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Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Radical propulsion required to reach the Solar Gravitational Lens at 650–900 AU

The Solar Gravitational Lens, beginning roughly 650–900 AU out, offers a unique route to direct, high-resolution imaging of exoplanets and their atmospheres. JPL's Slava Turyshev reviews propulsion concepts in a new paper and concludes conventional propulsion cannot deliver reasonable cruise times, demanding radical alternatives.

2026-02-11T05:34:34.622292-08:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA delays crew-rotation spacecraft choice as Boeing works Starliner issues

2026-02-10T05:33:04.031740-08:00

Space.com

Crew-12 to ISS carries two rookies on their first spaceflight

2026-02-10T06:07:20.216714-08:00

Reuters

Archival Magellan radar reveals massive lava tube beneath Venus's Nyx Mons

2026-02-10T00:24:57.895056-08:00

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Universe Today

Radical propulsion required to reach the Solar Gravitational Lens at 650–900 AU The Solar Gravitational Lens, beginning roughly 650–900 AU out, offers a unique route to direct, high-resolution imaging of exoplanets and their atmospheres. JPL's Slava Turyshev reviews propulsion concepts in a new paper and concludes conventional propulsion cannot deliver reasonable cruise times, demanding radical alternatives.

2026-02-11T05:34:34.622292-08:00

Radical propulsion required to reach the Solar Gravitational Lens at 650–900 AU

Space.com

Crew-12 to ISS carries two rookies on their first spaceflight SpaceX's Crew-12 mission will carry two first‑time astronauts on their maiden flight to the International Space Station. Mission managers are finalizing crew training and launch preparations ahead of liftoff, underscoring continued reliance on commercial crew services for station rotations.

2026-02-10T06:07:20.216714-08:00

Crew-12 to ISS carries two rookies on their first spaceflight

SpaceNews.com

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NASA delays crew-rotation spacecraft choice as Boeing works Starliner issues As NASA prepares to launch a new crew to the International Space Station, it has not yet decided which spacecraft will perform the next crew rotation. NASA and Boeing are continuing to address technical and programmatic issues with the CST-100 Starliner while assessing mission readiness and timing for safe handover.

2026-02-10T05:33:04.031740-08:00

NASA delays crew-rotation spacecraft choice as Boeing works Starliner issues

Reuters

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Archival Magellan radar reveals massive lava tube beneath Venus's Nyx Mons Reanalysis of NASA Magellan radar data from the 1990s identifies a vast subterranean conduit beneath Venus's Nyx Mons, interpreted as an empty lava tube and the first subsurface cavity detected on the planet. The discovery reframes Venusian volcanic processes and informs future mission targets.

2026-02-10T00:24:57.895056-08:00

Archival Magellan radar reveals massive lava tube beneath Venus's Nyx Mons

NASA Spaceflight

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Packed launch week: ULA's Vulcan to carry USSF-87 and SpaceX to fly Crew-12 amid eight scheduled missions Eight launches are scheduled this week from multiple sites, led by United Launch Alliance's Vulcan carrying the USSF-87 national-security payload and SpaceX's Crew-12 Dragon bound for the International Space Station. The manifest mixes crewed, government and commercial missions across several providers.

2026-02-09T14:35:59.122500-08:00

Packed launch week: ULA's Vulcan to carry USSF-87 and SpaceX to fly Crew-12 amid eight scheduled missions

Via Satellite

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Momentus, NASA and U.S. Space Force to demo rendezvous, in‑orbit servicing and multispectral sensing on Vigoride 7 in LEO Momentus has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to fly its Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle on a SpaceX Transporter no earlier than March 2026 to demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, formation flying, in‑orbit servicing and autonomous assembly, including a multispectral sensor test for the U.S. Space Force.

2026-02-09T12:14:06.615952-08:00

Momentus, NASA and U.S. Space Force to demo rendezvous, in‑orbit servicing and multispectral sensing on Vigoride 7 in LEO

SpaceWatch Global

NASA selects Axiom Space for AX-5 private astronaut mission to ISS, targeted Jan 2027 NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, designated AX‑5. The order formalizes Axiom's planned private-crew flight to the ISS with a targeted launch no earlier than January 2027.

2026-02-09T02:53:42.770121-08:00

NASA selects Axiom Space for AX-5 private astronaut mission to ISS, targeted Jan 2027

SpaceNews.com

NASA to rebuild civil‑servant workforce and cut contractor reliance after ~20% staff loss After losing roughly 20% of its civil‑servant workforce over the past year, NASA's administrator said the agency will rebuild in‑house expertise and reduce dependence on contractors, a move intended to restore institutional capability and preserve program continuity across civil‑space efforts.

2026-02-06T16:22:21.475718-08:00

NASA to rebuild civil‑servant workforce and cut contractor reliance after ~20% staff loss

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Radical propulsion required to reach the Solar Gravitational Lens at 650–900 AU

NASA delays crew-rotation spacecraft choice as Boeing works Starliner issues

Crew-12 to ISS carries two rookies on their first spaceflight

Archival Magellan radar reveals massive lava tube beneath Venus's Nyx Mons

News Timeline