Nasaspaceflight

The long-awaited Starship ramp-up in Florida has begun, with work increasing at Pad 39A on the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) grounds. NSF obtained pictures of these preparations during a Cape flight, and companies like Stoke Space and Relativity are also proceeding with construction for flights scheduled for 2025 or 2026.

The European Space Agency’s BepiColombo spacecraft recently performed its fifth flyby of Mercury on Dec. 1, becoming the first spacecraft ever to observe the planet in mid-infrared light. BepiColombo’s observations from the flyby have revealed interesting new details on the Mercury’s surface, including temperature and composition variations.

In late November, two new Chinese rockets took their maiden flights within four days of each other, with the Chang Zheng 12 and Landspace’s enhanced ZhuQue-2E successfully completing their missions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved SpaceX’s Flight 7 of Starship. The news came shortly after Ship 33 completed engine testing at Masseys and rolled back into Mega Bay 2. SpaceX must now put the final touches on its vehicles before teams are ready.

On Saturday, Dec. 21st, SpaceX will launch the Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is scheduled for 3:34 AM PST (11:34 UTC), with another opportunity the next day at 3:12 AM PST if the launch should be delayed.

So far in December, there have been 24 launch attempts worldwide. There will be no let-up during the holiday period, with at least seven more launches planned for this week.

Yahsat Archives

European companies in the space sector have been developing novel technology to find their unique place in the market, allowing them to thrive and innovate while stepping towards developing their orbital vehicles. Some are supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), such as HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, and Orbex, while other independent private companies, such as PLD Space, are forging their ambitious paths to reusability.

The International Space Station continues to act as humanity’s outpost in low-Earth orbit, a role that began at the turn of this century. However, the ISS is showing its age and plans are being advanced for its retirement around 2030. Several events on the Station in 2024 underlined just how the ISS program was dealing with several challenges.

SpaceX and the Starship program had an amazing and eventful year, with four test flights, a booster catch, the construction of Starfactory, finishing Mega Bay 2, which has started to speed up construction rates, and the introduction of Starship Block 2, an upgraded version of the orbital class starship.