Vulcan Rocket

An historic commercial US mission to the Moon will fail after suffering a critical loss of fuel, organizers admitted Tuesday, ending for the time being America's hopes of placing its first spacecraft on the lunar surface since the Apollo era.

A historic private mission to land on the Moon was facing potential failure Monday due to technical problems, in a blow to America's hopes of placing its first robot on the lunar surface in five decades.

Amazon plans to launch its first pair of prototype internet satellites late next month on a different rocket than previously planned, to avoid mounting rocket delays. The company will launch the first two satellites for Amazon's Kuiper program aboard a dedicated Atlas V rocket from the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture.

The first American spacecraft expected to land on the moon in nearly 50 years will be an unmanned robotic lander built by closely held Astrobotic Technology Inc and launched in two years by United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, the companies told Reuters on Monday.

Choosing Blue Origin's made-in-America BE-4 engine for the Vulcan launch vehicle is part of ULA's path to ending US reliance on Russia's RD-180 engine for national security missions.

Called Stratolaunch, the plane has some impressive stats: a wingspan of 385 feet, or longer than a football field, a height of 50 feet.

An historic commercial US mission to the Moon will fail after suffering a critical loss of fuel, organizers admitted Tuesday, ending for the time being America's hopes of placing its first spacecraft on the lunar surface since the Apollo era.

A historic private mission to land on the Moon was facing potential failure Monday due to technical problems, in a blow to America's hopes of placing its first robot on the lunar surface in five decades.

Amazon plans to launch its first pair of prototype internet satellites late next month on a different rocket than previously planned, to avoid mounting rocket delays. The company will launch the first two satellites for Amazon's Kuiper program aboard a dedicated Atlas V rocket from the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture.

The first American spacecraft expected to land on the moon in nearly 50 years will be an unmanned robotic lander built by closely held Astrobotic Technology Inc and launched in two years by United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, the companies told Reuters on Monday.

Choosing Blue Origin's made-in-America BE-4 engine for the Vulcan launch vehicle is part of ULA's path to ending US reliance on Russia's RD-180 engine for national security missions.

Called Stratolaunch, the plane has some impressive stats: a wingspan of 385 feet, or longer than a football field, a height of 50 feet.