IAC 2015 Jerusalem: Technical papers show plans for truck and balloon small launchers but it was China’s Naga-L that stole the headlines

by | Oct 26, 2015 | China, commercial launch services, Launches, Virgin Galactic

While SpaceX had a major exhibition stand at the IAC 2015, the firm was strangely quiet in not having many presentations at the congress. Nevertheless, it remains the “elephant in the room” via its low prices and attempts to perfect a reusable landing stage. Even the...

NTSB finds that pilot error was to blame for SpaceShipTwo failure but so was poor design and training

by | Jul 28, 2015 | Commercial human spaceflight, Personal spaceflight, Space tourism, Suborbital, Technology, Virgin Galactic

The premature in-flight deployment of the feathered tail plane speed braking system was the primary cause of the destruction of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo (VSS Enterprise) on 31 October 2015, the formal investigation into the accident has concluded. The US...

2014 Space Year: final count up shows record number of launched payloads while space insurers just about make a profit (Revised)

by | Jan 2, 2015 | China, exploration, Russia, SLS, Soyuz, Space Insurance, SpaceX, Technology, Virgin Galactic

2014 was an interesting space year in many ways.  It had elements of great achievement, some notable failures, and confirmed some industry trends that are looking unstoppable. Record breaking year for number of launched payloads Driven mainly by commercial factors and...