Universe Today
• Andy Tomaswick
The prospect of robotic spacecraft extracting valuable materials from asteroids is moving, slowly, from science fiction toward reality. A future influx of asteroid-derived platinum could disrupt the metal’s market, while the article frames that outcome as beneficial for Earth.
Commercial Space
Latest source-backed stories
The prospect of robotic spacecraft extracting valuable materials from asteroids is moving, slowly, from science fiction toward reality. A future influx of asteroid-derived platinum could disrupt the metal’s market, while the article frames that outcome as beneficial for Earth.
Newly elected Democrats are expected to challenge President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Golden Dome missile shield and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to the article. The focus puts both a major defense initiative and a prominent commercial space company on the incoming Congress’s political agenda, though the article gives no details on specific actions.
High activity
SpaceX is scheduled to launch Starship Flight 15 on Nov. 13, with the mission set to attempt the vehicle’s first-ever double catch. The coverage outlines the launch time and full mission timeline for the planned test.
High activity
The Italian rocket maker said growth in its U.S. business and the completion of Advent’s €109.4 million investment helped lift adjusted core earnings for the first nine months. The update offers a measure of Avio’s operating progress as it expands in the U.S.; the articles provide no further detail on its investment plans or financial outlook.
The FAA has licensed Sierra Space to return its Dream Chaser spaceplane from orbit and land on a runway at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The approval clears one of the last regulatory steps before the long-delayed vehicle’s first flight.
The FAA has authorized Dream Chaser to land at Vandenberg Space Force Base, clearing a key step for the spaceplane’s return from orbit. Sierra Space is planning the spacecraft’s first flight in spring 2027; the vehicle is described as capable of hauling 12,000 pounds.
High activity
South Korean launch startup INNOSPACE is preparing its SEBIT rocket for a second test flight in Brazil on Nov. 29, after its maiden mission ended early. The company has also shifted the planned launch of its HANBIT-Nano vehicle to 2027.
High activity
An opinion piece examines the operational risks, business models and unresolved challenges involved in moving manufacturing from space experiments to an industrial activity. It asks who will be accountable as companies seek to turn orbital production into a commercial enterprise.
Create a free account to see more recent Commercial Space stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
