* [Jalopnik](https://jalopnik.com/) * [Kotaku](https://kotaku.com/) * [Quartz](https://qz.com/) * [The Root](https://theroot.com/) * [The Inventory](https://theinventory.com/) By We may earn a commission from links on this page.  [SpaceX is](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-finally-gets-starship-into-space-without-explodi-1851335831), for all intents and purposes, [the current state of American space flight](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-employees-are-getting-hurt-in-alarming-numbers-1851442642). Sure, there’s [that Boeing rocket](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-focused-so-hard-on-making-money-that-it-got-clob-1851457983), but [we’ve all seen](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) [how that’s going](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-starliner-could-brick-iss-docking-port-if-crew-a-1851615463) — SpaceX is now [how NASA gets shit done](https://jalopnik.com/nasa-director-says-he-trusts-spacex-because-elon-musk-i-1851459790). It’s also, according to reports from two separate regulatory bodies, a massive polluter of Texan waters. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have issued reports this year slamming SpaceX for violating pollution laws. The reports, [as seen by CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/12/spacex-repeatedly-polluted-waters-in-texas-tceq-epa-found.html), concern the Starship rocket’s deluge system: > TCEQ said its agency’s office in the South Texas city of Harlingen, near Starbase in Boca Chica, received a complaint on Aug. 6, 2023, alleging that SpaceX “was discharging deluge water without TCEQ authorization.” > > “In total, the Harlingen region received 14 complaints alleging environmental impacts from the Facility’s deluge system,” the regulator said in the document. > > Aerospace companies, including SpaceX, generally need to be in compliance with state and federal laws to gain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for future launches. SpaceX was seeking permission to conduct up to 25 annual launches and landings of its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket at its Boca Chica facility. Notices of violation could delay those approvals and result in civil monetary penalties for SpaceX, further probes and criminal charges. The [deluge system](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmjQxtFJfdY) is exactly what it sounds like: A torrent of water released beneath the Starship, which [disrupts both the heat and the acoustic waves from the engines](https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/05/Ariane_6_launch_pad_water_deluge_system_test) before they can reach the launch pad. Deluge systems aren’t some new SpaceX innovation — [they’ve been in use since at least the 1950s](https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=59577.0) — but SpaceX appears to be dumping its water back into the local environment, where it can contaminate its surroundings. SpaceX has claimed CNBC’s reporting is “[factually inaccurate](https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1823080774012481862),” and says that it’s been granted permission to continue operating while all the necessary paperwork is processing. Whether the company is correct or not, however, the reports from the EPA and TCEQ do exist — and they show that SpaceX’s missions come with an environmental cost. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik._](https://jalopnik.com/spacex-has-been-polluting-texas-water-for-years-1851621029) Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.

The final point of many space missions is an extremely isolated spot in the [South Pacific Ocean,](https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-will-crash-the-international-space-station-in-1851564347) where spacecraft are splashed down and never seen again. Much of the focus on the upcoming [SpaceX Crew-9](https://jalopnik.com/a-problem-with-the-toilet-in-spacexs-dragon-capsule-mea-1847998167) mission has been on a potential delay and whether or not two seats will be left empty for Boeing [(BA)](https://qz.com/quote/BA) Starliner’s stranded crew. When SpaceX’s Dragon [returns to Earth in 2025,](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) its unoccupied trunk will be jettisoned into this spacecraft cemetery. SpaceX, a champion for reusable rockets, is [adopting the cemetery splashdown](https://www.spacex.com/updates/) process for this and future missions after its engineers discovered that Dragon trunks [don’t fully burn up during re-entry.](https://jalopnik.com/falling-space-junk-is-a-growing-problem-that-is-only-go-1851572144) Obviously, no one wants the public to be harmed by space debris. No one’s likely to get hurt when [the Dragon](https://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-crew-dragon-spacexs-1833074719) segment comes down in the spacecraft cemetery. The area is centered around Point Nemo, 1,670 miles away from land. Point Nemo has been a dumping ground for spacecraft since the early 1970s. While NASA, ESA and JAXA splashed down craft in the cemetery, the Russian space program has dropped the most out of anyone with 200 spacecraft put down there. [Through the Soviet era](https://jalopnik.com/did-the-soviets-build-a-better-shuttle-than-we-did-1713379466) into the establishment of Roscosmos, the program sent six Salyut stations, hundreds of unmanned Mir resupply craft and the Mir space station itself to a watery demise there. The conditions that make Point Nemo the perfect place to ditch spacecraft could make it a treasure trove for archaeologists in the distant future, like how sunken sailing ships from prior centuries are valued today. [According to the BBC:](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231006-the-soviet-spacecraft-cemetery-in-the-pacific) > “The waters around Point Nemo are thought to be among the most lifeless on Earth for the same reason they’re a good spacecraft cemetery: they’re far from land, which tends to leach nutrients into the oceans. This, combined with the natural lack of oxygen in the deep ocean, the freezing temperatures and total lack of sunlight, make for ideal conditions – decreasing the rate of chemical processes such as rusting.” SpaceX is slated to splash down [the International Space Station](https://jalopnik.com/international-space-station-should-be-saved-by-spacex-1851596570) in the cemetery in 2030. Experts believe that large chunks of Mir, the size of a small car, survived its 2001 deorbit. Mir weighed 143 tons before re-entry. The ISS weighs 495 tons so it’s likely that massive pieces of the station will be sitting in the Pacific Ocean for future discovery. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik._](https://jalopnik.com/iss-will-join-another-260-spacecraft-in-desolate-ocean-1851619830)

The final point of many space missions is an extremely isolated spot in the [South Pacific Ocean,](https://jalopnik.com/elon-musk-will-crash-the-international-space-station-in-1851564347) where spacecraft are splashed down and never seen again. Much of the focus on the upcoming [SpaceX Crew-9](https://jalopnik.com/a-problem-with-the-toilet-in-spacexs-dragon-capsule-mea-1847998167) mission has been on a potential delay and whether or not two seats will be left empty for Boeing [(BA)](https://qz.com/quote/BA) Starliner’s stranded crew. When SpaceX’s Dragon [returns to Earth in 2025,](https://jalopnik.com/boeing-s-abandoned-astronauts-may-be-stuck-in-space-unt-1851617665) its unoccupied trunk will be jettisoned into this spacecraft cemetery. SpaceX, a champion for reusable rockets, is [adopting the cemetery splashdown](https://www.spacex.com/updates/) process for this and future missions after its engineers discovered that Dragon trunks [don’t fully burn up during re-entry.](https://jalopnik.com/falling-space-junk-is-a-growing-problem-that-is-only-go-1851572144) Obviously, no one wants the public to be harmed by space debris. No one’s likely to get hurt when [the Dragon](https://jalopnik.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-crew-dragon-spacexs-1833074719) segment comes down in the spacecraft cemetery. The area is centered around Point Nemo, 1,670 miles away from land. Point Nemo has been a dumping ground for spacecraft since the early 1970s. While NASA, ESA and JAXA splashed down craft in the cemetery, the Russian space program has dropped the most out of anyone with 200 spacecraft put down there. [Through the Soviet era](https://jalopnik.com/did-the-soviets-build-a-better-shuttle-than-we-did-1713379466) into the establishment of Roscosmos, the program sent six Salyut stations, hundreds of unmanned Mir resupply craft and the Mir space station itself to a watery demise there. The conditions that make Point Nemo the perfect place to ditch spacecraft could make it a treasure trove for archaeologists in the distant future, like how sunken sailing ships from prior centuries are valued today. [According to the BBC:](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231006-the-soviet-spacecraft-cemetery-in-the-pacific) > “The waters around Point Nemo are thought to be among the most lifeless on Earth for the same reason they’re a good spacecraft cemetery: they’re far from land, which tends to leach nutrients into the oceans. This, combined with the natural lack of oxygen in the deep ocean, the freezing temperatures and total lack of sunlight, make for ideal conditions – decreasing the rate of chemical processes such as rusting.” SpaceX is slated to splash down [the International Space Station](https://jalopnik.com/international-space-station-should-be-saved-by-spacex-1851596570) in the cemetery in 2030. Experts believe that large chunks of Mir, the size of a small car, survived its 2001 deorbit. Mir weighed 143 tons before re-entry. The ISS weighs 495 tons so it’s likely that massive pieces of the station will be sitting in the Pacific Ocean for future discovery. [_A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik_](https://jalopnik.com/iss-will-join-another-260-spacecraft-in-desolate-ocean-1851619830).

