March 23-29, 2026 / Hawai`i Island, USA
Vol 45, Week 12: Lunar Broadcast Precursor — Terrestrial Edition
Rocket Lab Electron to Take ʻDaughter of the Stars' to LEO for PNT
From New Zealand, Rocket Lab launch NET March 24 of its carbon-fiber / polymer rocket Electron is set to enhance precision of Position / Navigation / Timing (PNT) with “Daughter of the Stars” Celeste LEO-PNT mission for ESA, taking two pathfinder satellites (IOD-1 and -2) to ~510km altitude. They expect to support direct-to-device 5G, 6G, and other projects, and outperform MEO satellites like Galileo at ~23,000km altitude and EGNOS at ~35,000km via stronger signals, lower latency, higher accuracy, enhanced resilience against jamming, and better coverage in “urban canyons” and other challenging locations. GMV of Spain developed IOD-1, and Thales Alenia Space of France built IOD-2. The Electron rocket uses Rutherford engines, named for discoverer of the atomic nucleus, 3D-printed by using Electron Beam Melting to fuse titanium and inconel nickel-chromium-based superalloy, making a finished engine in one day, monolithic in design, eliminating hundreds of failure-prone bolts and seals. Rutherford liquid propellant is moved by a lithium-polymer-battery-powered electric pump, differing from the turbopumps used in the Falcon 9, Starship and invented by Robert Goddard a hundred years ago. About T+6:25 after launch, a hot-swap electronically switches from 2 depleted battery packs to a fresh one; the dead packs and their weight are jettisoned. (Image Credits: Rocket Lab)
Falcon 9 to Launch at Least 86 Payloads to SSO on Rideshare Transporter-16
NET March 29 SpaceX launches its 16th rideshare, to Sun-Synchronous Orbit allowing satellites to pass above a targeted Earth location at the same local time each day. Momentus of California brings 10 payloads. Exolaunch of Berlin, Germany will deploy 57 of its customers’ satellites this 25th time it has engaged a Falcon 9 for such purpose, using EXOpod Nova deployers and CarboNIX separation rings to place satellites accurately for 25 customers in 11 countries. Cosmo 6U cubesat of University of Colorado Boulder will measure the Earth magnetic field, and QuantX Labs of Australia will send a key component of its atomic clock. Dcubed of Munich is sending ARAQYS-D2 to 3D print / deploy a 1-meter-long solar array. SEOPS Space of Giddings TX, USA will have the Falcon 9 deliver 19 customer spacecraft from 13 countries and deploy them with their own Equalizer, Alba Orbital’s AlbaPod and ISISPACE’s Quadpack. The AlbaPod will deploy PocketQubes, 3P (5x5x15cm) VEGAFLY-1 from Vega Space and Geospatial Academy of Vietnam, to support the Vietnam Amateur Radio Club to take photos and transmit via SSDV protocol, and the 2P SpinnyONE co-developed by companies in Edinburgh and Madrid, to demonstrate artificial gravity in a microlab with launch cost estimated at US$27,000. (Image Credits: Dcubed, Univ of Colo Boulder, SpaceX)
Humans in Space
☆ International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Expedition 74 seven-member crew planning to greet Progress cargo craft after Progress MS-31 undocked from the Poisk zenith port and repair of the Kazakhstan pad allowed Progress MS-33 to launch; looking toward 2nd spacewalk this year to complete preparation for a new, more-powerful solar array after the 1st 2026 spacewalk began that preparation, with Jessica Meir and Chris Williams on EVA and interior monitoring by Jack Hathaway and Sophie Adenot.
☆ Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou-21 three-member crew completed 2nd spacewalk for their mission with Zhang Lu and Wu Fei in space for ~7 hours, assisted by Zhang Hongzhang inside the station, a team on Earth, and the station’s robotic arm; the EVA involved installing a debris protection device; the crew are also maintaining station equipment and its environment while managing their health with exercise and monitoring.
◐ Lunar Enterprise News: NASA’s SLS rocket with Orion spacecraft rolled out to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (delayed by winds), after fixing a helium flow issue on the upper stage. The four-person crew (Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen) is in quarantine. Launch is targeted no earlier than April 1 for a 10-day crewed lunar flyby—the first humans around the Moon in over 50 years.
