Decatur company to work on key component of future moon missions. Posted: Oct 27, 2026 / 09:30 PM CDT Updated: Oct 27, 2026 / 09:46 PM CDT DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) - United Launch Alliance has announced that it will work with NASA for a key part of future Artemis missions to the Moon. ULA said on Friday that it will be collaborating with NASA to develop the Centaur V upper stage for the Space Launch System for missions beginning with Artemis IV. The new upper stage will be built at ULA's Decatur facility and shipped by the company's specially designed RocketShip to Cape Canaveral. The new upper stage system is a key part of SLS as it pushes the Orion Spacecraft through its Trans-Lunar Injection burn, which sends the spacecraft on its way to the Moon. Due to this, the system will not be needed for Artemis III, as the mission will not leave low Earth orbit. The company said it is honored to be selected for such an important part of Artemis. "We could not be more honored to be involved in America's return to the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis program and thank you to NASA for its confidence in ULA," said Mark Peller, ULA's president and CEO. "In a full-circle moment, Centaur was developed for the Series D Atlas rocket and later helped the first U.S. spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon with the Surveyor 1 mission and now will support NASA's newest lunar landing plans with a new, innovative and evolved Centaur stage designed for exploration." NASA has prioritized the development of the 180k Centaur V, which would include a qualification test unit along with the flight unit to support a 2028 Artemis launch. ULA previously provided the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for Artemis I and II. "The flight-proven, high-performance Centaur upper stage has flown on more than 280 missions, and its innovative technology has delivered missions to every planet in the solar system," said Peller. "Its success stems from its ultra-lightweight structure and high-performance liquid hydrogen-fueled propulsion system." ULA said its new 180K Centaur will feature a larger tank length to increase propellant capacity by around 50 percent to increase performance. "Additional modifications from the current Centaur flying today include changing the material of the tank from stainless steel to alloy 718, larger hydrazine tanks, and an update to avionics and software from the current Centaur V's baseline," the company said. "In addition, the team will work through human rating the Centaur Exploration stage."

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explosion traced to faulty oxygen valve. Published on 5 September 2026 at 7:05 pm - Written by Chris Martin - Reading duration: 3 minutes Blue Origin has traced its New Glenn rocket explosion to a faulty main oxygen valve in one of the vehicle's BE-4 engines, CEO Dave Limp announced on August 5, 2026. The massive explosion occurred on May 28 during a static-fire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36, destroying the rocket and damaging critical launch infrastructure. The valve failure was confirmed through hardware recovery and detailed inspections of the debris. The oxygen valve controls the flow of liquid oxygen into one of the rocket's seven BE-4 engines. Limp said the company has identified the root cause and has a clear path forward: making small modifications to the valve that can be quickly retrofitted to existing engines. This targeted fix suggests the issue is localized and not a systemic problem requiring a complete engine redesign. The New Glenn rocket is central to Blue Origin's commercial and government ambitions. The company had completed three successful missions before the May explosion, and the vehicle is essential to Blue Origin's contract with NASA to launch its Blue Moon lunar lander as part of the Artemis program. The incident followed an earlier mission failure on New Glenn's third flight in April 2026, when an engine issue prevented the payload from reaching the correct orbit. The BE-4 engines powering New Glenn are also used on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, which has been collaborating with Blue Origin on the investigation. The engine design represents Blue Origin's effort to create an oxygen-rich staged combustion engine that is simpler and more reusable than competing designs. Return to flight accelerating. Blue Origin is pursuing an aggressive recovery timeline. The company completed wreckage recovery and debris removal within nine days of the explosion, and by late June 2026, pad reconstruction had begun. Limp announced that Blue Origin is committed to returning New Glenn to flight before the end of 2026, a goal that requires rebuilding damaged launch infrastructure and completing engine modifications in just a few months. To meet this timeline, Blue Origin is forgoing replacement of a large rocket transporter tower damaged in the explosion and instead changing how it integrates payloads onto the rocket in future launches. Industry observers noted that a 12- to 18-month rebuild timeline was more typical for damage of this scale, making Blue Origin's target highly ambitious. The company's success in identifying and fixing the valve issue quickly is critical to meeting its year-end return-to-flight goal. The explosion highlighted the bottlenecks