Tag: NASA
-
LINK Spacecraft Approaches Within 15 Kilometers of Swift but Cannot Complete Orbital Rescue
Katalyst Space’s LINK servicing spacecraft approached within 12 to 15 kilometers of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after aligning its orbit with the aging telescope, but an attitude-control problem prevented the vehicle from attempting the capture and orbital boost originally planned to extend Swift’s mission. NASA said on September 4 that LINK would make no…
-
NASA Moves Artemis II Commander and Pilot to Emeritus Status
NASA will transition Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover to emeritus status at Johnson Space Center in September, retaining their technical and operational experience as the agency prepares for Artemis III in 2027 and its planned return to the lunar surface with Artemis IV in 2028. The change follows the astronauts’ 10-day…
-
NASA Adds Relativity Space’s Terran R to Launch Services Roster
NASA added Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket to its NASA Launch Services II contract on September 9, making the still-unflown vehicle eligible to compete for future agency launch orders. The award expands NASA’s pool of launch providers as Relativity prepares Terran R for its first flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in late 2026.…
-
NASA Seeks Industry Proposals for Lunar Power, Oxygen and Manufacturing Systems
NASA issued a solicitation on September 8 seeking industry-led proposals to mature five technologies needed for sustained operations at the lunar South Pole, including vertical solar arrays, oxygen production from regolith, radioisotope power, in-space manufacturing and advanced nanomaterials. The initiative is intended to close infrastructure gaps that would otherwise limit the duration and independence of…
-
NASA Books SpaceX Rideshare Launch for Green Dual-Mode Propulsion Satellite
NASA has manifested its shoebox-sized Green Propulsion Dual Mode satellite, known as GPDM, for an upcoming SpaceX rideshare launch. The spacecraft will conduct a nine-month orbital demonstration of a low-toxicity, dual-mode propulsion system that could provide small satellites with a safer alternative to conventional hydrazine-based propulsion. The mission will move technology studied at NASA’s Marshall…
-
Artemis III Booster Stacking Reaches Four of Five Segments as Orion Heat Shield Fix Is Confirmed
NASA has stacked the fourth of five major assemblies on each of the twin solid rocket boosters for Artemis III and completed installation of all four RS-25 engines on the mission’s Space Launch System core stage at Kennedy Space Center. The processing milestones come as a five-month review of the Artemis II Orion heat shield…
-
NASA Adds 34-Meter Goldstone Antenna to Expand Deep Space Network Capacity
NASA’s Deep Space Station 23 began operations on Aug. 3, 2026, at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, California, adding a 34-meter antenna to its heavily subscribed Deep Space Network. Its first operational contact tracked the Chandra X-ray Observatory, following a testing campaign from May through July. NASA marked the antenna’s completion with…
-
NASA Funds ‘Slingshot’ Concept to Survey Minerals Across Multiple Worlds
NASA has awarded Phase I funding to Interworld Slingshot Resource Surveys, a SETI Institute-led concept that would use a single 300-kilogram spacecraft to identify minerals on the Moon, a near-Earth asteroid and a Martian moon. The study will assess whether Raman spectroscopy can measure surface composition from 30–50 kilometers away, potentially helping future missions select…
-
Saturn’s South Polar Decagon: What Could Have Created Hubble’s Newly Identified Atmospheric Wave?
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a giant, evolving ten-sided atmospheric wave around Saturn’s south pole—the first large, regular-sided jet pattern observed in the planet’s southern hemisphere. Known as a decagon, the feature appears in observations dating back to 2023 and has become increasingly distinct, offering scientists a rare opportunity to track the development of…
-
NASA Moves to Simplify Axiom Lunar Spacesuit as Artemis IV Schedule Tightens
NASA is working with Axiom Space on a lighter and less complex version of its next-generation lunar spacesuit as the agency attempts to preserve a 2028 crewed Moon landing under Artemis IV. The new configuration, referred to as the “Sortie Suit,” is intended for the first Artemis surface missions using lunar landers developed by SpaceX…