Space

San Francisco-based startup Astranis has purchased a dedicated launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, eschewing the less expensive “ride-share” model favored by new space companies for an exclusive mission that Astranis says will put its package of four communications satellites closer to

Amazon is finally taking decisive action on its Kuiper communications satellite constellation, securing the rights to as many as 83 launches from United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, and of course Blue Origin. Interestingly, none of the launch vehicles set to be used have flown before — but there

Hello and welcome back to Max Q. Welcome to all our new subscribers. For those who are new here, my inbox is always open for feedback, comments and tips at aria.technewss@gmail.com. You also can catch me on Twitter at @breadfrom. In this issue: SpaceX caps the Crew Dragon fleet at

The microphone aboard Mars Rover Perseverance has captured a number of interesting noises in its explorations, but for the most part, “a deep silence prevails” on the red planet. You can still hear the “puff, whir, zap” of the rover’s tools, the hum of the Ingenuity he

Rocket Lab will embark on its 25th mission using the Electron rocket on Friday, this time to send two Earth-imaging spacecraft to orbit for BlackSky. The launch, the second of 2022 for Rocket Lab, will bring BlackSky’s high-resolution satellite constellation to 14. The missio

Blue Origin is gearing up for its first crewed launch of the year, and fourth crewed launch overall, as the company seeks to expand its budding space tourism business. This time, the Jeff Bezos-headed company is sending up a crew of six, with the launch set to take place on Thursda

SpaceX will no longer be making new Crew Dragons, the spacecraft that ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station, and will instead focus on reusing the fleet of four already in existence, Reuters reported Monday. SpaceX is planning to continue manufacturing Crew Dragon component

NASA just placed another order with SpaceX. The agency said Wednesday it had ordered six additional resupply missions from the company under its Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract. NASA also placed an order for six more missions with aerospace prime Northrop Grumman, another major prov

SpaceX is raising prices for Starlink, including the price for the hardware kit itself, as well as the monthly fee for service. The price of the kit is increasing even for existing deposit holders, but it’s jumping more for any new orders. Starlink hardware will cost existing deposit holders

Hi folks, welcome back to Max Q. This week we have news on rockets both small (Astra’s Rocket 3.3) and very, very large (NASA’s Space Launch System). Plus further fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and some funding news too. Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei

It's been a busy year on Mars for NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, and it's not about to slow down now. After 21 flights, the aircraft is still in excellent condition, so NASA has extended its mission through at least September. Ingenuity arrived on the red planet with NASA's Perseveran

Space startup-turned-public-company Astra reached orbit for a second time, in its debut mission for new customer Spaceflight Inc. It's a big win for the launch company. Astra reached orbit for the first time in November 2021, but it hasn't been able to replicate that feat since. Until now.

Twelve years after it was first announced, NASA's massive Space Launch System will finally make its public debut. The super heavy-lift rocket and Orion spacecraft will begin the rollout to the launch pad at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, a much-anticipated development for a lau

This week, Max Q again puts the focus on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the resulting halo effects that’s having on the international space industry. Neither private companies, like OneWeb, nor national space programs have been spared from ongoing shockwaves from the conflict.