The Space Review

Essays and commentary about the final frontier

[The Space Review @tsr]

The history of a proposed Soviet-era crewed vehicle is more complex that previously understood. https://t.co/2Mg0z3DQGL

[The Space Review @tsr]

NASA is using a mix of cost-plus and fixed-price contracts for its missions, but each approach as advantages and disadvantages. One alternative attempts to combine the best of both. https://t.co/e4K5G81JKF

[The Space Review @tsr]

While most concepts for missions to Mars have focused on the planet itself, some have instead planned to explore its two small moons. https://t.co/vjxGr9srow

[The Space Review @tsr]

SpaceX recently performed both the first flight of the latest version of Starship as well as releases its IPO prospectus. Both reveal how central Starship is to the company’s future. https://t.co/meMd8K7Bpe

[The Space Review @tsr]

A recent essay took issue with claims that seeing the Earth from space can create a meaningful shift in perception. Frank White, who proposed the Overview Effect, defends the concept and its significance. https://t.co/tpLViu75b4

[The Space Review @tsr]

The people who worked on NRO spysat programs during the Cold War did so in anonymity. A new monument finally gives them some public recognition for their achievements. https://t.co/ZhDFxhjDYr

[The Space Review @tsr]

Despite a budget request that proposed steep cuts to NASA, administrator Jared Isaacman still remains popular on Capitol Hill and in industry. How long might those good feelings last? https://t.co/C9fR1dfwJg

[The Space Review @tsr]

The sharp increase in launches has led to warnings about the environmental impacts of emissions on the upper atmosphere. But those analyses don’t include changes in launch systems that can mitigate those impacts. https://t.co/Lnto6POfRD

[The Space Review @tsr]

NASA’s decision to effectively cancel the lunar Gateway has forced its international partners to reconsider their plans. Phil McCrory argues that this presents an opportunity for them to work together on their own lunar plans exclusive of NASA. https://t.co/I88IlBjxN4

[The Space Review @tsr]

There was a push in the 1960s and early 1970s within the US intelligence community for images with increasing resolution. Dwayne Day examines the debate within the community about the value of very high resolution images versus other requirements.
https://t.co/8S5ss76UT1

[The Space Review @tsr]

NASA’s next astrophysics flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is under budget and ahead of schedule for launch later this year. Jeff Foust reports on how, despite that, astronomers are looking at other ways to achieve science goals. https://t.co/vWXwCKJPos

[The Space Review @tsr]

NASA’s revisions to its Artemis lunar exploration architecture have won widespread support in the space industry. Dale Skran, though, notes that the proposed changes to NASA’s support for commercial space stations are a mistake.
https://t.co/tjH1BlWOyQ

[The Space Review @tsr]

Original plans called for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner to spend as little as eight days at the ISS, but its stay is now likely to last well over a month. A report on the issues causing the extension and the difficulties communicating them to the public. https://t.co/Jb6XMpdHy0

[The Space Review @tsr]

In the second part of a series about the Thor rocket, Dwayne Day looks at operations of the Thor at Vandenberg Air Force Base and its legacy as a workhorse of the American space program for decades. https://t.co/k8WqiepMjs

[The Space Review @tsr]

The space community has become more diverse, and brings with it new viewpoints and concepts. A new book offers an eclectic collection of essays on the topic of space and feminism, from art and architecture to astronaut interviews. https://t.co/G75sqlhwle

[The Space Review @tsr]

NASA and others are doing research on the space station to improve the health of astronauts for long stays in space. Such research has potential benefits extending the lives of people on Earth. https://t.co/0ZSw7EV10t

[The Space Review @tsr]

There remains optimism for future commercial space markets, from commercial space stations to mining space resources. But those plans ignore the fact that the space industry has been built on providing data services to Earth. https://t.co/0yRO7nUAbC

[The Space Review @tsr]

The space shuttle represented not just a change in accessing space but also how NASA interacted with the public. A new book examines how the agency sought to involve the public more in spaceflight to help secure its support. https://t.co/nExeVwyR6c

[The Space Review @tsr]

The Thor missile turned into a workhorse launch vehicle for the Air Force in the early years of the space program, evolving into the Delta. A look at initial operations of Thor at Vandenberg Air Force Base thanks to new images of activities there. https://t.co/uTWTR5Hom6

[The Space Review @tsr]

Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the first commercial suborbital human spaceflight by SpaceShipOne, a milestone that at the time appeared to open a new era. Instead, the field faces an uncertain future as spaceflight goes in other directions. https://t.co/KNSkL6xiXi