Aug 29, 2024 2:21 PM A few hours before the opening ceremony, we spoke with the former sprinter, who today is the European Space Agency’s first para-astronaut.  John McFall, the ESA’s first para-astronaut, during his sprinting career.Andrew Wang/Getty Images _This story originally appeared on [WIRED Italia](https://www.wired.it/article/paralimpiadi-2024-portabandiera-john-mc-fall-storia-incidente-astronauta-esa/) and has been translated from Italian._ John McFall’s sporting record alone would be enough to justify him being the flag bearer for the 2024 Paralympics. He won silver in the 100 meters (T42) and bronze in the 200 meters at the 2006 IPC World Championships; was world champion in the 100 and 200 meters at the 2007 IWAS World Games; won the 2007 Paralympic World Cup in the 200 meters as well as picking up silver in the 100 meters; and was a bronze medalist in the 100 meters at the 2008 Paralympic Games. But on top of his sporting achievements, McFall—who has retired from athletics—today has the distinction of being the first para-astronaut to work with a space agency, the [European Space Agency](https://www.wired.com/tag/european-space-agency/). And so at yesterday’s opening ceremony for the Paris Games, McFall was selected to represent not just one of the 168 participating delegations—in his case Great Britain and Northern Ireland—but the Paralympics _as a whole_. Since November 2022, McFall has been a reserve in the ESA’s astronaut corps, as well as a key player in the agency’s Fly! feasibility study, which aims to “understand and challenge the limitations posed by physical disabilities to human spaceflight.” It is hard to imagine a more ambitious goal than trying to extend the opportunity for space exploration to all. Born in 1981, McFall had his right leg amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident when he was 19. He went on to pursue a career in athletics and to study exercise science and medicine, completing core surgical training in general surgery, urology, trauma, and orthopedics in 2018. Since June 2023, McFall has participated in core familiarization courses and activities at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, to investigate the challenges his disability might pose during a long stay in space. This research has found, among other things, that McFall would be able to evacuate the [International Space Station](https://www.wired.com/tag/international-space-station/) in an emergency, and to use exercise equipment on the space station, such as treadmills or exercise bikes, to counteract the muscle-wasting effects of weightlessness. WIRED spoke with McFall, just hours before he paraded in Paris, about what his selection as flag bearer represents. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. McFall at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images **WIRED: John, why is it important that you are the flag bearer for the Paralympics?** **John McFall:** It is, first of all, personal: As a former runner, being in the place where the athletes will stay for the next 10 days brings with it many memories. I am equally honored to have been chosen to represent all the athletes of these Games and also all the past ones, because I consider myself the fruit of the Paralympic movement. In addition, I believe that what the ESA is doing with the feasibility study, and what we are trying to do so that an individual with physical disabilities can travel in space, can help give wide visibility and change the perception of disability. The Paralympics play a central role in this awareness process. **Talking about resilience today is almost rhetorical. How does one deal with trauma like that which you experienced?** I don’t think I ever consciously decided to deal with it; it was a natural process. It’s not like one fine day I found myself thinking, “OK, now I have to deal with my trauma.” I’m more inclined to believe that people who go through and overcome something like mine do so by embracing their new situation, in a process that, at least for me, was driven by a desire to do things that I was passionate about, that I was interested in. Simply by doing them, I felt rewarded and gained a new sense of identity, with my new life, with disability. At least for me, the most important reaction was to find something that could give me joy. Science, academia and, in particular, sports did that. McFall in training, during the Fly! feasibility study. ESA/M. Cowan **Speaking of science and training, can you describe the Fly! feasibility study and its results?** The ESA is the first space agency in the world to ask whether physical disability is compatible with the activities of a professional astronaut. Fly! tried to answer that by focusing on my specific case. The study considered the requirements of a long stay in space and analyzed them systematically. At first we studied how my disabilities and prosthesis might affect my ability to meet the requirements in-flight. At a later stage we went into detail, to the point of figuring out, for example, whether I should compulsorily use my prosthesis in space, since legs are hardly used there. In summary, I can say that although I would need the prosthesis at some stages, disabilities like mine fully meet the needs of space travel. I am very happy to say that we have not identified any hiccups capable of precluding a person with disabilities like mine from a long-duration space mission. This has an incredible positive outcome. **Why is it important that people with disabilities can also operate in space? And what specific disabilities are we talking about?** I’ll start with the second question. Fly! looked at a specific group of disabilities, those in the lower limbs. From the results I think we can extrapolate different variables in that group that are compatible with long-duration space missions. We need to progress step by step, starting with the basics, and I am sure that starting to study lower limb disabilities was a good choice. I hope we can soon focus on other disabilities, which allows me to answer the first part of the question: Why is it important? The ESA recognizes that talented people can boast different histories and backgrounds—meaning gender, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities. Everywhere in the world there are those who could make valuable contributions to human space exploration. Of course, this involves becoming astronauts. And the experience and knowledge of people with physical disabilities can bring new and valuable ideas, different ways of thinking, motivation, inspiration. For this to happen, everyone needs to have fair representation among the staff, with appropriate professional positions and roles. This is a goal, and the ESA is working to achieve it. **In September, the Polaris Dawn mission is expected to take off from Cape Canaveral, and will feature the first spacewalk by nonprofessional astronauts. What do you think?** They are inspiring and no less important in the landscape of human exploration of the cosmos, because every time these missions become a reality, they help enrich the knowledge we have as a community. Polaris Dawn is doing new science; it’s testing new technologies. That’s why I have great respect for private astronauts and their missions—they [make a major contribution](https://www.wired.it/article/axiom-3-missione-iss-spacex-villadei-esperimenti/) to the advancement of our space activities. McFall and other ESA astronauts in a weightlessness simulation. ESA/A. Conigli **When are you going into space?** I would love to travel beyond the atmosphere. I hope to have the opportunity, but what I hope most is that sooner or later someone with physical disabilities will be able to do it, fully integrated into the activities on the International Space Station. About the timing, I hope that at the end of this decade it can happen. As for me, if I ever have the opportunity to fly in space, it will not be before 2027. But nothing is confirmed, and I am keeping my fingers crossed at the moment.

