| | | A SpaceNews daily newsletter | | 05/16/2025 | | | | | The commanding general of the Space Force said it is too soon to estimate how much the Golden Dome missile defense initiative will cost. Speaking at an event Thursday, Gen. Chance Saltzman said the Pentagon was still in the "early planning" of the system that seeks to create a comprehensive shield protecting the United States against an array of missile threats, with extensive use of space systems. Asked, though, about a recent Congressional Budget Office report that Golden Dome could cost more than $500 billion, he said he's "never seen an early estimate that was too high." At a separate event, Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, the Space Force's deputy chief of operations for strategy, plans, programs and requirements, said an early glimpse into the potential cost will come in the Pentagon's upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget request. [SpaceNews]
Eutelsat lost a large contract with the Defense Department to provide satellite communications services. The canceled contract reflects shifting geographic priorities under the new U.S. administration, Eutelsat said, alongside broader efforts to cut government spending, with the company adding that the canceled contract "might be a bit of a knee-jerk reaction" by the Trump administration. Overall, Eutelsat reported 300 million euros ($336 million) in total revenue for the three months of 2025, the company's fiscal third quarter, down 1.9% from the same quarter a year ago. Despite the lost contract, the company reaffirmed its full-year revenue guidance, expecting results to remain broadly in line with the previous fiscal year. [SpaceNews]
A hearing about the threat posed by asteroid impacts also discussed the threat of budget cut impacts at NASA. The hearing by the House Science Committee's space committee Thursday was devoted to NASA's planetary defense program, a small part of the overall agency budget but one with high public interest and broad political support. Democratic members of the committee used the hearing to seek information about the effects of a proposed 47% funding cut for science in NASA's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal. An agency official said there was little information NASA could provide now beyond the "skinny" budget proposal released two weeks ago. NASA delayed a call for research proposals in February to give it time to evaluate the impact of the cuts, and the agency now expects to release that call as soon as the end of the month. [SpaceNews]
Solestial, a company developing spacecraft solar power systems, has raised $17 million and hired a new CEO. The company announced the Series A round Thursday led by AE Ventures, which it will use to expand manufacturing of silicon photovoltaics for space applications. Solestial's technology relies on silicon rather than gallium or rare earth elements, reducing supply chain issues while also offering greater flexibility and reduced mass. Solestial also announced it hired as its new CEO Margo de Naray, former Astra senior vice president and general manager of space products and services. [SpaceNews]
Virgin Galactic says work on its new spaceplanes remains on track. The company used an earnings call Thursday to highlight progress on the new vehicles, stating that it is holding a schedule that calls for the first commercial flights, carrying research payloads, to begin in summer 2026, with private astronaut missions starting that fall. Virgin also expects to reopen ticket sales in the first quarter of next year, but with ticket prices likely higher than the $600,000 it previously charged. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | For the U.S. government, SpaceX is becoming much more than a launch provider. Its ascent from commercial launch provider to indispensable national security asset marks one of the most significant shifts in America's defense industrial base in decades. Its Starshield service, a military-focused variant of its Starlink satellite constellation, has already captured market share from established satellite communications operators that have supported the Defense Department for generations. The Defense Department is also reportedly considering integrating Starshield into the Transport Layer of the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, potentially replacing satellites several other companies have been building. [SpaceNews]
Gilmour Space has indefinitely delayed its first launch after a mishap involving the rocket's payload fairing. The company said Thursday that, during prelaunch preparations, the payload fairing for the Eris rocket accidentally separated. The company added there was no other damage to the rocket, and that it will replace the fairing and conduct a full investigation. The company did not estimate when it would be ready to make a launch attempt, but the company's CEO said the investigation would take as long as two weeks. [Australian Broadcasting Corp.]
Norway is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords. Norway's trade and industry minister signed the Accords, which outline best practices for responsible space exploration, at an event Thursday in Oslo. Norway is the 55th country to sign the Accords and third to do so since the start of the new Trump administration. [SpaceNews]
There is more evidence of efforts by the State Department to lobby, and threaten, countries regarding Starlink. Documents and interviews revealed that, in Gambia, U.S. officials pressed the government there to give approvals for Starlink to operate in the country, suggesting that foreign aid from the U.S. might be jeopardized if it did not. Similar activities have reportedly taken place in other African countries as SpaceX seeks licenses there. Former U.S. officials criticized those activities, saying they resembled corruption, while the State Department said "any patriotic American should want to see an American company's success on the global stage, especially over compromised Chinese competitors." [ProPublica]
Controllers have reactivated a set of thrusters on Voyager 1 that have not been used in two decades. NASA said engineers were able to turn on the backup set of thrusters that were turned off in 2004 and thought to be no longer functional. The backup thrusters are needed since the performance of the spacecraft's primary thrusters is degrading. The mission wanted the backup thrusters working by early this month, when a Deep Space Network antenna used to transmit commands to the spacecraft went offline for upgrades. Having the backup thrusters working ensures the spacecraft can maintain attitude control during the outage if the primary thrusters fail. [Space.com]
| The Classics
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"A lot of popular movies have been based on it, whether it be Armageddon, Deep Impact and, of course, my favorite from the 1980s, Thundarr the Barbarian."
- Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee, discussing the threat of asteroid impacts during a hearing on the subject Thursday.
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