http://www.thespacereview.com/ Articles, essays, and commentary about all facets of space exploration en-us Copyright 2003-2026 Jeff Foust Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss jeff@thespacereview.com jeff@thespacereview.com https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5201/1 Artemis 2 has drawn parallels to Apollo 8 not just because of the profile of the missions but also because of geopolitical factors. Dwayne Day reexamines how much NASA's decision to fly Apollo 8 was influenced by intelligence about Soviet lunar plans. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5200/1 The splashdown of Artemis 2 Friday marked both the successful end of the mission and the completion of a key step in NASA's plans to return humans to the Moon. Jeff Foust reports on the limited details about the agency's next step, the Artemis 3 mission in 2027. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5199/1 As the United States and China race to the Moon, both countries are considering bases in the same south polar region. Glenn Scofield discusses how this is evidence of strategic value of some parts of cislunar space. info@thespacereview.com (Glenn Scofield) Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5198/1 Many US military launches during the Cold War did not have photos publicly released. Dwayne Day shows how researchers are filling the gaps in the historical record. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5197/1 What is the right governance model for future Martian settlements? Thomas Gangale examines two very models for how people might be governed, or govern themselves, on the Red Planet. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Gangale) Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5196/1 Artemis 2 successfully launched last week, with the Orion spacecraft flying around the Moon on the first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century. Jeff Foust reports on the success of the mission so far, one that has been overshadowed to a degree by proposed budget cuts at NASA. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5195/1 The NRO launched signals intelligence satellites in the 1960s initially to track radars fixed on the ground. Dwayne Day describes insights from a recently declassified interview on how those satellites were then applied to tracking ships. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5194/1 Three decades ago, Russia launched an ambitious Mars mission only for it to crash back to Earth. Dante Sanaei examines the enduring mysteries of Mars 96. jeff@thespacereview.com (Dante Sanaei) Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5193/1 The recent sale of an imaging satellite already in orbit to an Australian company has uncovered a gap in how the country regulates space activities. Jeremy Kruckel proposes one solution to ensure the country upholds its treaty obligations. info@thespacereview.com (Jeremy Kruckel) Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5192/1 Florida's Space Coast has transformed over the last 15 years with the rise of private companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX. Jeff Foust reviews a book that charts the decades-long efforts to build a space industry in the state that was less dependent on the ups and downs of government programs, jeff@thespacereview.com (Scott Solomon) Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5191/1 At a day-long event last week, NASA leadership announced major changes to its exploration, science, and technology programs. Jeff Foust reports on the various initiatives and the hurdles they face. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5190/1 In the 1970s, the National Reconnaissance Office was studying how to best use the Space Space Shuttle. Dwayne Day examines what some recently declassified documents reveal about those deliberations. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5189/1 Another early space station concept was developed by Convair. Hans Dolfing unearths some details about this proposed station and its military connections. jeff@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5188/1 The conflict in the Middle East has demonstrated how space capabilities have become essential to modern warfare. Bharath Gopalaswamy discusses how it also shows the vulnerabilities of space capabilities and new challenges for them. info@thespacereview.com (Bharath Gopalaswamy) Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5187/1 The impending Artemis 2 launch comes as the movie Project Hail Mary hits theaters. Scott Solomon discusses how they both illustrate the benefits and risks of human spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Scott Solomon) Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5186/1 Artemis 2 is back on the pad for a launch as soon as next week. Jeff Foust reports that while the mission is primarily a test flight, there will be opportunities to do lunar and other science along the way. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5185/1 A recent in-orbit failure has deprived India of a functioning navigation satellite system. Ajey Lele says what appears to be bad luck may instead be a sign of management flaws. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5184/1 In the 1980s, the Soviet Union proposed a spacecraft that could be a successor to the Soyuz, only to see it cancelled, revived, and cancelled again. Maks Skiendzielewski examines the history of the Zarya spacecraft. jeff@thespacereview.com (Maks Skiendzielewski) Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5183/1 Any future with humans living permanently in space raises some key legal issues. Dennis O'Brien explores those issues, from existing space treaties to the prospects of independent settlements. info@thespacereview.com (Dennis O'Brien) Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5182/1 NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore commanded the Starliner crewed test flight in 2024 whose problems turned a brief visit to the International Space Station to a nine-month stay. Jeff Foust reviews Wilmore's memoir that mixes his account of that mission with other aspects of his life. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5181/1 The introduction of the Space Shuttle led the intelligence community to study what satellites should be shifted to that vehicle. Dwayne Day examines how that affected one electronic intelligence program as it moved on to, and then off of, the shuttle. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5180/1 Many in the space community believe the United States is in a race with China to land the next humans on the Moon, with serious consequences for losing. Dante Sanaei cautions that, should China win that race, many Americans might not care. info@thespacereview.com (Dante Sanaei) Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5179/1 The state of Texas is seeking to expand its space industry with a grant program and a new space institute. Jeff Foust reports on what is next as that institute nears completion and the first round of grants is awarded. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5178/1 NASA's plans for the Artemis lunar exploration campaign are largely separate from the planned transition from the International Space Station. Madhu Thangavelu describes how ISS could be more closely integrated into lunar exploration. info@thespacereview.com (Madhu Thangavelu) Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5177/1 Space companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to manage their satellite operations. Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant warn that doing so could open up companies to unanticipated business risks. info@thespacereview.com (Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant) Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5176/1 In the early 1960s several companies studied concepts of military space stations. Hans Dolfing explores what's now known about one of those concepts from recently declassified documents. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5175/1 This was supposed to be the year that United Launch Alliance finally ramped up launches of its Vulcan rocket to serve government and commercial customers. Jeff Foust reports on how those plans are now in doubt after an incident on Vulcan's latest launch, just as the company is going through a change in leadership. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5174/1 A NASA WB-57 aircraft was damaged in a gear-up landing at a Houston airport in January. Dwayne Day examines the long and unusual history of that aircraft, used by NASA for a variety of missions. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5173/1 This month marks the centennial of the first flight of a liquid-fueled rocket by Robert Goddard. Bruce McCandless III and Emily Carney recall that milestone and its significance. info@thespacereview.com (Bruce McCandless III and Emily Carney) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5172/1 The commercial space industry has grown in capabilities and importance over recent years. Jeff Foust reviews a book by a longtime space advocate who describes what he sees as the underlying purpose that industry can enable beyond just making money. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5171/1 On Friday, NASA shook up its Artemis lunar exploration plans with changes to planned missions and to the Space Launch System rocket. Jeff Foust reports on the changes and the many unanswered questions about those plans. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5170/1 The US military recently announced plans to commercially procure satellites to monitor other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. Zohaib Altaf warns that this approach, with a hybrid of commercial and government roles, creates new risks to space security. info@thespacereview.com (Zohaib Altaf) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5169/1 President Trump said last month he was directing the government to release files related to UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomena. Dwayne Day examines similar efforts in the 1990s to declassify information about the so-called "Roswell Incident" and other Cold War aerospace programs. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5168/1 China marked the Lunar New Year last month with a televised gala. Krzysztof Karwowski discusses how space played a role in this year's event as well as previous shows as an exercise in soft power. info@thespacereview.com (Krzysztof Karwowski) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5167/1 Human missions to Mars seem more distant now than just a year ago, as governments and companies focus their attention on the Moon. Jeff Foust reviews a book that suggests that maybe we shouldn't be in a rush to establish a long-term human presence there given medical and related challenges. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5166/1 Last week, on very short notice, NASA released an independent report on the flawed Starliner crewed test flight in 2024. Jeff Foust reports on that study and its assessment of both the technical and organization problems at the root of that mission. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5165/1 More than 20 years ago, NASA embarked on an effort to develop a massive nuclear-powered mission to the moons of Jupiter. Dwayne Day examines that ill-fated effort and the legacy it created for future missions. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5164/1 As companies follow the lead of countries in returning humans to the Moon, it raises new questions of governance of those efforts. Rachel Williams and Jatan Mehta discuss how precedents set in the coming years should shape lunar activity for decades to come. info@thespacereview.com (Rachel Williams and Jatan Mehta) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5163/1 Protestors in Iran turned to Starlink to maintain connection with the outside world when the government restricted Internet access. Bharath Gopalaswamy argues this puts private companies into roles of making policy traditionally held by governments. info@thespacereview.com (Bharath Gopalaswamy) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5162/1 As astronauts, including those from the military, go deeper into space, they will face medical challenges that can't be resolved by simply returning to Earth. Mitch Topaloglu says alternative solutions have to be balanced with those that protect the astronauts' privacy. info@thespacereview.com (Mitch Topaloglu) Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5161/1 In the early years of the Space Age, the US military had ambitious plans for communications satellites but found them difficult to implement. Dwayne Day describes how a backup plan emerged using smaller, less complex satellites. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5160/1 Elon Musk and SpaceX have long been associated with establishing a human presence on Mars, but that appears to be changing. Jeff Foust reports on how Musk is turning his attention towards the Moon, one tied to AI and orbital data centers. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5159/1 While reuse of the first stage of launch vehicle has long been proven by SpaceX, reusing a rocket's upper stage is more difficult. Robert Oler examine options for reusing some or all of an upper stage. info@thespacereview.com (Robert Oler) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5158/1 For 15 years, the Wolf Amendment has severely restricted US-China civil space cooperation. Jimin Park makes the case that it's time for those restrictions to end. info@thespacereview.com (Jimin Park) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5157/1 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has hit its stride since its launch more than four years ago, producing stunning images. Christopher Cokinos reviews a book that compiles some of the best images from it so far. info@thespacereview.com (Christopher Cokinos) Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5156/1 There are more than a dozen licensed spaceports in the United States and even more prospective ones, yet nearly all the orbital launches in the country take place from two sites in Florida and California. Jeff Foust reports on how the Cape and Vandenberg have met the growing demand for launches while other spaceports look for alternative markets. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5155/1 Last year the Ukrainian military attacked a satellite tracking station in Russian-occupied Crimea. Dwayne Day examines the long history of that facility, built during the Cold War. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5154/1 Networking protocols used on Earth today don't work well in space, given distances and other challenges. Scott Pace and Yosuke Kaneko discuss how new protocols and approaches can enable enhanced communications across the solar system. info@thespacereview.com (Scott Pace and Yosuke Kaneko) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5153/1 Plans for lunar outposts, like the one included in an executive order by the White House in December, will require large amounts of cargo that would be unaffordable if delivered by the SLS. Ajay Kothari offers an alternative approach that avoids both the SLS as well as the complexities of in-space cryogenic refueling. info@thespacereview.com (Ajay Kothari) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5152/1 The International Space Station program has a long, complex history that spans decades. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides one former NASA manager's insights into the ISS and related programs from a key, early era. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5151/1 Last week the National Reconnaissance Office announced it had declassified information about a signals intelligence satellite program called JUMPSEAT. Dwayne Day examines what that declassification reveals about the program. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5150/1 Ahead of the launch of Artemis 2, some have raised concerns about the Orion spacecraft's heat shield. Robert Oler says NASA's decision to move ahead with the the current heat shield raises concerns about the agency's decision-making processes and safety. info@thespacereview.com (Robert Oler) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5149/1 In a surprise move, Blue Origin announced Friday it was suspending New Shepard suborbital flights for at least two years as it focuses on lunar exploration. Jeff Foust reports on that development and its implications for suborbital spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5148/1 China is building up its navy, including what appears to be its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Dwayne Day shows how satellite imagery, including from commercial spacecraft, is helping follow that vessel's development. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5147/1 Japan, which once ruled out any military use of space, has gradually made use of space for reconnaissance and other national security activities. Safia Mansoor charts Japan's changing policies in this area. info@thespacereview.com (Safia Mansoor) Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5146/1 A little over a week ago, SLS/Orion rolled out to the pad for Artemis 2, the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in more than 50 years. Jeff Foust reports on the slow progress towards that launch, which could happen as soon as next month. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5145/1 While kinetic attacks, like direct-ascent missiles, on satellites are well understood, less appreciated are non-kinetic attacks that can disrupt or disable satellites without debris. Aakansh Vijay and Udit Jain argue it's time international space law took up the issue of how to define, and prevent, such attacks. info@thespacereview.com (Aakansh Vijay and Udit Jain) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5144/1 New large launch vehicles like Starship and New Glenn open up many new opportunities. Martin Elvis describes how they enable space telescopes that are both bigger and cheaper. info@thespacereview.com (Martin Elvis) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5143/1 Kazakhstan is best known in the space community as the home of the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Three experts examine how the country can leverage that role to become a leading space power in Eurasia. info@thespacereview.com (Zhaslan Madiyev, Olaf J. Groth, and A.B. Sinchev) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5142/1 Japan's space efforts have had their ups and downs, with launch failures but also major space science achievements. Jeff Foust reviews a history of Japanese space programs from before World War II to the start of the 21st century. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5141/1 Isar Aerospace is returning to the launch pad this week to make its second orbital launch attempt. Jeff Foust reports on that company and other European startups developing launch vehicles that got financial support from a European Space Agency program. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5140/1 Earlier this month India suffered a second failure of its PSLV rocket in as many flights. Ajey Lele examines the implications of the back-to-back failures of a rocket that had been the workhorse of the Indian space program. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5139/1 A Florida space museum has an exhibit on Martin Caidin, a prolific author both space fact and fiction books. Dwayne Day discusses his life and career, whose works became the inspiration for a movie and TV series. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5138/1 Russia has embarked on a a variety of projects to disrupt or destroy foreign satellites. Matthew Mowthorpe and Markos Trichas discuss those various counterspace efforts. info@thespacereview.com (Matthew Mowthorpe and Markos Trichas) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5137/1 While many aspects of American space history have been extensively covered, there is still something new to learn about them. Dwayne Day reviews three recent books that provide a photographic history of the early Apollo missions. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5136/1 For the first time in NASA history, a crewed mission is being cut short because of a medical issue with an astronaut. Jeff Foust reports on the decision to bring Crew-11 back from the ISS early and its short- and long-term implications for the station and human spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5135/1 Japan has developed a vibrant commercial space industry in the last several years, with startups pursuing radar imaging satellites, lunar landers, and spacecraft servicing. Owen Chbani examines how the industry has been affected by policy changes, and in turn influenced that policy. info@thespacereview.com (Owen Chbani) Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5134/1 The Outer Space Treaty makes clear that countries cannot claim territory on the Moon or other celestial bodies. Camisha Simmons describes how other legal constructs could give companies and organizations some degree of property rights as they operate on other worlds. info@thespacereview.com (Camisha Simmons) Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5133/1 On Earth, control of the seas and thus of trade helped create the current financial system dominated by the US dollar. Alex Li argues that the reserve currency of the future will depend on who controls the lanes of space commerce. info@thespacereview.com (Alex Li) Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5132/1 Jared Isaacman became NASA administrator last month, ending a convoluted confirmation process that lasted just over a year. Jeff Foust reports on Isaacman's first days at NASA and his efforts to reshape the agency. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5131/1 One of big challenges facing Isaacman is how to speed up a human return to the Moon, or at least keep it from falling further behind schedule. Robert Oler makes the case that he should go in a very different direction to get astronauts back on the lunar surface. info@thespacereview.com (Robert Oler) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5130/1 A provision in last year's budget reconciliation bill effectively directed the transfer of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Space Center Houston. Maxwell Zhu argues that even if Houston should be home to a shuttle orbiter, it shouldn't get one though this approach. info@thespacereview.com (Maxwell Zhu) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5129/1 Gil Gerard, the actor best known for playing Buck Rogers in a TV series 45 years ago, died last month. Dwayne Day examines the show he starred in that was less sci-fi than schlock. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5128/1 Jim Lovell passed away in August, four months before the anniversary of the historic Apollo 13 flight. Kathleen Bangs reflects on the legacy of the mission. info@thespacereview.com (Kathleen Bangs) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5127/1 The Gemini program has a reputation as one that has been overlooked compared to Mercury and Apollo. Jeff Foust review a book that attempts to rectify that perceived oversight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5126/1 In the 1970s, there was a debate in military and intelligence communities about the capabilities of the Soviet Union's new Backfire bomber. Dwayne Day describes how that controversy was fueled by varying interpretations of satellite imagery of the plane. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5125/1 This fall marked five years since eight countries, including the United States, announced that they were signing the new Artemis Accords, outlining norms of behavior for safe space exploration. Jeff Foust reports on a recent event marking the fifth anniversary of the Accords to discuss the development of the document and how it gained traction. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5124/1 The Chinese space ecosystem now includes many startups that emulate American entrepreneurial space companies. Owen Chbani examines the role larger state-owned enterprises play in that ecosystem, working with and sometimes clashing with them. info@thespacereview.com (Owen Chbani) Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5123/1 Dwayne Day and James Kruggel continue their photo essay about the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, cataloging the exhibits of a Saturn V and other vehicles. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5122/1 After years of saying the company was not planning an initial public offering of stock, SpaceX now appears to be moving ahead with an IPO as soon as next year. Jeff Foust reports on what might be driving this change and how it could affect the company's long-term ambitions of going to Mars. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5121/1 One of the major space museums in the United States is the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Dwayne Day and James Kruggel offer a photo essay of the evolving museum. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5120/1 Countries are increasingly seeing the strategic value of space capabilities. Alexander Wallace Watson examines the ways countries can built up those capabilities in both the public and private sectors. info@thespacereview.com (Malik Farkhadov) Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5119/1 The holiday season is also book-buying season. Dwayne Day suggests several space books to buy as presentsÑor for your yourself. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5118/1 NASA cooperated with other nations on space science missions from the agency's earliest days. Trevor Williams examines two early cooperative satellite programs with the UK and Canada, both led by the then-new Goddard Space Flight Center. info@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5117/1 The European Commission released earlier this year a draft of a space law for the European Union intended to harmonize regulations and promote space safety. Jeff Foust reports that provisions of the act have raised concerns across the Atlantic by US companies as well as the federal government. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5116/1 Launch has long been seen as the bottleneck for a growing space economy, but it is not the only factor. Malik Farkhadov discusses how the in-space propulsion market can be streamlined to unlock further growth in space. info@thespacereview.com (Malik Farkhadov) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5115/1 Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who is now a US senator, has been the target of a potential court martial over comments he and other members of Congress made about illegal military orders. Two fellow former astronauts, Steve Lindsey and Garrett Reisman, rise in defense of Kelly and his remarks. info@thespacereview.com (Steve Lindsey and Garrett Reisman) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5114/1 Astrobiologists search for life beyond Earth, but for now the only examples of life that we have are terrestrial. Jeff Foust reviews a book on how scientists use that sole example of life to guide their search for life elsewhere. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5113/1 The member states of the European Space Agency met in Germany last week to decide on agency funding levels for the next three years. Jeff Foust reports on the outcome, including a shift for ESA into more defense-oriented programs. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5112/1 Last week, Ukrainian drones and missiles struck a Russian air base. Among the planes destroyed there, Dwayne Day discusses, is one that was developed for an antisatellite weapons program. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5111/1 In the conclusion of his examination of satellite mapping programs in the early Cold War, Dwayne Day examines revised camera designs, including one used by NASA for mapping the Moon. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5110/1 Delays in the development of SpaceX's Starship have promoted calls for potential changes in NASA's Artemis lunar landing plans. Robert Oler discusses the need to organize "the best of our energies and skills," as JFK put it, to ensure NASA returns to the Moon before a Chinese crewed landing. info@thespacereview.com (Robert Oler) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5109/1 Two years after carrying out its prime mission of delivering a lander to the Moon, part of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is back in the news after making two flybys of the Moon. Ajey Lele describes the significance of those flybys for India's space exploration plans. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5108/1 It's been nearly 15 years since Congress passed legislation with a provision sharply restricting bilateral cooperation between NASA and China. Jeff Foust reports on a recent debate about whether that restriction should be lifted. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5107/1 In the early 1960s the US flew several satellite mapping missions, with mixed success. Dwayne Day describes how an alternative effort emerged using CORONA spacecraft. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5106/1 Space is increasingly seen as a domain of warfare alongside air, land, and sea. Magdalena Bogacz argues that means the United States and allies must promote efforts to develop norms of space warfare. info@thespacereview.com (Magdalena Bogacz) Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5105/1 A desire to go further and faster in space is driving interest in advanced propulsion technologies, such as nuclear systems. A team of researchers discusses how another advanced technology, artificial intelligence, is assisting those efforts. info@thespacereview.com (Marcos Fernandez Tous et al.) Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5104/1 As important as high-resolution satellite imagery in the early Space Age was development of wide-area imagery needed for accurately mapping the Soviet Union. Dwayne Day examines the development of one satellite system to provide that data. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5103/1 DARPA has supported studies on lunar development recently, including establishing lunar infrastructure. Michael Stennicke argues that DARPA would be best served by developing underlying technologies for an "operating system" there. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Stennicke) Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5102/1 It's one thing to say that space-based solar power, or astroelectricity, is the key to American energy security. Mike Snead discusses why now is the time to develop policies to implement it. info@thespacereview.com (Mike Snead) Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5101/1 In less than 20 years, Rocket Lab gone from a scrappy startup to one of the major companies in the space industry. Jeff Foust reviews a coffee-table book that provides a richly illustrated history of the company's ascent. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Nov 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5100/1 Air launch systems and spaceplanes have long attracted interest, even if their viability has been questionable. Dwayne Day discusses one such concept the Air Force explored in the 1980s involving a spaceplane launched from a souped-up 747. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5099/1 In the second part of his examination of Russian use of a Chinese-built imaging satellite, Bart Hendrickx reviews Russian efforts to build their own imaging satellites and the issues that led to their use of Chinese spacecraft. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5098/1 President Trump announced last week he was nominating Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, barely five months after Trump pulled his original nomination. Jeff Foust reports on the path that led to a renomination and the new questions Isaacman will face from Congress. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5097/1 Space policy has evolved in recent years to focus more on developing specific activities and capabilities in space. Namrata Goswami explores this shift as illustrated by efforts in both China and India. info@thespacereview.com (Namrata Goswami) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5096/1 Both the United States and China have previously tested direct-ascent ASAT weapons, although the US has voluntarily agreed not to do destructive tests. Jimin Park makes the case for both countries to sign a binding agreement prohibiting such tests. info@thespacereview.com (Jimin Park) Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5095/1 A satellite, ostensibly produced by a Russian company, has been providing the Russian military with high-resolution images to support its war in Ukraine. Bart Hendrickx examines evidence that indicates the satellite, or satellites, were actually built and launched by China. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5094/1 Discussion about delays in the development of the lunar lander version of SpaceX's Starship came to a head two weeks ago when NASA's acting administrator announced he would open up that contract for competition. Jeff Foust reports on that debate and the potential competition to return humans to the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5093/1 In 1970, one company proposed to modify the HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite to include the ability perform near-real-time reconnaissance. Dwayne Day discusses that proposal that led, a decade later, to including such a capability on those satellites. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5092/1 Sunday marked the 25 years since the arrival of the first long-duration crews on the International Space Station, beginning a streak of continuous occupation. Emily Carney talks to the creators of a new website that chronicles the day-to-day history of the station. info@thespacereview.com (Emily Carney) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5091/1 The Moon has been at the center of many discussions about American space policy and competitiveness. Alexander Salter argues that the focus of a long-term strategy should instead be on Mars. info@thespacereview.com (Alexander Salter) Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5090/1 The space industry and others have been concerned for years about how the growing number of satellites could affect the sustainability of Earth orbit. Jeff Foust reports that some are also concerned about their effects on the Earth's atmosphere. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5089/1 In the Star Trek universe, Starfleet carries out both scientific and military roles, a source of tension. Dwayne Day explores that dichotomy and how it mirrors the history of the American space program. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5088/1 While the United States and Soviet Union raced to the Moon in the 1960s, European engineers worked on designs for reusable spaceplanes. Hans Dolfing examines details about several concepts. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5087/1 While many of the reconnaissance satellite programs from the Cold War era have been declassified, there remain a few mysteries. Dwayne Day discusses one case, an experiment to put another camera on a CORONA spacecraft. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5086/1 Black holes fascinate scientists and the general public alike, but these astrophysical objects seem disconnected to our lives. Jeff Foust reviews a book that both examines the science of black holes but also their links to society. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5085/1 In the 1980s, a group of scientists and engineers developed a Mars mission concept that had significant influence. Dwayne Day examines that concept and its staying power. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5084/1 As the United States and the Soviet Union raced to the Moon in the 1960s, some in Europe contemplated a different path. Hans Dolfing explores studies by a European group in the 1960s of a spaceplane. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5083/1 New Zealand's space industry has for years been synonymous with one company: Rocket Lab. Jeff Foust reports on how the industry is trying to grow beyond that, while overcoming various challenges. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5082/1 In 1966, an American spy satellite captured images of a new Soviet ICBM. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger recount what the images revealed about a missile with a tragic history. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5081/1 India has made many advancements in launch systems and spacecraft. Payal Hora argues what is missing is the ability to rapidly launch space missions to meet civil or national security emergencies. info@thespacereview.com (Payal Hora) Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5080/1 As SpaceX continues Starship launches from Texas, the company is making plans to launch the vehicle from two sites in Florida to enable much higher launch rates. Jeff Foust reports that involves addressing concerns from other launch companies and the general public about the effects of those launches. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5079/1 During the Cold War, US reconnaissance satellites and their film return capsules did not include self-destruct devices if they reentered off-course. Dwayne Day recounts incidents where intelligence officials may have wished they had. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5077/1 People have sent a wide range of unusual objects into space in recent years, from a car to a model of a Buddhist temple. Tony Milligan examines what motivates those efforts. info@thespacereview.com (Tony Milligan) Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5076/1 Modern efforts to search for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations started 65 years ago but have come up empty. Jeff Foust reviews a bok that argues now is the time to rethink our approaches to those searches, including turning away from efforts to look for radio signals. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5075/1 The 1970s and 1980s featured both the development of new naval warships and refitting of existing ones. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger examines those developments through the lens of satellite imaging of those ships. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5074/1 At last week's International Astronautical Congress, leaders of space agencies talked about their plans even if they weren't always talking with one another. Jeff Foust reports, though, that there are signs of closer coordination between countries and companies regarding critical space safety issues. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5073/1 China is making rapid advances in space, from lunar exploration to satellite constellations. Claude Lafleur discusses those advances and how they could set up China to be the dominant space power in the near future. info@thespacereview.com (Claude Lafleur) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5072/1 Dwayne Day adds a postscript to his historical review of the efforts to develop a parawing for Gemini with a look at the role that an aircraft originally developed for a classified program played in testing of the system. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5071/1 Exploration of the Moon and Mars offers challenges that go beyond the technology needed for such missions. Jonathan Coopersmith reviews a book that offers an extensive review of those issues. info@thespacereview.com (Jonathan Coopersmith) Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5070/1 In the final installment of the history of Gemini's parafoil development, Dwayne Day examines how testing continued even after NASA abandoned plans to use it, work that included a creatively named test article. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5069/1 Last week NASA announced its newest class of astronauts, potentially the first for a post-International Space Station era at the agency. Jeff Foust reports that it came as NASA talked up the next major step in that future, the upcoming Artemis 2 mission. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5068/1 Both lawmakers and NASA leadership have emphasized in recent weeks the need to accelerate a human return to the Moon to arrive there before China. John Christie discusses how that focus on speed comes at the expense of sustainability. info@thespacereview.com (John Christie) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5067/1 NASA is revising its approach to supporting commercial space station development but still ultimately plans to certify such stations for use by NASA astronauts. Steve Hoeser argues that a better approach would be for NASA to "qualify" those stations rather than a formal certification. info@thespacereview.com (Steve Hoeser) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5066/1 A decades-old Soviet-era cruiser has taken to the seas again after extensive modifications. Dwayne Day discusses the changes to the ship and how they can now be tracked by commercial satellite imagery. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5065/1 A recent report recommended NASA take action to develop space nuclear power systems by the end of the decade. Jeff Foust reports that NASA is doing just that, seeking industry partnerships for a nuclear reactor on the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5064/1 In 1971, the most powerful rocket yet to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base was set to make its debut. Dwayne Day examines how the NRO sought to limit publicity for the launch as well as how that rocket's payload earned a famous nickname. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5063/1 Demand for renewable energy sources will continue to grow as both overall energy demand increases and non-renewable supplies decline. Mike Snead lays out the case that space-based solar power is the best option to provide that renewable energy. info@thespacereview.com (Mike Snead) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5062/1 The concept of a "space race" among countries and companies has gained new traction in recent years. Art Cotterell and William Grant argue that there are better ways to approach exploration and use of space. info@thespacereview.com (Art Cotterell and William Grant) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5061/1 The competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin, and between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, is as fierce as ever. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the last decade as that competition as both become involved in NASA's plans to return to the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5060/1 Policy changes, including voluntary departures and fears of layoffs, have reshaped NASA's workforce and culture. Former astronaut Garrett Reisman warns that it could also jeopardize safety at NASA. info@thespacereview.com (Garrett Reisman) Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5059/1 As Gemini approached its first flight, NASA continued to study how to incorporate a deployable wing for its landing. Dwayne Day discusses that meant more crashes of test vehicles. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5058/1 Nearly 30 years before last week's NASA Mars announcement, the agency also held a briefing about the discovery of evidence of past Martian life. Dwayne Day recalls who that news had already leaked out through both conventional and unconventional channels. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5057/1 The announcement of a potential biosignature of ancient Martian life announced last week is just the latest in a series of claims of life on Mars. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the surge of interest more than a century ago about an inhabited Mars. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Sep 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5056/1 In the early 1960s, NASA considered installing a parachute-like device called a Rogallo Wing to allow Gemini capsules to return to dry land rather than splash down. Dwayne Day recalls the initial mishap-filled testing of that concept. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5055/1 A major new initiative of the US military is the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system, which will include a space-based component. Carlos Alatorre argues that including space-based interceptors as part of Golden Dome brings with it military and diplomatic risks. info@thespacereview.com (Carlos Alatorre) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5054/1 Advances in artificial intelligence could revolutionize space exploration. Alex Li warns that they could also strip away what makes exploration such a fundamentally human endeavor. info@thespacereview.com (Alex Li) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5053/1 At a Senate hearing last week, a former NASA administrator said it was "highly unlikely" the United States would land humans back on the Moon before China got there, a statement that riled the current acting administrator. Jeff Foust reports on the debates about what's wrong with Artemis and what, if anything, can be done to fix those problems. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5052/1 The growth of entrepreneurial space activities has become clear for years. Alexander William Salter examines how space entrepreneurship embodies various forms of entrepreneurship in general. info@thespacereview.com (Alexander William Salter) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5051/1 During the Cold War, Saunders B. Kramer was one of the people in the West who tried to decipher what was going on in the Soviet space program. Dwayne Day reviews his memoirs that offer insights into what he was thinking at the time. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 08 Sep 2025 11:55:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5050/1 After three consecutive launches that suffered mission-ending failures, SpaceX's Starship successfully completed a test flight last week. Jeff Foust reports on the success but also the challenges the company faces catching up from the delays caused by its previous failures. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5049/1 A war broke out in 1974 between Greece and Turkey over the island of Cyprus. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger explore American reconnaissance satellite imagery taken during the conflict. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5048/1 A commercial lunar lander launched last year included cremated remains, prompting an effort by the Navajo Nation to block the mission. Michael Listner discusses the legal issues involved in that dispute and how they could be weaponized to stymie future lunar missions. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5047/1 The Indian government used its second National Space Day last month to announce plans for the next 15 years in space, including a space station and human missions to the Moon. Ajey Lele examines the plans and their feasibility. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5046/1 It's been nearly 15 years since Congress passed a NASA authorization bill that directed the agency to develop a heavy-lift rocket called the Space Launch System. Jeff Foust reviews a book that explores the development of the SLS through its first flight in 2022. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5045/1 NASA, hoping to build on the success of commercial cargo, crew, and lunar lander programs, has rolled out plans for commercial Mars services. Jeff Foust reports on the industry interest in such missions and the obstacles they face. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5044/1 A large part of space activity today is devoted to the development and launch of broadband megaconstellations like Starlink, Kuiper, and Guowang. Vaibhav Chhimpa argues that focus is making it difficult for other uses of space, such as research. info@thespacereview.com (Vaibhav Chhimpa) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5043/1 Data centers have become a big business on Earth. Sebastien Jean discusses how they could become a big business in space as well, addressing some of the drawbacks of terrestrial systems. info@thespacereview.com (Sebastien Jean) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5042/1 Italy enacted a new law overseeing space activities in the country in June. Three lawyers examine the law's contents and its significant for space companies operating in Italy. info@thespacereview.com (Italo de Feo, Annalisa Pistilli, and Pasquale Distefano) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5041/1 Space historian R. Cargill Hall died earlier this year. Dwayne Day recalls his life and his work to document space history, particularly of satellite reconnaissance. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5040/1 Frank Strang, co-founder of SaxaVord Spaceport in the United Kingdom, passed away this month from cancer. Steve Fawkes recalls his effort to establish a spaceport on a remote island that is only now starting to bear fruit. info@thespacereview.com (Steve Fawkes) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:55:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5039/1 A Tokyo museum is hosting a special exhibition on spaceflight with a focus on Japanese activities. Jeff Foust explores the exhibits and what they say about how spaceflight is viewed there. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:54:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5038/1 Space is typically portrayed negatively in movies and TV shows. Dwayne Day explores how depictions of space have evolved and what it means for public support for spaceflight. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5037/1 Last month, three current and former NASA astronauts spoke at an event at a Young Earth Creationist theme park in Kentucky. Deana Weibel describes the event and its implications for science and subjectivity. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5036/1 India launched last week an Earth science mission jointly developed with NASA. Ajey Lele discusses the importance of the NISAR mission to Earth science and international cooperation. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5035/1 NASA is facing significant budget cuts to its science programs in the administration's 2026 budget proposal. Ajay Kothari argues NASA science needs funding to help answer what may be humanity's biggest question: are we alone? info@thespacereview.com (Ajay Kothari) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5034/1 The National Air and Space Museum recently opened a renovated section that includes its Milestones of Flight Hall. Jeff Foust pays a visit to that hall and another gallery that features a mix of commercial space and other artifacts. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5033/1 In the 1970s, some companies explored how to produce beam structures in space with metal components. Dwyane Day examines other efforts to use composite materials to make those structures. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5032/1 The Office of Space Commerce has been making steady progress on a civil space traffic management system ahead of a full release of the system early next year. Jeff Foust reports that is threatened by proposed budget cuts to the program that industry is fighting to stop. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5031/1 The growth of the space industry is putting demands on academia to find new ways to prepare studies to participate in it. Nathan Tat and Vivian Tat make the case for universities to develop interdisciplinary space studies programs as one way to do so. info@thespacereview.com (Nathan Tat and Vivian Tat) Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5030/1 An Indian astronaut has just returned from a mission to the International Space Staton as a prelude to the flight of an Indian-built crewed spacecraft. Martand Jha argues that criticism of the Gaganyaan program within India is misplaced. info@thespacereview.com (Martand Jha) Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5029/1 There were many ties between the young space agency and the new television series Star Trek. Dwayne Day discusses a new book that explores those connections in detail. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 28 Jul 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5028/1 DARPA and NASA recently cancelled a project to demonstrate a nuclear thermal propulsion system in orbit. Jeff Foust reports on the end of DRACO and a new study that calls for a reinvigorated effort to develop space nuclear power systems. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5027/1 In the 1970s, NASA investigated ways to built large structures in space. Dwayne Day examines one of those efforts that involving testing a "beam builder" that could have been flown on the shuttle. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5026/1 The Space Force has adopted many of the traditions of other services, including having an unofficial hymn. James Linzey describes the creation of that hymn and the value it has to a 21st century service. info@thespacereview.com (James Linzey) Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5025/1 The space industry likes to talk amongst itself, but it is hardly the only field to do so. Jeff Foust reviews a book where researchers in the social sciences examine various aspects of spaceflight in their own way. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5024/1 Last month, Japanese automaker Honda successfully tested a vertical takeoff and landing rocket. Jeff Foust reports on how the company is approaching development of reusable launch vehicle technologies and how it compares to efforts elsewhere. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5023/1 Ahead of the Skylab missions, NASA studied how it would carry out a rescue mission should the Apollo spacecraft that delivered astronauts to Skylab be unable to return home. Dwayne Day provides new details about those plans, including the cameo role of a comic book character. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5022/1 There are growing concerns that any future conflict involving China or Russia against the US could involve attacks on satellites. Christopher Stone argues we are already seeing low-intensity conflict in orbit that shows that the US is unprepared for a bigger conflict. info@thespacereview.com (Christopher Stone) Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5021/1 In the conclusion of this three-part article, Michael Listner examines how the US could use its own "lawfare" approach to ensure the security of Taiwanese satellites. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 14 Jul 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5020/1 Movies and television shows about alien invasions of Earth continue to be produced today. Dwayne Day explores the persistence of this genre and recent examples that illustrate why it's difficult to make quality versions of those dramas. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5019/1 In the second of a three-part series, Michael Listner examines how the way Taiwanese satellites are registered in a UN database could be evidence of "lawfare" by China that could be exploited in a future conflict. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5018/1 A year ago, Europe celebrated the inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 and the end of a "launcher crisis." Jeff Foust reports that the recovery from the crisis is ongoing as Ariane 6 is slow to ramp up launches and as Europe works to support new launch providers. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5017/1 Among the crew of the Ax-4 private astronaut mission currently at the International Space Station is an Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla. Ajey Lele discusses how his flight is a milestone for India's evolving space program. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5016/1 In a followup to his story about a new space museum at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Dwayne Day provides more images of the center. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 07 Jul 2025 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5015/1 Last week a new museum opened outside the gates of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Dwayne Day provides an overview of the museum's development and its contents. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5014/1 Taiwan has a small but growing fleet of satellites, but could those satellites be in legal jeopardy ahead of any conflict involving China? In the first of a three-part report, Michael Listner sets the legal stage regarding ownership of space objects. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5013/1 Analysts use various techniques to identify new space objects. Charles Phillips reexamines one approach he uses to help identify objects that are associated with one another, such as being on the same launch. info@thespacereview.com (Charles Phillips) Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5012/1 Visions of space settlement, on Mars or elsewhere, help drive the plans of billionaires backing some space companies. Jeff Foust reviews a book by a science writer who takes a critical look at those proposals. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5011/1 South Korea is seeking to become a major space power in East Asia with new investments in launch vehicles and navigation satellites. Jennifer Hong Whetsell and Seokjin Yun explore those initiatives and the challenges they face. info@thespacereview.com (Jennifer Hong Whetsell and Seokjin Yun) Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5010/1 Potential changes to Artemis have created uncertainty about long-term plans for the Moon. Jeff Foust reports on new concepts for lunar development but also lingering questions about what just will be developed on the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5009/1 As the space economy evolves into new applications, it raises questions about how companies can protect their proprietary technologies. Phil Merchant examines some of the challenges of enforcing patent law in space and some potential solutions. info@thespacereview.com (Phil Merchant) Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5008/1 The Indian government announced last week it selected a company to take over building and operating a small launch vehicle. Ajey Lele discusses how this could help the competitiveness of India's space industry. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5007/1 The details of NASA's 2026 budget proposal sent shock waves through the space community. Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly describe the serious flaws in the proposal they believe would result in the end of American leadership in space exploration. info@thespacereview.com (Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly) Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5006/1 Steep proposed cuts in NASA's budget have impacts that extend beyond the agency and the country. Jeff Foust reports on how the budget proposal is affecting ESA programs and causing Europe to rethink cooperation with NASA. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5005/1 After his nomination to be NASA administrator was withdrawn, Jared Issacman suggested he would have paid for the launch of a NASA science mission out of his own pocket. Thomas Matula discusses how to institutionalize a way for private donors to help NASA projects. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Matula) Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5004/1 China is beginning deployment of a satellite constellation called Guowang that some have compared to Starlink. Greg Gillinger discusses how testing of its early satellites shows the system may have many different applications. info@thespacereview.com (Greg Gillinger) Mon, 16 Jun 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5003/1 Today, we take it for granted that countries and companies and return high-resolution reconnaissance images from space almost instantly. Dwayne Day outlines the decades-long effort by the US to create that capability that was established nearly a half-century ago. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5002/1 SpaceX conducted another Starship test flight in late May, and again failed to achieve major test objectives. Jeff Foust reports that, despite that setback, Elon Musk is still pressing ahead with an extremely ambitious future for the vehicle. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5001/1 Advocates of space-based solar power have long talked about the benefits that the large amount of clean energy could provide. David Steitz and Sowmya Venkatesh discuss how they are also warning about the risks of falling behind China in its development. info@thespacereview.com (David Steitz and Sowmya Venkatesh) Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5000/1 Human Mars exploration is on the minds of the administration and of SpaceX. Jeff Foust reviews a book by a person who was a finalist of the ill-fated Mars One program that discusses Mars exploration, although within a far larger context. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4999/1 NASA and the space community had geared up last week for more news about the 2026 budget proposal, including what missions were proposed for cancellation. Jeff Foust reports they also lost the person they had expected would soon take charge at the agency, adding to doubts and fears about the agency's future. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4998/1 The DSP missile warning satellites were to be phased out by the early 2000s as a new line of satellites entered service. But, Dwayne Day finds, DSP satellites appear to remain in service to this day. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4997/1 SpaceX has become the dominant launch provider while its Starlink constellation gains millions of customers. Claude Lafleur, though, questions whether the company is still a good business. info@thespacereview.com (Claude Lafleur) Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4996/1 Many worlds in our solar system and beyond may host life, but determining which are the most promising is a challenge. Daniel Apai describes a new effort to better quantify prospective habitable worlds. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Apai) Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4995/1 The Russian space program underwent a shakeup earlier this year that included replacing the head of Roscosmos. Bill Barry describes how those changes come amid serious problems for Russian space efforts and a hope by Russia to reset relations with the US. info@thespacereview.com (Bill Barry) Tue, 27 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4994/1 The Defense Support Program satellites provided warnings of missile launches for decades. Dwayne Day examines the evolution of the program as DSP satellites were given new roles and new capabilities. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Tue, 27 May 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4993/1 Earlier this month a Soviet-era Venus mission, stranded in Earth orbit since its launch in 1972, finally reentered. Marco Langbroek and Dominic Dirkx discuss the difficulty determining exactly when and where it reentered. info@thespacereview.com (Marco Langbroek and Dominic Dirkx) Tue, 27 May 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4992/1 A NASA heliophysics mission launching this fall is named after George Carruthers, a Black scientist best known for leading development of a telescope flown on an Apollo mission. Jeff Foust reviews a biography of Carruthers that explores his professional career and educational outreach. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 27 May 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4991/1 A key element in the NRO's creation of a real-time reconnaissance capability a half-century ago was the development of dedicated data relay satellites. Dwayne Day examines the Satellite Data System program and its unusual management approach. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 19 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4990/1 For a time early this year, a near Earth asteroid had a small but growing chance of hitting the Earth in 2032. That risk is now gone, Jeff Foust reports, but it has people talking about planetary defense and how to support NASA's efforts there. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 19 May 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4989/1 The international community continues to debate how utilization of space resources should be regulated and managed. Nikola Schmidt and Martin Svec ague that failing to act opens the door to companies having their own way, to the detriment to humanity in general. info@thespacereview.com (Nikola Schmidt and Martin Svec) Mon, 19 May 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4988/1 Discussions about a new space race have focused on a competition between China and the United States, but other nations can play roles as well. Three authors discuss how New Zealand could leverage its unique position in geopolitics to grow its space activities. info@thespacereview.com (Peter Zamborsky, Christian Dietrich, and Denis Odlin) Mon, 19 May 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4987/1 The top-level federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, released earlier this month, included major cuts to NASA and the cancellation of several major programs. Jeff Foust reports the biggest fallout from the proposal might be to cause international partners to rethink their plans to cooperate. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4986/1 Concerns about Chinese and Russian work on ASATs has largely revolved around kinetic weapons or spacecraft that can grapple other satellites. Markos Trichas and Matthew Mowthorpe discuss how that overlooks work on directed energy weapons that appears to be making progress. info@thespacereview.com (Markos Trichas and Matthew Mowthorpe) Mon, 12 May 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4985/1 Space can be dangerous, posing threats to us like asteroid impacts. Tony Milligan describes how those fears can feed conspiracy theories. info@thespacereview.com (Tony Milligan) Mon, 12 May 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4984/1 Discoveries of evidence of potential life beyond Earth are not uncommon, but rarely hold up to scrutiny. Jeff Foust reviews a book that tried to argue that, despite that hard evidence, it is certain there is life of some kind elsewhere in the universe. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 May 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4983/1 In the early 1970s, the NRO considered taking on a new mission of inspecting other satellites. Dwayne Day explores what is now known about this proposal from a recently declassified document. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 05 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4982/1 In the concluding part of his assessment of Project Nivelir, Bart Hendrickx examines the satellites' payloads and ground systems, as well as other space-based space surveillance capabilities under development in Russia. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 05 May 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4981/1 Last week, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launched the first operational batch of Project Kuiper satellites for Amazon. Jeff Foust reports that both companies are playing from behind as they work to introduce new vehicles and satellite networks, both competing against SpaceX. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 05 May 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4980/1 Jared Isaacman's nomination to be NASA administrator cleared the Senate Commerce Committee last week, putting him one step away from being confirmed by the full Senate. A.J. Mackenzie argues that, while his confirmation is likely secure, there are questions about just how effective an administrator he can be. info@thespacereview.com (A.J. Mackenzie) Mon, 05 May 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4979/1 Russia has launched a series of satellites in the last several years designed to inspect other spacecraft. Bart Hendrickx examines what is known about these satellites that could also serve as counterspace weapons. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4978/1 While China is pressing ahead with plans to land astronauts on the Moon by the end of the decade, its ambitions in space don't stop there. Kristin Burke explains why it is likely China will also push to send astronauts to Mars by 2050. info@thespacereview.com (Kristin Burke) Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4977/1 The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to vote this week to advance Jared Isaacman's nomination to be NASA administrator to the full Senate. Jeff Foust reports on what additional insights Isaacman offered in followup questions from members of the committee. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4976/1 Astronomers announced earlier this month that they had detected a molecule in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, a finding that many other scientists have disputed. Chris Impey discusses the challenges in making a firm claim about finding life beyond Earth. info@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4975/1 Last week's New Shepard suborbital flight, with six women on board, generated a lot of attention but also criticism. Deana Weibel examines the flight and how it broke decades-old norms of spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 21 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4974/1 Much of the focus on forecasting and responding to space weather has been on the terrestrial impact of solar storms on communications and the power grid. Jeff Foust reports the effect of space weather on satellites and space missions is now growing in importance. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4973/1 In the concluding part of his history of ESPA, Darren Raspa recounts the development and first flight of that payload adapter and its evolution in the years that followed. info@thespacereview.com (Darren Raspa) Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4972/1 NASA+, the new streaming service run by the space agency, is offering more than just old videos and coverage of launches. Jeff Foust reviews a new documentary released on NASA+ last week that examines NASA's role in protecting the Earth from asteroid impacts. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4971/1 NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman finally had his confirmation hearing last week, where he was grilled by senators about his plans for the space agency. Jeff Foust reports that his belief that NASA can taken on many large programs, like human Moon and Mars efforts, simultaneously clashed with a budget that proposes steep cuts to NASA. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4970/1 The top general of the US Space Force, Gen. Chance Saltzman, outlined an key theory of the service's success two years ago, called "Competitive Endurance." Brian Chow explores the critiques of that theory that have emerged since then. info@thespacereview.com (Brian Chow) Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4969/1 In the second part of his history of the development of the ESPA payload adapter, Darren Raspa examines the early development of the EELV program that created an opportunity for secondary payloads and adapters for them. info@thespacereview.com (Darren Raspa) Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4968/1 Advances in space transportation provide opportunities for space commerce, but also create various risks. Norm Mitchell discusses some of those emerging opportunities and how they outweigh the risks. info@thespacereview.com (Norm Mitchell) Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4967/1 Should the United States continue with the Artemis campaign of missions to return humans to the Moon, or should it shift course to instead send humans to Mars? Doug Plata makes the argument that both are possible at the same time. info@thespacereview.com (Doug Plata) Mon, 07 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4966/1 A payload adapter called ESPA has become a widely used standard for accommodating secondary payloads on launch vehicles. In the first of a three-part series, Darren Raspa examines the historical and other forces that set the stage for the the development of ESPA. info@thespacereview.com (Darren Raspa) Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4965/1 Last month, ESA formally shut down the Gaia space telescope out at the Earth-Sun L2 point. Laura Nicole Driessen explains the value of this underappreciated observatory and why its science is not yet done. info@thespacereview.com (Laura Nicole Driessen) Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4964/1 While some Mars exploration advocates think humans can be on the Red Planet in a matter of years, others are skeptical people can ever live there. Jeff Foust reviews a book that attempts to offer what it calls a "realistic" assessment of those plans. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 07 Apr 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4963/1 In the 1970s, the US started launching a new series of ocean surveillance satellites called PARCAE. Dwayne Day examines the history of that program. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 31 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4962/1 On Sunday, German launch vehicle startup Isar Aerospace launched its first Spectrum rocket, which crashed less than a minute after liftoff. Jeff Foust reports that the launch comes at a critical time for Europe's launch industry, as they seek to demonstrate to European governments they can provide new ways to reach space. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4961/1 The European Union is expected to take up in the coming weeks a new space law that will include provisions about space traffic management. Michael Gleason explains that this could reshape the global approach to space sustainability. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Gleason) Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4960/1 The Moonwalkers, a film and visual experience about Apollo, is playing in a limited run in Washington at the Kennedy Center. Jeff Foust reviews the film and the space-themed festival it is part of at the center. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4959/1 A Crew Dragon returned from the International Space Station last week with four people on board, including two who arrived at the station last June on Starliner. Jeff Foust reports that political controversies over the astronauts' return overshadowed the future of the spacecraft that took them to the station. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4958/1 At the beginning of the Space Age, Boeing received an Air Force contract to study a design for a lunar base. Hans Dolfing examines what is known about the study, including how Boeing addressed the challenges of keeping a crew alive and well on the Moon. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4957/1 It is impractical for a long-term mission to the Moon or Mars to take every tool and spare part they will need for their expedition. Sven Bilen describes how 3D printing can help solve that problem and address other challenges, including building habitats on other worlds. info@thespacereview.com (Sven Bilen) Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4956/1 The idea of piracy to space may seem like (bad) science fiction. Jeff Foust reviews a book that argues that now is the time to start thinking about criminal threats to space commerce. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4955/1 Years after the demise of an initial group of asteroid mining startups like Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources, new startups are pursuing plans to mine asteroids for metals and water. Jeff Foust reports those companies still face many of the same challenges, from technology to policy. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4954/1 Some want the US to abandon a human return to the Moon and focus its resources on missions to Mars. Bhavya Lal argues that lunar exploration can accelerate, not delay, Mars settlement. info@thespacereview.com (Bhavya Lal) Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4953/1 A United Nations committee has started work to examine coordination of lunar activities. Dennis O'Brien discusses how it is a step toward an international lunar governance model. info@thespacereview.com (Dennis O'Brien) Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4952/1 Companies like Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines, which recently completed lunar lander missions, are at the vanguard of efforts to open up the Moon for commercial activities. Jeff Foust reviews a book that assesses the potential markets and applications for business on the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4951/1 For more than 40 years, a secret line of satellites provided electronic intelligence capabilities for the US military, tracking radars and other transmitters. Dwayne Day examines new details about those efforts from recently declassified documents. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4950/1 Two Texas-based companies landed on the Moon in less than a week, a sign of the growing space industry in the state. Jeff Foust reports on how the state government is working to support that industry with a new commission and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4949/1 In the early 1970s, European companies studied space tug concepts that could be used in junction with NASA's Space Shuttle to launch payloads to higher orbits. Hans Dolfing explores what is known about two such concepts. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4948/1 Earlier this year scientists announced the first results of studies of material from the asteroid Bennu returned by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. Timothy McCoy and Sara Russell discuss how Bennu helped them link that asteroid with a class of meteorites and provide new insights into solar system development. info@thespacereview.com (Timothy J. McCoy and Sara Russell) Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4947/1 In the early morning hours Sunday, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon. Jeff Foust reports on a milestone for both the company and NASA's efforts to support commercial lunar landers. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4946/1 For decades, a satellite was on display at an Air Force museum with no details about its mission or even its name. Dwayne Day describes how newly declassified documents have finally identified that satellite. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4945/1 Legislation passed nearly a decade ago was intended to ensure that US companies would own any asteroid resources they obtained. However, Camisha Simmons explains why issues with that law create uncertainty for those ventures that requires Congress to step in. info@thespacereview.com (Camisha Simmons) Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4944/1 Some scientists have argued that the evolution of intelligent life on Earth required many "hard steps" that make it unlikely for it to have evolved elsewhere. Three researchers discuss how those hard steps might not be so hard after all. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Brady Mills, Jason Wright, and Jennifer L. Macalady) Mon, 03 Mar 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4943/1 SpaceX is set to conduct another Starship test flight as soon as the end of this week. Jeff Foust reports that, as the giant vehicle gets closer to operations, more people are thinking about both the potential uses of the vehicle and those where it may not be as competitive. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4942/1 More than a century ago, the conservation movement sought to educate the public on the benefits of preserving the environment. Beverly and Robert Bachelder describe how similar education is needed to show the public the importance of preserving the space environment. info@thespacereview.com (Beverly and Robert Bachelder) Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4941/1 The commercial remote sensing industry has grown significantly as more companies offer high-resolution images of the Earth taken from space. Richard Carson examines some unresolved international space law issues of the field. info@thespacereview.com (Richard Carson) Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4940/1 The growth of the space industry has generated plenty of hype, but far less rational analysis. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the industry's rise rooted in the fundamentals of economics. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4939/1 In the 1980s, the Soviet Union developed Buran, its version of the space shuttle. Dwayne Day and Harry Stranger examine how the CIA was likely able to track its development using satellite imagery. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4938/1 The new Trump Administration appears unlikely to continue the National Space Council that it revived in its first term. Jeff Foust reports on what alternatives might be considered to provide a "whole-of-government" approach to space. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4937/1 The space community is waiting to see what the new administration will do differently in space and what will stay the same. Karlton Johnson argues the administration should embrace innovation and regulatory reform in space. info@thespacereview.com (Karlton Johnson) Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4936/1 The James Webb Space Telescope has become a critical tool for astronomers studying the solar system, galaxy, and the early history of the universe. Jeff Foust reviews a book that balances the science JWST has enabled with the challenges the mission encountered in its long development. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4935/1 NASA states that the lunar Gateway is a key part of the overall Artemis effort to return humans to the Moon. Gerald Black disagrees, arguing that the Gateway is a diversion of resources if NASA is really serious about getting humans back on the lunar surface and going on to Mars. info@thespacereview.com (Gerald Black) Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4934/1 There's both a growing number of spaceports and a growing number of launches, but those launches are not equally distributed. Jeff Foust reports that the busiest spaceports are struggling to keep up while the rest struggle to make ends meet. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4933/1 Two commercial lunar landers are on their way to the Moon with a third scheduled to launch later this month. Jatan Mehta explains why the companies operating those spacecraft should be more transparent about what constitutes success for their missions. info@thespacereview.com (Jatan Mehta) Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4932/1 Black holes have been topics of many science and science fiction books over the years. Jeff Foust reviews a new book that offers another account of their development with a focus on the people who have advanced our understanding of them. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4931/1 In the 1960s, a unit of General Motors was working on new vehicles -- for the Moon. Dwayne Day explores the efforts by GM to develop rovers that could have flown on Surveyor missions that led to work by the company on the Apollo lunar rover. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 03 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4930/1 NASA has four large optical or infrared space telescopes in various stages of development or operations, from the venerable Hubble to the future Habitable Worlds Observatory. Jeff Foust reports on the progress and challenges those observatories are facing. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4929/1 A new documentary about Sally Ride premiered last week at the Sundance Film Festival. Jeff Foust notes the film is both about Ride becoming the first American woman in space as well as her long, and private, relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy not revealed until after her death. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4928/1 The Moon is much more than an object of scientific and exploration interest. Christopher Cokinos reviews a book that combines maps of the Moon with essays on many facets of the Moon. info@thespacereview.com (Christopher Cokinos) Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4927/1 Many people expected the Trump Administration to shake up NASA. Jeff Foust reports that while the space agency saw changes in the first week of the new administration, those had little to do with space policy. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4926/1 In the second part of his examination of Russian eavesdropping stations, Bart Hendrickx reviews antennas at those sites and potential satellite targets of those stations. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4925/1 Through the Cold War, the US launched a series of signals intelligence satellites, initially as hitchhikers on other launches. Dwayne Day links the later history of that program with an unusual object found at a California airport. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4924/1 The new Trump Administration is reportedly considering major changes to NASA's Artemis lunar exploration effort. Gerald Black argues one such change is to replace the Space Launch System and Orion with a version of Starship. info@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4923/1 Russia's intelligence services operate a network of ground stations to listen in on satellite communications. Bart Hendrickx discusses the history and current status of those facilities. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4922/1 On the same day last week two companies performed test flights of heavy-lift rockets they have been developing. Jeff Foust reports on the launches and the contrasts in vehicle design and development approaches. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4921/1 NASA's Surveyor program landed several robotic spacecraft on the Moon in the 1960s. Dwayne Day examines one study to look at using Surveyor for a lunar sample return mission. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4920/1 Last week, two Indian spacecraft docked with each other in low Earth orbit, a first for the country. Ajey Lele describes the milestone and its importance to India's future space plans. info@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4919/1 Last week, NASA announced it would study two different ways to pick up the samples the Perseverance rover is collecting on Mars and return them to Earth. Jeff Foust reports on the two approaches as well as interest by at least one company in an alternative. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4918/1 There is speculation the Trump Administration may attempt to cancel the Space Launch System. Ajay Kothari offers an alternative architecture that could get humans back to the Moon without either SLS or Starship. info@thespacereview.com (Ajay Kothari) Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4917/1 Some space advocates have argued that space settlement is vital to ensure the survival of humanity. Thomas Matula describes a scale for measuring the abilities of civilizations to survive that could be useful for space advocacy and for astrobiology. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Matula) Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4916/1 There is renewed interest in lunar exploration, including the launch this week of two commercial lunar landers. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides an overview of the history of lunar exploration, but focuses on many missions that never attempted to go to the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4915/1 The ability to own space resources has been a long-running debate in space law. Michael Listner examines the legal concept of space resources at the national and international level. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4914/1 NASA has bristled at the suggestion that astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are "stranded" on the ISS even as their stay there is extended from a few weeks to more than eight months. Jeff Foust reports that the situation nonetheless highlights the importance some see in developing technologies and approaches when a real space rescue is needed. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4913/1 Moonraker is not remembered as one of the great James Bond films, but its space theme is still warmly recalled by some fans. Dwayne Day describes how new products about the film have highlighted its strengths. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4912/1 Summarizing the history of American spaceflight in one book requires hard choices on what to emphasize. Jeff Foust reviews a book that tackles that effort at an introductory level, going from Goddard to the present day. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4911/1 Last week, NASA unveiled a long-term plan for robotic exploration of Mars, including work to prepare for later human missions. Jeff Foust reports on the plan as well as ongoing efforts to revamp the Mars Sample Return program. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4910/1 As the US military makes growing use of commercial space capabilities, those commercial systems become targets for adversaries. Marc Berkowitz examines that challenge and potential measures to protect commercial satellites. info@thespacereview.com (Marc Berkowitz) Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4909/1 A contest is wrapping up this week to select the name for Canada's first lunar rover. Gordon Osinski discusses the significance of this project and Canada's history of rover development. info@thespacereview.com (Gordon Osinski) Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4908/1 Alcohol is a key part of terrestrial society, so it's only natural that people will want spirits in space as well. Jeff Foust reviews a documentary that examine several ways people and companies are looking to produce or consume alcohol in space. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4907/1 NASA announced last week it had resolved the problem with the Orion heat shield seen on Artemis 1, allowing planning for Artemis 2 to continue, albeit with delays. However, Jeff Foust reports that the technical confidence the program now has may by undermined by political uncertainty. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4906/1 As robotic space capabilities advance, the key purpose for having astronauts becomes seeing how humans can settle space. Joe Carroll explains why this means studying what it takes for humans to live sustainably in space. info@thespacereview.com (Joe Carroll) Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4905/1 Artificial gravity may be critical to understanding where people can live beyond Earth. Joe Carroll examines ways to start performing artificial gravity tests using existing spacecraft. info@thespacereview.com (Joe Carroll) Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4904/1 The search for life beyond Earth requires answering a significant but often overlooked question: how does one define life? Chris Impey discusses how scientists are tackling that issue. info@thespacereview.com (Chris Impey) Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4903/1 The United States is not the only country wondering what the next administration will do in space policy. Jeff Foust reports that, in Europe, the prospect of changes in US-European space cooperation is fueling calls for the continent to invest more in space capabilities. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4902/1 The space industry has struggled to develop financial models for funding removal of orbital debris even as the problem of debris worsens. Polina Shtern offers an approach that treats orbits as tollways to pay for debris cleanup. info@thespacereview.com (Polina Shtern) Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4901/1 The impacts of the incoming Trump Administration on space policy are still to be determined nearly a month after the election. Bleddyn Bowen and P.J. Blount discuss what could change and what might remain the same in the next administration. info@thespacereview.com (Bleddyn Bowen and P.J. Blount) Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4900/1 Marc Garneau was a Canadian naval officer who became the country's first person in space, and later went into politics. Jeff Foust review Garneau's memoir that examines his time as an astronaut and a politician. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4899/1 In the early 1970s, one company studied for the NRO a concept for a "rapid reaction" reconnaissance mission that could return images within 24 hours. Joseph T. Page II examines the concept and one danger it posed. info@thespacereview.com (Joseph T. Page II) Mon, 25 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4898/1 Many companies are developing lunar landers and other capabilities to support activities on and around the Moon. However, Jeff Foust reports there are questions about when a truly commercial lunar economy will emerge, versus companies funded by government programs. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4897/1 "Orbital", a novel set on the International Space Station, won the Booker Prize, one of Britain's top literary prizes, this month. Aditya Chaturvedi argues that the novel captures the essence, and fragility, of life in space. info@thespacereview.com (Aditya Chaturvedi) Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4896/1 In the 1980s, thousands would travel to and camp out overnight at Edwards Air Force Base to watch landings by the shuttle. Jeff Foust reviews a book that captures those temporary communities in photos. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4895/1 The next Starship test flight will be very similar to the previous one last month. But, as Jeff Foust reports, it is taking place in a changed political environment that could see the next administration lean heavily on that vehicle for the Moon and perhaps Mars. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4894/1 The Woomera Manual is a document that outlines the rules that currently apply to national security activities in space. David Koplow describes the development of the manual and how it can be applied to issues that pose challenges to an incomplete legal regime in space. info@thespacereview.com (David Koplow) Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4893/1 When the British government decided to cancel the Blue Streak missile in the early years of the Space Age, it looked for ways to repurpose that technology in launch vehicles. Trevor Williams discusses those efforts and the problems they encountered. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4892/1 Planetary defense has gone from a relatively fringe topic with little funding to one with NASA missions demonstrating the ability to change an asteroid's orbit. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines those efforts to detect and defend Earth from asteroids, and the need to do more. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Nov 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4891/1 In his conclusion about the construction of a shuttle launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base 40 years ago, Dwayne Day examines the various facilities planned there to be able to support a space shuttle launch. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4890/1 In October, the US Commerce and State Departments published revisions to space export controls, the first major changes in a decade. Jeff Foust reports on the changes and the path ahead. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4889/1 There is a growing sense of competition in spaceflight between the United States and its allies on one side and China on another. Aline Spyrka argues that the US needs to take the lead in creating peaceful precedents for space activities to prevent any race from becoming dangerous. info@thespacereview.com (Aline Spyrka) Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4888/1 NASA and others are exploring the use of nuclear power to provide propulsion, as well as for surface operations. Ajay Kothari discusses how a single system could be able to serve both applications. info@thespacereview.com (Ajay Kothari) Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4887/1 Thirty-five years ago, President George H.W. Bush announced the Space Exploration Initiative, only to have it soon crumble in part because of disputes between the White House and NASA. Jeff Foust reviews a new book that takes another look at the history of SEI and the challenges of organizational change. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Nov 2024 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4886/1 Only in the last decade has the extent of US support for Great Britain in the Falklands War of 1982 emerged. Dwayne Day examines new evidence of that support in the form of reconnaissance satellite imagery of the Falklands as the war neared its conclusion. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4885/1 Regardless of the outcome of the election, the next administration will have to deal with a NASA whose ability to carry out various missions is being degraded by aging infrastructure. Jeff Foust reports on a recent study on those problems and an ongoing effort by the agency to deal with that among other challenges. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4884/1 Some have argued that Vice President Kamala Harris has not done enough in space policy in her role as chair of the National Space Council. Jonathan Coopersmith argues that Harris sets herself apart from Trump on the topic in several ways. info@thespacereview.com (Jonathan Coopersmith) Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4883/1 There may be vast differences in policies in the next administration in many areas depending on who wins Tuesday's presidential election. Thomas G. Roberts explains why, in the area of space, one should expect stability and continuity regardless of who wins. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas G. Roberts) Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4882/1 In the 1970s the Air Force decided to convert Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base into a shuttle launch pad. Dwayne Day discusses that effort as described in some recently discovered concept art from that era. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4881/1 In the early 1960s, the US Air Force examined a range of options for a military space station before settling on what would become the Manned Orbital Laboratory. Hans Dolfing discusses what some of those other concepts were based on archived reports. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4880/1 At the International Astronautical Congress earlier this month, one company outlined its plans for a future commercial space station to support NASA and other customers. Jeff Foust report that NASA also used the conference to describe what it is thinking about in terms of how it will use those stations. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4879/1 In the conclusion of her examination of the tradeoffs of extending satellite lifetimes versus mitigating orbital debris, Marissa Herron looks at the processes by which NASA decides to continue some science missions and the role that adherence to debris mitigation guidelines plays there. info@thespacereview.com (Marissa Herron) Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4878/1 After decades of development, the James Webb Space Telescope is now in routine operations, its past problems now largely forgotten. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides images of its development and the science it is now producing. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4877/1 The James Webb Space Telescope has demonstrated the ability to develop a large space telescope that can operate in the infrared without the need for life-limiting consumables like liquid helium. Harley Thronson describes how this concept had its origins in concepts for smaller infrared space telescopes developed in Britain more than three decades ago. info@thespacereview.com (Harley Thronson) Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4876/1 Satellite operators face tough decisions with aging satellites, balancing continuing the services they provide against the need to deorbit them to avoid creating more orbital debris. Marissa Herron examines those competing factors and offers case studies of how NASA has made those decisions for some of its missions. info@thespacereview.com (Marissa Herron) Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4875/1 Last week's International Astronautical Congress attracted a record crowd to talk about the latest advances in spaceflight, a sign many see of growing interest in the topic. Jeff Foust reviews two books, though, that take a more critical assessment of human spaceflight and commercial use of space. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Oct 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4874/1 A exhibit that recently closed at the Reagan Library and Museum linked Star Wars, the movie franchise, with "Star Wars," the nickname associated with the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Dwayne Day explores the exhibit's attempt to describe the legacy of SDI. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4873/1 ESA last week launched its Hera mission to the same asteroid that NASA's DART spacecraft collided with two years ago. Jeff Foust reports on the struggles the Hera project faced getting the spacecraft launched, from funding challenges to a hurricane. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4872/1 The rhetoric around a new "space race" between the US and China has only grown stronger in the last year. Art Cotterell argues that competition should be tempered with some degree of cooperation. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4871/1 Within 15 years, SpaceX went from being an upstart teetering on the edge of failure to perhaps the most dominant space company in the world. Jeff Foust reviews a book that charts the company's rise while raising concerns about its future. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4870/1 ULA conducted a second launch of its Vulcan Centaur rocket last week, which the company declared a success despite an issue with one of its solid rocket boosters. Jeff Foust reports on that launch as well as efforts to get it, and two other new rockets, flying more frequently. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 07 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4869/1 Gherman Titov paid an extended visit to the United States in 1962, a year after becoming the second Soviet cosmonaut to go to space. Dwayne Day discusses the visit and the questions raised about it from a newly declassified memo. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4868/1 Launched 65 years ago this month, the Soviet Union's Luna 3 provided humanity with its first look at the far side of the Moon. Trevor Williams examines the mission and the role it played in advancing orbital mechanics as well. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4867/1 Cubesats have evolved over the years from student projects and technology demos to spacecraft capable of carrying out major missions. Mustafa Aksoy describes how that expands to include their use in space science missions. info@thespacereview.com (Mustafa Aksoy) Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4866/1 On Monday morning, the Office of Space Commerce formally started the first phase of its long-awaited space traffic coordination system, called TraCSS. Jeff Foust reports on the milestone and its implications. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4865/1 After NASA decided to return the Starliner spacecraft uncrewed, the two astronauts who flew to the International Space Station on it found themselves in a form of limbo. Deana Weibel describes how events like a change-of-command ceremony helped integrate them into their new roles as long-duration ISS crewmembers. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4864/1 In the second part of his history of British aerospace company Saunders-Roe, Trevor Williams looks at the company's role in the development of a launch vehicle, Black Arrow, that was later cancelled by the British government. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4863/1 Cady Coleman was a NASA astronaut for more than 20 years, flying on two shuttle missions and a long-duration trip to the International Space Station. Jeff Foust reviews a book by Coleman that is both a memoir of her astronaut career and one that provides lessons for those firmly rooted on the ground. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4862/1 During the Cold War, the US intelligence community was able to track the development a major new Soviet warship class using satellite imagery. Dwayne Day describes how those images helped analysts provide key insights into the building of the Kirov. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4861/1 SpaceX says that its next Starship vehicle is ready for launch but that the FAA won't be able to provide a license for it until November. Jeff Foust reports on an increasingly strident dispute between SpaceX and the FAA amid broader industry concerns about the launch licensing process. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4860/1 The Isle of Wight, just off the coast of England, is known for shipbuilding and holidays, but also has played a role in aerospace. Trevor Williams examines efforts by one aerospace company there after World War II that led to the development of aircraft and a launch vehicle. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4859/1 A hostage crisis in space sounds like something out of science fiction, but the growth of commercial space capabilities could one day make it fact. Three experts examine how such a crisis might emerge and what the US government can do to prepare for it. info@thespacereview.com (JD Cole, Marc Feldman, and Hugh Taylor) Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4858/1 A recently concluded agreement makes it easier for American companies to launch from Australia. Four experts describe the benefits of that agreement but also the obstacles Australia faces to host American launches. info@thespacereview.com (Brett Loubert, Byron Riessen, Arthur Anglin, and Adrian Young) Mon, 16 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4857/1 Six years ago, the UK government kicked off an effort to create a domestic launch capability. Today, reports Jeff Foust, that capability is struggling to emerge as companies suffer technical and financial setbacks. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4856/1 The Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission successfully returned to Earth Sunday after five days in space, carrying out the first commercial spacewalk. Ajey Lele examines its advance in space commercialization versus challenges in other areas. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4855/1 As major space powers accelerate their activities, developing countries worry about being left behind. Aritra Ghosh argues that such emerging space nations need to take care of their own interests in space. info@thespacereview.com (Aritra Ghosh) Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4854/1 Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth Friday night after three months in space, but without the astronauts who were on it when it launched in June. Jeff Foust reports on NASA's decision to bring Starliner back uncrewed and its implications for the agency and for Boeing. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4853/1 NASA's decision to keep Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the space station through early next year poses headaches for the agency and the astronauts themselves. Matthew Ormsbee examines the space law implications of "stranded" astronauts on a commercial mission. info@thespacereview.com (Matthew Ormsbee) Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4852/1 NASA erred on the side of safety when it decided to bring back Starliner uncrewed. Roger Handberg argues that the agency needs to start thinking of backup options if Starliner isn't a viable long-term option. info@thespacereview.com (Roger Handberg) Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4851/1 The Soviet space program achieved many firsts in the early space age, but also had many setbacks and tragedies. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers a history of that program, but breaks little new ground about that era. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4850/1 As soon as late this week SpaceX will launch the Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission. Jeff Foust reports on the key objectives and challenges facing this mission, including the first spacewalk on a non-governmental spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4849/1 The Indian government has bold plans for its space agency, including development of a space station and human lunar landings. Namrata Goswami examines where the country's space program is excelling and where it is falling short. info@thespacereview.com (Namrata Goswami) Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4848/1 Cybersecurity of space systems is a growing concern as society becomes increasingly reliant on space services. Patrick Lin discusses how a recent study sought to explore a wide range of space-related cyberattacks to help defend against them. info@thespacereview.com (Patrick Lin) Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4847/1 Astronomical studies don't always go according to plan, from cosmic surprises to terrestrial mistakes. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines how some of the astronomical accidents have led to discoveries about the universe. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 03 Sep 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4846/1 There are growing perceptions of a new race to the Moon between China and the United States. James Clay Moltz assesses the approaches the two countries are taking to lunar exploration and sees an advantage in the international partnerships of Artemis. info@thespacereview.com (James Clay Moltz) Mon, 19 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4845/1 The biggest news from this month's Smallsat conference in Utah was that the conference was moving to a larger venue in a larger city. Jeff Foust reports this parallels the growth in the smallsat industry, and of smallsats themselves. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4844/1 NASA is weighing different approaches to its Mars Sample Return program to lower its costs and speed up the return of samples. Dale Skran advocates for an approach that ties the effort more closely to future human exploration of the Red Planet. info@thespacereview.com (Dale Skran) Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4843/1 Modern space law is built om foundations established more than 50 years ago. Roger Quinland provides an overview of those treaties and rules and some of the challenges they face today. info@thespacereview.com (Roger Quinland) Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4842/1 Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is still docked to the International Space Station, more than two months into a stay originally planned to be as short as eight days. Jeff Foust reports on the ongoing discussions at NASA about whether the spacecraft can safely return to Earth with astronauts on board or if the agency will need a backup plan. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 Aug 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4841/1 Using satellite imagery to track the development of aircraft carriers has more than historical significance. Dwayne Day explores how commercial satellite imagery is being used by open-source analysts to track China's development of new carriers. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4840/1 In the early 1960s, the US Air Force awarded contracts to several companies to study concepts for a military space station. Hans Dolfing examines what the companies proposed for those stations and what experiments the Air Force considered performing on them. info@thespacereview.com (Hans Dolfing) Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4839/1 NASA's plans to deorbit the International Space Station at the end of its life have sparked criticism from those who would like to preserve it in some way. Madhu Thangavelu makes the case for a space museum to preserve the ISS and other historic spacecraft for future generations. info@thespacereview.com (Madhu Thangavelu) Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4838/1 Some in the space community have pushed for the United States to more closely cooperate with China in space. Mariam Kvaratskhelia argues that the United States is doing enough given what each country has to gain from any new civil space partnership. info@thespacereview.com (Mariam Kvaratskhelia) Mon, 29 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4837/1 Both the number of satellites and debris objects in low Earth orbit is increasing, showing the need to tackle a growing problem. Jeff Foust reports, though, that realizing there is a problem is easier than trying to solve it. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4836/1 NASA is pressing ahead with plans to deorbit the International Space Station at the end of the decade, recently awarding SpaceX a contract for a deorbit vehicle. Ajay Kothari describes how the station could be saved in a higher orbit for potentially far less money. info@thespacereview.com (Ajay Kothari) Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4835/1 The International Astronautical Congress is one of the biggest annual conferences in the space field, attracting 10,000 people. But, Brian Harvey states, the organizers are for some reason making harder for the media to cover what goes on there. info@thespacereview.com (Brian Harvey) Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4834/1 Living in space today requires roughing it in ways like extreme camping. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines what it would take to make living in space a little more comfortable, from a freshly prepared meal to a shower. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4833/1 NASA announced last week it was cancelling VIPER, a robotic lunar rover mission, a move that took some by surprise given that the rover was virtually complete after spending nearly half a billion dollars. Jeff Foust reports on why NASA is walking away from the mission and its implications for commercial lunar landers. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4832/1 There is growing concern about the effect of jamming of GPS signals on sectors like aviation. Lauren Miller describes how those concerns can be mitigated by the use of backup systems even as some countries consider doing away with terrestrial alternatives to satellite-based navigation. info@thespacereview.com (Lauren Miller) Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4831/1 Both China and Russia have invested in new signals intelligence, or SIGINT, satellites to eavesdrop on Western communications and specifically for naval reconnaissance. Matthew Mowthorpe examines what is known about those satellites. info@thespacereview.com (Matthew Mowthorpe) Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4830/1 The Challenger disaster is a familiar tale for those in the space community, a warning about both technology and institutions. Jeff Foust reviews a new book that is less about uncovering new details about the accident than about putting the failures that led to the tragedy in perspective. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4829/1 After more than 300 consecutive successful launches, a Falcon 9 suffered an in-flight anomaly last week, dooming its payload of Starlink satellites. Jeff Foust reports on the failure and its implications for a space industry that had become increasingly reliant on that vehicle. