This Month
Morrison-backed space start-up lands NASA tie-up
A start-up chaired by former prime minister Scott Morrison has huge goals of building an Australian spaceport and developing horizontal rocket launch technology.
Bitcoin investor buys an entire SpaceX flight for the ultimate polar adventure
Chun Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about “pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge”.
March
German rocket’s test flight hailed as it crashes and burns
Fraying defence ties with Washington and a backlog at Elon Musk’s SpaceX have added to Europe’s sense of urgency to develop its own satellite launch capacity.
‘What a ride’: Stuck astronauts splash down to Earth in SpaceX capsule
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore ended a dramatic mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight nine months ago.
NASA’s stranded astronauts one step closer to home
A SpaceX capsule arrived at the International Space Station in a crew-swap mission that will allow a pair of stuck astronauts to return home after nine months.
One in 80m: Australia’s first astronaut awaits her moonshot
Katherine Bennell-Pegg has always dreamt of going into space. And now after intense training, she’s flight ready and waiting for the call.
Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes (again)
Wreckage from the latest explosion was seen streaming from the skies over Florida.
Start-up lands on the moon – its first mission is to take a selfie
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is the first private company to put a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over.
February
Good news! An asteroid doomsday is getting less likely
Don’t blame astronomers for the odds that an asteroid will strike Earth in 2032. The likelihood has gone from 3.1 per cent to less than 1 per cent.
Texas firm hitches ride with SpaceX to send drone to the moon
Intuitive Machines’ lander, named Athena, is taking a fast track to the moon while hoping to avoid the fate of its predecessor, which tipped over at touchdown.
Aussie firm sets March date for rocket launch
Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies, which represents Australia’s best chance to rival SpaceX, has cleared its final regulatory hurdle.
Gold Coast rocket company gets green light for first launch
After a two-year battle with the regulator, Gilmour Space has been granted approval to launch its Australian-made rocket to compete with SpaceX.
December 2024
‘Ridiculous amounts of money’: Bezos gets serious in Musk space race
Jeff Bezos and Amazon are set to launch a massive rocket and a set of satellites that could take on SpaceX’s dominance.
Ten wildcard scenarios for 2025
To navigate the future, it can help to anticipate the unlikely. Here are 10 unbelievable-sounding things that could happen next year.
Inside the program putting people back on the moon
One-armed robots are being trained in lunar construction as earthlings prepare to return to our satellite for the first time in 50 years – and not for days this time, but months.
This is why the US military takes Elon Musk’s Martian dream seriously
The Pentagon figures a rocket transport system could shuttle troops and weapons to Asia within 90 minutes if a war broke out with China – and SpaceX’s Starship rocket is about a decade ahead of any rival.
What to wear on your trip into space? This watch CEO has a suggestion
As more countries – and tourists – head into space, Omega’s legacy with NASA could be imperiled. Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann instead sees opportunity.
November 2024
What’s it like to be stuck in space? Horrible says this astronaut
Astronauts know missions can go awry but still, an extended stay is tough on your body and your relationships. It’s also kind of boring.
Musk’s SpaceX fails to catch Starship booster as Trump attends launch
The catch was called off just four minutes into the test flight from Texas for unspecified reasons, and it hit the water three minutes later.
Australia’s rocket industry reaches a crucial inflection point
Local space entrepreneurs are attempting to take a slice of SpaceX’s business, as demand for launch services far outweighs supply.