SpaceX entered the satellite business nearly a decade ago with the debut of Starlink. But over the last several years, SpaceX also has been developing hundreds of spy satellites for the US government. The company aims to develop a constellation capable of moving in swarms in low Earth orbit to spot and track targets almost anywhere on the planet.
In other space news, three companies are vying for a potential multi-billion dollar contract to build NASA’s next-generation lunar rover. The space agency picked proposals led by Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab. NASA’s lunar vehicles will enable astronauts to explore terrain, collect samples, and transport equipment near the lunar south pole. You can learn all about the three prototypes in a recent article.
Beyond satellites and lunar vehicles, there’s another innovation taking over the skies: space balloons. These enormous, inflatable structures offer a novel approach to reaching the stars, providing unique opportunities for scientific research and exploration. But do you know how they work? We did a deep dive into three companies’ pioneering development.
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Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene A. Cernan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This view of the lunar rover prior to loadup was taken by Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module pilot. The mountain in the right background is the east end of South Massif. Photo: NASA
