The Space Reviewin association with SpaceNews
 


Articles previously published in The Space Review:

June 2021:

Shipkillers: from satellite to shooter at sea

The growth of the Soviet Navy in the 1960s and 1970s led the US to develop new ways to track and target those vessels. Dwayne Day examines how the Navy and the NRO developed systems to relay satellite tracking information directly to weapons control stations on ships and planes.
Monday, June 28, 2021

Jumpstarting European NewSpace

The European Union used an event last week to highlight its space programs, including a new initiative intended to support entrepreneurial space companies on the continent. Jeff Foust reports that some of those companies disagree with the approach the EU is taking.
Monday, June 28, 2021

Before you go, Administrator Nelson

Bill Nelson goes into the job of NASA administrator knowing his tenure will be limited by politics and policy. Roger Handberg argues that Nelson should make it a priority while in office to create plans for a successor to the International Space Station.
Monday, June 28, 2021

Global space traffic management measures to improve the safety and sustainability of outer space

The rise in the number of satellites and debris in Earth orbit poses risks to space operators in all countries. Jamil Castillo explains why space traffic management solutions thus need to take a global approach.
Monday, June 28, 2021

Review: Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir gained fame from his realistic account of Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars. Jeff Foust reviews his new novel, which features an astronaut like Watney stranded much further away.
Monday, June 28, 2021

Scrutinizing the Russian-Iranian satellite deal

A report earlier this month claimed that Russia was selling a high-resolution imaging satellite to Iran that could launch within months. Bart Hendrickx examines the evidence supporting such a deal.
Monday, June 21, 2021

Burning Frost, the view from the ground: shooting down a spy satellite in 2008

In 2008, the US shot down a malfunctioning spysat, a move the government said was intended to prevent a hazardous reentry but which others saw as a demonstration of an anti-satellite capability. Dwayne Day explores what one NASA official wrote about his role in the event.
Monday, June 21, 2021

A shifting balance of space cooperation?

Last week Russian and Chinese officials rolled out a roadmap for a proposed joint lunar base, after Russian officials previously suggested they might quit the International Space Station as soon as the middle of the decade. Jeff Foust reports on what’s changing in spaceflight cooperation among China, Russia, and the US, and what’s staying the same.
Monday, June 21, 2021

Why Astrofeminism?

The underrepresentation of women in the space industry is a widely known problem, but what are we missing as a result? Layla Martin introduces readers to a new school of thought, backed by extensive research, regarding the gender gap in the field.
Monday, June 21, 2021

Review: My Remarkable Journey

Katherine Johnson died last year at the age of 101, but not before writing her memoirs. Jeff Foust reviews that book where the NASA “Hidden Figure” describes a life that more than lives up to the book’s title.
Monday, June 21, 2021

Is a billionaire space race good for the industry?

Jeff Bezos revealed last week that he’ll go on the first crewed New Shepard flight next month, helping skyrocket bids for a seat on the flight. Jeff Foust reports on how a new competition between Bezos and Richard Branson to be the first to go to space may be brewing, one that has both benefits and risks for the industry.
Monday, June 14, 2021

Giant ferocious steps from Jeff Bezos

Blue Origin’s motto, in English, is “step by step ferociously.” Sam Dinkin argues that the company’s steps in both suborbital spaceflight and lobbying Congress for the Human Landing System have become more ferocious.
Monday, June 14, 2021

Sword and shield: defending against an American anti-satellite weapon during the Cold War

In the early 1980s, the CIA studied potential Soviet responses to an air-launched ASAT weapon the US was then developing. Dwayne Day examines what that newly declassified report revealed about the CIA’s thinking, some of which remains applicable nearly 40 years later.
Monday, June 14, 2021

Review: Losing the Sky

Two years after astronomers became alarmed about the impacts of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, megaconstellations remain a concern for the field. Jeff Foust reviews a book that explains the effects such satellites could have on astronomy and ways to address the problem.
Monday, June 14, 2021

Peeking behind the iron curtain: National Intelligence Estimates and the Soviet space program

During the Cold War, the CIA produced a regular series of reports on the Soviet space program, which are now being gradually declassified. Dwayne Day examines what is new in a pair of such reports that went through a second declassification review.
Monday, June 7, 2021

