Universe Today
• Matthew Williams
NASA Human Landing System engineers describe Artemis III test articles and docking operations intended to support future crewed lunar landings. Separately, University of Alabama in Huntsville students and researchers report three rocket-motor firings on a prototype landing pad designed to make lunar operations safer.
Flying Magazine
NASA
Latest source-backed stories
NASA Human Landing System engineers describe Artemis III test articles and docking operations intended to support future crewed lunar landings. Separately, University of Alabama in Huntsville students and researchers report three rocket-motor firings on a prototype landing pad designed to make lunar operations safer.
High activity
The European Space Agency’s Hera planetary-defense probe has imaged Didymos and its smaller moon Dimorphos as separate objects for the first time, as it approaches the binary asteroid system. Hera will investigate the aftermath of NASA’s DART collision, collecting data on kinetic-impact deflection and probing outstanding scientific questions about the asteroids.
High activity
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency plans to unveil a new X-plane during a recent podcast appearance, while cautioning that it is “not the one you’re thinking of.” The brief announcement offers no further details on the aircraft or its purpose.
NASA’s Artemis IV mission could rely on SpaceX’s Starship as its lunar lander, but the vehicle’s scale and propellant needs make the mission architecture complex. The number of refueling launches required—and how they would be distributed between two separate orbits—remains unknown.
High activity
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has addressed the debate over the Hubble Space Telescope’s long-term future as the agency seeks commercial input on possible paths forward. Its request for information asks companies to assess options ranging from reboosting or servicing the observatory to carrying out a controlled deorbit.
High activity
In his first months as NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman has shaken up several of the agency’s key programs, with Artemis, the SR-1 mission and robotic lunar landings all facing a 2028 imperative. The available reporting identifies the programs but provides no further detail on the changes or their schedules.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said a new experimental aircraft will be announced at the Max Power Airshow. Asked about a “missing” SR-71, he deflected, saying it was “not the one you’re thinking about,” leaving the aircraft’s identity and the details of the announcement unclear.
High activity
An agency investigation concluded that a computer glitch and a faulty gyro likely led to the loss of NASA’s MAVEN orbiter nearly a year ago. The finding identifies the probable technical causes of the spacecraft’s loss, though the provided report summary gives no further detail on the failure sequence or mission impact.
Create a free account to see more recent NASA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
