Live coverage of the countdown and launch of Firefly’s Alpha rocket on the “To the Black” test flight with seven small nanosatellites and picosatellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
Space News & Blog Articles
Tune into the SpaceZE News Network to stay updated on industry news from around the world.
If Jupiter's Orbit got Weirder, it Would Actually Make Earth More Habitable
Earth is not just habitable, it’s unusually habitable. It’s rather wet for a planet so close to its Sun, it’s geologically active, and it has a stable orbit, all of which are necessary for life as we know it. But there are also secondary advantages, such as not being constantly bombarded by large asteroids, and having a rotational axis that is fairly stable. This is due in part thanks to the planet Jupiter. The giant planet has helped clear the solar system of asteroid debris and may have helped stabilize the orbits of the inner planets. So life is good. But a new study shows that if Jupiter had a different orbit, life could be even better.
NASA replaces leaky seals on Artemis 1 moon rocket, fueling test next
NASA engineers replaced leaky seals on two fuel lines for its Artemis 1 moon rocket, setting the stage for a critical fueling test.
Harvest Moon 2022: September's full moon thrills stargazers around the world (photos)
The full Harvest Moon of September lit up the night sky this weekend in a dazzling lunar sight enjoyed by skywatchers around the world.
DNA of DeForest Kelley, Dr. 'Bones' McCoy from 'Star Trek,' will fly to space with original cast on memorial spaceflight
DeForest Kelley's DNA will be aboard this special Enterprise Flight with other 'Star Trek' royalty
'Doomsday Glacier' is teetering even closer to disaster than scientists thought, new seafloor map shows
A new study has revealed that the Thwaites glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," could melt away much faster than previously believed.
Watch Firefly Aerospace try to reach orbit for 1st time Sunday
Firefly plans to launch its Alpha rocket on a test mission from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday (Sept. 11) at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT).
See the conjunction of the moon and Jupiter on Sunday (Sept. 11)
Though the moon is much brighter than Jupiter from our position here on Earth, the gas giant dominates it in terms of size. The two will share a right ascension on Sunday night.
SpaceX rocket launches BlueWalker 3, the largest commercial communications array ever, and aces record 14th landing
SpaceX launched a novel communications satellite into orbit late Saturday and set a new launch record for its Falcon 9 rocket.
Photos: Firefly’s second Alpha rocket raised on launch pad
These photos show Firefly Aerospace’s second Alpha rocket as it was raised on its launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sept. 10. Photographers captured these views on the eve of the rocket’s planned test flight carrying seven small satellites into orbit.
Using Virtual/Augmented Reality and Holoportation to Help Improve Mental Health for Future Mars Astronauts
We recently explored how the Apple TV+ series, For All Mankind, gives us a harsh reality check about the harshness of human space exploration. In the show, astronauts struggle, some go crazy, and a lot of them die in the pursuit of planting our flag just a little farther from home. We discussed how while For All Mankind is both science fiction while taking place in an alternate universe, our future Artemis and Mars astronauts will very likely endure the same struggles and hardships as the show’s beloved characters.
Live coverage: SpaceX counting down to one of its most complex missions yet
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Starlink 4-2 mission will launch SpaceX’s next batch of 34 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare payload for AST SpaceMobile’s space-based cellular broadband network. Follow us on Twitter.
Firefly’s second rocket set for launch from California
Firefly’s Alpha launch vehicle stands on its launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 10. Credit: Brian Sandoval / Spaceflight Now
A year after an early engine shutdown cut short an inaugural test flight, Firefly Aerospace’s second Alpha launcher is scheduled to take off Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on a demonstration mission to place seven small satellites into orbit.
AMAZING JWST Image, iPhone 14 and Satellites, Green Sand on Mars
How iPhone 14 will connect to satellites. Why SLS didn’t launch and when it might. Growing rice in space. And a new incredible image from James Webb. All this and more space news in this week’s episode of Space Bites.
Watch live: Falcon 9 test-firing imminent at Cape Canaveral
SpaceX is counting down to a static fire test of a Falcon 9 rocket on pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The test-firing of the booster’s nine engines is in preparation for a launch with 54 more Starlink internet satellites as soon as Sunday night at 10:53 p.m. EDT (0253 GMT Monday).
DART Sees Asteroid Didymos for the First Time. In two Weeks, it'll Crash Into the Moon
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is on its way to rendezvous with the double-asteroid Didymos. When it arrives on September 26th, DART will collide with Dimorphos – the 160-meter (525-foot) moonlet that orbits the main body – to evaluate the kinetic impact technique for the very first time. This proposed method of planetary defense consists of a spacecraft colliding with an asteroid to alter its orbit and prevent it from colliding with Earth. In July, DART took its first image of the double-asteroid, which NASA released earlier this week!
SpaceX planning two weekend launches in Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on pad 39A Saturday morning. Credit: Spaceflight Now
The 39th and 40th launches of the year from Florida’s Space Coast are set to blast off Saturday night and Sunday night, back-to-back missions to deploy more satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink internet network, plus a rideshare payload for AST Space Mobile’s planned space-based cellular broadband network.
What is the Standard Model?
The Standard Model of Physics is the theory of particles, fields and the fundamental forces that govern them.
Fiery ancient asteroid impacts turned living things into charcoal
Ancient organisms were 'killed, grilled and buried," a study found after studying small impact craters.
Watch SpaceX launch the huge BlueWalker 3 satellite, Starlink fleet on rocket's record-setting 14th flight tonight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will fly for the 14th time on Saturday night (Sept. 10), launching 34 of the company's Starlink satellites and a smartphone connectivity test craft to orbit. Watch it live.
Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor telescope review
An affordable refractor with lots of aperture, a built-in red light and a novel solution for smartphone astrophotography.
