Aerospace
NASA: Lockheed Martin will build the Mars Ascent Vehicle
NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle, a first-of-its-kind rocket capable of launching from the surface of Mars, will be built by Lockheed Martin.
“Space tug” tows dead satellite into a new orbit
China has used a space tug to change the orbit of a defunct satellite, proving it’s a viable way to clean up some old space junk.
NASA offers $1 million prize for prototypes to grow space food
NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge will give away $1 million in exchange for prototypes that could help feed astronauts on long-term missions.
NASA plans to destroy the ISS in 2031
NASA will deorbit the International Space Station in 2031 by sending it plunging into the Pacific Ocean's “spacecraft cemetery.”
Toyota is building a “Lunar Cruiser” for Japan
Toyota's pressurized moon rover, the “Lunar Cruiser,” could help astronauts live on the moon — and help us combat climate change on Earth.
New space plane would fly directly into orbit from a runway
Radian Aerospace is building a first-of-its-kind space plane that flies directly into orbit after taking off horizontally from the ground.
A space film studio is launching into orbit in 2024
A new space module designed for the recording and livestreaming of movies and sporting events is expected to attach to the ISS in 2024.
Chinese lander finds first onsite evidence of water on the moon
The first onsite evidence of water on the moon suggests that subterranean lunar rock contains larger stores than can be found on the surface.
China builds “artificial moon” on Earth
China’s artificial moon, which uses magnets to mimic lunar gravity, could help with the creation of future moon colonies.
SpaceX’s Starship is ready for its first trip into space
SpaceX's Mars-bound Starship — the largest spacecraft ever built — is expected to undergo its first orbital test flight in March 2022.