SPACE.HAUS — WEEKLY INTEL BRIEFING Monday, April 20, 2026 ============================================================ Sources scanned: 50 Companies with news: 11 Funding activity: $0 Top story: Blue Origin New Glenn grounded after satellite loss Canonical: https://space.haus/briefings/2026-04-20.html Interactive: https://space.haus/briefing/2026-04-20 CONTRACTS, AWARDS & GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY --------------------------------------- SpaceX — Hawthorne, CA [CONTRACT, LAUNCH] • Apr 20 — SpaceX awarded contract for a Mars mission that may face cancellation. The company is scheduled to launch GPS III SV-10 satellite for the U.S. Space Force early on April 21. (https://payloadspace.com/spacex-won-a-mars-mission-that-might-get-cancelled/) U.S. Space Force — Washington, DC [OPS UPDATE] • Apr 20 — Space Force established a new cislunar coordination office to focus operations beyond Earth orbit. The service is also evaluating Vulcan rocket flights without solid boosters for future missions. (https://spacenews.com/space-force-sets-up-cislunar-coordination-office-to-focus-beyond-earth-orbit/) NASA — Washington, DC [CONTRACT, OPS UPDATE] • Apr 17 — NASA shut off an instrument on Voyager 1 to extend the interstellar mission's lifespan, conserving power for the aging spacecraft. NASA also approved the ROSA project to support ESA's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover mission, strengthening the partnership announced in a 2024 MoU. (https://satnews.com/2026/04/19/nasa-shuts-off-instrument-on-voyager-1-to-extend-interstellar-mission/) MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & PARTNERSHIPS ------------------------------------ Vast Space — Long Beach, CA [PARTNERSHIP] • Apr 20 — Vast Space partnered with Cedars-Sinai on microgravity science and crew health research for an upcoming mission aboard the Haven-1 commercial space station. (https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/vast-and-cedars-sinai-partner-on-microgravity-science-and-crew-health-with-upcoming-mission-aboard-haven-1/) Rheinmetall — Düsseldorf, Germany [PARTNERSHIP] • Apr 20 — Rheinmetall signed an MoU with the Norwegian Municipality of Andøy to establish a satellite test center in Andøya, expanding European space infrastructure capabilities. (https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/rheinmetall-signs-mou-with-the-norwegian-municipality-of-andoy-to-establish-a-satellite-test-center-in-andoya/) ESA — Paris, France [PARTNERSHIP] • Apr 20 — ESA and the Canadian Space Agency signed a General Security of Information Agreement enabling the exchange of classified information around strategic space domains. (https://spacewatch.global/2026/04/esa-and-canada-sign-agreement-on-the-exchange-of-classified-information-around-strategic-space-domains/) KASA — South Korea [PARTNERSHIP] • Apr 19 — The Korean Aerospace Agency (KASA) and the Canadian Space Agency signed an MoU to boost cooperation in the space sector. (https://orbitaltoday.com/2026/04/20/kasa-and-the-canadian-space-agency-sign-mou-on-space-cooperation/) LAUNCH ACTIVITY & MISSION MILESTONES ------------------------------------ Blue Origin — Kent, WA [LAUNCH, OPS UPDATE] • Apr 19 — Blue Origin successfully launched and recovered a reused New Glenn first stage on its third flight, but the upper stage failed to deliver AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite to the correct orbit. The satellite, insured for $30M, is a total loss. The FAA has grounded the New Glenn rocket pending investigation. Blue Origin also announced Project Quartz, a global ground station network. (https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/04/20/blue-origin-launches-third-new-glenn-rocket-but-payload-ends-up-in-wrong-orbit/) AST SpaceMobile — Midland, TX [LAUNCH] • Apr 19 — AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 direct-to-cellphone communications satellite was declared a total loss after Blue Origin's New Glenn upper stage delivered it to the wrong orbit. The satellite was insured for $30M. (https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/04/ast-bluebird-7-lost-new-glenn-launch/) INDUSTRY CONTEXT ---------------- Industry-Wide — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • Apr 20 — Latvia is set to join the Artemis Accords, expanding international participation in lunar exploration frameworks. China is ramping up satellite production capacity amid ambitious constellation plans. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher discussed Europe's speed challenges, with Copernicus generating 350TB of data per day. Space Symposium 2026 featured discussions on a €35B European space investment wave and the need to reduce bureaucracy. (https://payloadspace.com/latvia-to-join-artemis-accords-today/) ADDITIONAL UPDATES ------------------ Hubble Space Telescope — N/A [OPS UPDATE] • Apr 20 — The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 36th anniversary with a new portrait of the Trifid Nebula, revisiting a scene it first captured in 1997. The star-forming region is located about 5,000 light-years away in Sagittarius. (https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Hubble_turns_36_with_a_dazzling_Trifid_Nebula_portrait) ============================================================ Generated by space.haus · AI-curated from 50+ industry sources. Verify before making business decisions.