Ars Technica
• Stephen Clark
NASA has selected PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope concept targeted for launch in 2033, to investigate the origins of planets and galaxies using spare Webb hardware. The mission follows Webb observations showing galaxies were already producing and dispersing heavy elements just 500 million years after the Big Bang.
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NASA has selected PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope concept targeted for launch in 2033, to investigate the origins of planets and galaxies using spare Webb hardware. The mission follows Webb observations showing galaxies were already producing and dispersing heavy elements just 500 million years after the Big Bang.
A privately operated spacecraft launched in July to raise the orbit of NASA’s deteriorating Swift astrophysics observatory has reentered Earth’s atmosphere, ending the rescue attempt less than three months later. Swift is expected to follow with its own reentry in the coming weeks, prompting lessons for NASA and industry.
Rocket Lab is challenging NASA’s decision on a Mars mission contract while emphasizing that the agency represents a limited share of its broader business. The dispute highlights the company’s effort to balance government space work with a more diversified commercial strategy.
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NASA has selected PRIMA as the inaugural mission in its new Probe Explorers class, advancing development of a far-infrared space telescope. The mission is planned for launch in 2033, establishing the first operational path for the agency’s new class of space science probes.
Less than a year into his tenure, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is reshaping how the agency works with international partners. His approach signals a broader shift in NASA’s external relationships and the way cooperation is structured across the global space sector.
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NASA has announced four crew members from three space agencies for SpaceX’s Crew-14 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for no earlier than spring 2027. The long-duration expedition will conduct scientific research and support ongoing station operations, following the current crew’s work and preparations for new arrivals.
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The NASA chief expressed concern that China could deny other nations access to parts of the Moon’s South Pole, underscoring the potential strategic consequences of competing lunar exploration efforts and the importance of determining which country establishes a presence first.
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Starfish Space has completed its first full-scale Otter spacecraft and assigned it to a customer mission, slated for launch on Transporter-18. The Seattle-area company says the vehicle will demonstrate close inspection and docking technologies, marking its transition from scaled technology demonstrations toward operational satellite servicing.
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