☄ Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches – Mon Mar 23: Amor Asteroid 2023 CE1 (0.086 AU); Tue Mar 24: Aten Asteroid 2022 FY (0.025 AU); Wed Mar 25: Apollo Asteroid 2026 EP3 (0.021 AU); Sun Mar 25: Aten Asteroid 2010 GD35 (0.081 AU)
First Woman FLIES to the Moon …
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First Woman LANDS on the Moon …
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Events
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AIAA Region VI Student Conference
San Luis Obispo CA, USAResearch papers are presented in a formal technical meeting atmosphere, and ideas are exchanged and programs discussed. Cash prizes given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place papers in each category. At California Polytechnic State University.
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Launch Soyuz 2.1a / Progress MS-33 (94P)
Baikonur Cosmodrome, ~46°N, Kazakhstan16:59 UTC+5 (01:59 HST) to launch resupply mission to the International Space Station that was delayed from December 2025 after November launchpad damage at spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan.
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African Lunar Symposium 2026
Kasane, BotswanaPart of 2026 African Astronomical Society Conference in Botswana April 22-27 and in collaboration with NASA SSERVI, features presentations on lunar science, planetary exploration, and human spaceflight to the Moon and beyond. At Wild View Resort, 80 President Avenue.
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Goddard: Father of the Space Age
Worcester MA, USASpace‑themed event at Hanover Theatre & Conservatory to celebrate the 100th anniversary of humanity’s first modern rocket launch—achieved by Worcester’s own Dr. Robert H. Goddard, the “Father of the Space Age.” Will include presentations from scientists and astronauts in person and from across the USA—our “Today’s Goddards” who have carried […]
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2026 African Astronomical Society (AfAS) Conference
Kasane, BotswanaAt Wild View Resorts, 80 President Avenue, to bring together Africa’s astronomy and space science community alongside global collaborators, to create an exceptional platform for networking, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. No charge to attend.
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Space Science Week 2026
Washington DC, USAExplore the latest developments and discuss the future of the space science from a variety of perspectives, from planetary protection to astrophysics to Earth science and applications from space, online and at National Academy of Science Building, 2101 Constitution Ave NW. Presenting at March 24 plenaries will be representatives of […]
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Applications Due: NASA Planetary Science Summer School
Online38th Annual Planetary Science Summer School (PSSS) is a 3-month early career experience at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena CA for grad-level students, post docs, faculty members, and early career scientists and engineers. Administered by Rosaly Lopes, Manager, NASA Science Mission Design Schools, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 180-109, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena […]
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Washington Space Business Roundtable Annual Flagship Luncheon and Silent Auction
Online / Washington DC, USAWSBR promotes commercial space business and education. 11:00-13:30 EDT. Tax-deductible donations of goods and services benefit STEM students in the Washington DC area. Auction is mainly online this year with only selected items brought to the luncheon but all bidding online. Luncheon at Arnold & Porter, 601 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest. […]
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SatShow Week
Washington DC, USASatellite industry "first and largest experience of the year" with 15,000+ registrants and 450+ exhibitors — uniting commercial innovators, government / military decision-makers, and end-users from 110+ countries. At Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW.
$149 -
Munich Space Summit: Merging Visions, Shaping the Future
Munich, GermanyMerging two space events into one: Munich New Space Summit and Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, March 23-25 focusing on former, Mach 25-27 on latter, with March 25 reception and "cross-cutting" panel discussions. Speakers include Astronaut Tibor Kapu from Hungary, Josef Aschbacher from ESA and other speakers from Munich Aerospace, DLR, […]
€300 -
Astronaut Tony Antonelli Greets Awardees of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
Clemson SC, USADominic Anthony "Tony" Antonelli was Space Shuttle Pilot for Discovery and Atlantis. 13:00 EDT at Cribb Hall, Clemson University.
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Launch Electron / Daughter Of The Stars (LEO-PNT Pathfinder A)
Launch Complex 1, ~39°S, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandTo include 10 ESA PNT satellites to work with Galileo and EGNOS constellations, 2 ESA demo satellites for Celeste planned constellation, and 2 Thales Alenia Space / GMV "Pathfinder A" satellites.
