Articles, essays, and commentary about all facets of space exploration
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Lunar rover racing

Astronauts on the first Artemis landing missions will be on foot, but later on could have their choice of vehicles to roam across the lunar terrain. Jeff Foust reports on the latest milestones in the development of lunar rovers with commercial and international partners.

Tue Apr 16, 2024 04:11
FARRAH, the superstar satellite

Decades ago, FARRAH was not just the name of a famous actress but also of a classified satellite program. Dwayne Day examines what is known about FARRAH (the satellite) after a model of it appeared at a museum.

Tue Apr 16, 2024 04:11
Zero-gravity regulations

A "learning period" that has restricted regulation of commercial human spaceflight in the US for nearly two decades could soon be ending. David Gillette and Emma Rohrbach argue that the learning period supported innovation in ways that could be extended to other fields.

Tue Apr 16, 2024 04:11
Nukes in space: a bad idea in the 1960s and an even worse one now

In the early 1960s, the United States and Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space, with disastrous results for many satellites in orbit at the time. Michael Mulvihill discusses those tests and why they show the perils of a potential Russian nuclear ASAT weapon.

Tue Apr 16, 2024 04:11
GAMBIT vs KENNEN: The persistence of film reconnaissance in the digital age

While the US started operating electro-optical reconnaissance satellites in the mid-1970s, it continued to launch film-return satellites for another decade. Dwayne Day examines why those systems overlapped based on newly declassified documents.

Tue Apr 9, 2024 00:51
A North Korean satellite starts showing signs of life (part 2)

Recent observations showed a North Korean satellite launched last year has changed its orbit, demonstrating it is operational. Marco Langbroek shows how those observations indicate that the maneuvers are being commanded by a specific facility in North Korea.

Tue Apr 9, 2024 00:51

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