Space News for Thursday, April 09, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:23) Vantor to expand imaging satellite fleet, adding smallsats to increase revisit rates(01:15) Apex to develop larger satellites for missile defense, space-based computing(01:59) Improved thresholds and SSA accuracy can reduce most satellite collision risk(02:40) Space Sovereignty Is No Longer Optional(03:19) April 30: Opportunities for On-Orbit Computing(04:01) Automation and Agility: How SSC Space Go is Designed for the New Age of Ground(04:41) Procurement Lag vs. Conflict Speed: Can Defense Buying Cycles Keep Up with Space Innovation?(05:21) Kraken Robotics Integrates KATFISH Sonar on SEFINE RD-22 USV Following Multi-Naval Demonstrations(05:54) Industry Sentiment Shifts as Quilty Space Reveals Top 5 Takeaways from Satellite 2026(06:19) Intellian Unveils Future Military and Aerospace Antenna Technologies at Satellite 2026(07:05) Snow in the Shadow of the Andes(07:35) Twin NASA Control Rooms Support Artemis Safety, Success(08:14) Solar Eclipse of the Heart(08:42) SpaceX continues refinements at Starbase Pad 2 ahead of Booster 19 return(09:32) Vantor Unveils New Sat Classes: Vantage and Pulse(10:21) The State of ISAM 2026(11:11) Czech Radiation Chips on Artemis II Bring ISS Experience(11:54) All eyes on Orion’s heat shield: Artemis 2 astronauts will hit Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 24,000 mph on April 10(12:38) Large Hadron Collider gives scientists their best look yet at conditions right after the Big Bang(13:22) 'Audible screams of delight' from NASA scientists over micrometeorite impacts on the moon witnessed by Artemis 2 astronauts(14:10) Artemis 2 moon astronauts capture space history — on their iPhones(14:44) Galaxy starves its supermassive black hole, loses 95% of its brightness(15:31) The Moon is already on Google Maps—did Artemis II really tell us anything new?