Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International. She also worked with Discovery Communications, Discovery News and was a founding member of Space.com.
Irene cut her teeth on the space beat at Florida Today newspaper, a business writer enchanted by the colorful entrepreneurs who wanted access to Air Force launch facilities and assets after commercial payloads were taken off the space shuttles following the 1986 Challenger accident. Commercial space remains the focus of her work, along with a keen interest in the search for life beyond Earth.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Irene is the 2014 recipient of the Harry Kolcum Memorial News and Communications Award, named in honor of the late Aviation Week managing editor and Cape Canaveral senior editor who was among Irene’s earliest mentors.
High winds and rough seas downrange of Kennedy Space Center prompted NASA on April 21 to delay for one day the SpaceX Crew-2 launch to the International Space Station, with liftoff now targeted for 5:49 a.m. EDT on April 23.
Russia’s long-awaited Multipurpose Laboratory Module, which includes a new European-built robotic arm, is due to launch to the International Space Station on July 15, the European Space Agency station program manager said on April 20.
NASA and SpaceX completed the Launch Readiness Review (LRR) for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission on April 20, clearing the Falcon 9-Crew Dragon system for liftoff from Kennedy Space Center at 6:11 a.m. EDT on April 22, weather permitting.
