T+13: SpaceX’s CRS-9 Success, Senate Hearing Recap, and US-Russian Plans for the Moon
SpaceX had a great night launching the CRS-9 mission, and it’s all good signs for their future. The Senate hearing, as I predicted, was focused on maintaining the status quo. US and Russian engineers ...
20 Juli 201625min
T+12: The Competition of Reusability Between Falcon 9, Vulcan, and Ariane 6
Ted Cruz called a hearing on NASA’s space exploration policy in the next president’s administration. The president of France’s CNES discussed some policy statements, and I went on a rant about his tho...
13 Juli 201623min
T+11: SpaceX’s LZ-1 Expansion, Dream Chaser’s UN Ambitions, China and ESA’s Growing Relationship
SpaceX printed a public notice in Florida Today on July 3rd outlining plans for LZ-1 expansion. Sierra Nevada Corporation and the United Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding future u...
6 Juli 201625min
T+10: Logan Kamperschroer on the Current State and Near Future of Storable Propellants
This week I talked to Logan Kamperschroer, a Graduate Research Assistant at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. Logan’s research focuses on hypergolic rocket fuels—specifi...
29 Juni 201627min
T+9: ExoMars 2016 and 2020, Chinese Partnerships and Policy
The ExoMars 2020 rover received a funding boost and a reassessed schedule, the 2016 orbiter/lander set its sights on Mars, NASA and ESA coordinated a practice communication session, and China opens up...
22 Juni 201617min
T+8: Masten’s Xodiac and XaeroB, Blue Origin’s Next Flight of New Shepard
Masten Space Systems released a video of test flights of their two latest vehicles. Blue Origin was awarded a NASA Flight Opportunities contract, is planning the 4th flight of New Shepard, and began c...
15 Juni 201613min
T+7: Bezos and Musk at Code Conference, and a Hard Look at Vulcan’s Economics
Some interesting tidbits emerged from interviews with Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk at Code Conference. And a hard look at the economics of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan. Jeff Bezos | Full interview | C...
8 Juni 201625min
T+6: Orbital ATK’s Next-Gen Vehicle, Falcon 9 Proving Its Reusability, and ULA’s Tough Future
Orbital ATK shared some more details about their next-generation launch vehicle, SpaceX is working out their certification process for reflown stages, and how these events affect the industry and othe...
1 Juni 201615min
