New Atlas

Aircraft

First tests of world's largest plane's massive engines

Rich Haridy September 20, 2017

Back in June, the world’s largest plane emerged from its hangar for the first time. Now the team has crossed another milestone by completing the first round of engine testing, continuing the groundwork needed to get the beast into the air in 2019.

Successful engine tests are another milestone crossed in the journey to getting this beast into the ...

Aircraft

Stratolaunch, the world's largest plane, emerges from its hangar for the first time

Rich Haridy May 31, 2017

The world's largest plane has just rolled out of its giant hangar for the first time. The Stratolaunch aircraft, which boasts a wingspan greater than a football field, is designed to carry rockets into the stratosphere, where they are released before continuing on into space.

The world's largest plane is out of its hangar for the first time

Space

NASA goes old school with SLS aerodynamic testing

Anthony Wood January 4, 2017

NASA is turning to a 56-year-old wind tunnel to put its next generation Space Launch System (SLS) rocket through its aerodynamic paces.

NASA engineers adjust a 10 ft model of the SLS rocket prior to aerodynamic testing

Space

DARPA announces Phase 2 of spaceplane project

Anthony Wood April 14, 2016

DARPA has announced the second phase of its ambitious XS-1 program. The agency is seeking to make access to space more regular and affordable by employing an entirely re-usable high-speed, sub-orbital automated spaceplane as the first stage of its launch vehicle.

Artist's impressions of the XS-1 launcher

Space

SpaceX releases chase plane footage of Falcon 9 barge landing

Anthony Wood April 9, 2016

SpaceX has released footage shot from a circling chase plane of the first successful barge landing of the Falcon 9 mainstage booster.

Space

NASA begins construction of SLS core stage mock-up

Anthony Wood February 12, 2016

NASA has begun the process of constructing a mock-up of the vast core section of its planned Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The simulated core will serve as a practice tool for NASA prior to the 2018 launch of the SLS.

Artist's impression of the SLS core mockup

Space

James Webb Space Telescope set to be lifted into orbit atop an Ariane 5 launch vehicle

Anthony Wood December 17, 2015

ESA has announced the finalization of a contract with Arianespace that will see its next generation James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) lift off into Earth orbit atop an Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The ascent will take place from the agency's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in Oct. 2018.

Space

Blue Origin's New Shepard makes historic touch down

Anthony Wood November 24, 2015

After an unsuccessful landing attempt in April, Blue Origin has stuck to the old adage of, if you don't first succeed, try, try again, to successfully launch and land a re-usable rocket designed to take paying customers on a suborbital flight to the edge of space.

Blue Origin's New Shepard has become the first reusable rocket to safely touch down following a ...

Space

Copenhagen Suborbitals dreams big with Spica rocket

Anthony Wood August 25, 2015

Meet Copenhagen Suborbitals (CS), the small Danish organization with a big dream – launching a human being into space, and returning them safely to Earth in a shoestring-budget micro rocket.

Artist's impression of the Spica I rocket

Space

Most powerful rocket ever edges closer to lift-off

Anthony Wood July 24, 2015

NASA's Space Launch System has completed its critical design review – a major stepping stone on the way to becoming certified for manned spaceflight. Once complete, the SLS will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed.

Artists impression of the SLS on the launchpad