Space news

Ever since humanity gained access to space, observation satellites, also known as “reconnaissance satellites,” have become a highly sought-after strategic capability for many nations. These satellites employ optical sensors for […]

Following an 8-day stay aboard the International Space Station, the Axiom-2 crew made a fiery plunge back through Earth’s atmosphere to a...

A North Korean rocket failed shortly after liftoff May 31, plunging into the ocean with its spy satellite payload.

Viasat said May 31 it closed the acquisition of Inmarsat it announced a year and a half ago after clearing all regulatory hurdles to consolidate the satellite operators.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico late May 30, concluding Axiom Space’s second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

China is looking to greatly expand its satellite launch capacity by mass producing a medium-lift rocket to help build a communications megaconstellation.

Spain is the latest European nation to sign the Artemis Accords, a central element of a new American strategic framework for space diplomacy.

Telesat plans to launch another low Earth orbit prototype satellite in the coming months to continue tests after an aging demonstrator for its delayed broadband constellation ran out of fuel.

A deep-space radar developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Space Force passed a critical design review, the company announced May 30.

During a ceremony at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on Tuesday, Spain became the 25th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency, and Diana Morant, Spain’s science and innovation minister, signed on behalf of Spain.

En una ceremonia celebrada el martes en el Palacio de la Moncloa de Madrid, España se convirtió en el vigésimo quinto país en firmar los Acuerdos de Artemis. El administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson, participó en la ceremonia de firma por parte de la agencia, y Diana Morant, la ministra de Ciencia e Innovación española, firmó en nombre de España.

A little less than seven years have passed since the company's last Falcon failure.

Axiom-2 (Ax-2) Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) Undock: SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom undocked from the ISS at 10:05 AM CT to return private astronauts Peggy Whitson, John Shoffner, Ali Alqarni, and Rayyanah Barnawi following a successful eight day docked mission. The vehicle is scheduled to splash down near Panama City, Florida, at 10:04 PM CT. ElectroMagnetic …

DARPA's Strategic Technology Office launched an initiative called Bridges to help companies get security clearances to work on classified programs.

The second private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has come to a close as the four Axiom Space Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday, May 30. All four Ax-2 astronauts, along with the Expedition 69 crew, completed over 20 science experiments during their eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory, including microgravity research, biomedical sample collection, and technology demonstrations.

Conversion of shuttle-era solid rocket boosters and engines for use on the Space Launch System has cost NASA billions more and taken years longer than originally planned, the agency’s inspector general concluded.

A crew of three astronauts including the first Chinese civilian astronaut has arrived at the Tiangong space station.

China launched its crewed Shenzhou-16 mission to the Tiangong Space Station on Tuesday, May 30, at 1:31 AM UTC. The Shenzhou spacecraft launched atop a Chang Zheng 2F (CZ-2F) rocket to carry three taikonauts to the station. The arrival of the Shenzhou-16 crew will mark the beginning of the handover from the Shenzhou-15 to the Shenzhou-16 crew.

With the maiden launch of Starship still fresh in the mind, the follow-up flight is set to be just a few months away — this time with the upgraded Booster 9, and the surprising partnership with Ship 25. While the latter doesn’t sport upgrades already employed on sister ships at the production site, the next test will be focused mostly on first stage flight with the booster.

With the maiden launch of Starship still fresh in the mind, the follow-up flight is set to be just a few months away – this time with the upgraded Booster 9, and the surprising partnership with Ship 25. While the latter doesn’t sport upgrades already employed on sister ships at the Production Site, the next test will be focused mostly on first stage flight with the booster.

Exposed Experiment Bracket Attached on i-SEEP (ExBAS): The crew removed and stowed the ExBAS system from the payload attachment plate on the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Airlock slide table. ExBAS is support hardware that provides a means of exposing a variety of experiments to the space environment. ExBAS attaches to the Small Payload Support Equipment …

China’s human spaceflight agency has stated its goal to land astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.

