Policy Bill Offers Space Force $29 Billion for 2024, More Flexible Personnel Rules

The Space Force would get $29 billion under compromise plan for 2024 included in the National Defense Authorization Act. Credit: Space Force

The Space Force would get new, more flexible personnel rules under a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the Pentagon budget at $841 billion nest year, which was approved by lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate. The $29 billion Space Force budget was trimmed by just over $1 billion from an earlier Pentagon request, but is boosted by $3 billion when compared to the service’s 2023 budget.

Read More

Second Starship Test Flies Higher Before Failure

With 33 Raptor engines belching flame, SpaceX’s Starship demonstrated the full power of its main booster, reaching an altitude of 91 miles before the second uncrewed attempt to launch the massive rocket from Boca Chica, Texas, ended when the second stage apparently failed.

Read More

ESA’s Euclid Telescope Reveals First Images of the Stars

The Horsehead nebula as seen by ESA's Euclid spacecraft. Credit: ESA.

The European Space Agency released an initial batch of full-color images from its Euclid space telescope, showing the capability of the spacecraft’s 600-megapixel camera, which will be used on Euclid’s planned six-year mission to measure the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Read More

OSIRIS-REx Delivers Asteroid Sample After Seven Years in Space

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned a sample from the asteroid Bennu, which could help scientists better understand the formation of the solar system. After more than a decade of planning and seven years of space flight traversing more than 1 billion miles, a sample from the asteroid Bennu safely landed on Earth.

Read More

Crew-7 Arrives on ISS Following NASA, SpaceX Launch

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station — each representing a different agency.

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station — each representing a different agency. The Dragon capsule carried NASA astronaut and mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut and pilot Andreas Mogensen, JAXA astronaut and mission specialist Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist Konstantin Borisov.

Read More