ISS
Soyuz returns cosmonauts and film crew to Earth
A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a cosmonaut and two spaceflight participants landed in Kazakhstan Oct. 17, nearly two days after that spacecraft caused the station to briefly lose attitude control.
NASA reshuffles commercial crew astronaut assignments because of Starliner delays
NASA has reassigned two astronauts from Boeing commercial crew missions to a SpaceX one as the agency addresses delays in the development of the CST-100 Starliner and works out a seat barter agreement with Russia.
Soyuz delivers cosmonaut and film crew to ISS
A Soyuz spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Oct. 5 carrying a cosmonaut as well as an actress and director who will film scenes for a Russian movie.
Op-ed | Can we backhaul our way to space?
If the market grows large enough, a dedicated lunar-to-LEO tanker industry could evolve – which might never happen if the infrastructure for supplying space facilities with lunar water had to be paid for up front and from scratch, before any water was delivered.
NASA urged to avoid space station gap
NASA needs to ensure that commercial space stations are ready before the International Space Station is retired to avoid a “space station gap” with geopolitical consequences, industry officials and other advisers warn.
NASA astronaut to stay on ISS for nearly a year
NASA confirmed Sept. 14 that one its astronauts, Mark Vande Hei, will remain on the International Space Station until next March, setting an American spaceflight duration record in the process.
Xenesis and MBS Lab forge pact to test optical communications
Optical communications startup Xenesis signed a memorandum of understanding with MBS Lab, the research group for Germany’s Media Broadcast Satellite, Germany’s largest teleport operator.
Space agencies support ISS extension as NASA warns of space race with China
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he remains confident that Russia will remain a part of the International Space Station through the end of the decade but warned of an emerging space race with China.
Antares launches NG-16 Cygnus space station cargo spacecraft
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft Aug. 10 carrying more than 3,700 kilograms of cargo for the International Space Station.
DoD experiment flying to International Space Station to collect data for missile-tracking sensors
A Northrop Grumman spacecraft scheduled to launch Aug. 10 on a resupply mission to the International Space Station will carry a Space Development Agency experiment.
Starliner investigation continues
Boeing is continuing its investigation into the thruster issue that delayed the launch of its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle but could soon run into schedule conflicts on both the International Space Station and with its launch vehicle.
China’s space station emerges as competitor to commercial ventures
Companies involved with commercial activities on the International Space Station or planning their own space stations may face a new competitor in China’s new space station.
New details of Russian “movie in space” emerge as producers seek funding
New information has emerged about the Russian movie “The Challenge” planned to be filmed partly on the International Space Station in October.
Starliner glitch delays launch
A problem with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle scrubbed a launch attempt Aug. 3, pushing back its uncrewed test flight by several days.
Starliner resets for next launch attempt after ISS problems
NASA and Boeing say they’re ready to make a second attempt to launch the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight after an incident at the International Space Station called off the first attempt last week.
Station loses attitude control after Nauka docking, Starliner launch delayed
A Russian module that docked to the International Space Station July 29 started firing its thrusters hours later, briefly knocking the station out of its normal attitude and forcing NASA to delay a commercial crew test flight that was scheduled to launch July 30.
Foust Forward | The other human spaceflight race
A more fundamental competition than Bezos vs. Branson is taking shape, pitting companies against the clock. Can those companies establish a human presence in low Earth orbit before the International Space Station is retired around 2030?
Russia launches Nauka module to International Space Station
Russia launched a long-delayed module for its segment of the International Space Station July 21, but that module reportedly suffered technical problems after reaching orbit.
Op-ed | Mind the gap in low Earth orbit
The ISS will inevitably need to be retired, and it is incumbent upon NASA and the entire American space community to avoid a space station gap.
NASA soliciting proposals for two private astronaut missions
NASA announced June 11 that it is requesting proposals for two private astronaut missions to the International Space Station that would fly between the fall of 2022 and the end of 2023.
