Industry News
Headlines from space publications, linked back to the original articles
Industry / News
- Upgraded Starship prototype makes first soft landing after test flight Spaceflight Now · 5 May 2021 SpaceX launched and landed an upgraded prototype for the company’s next-generation Starship vehicle in South Texas on Wednesday, the company’s first Starship test flight since winning a $2.9 billion NASA contract to use...
- NASA Names New Chief of Staff NASA · 5 May 2021 NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson announced Wednesday that Susie Perez Quinn will serve as the agency’s chief of staff.
- New York Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts on Space Station NASA · 4 May 2021 Students from New York will have an opportunity this week to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
- Chinese rocket stage predicted to reenter atmosphere around May 8 SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 A large rocket stage which launched China’s first space station last week is likely to reenter the atmosphere around May 8 according to early space tracking predictions.
- NASA Celebrates Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month NASA · 4 May 2021 This May, NASA celebrates the contributions of its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) employees – past and present – with a variety of internal and external events and products centered around the theme: Advancin...
- NASA has selected its deep space hardware—now comes the fun part Ars Technica · 4 May 2021 "This isn’t a dream any more."
- SpaceX aces Starlink launch and landing, reveals more than half a million preorders Teslarati · 4 May 2021 SpaceX has successfully completed its 25th operational Starlink satellite launch, stuck a bullseye Falcon 9 booster landing, and revealed that satellite internet...
- SpaceX continues Starlink deployment with latest launch SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 SpaceX continued the deployment of its Starlink broadband megaconstellation May 4 with the second launch of 60 satellites in less than a week.
- SpaceX’s upgraded Starship tracking towards Wednesday launch Teslarati · 4 May 2021 Update #2: A little over 24 hours after SpaceX’s 25th operational Starlink launch, the company’s first significantly upgraded Starship prototype is tracking...
- Study calls on U.S. to change how it buys space technology, reduce congestion in low orbits SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 The Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress released a new report May 4 calling on the U.S. government to accelerate the procurement of commercial space technologies and manage growing congestion in low-Earth o...
- Europe’s Galileo braces for more emergency in-orbit maneuvers SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 Europe is preparing for more emergency in-orbit maneuvers in an increasingly crowded space environment, after its Galileo satellite navigation constellation had to dodge debris for the first time March 6.
- China launches military observation satellite Spaceflight Now · 4 May 2021 China launched an optical Earth observation satellite April 30, beginning a mission designed to provide detailed reconnaissance imagery to the Chinese military.
- AST SpaceMobile adds public company expertise to leadership team SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 AST SpaceMobile, which became a public company in April to develop a cellphone-compatible satellite broadband constellation, is expanding its leadership team.
- SpaceX resumes parallel pad operations with Starlink v1.0 L25 mission NASASpaceflight · 4 May 2021 Both of SpaceX’s Florida launch pads are back into Starlink launch flows as the company continues to deploy the satellite internet constellation. The next launch, Starlink v1.0 L25, is scheduled to lift off from LC-39A a...
- Starship flight attempt for Tuesday afternoon is scrubbed [Updated] Ars Technica · 4 May 2021 After four failures, SpaceX is really hoping to stick the landing this time.
- Firefly Aerospace raises $75 million Series A round SpaceNews · 4 May 2021 Firefly Aerospace, nearing the first launch of its Alpha rocket, announced May 4 it raised $75 million in a Series A round that values the company at more than $1 billion.
- List of Dragon Crews ElonX · 4 May 2021 After conducting several successful missions with NASA astronauts, SpaceX is currently planning a number of other crewed missions, including commercial ones. This article lists them all, along with known crew members.
- Starship SN15 conducts smooth test flight and nails landing NASASpaceflight · 4 May 2021 Starship SN15 proved out a number of upgrades that resulted in a smooth touchdown on the Boca Chica landing pad on Wednesday. The successful test took place amid ongoing groundwork for the push to orbit is taking place b...
- Starlink launch marks 100 missions since an in-flight Falcon rocket failure Spaceflight Now · 4 May 2021 The oldest Falcon 9 booster in SpaceX’s operational rocket fleet sent 60 more Starlink internet satellites into space Tuesday with a launch from historic pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- Renewed climate change fight bodes well for Earth observation sectors SpaceNews · 3 May 2021 Companies that build or operate Earth observation satellites foresee busier days ahead as governments, and businesses, step up climate change initiatives.
