Space Explored

This afternoon for most Americans there will be a partial solar eclipse. For a small part of the country, the Moon will completely blocks out the Sun from view, forming a total eclipse. If you’re in the area hoping to see it (like myself), here’s the best tool to see if clouds will ruin depending on where you are.

Intuitive Machines has been awarded $30 million by NASA to conduct a services feasibility assessment for a Lunar Terrain Vehicle, LTV, the first phase of developing a crewed rover for human exploration of the Moon’s surface. This contract marks the company’s first foray into human spaceflight operations, underpinning its role in NASA’s ambitious $4.6 billion LTV services project.

After NASA returns humans to the Moon during the Artemis 3 mission, the agency plans to begin assembling the first space station in lunar orbit. Part of the Artemis 4 mission, the goal is to deliver a critical component to the Lunar Gateway and begin enabling sustainable exploration of the Moon while serving as a stepping stone for future crewed missions to Mars.

On Thursday, April 8 the Moon will block out the Sun across a large part of Central and Eastern United States. For many of us it will be your first total solar eclipse and you probably don’t know what to do or how to enjoy it. Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts has a few key tips for what to do during next week’s eclipse.

We’ve seen a lot of changes to the space launch market over the last decade, from hopeful underdogs to defacto monopolies. Now we’re going through another large shift in the companies launching rockets, not launching rockets. Payload spoke with the top executives about the change and here’s what they said.

This week SpaceX will be launching as many as four Falcon 9s, mostly for its internal programs like Starlink. One, however, will be for its rideshare program with a new name, Bandwagon. Although Monday’s Starlink mission out of California has potential to be an amazing twilight launch for local residents.

NASA has unveiled the first set of scientific instruments selected for deployment by astronauts on the Moon’s surface during the Artemis 3 mission. This endeavor aims to enhance our understanding of the Moon, aiding preparations for future crewed missions to Mars. 

In an evolving space industry landscape marked by both innovation and competition, the emergence of SpaceX‘s Starship launch vehicle stands out as a pivotal development. Designed to place over 100 metric tons into low Earth orbit, Starship has garnered significant attention from companies specializing in the deployment of smaller payloads of about one metric ton or less.

In the vast and mysterious expanse of space, a story of partnership continues to unfold. This isn’t a tale of human camaraderie but a narrative of humans and robots joining forces in the pursuit of cosmic discovery, health, and technology. Taking a closer look at this fascinating topic suggests the future of space exploration is not a solo journey for humans or robots, but a collaborative venture that leverages the strengths of both.

A unique aerial demonstration is coming to SUN ‘n FUN on April 13, 2024. In Lakeland, Florida, the Polaris Program Ghost Squadron will be flying in the evening airshow with a mission to “inspire the next generation of aerospace enthusiasts and raise funds and awareness” for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The demonstration team consists of four L-39 jets, three Alpha Jets, and one MiG-29.

The Original Big Orange Rocket, ULA‘s Delta IV Heavy, is set to have its final mission as soon as this week if weather holds. Along side ULA’s second launch of the year, SpaceX has four missions scheduled with Chinese and Russian rockets launching to give us a launch every day except Sunday.

If you have ever been interested in seeing Earth from the upper reaches of our atmosphere but can’t afford it, then you should be keeping Halo Space on your radar. The company, similar to other new space tourism companies, have been working on a high altitude balloon system to ferry customers up to the jar dropping views of “almost space.”

The catch is, on each flight they will send someone up there for free!

On Thursday of this week we have a total of four planned launches from around the world from the biggest players in the space launch market. They include Rocket Lab’s first LC-2 mission in 2024, a crew rotation to the ISS by Russia, and a cargo resupply mission to the ISS by SpaceX.

After being faced with a decision to be taken private or face bankruptcy, Astra Space‘s board decided to accept the co-founder’s proposal to purchase the remaining shares at a extreme discount to its original SPAC valuation. After years of struggles, its fate is still unknown.

NASA’s Lunar Gateway program represents a pivotal initiative under the agency’s leadership, aimed at facilitating sustainable human and robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars. This program is characterized by its emphasis on international and commercial partnerships, establishing a strategic outpost orbiting Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor to support scientific research, lunar surface expeditions, and deeper space ventures.

SpaceX completed its third Starship test flight early Thursday morning which ended as an almost 100% successful missions, meeting almost all of its goals. While the booster was lost prior to ocean splashdown, the more important part, the second stage, reached space and conducted several in-space tests.

Thursday morning SpaceX will be attempting its third Starship test launch. This has the biggest hope of being a 100% successful flight but how do you watch it? Here are the details below.

It really doesn’t matter what else is happening this week as SpaceX will be attempting its third Starship launch as soon as Thursday morning. This will feature a new trajectory and hopefully be the first successful flight of the world’s most powerful rocket.

As the deadline looms for Congress to decide on the future of commercial human spaceflight regulation, most space related insiders agree the industry is at a pivotal crossroad. The current restrictions encapsulating the “learning period” that limits the Federal Aviation Administration’s ability to regulate the safety of spaceflight participants are under scrutiny. These provisions are set to expire March 8 and United States House of Representatives and Senate negotiators are in the throes of finalizing a new long term FAA reauthorization bill. 

Sunday night into Monday morning SpaceX successfully delivered the next crew rotation for NASA to the International Space Station. This was another flawless human spaceflight mission for SpaceX, its 14th overall and second of 2024.

Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, reestablished communication with Earth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced. Despite the spacecraft not being expected to survive the harsh conditions of the lunar night, contact was made on February 25, offering a glimmer of hope for the mission’s continuation.

In a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency introduced its latest class of astronauts, 10 graduates ready to take humanity further into space as part of the Artemis program. Selected from over 12,000 hopefuls in 2021, these astronauts have completed rigorous training and are now poised for missions that could span from stays aboard the International Space Station or trips to the lunar surface and beyond.

In a significant series of events that underscores the volatile nature of the aerospace and defense sectors, Northrop Grumman, a titan in the industry, has issued “WARN notices” to its employees at Space Park in Redondo Beach, California, signaling potential layoffs in the near future. This move comes amid a series of financial and operational challenges, including a high-profile program cancellation by the U.S. Space Force and cost overruns on a critical NASA project.