Venus is hot again

Last week, NASA selected proposals for two Venus spacecraft as the next in its Discovery program of planetary science missions. Jeff Foust reports on how exploration of the planet is making a comeback after a long hiatus.
Monday, June 7, 2021

Revisiting the past’s future: ongoing ruminations about “For All Mankind”

“For All Mankind,” the television series about an alternate history of space exploration, recently concluded its second season. Emily Carney and Dwayne Day discuss some of the storylines and other topics about the series.
Monday, June 7, 2021

Review: Light in the Darkness

Two years ago, scientists celebrated the first image of a black hole, the product of a large team of scientists spanning the globe. Jeff Foust reviews a book by one of the leading scientists of the Event Horizon Telescope about that project and studies of black holes in general.
Monday, June 7, 2021

An aggressive budget for more than just Earth science

The Biden Administration had long made clear that climate change would be a priority, but what that meant for NASA’s Earth science programs was unclear. Jeff Foust reports on what we now know about new Earth science missions in NASA’s budget proposal and the implications for other parts of NASA’s science portfolio.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Should India join China and Russia’s Lunar Research Station?

China and Russia are seeking potential partners for a lunar exploration effort that may one day include a crewed base at the south pole of the Moon. Ajey Lele examines if India should consider cooperating on that effort.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021

The revival of the suborbital market

Blue Origin is currently auctioning the first seat on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, while Virgin Galactic took a step closer to finally beginning commercial service with a test flight last month. Sam Dinkin analyzes the implications for space tourism.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Review: Beyond

One of the times the original Space Race was truly a neck-and-neck race was when the United States and Soviet Union were preparing to launch the first people into space. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers a dramatic account of the months leading up to Yuri Gagarin’s orbital spaceflight.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021


May 2021:

Necessary but not sufficient: Presidents and space policy 60 years after Kennedy

Sixty years ago this week, President Kennedy made his famous speech about sending humans to the Moon, the high-water mark in presidential influence on space policy. Wendy Whitman Cobb discusses how, in the decades since that speech, presidential support for space policy has become a key factor, but hardly the only one, in shaping policy.
Monday, May 24, 2021

Red planet scare

Many hailed the landing this month of a Chinese rover on Mars as a major achievement for China’s space program. Jeff Foust reports that, in US policy circles, it’s seen more as a symbol of the growing competition perceived between the US and China in spaceflight.
Monday, May 24, 2021

Why the US should ban kinetic anti-satellite weapons

Most in the space community are aware of the hazards posed by kinetic ASAT weapons, but little has been done to address them. Matthew Jenkins argues that the United States should take a leading role since it has the most to lose.
Monday, May 24, 2021

Review: Amazon Unbound and its insights into Blue Origin

A new book goes behind the scenes of Amazon.com and its founder, Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man. Jeff Foust reviews the book for the insights it offers about Bezos’s space company, Blue Origin, and why it is lagging behind competitors like SpaceX.
Monday, May 24, 2021

Redundancy now, or redundancy never?

The two companies that lost to SpaceX in NASA’s Human Landing System program have filed protests with the GAO, and a Senate bill would direct NASA to make a second HLS award. Jeff Foust reports on the cases the companies and their congressional advocates are making, and both the benefits and costs of redundancy.
Monday, May 17, 2021

Build back better

The first successful flight of SpaceX’s Starship to an altitude of ten kilometers earlier this month provided new momentum for the company’s plans to revolutionize space access. Robert Oler examines what it could mean for both NASA and other space companies.
Monday, May 17, 2021

Why the China-Russia space alliance will speed up human exploration of Mars

Chinese and Russian officials signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year that could lead to joint missions to the Moon and perhaps even Mars. John Wolfram argues this could provide new incentive for the US to remain at the forefront of human space exploration.
Monday, May 17, 2021

Review: Developing Space and Settling Space

A true spacefaring civilization needs more than low-cost access to space. Jeff Foust reviews a pair of books by the same author that examines a wide range of technologies needed for humans to survive and thrive on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.
Monday, May 17, 2021

