SpaceX

By Robert Wall
SpaceX has made design changes to the Starship rocket for its next test after the spectacular breakup of the upper stage during its most recent flight.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim, Irene Klotz
“It is time to begin preparations for deorbiting the @Space_Station,” Musk wrote on his social media site X on Feb. 20.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Irene Klotz, Vivienne Machi
New spins on NASA-developed heat shield technologies paved the way for an era of reusable space vehicles.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Matthew Fulco
Funding for defense technology startups backed by venture capitalists increased 11% year-on-year to $3 billion in 2024, according to Crunchbase.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Irene Klotz
NASA repeatedly delayed the astronauts’ return as it studied issues with the capsule’s propulsion system.
Operations & Safety

By Garrett Reim
The Pioneer spacecraft integrates with Varda’s W-Series reentry capsule, which brings back goods made in space.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
Propulsion system issues prompted NASA to remove the crew for Starliner’s return to Earth in September 2024.
Operations & Safety

By Brian Everstine
DOGE, while not an actual U.S. government department, has already effectively shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
The awards were made under the commission’s Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) grant program initiative.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Garrett Reim
Apollo 17's commander once called the dust “probably one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the Moon.”
Space Exploration

By Vivienne Machi
President Trump’s first administration launched the Artemis program to send humans back to the Moon. His second term may pivot the focus to Mars.
Space Exploration

Aviation Week Network Staff
Readers write about the financialization of aerospace, sustainable aviation fuel mandates, prospects for an airframer triopoly, and stop-fold tiltrotors.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Vivienne Machi
The highlighting of Mars in a presidential inauguration speech–and an omission of any mention of lunar missions–has the space industry abuzz.
Space Exploration

By Mark Carreau
The effort is part of Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1).
Space Exploration

By Mark Carreau
NASA announced in July that it was suspending VIPER development due to schedule delays and cost concerns.
Space Exploration

By Brian Everstine
A new executive order seeks to bolster national security by reviving and expanding a massive space- and ground-based missile defense system.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Robert Wall
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans the fifth mission for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3 rocket on Feb. 1.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
The Torrance, California-based company specializes in robotic arms for in-space servicing and lunar rovers.
Satellites

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Emerging Technologies

By Robert Wall, Vivienne Machi, Irene Klotz
The world is headed for a period of launcher abundance as the New Glenn expands rocket choice in the heavy-lift segment.
Commercial Space

By Guy Norris
The company created fireworks with its latest Starship flight test—just not the celebratory kind, as rocket debris caused commercial flight diversions.
Commercial Space

By Matthew Fulco
The rivalry between the U.S. and China in space is set to intensify in 2025 as they increase rocket launches and satellite constellation construction.
Commercial Space

By Guy Norris
Several commercial airline flights in the northern Caribbean briefly entered holding patterns due to debris from the test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Robert Wall
SpaceX is pressing ahead with plans for another Starship test flight as it investigates the loss of the upper stage during the most recent development mission.
Operations & Safety

By Guy Norris
SpaceX’s Starship program saw mixed results on Jan. 16: tthe second recovery of the booster.but the loss of the first upgraded Block 2 upper-stage variant.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion