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NASA • Jennifer M Dooren

NASA Force launches mission-critical hiring through OPM, offering 1–2 year private-sector stints

NASA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched the NASA Force website, opening applications for temporary and permanent opportunities. The program targets “mission-critical” roles with one-to-two-year assignments designed to bring in private-sector talent while matching applicants to needs across NASA missions and partners.

2026-04-17T10:19:26.110140-07:00

Space.com

Artemis II Orion’s Integrity heat shield “performed wonderfully” on lunar reentry and splashdown

2026-04-17T06:14:26.590771-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA commits to SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

2026-04-16T19:32:32.780706-07:00

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NASA

NASA Force launches mission-critical hiring through OPM, offering 1–2 year private-sector stints NASA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched the NASA Force website, opening applications for temporary and permanent opportunities. The program targets “mission-critical” roles with one-to-two-year assignments designed to bring in private-sector talent while matching applicants to needs across NASA missions and partners.

2026-04-17T10:19:26.110140-07:00

NASA Force launches mission-critical hiring through OPM, offering 1–2 year private-sector stints

Space.com

❗️

Artemis II Orion’s Integrity heat shield “performed wonderfully” on lunar reentry and splashdown NASA reports Orion’s Integrity heat shield exceeded expectations during Artemis II’s lunar return, after exposure to ~2,800°C reentry temperatures and a ~40,000 km/h entry speed. Commander Reid Wiseman and the crew inspected the vehicle shortly after Pacific splashdown on April 10 and praised the thermal protection results.

2026-04-17T06:14:26.590771-07:00

Artemis II Orion’s Integrity heat shield “performed wonderfully” on lunar reentry and splashdown

Ars Technica

❗️

NASA commits to SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028 NASA has confirmed its support for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin (ExoMars) mission, selecting SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch the European Mars rover in 2028. The decision formalizes a key transatlantic roles mix—NASA backing the mission and SpaceX providing the class-leading heavy-lift ride—after years of program uncertainty.

2026-04-16T20:29:50.516542-07:00

NASA commits to SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028

SpaceNews.com

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment Executives from three commercial space-station developers argued at the Space Symposium that the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) market is real and they can be ready by 2030, when the International Space Station is scheduled for retirement. Their remarks directly counter NASA’s claim that a commercial station market has yet to develop.

2026-04-16T19:32:32.780706-07:00

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

SpaceNews.com

All Points Logistics signs NASA Kennedy Space Center deal for multi-user spacecraft payload processing facilities All Points Logistics has signed an agreement with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to construct satellite payload processing facilities on center property, including an exclusive lease for 64 acres. The project calls for a ~266,000-square-foot Spaceport Logistics Center and a ~275,000-square-foot Spacecraft Processing Center.

2026-04-16T11:18:20.889288-07:00

All Points Logistics signs NASA Kennedy Space Center deal for multi-user spacecraft payload processing facilities

SpaceNews.com

NASA seeks commercial and exploration partnerships to enable next-generation Earth science missions NASA is pursuing new Earth science mission concepts with “commercial” and “exploration” linkages, signaling an intent to integrate externally sourced capabilities and cross-mission technology needs. The approach reframes how Earth observation payloads and supporting services may be procured and delivered.

2026-04-16T09:24:52.550685-07:00

NASA seeks commercial and exploration partnerships to enable next-generation Earth science missions

SpaceWatch Global

Space Symposium 2026 spotlights Artemis momentum, global scale-up, and next-gen launch/supply-chain concepts SpaceWatch.GLOBAL’s coverage of the Space Symposium frames Houston 2029 as a new focal point for the Artemis-era space economy. Organizers cite record submissions (8,300 abstracts) and a rapidly expanding, transatlantic participation push, as sessions pivot from agility to autonomy and explore emerging “supply chain” enablers like electromagnetic launch concepts.

2026-04-16T05:35:43.174877-07:00

Space Symposium 2026 spotlights Artemis momentum, global scale-up, and next-gen launch/supply-chain concepts

Aerospace Testing Intnl

NASA X-59 completes first wheels-up flight, reaching 6,096 m and 740 km/h in Mojave quiet supersonic tests NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft logged its first wheels-up flight over the Mojave Desert on April 3, 2026, reaching 6,096 meters and 740 km/h. The sortie demonstrates progress toward lower sonic-boom overland supersonic operations.

2026-04-16T03:09:45.117503-07:00

NASA X-59 completes first wheels-up flight, reaching 6,096 m and 740 km/h in Mojave quiet supersonic tests

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NASA News

NASA Force launches mission-critical hiring through OPM, offering 1–2 year private-sector stints

Artemis II Orion’s Integrity heat shield “performed wonderfully” on lunar reentry and splashdown

NASA commits to SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028

Commercial LEO space-station developers push back on NASA’s “market not yet emerged” assessment

News Timeline