Tag: NASA
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U.S. Space Force Urged to Expand Planning for Cislunar Operations, Vice Chief Says
The U.S. Space Force needs to think more seriously about its future role in operations on and around the moon, even as its small size and near-term priorities have constrained long-term planning, Vice Chief of Space Operations Shawn Bratton said this week. Speaking on Jan. 21 at an event hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg…
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Eastern Range ready for same day fueling of Space Launch System, Vulcan rockets
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket at Launch Complex 39B (left) and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket inside its Vertical Integration Facility (right): Image: NASA/Keegan Barber (left), United Launch Alliance (right) Update Jan. 24, 8:40 p.m. EST (0140 UTC): Added additional comment from Col. Bulson. February 2026 is shaping up to be a blockbuster month for…
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Webb reveals a planetary nebula with phenomenal clarity, and it is spectacular
The Helix Nebula is one of the most well-known and commonly photographed planetary nebulae because it resembles the “Eye of Sauron.” It is also one of the closest bright nebulae to Earth, located approximately 655 light-years from our Solar System. You may not know what this particular nebula looks like when reading its name, but…
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U.S. Senators Propose Bipartisan Bills to Streamline Space Rules and Expand Talent Pipeline
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced two bills aimed at easing regulatory hurdles and strengthening the talent base of the domestic space industry, as lawmakers seek to keep pace with rapid growth in commercial space activity. One proposal, the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act, would establish a formal public-private exchange allowing staff from…
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NASA to End Funding for Independent Planetary Science Advisory Groups
NASA said it will end financial support for a network of independent advisory groups that for decades have helped guide the agency’s planetary science research, a move that limits formal channels for outside scientific input and reduces public visibility into agency operations. The decision was communicated late Friday in a letter from Louise Prockter, director…
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NASA Rolls Artemis II Moon Rocket to Launchpad as Final Preparations Begin
NASA on Saturday began the final phase of launch preparations for its Artemis II mission, moving the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket toward its Florida launchpad ahead of the first crewed flight under its lunar return programme. The 322-foot-tall SLS rocket was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center…
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‘The start of a very long journey’: NASA’s Artemis moon rocket makes the slow trip to its launch pad
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and its mobile launcher head for the launch pad. (NASA Photo / Keegan Barber) NASA’s massive Space Launch System rocket crept to its Florida launch pad today at a top speed of about 1 mph, marking the first step in a journey that will eventually send astronauts around the moon…
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Artemis II rolls out to LC-39B for first crewed lunar mission since 1972
The rocket and spacecraft that will perform the first human spaceflight to the vicinity of the Moon since December 1972 rolled out to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Orion spacecraft and its associated Space Launch System rocket, mounted on its mobile launch platform, started its rollout with…
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U.S. Senate Boosts Funding for NASA, NOAA, NSF in Rejection of Trump Budget Cuts
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to provide billions of dollars more in funding for major federal science agencies than requested by the Trump administration, rejecting proposed deep cuts to research, space science and weather programs. In an 82–15 vote, the Senate approved a so-called minibus spending package funding agencies including the National Aeronautics…
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Splashes Down in Pacific After Five-Month ISS Mission
NASA said its SpaceX Crew-11 mission safely returned to Earth early Thursday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego and concluding a more than five-month stay aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui,…