The Space Review

There is renewed interest in mining asteroids or the Moon for resources ranging from water ice to precious metals. Nine reasons why resource extraction is becoming more feasible: www.thespacereview.com/article/5336/1

The last of the Defense Support Program satellites were recently retired by the Space Force, but the program still has many unanswered questions. That includes mysteries created by newly discovered photos of one DSP satellite. www.thespacereview.com/article/5337/1

More than 30 years ago, a shuttle orbiter had a fleeting encounter with a relic of the original Moon race. One person recalls the experience as witnessed from Mission Control. www.thespacereview.com/article/5338/1

An airbase outside Moscow was the Soviet equivalent of Edwards Air Force Base, hosting experimental aircraft and even spacecraft. A look at how US satellite imagery kept track of the activities at Ramenskoye. www.thespacereview.com/article/5339/1

After some contracting twists and turns, NASA released the final request for proposals earlier this month for commercial space stations. A report on the leading contenders and the challenges they face. www.thespacereview.com/article/5340/1

Russian companies have turned to China for radar-imaging satellites and imagery from such satellites. A report finds more examples of Russia’s dependence on China in this field. www.thespacereview.com/article/5341/1

Over the summer, the White House released a new space transportation policy while other agencies released other, related RFIs and documents. A group of lawyers examine those developments and their implications for the US space industry. www.thespacereview.com/article/5327/1

The National Museum of the United States Air Force opened a military space gallery a decade ago, raising hopes that the museum will pay more attention to space. Those hopes may be fading. www.thespacereview.com/article/5328/1

Space has long been associated with the cutting edge, and technologies developed for engineering purposes find their way into the designs of consumer products. www.thespacereview.com/article/5329/1

Concerns about the growth of orbital debris have led to the development of best practices to mitigate that growth. Those approaches alone are insufficient when considering orbital sustainability. www.thespacereview.com/article/5330/1

The International Space Station is heading towards a retirement as soon as the end of the decade. What are the effects of ending a decades-long experiment in international space cooperation? www.thespacereview.com/article/5331/1

As SpaceX’s Starship begins orbital launches, the space industry debates the impact the vehicle will have. That will depend in part on how effectively the industry can use it. www.thespacereview.com/article/5332/1

The US military’s announcement last month that it has deployed space control weapons has raised new concerns about conflicts that could litter orbits with debris, prompting reassessments of how to deal with the problem. www.thespacereview.com/article/5333/1

Reports in the late 1950s claimed that the Soviet Union was developing a nuclear-powered bomber. The bomber wasn’t nuclear powered, but it was a rare design whose whereabouts were closely tracked by spy satellites. www.thespacereview.com/article/5334/1

Russian companies have claimed to be operating radar-imaging satellites to fill gaps in limited Russian government systems. An examination of the links between these companies and China’s commercial space industry. www.thespacereview.com/article/5335/1

Australia is considering whether to pay for a flight of an astronaut to the International Space Station. One issue is the value such a flight should provide to the country to make it worth the expense. www.thespacereview.com/article/5320/1

Several Chinese spacecraft and rocket bodies have shed debris in orbit in recent months. Are these isolated incidents or part of a strategy? www.thespacereview.com/article/5321/1

The Space Force recently revealed earlier this month that it has “space control” weapons in orbit, with implications on efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space. www.thespacereview.com/article/5322/1

A devastating flood in the Himalayas was monitored by satellites, but those images could not provide timely warnings to people affected by it. The ability of turning watching into warning from space is critical for both natural disasters and missile defense. www.thespacereview.com/article/5323/1

On its 14th test flight, SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time Monday, deploying a set of Starlink satellites. A report on the long-awaited milestone and the push now to demonstrate the vehicle’s rapid reusability. www.thespacereview.com/article/5324/1

In the aftermath of World War II, it seemed obvious to many that the future of warfare would involve rockets in orbit designed to deliver nuclear weapons. One study explored a concept for “Satellite Bombs” that didn’t get very far. www.thespacereview.com/article/5325/1

An archive of letters and manuscripts belonging to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was digitized years ago, but not easily searchable. A new project has created a machine readable version of the archive. www.thespacereview.com/article/5314/1

The conflict in the Persian Gulf has caused some countries there to take steps to improve access to satellite imagery. But those measures could fall short of what is needed for true satellite imagery independence. www.thespacereview.com/article/5315/1

A Falcon 9 upper stage hit the Moon last month, creating a small crater. The bigger impact of the incident nay be thinking about how to prevent similar incidents in the future as activity on the Moon increases. www.thespacereview.com/article/5316/1

Strategists have tried to apply concepts from the theories of air power and sea power to space. However, spacepower requires rethinking concepts like territory in a regime where everything is in motion. www.thespacereview.com/article/5317/1