Spybirds: POPPY 8 and the dawn of satellite ocean surveillance

A launch in 1969 represented a turning point in the use of American signals intelligence satellites. Dwayne Day examines how POPPY 8 marked the beginning of using such data in near realtime to support military forces.
Monday, May 10, 2021

Retaining both space policies and processes

The Biden Administration has made clear in its first months that it would retain key space policies of the Trump Administration, from Artemis to the Space Force. Jeff Foust reports it’s also embracing one of the ways the previous administration developed those policies, the National Space Council.
Monday, May 10, 2021

To catch a star: the technical and geopolitical arguments for autonomous on-orbit satellite servicing

The recent docking of a Northrop Grumman satellite life extension vehicle with an Intelsat spacecraft is another milestone for the emerging satellite servicing industry. Matthew Jenkins cautions that the field still needs to grapple with both technology and policy issues to be successful in the long term.
Monday, May 10, 2021

Review: Test Gods

Virgin Galactic may soon resume test flights of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle after the latest in a long series of delays. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers a behind-the-scenes account of the company’s progress and setbacks, including one test pilot seeking to finally achieve his dreams of spaceflight.
Monday, May 10, 2021

Let’s take down the menace to our space dreams

Most in the space industry agree that orbital debris is a growing problem, but few agree on the best approach to solving that problem. Alfred Anzaldúa offers concepts for legal and regulatory structures that could provide mechanisms for addressing orbital debris within existing treaties.
Monday, May 3, 2021

The little Mars helicopter that could

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has made four successful flights on Mars, and the agency said last week the project will now shift into a new, extended mission. Jeff Foust reports on the achievements of Ingenuity, which have come despite past opposition to including it on Perseverance and uncertainty about when the technology might be used in the future.
Monday, May 3, 2021

Don’t make space harder than it needs to be

The Space Force has tried to justify its existence with detailed doctrinal documents. Matthew Jenkins argues that, for the public to understanding the importance of the new service, they need to first understand the importance of space.
Monday, May 3, 2021

Review: A Man on the Moon

Andrew Chaikin’s classic book about the Apollo missions is out in a new, premium collector’s edition. Jeff Foust reviews what’s new, and what’s unchanged, about this version.
Monday, May 3, 2021


April 2021:

With Starship, NASA is buying the Moon, but investing in Mars

NASA’s selection of SpaceX’s Starship for the Human Landing System is designed to allow astronauts to return to the Moon. Casey Dreier and Jason Davis describe how it also paves the way for human missions to Mars by both organizations.
Monday, April 26, 2021

A message of continuity from NASA’s next administrator

The Senate Commerce Committee held a confirmation hearing last week for Bill Nelson, a former committee member who is the White House’s nominee for NASA Administrator. Jeff Foust reports that Nelson wasn’t exactly grilled by his former colleagues.
Monday, April 26, 2021

Thanks, Dmitry!

Russian officials have recently suggested they could pull out of the International Space Station partnership as soon as 2025, putting the station’s future in jeopardy. A.J. Mackenzie argues that such a threat might be a good thing, based on what happened when another Russian politician made similar threats seven years ago.
Monday, April 26, 2021

Review: Not Necessarily Rocket Science

The space field has long attracted scientists and engineers, but those professions alone are insufficient for a growing commercial space industry. Jeff Foust reviews a book where one young professional describes her unconventional career path and how others can find their own way into the industry.
Monday, April 26, 2021

All in on Starship

NASA announced Friday that it had selected SpaceX as the sole company to win a contract to develop and demonstrate crewed lunar landers for the Artemis program. Jeff Foust reports on how NASA’s human space exploration program has become intertwined with SpaceX’s ambitions.
Monday, April 19, 2021

Higher burning: The Air Launched Sortie Vehicle of the 1980s

The TV series “For All Mankind” recently featured a shuttle-like vehicle launching from atop a C-5 cargo plane. Dwayne Day explores how that was based on concepts studied in the early 1980s by the Air Force for a spaceplane that could launch from a Boeing 747.
Monday, April 19, 2021

Putting SpaceX’s Starship program in the proper context

SpaceX’s Starship vehicle has attracted attention and scrutiny for its unconventional approach to vehicle development. Wayne Eleazer explains just how much it stands out in the long history of launch vehicle projects.
Monday, April 19, 2021

