The Air Current
• Jon Ostrower
NASA is signaling a broader approach to crewed space transportation, investing in Boeing while encouraging commercial-space entrants to develop alternatives to SpaceX’s Dragon. Isaacman framed the move as a clear demand signal, suggesting the agency wants more competition and resilience in future human-spaceflight services.
Human Spaceflight & Space Stations
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NASA is signaling a broader approach to crewed space transportation, investing in Boeing while encouraging commercial-space entrants to develop alternatives to SpaceX’s Dragon. Isaacman framed the move as a clear demand signal, suggesting the agency wants more competition and resilience in future human-spaceflight services.
The large robotic arm on the International Space Station has stopped working, with NASA providing limited information and indicating the issue may be temporary. The arm is a key external maintenance and cargo-handling asset, making the status relevant to station operations and upcoming activities.
Two Pakistani pilots are undergoing Mandarin study, centrifuge training and simulated weightlessness as China nears a decision on which will become the first Pakistani astronaut to visit Tiangong. The mission would deepen China-Pakistan space cooperation and extend Beijing’s international astronaut program.
Voyager and Exobiosphere are adding two International Space Station campaigns as they develop a recurring model for drug research in microgravity. The expansion signals a move toward repeatable, campaign-based commercial experimentation in orbit rather than isolated research missions.
High activity
NASA has announced four crew members from three space agencies for SpaceX’s Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for no earlier than spring 2027. The long-duration expedition will conduct scientific research and support ongoing station operations, following the current crew’s work and preparations for new arrivals.
Isaacman said he will provide an update next month on efforts to accelerate Artemis, acknowledging that many elements must come together before the landing. The comments signal an impending assessment of the program’s schedule and readiness as NASA works toward its lunar objectives.
Stanford engineers are developing a spacecraft guidance approach modeled on “dreaming” to help vehicles rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station. The work addresses the precision of matching velocity and trajectory with a laboratory traveling at roughly 28,000 km/h.
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Vast, the space infrastructure company, is establishing a Lunar Programs division to support NASA’s ambitions for a Moon Base. The move gives the company a dedicated organizational focus for lunar activities, though the announcement provides no further details on scope, schedule or specific programs.
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