Tag

Space Policy

All articles tagged with #space policy

space2 days ago•6 min saved

SpaceX Aims for 10,000 Starship Launches a Year by 2030 Amid New Space Policy Push

Elon Musk says SpaceX wants 30+ Starship launches per day (about 10,000 a year) by 2030, a pace far beyond current FAA caps and ahead of a new Trump-backed space policy to accelerate launch site approvals and environmental reviews to feed NASA’s Artemis program. Near-term progress includes a six-engine static fire ahead of Flight 14 (no earlier than Aug 28) and regulatory caps permitting 44 Starship launches/year at Kennedy and 25 at Starbase. The piece also covers Tesla’s China recall fix via stickers and OTA updates, and Europe-bound Tesla Semi production with a Sept reveal at IAA Transportation, plus a move to mechanical door releases by 2027–2029.

via Teslarati|

#artemis #space #space-policy

space-policy4 days ago•5 min saved

Trump pushes federal land spaceports to hit 1,000 annual launches

Trump’s new national space transportation policy directs NASA and the Pentagon to boost launch and reentry capacity to 1,000+ per year by 2030 by identifying additional federal lands for new spaceports and reentry sites, improving range scheduling and airspace management, and pursuing a third heavy-lift site for resiliency. It also supports expeditionary/rapid-launch concepts and streamlined permitting, with SpaceX expanding Starship pads at Cape Canaveral and Kennedy as part of growing private-sector capacity.

via Ars Technica|

#cape-canaveral #heavy-lift #space-policy

politics4 days ago•6 min saved

Trump Space Push Targets Three Launches a Day by 2030

The White House released a policy blueprint to expand U.S. launch and reentry infrastructure to support more than 1,000 rocket launches and spacecraft returns per year by 2030, leaning on commercial partners to speed satellite deployment while tackling bottlenecks in launch ranges, airspace, permitting and reentry facilities. The plan does not guarantee funding but sets a government‑wide path to accelerate civilian and national-security payloads amid a growing U.S.–China space competition.

via Fox News|

#aerospace #airspace #national-security

space-policy6 days ago•14 min saved

Moon rules in progress: Artemis Accords gain 70 signatories, governing without enforcement teeth

Seventy countries have joined the Artemis Accords to turn broad space-law principles into practical rules for lunar missions. The accords are non-binding and do not amend the 1967 Outer Space Treaty or create an enforcement body; instead, they rely on notification, coordination, and temporary safety zones, with enforcement through state responsibility and diplomacy. Resource rights remain debated, and the 70-signatory milestone signals momentum toward shared norms, though universal rules will depend on how signatories act when overlaps or conflicts occur.

via Space Daily|

#artemis-accords #moon #outer-space-treaty

world16 days ago•3 min saved

EU Unveils IRIS²: A Sovereign Satellite Network for Secure, Independent EU Communications

The European Union has approved a public-private plan to launch IRIS², a sovereign satellite constellation designed to provide redundant, secure communications for EU governments and militaries. Starting in 2029, the system will add 66 satellites for a total of 348 (330 in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit), led by the SpaceRISE consortium (SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat) and funded by the EU and member states, with Spain, Poland, and Hungary taking the lead. While initially a relatively small service focused on backup and resilience, the program aims to reduce reliance on U.S. operators like SpaceX and to build Europe’s own space capabilities, with commercial access possible but public/defense priority.

via Jalopnik|

#eu #independent-communications #iris2

space-policy18 days ago•14 min saved

EU expands IRIS² constellation to 348 satellites, costs soar to €15.6B

Europe’s IRIS² secure-connectivity constellation will grow to at least 348 satellites with total costs estimated at €15.6 billion, up from prior plans. The expansion adds 66 high-LEO satellites while the MEO shell remains at 18 and the low-LEO segment remains led by Hispasat. Funding will come from the SpaceRISE consortium (about €4B) and the EU/ESA (about €11.6B), with launches expected to begin in 2029. The upgrade is aimed at boosting secure government capacity inside the EU by around 60% and by 54% outside the EU, delivering a faster-to-market system for defense, security and public-safety services.

via spacenews.com|

#eu-defense #europe #funding

space-policy21 days ago•7 min saved

Cybertrucks take over SpaceX Crew-13 escape duties

NASA and SpaceX will replace MRAPs with Tesla Cybertrucks as the emergency escape vehicles for Crew Dragon missions, starting with Crew-13 in September, to avoid resource conflicts with other launches and because Cybertrucks can exit the blast danger area faster; the Cybertrucks require no vehicle modifications beyond certification for EVA entry with spacesuits. Crew-13 will launch Sept. 12 aboard the Grace capsule, with NASA's Jessica Watkins (commander) and Luke Delaney (pilot), CSA's Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos's Sergey Teteryatnikov.

via SpacePolicyOnline.com|

#crew-13 #cybertruck #iss

space24 days ago•4 min saved

Billion-dollar question: repurposing Mars rover hardware for the Moon

NASA is weighing sending PROMISE, a lunar rover built from Mars rover engineering models, to the Moon’s south pole to support a future Moon Base. While NASA officials tout using existing hardware for a quick win, a Planetary Society analysis estimates development and launch could cost roughly $0.7–1.3 billion with readiness in the early 2030s, driven by power, flight-ready instruments, and certification. The plan could affect Curiosity/Perseverance testbeds and hinges on securing a spare RTG, complicating broader mission plans. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman argues costs can stay low if launch costs are restrained and defends repurposing hardware, while questions about nuclear power availability and New Frontiers timing add budgeting uncertainty.

