Tag: NASA
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New Glenn’s successful static fire test clears way for launch of ESCAPADE mission
Following Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket firing its seven BE-4 engines on the first stage for 38 seconds, the path has been cleared for its upcoming launch of the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission to Mars. The company currently plans to launch the second flight of its heavy-lift, partially reusable rocket…
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President Trump renominates commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman for NASA administrator
Polaris Dawn Commander Jared Isaacman sits down with Matt Anderson, the chief growth officer for the Space Force Association, during the second annual Spacepower Conference to discuss human spaceflight. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update Nov. 5, 8:10 a.m. EST (1310 UTC): Added comments from Sean Duffy. In a move that will feel like déja vu,…
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Trump re-nominates Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator
President Donald Trump has officially re-nominated billionaire philanthropist and private astronaut Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA’s Administrator, replacing interim leader Sean Duffy after a contentious 12-month period marked by political maneuvering, public disputes, and shifting priorities in U.S. space policy. The announcement was made on November 4, 2025, via Trump’s Truth Social platform, where…
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Launch Roundup: Ariane 6 flies, Atlas V and New Glenn both scrub during busy week
This week’s launch manifest featured twelve missions launching on nine different rockets, including the first attempt of the second launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. This roundup covers an eight-day period, from Monday, Nov. 3, to Monday, Nov. 10. In addition to four Falcon 9 missions from SpaceX, an Ariane 62, New Glenn, Chang…
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Starship Block 3 and HLS: The path to get back to the Moon
Amid numerous questions about whether SpaceX can have the Human Landing System (HLS) variant of Starship ready in time for Artemis 3, the company released a significant amount of information on its progress with HLS and Starship in relation to the Artemis Program. Starship Human Landing System (HLS) SpaceX recently released an update regarding Starship…
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Former NASA Administrators urge space agency to rethink plans for Artemis Moon lander
Mike French (left) hosted a fireside chat with former NASA administrators Jim Bridenstine (center) and Charles Bolden (right) at the 2025 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. Image: American Astronautical Society via livestream Two former NASA Administrators called on the space agency to rethink its plans to land astronauts on the Moon using…
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Artemis spacesuits tested as existing ISS suits are showing their age
As the Artemis program works toward its first lunar landing on the Artemis III mission later this decade, new lunar spacesuits are finally being tested by Axiom Space. Meanwhile, the existing spacesuits aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are showing their age. A new inspector general report detailed risks to the Station’s extra vehicular activity…
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NASA leadership battle intensifies as Trump weighs Isaacman vs. Duffy
A high-stakes contest for NASA’s next permanent Administrator is unfolding, pitting billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman against Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. The decision, which rests solely with President Donald Trump, has sparked intense debate and public maneuvering, leaving the forward plan of America’s space agency hanging in the balance. Historically, each new U.S. president…
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NASA Opens Competition for Artemis III Lunar Lander
NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy revealed that the agency is reopening the contract for the first U.S. crewed lunar landing since the 1970s, inviting proposals from companies beyond SpaceX’s Starship. The move aims to accelerate the Artemis III mission and ensure American astronauts return to the Moon’s surface before China’s planned landing by 2030, amid…
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Scientists use Cassini data to discover new molecules in Enceladus water jets
Located around Saturn is the icy moon Enceladus — one of the most interesting and potentially habitable moons in the solar system. NASA’s Cassini mission extensively studied Saturn and its moons from 2004 to 2017 and, in 2005, revealed large geyser-like jets extending from Enceladus’ south pole. Later studies would suggest that a massive subsurface…