WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has tapped the Air Force’s former acquisition chief to be the next top weapons buyer for the Pentagon. William LaPlante, the president and chief executive of Draper Laboratory, will be nominated to be the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, the White House announced Tuesday. LaPlante served as assistant … Read more
NASA will use its Falcon Heavy rocket for the mission. A Falcon 9 rocket from Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Technologies Corp. will power a third lunar lander mission by Houston-based Intuitive Systems. SpaceX provided Falcon 9 launch vehicles for Intutive Machines’ two previous lunar missions. The new project, which was announced Aug. 10, is expected in … Read more
This NASA illustration shows the Europa Clipper at the moon with Jupiter in the background. NASA/JPL-Caltech Jupiter’s unusual icy moon Europa may be one of the best spots in the solar system to check for signs of alien life. But first we have to get there. NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will get a boost in … Read more
Brazil’s Alcântara Launch Center, which will soon host Virgin Orbit launch services. Brazil is one step closer to finally achieving domestic orbital-class launch capabilities. On Wednesday, the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and Brazilian Air Force signed a contract with Virgin Orbit to establish commercial launch services at the 39-year-old Alcântara Spaceport on Brazil’s northern coast. … Read more