Space Launch System

Humanity took its first step back to the Moon after 53 years as the US Artemis II circumlunar mission lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B in Florida at 6:35 PM EDT with four astronauts aboard.

The world's first winged commercial spaceplane has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, its final destination before its makes history this year, embarking on its debut uncrewed mission to the International Space Station.

The IM-1 Moon landing mission will come to a premature end on Tuesday morning. Intuitive Machines has announced that Odysseus will no longer be able to charge its batteries by February 27, as sunlight stops falling on its solar panels. RIP Odie.

Explosions get you much more bang from your fuel buck than combustion – if your engine can withstand them. NASA believes the rotating detonation engine could be the future of deep space travel, and it's getting strong results in prototype testing.

NASA has powered up the core stage of its SLS rocket, completing an eight-minute hot-fire test of its four RS025 engines. The core stage is the largest rocket element ever built by NASA and is designed to carry astronauts to the Moon and beyond.

Space exploration in 2021 will see some major milestones to look forward to. From maiden flights to fiery endings, long-awaited launches to history-making first steps, here are some of the biggest upcoming events in space exploration this year.

Engineers have mated the fourth and final Space Shuttle-era engine to the core stage of NASA’s first Space Launch System Moon rocket. NASA hopes to use the super heavy launch vehicle to return astronauts to the Moon before striking out for Mars.

NASA has integrated the first RS-25 engine with the core stage of its upcoming super heavy Moon rocket – the Space Launch System (SLS). The engines are refurbished units that were built to power the now defunct Space Shuttle program.

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​.

With mighty aspirations comes a need for mighty rockets. That was theme of the "Heavy Lift" panel that took the stage at the 33rd annual Space Symposium in Colorado today and New Atlas was on hand to find out more about space telescopes, the Blue Moon project and the "tyranny of the fairing."

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), has entered its critical design review phase, which will see the leviathan rocket given the go-ahead for full-scale construction. The review represents a major milestone that must be passed if the SLS is to make its intended maiden launch date.

It may not get the same attention as the Kennedy Space Center or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, is responsible for developing much of the complex inner-workings of rockets, satellites, and future technologies.