Space News for Wednesday, May 13, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:21) SES joins Eutelsat in canceling GEO expansion satellites(00:52) SpaceX sets date for first Starship version 3 launch(01:32) SpaceX targets May 19 for debut of Starship Version 3, Launch Pad 2(01:46) For a second time, poor weather scrubs Cargo Dragon mission launch to the space station(02:26) SpinLaunch Partners with Aalyria for Meridian Constellation Network Orchestration(03:07) Gilat Wins Big Military Contracts, Expands India Footprint(03:41) Gen Z Influence on AI-Driven Audio Market(04:15) iDirect Government Launches 450 Rackmount Software-Defined Modem for Multi-Orbit Defense(04:43) Rise Goes to Washington(05:18) NASA Outlines Preliminary Artemis III Mission Plans(05:56) Studying Pneumonia in Space for Heart Health on Earth(06:40) Exclusive: LEAP Launches its First Rocket(07:25) CBO Puts $1.2T Price Tag on Golden Dome(08:07) Exobiosphere, Voyager Partner on ISS Mission(08:22) Star Catcher Closes $65M Series A(08:55) Will Starship launch from foreign shores? SpaceX 'constantly exploring' options for megarocket liftoff sites(09:47) What flings mysteriously powerful particles called 'cosmic rays' at Earth?(10:29) Blue Origin's lunar lander mockup is ready for NASA Artemis astronaut training(10:54) Lasers shine a new light on the space junk air pollution problem(11:27) The Whirlpool Galaxy comes alive | Space photo of the day for May 13, 2026(11:49) The physics of how Olympic weightlifters exploit barbell's "whip"(12:27) Gravitational lens shows a galaxy just 800 million years post-Big Bang(13:09) Once again, SpaceX has set a new record for the tallest rocket ever built