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Payload • Jacqueline Feldscher

NASA to start monthly uncrewed Moon missions under CLPS beginning next year

NASA says it plans to conduct monthly uncrewed lunar missions using CLPS starting next year, scaling how often payloads can be delivered to the Moon. The move is a major cadence change for commercial lunar services as NASA’s broader lunar architecture and lander options remain in flux.

2026-04-21T07:50:14.811777-07:00

Space.com

Curiosity finds additional organic compounds on Mars after first-of-its-kind chemistry experiment

2026-04-21T04:25:36.472414-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA inspector general: Artemis lunar spacesuits and ISS xEMU upgrades face delays into the 2031 window

2026-04-20T20:02:21.781111-07:00

Space.com

NASA powers down Voyager 1’s LECP instrument to conserve energy and extend interstellar mission life

2026-04-20T15:00:02.164662-07:00

News Timeline

Payload

NASA to start monthly uncrewed Moon missions under CLPS beginning next year NASA says it plans to conduct monthly uncrewed lunar missions using CLPS starting next year, scaling how often payloads can be delivered to the Moon. The move is a major cadence change for commercial lunar services as NASA’s broader lunar architecture and lander options remain in flux.

2026-04-21T07:50:14.811777-07:00

NASA to start monthly uncrewed Moon missions under CLPS beginning next year

Space.com

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Curiosity finds additional organic compounds on Mars after first-of-its-kind chemistry experiment NASA’s Curiosity rover reports more organic compounds detected on Mars following a chemistry experiment that scientists say had never been tried on another planet. The findings add to the growing inventory of prebiotic building blocks as researchers assess whether Mars ever supported life.

2026-04-21T04:25:36.472414-07:00

Curiosity finds additional organic compounds on Mars after first-of-its-kind chemistry experiment

SpaceNews.com

NASA inspector general: Artemis lunar spacesuits and ISS xEMU upgrades face delays into the 2031 window NASA’s inspector general warns that new spacesuits required for Artemis lunar missions—and related suits supporting International Space Station operations—may not be ready until 2031. The assessment flags further schedule risk as NASA’s human lunar program continues to reshape architectures and milestones for the near term.

2026-04-20T20:02:21.781111-07:00

NASA inspector general: Artemis lunar spacesuits and ISS xEMU upgrades face delays into the 2031 window

Space.com

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NASA powers down Voyager 1’s LECP instrument to conserve energy and extend interstellar mission life On April 17, engineers at NASA’s JPL sent commands to deactivate the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) experiment aboard Voyager 1 to preserve power. The 48-year-old spacecraft is now about 24 billion kilometers from Earth and is continuing its interstellar journey by turning off additional systems as batteries fade.

2026-04-20T15:00:02.164662-07:00

NASA powers down Voyager 1’s LECP instrument to conserve energy and extend interstellar mission life

Universe Today

NASA SPHEREx begins first data delivery, mapping the sky to track cosmic ices that inform future planet formation NASA’s SPHEREx medium-class survey telescope is now operating, with initial data starting to flow. The mission is mapping the entire sky on a six-month cadence, aiming to characterize “cosmic ices” whose composition and distribution are linked to the inputs for planet formation.

2026-04-20T08:52:45.989909-07:00

NASA SPHEREx begins first data delivery, mapping the sky to track cosmic ices that inform future planet formation

Payload

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Latvia signs on as 62nd Artemis Accords signatory, pledging peaceful, sustainable lunar cooperation Latvia has officially signed the Artemis Accords in Washington, becoming the framework’s 62nd participating nation. NASA welcomed Latvia’s formal subscription as part of a broader push to use the Accords to guide transparent, peaceful cooperation supporting NASA’s lunar exploration ambitions.

2026-04-20T07:02:10.092194-07:00

Latvia signs on as 62nd Artemis Accords signatory, pledging peaceful, sustainable lunar cooperation

Payload

SpaceX tasked to fly ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover by late-2028 as US FY2027 NASA budget request flags possible Mars cuts SpaceX has been assigned the job of launching ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover as soon as late-2028, reportedly for $175.7M. However, the White House’s FY2027 NASA budget request indicates potential cancellation of NASA’s participation in the broader Mars mission, leaving downstream roles and program continuity uncertain.

2026-04-19T19:56:04.984050-07:00

SpaceX tasked to fly ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover by late-2028 as US FY2027 NASA budget request flags possible Mars cuts

NASA

NASA and OPM launch NASA Force hiring portal to recruit “mission-critical” engineers for short-term stints NASA and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have launched the “NASA Force” website, opening applications for roles aimed at recruiting top engineers and technologists to support America’s air and space program. The initiative targets mission-critical positions and includes one-to-two-year assignments alongside permanent and temporary appointment pathways.

2026-04-17T10:19:26.110140-07:00

NASA and OPM launch NASA Force hiring portal to recruit “mission-critical” engineers for short-term stints

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NASA News

NASA to start monthly uncrewed Moon missions under CLPS beginning next year

Curiosity finds additional organic compounds on Mars after first-of-its-kind chemistry experiment

NASA inspector general: Artemis lunar spacesuits and ISS xEMU upgrades face delays into the 2031 window

NASA powers down Voyager 1’s LECP instrument to conserve energy and extend interstellar mission life

News Timeline