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Universe Today • Carolyn Collins Petersen

Moon and Mars farming will likely rely on recycling human waste

Future lunar and Martian farming will almost certainly rely on recycling human waste because native regolith is sterile and inhospitable, both worlds are heavily irradiated, and Mars' thin atmosphere and the Moon's vacuum prevent open‑air agriculture. Closed‑loop nutrient recycling will be essential to sustain crops on site.

2026-02-28T12:13:45.984039-08:00

CNBC

NASA to fly first Black and first female astronauts on upcoming Artemis lunar mission

2026-02-28T05:11:27.816021-08:00

SpaceNews.com

China schedules first one‑year Taikonaut mission to Tiangong; international visits and 2026 crew/cargo manifest announced

2026-02-27T02:16:53.153226-08:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named

2026-02-26T02:13:51.394881-08:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

Moon and Mars farming will likely rely on recycling human waste Future lunar and Martian farming will almost certainly rely on recycling human waste because native regolith is sterile and inhospitable, both worlds are heavily irradiated, and Mars' thin atmosphere and the Moon's vacuum prevent open‑air agriculture. Closed‑loop nutrient recycling will be essential to sustain crops on site.

2026-02-28T12:13:45.984039-08:00

Moon and Mars farming will likely rely on recycling human waste

CNBC

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NASA to fly first Black and first female astronauts on upcoming Artemis lunar mission NASA will send the first Black and the first female astronauts to the Moon on an upcoming Artemis mission, marking the agency's first crewed lunar journey in more than 50 years. The personnel announcement is a historic milestone for NASA's return-to-Moon effort.

2026-02-28T05:11:27.816021-08:00

NASA to fly first Black and first female astronauts on upcoming Artemis lunar mission

SpaceNews.com

China schedules first one‑year Taikonaut mission to Tiangong; international visits and 2026 crew/cargo manifest announced China will launch its first one‑year human spaceflight to the Tiangong space station this year, and host short‑duration international visitors including a Pakistani astronaut and an expected Hong Kong/Macao taikonaut. The China Manned Space Agency also announced two crewed missions and one cargo flight planned for 2026.

2026-02-27T02:16:53.153226-08:00

China schedules first one‑year Taikonaut mission to Tiangong; international visits and 2026 crew/cargo manifest announced

SpaceNews.com

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NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named Following a critical NASA report on Boeing's Starliner, the agency has replaced two senior Commercial Crew leaders: Ken Bowersox is retiring and Steve Stich is out, while Joel Montalbano and Dana Hutcherson were named acting heads of key human spaceflight roles. The changes follow promises of accountability.

2026-02-26T02:13:51.394881-08:00

NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named

Reuters

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Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time The Senate Commerce Committee will consider extending the International Space Station’s operational life by two years while revising NASA’s lunar-base policy to accelerate Artemis-era infrastructure. Lawmakers say the moves buy commercial developers more runway to field replacement stations and sharpen U.S. strategy as China’s space activity grows.

2026-02-25T17:36:33.799000-08:00

Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time

Associated Press

Apollo lunar samples reveal new evidence of the Moon's ancient magnetic field Analyses of Apollo-era lunar rock samples collected more than 50 years ago are yielding new insights into the Moon's ancient magnetic field. Re-examination of those samples provides a fresh perspective on when and how a planetary-scale dynamo may have operated on the early Moon.

2026-02-25T16:34:52.109900-08:00

Apollo lunar samples reveal new evidence of the Moon's ancient magnetic field

Space.com

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Mike Fincke identifies himself as the Crew‑11 astronaut whose medical emergency triggered the ISS's first in‑flight evacuation NASA astronaut Mike Fincke has identified himself as the Crew‑11 member whose medical condition aboard the ISS prompted NASA’s first in‑flight medical evacuation. The four‑person crew undocked early and splashed down near San Diego on Jan. 15 after a planned spacewalk was canceled; investigators are still reviewing the incident.

2026-02-25T10:37:18.290514-08:00

Mike Fincke identifies himself as the Crew‑11 astronaut whose medical emergency triggered the ISS's first in‑flight evacuation

Universe Today

Why Mars missions need more than greenhouses: a systems view of food and life support A new paper in Acta Astronautica argues growing food is only one small part of sustaining crews on Mars and calls for a systems‑level view of food and life‑support. The authors warn that focusing on greenhouses alone obscures the logistics, reliability and integration challenges of a full mission food system.

2026-02-25T07:51:54.909534-08:00

Why Mars missions need more than greenhouses: a systems view of food and life support

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Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News

Moon and Mars farming will likely rely on recycling human waste

NASA to fly first Black and first female astronauts on upcoming Artemis lunar mission

China schedules first one‑year Taikonaut mission to Tiangong; international visits and 2026 crew/cargo manifest announced

NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named

News Timeline