Space

What can we mine in space? And will it really deliver world peace, or just another realm for competition and conflict? Perhaps a look at the immediate past and near future may help us answer some of these questions.

SpaceX’s new respect for the difficulty of the space-launch business might explain why it has decided to reverse the order of payloads scheduled for return to flight, affording a chance to test the rocket’s new and improved upper stage.

The 1,500-kg platform is in an advanced stage of development and is ready to bring to market, where IAI will target low-cost, dual-manifest missions on the SpaceX Falcon 9.

International space conference illuminated the higher aspirations of space exploration while being shadowed by ongoing Earth-bound conflict.

Though late and costly, Sbirs is sparking an “explosion” in uses for satellite infrared data for intelligence.

Scientists, engineers and students from around the world gathered in Jerusalem Oct. 12-16 for the 66th International Astronautical Congress. Civil space is at a turning point, with ambitious new plans unfolding as old ones bear fruit. Senior space editor Frank Morring, Jr., and Paris Bureau Chief Amy Svitak took a moment to describe what they learned about the changes at this year’s IAC.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) says the return-to-flight mission of its Falcon 9 rocket will lift 11 second-generation machine-to-machine satellites for Orbcomm, rather than SES-9.

Israel’s growing space economy looks beyond limited domestic markets in telecom, Earth observation and science as it expands into international commercial business.

House to vote on Ex-Im Bank at last. Army studies Russian UAV ops in Ukraine. NASA plans for a return to the Moon in the long run. And the State Department prepares to sell Black Hawks to Saudi Arabia.

NASA is weighing a robotic Mars-landing mission as early as 2026 to flight test critical technologies with subscale components in preparation for a human landing.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says the congressionally mandated U.S. ban preventing space cooperation with China is “temporary.”

Internecine warfare within the House Republican caucus is exacerbating the budget politics that complicated NASA’s Mars mission planning.

Glide and powered test flights of SpaceShipTwo are expected to resume in 2016.

China’s human-spaceflight organization plans to launch the first element of its three-module space station in 2018.

After years of counting on U.S. government business, United Launch Alliance is paying more attention to developments in the global commercial satellite sector.

The U.S. ban on space cooperation with China is “temporary” and will not necessarily block future cooperation, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says.

Virgin Galactic confirms that it has reverted to an improved form of the original rubber-based fuel for powering the company’s sub-orbital SpaceShipTwo.

Israeli satellite maker and subsidiary aim to offer data products collected from UAVs and ground-based sensors in addition to satellites.

The Google Lunar X-Prize was set to expire at the end of this year unless at least one of the competitors contracted for a launch first.

U.S. experts on Russian actions in Syria; FAA prepares big penalty for wayward UAV; over-cost defense programs face fines.

U.S. space exploration planners say the next big piece of human hardware needed on the road to Mars is a modular habitat that could be stationed near the Moon and visited by early manned Orion capsule missions.

NASA is studying a modular habitat that could be stationed near the Moon.

Scientists, engineers and human spaceflight visionaries will gather in Jerusalem on Oct. 12 to ponder where to go in the Solar System after the International Space Station, how to get there and who will make the trip.

Sierra Nevada Space Systems will deliver its Dream Chaser engineering test article to NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in California around year’s end and plans to resume atmospheric drop testing in the first quarter of 2016.

Their use marks a major expansion in the U.S. Air Force’s ability to spy on other satellites.