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Spaceflight Now • Will Robinson-Smith

Artemis II astronauts rehearse launch countdown, ride rewrapped 'Astrovan II' to pad

On Dec. 20, NASA's four Artemis II astronauts completed a launch‑day dress rehearsal—boarding Orion inside the Vehicle Assembly Building and riding a rewrapped Boeing Starliner 'Astrovan II' to the pad—to validate crew ingress, pad egress and ground‑team procedures ahead of the February lunar‑flyby mission.

2025-12-20T16:24:07.495409-08:00

CBS News

Michaela Benthaus becomes first wheelchair user to reach space on Blue Origin New Shepard

2025-12-20T08:24:57.734726-08:00

European Spaceflight

Redwire wins eight‑figure contract to supply docking mechanisms for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth capsule

2025-12-19T21:03:55.167236-08:00

NASA

Jared Isaacman sworn in as NASA's 15th administrator; vows to accelerate lunar missions and expand public–private partnerships

2025-12-18T10:11:06.248552-08:00

News Timeline

Spaceflight Now

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Artemis II astronauts rehearse launch countdown, ride rewrapped 'Astrovan II' to pad On Dec. 20, NASA's four Artemis II astronauts completed a launch‑day dress rehearsal—boarding Orion inside the Vehicle Assembly Building and riding a rewrapped Boeing Starliner 'Astrovan II' to the pad—to validate crew ingress, pad egress and ground‑team procedures ahead of the February lunar‑flyby mission.

2025-12-20T16:24:07.495409-08:00

Artemis II astronauts rehearse launch countdown, ride rewrapped 'Astrovan II' to pad

CBS News

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Michaela Benthaus becomes first wheelchair user to reach space on Blue Origin New Shepard Michaela Benthaus, a German aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency, has used a wheelchair since a 2018 spinal cord injury. She became the first wheelchair user to reach space on Dec. 20, taking a roughly 10‑minute suborbital trip aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard.

2025-12-20T08:24:57.734726-08:00

Michaela Benthaus becomes first wheelchair user to reach space on Blue Origin New Shepard

European Spaceflight

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Redwire wins eight‑figure contract to supply docking mechanisms for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth capsule Redwire has been awarded an eight-figure contract to supply docking mechanisms for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth capsule. The deal makes Redwire responsible for the capsule’s docking interface hardware and integration as Nyx advances toward operational missions in low Earth orbit.

2025-12-19T21:03:55.167236-08:00

Redwire wins eight‑figure contract to supply docking mechanisms for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth capsule

SpaceNews.com

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Safety panel urges NASA to reassess Artemis lunar-landing architecture and review Starliner response NASA’s safety advisers recommend the agency reconsider its Artemis lunar-landing architecture and formally review how it handled the Starliner incident. The panel said both issues raise programmatic and crew-safety questions that could affect near-term Artemis schedules and crewed spaceflight operations.

2025-12-19T16:03:57.784172-08:00

Safety panel urges NASA to reassess Artemis lunar-landing architecture and review Starliner response

NASA

NASA unveils 2025 astronaut class; trains in Neutral Buoyancy Lab for Artemis South Pole moonwalks NASA introduced its 2025 astronaut class and is evaluating lunar surface training at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab to rehearse tasks for Artemis South Pole moonwalks. The sessions aim to simulate extravehicular activities and inform procedures and crew readiness for upcoming Artemis missions.

2025-12-19T14:06:58.945587-08:00

NASA unveils 2025 astronaut class; trains in Neutral Buoyancy Lab for Artemis South Pole moonwalks

SpaceNews.com

Hungary's 4iG commits $100M to Axiom Space Hungarian communications group 4iG will invest $100 million in U.S. commercial space‑station developer Axiom Space, taking a strategic equity position to broaden its footprint in the space sector. The deal underscores 4iG’s push toward vertically integrated national and commercial space capabilities.

2025-12-19T13:07:03.224309-08:00

Hungary's 4iG commits $100M to Axiom Space

USA Today

2025 spaceflight in photos: Blue Origin, SpaceX, two lunar landings and the Starliner return A year of milestones — from two uncrewed lunar landings and the high‑profile return of Boeing's 'stuck' Starliner crew to major operational pushes by SpaceX and Blue Origin — 2025 saw a rapid increase in launch cadence, lunar activity and commercial space capability demonstrations.

2025-12-19T10:40:35.838105-08:00

2025 spaceflight in photos: Blue Origin, SpaceX, two lunar landings and the Starliner return

Ars Technica

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Russia unveils plan for an ISS successor but faces technical, financial and political headwinds Russia has outlined plans to build a successor to the International Space Station, but officials acknowledge significant technical, financial and political challenges. Moscow is poised to inherit the ISSs legacy and associated maintenance, operational and safety problems as partners pursue divergent LEO strategies.

2025-12-19T08:19:11.486987-08:00

Russia unveils plan for an ISS successor but faces technical, financial and political headwinds

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Human Spaceflight & Space Stations News

Artemis II astronauts rehearse launch countdown, ride rewrapped 'Astrovan II' to pad

Michaela Benthaus becomes first wheelchair user to reach space on Blue Origin New Shepard

Redwire wins eight‑figure contract to supply docking mechanisms for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth capsule

Jared Isaacman sworn in as NASA's 15th administrator; vows to accelerate lunar missions and expand public–private partnerships

News Timeline