-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightNASA Budget Request Revives Science, Maintains Focus on Lunar Landing
NASA’s first budget request under the Biden administration seeks funding increases toward science, STEM education, and the environment while maintaining its commitment to a lunar landing in just three years. The 2022 presidential budget request, released this past Friday, May 28, is asking Congress for $24.8 billion. That’s a more than 6% increase from last … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightWatch Live as SpaceX Attempts to Launch Its Upgraded Starship Prototype Rocket [Update: It Landed!]
On Wednesday afternoon, SpaceX will attempt a high altitude test of SN15—the first of the next generation of Starship prototypes. You can watch the launch live right here. Update: 6:41 p.m. EDT: Elon Musk tweets: Update: 6:38 p.m. EDT: Starship prototype SN15 managed to stick the landing. As the case with SN10, a fire broke … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightNASA Selects SpaceX to Build Upcoming Lunar Lander
SpaceX has won a lucrative NASA contract to build the first lunar lander since the Apollo program. The announcement comes as a big surprise, as the Elon Musk-led company beat out a pair of promising competitors, including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. Sorry Blue Origin and Dynetics, but SpaceX will have the privilege of putting its … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightWatch Live: SpaceX to Attempt Fourth Test of Its Prototype Starship Rocket [Updated]
All eyes will be on the Boca Chica launch facility in Texas today as SpaceX attempts its next high-altitude test of a Starship prototype rocket. You can watch the action live right here. Update: 9:16 a.m. ET: The SN11 test appeared to go well, with launch occurring at 9:00 a.m. ET. All three Raptor engines … Continued
-
Tech NewsElon Musk Explains Why the Starship SN10 Prototype Exploded After Landing
The third high-altitude test of a SpaceX Starship prototype ended with a successful landing on March 3 — and then, moments later, ended for a second time with an explosion. Although the SN10, as the prototype was known, joined its two most recent predecessors in the fiery great beyond, it was still celebrated as a … Continued
-
Tech NewsFAA Ends Investigations Into Crashed SpaceX Starship Prototypes: Report
The Federal Aviation Administration has ended its investigations into SpaceX’s last two Starship prototype tests, dubbed SN8 and SN9, according to CNN’s Jackie Wattles. News of the federal probes threw the launch of SpaceX’s SN10 prototype into legal limbo, but on Sunday CEO Elon Musk seemed confident that the matter has been resolved, tweeting that … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightFAA to Oversee Investigation of Crashed SpaceX Starship Prototype
The explosive crash of a SpaceX prototype Starship rocket this week has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to oversee an investigation into the incident. The news follows recent reports that SpaceX violated federal safety regulations late last year. An FAA spokesperson told CNN through a statement that the investigation will “identify the root cause” of … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightWatch Live: SpaceX Attempts Second High-Altitude ‘Hop’ of Starship Prototype [Update: Kaboom!]
SpaceX is ready to conduct a high-altitude flight test of Starship prototype SN9, and our fingers are crossed that it’ll finally happen today. You can watch the action live right here. Update: 3:47 p.m. ET: The SN9 prototype launched shortly after 3:25 p.m. ET, ascending to approximately 6 miles (10 km) and then performing an … Continued
