NASA News

SpaceNews.com • Jeff Foust

NASA workforce reductions begin to ripple across major programs

More than two dozen major NASA projects say they’ve been affected by the loss of roughly a fifth of the agency’s civil servant workforce over the past year. The impact signals operational strain across program execution and delivery timelines, as multiple initiatives contend with reduced staffing capacity.

1 Source

2026-07-23T14:50:37.356395-07:00

Payload

NASA sets $2B price tag for nuclear Mars mission Space Reactor-1 Freedom, targeting first fission-powered interplanetary spacecr

2 Sources

2026-07-23T05:50:38.159172-07:00

Space.com

Artemis II pilot urges safer landing approach for next moon missions, weighing equatorial touchdown over south-pole site

2 Sources

2026-07-23T05:02:42.902476-07:00

Bloomberg

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 rescheduled to July 24 after engine fix; NASA SunRISE launch switched from Vulcan Centaur to Falcon He

16 Sources

2026-07-23T03:05:59.008736-07:00

NASA News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

1 source

NASA workforce reductions begin to ripple across major programs More than two dozen major NASA projects say they’ve been affected by the loss of roughly a fifth of the agency’s civil servant workforce over the past year. The impact signals operational strain across program execution and delivery timelines, as multiple initiatives contend with reduced staffing capacity.

2026-07-23T14:50:37.356395-07:00

NASA workforce reductions begin to ripple across major programs

Payload

2 sources

NASA sets $2B price tag for nuclear Mars mission Space Reactor-1 Freedom, targeting first fission-powered interplanetary spacecr NASA has put a $2 billion price tag on its Space Reactor-1 Freedom nuclear Mars mission, described as the first fission-powered interplanetary spacecraft. The announcement frames the program cost for a mission architecture built around nuclear propulsion for deep-space travel.

2026-07-23T05:50:38.159172-07:00

NASA sets $2B price tag for nuclear Mars mission Space Reactor-1 Freedom, targeting first fission-powered interplanetary spacecr

Space.com

2 sources

Artemis II pilot urges safer landing approach for next moon missions, weighing equatorial touchdown over south-pole site NASA is targeting the lunar south pole for its first crewed Artemis landing, but Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover argues Artemis should consider an easier, safer landing location. He suggests the lunar equator could reduce landing risk and improve mission execution for later Artemis flights.

2026-07-23T05:02:42.902476-07:00

Artemis II pilot urges safer landing approach for next moon missions, weighing equatorial touchdown over south-pole site

Bloomberg

16 sources

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SpaceX Starship Flight 13 rescheduled to July 24 after engine fix; NASA SunRISE launch switched from Vulcan Centaur to Falcon He SpaceX will retry Starship Flight 13 on July 24 following an engine-related scrub and work on the Version 3 configuration. The test mission is also set to deploy the first Starlink V3 satellites. Separately, NASA’s SunRISE space weather mission will be delivered by a Falcon Heavy rocket instead of a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur.

2026-07-23T03:05:59.008736-07:00

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 rescheduled to July 24 after engine fix; NASA SunRISE launch switched from Vulcan Centaur to Falcon He

Politico

1 source

NASA leadership signals funding is in hand for expanded lunar return under new head NASA’s new agency head says Isaacman is not seeking additional money from the GOP as the agency aims to return to the Moon and push farther than the next-generation lunar plans. The message centers on having the cash needed to proceed with mission execution rather than additional appropriations.

2026-07-22T18:49:18.305075-07:00

NASA leadership signals funding is in hand for expanded lunar return under new head

Space.com

1 source

NASA reclassifies a near-Earth object as a comet after nearly 30 years of observations; implications for comet discovery and pla After nearly 30 years, NASA determined a near-Earth asteroid is actually a comet. The finding could expand astronomers’ ability to identify more hidden comets and, by improving characterization of near-Earth small bodies, strengthen long-term planetary defense efforts.

2026-07-22T12:08:21.189330-07:00

NASA reclassifies a near-Earth object as a comet after nearly 30 years of observations; implications for comet discovery and pla

SpaceNews.com

1 source

Artemis 2 astronaut urges equatorial first lunar landings An Artemis 2 crew member said NASA’s return to the Moon should begin with human landings in less challenging equatorial regions. The recommendation highlights a phased approach to lunar surface operations, aiming to reduce risk early in the program before expanding to more demanding landing sites.

2026-07-22T03:23:16.474273-07:00

Artemis 2 astronaut urges equatorial first lunar landings

Universe Today

5 sources

NASA shares Psyche spacecraft flyby video and confirms instrument health ahead of metal-rich asteroid arrival NASA released a video featuring images and a time-lapse of Mars captured during the Psyche spacecraft’s flyby. The mission team also tested the spacecraft’s other instruments to verify they are functioning, using a Mars gravity-assist to gain speed and refine trajectory toward its eventual target.

2026-07-21T14:37:17.655190-07:00

NASA shares Psyche spacecraft flyby video and confirms instrument health ahead of metal-rich asteroid arrival