Small Satellites Systems and Services Symposium

https://atpi.eventsair.com/4s-symposium-2026/

4S Symposium, Europe's main small satellite technical forum for almost 30 years, opens under the theme, "Swarming the Skies, Soaring Beyond: from VLEO to Deep Space," with a special session dedicated to swarm missions. A CubeSat workshop will be held in parallel to the symposium. €550-€1100. Sardinia, Italy. May 4-8, 2026.

USGIF GEOINT Symposium 2026

https://usgif.org/geoint-symposium-2026/

Explore the critical role of geospatial intelligence in building a secure future through discussions  with industry experts, government leaders, and innovators on the intersection of technology and security and challenges and opportunities in today’s complex geopolitical landscape. Aurora, CO. May 3-6, 2026.

Orbital Edge Networking Event

https://luma.com/474raizh

Startup founders and entrepreneurs, investors, industry partners, as well as members of the broader commercial space ecosystem are welcome to register for this highly curated evening of conversations, connections, and an inside look at the 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator program. San Mateo, CA. May 7, 2026. 

IISL (International Institute of Space Law) Spring Space Law Symposium

https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/iisl-spring-space-law-symposium-tickets-1987487786471

Three panels examine the challenges around the existing international legal framework governing outer space, including the legal implications of novel technological applications, the resilience of established legal instruments, as well as whether additional structural legal developments may be required for continued viability of space activities as a shared domain. Free. Online. May 8, 2026.

Inside the Dome

https://events.payloadspace.com/inside-the-dome

This event hosted by Tectonic and Payload will focus on the $175B Golden Dome missile-defense architecture, facilitating collaboration between government, defense primes, and space startups to address the development of the four-layer interceptor system. $499-$799. Washington, DC. May 14, 2026.

ASCEND 2026

https://www.ascend.events/

Key themes for this year's ASCEND conference include shaping space policy and law for long-term activity, sustainable cislunar and lunar exploration, the Moon-to-Mars pathway, strengthening national security, and new horizons in space infrastructure and services. Washington, DC. May 19-21, 2026.

CYSAT Europe  

https://cysat.eu/

Billed as the world's biggest space cybersecurity event, CYSAT Europe welcomes attendees for discussions around the latest innovations, challenges, upcoming regulations, and technical demonstrations. €50-€500. Paris. May 20-21, 2026.

Space Tech Expo USA

https://www.spacetechexpo.com/anaheim

Space Tech's 14th expo explores key issues and opportunities within the US and international space industry, with 350+ exhibitors. Speakers include Nicholas Cialdella, CTO of Varda, and Brian Taylor, CEO of Lux Aeterna. $0-$79. Anaheim, CA. June 2-4, 2026.

International Space Development Conference 2026

https://isdc.nss.org/

The National Space Society's 44th annual conference theme is "Space for us all," bringing together NASA astronauts, visionaries in spaceflight, industry executives, researchers and engineers for discussions and insights around the NewSpace economy, AI and space settlement. $80-$750. McLean, VA. June 4-7, 2026.

2026 IEEE International MTT Symposia (IMS)

https://ims-ieee.org/register-2026

Four symposia in an inaugural unified experience covering the full breadth of RF challenges and solutions for the global RF and microwave community. Workshops, technical sessions and exhibitions focused on systems-level integration, applications and measurement. $65-$2,625. Boston, MA. June 7-12, 2026.

MILSATCOM USA 2026

https://www.smgconferences.com/defence/northamerica/conference/MilSatCom-USA

MILSATCOM, in its 10th year, is dedicated to advancing military satellite communications across the US and allied nations. Explore developments in policy, resilient networks, cybersecurity solutions for space systems, and next-generation SATCOM solutions for warfighter advantage. $0-$2698. Arlington, VA. June 8-10, 2026.

248th American Astronomical Society Meeting

https://aas.org/meetings/aas248

The 248th AAS meeting, joint with the High Energy Astrophysics and Laboratory Astrophysics Divisions will offer a comprehensive scientific program including  talks and networking sessions focused on the future of space and ground-based astronomy. $0-$1,963. Pasadena, CA. June 14-18, 2026.

The 2026 Humans to the Moon & Mars Summit

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2026-humans-to-the-moon-mars-summit-registration-1972668527669?aff=oddtdtcreator&mc_cid=b41e57470e

Workshops and plenary sessions around the goal of achieving a permanent human presence on the Moon in this decade and Mars in the next. Topics to include Moon and Mars architecture and systems, science, human health, policy, STEM education, and more. From $160.94. Houston, TX. July 21-23, 2026.

