All articles tagged with #space transportation
China is developing Qingzhou, a smaller, lighter, and potentially cheaper cargo spacecraft for its Tiangong space station, with its first flight expected after early 2026, as part of an upgrade to its space transportation capabilities.
Impulse Space plans to develop a lunar lander capable of delivering three metric tons of cargo to the moon starting in 2028, aiming to fill a gap in mid-sized payload delivery for lunar infrastructure development, using their Helios transfer vehicle and existing propulsion technology.
NASA and Sierra Space have revised the Dream Chaser spaceplane's mission, shifting from ISS resupply to a versatile, free-flying spacecraft set for its first orbital flight in 2026, aiming to support defense, private space stations, and future space ventures as the ISS is decommissioned by 2030.
The European Space Agency awarded Italian company Avio a €40 million contract to develop a reusable rocket upper stage demonstrator over the next 24 months, focusing on system requirements and preliminary design, leveraging advancements in liquid propulsion and reentry technologies.
Venus Aerospace has successfully tested a revolutionary Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, which uses supersonic explosions for propulsion, potentially enabling hypersonic vehicles to operate like conventional aircraft and transforming high-speed travel for civilian and military applications.
Blue Origin erects a full-size simulator of its New Glenn rocket for fit checks and tests, signaling progress toward its inaugural flights; Russia launches a classified satellite, Kosmos 2575, with indications of a shared mission with another satellite, raising concerns about anti-satellite capabilities; The Exploration Company continues testing its methane-fueled Huracán engine for in-space and lunar transportation, positioning itself as a propulsion supplier to other space companies.
Sierra Space is gearing up to compete with SpaceX and Blue Origin with its sleek Tenacity spaceplane, a space-ready version of the Dream Chaser ship. The 55-foot craft is undergoing final testing to prove its readiness for launch atop a United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket and subsequent return to Earth. If successful, it could soon embark on an unmanned mission to the International Space Station, potentially paving the way for future space missions and construction of new space stations.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will provide an update on the company's Starship vehicle at the 74th International Astronautical Congress. The Starship is a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry payloads, crew, and cargo to various orbits and planetary landing sites. Musk's lecture, titled "Creating a More Exciting Future," will discuss the design and development of Starship as SpaceX aims to revolutionize space transportation and enable human settlement on Mars. The event will be livestreamed on Space.com.
Firefly Aerospace, an Austin-based space transportation company, has been awarded a $112 million contract by NASA to deliver goods to the far side of the moon as part of the space agency's return to the surface. The mission will debut the company's Blue Ghost spacecraft, which will land on the furthest lunar landing site on the "dark side of the moon" and deliver the European Space Agency's Lunar Pathfinder satellite and a communication system to the surface. Firefly Aerospace is also constructing a lunar lander that will be used by NASA for manned launches in the coming decades.