Two astronauts have completed the first commercial spacewalk and tested slimmed-down spacesuits designed by [SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/spacex), in one of the boldest attempts yet to push the boundaries of privately funded spaceflight. Hundreds of miles above Earth and orbiting at close to 30,000km/h (18,600mph), the billionaire Jared Isaacman, 41, who chartered the Polaris Dawn mission, exited the space capsule at 11.52am BST on Thursday. “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” said the 41-year-old space enthusiast as he stood on a ladder looking down at Earth’s surface. Isaacman was followed by Sarah Gillis, a senior engineer at [SpaceX](https://www.theguardian.com/science/spacex) who has spent years working on missions from the ground. Gillis, 30, conducted movement tests to assess how the new SpaceX suit – a much less bulky equivalent of the Nasa equipment – operates in the vacuum of space. To prepare for the test, conducted at an altitude of 435 miles (700km), the Crew Dragon capsule was completely depressurised, meaning the whole crew – including the two who remained inside – relied on their spacesuits for oxygen and pressure. [](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/12/polaris-dawn-astronauts-complete-first-commercial-spacewalk-spacex#img-1) An illustration of the SpaceX suit (left) and the bulkier older design. Composite: SpaceX; ESA Only well-funded government agencies had so far managed to carry out spacewalks, known as EVAs (extravehicular activities), and they are a notoriously difficult feat. Most have been done from the International [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Station (ISS) and the Chinese Tiangong space station. Private companies are gradually taking the lead in spaceflight as governments, in particular the US government, seek to spend tax revenues elsewhere. Nasa has [contracted SpaceX](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-spacex-second-contract-option-for-artemis-moon-landing-0) to land astronauts, including the first woman, on the moon this decade. The Nasa chief, Bill Nelson, said Thursday’s successful EVA represented “a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and Nasa’s long-term goal to build a vibrant US space economy”. The Polaris Dawn mission is the second that Isaacman has funded. He has declined to give the price but the missions are estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2021 the private pilot and now trained astronaut, who made millions from his electronic payment company Shift4, flew on the [Inspiration4 mission](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/sep/15/spacex-launch-amateur-astronauts-passengers), the first orbital spaceflight by an all-civilian crew. That mission included a cancer survivor as well as a data engineer who won his seat in a raffle draw. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has operated both missions and sees them as major milestones in making access to space easier and cheaper. Musk plans to take astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars. His company is developing the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, [called Starship](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/mar/14/spacex-launches-third-starship-test-flight), and has carried out four test flights of the 120-metre-tall system. The next is due in November. Ian Whittaker, a space physics expert at Nottingham Trent University, said the success of the “first non-space agency astronaut spacewalk” was “extremely exciting for the private space industry as it is the first step on a longer road towards space tourism”. “The high cost will mean that only the ultra-rich get to experience this for now but putting this cost in the hands of businesses means that taxpayer money can be used for other purposes,” he said. The spacewalk lasted about 30 minutes, and Isaacman and Gillis always remained on the ladder. While walking is impossible in microgravity, Nasa defines a spacewalk as “any time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space”. The first person to “walk” in space, the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, spent 12 minutes outside his spacecraft on 18 March 1965. His mission showed some of the risks associate with designing spacesuits: by the end of the spacewalk, [Leonov’s suit had inflated](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/09/alexei-leonov-first-man-to-walk-in-space-soviet-cosmonaut) in the vacuum of space to the point where he could no longer fit back in the airlock. He had to manually release air to get inside. Tim Peake, the last British astronaut to go into space, said on X that it would be very interesting to hear the crew’s full feedback on the new EVA suit mobility, something he said was “incredibly important yet hard to achieve – especially fingertip fidelity”. He added: “Elbow mobility looks great though.” Peake, 52, has announced he has been chosen to lead a planned first [all-British crewed mission into space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/oct/25/tim-peake-quit-retirement-to-lead-uk-first-astronaut-mission). The UK Space Agency is undertaking it in a deal with Axiom, an American company that organises visits to the ISS. During their five-day mission, the Polaris Dawn’s crew will act as test subjects for future deep space travel by travelling through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt and then analysing the effects of space radiation on their bodies. The mission also includes a retired US air force lieutenant colonel, Scott Poteet, 50, and another SpaceX engineer, Anna Menon, 38. Polaris Dawn’s spacewalk happened at the same time as a record 19 astronauts orbited Earth, after Russia’s Soyuz rocket ferried two cosmonauts and a US astronaut to the ISS.

Final preparations are under way to send a European spacecraft to an asteroid to discover what happened when a [Nasa](https://www.theguardian.com/science/nasa) probe deliberately slammed into the space rock two years ago. The European Space Agency’s Hera mission will survey the impact site and make detailed measurements of the battered rock, Dimorphos, to help researchers hone their strategies for defending Earth should a wayward asteroid ever threaten the planet in the future. Hera is due to launch on Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 10.52am local time (3.52pm BST). All being well, the probe will swoop past Mars in March next year and reach the asteroid more than 110m miles (177m km) from Earth in December 2026. “It’s a series of breathtaking moments,” Paolo Martino, the lead engineer and deputy project manager said of the mission from ESA’s base in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. “The first one is surviving the launch.” Beyond the routine risks of poor weather and technical problems that can keep missions on the launchpad, there have been uncertainties over whether the SpaceX rocket will be allowed to fly. Last week, the Falcon 9 was grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration for the third time in three months after it experienced an upper stage malfunction as it fell back to Earth. Named after the Greek goddess of marriage, women and family, Hera will report back on the state of Dimorphos, a 150-metre-wide asteroid that orbits a larger, 780-metre-wide parent body called Didymos. In September 2022, Nasa’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) probe [crashed into Dimorphos](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/26/nasa-spacecraft-asteroid-crash-planetary-defense-test) at 14,000 miles per hour, showering millions of tonnes of rock into space and altering the asteroid’s orbit. As a first test of Earth’s planetary defences, the Dart mission was declared a success. But scientists need more information about the impact and Dimorphos itself to ensure the lessons learned can be used to deflect asteroids of different sizes and structures that might one day threaten Earth. “Dart managed to change the orbit of Dimorphos very efficiently, even beyond expectations, and now the scientists need to know in detail what happened and what kind of effects the impact had on the asteroid,” Martino said. When Dart thumped into Dimorphos, the momentum of the probe and the force from debris ejected from the asteroid knocked 33 minutes off its orbital period around Didymos. The collision [reshaped the asteroid](https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad26e7) and sent a plume of dust and rock thousands of miles into space. Hera’s instruments will record the precise size, shape, mass and orbit of Dimorphos so researchers can work out how efficiently momentum was transferred from the Dart probe to the space rock and what state the asteroid was left in. For a closer look at Dimorphos, Hera will release two shoebox-sized probes called cubesats. These will map the surface in fine detail, measure any dust around the body, and deploy a ground-penetrating radar to assess the asteroid’s internal structure. The cubesats will then attempt to land on the asteroid and take further measurements. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/05/european-space-mission-hera-examine-nasa-dimorphos-asteroid-impact-site#EmailSignup-skip-link-11) Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion “The Dart mission was a spectacular success as a demonstration of asteroid deflection technology, but as a science experiment it generated as many questions as it provided answers,” said Prof Gareth Collins, a member of the Hera science team at Imperial College London. “Our hope is that Hera will answer those questions and more.” One mystery is how Dart changed Dimorphos’s orbit so much. Scientists expected the Nasa probe to punch a 20-metre crater in the asteroid and shave little more than a minute off its orbital period. The more substantial shift in orbit suggests the impact completely reshaped the asteroid. “We think this might be because Dimorphos has a rubble-pile internal structure, but we only have a few close-up images of its surface to work with,” said Collins. Of more than 1,600 near-Earth asteroids on [ESA’s risk list](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/risk-list), none are gigantic planet-killers that could destroy Earth in the next century. More concerning are the smaller and far more numerous space rocks that have the potential to take out cities, countries and continents. If one of these were spotted years in advance, scientists would aim to launch a reconnaissance mission to confirm its trajectory, composition and mass, and if it posed a real danger, launch another mission to knock it off course. Armed with data from the Hera mission, researchers will work out the range of asteroids that can be deflected with colliding spacecraft and which space rocks might require more [dramatic interventions](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/sep/23/nuclear-blast-could-save-earth-from-large-asteroid). “If we ever have a real threat in the future, we’ll be in a position to choose the best technique,” said Martino.

