Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in.

Published on August 14, 2026
Transporter-16 launch

In the beginning, mass constrained spaceflight. We live at the bottom of a gravity well, and the rocket equation punishes every kilogram we try to lift out of it. Mass […]

The post Cheaper launch has moved the spacecraft bottleneck. Mass is out, surface area is in. appeared first on SpaceNews.

Continue reading on website
Other news

Blue Origin outlines plans for second Cape Canaveral launch pad

August 14, 2026
Blue Origin disclosed new details about its plans to not only rebuild but also expand its Florida launch site, adding a second pad for a larger version of New Glenn.The post Blue Origin outlines plans for second Cape Canaveral launch pad appeared first on SpaceNews.

Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts

August 14, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded contracts to Spire Global and PlanetiQ to provide radio occultation data for terrestrial and space weather forecasts. The NOAA […]The post Spire and PlanetiQ win NOAA radio-occultation contracts appeared first on SpaceNews.