Review: The High Frontier

Gerard K. O’Neill is revered figure among many space advocates, but largely forgotten outside of the field. Jeff Foust reviews a new documentary that attempts to revive interest in the person who, a half-century ago, popularized the concept of space settlements.
Monday, April 19, 2021

For human spaceflight, better late than never

For years, the space community has been awaiting a future with multiple providers transporting government astronauts and private individuals to space. Jeff Foust reports that, on this anniversary of the flights of Yuri Gagarin and the first shuttle mission, that future is finally arriving.
Monday, April 12, 2021

A Moonshot to inspire: Building back better in space

A key theme of the Biden Administration is to “build back better.” Alan Stern argues that it creates an opportunity for the president to offer a bold new vision for space, much as President Kennedy did six decades ago.
Monday, April 12, 2021

Why venture? A memo for the Biden Administration

The Biden Administration is continuing many existing programs in space exploration, but looks to make its own stamp on them. Derek Webber describes how space exploration activities, human or robotic, need to fall into one of several categories.
Monday, April 12, 2021

Review: Institutions That Shaped Modern India: ISRO

India is set to join the exclusive club of nations with human spaceflight capabilities in the next couple of years, a sign of the country’s growing space capabilities. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides a brief history of India’s space program.
Monday, April 12, 2021

The status of Russia’s signals intelligence satellites

While Russia has been making progress building up its military space capabilities in some areas, it is lagging in others. Bart Hendrickx examines long-running efforts by the Russian military to develop a series of signals intelligence satellites.
Monday, April 5, 2021

The Paper Chase: declassifying and releasing space history documents from the Cold War

Historians have taken advantage of declassified archives and other resources to reveal new details about the early Space Age. Dwayne Day talks with Asif Siddiqi to share their wish lists for documents they would like to see to learn more about those programs.
Monday, April 5, 2021

NASA revises its low Earth orbit commercialization plans

One element of NASA’s low Earth orbit commercialization strategy announced nearly two years ago had support for commercial space stations, but a lack of funding slowed that effort. Jeff Foust reports on how the agency is revamping its approach to assisting the industry on the development of stations that could one day succeed the ISS.
Monday, April 5, 2021

Review: Lunar Outfitters

NASA is embarking on the development of lunar spacesuits, more than half a century after it picked a small Delaware company to build the suits for the Apollo missions. Jeff Foust reviews a book that recounts the efforts by ILC to build those Apollo suits.
Monday, April 5, 2021


March 2021:

The growing case for active debris removal

Two satellites broke up in orbit in the last month, adding to the population of debris that poses a danger to space operations. Jeff Foust reports on the increasing call for efforts to remove existing debris, not just limit the creating of new debris.
Monday, March 29, 2021

Space Force sounds like a joke thanks to pop culture: how that could be a problem for an important military branch

The US Space Force has an important mission protecting the country’s interests in space, but to many people, it sounds like a bad joke. Wendy Whitman Cobb explains how science fiction and comedy have shaped the public’s perceptions of the new service.
Monday, March 29, 2021

Sustainable space manufacturing and design will help get us to the Moon, Mars, and beyond

Much of the focus of the space industry has been on new launch vehicles and related technologies that promise to lower the cost and increase the frequency of space access. Dylan Taylor discusses why advances in in-space manufacturing technologies are also critical for humanity’s long-term future in space.
Monday, March 29, 2021

Review: Proxima

Astronauts training for long-duration spaceflight not only have to get ready for their missions but also prepare for extended separation from their families. Jeff Foust reviews a movie that examines the bonds between a mother and daughter as that mother prepares for a mission to the space station.
Monday, March 29, 2021

Back to the future

A former senator who, a decade ago, played a major role in shaping NASA’s human spaceflight programs is heading to the agency as its next leader. Jeff Foust reports on the nomination of Bill Nelson as NASA administrator and its implications for programs like the Space Launch System.
Monday, March 22, 2021

This woman’s work: “For All Mankind” and women’s pain

The second season of the alternate-history TV series “For All Mankind” moved ahead to the 1980s. Emily Carney examines how the female characters of the show deal with physical and emotional pain, often by denying it.
Monday, March 22, 2021

