News
Falcon 9 returns to flight after upper stage engine investigation
1+ hour, 45+ min ago (534+ words) WASHINGTON " A Falcon 9 launched a batch of Starlink satellites on Feb. 7 after SpaceX completed an investigation into an engine malfunction during the rocket's previous launch five days earlier. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at…...
Space Force awards $54.5 million contract to Starfish Space for GEO servicing vehicle
13+ hour, 9+ min ago (464+ words) WASHINGTON " The U.S. Space Force has awarded a $54.5 million contract to Starfish Space to build and operate a spacecraft designed to support military satellites in geostationary Earth orbit. The contract, awarded on Feb. 2, covers the manufacture and operation of an Otter…...
China launches reusable spaceplane on fourth secretive orbital mission
17+ hour, 58+ min ago (468+ words) HELSINKI " China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the fourth time late Friday, once again maintaining strict secrecy around the mission. State media Xinhua announced the launch of reusable experimental spacecraft via a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch…...
Viasat sees orbital data center partnership opportunity
1+ day, 1+ hour ago (812+ words) TAMPA, Fla. " While Viasat has no plans to join the rush to deploy orbital data centers, the satellite operator sees a role providing the communications links needed to connect such systems with users on Earth and other spacecraft. "We're certainly…...
NASA seeks to bolster workforce, reduce reliance on contractors
1+ day, 4+ hour ago (749+ words) WASHINGTON " After losing about 20% of its civil servant workforce in the past year, NASA's administrator says the agency plans to bring more expertise in-house and reduce its reliance on contractors. In a social media post Feb. 6, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman…...
'Serving the country and pushing the boundaries of human existence is very purposeful."
1+ day, 7+ hour ago (306+ words) Last position: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Artificial Intelligence Research Lead Why did you want to work for NASA? I was drawn to the nonprofit aspect. Serving the country and pushing the boundaries of human existence is very purposeful. What…...
'Now it's time to turn the baton over to others. I hope there's somebody else to grab that baton."
1+ day, 7+ hour ago (939+ words) Last position: NASA Senior Advisor As director of NASA's Commercial Spaceflight Division, McAlister also played a key role in establishing the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) program, which provides funding and expertise to companies developing space stations NASA could tap into…...
NASA selects two Earth science missions for development
1+ day, 11+ hour ago (480+ words) WASHINGTON " NASA has selected two Earth science missions for development, one focused on studying the atmosphere and the other on terrestrial ecosystems and ice. The agency announced Feb. 5 that it chose the Stratosphere-Troposphere Response using Infrared Vertically resolved light Explorer,…...
'We helped usher in the modern era of AI in NGA."
1+ day, 12+ hour ago (484+ words) Government agencies are known for outsourcing software development, making Mark Munsell a rarity: a senior executive who excels at coding. Before opting for early retirement in May, Munsell wrote more than 1 million lines of code over the course of his…...
'I loved thinking about how to make science possible for America and for the world"
1+ day, 12+ hour ago (1129+ words) Kartik Sheth is well known for managing infrared observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Spitzer Space Telescopes. He's equally adept at conveying the importance of scientific exploration and technological innovation. Sheth attributes his communications skills in part…...