Free Republic

Starlab — being built by Voyager Space and Airbus through a joint venture, alongside partners including Northrop Grumman and Hilton — is planned to launch on a single mission of SpaceX’s mammoth rocket. Starlab represents one of the earliest commercial customers to order a Starship launch from SpaceX. The companies did not disclose the launch contract’s value. The station is one of several currently in development by U.S. companies, as NASA prepares to retire the International Space Station in 2030. Voyager and Airbus are targeting as early as 2028 for Starlab’s launch. The space station’s four-year development and construction timeline...

The trade war between the United States and China ratcheted up over the weekend to a level that Cowen says, “on a scale of 1-10, it’s an 11.” “Overnight, Chinese government retaliated against new U.S. tariffs, and it’s designed to get the President’s attention,” Cowen analyst Chris Krueger said in a note to investors on Monday. China responded on Monday in two ways to President Donald Trump announcing the U.S. will add 10% tariffs to $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. First, China’s central bank allowed its currency the yuan to fall “below 7 to the dollar, which is a...