Stephen Clark
@StephenClark1

Space Reporter @arstechnica, ex @SpaceflightNow | Reachable at Stephen.Clark@arstechnica.com

 Texas
arstechnica.com/author/steph…
Joined January 2009
1,074 Photos and videos
Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
6h
The launch crisis is real, analysts say. Also, some interesting comments from Telesat’s CEO on whether Starship will launch commercial satellites. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Analysts find looming launch crisis is "more severe" than anticipated

There's no evidence that Starship will launch traditional satellites, either.

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 29
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about, and talking to people about a post-Falcon world. Why sunset the world’s best rocket? Can Starship replace it? What about Artemis? Why are SpaceXers flocking to Memphis? Grab a coffee, this is a long one. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

SpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency

NASA desperately needs SpaceX, and SpaceX knows it, and Elon knows it."

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 28
Can Virgin Galactic save the space tourism industry? arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

The last, best hope for space tourism just rolled onto a runway in Arizona

It has been nearly a year since any space tourism flights occurred.

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The Vulcan rocket, grounded for 9 months, is finally about to resume service. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

ULA's Vulcan rocket is set to return to flight on Friday the 13th

This Vulcan launch will be first to use a full complement of 6 solid rocket boosters.

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Pentagon intel agency reveals clearest view yet of China's spaceplane. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

China's top-secret spaceplane can't hide in low-Earth orbit

The DIA's threat assessment suggests China may soon place directed energy weapons in space.

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Space Force considering all options: public-private, federal installation, state land. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Inside the Pentagon, the pressure is on to find a home for a new spaceport

Space Force considering options: public-private, federal installation, state land.

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 22
Just now, on the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel call, member Charlie Precourt said the latest estimate for refuelings needed to support a Starship landing on the Moon is "around 22" launches.
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After Kosmos 2612 painted a bullseye on ICEYE-X36, the Russian official who called commercial satellites “legitimate targets” now says concerns are “unfounded.” arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

US official: Russia's stalker satellite sure looks like an orbital weapon

The Russian official who called commercial satellites "legitimate targets" now says concerns are "unfounded."

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 21
Is next year finally the year when Starship reaches an inflection point and takes off? arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

SpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, with eye on rapid cadence increase

We have had significant constructive engagement with the FAA."

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 20
Handicapping the race to the launch pad. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Does anyone actually want to win the medium-lift race in the United States?

Ars Technica is here to help with a guide to the medium-lift space race.

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Exploration at its finest. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Japan launches mission to bring home a piece of the Martian moon Phobos

The climax for MMX will come in 2029, when the spacecraft will attempt up to two landings on Phobos.

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Russia turns up the temperature in LEO. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Russian spacecraft maneuvers in "extreme proximity" to satellite used by Ukraine

Kosmos 2612 closed from hundreds of kilometers away to extreme proximity to ICEYE-X36."

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China's Zhuque-2E rocket broke apart in orbit after a June launch. The following mission in September inexplicably deorbited over the American Midwest. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

A Chinese rocket deorbited over Minnesota and left this in a farmer's cornfield

All the evidence points to the debris being part of a Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket.

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First photo of Starfall, the cake-topper for SpaceX's Bandwagon-5 mission launching soon.
SpaceX
@SpaceX
Oct 17
Teams encapsulated 32 payloads ahead of Falcon 9’s launch of the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Florida → spacex.com/launches/bandwago…
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In this week's Rocket Report: • SpaceX proposes launching from Starbase up to 456 times per year • First Neutron launch slips again • Stoke's reusable upper stage ships out for testing • India's Skyroot signs US customer arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Rocket Report: FAA eyes more Starbase traffic; India's Skyroot snares US customer

The pioneering reusable upper stage for Stoke Space's Nova rocket ships out for testing.

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 16
Four pads. Three landing ships. Up to 150 upper stages a year. It's a big commitment to New Glenn. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Blue Origin is going all in on the New Glenn rocket

The infrastructure is designed to support multiple flights per week by the end of the decade.

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Neutron's development time has doubled. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Neutron's first launch slips again amid trouble with carbon composites

Rocket Lab announced the Neutron rocket in 2021, aiming for a first flight in 2024.

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"We have some good news for Venus." arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Things are finally looking up for NASA's first missions to Venus in a generation

This is great news for us. We're staffing up. We're accelerating."

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Eric Berger
@SciGuySpace
Oct 9
It’s green-light-go for commercial space stations. arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

NASA issues long-awaited call to industry for private space stations

We’ve made it clear that NASA will never give up its presence in low-Earth orbit."

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Stephen Clark retweeted
Ars Technica
@arstechnica
Oct 9
Rocket Report: A rare Falcon 9 scrub; is it just about Vulcan's time to shine? arstechnica.com/space/2026/1…

Rocket Report: A rare Falcon 9 scrub; is it just about Vulcan's time to shine?

I can say we’re weeks away from launching on Vulcan."

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