NASA

WASHINGTON — A defense authorization bill includes language to extend a “learning period” limiting commercial human spaceflight regulations as well as indemnification for commercial launches. House and Senate conferees released Dec. 7 the text of the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 after negotiations to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. One section in the 1,813-page bill extends two existing provisions regarding commercial space transportation. One is the so-called “learning period” that limits the ability of the Federal Aviation Administration to enact safety regulations for occupants of commercial human spacecraft. That restriction, set to expire on Jan. 1, would be extended through the en...

WASHINGTON — The new European Union commissioner responsible for space says he will focus on improving European competitiveness and security in space, including passage of a long-delayed space law. Andrius Kubilius formally started his tenure as the European Commissioner for Defence and Space on Dec. 1 after members of the European Parliament confirmed him among a slate of 26 commissioners Nov. 27 for five-year terms. Kubilius, a former prime minister of Lithuania, takes on a new portfolio that combines defense and space issues. Under the previous commission, space was handled by the commissioner for the internal market. “Europe must be part of this space revolution. However, we are confronted with a new set of challenges,” he said at a Nov. 6 confirmation hearing by committee of...

ALTOn November 14, NASA is set to launch the uncrewed Artemis I flight test to the Moon and back. Artemis I is the first integrated flight test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These are the same systems that will bring future Artemis astronauts to the Moon.ALTStanding 322 feet (98 meters) tall, the SLS rocket comprises of a core stage, an upper stage, two solid boosters, and four RS-25 engines. The SLS rocket is the most powerful rocket in the world, able to carry 59,500 pounds (27 metric tons) of payloads to deep space — more than any other vehicle. With its unprecedented power, SLS is the only rocket that can send the Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and cargo directly to the Moon on a s...

WASHINGTON — Firefly Aerospace says it is planning a launch of its first lunar lander mission in January, meaning that none of the three commercial lander missions once slated to launch in the fourth quarter of this year will do so. Firefly announced Nov. 25 that it is planning to launch its Blue Ghost 1 lander mission during a six-day window in mid-January. The spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida. The announcement of the launch date came after the spacecraft completed testing in October at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Blue Ghost aced environmental testing and proved the lander is performing 100% as expected,” Jason Kim, chief executive of Firefly, said in the statement announcing the launch date. “While we know there will be more challenges ahead, I’m c...

BREMEN, Germany — SpaceX launched its Starship vehicle on its sixth test flight Nov. 19 but called off a planned landing of the Super Heavy booster back at the launch site. The Starship/Super Heavy vehicle lifted off at 5 p.m. Eastern from SpaceX’s Starbase test site at Boca Chica, Texas. Liftoff took place at the opening of a 30-minute launch window with no problems reported during the countdown. Among the guests at the launch was President-elect Donald Trump, who has maintained close ties with SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk since the election two weeks ago. The Super Heavy booster, known as Booster 13, separated from the Starship upper stage about two minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff. The booster started its return to the launch site but, a little more than a minute later,...