Christian Davenport

Washington, D.C.

Reporter covering NASA and the space industry

Education: Colby College, B.A., American Studies

Christian Davenport covers NASA and the space industry for The Washington Post's Financial desk. He joined The Post in 2000 and has had an array of assignments, including covering the D.C.-area sniper shootings, the Abu Ghraib scandal, the Fort Hood shootings and the burial problems at Arlington National Cemetery. He was a consulting producer of “Space: The Private Frontier,” a two-hour documentary that aired on the Discovery and Science Channels, and a producer and co-host of “Space Launch Live,” the networks’ Emmy-award-winning live broadcast of SpaceX’s first crewed mission, which was the
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Latest from Christian Davenport

SpaceX successfully catches returning Starship rocket

The risky maneuver is a step toward SpaceX’s goal of full reusability for Starship, which is the world’s most powerful rocket, and is key to NASA’s plans to return to the moon.

October 13, 2024
A SpaceX Starship rocket successfully landed upright alongside a massive metal landing tower in Boca Chica, Tex., on Oct. 13.

As International Space Station ages, air leaks from Russian section

In late September, the inspector general identified 588 replacement parts that were operating beyond their planned operational lifetimes.

October 9, 2024
A Soyuz spacecraft undocks from the International Space Station on Sept. 23.

SpaceX Polaris astronauts complete first spacewalk by private citizens

In an exclusive interview, the crew told The Post the suits worked well and the first test in space will allow SpaceX to continue to innovate.

September 12, 2024

SpaceX Polaris program launches on historic mission with private crew

SpaceX's Polaris mission launched with a private crew aiming for a historic spacewalk and record altitude.

September 10, 2024

Boeing’s Starliner returns but faces an uncertain future

NASA and Boeing will begin to assess what went wrong with the spacecraft’s thrusters and try to determine whether Boeing will have to make design changes.

September 7, 2024
Boeing and NASA teams inspect the Boeing Starliner spacecraft after its return from space at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

How NASA plans to rescue two astronauts stuck in space

Almost three months ago, two NASA astronauts flew to space in a Boeing spacecraft – and have been stuck at the International Space Station ever since. Today on “Post Reports,” what went wrong and what this could mean for the future of spaceflight.

August 27, 2024

Daring SpaceX Polaris mission aims for first spacewalk by private citizens

The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three flights that Jared Isaacman has commissioned from SpaceX.

August 25, 2024

NASA to keep Starliner crew in space until 2025, with SpaceX handling return

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been on their mission far longer than originally expected.

August 24, 2024

NASA says data will guide return of stuck astronauts, but past tragedies loom large

The political implications for the White House are unmistakable even as NASA vows engineering and data alone will guide whether two astronauts return in the troubled Starliner.

August 22, 2024
A view from SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavor spacecraft shows Boeing’s Starliner docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on July 3.

Starliner crew may stay in space until February as NASA weighs SpaceX option

The astronauts on the Boeing test flight were supposed to stay on the International Space Station for eight days but could end up staying eight months.

August 7, 2024