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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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
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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.”
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Most Read
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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.”
Stephen Clark
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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.
Stephen Clark
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The government shutdown is starting to have cosmic consequences
“The FAA is concerned with the system’s ability to maintain the current volume of operations.”
Stephen Clark
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Rocket Report: Canada invests in sovereign launch; India flexes rocket muscles
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket gave an environmental monitoring satellite a perfect ride to space.
Stephen Clark
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If you want to satiate AI’s hunger for power, Google suggests going to space
Google engineers think they already have all the pieces needed to build a data center in orbit.
Stephen Clark
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Space junk may have struck a Chinese crew ship in low-Earth orbit
The three-man crew was supposed to return to Earth on Wednesday to wrap up six months in space.
Stephen Clark
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A commercial space station startup now has a foothold in space
Vast differs from its space station cohorts by flying a series of progressively more complex demos.
Stephen Clark
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New Glenn rocket has clear path to launch after test-firing at Cape Canaveral
New Glenn will soon meet its payloads: Two NASA probes to study Martian climate change.
Stephen Clark
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SpaceX teases simplified Starship as alarms sound over Moon landing delays
“SpaceX shares the goal of returning to the Moon as expeditiously as possible.”
Stephen Clark
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Space station astronauts eager to open “golden treasure box” from Japan
“This spacecraft is so beautiful and shiny, and this is representing our bright future.”
Stephen Clark
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NASA races to keep Artemis II on schedule, even when workers aren’t being paid
“I do think we’re rapidly approaching the point where it will be a significant impact.”
Stephen Clark
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Satellite shows what’s really happening at the East Wing of the White House
“Now it looks like the White House is physically being destroyed.”
Stephen Clark
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Rocket Report: China tests Falcon 9 lookalike; NASA’s Moon rocket fully stacked
A South Korean rocket startup will soon make its first attempt to reach low-Earth orbit.
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