via SpaceNews|

#cost #moon #nasa

science1 month ago•14 min saved

Webb's M77 image shines as night-sky tech stirs debate

NASA/ESA/CSA’s James Webb Space Telescope captures Messier 77, a nearby barred spiral 45 million light-years away, revealing its swirling arms, dusty disk, prolific star formation, and a bright active galactic nucleus powered by a central supermassive black hole (~8 million solar masses); the near-infrared view also highlights a central bar. The post also references reports on the FCC’s approval of Reflect Orbital’s Earendil-1 space mirror to brighten Earth’s night side, a plan that has sparked considerable concern among astronomers about light pollution and interference with observations and natural day-night cycles.

via Daily Kos|

#astronomy #diffraction-spikes #james-webb-space-telescope

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Hubble at a crossroads: extend into the 2030s or bow out

NASA is weighing options to extend the Hubble Space Telescope into the 2030s by moving it to a higher, more stable orbit or to decommission it via a robotic mission. White papers and science-priority pitches are due in July, with recommendations to NASA and Congress later this year. Hubble’s ultraviolet/optical data remain uniquely valuable and complement JWST, aiding studies of galaxy evolution, star formation, dark energy, and exoplanet atmospheres. With the Habitable Worlds Observatory not launching before 2040, keeping Hubble operational for as long as feasible is seen as crucial for the next decade.

via Nature|

#astronomy #habitable-worlds-observatory #hubble-space-telescope

science-and-technology1 month ago•11 min saved

Cleaning up Earth's orbital clutter: a three-front plan to tame space debris

About 13,486 tonnes of debris orbit Earth, with tens of thousands of pieces larger than 10 cm, risking collisions that could trigger a cascading Kessler syndrome and threaten satellites and crewed missions. The article advocates a three-pronged approach: (1) technology and design changes, including active debris removal methods (nets, magnets, tethers, harpoons) and more durable or disposable satellites (even testing wood as a spacecraft material); (2) policy shifts like stricter end-of-life disposal (five-year rule) and stronger space traffic management and debris-mitigation standards; (3) a shift in thinking—treating space as an interconnected environment with ethical obligations, not a limitless frontier. It also notes the rising impact of mega-constellations on debris and ongoing international efforts to reduce risks.

via The Conversation|

#active-debris-removal #kessler-syndrome #megaconstellations

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Powering the Next Space Age with Nuclear Power

NASA plans Space Reactor-1 Freedom to fly to Mars by 2028 to test nuclear-powered interplanetary propulsion, and a small lunar reactor for Artemis by 2030, as part of a growing global push by nations and private actors. The piece underscores the need for robust safety frameworks and international cooperation, drawing lessons from past space nuclear programs (RTGs, SNAP-10A, Kosmos 954) to ensure accountability and minimize risks as space power expands beyond Earth.

via The Conversation|

#international-law #nasa #safety

space2 months ago•14 min saved

The Moon's pause: politics, not physics, kept humans from stepping again

Space history explains why no human has walked on the Moon since 1972: the Apollo program ended not from lack of capability but because its Cold War mission—beating the Soviets—lost political and budgetary momentum once Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface. NASA redirected funds toward Skylab and the Space Shuttle, dissolving the Saturn V production line and the workforce to sustain lunar missions. Restarting the Moon program with Artemis is rebuilding that infrastructure, but its success will depend on whether new strategic reasons—competition with China, commercial interests, and scientific goals—provide enduring support beyond political momentum.

via Space Daily|

#apollo #artemis #moon

technology2 months ago•7 min saved

FCC waives Amazon Leo milestone, paving way for a second large LEO network

The FCC has waived the July 2026 deadline that required Amazon to deploy half of its 3,232-satellite Leo constellation, keeping the July 2029 Gen1 deadline but removing the 50% milestone timing. The waiver, cited as serving the public interest and boosting competition with SpaceX’s Starlink, will temporarily demote the spectral priority of satellites launched after July 2026 to spur faster deployment. Amazon has faced launch delays and heavy-lift rocket availability issues (New Glenn, Vulcan), relying on Atlas V, Ariane 6, and Falcon 9 rockets to advance the constellation as it pushes toward widespread service.

via Ars Technica|

#amazon-leo #fcc #launch-delays

technology3 months ago•3 min saved

Mitchell Institute urges Moon-ready Space Force to deter China

A Mitchell Institute paper argues the U.S. should develop a military human spaceflight program and eventually station active‑duty Space Force personnel on the Moon and in orbital stations to deter China’s lunar ambitions, leveraging Title 10 authorities to defend space assets and establish norms, despite the Outer Space Treaty’s bans on militarization. The report cites China’s rapid progress with the Tiangong program and a projected crewed lunar landing by 2030, urging the U.S. to prepare for hard power in space and secure a durable LEO‑to‑lunar infrastructure.

via Gizmodo|

#defense #lunar-habitat #moon