欧洲航天局（ESA）即将启动一项任务，以评估人类在保护地球免受小行星撞击方面的有效性。这项名为“赫拉”的任务将访问一颗在2022年被美国航空航天局（NASA）航天器撞击的小行星，以分析使其偏转的效果 ...  “赫拉”任务及其立方体卫星将研究小行星Dimorphos和Didymos（艺术图）。图片来源：ESA “看起来我们撞击得足够猛烈，改变了它的形状。”“赫拉”团队成员、法国蔚蓝海岸天文台（OCA）行星科学家Harrison Agrusa说

 A European spacecraft is heading to study an asteroid after NASA purposely knocked it off its course more than two years ago. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:52 a.m. ET on Monday. It's scheduled to conduct a "crash scene investigation," researchers said. Hera’s mission will focus on the asteroid Dimorphos, where a golf cart-sized spacecraft crashed on Sept. 26, 2022. That mission, called the [Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)](https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/1128132956/nasa-dart-success-asteroid-dimorphos), shortened Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos, a bigger asteroid, by 33 minutes, researchers said. The successful mission was only a test of the concept — to see, if an asteroid one day threatens to hit Earth, whether it could be pushed out of harm's way. On a series of flybys, Hera will survey Dimorphos' mineral makeup and the dust surrounding it, the agency said. Its mission will also help scientists understand how big the crater is that was created during the DART mission, which they say could help in future asteroid deflections. Hera will also enable researchers to get a more accurate estimate of Dimorphos' mass. The top ESA official called Monday's mission a "bold step" in ramping up the European agency's role in defending the planet. “Planetary defence is an inherently international endeavour, and I am really happy to see ESA’s Hera spacecraft at the forefront of Europe’s efforts to help protect Earth,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in a statement. While in space, Hera will also conduct experiments and try "self-driving" navigation around both asteroids, the agency also said. The asteroids are part of a binary asteroid system in which Dimorphos, at about 530 feet across, orbits Didymos, about half a mile across. The two asteroids are not a threat to Earth, [according to NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/didymos/). Both came within roughly 6 million miles of Earth in 2022, [according to the ESA](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Target_asteroid2). Hera’s mission will also include "the first detailed survey" of Didymos. The spacecraft is set to reach the asteroids in the fall of 2026, according to the ESA.

[](/search?tid=102) [Wilson](/~Wilson) (42865)发表于 2024年10月09日 15时39分 星期三 [新浪微博分享](//service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=//www.solidot.org/story?sid=79438&appkey=1370085986&title=ESA%20%E5%8F%91%E5%B0%84%E8%B5%AB%E6%8B%89%E6%8E%A2%E6%B5%8B%E5%99%A8%E8%B0%83%E6%9F%A5%E8%A2%AB%20NASA%20%E9%A3%9E%E8%88%B9%E6%92%9E%E5%87%BB%E7%9A%84%E5%B0%8F%E8%A1%8C%E6%98%9F) [](javascript:void(0);) **来自开普罗纳的魔法师** ESA 使用 SpaceX Falcon 9 火箭从佛罗里达卡纳维拉尔角太空军基地发射了探测器赫拉（Hera），飞往 Didymos 和 Dimorphos 双小行星系统，验证世界首次行星防御技术演示任务。NASA 执行双小行星重定向测试(DART)任务的飞船于 2022 年 9 月 26 日撞击了该小行星系统，这是世界首次行星防御技术演示，撞击成功偏转了小行星轨道，还释放出了数百万吨的岩石。赫拉探测器将于 2026 年 12 月前后抵达该小行星系统，对其进行观测确认撞击效果 ... https://www.esa.int/Space\_Safety/Hera/Planetary\_defence\_mission\_Hera\_heading\_for\_deflected\_asteroid

The European Space Agency is in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk’s space venture joining an international charter designed to reduce a growing [swarm of debris in space](https://www.fastcompany.com/90982629/outer-space-is-full-of-human-trash-now-we-have-to-get-rid-of-it), Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-nation agency is spearheading one of several efforts to roll back the [mass of space junk swirling round the planet](https://www.fastcompany.com/91116902/space-is-full-of-trash-nasa-is-finally-hiring-someone-to-clean-it-up) from past missions that poses a risk to active satellites. Aschbacher said 110 countries or entities have joined ESA’s Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop any new orbital garbage being generated by 2030. Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: “Not yet, but we are in discussion with them… This is a charter that keeps evolving and . . . we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental.” SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Of the roughly 10,300 active satellites in orbit, roughly 6,300 are part of SpaceX’s fast-growing Starlink constellation, according to the U.S. Space Force. China has begun to launch constellations of its own to compete with Starlink, as has Amazon, which expects to launch over 3,000 satellites for its Kuiper constellation this decade. Expand to continue reading ↓

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: _The European Space Agency is in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk's space venture [joining an international charter designed to reduce a growing swarm of debris in space](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/europe-agency-says-it-is-talks-with-spacex-tackling-space-junk-2024-10-24/), Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-nation agency is spearheading one of several efforts to roll back the mass of space junk swirling round the planet from past missions that poses a risk to active satellites. Aschbacher said 110 countries or entities have joined ESA's Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop any new orbital garbage being generated by 2030._ _Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: "Not yet, but we are in discussion with them... This is a charter that keeps evolving and... we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental." \[...\] There are currently 18,897 pieces of trackable space junk in orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks such objects. Space debris and junk are often used interchangeably, but some consider space junk to include inactive payloads and rocket bodies as well as debris, or errant shards of broken satellites. There are no international laws on debris, but countries and space agencies have begun in recent years to devise proposals and national rules for tackling the problem._

Last month, people in a small village in Kenya looked to the sky and saw a red glowing ring slowly descending. The half-tonne piece of metal crashed into a nearby thicket with a loud bang, leaving them shaken and perplexed. [What was the mysterious object](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/02/world/africa/kenya-space-debris-rocket.html)? Was it an alien spacecraft? Sadly, the truth of the matter was much more prosaic: it was a piece of space junk. The Kenya [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Agency identified the object as a separation ring from a launch rocket. Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unpopulated areas, leading the agency to declare this as “an isolated case”. However, this was not a one-off incident. Last year alone, we saw a large fragment from a Chinese space mission [fall over southern California](https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/chinese-space-junk-falls-to-earth-over-southern-california-creating-spectacular-fireball); a piece of space junk fell through [a two-storey home in Florida](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/17/nasa-space-junk-florida-iss), confirmed by Nasa to have originated from the International Space Station; and several sizeable fragments of a SpaceX capsule were [found on a Canadian farm](https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-trunk-space-debris-canada). The Florida family is now [suing Nasa for damages](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/22/florida-family-sues-nasa-space-debris) in a case that could set a legal precedent for who is responsible. Even more concerning than large space detritus crashing to Earth – if this is possible –is the accumulation of small debris in the lower orbit that could collide with larger objects such as satellites. Over the past 60 years of space activities, more than [6,050 space launches](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/About_space_debris) have resulted in roughly 56,450 tracked objects in orbit. Only 8% of these objects are active satellites, the rest is junk. The [Kessler syndrome](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frspt.2023.1309940/full) (named after former Nasa scientist Donald J Kessler) describes a scenario in which the volume of debris in Earth’s orbit reaches a critical threshold, triggering a cascade effect where collisions generate even more debris, which causes even more collisions. More than 560 in-orbit fragmentation events have been recorded since 1961, according to the European Space Agency, and the risks are intensifying. In June 2024, a [defunct Russian satellite](https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/27/russian-satellite-debris-international-space-station) broke up into almost 200 pieces of debris, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take cover and prepare to evacuate in their spacecraft. Should the Earth’s orbit become unusable, this would threaten our ability to monitor weather, climate and other environmental changes, and to receive vital early disaster warnings on extreme weather events. The [Interconnected Disaster Risk](https://interconnectedrisks.org/tipping-points/space-debris) report published in 2024 by the United Nations University identified space debris and collisions as at a tipping point. Projections staggeringly estimate more than 100,000 new spacecraft will be launched by 2030, increasing the risk of collisions. The report also highlights that there currently are no binding international rules for managing space debris. The [Outer Space Treaty (OST)](https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html), established in 1967 and serving as the bedrock of space law since, is showing its limitations. As space activities have evolved from state-dominated explorations to include extensive commercial operations by non-state actors, such as the mega constellations deployed by companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, the treaty falls short. It lacks, for example, specific guidelines for commercial activities, space mining, and crucially, mandates for debris mitigation and removal. [Space debris must be cleared, warn European experts](https://www.theguardian.com/science/video/2013/apr/22/space-debris-cleared-video) Guardian There are thankfully several solutions. Space-faring nations as well as regional organisations, such as the European Union, are funding specialised companies to remove active objects from orbit. Large debris requires effective management to minimise potential harm and the European Space Agency’s [ClearSpace-1 mission](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/ClearSpace-1) showcases debris removal, while the Japanese company [Astroscale](https://astroscale.com/) is offering to remove operators’ redundant space hardware from orbit. These are all welcome approaches but may not be sustainable in the long term as space becomes more congested. Moreover, active debris removal solutions are an “end-of-pipe” approach, focused on managing the problem rather than solving it. Future solutions also need to address the core of the issue: how to design future space technology with zero-waste principles. To this end, the European Space Agency recently launched the idea of creating a “[circular space economy](https://blogs.esa.int/cleanspace/2024/01/11/circular-economy-enabling-a-space-circular-economy-by-2050-esas-vision/)” by 2050. Circular solutions include reuse, repair, recycling, eco-design, sustainable supply and responsible consumption. Many circular economy technologies are already being used in space programmes, including design for durability, closed-loop water and nutrient cycling in the International Space Station and 3D printing applications for repair and upgrades. New satellite innovations such as the world’s first wooden satellite, [LignoSat](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-developed-japan-heads-space-2024-11-05/), developed by Japanese researchers and launched into space in November 2024, show the way for the use of biomaterials in future lunar and Mars exploration. Biomaterials have lower density, so in case of collisions there is less kinetic impact and on re-entry, they would also more easily burn up. When it comes to the economic viability of a circular space economy, there is also a strong case. The reuse value of space debris has been estimated to be in the order of [$600bn to $1.2tn](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X22005104). Legal measures that have proved effective in environmental governance and policy on Earth to control hazardous waste and pollution could also be applied. The “polluter pays” principle would place legal and financial responsibility on space operators and technology producers (this is particularly relevant to regulate the rapidly increasing number of private operators). A rare example of enforcement action was taken by the US Federal Communications Commission in October 2023, [fining the operator Dish Network](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-397412A1.pdf) $150,000 for failing to properly retire one of its satellites. Getting a UN-led agreement on space debris governance would require cooperation of all major stakeholders – but is vital to transcend geopolitical tensions, and protect space and those of us on Earth looking up at the sky. * Dr Patrick Schröder is a senior research fellow in the Environment and Society programme, Chatham House, with an expertise in the global transition to an inclusive circular economy

