China’s Gravity-1 Rocket Dazzles in Landmark Sea Launch

Shandong-based Orienspace pulled off its first-ever launch, breaking the record for the largest payload capacity on a commercial rocket for China’s growing space industry. Would Peter Capaldi Return to Doctor Who? The Chinese company launched the Gravity-1 rocket on Thursday at 12:30 a.m. ET from a mobile platform in the Yellow Sea, producing massive plumes … Read more

This ‘Self-Eating’ Rocket Consumes Its Own Body for Fuel

A new rocket is designed for its own destruction, eating itself as it makes its way through Earth’s atmosphere to power its journey. Are You Rich Enough to Buy This Folding TV? A group of researchers from the University of Glasgow has built the first unsupported autophage rocket engine, which uses waste heat from combustion … Read more

SpaceX’s Starship Clears Crucial Hurdle in Second Flight Test

SpaceX’s latest test flight of the Starship rocket lasted for around eight minutes—twice the length of the previous test. Both the booster and the Starship upper stage were lost, but SpaceX achieved many key milestones during the flight test. Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their View Starship has taken to the … Read more