Space News for Thursday, April 30, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:20) ISS module cracking still unresolved despite stopping air leaks(00:56) May 13: Software Integration and Strategic Missile Defense(01:33) Space Force selects firms to build counter-surveillance payloads for satellites(02:18) SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB(02:55) SpaceX launches 6-ton ViaSat-3 F3 satellite on Falcon Heavy rocket(03:39) Launch preview: SpaceX seeks second attempt at Falcon Heavy launch following weather scrub on Monday(03:52) Canada Tightens Re-entry Regulations as SpaceX Starlink Constellations Descend(04:33) The waiver was the policy. Thursday is the paperwork.(05:09) Bright Ascension Finalizes Leadership Transition with John Baughn as CEO(05:19) Global Invacom Secures Exclusive Worldwide Distribution for Prodelin Antenna Range(05:45) I Am Artemis: Ryan Schulte(06:39) US-Indian Spacecraft Captures Mexico City Subsidence(07:23) Curiosity Blog, Sols 4873-4878: Welcome to the Atacama Drill Target(08:03) US-Indian Space Mission Maps Extreme Subsidence in Mexico City(08:47) 'The Martian' becomes real life: Meet 'Spudnik,' the space potato(09:26) Trump invited the Artemis 2 moon astronauts to the Oval Office. Here's what happened(09:41) James Webb Space Telescope's strange little red dots may really be 'black hole stars', X-ray data suggests(10:18) Europe's powerful Ariane 6 rocket launches 32 Amazon internet satellites(10:34) The cosmos wears a galactic sombrero | Space photo of the day for April 29, 2026