A top-down view of United Launch Alliance’s first Vulcan rocket before its liftoff in January. United Launch Alliance is targeting September 16 for the second test flight of the new Vulcan rocket, and a flawless mission could finally set the
[25 Jul 2024] Falcon 9 Returns to Flight
JULY 25, 2024 FALCON 9 RETURNS TO FLIGHT SpaceX submitted its mishap report to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding Falcon 9’s launch anomaly on July 11, 2024. SpaceX’s investigation team, with oversight from the FAA, was able to identify
[22 Jul 2024] The Falcon 9 rocket may return to flight as soon as Tuesday night
File photo of a Falcon 9 launch on May 6 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. SpaceX is waiting for a determination from the FAA. It was only about 10 days ago that the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage
[12 Jul 2024] ‘Wild Wild Space’ doc captures the risks and rivalries of the new space race
Astra CEO Chris Kemp is already pulling out of a parking spot when he warns the person in the passenger seat that he doesn’t have a valid driver’s license. “And the car’s not registered, and they canceled my insurance,” he
[17 Jul 2024] SpaceX’s vehicle to deorbit the International Space Station is a Dragon on steroids
The $843 million spacecraft SpaceX is designing to bring down the International Space Station at the end of the decade will be a super-powered version of its Dragon capsule that’s used to transport astronauts and cargo to orbit today, the
[12 Jul 2024] SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket experiences rare failure
The rocket, a prolific launch vehicle that propels both satellites and astronauts into orbit, blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night. SpaceX’s highly reliable Falcon 9 rocket has experienced a rare failure that means the
[11 Jul 2024] Dawn Aerospace obtains flight clearance.
New Zealand-based Dawn Aerospace announced Thursday it has received certification from the Civil Aviation Authority in that country to fly its Mk-II Aurora space plane at unlimited speeds, including supersonic, up to an altitude of 80,000 feet. The Mk-II Aurora
[10 Jul 2024] Europe’s first Ariane 6 flight achieved most of its goals, but ended prematurely
Europe’s first Ariane 6 rocket lifts off from a new launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. The first European Ariane 6 rocket fired off its launch pad at the edge of the Amazon rainforest and climbed into orbit Tuesday, an
[09 Jul 2024] Space station startup Gravitics lands $125 million order from Axiom
A pathfinder for Gravitics’ 4-meter space station module design in use for developing manufacturing and assembly methods. Washington-based startup Gravitics has signed a $125 million contract to expand Axiom Space’s planned space station, the latest deal in the burgeoning private
[07 Jul 2024] Low-intensity explosion caused Russian satellite to spew debris
A model of the Resurs-P spacecraft like the one that suffered a breakup event in low Earth orbit June 26. Credit: Vitaly V. Kuzmin CC BY-SA 4.0 TOKYO — A Russian satellite likely suffered a “low-intensity explosion” that created hundreds