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European Spaceflight • Andrew Parsonson

NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item

NASA has delivered the first braking engines for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, advancing key hardware needed for the spacecraft’s Mars entry and descent profile. Separate work continues to secure the required RHUs (radioisotope heater units), keeping power-system qualification on the critical path.

2026-06-26T07:56:36.020069-07:00

Space.com

NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk

2026-06-26T05:13:34.708563-07:00

SpaceNews.com

Expedition 74 faces ISS habitability risk as Zvezda air-leak saga continues; crew prepares robotics-repair spacewalk amid statio

2026-06-26T05:11:38.062640-07:00

NASA

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

2026-06-25T13:47:47.624199-07:00

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European Spaceflight

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NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item NASA has delivered the first braking engines for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, advancing key hardware needed for the spacecraft’s Mars entry and descent profile. Separate work continues to secure the required RHUs (radioisotope heater units), keeping power-system qualification on the critical path.

2026-06-26T07:56:36.020069-07:00

NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item

Space.com

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NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk NASA is launching the Swift Boost rescue mission on June 27 to save the nearly 22-year-old Swift observatory, which is being pulled down by Earth’s atmosphere. The agency will pay $30 million for a first-of-its-kind effort to restore the telescope’s orbit before it falls from space.

2026-06-26T05:13:34.708563-07:00

NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk

SpaceNews.com

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Expedition 74 faces ISS habitability risk as Zvezda air-leak saga continues; crew prepares robotics-repair spacewalk amid statio NASA says hairline cracks in the Russian-built Zvezda service module’s PrK tunnel have been venting air since 2019, with auditors rating it the highest open safety risk on the ISS. Expedition 74 is preparing a spacewalk to repair a robotic arm, while safety advisers flag longer-term station-health implications.

2026-06-26T05:11:38.062640-07:00

Expedition 74 faces ISS habitability risk as Zvezda air-leak saga continues; crew prepares robotics-repair spacewalk amid statio

Universe Today

NASA Orion crew training emphasizes lunar reconnaissance skills for Artemis II astronauts Ahead of Artemis II’s far-side Moon flyby, NASA trained four astronauts to interpret and “read” the lunar environment using mission-support information beyond routine spacecraft piloting. The approach underscores how crew-developed situational awareness is being built into Artemis operations as NASA transitions toward sustained lunar work.

2026-06-26T04:13:05.250203-07:00

NASA Orion crew training emphasizes lunar reconnaissance skills for Artemis II astronauts

NASA

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Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand NASA selected Rocket Lab to provide three Electron launches covering two separate missions: PolSIR and TSIS-2, planned for early next year. The PolSIR payload will measure polarized submillimetre radiation from polar ice clouds, while TSIS-2 will observe solar irradiance and its spectral impacts, launched from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.

2026-06-25T13:47:47.624199-07:00

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

Space.com

Watchdog warns NASA needs at least $1B in launch-facility upgrades to sustain Artemis cadence NASA’s Artemis return-to-the-Moon plan is constrained by aging U.S. launch infrastructure, a watchdog warns, saying major upgrades are required for Artemis launches. The report estimates a minimum $1 billion program to bring facilities up to the demands of the Artemis schedule, amid rising launch activity.

2026-06-24T15:14:29.995446-07:00

Watchdog warns NASA needs at least $1B in launch-facility upgrades to sustain Artemis cadence

Ars Technica

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NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B An analysis finds NASA’s recently canceled exploration programs were significantly behind schedule, with contract values reportedly increasing from nearly $2.8 billion to $5.9 billion. The delays contributed to the programs’ unfavorable trajectory, culminating in cancellation.

2026-06-24T14:55:10.698528-07:00

NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B

Space.com

Perseverance identifies complex organic carbon in Jezero Crater, strengthening evidence for ancient Mars habitability NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected large, complex carbon compounds in Jezero Crater rocks, building on earlier indications of a potential biosignature from the Bright Angel formation. The findings come from new analyses of unusual rock patterns and layered materials that could preserve microbial activity signals.

2026-06-24T11:13:36.090978-07:00

Perseverance identifies complex organic carbon in Jezero Crater, strengthening evidence for ancient Mars habitability

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NASA News

NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item

NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk

Expedition 74 faces ISS habitability risk as Zvezda air-leak saga continues; crew prepares robotics-repair spacewalk amid statio

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

News Timeline