North America

Astrobotic has announced its purchase of launch services aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for its third upcoming lander mission to the Moon. The Company made the announcement during the spring Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC) This mission will subsequently launch an Astrobotic lander to the Moon’s South Pole in 2026 to deliver payload customer instruments and cargo from around the world.

Evolution Space has announced the successful completion of its first space mission, Gold Chain Cowboy. The rocket reached apogee at 124.5 kilometers (408,456 ft), 24.5 km past the Kármán line - the internationally recognized boundary of space - at 8:12 am on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023. This consequently marked a significant milestone for the company and the greater space launch industry. Furthermore, the success also sees the Company become the 9th privately funded US company to pass the Kármán line and reach space.

Intelsat, a multinational satellite services provider, announced they ordered a Mission Extension Pod (MEP) from Northrop Grumman Corporation’s SpaceLogistics, which will add life to an Intelsat satellite and provide uninterrupted services to many customers. 

SpaceX has successfully completed its first fully integrated Starship flight test as it successfully launched the rocket. However, the launch was not a complete success, as the rocket exploded four minutes into the flight. This happened as the booster failed to separate from the spacecraft as intended, causing the rocket to tumble and subsequently explode before falling into the. Despite this, the rocket successfully separated from the Super Heavy booster, a key in-flight milestone.

Seeds sent into space last year returned to Earth on the 15th of April for joint efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). The mission is to develop resilient crops that can help provide sufficient food as the planet heats up. 

Science Application International Corp (SAIC), an American technology company that provides government services and information technology support, and GomSpace, a manufacturer and operator of nanosatellites, announced on the 18th of April that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. They will partner for CubeSat, MicroSat and SmallSats Systems and Solutions for the Americas market. 

Leidos and its Dynetics team have announced their intention to compete in another moon race through a promotional partnership with NASCAR. The partnership will be a collaboration between the two organizations in the areas of speed, safety, and reliability. The parties unveiled the details regarding the collaboration and design, and technology of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) during a special event at the Space Foundation's 38th annual Space Symposium, the premier assembly for the global space ecosystem.

OroraTech, a German aerospace start-up company providing wildfire monitoring, announced on the 18th of April that Dr. Axel Roenneke will be their new Chief Commercial Officer. He has been appointed and aims to lead the global expansion and implement growth plans across new markets. 

The UK Space Agency is launching a £20 million fund to support international partnerships that will harness the UK’s national strengths, support new space capabilities, and catalyze investment. This announcement came on the opening day of the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, US.

Axiom Space is launching the Axiom Space Access Program to enable countries to realize the long-term economic and scientific value in microgravity today without building or expanding their infrastructure, such as on-orbit facilities, launch vehicles, medical or training programs, and support capabilities. Azercosmos, the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, became the first participating country in the Axiom Space Access Program