Tag: Kennedy Space Center
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Euclid studies Milky Way center, supports future Roman observations
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently released a new picture of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, an area known as the galactic bulge. Containing over 60 million stars, the picture, taken by ESA’s Euclid space telescope, represents the largest and most detailed photo of this region to date. Euclid observed the area outside…
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Blue Origin Targets New Glenn Return to Flight Before End of 2026 After Launch Pad Explosion
Blue Origin plans to return its New Glenn rocket to flight before the end of 2026 despite an explosion last week that generated shockwaves reportedly comparable to a small earthquake and caused damage at the company’s launch complex. Following an assessment of Launch Complex 36A and surrounding infrastructure, Blue Origin Chief Executive Officer Dave Limp…
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NASA Taps Brian Hughes for Senior Launch Operations Role at KSC
Who is Brian Hughes and why does his NASA appointment matter? NASA has appointed Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations at Kennedy Space Center, a position that will oversee the agency’s $3.9 billion launch infrastructure portfolio during a critical expansion phase. Hughes will report directly to NASA Headquarters in Washington while managing operational…
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Janet Petro Steps Down as Kennedy Space Center Director
What does Janet Petro’s retirement mean for Kennedy Space Center operations? Janet Petro, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since 2021, announced her retirement Friday after a 19-year career with the agency. Her departure comes as KSC manages the most ambitious launch manifest in decades, including multiple Artemis Program missions, Commercial Crew Program flights, and…
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SpaceX launches 6-ton ViaSat-3 F3 satellite on Falcon Heavy rocket
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 29, 2026. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now Update April 29, 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 UTC): SpaceX confirms successful deployment of the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite. SpaceX’s most powerful operational rocket, the Falcon Heavy, lifted…
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All Points Logistics Secures KSC Payload Processing Deal
What does All Points Logistics’ new KSC agreement mean for commercial payload processing? All Points Logistics has secured a NASA agreement to construct commercial satellite processing facilities at Kennedy Space Center, marking another expansion of private infrastructure at the historic launch site. The deal positions All Points to capture growing demand from commercial satellite operators…
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Artemis II returns humanity to the Moon with launch on Wednesday evening
At 23:35 UTC on Dec. 16, 1972, the Apollo 17 command module, America, successfully completed its trans-Earth injection burn, sending it and its crew of NASA astronauts Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans on a return trajectory back to Earth. The moment marked the final time a crewed Apollo spacecraft was in orbit around…
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NASA Selects ULA’s Centaur 5 as Upper Stage for SLS Starting With Artemis 4
NASA has selected United Launch Alliance’s Centaur 5 upper stage for use on its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket beginning with the Artemis 4 mission, currently scheduled to launch no earlier than early 2028, according to contract documents released by the agency. Centaur 5 was originally developed as the upper stage for United Launch Alliance’s…
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Stoke Space Raises Additional $350 Million Ahead of Nova Rocket Debut
U.S. launch startup Stoke Space has secured an additional $350 million in funding, extending the $510 million Series D round announced in October and bringing its total capital raised to $1.34 billion. The Washington-based company said it had sufficient funding at the end of last year to support the first few flights of its reusable…
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FAA Approves Starship Launches From Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved SpaceX’s plans to launch its Starship system from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, potentially enabling the first mission from the site before the end of the year. Until now, all Starship test flights have been conducted from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. The…