Latest news with #space race
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Science
- CTV News
Canada will feel the impact ‘severly' if NASA cuts funding: Expert
York University's Paul Delaney breaks down how $6-billion in cuts to NASA's funding may pave the way for China to dominate the space race.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
France names space rocket Orbital BAGUETTE One (and can you spot the clever nod to Star Wars?)
France has officially entered the space race with a rocket named Orbital Baguette One. The country known for wine, cheese and existential cinema is now hoping to take over the cosmos with a crusty carb-themed spacecraft. The name is not just a nod to one of France's most iconic exports, but also a wink to Star Wars, with the OB-1 abbreviation paying a playful tribute to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. While rockets steeped in fantasy, such as Pegasus, Antares, and Atlas V, have dominated the space race, the French have decided to take a more boulangerie chic approach when choosing a name. Backed by President Emmanuel Macron and developed by a start-up called HyPrSpace, founded in 2019, Baguette One is a small, reusable suborbital launcher that promises cheap and eco-friendly satellite transport. A test flight is scheduled from a French military base, with a bigger version, Orbital Baguette One, to follow. Co-founder Sylvain Bataillard said the company wanted to be 'serious but not sinister' when picking the name. The rocket uses what HyPrSpace calls 'revolutionary hybrid propulsion,' powered by a mix of liquid and solid propellants, some made from recycled plastic. There are no turbo-pumps, and the chamber is pressurised with helium, which the company says helps keep costs low. Despite the playful branding, the project has serious backing. France's government has already handed over €35 million, with another €400 million up for grabs if initial launches succeed. The defence ministry is giving up military bases in southwest France and Provence for testing, making this the first rocket launch from mainland France. According to The Times, TV presenters on TF1 had a hard time trying to keep a straight face when reporting on the project this week, especially after showing an AI image of a baguette on a launchpad. But with global demand for satellite launches booming, no one is laughing at the potential. The Novaspace consultancy predicts more than 26,000 satellites will be launched by 2032. HyPrSpace wants to corner a slice of that market with its microlauncher, which it describes as a satellite 'taxi' offering flexible lift-off dates at half the usual cost. Most small rockets charge €40,000 per kilogram. Baguette One aims to do it for around €20,000. While SpaceX continues to dominate and Europe lags behind, France is hoping its crusty challenger will rise to the occasion. OB-1 may sound like a bakery joke, but Macron's government is betting it could be the future of French space travel.
South China Morning Post
12-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
What are China's plans for deep space exploration … and beyond?
The US Senate has approved an extra US$10 billion for Nasa's Artemis moon exploration programme, giving a major boost to contractors such as Boeing. While many see it as a domestic win over newer space players including SpaceX , it also signals the Trump administration's determination to stay ahead of China in an intensifying space race. Here we look at how China is expanding its deep-space ambitions , from putting astronauts on the moon to returning rocks from Mars, and how it is posing the most serious challenge to US space leadership in 60 years. Will the next words spoken on the moon be in Mandarin? Possibly. China aims to land two astronauts on the moon before 2030, with all major hardware now in prototype development and large-scale testing. The Chinese programme's Mengzhou crew capsule passed a critical safety test just last month, and the Long March-10 moon rocket could make its maiden flight as early as next year. China is also developing the Lanyue lunar lander and the Wangyu spacesuit, both undergoing trials. Nasa still leads on paper, with Artemis III targeting a crewed landing no earlier than 2027. But the mission faces big technical hurdles. In particular, its massive lunar lander – a modified SpaceX Starship – requires in-orbit refuelling, something that has not been done before.
