April 20-26, 2026 | Vol 45, Week 16 | Hawai`i Island, USA
April 20-26, 2026 | Vol 45, Week 16 | Hawai`i Island, USA
ULA Vulcan-Centaur Rocket Needs Northrop Grumman Boosters to Pass the Test
United Launch Alliance (ULA) plans a static fire test this week of its Vulcan-Centaur (VC) rocket. Although a VC deployed two satellites to geosynchronous orbit in February, one of its four GEM63XL solid rocket boosters blasted off a nozzle, repeating a 2024 launch issue, requiring the two Blue Origin BE-4 first-stage engines to adjust for asymmetric thrust. When corrective measures are verified, a VC will launch the USSF-57 infrared satellite to orbit NET May. Expected to replace Atlas and Delta rockets, the VC stands 61 to 67 meters tall, depending on fairing, and is 5.4 meters in diameter. The BE-4s burn a combination of Liquid Oxygen and industrial-grade, clean-burning Liquefied Natural Gas that is more than 95% methane. Two to six GEM 63XL engines (63in/1.6m diameter x 72ft/~22m length) can be mounted, depending on payload demands, and many already have been delivered to Cape Canaveral in anticipation of increased launch cadence. These will likely need to be examined, possibly by manufacturer Northrop Grumman. The VC upper stage has two RL10C engines manufactured by L3Harris that burn liquid hydrogen and have a record of 500+ successful flights. VC is expected to launch 38 Amazon Leo missions and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser to the ISS NET Q4, and the upper stage is to be used for Artemis IV. (Image Credits: ULA, Northrop Grumman)
China 'Explores Together' on April 24 National Space Day
April 24 marks 56 years since China’s first successful satellite launch on that day in 1970, but 70 years from the organizational and scientific efforts made in 1956 toward that later success. This year’s theme is “70 Years of Skyward Exploration, Together Toward the Cosmos.” Chengdu, Sichuan Province is the center of celebrations, acknowledging advancements such as Tiangong Space Station, preparations for lunar missions including early-2026 testing of the rocket and crew capsule designed to go to the Moon, the upcoming Chang’E-7 launch NET August, advancements in the human lunar flight system, Tianwen 2 that launched last year for arrival in 2027 at near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, and wet-fueling test ahead of launch for the Long March 10B rocket, a precursor to the Long March 10 Lunar Variant. Space Day includes opening ceremony, space science exhibitions, cultural forums, academic conferences and a Tianfu Towers light show. Space Day organizers emphasize China’s commitment to the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of humanity. Events throughout China aim to inspire public support for space programs and foster scientific curiosity, exploration and innovation among young people, including open days at space facilities, science lectures, competitions and workshops. (Image Credits: Luo Hongyang, CNSA, CMSA)
Humans in Space
☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven members are working to unpack ~5,000 kg of supplies from Cygnus NG-24 XL cargo craft “SS Steven R Nagel” that arrived last week and was captured by Canadarm2. Research studies being delivered include a quantum science module seeking dark matter, improved computing technology, equipment for therapeutic stem cell production to treat diseases, a gut microbiome study, and a device to improve ability to predict “space weather” that could help protect space-based GPS and radar systems. As well, the E4D exercise system from ESA arrived. SS Steven R Nagel is to stay docked until October.
☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew collected and froze saliva samples that will return to Earth with them later this month for analysis of digestive and intestinal function, collected / centrifuged blood samples and used a spectrometer on urine samples to further study of metabolic indicators. The crew is working with cognitive research on emergency decision-making and emotional states, doing physics projects using combustion equipment. As usual, they are maintaining cryogenic and life-support systems, organizing supplies and the cabin, and exercising with treadmill and resistance bands.
◐ Lunar Enterprise News: NASA Authorization Act of 2026 provides US$24B+ and directs establishment of a permanent Moon base. | NASA is partnering with JAXA / ISRO for LUPEX rover NET 2028 by providing Neutron Spectrometer System water-hunting instrument. | All major elements of Chang’E-7 have arrived at Wenchang for integration / tests prior to launch on Long March 5 NET August. | South Korea’s first lunar rover, from private company UEL, will fly on ispace (Japan) 3rd Moon landing mission NET 2028. | For its Ocula lunar orbiter imaging service, Firefly is partnering with NVIDIA for faster onboard imagery processing. | Russian Academy of Sciences has approved participation in China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) including 5kW nuclear power plant. | First full-duration static fire test completed on Starship V3.
