SpaceFlight Insider

Pluto’s heart feature controls its winds

Laurel KornfeldFebruary 18th Pluto's iconic heart feature, named Tombaugh Regio, functions as a "beating heart" that controls the small planet's winds and might even play a role in shaping its surface features.
Pluto’s hazy atmosphere is similar to that of Titan

Laurel KornfeldFebruary 2nd Pluto is often compared to Neptune's largest moon Triton, but its hazy atmosphere is actually more akin to that of Saturn's largest moon Titan, which is sometimes viewed as an analog of early Earth.
Artemis I Orion spacecraft advancing through tests at Plum Brook Station

Michael ColeJanuary 31st SANDUSKY, OHIO -- Testing is fully underway on the Orion spacecraft for the upcoming Artemis I test flight mission at NASA's Plum Brook Station testing facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The Orion crew capsule, integrated with its European Service Module, is currently inside the facility's Space Environments Complex undergoing thermal vacuum tests in the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the world.
NASA broadcast celebrates Spitzer telescope’s accomplishments

Laurel KornfeldJanuary 24th In a live broadcast on Wednesday, January 22, NASA celebrated 16 years of incredible accomplishments by the Spitzer Space Telescope, one of its four "Great Observatories" in space.
Spitzer telescope to be decommissioned after 16 years

Laurel KornfeldJanuary 20th NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which has studied the universe in infrared light since its launch in August of 2003, will be decommissioned on Thursday, January 30, 2020.
Gallery: SpaceX’s Dragon clears safety check paving way for crewed missions

Michael McCabeJanuary 19th CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Images from the Jan. 19 test of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft which successfully demonstrated the vehicle's ability to pull astronauts away from the rocket in the event of an accident on its way to orbit.
Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort’s successful completion clears way for crewed flights

Theresa CrossJanuary 19th SpaceX successfully completed yet another milestone under NASA's Commercial Crew Program to send astronauts to the International Space Station - the In Flight Abort Test.
SuperDraco engines set to be tested during SpaceX in-flight abort

Theresa CrossJanuary 19th KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- With the in-flight Crew Dragon abort test set to launch in less than an hour, let's take a look into the incredibly powerful and spacecraft specific SuperDraco engine.
SpaceX, NASA monitoring weather ahead of in-flight abort test.

Sean CostelloJanuary 19th CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla. — As the sun rises and the shorelines of the Space Coast communities fill with eager spectators, SpaceX and NASA engineers have their attention focused on the early Sunday morning weather systems.
No in-flight abort for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft today

SpaceFlight InsiderJanuary 18th SpaceX has been forced to stand down from today's attempt to test out a critical element of the company's crew-rated spacecraft.
SpaceX poised to take large step toward human space flight

Cullen DesforgesJanuary 17th SpaceX is ready to check off another box on the list of requirements that need to be completed before the company can send crewed missions to the International Space Station.
Boeing releases video from recent OFT mission

Cullen DesforgesJanuary 16th Boeing has released video from its failed attempt to send its "Starliner" spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Artemis I Orion spacecraft advancing through tests at Plum Brook Station

Michael ColeJanuary 31st SANDUSKY, OHIO -- Testing is fully underway on the Orion spacecraft for the upcoming Artemis I test flight mission at NASA's Plum Brook Station testing facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The Orion crew capsule, integrated with its European Service Module, is currently inside the facility's Space Environments Complex undergoing thermal vacuum tests in the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the world.
Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort’s successful completion clears way for crewed flights

Theresa CrossJanuary 19th SpaceX successfully completed yet another milestone under NASA's Commercial Crew Program to send astronauts to the International Space Station - the In Flight Abort Test.
SuperDraco engines set to be tested during SpaceX in-flight abort

Theresa CrossJanuary 19th KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- With the in-flight Crew Dragon abort test set to launch in less than an hour, let's take a look into the incredibly powerful and spacecraft specific SuperDraco engine.
SpaceX, NASA monitoring weather ahead of in-flight abort test.

Sean CostelloJanuary 19th CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla. — As the sun rises and the shorelines of the Space Coast communities fill with eager spectators, SpaceX and NASA engineers have their attention focused on the early Sunday morning weather systems.
SpaceX poised to take large step toward human space flight

Cullen DesforgesJanuary 17th SpaceX is ready to check off another box on the list of requirements that need to be completed before the company can send crewed missions to the International Space Station.
NASA graduates its newest class of Astronauts

Sean CostelloJanuary 10th As NASA prepares to send astronauts to destinations far beyond Earth, a new breed of space flyers has joined the elite cadre of the agency's astronaut corps.
New Year, new headquarters for Blue Origin

Laurel KornfeldJanuary 9th With Blue Origin opening its new headquarters, 2020 appears to be a year of further expansion for NewSpace.
SpaceX starts 2020 with Starlink launch

Patrick AttwellJanuary 6th SpaceX's Starlink constellation just got a major boost.
What’s in a name? Mars 2020 wouldn’t know, it doesn’t have one – yet

