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• Jeff Foust
The FAA has authorized Dream Chaser to land at Vandenberg Space Force Base, clearing a key step for the spaceplane’s orbital return and runway-recovery profile. Sierra Space plans the spacecraft’s first flight in spring 2027; the vehicle is designed to carry up to 12,000 pounds of cargo.
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The FAA has authorized Dream Chaser to land at Vandenberg Space Force Base, clearing a key step for the spaceplane’s orbital return and runway-recovery profile. Sierra Space plans the spacecraft’s first flight in spring 2027; the vehicle is designed to carry up to 12,000 pounds of cargo.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has detailed plans to standardize the Space Launch System, move toward a stretched Centaur V upper stage and stop work on Mobile Launcher 2. He tied the decisions to a goal of increasing SLS flight rates while reducing costs.
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Using seven years of observations from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and ground-based telescopes, astronomers report that TOI-2535 b, a hot Jupiter about 1,000 light-years away, has stopped passing in front of its star. The findings resolve the mystery of the planet’s apparent disappearance.
Chandra data from AT 2016blu’s March 2026 outburst support a neutron star or black hole companion; astronomers have recorded 27 optical outbursts since 2012. Separately, ALMA observations reveal cool gas being ejected in a jet from a microquasar in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Rep. Mike Haridopolos, who survived the “Blue Wave,” says bipartisan support for NASA’s Artemis program gives him confidence it can withstand political upheaval on Capitol Hill. The article offers no details on the scope of that support or any program funding and schedule implications.
NASA’s Curiosity rover is examining the surface composition of a site called Nazca to characterize it as thoroughly as possible before drilling. The work marks the next step in the rover’s investigation of the Martian surface, though the article provides no details on the planned sample or drilling schedule.
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Archer’s third-quarter update highlighted FAA issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate for its Midnight eVTOL and a planned first transition flight before year-end. The company also outlined progress toward completing its planned acquisitions of Wisk and Insitu, alongside new defense and Formula 1 partnerships.
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