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Apr 20: Apollo Asteroid 2026 AC4 (0.027 AU); Tue Apr 21: Apollo Asteroid 2026 GJ1 (0.022 AU); Wed Apr 22: Apollo Asteroid 2026 BK2 (0.025 AU); Sat Apr 25: Apollo Asteroid 2022 UU8 (0.022 AU)
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Events
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UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee (LSC) Meeting
Vienna, Austria65th session of the UN COPUOS Legal Subcommittee (LSC). Informal meetings and consultations are expected to take place on April 13-14 and April 23-24, surrounding the main session dates. Key lunar issues to be addressed include resources and information-sharing. Sessions focus is on international space governance, including space safety, sustainability, […]
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Launch Vehicle Avionics Systems Design and Applications – Online Short Course
OnlineGeorge N. Andrew, with 46+ years of experience relating to launch vehicle, spacecraft / instrument avionics architecture, design, manufacturing, integration / testing / program management, convenes this course Tuesdays / Thursdays through April 30 at 13:00–15:30 EDT | 17:00-19:30 UTC | 09:00-11:30 HST (6 Classes, 15 Total Hours). All sessions […]
US$495 – US$1095 -
Planetary Society’s Day of Action
Washington DC, USAAnnual advocacy event that connects space advocates with their members of Congress in Washington D.C. Training 13:00-17:00 Sunday Apr 19. Congressional meetings Monday Apr 20. Anyone age 18+ with USA address can register, under 18 must be accompanied by parent / guardian; Planetary Society membership required (can be added at […]
US$30 – US$54 -
Launch Falcon 9 / GPS III SV10
SLC-40 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USALaunch window open 02:48-04:05 EST | HST is 20:48-22:05 on Apr 19; 10th of 10 navigation satellites to MEO; 1st stage booster planned to land on autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) in Atlantic Ocean.
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Rollout of Artemis III Rocket Section
New Orleans LA, USATop four-fifths of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage will be moved from NASA Michoud Assembly Facility to load on a barge for delivery to Kennedy Space Center. Media are invited. Speakers will be featured. The SLS is already begun in the Vehicle Assembly Building with the engine section […]
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NewSpace Africa Conference – Inclusive Growth: Expanding Space Benefits to all Africans
Libreville, GabonThis 5th conference expects 600+ participants from 200+ organizations in 65+ countries, including 50+ African governments, to hear 60+ speakers and visit 40+ exhibitors. Includes a Startup Pitch Competition. Discounted passes for online and students. At Stade d'Angondjé.
€300 -
24th IAA Humans In Space Symposium
Montecatini, ItalyA platform for a fruitful discussion of fundamental problems and practical issues, exchange of research results and ideas in space biology and medicine, including: – Analogue Environments – Isolation – Astrobiology – Artificial Intelligence – Cardiovascular and Pulmonary – Challenges of Future Spaceflights – Circadian Rhythm – Commercial Spaceflight / […]
€100 – €700 -
BeyondHubble: Revisiting the Hubble Sequence Across Cosmic Time
Cambridge, United KingdomA meeting revisiting the Hubble Sequence 100 years on: Linking the morphological evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. Invited Speakers: Angela Adamo (Stockholm University) Oscar Agertz (Lund University) Michele Cappellari (University of Oxford) Andrei Kravtsov (University of Chicago) Sharon Meidt (Ghent University) Lamiya Mowla (Wellesley College) Vadim Semenov (CfA) Adrianne Slyz (University of Oxford) Takafumi Tsukui (ANU) […]
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Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-14
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USALaunch window open 13:00-17:00 PDT | 16:00-20:00 HST for 25 internet satellites. Booster B1100 planned to land on ASDS OCISLY after this 5th flight. This is the booster with special "100" painted logo.
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Launch HASTE / Bubbles
SLC-2, ~38°N, Wallops Flight Facility VA, USALaunch window 20:00 Apr 21 - 01:00 Apr 22 EDT | 14:00-19:00 HST for sub-orbital Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) test program of Rocket Lab, using its electric-pump-fed engines.
