Q&A with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (members only)

An orbiting astronomical observatory launched 10 years ago to probe violent stellar explosions and black holes has been deactivated after it stopped regularly communicating with the ground, the Japanese space agency said Thursday.

Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur who flew to space twice as a commercial astronaut, was nominated for the position in early December and was voted favorably out of committee in late April. A replacement hasn’t been named.

SpaceX this week released a new batch of photos showing the Feb. 6 liftoff of the company’s first Falcon Heavy rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, followed by landing of the launcher’s two side boosters around eight minutes later at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.