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Boeing wants out of space… mostly
Boeing, the once esteemed aerospace contractor has had its hands in almost every national space program since Apollo. However, it seems likely that the company wants to divest itself of almost all of its space programs.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Space: Starship operations could return to Florida
New photos and planning documents show potential Starship-sized expansions at SpaceX‘s Roberts Road facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The company is also planning four Falcon 9 launches this week. Meanwhile, its closest thing to a near-term competitor, Blue Origin, is gearing up to debut its New Glenn rocket.
Expand Expanding CloseVoyager 1 moved to backup comms it hasn’t used in over 40 years
NASA shared that the Voyager 1 team has moved the spacecraft to a lower-powered transmitter after something triggered its fault protection system. NASA and JPL are still evaluating what caused the loss of communication and the fault system to trigger.
Expand Expanding CloseStarship ship-to-ship propellent test coming March 2025
SpaceX is under pressure to keep its part of the bargain as close to the schedule as possible with providing its Starship rocket as NASA’s Artemis Human Landing System. A major component of both that mission and Starship’s Mars mission will be orbital refueling.
Expand Expanding CloseStarship Flight 6 might come faster than previous launches
Just a couple of weeks ago, SpaceX launched its fifth Starship rocket on its most successful and daring mission yet. It now has a regulatory open lane for a sixth mission, and if recent activity has anything to show for it, it could be sooner rather than later.
Expand Expanding CloseOrion’s heat shield issue is a public mystery, but NASA at least knows
NASA shared that it has finished an analysis on the cause of more than expected erosion on the Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft’s heat shield from two years ago. However, the agency hasn’t yet shared any details with the public as to what might have caused the issue.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week In Launch: Elon Musk making NASA ‘concerned’
This week we discuss the political tension for NASA and the possible conflict of interest that is Elon Musk. A recent report yet again confirmed that the billionaire has talked with US adversaries and has been asked to do something that would either harm his business-wise or the US strategically with Starlink.
Expand Expanding CloseHow many rockets has SpaceX launched in 2024?
SpaceX is aiming for 148 launches in 2024, once again another increase over the 98 it completed the year before. This cadence would mean the company would have to launch once every two and a half days. Keep track below of all of SpaceX’s 2024 launches.
Expand Expanding CloseRocket Lab proposes $2B solution for faster Mars Sample Return as NASA reviews options
NASA is moving forward with critical decisions on its Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, aiming to reduce costs and expedite the return of samples from the Red Planet. On October 15, NASA received the final reports from 12 studies commissioned to explore alternative architectures.
Expand Expanding CloseQatar Airways equips first Boeing 777 with Starlink internet
The national airline of Qatar, Qatar Airways, has equipped the first Boeing 777 long-range aircraft with Starlink service and is ready for service. The airline also plans to equip its entire fleet of 777s by the end of 2025.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: SpaceX hits 100+ launches in 2024
This week, SpaceX hit its first triple-digit launch year and continues to extend that number in the remaining months of 2024. Blue Origin might finally get its NS-27 mission off the ground to certify its new New Shepard rocket. Finally, NASA’s Artemis program is once again under fire for being behind schedule and so much… so much… over budget.
Expand Expanding CloseSpace architects focus on preparations for humanity’s return to the Moon
This week, a significant event is unfolding as leading figures in space architecture gather in Milan. The aim is to formally establish space architecture as a discipline. Interest in space-related architecture has been growing rapidly in recent years, as developments in off-Earth construction methods, zero-gravity design, and academic programs dedicated to this field have gained traction.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX is now moving into a new era of Starship development
Sunday, SpaceX successfully launched and caught its Starship booster down in Starbase, Texas. A feat that many didn’t think would come true when watching the renders. However, SpaceX once again defied the odds and made fiction a reality and can now move on with its much more ambitious Starship plans.
Expand Expanding CloseThe high stakes for SpaceX’s potential weekend Starship launch
Defying all belief in the previous timelines, SpaceX and what sounds like both local and federal agencies have begun preparations for Starship Flight 5 for no earlier than October 13. The mission will be full of high stakes both for SpaceX and NASA, which is hoping to keep the program on the right course ahead to meet Artemis Program deadlines.
Expand Expanding CloseHALO Space expands testing operations to Saudi Arabia
HALO Space, a Spanish startup focused on near-space tourism, is preparing to expand its testing and assembly operations to Saudi Arabia. The company plans to conduct a series of test flights for its Aurora capsule, a stratospheric balloon system designed to carry passengers to the edge of space.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: SpaceX is back again
This week SpaceX returns with the FAA‘s okay to resume launches, starting with ESA‘s Hera mission to the asteroid Didymos. Late-week weather around the Florida Peninsula will, however, likely delay several missions the company has.
Expand Expanding CloseEarth gained a new moon, but it won’t stay long
For the next couple months, Earth will have a temporary “mini-moon.” Known as asteroid 2024 PT5, this small celestial body is approximately 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter and was only detected on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in South Africa. It was captured by Earth’s gravity September 29 and is expected to remain bound to the Earth-Moon system until November 25 before continuing on its heliocentric trajectory.
Expand Expanding CloseULA gets second Vulcan launch off the ground, now hopeful for certification
ULA launched its Cert-2 mission on its brand new Vulcan rocket early Friday morning. While there was an obvious anomaly in one of its solid rocket motors, the company states the mission was a success. Now ULA and the Space Force will have to review flight data in order to gain certification for its lucrative National Security Space Launch missions.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX’s third 2024 Falcon 9 grounding strengthens the need for more competition
SpaceX has run into another issue with its Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, this time having an “off-nominal” reentry burn after Crew-9‘s orbit insertion. This comes just a short time ahead of two important science missions for both NASA and ESA that have October launch windows.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: Vulcan back for second flight
It will be another quiet week with SpaceX having yet another issue with its second stage. On Friday, SpaceX hopes to return, but the more exciting mission will be Vulcan‘s second flight, also on Friday. This mission will be its second and hopefully final certification flight for NASA and the Space Force.
Expand Expanding CloseList of all SpaceX crewed flights to space
Since 2020, SpaceX has been the leader in launching crews to space for NASA. However, NASA’s bet on turning its Commercial Crew Program winners into commercial options has paid off with several missions in the books or planned that are for entirely private customers. Here’s a list of every crewed flight from SpaceX and who flew on it.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX launches Crew-9, with room for Starliner astronauts
SpaceX launched the two person crew of Crew-9 for NASA early Saturday afternoon from SLC-40. The mission is sending a NASA astronaut and Russian cosmonaut to the ISS for a six month stay, the two spare seats will be used to bring Starliner’s crew back at the completion of their mission.
Expand Expanding CloseWatch SpaceX launch Crew-9 to the ISS
The launch of Crew-9 is underway and is set to launch at 1:17 P.M. ET from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Update: Launched!
Expand Expanding CloseBlue Origin static fires its first piece of New Glen flight hardware
This week, Blue Origin made another step in the right direction in getting its New Glenn rocket to the pad for launch. On Thursday, the company fueled up its New Glenn second stage and conducted a 15-second risk reduction static fire.
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