There's good news and bad news for U.S. space exploration and exploitation, now that the election results are in. The good news is that the bipartisan space policy hammered out with a lot of angst over the past four years will not need to be reviewed while a new president gets his feet on the ground. For now, at least, President Barack Obama's space policy, as modified by members of both houses in Congress, will remain unchanged. Work can continue as planned, without delay.

U.S. and Australian militaries have agreed to place two key U.S. space systems in Australia.

Decisions that determine whether a program can be successful are often made before the contract is even won. But conceptual design is still more art than science, practiced by talented engineers without the sophisticated, integrated tools available for development and manufacturing.

Chris Kubasik's rise through the upper ranks of Lockheed Martin could not have been better scripted by the Chinese politburo. Since joining the U.S. defense giant in 1999, the onetime partner at accounting giant Ernst & Young was rotated through a succession of senior management positions, including chief financial officer and leader of the company's Electronic Systems business. Two years ago, Lockheed Martin telegraphed that Kubasik would be the successor to Chairman and CEO Robert Stevens by naming him president and chief operating officer.

Franco-German discord on launchers, ISS threatens ministerial meeting

Some governments contemplate missions to the Moon