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This Week in Launch: Super Thursday? Rocket Lab, SpaceX, Russia, and China prepare for launches on the same day
On Thursday of this week we have a total of four planned launches from around the world from the biggest players in the space launch market. They include Rocket Lab’s first LC-2 mission in 2024, a crew rotation to the ISS by Russia, and a cargo resupply mission to the ISS by SpaceX.
Expand Expanding CloseAstra founders taking company private in last chance deal before bankruptcy
After being faced with a decision to be taken private or face bankruptcy, Astra Space‘s board decided to accept the co-founder’s proposal to purchase the remaining shares at a extreme discount to its original SPAC valuation. After years of struggles, its fate is still unknown.
Expand Expanding CloseHow many rockets has SpaceX launched in 2024?
SpaceX is aiming for 148 launches in 2024, once again another increase over the 98 it completed the year before. This cadence would mean the company would have to launch once every two and a half days. Keep track below of all of SpaceX’s 2024 launches.
Expand Expanding CloseThe global alliance pioneering NASA’s Lunar Gateway
NASA’s Lunar Gateway program represents a pivotal initiative under the agency’s leadership, aimed at facilitating sustainable human and robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars. This program is characterized by its emphasis on international and commercial partnerships, establishing a strategic outpost orbiting Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor to support scientific research, lunar surface expeditions, and deeper space ventures.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX lights itself the biggest birthday candle with an overall successful Starship launch
SpaceX completed its third Starship test flight early Thursday morning which ended as an almost 100% successful missions, meeting almost all of its goals. While the booster was lost prior to ocean splashdown, the more important part, the second stage, reached space and conducted several in-space tests.
Expand Expanding CloseHow to watch SpaceX Starship’s third test launch
Thursday morning SpaceX will be attempting its third Starship test launch. This has the biggest hope of being a 100% successful flight but how do you watch it? Here are the details below.
Expand Expanding CloseHow many rockets has Rocket Lab launched in 2024?
Rocket Lab set this year up for great success as it hopes to both bring a new vehicle closer to operation by the end of 2024 while also launching up to 22 Electron rockets. Between the regular old electron and the HASTE test vehicle flavors, here’s a list of all rockets Rocket Lab has launched so far in 2024.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: SpaceX to attempt third Starship test flight
It really doesn’t matter what else is happening this week as SpaceX will be attempting its third Starship launch as soon as Thursday morning. This will feature a new trajectory and hopefully be the first successful flight of the world’s most powerful rocket.
Expand Expanding CloseNavigating the future of commercial spaceflight regulation
As the deadline looms for Congress to decide on the future of commercial human spaceflight regulation, most space related insiders agree the industry is at a pivotal crossroad. The current restrictions encapsulating the “learning period” that limits the Federal Aviation Administration’s ability to regulate the safety of spaceflight participants are under scrutiny. These provisions are set to expire March 8 and United States House of Representatives and Senate negotiators are in the throes of finalizing a new long term FAA reauthorization bill.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX delivers latest crew to ISS in second human spaceflight of 2024
Sunday night into Monday morning SpaceX successfully delivered the next crew rotation for NASA to the International Space Station. This was another flawless human spaceflight mission for SpaceX, its 14th overall and second of 2024.
Expand Expanding CloseJapan’s SLIM Moon lander woke up for a short period of time after a long lunar night
Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, reestablished communication with Earth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced. Despite the spacecraft not being expected to survive the harsh conditions of the lunar night, contact was made on February 25, offering a glimmer of hope for the mission’s continuation.
Expand Expanding CloseNASA ushers in new era of space exploration with newest class of astronauts
In a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency introduced its latest class of astronauts, 10 graduates ready to take humanity further into space as part of the Artemis program. Selected from over 12,000 hopefuls in 2021, these astronauts have completed rigorous training and are now poised for missions that could span from stays aboard the International Space Station or trips to the lunar surface and beyond.
