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Hello and welcome back to Max Q. In this issue: Astra’s long game in the small launch market The supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy News from Virgin Orbit, SpaceX and more Don’t forget to sign up to get the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox. Astra’s playing […] → Read More
In a time when every rocket launch is livestreamed on Youtube, millions of people get a front row seat to a space company’s successes and failures. Astra, a rocket startup-turned-public company, has had a few of both. But according to CEO Chris Kemp, perfection is not the point. “The expectation I think that a lot […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. In this issue: Rocket Lab’s milestone booster recovery Ursa Major and Phantom Space News from NASA, SpaceX and more Don’t forget to sign up to get the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox. Rocket Lab briefly catches booster mid-air using helicopter for the first […] → Read More
Hundreds of rocket engines manufactured by startup Ursa Major will be going to space company Phantom Space over the next few years, part of a massive order that reflects Phantom’s bullish stance on the small launch market. “We placed the order based on how far out we could see the demand, and we see the […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. In this issue: Launcher debuts full thrust of 3D-printed rocket engine A “sustainable” satellite mega-constellation? FAA’s decision on Starbase delayed yet again Don’t forget to sign up to get the free newsletter version of Max Q delivered to your inbox. Launcher shows off its 3D-printed rocket doing a […] → Read More
The proliferation of space junk in low Earth orbit is a problem that isn’t going away. Instead, it’s getting worse — a fact that grabbed headlines last November when a Russian direct-ascent anti-satellite test produced enough new pieces of debris that astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to conduct immediate safety procedures in […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. Happy to have you with us and happy belated Earth Day. In this issue: No more ASAT operations for the U.S. NASA gives nearly $300 million in awards to satcom providers Mapping the moon using lidar This week with…Araz Feyzi Don’t forget to sign up to get the […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. The big news from me this week is that…I’m buying Twitter! Just kidding. But I do occasionally tweet over at @breadfrom; say hi, or send an email to aria.techcrunch@gmail.com. In this issue: Diversity and inclusion in the space industry A roundup of Elon’s antics This week with founder Luisa […] → Read More
Welcome back to Max Q. In this issue: Axiom Space's first mission to the ISS, Astranis buys a dedicated Falcon 9 flight, A week with founder and VC Jordan Noone → Read More
If you needed any more convincing that we’ve entered a new era of human spaceflight, this mission should finally settle it for you. Houston-based startup Axiom Space will be launching the first fully private crewed mission to the International Space Station on Friday, the start of a ten-day mission that will likely be the first […] → Read More
San Francisco-based startup Astranis has purchased a dedicated launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, eschewing the less expensive “ride-share” model favored by new space companies for an exclusive mission that Astranis says will put its package of four communications satellites closer to their target orbit in a much faster amount of time. “We’re actually […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. Welcome to all our new subscribers. For those who are new here, my inbox is always open for feedback, comments and tips at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com. You also can catch me on Twitter at @breadfrom. In this issue: SpaceX caps the Crew Dragon fleet at four Funding for hyperspectral imaging […] → Read More
Rocket Lab will embark on its 25th mission using the Electron rocket on Friday, this time to send two Earth imaging spacecraft to orbit for BlackSky. The launch, the second of 2022 for Rocket Lab, will bring BlackSky’s high-resolution satellite constellation to 14. The mission, named “Without Mission A Beat,” will embark from Rocket Lab’s […] → Read More
Blue Origin is gearing up for its first crewed launch of the year, and fourth crewed launch overall, as the company seeks to expand its budding space tourism business. This time, the Jeff Bezos-headed company is sending up a crew of six, with the launch set to take place on Thursday at 8:30 AM CT […] → Read More
Hello and welcome back to Max Q. Before we dive into this week’s news, a brief note: I’ll be experimenting with the newsletter over the coming weeks, trying out new segments and features, and I want to hear from you: What do you enjoy reading? What do you want more of? What bores you to […] → Read More
SpaceX will no longer be making new Crew Dragons, the spacecraft that ferries astronauts to and from the International Space Station, and will instead focus on reusing the fleet of four already in existence, Reuters reported Monday. SpaceX is planning to continue manufacturing Crew Dragon components for refurbishment and will be able to manufacture more […] → Read More
NASA just placed another order with SpaceX. The agency said Wednesday it had ordered six additional resupply missions from the company under its Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract. NASA also placed an order for six more missions with aerospace prime Northrop Grumman, another major provider of resupply services to the ISS. NASA awarded both SpaceX […] → Read More
NASA will be giving another company a chance to send a lander to the moon, nearly a year after the agency announced that SpaceX beat out competitors including Blue Origin and Boeing for the opportunity. Under the new plan, the agency will be opening up a second competition for a lander system for all American […] → Read More
Hi folks, welcome back to Max Q. This week we have news on rockets both small (Astra’s Rocket 3.3) and very, very large (NASA’s Space Launch System). Plus further fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and some funding news too. Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. Thoughts, comments and tips can […] → Read More
Space startup-turned-public-company Astra reached orbit for a second time, in its debut mission for new customer Spaceflight Inc. It’s a big win for the launch company. Astra reached orbit for the first time in November 2021, but it hasn’t been able to replicate that feat since. Until now. The Astra-1 mission saw liftoff from Kodiak […] → Read More