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Reuters

SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing

SpaceX has shelved plans for 2026 Mars missions to concentrate on an uncrewed lunar landing now targeted for March 2027, a move attributed to NASA pressure and rising competition from Blue Origin while the company pursues a major xAI merger and a possible IPO.

2026-02-06T16:13:39.939476-08:00

Spaceflight Now

SpaceX moves Dragon flights from KSC LC‑39A to Cape Canaveral SLC‑40 as 39A is repurposed for Starship

2026-02-06T13:28:55.259770-08:00

SpaceNews.com

Exodus: 5,000+ federal space employees left last year — implications for programs, procurement and security

2026-02-06T09:08:19.414591-08:00

Ars Technica

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

2026-02-06T08:35:10.018906-08:00

News Timeline

SpaceNews.com

NASA to rebuild civil‑servant workforce and cut contractor reliance after ~20% staff loss After losing roughly 20% of its civil‑servant workforce over the past year, NASA's administrator said the agency will rebuild in‑house expertise and reduce dependence on contractors, a move intended to restore institutional capability and preserve program continuity across civil‑space efforts.

2026-02-06T16:22:21.475718-08:00

NASA to rebuild civil‑servant workforce and cut contractor reliance after ~20% staff loss

Reuters

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SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing SpaceX has shelved plans for 2026 Mars missions to concentrate on an uncrewed lunar landing now targeted for March 2027, a move attributed to NASA pressure and rising competition from Blue Origin while the company pursues a major xAI merger and a possible IPO.

2026-02-06T16:13:39.939476-08:00

SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing

Space.com

JWST finds unexpectedly rich organic-precursor chemistry in nearby galaxy Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope reveal far higher-than-predicted abundances of complex organic precursors in a nearby galaxy, a team led by the Center for Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA) reports. Modeling techniques developed at the University of Oxford show current astrochemical models underpredict molecular complexity.

2026-02-06T14:02:20.511096-08:00

JWST finds unexpectedly rich organic-precursor chemistry in nearby galaxy

Spaceflight Now

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SpaceX moves Dragon flights from KSC LC‑39A to Cape Canaveral SLC‑40 as 39A is repurposed for Starship SpaceX is moving all planned Dragon launches from NASA’s historic Launch Complex 39A to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and has begun physical modifications at LC‑39A — including erection of a Leibherr LR13000 crane Feb. 4 — as the pad is repurposed for Starship.

2026-02-06T13:28:55.259770-08:00

SpaceX moves Dragon flights from KSC LC‑39A to Cape Canaveral SLC‑40 as 39A is repurposed for Starship

Space.com

NASA infrared telescope finds water, CO2 and organics streaming from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it departs the solar system NASA's infrared telescope detected water vapor, carbon dioxide and organic compounds streaming from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it departs the solar system, observations made two months after the object's closest approach to the Sun. The spectroscopic signatures indicate ongoing volatile release well beyond perihelion.

2026-02-06T11:55:22.368958-08:00

NASA infrared telescope finds water, CO2 and organics streaming from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it departs the solar system

SpaceNews.com

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Exodus: 5,000+ federal space employees left last year — implications for programs, procurement and security More than 5,000 federal space employees left their jobs last year, creating capability gaps across program management, procurement and security oversight. Agencies now face loss of institutional knowledge, disrupted contracting continuity and heavier reliance on contractors as they work to stabilise critical missions.

2026-02-06T09:08:19.414591-08:00

Exodus: 5,000+ federal space employees left last year — implications for programs, procurement and security

Ars Technica

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Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit Congress has directed NASA to evaluate the viability of transferring the International Space Station to a ‘safe orbital harbor’ after its planned retirement rather than executing a controlled deorbit. The study will assess technical feasibility, costs, partner agreements and orbital-debris implications for preserving LEO infrastructure.

2026-02-06T08:35:10.018906-08:00

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

NASA

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NASA selects STRIVE and EDGE as Earth System Explorer missions to study atmosphere, ecosystems and ice NASA selected two principal‑investigator‑led Earth System Explorer missions — STRIVE and EDGE — for development to advance atmospheric science and terrestrial ecosystems/ice observations. The next‑generation satellites aim to improve Earth system understanding and enhance forecasting capabilities for climate and environmental hazards.

2026-02-05T13:35:54.981727-08:00

NASA selects STRIVE and EDGE as Earth System Explorer missions to study atmosphere, ecosystems and ice

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NASA News

SpaceX pauses 2026 Mars push to prioritise a 2027 uncrewed lunar landing

SpaceX moves Dragon flights from KSC LC‑39A to Cape Canaveral SLC‑40 as 39A is repurposed for Starship

Exodus: 5,000+ federal space employees left last year — implications for programs, procurement and security

Congress orders NASA study on moving ISS to a 'safe orbital harbor' as alternative to deorbit

News Timeline