NASA Space to Soil Challenge

https://nasa-space-to-soil.org/

Prizes up to $400,000 await participants able to develop or describe improvements in how SmallSats sense, process and deliver information to enable adaptive sensing or onboard processing on missions advancing regenerative agriculture, forestry or a similar land resilience objectives. Submission Deadline: May 4, 2026.

2026 Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table

https://deepspacefood.org/marstotable

This international competition administered by the Methuselah Foundation invites multidisciplinary teams to design complete, nutritionally sufficient integrated food systems for long-duration human missions. Solutions must operate as end-to-end systems that minimize inputs while maximizing resilience and reuse for closed-loop or near closed-loop operation. Solution summary due: May 22, 2026.

SpaceNews Job Exchange

https://jobs.spacenews.com/

Find jobs, post openings and connect at this launchpad for space industry careers.

The solar system's biggest space jobs site | Space Crew

https://spacecrew.com/

Accelerate your space career with email alerts for key space industry insights and over 4000 space company jobs.

Jobs in the Space Field & Tech Industry | Space Talent

https://www.spacetalent.org/

Space Talent is a resource for careers at the intersection of space and tech. They match employers with top talent while providing insights and resources to grow your career.

Add your event or campaign. Contact us for details.

Amazon to buy Globalstar for $11.57B in bid to flesh out its satellite biz

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/14/amazon-to-buy-globalstar-for-11-57b-in-bid-to-flesh-out-its-satellite-biz/

Amazon plans to acquire Globalstar, known for powering Apple’s “Emergency SOS” feature, for about $11.6 billion, gaining its satellites, infrastructure, and valuable spectrum licenses to strengthen its Leo satellite network. The deal is aimed at accelerating Amazon’s entry into direct-to-device satellite services and improving its ability to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.

True Anomaly raises $650 million to support space interceptors for Trump’s Golden Dome

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/28/true-anomaly-trump-golden-dome.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWDMSEb2vmE

Colorado space defense startup True Anomaly raised $650 million in Series D funding that values the company at $2.2 billion, to scale its space defense technologies. The round was co-led by Eclipse and Riot Ventures, with participation from new investors Paradigm, Atreides, VanEck, and others, alongside existing backers such as Accel and Menlo Ventures. The funding will support expansion of its autonomous spacecraft, software, and interceptor capabilities as demand grows for military-focused space infrastructure. Also see recent interview with Bloomberg Technology.

Turion Raises $75+ Million Series B to Accelerate U.S. Space Superiority

https://turionspace.com/articles/turion-raises-75-million-series-b-to-accelerate-u.s.-space-superiority

Space infrastructure company Turion Space announced a $75+ million Series B round led by Washington Harbour Partners, with participation from existing investors Aurelia Foundry, Forward Deployed VC and FoundersX, and new capital from Magnetar, HOF Capital, Industrious Ventures and others. Funding will go toward boosting production capacity, deploying additional DROID satellites, and expanding its Starfire software platform.

NorthStar Earth & Space to Go Public in SPAC Deal at $300M Valuation

https://www.satellitetoday.com/finance/2026/04/17/northstar-earth-space-to-go-public-in-spac-deal-at-300m-valuation/

Montreal-based space domain awareness company NorthStar Earth & Space plans to go public through a SPAC deal with Viking Acquisition Corp. I that values the company at $300 million. The deal includes a $30 million PIPE anchored by Cartesian Capital Group, and the company expects gross proceeds of at least $30 million to build its planned constellation. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 this year and trade under the ticker “NSTR.”  

ATMOS Space Cargo Raises €25.7 Million to Begin Space Return Operations

https://europeanspaceflight.com/atmos-space-cargo-raises-e25-7-million-to-begin-space-return-operations/

German space logistics company ATMOS Space Cargo is set to begin its initial space return service after closing a €25.7 million Series A round co-led by European venture capital firms Expansion and Balnord, with participation from the European Innovation Council and other investors. The funding will go toward creating a subsidiary for institutional and defense clients and developing its PHOENIX 3 capsule.

Citra Space Corp Announces $15M Series A to Advance Space Object Identification Technology

https://washingtonharbour.com/citra-space-corp-announces-15m-series-a-to-advance-space-object-identification-technology/

Space object identification (SOI) company Citra Space Corp announced a $15 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners, with participation from Industrious Ventures, Reliable Properties, and existing investors including Scout VC, Squadra Ventures, Flex Capital and others, to support development and deployment of Citra’s SOI capabilities for commercial and government partners.

