Disrupting the race to space.

Feb 5, 2019 | Space

Washington-based Spaceflight Industries is hardly resting on its laurels following its launch of 64 satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon rocket in December. The company’s record-breaking launch has caused Morgan Stanley analysts to dub the Spaceflight Industries an...

Those seven minutes of terror.

Dec 3, 2018 | Space

Landing a spacecraft on Mars has been something of a hit and miss affair. The thin atmosphere inability to send commands in real time to correct problems means half of all missions have missed their mark, crashing into the surface. Small wonder engineers and support...

Rocket test facility on state’s wish list.

Oct 22, 2018 | Space

Washington’s growing space cluster is gaining the attention of Congress. With such industry stalwarts as Blue Origin, Spaceflight and Aerojet-Rocketdyne headquartered here, the future of the state’s commercial space industry could never be brighter.Well,...

Blue Origin snags big rocket order.

Sep 28, 2018 | Space

United Launch Alliance has decided that Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket engine will be the propulsion of choice for its new Vulcan launch platform. The BE-4 has been under development since 2011 and has been vying for the contract for the last four years, completing with...

To the moon!

Sep 17, 2018 | Space

What do Seattle, Israel and the moon have in common? If all goes according to plan, Spaceflight’s first rideshare mission will escape the bonds of low-earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and head for the moon. It will be the first non-governmental moon landing,...

Spaceflight sets sights on launch record.

Aug 9, 2018 | Space

Spaceflight has big plans later this year, announcing the planned launch of more than 71 smallsats for its customers aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, tentatively slated for November, will be one for the record books, marking the largest rideshare to date for an...

There’s a lot of space here.

Jun 28, 2018 | Space

The commercial space industry is booming. So says a recent report and conference where industry leaders gathered to discuss this rapidly growing segment of Washington’s economy. Spaceflight Industries is a shining example of the entrepreneurial spirit that is...

Getting the dirt on space research.

May 14, 2018 | Space

Washington has had a space cluster since the beginning of the space program. Companies like Aerojet and Boeing paved the way for newcomers who are finding new ways to not only explore the cosmos, but make it commercially viable. A small startup called Off Planet...

New Glenn program takes off.

May 2, 2018 | Space

If you think Blue Origin is content with space tourism as a business model, check out their New Glenn platform. Named after the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth, the new rocket is now under production with a first test flight scheduled for 2020. Toward that...

SpaceX’s BFR has Washington connection.

Apr 18, 2018 | Advanced Manufacturing, Space

SpaceX is moving full speed ahead with its massive BFR rocket system, capable of ferrying 100 explorers to the Moon or Mars and back. The company has turned to Janicki Industries for testing of the new carbon-fiber fuel tank used in the spacecraft. A pressure test of...