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Ars Technica • Eric Berger

NASA overhauls Artemis: cancels SLS upgrade, adds Earth‑orbit lander test and defers crewed landing

NASA announced a major Artemis architecture revision — canceling a multibillion‑dollar Boeing upgrade to the SLS, adding an Earth‑orbit test flight of lunar landers, and removing a landing attempt from Artemis III, a change that defers the crewed‑surface timeline and reshapes contractor schedules.

2026-02-27T07:12:58.610675-08:00

Universe Today

JWST probes Uranus' ionosphere, maps vertical structure and detects faint auroras

2026-02-27T09:17:01.621697-08:00

Space.com

Study recommends delaying Artemis II lunar launch to late 2026 over solar superflare risk

2026-02-27T03:01:23.001193-08:00

New York Times

The new space race: Can NASA and SpaceX get humans to Mars and beyond?

2026-02-26T13:13:08.599219-08:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

JWST probes Uranus' ionosphere, maps vertical structure and detects faint auroras Uranus' extreme 97.8° axial tilt let JWST's NIRSpec probe the planet's ionosphere, producing the first vertical maps of its upper atmosphere and revealing faint auroral emissions. An international team used near‑infrared spectroscopy to resolve how temperature and charged‑particle densities change with altitude.

2026-02-27T09:17:01.621697-08:00

JWST probes Uranus' ionosphere, maps vertical structure and detects faint auroras

Ars Technica

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NASA overhauls Artemis: cancels SLS upgrade, adds Earth‑orbit lander test and defers crewed landing NASA announced a major Artemis architecture revision — canceling a multibillion‑dollar Boeing upgrade to the SLS, adding an Earth‑orbit test flight of lunar landers, and removing a landing attempt from Artemis III, a change that defers the crewed‑surface timeline and reshapes contractor schedules.

2026-02-27T07:12:58.610675-08:00

NASA overhauls Artemis: cancels SLS upgrade, adds Earth‑orbit lander test and defers crewed landing

Space.com

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Study recommends delaying Artemis II lunar launch to late 2026 over solar superflare risk A new study warns elevated solar activity increases the chance of a solar "superflare" during Artemis II’s current launch window and recommends postponing the crewed lunar flyby until late 2026, saying forecasts indicate a later date would substantially lower radiation and operational risks.

2026-02-27T03:01:23.001193-08:00

Study recommends delaying Artemis II lunar launch to late 2026 over solar superflare risk

Universe Today

NASA's CaRD Demonstration Validates Carbothermal Oxygen Extraction from Lunar Regolith NASA's Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) has validated a process to extract oxygen from lunar regolith, completing a key technology step for in‑situ resource utilization. The result advances plans to produce propellant and life‑support consumables on the Moon and reduce logistics mass for sustained Artemis operations.

2026-02-26T16:14:41.214029-08:00

NASA's CaRD Demonstration Validates Carbothermal Oxygen Extraction from Lunar Regolith

New York Times

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The new space race: Can NASA and SpaceX get humans to Mars and beyond? With growing private‑sector momentum and NASA’s renewed deep‑space goals, the central question is whether a government–commercial partnership—anchored by SpaceX and NASA—can overcome technical, physiological and programmatic hurdles to land and sustain humans on Mars and extend exploration beyond the Moon.

2026-02-26T13:13:08.599219-08:00

The new space race: Can NASA and SpaceX get humans to Mars and beyond?

Ars Technica

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Leaked memo: NASA kept next Mars orbiter objectives non-public as internal doc flags science may be deprioritized A leaked internal NASA document shows the agency chose not to publicly release the science objectives for its next Mars orbiter and indicates science may be deprioritized in mission planning. The decision reduces early-stage transparency for a high-profile planetary mission.

2026-02-26T07:14:03.347965-08:00

Leaked memo: NASA kept next Mars orbiter objectives non-public as internal doc flags science may be deprioritized

SpaceNews.com

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NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named Following a critical NASA report on Boeing's Starliner, the agency has replaced two senior Commercial Crew leaders: Ken Bowersox is retiring and Steve Stich is out, while Joel Montalbano and Dana Hutcherson were named acting heads of key human spaceflight roles. The changes follow promises of accountability.

2026-02-26T02:13:51.394881-08:00

NASA replaces Commercial Crew leadership after critical Starliner report; Montalbano, Hutcherson named

Reuters

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Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time The Senate Commerce Committee will consider extending the International Space Station’s operational life by two years while revising NASA’s lunar-base policy to accelerate Artemis-era infrastructure. Lawmakers say the moves buy commercial developers more runway to field replacement stations and sharpen U.S. strategy as China’s space activity grows.

2026-02-25T17:36:33.799000-08:00

Senate panel backs two-year ISS extension and reworks moon-base policy to speed Artemis and buy industry time

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NASA News

NASA overhauls Artemis: cancels SLS upgrade, adds Earth‑orbit lander test and defers crewed landing

JWST probes Uranus' ionosphere, maps vertical structure and detects faint auroras

Study recommends delaying Artemis II lunar launch to late 2026 over solar superflare risk

The new space race: Can NASA and SpaceX get humans to Mars and beyond?

News Timeline