Irene Klotz
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Senior Space Editor Aviation Week & Space Technology
Articles by Irene Klotz
SpaceX Retargets Starship Flight For Sept. 28
Irene Klotz September 18, 2026 As SpaceX prepares for its 14th Starship flight test, the predecessor ship, which splashed down in the Indian Ocean on July 24, is being shipped back to Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX With approval from the FCC still pending, SpaceX on Sept. 18 backed off plans to launch its first orbital Starship-Super Heavy flight test until Sept. 28, six days later than previously targeted.
Debrief: When Starship Goes Orbital
Irene Klotz September 16, 2026 With its next Starship launch, SpaceX aims for orbital flight. Credit: SpaceX The first orbital flight of the Starship-Super Heavy transportation system may trigger a sea change in the launch and space services industries, with customers from NASA, commercial companies and others standing by to ride the wave. SpaceX intends to make that attempt Sept. 22 or 23 with a six-orbit... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX Adds To Starfall Flight Manifest
Irene Klotz September 15, 2026 Artist's concept of Space Cargo's REV-1 space factory, based on the European Space Agency's Space Rider reusable vehicle. Credit: Thales Alenia Space European startup Space Cargo Unlimited said it has signed a contract with SpaceX for a Starfall space manufacturing mission that would launch aboard a Starship flight in 2028. Space Cargo becomes the second customer to disclose a contract for SpaceX’s new commercial services for manufacturing...
FAA Clears Starship For Sept. 22 Flight Test
Irene Klotz September 14, 2026 SpaceX’s Falcon 9 fleet completes its 700th mission as successor Starship is prepared for its 14th flight test. Credit: SpaceX The FAA updated the next Starship-Super Heavy flight test from Boca Chica Beach, Texas, to Sept. 22, with airspace cleared for a launch attempt between 7:15-9:14 a.m. EDT. The FAA’s Current Operations Plan Advisory includes a Starship backup launch opportunity during the same timeframe on Sept. 23...
FAA Eyes Sept. 22 For Next Starship Flight Test
Irene Klotz September 14, 2026 SpaceX’s Falcon 9 fleet completes its 700th mission as successor Starship is prepared for its 14th flight test. Credit: SpaceX The FAA updated the next opportunity for a Starship-Super Heavy flight test from Boca Chica Beach, Texas, to Sept. 22, with airspace cleared for a launch attempt between 7:15-9:14 a.m. EDT. The FAA’s Current Operations Plan Advisory includes a Starship backup launch opportunity during the same time...
Perseverance Nears Off-Earth Roving Distance Record
Irene Klotz September 09, 2026 After sampling a rock that scientists believe contains the best chance of finding biosignatures, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover climbed out of Jezero Crater in December 2024 and is now exploring an area west of the crater rim. Credit: JPL When NASA reopened the exploration of Mars with the 1997 Pathfinder mission, it included a small, wheeled rover named Sojourner as a technology demonstration.
NASA Observatory Embarks On Mission To Probe Dark Universe
Irene Klotz September 04, 2026 NASA released this simulated image of 1/140th of Roman’s view of the central bulge of the Milky Way galaxy. Credit: NASA NASA is opening a new chapter in the exploration of the structure and evolution of the universe with a sixth flagship space observatory, which also will test technology for imaging planets directly beyond the Solar System. The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, named for NASA’s first chief astronomer...
Debrief: NASA Chief Delineates Place For Commercial Space
Irene Klotz September 03, 2026 After 12 years of development, Boeing and NASA are still working to certify the CST-100 Starliner for crew transport to low Earth orbit. Credit: NASA When it comes to deciding if NASA should buy services from commercial suppliers or operate space systems on its own, the question to ask is how best to achieve the desired outcome, agency Administrator Jared Isaacman says. “NASA, the taxpayers and the interested public should care about whatever...
FAA Authorizes A Wider Swath For Starship Ops
Irene Klotz September 02, 2026 The Aircraft Hazard Area (AHA) is the airspace the FAA determines needs to be protected during Starship reentry. Credit: FAA The FAA on Sept. 2 expanded the geographic and operational envelope for upcoming SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy flights from Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Following review of public comments on a draft Final Tiered Environmental Assessment (EA), the FAA cleared SpaceX to operate in an expanded Hawaii...
