump administration for the Pentagon’s top military space acquisition post. The role oversees procurement across Space Force programs.

Hernandez-Baquero’s ISR background suggests continued emphasis on space-based surveillance and reconnaissance procurement. His confirmation would put a defense industry insider in charge of how the military buys its next generation of space assets.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Space Force Requests $71 Billion in Trump’s $1.45 Trillion Defense Budget

The Pentagon’s proposed fiscal 2027 defense budget totals $1.45 trillion. Confirmed within that request is $71 billion earmarked for the U.S. Space Force. Officials have detailed the funding strategy, which relies partly on reconciliation mechanisms to reach the top-line number.

A $71 billion Space Force request would represent a substantial expansion of the service’s procurement and operations budget. Watch for how that breaks down across satellite programs, launch contracts, and space domain awareness — areas directly relevant to what KeepTrack users monitor daily.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

NASA Launches “NASA Force” Fellowship to Pull Industry Talent Into the Agency

NASA has opened applications for “NASA Force,” a program designed to bring private-sector space professionals into the agency for short-term stints. It launched in the wake of the Artemis 2 lunar mission.

The program mirrors the structure of similar fellowship models used in defense tech recruitment. NASA is targeting industry engineers and operators who can move between commercial and government roles without making permanent career shifts.

Read the full story: Space.com

Pentagon Outlines $55 Billion Drone Plan Under DAWG Framework

Pentagon officials provided broad details of a $55 billion drone investment plan managed under the Defense Autonomous Weapons Group (DAWG). The bulk of the funding is structured through reconciliation rather than the standard appropriations process.

The plan also includes a proposed expansion of the Office of Strategic Capital loan program. Autonomous systems with space-based navigation dependencies — GPS, satellite comms — make this spending plan relevant beyond purely terrestrial platforms.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Navy Targets FY28 Start for First Trump-Class Battleship Construction

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan confirmed the service expects to begin construction on the first Trump-class battleship in fiscal year 2028. Two vendors are currently in talks with the Navy for the contract.

While surface combatants aren’t directly tracked in KeepTrack, naval platforms increasingly depend on space-based targeting, communications, and positioning infrastructure — making fleet expansion relevant context for space acquisition decisions.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Air Force FY2027 Budget Proposes Expanded F-15EX Buy, Slower A-10 Retirement

The Air Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request includes a major increase in F-15EX procurement and additional F-35 buys, while slowing the retirement schedule for the A-10 Warthog. Specific unit numbers were not disclosed in available reporting.

Aviation budget shifts carry downstream effects on space-based targeting and ISR support requirements. A larger tactical aircraft fleet increases demand on satellite-based communications and navigation assets already under procurement pressure.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

Satellite of the Day

RADUGA-1M 3

RADUGA-1M 3 is a Russian military communication satellite that has been providing secure long-distance communications since its launch on November 11, 2013, from the Tyuratam Space Center (Baikonur Cosmodrome). Operated by VVKO and manufactured by RESH/POLK, this 2,500-kilogram spacecraft was lofted into orbit aboard a Proton-M/Briz-M heavy-lift launch vehicle. The satellite is equipped with L, C, X, and Ka-band transponders, enabling it to relay voice, data, and video communications across Russia’s vast territory and beyond—a critical capability for military operations and strategic communications.

Positioned in geostationary orbit, RADUGA-1M 3 maintains a fixed footprint over the equator, making it ideal for continuous coverage of Russia and surrounding regions. With a design lifespan of 10 years from launch, the spacecraft leverages deployable solar arrays and onboard batteries to maintain power during eclipse periods. The RADUGA-1M series represents Russia’s modernization of its military satellite communications infrastructure, and tracking this satellite provides valuable insights into Russian space operations and strategic communications architecture.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track RADUGA-1M 3

Upcoming Space Launches

April 23

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 4E (02:00–06:00 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites launching to low Earth orbit. Booster B1100, flying for the eighth time, will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

• Rocket Lab Electron:

  • Kakushin Rising (JAXA Rideshare) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (03:09 UTC) A Rocket Lab Electron vehicle will carry a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency rideshare payload to sun-synchronous orbit. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle powered by nine electric-pump-fed Rutherford engines, capable of delivering up to 300 kg to low Earth orbit. Launch Preview

April 24

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2D:
  • Unknown Payload from Xichang Satellite Launch Center Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1), People’s Republic of China (06:25–06:46 UTC) A Long March 2D two-stage carrier rocket launches from Xichang. Payload and mission details are not yet available. The Long March 2D has a low Earth orbit capacity of approximately 3,500 kg and has been in service since 1992. Launch Preview

April 25

• Agency for Defense Development South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV:

  • Demo Flight from Sea Launch Offshore Platform (05:00–09:00 UTC) The first orbital full-configuration launch of South Korea’s military small satellite launch vehicle, following two sub-orbital stage tests in 2022 and one orbital test flight without the second stage in December 2023. Launch vehicle name is provisional; further payload details are to be confirmed. Launch Preview

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 6:

  • Unknown Payload from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center Launch Complex 16, People’s Republic of China (12:08–12:37 UTC) A Long March 6 rocket launches from Taiyuan. Payload and mission details are not yet available.

• Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz 2.1a:

  • Progress MS-34 (95P) from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31/6, Republic of Kazakhstan (22:21 UTC) A Soyuz 2.1a rocket will launch the Progress MS-34 uncrewed cargo spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 26

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:
  • Starlink Group 17-16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 4E (14:00–18:00 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites launching to low Earth orbit. Booster B1100 will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Watch Live Launch Preview

April 27

• SpaceX Falcon Heavy:
  • ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, FL, USA (14:21–15:46 UTC) A SpaceX Falcon Heavy will deliver Viasat’s third and final satellite in the ViaSat-3 series to geosynchronous transfer orbit. The core booster will be expended, while side boosters B1072 (second flight) and B1075 (22nd flight) will return to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Landing Zones 2 and 40. The Falcon Heavy can carry up to 63,800 kg to low Earth orbit and first flew in February 2018. Watch Live

April 28

• United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551:

  • Amazon Leo (LA-06) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 41, FL, USA (00:52–01:21 UTC) A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551 rocket will deploy 29 broadband internet satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper Systems low Earth orbit constellation. This marks the seventh of nine Atlas V missions contracted by Amazon. The Atlas V uses a Russian-built RD-180 engine on its first stage and an RL10 engine on its Centaur upper stage, with a low Earth orbit capacity of 18,850 kg. Watch Live

• Arianespace Ariane 64:

  • Amazon Leo (LE-02) from Guiana Space Centre Ariane Launch Area 4, French Guiana (08:51–09:39 UTC) An Ariane 6 variant equipped with four solid rocket boosters will carry 32 satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper Systems constellation to low Earth orbit. The Kuiper constellation, planned to consist of 3,276 satellites across 98 orbital planes at altitudes of 590–630 km, aims to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to underserved regions worldwide. Ariane 64 has a low Earth orbit capacity of 21,650 kg.

Schedule Changes

• Long March 6 | Unknown Payload has been newly added to the launch calendar, scheduled for April 25 at 12:08 UTC from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.
• Ariane 64 | Amazon Leo (LE-02) has been newly added to the launch calendar, scheduled for April 28 at 08:51 UTC from the Guiana Space Centre.
• HASTE | Bubbles has had its status updated from Go for Launch to Launch in Flight, indicating the mission was in progress at time of data collection.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.