Space

By Jen DiMascio
Missions tend to fare better when countries share information and technology. That certainly appeared to be the case last week - from Russia's Soyuz launch , to China's Shenzou mission, Antares's return to flight, and a rocky landing on Mars.
Space

First on the international space station, then in cislunar habitats, NASA is set to begin researching human survivability for travel to Mars.
Space

NASA’s faltering commercial-spaceflight endeavor enjoys a spectacular return to flight of the Orbital ATK Antares launcher laden with supplies for the International Space Station (ISS).

By Antoine Gelain
Musk’s approach is flawed. If he truly believes that what is at stake is the long-term survival of humanity, then he should not expect to charge people $200,000 for the trip, opines Antoine Gelain.
Space

By Thierry Dubois
The ExoMars—for “exobiology on Mars”—mission begins with a landing demonstration.
Space

Orbital ATK’s Antares launch vehicle has returned to flight two years after a spectacular liftoff explosion en route to the International Space Station with a load of supplies.
Space

By Bradley Perrett
Two Chinese astronauts have lifted off for the the Tiangong 2 docking target, a Salyut-class mini-space station acting as a training ground for operations at the larger orbital laboratory planned for launch in 2022.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s Washington Outlook: a White House official looks at continued cooperation with India, including fighter sales; Obama touts Mars exploration; and Southwest Airlines starts flights to Cuba.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, two billionaires with ambitious visions for space colonization, have markedly different approaches to settling the ‘final frontier.’
Space

By Guy Norris
NASA’s original 2015 goal of certifying commercial space vehicles to service the ISS has not been met but, despite setbacks, Boeing still hopes to make it happen by late 2018.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s Washington Outlook, research funding for advanced helicopter engines; the SpaceX-ULA spat; managing risk at the border and the hunt for counter-UAV technology.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Jen DiMascio
In this week’s roundup, U.S. Army upgrades Hellfires; Philippines receive Korean light attack aircraft; Romania accepts Portugese F-16s; managing space traffic.
Defense

Engineers at Blue Origin validated the “full-envelope” escape system for its six-seat suborbital passenger capsule with a successful abort test Oct. 5 16,000 ft. above the West Texas desert.
Space

By Maxim Pyadushkin
The Russian airline-based S7 Group plans to modernize the Sea Launch project as it looks to diversify and venture into space launches.
Space

As the number of smallsat constellations grows, international satellite tracking bodies see increased risk of space debris problems unless mitigations measures are adopted.
Space

By Mark Carreau
The looming U.S. presidential election and the possibility of changes in Congress have many in the nation’s civil space community worried.
Space

The Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko ended with a bang and not a whimper, a planned crash into a deep pit in the comet, with final images sent on its way down.
Space

Elon Musk outlines plan to build a transportation system to create a self-sustaining human “civilization” on Mars and make mankind a “multiplanet species.”
Space

By Jen DiMascio
This week’s Washington Outlook: Virginia statesman praises Clinton; debate on reorganizing military space; and FAA probes Santa Monica’s airport closure plan.
Defense

The transfer of propellant, the budget and the effects of long stays in space are still challenges facing SpaceX’s dazzling proposal. They are achievable, though, Dan Dunbacher, a Purdue University professor and former NASA official tells Aviation Week’s Frank Morring.
Space

Terry C. Wallace
More than 40% of cubesats launched since 2000 failed in their missions.
Space

Artificial gravity for spacecraft had been largely abandoned as unnecessary, but it is making a comeback as a result of impaired vision issues.
Space

SpaceX is spending “10s of millions” of company funds on an ambitious architecture to fulfill founder Elon Musk’s dream of setting up a self-sustaining human “civilization” on Mars.
Space

The vice administrator of the China National Space Administration said the relay spacecraft designed to communicate with the planned Chang’e 4 lander on the Moon’s far side would also be available to international users operating there.
Space

Investigators examining the Sept. 1 pad explosion have found evidence of an apparent rupture in the helium system used to pressurize the upper-stage liquid oxygen tank.
Space