Blue Origin Wins NASA’s Nod For Mars Telecommunications Orbiter
Irene Klotz September 02, 2026 Blue Origin's first Blue Ring spacecraft being prepared for launch. Credit: Blue Origin NASA has selected a Blue Origin proposal to use its Blue Ring platform as a telecommunications orbiter to support Mars missions, with service to begin by the end of 2028. The firm-fixed price contract, worth up to about $700 million, was awarded Sept. 1. NASA did not immediately say how many... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Swift Telescope Restarted For Final Science Sortie
Irene Klotz September 01, 2026 Credit: NASA Following a failed attempt to restore the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a stable operational orbit, NASA turned two telescope science instruments back on for a final round of gamma-ray observations before the spacecraft plunges into Earth’s atmosphere as early as next month. The agency paid... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Roman Space Telescope Fires Engines For L2 Halo Orbit
Irene Klotz August 31, 2026 The Roman Space Telescope began a three-month journey to L2 after separation from the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at 7:57 a.m. EDT Aug. 30. Credit: NASA CAPE CANAVERAL—A day after its pinpoint deployment by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope fired its thrusters for the first time Aug. 31 to reach an operational orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). From that vantage point, the telescope, named for NASA...
NASA Flagship Observatory Dispatched To Probe Dark Energy, Dark Matter
Irene Klotz August 30, 2026 Credit: John Kraus/NASA CAPE CANAVERAL—NASA opened a new chapter in the exploration of the structure and evolution of the universe with the launch of a new flagship observatory that also will test technology to directly image planets beyond the Solar System. The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, named for NASA’s first chief... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Caltech Takes Over Two NASA Earth Science Missions
Irene Klotz August 26, 2026 The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) payload, located on the International Space Station, is being transferred to Caltech to operate alongside the free-flying OCO-2. Credit: Christina Koch/NASA SALT LAKE CITY—NASA is loaning its two Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) science missions to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) which will operate them for the next four years. The space agency will retain ownership of OCO-2, which orbits about 440 mi.
NASA Mulling Bulk-Buy Launches
Irene Klotz August 25, 2026 SpaceX's 17th dedicated rideshare mission launched on July 7 with 81 satellites aboard. Credit: SpaceX SALT LAKE CITY—NASA is in the early stage of setting up a headquarters-level office to oversee launch service procurements agencywide, including rideshares. Under the newly created Commercial Access to Space (CAtS) program, NASA is considering procuring five-20 launches in a single solicitation, and...
Despite Shortfall, LINK Spacecraft Demos Key Sat Servicing Tech: CEO
Irene Klotz August 24, 2026 Credit: Katalyst Space SALT LAKE CITY—While Katalyst Space was unable to boost a NASA space telescope back into an operational orbit, the $30 million mission, which remains ongoing, is demonstrating technologies needed for future robotic servicing, the company’s founder and CEO said Aug. 24. Katalyst’s Lightweight In... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
NASA Offering Inflatable Heat Shield For SmallSats
Irene Klotz August 24, 2026 Credit: David Bowman/NASA SALT LAKE CITY—NASA is looking to scale down and standardize a flight-proven inflatable heat shield for small satellite operators. The Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator mission flew as a secondary payload on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in November 2022... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
SmallSats Continue Industry Dominance
Irene Klotz August 24, 2026 Among the NASA-funded small satellites reaching orbit last year was Relativistic Electron Atmospheric Loss, which launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 on July 23, 2025. Credit: SpaceX SALT LAKE CITY—Small satellites have been moving off dedicated small launch vehicles and increasingly turning to shared rides on medium- and heavy-lift rockets, an analysis of the industry shows. Regardless, small satellites continue to dominate the market, with nearly 4,500 deployed in 2025...
SpaceX Expected To Add Starship Base In Louisiana
Irene Klotz August 20, 2026 SpaceX has conducted 13 flight tests of its Starship-Super Heavy launch system from Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Credit: SpaceX Following reports in May that SpaceX was interested in acquiring land in Louisiana for its Starship program, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and the state’s economic development agency plan an announcement Aug. 25 that is expected to confirm the project. Louisiana media outlets, including The Times...
