News & Map

Why the vagueness of the Outer Space Treaty was a strategically calculated move

One of the complaints about the Outer Space Treaty is that many of its provisions are vague and subject to wide-ranging ...

Artemis and the blue micromoon

Last week NASA outlined initial plans for developing a lunar base, awarding contracts for rovers and the landers that wo...

Debris with telemetry: the cyber pathway to Kessler

Many satellite operators worry about debris from accidental collisions or antisatellite weapons tests. Daniel Morgan say...

The "public" in public space agency

Many hailed the success of the Artemis 2 mission as a key technical step in returning humans to the Moon. Alex Li said i...

Starships are meant to eventually fly

Last week marked both the first flight of the latest version of SpaceX's Starship as well as the release of the company'...

Fear and panic in orbit around the Red Planet: Missions to Phobos and Deimos

While most concepts for missions to Mars have focused on the planet itself, some have instead planned to explore its two...

Reassessing NASA procurement strategy: A hybrid approach

NASA is using a mix of cost-plus and fixed-price contracts for its missions, but each approach as advantages and disadva...

Space launch and reentry environmental concerns are real, but can be mitigated

The sharp increase in launches has led to warnings about the environmental impacts of emissions from those launches and ...

The Isaacman honeymoon

Despite a budget request that proposed steep cuts to NASA, administrator Jared Isaacman still remains popular on Capitol...

After Gateway: the case for a middle power lunar consortium

NASA's decision to effectively cancel the lunar Gateway has forced international partners who had been working on its co...

Flagships on a budget

NASA's next astrophysics flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is under budget and ahead of schedule ...

Strategy is easy, but logistics is hard. Golden Dome proves it.

The Golden Dome missile defense system will require major space-based capabilities, from sensors to interceptors. Bharat...

Three steps forward but one step back

NASA's revisions to its Artemis lunar exploration architecture have won widespread support in the space industry. Dale S...

The Moonbase moment

The centerpiece of NASA's new lunar exploration plans is a lunar base announced at an event in March. Jeff Foust reports...

Governance is always late to the party. Here's why that's not an accident.

Regulation of space activities aways appears to lag their technical and economic feasibility. G. Theresa Quitto-Dickerso...

The great launch constraint

Blue Origin's New Glenn suffered a failure on its third launch last week when an upper stage malfunction placed its payl...

A Fortress Moon for cislunar security

Cislunar space is evolving from one of primarily scientific interest to one with more strategic importance. Alan Dugger ...

Redefining success in space diplomacy: emerging space nations in the Artemis Era and the case of Turkey

The role of space in diplomacy is changing as countries shift from seeking technical dominance to influence over governa...

The TWINSTAR mission concept: A pragmatic path to finding Earth 2.0

One of the driving goals of astrophysics is to be able to observe an Earthlike planet orbiting another star. Sherine Ahm...

Commercial space station developers make their business case to NASA

Last month, NASA proposed major changes to its program supporting the development of commercial space stations, arguing ...

When the orbital layer is the kill chain

Experts have debated the role that artificial intelligence has played in the ongoing conflict with Iran. Bharath Gopalas...

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX are changing how America wages war

The Trump administration is cosying up to a new clique of “neo-primes”

Artemis 2, Apollo 8, and the problem with history

Artemis 2 has drawn parallels to Apollo 8 not just because of the profile of the missions but also because of geopolitic...

Opening the path to the lunar surface

The splashdown of Artemis 2 Friday marked both the successful end of the mission and the completion of a key step in NAS...

Strategic celestography and lunar competition: Artemis, CLEP, and the struggle for positional advantage

As the United States and China race to the Moon, both countries are considering bases in the same south polar region. Gl...

A tale of two Martian cities

What is the right governance model for future Martian settlements? Thomas Gangale examines two very models for how peopl...

Artemis eclipses

Artemis 2 successfully launched last week, with the Orion spacecraft flying around the Moon on the first crewed lunar mi...

Ownership without oversight: Australia's on-orbit supervision gap

The recent sale of an imaging satellite already in orbit to an Australian company has uncovered a gap in how the country...

Igniting a new vision for NASA

At a day-long event last week, NASA leadership announced major changes to its exploration, science, and technology progr...

From advantage to arena: space power 1991-2026

The conflict in the Middle East has demonstrated how space capabilities have become essential to modern warfare. Bharath...

Artemis 2, Project Hail Mary, and the risks and benefits of human spaceflight

The impending Artemis 2 launch comes as the movie Project Hail Mary hits theaters. Scott Solomon discusses how they both...

The science of Artemis 2

Artemis 2 is back on the pad for a launch as soon as next week. Jeff Foust reports that while the mission is primarily a...

NavIC: India's "jinxed" navigational program, or a cornerstone of India's misplaced space priorities?

A recent in-orbit failure has deprived India of a functioning navigation satellite system. Ajey Lele says what appears t...

The legal aspects of outer space settlers and settlements

Any future with humans living permanently in space raises some key legal issues. Dennis O'Brien explores those issues, f...

If China returns to the Moon first, will Americans care?

Many in the space community believe the United States is in a race with China to land the next humans on the Moon, with ...

The next phase of space ambitions in Texas

The state of Texas is seeking to expand its space industry with a grant program and a new space institute. Jeff Foust re...

Artemis via the ISS? A breakout opportunity for kickstarting a sustainable cislunar economy

NASA's plans for the Artemis lunar exploration campaign are largely separate from the planned transition from the Intern...

Golden domes, fragile firms: the business risks of AI-enabled space infrastructure

Space companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to manage their satellite operations. Bharath Gopala...

China schedules next moonshot this year: developer

Reforging Vulcan

This was supposed to be the year that United Launch Alliance finally ramped up launches of its Vulcan rocket to serve go...