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AIAA Los Angeles Section Town Hall Meeting: James Webb Space Telescope
Lomita CA, USAOrigins, Development, Operation and Lessons Learned from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope with Jonathan Arenberg, Northrop Grumman Fellow and Chief Mission Architect for Science and Robotic Exploration, Fellow of the International Optics and Photonics Society, SPIE, and an Associate Fellow of AIAA. In-person at 17:30 PDT at Lomita Library (Don […]
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Lyrids Meteor Shower Peak
WorldwideBest seen from Northern Hemisphere, with a lower hourly rate in the Southern Hemisphere, Lyrids seem to stream from the Constellation Lyra. They actually derive from the debris trail of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which has a period of 415 years. Can be "fireball" bright but usually lack persistent trains, […]
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Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group Meeting
Baltimore MD, USAMEPAG Hybrid Meeting #43, online and in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins at Mt Washington, Susquehanna Room, 6225 Smith Avenue. No charge but registration required.
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Astronaut Fred Gregory Welcomes Astronaut Scholarship Awardees
Los Angeles CA, USAAt 12:00 PDT, University of Southern California (USC) campus. Astronaut Frederick D. Gregory flew 3 Space Shuttle missions, STS-51B, STS-33 and STS-44.
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Annual EarthSpace Webinar
OnlineExploring the intersection of space innovation and planetary stewardship, from 12:00-14:00 EDT / UTC-4; no cost but registration required at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yLblO6EqWkVLaCtst5oMSbSdwDAq3_WiuUW5fMOwStqb2Q/viewform
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Webinar: IAF Materials and Structures Committee
OnlineModerator Elizabeth Barrios of Blue Origin welcomes panelists from ArianeGroup, DGLR, Sapienza University of Rome, Women in Aerospace, and CSEM at 15:00-16:00 CEST | 13:00-14:00 UTC | 09:00-10:00 EDT | 06:00-07:00 PDT. Webinar is to explore and assess recent advancements in space structures, structural dynamics, and materials, particularly in relation […]
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US House of Representatives Hearing on NASA Budget FY2027
Washington DC, USAHouse Science, Space, and Technology Committee will meet with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, 10:00 EDT | 07:00 PDT | 04:00 HST.
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Next Generation of Io Science Workshop
Laurel MD, USAThe goal of this workshop is to bring together interdisciplinary scientists to discuss outstanding science questions about Io -- the most volcanically active world in the Solar System, yet fundamental questions persist regarding its origin, evolution, present-day activity, dynamic atmosphere, and its complex interactions with the rest of the Jovian […]
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Results from Early CLPS Deliveries and Upcoming CLPS Exploration Activities
OnlineThis online-only Lunar Surface Science Workshop (LSSW), each day 11:00-17:00 EDT | 15:00-21:00 UTC | 05:00-11:00 HST, will share results from the first NASA CLPS missions, provide updates on upcoming deliveries, and discuss lessons learned. Breakouts will gather community input on future lunar measurements and technology demos to support the […]
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Launch Electron / Kakushin Rising (JAXA Rideshare)
Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandLaunch set for 15:09 New Zealand Standard Time | 03:00 UTC | 17:09 Apr 22 HST, for sending 8 separate spacecraft to SSO, including ones for education, for ocean monitoring, an ultra-small multispectral camera, and an antenna packed origami-style for unfurling to 25 times the packed size. The 8 satellites […]
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Venture Café: Launching Innovation from Arizona to Space
Phoenix AZ, USAWith David Ariosto and reps from Rocket Lab, Paragon Space Development, Space Rising and more. 16:30-19:00 MST at 850 PBC, 850 North Fifth Street. Mentor Hours with Robert Walker, Technology and Community Director at University of Advancing Technology, Tempe. Speakers on Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, more. No charge but registration required.
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Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Elite VIP Tour
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex FL, USAExclusive all-day tour begins at 09:00 EDT with a knowledgeable space expert as guide. Includes: Admission and parking, iconic attractions including Rocket Garden, Deep Space Launch Complex, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Spaceport KSC ride, Shuttle Launch Experience ride, bus tour behind NASA’s gates including (depending on launch schedule) outside of Vehicle Assembly Building / views of Launch Complex 39’s Pads A […]
US$175 -
Launch Cheng Zheng 2D / Unknown Payload
Xichang Satellite Launch Center, ~28°N, Sichuan, ChinaLaunch window 14:30-14:51 China Time | 06:30-06:51 UTC | HST is 20:30-20:51 on April 23. Chang Zhen 2D (CZ-2D) is expected to make its 103rd flight, powered by hypergolic fuels (toxic), typically to geostationary transfer orbit. This will be the 3rd flight of 2026 for CZ-2D.
