Field Guide
A series of explainers on major programs in the space industry.
Payload Field Guide: NSSL
The Space Force added two new companies to its stable of launchers on July 8, bringing the military’s launch acquisition program to seven companies.
Payload Field Guide: Lunar Rovers
As NASA and its partners push harder toward a sustained human presence on the Moon, mobility is mission-critical. Moon buggies with lawn chairs might’ve been good enough for the Apollo-era, but long-term surface operations depend on lunar rovers that can pull their weight (quite literally). For decades, lunar rovers were the domain of national space…
Payload Field Guide: Golden Dome
When Golden Dome was first announced (under a different moniker) in January 2025, companies immediately got to work, positioning themselves to compete for the ambitious missile defense program aiming to protect the US.
Payload Field Guide: Commercial LEO Destination
As the ISS nears its retirement date at the end of the decade, companies are vying to build its commercial successor under NASA’s Commercial LEO Destination (CLD) program.