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Young / Early Career Professionals Mixer with the AIAA Los Angeles Section
Hawthorne CA, USAAmerican Institute of Aeronautics & Astronauts (AIAA) Los Angeles Section, 17:30-20:00 PDT at Los Angeles Ale Works, 12918 Cerise Avenue, Hawthorne. Next to SpaceX and VAST Space. Near LAX, Raytheon, Aerospace Corp. Northrop Grumman, Boeing, LA AFB / Space Force, Varda Space Industries, and Millennium Space Systems, etc.) (Complimentary event […]
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Progress MS-33 Docks to International Space Station
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)Roscosmos Progress-33 cargo craft to dock at ISS approximately 13:34 UTC | 09:34 EDT | 03:34 HST after launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Live coverage beginning 11:45 UTC | 08:45 EDT | 02:45 HST on on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the NASA YouTube channel. This is the 94th Progress spacecraft to resupply the […]
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Shaping the New Space Age
Online / Washington DC, USAA conversation focusing on international space collaboration and commercial space innovation, to explore priorities, partnerships, and long-term visions among top space agencies, space enterprises, and the telecommunication sector around the world. No cost but registration required. Online at https://www.atlanticcouncil.tv/ and in-person at Altantic Council's GeoTech Center. New policy: In-person attendees will […]
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IAF Spring Meetings 2026
Paris, FranceAt Newcap Event Center, 3 Quai de Grenelle, 15th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower and Porte de Versailles; Includes a Global Networking Forum and Distinguished Service Award Ceremony, but some of the events and meetings’ attendance is restricted to IAF committee members and/or IPC members.
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National Academies of Sciences Webinar: Imagination in Science
OnlineSpace Science Week 2026 Keynote Public Lecture, 19:00-20:30 EDT (UTC-4), "An Instrument Nature Can Play: Data, Sound, and the Work of Imagination in Science" with Greg Niemeyer, Chelle Gentemann, and singer Jewel. Scientific breakthroughs rarely start with answers. They start when we imagine things we can't yet see. In this […]
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Space Diplomacy Forum
Washington DC, USAAs space becomes increasingly multipolar, commercialized and contested, the need for international cooperation has never been greater. Meridian’s Space Diplomacy Forum: Shared Horizons will convene diplomats, international space agency representatives, U.S. government officials, and space executives from around the world to navigate these challenges and shape a shared future. One […]
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Tech Showcase Submissions Due for Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Spring Meeting
OnlineDue no later than 23:59 EDT for conference April 28-30. Send questions on how your technology can be showcased to LSICmeetings (at) jhuapl.edu Tech Showcase portal is https://lsic.jhuapl.edu/Events/Technology-Demonstrations-Application-new.php
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National Space Society Young Professionals Virtual Community
Online18:00-19:00 EDT / UTC-4; NASA Astronaut and Boeing Starliner Commander Chris Ferguson is featured, with his career journey, lessons learned and advice for those building a future in the space industry. Inaugurated in December 2025, learn more here: https://nss.org/the-nss-young-professionals-virtual-community-takes-flight/
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Kii Space HUB FY2025 Annual Online Meeting
Online15:00-17:00 Japan Time | 06:00-07:00 UTC | With Kii Space HUB Director & Chief Strategy Officer, Sato.
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SatShow 2026 Reception and Industry Gathering
Washington DC, USAReception at Florida House, 16:30-18:30 EDT and Industry Gathering at The Pierce School 19:00+ EDT for attendees of SatShow Week, March 23-26, 2026. Reception RSVP at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/florida-space-forum-with-spacefund for Florida House, One 2nd Street Northeast, and Industry Gathering RSVP at https://info.aleranwxse.com/26q1-sat-show-week-reception-rsvp for The Pierce School, 1375 Maryland Avenue Northeast.
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The Future of Low Earth Orbit: From the ISS to Commercial Platforms
Online / Washington DC, USAUS House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology will hear from Joel Montalbano, NASA Acting Associate Administrator for Space Operations; Dave Cavossa, Commercial Space Federation President; . Charlie Precourt, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Member. 10:00 EDT at 2318 Rayburn House Office Building, and Online at Committee website, https://science.house.gov/2026/3/space-and-aeronautics-subcommittee-hearing
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Ground Control #2 – From Mars to the Moon
Oslo, NorwayGuest is University of Oslo Professor Svein-Erik Hamran, who built RIMFAX, the first radar ever to operate on the surface of another planet. He is now developing Lunar RIMFAX for MAGPIE, a European rover mission funded by ESA that will search for water ice at the Moon south pole. Monthly […]
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PocketQube Conference 2026
Glasgow, Scotland9th annual conference addressing development of "pico" satellites, providing forum for collaboration among industry and academia. At Glasgow University Union (GUU), 32 University Avenue. Tour of Alba Orbital PocketQube factory on March 27 is offered.
