Northrop Grumman’s 16th NASA-contracted Cygnus resupply mission capsule departed the International Space Station on Nov. 20, ending a stay of just more than three months and setting up an experiment intended to improve the modeling of spacecraft thermal protection systems.

The Space Development Agency (SDA) is looking forward to 2022 as a year of massive growth, integration into the U.S. Space Force and the first launches of its Tranche 0 transport layer satellites. But many of its plans could be in limbo as Congress faces an impending deadline to pass a spending bill.

Sierra Space’s expansive goal of developing a space transport and habitation ecosystem has received a major boost with the successful raising of a $1.4 billion Series A capital investment.

SpaceX plans about a dozen flights of its super heavy-lift, reusable Starship launch system in 2022, beginning with an orbital flight test in January or February.

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket deployed a pair of Earth-observation satellites into orbit for BlackSky on Nov. 17, a mission that also tested helicopter operations for future midair booster recoveries.

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines for the integration, delivery and operational oversight of four science payloads to the Moon’s Reiner Gamma in 2024 using the company’s Nova-C lander under a $77.5 million fixed-price contract.

Russia’s Nov. 15 test of a direct ascent anti-satellite missile, which destroyed a satellite and created a new field of debris, shows the U.S. needs to change its approach to space situational awareness away from simply tracking what debris is already in orbit to actively looking for what might be trying to evade detection and new threats, top U.S. space officials said.

NASA has assigned Jessica Watkins to its Crew-4 mission, a planned April launch by Commercial Crew Program contractor SpaceX of four U.S. and European astronauts to the International Space Station for a six-month tour of duty.