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36 Years in Space: Hubble Space Telescope
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)NASA spacecraft with 2.4-meter diameter main telescope begins 37th year in space today, launched Apr 24, 1990; could continue operations until 2040s.
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National Day of Space Flight
China (Zhongguo)Commemorating the launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 on April 24, 1970.
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Spacetide Academy Space Business Job-Ready Training Bootcamp
Tokyo, JapanIn Toranomon Area of Tokyo, 09:00-20:00 Japan Time. The lecture sessions cover a wide range of topics, including industry structure and the global competitive landscape, the history of the space industry, Japan’s Space Strategy Fund and Basic Space Policy, and the policies and legal frameworks that support space business—all explained […]
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From Earth to the Universe: At Robinson Planetarium
Adrian MI, USAIn honor of Astronomy Month, celebrated around the Earth, this full-dome planetarium program takes the audience out to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriad galaxies. Along the way, the audience will learn about the […]
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Doc Waller’s Earth & Space Report with Richard Luecke
OnlineAward-winning astronomical artist Dick Luecke will show Moon, planets, nebulae and galaxy sketching; via Zoom at 19:00 EDT | 23:00 UTC | 13:00 HST. Richard Luecke is with the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club (GAAC). Meeting ID 895 264 5644 Passcode 634305 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8952645644?pwd=ZmozcWFlK0JJSXJ2MGdWeEMxQTVEUT09&omn=86806605028 https://app.zoom.us/wc/8952645644/join?omn=86806605028&ref_from=launch&pwd=ZmozcWFlK0JJSXJ2MGdWeEMxQTVEUT09&_x_zm_rtaid=lUlq0F1PSJynN5z7K7lXlw.1776742760095.605e9b0a3fc09289daa7f7adcd2bd7c9&_x_zm_rhtaid=354&fromPWA=1 One tap mobile +16469313860,,8952645644#,,,,*634305# US +19294362866,,8952645644#,,,,*634305# US […]
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Launch Falcon 9 / Starlink Group 17-16
SLC-4E (~35°N), Vandenberg SFB CA, USALaunch window 07:00-11:00 PDT | 04:00-08:00 HST for 25 internet satellites to LEO. First stage B1088 planned to land on ASDS OCISLY after this 15th flight.
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NET Late April – Vulcan Rocket Static Fire Testing
SLC-41 (~28°N), Cape Canaveral SFS FL, USAFirst test after ULA Vulcan rocket launching from Florida on February 12, 2026, took a spacecraft to GSO but suffered an anomaly in one of the four solid rocket motors. NASA announcement week of March 11, 2026, said United Launch Alliance (ULA) Centaur V upper stage will be used for […]
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21st Annual AIAA Southern California Aerospace Systems & Technology (ASAT) Conference
Irvine CA, USATo bring together seasoned and new engineers, researchers, leaders, managers, academia and students, to exchange ideas, review achievements and plan new directions. At University of California, Irvine (UCI), Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building, 08:00-18:15 PDT. Co-sponsored by AIAA Orange County and San Gabriel Valley Sections.
US$40 – US$99 -
The Drive to Fly: Finalists Award Ceremony
Daytona Beach FL, USAArt competition to encourage future STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) leaders, judged by Astronaut Nicole Stott and others, has been on display and judged, and awardees will be celebrated. RSVP to support Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. At Starry Night Gallery, 230 S Beach St, 18:30-20:00 EDT.
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Launch Soyuz 2.1a / Progress MS-34 (95P)
Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, KazakhstanResupply mission to ISS set for 03:21 Baikonur Time UTC+5 | 22:21 UTC Apr 25| 12:21 HST Apr 25; with ~7,280 kg of cargo; after ~2 days, will rendezvous with ISS.
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Progress MS-34 (95P) Docks With ISS
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)Expected 2 days after launch from Kazakhstan, arriving ~22:21 UTC with ~7,280 kg of cargo.