In the early 1960s, the US Air Force launched nearly a dozen Samos satellites with varying designations. But what happened to one class of satellite, Samos E-3, that never launched? www.thespacereview.com/article/5318/1

The Falcon 9 has been one the most successful launch vehicles in the history of the Space Age, but it won’t fly forever. The space industry is coming to grips with the looming end of that rocket for commercial missions. www.thespacereview.com/article/5319/1

NASA is leading a new effort to develop a lunar base, one that requires development of many technologies needed to live on the lunar surface for extended periods. Those technologies can also help create an asteroid mining industry. www.thespacereview.com/article/5309/1

The first Star Trek movie features a spacecraft based on the recently launched Voyager missions. The filmmakers worked with NASA to help them design Voyager 6. www.thespacereview.com/article/5310/1

In the early 1960s, Junkers, a German aerospace company pursued studies of a reusable spaceplane with support of a famous designer. www.thespacereview.com/article/5311/1

Satellite operators are increasingly turning to automated systems to avoid potential collisions based on when the probability of a collision passes a threshold. But that threshold alone should not be sufficient to trigger a maneuver. www.thespacereview.com/article/5312/1

Ukrainian cruise missiles struck a Russian factory last month that produces Soyuz rockets, with some reports claiming the attack caused serious damage. A close examination of available evidence helps better understand the significance of the attack. www.thespacereview.com/article/5313/1

Firefly Aerospace today is known for work on lunar landers and other spacecraft, but had its start in launch. A documentary follows the early years of Firefly as it worked on its Alpha rocket amid technical and financial obstacles. www.thespacereview.com/article/5303/1

The Indian space agency ISRO recently conducted the first launch since a January failure, putting an imaging satellite into orbit, overcoming challenges with both launch and spacecraft development. www.thespacereview.com/article/5304/1

In the early 2000s, Russian engineers proposed converting the Backfire bomber into an air-launch platform, but one that never got off the ground. www.thespacereview.com/article/5305/1

The success of Star Wars triggered the development of imitators, including a short-lived TV series aimed at children called Space Academy, a good premise undercut by low budgets. www.thespacereview.com/article/5306/1

Like many TV producers, Gene Roddenberry lobbied 60 years to win awards for his new series, Star Trek. He took an unusual approach to seek television’s highest honor. www.thespacereview.com/article/5307/1

In the summer of 1962, scientists gathered at the University of Iowa to discuss the future of space research. An examination of the far-reaching impacts of that little-known event. www.thespacereview.com/article/5308/1

During the final years of the Soviet Union, its policy of Perestroika opened up cooperation with the West on space missions. Louis Friedman reviews a book on the topic and some avenues of collaboration not included in the book. www.thespacereview.com/article/5297/1

What was a small building in a forgotten corner of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station used for decades ago? Uncovering the mystery of facility number 49941 at the Cape. www.thespacereview.com/article/5298/1

NASA announced it was calling off an effort to reboost the orbit of its Swift space telescope because of problems with the reboost spacecraft. The lessons both the company and the agency learned from that effort that could apply to future missions. www.thespacereview.com/article/5299/1

Many in the public see space as primarily a playground for billionaires. While that reputation is not undeserved, the role of wealthy private actors in commercial space may signal a predictable stage of technological development rather than a dystopian one. www.thespacereview.com/article/5300/1

The growth of the commercial space industry is seen by some as a way to help the US government to do more with less. How commercial space capabilities, while offering benefits, also have some problems that must not be overlooked. www.thespacereview.com/article/5301/1

The Starship Enterprise is one of the best known science-fiction spaceships, but in Japan another vessel is just as famous. A look at the legacy of Space Battleship Yamato and how both illustrate how the US and Japan addressed their postwar legacies. www.thespacereview.com/article/5302/1

Space advocates have offered grand visions of how space can create a better, even utopian, future for humanity, efforts yet to be realized. A review of a book intended to criticize those claims but which veers far off-target at times. www.thespacereview.com/article/5292/1

While space science programs are usually associated with major space powers, there are roles for emerging players as well. A discussion of what Bangladesh can do in the field with only a limited investment. www.thespacereview.com/article/5293/1

During the Cold War, US reconnaissance satellites monitored a Soviet airfield in the far north of the country. The mystery of an airfield that even the best images from space could not unravel: www.thespacereview.com/article/5294/1

Launch vehicles have used solid rocket motors for decades, although many new vehicles eschew them. A look at the factors that led to adoption of solid motors on many early launch vehicles and why economics is pushing solids out of the market. www.thespacereview.com/article/5295/1

Millions of dollars flow into space startups with the hope those companies will some day be worth billions. One investor offers cautionary tales from his investments into three space companies that he had to write off. www.thespacereview.com/article/5296/1

As the Cold War space race between the US and USSR raged, US officials tried to understand what the Soviet Union was doing. Several reports from that era summarize where those efforts excelled and where they fell short. www.thespacereview.com/article/5287/1