Feb 1, 2025 8:00 AM Continuing the Artemis program and using its planned lunar space station as a staging post would be a more energy efficient but slower way to reach Mars, and it’s unlikely to be Elon Musk’s preference.  A mosaic of the Schiaparelli Hemisphere of the planet Mars, showing the Schiaparelli Crater, circa 1980.Photograph: Getty Images _THIS ARTICLE IS republished from_ [_The Conversation_](https://theconversation.com/will-the-us-get-to-mars-quicker-if-it-drops-or-delays-plans-to-visit-the-moon-248046) _under a_ _[Creative Commons license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/deed.en)._ The [Artemis](https://www.wired.com/tag/artemis/) program has been [NASA’s](https://www.wired.com/tag/nasa/) best chance to get “[boots on the moon](https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2020/11/05/boots-on-the-moon-weighing-the-pros-and-cons-of-the-space-force/)” again. But with the new US administration taking guidance from tech entrepreneur [Elon Musk](https://www.wired.com/tag/elon-musk/), who is focused on [Mars](https://www.wired.com/tag/mars/) colonization, will they end up abandoning or pushing back lunar missions? For example, there’s been speculation that returning US president [Donald Trump](https://www.wired.com/tag/donald-trump/) may [cancel](https://theconversation.com/trump-may-cancel-nasas-powerful-sls-moon-rocket-heres-what-that-would-mean-for-elon-musk-and-the-future-of-space-travel-244762) the Space Launch System rocket, which NASA intended to use [to get from the moon to Mars](https://theconversation.com/spacex-vs-nasa-who-will-get-us-to-the-moon-first-heres-how-their-latest-rockets-compare-154199). But is this approach likely to help them get to Mars quicker? The last human presence on the lunar surface was Apollo 17 in 1972. So you may imagine that it should be easy for the US to return. However there have been plans to once again [send people there since 2004](https://www.planetary.org/space-missions/artemis), which have changed name with each incoming president, until its current incarnation as the Artemis program. The 2022 [Artemis-1 test flight](https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-1-nasa-moon-mission-launch-sls-rocket-orion/) was successful in its mission to send an unmanned satellite around the lunar orbit and return using the new SLS rocket system. But Artemis-2, which will carry crew, is not [scheduled for launch until 2026](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/). When we consider private companies and other nations, this is comparatively slow progress. The plan for the Artemis mission. Courtesy of NASA The first successful landing of a spacecraft on the [moon](https://www.wired.com/tag/moon/) by the Indian Space Agency, Isro, took place in 2023 with [Chaandrayan-3](https://theconversation.com/chandrayaan-3-india-hopes-to-land-a-rover-on-the-moon-for-the-first-time-211707), which was an amazing achievement with a low budget. China landed in 2013 with [Chang'e 3](https://www.space.com/china-change-3-moon-lander-lasts-7-years), and [Chang'e 4](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/china-change-4-historic-landing-moon-far-side-explained) in 2019 on the dark side. Russia has previously had landers on the moon. Its more recent attempt at a [lunar landing with Luna-25 was unsuccessful, though](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66562629). There are also future lander missions planned by the European Space Agency with [Argonaut](https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/Argonaut), a private [Israeli company](https://www.spaceil.com/), and other [private companies](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/14/science/lunar-landers-moon-missions-2025/index.html). Clearly, there is no shortage of potential competitors that could eventually develop to send humans too. Implications for Mars --------------------- So would turning to Martian exploration be a sensible move instead of heading for the moon? It would likely mean abandoning the [Lunar Gateway project](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway/), a space station in orbit around the moon where astronauts could live. But as this is not planned until 2027 at the earliest, this would seem acceptable. However the difference between going to the moon and going to Mars is like the difference between walking to the end of your road versus walking to another country. Besides the incredible difference in distance (the distance to travel to Mars is 833 times greater than that of the distance to the moon), the time taken to get there is far longer as well. The optimal lunar launch conditions repeat once a month. And you could still launch at times that are not ideal. The optimal fuel route for Mars involves arriving when the two planets are roughly on [opposite sides of the sun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWrQk7UBcj0&t=3s). This launch window repeats every 18 months, and the journey time of nine months means any problems onboard will need to be fixed by the crew, with no rescue option. Faster routes can be achieved (roughly six months) but this then becomes very energy-intensive. This is why the Lunar Gateway would come in handy, allowing astronauts to take off from the moon, away from the Earth’s immense gravity, and head to Mars from there. Of course the material for the gateway would need to be sent to the Lunar Gateway first. But by splitting the energy requirements up it means [slower but more efficient propulsion methods](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/dawn/technology/ion-propulsion/) can be used for part of the Mars journey. There is no doubt that, with some work, [SpaceX](https://www.wired.com/tag/spacex/) will be able to make a [landing on Mars](https://www.spacex.com/humanspaceflight/mars/). But will they be able to safely take people there and get them back? As a company the idea of profit will be a strong factor, along with astronaut safety. We only have to look at some of the more [recent Boeing problems](https://www.wired.com/tag/boeing/) (astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station for seven months at time of writing) to see that private companies may want to slow down a bit when it comes to transporting people. This is unlikely to happen though, with the [considerable influence of Musk](https://news.sky.com/story/elon-musks-starring-role-in-donald-trumps-government-confirmed-by-inauguration-proceedings-and-pledge-to-go-to-mars-13293344) on the White House administration, and the suggestion of fellow billionaire Jared Isaacman ([a private astronaut](https://www.wired.com/story/polaris-dawn-private-spacewalk-crew-dragon-spacex/)) [as the new head of NASA](https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/12/04/who-is-jared-isaacman-what-to-know-about-the-billionaire-trump-picked-to-lead-nasa/). Critical Decisions ------------------ So there are two options for NASA to choose from: Either keep going with its Artemis program and the Lunar Gateway, or aim for Mars and be primarily dependent on Musk. Funding both options would likely mean that neither ever happens. Of course, the Mars mission would be easier if the [gateway was already present at the moon](https://www.nasa.gov/gateway-frequently-asked-questions/). The timelines involved here are important. SpaceX states that it will send five uncrewed Starships to Mars next year with an [aim to send humans to Mars in 2028](https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-mars-launches-2026-elon-musk). This seems ambitious, particularly as it involves refueling in orbit, but if additional funds and material are put toward the project, it could potentially be sooner than this. As the Lunar Gateway would be built at the earliest in 2027, then it’d be unlikely to be operational in 2028 anyway. So prioritizing Mars exploration over the Lunar Gateway may indeed get us to Mars quicker—but it will be risky. If the US pulls out of plans to explore the moon, other nations can expand their presence in those areas more easily—with the potential to have an easier route to launch to Mars. These are likely to be on much longer timescales though, but if Musk fails to get humans to Mars in the next few years, these countries may have an edge. The conditions on Mars are slightly more [favorable for human presence](https://theconversation.com/human-settlement-of-mars-isnt-as-far-off-as-you-might-think-245705), with at least some atmospheric pressure and the potential for [mining water](https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/news/water-on-mars-the-story-so-far/). But as many studies have shown, it has [no potential for terraforming](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0529-6), the process of altering a planet to make it more habitable for humans. The increased distance from the sun also means that solar panels are slightly less effective, and Mars is not rich in [deposited solar helium-3](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Space_for_Earth/Energy/Helium-3_mining_on_the_lunar_surface), which can be used as a fuel for nuclear fusion. Of course the challenge is what excites many people, and it may be a risk worth taking. But this decision should be left with the experts in the field, rather than politicians and billionaires.

