Aurora spacecraft. Photo: POLARIS Raumflugzeuge Published by Militarnyi, 2 March 2025 German outlet Hartpunkt reported that Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support has awarded a contract to develop a reusable, two-stage hypersonic research spacecraft. The project has been entrusted to POLARIS Raumflugzeuge, a German startup that will
A notional rendering of China's reusable space plane. The exact appearance of the vehicle remains unknown. (Image credit: Erik Simonsen/Getty Images) By Brett Tingley, Published by Space.com, 6 September 2024 Details about the spacecraft and its mission remain largely unknown. China's mysterious space plane has returned to Earth after spending
Dream Chaser would ferry cargo, and eventually crew, to low-Earth orbit. Ken Ulbrich / NASA By Oluwamayokun Adetoro and James Campbell, Published by The Conversation, 8 February 2024 Nasa’s space shuttle operated in low-Earth orbit for 30 years before its retirement in 2011. However, the US space agency’s replacement for this vehicle, Orion,
A Long March 2F carrying Shenzhou-13 rising against the backdrop of the moon on Oct. 15, 2021. Credit: CCTV/framegrab By Andrew Jones, Published by Space News, 31 January 2024 HELSINKI — China’s experimental reusable spacecraft recently performed maneuvers to raise its orbit but is apparently yet to release objects as
By Kyle Mizokmi, Published by Popular Mechanics, 29 December 2023 Had it not been for a delay in the recent U.S. launch, the two spaceplanes would have entered Earth orbit at about the same time—proving China is trying to compete with America. On December 28 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
By Andrew Jones, Published by Space.com, 27 December 2023 Dream Chaser's 'Tenacity' spacecraft will launch on a Vulcan Centaur rocket, if all goes to plan. Dream Chaser, Sierra Space's shuttle-shaped spacecraft, is undergoing final testing in preparation for its very first taste of space. It's called Tenacity. Assembly of the
Liftoff of the Long March 2F carrying Shenzhou-12 at 9:22 p.m. Eastern, June 16, 2021. Credit: CASC By Andrew Jones, Published by Space News, 14 December 2023 HELSINKI — China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the third time Thursday while maintaining strict secrecy around the mission. A Long March 2F rocket
By Leah Crane, Published by the New Scientist, 6 December 2023 The US Space Force is launching its mysterious X-37B space plane on 10 December atop a Falcon Heavy rocket for what will probably be its highest and longest flight yet The US Space Force is preparing to launch its
