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House appropriators approve spending bill that keeps NASA budget flat

House appropriators approve spending bill that keeps NASA budget flat

- House appropriators approved a spending bill that keeps NASA’s budget flat compared with the prior year. - The measure maintains current funding levels for NASA programs rather than increasing resources. - The bill cleared the appropriators and is expected to move to further consideration in the full House

FCC OKs EchoStar spectrum sales with $2.4B escrow

FCC OKs EchoStar spectrum sales with $2.4B escrow

- The FCC approved EchoStar’s planned sale(s) of spectrum licenses. - The approval requires $2.4 billion be placed in escrow pending completion/review of the transactions. - The decision clears a key regulatory hurdle for the deal(s) while leaving potential for additional conditions or oversight. Source:

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Parachute Baked Sterile at ESTEC Ahead of 2028 Mars Mission

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Parachute Baked Sterile at ESTEC Ahead of 2028 Mars Mission

- A 35-meter-diameter parachute for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover was heat-sterilised at ESA’s ESTEC facility in the Netherlands. - The parachute weighs 74 kilograms. - The sterilisation completes a planetary protection milestone ahead of the mission’s planned 2028 launch. - The device will slow the rover during

Ice Moves Out of Aniak

Ice Moves Out of Aniak

- Landsat 9 OLI images from April 21 and May 7, 2026 show the Kuskokwim River near Aniak shifting from frozen to partial ice breakup as spring melt began. - A grounded ice sheet produced a roughly 21-mile (34 km) ice jam upstream; ice later became unstuck and flowed downstream.

SLS to launch without upper stage for Artemis 3

SLS to launch without upper stage for Artemis 3

- NASA will launch Artemis 3 on the SLS without the planned Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). - The omission requires changes to the mission architecture and how the crew and payload reach lunar vicinity. - NASA and contractors will adopt interim solutions while EUS development and integration continue. - The

Kessler syndrome: vertical diffusion rate?

Kessler syndrome: vertical diffusion rate?

- Suggests a Kessler cascade would likely begin in LEO, which contains many vehicles at varied inclinations. - Notes simulations show rapid secondary-debris spread, and posits higher-inclination fragments may intersect more and spread faster. - Asks how quickly fragments are transported to higher orbits versus being cleared at lower altitudes

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Parachute Baked Sterile at ESTEC Ahead of 2028 Mars Mission

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Parachute Baked Sterile at ESTEC Ahead of 2028 Mars Mission

- A 35‑metre diameter parachute for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover underwent heat sterilisation at ESA’s ESTEC facility in the Netherlands. - The 74‑kilogram parachute is intended to slow the rover during Martian atmospheric descent. - The heat‑baking completed a planetary protection milestone ahead of the