In the 1990s, NASA designed an experimental space plane as a cost-effective alternative to expensive rockets. Dubbed the X-33, the vehicle was based on a concept called SSTO (single stage to orbit). SSTO eliminates the rocket stages of traditional spaceflight, which use rockets that contain engines and fuel and are dropped during ascent to save… Read More »
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. One of China’s Long March 6A rockets has disintegrated in low Earth orbit, creating a debris cloud of hundreds of pieces, according to space debris monitoring organizations. The rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch… Read More »
The crew pauses for a moment of quiet reflection at the base of the launcher as the homemade rocket is mounted high above them. Then they struggle. “Ha, sii, saam, soong, nung…” the voice of a man counting down from five can be heard over the loudspeaker. Soon, a thick cloud of smoke engulfed the… Read More »
SpaceX plans to launch 90 rockets into space from a Santa Barbara County military base by 2026, tripling the number of explosions that rock coastal communities and raising concerns from neighbors and environmental groups about the effects on marine life. SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has increased the number of rocket launches from Vandenberg… Read More »
SpaceX’s Starship flew into space for the first time on March 14, 2024.SpaceX SpaceX is preparing to cut launch costs by 10-fold with its latest Starship mission, an expert says The company flew its flagship mega rocket into space for the first time on Thursday without exploding. Reducing launch costs is very important to make… Read More »