Wendy Whitman Cobb

President Donald Trump shows off a signed copy of his executive order at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, flanked by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, and Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council. AP Photo/Karen Warren

Trump is proposing a US Space Academy – if created, it could blur the lines between NASA and the military

No, the US Space Academy wouldn’t be a real-life Starfleet Academy. But what it would be is still a little unclear.
O chefe da NASA representa a agência perante o Congresso americano e no cenário global enquanto precisam lidar com uma questão recorrente: menos recursos que o necessário para realizar todas as tarefas que lhe são atribuídas. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Administrador da NASA precisa fomentar interesse na exploração espacial enquanto lida com orçamentos e política na Terra

Os administradores da NASA têm que fazer escolhas difíceis, mas os resultados são muitas vezes emocionantes e fora do comum.
La nave espacial Starliner de Boeing se aproxima a la Estación Espacial Internacional durante una prueba sin tripulación en 2022. Bob Hines/NASA

El Starliner de Boeing está a punto de despegar: si tiene éxito, será un hito importante para los vuelos espaciales comerciales

El Starliner ha sufrido retrasos y problemas. El lanzamiento de mayo de 2024 pondrá a prueba su capacidad para transportar tripulación a la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, launched from a spaceport in Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay)

SpaceX launches most powerful rocket in history in explosive debut – like many first liftoffs, Starship’s test was a successful failure

The launch of a new rocket is always an exciting event. SpaceX’s ‘go fast and fail’ approach means that even though the test ended with engineers blowing up the rocket, it was a valuable first flight.
Russia controls six modules aboard the International Space Station. STS-122 Shuttle Crew, NASA via flickr

Russia’s withdrawal from the International Space Station could mean the early demise of the orbital lab – and sever another Russian link with the West

The head of the Russian space agency announced that the country will withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024. A space policy expert explains what this means and why it’s happening now.
The International Space Station is run collectively by the U.S., Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and Canada. NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center/Flickr

Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting US sanctions threaten the future of the International Space Station

What happens to the International Space Station when tensions on Earth rise? A space policy expert explains how the ISS is run and how Russian aggression has threatened its operation in the past – and now.
If a satellite is destroyed, the debris fans out in orbit and poses serious threats to other satellites or crewed spacecraft. ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL via WikimediaCommons

Russian anti‑satellite weapon test: What happened and what are the risks?

Russia destroyed one of its old satellites during a successful test of an anti-satellite weapon. A space security expert explains what this weapon was and the dangers of the expanding debris field.
Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson on the International Space Station with a view many more are likely to see soon. NASA/Tracy Caldwell Dyson/WIkimediaCommons

Space tourism is here – 20 years after the first stellar tourist, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to send civilians to space

The first space tourist left Earth 20 years ago aboard a Russian rocket. Now, private companies like Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are offering trips to the stars for those who can pay.

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