Top Stories

Space Force Projects 25 Additional Heavy-Lift Missions for 2027–2029

Space Force is forecasting 25 extra “high-energy” missions in the 2027–2029 window on top of its existing launch manifest. That’s a substantial jump in demand for vehicles like Vulcan and Falcon Heavy, both of which are already committed to national security payloads. Capacity constraints at this scale have direct consequences for mission scheduling across DoD and intelligence community programs.

The surge puts pressure on the National Security Space Launch program at exactly the moment ULA and SpaceX are managing backlogged commercial and civil contracts. Watch for this to drive prioritization debates between military and NASA payloads.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

Progress MS-34 Launches 3 Tons of Cargo to ISS from Baikonur

Russia launched Progress MS-34 from Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 25, carrying approximately 3 tons of cargo to the International Space Station. The launch comes roughly two weeks after Northrop Grumman’s CRS NG-24 mission delivered its own ISS cargo load. Two resupply vehicles arriving in close succession gives the ISS crew a solid logistics buffer heading into summer.

Progress MS-34 is trackable via KeepTrack once its NORAD ID is cataloged post-launch. The Soyuz-2 booster used for Progress launches from Baikonur is a known and well-cataloged vehicle class.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight

NASA Carves Out Science Payload Space on Mars Telecom Spacecraft

NASA is reserving a small volume on its planned Mars telecommunications orbiter for science payloads — potentially one or more cubesats. No specific instruments or cubesat providers have been named yet. The telecommunications mission itself is designed to improve data relay capacity between Mars surface assets and Earth, a gap that has constrained Mars rover and lander science return for years.

Adding cubesat capacity is consistent with NASA’s pattern on planetary missions like CAPSTONE and the Mars Cube One (MarCO) flyby pair that accompanied InSight. If selected payloads include imaging or atmospheric sensors, they’d extend the mission’s science return without dedicated mission budgets.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

WorldView Legion 4 Photographs Hubble at 36 Years On-Orbit

Maxar’s WorldView Legion 4 commercial Earth-observation satellite imaged the Hubble Space Telescope on April 23, one day before Hubble’s 36th launch anniversary. The image is a rare satellite-to-satellite photograph taken from low Earth orbit. Hubble launched April 24, 1990 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery and has remained operational — with several servicing missions — ever since.

Track Hubble Space Telescope on KeepTrack. WorldView Legion 4 operates in a similar orbital band, which is what makes this kind of close-pass imaging geometry possible.

Read the full story: Space.com

Study Links Post-Starburst Galaxy Shutdowns to Fuel Depletion — With Caveats

A new study finds that most post-starburst galaxies stop forming stars because they exhaust their cold gas supply. That accounts for the majority of cases, but the researchers note it doesn’t explain all observed shutdowns — some galaxies appear to suppress star formation faster than simple fuel exhaustion would predict, pointing to additional quenching mechanisms like AGN feedback.

Read the full story: Space.com

Satellite of the Day

XTAR-EUR

XTAR-EUR is a European communications satellite operated by the European Space Agency, launching aboard an Ariane 5G from French Guiana on October 30, 1997. This cylindrical spacecraft was designed to provide fixed satellite services across Europe and beyond, supporting telecommunications infrastructure during a pivotal era of satellite-based communications expansion. With a launch mass of 704 kg, XTAR-EUR represented ESA’s commitment to maintaining independent European access to critical communication capabilities.

Operating in a geostationary orbit, this satellite has remained a reliable workhorse for nearly three decades. Its low inclination of 7.93° keeps it precisely over the equator, ideal for fixed-point coverage of European and Mediterranean regions. XTAR-EUR exemplifies the durability of well-engineered space hardware—many satellites from this generation have long since decayed, yet this platform continues to serve its mission, a testament to both robust design and careful orbital management.

Track this satellite in real-time: Track XTAR-EUR

Upcoming Space Launches

April 26

• RKK Energiya Soyuz-5:

  • Demo Flight from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan (11:00 UTC) Demonstration flight for Russia’s new Soyuz-5 (Irtysh) launch vehicle, carrying a mass simulator. The two-stage rocket features an RD-171MV engine on the first stage and is designed to eventually replace the Zenit-2 and Proton Medium. Status: To Be Confirmed. Launch Preview

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-16 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (14:00 UTC) A batch of 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Booster B1088 will be flying for its 15th time, landing on the 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, FL, USA (14:21 UTC) The third and final satellite in Viasat’s three-satellite ViaSat-3 series, launching to geosynchronous transfer orbit. The core booster will be expended, while side boosters B1072 (second flight) and B1075 (22nd flight) will return to Landing Zone 2 and Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Watch Live

April 28

• United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551:
  • Amazon Leo (LA-06) from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA (00:52 UTC) The seventh of nine Atlas V rockets contracted by Amazon, carrying 29 broadband internet satellites for the Amazon Leo low Earth orbit constellation. The Atlas V 551 configuration uses a 5-meter fairing and five solid rocket boosters, with a Russian-built RD-180 engine powering the first stage and an RL10-powered Centaur upper stage. Watch Live

April 30

• SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5:

  • Starlink Group 17-36 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (02:00 UTC) A batch of 24 Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s space-based internet mega-constellation. Watch Live

• LandSpace Zhuque-2E:

  • Unknown Payload from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (TBD) Details to be determined. The Zhuque-2E is an enhanced liquid oxygen/methane rocket capable of lifting 6,000 kg to low Earth orbit, featuring upgraded TQ-12A engines and a new TQ-15A second-stage engine. Status: To Be Determined.

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

  • 16 x Rassvet-3 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation (TBD) A batch of 16 Rassvet-3 low Earth orbit communications satellites for Russia’s Byuro-1440 (Bureau 1440) constellation, intended to provide broadband high-speed internet access across Russia. Payload identities are currently uncertain. Status: To Be Determined.

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 10B:

  • Demo Flight from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (TBD) First test launch of the Long March 10B, a reusable medium-lift rocket derived from the Long March 10A core stage. The first stage, powered by seven YF-100 series kerosene/liquid oxygen engines, is designed for recovery via an arrestor net on a downrange barge. Status: To Be Determined.

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 7A:

  • Unknown Payload from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (TBD) Details to be determined. Status: To Be Determined.

• Russian Space Forces Angara 1.2:

  • Kosmos (Unknown Payload) from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation (TBD) Launch of an unknown satellite or satellites for the Russian military under the Kosmos designation. Status: To Be Determined.

• Arianespace Ariane 64:

  • Amazon Leo (LE-02) from Ariane Launch Area 4, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana (08:08 UTC) A batch of 29 broadband internet satellites for the Amazon Leo low Earth orbit constellation, launched aboard the Ariane 6 variant featuring four solid boosters. This mission supports Amazon’s global broadband internet initiative targeting underserved and remote regions. Watch Live

Schedule Changes

• New launch added: SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-36 has been added to the manifest, scheduled for April 30 at 02:00 UTC from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
• Launch Successful — removed from calendar: Soyuz 2.1a | Progress MS-34 (95P) has been marked as Launch Successful and removed from the upcoming schedule.
• Launch Successful — removed from calendar: Long March 6 | PRSC-EO3 has been marked as Launch Successful and removed from the upcoming schedule.

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