Debrief: NASA Tech Test To Advance Search For Life Beyond Earth
Irene Klotz August 19, 2026 A composite image showing the progression of a total solar eclipse over San Millan de los Caballeros, Spain, on Aug. 12. Credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA Total solar eclipses are wondrous events, as millions of people in the path of totality across Spain, Iceland and Greenland experienced last week. Solar occultations offer scientific bounty as well. During a total solar eclipse on May 29, 1919, British astronomer Arthur Eddington photographed stars...
Starship Nears End Of Unplanned Sea Journey
Irene Klotz August 18, 2026 Three weeks after completing a successful suborbital flight test with an unexpectedly soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean, a SpaceX Starship spacecraft under tow reached calm waters off the coast of Christmas Island for additional post-flight analysis and a possible return to Starbase, Texas.... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Peller Named To Head ULA
Irene Klotz August 17, 2026 Mark Peller Credit: United Launch Alliance United Launch Alliance (ULA) has promoted Chief Operating Officer Mark Peller to president and CEO, succeeding Tory Bruno, who left ULA in December to develop and manage national security programs at Blue Origin. Peller joined ULA at the company’s formation in 2006 and most recently led development... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
NASA To Host Aero Expo At KSC
Irene Klotz August 14, 2026 Credit: John Kraus/NASA NASA will host an aerospace exposition at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Nov. 7-8 to showcase future aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles and other air and space transportation technologies. The two-day event includes activities at KSC’s Apollo Saturn V facility, former space shuttle Launch and... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin, RBC Signals Partner To Jump-Start Ground Network
Irene Klotz August 13, 2026 Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin is turning to outside expertise to jump-start a ground communications and operations network, named Quartz. In return, the RBC Signals Global Ground Station Network can tap into unused Quartz capacity for RBC Signals customers worldwide, the company said in an Aug. 13 press release... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin Tests Ground Stations For Global Network
Irene Klotz August 13, 2026 Credit: Blue Origin Blue Origin said it has completed installation of and successfully tested the first three ground stations for a planned nine-site global network known as Quartz. The first stations, featuring 3.7-m aperture antennas, are intended to support low-Earth-orbit (LEO) operations with S- and X-band... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
NASA Administrator Isaacman Imagines The State Of Space In 110 Years
Irene Klotz August 07, 2026 Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU Back in 1916, Aviation chose a novel image to mark the first issue of the magazine: a view of the ground from an airplane. In 2026, we showcase Starship in space. What will be cutting-edge 110 years from now? NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman offers a perspective to Senior Editor Irene Klotz. AW&ST... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Redwire Books SpaceX Starfall Mission
Irene Klotz August 06, 2026 Credit: SpaceX A Redwire Space subsidiary has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch, host and return a Starfall capsule carrying pharmaceutical samples for microgravity research. The mission, slated to launch in 2028, is expected to carry up to 32 of Redwire’s Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory containers, known... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Debrief: Inside Blue Origin’s New National Security Playbook
Irene Klotz August 06, 2026 Powered testing of Blue Ring 1 is underway ahead of launch, possibly later this year. Credit: Blue Origin Beyond rockets and Moon landers, Blue Origin is looking to parlay U.S. national security and other customers’ interest in in-space mobility, logistics, communications and computing into a variety of in-space services and infrastructure built around its Blue Ring platform and other technologies. “It...
Blue Origin Traces New Glenn Accident To Engine Oxygen Valve
Irene Klotz August 06, 2026 The 2-million-lb. launch table at SLC-36 was lifted out of flame trench in July for inspections and adjustments. Credit: Blue Origin CAPE CANAVERAL—The cause of the New Glenn rocket explosion on its Cape Canaveral launchpad in May has been traced to the main oxygen valve on one of the booster’s seven main engines, Blue Origin said Aug. 5. “The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines, which was later...
