From the Magazine
Foust Forward | Will Jeff Bezos kick-start Blue Origin? Does he need to?
Some saw Jeff Bezos' announcement that he will will step down as chief executive of Amazon in July as a sign that Bezos would use that time and energy to provide new urgency for Blue Origin.
Op-ed | Representing the private astronaut is a new step for human spaceflight — and for space lawyers
In addition to adding a new dimension for space travel, several future missions create new challenges and opportunities for space lawyers — representing private astronauts.
Astra’s 100-year plan: Q&A with CEO Chris Kemp
Astra, the once-stealthy launch startup, is about to go public via a SPAC. CEO Chris Kemp discusses the merger, plans for ramping up launch activity and how it will compete against both small and large launch providers.
Book excerpt | Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
"The seeds for everything SpaceX has grown into today were planted during the early days of the Falcon 1 program," journalist Eric Berger writes in his forthcoming book, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX.
To defend the high frontier, Space Force wants digitally minded troops
If fighter pilots are the rock stars of the Air Force, it could be said that software coders and app developers are the fighter jocks of the Space Force.
On National Security | Biden’s declaration of support puts Space Force on firmer ground
The Space Force, NASA and executives in the space industry breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier this month when the Biden administration finally provided some answers to lingering questions about its support for military and civilian space activities.
The multi-decade challenge of Mars Sample Return
Making recommendations is easy enough. Following them, as Mars Sample Return shows, can be much more challenging.
Report calls for revamped cost-conscious vision for Mars exploration
With NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover set to begin its multiyear mission to collect rocks and soil for future retrieval, planetary scientists are concerned other Mars research goals could suffer during the decade-long wait for those samples to complete their three-legged relay back to Earth.
Op-ed | Space initiatives in Africa offer a canvas of opportunity
More than ever before, the promise and potential in space is available to those with the ambition to reach for it. Nowhere is this story more exciting and compelling than in Africa.
NASA’s China exclusion could mean missed opportunity for Mars InSight
NASA's Mars InSight lander is poised to make the ultimate field recording when Perseverance attempts its Feb. 18 landing. Politics could squelch an even better recording opportunity when China's Tianwen-1 lands this summer.
NASA steadily expands AI and autonomy for Mars exploration
NASA is turning increasingly to autonomy and machine learning to make the most out of Mars exploration missions, but don’t count on self-driving rovers to zip across the Red Planet anytime soon.
Private methane-watching smallsat MethaneSAT taps SpaceX for late 2022 rideshare
A privately funded smallsat project is underway intended to slow the pace of climate change by providing global, high-resolution detection and quantification of methane emissions around the world.
MarCO cubesats prove small satellites add value beyond Earth orbit
Anthony Colaprete and his colleagues have been working for more than two years to develop small, low-power instruments to measure winds and obtain vertical profiles of dust and clouds.
Op-ed | For China, space is both substance and symbol
China’s steady persistent efforts have allowed it to build a firm foundation from which to compete with the United States.
Op-ed | Is public capital ready to help fuel the private space economy?
The urge for exploration and human curiosity combined with an enthusiasm for space will create a large market of public space investors, helping provide the capital fuel for an innovative and growing private space industry.
On National Security | Defense contractors forced into uneasy role in wake of Capitol riot
As the fallout from the Jan. 6 deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol continues, the crisis has forced a reckoning of sorts in a sector of American industry that typically steers clear of political controversy.
