MORRISON, Colorado The Artemis II crew that circuited the moon earlier this year came full circle, dropping here at a distinctive spot on Earth that’s visually salient to both the moon and Mars, the Red Planet. The vast and stunning Red Rocks Amphitheatre served on August 3 as both an inoculation of near-term nostalgia [ ]
In wait-a-minute style, forget the competition between the U.S. and China to newly place human footprints on the Moon. Also, you can overlook any one-upmanship about dispatching astronauts to Mars, or firsts in piloted spaceflight. The current space race is this: What country is winning the multi-nation contest to clutter space with discarded rocket bodies? [ ]
The undocking of a Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) from the Optus D3 satellite is a phase 1 checkmark in an evolving commercial satellite servicing program. The Northrop Grumman-provided MEV is designed to service multiple satellites in orbit using sophisticated robotics, installing Mission Extension Pods (MEP) that provide propulsion support and extend mission lifespans. Next phase [ ]
The lunar dust and turf have settled after a multi-ton SpaceX upper stage slam-banged into terrain near Einstein Crater on August 5. That impact site was imaged by South Korea’s Moon-orbiting Danuri spacecraft, as well as by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Reportedly, a Chinese commercial space debris monitoring satellite tracked and recorded the Moon [ ]
It has been labeled as “a pivotal moment in space sustainability.” That’s the go-to speak from Northrop Grumman touting its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) after successful undocking from the Optus D3 satellite. The event marks a new era of on-orbit servicing, the aerospace company adds, “that extends satellite life beyond traditional replacement models.” [ ]
A hypothetical asteroid impact scenario is in play prior to a major gathering of planetary defense specialists next year. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) is an independent non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations. IAA is hosting the Planetary Defense Conference 2027. Impact date Date of the hypothetical potential impact on Earth is pegged [ ]
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic suborbital space plane program has announced a higher fee for per person spaceflight. Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said that the company’s tranche of spaceflight expeditions priced at $750,000 “was oversubscribed and booked out ahead of schedule.” While Colglazier said that demonstrated strong demand from a wide range of [ ]
Katalyst Space successfully uploaded a flight software update for its LINK spacecraft, which is set to boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit. That observatory is designed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe, and other cosmic objects and events. Launched on July 3, the LINK servicing spacecraft [ ]
Here s a wait-a-minute question: What’s the frequency, Kenneth Arnold? Admittedly, I borrowed and bent that R.E.M. song line. But it came to me in reading the latest outpouring of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) documents, videos and illustrations by the Department of War on August 7. Those files are part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System [ ]
Taking LEO Off the Board: Russian Thinking About Anti-Satellite Warfare is authored by Aaron Stein, President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). “The Soviet Union and Russia have invested in anti-satellite weapons to ensure that their nuclear deterrent remains credible. For both the Soviet Union and Russia, the destruction of American satellites was (and is) [ ]