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23 november 2018: Designing the spin control system required Draper engineers to address the worst-case scenario—emergency situations encountered by astronauts and space tourists traveling in the high stratosphere, which is anywhere from 20 to 30 miles above the Earth. With no atmosphere at that altitude, a person in a flat spin would need a way to counter and slow their motion. A suit with a built-in system that could activate automatically, without manual operation, would help in situations of an out-of-control spin.

22 november 2018: Space Tango, a leader in the commercialization of space through R&D, bioengineering and manufacturing in microgravity, today announced ST-42, a fully autonomous robotic orbital platform designed specifically for scalable manufacturing in space. Launching in the mid 2020’s, ST-42 aims to harness the unique environment of microgravity to produce high value products across industries; from patient therapeutics to advanced technology products that have the potential to revolutionize industries here on Earth. ST-42 is an extension of the International Space Station’s (ISS) capabilities, and NASA’s creation of a robust commercial marketplace in low Earth orbit (LEO).

21 november 2018: As part of preparations for a highly anticipated asteroid encounter, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe has successfully carried out an important dress rehearsal starring the robotic arm that will be used to grab samples of dust and rock from the surface.

On 19 November 2018 , a new sight appeared in the baby-blue skies over Southern California: A specially modified 747-400 carrying a 70-foot-long rocket under its wing soared through the air as part of a successful test flight for Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne. Sir Richard Branson’s small satellite launch company completed a flawless test flight, proving that its carbon-fiber two-stage rocket works perfectly as a pair with Cosmic Girl, the customized former passenger aircraft that serves as the company’s ‘flying launch pad.’ The successful test puts more air under the wings—and fins—of the company’s plans to reach orbit in early 2019.

Jeff Bezos has high hopes for his New Glenn rocket and its development has just received a nice helping hand. The US Air Force today announced it will handing Bezo’s space company Blue Origin half a billion dollars as part of its plan to usher in a new generation of heavy lift boosters.