NASA News

Space.com

GAO warns GeoXO program challenges put next-generation U.S. weather observations at risk as GOES marks 50 years

NOAA is working to acquire GeoXO, the next generation of geostationary weather satellites, but the GAO says program challenges put vital observations of atmospheric conditions, severe storms and hurricanes at risk. The coverage also recalls NASA’s launch of the first operational GOES satellite on Oct. 16, 1975.

Space.com

Webb and new techniques probe the extreme atmospheres of distant worlds

Recent studies are challenging simplified pictures of exotic planetary atmospheres: one finds a scorching exoplanet’s atmosphere is distorted rather than spherical, while Webb observations reveal changing water clouds on a nearby brown dwarf and gemstone-like material in a hot, marshmallow-consistency world. The findings expand what astronomers can infer about atmospheric structure and composition.

Space.com

NASA accelerates changes to communications and digital systems under Trump’s “super intelligence” order

Internal NASA documents and meeting recordings show agency officials pressing to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming AI as “super intelligence.” The changes are affecting NASA communications and digital systems, while employees have raised concerns about the pace and pressure behind the effort.

SpaceNews.com

Axiom CEO backs NASA’s commercial space station development RFP

NASA’s call for proposals for commercial space station development addresses concerns raised by industry, according to Axiom Space CEO. The response offers an early signal of how prospective providers view the agency’s framework as NASA seeks a commercial successor to the International Space Station.

SpaceNews.com

Axiom CEO satisfied with NASA RFP for commercial space stations

SpaceWatch Global

High activity

NASA to brief media on Artemis plans as it targets 2027 mission and 2028 lunar landing

NASA will hold a media briefing on Oct. 23 at its Washington headquarters to update the status of the Artemis program and outline mission plans. The agency is targeting Artemis III in 2027 and a crewed lunar landing in 2028; the briefing is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

FlightGlobal

NASA says Orion heat shield performed as expected during Artemis I

NASA says Orion’s heat shield performed as expected during Artemis I, while the agency has been addressing a heat-shield problem that became evident during the mission. The assessment comes as NASA prepares for its next mission, though the supplied report provides no further technical details.

FlightGlobal

NASA’s Boeing 777 flying laboratory nears completion ahead of January 2027 mission

NASA is nearing completion of its conversion of a Boeing 777 from a commercial passenger aircraft into a flying laboratory. The aircraft is scheduled to begin its first scientific research mission in January 2027.