A century after the first rocket launch, Ars staffers pick their favorites
“I realized that if something went wrong up there, things might go very badly down here.”
Eric Berger
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11
Space
NASA officials sidestepped questions on Artemis II risks—there’s a reason why
“This ought to make for some good reading,” NASA’s mission management team chair said.
Stephen Clark
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148
Rocket Report: Pentagon needs more missile interceptors; Artemis II clears review
SpaceX has started commissioning a second launch pad at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas.
Stephen Clark
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143
FCC chair blasts Amazon after it criticizes SpaceX megaconstellation
Will it really take “centuries” for SpaceX to deploy its megaconstellation?
Eric Berger
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158
Anduril, the autonomous weapons maker, doubles the size of its space unit
“We are focused on protecting space, assuring access to space, ensuring custody of space.”
Stephen Clark
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83
Reentry of NASA satellite will exceed the agency’s own risk guidelines
“Due to late-stage design changes, the potential risk of uncontrolled reentry increased.”
Stephen Clark
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56
NASA and SpaceX disagree about manual controls for lunar lander
“NASA’s tracking of SpaceX’s manual control risk indicates a worsening trend.”
Eric Berger
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251
After falling far behind the rest of industry, Blue Origin creates new stock option plan
“It’s a big fat middle finger for those that thought they had something.”
Eric Berger
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147
Most Read
Ding-dong! The Exploration Upper Stage is dead
The Exploration Upper Stage did not in any way get NASA closer to landing on the Moon.
Eric Berger
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235
Satellite firm pauses imagery after revealing Iran’s attacks on US bases
Planet wants to prevent “adversarial actors” from using images for “Battle Damage Assessment” purposes.
Stephen Clark
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247
With Gateway likely gone, where will lunar landers rendezvous with Orion?
“We will challenge every requirement, clear every obstacle, delete every blocker.”
Eric Berger
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152
Rocket Report: SpaceX launch prices are going up; Russia fixes broken launch pad
It looks like United Launch Alliance will build more upper stages for NASA’s SLS rocket.
Stephen Clark
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171
Congress extends ISS and tells NASA to get moving on private space stations
“We were happy to see the renewed commitment to transition from the ISS.”
Eric Berger
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90
Space Command chief throws cold water on the question of UAPs in space
“I am not aware of anything that is extraterrestrial, other than comets and things like that.”
Stephen Clark
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169
The US Senate empowers NASA to fully engage in lunar space race
“Our bill authorizes critical funding for, and gives strategic direction to, the agency.”
Eric Berger
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128
No fooling: NASA targets April 1 for Artemis II launch to the Moon
“Engineers are assessing what allowed the seal to become dislodged to prevent the issue from recurring.”
Stephen Clark
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94
As Moon interest heats up, two companies unveil plans for a lunar “harvester”
“Ultimately, we want to build a fleet of electric harvesters.”
Eric Berger
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171
Former NASA chief turned ULA lobbyist seeks law to limit SpaceX funding
America succeeds in space when American companies compete.
Eric Berger
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137
The Air Force’s new ICBM is nearly ready to fly, but there’s nowhere to put it
“There were assumptions that were made in the strategy that obviously didn’t come to fruition.”
Stephen Clark
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296
Hyperion author Dan Simmons dies from stroke at 77
I went into Hyperion blind, decades ago, knowing almost nothing about it. I was never the same.
Eric Berger
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167
NASA shakes up its Artemis program to speed up lunar return
“Launching SLS every three and a half years or so is not a recipe for success.”
Eric Berger
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458
Rocket Report: Vulcan “many months” from flying; Falcon 9 extends reuse milestone
“As the original architect of Vector’s vision, it’s deeply meaningful to bring these assets home.”
Eric Berger
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159
A non-public document reveals that science may not be prioritized on next Mars mission
For some reason, NASA chose not to publicly release its Mars orbiter objectives.
Eric Berger
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98
ULA isn’t making the Space Force’s GPS interference problem any easier
Officials expect the investigation into a booster anomaly on ULA’s Vulcan rocket to last multiple months.
Stephen Clark
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51
Pentagon buyer: We’re happy with our launch industry, but payloads are lagging
“The point is to get missions out the door as fast as possible. Two to three years is too slow.”
Stephen Clark
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64
Study shows how rocket launches pollute the atmosphere
Is the global atmospheric commons destined to be an industrial waste dumping ground?
Inside Climate News
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220
NASA says it needs to haul the Artemis II rocket back to the hangar for repairs
“Accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB.”
Stephen Clark
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273
After fueling test, optimism grows for March launch of Artemis II to the Moon
“We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt … there is still pending work.”
Stephen Clark
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96
Rocket Report: Chinese launch firm raises big money; Falcon 9 back to the Bahamas
The company that attempted China’s first orbital-class rocket landing says it will soon try again.
Stephen Clark
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155
NASA chief classifies Starliner flight as “Type A” mishap, says agency made mistakes
“The most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware.”
Eric Berger
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295
There’s a lot of big talk about sovereign launch—who is doing something about it?
As alliances fray, these are the nations investing in sovereign access to space.
Stephen Clark
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87
Space Station returns to a full crew complement after a month
“It’s only possible because of the incredibly talented workforce we have.”
Eric Berger
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27
NASA has a new problem to fix before the next Artemis II countdown test
“We observed materially lower leak rates compared to prior observations during WDR-1.”
Stephen Clark
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222
Why is Bezos trolling Musk on X with turtle pics? Because he has a new Moon plan.
“It’s time to go back to the Moon—this time to stay.”
Eric Berger
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351
Rocket Report: Say cheerio to Orbex; China is getting good at booster landings
“You absolutely have to have a plan to compete with SpaceX on price.”
Eric Berger
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177
When Amazon badly needed a ride, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket delivered
This was the first launch of the Ariane 64, the most powerful rocket in European space history.
Stephen Clark
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127