FAA documents outline SpaceX plans for Starfall reentry vehicles

Federal Aviation Administration filings released in late May shed new light on SpaceX's uncrewed Starfall reentry vehicle program. The agency approved test flights after concluding they would not create significant environmental impacts, while the documents indicate the vehicle could support microgravity research and in-space manufacturing work. The disclosures provide the clearest public picture yet of a project SpaceX has discussed little about publicly.

Proposed NDAs for federal workers spark diverse backlash

A Trump administration proposal to require nondisclosure agreements for new and current federal employees is drawing criticism from across the political spectrum. According to The Hill, critics argue the Office of Personnel Management plan could be used to silence civil servants, including employees who have spoken to the press. The proposal has quickly become a wider fight over transparency, whistleblowing and the administration's control over the federal workforce.

Redistricting battle set to escalate ahead of 2028 elections

The next round of congressional map fights is already taking shape even as the current cycle's district lines are still being finalized. The Hill reports that both parties are preparing for an intensified redistricting struggle ahead of the 2028 elections, raising expectations of another broad gerrymandering battle. The early maneuvering points to continuing legal and political conflict over House control.

Blue Origin gets national security launch task order hours before New Glenn explosion

The U.S. Space Force awarded Blue Origin a National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 task order for an upcoming National Reconnaissance Office mission, then reaffirmed support for New Glenn after the rocket's launchpad explosion. The mission is scheduled for a 2027 to 2028 window from Cape Canaveral. The award signals the government still intends to use New Glenn for selected national security launches despite the setback.

SpaceX wins $4.16B Space Force contract to detect airborne moving targets

The Space Force awarded SpaceX a contract worth up to $4.16 billion to accelerate its Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator program. The service said the initial agreement starts development and integration work immediately and expects additional awards in the coming year. The architecture is intended to complement the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail as the Pentagon shifts tracking capabilities toward space.

ULA launches 29 Amazon Leo satellites on Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral

United Launch Alliance launched 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites from Cape Canaveral on Friday evening after working through weather delays. The mission was Amazon's seventh batch of production satellites and one of the final Atlas 5 flights booked for the constellation program. The launch keeps deployment moving as Amazon approaches the end of its Atlas-based launch campaign.

Shangri-La: Hegseth Calls on Western Pacific Allies to Maintain Military Strength, 'We Need Partners, Not Protectorates'

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged U.S. allies in the Western Pacific to sustain stronger military capabilities and share more of the regional security burden. He paired the call with a warning for China not to upset the existing balance while arguing that hard power remains essential to enforce regional rules. The speech framed burden-sharing and deterrence as central to Washington's Indo-Pacific approach.

AUKUS partners sign agreement on underwater drones, speed up sub plan

Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States signed an AUKUS agreement to jointly develop technologies for uncrewed underwater vehicles under Pillar 2 of the partnership. Officials said the first payload deliveries are expected in 2027 and are meant to support surveillance, strike, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine missions. The move also advances the partners' broader effort to tighten defense-industrial cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.