SpaceXは、早ければ水曜日にもStarshipロケットの第3版（V3）の試験打ち上げを実施する準備を進めている。この機体は2025年に一連の挫折を経験した後、大規模な再設計が行われた。今回の成功は、宇宙打ち上げや関連事業における同社の野望にとって不可欠であると見なされている。
今回の飛行は、昨年10月以来となるStarship V3の初の試験となる。エンジニアたちはこれまでの飛行データに基づき、より軽量なRaptorエンジンの設計や、上段用の推進システムの改良など、何百もの変更を加えた。5月初旬には、以前センサーの不具合や自動停止によって短縮された試行を経て、静的燃焼試験が無事完了した。
AIによるレポート AIによって生成された画像
NASA's Artemis II crew—commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—is in quarantine at Kennedy Space Center, with the Space Launch System rocket returned to the pad after repairs. Launch opportunities open as early as April 1 for the first human lunar trip since 1972, featuring a flyby of the moon's far side.
SpaceX has completed key ground tests for its Starship Version 3 rocket ahead of a planned debut flight from South Texas. The upgraded vehicle will attempt in-orbit refueling experiments critical to future lunar missions. Liftoff is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19.
AIによるレポート
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told lawmakers that SpaceX and Blue Origin expect their lunar landers to be ready for the Artemis III mission in late 2027. The mission will now test the landers in Earth orbit rather than attempting a lunar landing. This change aims to reduce risks and increase launch frequency.
Blue Origin achieved a milestone by successfully landing and reusing the first stage of its New Glenn rocket for the third flight, but the upper stage failed to place its payload into the correct orbit. The launch occurred Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The booster, named Never Tell Me The Odds, touched down on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean after its second flight.
AIによるレポート
Nasa's Artemis 2 Orion capsule launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center with four astronauts heading to the Moon on a 400,000-kilometer journey. The rocket reached supersonic speed and is now traveling at 27,000 km/h. The automated launch control system has taken over.
Tokyo-based space startup Space One canceled the launch of its Kairos No. 3 small rocket shortly before liftoff on March 4 from Spaceport Kii in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, after a safety system activated. The launch was scheduled for 11 a.m., but halted 30 seconds prior. The company plans a press conference that afternoon to explain the incident.
AIによるレポート
A two-day countdown is underway for NASA's Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch four astronauts on a flight around the moon from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is set for a two-hour window opening at 6:24 pm EDT on Wednesday, with backup opportunities through April 6. The crew will test the Orion spacecraft on a 10-day journey, marking humans' first deep space voyage in more than 50 years.