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4828/1 Starting in the 1960s, US spy satellites took images of American aircraft carriers as a test of its ability to track Soviet ships. Dwayne Day examines some of those images have have been released from government archives. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4827/1 One of the major rulings by the US Supreme Court last month was to repeal a practice known as "Chevron Deference" regarding the ability of agencies to enact regulations. Michael Listner examines what it means for orbital debris rules. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4826/1 When Bulgaria signed the Artemis Accords last year, it was more than the country signaling its interest in sustainable space exploration. Svetoslav Alexandrov explains how it also showed that the country was signaling a break from its history in spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Svetoslav Alexandrov) Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4825/1 As Ariane 6 approaches the launch pad for its inaugural launch, some wonder if it and other vehicles stand a chance against SpaceX's Starship. Jeff Foust reports on how companies are making the cases for their rockets while, in some cases, keeping a close eye on Starship development. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4824/1 In the conclusion of his examination of the Thor rocket's legacy at Vandenberg, Dwayne Day provides a gallery of launches of that rocket from there in the early Space Age. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4823/1 Commercial space activities have opened new opportunities, but also created a backlash. Tony Milligan discusses how those activities, and the people behind them, have sparked criticism from people who see spaceflight as only an "elite pastime" that should be curtailed. info@thespacereview.com (Tony Milligan) Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4822/1 This week marks the 62nd anniversary of Starfish Prime, a US nuclear weapons test in space that had impacts both on satellites and the ground. Ajey Lele notes this anniversary carries renewed interest given claims Russia is developing a space nuclear weapon. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4821/1 Original plans called for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner to spend as little as eight days at the International Space Station, but its stay is now likely to last well over a month. Jeff Foust reports on the issues causing the extension and the difficulties communicating them to the public. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4820/1 In the second part of a series about the Thor rocket, Dwayne Day looks at operations of the Thor at Vandenberg Air Force Base and its legacy as a workhorse of the American space program for decades. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4819/1 NASA and others are doing research on the space station to improve the health of astronauts for long stays in space. Dylan Taylor notes such research has potential benefits extending the lives of people on Earth. info@thespacereview.com (Dylan Taylor) Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4818/1 The space community has become more diverse, and brings with it new viewpoints and concepts. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers an eclectic collection of essays on the topic of space and feminism, from art and architecture to astronaut interviews. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4817/1 Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the first commercial suborbital human spaceflight by SpaceShipOne, a milestone that at the time appeared to open a new era. Jeff Foust reports on how instead the field faces an uncertain future as spaceflight goes in other directions. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4816/1 The Thor missile turned into a workhorse launch vehicle for the Air Force in the early years of the space program, evolving into the Delta. Dwayne Day describes those initial operations of Thor at Vandenberg Air Force Base thanks to new images of activities there. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 24 Jun 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4815/1 There remains optimism for future commercial space markets, from commercial space stations to mining space resources. Roger Handberg argues those plans ignore the fact that the space industry has been built on providing data services to Earth. info@thespacereview.com (Roger Handberg) Mon, 24 Jun 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4814/1 The space shuttle represented not just a change in accessing space but also how NASA interacted with the public. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines how the agency sought to involve the public more in spaceflight to help secure its support. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Jun 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4813/1 In early 1959, crews were preparing for what was to be the first orbital launch attempt from Vandenberg Air Force Base when things went wrong, with nearly tragic results. Dwayne Day examines the near-explosion on the pad and how it shaped the Air Force's space engineering processes. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4812/1 Ten countries have signed the Artemis Accords so far this year, as many as signed all of last year. Jeff Foust reports on what is driving the growing interest in the document outlining best practices for responsible space exploration. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4811/1 A new surge of government and commercial space activity is opening up the Moon for exploration and development. But, Martin Elvis warns, that activity would interfere with aspects of the Moon that make it an ideal outpost for astronomy. info@thespacereview.com (Martin Elvis) Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4810/1 The history of spaceflight offers plenty of material for makers of documentaries, but so does the frenzied modern era. Jeff Foust reviews two documentaries screened at a recent film festival, one on Apollo 13 and the other on the commercial space race of today. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Jun 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4809/1 During the Cold War, the NRO explored options for obtaining reconnaissance photos rapidly in a crisis, most of which relied on existing launch systems. Joseph Page discusses one concept that would have instead involved a "Franken-rocket" launched from a fighter jet. info@thespacereview.com (Joseph T. Page II) Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4808/1 NASA announced last week it is changing how it operates the Hubble Space Telescope after one of its three remaining gyros malfunctioned. Jeff Foust reports on efforts to keep the telescope running as long as possible as the debate about a private servicing mission reached a crescendo. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4807/1 An Indian startup successfully carried out a suborbital test of a launch vehicle last month. Jatan Mehta cautions that, despite this milestone, Indian companies face many obstacles entering the commercial launch industry. info@thespacereview.com (Jatan Mehta) Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4806/1 There is a growing interest among some companies in setting up power-intensive data centers in orbit. Lawrence Furnival examines some of the technical and financial issues regarding the concept. info@thespacereview.com (Lawrence Furnival) Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4805/1 After years of delays, Boeing and NASA appeared ready to finally launch astronauts on the company's Starliner spacecraft, until they ran into another set of problems. Jeff Foust reports on the latest delays for a program that has suffered more than its share of problems. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4804/1 There has been little progress at the United Nations on space security issues, as seen in a pair of recent Security Council debates. Ajey Lele argues that space security is being held hostage to geopolitics among China, Russia, and the United States. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4803/1 Two meetings earlier this year examined governance issues regarding space resources. Dennis O'Brien offers his notes from those meetings and the potential for coming to agreement on a regime covering their use. info@thespacereview.com (Dennis O'Brien) Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4802/1 The World War II-era carrier USS Hornet played a role in space history by serving as the recovery ship for Apollo 11 and 12. Dwayne Day reviews a book about the carrier that includes rare photos of its work on those missions. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4801/1 Last week marked the fifth anniversary of the first SpaceX launch dedicated to its Starlink constellation, which now has more than 6,000 satellites in orbit. Jeff Foust reports on how Starlink has, over those five years, had impacts from business to geopolitics. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 28 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4800/1 A recent four-part documentary examined the shuttle Columbia accident and its aftermath. Dwayne Day discusses how that show overlooked one key aspect of it: the investigation into the accident that uncovered its technical and other causes. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Tue, 28 May 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4799/1 When Ed Dwight flew on a Blue Origin suborbital flight earlier this month, it was billed as the fulfillment of a quest that started more than six decades ago. John Logsdon examines Dwight's role as what many have called the first Black astronaut candidate. info@thespacereview.com (John Logsdon) Tue, 28 May 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4798/1 Some have argued that planetary protection protocols, designed to prevent humans from contaminating other worlds and vice versa, are outdated. Dylan Taylor argues that planetary protection remains vital even in a new era of space exploration. info@thespacereview.com (Dylan Taylor) Tue, 28 May 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4797/1 In the second part of his examination of Russian research into counterspace weapons, Bart Hendrickx examines work on alternative concepts like plasma and electromagnetic pulse weapons. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4796/1 What sort of infrastructure is needed on the Moon to enable visions of a lunar economy? Jeff Foust reports on a DARPA study that brought together companies to develop an ecosystem of lunar services, although who will pay for it is less certain. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 May 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4795/1 Objects in satellite catalogs can be lost and recovered, making it a challenge to identify which object came from which launch. Charles Phillips describes one approach that uses one aspect of an object's orbital elements to help identify it. info@thespacereview.com (Charles Phillips) Mon, 20 May 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4794/1 The Strategic Defense Initiative was a controversial program decades ago to develop a space-based missile defense system. Jeff Foust reviews a book that provides a new history of SDI and lessons it offers to today's debates about missile defense and anti-satellite weapons. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 May 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4793/1 US government officials revealed in February that Russia was developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon of some kind, but offered few details. Bart Hendrickx examines the state of Russian research on the potential use of nuclear weapons in orbit as anti-satellite devices. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 13 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4792/1 As commercial launch activity continues to increase, the FAA office regulating launches is straining to keep up. Jeff Foust reports that some in industry, as well as an FAA advisory committee, think part of the solution is to move that office out of the FAA. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 May 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4791/1 Launch vehicles that can take off from and land on runways have long been a dream for space engineers and enthusiasts, but have never gotten off the ground. John Hollaway describes why they remain essential and how they might be developed. info@thespacereview.com (John Hollaway) Mon, 13 May 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4790/1 Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets over the last three decades, a remarkable menagerie of worlds. Jeff Foust reviews a book by one scientists that describes the efforts to both search for exoplanets and look for one that may be inhabitable or inhabited. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 May 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4789/1 Ongoing space access problems forced Europe to use a Falcon 9 to launch a pair of Galileo navigation satellites recently. Jeff Foust reports that the "launcher crisis" plaguing Europe shows signs of ending. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4788/1 As soon as Monday night Boeing will launch its CST-100 Starliner on its first crewed flight. Wendy Whitman Cobb discusses why this long-delayed flight is nonetheless a key development for commercial spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Wendy Whitman Cobb) Mon, 06 May 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4787/1 A piece of debris jettisoned from the International Space Station hit a house in Florida in March. Thomas Cheney describes how space debris can play a growing risk not just in orbit but also on the ground, testing international space law. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Cheney) Mon, 06 May 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4786/1 Last September NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully returned samples from the asteroid Bennu, seven years after its launch. Jeff Foust reviews a book by the mission's principal investigator that describes the long effort to develop the mission and how it overcame obstacles along the way. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 May 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4785/1 Mars scientists hoped they would have a better idea of when and how they would get samples back from Mars after NASA completed an internal study of the Mars Sample Return program. Instead, as Jeff Foust reports, NASA is now turning to industry for help on how to reduce the costs and accelerate the schedule of MSR. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4784/1 In the 1970s, US intelligence analysts were concerned about Soviet lasers intended to illuminate American satellites. Dwayne Day examines how the CIA attempted to study those efforts with a telescope in Iran, only to be thwarted by the revolution there. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4783/1 China is scheduled to launch later this week Chang'e-6, the first mission to attempt to return samples from the far side of the Moon. Carlos Alatorre explores what is driving the country's efforts to go to lunar farside and bring back samples. info@thespacereview.com (Carlos Alatorre) Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4782/1 Some argue that the Outer Space Treaty, drafted at the height of the Cold War, is outdated in an era where there are more countries and companies operating in space. Jeff Foust reviews a book that tries to make that case, turning to history and treaties in other fields. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4781/1 NASA sent its final commands to the Ingenuity Mars helicopter last week, three months after the helicopter's final flight. Will Pomerantz describes the remarkable achievements of Ingenuity and its influence on future missions. info@thespacereview.com (Will Pomerantz) Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4780/1 Earlier this month NASA announced a new Space Sustainability Strategy that outlines how the agency would address the growing threats posed by orbital debris. Jeff Foust reports on the strategy, which initially emphasizes getting a grasp on the problem rather than technological solutions. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4779/1 Years before Yuri Gagarin went into orbit or Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, the Belgian cartoon character Tintin did the same. Anusuya Datta looks at Tintin's exploits and how the cartoonist Herge was able to make the journey realistic. info@thespacereview.com (Anusuya Datta) Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4778/1 The Moon continues to compel our interest, both individually and as a society, even as our knowledge of it changes. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers a history of our studies of the Moon intertwined with the author's own experiences with our celestial neighbor. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4777/1 Astronauts on the first Artemis landing missions will be on foot, but later on could have their choice of vehicles to roam across the lunar terrain. Jeff Foust reports on the latest milestones in the development of lunar rovers with commercial and international partners. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4776/1 Decades ago, FARRAH was not just the name of a famous actress but also of a classified satellite program. Dwayne Day examines what is known about FARRAH (the satellite) after a model of it appeared at a museum. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4775/1 A "learning period" that has restricted regulation of commercial human spaceflight in the US for nearly two decades could soon be ending. David Gillette and Emma Rohrbach argue that the learning period supported innovation in ways that could be extended to other fields. info@thespacereview.com (David Gillette and Emma Rohrbach) Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4774/1 In the early 1960s, the United States and Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space, with disastrous results for many satellites in orbit at the time. Michael Mulvihill discusses those tests and why they show the perils of a potential Russian nuclear ASAT weapon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4773/1 While the US started operating electro-optical reconnaissance satellites in the mid-1970s, it continued to launch film-return satellites for another decade. Dwayne Day examines why those systems overlapped based on newly declassified documents. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 08 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4772/1 Recent observations showed a North Korean satellite launched last year has changed its orbit, demonstrating it is operational. Marco Langbroek shows how those observations indicate that the maneuvers are being commanded by a specific facility in North Korea. info@thespacereview.com (Marco Langbroek) Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4771/1 In the concluding part of their examination of space rescue capabilities, Benjamin Johnis and Peter Garretson offer some space rescue scenarios and policy recommendations to ensure US leadership in this emerging area. info@thespacereview.com (Benjamin Johnis and Peter Garretson) Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4770/1 Next week, millions across North America will watch a total solar eclipse, which means they'll be watching the Moon. Jeff Foust review a book that offers an expansive exploration of the Moon and its effects on our planet and ourselves. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4769/1 Sound may not travel through the vacuum of space, but music is at the heart of many movies and shows about spaceflight. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the history of space soundtracks as well as real music in space. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 01 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4768/1 Europe's Euclid space telescope launched last year includes an artwork featuring the literal fingerprints of hundreds who worked on the mission. Artist Lisa Pettibone describes the creation of that piece and the value of combining art and science. info@thespacereview.com (Lisa Pettibone) Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4767/1 As human activities grow in space, there will be requirements to rescue personnel just as on Earth. Benjamin Johnis and Peter Garretson describe why it is vital for the US military to start examining its roles in space rescue now before China establishes its rules. info@thespacereview.com (Benjamin Johnis and Peter Garretson) Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4766/1 Next week, millions across North America will watch a total solar eclipse, which means they'll be watching the Moon. Jeff Foust review a book that offers an expansive exploration of the Moon and its effects on our planet and ourselves. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4765/1 With the first two commercial lunar lander missions by US companies in the books, NASA and industry are taking stock of what worked and what didn't. Jeff Foust reports on those analyses as NASA charts the future of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4764/1 In the concluding portion of his two-part essay, Cody Knipfer examines the potential benefits, and drawbacks, of a naming competition for elements of NASA's Artemis lunar exploration campaign. info@thespacereview.com (Cody Knipfer) Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4763/1 Comments last month by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee led to revelations that Russia was developing some kind of nuclear antisatellite weapon. Brian Chow argues similar awareness is needed among policymakers about growing Chinese antisatellite capabilities. info@thespacereview.com (Brian Chow) Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4762/1 Through four seasons, the television show "For All Mankind" has crafted a very different history of NASA and space exploration. Val Nolan describes how it also serves as a vehicle for telling very personal stories. info@thespacereview.com (Cody Knipfer) Mon, 25 Mar 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4761/1 SpaceX conducted the third integrated test flight of its Starship/Super Heavy vehicle last week, going further and faster than before. Jeff Foust reports on the company's progress on the vehicle but also its need to move even faster in its development. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4760/1 The Texas state government has reestablished a space commission more than two decades after the previous one was shut down. Thomas Matula argues that a priority for the new commission should be to establish a launch site for the state's growing space industry. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Matula) Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4759/1 Names carry with them meanings, be they for people or spaceflight programs. In the first of two-part essay, Cody Knipfer looks at the history of how NASA has named its various programs and missions. info@thespacereview.com (Cody Knipfer) Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4758/1 NASA and others have studied the effects of isolation and confinement in long-duration spaceflight. Jeff Foust reviews a documentary that examines the subject from the perspectives of astronauts and others interested in eventually going to Mars. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4757/1 The Centaur upper stage has become a key element for a series of launch vehicles, most recently the Vulcan. But as Trevor Williams describes, it suffered problems during its origins more than six decades ago. info@thespacereview.com (Trevor Williams) Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4756/1 The Indian government last month revealed the identities of the four test pilots who have been training for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. Jatan Mehta provides an update on the state of that program. info@thespacereview.com (Jatan Mehta) Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4755/1 Going to Mars involves many technical challenges, but another set of issues involves how crews will work together in confined spaces far from Earth for years at a time. Nick Kanas examines some of those problems and potential solutions. info@thespacereview.com (Nick Kanas) Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4754/1 SpaceX is developing Starship with the long-term goal of transporting people to Mars, but what happens once they get there? Jeff Foust reviews a book by a long-time Mars settlement advocate that tries to explain how and why people would live on Mars. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4753/1 Many in the West had written off a North Korean reconnaissance satellite launched last November as a failure. Marco Langbroek describes how the satellite appears to be alive after recent maneuvers. info@thespacereview.com (Marco Langbroek) Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4752/1 While current telescopes, on the ground and in space, are revealing new insights about the universe, astronomers have plans for even more ambitious observatories. Jeff Foust reports on the progress and problems those efforts face. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4751/1 The United States has by far the largest government space program, but is not without its challenges. Namrata Goswami examines the current states of government space policies and strategies, as well as problems and missed opportunities. info@thespacereview.com (Namrata Goswami) Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4750/1 Richard Truly, a former NASA astronaut and, later, administrator, passed away last week. Emily Carney recalls his life from the perspective of seeing his first shuttle launch. info@thespacereview.com (Emily Carney) Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4749/1 Last week Intuitive Machines became the first company to land a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon, but the spacecraft ended up on its side with limited power and communications. Jeff Foust reports on the landing and in what ways it can be considered a success. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4748/1 During much of the Cold War a US Air Force unit operated a nuclear ASAT installation on distant Johnston Island. Dwayne Day examines the history of that facility as revealed in a newly uncovered set of images. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4747/1 As society makes greater use of space-based capabilities, those satellites become increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Sylvester Kaczmarek discusses evolving space cyber threats and the need for global cooperation to address them. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4746/1 Concerns about the prospects of space warfare grew earlier this month amid reports that Russia was developing some kind of nuclear ASAT. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the concepts of war in space using an approach likely best appreciated by those in the military. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4745/1 Some in the space industry have long believed that reusable rockets could tap a large market for high-speed point-to-point transportation. Jeff Foust reports on how the US military is exploring a "Rocket Cargo" program that could do just that, if it can overcome technical and other obstacles. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4744/1 New Mexico's Spaceport America is facing a lull in activity when Virgin Galactic stops VSS Unity flights later this year while developing a new line of suborbital spaceplanes. Thomas Matula argues this shows the flaws in the approach the state took to develop the spaceport as compared to the original visions for the site. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Matula) Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4743/1 On Saturday, India launched its latest geosynchronous orbit weather satellite. Ajey Lele describes the evolution of India's weather satellites over the last several decades and whether the country's current capabilities are sufficient. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4742/1 It's been more than 40 years since Guy Bluford became the first Black American in space, the culmination of efforts dating back more than two decades. Jeff Foust reviews a new documentary that profiles some of the first Black men who sought to become NASA astronauts. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 19 Feb 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4741/1 Concerns about the budget and plans for NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) program came to a head last week when JPL laid off more than 500 employees, citing budget uncertainty about the program. Jeff Foust reports on the issues that have put the future of MSR into question for some. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4740/1 A precursor to GPS was the Transit series of navigation satellites, dating back more than 60 years. Dwayne Day discusses some of the early Transit satellites that used nuclear rather than solar power. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4739/1 The first lunar lander by Intuitive Machines is scheduled to launch this week, carrying NASA and commercial payloads. Jack Burns describes one of the NASA instruments on the IM-1 lander and the value of commercial access to the lunar surface. info@thespacereview.com (Jack Burns) Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4738/1 The Space Shuttle was the biggest effort to develop a spaceplane that sough to make spaceflight as routine as aviation. Jeff Foust reviews a new history of the shuttle program that puts the vehicle into that broader context. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 12 Feb 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4737/1 NASA released last month a long-awaited economic assessment of space-based solar power, concluding that it would be far more expensive than terrestrial alternatives. Jeff Foust reports on how some in space solar power community are pushing back against those conclusions, concerned it will have a chilling effect on the field. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4736/1 Jodrell Bank Observatory in England has been used for radio astronomy and, on occasion, listening for Soviet spacecraft. Dwayne Day describes how it was also used to help search for a "missing link" in Soviet spacecraft communications. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4735/1 Ingenuity, whose mission ended last month, was a first-of-its-kind Mars helicopter with no guarantees more will follow soon. Ari Allyn-Feuer discusses how sending a large number of similar helicopters could advance Martian exploration in novel ways. info@thespacereview.com (Ari Allyn-Feue) Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4734/1 NASA started its Discovery program more than three decades ago to fund a line of lower cost, higher risk planetary science missions. Jeff Foust reviews a NASA history of the program's origins and how, over time, its missions became more expensive and risk-averse. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 05 Feb 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4733/1 The presence of cremated remains on the Peregrine lunar lander sparked controversy after the Navajo Nation expressed its objections. Deana Weibel examines the varying beliefs regarding the Moon and the challenges navigating them that entities planning lunar missions face. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4732/1 NASA announced last week the the Ingenuity Mars helicopter's mission had come to an end after it was damaged on a flight earlier this month. Jeff Foust reports on the success of Ingenuity and its implications for Mars exploration and future technology demonstrations. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4731/1 A Chinese launch earlier this month had repercussions for an ongoing election in Taiwan. Ajey Lele discusses that incident and related ones in a contentious part of the world. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4730/1 Relativity Space launched its first Terran 1 rocket last year, then promptly retired it to focus on a larger vehicle. Jeff Foust reviews a book where the company offers a look at the development of both the startup and the rocket. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4729/1 On Friday, Japan landed its SLIM spacecraft on the Moon, a day after Astrobotic bid farewell to its Peregrine lander. Jeff Foust reports on how the two missions have measured varying degrees of success amid problems they encountered. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4728/1 Many space companies struggle to fill open positions as the best workers seek new opportunities. Joseph Horvath argues that companies should instead look to other industries to find new employees. info@thespacereview.com (Joseph Horvath) Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4727/1 Australia has established a space agency and is working to build up a space industry in the country, but what does the public there think about space? Four researchers describe the results of the first-of-its-kind opinion survey on space in Australia. info@thespacereview.com (Tristan Moss et al.) Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4726/1 The universe, once thought to be fairly static, is instead turning out to be dynamic and violent, with supernova explosions and gamma-ray bursts, among other phenomena. Jeff Foust reviews a book that tries to make sense of a chaotic cosmos. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 22 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4725/1 In January 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration, which included a goal of landing humans back on the Moon by 2020. Jeff Foust reports on how, despite missing that deadline and recent setbacks, the effort to return to the Moon may be on firmer ground than at any time in the last two decades. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4724/1 Many of the efforts in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence over the years have focused on radio searches in specific frequency bands. Owen Johnson describes a new project focused at much lower frequencies. info@thespacereview.com (Owen Johnson) Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4723/1 Past studies have looked at doing suborbital refueling or docking for reusable launch vehicles. Francis Chastaing puts those studies together to offer a new approach. info@thespacereview.com (Francis Chastaing) Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4722/1 The search for evidence of life beyond Earth has taken many paths of varying degrees of scientific rigor. Jeff Foust reviews a book by an astrophysicist who examines those approaches, from looking for biosignatures on other planets to observations of UAPs. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4721/1 The first launch of a new rocket carried the first lunar lander developed by a startup. Jeff Foust reports on how ULA's Vulcan finally soared while Astrobotic's Peregrine unfortunately stumbled. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4720/1 An Indian spacecraft, Aditya-L1, reached its orbit around the Earth-Sun L1 point over the weekend to carry out a mission of observing the Sun. Ajey Lele discusses the importance of the mission for both space science and India. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4719/1 Last week, the commercial arm of India's space agency ISRO announced it would launch a communications satellite not on one of India's own rockets but instead with SpaceX. Aditya Chaturvedi examines the implications of that decision. info@thespacereview.com (Aditya Chaturvedi) Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4718/1 The International Space Station has been the setting for movies featuring conflicts and disasters. Jeff Foust reviews a novel that instead offers a day in the life of a fictional crew on the station. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 08 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4717/1 In the concluding part of their examination of American and Soviet military space station programs, Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne A. Day examine the factors that led to their downfall and the legacies of each effort. zirconic1@cox.net (Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne Day) Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4716/1 A new year brings with it new hopes for new launch vehicles. Jeff Foust reports on the launch vehicles making the first (or second) flights this year after extended delays. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 02 Jan 2024 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4715/1 Were the moons of Mars captured by the planet or created from collisions? Ben Rider-Stokes discusses that mystery and a Japanese mission that could provide a way to solve it. info@thespacereview.com (Ben Rider-Stokes) Tue, 02 Jan 2024 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4714/1 For the last year and a half, the James Webb Space Telescope has provided stunning images of the universe. Jeff Foust review a book that features stunning images of JWST taken during its long development. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 02 Jan 2024 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4713/1 In the second part of their study of military space station programs, Dwayne Day and Bart Hendrickx examine the progress the US made on MOL and the USSR on Almaz in the late 1960s. zirconic1@cox.net (Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne Day) Mon, 18 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4712/1 Industry and government in the US have been working for years to develop a procedure for "mission authorization" or the oversight of commercial spacecraft not currently licensed. Jeff Foust reports that dueling proposals from Congress and the White House may mean that debate is far from over. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4711/1 Besides serving as a launch vehicle, SpaceX is working on a lunar lander version of Starship. Thomas Matula discusses how Starship will be valuable not just for transporting large amounts of cargo to the Moon but also through providing infrastructure. info@thespacereview.com (Thomas Matula) Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4710/1 The growing population of objects in Earth orbit, along with increasing threats, has become a major issue for satellite operators. Brien Flewelling discusses how automation and artificial intelligence can respond more quickly to a dynamic environment. jeff@thespacereview.com (Brien Flewelling) Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4709/1 Astronauts may seem like the closest people to perfection, but even they make mistakes. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers life lessons based on the mistakes and setbacks experienced by one former astronaut. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4708/1 In the 1960s the Soviet Union and the United States embarked on efforts to develop military space stations. Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne Day examine the origins of both the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and Almaz programs. zirconic1@cox.net (Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne Day) Mon, 11 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4707/1 External budget pressures and problems with some missions have put new pressures on NASA's planetary science program. Despite those difficulties, Jeff Foust reports on how advocates for Venus exploration are seeking to build support for a long-term series of missions there. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4706/1 Saudi Arabia announced early this year it would withdraw from the Moon Treaty, only about a decade after acceding to it. Michael Listner explores the reasons why an emerging space nation would seek to back out of that treaty. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4705/1 Many people argue that there is a new "space race" underway among the US, China, and others to control the Moon. Jeff Foust reviews a book that tried to make that argument but suffers from serious flaws. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4704/1 After months of discussion, ESA member states agreed last month to start a commercial cargo program as a prelude to a potential human spaceflight effort. Jeff Foust reports on the new initiative and the challenges it faces. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4703/1 The UK government announced this fall an agreement with Axiom Space that could lead to a private mission flown entirely by British astronauts. Simonetta Di Pippo discusses why this is an important milestone in the role of companies in human spaceflight in Europe and beyond. info@thespacereview.com (Simonetta Di Pippo) Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4702/1 Successfully landing a spacecraft on the Moon helped raise the profile of India's space capabilities. Daniel Duchaine argues that it also made India a global space power, and brings with it potential geopolitical ramifications. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Duchaine) Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4701/1 The secret aircraft testing base known as Area 51 has been the subject of fascination, and of conspiracies, for decades. Dwayne Day reviews a new book that offers the most authoritative look yet at the work performed at Groom Lake. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4700/1 At a European Space Summit earlier this month, ESA member states agreed to both support existing launch vehicles and open the door to future competition. Jeff Foust reports on how government and industry officials in Europe are viewing the prospects for new competition for launch services. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4699/1 Russia has two GEO satellites that are eavesdropping on commercial communications satellites. Bart Hendrickx examines who in Russia is operating those satellites and what their future plans might be. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4698/1 India's Chandryaan-3 lander marked the beginning of a new wave of missions focused on studying the Moon's south polar region, thought to contain water ice. Paul Hayne describes how future missions will help better identify the presence and accessibility of that ice. info@thespacereview.com (Paul Hayne) Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4697/1 Any proposal for the terraforming of Mars requires the production of huge volumes of oxygen. John Strickland examines just how much effort would be required to create that oxygen. info@thespacereview.com (John Strickland) Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4696/1 A Russian satellite known as Luch has been drifting in the GEO belt for nearly a decade, eavesdropping on commercial communications satellites. Bart Hendrickx discusses what is known about that spacecraft and a similar satellite launched earlier this year. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4695/1 On Saturday, SpaceX launched its Starship/Super Heavy vehicle for a second time. Jeff Foust reports on the progress the company demonstrated with that launch and NASA's concerns about the rate of that progress towards returning humans to the Moon. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4694/1 One argument for space settlement has been to make life multiplanetary. Tyler Bender examines the threats to life on Earth that make it necessary to expand life beyond Earth to ensure its survival. info@thespacereview.com (Tyler Bender) Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4693/1 In his final essay about his suborbital spaceflight, Alan Stern reflects on his accomplishment and what it means for the future of commercial spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4692/1 A Soviet crewed launch to the Salyut-7 space station suffered a launch failure in the fall of 1983, with the launch abort system on the Soyuz spacecraft saving the crew. Dwayne Day and Asif Siddiqi describe what is now known about that failure and how the United States discovered it happened. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day and Asif Siddiqi) Mon, 13 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4691/1 Space-based solar power has been a topic of debate for decades without much progress on the feasibility of the technology required. Jeff Foust reports on a Caltech project that is wrapping up testing in orbit of three specific technologies needed for it. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4690/1 There are plenty of books that have taken an optimistic view of the prospects of humans living and working permanently in space, but far fewer critical assessments. Jeff Foust reviews a book that does take a more skeptical view of space settlements based on the reasons for building them and the challenges they face. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4689/1 Before his suborbital spaceflight last week, Alan Stern had a number of questions about the experience. He returns with answers to them. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4688/1 There is a growing push among developers of large science missions to make use of new heavy-lift launch vehicles that offer increased mass and volume at potentially lower costs. Jeff Foust reports on the benefits of that approach as well as its challenges. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4687/1 The FCC last month issued its first-ever fine to a company for failing to properly dispose of a satellite after the end of its life. Leighton Brown and Paul Stimers discuss the FCC's action and the agency's legal basis for regulating orbital debris. info@thespacereview.com (Leighton Brown and Paul Stimers) Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4686/1 On Thursday, Alan Stern successfully completed his first suborbital spaceflight with Virgin Galactic. He describes some of important, but little-discussed, aspects of the experience. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4685/1 Some final thoughts from Alan Stern about risk and reward before he goes on his suborbital spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4684/1 With a day to go before his suborbital spaceflight, Alan Stern ponders what the experience will be like. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4683/1 Alan Stern describes the symbolism behind the patches associated with his upcoming suborbital spaceflight as well as what mementos he is taking with him on the trip. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4682/1 The 1970s saw a new wave of proposals for satellite photo-reconnaissance that didn't advance beyond the drawing board. Dwayne Day examines what is known about those concepts, from "crisis reconnaissance" to systems that took advantage of the shuttle. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4681/1 While it is still years before commercial space stations start operations, there are already changes in the relationships of the companies involved in those efforts. Jeff Foust reports on the formation and potential breaking up of partnerships as those companies face new fiscal pressures. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4680/1 Given the success of the mission and the stunning images it is producing, it's little surprise the James Webb Space Telescope is the subject of an IMAX documentary. Jeff Foust reviews the film and compares it to another recent documentary about the mission. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4679/1 Training for a suborbital research mission is different from what space tourists go through, as Alan Stern explains in his latest essay about his upcoming Virgin Galactic flight. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Sat, 28 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4678/1 In the third of his series of essays about his upcoming suborbital flight, Alan Stern describes how commercial suborbital vehicles can revolutionize research and education. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4677/1 As commercial launch activity increases, it puts pressure on regulators to keep up while maintaining safety. Jeff Foust reports on those tensions between companies and the US government that came up at a recent congressional hearing. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4676/1 In the second of his essays about his upcoming suborbital flight, Alan Stern outlines the objectives of the mission and its second-by-second research timeline. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4675/1 After decades of dreaming and striving to go to space, Alan Stern will go on a Virgin Galactic suborbital research flight next week. In a first in a series of essays, he describes his lifelong ambitions about spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Alan Stern) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4674/1 In the days before the Gaganyaan abort test, India's prime minister announced ambitious new goals for the country, including landing an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. Ajey Lele examines those goals and their feasibility. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4673/1 India's space agency successfully tested a launch escape system for its Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft program on Saturday. Gurbir Singh discusses the importance of that test in the context of India's human spaceflight ambitions. info@thespacereview.com (Gurbir Singh) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4672/1 Phil Pressel, who helped design the cameras used on the HEXAGON reconnaissance satellites, passed away last week at the age of 86. Dwayne Day offers an obituary of Pressel. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:55:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4671/1 During the 1960s there were many proposals for reconnaissance satellites that never got much beyond the concept stage. Dwayne Day examines what is known about some of those ideas for photo-reconnaissance space systems. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 16 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4670/1 After years of development, the first commercial landers developed as part of a NASA program are finally ready for launch. Jeff Foust reports on the progress of those landers and whether they can beat the odds. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4669/1 The new space race emerging among countries and companies draws comparisons to the original space race of the 1960s. Aditya Chaturvedi examines changing geopolitics amid the growing importance of space. info@thespacereview.com (Aditya Chaturvedi) Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4668/1 Space advocates have long attempted to attract as wide an audience as possible to their positions. A.J. Mackenzie argues that approach should have some limits, as demonstrated by two recent events. info@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4667/1 It's been more than five years since a space policy document directed a transfer of US civil space traffic management work from the Defense Department to the Commerce Department. Jeff Foust reports that, after a slow start, Commerce is making progress on establishing its own space traffic management capability. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4666/1 The rise of artificial intelligence has stoked fears about the impact of the technology on the society. Janet Vertesi argues that an example of how NASA uses AI shows the future need not be dystopian. info@thespacereview.com (Janet Vertesi) Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4665/1 A social media post last month from the Secretary of Energy appeared to show support for space solar power. Mike Snead argues it's time for the US to get serious about this technology. info@thespacereview.com (Mike Snead) Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4664/1 Many astronauts have written memoirs, but few have become movies. Jeff Foust reviews one such film that dramatizes the rise of a son of migrant farmworkers to shuttle astronaut. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 09 Oct 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4663/1 This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, whose start took both the United States and Israel by surprise. Dwayne Day notes that surprise was exacerbated by decisions made years earlier that limited the ability of the US to obtain satellite reconnaissance of the region. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4662/1 Just a few days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, ESA announced it was cancelling its partnership with Roscosmos on the ExoMars mission. Brian Harvey describes how ESA, and its member states, have offered little explanation about how they reached that decision, and so quickly. info@thespacereview.com (Brian Harvey) Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4661/1 The National Academies published last month a new decadal survey for biological and physical sciences research in space. Jeff Foust reports on the study, which has an ambitious goal of increasing NASA funding of such work by a factor of ten. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4660/1 Several companies are pursuing technologies to enable satellites to be refueled in orbit. Manny Shar discusses why that technology is worth the effort. info@thespacereview.com (Manny Shar) Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4659/1 Most people know of the founder of SpaceX, but how well do people know Elon Musk? Jeff Foust reviews a new biography that attempts to not just recount Musk's life but also what makes him tick. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4658/1 On Sunday, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned to Earth, dropping off a capsule containing samples collected from the asteroid Bennu. Jeff Foust reports on the success of the first part of NASA's "Asteroid Autumn" that includes a launch and a flyby. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4657/1 One of the customers on a Virgin Galactic suborbital flight earlier this month took with him fossils from two potential ancestor species to humanity, sparking outrage among some anthropologists. Deana Weibel explores the incident as well as the relationships between the living and the dead when it comes to spaceflight. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4656/1 China has tested a spaceplane similar in concept to the American X-37B. Carlos Alatorre examines if that vehicle could be, or support the development of, an anti-satellite weapon. info@thespacereview.com (Carlos Alatorre) Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4655/1 The growing space economy creates new opportunities for financing companies, but also new risks. Jana Robinson warns how some Western funds may be helping finance Chinese and Russian space efforts. info@thespacereview.com (Jana Robinson) Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4654/1 The Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program in the 1960s would take high-resolution images, but how could those images be quickly returned to Earth? Dwayne Day examines proposals to include film-readout systems on MOL. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4653/1 At a major space industry conference last week, much of the discussion was about the dominance SpaceX has in the launch industry today. Jeff Foust report on perceptions that SpaceX has a monopoly on commercial launch and implications for other companies developing competing satellite systems. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4652/1 How do you get your foot in the door in the space industry if you're not seeking a technical position? Daniel Duchaine describes his experience networking across companies, think tanks, and Capitol Hill trying to find a job. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Duchaine) Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4651/1 The first women to become NASA astronauts have been the subject of many books, articles, and other accounts over the 45 years since their selection. Jeff Foust reviews a book that offers a group portrait of those six women, who were more "trusted coworkers" than friends or rivals. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4650/1 Nearly two years ago, China complained about close approaches of Starlink satellites to its space station, claims that the US denied. Michael Listner argues that the format of a complaint was a "lawfare" maneuver by China as part of great power competition. info@thespacereview.com (Michael Listner) Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4649/1 A Virgin Galactic suborbital launch last week was remarkable not for what happened but what didn't: a lot of publicity. Jeff Foust discusses how the low profile of the flight is a step on the long road to more routine spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4648/1 Japan is one of a few countries with a space resources law on the books and is planning a mission to prospect for water ice on the Moon. Akira Saito outlines some of the issues facing the Japanese government as it considers using lunar ice resources. info@thespacereview.com (Akira Saito) Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4647/1 Last month, a paper claimed to have found evidence for interstellar meteorites at the bottom of the Pacific, a claim other scientists have treated skeptically. Jeff Foust review a book by the scientist who is the lead author of that study and other efforts using science to look for interstellar visitors. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 11 Sep 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4646/1 The Soviet Union attempted to develop reconnaissance satellites that could electronically transmit images using television technologies starting in the 1960s. Bart Hendrickx examines those efforts and the setbacks they faced over the decades. info@thespacereview.com (Bart Hendrickx) Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4645/1 India successfully landed on the Moon for the first time last month with the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Ajey Lele says the mission is a major milestone for India's space program, but should not be seen as part of a race with other nations. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Tue, 05 Sep 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4644/1 Earlier this year, NASA and ESA selected new leaders of their respective science programs. Jeff Foust talked with those two people about their first few months on the job and their top issues. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Tue, 05 Sep 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4643/1 The Fox reality TV series "Stars on Mars" wrapped up recently with one "celebronaut" crowned as winner. The series, Dwayne Day explains, also provided useful lessons for real missions to the Red Planet. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Tue, 05 Sep 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4642/1 As more countries and companies undertake space activities, existing international agreements are put to the test. Austin Albin describes those challenges and proposes potential solutions. info@thespacereview.com (Austin Albin) Tue, 05 Sep 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4641/1 Russia's first mission to the Moon in nearly half a century crashed over the weekend, days before its scheduled landing, prompting a new wave of commentary abut the state of Russia's space program. Daniel Duchaine cautions that, even with the failure of Luna-25, other, more worrisome aspects of its space activities continue to grow. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Duchaine) Mon, 21 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4640/1 In some respects, it's never been easier to get smallsats into orbit, even though the options for doing so are limited. Jeff Foust reports that, for most smallsat operators today, it's a choice between hitching a ride with SpaceX or buying a launch from Rocket Lab. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4639/1 Some in the space community say we're ready to send humans to Mars now. Isabella Cisneros argues it's time for a Red Planet reality check because of serious, often overlooked technical, societal, and other challenges such efforts face. info@thespacereview.com (Isabella Cisneros) Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4638/1 Space advocates have used a wide range of historical analogies over the years to justify their support for space development. Bob Werb offers a new one to explain what the public needs to know to better appreciate and support space activities. info@thespacereview.com (Bob Werb) Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4637/1 For some people, inaccurate science can ruin a science fiction story. Jeff Foust reviews a book that used good examples from sci-fi to teach concepts associated with spaceflight. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4636/1 Even as the International Space Station is reaching its peak potential as a research outpost, its retirement is becoming a key issue. Jeff Foust reports on the issues discussed at a recent meeting about transferring work done on the ISS to future commercial space stations. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4635/1 The United Nations' Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has started discussions about setting up frameworks for the use of space resources. Dennis O'Brien examines what is known about those closed-door meetings and prospects for reaching consensus. info@thespacereview.com (Dennis O'Brien) Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4634/1 SpaceX has been working to reduce the brightness of its Starlink satellites to mitigate their effect on astronomers, but how effective has that effort been? Brad Young and Jay Respler discuss observations of newer Starlink satellites to see how those larger spacecraft compare to smaller versions. info@thespacereview.com (Brad Young and Jay Respler) Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4633/1 The show of the summer, at least for space enthusiasts, has been Fox's "Stars on Mars" reality TV series. Dwayne Day updates the progress of the show and how, in some respects, it offers better drama than some dramatic series set on Mars. zirconic1@cox.net (Dennis O'Brien) Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4632/1 The cultural impact of astronauts on American society is well documented, but how cosmonauts were treated in Soviet and Russian culture is less well known. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the public image of cosmonauts and "The Red Stuff." jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4631/1 The value of nuclear systems to provide power and propulsion in space has been recognized for years, but until recently there has been little progress on new capabilities. Jeff Foust reports on new efforts to develop space nuclear technologies. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4630/1 While commercial deep-sea and space travel seems novel, they are just part of a long line of journeys that mix tourism and research. Deana Weibel examines the connections between the space and ocean travel, and between tourism and research expeditions. info@thespacereview.com (Deana Weibel) Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4629/1 The loss of the Titan has prompted discussions about parallels with space tourism, which is also lightly regulated for passenger safety. Dale Skran argues against a rush to regulate commercial human spaceflight because of what happened in the depths of the oceans. info@thespacereview.com (Dale Skran) Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4628/1 The 21st century has been marked in space by the rise of China as a leading space power. Daniel Duchaine examines if that rise can continue at the expense of other leading space nations. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Duchaine) Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4627/1 The James Webb Space Telescope continues to dazzle more than a year after the release of its first science images. Jeff Foust reviews a new documentary that reminds viewers of the technical obstacles that had to be overcome for it to become a scientific success. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:56:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4626/1 Within the next few years, heavy-lift vehicles like New Glenn, Starship, and Vulcan will enter service. Gary Oleson describes how the combination of price and performance of those rockets could reshape the space industry. info@thespacereview.com (Gary Oleson) Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4625/1 A survey released last week provided mixed messages for advocates of NASA, particularly on the public's priorities for the agency. Jeff Foust examines the survey and just how important public support for NASA is for the agency to achieve its goals. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4624/1 Some satellites are not listed in public catalogs, but there are ways to track and identify them. Charles Phillips describes one approach based on orbital elements to help identify some classes of satellites. info@thespacereview.com (Charles Phillips) Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4623/1 The thick, hot, toxic atmosphere of Venus rules out any kind of human exploration of the planet for the foreseeable future. John Strickland examines what could be done, someday, to make Venus a more tolerable world to visit. info@thespacereview.com (John Strickland) Mon, 24 Jul 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4622/1 In 1986, the Strategic Defense Initiative conducted an in-orbit test where two spacecraft collided with each other. Dwayne Day describes the development of that rapid, low-cost mission and the effect it could have had on arms control negotiations. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 17 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4621/1 A Senate appropriations bill released last week would slash funding for NASA's Mars Sample Return program and threaten it with cancellation. Jeff Foust reports on the new fiscal challenges that efforts to return samples from Mars have encountered. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4620/1 India launched its second robotic lunar lander mission last week. Ajey Lele examines the mission and the lessons learned from India's first, failed lunar lander mission. info@thespacereview.com (Ajey Lele) Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4619/1 The growing number of countries involved in space exploration raises the risk of conflict among them. Daniel Duchaine explores some possible scenarios for avoiding conflict depending on how plentiful and valuable space resources turn out to be. info@thespacereview.com (Daniel Duchaine) Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4618/1 The final Ariane 5 launched last week, temporarily depriving Europe of independent access to space because of launch failures and vehicle delays. Jeff Foust reports on how Europe reached that state and how it is turning to a commercial rival to get through a near-term crisis. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4617/1 The Space Force is preparing for a new round of launch contracts that will open up opportunities for additional launch providers. Jonathan Ward, though, warns against one proposed congressional change to that approach that he fears could put key missions at risk. info@thespacereview.com (Jonathan Ward) Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4616/1 Expectations were low about a reality TV series set on a fake Mars. However, Dwayne Day describes how he was pleasantly surprised by how the show and its cast of C-list celebrities have handled the challenges of life on "Mars". zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4615/1 Many books about the night sky are written from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere. Joseph T. Page II reviews a book that examines a familiar star cluster as perceived by the peoples of Oceana. info@thespacereview.com (Joseph T. Page II) Mon, 10 Jul 2023 11:57:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4614/1 American intelligence agencies studied several proposals for "crisis reconnaissance" satellites in the 1960s and 1970s, but never built any of them. Dwayne Day discusses new details about one such proposal that came closer to development than any other concept. zirconic1@cox.net (Dwayne Day) Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4613/1 Virgin Galactic performed its first commercial SpaceShipTwo suborbital flight last week as Blue Origin prepares to resume New Shepard launches. Jeff Foust reports that, as commercial human spaceflight activity finally ramps up, the industry is facing new regulatory challenges. jeff@thespacereview.com (Jeff Foust) Mon, 03 Jul 2023 11:59:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4612/1 China's space capabilities, in both military and civil realms, have grown significantly in recent years. Four experts examine the implications of those developments for Western nations and lessons it offers those countries. info@thespacereview.com (Jack Sharpe et al.) Mon, 03 Jul 2023 11:58:00 GMT https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4611/1 Astronomers announced last week the discovery of a background of gravitational waves that pervades the cosmos. Chris Impey describes this discovery and its significance in understanding the evolution of the universe. info@thespacereview.com (Chris Impey) Mon, 03 Jul 2023 11:57:00 GMT