Space

NASA’s New Horizons mission team greeted the first signals on Jan. 1, confirming their spacecraft had successfully carried out its close flyby of Ultima Thule.

But the final frontier remains the playground of only the most adventurous investors—and for good reasons.

From physical facilities to reimagined exhibits, the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum prepares for an overhaul.

Globally, more than 100 orbital launches took place in 2018, the highest rate in two decades. China, flying from Xichang, Jiuquan and Taiyuan, led the way, followed by U.S.

Earthrise image, Bible reading transcended objectives of first human flight into deep space.

Three years after a stunning, wondrous peek at Pluto, NASA’s New Horizons is poised for next encounter.

Orders for large geostationary communication satellites fall, but small birds flock to LEO and beyond.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket poised to deliver the first satellite of the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GPS III network remained on the ground Dec. 18 after an automated abort.

SpaceX scrubbed its first two GPS III satellite launch opportunities.

Though China surpassed the U.S. launch rate in 2018, private U.S. “new space” companies are ramping up activity.

Electric regional progress; Pseudo-satellite takes shape; Drone flies through walls; Single-person multicopter; Algae makes jet fuel in Japan.

The year ahead holds milestones in human space transport, airliner first flights and new launches and more, but it also promises significant uncertainty.

Unity’s Dec. 13 flight marked its fourth rocket-powered test and the first to achieve the goal of exo-atmospheric flight set by Richard Branson 14 years ago.

NASA seeks industry input on the potential for an electrified aircraft propulsion X-plane demonstrator.

Stuck steering fins prompt booster to abort ground landing attempt.

Spacewalking cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Prokopyev labored outside the ISS's Russian segment Dec. 11 to survey the site of the small hole in the Soyuz MS-09 capsule’s habitation compartment that was detected in late August.

A week after NASA’s Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return mission spacecraft arrived at the asteroid Bennu, scientists see early signs of a carbon- and water-rich object.

The abort was the first unplanned shutdown during a terminal count of a Delta IV Heavy, which has flown 10 times since its debut in 2004.

U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Bongiovi discusses the Air Force’s vision for future launch services, the Delta IV and the National Security Space Launch program.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) overcame an unexpected satellite communications interruption early Dec. 8 to proceed with the berthing of SpaceX’s 16th NASA-contracted Dragon resupply capsule.

Vega accomplished last November 21, a flawless launch from Europe’s spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG), orbiting the MOHAMMED VI-B satellite for the Kingdom of Morocco.

SpaceX dispatched a recovery ship to try to pick up a wayward Falcon 9 booster, which successfully delivered a Dragon cargo ship into low Earth orbit on Dec. 5 before fumbling a planned landing at Cape Canaveral.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is to be the launch customer of a new high speed connectivity system launched at the Aircraft Interiors show in Hamburg last night.

Terrain relative navigation is opening a wider window for Mars exploration.

Software providers and OEMs have a joint responsibility to ensure that small and medium-size suppliers gain access to the simulation and modeling tools.