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NASA OIG Says Projected SLS Cost Savings are Illusory
NASA OIG Says Projected SLS Cost Savings are Illusory

NASA’s plan to award a single contract to produce an upgraded version of the Space Launch System (SLS) is unlikely to radically reduce the cost of producing the astronomically expensive Moon rocket, according to a new report from the space agency’s Office of Inspector General, which also recommended NASA examine using commercial alternatives.

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  • Parabolic Arc
  • October 20, 2023
GAO Report – NASA Admits SLS Unaffordable
GAO Report – NASA Admits SLS Unaffordable

Senior NASA officials believe the Space Launch System (SLS) is unaffordable at current cost levels, making the agency’s Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon unsustainable if nothing changes, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

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  • September 18, 2023
Space SPAC Index – Redwire Wins NASA Lunar Contract
Space SPAC Index – Redwire Wins NASA Lunar Contract

Welcome to S-SPACi! In this week’s edition, Redwire won a NASA contract to develop lunar technologies, Intuitive Machines is helping to build a nuclear generator for use on the Moon, Spire Global won an ESA contract and unveiled a weather visualization tool, AST SpaceMobile opened a research and development facility in India, BigBear.ai won a US Army contract, Momentus’ accounting firm resigned, and BlackSky released images of a Chinese naval base in Cambodia.

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  • Parabolic Arc
  • July 26, 2023
Electron Launches Satellites for NASA, Spire Global, and Telesat
Electron Launches Satellites for NASA, Spire Global, and Telesat

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched a swarm of Starling satellites for NASA, and three spacecraft for Spire Global and Telesat from New Zealand on Monday, July 17 (Tuesday, July 18 local time). Rocket Lab recovered the first stage from the ocean in what the company called a major step toward making the Electron partially reusable.

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  • Parabolic Arc
  • July 17, 2023
Stoke Space Aims for Holy Grail of a Fully Reusable Launch Vehicle
Stoke Space Aims for Holy Grail of a Fully Reusable Launch Vehicle

SpaceX’s first attempt to launch its Starship (the company’s Super Heavy launch vehicle) ended with a spectacular explosion over the Gulf of Mexico last month. While the enormous worldwide attention that the Starship project and its recent test launch garnered might have rendered Starship synonymous with the concept of a Super Heavy in the minds of some, a small startup in the Pacific Northwest named Stoke Space is also pursuing a fully reusable launch vehicle designed for rapid turnaround, but with a different design.

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  • Parabolic Arc
  • May 19, 2023