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• Stephen Pope
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.
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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.
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NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has left Earth aboard its mission to study dark energy and the evolving universe. The 300-megapixel observatory will spend roughly three months traveling to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, about one million miles away, before beginning its science mission.
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President Donald Trump has begun establishing a U.S. Space Academy to address workforce needs across the space sector. The proposed federal institution would train engineers, scientists, operators, astronauts and other professionals for NASA, the Space Force and America’s expanding commercial space industry.
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NASA and its contractors are increasing activity ahead of next year’s Artemis III mission, with continued Solid Rocket Booster stacking and RS-25 engine installation on the SLS Core Stage 3. The agency says four SLS vehicles are now in production, signaling a broader production ramp-up for Artemis missions.
NASA and SpaceX have delayed a planned International Space Station mission after identifying an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system. The postponement underscores an additional prelaunch technical issue requiring resolution before the spacecraft can safely proceed to the station.
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NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday on its mission to Lagrange Point 2, beginning a commissioning period months ahead of schedule. The Hubble-class observatory will deliver wide-field, high-resolution views to investigate dark energy and dark matter while searching for Earthlike planets around other stars.
President Trump’s decision to dial into a NASA news conference puts added visibility on an agency whose science programs need a boost, with only one more major mission reportedly upcoming. The appearance signals heightened political attention as NASA’s near-term mission slate and broader science priorities come under scrutiny.
NASA and AeroVironment are moving forward with development of a helicopter fleet intended for deployment to Mars at the end of 2028. The SkyFall effort would extend rotorcraft operations beyond Ingenuity, positioning aerial mobility as a potential tool for future planetary exploration.
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