Commercial Space

NASA and Boeing on April 25 completed the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for the long-awaited CST-100 Starliner crewed flight test (CFT).

Each linkage features special adhesive similar to the feet of a gecko that allows the arms to grip objects.

The FAA gave Varda Space permission to launch in June 2023 without a reentry license, and the regulator does not want to repeat the situation.

Axiom and Collins are working on new spacesuits for the agency’s lunar and LEO programs.

Aalto HAPS has purchased Ampirus Technologies’ 450 Wh/kg SiMaxx lithium-ion cells for its stratospheric Zephyr UAV.

The second of two Blue Origin BE-4 engines has arrived at United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Decatur, Alabama, factory for installation on a Vulcan rocket.

Targeting a wider role in low Earth orbit and beyond, the company has rolled out a novel, deployable decelerator system, among other fast-tracked projects.

What began as an operational ballistic missile evolved into one of the most successful and storied space launch vehicles.

The agency seeks cheaper options for retrieving samples collected by the Perseverance rover.

Startup Inversion plans to launch Ray, its reentry capsule technology demonstrator, on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-12 rideshare mission.

Spanish startup reveals capsule for near-space tourism ahead of commercial flights in 2026.

Boeing’s first crewed CST-100 Starliner capsule was rolled out to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral SFS on April 16.

The small rover would travel to the Moon aboard the company’s Resilience lunar lander as part of the Hakuto-R Mission 2.

The bulk of the investment went to more mature companies, especially late-stage startups.

The spacecraft, which launched in February, is attempting to demonstrate autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations capabilities.

The company plans to start launching the spacecraft for customers in 2026, with a prototype of the satellite to launch in 2025.

Rocket Lab and its partner, True Anomaly, will conduct rendezvous and proximity operations as part of the demonstration.

Starlab, which is designed to house a crew of four, is designed to reach initial operational capability with just one launch.

Seven engines will power the first stage of Nova, which is designed to return to the launch site or land downrange.

Spanish near-space tourism company Halo Space has unveiled the design of the balloon capsule it plans to use to take passengers on stratospheric flights.

Aviation Week senior editor Guy Norris speaks with Erik Daehler, Vice President of Orbital Systems and Services for the Sierra Space Corporation.

Max Space sees its inflatable structures as useful for building orbiting space stations in Earth orbit, but habitats in cislunar space, on the Moon and Mars.

The recovery is a milestone in the company’s efforts to step up its launch cadence by reusing first-stage boosters.

Vast plans to integrate SpaceX’s Starlink laser communication system into its commercial space station, Haven-1, scheduled for launch in 2025.

Lower launch costs—driven by SpaceX’s partially reusable Falcon 9—are driving down the cost of building, launching and operating satellites in space.