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‘Odie’ Lander Begins Its Journey to the Moon. Here’s What’s Next
Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander has begun its eight-day voyage to the Moon. The mission is fraught with peril, as every previous attempt by private companies to land softly on the Moon has ended in failure. Here’s what needs to go right for this Houston-based company to enter into the history books. In the latest effort…
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After an Explosive First Attempt, Japan Will Try Again to Launch the H3 Rocket
The H3 rocket—11 years in the making—is set for its second launch, following a flubbed debut in March 2023. Japan urgently needs the rocket to succeed, with a second failure risking further delays and monumental headaches for Japan’s space program. H3 is ready to fly again after its botched maiden launch last year, with Japan’s…
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Russian Cosmonaut Sets New Time Travel Record After Spending 879 Days in Orbit
As of Sunday, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has clocked more time in Earth orbit than any other astronaut, surpassing the mark held by his Russian colleague Gennady Padalka. And as a fun quirk introduced by Einstein’s Special and General Theories of Relativity, Kononenko has travelled farther into the future than anyone else—even if by the…
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SpaceX’s Giant Starship Tapped to Launch Starlab’s Giant Steel Space Station
Starlab Space’s forthcoming space station is so big and heavy that only the formidable SpaceX Starship megarocket can launch it into orbit, but the one-time delivery option comes with distinct benefits. Starlab Space, like several other commercial ventures, is racing to deliver a commercial space station to orbit in anticipation of the International Space Station’s…