The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Mar 11th

Author

Juan Fernández
March 11, 2025

Hello, space fans! 🚀 

This week in space has been a mix of triumphs and challenges. Firefly's Blue Ghost has begun science operations on the Moon, while Intuitive Machines' Athena lander ended its mission way earlier than hoped. SpaceX is dealing with setbacks with the Starship program... Meanwhile, NASA is making tough choices to extend Voyager's mission and moving forward with Artemis II preparations.

Despite the ups and downs, each event offers valuable lessons for future missions and highlights the relentless spirit driving space exploration.

Let’s dive into the details and explore how these stories are shaping our path to the stars!

🌕 Blue Ghost Begins Lunar Science Operations!

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost made history as the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful soft-landing on the Moon last week, touching down near Mare Crisium. The lander, equipped with 10 NASA payloads, is now conducting crucial experiments like lunar subsurface drilling, dust mitigation, and soil collection with the PlanetVac system. Its precision landing, just 118 meters off-target, showcases advanced navigation capabilities, setting a new standard for private lunar missions and paving the way for sustainable exploration.

💥 SpaceX's Setback with Starship Flight 8

SpaceX's latest test flight was a mix of triumph and setback. While the Super Heavy booster nailed a flawless catch at the launch tower, the Starship upper stage exploded during ascent. The team is now studying what went wrong and preparing for the next test, which could happen in 6 to 8 weeks, according to Elon Musk.

🌑 Athena Lander's “Rough” Lunar Landing

Sad. Very sad. Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander tipped over in a crater near the Moon's south pole, ending its mission. Despite the crash, the team managed to run some experiments, like the TRIDENT drill, before the lander’s batteries died. Engineers are now studying what went wrong for future missions later this year.

🌌 Odin Lost: AstroForge's Deep Space Challenge

AstroForge's dream of mining asteroids faced a serious blow as their Odin spacecraft went silent soon after launch. Despite countless attempts to reconnect, the craft remains adrift in deep space. It’s a tough break for the team, but they're determined to keep pushing forward.

🛰️ Ariane 6's Crucial Launch for French Defense

Ariane 6 successfully deployed France’s CSO-3 satellite, boosting European independence in space and intelligence capabilities. Amid rising geopolitical tensions, this mission strengthens France’s ability to gather high-resolution imagery independently, reducing reliance on U.S. support.

🚀 Countdown Ready: Crew-10 Set for Launch

NASA and SpaceX successfully completed a dress rehearsal for the Crew-10 mission on March 9, bringing them one step closer to launch. Astronauts suited up and boarded the Dragon spacecraft, while the Falcon 9 rocket passed key tests. Excitement is building for the March 12 liftoff to the International Space Station.

🔋 Powering Down: Voyager's Survival Strategy

NASA turned off two science instruments on the Voyager probes to stretch their mission into the 2030s. With power running low, engineers had to make tough choices to keep these 47-year-old explorers alive. It's bittersweet, but the goal is to gather as much interstellar data as possible.

🛠️ Cygnus Damage Forces ISS Cargo Adjustments

NASA's plans for resupplying the International Space Station were disrupted due to potential damage to a Cygnus cargo spacecraft. In response, NASA adjusted the cargo manifest for an upcoming Dragon mission, prioritizing essential supplies over science experiments to ensure smooth operations aboard the station.

🏗️ Artemis II Countdown: SLS Rocket "Nearly Ready"

NASA is in the final stretch of assembling the SLS rocket for the Artemis II mission, set to carry astronauts around the moon in April next year. Engineers are carefully piecing together the rocket and capsule, focusing above all on safety, aiming for a successful launch.

🖥️ Building a Digital Moon: ispace's Bold Move

Two Japanese companies, ispace and SpaceData, are teaming up to create a digital twin of the Moon. This virtual replica will help test lunar technologies and cut risks and costs for real missions. It's an ambitious step toward making lunar exploration safer and more efficient.

📹 Our latest videos

Here are the latest videos we've published on our YouTube channel this week:

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Busy week of launches ahead! 🚀

Today, Tuesday, Mar 11th:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 12-21 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

  • Long March 8 (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China) – G60 Group TBD Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China.

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) SPHEREx & PUNCH - TO BE CONFIRMED

Wednesday, Mar 12th:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Transporter 13 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Thursday, Mar 13th:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Crew-10 Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. Saturday, Mar 15th:

  • Electron (Rocket Lab, New Zealand) – The Lightning God Reigns (iQPS Launch 1) Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

  • Angara 1.2 (Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Russia) – Kosmos (Unknown Payload) Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation.

  • Firefly Alpha (Firefly Aerospace, USA) – FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.

Tuesday, Mar 18th: Electron (Rocket Lab, New Zealand) – High Five (Kinéis 21-25) Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

And that’s it for this week. Stay curious! 😊 

Juan and the team at The Space Race