Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News

NASA Spaceflight

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SpaceX launches Northrop Grumman’s Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) for RSGS satellite servicing, positioning in-orbit autonomy tha SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman’s first Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV) on a private mission to rendezvous with and service geosynchronous communication satellites using a two-armed robotic system. The Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) payload was integrated for cryogenic thermal vacuum testing ahead of orbit.

2026-07-21T11:42:26.117688-07:00

Space.com

NASA-Artemis III to use SpaceX Starlink laser terminals on Orion for HD/4K video and data-heavy downlinks NASA is partnering with SpaceX to equip the Artemis III Orion spacecraft with Starlink laser communications terminals. The upgrade is intended to support high-definition—reported as 4K—video transmission and enable higher-throughput, data-heavy mission downlinks during the Artemis III timeframe.

2026-07-21T10:07:35.730508-07:00

Space.com

SpaceX to launch satellite-servicing mission to Earth orbit using a robotic repair drone with robot arms (live webcast July 21) SpaceX is set to launch a satellite-servicing mission to Earth orbit on July 21, deploying a robotic “repair drone” designed to handle on-orbit maintenance using robot arms. The launch is being streamed live, signaling another step toward practical in-orbit servicing capabilities.

2026-07-21T06:07:56.658929-07:00

Space.com

Artemis III set for unprecedented complexity: 4 astronauts, 3 spacecraft, 2 weeks in orbit NASA is positioning Artemis III as its most complex mission to date, requiring tight coordination across the launch and rendezvous of three different spacecraft. With a crew of four planned and an early two-week in-orbit phase, mission design and integration timelines become central to execution.

2026-07-20T09:22:13.785463-07:00

satnews.com

ThinKom Solutions’ ThinAir GT2517 completes SES Government Technology Certification for O3b mPOWER MEO operations ThinKom Solutions said its ThinAir GT2517 airborne terminal has successfully completed SES Government Technology Certification (GTC), enabling operations on the SES O3b mPOWER medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. The company framed the milestone as certification for government-technology use on the mPOWER network.

2026-07-20T08:53:26.421896-07:00

Space.com

Artemis II astronauts visit ESA’s ESTEC in Netherlands as post-flight outreach to European teams begins Artemis II crewmembers visited ESA’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands on 13 July, marking the first stop in a planned series of post-mission visits to the European organizations that supported the program. The astronauts also reflected publicly on the mission’s personal and collective significance.

2026-07-20T08:15:18.272882-07:00

SpaceWatch Global

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Mauritius signs on to the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, becoming the program’s 70th signatory and the seventh African partner Mauritius has joined the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, taking the agreement to 70 total signatories. The move also makes Mauritius the seventh African country to sign the accords, underscoring expanding African participation in the Artemis framework for civil lunar exploration.

2026-07-20T01:09:48.363627-07:00

Universe Today

Artemis III: NASA to Run 2027 ‘Dress Rehearsal’ Lander Rendezvous & Docking Ahead of 2028 Moon Return NASA plans Artemis III as a key demonstration in 2027, before the first Artemis astronauts land on the Moon’s surface in 2028. The mission will let teams on Earth and in orbit rehearse rendezvous and docking between commercial human landing systems and the Orion spacecraft.

2026-07-18T20:05:32.160288-07:00

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