Bloomberg
• Loren Grush
NASA says Artemis III remains targeted for summer 2027, but the mission sequence now makes it a low-Earth-orbit demonstration to test rendezvous and docking with commercial lunar landers. Artemis IV is slated for 2028 and is now the program’s target for the first crewed landing near the lunar South Pole.
NASA
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On Oct. 23, 2007, NASA’s space shuttle Discovery carried the Harmony module to the International Space Station on mission STS-120. The launch marked the start of Harmony’s journey to the station, where the module became part of its expanding orbital infrastructure.
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NASA says Artemis III remains targeted for summer 2027, but the mission sequence now makes it a low-Earth-orbit demonstration to test rendezvous and docking with commercial lunar landers. Artemis IV is slated for 2028 and is now the program’s target for the first crewed landing near the lunar South Pole.
Ahead of an agency update on its Artemis lunar exploration plans, NASA’s safety advisers raised concerns about the maturity of the lunar landing plans. The available report does not specify which elements advisers questioned or how their concerns could affect the program’s schedule.
NASA has awarded U.S. physical artificial intelligence company AstraQua a $1.275 million Phase II contract to develop AstraSense for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, including advanced air mobility applications. The award supports development of technology intended to let autonomous aircraft “feel pain.”
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a lopsided exoplanet and blistering winds on its evening side, challenging the familiar image of an evenly illuminated world. The finding shows how observations can expose differences across an exoplanet’s atmosphere.
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A new estimate puts the number of Starship launches needed to support a lunar landing at 22. The figure underscores the scale of the launch and refueling campaign, with repeated fuelings identified as a key requirement for the lander.
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The agency’s safety advisers say NASA risks losing human access to low Earth orbit as Crew Dragon approaches retirement and concerns persist about commercial space stations. The warning puts continuity of crewed operations in orbit at issue, though the available report provides no timetable or details of the advisers’ recommendations.
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