Commercial Space

Operators say more spaceports will be needed to support launch demand.

EASA drafts electric rules; unmanned cargo gliders; orbit debris removal; Uber engages on UAM; Honeywell eyes fluidic propulsion.

Northrop Grumman is readying its next cargo delivery to the International Space Station.

The FAA will introduce a new Space Data Integrator system in August to track space launch and recovery operations in real time with traditional air traffic, Administrator Steve Dickson said.

Despite development delays, ESA sees the ExoMars 2020 program as key to European progress in exploration technology.

NASA expects to decide in the next couple of weeks whether to begin training two test pilots assigned to crew the upcoming SpaceX Demonstration 2 (Demo 2) mission for a possible extended stay aboard the International Space Station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 29, sending a fourth batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

NASA has selected privately owned Axiom Space of Houston to provide a commercial habitation module to be attached to the International Space Station.

Ad Astra Rocket Co. is poised to bring the company’s Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket electric propulsion system to a Technical Readiness Level of 6.

Following a successful demonstration of Dragon’s launch abort system, SpaceX is in the home stretch for a crewed flight test.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

RIP Boeing Phantom Express; UK offloads AWACS aircraft; CMV-22B delivery imminent; UK upgrading training helo requirements.

The last few years have gone off plan at Maxar Technologies, which is worth bearing in mind with more space-sector consolidation expected.

New Space market driving changes in competitive balance of Israel’s defense industry.

The test is the last major milestone before a crewed flight test to the International Space Station as early as March.

An Ariane 5 placed the Konnect satellite for Eutelsat and India's GSAT-30 into orbit Jan. 16.

After nearly a decade of development, NASA’s biggest, most complicated launch vehicle is ready for testing.

Rocket Lab is building a new headquarters, mission control center and production complex in Long Beach, also home to rival Virgin Orbit.

NASA, Boeing investigating why spacecraft’s timer was off by 11 hr.

Low Earth orbit satellites that provide high-bandwidth internet service around the world are on the cusp of becoming reality.

Systems installation is underway on Virgin Galactic’s second commercial SpaceShipTwo sub-orbital vehicle at Mojave, California, following the

U.S. developing scientific license agreements for commercial satellite data

Launch service operator Arianespace is planning up to 20 launches with its Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega rockets in 2020.

SpaceX has opened what it hopes will be a bustling 2020 launch manifest of 35-38 missions with the Jan. 6 liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a third batch of Starlink broadband comm sats.

For space tourism’s prospects after any fatal accident, look to the X-15, the space shuttle and extreme mountain climbing, analysts say.