The politics of settling space

Exactly when, and how, humans establish settlements beyond Earth will be shaped by the politics of the era. Gregory Anderson explores some of those potential political issues and their solutions.
Monday, March 22, 2021

Review: Star Settlers

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos generate headlines for their views and actions about humanity’s future in space, but they are just the latest in a long line of thinkers and doers contemplating that subject. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines both those visionaries and their rationales for humanity’s expansion into space.
Monday, March 22, 2021

Spaceport traffic management

Cape Canaveral has been very busy recently, thanks in large part to a steady stream of Falcon 9 launches. Jeff Foust reports on how the range is working to deal with that increased launch demand and how it can cope with more users and more launches in the future.
Monday, March 15, 2021

The case for scrapping the Space Launch System

Dueling editorials in recent weeks have argued for and against the SLS. Ajay Kothari argues against the SLS because of not just its cost and schedule problems but also because there is a better approach for opening up the solar system.
Monday, March 15, 2021

Mobility and surface access lessons for the Artemis lunar lander

NASA will soon select designs for crewed lunar landers for the Artemis program. Philip Horzempa turns to proposals for past lunar lander designs for lessons that could inform the design of these new landers.
Monday, March 15, 2021

Review: Three Sigma Leadership

NASA projects are among the most technically challenging in the world, and also bring with them their share of managerial problems. Jeff Foust reviews a book written by someone who has served as a chief engineer within the agency and offers advice that can serve audiences beyond those at NASA.
Monday, March 15, 2021

Putting the SpaceX-FAA dispute in context

A SpaceX Starship prototype launched and landed—and exploded—last week, but without the drama of the regulatory dispute with the FAA seen a month earlier. Wayne Eleazer explains the origins of the rule that led to the battle between SpaceX and the FAA.
Monday, March 8, 2021

The new era of private human orbital spaceflight

It’s been more than a decade since the last private astronaut flew in orbit, but that is set to change later this year. Jeff Foust reports on recent developments from commercial Crew Dragon missions to a proposed Starship flight around the Moon.
Monday, March 8, 2021

The enduring fantasy of space hotels

A proposed rotating space hotel, complete with luxury suites and gourmet restaurants, made headlines last week. A.J. Mackenzie argues it’s just the latest in a long line of space hotel concepts whose visions failed to match reality.
Monday, March 8, 2021

Review: First Light

One of the big unanswered questions in astrophysics is when and how the first stars formed in the early universe. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines what we know, and don’t know, about that topic as well as related issues in astronomy.
Monday, March 8, 2021

Waiting is the hardest part

Last week, three very different space projects announced delays ranging from weeks to a year or more. Jeff Foust reports on these slips and what they say about the space industry’s struggles to stay on schedule.
Monday, March 1, 2021

Don’t move US Space Command

In January, the Air Force announced it would move the headquarters for US Space Command from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Matthew Jenkins argues that the proposed move is unwise from both fiscal and operational perspectives.
Monday, March 1, 2021

India’s foray into the commercial space market

An Indian rocket launch over the weekend carried not just nearly 20 satellites, but also marked the beginning of a new phase of Indian space activities. Ajey Lele describes how the launch is part of a broader space commercialization effort by the Indian government.
Monday, March 1, 2021

Review: Apollo 11: Quarantine

The makers of the 2019 hit documentary Apollo 11 are back with a shorter found-footage piece on the quarantine period the crew experiences after returning from the Moon. Christopher Cokinos finds that this short film is not as interesting as its predecessor.
Monday, March 1, 2021

Review: Liftoff

SpaceX has reshaped the space industry, but in its early years it struggled to get rockets off the pad and to survive. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides the most detailed examination yet of the early days of SpaceX and the engineers who helped make the company what it is.
Monday, March 1, 2021


February 2021:

It only looks easy: Perseverance lands on Mars

All went according to plan last week as the Perseverance rover successfully landed on Mars. Jeff Foust reports that the landing was harder than it might have looked, and its success a relief for NASA’s future Mars exploration plans.
Monday, February 22, 2021

NASA tests the perseverance of some space enthusiasts

After the successful landing of Perseverance, space enthusiasts waited for a stream of raw images like those from previous missions, but instead only saw a trickle. Svetoslav Alexandrov explains why that could prove counterproductive for NASA.
Monday, February 22, 2021

The promise of return on investment does not disappear in cislunar space and beyond

One of the key problems for those seeking investment for in-space infrastructure, including on the Moon, is the long time horizons associated with any return. Vidvuds Beldavs discusses approaches for improving those prospects without relying on uncertain government programs.
Monday, February 22, 2021

In memoriam: Taylor Dinerman

Taylor Dinerman, an early and longtime contributor to The Space Review, recently passed away. Christopher M. Stone recalls his contributions to space policy analysis over the years.
Monday, February 22, 2021

Space investors head to the exits, at last

While investors have put billions of dollars into space companies in recent years, there had been few opportunities for them to get a return. Jeff Foust reports that those investors are finally seeing long-awaited exits in the form of mergers and companies going public.
Monday, February 15, 2021

Reflecting core American values in the competition for the final economic frontier

Some see a new competition emerging between the United States and China in space, with implications for the principles that will guide humanity’s future beyond Earth. Josh Carlson describes how a new report offers a blueprint for the US to win a competition like that.
Monday, February 15, 2021

Global navigation satellite systems: a Symbiotic Realist paradigm

Satellite navigation systems have geopolitical implications, from the UK’s loss of access to Galileo because of Brexit to Chinese efforts to get countries to use Beidou. Nayef Al-Rodhan argues for the need for better coordination among these satellite systems.
Monday, February 15, 2021

Review: Cosmic Careers

The growth of the space industry has opened up new employment opportunities for engineers as well as many other fields. Jeff Foust reviews a book that attempts to see what the space jobs of the future might be, some day.
Monday, February 15, 2021

EKS: Russia’s space-based missile early warning system

Russia is in the process of modernizing its fleet of satellites used to provide early warning of missile launches. Bart Hendrickx examines what is known about those satellites and plans for future spacecraft.
Monday, February 8, 2021

How can you improve the Outer Space Treaty?

The Outer Space Treaty is the foundation of international space law, but some fear it’s not keeping up with the key issues in space. Jeff Foust reports on a panel discussion that raised various ways to modernize the treaty without abandoning it outright.
Monday, February 8, 2021

It is very cold in space: Season 2 of “For All Mankind”

The second season of the AppleTV+ series “For All Mankind” debuts later this month. Dwayne Day says the series, while set in an alternate history, gets the feel of the space program better than other TV shows or movies.
Monday, February 8, 2021

Review: The Mission

Getting approval for a mission to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa involved a unique set of political, technical, and bureaucratic challenges. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines how the advocates for Europa Clipper overcame the many obstacles in their path.
Monday, February 8, 2021

“Space ethics” according to space ethicists

Some recent essays have posed questions regarding the ethics of space exploration. James S.J. Schwartz and Tony Milligan discuss how “space ethics” is not a new topic, and why it is important to humanity’s future in space.
Monday, February 1, 2021

The secret history of Britain’s involvement in the Strategic Defense Initiative

Historical accounts of the 1980s portrayed British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as opposed to SDI until the US offered research funding to participate. Aaron Bateman examines recently declassified accounts to find that Thatcher was, in fact, a much stronger proponent of SDI from the program’s beginning.
Monday, February 1, 2021

A long journey but a short stay on Mars

NASA concepts for the first human missions to Mars projected extended stays on the Red Planet, lasting up to a year and a half. Jeff Foust reports on how the agency is instead looking to speed up that first mission with an alternative approach that spends just a month there.
Monday, February 1, 2021

What to do with that olde space station

While the International Space Station will likely continue to operate, and even be expanded, over the next decade, it will eventually reach the end of its life. Eric Choi describes some options for the ISS when it comes time to retire it.
Monday, February 1, 2021


January 2021:

Smallsat launch: big versus small

This month has seen both the successful debut of a new small launch vehicle as well as a new record for the most satellites launched on a single rocket. Jeff Foust reports on the competing visions for smallsat space access offered by Virgin Orbit and SpaceX.
Monday, January 25, 2021

