STRATO BRIEF
SPACE · POLICY · DEFENSE
Monday, May 18, 2026
10 stories · ~3 min read
The US space enterprise is desperately waiting for Starship—will it finally deliver?
Space Operations & Technology

The US space enterprise is desperately waiting for Starship—will it finally deliver?

This is such a wild ride. The highs are high. The lows are low."

Space Operations & Technology
Artemis III deep into processing and planning for key HLS test
NASASpaceFlight · Artemis III

Artemis III deep into processing and planning for key HLS test

NASA is deep into planning for Artemis III, a pivotal crewed mission in low Earth… The post Artemis III deep into processing and planning for key HLS test appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

New CSF Report Sees Up To 7,000+ Satellites Launched Annually By Mid 2030’s, Highlights The Challenges With US Launch Infrastructure
SpaceNews · Launch capacity

New CSF Report Sees Up To 7,000+ Satellites Launched Annually By Mid 2030’s, Highlights The Challenges With US Launch Infrastructure

New CSF Report Sees Up To 7,000+ Satellites Launched Annually By Mid 2030's, Highlights The Challenges With US Launch Infrastructure

Policy & Politics
House bill restores funding for TraCSS
SpaceNews · Space traffic management

House bill restores funding for TraCSS

A House appropriations bill would reverse plans by the administration to stop development of a civil space traffic management system.

The Hill · Senate landscape

Once unthinkable, Democrats now have a realistic shot at the Senate

An increasingly hostile political environment for Republicans has put the upper chamber squarely in play for Democrats.

The Hill · GOP strategy

Live updates: Senate preps reconciliation package; Trump warns Iran 'clock is ticking'

The fight over immigration enforcement funding will take center stage in Washington this week ahead of a scheduled Memorial Day recess. Lawmakers are also racing to meet a June 1 deadline set by President Trump. One piece of the legislation that needs to be reworked is funding for the White House ballroom, which the…

Aerospace Industry
Zenk Space raises $26 million, targets June debut launch
SpaceNews · Funding round

Zenk Space raises $26 million, targets June debut launch

Zenk Space raises $26 million, targets June debut launch China’s Zenk Space has secured 180 million yuan ahead of the planned June debut of its Zhihang-1 kerolox rocket, the company's first orbital launch attempt.

 Tomorrow.io adds $35 million to DeepSky funding round
SpaceNews · Constellation funding

Tomorrow.io adds $35 million to DeepSky funding round

Weather intelligence provider Tomorrow.io has added $35 million to its latest funding round, bringing the total to $210 million to accelerate development of a next-generation constellation for gathering atmospheric data.
Geopolitics & Defense
The next war will be won — or lost — in orbit
SpaceNews · Orbital warfighting

The next war will be won — or lost — in orbit

The next war will be won — or lost — in orbit

Graham on Trump's affordability remarks: 'That's his Churchill moment'
The Hill · Iran policy

Graham on Trump's affordability remarks: 'That's his Churchill moment'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday defended President Trump’s controversial affordability remarks, describing his stance on the Iran war as his “Churchill moment” in spite of the financial hurdles posed by Americans. “That's his Churchill moment. When Churchill came into power, he promised ‘blood, sweat, toil…

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