Space - GeekWire

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Blue Origin joins SpaceX and ULA on Pentagon list for $5.6B in launch contracts

by Alan Boyle on June 13, 2024June 14, 2024 at 8:17 am

The Department of Defense has put Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin in the running for a share of up to $5.6 billion in national security space launch contracts, marking a first… Read More

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Seattle Space Week: Find out how artificial intelligence is taking over the final frontier

by Alan Boyle on June 12, 2024June 12, 2024 at 2:29 pm

Will intelligent AI agents take on the job of capsule communicator in future missions to the moon, Mars and other space destinations? It could happen, says James Burk, the executive… Read More

Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger at Museum of Flight's selfie station

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Museum of Flight exhibition celebrates 150 years of space station dreams and realities

by Alan Boyle on June 8, 2024June 8, 2024 at 8:31 am

The dream of having people live and work in space didn’t start with billionaire Jeff Bezos, or even with rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun. Instead, you’d have to look back… Read More

Bill Anders suiting up for Apollo 8 in 1968

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Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, who took ‘Earthrise’ picture, dies in plane crash at 90

by Alan Boyle on June 7, 2024June 8, 2024 at 12:52 am

Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, who snapped the iconic “Earthrise” photo of our planet as seen from lunar orbit, died today in a plane crash in waters off the San… Read More

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Boeing’s Starliner craft docks with space station after dealing with balky thrusters

by Alan Boyle on June 6, 2024June 19, 2024 at 12:55 pm

Boeing’s Starliner capsule and its two-person NASA crew arrived at the International Space Station today after mission managers coped with some post-launch glitches involving the spacecraft’s propulsion system. “Today’s docking,… Read More

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Third time’s the charm! Boeing’s Starliner capsule begins first crewed space mission

by Alan Boyle on June 5, 2024June 5, 2024 at 9:51 am

Two NASA astronauts were sent into space today to begin the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, making a shakedown cruise to the International Space Station and back after… Read More

Atlas V with Starliner capsule on Florida launch pad

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Computer problem forces another delay for first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner

by Alan Boyle on June 1, 2024June 2, 2024 at 5:06 pm

For the second time in a month, the first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station was called off while the crew members were in… Read More

Orbital selfie of Amazon Kuipersat satellite

Final test: Amazon’s Project Kuiper begins to deorbit prototype broadband satellites

by Alan Boyle on May 23, 2024June 13, 2024 at 9:56 am

After a series of successful tests, Amazon says it has begun the monthslong process of bringing two prototype satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation down from orbit. “The… Read More

First crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner capsule rescheduled amid troubleshooting

by Alan Boyle on May 22, 2024May 22, 2024 at 5:56 pm

Update: Mission managers say they are evaluating plans for the first crewed flight test of Boeing’s Starliner space taxi and are working toward a launch opportunity on June 1. An… Read More

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Space Force and Starfish Space lay out their roadmap for satellite docking mission

by Alan Boyle on May 20, 2024May 20, 2024 at 6:30 pm

The U.S. Space Force says a Pentagon partnership with Tukwila, Wash.-based Starfish Space will result in a “first-of-its-kind docking mission” aimed at adding to the maneuverability of national security assets… Read More

How Seattle science-fiction pioneer Vonda N. McIntyre blazed a trail for diversity

by Alan Boyle on May 19, 2024May 20, 2024 at 12:05 pm

Decades before the current debates over gender and sexuality, the late Seattle science-fiction writer Vonda N. McIntyre flipped the script on those subjects. “In many of her stories, there are… Read More

Blue Origin New Shepard launch in West Texas

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Blue Origin flies its first crew in 21 months — and writes another page in space history

by Alan Boyle on May 19, 2024May 19, 2024 at 9:45 am

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture today resumed sending people on suborbital space trips after a 21-month gap, and made a Black aerospace pioneer’s 60-year-old dream come true in the… Read More

Blue Origin New Shepard spaceship on launch pad in 2022

Blue Origin sets the date for its first crewed suborbital space trip in 21 months

by Alan Boyle on May 14, 2024May 14, 2024 at 10:57 am

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture has set the date for the long-delayed start of its next chapter in the history of spaceflight. Six spacefliers are scheduled to take a… Read More

Students looking through microscope in lab

Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite network sets up logistics site and training program

by Alan Boyle on May 14, 2024May 14, 2024 at 2:32 am

Amazon says it’s establishing a logistics facility in Everett, Wash., and partnering with a technical college in Kirkland, Wash., to boost the supply chain and workforce pipeline for its Project… Read More

Antarctic ozone hole visualized through climate data

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Climate science mission led by University of Washington wins backing from NASA

by Alan Boyle on May 7, 2024May 7, 2024 at 5:01 pm

NASA has selected four proposals for climate science missions, including an effort led by a University of Washington researcher, to go forward for further study with millions of dollars in… Read More

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Starfish tests satellite rendezvous system — and wins a $37.5M Space Force contract

by Alan Boyle on May 7, 2024May 7, 2024 at 7:21 am

Months after Starfish Space said it was giving up on its plan to test its satellite docking system in orbit, due to a thruster failure, the Tukwila, Wash.-based startup managed… Read More

Starliner atop Atlas V rocket on Florida launch pad

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First crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner space taxi postponed due to valve issue

by Alan Boyle on May 6, 2024May 7, 2024 at 5:13 pm

The first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner space taxi was postponed today due to concerns about a valve on the upper stage of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. It… Read More

New Glenn pathfinder rocket being rolled out from Blue Origin's Florida factory

Happy Space Day! Contest will offer kids a chance to visit Blue Origin’s rocket factory

by Alan Boyle on May 3, 2024May 3, 2024 at 6:17 am

The first Friday in May is National Space Day, which makes today a fitting time to announce a contest that will give eight students an opportunity to tour Blue Origin’s… Read More

Asteroid hunters say they’ve found 27,500 new prospects in search for space rocks

by Alan Boyle on May 1, 2024May 2, 2024 at 8:11 am

A team of asteroid hunters that includes researchers at the University of Washington says it has identified 27,500 new, high-confidence asteroid discovery candidates — not by making fresh observations of… Read More

Illustration: Portal Space Systems' Supernova satellite bus in orbit

Portal Space Systems comes out of stealth with satellites that’ll be fired up by the sun

by Alan Boyle on April 30, 2024April 30, 2024 at 6:25 am

A Seattle-area startup called Portal Space Systems is emerging from stealth to share its vision for a type of satellite that’s apparently never been put into space before: a spacecraft… Read More

Illustration: Gravitics space station module in orbit

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Gravitics plans to leverage space station architecture for $1.7M Space Force project

by Alan Boyle on April 25, 2024April 25, 2024 at 7:54 pm

Marysville, Wash.-based Gravitics says it will work with Rocket Lab USA and other partners to adapt its space station architecture for the U.S. Space Force under the terms of a… Read More

Illustration: Bifröst orbital transfer vehicle backed by NASA

New Frontier Aerospace and HyBird get in on innovation research grants from NASA

by Alan Boyle on April 22, 2024April 22, 2024 at 7:54 pm

Two Washington state aerospace companies — Tukwila-based New Frontier Aerospace and Spanaway-based HyBird Space Systems — are among 95 ventures that have won project development funding from NASA through its… Read More

Vulcan Centaur launch of Amazon Kuiper satellites in October 2023

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Kuiper satellite network gets a big lift from Amazon’s CEO, but timeline is a bit hazy

by Alan Boyle on April 11, 2024April 30, 2024 at 11:20 pm

In his annual letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company’s Project Kuiper satellite venture will be “a very large revenue opportunity” in the future — but he’s… Read More

Diamond-ring effect before total solar eclipse

A tale of three eclipse chasers: Despite technological gains, nature calls the shots

by Alan Boyle on April 8, 2024April 9, 2024 at 8:26 pm

NASHVILLE, Ind. — There’s nothing like a total solar eclipse to remind you of the unstoppability of nature — and the tenuousness of technology. Not that we need much of… Read More

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Your (nearly) last-minute guide to getting the maximum out of the total solar eclipse

by Alan Boyle on April 5, 2024April 8, 2024 at 7:34 pm

It’s prime time for eclipse-chasers: A total solar eclipse will trace a line from coast to coast on Monday, and the anticipation is at its peak. So are the travel… Read More

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Blue Origin puts a test pilot who could have been NASA’s first Black astronaut on its next space crew

by Alan Boyle on April 4, 2024April 5, 2024 at 9:11 am

If the fates decided differently, Air Force test pilot Ed Dwight could have become NASA’s first Black astronaut in the 1960s — but he lost out, amid racial controversy. Now… Read More

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Radian Aerospace updates its space plane design and hints at coming attractions

by Alan Boyle on April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 at 5:35 pm

A Seattle-area startup called Radian Aerospace is fine-tuning the design of its orbital space plane, with an eye toward building a subscale prototype as early as this year. The company… Read More

Spectators at Gas Works Park for 2017 solar eclipse

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Three options for seeing the solar eclipse, from expensive to iffy to absolutely free

by Alan Boyle on March 26, 2024March 28, 2024 at 8:47 pm

After a seven-year gap, a total solar eclipse is once again due to make a coast-to-coast run across North America, boosting popular interest (and airfares) to astronomical proportions. The track… Read More

Illustration: Europa Clipper above Europa, with Jupiter in background

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Researchers find a way to detect signs of extraterrestrial life in a single grain of ice

by Alan Boyle on March 22, 2024March 23, 2024 at 8:34 am

Scientists have verified that a method to look for cellular life on Europa, an ice-covered moon of Jupiter, just might work. The technique could be put to the test in… Read More

Blue Ring logistics platform in Earth orbit

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Blue Origin plans to test Blue Ring space platform on Pentagon’s DarkSky-1 mission

by Alan Boyle on March 19, 2024March 19, 2024 at 7:13 pm

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture says that technology for its Blue Ring orbital platform will be put to the test during an upcoming mission sponsored by the Pentagon’s Defense… Read More