SpaceX
Apr 20 — SpaceX awarded contract for a NASA Mars mission that faces potential cancellation. Launch scheduled for early **April 21** carrying **GPS III SV-10** satellite for U.S. Space Force.
SPACEHAUS · Commercial space intelligence
Space Industry Weekly Briefing — 2026-04-17
Commercial space news and intelligence for the week ending 2026-04-17.
Week ending
Contracts, Awards & Government Activity
U.S. Space Force
Apr 20 — U.S. Space Force establishes new **cislunar coordination office** to focus operations beyond Earth orbit, expanding military space domain awareness capabilities.
Apr 19 — Space Force evaluating **Vulcan rocket flights without solid boosters** for future national security missions, potentially expanding launch configuration options.
NASA
Apr 19 — NASA shut off instrument on **Voyager 1** spacecraft to extend its interstellar mission lifespan as power reserves continue to decline after nearly 50 years of operation.
Apr 16 — NASA approved **ROSA (Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation) project** to begin implementation, strengthening partnership with ESA on Mars exploration mission.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Partnerships
Vast Space
Apr 20 — Vast Space partnered with **Cedars-Sinai Medical Center** on microgravity science and crew health research for upcoming mission aboard **Haven-1** commercial space station.
Rheinmetall
Apr 20 — Rheinmetall signed **MoU with Norwegian Municipality of Andøy** to establish a satellite test center in Andøya, Norway, expanding European space infrastructure capabilities.
Korean Aerospace Agency (KASA)
Apr 19 — KASA signed **MoU with Canadian Space Agency** to boost bilateral cooperation in the space sector, expanding international collaboration.
European Space Agency (ESA)
Apr 20 — ESA and Canada signed **General Security of Information Agreement (GSOIA)** enabling exchange of classified information around strategic space domains.
Launch Activity & Mission Milestones
Blue Origin
Apr 19 — Blue Origin's **New Glenn 3** achieved first booster reuse and successful landing but delivered AST SpaceMobile's **BlueBird 7** satellite (**$30M insured value**) to wrong orbit due to upper stage failure. **FAA grounded** the rocket pending investigation.
Apr 16 — Blue Origin unveiled **Project Quartz**, a global ground station network to support satellite communications and operations.
AST SpaceMobile
Apr 19 — AST SpaceMobile declared **BlueBird 7** satellite a total loss after Blue Origin's New Glenn upper stage delivered it to incorrect orbit. Satellite was insured for **$30M**.
Industry Context
China (National Programs)
Apr 20 — China ramping up satellite production capacity amid constellation ambitions, significantly increasing manufacturing throughput to support mega-constellation deployment plans.
Latvia (Government)
Apr 20 — Latvia became newest signatory to **Artemis Accords**, joining international framework for peaceful lunar exploration and establishing principles for space cooperation.
European Commission
Apr 20 — European space officials discussing **€35B+ investment avalanche** aimed at doubling space market size and reducing bureaucracy. ESA's Copernicus program generating **350TB/day** of Earth observation data.