The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Mar 4th

Author

Juan Fernández
March 04, 2025

In partnership with

Hello, dear space fans! 🚀 

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by The Flyover

Cut Through Noise with The Flyover!

The Flyover offers a refreshing alternative to traditional news.

We deliver quick-to-read, informative content across sports, business, tech, science, and more that cuts through the noise of mainstream media.

The Flyover's talented team of editors meticulously collects the day's most important news, ensuring you stay informed on top stories and equipped to win your day.

Join over 950,000 savvy readers and leaders who trust The Flyover to provide unbiased insights, sourced from hundreds of outlets!

What a time to be a space enthusiast!

From Firefly’s successful moon landing kicking off scientific operations to Varda Space’s capsule returning with key data, it’s been non-stop excitement. We’ve also seen challenges with NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, promising updates on Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket, and much more.

There’s so much to unpack, so let’s dive into the details! 😊

🌕 Firefly's Big Moon Landing!

Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 just made history by landing on the moon, proving that private companies can pull off big space missions. The lander is now starting scientific operations with its 10 NASA payloads and will be operational for a full lunar day. This is a huge win for both Firefly and NASA, showing that commercial space exploration is here to stay.

🌏 Varda's Capsule Returns with Key Data

Varda Space successfully landed its W-2 capsule in Australia, bringing back crucial data to improve hypersonic vehicles and heat shields for NASA. After six weeks in orbit, the mission also marked a step forward for in-orbit manufacturing, proving that space-based production could transform future aerospace technology.

🚀 SpaceX Scrubs Starship Launch

SpaceX had to cancel the March 3 Starship launch attempt due to technical issues in the final countdown. They faced issues with both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage. Elon Musk emphasized the need to inspect the vehicle and try again “within the next day or two”.

Read more 👉🏻 SpaceX Scrubs Starship Launch

⚠️ Trouble for Lunar Trailblazer and Odin!

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer and AstroForge’s Odin spacecraft are facing problems after their launch. Lunar Trailblazer has power issues causing communication dropouts, while Odin is struggling to send back data. Both teams are racing to fix these glitches before their missions are compromised.

🚀 Neutron Rocket Launch Still On Track

Rocket Lab's CEO shared a lot of exciting updates, confirming the Neutron rocket's first launch for late 2025. He also introduced a new landing platform named "Return on Investment", new satellites that could compete with Starlink, and announced over 20 Electron launches for 2025. Not bad!

🌙 Getting Ready for Nova-C's Lunar Landing

SpaceX successfully launched the Nova-C lander Athena carrying NASA’s PRIME-1 mission to the Moon, with a landing planned for this week at Mons Mouton near the lunar South Pole. Along for the ride are two rovers and the Micro-Nova hopper, set to explore and gather data on lunar resources, an exciting step towards sustainable human presence on the Moon.

☄️ Asteroid 2024 YR4 Won't Hit Earth 😅

Great news! The Subaru Telescope confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 poses no threat to Earth, dismissing earlier worries about a potential impact in 2032. Thanks to precise observations, the risk has dropped to nearly zero. We can all breathe a little easier now 😀 

🤖 Robot Passes Test on China's Space Station

China’s Shenzhou XIX crew just tested a pipeline inspection robot on the Tiangong space station, proving its ability to navigate tricky pipelines even after power loss. In other news, China has signed an agreement to train a Pakistani astronaut for a future mission to Tiangong, marking a major step in space collaboration.

🛠️ First Metal 3D Print Returns to Earth!

The first metal part ever 3D-printed in space is now back on Earth for testing. Printed aboard the International Space Station, this achievement shows how astronauts could make essential parts on demand during deep-space missions, reducing the need for costly resupply from Earth. Exciting times for space manufacturing!

🏗️ Vast's Space Station Passes Key Test

Vast just hit a major milestone by successfully testing the Haven-1 qualification article, moving closer to launching the first private space station by 2026. Their bold plan includes a SpaceX launch and hopes to secure a NASA contract to replace the ISS. It's an all-or-nothing gamble for the future of commercial space stations.

🌌 Europa Clipper Uses Mars to Boost Journey

Europa Clipper just pulled off a gravity assist around Mars, adjusting its path to Jupiter. Along the way, it successfully tested two crucial instruments: E-THEMIS for studying Europa’s icy surface and REASON for probing deep beneath. This mission could reveal if Europa hides a liquid ocean. Exciting times ahead!

🛰️ Designing a Satellite to Hunt Space Debris

Scientists are working on a new satellite to detect space debris as small as 1 centimeter, which can cause serious damage to other spacecraft. Using innovative plasma wave detection, the “Space Debris Hunter” could help satellites dodge these tiny threats and make space a bit safer for everyone.

📹 Our latest videos

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

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Get ready for another exciting week of SpaceX launches! What a launch cadence!

Wednesday, Mar 5th:

  • Starship, Flight Test 8 (SpaceX, USA)

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – SPHEREx & PUNCH. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.

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

Friday, Mar 7th: Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 12-16. Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Saturday, Mar 8th:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX, USA) – Starlink Group 11-7. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Sunday, Mar 9th:

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

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

Juan and the team at The Space Race