Space Explored

The Australian private space sector is facing uncertainty after the government cut a program worth $1.5 billion, and the current government is seeking to reduce spending to address a deficit.

The Ring Nebula is one of the night sky’s most well-known and studied planetary nebulae. Original images from Hubble captured the dying star from the first nearly a decade ago. Now, a new image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the famous nebula in detail you’ve never seen before…

After years of debate and division, Space Command finally has a decision on where it will be headquartered at. The decision came straight from the top and like all moves in DC is filled with more political divide.

NASA says it has detected a “heartbeat signal” from Voyager 2 after a wrong command caused the spacecraft to turn its antenna 2 degrees away from the direction of Earth.

Yesterday evening, Northrop Grumman successfully launched its final Antares 220+ rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia. The NG-19 mission carried Northrop’s Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station, transporting essential supplies such as food, experiments, and other cargo for the crew.

Next month, SpaceX is set to launch its seventh rotation of crew members to the International Space Station for NASA. The upcoming Crew-7 mission is notable for being the most diverse crew to fly on a Dragon spacecraft, with all four members hailing from different nations and agencies – a first for SpaceX.

Next month is starting out with a bang! This year August will feature two supermoons, one of which will be the largest and brightest of the year. Here’s what to know…

This week we have three launches into space, one from SpaceX, one from Rocket Lab, and then one from Northrop Grumman. The biggest one will be from Northrop as it will be the final flight of its Antares 230+ rocket before moving the remaining Cygnus launches to SpaceX as it develops a new launcher.

The Federal Trade Commission has granted approval for L3Harris Technologies to complete its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne.

The United Kingdom Space Agency recently revealed its comprehensive Space Exploration Technology Roadmap, aimed at driving the country’s direction of research, development, and funding allocation over the next 10 years. 

SpaceX made a last-minute decision to scrub and reset the launch of Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter 3 mission just a minute before liftoff. The rescheduled launch is now set for tonight.

Hughes Network Systems is poised to reshape global connectivity with the launch of Jupiter 3, also called EchoStar 24 on a Falcon Heavy rocket later tonight.

Congress appears to be pushing the Space Force to add a third winner in the force’s National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 contract. This move could potentially bring significant financial opportunities to a fortunate company, offering them a chance to become a major player in the space industry alongside ULA and SpaceX.

A Swiss company called Astrostrom is working with the European Space Agency to study the possibility of building a solar power satellite using lunar resources.

Lockheed Martin’s Orion capsule is a spacecraft designed for deep space exploration. Developed in collaboration with NASA, the spacecraft will be used to send astronauts to the vicinity of the Moon under the Artemis program.

SpaceX is diligently working towards achieving another successful launch of its Starship rocket later this year. The previous launch resulted in damages that necessitated repairs to the orbital pad and even led to a lawsuit. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX is making progress towards its next launch campaign.

SpaceX is having an outstanding year with its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, boasting 49 launches currently on the books. The company is also making remarkable progress in Starship development, and it appears it will generate significant revenue by year-end.

Late last night, Rocket Lab conducted its seventh rocket launch of the year. This mission, named “Baby Come Back,” involved a rideshare of several CubeSats into orbit from New Zealand. The launch concluded with the successful recovery of the booster of the Electron rocket.

Pulsar Fusion, a UK aerospace company, is making significant strides in the development of a groundbreaking nuclear fusion rocket engine, according to those close to the project.

In a surprising move, the Australian government has made the decision to terminate the ambitious National Space Mission for Earth Observation, a billion-dollar project that aimed to establish a state-of-the-art satellite system for a range of monitoring purposes.

Only and little over a month after its first commercial launch, Virgin Galactic, on July 13, 2023, has announced its second commercial launch attempt, called Galactic 02, launching no earlier than August 10. Additionally, this flight will be the first private astronaut mission for the company.