Space News for Saturday, May 16, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:21) SpaceX launches CRS-34 cargo mission to ISS(00:46) Starlink Mobile challengers back proposed telco-led D2D joint venture(01:26) Virgin Galactic reaffirms plans to begin commercial service this year(02:12) SmallSat Europe Speaker Focus: Moritz Novak, GATE Space(02:34) Curiosity Shakes Loose a Pesky Rock(03:07) Hubble Sights Galaxy in Transition(03:34) Intuitive Machines Bets on Lunar Comms with Goonhilly Buy(04:20) Iridium Boosts Air Safety Offering With Aireon Acquisition(05:10) Mars orbiter captures striking images of 'chaos and craters' carved by ancient floods(05:54) Auroras over Australia look like sci-fi from space | Space photo of the day for May 15, 2026(06:34) James Webb Space Telescope maps our universe's largest structure in unprecedented detail(07:13) We still can't see dark matter. But what if we can hear it?(08:02) Solar power production undercut by coal pollution(08:41) Three's a party: US, China, and now Russia are on the prowl in GEO(09:22) Casimir force co-opted to generate free energy, midichlorians not included(09:55) Rocket Report: Cowboy up for data centers in LEO; Russia's new ICBM actually works