Tag: Artemis
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SpaceX catches returning rocket in mid-air, turning a fanciful idea into reality
BOCA CHICA BEACH, Texas—SpaceX accomplished a groundbreaking engineering feat Sunday when it launched the fifth test flight of its gigantic Starship rocket and then caught the booster back at the launch pad in Texas with mechanical arms seven minutes later. This achievement is the first of its kind, and it’s crucial for SpaceX’s vision of…
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SpaceX Catches a Super Heavy Booster During a Milestone Flight 5
Flight 5 Ship 30 and Booster 12 lifted off at 7:25 am Central Time on Oct 13. The liftoff and ascent was flawless with all 33 engine running on Booster 12 all the way to hot-staging. Ship 30 then ignited its six engines and went on its way to the Indian Ocean. Booster 12 then…
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The politically incorrect guide to saving NASA’s floundering Artemis Program
Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, the United States will have a new president in a few months. Although there are myriad issues of greater importance than spaceflight to most Americans, a new leader of the country will inevitably take a fresh look at the nation’s space policy. Among the highest priorities for…
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One company appears to be thriving as part of NASA’s return to the Moon
One of the miracles of the Apollo Moon landings is that they were televised, live, for all the world to see. This transparency diffused doubts about whether the lunar landings really happened and were watched by billions of people. However, as remarkable a technical achievement as it was to broadcast from the Moon in 1969,…
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A key NASA commercial partner faces severe financial challenges
Axiom Space is facing significant financial headwinds as the company attempts to deliver on two key commercial programs for NASA—the development of a private space station in low-Earth orbit and spacesuits that could one day be worn by astronauts on the Moon. Forbes reports that Axiom Space, which was founded by billionaire Kam Ghaffarian and…
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NASA wants clarity on Orion heat shield issue before stacking Artemis II rocket
NASA would like to start stacking the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission—the first human flight around the Moon since 1972—sometime next month, but the agency’s exploration chief says the milestone could be delayed as engineers continue studying the readiness of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. The heat shield, already installed at…
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Rocket delivered to launch site for first human flight to the Moon since 1972
The central piece of NASA’s second Space Launch System rocket arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. Agency officials intend to start stacking the towering launcher in the next couple of months for a mission late next year carrying a team of four astronauts around the Moon. The Artemis II mission, officially scheduled…
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NASA SLS Core Stage headed to KSC for Artemis II
Prime contractor Boeing rolled out the second Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage on July 16 from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) and secured it to NASA’s Pegasus barge for transportation to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida over the next several days. The stage will control the beginning of the Artemis II mission…
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Kazakhstan Joins China-led Lunar Research Station, Explores Spaceport Cooperation
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Kazakhstan on July 3, Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation with China on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This move, part of a broader set of agreements encompassing 30 documents, marks Kazakhstan’s strategic step towards enhancing space exploration capabilities in collaboration with China. According to a…
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NASA’s Artemis 3 Lunar Landing Faces Potential Delay, GAO Report Indicates
NASA’s ambitious Artemis 3 mission, aimed at achieving a crewed lunar landing in September 2026, faces a substantial risk of delay, according to an analysis from the agency’s own assessment reviewed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The assessment, conducted during a Key Decision Point C confirmation review for the Human Landing System (HLS) Initial…