State of Space
May 2026
A data-driven analysis of launch activity, funding, market movements, regulatory changes, and technology milestones across the global space industry.
Launch Activity
Section 1
21
Total Launches
-62% vs last month
0
Successful
0%
Success Rate
8
Upcoming (30d)
21 orbital launches were attempted this month with a 0% success rate. Launch cadence decreased 62% compared to the prior month. 8 launches are on the manifest for the next 30 days.
Notable Launches
Zhuque-2E | Mass Simulator
2026-05-14 · LandSpace · Zhuque-2E
Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-172
2026-05-12 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
SpaceX CRS-34 Prelaunch Media Teleconference
2026-05-11
Long March 7 | Tianzhou-10
2026-05-11 · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Long March 7
SpaceX Starship Booster B19 Static Fire #3
2026-05-07
Upcoming Launches
Kinetica 1 | Unknown Payload
2026-05-15 · CAS Space · Kinetica 1
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-37
2026-05-15 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-34
2026-05-15 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon Docking
2026-05-17
Long March 8 | Unknown Payload
2026-05-17 · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Long March 8
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-42
2026-05-19 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)
2026-05-19 · Avio S.p.A · Vega-C
Starship | Flight 12
2026-05-19 · SpaceX · Starship V3
Funding & Investment
Section 2
$0
Total Raised
Flat
0
Deals Closed
N/A
Avg Deal Size
N/A
Top Sector
Space companies raised $0 across 0 deals this month. Investment activity held steady.
Market Movers
Section 3
0
Public Companies Tracked
$0
Combined Market Cap
N/A
Top Gainer
N/A
Biggest Decliner
0 publicly traded space companies are tracked with a combined market capitalization of $0.
Regulatory Watch
Section 4
5
Regulatory Updates
0
Company Filings
5
Policy News
5 regulatory developments were tracked this month including 0 company filings and 5 policy news items. Space regulation continues to evolve as commercial activity scales and international coordination intensifies.
Notable Headlines
House appropriators approve spending bill that keeps NASA budget flat
SpaceNews · 2026-05-14
House Appropriators Reject Deep Cuts to NASA in FY2027
SpacePolicyOnline.com · 2026-05-14
Trump’s staggering defense budget could weaken bipartisan NDAA support
Federal News Network Defense · 2026-05-13
NASA PAO Ignores Half Of American Artemis II Pride
NASA Watch · 2026-05-13
NASA GSFC Memo Regarding IV&V and Wallops Insourcing
NASA Watch · 2026-05-13
Technology Milestones
Section 5
0
Major Milestones
0
Tech Stories
0 significant technology milestones were achieved this month across the space industry. Innovation continues across propulsion, satellite communications, Earth observation, and in-space manufacturing.
Month Ahead
Section 6
10
Scheduled Launches
0
Key Events
Looking ahead: 10 launches are scheduled over the next 30 days. Next up: Kinetica 1 | Unknown Payload (2026-05-15). Key themes to watch include commercial crew rotations, constellation deployment cadence, and defense procurement timelines.
Upcoming Launches
Kinetica 1 | Unknown Payload
2026-05-15 · CAS Space · Kinetica 1
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-37
2026-05-15 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-34
2026-05-15 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon Docking
2026-05-17
Long March 8 | Unknown Payload
2026-05-17 · China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Long March 8
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-42
2026-05-19 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)
2026-05-19 · Avio S.p.A · Vega-C
Starship | Flight 12
2026-05-19 · SpaceX · Starship V3
South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV | Demo Flight
2026-05-20 · Agency for Defense Development · South Korean ADD Solid-Fuel SLV
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 9)
2026-05-20 · SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5
Industry Pulse
Section 7
3552
News Articles Tracked
232
Companies Monitored
50+
Data Sources
30+
Automated Pipelines
SpaceNexus tracked 3552 industry news articles and monitored 232 companies this month across 50+ data sources including NASA, NOAA, SEC, CelesTrak, and SAM.gov.
Notable Headlines
House appropriators approve spending bill that keeps NASA budget flat
SpaceNews · 2026-05-14
The Universe's Biggest Black Holes Aren't Born, They're Built
Universe Today · 2026-05-14
CBO’s US$1.2T Golden Dome estimate: Weighing the price of Canadian involvement
SpaceQ · 2026-05-14
Using Weight Loss Drugs May Come With a Downside We Don't Talk About
ScienceAlert Space · 2026-05-14
Why Earth observation data is getting stuck in orbit
SpaceNews · 2026-05-14
The Planet That Shouldn't Exist… But Does
Universe Today · 2026-05-14
We've Been Wasting 99% of Our Supernova Data
Universe Today · 2026-05-14
Every serious planetary scientist knows Mars will kill the first people we send there — and we’re going anyway
SpaceDaily · 2026-05-14
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Published by the SpaceNexus Intelligence Team using data from NASA, NOAA, SEC, CelesTrak, SAM.gov, and 50+ additional sources.