Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International. She also worked with Discovery Communications, Discovery News and was a founding member of Space.com.
Irene cut her teeth on the space beat at Florida Today newspaper, a business writer enchanted by the colorful entrepreneurs who wanted access to Air Force launch facilities and assets after commercial payloads were taken off the space shuttles following the 1986 Challenger accident. Commercial space remains the focus of her work, along with a keen interest in the search for life beyond Earth.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Irene is the 2014 recipient of the Harry Kolcum Memorial News and Communications Award, named in honor of the late Aviation Week managing editor and Cape Canaveral senior editor who was among Irene’s earliest mentors.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) released a promotional video on March 31 that previews the unveiling of a new member of the Falcon rocket family, a heavy lifter that will compete with United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets. Details about the Falcon Heavy will be released on April 5. SpaceX’s website (www.spacex.com) describes the Falcon Heavy as being capable of lifting more than 32,000 kg (70,500 lb.) to low Earth orbit and more than 19,500 kg to geostationary transfer orbit.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) particle detector, a $2 billion collaborative project by 16 nations, has been moved to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A, where space shuttle Endeavour is being prepared to lift off on the STS-134 mission on April 19. Once mounted to the International Space Station’s (ISS) S3 Truss, AMS is to spend the next 10-20 years looking at high-energy particles from cosmic sources. Among the ambitious research goals is to prove or disprove the existence of antimatter.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA reopened Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A for work March 15 following a fatality at the shuttle launch pad the day before.
