Space Flight

Leaders of the Senate space and science subcommittee have sent a letter to the FAA urging it to further streamline commercial space launch and reentry approvals. Chair Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona, and Ranking Member Eris Schmitt, R-Missouri, say red tape at the agency is threatening the country’s competitiveness and in getting high-profile missions like the […]

SpaceX’s second test flight of its Starship rocket was cut short early Saturday after the spacecraft exploded, but the company noted some major improvements over its first attempt last April. According to The Wall Street Journal, SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft about 15 minutes after launch from its spaceport, near Brownsville, Texas, around 8 a.m. […]

SpaceX says it’s ready to launch its Starship rocket as early as Friday if the FAA can grant permission by then. The 400-foot system has been poised at the pad at SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, “Starbase” for several weeks while the FAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service go over the potential environmental impact […]

China’s version of SpaceX has successfully launched and recovered a rocket in a critical step toward developing reusable spacecraft. iSpace’s Hyperbola-2 methane-liquid oxygen rocket went up about 600 feet and then descended under power to a soft landing on its four legs. The 60-foot rocket is a test stage only and is used for evaluating […]

SpaceX says it’s ready to launch its Starship rocket for a second attempt as soon as an environmental review of its new launch system is complete. On Oct. 31, the FAA wrapped up a safety review of the first Starship launch in April. That attempt resulted in the destruction of the rocket and massive damage […]

SpaceX is demanding a retraction from the FAA for a report that estimates debris from deorbiting Starlink satellites “would be expected” to kill or injure someone every two years. In a letter to the agency reviewed by SpaceNews, SpaceX principal engineer David Goldstein called the guesstimate “deeply flawed” and based on outdated data. But the […]

The FAA has officially closed its investigation into the crash of Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket system shortly after launch on Sept. 12, 2022. According to the agency, the loss of the uncrewed research mission was the result of the “structural failure of an engine nozzle caused by higher than expected engine operating temperatures.” […]

The FAA has proposed a rule designed to limit new orbital debris from commercial space vehicles, citing the need to “reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment.” According to the agency, current estimates put the number of orbital objects measuring 10 cm or greater at over 23,000 […]

In a long-awaited report this week, NASA said its investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena or UAPs revealed no evidence that numerous sightings are of extra-terrestrial origin. But the agency also said it will take the lead in further investigations and will share what data it finds with more transparency. The 36-page report summarized numerous sightings […]

The FAA has ordered SpaceX to fix 63 deficiencies in its Starship megarocket system before it can attempt another launch. Earlier this week the company said it was ready to take a second crack at getting the Starship into orbit after a spectacular failure in April. The agency said Friday that its joint investigation into […]