From the Magazine
GEO satellite orders continued to underwhelm in 2018
Last year’s poor harvest of five commercial orders for large geostationary communications satellites proved even worse than 2017’s surprise low of just seven orders.
Op-ed | Time to give H.R. 4945 another look?
As space commerce evolves to include new types of assets and activities, insurance continues to be an essential part of the financing for any commercial space venture and acts as the due diligence agent of technology.
Pentagon space budget is on an upward trend. How long can this last?
In the appropriations bill that Congress passed in September to fund the Defense Department for 2019, lawmakers gave the Pentagon what it asked for: $8.1 billion for investments in space systems.
The long road to Vostochny: Inside Russia’s newest launch facility
Since construction began in 2007, the Vostochny Cosmodrome has been closed to Western journalists. But Dec. 24 — Christmas Eve — Roscosmos granted SpaceNews access to the cosmodrome as part of a revealing, though highly restricted and tightly controlled press tour
The future of space-based astronomy may depend on two large ground-based telescopes
A new generation of what are known as extremely large telescopes, or ELTs, are under development and expected to enter service in the 2020s.
Foust Forward | Space tourism’s image problem
For the very patient advocates of space tourism, the good news is that 2019 may finally be the year that tourists get to fly on suborbital vehicles.
On National Security | Industry heartened by DoD space talk, but actions speak louder
While the Pentagon says it wants fast and lower cost launch services from the private sector, it is not making necessary changes to its procurement methods to make that happen.
Tempers flare when meteorologists discuss commercial weather data
As commercial companies expand their role in gathering and disseminating weather data, academic and government researchers are deeply concerned they will lose access to the data that fuels their work.
Op-ed | Responsible satellite operations in the era of large constellations
While an unprecedented number of satellites brings with them important benefits to humanity, we must be careful to proceed responsibly and minimize the potential for harming the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment for generations to come.
Q&A: U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson says change is underway, Space Force or not
Whether Congress goes along with President Donald Trump’s plan to establish a Space Force, the nation is prepared to protect and advance its dominance in space, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said.
Foust Forward | Making Wall Street space-savvy again
At least Wall Street is paying attention to the space industry again.
Chang’e-4 landing to be a step along a road of lunar exploration for China
With its Chang’e-4 spacecraft now orbiting the moon in preparation for the first-ever landing on the far side of Earth’s nearest neighbor, China is poised to reap the prestige and scientific payoffs that are part and parcel of achieving a space first.
On National Security | Optimism and caution sums up the outlook for 2019
In the military space business, there are strong reasons to believe that 2019 could be a pivotal year.
NASA opens the floodgates for firms with planetary ambitions
When NASA revealed the names of nine companies eligible for contracts to deliver payloads to the moon on robotic landers, it set off a flurry of activity among firms with related technology.
Urban planning for the Moon Village
The first thing to remember about Moon Village is that it’s not a village on the moon.
Is the Gateway the right way to the moon?
A year after President Donald Trump formally directed NASA to return humans to the moon in Space Policy Directive (SPD) 1, the agency has developed the outlines of a plan to carry that out, while emphasizing the language in the policy to do so in a “sustainable” manner and with international and commercial partners.
