Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News

Reuters • Joey Roulette, Steve Gorman

NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry

NASA has launched a robotic LINK spacecraft to rendezvous with the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and boost it into a higher orbit ahead of a dangerous atmospheric reentry risk. The mission was executed by a U.S.-China–era tech supplier effort led by Arizona startup Katalyst after a last-minute launch issue delayed takeoff.

35 Sources

2026-07-03T02:00:40.584972-07:00

Reuters

NASA ramps Artemis Moon Base delivery with ~$600M in new robotic lander contracts and considers sending Perseverance’s full-scal

43 Sources

2026-06-30T12:17:35.514226-07:00

AeroTime

NASA awards Moon Base Phase One lander and lunar science delivery contracts, targeting monthly landings with updated lander desi

20 Sources

2026-07-01T03:44:59.807551-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA watchdog flags Starliner certification slipping to ~2027, putting Boeing’s crew-capsule program a decade behind original sc

3 Sources

2026-07-01T09:18:32.475423-07:00

Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News Timeline

Reuters

35 sources

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NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry NASA has launched a robotic LINK spacecraft to rendezvous with the aging Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and boost it into a higher orbit ahead of a dangerous atmospheric reentry risk. The mission was executed by a U.S.-China–era tech supplier effort led by Arizona startup Katalyst after a last-minute launch issue delayed takeoff.

2026-07-03T02:00:40.584972-07:00

NASA launches (and briefly holds) orbital-rescue mission to raise the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory’s orbit before reentry

Ars Technica

3 sources

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NASA watchdog flags Starliner certification slipping to ~2027, putting Boeing’s crew-capsule program a decade behind original sc The NASA Office of Inspector General says Boeing’s Starliner certification may be delayed until 2027, roughly a decade later than the program’s original schedule. The assessment highlights continued schedule risk for Starliner’s readiness to support crewed missions.

2026-07-01T09:18:32.475423-07:00

NASA watchdog flags Starliner certification slipping to ~2027, putting Boeing’s crew-capsule program a decade behind original sc

Ars Technica

None source

NASA inspector general suggests Boeing's Starliner will now be a decade late

2026-07-01T09:18:32.475423-07:00

NASA inspector general suggest

AeroTime

20 sources

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NASA awards Moon Base Phase One lander and lunar science delivery contracts, targeting monthly landings with updated lander desi NASA selected new commercial partners for its Moon Base Phase One effort, including multiple lunar lander contracts and prime roles for delivering NASA payloads. NASA also said vendors plan to fly updated versions of already-flown lander designs to support an agency goal of monthly lunar landings. The program adds to a near-$600M push across four lunar missions and includes Intuitive Machines’ prime lunar reconnaissance contracts and Blue Origin progress updates.

2026-07-01T03:44:59.807551-07:00

NASA awards Moon Base Phase One lander and lunar science delivery contracts, targeting monthly landings with updated lander desi

Space.com

2 sources

NASA audit warns ISS crew-flight needs may rise post-2030 amid Boeing Starliner concerns A new NASA audit projects the agency will need to purchase additional astronaut flights to the ISS by 2030, citing shortcomings tied to Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The review raises fresh questions about how NASA will maintain the station’s crew rotation timeline after 2030 and manage procurement risk.

2026-07-01T03:14:28.873181-07:00

NASA audit warns ISS crew-flight needs may rise post-2030 amid Boeing Starliner concerns

Universe Today

6 sources

Vera Rubin Observatory kicks off 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in Chile The science team has officially begun the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, a decade-long program to image the southern sky for changes in brightness and position. The start follows years of planning and construction of the billion-dollar Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

2026-06-30T14:30:37.812916-07:00

Vera Rubin Observatory kicks off 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) in Chile

Reuters

43 sources

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NASA ramps Artemis Moon Base delivery with ~$600M in new robotic lander contracts and considers sending Perseverance’s full-scal NASA has awarded multiple lunar landing and surface-delivery contracts tied to its Artemis Moon Base effort, selecting Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines for lunar payload missions and awarding nearly $600 million across four robotic lander flights. NASA is also “seriously considering” sending Perseverance’s full-scale engineering model to the Moon and evaluating a potential nuclear-powered rover mission, PROMISE.

2026-06-30T12:17:35.514226-07:00

NASA ramps Artemis Moon Base delivery with ~$600M in new robotic lander contracts and considers sending Perseverance’s full-scal

Space.com

2 sources

Scientists map a crewed mission concept to Saturn’s moon Titan at Humans to Titan Summit 2026 Researchers at the “Humans to Titan Summit 2026” reviewed why Titan is a plausible destination for human exploration and began mapping a crewed-mission approach. The discussions focused on mission design considerations for sending astronauts to the large Saturn moon.

2026-06-30T06:16:15.554110-07:00

Scientists map a crewed mission concept to Saturn’s moon Titan at Humans to Titan Summit 2026

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