Tag: NASA
-
Further delays of Starliner’s next flight mark anniversary of its first crewed Space Station docking
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Image: NASA/Kim Shiflett One year ago today, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station to begin its long-awaited Crew Flight Test with NASA astronauts…
-
Senate response to White House budget for NASA: Keep SLS, nix science
Negotiations over the US federal budget for fiscal year 2026 are in the beginning stages, but when it comes to space, the fault lines are already solidifying in the Senate. The Trump White House released its budget request last Friday, and this included detailed information about its plans for NASA. On Thursday, just days later,…
-
Jared Isaacman speaks out, and it’s clear that NASA lost a visionary leader
In a revealing interview published by the All-In Podcast on Wednesday, the private astronaut nominated to lead NASA, Jared Isaacman, spoke at length on what he thought about the nomination process, how he would have led NASA, and the factors that led to the abrupt rescission of his nomination by President Trump. “I got a…
-
Some parts of Trump’s proposed budget for NASA are literally draconian
New details of the Trump administration’s plans for NASA, released Friday, revealed the White House’s desire to end the development of an experimental nuclear thermal rocket engine that could have shown a new way of exploring the Solar System. Trump’s NASA budget request is rife with spending cuts. Overall, the White House proposes reducing NASA’s…
-
NASA Proposes Deep Budget Cuts for 2026, Prioritizing Exploration Over Science Missions
NASA has unveiled detailed plans for its fiscal year 2026 budget, proposing significant cuts to science missions and workforce alongside new investments in human space exploration, according to documents released on May 30. The agency’s proposed budget request totals $18.8 billion, representing a nearly 25% decrease from the $24.9 billion NASA received in fiscal year…
-
NASA Switches to Backup Propellant Line on Psyche Asteroid Mission
NASA has resolved a propulsion issue on its Psyche asteroid mission by switching to a backup xenon propellant line, allowing the spacecraft to resume operations with its electric thrusters by mid-June, the agency said Tuesday. The spacecraft, which launched in October 2023 to study the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, experienced a drop in pressure in early…
-
White House Withdraws Jared Isaacman’s NASA Administrator Nomination Amid Political Concerns
The White House has withdrawn Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator, adding uncertainty to the agency at a time when it faces proposed deep budget cuts. The announcement came in a statement from White House spokesperson Liz Huston, who said a new nominee aligned with President Trump’s “America First” agenda will be named soon.…
-
How Dragonfly will support the search for life on an uninhabitable world
In July 2028, NASA’s next New Frontiers program mission, Dragonfly, will launch to Saturn atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. Six years later, it will descend through the thick clouds and atmospheric layers of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan — finding a world that is both similar to and different from Earth. While on Titan, Dragonfly will…
-
Trump pulls Isaacman nomination for space. Source: “NASA is f***ed.”
The Trump administration has confirmed that it is pulling the nomination of private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. First reported by Semafor, the decision appears to have been made because Isaacman was not politically loyal enough to the Trump administration. “The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump’s…
-
President Trump withdraws Isaacman nomination for NASA Administrator days before confirmation vote
Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next administrator of NASA, appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls Update May 31, 11:40 p.m. EDT: Added comments from President Trump and Jared Isaacman. In an abrupt…