What’s the Artemis II crew doing while they wait for historic moon flight?

As an astronaut, you have to prepare for all kinds of eventualities, whether it’s staying in orbit for nine months longer than expected due to problems with your spacecraft, or cutting short a space station mission due to a health emergency. And if you…

PLD Space raises €180M Series C to scale Europe’s commercial launch capabilities
PLD Space raises €180M Series C to scale Europe’s commercial launch capabilities

Spanish launch company PLD Space, headquartered in Elche, has secured €180 million in Series C funding to accelerate production of its orbital rocket systems and expand global launch operations. The round includes strategic participation from Mitsubish…

Why this month’s Starship flight is SpaceX’s most important yet

SpaceX is targeting this month for the 12th launch of its gargantuan Starship rocket, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Ship. While much has rested on each and every one of its previous 11 test flights, the first of wh…

Why is SpaceX going public?
Why is SpaceX going public?

I am excited about the SpaceX IPO for all the reasons investors shouldn’t be. Maybe it’ll be a real marquee moment for Silicon Valley, but I see the potential for a shitshow. After all, more than a decade ago, Musk said that SpaceX going public before going to Mars would be bad for the company. […]

NASA won’t attempt a crewed lunar landing in 2027 after all

NASA has announced a major revision of its Artemis III mission, which had originally planned to put the first astronauts on the moon since 1972. The space agency has now confirmed that it needs more time to prepare for the endeavor, and so Artemis III …

Ignore WW3 – these electric excavators are going TO THE MOON [update]
Ignore WW3 – these electric excavators are going TO THE MOON [update]

Engineering startups Astroport Space Technologies and Astrolab have successfully completed a real-world demonstration for their UTIPA Excavator – an all-electric machine designed to become the cornerstone of lunar construction solutions and pave the wa…

The Rubin Observatory’s alert system sent 800,000 pings on its first night
The Rubin Observatory’s alert system sent 800,000 pings on its first night

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s automated alert system is online and already bombarding astronomers with things to look at in the night sky. The system went live publicly on Tuesday, February 24th, and on the first night dropped some 800,000 alerts about asteroids, supernovas, and feasting black holes. And that number is only expected to […]

NASA is pushing back its plans for a Moon landing
NASA is pushing back its plans for a Moon landing

NASA announced at a press conference on Friday that it’s delaying its plans for a Moon landing until Artemis IV in 2028. The Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027, was originally going to attempt to land on the Moon but will now be a test flight instead. NASA also says it’s “increasing its cadence of […]

Last 24 hours to get TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tickets at the lowest rates of the year

The lowest rates of the year for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 end after today. Prices go up at 11:59 p.m. PT. Don’t miss connecting with 10,000 founders, investors, and operators, and key takeaways from 250+ industry leaders. Register now to save up to $680…

The scenery steals the show in this epic SpaceX rocket landing

Well, those Falcon 9 landings never get old. Imagine, just over a decade ago the idea of being able to land a rocket upright after it’d been to space seemed crazy. And then SpaceX went and did it. Following its first successful touchdown in December 20…