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Ars Technica • Stephen Clark

NASA leads renewed Moon push as Pentagon signals it will follow to protect U.S. interests

NASA is driving renewed lunar exploration, but military leaders warn the Pentagon will ramp up presence and capabilities to secure U.S. interests on and around the Moon. Officials say they don't want to be "flat-footed" as lunar activity expands, signaling growing overlap between civil and defense space programs.

2026-03-31T18:58:40.496136-07:00

Universe Today

KYTHERA concept outlines technologies for a 200‑day Venus surface mission

2026-03-31T19:55:48.123110-07:00

Ars Technica

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

2026-03-31T11:38:33.010025-07:00

Payload

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

2026-03-31T10:31:34.661722-07:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

KYTHERA concept outlines technologies for a 200‑day Venus surface mission KYTHERA concept outlines technologies to enable a 200‑day Venus surface mission. It addresses Venus’s extreme surface conditions—average temperatures of about 464°C and pressures ~92 times Earth’s, where the longest spacecraft lasted just over two hours—by proposing new thermal protection, pressure‑tolerant systems and sustained power solutions for long‑duration science.

2026-03-31T19:55:48.123110-07:00

KYTHERA concept outlines technologies for a 200‑day Venus surface mission

Ars Technica

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NASA leads renewed Moon push as Pentagon signals it will follow to protect U.S. interests NASA is driving renewed lunar exploration, but military leaders warn the Pentagon will ramp up presence and capabilities to secure U.S. interests on and around the Moon. Officials say they don't want to be "flat-footed" as lunar activity expands, signaling growing overlap between civil and defense space programs.

2026-03-31T18:58:40.496136-07:00

NASA leads renewed Moon push as Pentagon signals it will follow to protect U.S. interests

Ars Technica

❗️

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program NASA's third Orion launch represents a meaningful shift for the Artemis program, delivering operational milestones and technical validation after two earlier missions that offered limited progress. The flight restores momentum for crewed lunar ambitions and reduces near‑term program risk as teams move toward Artemis II preparations.

2026-03-31T11:38:33.010025-07:00

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

Payload

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars A top congressional space lawmaker told Payload he supports building a sustained lunar surface base as a practical stepping stone to crewed Mars missions, saying colleagues are “rallying behind” the idea. He argued that once established, a Moon base could be the best launch point for Mars.

2026-03-31T10:31:34.661722-07:00

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

Universe Today

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons CASMIUS is a mission concept to return to Uranus, targeting the ice giant's sideways rotation, complex ring system and unique moons. With Voyager 2 still the only spacecraft to visit, CASMIUS would aim to close major knowledge gaps and build on recent remote observations of Uranus' auroras and magnetosphere.

2026-03-30T22:37:25.273320-07:00

CASMIUS mission concept targets Uranus to probe ice‑giant's rings, auroras and moons

NASA Spaceflight

Nine launches this week — SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz lead packed global manifest Nine orbital launches are scheduled this week from Florida, California and Russian ranges, including NASA's SLS and missions on Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz vehicles. The packed manifest highlights a global spike in launch cadence across government and commercial providers.

2026-03-30T14:10:37.015965-07:00

Nine launches this week — SLS, Falcon 9, Atlas V and Soyuz lead packed global manifest

Space.com

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X1.4 Solar Flare Sparks Radio Blackouts and Fast CME Days Before Artemis II; NASA Says Mission Unconcerned An X1.4-class solar flare produced HF radio blackouts and launched a fast coronal mass ejection just days before the scheduled Artemis II crewed lunar flyby. NASA said the event does not currently threaten the mission, but the eruption underscores near-term space‑weather risks to communications and crewed deep‑space operations.

2026-03-30T05:10:23.148235-07:00

X1.4 Solar Flare Sparks Radio Blackouts and Fast CME Days Before Artemis II; NASA Says Mission Unconcerned

Space.com

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How Artemis II differs from NASA's Apollo moon missions Both programs targeted the Moon, but Artemis II differs markedly from Apollo in goals, architecture, technology, programmatic approach and operational context. This article outlines the principal contrasts between the 1960s Apollo landings and the modern Artemis II crewed lunar flyby.

2026-03-30T03:06:25.408239-07:00

How Artemis II differs from NASA's Apollo moon missions

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NASA News

NASA leads renewed Moon push as Pentagon signals it will follow to protect U.S. interests

KYTHERA concept outlines technologies for a 200‑day Venus surface mission

Third Orion Launch Marks a Turning Point for NASA’s Artemis Program

Top congressional space lawmaker backs a sustained Moon base as a stepping stone to Mars

News Timeline