Articles about spaceflight

Illustration: Male and female astronauts floating toward a Valentine's Day heart in space

Sex in space? Find out how science weighs the pluses and minuses on Valentine’s Day

You might think sex in space would be an out-of-this-world experience — but based on the scientific evidence so far,… Read More

Orbite customers on zero-G airplane flight

Orbite begins the launch countdown for its commercial astronaut training programs

After getting its start in Seattle and testing its business model in France and Florida, a space travel venture called… Read More

Former Spaceflight CEO Curt Blake joins law firm to focus on new space ventures

Spaceflight Inc.’s former CEO, Curt Blake, is joining the Seattle office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati at a time… Read More

Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle in clean room

Firefly Aerospace acquires Spaceflight Inc. to boost capabilities for on-orbit services

Texas-based Firefly Aerospace says it has acquired Bellevue, Wash.-based Spaceflight Inc. and will shift the operation’s focus from satellite rideshare… Read More

Tiphaine Louradour launches a new stage of her career as CEO of Spaceflight Inc.

Space industry veteran Tiphaine Louradour is taking the helm as CEO of Spaceflight Inc., a launch and in-space transportation services… Read More

Space Shorts: German rocket company will launch orbital tugs for Spaceflight Inc.

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. and Rocket Factory Augsburg, a German launch startup, say they’ve signed a memorandum of understanding that calls… Read More

SpaceX launches 59 payloads, including Spaceflight’s latest breed of orbital tug

A new type of controllable orbital transfer vehicle built by Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. made its debut today when SpaceX sent… Read More

Spaceflight Inc. hails a pair of successful launches as it deals with frictions in SpaceX relationship

Thanks to its role in handling pre-launch logistics, Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. can claim a share of the credit for two… Read More

Innovation of the Year: 5 technology breakthroughs named finalists in GeekWire Awards

From fuel cells to fusion energy, there’s a common theme among many of the finalists for Innovation of the Year… Read More

Seattle’s Space Needle makes its debut on Rocket Lab mission patch, thanks to Spaceflight Inc.

What could be more fitting than to put Seattle’s Space Needle on the patch for an actual space mission? Even… Read More

Astra rocket launches satellites from Alaska, giving a lift to Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc.

California-based Astra sent a batch of satellites into orbit for Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. from an Alaska launch pad today, a… Read More

NASA puts Blue Origin and Spaceflight on a new list for commercial launch contracts

NASA has chosen a dozen companies to provide commercial launch services for relatively small-scale space missions over the next five… Read More

Rocket Lab launches two more Earth observation satellites for BlackSky — and tracks a falling rocket

BlackSky’s Earth-watching constellation has grown by two satellites, thanks to Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle and Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc.’s logistical… Read More

Orbite’s plans for space training complex get a boost from famed French designer Philippe Starck

The French designer who created the look for Virgin Galactic, Spaceport America and Axiom Space’s orbital habitat has taken on… Read More

RBC Signals strikes deal to hook up ground stations with Spaceflight Inc.’s orbital tugs

Two Seattle-area space companies have forged an alliance to facilitate space-to-ground communications for orbital transfer vehicles. Under the terms of… Read More

Spaceflight Inc. unveils a new breed of orbital tug that’s built for far-out missions

When a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sends a robotic lander to the moon’s south pole, perhaps as early as next… Read More

SpaceX launches 88 spacecraft into orbit — including two of Spaceflight’s orbital tugs

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket sent dozens of satellites into orbit today with a launch that featured an unusual on-the-ground touchdown… Read More

LeoStella delivers first Loft Orbital satellite for SpaceX’s jam-packed rideshare mission

SpaceX is getting set to launch scores of satellites for its Transporter-2 rideshare mission, and one of those satellites marks… Read More

Tony Frego at Spaceflight Inc. clean room

Inside look: Spaceflight ships out Sherpa orbital tugs to give 36 spacecraft a ride

AUBURN, Wash. — A pair of space tugs are beginning their journey from Spaceflight Inc.’s clean room, south of Seattle,… Read More

BlackSky Earth-observing satellites lost due to anomaly during Rocket Lab launch

Two satellites for BlackSky’s Earth observation constellation were lost today when the second stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron launch vehicle… Read More

Seattle’s satellite industry plays leading role in BlackSky’s Earth-observing network

Update for 6:30 a.m. PT May 15: Two BlackSky satellites were lost when the second stage of Rocket Lab’s Electron… Read More

Atmosphere-monitoring satellites will ride on Spaceflight’s new breed of space tug

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’s won a contract to handle the launch logistics for a pair of NASA satellites that… Read More

SpaceX puts record 143 satellites in orbit, with Spaceflight playing a supporting role

SpaceX set a record for the number of satellites sent into orbit by a single rocket, and that’s not the… Read More

Spaceflight Inc. fills out its line of Sherpa orbital transfer vehicles for small satellites

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. today unveiled two new options for its Sherpa orbital transfer vehicle — one that uses an environmentally… Read More

Space Notes: Spaceflight makes launch deal, RBC Signals to host Swarm, and a new fellowship is born

— Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’s signed an agreement with HawkEye 360 to support multiple launches of the Virginia-based company’s… Read More

Spaceflight and Tethers Unlimited team up on deorbiting system for satellite carrier

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’ll use a notebook-sized deorbiting system developed by another Seattle-area company to deal with the disposal… Read More

NASA lays out a plan to qualify suborbital spacecraft for its astronauts and scientists

NASA says it’ll formulate a plan to assess the safety of suborbital spacecraft — such as Blue Origin’s New Shepard… Read More

Spaceflight signs deal with SpaceX for future rideshare satellite launch slots

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. says it’s signed an agreement to secure spots for secondary payloads on several of SpaceX’s rockets due… Read More

Japanese firms finish acquisition of Spaceflight, with BlackSky satellite venture going its own way

Japan’s Mitsui & Co., working in partnership with Yamasa Co. Ltd., has completed the acquisition of Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. from… Read More

Spaceflight signs up as anchor customer for Firefly Aerospace launch in 2021

Seattle-based Spaceflight Inc. has signed an agreement to secure most of the payload mass on a Firefly Aerospace rocket that’s due… Read More