Plus: NASA awards first moon base contracts
Welcome to our roundup of top SpaceNews stories, delivered every Friday! This week, NASA awarded its first moon base-related contracts, a Blue Origin New Glenn exploded on the launch pad, the FAA announced it will require a mishap investigation into the latest Starship test and more.
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OUR TOP STORY
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By Jeff Foust A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, during a May 28 hotfire test, destroying the rocket and causing extensive pad damage.
The New Glenn rocket for the company’s next mission exploded at about 9 p.m. Eastern during a static-fire test of the rocket’s first stage. Blue Origin and the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45, which operates the Eastern Range, confirmed there were no injuries.
Videos show a massive explosion just after the stage’s seven BE-4 engines ignited for the test, creating a giant fireball that enveloped the pad at Launch Complex 36.
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CIVIL
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In a May 27 statement, the FAA said it determined that the Flight 12 launch of Starship on May 22 from the company’s Starbase, Texas, facilities resulted in a mishap. The FAA defines a mishap as meeting one of several criteria, including the failure to complete a launch or reentry as planned.
NASA plans to add more missions to SpaceX’s commercial crew contract, protecting the agency from the possibility that Boeing’s spacecraft is never certified for missions to the International Space Station.
NASA announced one of its biggest reorganizations in recent memory May 22, combining mission directorates and reshuffling personnel. The reorganization, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement, is designed to increase the agency’s efficiency without laying off staff or closing centers.
NASA announced May 26 the first contracts associated with its plans to develop a lunar base, picking four companies to develop and deliver landers and drones to the moon.
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MILITARY
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A senior German military official said Europe needs a coordinated approach to military space operations and proposed the creation of a European Space Component Command hosted by Germany and open to allied participation.
Alongside investments in orbital systems, the Space Force is planning significant spending on what it calls resilient operations centers, according to Brig. Gen. Christopher Fernengel.
The House Armed Services Committee’s draft fiscal 2027 defense policy bill would eliminate the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office as standalone organizations, aligning with the Pentagon’s plan to reorganize Space Force acquisition programs under Portfolio Acquisition Executives. |
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LAUNCH
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A number of new Chinese state-led and commercial rockets are set for debuts and fresh first stage recovery attempts in the coming weeks and months.
Three Chinese astronauts arrived at Tiangong space station Sunday, with one crewmember expected to become China’s first to stay in orbit for an entire year. The outgoing Shenzhou-21 crew will return to Earth aboard Shenzhou-22, an uncrewed lifeboat launched for the crew as a result of suspected debris damage to the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.
SpaceX launched the newest version of its Starship vehicle for the first time May 22, completing most of the test objectives planned for the suborbital flight. |
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SPONSORED CONTENT
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By SITAEL SITAEL, the Italian private space company and part of Angel Holding, presented its growth strategy at SmallSat Europe Amsterdam, built on ten years of investment in satellite platforms, electric propulsion and production infrastructure. The plan fits within Europe’s new space cycle, in which secure communications, Earth observation, defence and technological sovereignty require robust industrial capabilities. |
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Latest Press Releases
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