Reuters
NASA is extending SpaceX’s Crew Dragon contract by three crewed International Space Station missions in an award valued at roughly $946 million to $950 million. Separately, the agency is discussing whether Boeing’s Starliner could support a larger batch of future missions, despite risks encountered during its 2024 crewed test flight.
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A European-designed spacesuit prototype has undergone testing aboard the International Space Station, with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot saying the system remains at the beginning of its development journey. The evaluation is identifying design issues that must be resolved before the suit can advance toward operational use.
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NASA is extending SpaceX’s Crew Dragon contract by three crewed International Space Station missions in an award valued at roughly $946 million to $950 million. Separately, the agency is discussing whether Boeing’s Starliner could support a larger batch of future missions, despite risks encountered during its 2024 crewed test flight.
Icarus Robotics completed a four-flight parabolic campaign testing its free-flying robot, advancing preparations for a planned first mission to the International Space Station in 2027. The tests mark a key step in validating the system for microgravity operations ahead of the orbital demonstration.
Pharmaceutical companies are preparing to move drug research and manufacturing into commercial low Earth orbit platforms as the International Space Station approaches the end of its operational life. The industry is also working with regulators to establish rules for producing medicines in space.
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Roscosmos’ uncrewed Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft launched aboard a Soyuz 2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sept. 16 and entered orbit successfully. The vehicle is scheduled to dock with the ISS’s Poisk module on Sept. 19, carrying supplies and equipment for the Teledroid program.
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Russia’s Progress MS-35 cargo spacecraft is expected to launch from Kazakhstan on Sept. 16, shortly after Progress MS-33 departs the International Space Station. The mission will sustain the station’s logistics pipeline, delivering cargo and supplies to the orbiting complex.
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The European Space Agency has signed an agreement with U.S. commercial space company Vast to implement an astronaut mission to the International Space Station for Greece. The agreement advances European participation in commercial human spaceflight as France calls for greater strategic autonomy in space.
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Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and pilot Victor Glover are expected to move to NASA’s emeritus astronaut status after the April 2026 lunar mission, ending their status as active flight candidates. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen is also planning new journeys after the mission.
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