The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) issued Space Florida a Launch Site Operator License (LSOL) for operations at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF). This landmark license expands the capabilities of the Cape to multiple horizontal launch and landing customers. The license allows the Cape Canaveral Spaceport to …
Elon Musk tweeted that SpaceX will make a mini-Big Falcon Spaceship upper stage for the Falcon 9. They are aiming for an orbital flight by June 2019. The MVac will have too high TWR and have flow separation at sea level. It will practice and testthe reentry regime. Elon said it won’t land propulsively for …
If SpaceX hits its timeline for SpaceX BFR development with sub-orbital hops in late 2019 and orbital flights in 2020 they will beat the Boeing Space Launch System (SLS) into space. The SpaceX BFR will be completely reusable and will lift 100 tons of payload into space. The NASA auditor has just produced a report …
The US could get so much more accomplished in space if they stop wasting money on the Space Launch System, Orion and the Lunar gateway. The US did waste money on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. The Space Shuttle was supposed to demonstrate fast reusability but had to have its heat shield …
Following completion of a competitive procurement, ULA has selected Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine for Vulcan Centaur’s booster stage. The liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled booster will be powered by a pair of BE-4 engines, each producing 550,000 pounds of sea level thrust. As previously announced, ULA has selected Aerojet Rocketdyne’s RL10 engine for the Centaur …
China plans to launch the heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-9 in 2028, said an official of China National Space Administration (CNSA) at the World Conference on Science Literacy 2018 on Tuesday. Li Guoping, director of the Department of System Engineering of the CNSA, said that the length of the Long March-9 will exceed 90 meters, …
SpaceX plans to live out of the BFS ships initially on Mars and then build out the facilities (habitation, power systems, mining and landing pads). The SpaceX BFS (Big Falcon Spaceship) would land on Mars with 100 tons including the ship. Paul Wooster, SpaceX Principal Mars Development Engineer, presented to the Mars Society. SpaceX Mars …
Stratolaunch will use four different air-launched rockets. The updated launch offering from Stratolaunch includes the following vehicles: Pegasus: With its existing track record of over 35 successful launches, Pegasus provides dependable access to orbit. Capability: 370 kg payload* for a single or triple configuration Status: Flight proven, integration and testing ongoing with first flight in …
Robert Zubrin believes that by 2023, there will be at least six other private space launch companies that will join SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and Stratolaunch in commercial space launch. Robert Zubrin runs the Mars Society and he gets a close-up view of the private space ventures and those who are planning private space …
The SpaceX Falcon 9 block 5 has been recovered from its first relaunch. The rocket stage looks in good condition and will be launched for the third time later in 2018. Reusing a booster two times will be a first for any rocket. Some additional shots of today's B1046.2 return to port. @SpaceX @SpaceXUpdates @elonmusk …
NASA has provided $44 million to boost promising space technologies from the lab demonstration stages to being usable for space missions. The technologies must be at least technology readiness level 4. Blue Origin wants to put a “Blue Moon” lander on the lunar surface in 2023.