James RiceDecember 30th NASA's Mars 2020 rover is on the verge of traveling to the Red Planet and beginning its search for evidence of Martian life. But it's missing something very important.
Launch of Shijian 20 lights up Chinese skies and exploration ambitions

SpaceFlight InsiderDecember 28th China has big plans for its space program. But before it can achieve them, it needed to make sure a key launch vehicle was up to the task. A recent mission suggests that it is.
Russia launches final Rockot with trio of communications satellites

SpaceFlight InsiderDecember 27th Russia launched its final mission on the nation's 2019 manifest when it sent three communications satellites to orbit on Friday, Dec. 27. The flight marked the close of a vehicle designed for violence.
Boeing Blunder! Starliner timing failure prevents ISS rendezvous

SpaceFlight InsiderDecember 20th "Unplanned but stable." That's how Boeing referred to the first flight of its Starliner "space taxi." In layman's terms, the spacecraft was placed in the wrong orbit and won't be going to the International Space Station.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule begins much-delayed first flight: UPDATE

Cullen DesforgesDecember 20th CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – After almost a year of continued delays, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner has finally launched. It is the culmination of years of development, but there’s still a ways to go before astronauts will be soaring aloft in the vehicle.
Launch of JCSAT-18 / Kacific-1 furthers SpaceX’s reusability program

SpaceFlight InsiderDecember 18th SpaceX's domination of the launch services market continues with Monday's launch of a Boeing-built satellite for SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. and Kacific Broadband Satellites.
Mars 2020 rover’s protective cover arrives at KSC

SpaceFlight InsiderDecember 13th Space is a pretty wicked place. Fortunately for the Mars 2020 rover, NASA has the robot detective covered.
First fight of OmegA rocket to carry SSN payload

Jason RhianDecember 12th Move over SpaceX, you're not the only launch service provider who'll be flying out of Kennedy Space Center.

The Range

Pluto’s heart feature controls its winds

February 18th
Pluto's iconic heart feature, named Tombaugh Regio, functions as a "beating heart" that controls the small planet's winds and might even play a role in shaping its surface features.
Pluto’s hazy atmosphere is similar to that of Titan

February 2nd
Pluto is often compared to Neptune's largest moon Triton, but its hazy atmosphere is actually more akin to that of Saturn's largest moon Titan, which is sometimes viewed as an analog of early Earth.
NASA broadcast celebrates Spitzer telescope’s accomplishments

January 24th
In a live broadcast on Wednesday, January 22, NASA celebrated 16 years of incredible accomplishments by the Spitzer Space Telescope, one of its four "Great Observatories" in space.
Spitzer telescope to be decommissioned after 16 years

January 20th
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, which has studied the universe in infrared light since its launch in August of 2003, will be decommissioned on Thursday, January 30, 2020.
Gallery: SpaceX’s Dragon clears safety check paving way for crewed missions

January 19th
No in-flight abort for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft today

January 18th
SpaceX has been forced to stand down from today's attempt to test out a critical element of the company's crew-rated spacecraft.
Boeing releases video from recent OFT mission

January 16th
Boeing has released video from its failed attempt to send its "Starliner" spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Processing of Starlink 2 booster underway, following return to Port Canaveral

January 11th
SpaceX's B1049.4 returned to Port Canaveral January 9, 2020 after the completion of its fourth flown mission delivering the third set of Starlink satellites into low-Earth-orbit (LEO). This is Spacex’s first launch supported by the newly-created U.S. Space Force and its forty-eighth successful booster recovery.
CRS-19 Dragon wet and waiting for next mission

January 7th
After spending nearly a month berthed to the International Space Station, a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule left the Station and splashed down marking the successful completion of its mission.
OPINION: 2019 – Numbers and Names

January 1st
Well that happened. 2019 was a roller-coaster of ups and downs that will have far-reaching consequences for future space exploration efforts.
SpaceX prepares for first of many Starlink launches in 2020

December 31st
2020 looks to be a big year for space. The next twelve months could see the U.S. regain a long-lost capability and another rover should be sent on its way to the Red Planet. SpaceX is planning to kick off 2020 with the launch of the next batch of Starlink satellites.
NASA Mars 2020 rover passes driving test

December 27th
Remember how stressful it was taking your first driver's test? Now imagine driving a car that's worth $2.5 billion.
ULA gets the nod to launch GOES-T satellite

December 23rd
NASA has selected a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket to ferry the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-T to orbit.
Starliner makes history in redefined ‘victory’

December 22nd
Boeing's Orbital Flight Test concluded today (Sunday Dec. 22) when the Starliner capsule touched down at White Sands Missile Range. Launched Friday, the mission saw the first U.S.-built crew-rated capsule land on soil rather than splashing down in the ocean.
OFT: What went wrong?

December 21st
NASA and Boeing don't seem to know what exactly prevented the OFT Starliner from completing its primary mission objective.