NASA's TESS spacecraft has published its most complete all-sky map, stitched together from 96 sectors observed between its April 2018 launch and the close of its second mission extension in September 2025. The mosaic plots roughly 700 confirmed exoplanets alongside more than 5,000 candidates — a catalog spanning Mercury-sized worlds to gas giants larger than Jupiter, including several in habitable zones where liquid water could theoretically exist on the surface. Recent finds not yet incorporated into the map include a planetary system with a highly elliptical companion orbit and evidence of two planets colliding, leaving a debris cloud that may offer a window into how Earth's Moon formed. Automated algorithms are still mining the full TESS dataset, and mission scientists say the volume of surprises continues to grow.

↗Source: Space.com

Six countries — Latvia, Jordan, Morocco, Malta, Ireland, and Paraguay — signed the Artemis Accords in the days before a technical workshop in Lima, Peru, bringing the total coalition to 67 nations. The May 13–14 gathering, hosted by Peru's space agency CONIDA, was the first time the annual workshop has taken place in South America, with representatives from 30 countries running tabletop exercises on non-interference, orbital debris, and interoperability in lunar environments. The timing is notable: more than a dozen lunar landing missions are expected across signatory nations over the next 18 months, making coordination on these principles increasingly operational rather than aspirational. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman framed the accords as directly tied to the agency's current Moon Base plans, which were outlined at the March Ignition event, and said signatories now have expanded roles available within the broader Artemis program.

↗Source: NASA Press Releases

SpaceX's first Starship V3 launch attempt ended in a scrub on May 21 when technical issues — including a problem with the water diverter system beneath the pad — prevented liftoff during the T-40 second hold. The countdown rolled past that mark several times before SpaceX called it at 7:37 p.m. EDT, with propellant temperatures eventually ruling out further attempts within the window. SpaceX communications lead Dan Huot described the attempt as effectively a wet dress rehearsal, noting the team fully loaded both vehicles and will use the data to diagnose what stalled the countdown. The next window opens Friday, May 22, from 6:30–8:00 p.m. EDT — the first opportunity to fly V3, the first Starship variant SpaceX says is capable of reaching the moon and Mars, and the debut of Starbase's Pad 2.

↗Source: Space.com

Rotors built for NASA's SkyFall Mars mission reached Mach 1.08 at the blade tips during testing inside JPL's 25-foot Space Simulator, pressurized with trace carbon dioxide to replicate Martian atmospheric conditions. The milestone unlocks roughly 30% more lift capacity compared to subsonic operation. SkyFall is designed to release three payload-carrying helicopters from a descent vehicle, each flying independently to separate surface locations with instruments such as ground-penetrating radar. The rotor hardware comes from AeroVironment, which also supplied Ingenuity's blades. Additional testing remains, including dust-exposure runs, and NASA is targeting a December 2028 launch window.

↗Source: Universe Today

A pressure leak in the ISS's PrK transfer tunnel — a Russian module attached to the Zvezda Service Module — resumed around May 1, roughly three weeks after NASA declared the area stable following years of sealant work. Roscosmos detected about one pound of atmosphere lost per day after cosmonauts unloaded cargo from the Progress 95 spacecraft; the tunnel is now held at reduced pressure with periodic top-offs. NASA says station operations are unaffected, but internally the agency rates these Russian leaks as a "5" on both likelihood and consequence in its risk matrix — the highest classification for catastrophic failure potential.

↗Source: Ars Technica – Space

Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Chun Wang has contracted with SpaceX for what would be the first privately funded Mars flyby, a round trip SpaceX estimates at two years. Wang, who flew a polar-orbit Dragon mission in 2024, plans to first join Dennis Tito on a Starship lunar flyby as a precursor. No launch date has been set, and Starship has yet to complete a single orbital flight. The announcement echoes Yusaku Maezawa's 2018 lunar Starship deal, which he canceled in 2024 after years of delays.

↗Source: Universe Today

Australian Earth observation company LatConnect 60 has opened a growth investment round, with allied government funds and corporate venture capital firms in late-stage discussions to anchor it by end of June. The capital would expand its Short-Wave Infrared satellite program from two demonstration spacecraft—targeting Q1 2027 launches—to an 18-satellite constellation, with a 100-satellite network planned by 2035. SWIR imaging reveals material and moisture signatures invisible to standard optical sensors, giving the technology dual-use value across agriculture, carbon monitoring, and maritime domain awareness aligned with AUKUS Pillar II priorities.

↗Source: SpaceNews

The U.S. Space Force aims to grow from roughly 10,000 active-duty Guardians today to 20,000 by 2030, with Gen. Chance Saltzman telling congressional committees this week that fiscal year 2027 alone would add 2,800 Guardians and 2,000 civilians. The expansion is driven by approximately 40 new squadrons tied to missile warning, cyber operations, satellite acquisitions, and space control missions. Lawmakers broadly supported the service's proposed $71 billion FY2027 budget — more than double the 2026 enacted level — though some pressed for faster growth. Saltzman said training pipeline capacity and squadron readiness are the binding constraints, not funding or political will.

↗Source: SpaceNews

See you in the next orbit,

If this briefing is useful, a small contribution helps keep Telemetry free and independent.