NASA’s Future In Low Earth Orbit Is Riding On Commercial Stations
Twenty years ago, in the wake of the Columbia accident and retirement of the space shuttles, NASA embarked on a bold experiment to turn over transportation services to and from the International Space Station to private companies, seeding SpaceX and other ventures.
Starlink V3 Captures View Of Starlink V3
Irene Klotz July 31, 2026 Credit: Starlink SpaceX released images taken by Starlink Version 3 (V3) satellites that conducted 20-min. inflight demonstrations as part of the July 24 Starship-Super Heavy flight test. Pictures posted on X July 30 show next-generation Starlink V3 satellites in space following deployment from Starship. As part of... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Starship-Super Heavy Test Program Turns A Corner With Flight 13
Irene Klotz July 31, 2026 Five days after splashdown, the Starship remained afloat in the Indian Ocean. Credit: SpaceX After a successful full-duration flight test and landing system demonstration, SpaceX’s next-generation Starship-Super Heavy launcher is on the cusp of orbital flight and tower returns. Starship-Super Heavy Version 3 (V3) is intended to evolve quickly into an operational system for NASA and other...
Gallery: SpaceX Turns A Corner With Starship Flight 13
Irene Klotz July 30, 2026 Credit: SpaceX A SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy rocket lifted off from Boca Chica Beach, Texas—a region now known as Starbase—at 5:51 p.m. local time on July 24 to begin the program’s 13th integrated flight test. Credit: SpaceX With all engines performing as planned, the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft separated, setting the stage for the second test run of the next-generation Version 3 (V3) system.
Photo Gallery: SpaceX Turns A Corner With Starship Flight 13
Irene Klotz July 30, 2026 Credit: SpaceX A SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy rocket lifted off from Boca Chica Beach, Texas—a region now known as Starbase—at 5:51 p.m. local time on July 24 to begin the program’s 13th integrated flight test. Credit: SpaceX With all engines performing as planned, the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft separated, setting the stage for the second test run of the next-generation Version 3 (V3) system.
SpaceX Begins Recovery Of First Flown Starship V3
Irene Klotz July 29, 2026 SpaceX is retrieving the Starship spacecraft that flew on July 24. The ship completed a 65-min. suborbital flight with a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX is recovering the Starship Version 3 (V3) spacecraft that completed a 65-min. suborbital flight test on July 24, giving the company its first opportunity to analyze a flown Starship. “The ship’s landing was precise, meaning it would have been caught by the tower arms,” SpaceX CEO and Chief...
SpaceX Nails Test Objectives For Starship-Super Heavy Flight 13
Irene Klotz July 25, 2026 Credit: SpaceX SpaceX conducted a successful, full-duration flight test of its Starship-Super Heavy launch system on July 24, putting the reusable, Mars-class vehicle on the cusp of orbital flight. The 13th integrated flight test of Starship-Super Heavy lifted off at 6:51 p.m. EDT (5:51 p.m. local time) from... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Blue Origin Turns To NASA For New Glenn Upper Stage Engine Test Site
Irene Klotz July 24, 2026 Credit: NASA Blue Origin is shifting hot-fire testing of its New Glenn upper stage engines to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi as repairs and reconstruction continue at the company’s Cape Canaveral launch and test facilities. “Production continues at rate,” Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp noted on X in... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Debrief: U.S. Seeks Industry Ideas On Offshore Launch
Irene Klotz July 23, 2026 On its final flight in May 2014, a Sea Launch Zenit rocket carried the Eutelsat 3B satellite into orbit after liftoff from the Ocean Odyssey, a self-propelled oil rig modified into a mobile launchpad.
