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SpaceWatch Global • Joshua Faleti

Lonestar signs NASA Space Act Agreement to pursue space-based lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute and next-gen comms

Lonestar has signed a NASA Space Act Agreement establishing a framework for collaboration aimed at space-based data storage tied to lunar operations, resilient off-world compute infrastructure, and next-generation space communications architectures. The pact formalizes cooperation focused on storing and processing data beyond Earth for cislunar/lunar mission needs.

2026-05-12T01:42:03.834529-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA plans to keep International Space Station crew rotations at ~six-month intervals

2026-05-11T15:46:51.075045-07:00

Space.com

Artemis 3 SLS core stage moves into hardware integration ahead of 2027 lunar-landers test launch

2026-05-11T14:06:48.689628-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA appoints Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations at Kennedy

2026-05-11T11:06:33.708474-07:00

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SpaceWatch Global

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Lonestar signs NASA Space Act Agreement to pursue space-based lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute and next-gen comms Lonestar has signed a NASA Space Act Agreement establishing a framework for collaboration aimed at space-based data storage tied to lunar operations, resilient off-world compute infrastructure, and next-generation space communications architectures. The pact formalizes cooperation focused on storing and processing data beyond Earth for cislunar/lunar mission needs.

2026-05-12T01:42:03.834529-07:00

Lonestar signs NASA Space Act Agreement to pursue space-based lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute and next-gen comms

SpaceNews.com

NASA plans to keep International Space Station crew rotations at ~six-month intervals NASA says it will continue exchanging International Space Station crews about every six months, after assessing whether longer stays would be workable. The approach preserves near-term rotation cadence while the agency evaluates staffing and operational risk for longer-duration missions.

2026-05-11T15:46:51.075045-07:00

NASA plans to keep International Space Station crew rotations at ~six-month intervals

Space.com

Artemis 3 SLS core stage moves into hardware integration ahead of 2027 lunar-landers test launch NASA has raised the Artemis 3 SLS core stage into the Vehicle Assembly Building and is preparing for engine integration, advancing the rocket toward a planned 2027 launch. The step ties Artemis 3’s near-term hardware cadence to ongoing mission-profile planning as the agency readies for lunar landers validation.

2026-05-11T14:06:48.689628-07:00

Artemis 3 SLS core stage moves into hardware integration ahead of 2027 lunar-landers test launch

Space.com

NASA trains Artemis 2 crew to communicate lunar observations in “scientist language” Artemis 2 astronauts on NASA’s circumlunar mission were trained to describe what they observed in ways that match lunar scientists’ needs for interpreting the lunar environment. The crew’s off-nominal observations required clearer, science-ready reporting—highlighting how mission ops and crew training adapt in real time.

2026-05-11T11:07:29.147709-07:00

NASA trains Artemis 2 crew to communicate lunar observations in “scientist language”

SpaceNews.com

NASA appoints Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations at Kennedy NASA says Brian Hughes will return as senior director of launch operations, based at Kennedy Space Center. The move places a former NASA chief of staff in charge of launch operations and has drawn attention on Capitol Hill. Hughes’ assignment takes immediate effect within NASA’s launch organization.

2026-05-11T11:06:33.708474-07:00

NASA appoints Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations at Kennedy

Space.com

Voyager twin spacecraft reach very low power after nearly 50 years—NASA faces an end-of-mission cliff NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are still operating deep in interstellar space, but their power generation is now very low after nearly five decades. The agency’s ability to sustain operations is increasingly uncertain as systems continue to age and margins tighten.

2026-05-09T07:53:09.090996-07:00

Voyager twin spacecraft reach very low power after nearly 50 years—NASA faces an end-of-mission cliff

SpaceNews.com

Swift reboost mission completes environmental testing ahead of June launch for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory NASA says the spacecraft built to reboost the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory—an astrophysics satellite facing orbital decay—has passed environmental tests and is on track for a June launch. The completed test campaign moves the mission into readiness for the upcoming launch window.

2026-05-08T14:58:34.189612-07:00

Swift reboost mission completes environmental testing ahead of June launch for NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

Space.com

Blue Origin continues end-to-end testing of its first lunar lander at NASA centers ahead of later-this-year launch Blue Origin is running additional verification activity for its first lunar lander by testing the spacecraft at NASA facilities across the U.S. The work is intended to close remaining readiness items ahead of a lunar launch later this year and support mission preparation for a near-term return to the Moon.

2026-05-08T10:35:36.377115-07:00

Blue Origin continues end-to-end testing of its first lunar lander at NASA centers ahead of later-this-year launch

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NASA News

Lonestar signs NASA Space Act Agreement to pursue space-based lunar data storage, resilient off-world compute and next-gen comms

NASA plans to keep International Space Station crew rotations at ~six-month intervals

Artemis 3 SLS core stage moves into hardware integration ahead of 2027 lunar-landers test launch

NASA appoints Brian Hughes as senior director of launch operations at Kennedy

News Timeline