The United Arab Emirates doubled the size of its astronaut corps April 10 with the selection of two new astronauts, including the first woman, who will train at NASA starting later this year. SpaceNews

German launch services provider Exolaunch is developing a line of eco-friendly space tugs called Reliant, designed to clean up debris after sending satellites to custom orbits. SpaceNews

NASA announced April 10 it was postponing the first flight attempt of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars by at least three days after detecting a problem during a final pre-flight test. SpaceNews

DARPA awarded a $22 million contract to General Atomics to design a small nuclear reactor for space propulsion. SpaceNews

The White House released a first look at its budget proposal for fiscal year 2022 that includes an increase in funding for NASA, particularly Earth science and space technology programs. SpaceNews

Japanese camera maker Nikon has acquired a controlling stake in U.S. startup Morf3D, an aerospace supplier that has produced 3D-printed hardware for Boeing satellites and helicopters. SpaceNews

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut arrived at the International Space Station April 9, a few hours after its launch from Kazakhstan. SpaceNews

The new chief executive of OneWeb says the company is still pursuing some kind of navigation capability for its broadband satellite constellation, although a full-fledged service may have to wait until a second-generation system. SpaceNews

A new report by ODNI projects that by 2040 China will be the most significant rival to the United States in space, competing on commercial, civil and military fronts. SpaceNews

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) hailed the April 8 announcement that Los Angeles Air Force Base will be the permanent home of the U.S. Space Force procurement command.  SpaceNews

The U.S. Space Force is consolidating oversight of space launch activities under a two-star general who will be the deputy commander of Space Systems Command. SpaceNews

The Space Force will re-designate the Space and Missile Systems Center as the headquarters of a new Space Systems Command.   SpaceNews

Phase Four, a startup working on electric propulsion for satellites, has won an Air Force contract to test using an alternative propellant for its thrusters. SpaceNews

Many space startups are not aware of their export control obligations and are exposed to punitive sanctions. With five different export control mechanisms, this is no surprise. If your startup has an international client, supplier, expert, investor, or cooperation, you might just need a permit. SpaceNews

Private equity firm GI Partners plans to buy satellite operator Orbcomm, which specializes in connecting industrial monitoring devices, for about $1.1 billion including net debt. SpaceNews

The coastal cities of Ningbo and Wenchang are planning construction of Chinese commercial spaceports to meet growing demand for launch in China. SpaceNews

The new head of the European Space Agency has outlined his priorities for the next several years, ranging from improving relations with the European Union to increasing commercialization activities. SpaceNews

ULA is still betting on long-endurance upper stages and believes the technology has a bright future.  SpaceNews

SpaceX continued the rollout of its Starlink broadband constellation with another launch of 60 satellites April 7, edging closer to providing continuous global service. SpaceNews

The triumphant landing of the Perseverance rover has inspired all Americans, and indeed much of the world. President Biden should follow it up by launching the program to send humans to Mars. SpaceNews