DerekSpace started out initially as a photography brand in 2023 aimed at independent coverage of spaceflight for new outlets and companies looking for high quality photos of all activities surrounding a launch. In 2026 after growing frustration with the broader state of spaceflight news coverage in major media, we branched out to start providing coverage of ongoing events across the US spaceflight industry, with a focus on NASA’s Artemis program and its ongoing campaigns to return to the Moon.

Derek Newsome, the owner and founder of DerekSpace, has been a long time follower of NASA and world spaceflight. He first witnessed a launch in 2006, with Space Shuttle Discovery launching the STS-121 mission to the International Space Station. Since then he has been a constant fan of spaceflight his entire life.

After moving to Florida in 2020, Newsome joined Space Scout as one of their earliest contributors and photographers. He first covered a NASA mission officially in 2021, traveling to the Mid Atlantic Regional Spaceport to cover the NG-16 mission. In 2023, following the NROL-77 mission, he departed Space Scout to begin covering spaceflight on his own, officially launching the DerekSpace brand.