- Vice President Harris Swears in NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson NASA · 3 May 2021 Sen. Bill Nelson took office as the 14th administrator of NASA Monday, after he was given the oath of office by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.
- NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts to Answer Questions after Return to Earth NASA · 3 May 2021 NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts will answer questions at 3:45 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 6, about their historic mission on the International Space Station and return to Earth.
- Rocket engine startup sees opportunities in crowded launch market SpaceNews · 3 May 2021 The small launch sector is crowded, but Will Roper believes there is still room in the market for suppliers of rocket engines that innovate fast.
- Johnson Space Center director steps down SpaceNews · 3 May 2021 The head of NASA’s Johnson Space Center is stepping down from his post because of health issues, but will remain with the agency as an adviser.
- Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer Moves To New Role NASA · 3 May 2021 Mark Geyer, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, is stepping down from his position leading the center to focus more time on his health and family in light of a cancer diagnosis.
- Ten month schedule to ready SLS for Artemis 1 launch after Core Stage arrives at KSC NASASpaceflight · 3 May 2021 NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program is looking at a wide range of forecasts for when they can complete testing necessary to be ready to launch Artemis 1. The Core Stage of NASA’s first Space Launch System (SL...
- For lunar cargo delivery, NASA accepts risk in return for low prices Ars Technica · 3 May 2021 “You can't go to the Moon on a fixed price for under $100 million."
- NASA Invites Media to Next SpaceX Cargo Launch to Space Station NASA · 3 May 2021 Media accreditation is open for the launch of the next SpaceX delivery of NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
- SpaceX’s upgraded Starship set for test flight despite sore NASA contract losers Teslarati · 3 May 2021 Within the last week, while SpaceX has been diligently working to ready an upgraded Starship prototype for its first launch, former competitors...
- SpaceX test fires a Falcon 9 rocket ahead of Starlink mission Spaceflight Now · 3 May 2021 SpaceX is has performed a static test firing of a Falcon 9 rocket at launch pad 39A ahead of a planned liftoff on Tuesday with 60 more Starlink satellites.
- Nelson sworn in as NASA administrator SpaceNews · 3 May 2021 Former senator Bill Nelson formally became NASA’s 14th administrator in a short ceremony May 3.
- SpaceX Dragon carries four astronauts home after record-breaking voyage Teslarati · 2 May 2021 SpaceX’s first operational Crew Dragon spacecraft has safely returned its four-astronaut crew back to Earth after a record-breaking voyage in space. Around...
- Will Virgin Galactic ever be successful? A new book provides insights Ars Technica · 2 May 2021 "It's hard to make decisions around here sometimes."
- Sen. Angus King: Cybersecurity a major concern in U.S. nuclear command-and-control system SpaceNews · 2 May 2021 The U.S. nuclear command, control and communications system could be vulnerable to cyber attacks and needs upgrades, Sen. Angus King told reporters May 1.
- Four astronauts make first nighttime landing in the ocean since 1968 Ars Technica · 2 May 2021 "I would just like to say, quite frankly, y'all are changing the world."
- Crew Dragon brings four astronauts back to nighttime splashdown Spaceflight Now · 2 May 2021 Four astronauts strapped into their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, undocked from the International Space Station and plunged to a fiery pre-dawn splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, closing out the first operational fli...
- Crew-1 Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Space Station Mission NASA · 2 May 2021 Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, completing NASA’s first commercial crew, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station. The return comes nearly six months after the crew...
- Crew Dragon splashes down to end Crew-1 mission SpaceNews · 2 May 2021 A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico May 2, returning four astronauts from a five-and-a-half-month stay on the International Space Station.
- Dragon Resilience returns to Earth, completing first operational Commercial Crew mission NASASpaceflight · 2 May 2021 NASA and SpaceX teams have returned NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi to Earth, completing the historic Crew-1 m...
- Sen. Bill Nelson Statement on National Space Council NASA · 1 May 2021 The following is a statement from Sen. Bill Nelson, who the U.S. Senate confirmed as the 14th NASA administrator on April 29, regarding the announcement Saturday that Vice President Kamala Harris will chair the National...