Tag: Space
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A new report finds NASA has spent an obscene amount of money on SLS propulsion
An independent report published Thursday contained troubling findings about the money spent by the agency on propulsion for the Space Launch System rocket. Moreover, the report by NASA Inspector General Paul Martin warns that if these costs are not controlled, it could jeopardize plans to return to the Moon. Bluntly, Martin wrote that if the…
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No one should be surprised Virgin Orbit failed—it had a terrible business plan
It’s now official—the launch company Virgin Orbit is being sold for parts. In a new filing as part of the bankruptcy process, Rocket Lab purchased the company’s main production facility in Long Beach, California, to support its Neutron rocket. Stratolaunch bought Virgin Orbit’s Boeing 747 aircraft and related equipment. And Launcher acquired the company’s lease…
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At long last, the glorious future we were promised in space is on the way
Last Friday, NASA awarded a $3.4 billion contract to a team led by Blue Origin for the design and construction of a second Human Landing System to fly astronauts down to the Moon. The announcement capped a furious two-year lobbying campaign by Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos to obtain a coveted piece of NASA’s Artemis…
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At long last, the glorious future we were promised in space is on the way
Last Friday, NASA awarded a $3.4 billion contract to a team led by Blue Origin for the design and construction of a second Human Landing System to fly astronauts down to the Moon. The announcement capped a furious two-year lobbying campaign by Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos to obtain a coveted piece of NASA’s Artemis…
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LIGO starts its fourth round of searching for gravitational waves and black holes
A specialist checks the alignment of a test beam at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. (National Science Foundation Photo) After three years of upgrading and waiting, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory has officially resumed its hunt for the signatures of crashing black holes and neutron stars. “Our LIGO…
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How NASA plans to melt the Moon—and build on Mars
In June a four-person crew will enter a hangar at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and spend one year inside a 3D-printed building. Made of a slurry that—before it dried—looked like neatly laid lines of soft-serve ice cream, Mars Dune Alpha has crew quarters, shared living space, and dedicated areas for administering medical…
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SpaceX launches 10th crewed mission, third fully commercial flight
SpaceX on Sunday evening launched a commercial mission to the International Space Station carrying four people, including former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. This “Axiom-2” mission was commanded by Whitson and carried a paying customer named John Shoffner, who served as pilot, as well as two Saudi Arabian mission specialists, Ali al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi. Shoffner…
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Once again, NASA leans into the future by picking an innovative lunar lander
NASA on Friday announced its selection of Blue Origin to build a second Human Landing System for its Artemis program to return to the Moon. The space company, founded by Jeff Bezos, will lead the development of a fully reusable lander that could take flight as soon as the end of this decade. The fixed…
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Rocket Report: Canada places premium on a spaceport, Lueders heads to Starbase
Welcome to Edition 5.39 of the Rocket Report! Weather permitting, SpaceX has a busy weekend of launch ahead. The company has two launches within nine hours of one another on Friday, and then the crewed launch of the Ax-2 private mission on Sunday. Safe travels to all. As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if…
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Rocket Report: Canada places premium on a spaceport, Lueders heads to Starbase
Welcome to Edition 5.39 of the Rocket Report! Weather permitting, SpaceX has a busy weekend of launch ahead. The company has two launches within nine hours of one another on Friday, and then the crewed launch of the Ax-2 private mission on Sunday. Safe travels to all. As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if…