National spaceports: the past

The Defense Department is considering concepts for "national spaceports" at the existing launch ranges in Florida and California. Wayne Eleazer looks at how the ranges were managed in the past as a guide for the future.

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It's (small) rocket science, after all

Rocket Lab, the leader among small launch vehicle startups, suffered a setback over the weekend when an Electron launch failed. Jeff Foust reports other small launcher companies have also struggled technically, even as US government agencies offer new contract opportunities for them.

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"Artemis 8" using Dragon

Could a Crew Dragon spacecraft be sent to the Moon? Robert Zubrin lays out the case for how a version of the Apollo 8 mission could be done with existing spacecraft and launch vehicles.

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Enhancing space deterrence thinking for nuclear threshold threats (part 2)

In the second part of his examination of space deterrence strategy, Christopher Stone uses the example of North Korea as a way to explore the threats facing the US, and US space systems in particular.

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Review: The Little Book of Cosmology

Cosmology can be a complex, intimidating subject, but it's possible to discuss it in a concise, straightforward manner. Jeff Foust reviews one book that does so by explaining how the cosmic microwave background sheds light on the origins of the universe.

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Sausage making in space: the quest to reform commercial space regulations

The administration has made regulatory reform one of its space policy priorities, but that effort has faced challenges. Jeff Foust reports on the outcome of one effort to revise commercial remote sensing regulations and an ongoing effort regarding commercial space transportation rules.

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THESEUS: a high-energy proposal for a medium-sized mission

In the conclusion of a three-part examination of proposed ESA space science missions, Arwen Rimmer discusses a concept for a mission to detect and precisely locate gamma-ray bursts that could support a wide range of astronomical research.

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The Artemis Accords: repeating the mistakes of the Age of Exploration

NASA's proposed "Artemis Accords" is intended to provide a framework for cooperation in space exploration, including on the Moon, through a series of principles. Dennis O'Brien argues that the proposed accords ignore an alternative, more inclusive approach.

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Enhancing space deterrence thought for nuclear threshold threats (part 1)

American military satellites could face a wide range of threats in a conflict. Christopher Stone begins a look at some of those threats and implications for military strategy.

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Review: The Search for Life on Mars

Over the next month the latest wave of Mars missions will launch, motivated at least in part by the desire to find evidence of past or present life there. Jeff Foust reviews a book that examines the long history, and false alarms, of efforts to find life on the Red Planet.

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