SpaceNews.com
• Jeff Foust
NASA is consolidating multiple launch programs under a new office that will oversee procurement activity and consider buying launches in blocks. The reorganization could centralize acquisition decisions across the agency’s launch portfolio, with implications for how launch providers compete for NASA missions.
NASA
Latest source-backed stories
NASA is consolidating multiple launch programs under a new office that will oversee procurement activity and consider buying launches in blocks. The reorganization could centralize acquisition decisions across the agency’s launch portfolio, with implications for how launch providers compete for NASA missions.
High activity
NASA is adjusting lunar spacesuit requirements and changing the design to reflect near-term mission needs, as concerns grow around the Artemis IV schedule. The shift signals a prioritization of near-term lunar mission readiness in the agency’s spacesuit development approach.
Space Technologies attempted a commercial mission to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope, a spacecraft launched more than two decades ago that was never designed for servicing. The effort was mounted in less than a year, underscoring the difficulty of sustaining aging space infrastructure.
High activity
Independent safety officials found that NASA’s Orion spacecraft heat shield performed well, despite earlier criticism of its behavior during testing or flight. The assessment also praised changes made by NASA leadership, providing support for the agency’s approach to addressing concerns surrounding the crewed exploration vehicle.
High activity
NASA estimates the SR-1 Freedom Mars mission will cost $2.1 billion, but that figure does not include helicopters. The program also faces questions about its capabilities in the absence of new landers or rovers, raising uncertainty around the scope of planned Mars exploration.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and French astronaut Sophie Adenot are scheduled to conduct the sixth all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Sept. 1. The extravehicular activity will be streamed live, highlighting continued international participation in ISS operations and human spaceflight.
High activity
Türkiye has signed NASA’s Artemis Accords, becoming the 71st country to join the framework for safe, sustainable civil space exploration. The agreement comes as Ankara advances a national space program that includes plans for a lunar mission, expanding international participation in NASA-led exploration efforts.
President Donald Trump honored the Artemis II astronauts—the first humans to travel beyond the Moon in more than 50 years—with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and signed an executive order directing NASA to establish the nation’s first U.S. Space Academy at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Create a free account to see more recent NASA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