[Russian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia) officials expect to hold talks with [Elon Musk](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/elon-musk) soon about space travel to [Mars](https://www.theguardian.com/science/mars), [Vladimir Putin](https://www.theguardian.com/world/vladimir-putin)’s international cooperation envoy said on Tuesday. The envoy’s comments, which Musk has not confirmed, also stated that Russia wanted to expand its cooperation with the US on space projects. “I think that there will undoubtedly be a discussion with Musk \[about [Mars](https://www.theguardian.com/science/mars) flights\] in the near future,” Kirill Dmitriev said at a business forum in Moscow, going on to praise Musk’s efforts to push the boundaries of human achievement. The proposed talks would once again put Musk, the world’s richest man and a senior adviser to Trump, in an outsized and largely unaccountable role in international politics. Musk has joined in on White House calls with international leaders since [Donald Trump’s](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump) re-election, and prior to his new role in the administration [reportedly was in regular contact](https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/musk-putin-secret-conversations-37e1c187) with Putin. Musk’s ownership of SpaceX and control of the Starlink satellite communications system have increasingly allowed him to take on the role of power broker in space travel and international telecommunications. In the US, [Nasa](https://www.theguardian.com/science/nasa) has come to rely on SpaceX for the majority of its launches, and recently fired workers [have raised alarms](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/18/nasa-cuts-elon-musk-spacex) about his growing sway over the agency. Musk has also used his leverage over international telecoms to assert his political influence, including [limiting Ukraine’s military use of Starlink](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/09/zelenskiy-aide-takes-aim-at-curbs-on-ukraine-use-of-starlink-to-pilot-drones-elon-musk) during the Russia-Ukraine war and recently [clashing with Poland’s foreign minister](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy87vg38dnpo) over the technology. [skip past newsletter promotion](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/18/russia-mars-elon-musk#EmailSignup-skip-link-4) Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives **Privacy Notice:** Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our [Privacy Policy](https://www.theguardian.com/help/privacy-policy). We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. after newsletter promotion Dmitriev, who was named by Putin last month as his special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, also claimed on Tuesday that Russia’s “enemies” were trying to derail Trump’s efforts to restore a dialogue with [Russia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia). His remarks came as Trump held a call with Putin on Tuesday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine and eventual end to hostilities after Russia invaded the country in 2022. Dmitriev said Russia wanted to work with Musk as part of Moscow’s efforts to strengthen and develop Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, and state nuclear corporation Rosatom. Dmitriev stated he was in touch with Roscosmos, Russian businesses and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. Russia said in 2022 it would start work on its own Mars mission after the European Space Agency (ESA) suspended a joint project in the wake of Putin’s decision to send tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

“I expect four or five companies to get to the point of launching, and then over a period of years reliability and launch cadence \[or frequency\] will determine which one or two of them survives,” says McDowell.  In their initial form these rockets will not rival anything on offer from SpaceX in terms of size and cadence. SpaceX sometimes launches its 70-meter (230-foot) [Falcon 9 rocket](https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/07/18/1095036/whats-next-for-spacexs-falcon-9/) multiple times per week and is developing its much larger [Starship vehicle](https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/12/07/1041420/spacex-starship-rocket-solar-system-exploration/) for missions to the moon and Mars. However, the smaller European rockets can allow companies in Europe to launch satellites to orbit without having to travel all the way across the Atlantic. “There is an advantage to having it closer,” says Kellner, who says it will take RFA one or two days by sea to get its rockets to SaxaVord, versus one or two weeks to travel across the Atlantic. Launching from Europe is useful, too, for reaching specific orbits. Traditionally, a lot of satellite launches have taken place near the equator, in places such as Cape Canaveral in Florida, to get an extra boost from Earth’s rotation. Crewed spacecraft have also launched from these locations to reach space stations in equatorial orbit around Earth and the moon. From Europe, though, satellites can launch north over uninhabited stretches of water to reach polar orbit, which can allow imaging satellites to see the entirety of Earth rotate underneath them. Increasingly, says McDowell, companies want to place satellites into [sun-synchronous orbit](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Types_of_orbits#SSO), a type of polar orbit where a satellite orbiting Earth stays in perpetual sunlight. This is useful for solar-powered vehicles. “By far the bulk of the commercial market now is sun-synchronous polar orbit,” says McDowell. “So having a high-latitude launch site that has good transport links with customers in Europe does make a difference.” In the longer term, Europe’s rocket ambitions might grow to vehicles that are more of a match for the Falcon 9 through initiatives like ESA’s [European Launcher Challenge](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Prepare_for_the_European_Launcher_Challenge), which will award contracts later this year. “We are hoping to develop \[a larger vehicle\] in the European Launcher Challenge,” says Kellner. Perhaps Europe might even consider launching humans into space one day on larger rockets, says Thilo Kranz, ESA’s program manager for commercial space transportation. “We are looking into this,” he says. “If a commercial operator comes forward with a smart way of approaching \[crewed\] access to space, that would be a favorable development for Europe.” A separate ESA project called [Themis](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Themis), meanwhile, is developing technologies to reuse rockets. This was the key innovation of SpaceX’s Falcon 9, allowing the company to dramatically drive down launch costs. Some European companies, like [MaiaSpace](https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/europes-maiaspace-steps-up-effort-counter-spacex-with-reusable-rocket-2024-12-09/) and RFA, are also investigating reusability. The latter is planning to use parachutes to bring the first stage of its rocket back to a landing in the sea, where it can be recovered. “As soon as you get up to something like a Falcon 9 competitor, I think it’s clear now that reusability is crucial,” says McDowell. “They’re not going to be economically competitive without reusability.” The end goal for Europe is to have a sovereign rocket industry that reduces its reliance on the US. “Where we are in the broader geopolitical situation probably makes this a bigger point than it might have been six months ago,” says Macdonald. The continent has already shown it can diversify from the US in other ways. Europe now operates its own successful satellite-based alternative to the US Global Positioning System (GPS), called Galileo; it began launching in 2011 and is [four times more accurate than its American counterpart](https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/galileo-satellite-navigation_en#:~:text=Galileo%20is%20four%20times%20more,charge%20all%20around%20the%20world.). Isar Aerospace, and the companies that follow, might be the first sign that commercial European rockets can break from America in a similar way. “We need to secure access to space,” says Kranz, “and the more options we have in launching into space, the higher the flexibility.”

