Space

By Mark Carreau
The International Space Station’s four U.S. segment crewmembers boarded their SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon capsule early July 21 to relocate the capsule from the Harmony module forward to the Harmony zenith docking port, freeing a parking spot for the arrival of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner.
Space

By Steve Trimble
The role of the "S" in the acronym of the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is evolving as Space Force expands.
Space

By Chen Chuanren
Korean Air and Seoul National University have been commissioned by the Republic of Korea Air Force to explore using the Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft for an air launch system, similar to Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne.
Space

By Irene Klotz
The 10-min. suborbital spaceflight on July 20 marks the first time a crewed spacecraft made a debut flight without test pilots, test engineers or professional astronauts aboard.
Commercial Space

By Graham Warwick
Startup Rhea Space Activity is to study a solar-thermal propulsion system capable of rapidly repositioning a deep-space communications spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory ended a mission on May 31 that was studying advanced spacecraft control techniques and the challenges of flight in medium Earth orbit.
Space

By Guy Norris
Rocket Lab has modified the design and manufacture of the igniter for the Rutherford engine after a fault in this system was identified as the root cause of the company’s Electron launch vehicle failure on May 15.
Space

By Irene Klotz
A Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft was transported to its launchpad at Cape Canaveral and mounted on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in preparation for liftoff on July 30.
Space

By Mark Carreau
The Hubble Space Telescope, now 31 years old, resumed science operations over the weekend following a June 13 interruption eventually traced to the observatory’s Primary Payload Computer.
Space

By Tony Osborne
The UK is in negotiations with the U.S. Space Force about hosting an advanced deep space radar system.
Space

By Irene Klotz
Jeff Bezos and three other passengers are set to launch on the company’s first human mission on July 20.
Commercial Space

By Chen Chuanren
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) said the spacecraft blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and landed “horizontally” in Inner Mongolia.
Space

By Mark Carreau
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a $25.04 billion NASA budget for 2022.
Space

By Irene Klotz
An 18-year-old student on a gap year before college will join Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos and aviation pioneer Wally Funk on Blue Origin’s first human spaceflight, slated to launch on July 20, the company said on July 15.
Commercial Space

By Chen Chuanren
In its latest defense white paper, the Japanese defense ministry names China as its main security threat and for the first time includes the stability of Taiwan in the annual report.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Irene Klotz
Flight test paves a path toward commercial passenger service.
Commercial Space

By Jen DiMascio
U.S. Navy can use KC-46 tankers; Space nuclear-propulsion concepts chosen; Germany’s space command; and India’s 10th P-8.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
NASA is making progress in the development of a new spacesuit design to return human explorers to the Moon’s surface and outfit a wide range of male and female astronauts.
Space

By Maxim Pyadushkin
Russia’s Roscosmos is testing the elements of a single-orbit flightpath to the International Space Station.
Space

By Steve Trimble
Masten Space Systems will demonstrate a prototype of a GPS-like positioning, navigation and timing system on the Moon for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Mojave, California-based company announced on July 13.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
The newly formed U.S. Space Force has not done enough to realize the space force vision, which was founded in large part to fix lasting issues with acquisition, according to draft legislation passed by the House Appropriations Committee.
Space

By Irene Klotz
The FAA has approved a modification to Blue Origin’s launch license to fly passengers, clearing the way for company founder and financier Jeff Bezos and three crewmates to fly on the New Shepard suborbital launch system on July 20, pending weather and technical checks.
Space

By Mark Carreau
NASA and the Energy Department selected three reactor design concepts for space nuclear propulsion systems.
Space

By Irene Klotz
SpaceShipTwo Unity glided to a landing at 9:32 am on July 11 after successfully providing a six-member crew, including Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson, a few minutes of weightlessness in space.
Commercial Space

By Mark Carreau
NASA and SpaceX reported late July 9 a successful splashdown of the company’s 22nd Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station.
Space