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From explosions to catches, how SpaceX's Starship reached flight 15

From explosions to catches, how SpaceX's Starship reached flight 15

SpaceX prepares for a dual catch of both stages of its Starship rocket on Nov. 13 during flight 15. Before that, relive all previous launches.

SpaceX targets 'Holy Grail of rocketry' with Starship flight 15

SpaceX targets 'Holy Grail of rocketry' with Starship flight 15

SpaceX plans to catch both stages of its Starship rocket in a significant first during the next launch, known as flight 15, in South Texas.

Caltech Robot Successfully Assembles Structure in Space, Advancing Autonomous Orbital Construction

Caltech Robot Successfully Assembles Structure in Space, Advancing Autonomous Orbital Construction

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have achieved a significant milestone in space exploration by successfully using a robot to autonomously assemble a structure in orbit. This marks the first instance of autonomous construction in space without human assistance. The robotic system, named Autonomous In-Space Tensioned Reflector Assembly (ASTRA), was developed under a program funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Launched into low-Earth orbit on March 30 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission, ASTRA is designed to build a 1.4-meter-wide reflector antenna using lightweight tubes, aluminum joints, and reflective material. The system, which launched with two preassembled sections, successfully constructed a third section in orbit. While the complete antenna would require 11 sections, this demonstration proves the feasibility of the approach. The team faced technical challenges, troubleshooting issues from Earth during limited communication windows, but ...

Astronomers Conduct First Targeted Search for Alien Signals at Anti-Solar Point, Yielding No Extraterrestrial Detections

Astronomers Conduct First Targeted Search for Alien Signals at Anti-Solar Point, Yielding No Extraterrestrial Detections

Astronomers have completed the first targeted search for extraterrestrial signals at a specific moving point in the sky known as the anti-solar point, a strategy designed to facilitate potential contact with distant civilizations. Led by Sofia Sheikh of the SETI Institute and Eleanor Hort of the University of New Mexico, the pilot search utilized the Allen Telescope Array in Hat Creek, California. Over three nights in the summer of 2023, the team collected 1.9 million radio signals. After extensive analysis, including a two-beam comparison method to filter out terrestrial interference, all detected signals were attributed to human technology. The anti-solar point is a theoretical 'Schelling point' where an extraterrestrial civilization might transmit a signal, as it aligns with Earth's transit across the Sun as seen from their perspective, providing a predictable meeting time without prior arrangement. This pilot study, while not detecting alien signals, establishes a new methodology for SETI research.

SpaceX Aims for Full Starship Reusability with Ambitious Orbital Test Flight

SpaceX Aims for Full Starship Reusability with Ambitious Orbital Test Flight

SpaceX is preparing for its most ambitious Starship test flight to date, aiming to achieve full reusability of both the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster. The flight, potentially launching as early as November 13, 2026, will attempt to launch Starship into Earth orbit, deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, and then land both stages back at Starbase, Texas. The Super Heavy booster is designed to return to the launch pad for a safe landing, a maneuver successfully demonstrated three times previously. For the first time, the Starship upper stage is also planned to return to Starbase for a soft landing on a separate pad. This mission follows the 14th flight in September, which experienced engine problems and did not complete a full orbit, despite reaching an orbital trajectory. If successful, this 15th flight would mark the first fully orbital flight for Starship and a significant step towards SpaceX's goal of dramatically lowering space launch costs through rapid reusability.

Why Apollo 4 Needed 89 Truckloads of Liquid Oxygen

Why Apollo 4 Needed 89 Truckloads of Liquid Oxygen

Apollo 4, the inaugural flight of the mighty Saturn V rocket, was not just a critical engineering test; it was also a major public event that capti...

Caltech Robot Autonomously Assembles Structure in Low Earth Orbit, Marking First for Space Construction

Caltech Robot Autonomously Assembles Structure in Low Earth Orbit, Marking First for Space Construction

The ASTRA robotic system, developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology, has successfully assembled an initial part of a structure in low Earth orbit without human intervention. This achievement, reported by ScienceDaily, represents the first instance of autonomous construction in space. The project was funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under its NOM4D program, which aims to test technologies for manufacturing and assembling large structures directly in space. The ASTRA system, launched on March 30, 2026, aboard the SpaceX Transporter-16 mission, retrieves composite tubes and aluminum connectors to form truss sections. During the experiment, it deployed two preassembled sections and independently created a third, intended for a 1.4-meter reflective antenna. Although the full antenna assembly was not completed due to technical difficulties and schedule constraints, the successful assembly of the initial section validates the approach for orbital constr...

Space Force Awards Viasat $450 Million Contract for Space Data Network Control Center

Space Force Awards Viasat $450 Million Contract for Space Data Network Control Center

The United States Space Force's Space Systems Command has awarded Viasat a competitive Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract worth up to $450 million. This contract is for the establishment of a mission operations center for the Space Data Network Backbone. Viasat has received an initial task order of $115 million to design, field, and scale this critical center. The new center will serve as the central integration hub for orchestrating mission systems across multiple constellations and providers, bringing together mission integration, network operations, and data transport management within a multi-vendor architecture. The Space Data Network itself is envisioned as a multi-orbit constellation that will combine military-owned and commercial payloads from various companies. Its purpose is to facilitate data movement and tactical communications for the joint force, supporting systems like Golden Dome that rely on digital connectivity.

U.S. Space Force Mission USSF-432 Successfully Launched by SpaceX Falcon 9

U.S. Space Force Mission USSF-432 Successfully Launched by SpaceX Falcon 9

A U.S. Space Force mission, designated USSF-432, was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 00:48 UTC on November 7. The mission achieved its objectives, though specific details regarding the payload have not been publicly released. This launch was one of five successful launches logged during the week of November 1 to November 8, with all missions succeeding. The USSF-432 mission underscores the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Space Force and commercial space companies like SpaceX for national security objectives. The lack of public information about the payload is typical for classified military space missions, indicating its strategic importance.

SpaceX aims to catch Starship for 1st time on flight 15. Here's when

SpaceX aims to catch Starship for 1st time on flight 15. Here's when

During a launch targeted for Nov. 13, SpaceX will for the first time attempt to return and 'catch' an upper stage of its Starship rocket.

'Hit the ground running.' Democrats plan numerous investigations of Trump

'Hit the ground running.' Democrats plan numerous investigations of Trump

Democrats plan widespread congressional investigations of Trump on subjects including the Iran war, tariffs, immigration and pet construction projects

NASA Awards $10 Billion in Lunar Contracts for Moon Base Development

NASA Awards $10 Billion in Lunar Contracts for Moon Base Development

NASA has announced up to $10 billion in new contracts aimed at establishing a moon base for astronauts by 2032. The announcement, made during the agency's 'Max Power' air show event at Kennedy Space Center, includes a new $10 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) framework, dubbed CLPS 2. Additionally, approximately $1.3 billion in funding has been allocated for the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program, and plans for a nuclear-powered 'PROMISE' rover on the moon were revealed. Eight companies, including Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Lockheed Martin, have been selected to compete for the CLPS 2 missions. The existing CLPS contract ceiling has also been increased from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support 'Phase One' Moon Base objectives. These initiatives are part of NASA's broader strategy to build infrastructure on the moon before Artemis astronauts return to its surface.