Space News for Saturday, April 18, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:21) NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch ESA Mars rover mission despite budget threat(01:06) NorthStar to go public via SPAC to expand space-based SSA network(01:33) Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete third spacewalk, mission extended by a month(02:00) Artemis 2 astronauts praise performance of Orion(02:37) Blue Origin Unveils Project Quartz Global Ground Station Network(02:56) Geographic Hotspots: Where Demand Is Accelerating(03:27) SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Martin Langer, OroraTech(03:55) CSDA Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Satellogic NewSat Data(04:40) Webinar 4/29: NASA CSDA Program Vendor Focus- MDA Space(05:28) NASA Artemis II Human Research Data Methodology Challenge(06:01) NASA, OPM Announce New NASA Force Website, Open Job Applications(06:38) Quality Assessment Report Evaluates Tomorrow.io Precipitation Radar Data(07:21) NASA Shuts Off Instrument on Voyager 1 to Keep Spacecraft Operating(07:59) Rocket Lab Enters the Thruster Market with Gauss(08:39) Watch live: Blue Origin reusing New Glenn rocket stage for 1st time on April 19 launch(09:00) 'Tall waves moving in slow motion': Here's how oily oceans on Saturn's giant moon Titan may behave(09:44) Hubble Space Telescope spots a mesmerizing spiral galaxy | Space photo of the day for April 17, 2026(10:14) Artemis 2's heat shield seems to have aced its trial by fire(10:46) Interstellar invader comet 3I/ATLAS made a startling transformation as it passed the sun(11:19) Rocket Report: Starship V3 test-fired; ESA's tentative step toward crew launch