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Science for a New Era of Exploration: The Path from the Moon to Mars
Online / Washington DC, USAAnnual symposium on Science Priorities, Readiness, and Enterprise Integration, at Holiday Inn on the National Mall, 550 C Street SW, at 13:00-17:30 EDT (07:00-11:30 HST) and online, live-streaming at https://www.spacecommerce.tv/Events/USRA-250327 (link will go live that morning). Speakers include Nicola "Nicky" Fox and others from NASA, and Scott Pace of SPI, […]
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Webinar: Moonlit Talk–When is the Moon truly “for everyone”?
Online09:00 PDT | 12:00 EDT | 18:00 CET | UTC+1; Featuring perspectives that have not traditionally shaped space governance -- environmental justice, Indigenous stewardship and community-driven science -- to broaden the ethical foundation on which lunar governance is being built. No charge but registration required: https://openlunar.zoom.us/meeting/register/jITNiebPQ0Sa_EhpLErsjg#/registration This webinar will be […]
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Federal Communications Commission Meeting Including “Weird Space Stuff”
Online / Washington DC, USAOnline, https://www.fcc.gov/live, and at FCC offices, 45 L Street Northeast, 10:30-12:30 EDT | March Open Commission Meeting includes agenda item: Spectrum Abundance for Weird Space Stuff: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, https://www.fcc.gov/document/spectrum-abundance-weird-space-stuff, that proposes and seeks comment on ways in which to make additional spectrum available […]
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Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium: Surface Power Telecon
OnlineLSIC Surface Power Focus Group online discussion of dust-toleration connectors for lunar surface applications. Jorge Núñez, from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL), will present an overview of the lunar surface dust environment. Then, Josh Yank of Yank Technologies and Erik Strahl of Amphenol will share recent advances in their […]
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CanSat Competition and UK Youth Rocketry Challenge Regional Finals
Llanbedr, UKAt Snowdonia Space Centre. CanSat competition is organized by the UK European Space Education Resources Office (ESERO-UK), supported by the European Space Agency (ESA). Teams must design and build their own mini satellite within the dimensions of a drinks can, that must include all major subsystems found in a satellite (such […]
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2nd IAA Moon Farside Protection Symposium
Paris, FranceThe Moon naturally shields electromagnetic waves generated by human activities on Earth and around it, results in a silence zone on and above its Farside, called Shielded Zone on the Moon (SZM). The SZM is a region of utmost scientific interest, in particular for Cosmology, Astrobiology, Planetary Defense, and SETI […]
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Panel Discussion: Women in Space: The Architects of Space
London, United Kingdom17:30 UT, in person and online, this event brings together leading women from across the space industry to explore the milestones shaped by women and the pathways they are forging for the future. Through a dynamic panel discussion, speakers from diverse backgrounds will reflect on the contributions women have made […]
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Earth & Space Report Featuring Jordan Bretzfelder on Planetary Analogs
OnlineWilliam Waller invites Dr. Bretzfelder from Georgia Tech to discuss via Zoom "Planetary Analogs: Simulating the Solar System in our Backyard." At 19:00 EDT | 23:00 UTC | 13:00 HST. Here is her abstract: Rocky planetary bodies throughout the solar system have a variety of different surface conditions, from the […]
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AIAA Region IV Student Conference
Houston TX, USAResearch papers are presented in a formal technical meeting atmosphere, and ideas are exchanged and programs discussed. Cash prizes given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place papers in each category. At Rice University.
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Guided Tour of Lunar Analog Craters with Planetary Geologist Kirby Runyon
El Paso TX, USAWith guests Astronaut Chris "Hanks" Sembroski and daughter, included is tour of Virgin Galactic launch site and simulated human mission at Las Cruces Challenger Education Center. New Mexico lunar analogs Aden Crater, Kilbourne Hole and the Carrizozo lava flow are on the tour. Also joined by Mark Wagner. Kirby Runyon […]
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Artemis II: Pathway to the Moon
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex FL, USAA never-before-seen Artemis experience on the bottom floor of Space Shuttle Atlantis. This exclusive exhibition immerses you in the story, scale and ambition of Artemis II. Created by NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, the exhibit invites you to step into the mission—exploring the spacecraft, technologies, and people making America’s […]
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Abstracts Due for 2026 Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
OnlineConvening July 26-30 at Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, the conference welcomes technical papers spanning all areas of astrodynamics and space-flight mechanics and brings together experts from across the global space community.
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Virgin Galactic 4th Q 2025 / FY 2025 Financial Results
OnlineTelecon at 17:00 EDT, 14:00 PDT, 11:00 HST.












