May
SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in third straight setback
The stakes for the latest flight were particularly high after flights in January and March were cut short just minutes after takeoff.
Australia’s homegrown rocket needs more than money and family wealth
If we want more Australian-built rockets, space technology, and sovereign capability, we need more than funding rounds and family wealth.
From banking to rocket science: the family behind Australia’s space bid
After two decades at Citibank, Adam Gilmour, his brother James and his wife Michelle are just days away from launching Australia’s first locally made space rocket.
Countdown on for Australia’s first home-grown rocket launch
Holidaymakers on the Whitsundays may catch a glimpse of space history being made this week after Gilmour Space won a years-long battle for government approval.
Musk gets his wish: SpaceX launch site approved as city of ‘Starbase’
A vote to formally organise Starbase as a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there and are mostly employees at SpaceX.
April
Astronomers find strongest evidence yet of alien life
Scientists have discovered a distant planet covered with a warm ocean that may be teeming with microbial activity in what they called a “revolutionary” moment.
Katy Perry’s spaceflight one giant stunt for womankind
If this week’s Blue Origin flight proves anything, it’s that women are now free to enjoy capitalism’s most decadent spoils alongside the world’s wealthiest men.
Blue Origin completes all-female celebrity spaceflight with Katy Perry
The group included Gayle King and Lauren Sanchez, the fiancee of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who owns Blue Origin.
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.