NASA astronauts plan spacewalk despite rising tensions between U.S. and Russia

It’s going to be a busy few weeks on the International Space Station.

By Christian DavenportMarch 15, 2022

Commercial satellites test the rules of war in Russia-Ukraine conflict

Five commercial satellite companies are said to be feeding information to the Ukrainian government.

By Christian DavenportMarch 10, 2022

Russia cuts off rocket engine supply and threatens space station partnership

Russia has said it will no longer supply rocket engines used in launches by the United Launch Alliance joint venture.

By Christian DavenportMarch 3, 2022

Rocket Lab is expanding its Wallops Island presence to launch its Neutron rocket

Rocket Lab, the fast-growing rocket company, has chosen to build a second launch site at the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where it would launch its Neutron rocket, a fully reusable vehicle that’s designed to land back at its launch site.

By Christian DavenportMarch 1, 2022

Despite Ukraine invasion, NASA continues its space station partnership with Russia

As Russia continues its bloody invasion of Ukraine, the U.S.-Russia partnership that runs the International Space Station has come under more strain than it has endured in years, and it is unclear how the countries will continue to work together in space as tensions mount on the ground.

By Christian DavenportMarch 1, 2022

The rocket part that will crash into the moon is probably from China, not SpaceX, NASA says

The Chinese rocket part probably launched into space seven years ago, NASA said, explaining that the agency identified the booster after analyzing the object’s orbits between 2016 and 2017.

By Timothy BellaFebruary 16, 2022

Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned 3 more flights from SpaceX

The privately financed Polaris space program would include the first spacewalk by private citizens and the first crewed launch of the Starship, Elon Musk's gigantic spacecraft he hopes will fly to Mars.

By Christian DavenportFebruary 14, 2022

With Starship assembled in Texas, attention turns to NASA’s moon ambitions

SpaceX's Starship was placed atop its Super Heavy booster on Thursday in anticipation that Musk will outline when it will be ready for launch.

By Christian DavenportFebruary 10, 2022

NASA and SpaceX investigate spacecraft parachutes but say safety is not a concern

NASA and SpaceX announced they are looking into why the fourth parachute on recent Dragon capsules appeared slow to open.

By Christian DavenportFebruary 4, 2022

The debut — and launch — of NASA’s massive SLS moon rocket is delayed again. But officials say it’s making significant progress.

The much-anticipated rollout of NASA’s moon rocket and capsule to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a fueling test will be delayed for another few weeks, the space agency said Wednesday.

By Christian DavenportFebruary 2, 2022

NTSB’s proposal to investigate spaceflight crashes sparks a row with the FAA and concern from the commercial space industry

The NTSB wants to investigate commercial spaceflight crashes. The FAA and commercial space companies object.

By Christian DavenportJanuary 31, 2022

The Pentagon is looking for garbage collectors in space

The Pentagon wants to clean up low Earth orbit, where thousands of bits of debris, spent rocket stages and dead satellites whiz uncontrollably.

By Christian DavenportJanuary 27, 2022

A SpaceX rocket will soon crash into the moon after ‘chaotic orbit’ for 7 years, experts say

Since Bill Gray's blog post earlier this month, other space observers have confirmed the data and agreed that the Falcon 9 rocket, which weighs about 4 metric tons, is set to crash into the far side of the moon on March 4, in what Gray believes might be “the first unintentional case” of space junk hitting the moon.

By Timothy BellaJanuary 26, 2022

‘Alexa, take me to the moon’

Alexa may soon be going to space for real. Lockheed Martin, which has built the Orion spacecraft that NASA hopes will fly astronauts to the moon within a couple of years, is partnering with Amazon to put Alexa in the capsule.

By Christian DavenportJanuary 5, 2022

Amid tension with Russia, Biden administration wants to extend the life of the International Space Station

The announcement by NASA Friday comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any new sanctions stemming from the growing crisis in Ukraine could lead to “a complete rupture of relations.”

By Christian DavenportDecember 31, 2021

2021 was a huge year for space exploration. 2022 could be even bigger.

2022 could be marked by the first steps toward a return to the moon.

By Christian DavenportDecember 27, 2021

Tensions with Russia are now spilling into space, complicating International Space Station partnership

The fragile coalition that has kept the space station going all these years is fraying as tensions between Russia and the United States, the two main partners on the station, grow to levels not seen in years.

By Christian DavenportDecember 21, 2021

NASA probe that ‘touched the sun’ for first time could help people better understand the solar system

“Humanity has touched the sun,” Nicola Fox, division director for NASA’s Heliophysics Division, said in announcing that the Parker Solar Probe entered the sun's atmosphere earlier this year, a groundbreaking accomplishment for scientists.

By Timothy BellaDecember 15, 2021

Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin sends TV’s Michael Strahan and five others to space

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin sent another crew to space on Saturday, the company’s third human spaceflight and the first with a full contingent of six people.

By Christian DavenportDecember 11, 2021