NASA and Boeing said May 26 they are still working towards a July launch of the CST-100 Starliner on a crewed test flight despite “emerging issues” and concerns raised by a safety panel.

SpaceX launched the Badr-8 TV broadcast and telecoms satellite May 27 for Saudi Arabia-based fleet operator Arabsat, equipped with a jamming-resistant optical communications payload demonstrator.

NASA will provide live coverage of the undocking and departure of Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) private astronaut mission from the International Space Station before crew returns to Earth.

The Space Development Agency is preparing to launch at least 13 satellites in late June, the agency’s director Derek Tournear said May 26.

SpaceX finally launched the Arabsat 7B satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) for Arabsat atop its Falcon 9 rocket.

Electron, Rocket Lab’s small satellite launch vehicle, launched twice, just ~2 weeks apart from the companies Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New...

NASA is seeking industry proposals for a next-generation LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow astronauts to go farther and conduct more science than ever before as they explore the south polar region of the Moon during Artemis missions.

BAE Systems won a $7 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop AI tools to automate the tracking of data collected by military satellites.

A software glitch kept a lunar lander from properly determining its altitude, leading to a crash on its landing attempt last month, Japanese company ispace announced May 26.

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory awarded L3Harris Technologies a contract worth $80.8 million to conduct communications experiments using multiple commercial space internet services.

Two NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will conduct a pair of spacewalks Friday, June 9, and Thursday, June 15, to install two new solar arrays.

Private Astronaut Mission (PAM) Axiom-2 (Ax-2): Commercial, Outreach, and Payload Activities: Multiple NASA-sponsored and ESA-sponsored PAO events were performed today, including three ICE Cubes Media Set events and two NASA-sponsored PAO events. The PAO events included a live event with students from Middlesboro Middle School in John’s hometown of Middlesboro, Kentucky. Two HAM radio events …

Students from southern New Mexico schools will have an opportunity to hear from NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The final pair of NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) are in orbit after successfully launching at 11:46 p.m. EDT, May 25, (3:46 p.m. NZST Friday, May 26th), completing the constellation.

SpaceX will have spent $5 billion or more on its Starship vehicle and launch infrastructure by the end of this year, according to court filings and comments by the company’s chief executive.

"SpaceX continues to totally redefine the world’s access to space."

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched a second pair of NASA storm-tracking cubesats late May 25, six years and three dozen flights after the company’s first orbital launch attempt.

The chair of a NASA safety panel urged the agency not to rush into a crewed test flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner vehicle, calling for an independent “deep look” at technical issues with the spacecraft.

Orbit Fab announced May 25 it selected an orbital vehicle made by startup Impulse Space to host a fuel depot for an in-orbit refueling demonstration funded by the U.S. military.

"NASA and its contracts will continue to exceed planned cost and schedule."

Kleos Space announced a partnership with General Atomics Commonwealth Computer Research aimed at making it easier for analysts around the world to derive insights from Kleos’ radio frequency data.

Northrop Grumman won a $45.5 million contract to launch a small weather satellite in 2025, the U.S. Space Force announced May 25.

ULA has announced a last-minute delay in the engine flight readiness testing for its highly anticipated Vulcan rocket. The test fire, originally scheduled for today, was halted approximately three hours before the planned ignition.

NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, May 30, to discuss the next science investigations, technology demonstrations, crew supplies, and hardware bound for the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 28th commercial resupply services mission for the agency.

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle flew to space for the first time in nearly two years May 25 on what the company projected to be the vehicle’s final test flight before commencing commercial operations.

The billionaire race to the moon is on, but it doesn’t matter whether Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos gets there first – either way, NASA wins.

Viasat has secured all regulatory clearances needed to buy British satellite operator Inmarsat after getting unconditional approval from the European Commission May 25.

South Korea’s KSLV-2 rocket put seven satellites, including one equipped with synthetic aperture radar, into sun-synchronous orbit May 25, although an eighth cubesat is believed to have not deployed properly.