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Ars Technica • Eric Berger

NASA tells Northrop Grumman to stop work on lunar HALO module as affected employees are reassigned

NASA has asked Northrop Grumman to stop work on the agency’s lunar HALO module, with the company reassigning most affected employees across existing opportunities and programs. The move signals a near-term change to NASA’s lunar hardware development path and contractor execution priorities.

2026-06-18T14:05:42.565428-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA’s Swift spacecraft reboost mission set to launch later this month after under a year of development

2026-06-18T05:17:07.837992-07:00

Spaceflight Now

Astrobotic readies Griffin-1 lunar lander for NASA Moon Base mission, preparing for California environmental testing

2026-06-15T18:23:17.197622-07:00

Flying Magazine

NASA X-59 Quesst hits Mach 1.4 at FL550 as Quesst quiet-supersonic overland flight test campaign accelerates

2026-06-15T09:33:13.302141-07:00

News Timeline

Ars Technica

NASA tells Northrop Grumman to stop work on lunar HALO module as affected employees are reassigned NASA has asked Northrop Grumman to stop work on the agency’s lunar HALO module, with the company reassigning most affected employees across existing opportunities and programs. The move signals a near-term change to NASA’s lunar hardware development path and contractor execution priorities.

2026-06-18T14:05:42.565428-07:00

NASA tells Northrop Grumman to stop work on lunar HALO module as affected employees are reassigned

SpaceNews.com

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NASA’s Swift spacecraft reboost mission set to launch later this month after under a year of development NASA is preparing a high-risk reboost mission to raise the orbit of its Swift astrophysics spacecraft, with launch planned later this month. The mission comes after less than a year of development, indicating an accelerated effort to restore orbital conditions for continued science operations.

2026-06-18T05:17:07.837992-07:00

NASA’s Swift spacecraft reboost mission set to launch later this month after under a year of development

SpaceNews.com

Northrop Grumman Pegasus to launch a rapid rescue to boost NASA’s Swift Observatory away from Earth re-entry risk In late June, Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket will support a time-critical mission to prevent NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. The plan uses Katalyst Space’s LINK spacecraft to intercept Swift in a decaying orbit and boost it to a higher altitude.

2026-06-18T05:17:07.837992-07:00

Northrop Grumman Pegasus to launch a rapid rescue to boost NASA’s Swift Observatory away from Earth re-entry risk

Spaceflight Now

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Astrobotic readies Griffin-1 lunar lander for NASA Moon Base mission, preparing for California environmental testing Astrobotic has unveiled Griffin-1, its next lunar lander for NASA’s Moon Base mission, positioning the vehicle to deliver one of the heaviest payloads ever to the lunar surface. The company says the lander is nearly complete and is set to move to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California for environmental testing later this month.

2026-06-15T18:23:17.197622-07:00

Astrobotic readies Griffin-1 lunar lander for NASA Moon Base mission, preparing for California environmental testing

Flying Magazine

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NASA X-59 Quesst hits Mach 1.4 at FL550 as Quesst quiet-supersonic overland flight test campaign accelerates NASA reports the X-59 Quesst experimental jet reached Mach 1.4 at FL550 (about 16,773 m) during its test program, validating real-flight conditions for overland low-boom supersonic demonstrations. With engineers preparing for its first flight over U.S. communities, NASA is now increasing the tempo toward that next phase.

2026-06-15T09:33:13.302141-07:00

NASA X-59 Quesst hits Mach 1.4 at FL550 as Quesst quiet-supersonic overland flight test campaign accelerates

Space.com

Artemis 2 used an ISS-tested laser link to stream live video from lunar flyby NASA says a laser communications system—previously tested aboard the International Space Station—enabled live video streaming during Artemis 2 as Orion traveled on its way around the Moon. The demonstration shows how optical links can extend end-to-end bandwidth for deep-space mission media delivery.

2026-06-15T08:22:55.591656-07:00

Artemis 2 used an ISS-tested laser link to stream live video from lunar flyby

Universe Today

NASA-supported study argues Titan’s resource base makes it the top near-term ISRU target for human exploration A NASA-backed study evaluated Titan’s resource base and its suitability for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Compared with other candidate sites such as the Moon and Mars, the research concludes Titan offers “unrivaled potential” to support human exploration and eventual settlement.

2026-06-14T17:31:31.643286-07:00

NASA-supported study argues Titan’s resource base makes it the top near-term ISRU target for human exploration

SpaceNews.com

NASA details revised Artemis lunar-lander acceleration plans for Blue Origin and SpaceX NASA has outlined updated approaches from both Blue Origin and SpaceX aimed at accelerating work on Artemis lunar landers. The updates signal a renewed push to tighten execution timelines as the agency continues shaping a viable commercial lander path for the Artemis campaign.

2026-06-13T10:49:41.601233-07:00

NASA details revised Artemis lunar-lander acceleration plans for Blue Origin and SpaceX

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NASA News

NASA tells Northrop Grumman to stop work on lunar HALO module as affected employees are reassigned

NASA’s Swift spacecraft reboost mission set to launch later this month after under a year of development

Astrobotic readies Griffin-1 lunar lander for NASA Moon Base mission, preparing for California environmental testing

NASA X-59 Quesst hits Mach 1.4 at FL550 as Quesst quiet-supersonic overland flight test campaign accelerates

News Timeline