New Axiom CEO, Lynk wins satellite contract, FAA OKs more Starship launches

Starbridge Weekly SpaceUpdate for 5/5/2025

Astronauts to use diabetes tech in outer space

Revolutionizing Data Processing: Axiom’s Orbital Data Centres | WION Podcast 

Astronauts on the Ax-4 space mission will conduct research that includes evaluating the use of diabetes technologies

Credit: Axiom Space

Breakthrough Orbital Platforms, with Tej Bhatia (CEO of Axiom) -Podcast

Axiom Space names new CEO

Axiom Space Goes In-House For New CEO Bhatia

Tejpaul Bhatia was chief revenue officer at Axiom Space for four years before being named

CEO Credit: Axiom Space

CFS conference bridges physics gaps for a better SPARC tokamak | The Tokamak Times

A nuclear fusion power plant prototype is already being built outside Boston. How long until unlimited clean energy is real? | CNN

A person works on the cryostat base of the fusion reactor inside the tokamak hall at Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Devens, Massachusetts, on April 10. A full-sized image of the tokamak is superimposed onto the wall.

Credit: Sophie Park for CNN

U.S. Space Force taps 12 firms for $237 million small-satellite procurement

Lynk Global is one of the 12 companies selected for the 10yr contract which is part of the DoD’s Space Test Experiments Platform (STEP) 2.0

FAA OKs More Starship Launches at Starbase

House Democrats seek information from NASA and the Pentagon on Musk conflicts of interest and SpaceX foreign investment

Residents of SpaceX’s Starbase launch site vote to incorporate as a city

Credit: SpaceX

• Trump administration to revive National Space Council

  The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration’s ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk. There is some speculation that this is to "dilute" Musk's influence, though it isn't clear if the White House shares this concern. The Council is chaired by the Vice-President and made up of the heads of the relevant Agencies. Traditionally, the Council has also created a Users Advisory Group as a way to include the views of those outside of Government but it isn't clear if this Council will do that. 

  
  

• New Report Values the Space Industry at $944B by 2033

  Novaspace reports the space industry will grow by 1.5x in less than 10yrs time driven by downstream technologies (services and applications which leverage space-based infrastructure and data) such as AI and cloud computing. The U.S. currently dominates the space market but the global market is beginning to catch up as government spending on space tech in Europe and Asia is growing at a faster rate than in the U.S.

Credit: Novaspace

• Engine change delays ispace-built lunar lander mission

• Space agencies grapple with potential changes to Artemis

• Space Force sharpens focus on deterring rivals

• China to launch new modules to Tiangong space station

• Rocket Lab’s Neutron tapped for U.S. military cargo test

• German defense firm partners with Iceye to build SAR satellites

• China issues regulatory framework to support direct-to-device satellite services

• U.S. Space Force narrows field in $100 million space laser terminal program

• Military satellite program highlights role of ‘mission integrators’

• Sierra Space completes ground demo of navigation satellite for U.S. Space Force program

• Silicon solar power specialist gets $21 million for mass production

• NASA backtracks on VIPER commercial partnership

• Leshin to step down as JPL director

• IonQ to acquire Capella Space in bid to build ultra-secure quantum network

• Retired Air Force officer nominated to be NASA deputy administrator

• MDA Space is Safe From Trump Tariffs, Budget Cuts

• Interlune Unveils Prototype Lunar Helium-3 Excavator

• mPower Technology Raises $21M Series B

• Trump’s “Skinny” Space Budget Winners and Losers

• Resilience lunar lander enters orbit around the moon

• ClearSpace completes second phase of UK debris-removal mission

• Space Force chief makes case for increased funding before House panel

• India’s satellite crackdown brings fresh challenges for Starlink and OneWeb

• FAA gives environmental approval for increased Starship launch rate

• Space Force awards contracts for missile-warning ground systems

• SpaceNews Appoints Adam Griffiths as Chief Product Officer to Lead New Era of Product Innovation

• NASA budget proposal draws strong criticism

• Pentagon’s hypersonic milestone: Stratolaunch reusable vehicle breaks Mach 5

• Telecoms veteran to lead Eutelsat amid Europe’s sovereign broadband push

• Space Force remains skeptical on satellite refueling: ‘Show me the military advantage’

• Ursa Major Had A Hot Week 

• International Partners Wrestle With Skinny Budget Fallout

• Europe’s Space Defense Industry Sees Opportunity in Discord

• Inversion completes first flight of reentry vehicle, but without reentry

• Op-ed: A Resilient Europe Means Learning from the US Model 

• Army creates space career field for enlisted soldiers

• Europe begins probing SES–Intelsat merger on competition grounds

• White House budget proposal would phase out SLS and Orion, scale back ISS operations

• NASA to continue Lunar Trailblazer recovery efforts through mid-June

• Lockheed Martin delivers completed Orion to NASA for Artemis 2

• Radian Aerospace unveils plans for reentry vehicle

• Ursa Major wins $28.5 million Air Force contract to flight-test Draper engine for hypersonic use

• Lohmeier defends qualifications for Air Force post as senators question past remarks

• Senate Commerce Committee advances Isaacman nomination to lead NASA

• NASA delays astrophysics mission call for proposals amid budget uncertainties

• AeroVironment Acquires BlueHalo in $4.1B Deal

• Waltz defends ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield amid partisan divide

• NASA investigating problem with Psyche electric thrusters

• Defense-focused space startup True Anomaly raises $260 million

• Vega launches Biomass satellite

• China is making stainless steel tanks for its future super heavy-lift rockets

• China’s Shenzhou-19 astronauts return to Earth after six-month mission

• Space Force embraces commercial tech in major overhaul of surveillance satellite program

• Amazon’s Project Kuiper partners with L3Harris to develop military communication solutions

• FCC opens new battlefront in satellite power struggle

• Start Your Engines: The Lunar Rover Race Has Begun 

• New Mexico Adds First Space Tourism Director

• House Panel Advances Three Space Bills

• Near Space Labs nabs $20M to take its high-res imaging Swift robots into the stratosphere

• French startup developing space weapon to defend satellites and clean orbital debris

• Alpha launch of Lockheed tech demo satellite fails

• Slingshot targets international market with sovereign space tracking systems

• Apex raises $200 million to accelerate satellite production

• China launches third batch of Guowang megaconstellation satellites

• Atlas launches first operational Project Kuiper satellites

• China and Malaysia to study international equatorial spaceport project

• Spire Global closes stalled $241 million maritime sale

• Head of FAA’s commercial space office takes buyout

• Armed services committees propose $150 billion funding boost for defense

• Long March 3B launches Tianlian-2 (05) satellite to boost space data relay network

• Veteran NASA astronaut says ISS can operate past 2030Astrotech wins $77.5 million contract to accelerate pre-launch satellite processing at Vandenberg

• China to lend Chang’e-5 moon samples to U.S. universities

• L3Harris gains edge in race to build Golden Dome missile sensors

• Tumbling Russian Sat Highlights Counterspace Threat

• Meta and Booz Allen partner on ‘Space Llama’ AI program with Nvidia and HPE

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