SpaceX Starship

By Irene Klotz
Blue Origin’s prototype lunar lander is slated for a demonstration mission this year.
Space Exploration

By Irene Klotz
Less than halfway through its expected 66-min. glide around Earth, Starship experienced a leak that led to a loss of attitude control.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
SpaceX will make a third attempt as early as May 27 to send a next-generation Starship vehicle into a suborbital test flight around Earth.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
A week after receiving SpaceX’s report about why its last Starship failed, the FAA cleared the company for another launch attempt.
Operations & Safety

By Irene Klotz
The FAA is reviewing a SpaceX report about the breakup of its last Starship test vehicle. Airspace restrictions for the upcoming launch will be expanded.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
Following a pair of unsuccessful attempts to test its upgraded Starship vehicle in space, SpaceX is preparing another ship for launch as early as May 21.
Operations & Safety

By Irene Klotz
Trump sees SpaceX and the private sector taking over deep-space travel for the U.S. space program.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the space layer of the proposed Golden Dome will cost $160 billion to $542 billion to field and operate.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Irene Klotz
NASA has added SpaceX’s still-in-development Starship-Super Heavy launch system to the fleet of vehicles eligible to compete for a wide variety of missions.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Emerging Technologies

By Garrett Reim, Robert Wall
At about 8 min. and 30 sec. into flight Starship–in the final 20 or 30 sec. of its ascent burn–lost several engines and attitude control.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
The countdown recycled back to a preestablished T-minus-40 sec. mark for assessment, but SpaceX called off the launch for further analysis.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
The company did not immediately say what the issue or issues were.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
Propellant leaks in the Starship upper stage led to the vehicle’s midair breakup about 11 min. after liftoff from Boca Chica, Texas, on Jan. 16.
Commercial Space

By Robert Wall
SpaceX has made design changes to the Starship rocket for its next test after the spectacular breakup of the upper stage during its most recent flight.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz, Vivienne Machi
New spins on NASA-developed heat shield technologies paved the way for an era of reusable space vehicles.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The highlighting of Mars in a presidential inauguration speech–and an omission of any mention of lunar missions–has the space industry abuzz.
Space Exploration

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Emerging Technologies

By Robert Wall
“We are at an inflection point,” says Kelli Kedis Ogborn, vice president of Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship at the Space Foundation.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
The company created fireworks with its latest Starship flight test—just not the celebratory kind, as rocket debris caused commercial flight diversions.
Commercial Space

By Robert Wall
SpaceX is pressing ahead with plans for another Starship test flight as it investigates the loss of the upper stage during the most recent development mission.
Operations & Safety

Aviation Week Staff
Honoring innovators, achievements and leadership, the winners have made impressive contributions in five industry sectors.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Irene Klotz
The return of U.S. astronauts to the Moon won’t happen until at least mid-2027, says NASA.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Irene Klotz
The FAA cleared SpaceX to conduct a series of Starship-Super Heavy flight tests from Boca Chica Beach, Texas.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion