SpaceX is working with the National Reconnaissance Office to build a classified system of swarming spy satellites, according to a report published by Reuters. And while the $1.8 billion contract was reportedly signed in 2021, news of the program’s ties to NRO just leaked on Saturday—a great reminder that it’s entirely…
Stratolaunch flew its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle for the first time after dropping it out of the belly of Roc, an utterly massive aircraft with a 385-foot wingspan. Meanwhile, SpaceX flew its Starship for the third time in a test that pushed the limits of the megarocket. Catch up on these and other top science stories…
Starship flew faster and longer than ever before on Thursday, but with both stages lost during the mission, there’s clearly much more progress to be made. Here’s our detailed breakdown of Integrated Flight Test 3 and what happens next.
Patrick Pleul, Andrew Cabellero Reynolds/Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI
SpaceX via X
SpaceX
Lisa O'Connor/AFP/Getty Images
SpaceX via X
The time has come for Starship to embark on its third test flight, during which the megarocket will once again be pushed to its limits and demonstrate advances made since the previous flight last November.