Human spaceflight programs

We’re rapidly approaching the quarter mark of the 21st century, but instead of being at the brink of a radical transformative stage, such as the futuristic vision akin to Arthur C. Clarke’s Star Child from 2001: A Space Odyssey, we’re still throwing proverbial bones into the sky. China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonSuch is the feeling I get in the wake of three recent Moon missions, in which two spacecraft, Japan’s SLIM and Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus, survived despite falling awkwardly onto the lunar surface,…

House and Senate appropriators have released NASA’s final spending bill for the fiscal year 2024, focusing on the Artemis program’s goal of returning astronauts to the Moon. However, there’s still considerable uncertainty surrounding the agency’s plans for bringing back rocky samples from Mars.China's Plan to Land Astronauts on the MoonNASA was allocated $24.875 billion for its budget this year, about half a billion less than what the space agency received in 2023 and some $2.31 billion short of what it was hoping to…

Nikon is making a camera you can take to space. In partnership with NASA, the company is developing a handheld camera for astronauts to use on the surface of the Moon for the upcoming Artemis missions.Moon Knight Gives Us HopeNASA and Nikon recently signed an agreement to design a camera that can withstand the harsh temperatures of the lunar environment and capture astronauts’ time on the Moon for research purposes (and maybe a few cool selfies too). The camera is scheduled to be ready for use for the Artemis 3 mission,…

You can’t fly an inflatable module to space without bursting a few on Earth. Sierra Space watched its giant, 20-foot tall space station module explode in dramatic fashion, but the company wasn’t too stressed about it. In fact, it marked a successful test on the road to building the first commercial space station in low Earth orbit.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe Colorado-based company carried out a burst test of a full-sized version of its Large Integrated Flexible…

A view of Starship’s 33 Raptor engines during its second test flight on November 18.Image: Photo: SpaceXExperimental rockets, Moon landers, planetary flybys, breathtaking spacewalks, and vintage boosters—these are just a few of the many stories that contributed to the most striking and memorable images of 2023.Indeed, the past 12 months have been a whirlwind of activity in the realm of spaceflight, whether in the lab, on the launch pad, or in space itself. The resulting visuals from the past year are particularly…

NASA and electric vehicle startup Canoo Technologies have shown off the EV that will transport the next lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center as part of next year’s Artemis II mission. The space agency unveiled the vehicle earlier this year, but on Sunday, it gave folks attending the Formula 1 race in Austin, Texas, a closer look at its stylish exterior and rather plush interior. Close-Up: Detailed views of one of @NASA's Artemis crew transportation vehicles, currently being debuted…

It’s a sad story that just keeps getting sadder. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner program, in development for NASA since 2014, has now crossed a grim threshold, with total losses now in excess of $1 billion.Taking out the Trash (in Space)On Wednesday, the company announced further losses to the beleaguered program, as revealed in its second quarter 2023 financial earnings statement. The company has taken an additional $257 million hit, adding to the existing $883 million in charges against earnings attributed to previous…

Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week. The zero-emission vehicles, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, were delivered by Canoo Technologies of Torrance, California. NASA/Isaac Watson NASA has shown off a trio of new all-electric vehicles that will shuttle the next generation of lunar astronauts to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center.…

An illustration of the CAPSTONE spacecraft during its elliptical orbit around the Moon.Illustration: NASAAfter going MIA for nearly 24 hours, NASA’s CAPSTONE probe finally reestablished contact with ground controllers. The microwave-sized satellite is currently en route to the Moon where it will test a unique orbital configuration for an upcoming lunar space station. Ground controllers successfully restored communication with the spacecraft on Wednesday at 9:26 a.m. ET, when the operations team began receiving signals…

The Orion capsule atop SLS, with the full Moon in the background. Photo: NASA KennedyNASA is under immense pressure to succeed this weekend during its fourth attempt at a launch rehearsal for its Space Launch System. Another failed test of the gigantic rocket would be an embarrassing—and worrying—setback for the Artemis Moon program, which aims to get off the ground this year.The towering Space Launch System (SLS), with the Orion capsule parked on top, arrived at Launch Complex 39B on June 6. NASA’s rocket had spent the…