NASA hits up 7 space companies to take on orbital squad goals

NASA hits up 7 space companies to take on orbital squad goals

NASA has announced Space Act agreements with seven private space companies in the hopes of spurring tech developments the government may invest in down the line, from space stations to human transport and robotics. While no money is changing hands, these partnerships are official collaborations, with NASA providing expertise and resources to aid and guide […]

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NASA spends $45M to seed tech from hundreds of space businesses

NASA spends $45M to seed tech from hundreds of space businesses

Hundreds of small aerospace businesses will receive grant funding from NASA to accelerate their technologies, as part of a wider government program to seed cutting-edge American enterprises. A total of 249 small businesses and 39 research institutions received Phase I grants under the space agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer […]

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Firefly targets August for NASA CubeSat launch

Firefly targets August for NASA CubeSat launch

Firefly Aerospace is now targeting August to launch a batch of CubeSats for NASA, rather than July, in what is shaping up to be a busy summer for the small launch company. Firefly disclosed the new launch window in recent filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The company did not provide more details as […]

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SpaceX launches cargo resupply mission to ISS, carrying solar panels, blueberries

SpaceX launches cargo resupply mission to ISS, carrying solar panels, blueberries

SpaceX continues to make reuse look routine. Shortly before noon ET today, the company launched another cargo resupply capsule to astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) using rocket components that have visited space many times before. The Falcon 9 booster that lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning (and landed […]

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NASA, Boeing delay the first crewed flight test of the Starliner capsule…again

NASA, Boeing delay the first crewed flight test of the Starliner capsule…again

Boeing and NASA said Thursday that the first crewed flight test of the Starliner capsule would be further delayed due to a new crop of technical issues with the spacecraft. The first crewed mission was scheduled to fly two NASA astronauts on July 21 after being pushed back from an earlier April launch date. Officials […]

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NASA picks Blue Origin-led team to build second human landing system on the moon, joining SpaceX

NASA picks Blue Origin-led team to build second human landing system on the moon, joining SpaceX

NASA has chosen a Blue Origin-led team to develop a second lunar landing system for the Artemis program, as the agency looks to provide competition with SpaceX and support long-term exploration of the moon. The winning team includes Lockheed Martin, Draper, Boeing, Astrobotic and Honeybee Robotics. The award includes an uncrewed demonstration landing and a […]

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Ahead of next Starship launch, SpaceX hires key NASA human spaceflight head

Ahead of next Starship launch, SpaceX hires key NASA human spaceflight head

SpaceX has hired NASA’s former head of human spaceflight Kathy Lueders, as the company continues to develop its Starship launch system to return humans to the moon and beyond. The news was first reported by CNBC. According to that reporting, Lueders will work out of SpaceX’s Starbase launch and rocket development facility in southeast Texas. […]

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Intuitive Machines to go public in SPAC deal

Intuitive Machines prepares for first lunar mission, faces challenge to NASA contract win

Intuitive Machines is preparing for its first lunar mission to the moon’s south pole in the third quarter of this year, while also facing a protest to a major NASA contract win, executives told investors Thursday. The company has made “significant progress” on testing for the inaugural IM-1 mission, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said […]

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SpaceX’s successful failure is a wake-up call for Starship’s timeline

SpaceX’s successful failure is a wake-up call for Starship’s timeline

SpaceX launched a fully integrated Starship launch vehicle for the first time on Thursday morning, a long-awaited and highly anticipated milestone in the vehicle development program. The orbital test flight surpassed many expectations. The vehicle cleared Max Q – the point at which the most aerodynamic pressure is exerted on the vehicle – and flew […]

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