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Stories about US and international civil space missions, including those led by NASA and ESA.

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Recapping the First Six Months of 2022 in Space

We’ve made it halfway through 2022. The year has flown by, but it’s been filled with big news and firsts for the space industry. Here’s our recap of the off-Earth goings-on during these last six months. Q1 The year started off with a bang as JWST unfolded successfully, reached its new home a million miles […]

Civil • Pathfinder

Pathfinder #0005: Space Pirates with Lori Garver

Gather around, gather around–we have a new Pathfinder episode out. This week, we chatted with Lori Garver, the former deputy administrator of NASA.  Lori Garver is a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, an EIR at Bessemer, and a member of the board at Hydrosat. In addition, she […]

Civil • Science • Startups

NASA Prepares for CAPSTONE

On Monday, NASA and Rocket Lab are set to launch a pathfinding mission that will probe out a peculiar orbit around the moon that could be used for the Gateway lunar station in a few more years.  CAPSTONE, as the mission is known, stands for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment. The […]

Analysis • Civil • LEO • Science

How AstroAccess Plans to Extend Accessibility in Space

AstroAccess, a nonprofit that promotes disability inclusion in space, partnered with the Aurelia Institute to advance astronaut diversity by doing research on zero-gravity missions. “In one sense, space is the ultimate equalizer: everyone who leaves Earth is subject to the radical experience of leaving gravity behind,” the Aurelia Institute said in a blog post. But […]

Civil • Debris

UK Releases Space Sustainability Plan

The UK government released a plan for space sustainability at the 4th Summit for Space Sustainability in London today. UK Science Minister George Freeman said that the country is angling to make the UK a hub for space investment and drive commercial space sector growth. “A ‘Wild West’ space race without effective regulation risks a […]

Civil • Science

United Kingdom commits £30M to ESA exoplanet telescope

The UK has announced that it has committed £30M ($36.9M) to ESA’s Ariel exoplanet telescope. What is it? The Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (Ariel) telescope will be the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and atmospheric thermal properties of exoplanets. To do this, the telescope will study ~1,000 known exoplanets in visible […]

Civil • Rockets

FAA Releases Starship Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact

After a long and arduous review process, the FAA has finally released its environmental assessment of SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy launch site in Boca Chica. The agency found that the site would have no significant impact on the local environment—and that SpaceX is essentially cleared to proceed, but with some caveats.  SpaceX will need to take […]

Civil • Science

NASA Delays Psyche Mission

NASA has delayed its Psyche mission, which was previously meant to launch on a Falcon Heavy in early August to begin its journey to study the eponymous asteroid.  Another NASA mission, Janus, is hitching a ride on Psyche’s rocket, but the launch delay poses a problem—the two Janus probes may not be able to meet […]

Civil • Rockets

NASA OIG Releases Second Mobile Launcher Report

The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) published its report on the agency’s management of a second mobile launch tower for the SLS mega-moon rocket—and the forecast isn’t looking good. Right now, the OIG anticipates that the project will cost more than twice what was originally budgeted and will be completed ~2.5 years behind schedule. […]

Civil • Deep Space

France Signs Artemis Accords

France has signed the Artemis Accords, joining 19 other signatories in an agreement to maintain safe and cooperative operations in space. About the accords: In 2020, NASA kickstarted an initiative to foster international cooperation and set some ground rules for spacefaring before humans returned to the moon.  Nations who sign the Artemis Accords agree to […]

Civil • ISS

NASA Awards Commercial Spacesuit Contracts

NASA has named the long-awaited designers who will build the next generation of spacesuits.  Axiom Space and a team led by Collins Aerospace have won the agency’s Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract, and will dress the next astronauts to return to the lunar surface. The background: NASA’s astronauts need new clothes for a new […]

Civil • Debris • Explainer • LEO

Regulating Orbital Debris, Part Two

This is the second installment of our deep dive on orbital debris. Read Part One here.  – Plenty of ink is spilled on the notion that the space industry is at an inflection point, driven by lowering launch costs and barriers to entry. In the coming decade, tens of thousands of satellites are poised to […]

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