Space – Page 2 of 86

Illustration: Interlune harvester on the moon

Interlune comes out of stealth with its plan to harvest helium-3 and more on the moon

by Alan Boyle on March 13, 2024March 13, 2024 at 3:43 pm

Seattle-based Interlune officially lifted the curtain today on its plans to build a robotic harvester that could extract helium-3 from moon dirt and send it back to Earth for applications… Read More

Illustration: Lumen Orbit satellite in space

Lumen Orbit emerges from stealth and raises $2.4M to put data centers in space

by Alan Boyle on March 11, 2024March 11, 2024 at 6:39 pm

Bellevue, Wash.-based Lumen Orbit, a startup that’s only about three months old, says that it’s closed a $2.4 million pre-seed investment round to launch its plan to put hundreds of… Read More

Blue Origin targets 2025 for cargo lander’s inaugural moon trip, with humans to follow

by Alan Boyle on March 4, 2024March 5, 2024 at 5:25 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is aiming to send an uncrewed lander to the surface of the moon in the next 12 to 16 months, according to the executive… Read More

Two men looking at New Glenn rocket on pad

‘Let’s go!’ Jeff Bezos gets revved up when Blue Origin raises up its New Glenn rocket

by Alan Boyle on February 21, 2024February 22, 2024 at 2:29 pm

For the first time, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture lifted up an orbital-class New Glenn rocket on its Florida launch pad — with the billionaire boss keeping watch. “Just… Read More

Former Blue Origin president’s startup raises funding to go after moon resources

by Alan Boyle on February 7, 2024February 7, 2024 at 10:00 pm

A stealthy space venture co-founded by the former president of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture says it’s raising funds to move ahead with its plan to harvest resources on… Read More

Screenshot of Quindar spacecraft management sofware platform

Fuse leads $6M round for Quindar, which uses AI for satellite support and is partnering with KSAT

by Alan Boyle on January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 at 9:57 pm

A space-centric startup called Quindar says it has successfully closed an oversubscribed $6 million funding round that will give a boost to its cloud-hosted, AI-supported software platform for satellite management.… Read More

Picture of crescent Earth from Astrobotic Peregrine lander

Astrobotic’s lunar lander falls into South Pacific after missing out on moon landing

by Alan Boyle on January 19, 2024January 19, 2024 at 1:25 pm

Ten days after its launch, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander fell back to Earth, ending a trip to the moon’s orbital distance and back that was doomed by a propellant leak.… Read More

Illustration: Gravitics space station module in orbit

Three Pacific Northwest space companies win awards from Space Force venture fund

by Alan Boyle on January 17, 2024January 17, 2024 at 6:30 pm

SpaceWERX, which essentially serves as a venture fund for the U.S. Space Force, has awarded contracts worth as much as $1.7 million each to 18 companies — including three startups… Read More

Illustration: Beamed-power system on the moon

PowerLight joins Blue Origin to study power beaming system for the moon

by Alan Boyle on January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 at 4:48 pm

Kent, Wash.-based PowerLight Technologies says it’s joined a team headed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture to design a power beaming system that might someday charge up robots on… Read More

Astrobotic Peregrine moon lander prepared for launch

Astrobotic rules out soft landing on moon after propellant leak dooms its spacecraft

by Alan Boyle on January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 at 4:26 pm

Astrobotic says that it’s given up on its plan to put a commercial spacecraft safely on the moon’s surface, due to a propellant leak that will soon leave its Peregrine… Read More

Illustration: Peregrine moon lander in flight

Astrobotic’s moon lander suffers failure in propulsion system, putting mission at risk

by Alan Boyle on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 at 1:42 pm

Hours after the launch of its commercial moon lander, Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic reported a failure within the robotic spacecraft’s propulsion system that could rule out a soft landing. “Unfortunately, it appears… Read More

Video

First Vulcan rocket launches commercial moon lander with a boost from Blue Origin

by Alan Boyle on January 8, 2024January 18, 2024 at 5:30 pm

Update: Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander fell back to Earth 10 days after launch due to a propellant leak that ruled out a moon landing. United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan Centaur rocket… Read More

Peregrine lunar lander being prepared for launch

Video

Milestone moon lander mission targets an otherworldly frontier for DNA data storage

by Alan Boyle on January 5, 2024January 8, 2024 at 1:50 am

A mission to send a commercial lander to the moon, set for launch in a couple of days, will bring the fruition of projects that have been in the works… Read More

Collage showing illustrations of NIAC concepts

NASA awards funds to study deep-space interferometer and other far-out ideas

by Alan Boyle on January 4, 2024January 4, 2024 at 6:51 pm

A proposal to build a far-flung set of radio antennas to measure the cosmos is one of 13 far-out concepts to receive seed funding from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts… Read More

Video

SpaceX launches the first set of Starlink satellites for T-Mobile’s direct-to-cell plan

by Alan Boyle on January 3, 2024January 3, 2024 at 10:26 am

The first satellites capable of providing direct-to-cellular service via SpaceX’s Starlink network and T-Mobile’s cellular network have been sent into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Six of the… Read More

