Reid Wiseman "Needed to Hug" Heat Shield Engineer
Astronaut Reid Wiseman described a post‑flight stop on the USS John Pura, where the Orion crew inspected their spacecraft and sought out Luis, the engineer who led the CharLoss investigation after Artemis 1. The team learned that Artemis 1’s heat shield suffered extensive char loss, and Luis’s analysis pinpointed the root cause, giving NASA a choice between redesigning the shield or adjusting the re‑entry trajectory. Wiseman recalled, “I needed to hug that man,” emphasizing gratitude for the data. NASA chose a steeper, faster entry—about 1,700 nautical miles horizontal target versus the original 2,300—resulting in a hotter, shorter atmospheric pass that the crew described as a “smooth ride” with only minor shoulder char. The successful observation bolsters confidence that Artemis 2’s heat shield will survive re‑entry, demonstrating how rapid data‑driven engineering fixes can keep the lunar program on schedule.
Boeing and Millennium Space Systems Expand Production, Shares Slip 3.2%
Boeing and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems announced a joint effort to expand space production capacity and launch the Resolute mid‑class satellite platform. The move aims to raise annual deliveries from four in 2025 to 26 in 2026, but the...
Artemis II Crew Returns, Hails Orion Heat Shield and Calls Artemis III Ready for Launch
NASA’s four‑person Artemis II crew landed after a 10‑day, 694,481‑mile mission, praising Orion’s heat‑shield performance and declaring the vehicle fit for the upcoming Artemis III lunar landing. Their reflections underscore both the mission’s historic milestones and the path forward for NASA’s moon‑return...
Watch Artemis II Crew Post‑Flight Press Conference Today
I strongly suggest a viewing of the Artemis II crew post-flight press conference today. Well worth your time. https://t.co/rQLDz78DB8
SpaceX Completes Starship Static Fire and Sets Aggressive April Launch Slate After Artemis II
SpaceX performed a static‑fire test of the Starship Super Heavy booster on April 15, 2026, lighting all 33 engines at Starbase, Texas. The company simultaneously announced a full April launch manifest that follows NASA’s Artemis II mission, highlighting its expanding role in...
Blue Origin Fires New Glenn, Eyes California Launch Site for Debut
Blue Origin completed a 19‑second static fire of its refurbished New Glenn rocket on April 16, 2026, keeping the NG‑3 mission on schedule for April 19. At the same time, the company is in final negotiations with the U.S. Space Force to lease...
Asteroid-Mining Microbes Extract Metal From Rocks in Space
Scientists demonstrated that bacteria and fungi can leach precious metals from asteroid material in microgravity, marking a breakthrough for in‑situ resource utilization (ISRU). The BioAsteroid project tested the bacterium Sphingomonas desiccabilis and the fungus Penicillium simplicissimum on Earth and aboard...
I Built Dragon’s LiDAR, yet People Doubted Me
People oddly assumed that I didn’t understand LiDAR, even though I oversaw the custom LiDAR development that Dragon uses to dock with the Space Station
OQ Technology Secures ESA Contract to Bring 5G Beamforming to Satellite‑to‑Phone Services
OQ Technology, the Luxembourg‑based satellite operator, was awarded an ESA ARTES contract to adapt terrestrial 5G beamforming for space‑based direct‑to‑device services. The project, dubbed BEAMSAT‑5G, builds on a recent €25 million (≈$27 million) venture debt round and targets commercial‑scale satellite “cell towers”...
U.S. Space Force Grants Lockheed Martin $68.6 M Modification for Next‑Gen OPIR
The U.S. Space Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $68.6 million contract modification for its next‑generation Over‑the‑Horizon Infrared (OPIR) system, bringing the program’s cumulative value to about $8.2 billion. The funds, drawn from FY‑2026 RDT&E, will support engineering and integration work at Lockheed’s...
Rocket Lab Ascends to Clear #2 in Space Economy
Houston, we don’t have a problem. Rocket Lab is transforming into a legitimate powerhouse, becoming the clear #2 in the space economy.
Wet Dress Rehearsal Boosts Confidence for Upcoming Flight
Nice full Wet Dress today is making flight in a few weeks look real good. We are close my friends.
Astronaut Victor Glover Recalls Artemis II Landing, Likens End to Diving Off 'Skyscraper Backwards'
Astronaut Victor Glover answered a media question about the Artemis II splash‑down, describing the 13‑minute, 36‑second re‑entry sequence that culminated in the crew capsule’s ocean landing. He walked through each phase – from the drogue parachutes’ release, through a brief free‑fall...
We’d Have Landed on Moon With Full Control
“If you had given us the keys to the lander, we would have taken it down and landed on the Moon.” https://t.co/GDANrzqFE6
Artemis 4 Targets Moon’s South Pole for Water
Artemis 4 in early 2028 aims for a crewed landing on the Moon's south pole. Why the south pole? That's where we've found ice in permanently shadowed craters. Water on the Moon changes everything.
Atos Drives DestinE Ecosystem Growth with ESA-Led Service Deployment and Call
Atos announced that the European Space Agency has tasked it with launching an Open Competition to expand the DestinE ecosystem, a European Union‑co‑funded digital twin of Earth. Twelve innovative service providers were selected to deliver advanced applications, ranging from hyper‑local...
NASA’s SPHEREx Maps Water Ice Across Cygnus X Star‑Forming Complex
NASA’s SPHEREx infrared observatory has produced a high‑resolution map of water‑ice distribution throughout the turbulent Cygnus X star‑forming region. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, confirm that ice concentrates in the densest dust lanes, offering new constraints on models of...