Some of these companies are taking aim at SpaceX’s Falcon 9, which can lift as much as about 20,000 kilograms into orbit and is used for sending multiple satellites or the crewed Dragon into space. “There is a practical monopoly in the medium-lift launch market right now, with really only one operational vehicle,” says Murielle Baker, a spokesperson for Rocket Lab, a US-New Zealand company. Rocket Lab plans to take on the Falcon 9 with its Neutron rocket, which is expected to have its inaugural flight later this year from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The effort is building on the success of the company’s smaller Electron rocket, and Neutron’s first stage is intended to be reusable after it parachutes down to the ocean. Another challenger is Texas-based Firefly, whose Alpha rocket can be launched from multiple spaceports so that it can reach different orbits. Firefly has already secured NASA and Space Force contracts, with more launches coming this year (and on March 2 it also became the second private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon). Next year, Relativity Space aims to loft its first Terran R rocket, which is partially built from 3D-printed components. And the Bill Gates–backed Stoke Space aims to launch its reusable Nova rocket in late 2025 or, more likely, next year. Competitors are also rising for SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, holding out the prospect of more options for sending massive payloads to higher orbits and deep space. Furthest along is the Vulcan Centaur rocket, a creation of United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. It’s expected to have its third and fourth launches in the coming months, delivering Space Force satellites to orbit. Powered by engines from Blue Origin, the Vulcan Centaur is slightly wider and shorter than the Falcon rockets. It currently isn’t reusable, but it’s less expensive than its predecessors, ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV, which are being phased out. Mark Peller, the company’s senior vice president on Vulcan development and advanced programs, says the new rocket comes with multiple advantages. “One is overall value, in terms of dollars per pound to orbit and what we can provide to our customers,” he says, “and the second is versatility: Vulcan was designed to go to a range of orbits.” He says more than 80 missions are already lined up. Vulcan’s fifth flight, slated for no earlier than May, will launch the long-awaited Sierra Space Dream Chaser, a spaceplane that can carry cargo (and possibly crew) to the International Space Station. ULA also has upcoming Vulcan launches planned for Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation, a potential Starlink rival. Meanwhile, though it took a few years, Blue Origin now has a truly orbital heavy-lift spacecraft: In January, it celebrated the inaugural launch of its towering New Glenn, a rocket that’s only a bit shorter than NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s Starship. Future flights could launch national security payloads. Competition is emerging abroad as well. After repeated delays, Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6, from Airbus subsidiary Arianespace, had its inaugural flight last year, ending the European Space Agency’s temporary dependence on SpaceX. A range of other companies [are trying to expand European launch capacity](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/03/20/1113582/europe-is-finally-getting-serious-about-commercial-rockets/), with assistance from ESA.

An attempt to land a commercially built spacecraft on the surface of the moon looked to have ended in failure on Thursday, two years after its predecessor, launched by the same Japanese company, crashed following an uncontrolled descent. Resilience, an un-crewed vehicle from the Tokyo company [ispace](https://ispace-inc.com/), would have made history as the first non-US commercial lander to make a successful touchdown, scheduled for 3.17pm ET Thursday (4.17am JST Friday) at Mare Frigoris (the Sea of Cold) in the far north of the moon. But the company’s live stream covering the landing attempt ended almost 30 minutes later, with mission managers unable to establish communication with the craft, and its fate uncertain. “Mission control center members will continuously attempt to communicate with the lander,” an ispace commentator said immediately before the feed was pulled, promising an update at a press briefing “in a few hours”. It brought back memories of the [April 2023 failure](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/apr/25/japan-ispace-pioneering-moon-landing-fails-hakuto-r) of ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1, when communication with the spacecraft was lost around the scheduled time of landing. It was later established that a software error had led the lander to believe it had already touched down when it was still hurtling towards the lunar surface. Resilience [launched on 15 January](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/15/spacex-launch-moon) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that carried the Blue Ghost lander manufactured by the Texas startup Firefly Aerospace. [Blue Ghost](https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/18/nasa-images-sunset-on-moon) followed a speedier trajectory to the moon and made its own pioneering landing on 2 March. The apparent demise of Hakuto-R Mission 2 would be a significant setback for ispace’s Venture Moon initiative that it said would be “laying the groundwork” for an extended human presence on the moon. Ambitious plans [include a lunar city](https://abcnews.go.com/US/private-company-build-city-moon-land-probe/story?id=122515680) with a thousand residents, the first arriving as early as 2040. It also hopes to eventually accommodate thousands more space tourists for shorter visits. “Our goal is to build the cislunar economy, one in which the moon and Earth are economically and socially connected,” ispace’s chief executive, Takeshi Hakamada, said in a prepared statement released before Thursday’s landing attempt. “We view the success of the lunar landing as merely a stepping stone toward that goal. We strongly believe that this endeavor and its long-term success will contribute to making life on Earth sustainable for all humanity.” Resilience was set to deploy a small, European-built moon rover named Tenacious for a two-week mission. High-definition video footage and telemetry would have been beamed back to Earth for monitoring by the European [Space](https://www.theguardian.com/science/space) Agency (Esa) and partners. The rover has a shovel intended to collect soil samples for evaluation as the search for evidence of the presence of life-sustaining water or ice on the moon continues. Nasa, the US space agency, will pay ispace $5,000 under an agreement [signed in 2020](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-companies-to-collect-lunar-resources-for-artemis-demonstrations/) for a chunk of regolith it can study in furtherance of its own plans to land humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972, and ultimately on Mars. “Tenacious is hopefully a very successful technological achievement, but beyond the technology it’s also a symbol of the future of lunar exploration,” Géraldine Naja, Esa’s director of commercialization, industry and competitiveness, told reporters earlier on Thursday. “Esa is extremely proud and thrilled to support ispace Mission 2. This is a very good example of how we can support new space actors in Europe \[and\] commercialization. We are eager to support, eventually, a sustainable European-Japanese presence on the moon.” The 11lb (5kg) rover was also carrying a more quirky payload: Moonhouse, a model installation created by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, that would have become the first property on the moon, albeit in miniature form. The bright red Swedish-style house was to have provided a splash of color against the gray backdrop of the moon’s northern reaches. “It’s a small house in a vast, empty place, a symbol of belonging, curiosity and vulnerability,” Genberg told [space.com](http://space.com/) in an interview published on Thursday. “I hope it invites people to reflect on our relationship to space, and to recognize the fragility and uniqueness of our own world.” [ SpaceX Starship breaks up over Indian Ocean in latest bumpy test ](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/28/spacex-starship-rocket-launch-9th-test-flight-lost-contact) While the governments of five countries – the US, Russia, China, India and Japan – have successfully landed un-crewed robotic lunar explorers, commercial efforts have seen more failures than successes in recent years. In addition to the previous ispace flop, two attempts by the Texas company Intuitive Machines (IM), with its [Odysseus](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/26/odysseus-moon-lander-intuitive-machines) and [Athena](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/07/athena-spacecraft-mission-dead) landers in February 2024 and March 2025 respectively, ended prematurely when both spacecraft toppled over on landing. Mare Frigoris is a flatter area of the moon, with fewer boulders than the landing sites chosen by IM and Firefly. Ispace also chose to take its time getting to the moon, with the five-month journey of Resilience during a so-called low-energy transfer allowing the company to thoroughly evaluate its systems and computer programs after blaming a software error for the 2023 crash landing. A contract with Nasa will see ispace attempting to send a larger rover to the moon on a mission scheduled for 2027.

Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent NASA/Johns Hopkins The heart-shape on Pluto was captured by a spacecraft that will be turned off mid-mission if Nasa cuts are approved The row between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over a major spending bill has exacerbated uncertainty over the future of Nasa's budget, which is facing deep cuts. The space agency has published its budget request to Congress, which would see funding for science projects cut by nearly a half. Forty science missions, which are in development or in space already, are in line to be stood down. The president has threatened to withdraw federal contracts with Musk's company, Space X. Nasa relies on the firm's Falcon 9 rocket fleet to resupply the International Space Station with crew and supplies. The space agency also expects to use its Starship rocket to send astronauts to the Moon and eventually to Mars once it has been developed. Dr Simeon Barber, a space scientist at the Open University said that the uncertainty was having a "chilling impact" on the human space programme. "The astonishing exchanges, snap decisions and U turns we've witnessed in the last week undermine the very foundations that we build our ambitions on. "Space science and exploration relies upon long term planning and cooperation between government, companies and academic institutions." BBC News Aside from the feud between the President and Mr Musk, there is also concern about deep cuts requested by the White House to Nasa's budget. All sectors have been earmarked for savings, apart from an effort to send astronauts to Mars, which has received a $100m (£736,000) boost. According to Casey Dreier, chief of space policy for the Pasadena-based Planetary Society, which promotes space exploration, the potential cuts represent "the biggest crisis ever to face the US space programme". Nasa has said that its request to reduce its overall budget by nearly a quarter "aligns (its) science and technology portfolios to missions essential for the exploration of the Moon and Mars". Dr Adam Baker, a space analyst at Cranfield University told BBC News that if these proposals are approved by Congress, it would fundamentally shift the agency's focus. "President Trump is repurposing Nasa for two things: to land astronauts on the Moon before the Chinese and to have astronauts plant a US flag on Mars. Everything else is secondary." NASA Several missions to monitor the Earth's environmental health face closure Those who back the proposals say the White House's budget has given Nasa a clear purpose, for the first time since the days of the Apollo Moon landings of the 1960s and 70s, when the aim was to beat the Soviet Union to the Moon. Nasa's critics say that since then the space agency has become a bloated, unfocussed bureaucracy which routinely [goes massively over budget in its space missions and wastes taxpayer's money](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn93797z2dpo). One of the most egregious examples of this is Nasa's new rocket for its plans to return American astronauts to the Moon, the Space Launch System (SLS). Its development has been delayed, and costs have spiralled such that it costs $4.1bn (£3.3bn) for each and every launch. By contrast, SpaceX's equivalent rocket system, Starship, is estimated to cost around $100m (£80m) per launch because it is designed to be reusable. Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space company promises similar savings for its proposed New Glenn rocket. To no one's surprise, SLS will be phased out under the White House proposals, in the hope that Starship and New Glenn can take its place. But the past three development launches of Starship have been unsuccessful, and Blue Origin has only recently begun to test its Moon rocket. "The worry is that Nasa may be jumping out of the frying pan, into the fire," says Dr Barber. "The development of these alternatives to SLS is being bankrolled by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. "If they lose their appetite for this endeavor and SpaceX or Blue Origin say they need more money to develop their systems, Congress will have to give it to them," says Dr Barber. Of greater concern, says Dr Barber, is the potential loss of 40 missions to explore other planets and to monitor the impact of climate change on Earth from space, many of which involve collaborations with international partners. "I think it is very sad that what has taken so long to build can be knocked down with a wrecking ball so quickly with no plan to rebuild it afterwards." The projects facing the axe include dozens of planetary missions already in space for which most of the development and launch costs have already been paid for, with relatively small savings proposed on their operating costs. Getty Images SpaceX has been partnering with Nasa Also under threat are two collaborations with the European Space Agency: An ambitious plan to bring martian rocks collected by Nasa's Perseverance Rover back to Earth and a mission to send Europe's Rosalind Franklin Rover to the red planet to search for signs of past life. Prof Sir Martin Sweeting, head of the UK space firm Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, and co-author of a [Royal Society report on the future of space](https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/space2075/) says that while the development was "unwelcome", there may be an upside for Europe as it takes greater responsibility for its own space exploration programme. "Maybe we have been too reliant on Nasa the big player to carry a lot of the emphasis in space," he told BBC News. "It is an opportunity to think about how Europe wants to get a better balance in its space activities." But there is much more downside for Europe in the short term. As well as the return of Mars samples and its Rover, ESA risks reduced access to the International Space Station if it is wound down, and the budget cuts cancel Nasa's extensive contributions to its successor, the Lunar Gateway, a multinational space station planned for orbit around the Moon. NASA Nasa's delayed and over budget Moon rocket (SLS) is in line to be phased out to be replaced by private sector developed alternatives [In its recently published strategy ESA](https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Strategy_2040) stated it "will be seeking to build a more autonomous space capability, and to continue being a reliable, strong and desirable partner with space agencies from around the globe," with the implication that it would do so with or without Nasa. Also facing cuts are numerous current and proposed Earth Observation programmes according to Dr Baker. "These Earth observation programmes are our canary in the coal mine," he told BBC News. "Our ability to predict the impact of climate change and mitigate against it could be drastically reduced. If we turn off this early warning system it is a frightening prospect". The budget proposals have yet to be approved by Congress. The planetary Society's Casey Dreier has told BBC News that many Republicans have told lobbyists privately that they are prepared to vote against the cuts. But, Mr Dreier worries that there is a strong possibility that political gridlock might mean that no budget will be agreed. It is likely that the reduced White House budget would be put in place as an interim measure, which could then not easily be reversed, because once space missions are turned off it is hard, if not impossible, to start them up again.

 圖像來源，NASA/Johns Hopkins 圖像加註文字，冥王星上的心形是由一艘太空船拍攝的，如果美國太空總署的削減計劃獲得批准，該太空船將在任務中途關閉 **Article information** * Author, 帕拉布·戈什（Pallab Ghosh） * Role, BBC科學事務記者 特朗普與馬斯克之間圍繞一項重大支出法案的爭執加劇了美國太空總署（NASA）預算未來的不確定性，該機構正面臨大幅削減的威脅 ... 美國太空總署已向國會提交預算申請，當中科學項目的資金將被削減近一半

印度宇航员将搭乘 Axiom Space 的飞船前往国际空间站 ------------------------------- [](/search?tid=135) [Wilson](/~Wilson) (42865)发表于 2025年06月12日 17时56分 星期四 [新浪微博分享](//service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=//www.solidot.org/story?sid=81536&appkey=1370085986&title=%E5%8D%B0%E5%BA%A6%E5%AE%87%E8%88%AA%E5%91%98%E5%B0%86%E6%90%AD%E4%B9%98%20Axiom%20Space%20%E7%9A%84%E9%A3%9E%E8%88%B9%E5%89%8D%E5%BE%80%E5%9B%BD%E9%99%85%E7%A9%BA%E9%97%B4%E7%AB%99) [](javascript:void(0);) **来自火星战将** 印度宇航员 Shubhanshu Shukla 有望成为首位访问国际空间站的印度宇航员。Axiom Space 和 SpaceX 原计划本周三执行 Axiom Mission 4 载人飞行任务，但因为天气问题而推迟。Shukla 是参与这次任务的四名宇航员之一，其他三人是前 NASA 宇航员现 Axiom 员工 Peggy Whitson（担任任务指挥官）、ESA 宇航员 Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski（波兰籍）和 Tibor Kapu（匈牙利）。Shukla 最早是于 2020 年在俄罗斯的加加林宇航员训练中心接受训练，印度据报道为此次任务支付了逾 6000 万美元，他将是 1984 年搭乘俄罗斯联盟飞船进入太空的 Rakesh Sharma 以及出生在印度但加入美籍的 Kalpana Chawla（参与了 2003 年哥伦比亚号航天飞机任务） 之后第三位进入太空的印度宇航员 ... www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/indian-astronaut-shubhanshu-shukla-join-mission-to-international-space-station www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/10/nasa-partners-delay-axiom-mission-4-reviewing-launch-date/