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Spaceflight Now • Will Robinson-Smith

Roman Space Telescope arrives at Kennedy for ~70 days of prelaunch processing before Aug. 30 Falcon Heavy liftoff

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at Kennedy Space Center on a Pegasus barge to begin final prelaunch preparations. The observatory is set for an Aug. 30 launch aboard a Falcon Heavy, with roughly 70 days of processing ahead of liftoff later this summer.

2026-06-21T17:54:09.397656-07:00

Bloomberg

Backlash over Artemis III’s all-male crew as NASA readies next SLS flight

2026-06-20T05:41:18.010315-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA advances DAPHNE twin-satellite concept to improve space-weather forecasting

2026-06-19T05:12:21.259131-07:00

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

News Timeline

Spaceflight Now

Roman Space Telescope arrives at Kennedy for ~70 days of prelaunch processing before Aug. 30 Falcon Heavy liftoff NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at Kennedy Space Center on a Pegasus barge to begin final prelaunch preparations. The observatory is set for an Aug. 30 launch aboard a Falcon Heavy, with roughly 70 days of processing ahead of liftoff later this summer.

2026-06-21T17:54:09.397656-07:00

Roman Space Telescope arrives at Kennedy for ~70 days of prelaunch processing before Aug. 30 Falcon Heavy liftoff

Bloomberg

Backlash over Artemis III’s all-male crew as NASA readies next SLS flight NASA’s Artemis III crew announcement drew immediate public criticism after all four astronauts were men, raising questions as the agency moves into execution mode. In parallel, NASA is preparing the next SLS rocket for flight while continuing efforts to streamline SLS production.

2026-06-20T05:41:18.010315-07:00

Backlash over Artemis III’s all-male crew as NASA readies next SLS flight

SpaceNews.com

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NASA advances DAPHNE twin-satellite concept to improve space-weather forecasting NASA has selected the DAPHNE mission concept for development, using twin satellites to study how space weather interacts with Earth’s atmosphere. The goal is to refine predictions of space-weather impacts on key technologies—such as GPS, low Earth orbit operations, and human activity in space.

2026-06-19T05:12:21.259131-07:00

NASA advances DAPHNE twin-satellite concept to improve space-weather forecasting

SpaceNews.com

Mu-g Technologies acquires an aircraft to launch commercial parabolic (reduced-gravity) flight services as NASA pursues its own Mu-g Technologies has entered the parabolic-flight market by acquiring an aircraft to support commercial reduced-gravity flight services. The move lands alongside NASA’s efforts to obtain its own aircraft capability for reduced-gravity research, highlighting a growing demand for “vomit comet” style operations.

2026-06-19T03:51:13.356374-07:00

Mu-g Technologies acquires an aircraft to launch commercial parabolic (reduced-gravity) flight services as NASA pursues its own

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 to Fly Pegasus Intercept Mission to Raise NASA’s Swift Observatory from Decaying Orbit Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket is scheduled for a time-critical rescue mission in June to prevent NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from making an uncontrolled re-entry. The plan will use 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 to Fly Pegasus Intercept Mission to Raise NASA’s Swift Observatory from Decaying Orbit

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

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NASA News

Roman Space Telescope arrives at Kennedy for ~70 days of prelaunch processing before Aug. 30 Falcon Heavy liftoff

Backlash over Artemis III’s all-male crew as NASA readies next SLS flight

NASA advances DAPHNE twin-satellite concept to improve space-weather forecasting

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

News Timeline