Universe Today
• Laurence Tognetti
NASA plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, which would be the first crewed landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The summary provides no mission, vehicle or schedule details beyond that target year.
NASA
Latest source-backed stories
NASA plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, which would be the first crewed landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. The summary provides no mission, vehicle or schedule details beyond that target year.
On Episode 234 of This Week In Space, hosts Tariq Malik and Mike Wall speak with Planetary Science Institute researcher Than Putzig about a NASA-backed payload headed for the Marius Hills Pit on the moon. The article provides no further details about the payload or its mission.
High activity
NASA is seeking ideas for commercial missions to reboost or service the Hubble Space Telescope, reviving an effort more than two years after it rejected similar concepts. The agency’s renewed solicitation puts private providers back in consideration for extending the observatory’s operational life.
NASA issued a Request for Information on Oct. 29 to assess industry capabilities for in-space servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. The inquiry signals an exploration of commercial options, but the available information does not specify a mission, procurement timeline or selected provider.
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a gamma-ray burst in March 2026 with an unusual light signature: initially faint gamma radiation followed by delayed, atypical peaks in its afterglow. The event’s apparent dimness was misleading, underscoring the importance of tracking how transient signals evolve over time.
NASA’s Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) flew for the first time on Oct. 30, 1964, as a test platform for developing the techniques Apollo astronauts would need to land on the moon. Its first flight marked an early step in preparing crews for the final, low-altitude phase of lunar descent.
High activity
NASA’s experimental X-59 QueSST has begun its first cross-country transfer, flying from Edwards Air Force Base toward Kennedy Space Center with stops en route. The trip follows more than 40 test flights in its first year and takes the quiet-supersonic demonstrator to a Florida appearance.
United Launch Alliance has secured a major NASA contract as its Vulcan rocket approaches a return to flight. The developments put the launch provider’s government work and the status of its next-generation vehicle in focus, though the available reports do not specify the contract’s value or Vulcan’s return date.
Create a free account to see more recent NASA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
