Tag: NASA
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Republican-backed reconciliation bill passes, includes funding for ISS, Artemis programs, Space Shuttle relocation
The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C. Image: NASA A massive tax and spending package passed by the Senate on Wednesday was approved by the House on Thursday and signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, July 4. The bill, H.R. 1, also referred to as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Act, was…
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Northrop Grumman tests SLS Block 2 BOLE booster in Utah; nozzle issue seen
Northrop Grumman conducted the first test firing of its Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) five-segment solid rocket motor at its Promontory production and test site in Utah. The Development Motor 1 (DM-1) fired Thursday, June 26, at 12:25 PM MDT (18:25 UTC) and lasted for close to two minutes and 20 seconds, burning over…
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Axiom Mission 4 launches atop Falcon 9 on new Crew Dragon Grace
SpaceX, along with Axiom Space, launched its fourth private crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, June 25, at 2:31 AM EDT (06:31 UTC) atop Falcon 9 and the newly-named Crew Dragon Grace. The mission had been postponed following the discovery of leaks on both the launch vehicle and the Station’s Zvezda module.…
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Psyche keeps its date with an asteroid, but now it’s running in backup mode
A NASA spacecraft bound for an unexplored metal-rich asteroid has reignited its plasma thrusters, continuing its cruise deeper into the Solar System after switching to a backup fuel line. The $1.4 billion Psyche mission, built to explore an asteroid with the same name, has four electric thrusters fueled by xenon gas. Psyche’s solar-electric propulsion system…
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Relativity Space accelerates production and testing of first Terran R
In a series of recent updates from Relativity Space, the company highlighted progress on its upcoming Terran R launch vehicle and supporting infrastructure for the rocket’s first flight, scheduled for 2026. The company is currently concentrating on three key areas: Terran R launch infrastructure, Aeon R engine testing, and the production of Terran R. Block…
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Solar Orbiter makes first ever observations of Sun’s south pole, reveals messy magnetic field
Following a flyby of Venus in February that successfully increased its orbital inclination around the Sun, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter recently imaged the Sun’s poles for the first time. The images are the first to show how the Sun’s immense magnetic field interacts at its poles, and will improve scientists’ understanding of the…
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Rocket Report: New delay for Europe’s reusable rocket; SpaceX moves in at SLC-37
Welcome to Edition 7.48 of the Rocket Report! The shock of last week’s public spat between President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has worn off, and Musk expressed regret for some of his comments going after Trump on social media. Musk also backtracked from his threat to begin decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft, currently…
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Isaacman’s bold plan for NASA: Nuclear ships, seven-crew Dragons, accelerated Artemis
Nearly two weeks have passed since Jared Isaacman received a fateful, brief phone call from two officials in President Trump’s Office of Personnel Management. In those few seconds, the trajectory of his life over the next three and a half years changed dramatically. The president, the callers said, wanted to go in a different direction…
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5 things in Trump’s budget that won’t make NASA great again
If signed into law as written, the White House’s proposal to slash nearly 25 percent from NASA’s budget would have some dire consequences. It would cut the agency’s budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. Adjusted for inflation, this would be the smallest NASA budget since 1961, when the first American launched into space. The proposed funding plan…
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Jared Isaacman Says White House Pulled NASA Nomination Over Elon Musk Ties
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut, said on the All-In Podcast June 4 that he believes his nomination to lead NASA was withdrawn by the White House due to his connections with Elon Musk. Isaacman said he was informed on May 30 that President Trump had decided to “go in a different direction,”…