space Notable Space Setbacks and Mishaps Highlight a Tumultuous Year Despite remarkable achievements in space exploration, 2019 experiences significant high-profile failures ranging from corporate bankruptcies to unexpected lunar crashes.
boeing Boeing Starliner Misses ISS Rendezvous Due to Internal Clock Error Boeing's Starliner spacecraft fails to reach the International Space Station after a timer anomaly causes it to burn too much fuel. The capsule returns to Earth early while investigators search for the cause of the malfunction.
amazon Amazon Opens Massive Headquarters for Kuiper Satellite Internet Project Amazon builds a new 219,000-square-foot headquarters in Redmond, Washington to advance its Kuiper satellite broadband initiative. The facility will support research, development, and prototype manufacturing as Amazon competes with SpaceX and OneWeb.
space Rocket Lab and SpaceX Achieve Major Reusable Rocket and ISS Resupply Milestones The space industry experiences a busy week as Rocket Lab successfully tests booster re-entry and SpaceX delivers vital supplies to the International Space Station. Both companies also make significant progress toward upcoming astronaut launches.
nasa NASA Sends Robot Hotel to Space Station on Upcoming SpaceX Mission NASA is launching a specialized storage unit to the International Space Station to house exterior robots. The protected garage saves valuable interior space and cuts down on preparation time for leak-detecting equipment.
spacex SpaceX Plans Consumer Starlink Broadband Launch for Northern US in 2020 SpaceX confirms its intention to begin offering Starlink satellite broadband to consumers in the northern United States and parts of Canada starting in 2020. The company requires six to eight satellite launches to initiate this regional service.
spacex Elon Musk Sends First Tweet Via SpaceX Starlink Satellite Network SpaceX CEO Elon Musk successfully sends a tweet using the Starlink satellite internet network, proving the technology works in orbit. The company plans to expand the constellation significantly to meet global high-speed demand.
rocket lab Rocket Lab Completes Fifth Successful Electron Launch of 2019 Rocket Lab successfully launches its ninth Electron rocket, carrying a technology demonstrator satellite for commercial client Astro Digital.
hubble Hubble Telescope Captures Images of First Confirmed Interstellar Comet The Hubble Space Telescope captures stunning images of 2I/Borisov, the first confirmed comet from outside our solar system. The object travels at such extreme speeds that it simply passes through our cosmic neighborhood without returning.
spacex SpaceX Seeks Approval for 30,000 Additional Starlink Broadband Satellites SpaceX files international paperwork to massively expand its Starlink internet constellation, aiming to meet surging global demand for high-speed connectivity.
isro India Reschedules Historic Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission to July 22 ISRO officially sets a new launch date for its Chandrayaan-2 mission after resolving a last-minute technical issue. The ambitious flight aims to make India the fourth nation to achieve a soft lunar landing.
spacex SpaceX Successfully Catches Rocket Fairing at Sea in Historic First SpaceX achieves a major milestone by catching a Falcon Heavy nosecone in a giant net on a ship named Ms. Tree, saving millions of dollars.
black hole Earth-Sized Telescope Captures Historic First Image of a Black Hole Astronomers using the Event Horizon Telescope successfully capture the first-ever direct image of a black hole, confirming Einstein's predictions. The groundbreaking photo reveals the shadow of a massive black hole located 55 million light-years away.
black hole Astronomers Capture First Direct Image of a Supermassive Black Hole The Event Horizon Telescope network successfully reveals the first visual evidence of a black hole and its shadow located in the center of the Messier 87 galaxy.
nasa NASA Picks Three Private Firms for First Commercial Moon Deliveries NASA awards up to $253 million to Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Orbit Beyond to deliver science payloads to the lunar surface. These missions pave the way for human astronauts to return to the Moon by 2024.