Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International. She also worked with Discovery Communications, Discovery News and was a founding member of Space.com.
Irene cut her teeth on the space beat at Florida Today newspaper, a business writer enchanted by the colorful entrepreneurs who wanted access to Air Force launch facilities and assets after commercial payloads were taken off the space shuttles following the 1986 Challenger accident. Commercial space remains the focus of her work, along with a keen interest in the search for life beyond Earth.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Irene is the 2014 recipient of the Harry Kolcum Memorial News and Communications Award, named in honor of the late Aviation Week managing editor and Cape Canaveral senior editor who was among Irene’s earliest mentors.
CAPE CANAVERAL — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is delaying until at least Dec. 8 the debut flight of its Dragon capsule due to a potential problem with a nozzle in the Falcon 9 launcher’s second-stage engine.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) attempted to test-fire its Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 3, ahead of a planned Dec. 7 launch, but a high-pressure reading triggered an automatic abort a second before ignition. The test was tentatively retargeted for Dec. 4, with no immediate impact to the launch date. The rocket will carry a Dragon cargo capsule on a demonstration mission for NASA. A similar engine abort occurred prior to the successful debut flight of Falcon 9 on June 4.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) racked up its fourth successful flight of a Delta IV Heavy, which blasted off Nov. 21 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., carrying a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The launch occurred at 5:58 p.m. EST. ULA halted commentary about 7 min. after liftoff. At the time, the vehicle was performing as expected.
