rocket propulsion
-
NASA Tests 3D-Printed Rocket Nozzle for Future Missions to Moon, Mars
In order to be able to carry heavier payloads through deep space, NASA designed a lightweight rocket engine nozzle made of aluminium that can still withstand the heat of launches. NASA recently tested two 3D printed nozzles at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, proving that they can operate in the most demanding…
-
With a Small Hop, SpaceX Rival Edges Closer to Developing the World’s First Fully Reusable Rocket
During a 15-second test flight, Stoke Space launched Hopper2 and landed the prototype upper stage in what is a major milestone in the company’s plans to develop a fully reusable rocket. The Seattle-based company pulled off a vertical takeoff and landing of its launch vehicle on Sunday at its test site in Moses Lake, Washington,…
-
Sorry, Elon: Chinese Company Becomes the World’s First to Launch Methane Rocket to Orbit
A private space company in China made aerospace history by launching its methane-fueled rocket to orbit, ushering in a new era of cleaner, safer rocket fuel that’s better suited for reusability. Landspace’s Zhuque-2 launched at 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, the company announced. This was…
-
Rocket Lab Helicopter Catches Falling Rocket Booster, Then Drops It
Private aerospace company Rocket Lab just pulled off a mid-air capture of a rocket booster as it plunged its way back through Earth’s atmosphere, hooking it with a long rope attached to a helicopter. The mission, dubbed “There and Back Again,” also deployed 34 satellites to orbit on Monday.