Space News for Tuesday, August 18, 2026

In this episode, we aggregate and summarize today's top space news stories. Enjoy!(00:10) Podcast Introduction(00:21) New report takes closer look at the Space Force spending surge(00:53) HEO to use Planet satellites for non-Earth imaging(01:23) NASA Demonstrates GPS-Free Autonomous Spacecraft Navigation System on Starling Swarm(02:01) Silicon Valley Space Week Speaker Focus: Janna Lewis, Astroscale U.S.(02:33) Ukrainian Missile Strike Damages Russian Space Facility Producing Rassvet Broadband Rockets(03:06) Lynk Global and Omnispace Complete Merger to Form Direct-to-Device Operator Elveo Mobile(03:24) Space Energy Initiative Calls for UK Co-Funding of Orbital Solar Power Demonstrator(04:06) Curiosity Blog, Sols 4975-4981: Happy 14th Landing Anniversary(04:22) NASA Selects Companies to Provide Payload Processing Services(05:08) NASA Mission Studies Air Pollution Over Ethiopia(05:59) Next Generation of Planetary Scientists Learn Public Engagement Skills(06:38) Colorful Collage of Tarantula Nebula(07:02) Ship 40 arrives at Christmas Island, Plans Return to Starbase(07:46) DIU, SDA Select Winners for Deorbit-as-a-Service Designs(08:33) SEOPS Doubles Down on Waymaker Dedicated Rideshare Program(09:22) On this day in space! Aug. 18, 1868: Total solar eclipse leads to discovery of helium(10:01) Hubble, James Webb team up to capture the 'Black Eye Galaxy' | Space photo of the day for Aug. 18, 2026(10:30) It's harder to poop in space. Scientists may finally know why(11:14) Watch European astronaut make history during spacewalk today(11:46) How an ancient collision with another galaxy transformed the Milky Way(12:33) The Moon's shadow raced across the heart of Spain, and I was there to see it