Year in Aerospace: Atlas V launch with Amazon Kuiper satellites

Video

A year for gearing up: Aerospace ventures are counting down to big missions in 2024

by Alan Boyle on December 28, 2023December 28, 2023 at 7:44 am

If 2022 was packed with headline-grabbing aerospace developments — including the first pictures from the James Webb Telescope and the first launch of NASA’s giant moon rocket — 2023 was… Read More

Illustration: Interior of Orbite astronaut training facility

Orbite is raising funds as it gets set to expand training programs for spacefliers

by Alan Boyle on December 22, 2023December 22, 2023 at 1:09 pm

Orbite Space, a venture that aims to offer down-to-Earth spaceflight training programs on a “try before you fly” basis, is raising more capital amid the company’s preparations for an expansion… Read More

Touchdown of Blue Origin New Shepard booster

Video

Launch success brings Blue Origin closer to resuming crewed suborbital space trips

by Alan Boyle on December 19, 2023December 19, 2023 at 11:30 am

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture today sent its New Shepard rocket ship on its first suborbital trip to space in 15 months — and although no people were aboard the craft… Read More

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket ship on launch pad.

Video

Blue Origin ramps up for second launch attempt after delaying return to spaceflight

by Alan Boyle on December 18, 2023December 18, 2023 at 4:12 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is heading back to the launch pad again early Tuesday to send its New Shepard rocket ship on an uncrewed space mission for the… Read More

Illustration: Laser transmissions between satellites in mesh network

Video

Amazon reveals a secret about its Project Kuiper satellites: They’re using laser links

by Alan Boyle on December 14, 2023December 14, 2023 at 12:22 pm

Ending years of speculation, Amazon has acknowledged that its Project Kuiper satellites will use laser-based links to communicate with each other, and says the system has already been successfully tested… Read More

Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital rocket ship on launch pad in 2022

Video

Blue Origin is ready to launch New Shepard spaceship after more than a year on hold

by Alan Boyle on December 12, 2023December 12, 2023 at 1:22 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture plans to send its New Shepard suborbital spaceship on an uncrewed research mission as early as Dec. 18, marking the company’s first launch since… Read More

SpaceX Starlink launch - Kuiper connection

Video

Team of rivals: Amazon makes a deal with SpaceX for three Kuiper satellite launches

by Alan Boyle on December 1, 2023April 11, 2024 at 7:11 pm

Amazon’s Project Kuiper may be a competitor for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband network, but business is business: Amazon says it has signed a contract for three launches of Project Kuiper… Read More

A Project Kuiper satellite terminal is set up with a wind farm in the background. (Amazon Photo)

Video

Amazon’s Project Kuiper highlights new connections to AWS and partners in Japan

by Alan Boyle on November 28, 2023June 13, 2024 at 9:52 am

As Amazon gears up to build and launch thousands of satellites for its Project Kuiper constellation, it’s talking up the space-based broadband network’s potential to enable new options for managing… Read More

Flight director at Amazon's Project Kuiper mission operations center

Video

Amazon says Project Kuiper satellites ace orbital tests — including video streaming

by Alan Boyle on November 16, 2023November 18, 2023 at 1:32 pm

Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite network streamed its first video and facilitated its first online sale during a monthlong series of orbital tests that the company says achieved a “100% success… Read More

Orbite customers on zero-G airplane flight

Orbite begins the launch countdown for its commercial astronaut training programs

by Alan Boyle on November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 at 6:21 am

After getting its start in Seattle and testing its business model in France and Florida, a space travel venture called Orbite is ready to start signing up customers for private-sector… Read More

Video

Starfish Space scrubs plan for a satellite rendezvous after thruster suffers anomaly

by Alan Boyle on November 10, 2023November 10, 2023 at 11:02 am

Five months after a tilt-a-whirl spin spoiled the debut of Starfish Space’s first spacecraft, the Tukwila, Wash.- based startup has halted efforts to put its Otter Pup back on track… Read More

Video

Amazon says Project Kuiper satellites are maneuvering the way they were built to do

by Alan Boyle on November 9, 2023November 10, 2023 at 8:15 am

A month after the launch of its first prototype Project Kuiper satellites, Amazon reports that the spacecraft have demonstrated controlled maneuvering in orbit using their custom-built electric propulsion systems. “A… Read More

Gary Lai at Museum of Flight's Pathfinder Awards banquet

Video

Blue Origin’s chief architect lifts the veil on stealth moon startup at Pathfinder Awards

by Alan Boyle on October 29, 2023February 7, 2024 at 5:12 pm

Gary Lai’s resume features his status as chief architect and pioneer spaceflier at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture — but when he received a Pathfinder Award this weekend at… Read More

Jeff Bezos and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson chat in front of Blue Origin's Blue Moon lunar lander at the company's Alabama production facility

Jeff Bezos and NASA’s administrator share a sneak peek at Blue Origin’s moon lander

by Alan Boyle on October 27, 2023October 27, 2023 at 6:25 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson today provided a look at coming attractions in the form of a social-media glimpse at Blue Origin’s Blue Moon… Read More

PNNL team removes heat source from transfer port

Video

Zeno demonstrates an innovative type of radioisotope heat source for off-grid power

by Alan Boyle on October 26, 2023October 26, 2023 at 11:32 pm

Zeno Power says it has successfully completed its first demonstration of a new type of radioisotope heat source that could be used to generate off-grid power in settings ranging from… Read More