SSI News
Opinion: Blue Origin is allowed to bid for share of US$5.6 billion of launches, but is it another case of premature congratulation?
The International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is the main space conference of the world because it allows space agencies to come together, exchange policy and mission ideas, present new technology and findings, and even sign international agreements. It already...
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo ‘Unity’ rocketplane flies successfully for last time
On its final voyage, the Virgin Galactic suborbital rocket SpaceShipTwo ‘Unity’ was launched on the Galactic 07 human rocket flight to the edge of space. The carrier aircraft VMS Eve lifted off from Spaceport America in New Mexico at 1428 GMT on 8 June with Unity...
Rocket revolution: Starship’s fourth launch makes fully reusable rockets a reality
Partially reusable launches have been performed many times. The Space Shuttle Orbiter was, in fact, the main stage of a partially reusable rocket system. More recently Elon Musk perfected the concept of fully reusable first stage rockets with his successful Falcon...
Starliner astronauts stuck on ISS after the first crewed test flight finally lifts off… but new helium leaks and thruster faults are detected (updated)
The first crewed test flight of Starliner finally lifted off from the ground following a series of stalled launch attempts. United Launch Alliance’s human-rated ATLAS V N22 (422) (RL10A-4-2) launch vehicle made its ascent from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 5 June at...
Launches in June 2024
Mel’s Good Space – May 2024
When I was a teenager I told my teacher I wanted to be an astronomer. As a girl from an economically deprived, and rural, part of Canada where traditional industries, like logging, ranching and mining, reigned, the teacher explained that there was no future in it, and...
Space launch and satellite orders in May 2024
After the plethora of orders in April, May's orders seemed paltry. Nevertheless, there were a few to note: The biggest order for a single mission was a €340 million (US$369 million) one to Airbus DS for the Vigil solar storm warning spacecraft. It is to operate from...
China releases mystery object from remotely controlled spaceplane mission
An unknown object, suspected of being an inspection subsatellite, was released from a Chinese robotic spaceplane on 24 May at about 1900 GMT. The CSSHQ 1 (Flight 3) reusable mini-shuttle has been in a low Earth orbit (LEO) since its launch in mid-December from the...
North Korea suffers another launch failure as Chollima-1 blows up in the sky
A Chollima-1 rocket failed to reach orbit after the vehicle suffered an explosion just two minutes into its flight. The North Korean rocket, carrying the Malligyong-1 F4 reconnaissance satellite, was launched from the Sohae site at Tongchang-Ri, North Korea, at 1344...
Human spaceflight activity during May 2024
On the ISS, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin boarded Crew Dragon – NASA Crew 8 (Endeavour) on 2 May. They undocked from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module (IDA-2) on the...
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