NASA News

SpaceNews.com

High activity

NASA awards lunar transport, lander and technology work to build Moon Base capabilities

NASA announced a package of awards and mission updates to expand transportation, landing, science and infrastructure capabilities for its planned lunar base. The moves include selecting eight companies for the next phase of cargo-lander development, booking the PROMISE nuclear-powered rover for a lunar south pole mission and testing utilities intended to support lunar assets.

SpaceNews.com

NASA proceeds with plans to convert Mars rover engineering model into a lunar rover

NASA Spaceflight

High activity

NASA opens astronaut applications through Dec. 3 and plans aerospace exhibition to rival Paris Air Show

NASA is recruiting for an astronaut class tied to Artemis and a planned Moon Base, with applications due Dec. 3 and final selections expected in late 2027. At a Kennedy Space Center air show featuring lunar exploration and electric aviation, administrator Jared Isaacman also outlined plans for a larger aerospace exhibition intended to rival the Paris Air Show.

Space.com

NASA launched Mars Global Surveyor on Nov. 7, 1996, to map Mars and follow the loss of Mars Observer

Mars Global Surveyor was designed to give NASA another chance to study and map the Red Planet after contact with Mars Observer was lost three days before that spacecraft was due to enter orbit. Launched 30 years ago, the mission was NASA’s first Mars mission in 20 years.

Space.com

High activity

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Artemis mission focus is urgent as China competition intensifies

In an exclusive interview, NASA chief Jared Isaacman discusses Artemis, China and the renewed race to the moon. He says the mission’s implications are “pretty severe,” describing an unusually intense focus on executing it and expressing confidence that the U.S. will prevail.

Washington Post

High activity

NASA’s lunar return plans rely on Axiom Space, a startup with an uneven record and high-profile ties

NASA’s effort to return astronauts to the moon depends on Axiom Space, whose track record the article describes as uneven. The Houston-based startup has partnered with Prada and counts among its investors a firm where Donald Trump Jr. is a partner.

Reuters

High activity

Trump plans 1,900-acre Florida aerospace exhibition at Kennedy Space Center, targeting a March 2028 debut and aiming to eclipse

The annual CapeWeek exhibition is planned for NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility near Cape Canaveral, with a 1,900-acre venue intended to showcase commercial and private aviation alongside space technology. Trump has described the event as larger than the Paris Air Show and Farnborough International Airshow.

Reuters

Trump vows new US air show will be biggest in the world