Expand Expanding CloseNorthrop Grumman faces layoffs amid Space Force cancellations, lunar setbacks
In a significant series of events that underscores the volatile nature of the aerospace and defense sectors, Northrop Grumman, a titan in the industry, has issued “WARN notices” to its employees at Space Park in Redondo Beach, California, signaling potential layoffs in the near future. This move comes amid a series of financial and operational challenges, including a high-profile program cancellation by the U.S. Space Force and cost overruns on a critical NASA project.
Expand Expanding CloseNASA, Department of Defense conduct pioneering Artemis 2 recovery test
NASA, in conjunction with the Department of Defense, has successfully completed a pivotal recovery test for the Artemis 2 mission, marking a significant stride for the agency’s endeavor to return humans to the Moon. The exercise, conducted off the San Diego coast aboard the USS San Diego, was not just a routine operation but a crucial step in ensuring the safety and success of future lunar missions.
Expand Expanding CloseThe story of Odysseus: America’s first lunar landing since Apollo
Over the last few weeks we’ve been following the travels of Intuitive Machine‘s IM-1 mission. The first of its kind lander made several firsts, the biggest being bringing the commercial market to the lunar surface for the first time. While the mission has ended for now, there’s a lot to talk about good old Odysseus.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: Crew-8 launch week for second crewed flight of the year
While it’s a rather slow week for rocket launches, SpaceX makes up for it with one big exciting mission. For the first launch of March, by just a few minutes, SpaceX will be launching Crew-8 for NASA to the ISS for a six month stay in space.
Expand Expanding CloseGilmour Space Technologies takes a $36M journey to the stars
Founded in 2012 by the Gilmour brothers, Adam and James, Gilmour Space aims to position itself as an industry leader with the development of the Eris launch vehicle, a three-stage rocket engineered to transport small to medium payloads into orbit. This initiative underscores the company’s commitment to democratizing space access through innovative technology and strategic investments.
Expand Expanding CloseVarda Space pioneers space manufacturing with landmark capsule recovery
Varda Space Industries accomplished a significant feat by safely returning a capsule to Earth, marking a pivotal moment in space material production for the company. The successful touchdown occurred at the Utah Test and Training Range, located west of Salt Lake City.
Expand Expanding CloseEarth-based surgeons control robot aboard ISS in historic experiment
In an experiment conducted over the weekend, surgeons stationed on Earth achieved a significant milestone by remotely controlling a small robot to perform surgery aboard the International Space Station. This highly anticipated event, involving the cutting of rubber bands as part of a surgical simulation, marks the first surgery of its kind in orbit that plays a giant leap in the development of space surgery capabilities.
Expand Expanding CloseStarship expanding to Cape Canaveral as SpaceX test IFT-3 rocket
Over the last week there has been a lot going on around SpaceX‘s biggest and baddest rocket in development. While the action has returned down in Starbase for pre-IFT-3 flight tests, action might come in the future to the Space Force side of Florida’s Space Coast, according to the Department of the Air Force.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: Another week of more SpaceX and Chinese launches
After a few weeks of featuring at least one big name launch that makes writing these articles easy, we’re back to more standard communication satellites. Two launches from SpaceX are on the schedule with a third possible over the weekend. China, not to be left out is also scheduled for a Long March 5 with an unknown payload on top.
Expand Expanding CloseVarda Space finally gets approval to return its first mission from space
This week Varda Space received the nations first ever Part 450 reentry license from the FAA, green lighting its W-1 mission for touchdown in the Utah desert. After eight months in space the Varda Space built capsule and Rocket Lab built spacecraft bus will finally get its chance to return its crystal experiment to Earth.
Expand Expanding CloseSpaceX performs double launch from Florida, including the US’ next lunar landing attempt
On Valentines Day SpaceX showed us its love for lifting rockets off into space with a double header from both LC-39A and SLC-40. The two launches, roughly eight hours apart, were for Intuitive Machines‘ Nova-C lunar lander and a classified payload for the US Space Force.
Expand Expanding CloseThis Week in Launch: Intuitive Machines to start its attempt for lunar landing
This week SpaceX is here with three launches, the biggest of the three being on Wednesday. Oh wait, all of SpaceX’s launches this week will be on Wednesday, fun day.
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