Another reusable rocket? Japan launches, lands RV-X prototype (video)

NeRD

Japan has succeeded in the first-ever flight test of its RV-X experimental reusable rocket prototype. The launch — or hop, considering its duration and distance — took place at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Noshiro test facility on July 11 and lasted about 40 seconds. The 24-foot-tall (7.3 meters) test vehicle, powered by a single engine, rose just over 33 feet (10 m) in the air and traveled a horizontal distance of approximately 50 feet (15 m) across the site’s concrete pad before touching down softly on the side…

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 219 — SpaceX Goes to War!

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SpaceX Goes to War! – And Other Space Headlines – YouTube Watch On On Episode 219 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik discuss the space headlines for the past few weeks. It’s been busy, and some exciting things are happening! A couple of companies are moving into the space solar power arena — something we’ve long advocated — and that’s welcome progress. Starship is set to fly Starship test number 13, and a lot is riding on this — the system is overdue for some proof…

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‘We knew we had a lot to live up to’: As ‘Aliens’ turns 40, we chat to the legendary VFX masters who created the Alien Queen (interview)

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It’s almost inconceivable that 40 years have passed since what’s been called the greatest sci-fi action film of all time (and not just by us) assaulted theaters with the juiced-up sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, “Alien.” Director James Cameron’s propulsive vision for a gung-ho military-style movie would call upon Stan Winston Studio’s elite creature effects crew from 1984’s “The Terminator” — a team that would later work on “Predator,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Predator 2.” Cameron’s “Aliens” greatly expands upon the xenomorph life cycle with the…

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NASA Pushes New Wing Design to Find Structural Limits

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3 Min Read NASA Pushes New Wing Design to Find Structural Limits The 15-foot Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing test article is fully installed in the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The model is part of NASA’s research to develop technologies for future ultra-efficient aircraft. Credits: NASA/Carla Escamilla NASA researchers recently put a new wing design, appearing long and thin with a lightweight structural design, through a series of grueling tests to find its structural limits. What they…

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The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches

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1 Min Read The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches PIA26586 Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Photojournal Navigation Science Photojournal The Growing Crescent of Mars… Photojournal Home Photojournal Search Latest Content Galleries Feedback RSS About   Downloads The Growing Crescent of Mars as NASA’s Psyche Mission Approaches PNG (3.48 MB) Description This composite of images taken by NASA’s Psyche mission shows the crescent of Mars grow as the spacecraft approached the planet for a gravity assist from May 2 to May 15, 2026. The series begins with the smallest crescent at the…

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Remembering ‘Ulysses 31’, the ’80s cartoon that transported ‘The Odyssey’ to outer space

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It’s not known whether “Ulysses 31” was on Christopher Nolan’s radar in his teenage years, but it’s intriguing to think it could have influenced the director’s decision to take on Homer’s “The Odyssey”. This animated space opera, a French/Japanese co-production, delivered a crash course in Greek mythology to a generation of kids who grew up in the ’80s. And, although it looks more like “Star Wars” than Homer’s original tale, it had a decent stab at transferring the Classics to the 31st century (the clue really was in the title),…

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Establishing a VTE Risk Score for Astronauts Algorithm

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Spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) grade 3 with peripheral echogenicity. NASA/Pavela NASA/SP-20260005258/REV1 – NASA Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Spaceflight – Outcomes of Working Group Meeting – April 2026 In April 2026, NASA’s Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) initiated a working group to review updated VTE case information, additional data gathered revealing altered blood flow status within a cohort of astronauts, and discuss progress of research and clinical activities intended to mitigate the risk of VTE during spaceflight with new evidence-based clinical practice recommendations. Recommendations The following…

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These ‘metallic’ dunes on Mars look like sci-fi. What are they really?

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If you still picture Mars as a monotonous red desert, it may be time for an update. The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter has been capturing some of the Red Planet’s most surreal landscapes, and its latest images reveal a sprawling field that looks like molten metal frozen across the floor of an ancient Mars crater. The shimmering “waves” aren’t metal at all, however. They are dark sand dunes dusted with seasonal frost, much of it carbon dioxide, or “dry ice,” that settles on the surface during Martian winters,…

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NASA Awards Facilities Support Services Contract for Ames Research Center 

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CONTRACT RELEASE NASA has selected Chugach Intelligence Solutions LLC to provide comprehensive operations, maintenance, and repair services for NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.  The Ames Facilities Support Services II contract ensures that the center’s historic and specialized facilities are properly maintained, fully operational, and capable of supporting the agency’s missions and tenant partners in the NASA Research Park.  The hybrid contract has a five-year period of performance, consisting of a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods, with the possibility of a six-month extension. The performance period is expected to begin Thursday, Aug. 13. The contract includes cost-plus-award-fee core requirements, firm-fixed-price phase-in, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task orders, providing flexibility to address…

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