in U.S. launch capacity. Before the New Glenn incident, ULA's Vulcan rocket had already been grounded due to solid rocket motor issues, further constraining available launch vehicles at a time when commercial demand for satellite launches continues to grow. Blue Origin's rapid investigation and proposed fix demonstrate the company's commitment to restoring launch capability and maintaining its position in the competitive commercial space market. Sources. * Reuters - Blue Origin CEO announcement of oxygen valve as root cause, company's modification plan, and Artemis program context * Space.com - Confirmation of valve issue from hardware recovery and inspections * SpaceNews - Launch Complex 36 damage assessment and wreckage recovery timeline * Ars Technica - Industry analysis of return-to-flight timeline feasibility and comparison to typical rebuild schedules Give your feedback. Chris Martin is a US economics and current affairs journalist covering the intersection of policy, markets, and everyday financial life. With a background in financial reporting and a sharp eye for the stories behind the numbers, Chris brings clarity to some of the most complex issues shaping the American economy today. At ECIKS.org, Chris covers breaking developments across domestic economic policy, business strategy, Wall Street movements, and political decisions that ripple through financial markets. His reporting blends rigorous data analysis with accessible storytelling making critical information useful for investors, entrepreneurs, and engaged citizens alike. ECIKS.org is an independent media. Support ECIKS by adding ECIKS to your Google News favorites:

Tory Bruno named Honorary Chair of World Space Week 2027. Houston - World Space Week Association announced today that Tory Bruno, President of National Security at Blue Origin, will serve as Honorary Chair of World Space Week 2027. "Tory Bruno is an outstanding choice to serve as Honorary Chair for World Space Week 2027," said Association President Dennis Stone. "The World Space Week 2027 theme, To the Moon, celebrates humanity's renewed focus on lunar exploration. Tory's leadership throughout his career has helped advance the launch capabilities that are enabling this new era of exploration, and Blue Origin is a leader in lunar capability development," he added. "It is an honor to serve as Honorary Chair of World Space Week 2027," Bruno said. "Establishing a lasting presence on the Moon is about taking the next step toward a future in which people can live, work, explore, and innovate beyond Earth. The missions and technologies being developed today will help make that future possible, and, just as importantly, inspire a new generation to believe that they can be part of building it, and the first step in changing our human destiny." "The Moon represents both our next destination and a gateway to the future of space exploration," said Association Executive Director Alma Okpalefe. "World Space Week 2027 will highlight the missions, technologies, and international collaborations that are bringing us back to the Moon while inspiring students, educators, and communities around the world to engage with humanity's next great chapter in space." UN-declared World Space Week is celebrated in thousands of classrooms and at public events globally, organized by space agencies, space companies, schools, planetaria, and others. World Space Week, October 4-10, 2026, is just around the corner with thousands of space-related events planned in nearly 100 countries, according to the Association. This year's theme is "The Rocket Revolution," and the Honorary Chair is John Elbon, former CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA). "We invite the global space community to organise events of all sizes from October 4-10, exploring the Rocket Revolution in 2026 and the Moon in 2027. We also encourage every organiser to add their event on the global World Space Week calendar at www.worldspaceweek.org, so it can be discovered and celebrated by audiences around the world," Okpalefe added. About Blue Origin Blue Origin manufactures and operates rocket engines, reusable launch vehicles, lunar landers, and satellite systems. Discover more at BlueOrigin.com. About World Space Week The largest space event on Earth, UN-declared World Space Week is celebrated annually from October 4-10. It is an international celebration of the contribution of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. World Space Week consists of numerous space-related events held by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetaria, museums, astronomy clubs, and others in a common timeframe to achieve greater student and public impact through synchronization. In 2025, up to 50,000 events took place in 102 countries. About World Space Week Association World Space Week Association is the global coordinator of World Space Week. As an international non-government, non-profit organization, it serves as a permanent observer on the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and is supported by voluntary contributions from sponsors including Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, Texas Instruments, Firefly Aerospace, L3 Harris, Black Sky, Airbus, Cesium Astro, Space Foundation, Gaia Horizons, Bae Systems and Space News. The Association was founded in 1982 and is one of the world's oldest space advocacy organizations.