Archangel Lightworks Raises Over £10M In Series A Funding Round

https://www.archangel.works/post/archangel-lightworks-raises-over-10m-in-series-a-funding-round

Laser communications company Archangel Lightworks closed an oversubscribed £10 million Series A round to accelerate the commercialization of its deployable optical ground station, TERRA-M. The round was led by Santander Alternative Investments, with participation from National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), Blackfinch Ventures, Oxford Capital, Lycka Limited, and Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE).

Rhea Space Activity Raises ~$6M Series A to Deploy GPS-Resilient Deep Space Optical Navigation Software to U.S and Allied Military/Intelligence Customers

https://www.rheaspaceactivity.com/post/rhea-space-activity-raises-~-6m-series-a-to-deploy-gps-resilient-deep-space-optical-navigation-softw

Rhea Space Activity closed ~$6 million in Series A funding to accelerate growth and respond to demand for its GPS-independent navigation software “AutoNav.” Investors included Boston Global (BG) Space Tech Investors, Iron Prairie Ventures, Blackbird Capital Group, Purdue Research Foundation, New Mexico Vintage Fund and others. Alongside expanding deployment, the funds also enable scaling resilient PNT capabilities for hyperscale defense manufacturing and operations in GPS-denied environments.

Why Orbital Believes Space Is The Next Frontier In The AI Revolution

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidprosser/2026/04/14/why-orbital-believes-space-is-the-next-frontier-in-the-ai-revolution/

Los Angeles-based start-up Orbital plans to address AI-driven energy and cooling shortages by placing data centers in low-Earth orbit. With backing from a16z speedrun, Andreessen Horowitz's 12-week accelerator program, the company intends to launch a prototype in 2027 to bypass terrestrial infrastructure limitations.

The largest orbital compute cluster is open for business

https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/13/the-largest-orbital-compute-cluster-is-open-for-business/

Canada’s Kepler Communications has about 40 Nvidia Orin edge processors onboard 10 operational satellites in orbit and 18 customers, including startup Sophia Space, that are testing its unique orbital computer software. While companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin are envisioning large-scale data centers in the 2030s, Kepler is focused on providing a network services layer for other satellites in space, or drones and aircraft in the sky below.

New Glenn rocket carrying AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation BlueBird 7 mission at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 36. Image Credits: US Space Force, Gwendolyn Kurzen

Blue Origin's huge New Glenn rocket grounded after launch mishap

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-origins-huge-new-glenn-rocket-grounded-after-launch-mishap

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was temporarily grounded by the FAA after its third launch on April 19. New Glenn's reusable first-stage booster landed successfully, however the two BE-3U engines of the rocket's upper stage failed to produce enough thrust during a key burn. Its AST SpaceMobile BlueBird 7 satellite payload was placed in an incorrect orbit and will be deorbited. The FAA is requiring a full investigation and corrective actions before flights can resume.

SpaceX fires up next-gen 'Version 3' Starship ahead of landmark May test flight

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-fires-up-next-gen-version-3-starship-ahead-of-landmark-may-test-flight-photos

The upgraded SpaceX Starship concluded a successful static-fire test of its 33 V3 Raptor engines, a significant milestone as SpaceX works to get its more powerful Starship V3 ready for astronaut missions to the moon. Starship Flight 12 is currently targeted for no earlier than May 12, 2026.

Test like you fly

https://www.spacex.com/content/starship/test-like-you-fly

SpaceX mini-documentary of how its engineers are working to develop a fully, rapidly reusable rocket, considered one of the most difficult engineering challenges in history. “Test Like You Fly” takes you inside the SpaceX factories where the next generation of Starships are being built and onto the launch pads, including some of the setbacks recently faced. 

A split-screen style image comparing red and blue colorways of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) year-3 data map. Image Source: DESI Collaboration/DOE/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/R. Proctor

A dark energy tool just created the most comprehensive 3D map of our universe ever: 'This is a major paradigm shift'

https://www.space.com/astronomy/dark-universe/a-dark-energy-tool-just-created-the-most-comprehensive-3d-map-of-our-universe-ever-this-is-a-major-paradigm-shift

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) finished a five-year mission to build the largest 3D map of the cosmos, ahead of schedule and on budget. DESI observed 47 million galaxies and quasars, a sixfold increase in data over previous surveys. Early analysis suggests that dark energy may be weakening over time, rather than remaining constant as previously thought. If confirmed, these findings would require a major revision of the standard model of cosmology.