The fastest human spaceflight mission in history crawls closer to liftoff
After a remarkably smooth launch campaign, Artemis II reached its last stop before the Moon.
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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
Managers on alert for “launch fever” as pressure builds for NASA’s Moon mission
“I’ve got one job, and it’s the safe return of Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy.”
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NASA’s first medical evacuation from space ends with on-target splashdown
This is the first time NASA has called an early end to a space mission for medical reasons.
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NASA launches new mission to get the most out of the James Webb Space Telescope
“It was not recognized how serious a problem that is until… about 2017 or 2018.”
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ESA considers righting the wrongs of Ariane 6 by turning it into a Franken-rocket
ArianeGroup is still trying to catch up to where the bleeding edge of the launch industry was 15 years ago.
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Rocket Report: A new super-heavy launch site in California; 2025 year in review
SpaceX opened its 2026 launch campaign with a mission for the Italian government.
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NASA orders “controlled medical evacuation” from the International Space Station
“The crew is highly trained, and they came to the aid of their colleague right away.”
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NASA considers evacuating ailing crew member from International Space Station
“The matter involved a single crew member who is stable,” NASA said in a statement.
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Most Read
Here are the launches and landings we’re most excited about in 2026
A lot could happen in space this year, but let’s get real about what actually will.
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Private equity deal shows just how far America’s legacy rocket industry has fallen
After peaking in the Cold War, the relic of Rocketdyne has changed ownership four times in 20 years.
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SpaceX begins “significant reconfiguration” of Starlink satellite constellation
“Biggest advantage of lower altitude is that beam diameter is smaller for a given antenna size.”
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China just carried out its second reusable launch attempt in three weeks
The launch laid “an important foundation for subsequent launches and reliable recovery.”
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In a surprise announcement, Tory Bruno is out as CEO of United Launch Alliance
“It has been a great privilege to lead ULA through its transformation and to bring Vulcan into service.”
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Safety panel says NASA should have taken Starliner incident more seriously
“This particular anomaly deserves to be right up front and center for quite some time.”
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Rocket Report: Russia pledges quick fix for Soyuz launch pad; Ariane 6 aims high
South Korean rocket startup Innospace is poised to debut a new nano-launcher.
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These are the flying discs the government wants you to know about
DiskSat’s design offers “a power-to-weight ratio unmatched by traditional aluminum satellites.”
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NASA will soon find out if the Perseverance rover can really persevere on Mars
Engineers at JPL are certifying the Perseverance rover to drive up to 100 kilometers.
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The $4.3 billion space telescope Trump tried to cancel is now complete
“We’re going to be making 3D movies of what is going on in the Milky Way galaxy.”
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Investors commit quarter-billion dollars to startup designing “Giga” satellites
“If we build these platforms well, we get to ask new questions about what’s possible in orbit.”
Stephen Clark
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NASA just lost contact with a Mars orbiter, and will soon lose another one
If NASA is serious about exploring Mars, it’s past time to send new missions.
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Asked why we need Golden Dome, the man in charge points to a Hollywood film
“If they see how prepared we are, no one starts a nuclear war.”
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Rocket Report: Blunder at Baikonur; do launchers really need rocket engines?
The Department of the Air Force approves a new home in Florida for SpaceX’s Starship.
Stephen Clark
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A spectacular explosion shows China is close to obtaining reusable rockets
“China’s first rocket recovery attempt achieved its expected technical objectives.”
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This Chinese company could become the country’s first to land a reusable rocket
From the outside, China’s Zhuque-3 rocket looks like a clone of SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Stephen Clark
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The missile meant to strike fear in Russia’s enemies fails once again
One of Vladimir Putin’s favorite sabres to rattle seems to have lost its edge.
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ULA aimed to launch up to 10 Vulcan rockets this year—it will fly just once
The company is closer to increasing its Vulcan launch cadence, but it won’t happen this year.
Stephen Clark
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China launches an emergency lifeboat to bring three astronauts back to Earth
This is a “successful example for efficient emergency response in the international space industry.”
Stephen Clark
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Rivals object to SpaceX’s Starship plans in Florida—who’s interfering with whom?
“We’re going to continue to treat any LOX-methane vehicle with 100 percent TNT blast equivalency.”
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Rocket Report: SpaceX’s next-gen booster fails; Pegasus will fly again
With the government shutdown over, the FAA has lifted its daytime launch curfew.
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Attack, defend, pursue—the Space Force’s new naming scheme foretells new era
Ars is first to reveal how the Space Force will name its weapon systems.
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Three astronauts are stuck on China’s space station without a safe ride home
“This does not meet the release conditions for a safe manned return.”
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Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket came back home after taking aim at Mars
“Never before in history has a booster this large nailed the landing on the second try.”
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With another record broken, the world’s busiest spaceport keeps getting busier
It’s not just the number of rocket launches, but how much stuff they’re carrying into orbit.
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An explosion 92 million miles away just grounded Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn rocket
“NASA is postponing launch until space weather conditions improve.”
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Intuitive Machines—known for its Moon landers—will become a military contractor
“They’ve been Ford Aerospace, Space Systems/Loral, Maxar, Lanteris, and now it’ll be Intuitive Machines.”
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Here’s how orbital dynamics wizardry helped save NASA’s next Mars mission
Blue Origin is getting ready to launch its second New Glenn rocket.
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