TechCrunch Newsletters - Max Q

Monday, November 09, 2020 • By Darrell Etherington

Startups are are raising, SpaceX has a different kind of launch and Rocket Lab makes up for past mistakes – all this past week in space.

Also, be sure to check out TC Sessions: Space, our inaugural event focused on space startups and related technologies, it’s virtual so you can take part from anywhere in the world, and it’s happening December 16 and 17. Tickets are available now, so sign up ASAP to get the best price possible.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will step down when Biden takes over

NASA Administrator and Trump administration appointee Jim Bridenstine will step out of the role when President-Elect Joe Biden officially takes office in January. Bridenstine told Aviation Week’s Irene Klotz about his decision, noting that he believes the best thing for NASA would be if the administrator has a close relationship with the incoming President.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will step down when Biden takes over image

Image Credits: Darrell Etherington

Lunar science startup ispace opens a U.S. office

ispace is building lunar landers for future Moon exploration missions, and now the Japanese startup will have a U.S. hub in Colorado. The company will also centralize its engineering efforts around its next-generation, larger lunar lander out of the new office, led by a SpaceX veteran who oversaw Falcon 9 development.

SpaceX launches another U.S. Space Force payload

SpaceX has launched its second payload on behalf of the U.S. Space Force, a GPS III satellite – the fourth such spacecraft that the U.S. has sent to orbit. SpaceX used a brand new Falcon 9 booster to do this, and recovered it so that it can be refurbished for future use, including during national security missions, which it’s newly allowed to do as of earlier this fall.

SpaceX launches another U.S. Space Force payload image

Image Credits: SpaceX

Rocket Lab's next mission will be a key reusability test

Rocket Lab will soon fly its next mission – currently set for November 16. This will be a regular commercial launch, but it’ll have an extra component, too: The startup’s first attempt to recover the first stage of one of its launch craft. Rocket Lab never set out to make its launch vehicles reusable, instead preferring to keep its rockets smaller to keep launch costs down. Now though, it wants to potentially add reusable components to keep up with production demand.

NASA seeks Artemis storytellling tech partners

NASA wants to tell the story of its forthcoming return of humans to the Moon in new and innovative ways, and it has issued a call for proposals to figure out how best to do this. This could be a great opportunity for startups looking at robotic video or immersive media.