China’s secret space launch; Europe’s drone ship advances
▼ Summary
– SpaceX’s Starship program has seen mixed results in 2025, with successful reuse of the Super Heavy booster but multiple Starship losses early in the year.
– Recent Starship missions have improved, with the last two ending in precise splashdowns and the latest returning with minimal damage due to heat shield enhancements.
– Hans Koenigsmann, a former long-time SpaceX executive, will fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle as early as next month.
– Koenigsmann’s fellow passenger Michaela Benthaus will become the first wheelchair user in space, following a spinal cord injury from a 2018 accident.
– After thorough safety discussions with Blue Origin engineers, Koenigsmann expressed confidence in the New Shepard vehicle despite his SpaceX background.
This year has proven to be a complex one for SpaceX’s Starship program, marked by both notable successes and significant hurdles. The company has demonstrated impressive skill in launching and recovering the colossal Super Heavy booster, a key component powered by thirty-three engines. However, the Starship vehicle itself, which functions as both a spacecraft and an upper stage, encountered difficulties earlier in the year. Following the loss of four Starship prototypes in the first half of 2025, the program has recently seen a dramatic turnaround. The two most recent missions concluded with precise splashdowns in the Indian Ocean. This week’s flight stands out as potentially the most successful to date, with the vehicle returning to Earth exhibiting minimal damage, a strong indication that recent enhancements to the heat shield are performing as intended.
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In a notable career move, a veteran from SpaceX is set to journey to space with Blue Origin. Hans Koenigsmann, one of the earliest and most respected employees at Elon Musk’s company, spent nearly twenty years there. He ascended to the position of vice president for mission assurance and safety before his departure in 2021. During his tenure, he was responsible for leading investigations into every Falcon rocket failure, served as a mentor to a generation of young engineers, and became a familiar public representative for the company. He has now announced plans to fly on a future suborbital mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle.
Koenigsmann will be accompanied on this flight by his friend, Michaela “Michi” Benthaus, with the launch potentially occurring as soon as next month. Benthaus has a remarkable story of her own; a mountain biking accident in 2018 resulted in a spinal cord injury, but she persevered in pursuing her ambition. Her participation will make her the first individual who uses a wheelchair to travel to space. Koenigsmann expressed that safety was a primary consideration for him. After meeting with the engineering team at Blue Origin and posing numerous technical questions regarding vehicle safety, he felt assured enough to proceed. He stated that the answers he received were thoughtful and correct, giving him the confidence to board the New Shepard. For deeper insight into a longtime SpaceX insider’s perspective on collaborating with a former rival, readers can explore the full interview with Hans Koenigsmann.
(Source: Ars Technica)