Soyuz plans unclear as the 60th anniversary of Gagarin’s flight approaches

This milestone year for Russia’s human spaceflight program is supposed to include the first all-Russian crew to the International Space Station and the flights of tourists and even an actress. However, Tony Quine finds that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about how those flights will be carried out.
Monday, January 25, 2021

Terrain analysis for space warfare

How applicable are models of terrestrial warfare to space? D. Grant Greffey examines how one approach used for land warfare could be applied to space operations.
Monday, January 25, 2021

In memoriam: Kellam de Forest, who gave us Stardates and the Gorn

A little-known figure in the early history of Star Trek recently passed away. Glen Swanson remembers the researcher responsible for the show’s unique calendar and one of its most memorable aliens.
Monday, January 25, 2021

Review: Envisioning Exoplanets

Given the limits of even state-of-the-art telescopes, we can only guess what exoplanets that can’t be directly seen look like. Jeff Foust reviews a book that mixes the science of exoplanets with artistic interpretations of what some of those worlds might be like.
Monday, January 25, 2021

Green Run, yellow light

Saturday’s Green Run static-fire test was supposed to mark the successful conclusion of a long-running test campaign for the Space Launch System and clear the way for a launch late this year. Instead, Jeff Foust reports, the truncated test raised new questions about the vehicle and its future.
Monday, January 18, 2021

Comparing the 2010 and 2020 National Space Policies

The White House issued a new national space policy last month, the first update in a decade. Laura Brady and Charles Ellzey compare the 2010 and 2020 policies and find both commonality as well as some key differences.
Monday, January 18, 2021

A review of space strategy worldviews (part 1): 2011 National Security Space Strategy

Policies are often based on certain worldviews that may not be universally shared. Christopher Stone examines how a 2011 strategy document on national security space, intended to deter hostile activities in space, may not be effective.
Monday, January 18, 2021

A possible Biden space agenda

The incoming Biden Administration has said little about space policy so far, but faces several major issues in the field. Roger Handberg suggests a couple courses of action to address the future of the International Space Station and cislunar transportation.
Monday, January 18, 2021

European space in a time of transition

Europe is entering not just a new year but also a new era in space, with changes ranging from the UK’s departure from the European Union to a new head of the European Space Agency. Jeff Foust reports on this ongoing transition in European space programs.
Monday, January 11, 2021

What will space security look like in 2021?

Last year saw a number of developments in space security, from the rise of the US Space Force to tests of antisatellite weapons. Nayef Al-Rodhan examines the implications of these and other activities for the coming year.
Monday, January 11, 2021

Arecibo telescope’s fall is indicative of global divide around funding science infrastructure

The collapse of the giant radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in December was a loss for astronomy. Raquel Velho argues it also illustrates the financial challenges and other controversies that scientific facilities face.
Monday, January 11, 2021

Review: Extraterrestrial

In 2017, astronomers discovered an object passing through our solar system which most concluded was the first interstellar asteroid. Jeff Foust reviews a book by a Harvard astronomer who tries to make the case that the object is instead an alien artifact.
Monday, January 11, 2021

Can space bridge a widening partisan divide?

Some in the space industry hope that a new Congress, which convened this week, will pick up where the last one left off on legislation like a NASA authorization bill. Jeff Foust reports that may be difficult given a growing partisan divide that may affect even the traditionally bipartisan issue of space policy.
Monday, January 4, 2021

Catalonia’s space ambitions

In the fall, the government of the Spanish region of Catalonia announced it would form its own space agency, leading to headlines about the “Catalan NASA”. Marçal Sanmartí discusses what is driving Catalonia’s interest in space.
Monday, January 4, 2021

Why I’m flying to space to do research aboard Virgin Galactic

NASA announced in October it was for the first time funding the flight of a scientist on a commercial suborbital spacecraft. Alan Stern, that scientist, explains why the selection is a breakthrough for researchers like him.
Monday, January 4, 2021

Review: Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics

Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous scientists in the world for decades, but few people got to the opportunity to truly know him well. Jeff Foust reviews a memoir by one physicist who collaborated with him on books and, in the process, got to truly appreciate him.
Monday, January 4, 2021


Home