Debrief: Weighing Risk In Human Spaceflight
Irene Klotz July 22, 2026 Credit: NASA With lunar landings and future human missions to Mars as its goal, NASA and the U.S. space community should have a hard think about how they assess risk. “Say a crew launches to Mars, lands on the surface and comes back. Or maybe they just go around and come back alive. We’ll call that a success,” U... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Relativity Space Expanding Florida Operations
Irene Klotz July 21, 2026 Credit: Relativity Space CAPE CANAVERAL—Relativity Space plans to add production and test facilities as well as launch support infrastructure for its Terran R program at Cape Canaveral SFS. The Long Beach, California-based company, now overseen by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is eligible for up to $134 million in funding... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
NASA Payload Shifted From Vulcan To Falcon Heavy
Irene Klotz July 20, 2026 Credit: Allison Bills/Space Dynamics Laboratory A NASA science payload hitching a ride on a U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission will fly on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rather than a United Launch Alliance Vulcan. The Vulcan, which debuted in January 2024, has not flown since the USSF-87 mission on Feb. 12. The rocket... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
NASA To Outfit Orion With Starlink For Artemis III
Irene Klotz July 17, 2026 Artist’s rendering of a Starship spacecraft docked with NASA’s Orion capsule. Credit: SpaceX/NASA As part of the upcoming Artemis III flight test, NASA plans to outfit its crewed Orion spacecraft with two mini lasers to connect with SpaceX’s Starlink network. The goal is to enable inflight 4K imagery and video from Orion, which is slated to spend about two weeks in low Earth orbit (LEO) in mid-...
Starship Flight 13 Aborted Just Before Liftoff
Irene Klotz July 16, 2026 Credit: SpaceX An unknown technical issue nixed the launch of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship-Super Heavy system in the final second before liftoff on July 16. “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort,” SpaceX CEO and chief engineer Elon Musk wrote on X. “Next launch attempt... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Penn State Teams With Voyager Space Research Park
Irene Klotz July 15, 2026 Credit: Starlab Voyager Technologies, a contender for a NASA-backed, privately owned space station in low Earth orbit (LEO), is adding Pennsylvania State University to its associated space research institute, which is intended to nurture science, applications, manufacturing and other initiatives to grow the space... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX Gears Up For Starship Flight Test July 16
Irene Klotz July 13, 2026 Credit: SpaceX The FAA has closed its mishap investigation into SpaceX’s last Starship-Super Heavy flight test, clearing the company for another attempt to demonstrate its next-generation reusable superheavy lift system as early as July 16. Starship Flight 13 is slated to launch between 6:45 -8:15 p.m. EDT/5:45-7... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Startup Aims To Catch A Falling Space Telescope
Irene Klotz July 09, 2026 Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft will conduct a survey of NASA’s Swift telescope before attempting to dock. Credit: Katalyst Space/NASA Concept Four years ago, entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman proposed a mission to NASA: Reboost the Hubble Space Telescope using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Ultimately, the agency passed on the offer to avoid the risk of damaging the aging but highly productive observatory but kept the...
NASA Releases Draft RFP For ISS Replacement Plan
Irene Klotz July 06, 2026 Credit: NASA NASA released a long-awaited draft solicitation July 6 for industry partners to design, build and operate a commercial space station in low Earth orbit (LEO) to succeed the International Space Station. The proposed solicitation calls for the partner or partners to be ready to support a crewed flight... Irene Klotz Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral.
Debrief: NASA For Hire
Irene Klotz July 01, 2026 NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a public-private partnership with Relativity Space to advance Mars science. Credit: Relativity Space At first blush, the NASA agreement for Relativity Space to fly a suite of science instruments to Mars is just another step in the agency’s efforts to broaden the pool of companies supporting its science and exploration goals—and hopefully save taxpayers money in the process. But the reimbursable...
Blue Origin Doubles Down On Return To Flight This Year
Irene Klotz July 01, 2026 Artist's rendering of Blue Origin's new concept of operations using a crane to vertically hoist New Glenn and lift it onto the launch table for mating with the vehicle hold-down ring. Credit: Blue Origin CAPE CANAVERAL—A month after a botched preflight hotfire test destroyed a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket and severely damaged its sole launch complex, the company said it had cleared all the debris and started to rebuild the launchpad at Cape Canaveral SFS.
NASA Buys Four More Rides To The Moon
Irene Klotz June 30, 2026 Artist's depictions of Astrobotics, Intuitive Machines and Firefly landers on the Moon. Credit: NASA NASA has awarded four additional Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts to a trio of companies developing lunar landing services for NASA science, commercial customers and other payloads. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, which is in the process of being acquired by Voyager Technologies, was awarded...
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