Here is NASA’s plan for nuking Gateway and sending it to Mars
Only one US-built nuclear reactor has ever flown in space, and that was more than 60 years ago.
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Stephen Clark
Space Reporter
Exposed on public author pages
Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. With more than a decade of experience covering spaceflight and space science, Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. He worked full-time for Spaceflight Now, a leading space industry news publication, for 14 years, including five years as editor, covering the end of the space shuttle program and the rise of commercial spaceflight. Stephen is based in Texas, and studied business and journalism at the University of Texas at Austin.
Recent stories by
Stephen Clark
A mission NASA might kill is still returning fascinating science from Jupiter
“We can’t quite afford to support everything that we have done in the past.”
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A unique NASA satellite is falling out of orbit—this team is trying to rescue it
Katalyst Space Technologies must launch the Swift rescue mission by this summer.
Stephen Clark
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Once again, ULA can’t deliver when the US military needs a satellite in orbit
ULA’s Vulcan launch vehicle is grounded after a solid rocket booster anomaly last month.
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NASA wants to know how the launch industry’s chic new rocket fuel explodes
“We put fuel in a rocket, blow it up in a remote location, and measure how big the boom is.”
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Dogfighting in space won’t look like the movies, but this company wants in on it
“Where we are today in space warfare is very similar to where air superiority was in the 1930s.”
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NASA officials sidestepped questions on Artemis II risks—there’s a reason why
“This ought to make for some good reading,” NASA’s mission management team chair said.
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Rocket Report: Pentagon needs more missile interceptors; Artemis II clears review
SpaceX has started commissioning a second launch pad at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas.
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Most Read
Anduril, the autonomous weapons maker, doubles the size of its space unit
“We are focused on protecting space, assuring access to space, ensuring custody of space.”
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Reentry of NASA satellite will exceed the agency’s own risk guidelines
“Due to late-stage design changes, the potential risk of uncontrolled reentry increased.”
Stephen Clark
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Satellite firm pauses imagery after revealing Iran’s attacks on US bases
Planet wants to prevent “adversarial actors” from using images for “Battle Damage Assessment” purposes.
Stephen Clark
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Rocket Report: SpaceX launch prices are going up; Russia fixes broken launch pad
It looks like United Launch Alliance will build more upper stages for NASA’s SLS rocket.
Stephen Clark
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Space Command chief throws cold water on the question of UAPs in space
“I am not aware of anything that is extraterrestrial, other than comets and things like that.”
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No fooling: NASA targets April 1 for Artemis II launch to the Moon
“Engineers are assessing what allowed the seal to become dislodged to prevent the issue from recurring.”
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The Air Force’s new ICBM is nearly ready to fly, but there’s nowhere to put it
“There were assumptions that were made in the strategy that obviously didn’t come to fruition.”
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ULA isn’t making the Space Force’s GPS interference problem any easier
Officials expect the investigation into a booster anomaly on ULA’s Vulcan rocket to last multiple months.
Stephen Clark
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Pentagon buyer: We’re happy with our launch industry, but payloads are lagging
“The point is to get missions out the door as fast as possible. Two to three years is too slow.”
Stephen Clark
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NASA says it needs to haul the Artemis II rocket back to the hangar for repairs
“Accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB.”
Stephen Clark
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After fueling test, optimism grows for March launch of Artemis II to the Moon
“We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt … there is still pending work.”
Stephen Clark
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Rocket Report: Chinese launch firm raises big money; Falcon 9 back to the Bahamas
The company that attempted China’s first orbital-class rocket landing says it will soon try again.
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There’s a lot of big talk about sovereign launch—who is doing something about it?
As alliances fray, these are the nations investing in sovereign access to space.
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NASA has a new problem to fix before the next Artemis II countdown test
“We observed materially lower leak rates compared to prior observations during WDR-1.”
Stephen Clark
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When Amazon badly needed a ride, Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket delivered
This was the first launch of the Ariane 64, the most powerful rocket in European space history.
Stephen Clark
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ULA’s Vulcan rocket suffers another booster problem on the way to orbit
Vulcan’s Blue Origin-made BE-4 engines appear to have saved the rocket from failure.
Stephen Clark
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SpaceX takes down Dragon crew arm, giving Starship a leg up in Florida
SpaceX’s crew missions will now launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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China showcases new Moon ship and reusable rocket in one extraordinary test
The test marks a significant step in China’s push to land humans on the Moon by 2030.
Stephen Clark
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SpaceX’s next-gen Super Heavy booster aces four days of “cryoproof” testing
The next Starship flight is a key precursor for more ambitious missions.
Stephen Clark
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Lawmakers ask what it would take to “store” the International Space Station
NASA shall evaluate the “viability of transferring the ISS to a safe orbital harbor” after retirement.
Stephen Clark
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Rocket Report: SpaceX probes upper stage malfunction; Starship testing resumes
Amazon has booked 10 more launches with SpaceX, citing a “near-term shortage in launch capacity.”
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Unable to tame hydrogen leaks, NASA delays launch of Artemis II until March
NASA spent most of Monday trying to overcome hydrogen leaks on the Artemis II rocket.
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NASA gears up for one more key test before launching Artemis II to the Moon
A good test would clear the way for launch of Artemis II as soon as next Sunday, February 8.
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US spy satellite agency declassifies high-flying Cold War listening post
The JUMPSEAT satellites loitered over the North Pole to spy on the Soviet Union.
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Japan lost a 5-ton navigation satellite when it fell off a rocket during launch
Imagine: You lost your car’s cargo rack, but didn’t notice until you reached your destination.
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Trade wars muzzle allied talks on Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield
“International partners, I have not been allowed to talk to yet because of the trade wars.”
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Former astronaut on lunar spacesuits: “I don’t think they’re great right now”
“These are just the difficulties of designing a spacesuit for the lunar environment.”
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Rocket Report: Chinese rockets fail twice in 12 hours; Rocket Lab reports setback
Another partially reusable Chinese rocket, the Long March 12B, is nearing its first test flight.
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