As the aerospace community knows, the second Starship flight has been in a holding pattern. Initially, it seemed like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was the gatekeeper, but now the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has stepped into that role. Even though the FAA has given a nod for testing, the FWS's approval is still pending for changes to the launch pad. Consequently, this could potentially set SpaceX back by months, if worst comes to worst.

In today's episode, we'll cover five key areas: SpaceX's recent interaction with the Coast Guard, updates to the Starship's structure, the litany of improvements made since the April test flight, the rapid installations at the launch pad, and lastly, what we can expect from SpaceX's ground testing scheduled for tomorrow.

Today's episode is going to focus on SpaceX's latest moves as they prepare for a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) with Booster 9 and Ship 25. Regulatory permits permitting, the next Starship could be soaring through the skies as early as next month. This comes amidst a hive of activity at SpaceX's Starbase, from Cybertruck photo ops to tweaks in booster design.

Today, we're focusing our attention on a situation that unfolded in the starry skies above us. More specifically, we're talking about a coolant leak that occurred in a Russian module of the International Space Station, or ISS, as you may know it. NASA has confirmed that the leak, originating from the Russian Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module, has ceased for the time being. This episode will examine the incident, its implications for space station operations, and what it reveals about the reliability of the ISS.

Today's episode shines a spotlight on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which has been delayed yet again, according to an official NASA release. The Starliner was expected to carry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for its first crewed test flight no earlier than mid-April 2024, a setback from its previous anticipated readiness date in early March. Furthermore, the target date for the operational flight of the Boeing spacecraft has also been pushed back to early 2025, another delay from its previous summer 2024 target. No specific reason for the delay was shared.

The spacecraft is targeting an Oct. 12 liftoff atop a Falcon Heavy rocket. Its destination, a metal-rich asteroid, may tell us more about how planets form.

In less than 24 hours, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is slated to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With its sights set on a mysterious asteroid of the same name, Psyche is NASA’s first scientific mission to be launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Launch is set for 10:16 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 12, with additional opportunities identified each day through Oct. 25. Each opportunity is instantaneous, meaning there is only one exact time per day when launch can occur.

In today's episode, we're taking you on a journey through space to introduce you to Psyche, an unusual metal-rich asteroid hiding within the asteroid belt. Set to launch on October 12 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, the mission to explore this celestial object could redefine what we know about the solar system. Scientists are speculating that Psyche might not just be another asteroid but could potentially be the exposed core of a failed planet or something even more astonishing.

The next astronauts to walk on the moon will wear spacesuits designed in partnership with fashion icon Prada.

Houston-based Axiom Space is developing spacesuits for NASA's Artemis III mission that plans to land the first woman and person of color on the moon in 2025. The company announced a partnership with Prada this week.  

The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship"

Today's story centers around NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft successfully returned to Earth with a cache of samples, but scientists have encountered an unexpected issue: there's too much of it. This surplus of asteroid material, while slowing down the analysis process, has potential for additional scientific breakthroughs.

In 2020, OSIRIS-REx touched down on Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid. Using its specialized Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head, it collected rock and dust samples from the asteroid's surface. When scientists at NASA's Johnson Space Center began to open the canister, they found not only the expected sample within the TAGSAM but also an unanticipated excess of material coating the lid and base of the canister.

The Starship system is a fully reusable, two‑stage‑to‑orbit super heavy‑lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. The system is composed of a booster stage named Super Heavy and a second stage, also called "Starship"