Universe Today
• Matthew Williams
NASA is testing technologies aimed at operating beyond Earth: the FALCON system autonomously navigated Starling CubeSats in low Earth orbit without GPS, while new wheel concepts target lunar-base mobility and a fabric-based radar antenna is being developed for SkyFall Mars helicopters.
NASA
Latest source-backed stories
NASA is testing technologies aimed at operating beyond Earth: the FALCON system autonomously navigated Starling CubeSats in low Earth orbit without GPS, while new wheel concepts target lunar-base mobility and a fabric-based radar antenna is being developed for SkyFall Mars helicopters.
An early-stage NASA grant is supporting the concept of spherical “Aerobots” designed to navigate Titan’s caves, offering a potential approach to exploring environments inaccessible to conventional rovers. The proposed demonstration mission would build on the technology-validation model established by Mars’ Ingenuity helicopter.
Speaking to more than 8,000 people at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 3, 2026, the Artemis II crew thanked NASA and its contractors. The mission’s pilot highlighted the responsibility of manually flying Orion, saying he remained “blown away” by the trust placed in him.
NASA expects to award three more lunar task orders through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program this year. The planned missions include an orbiter intended to replace the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, extending the agency’s lunar observation capabilities as commercial providers take on more exploration work.
High activity
NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation to collaborate on its planned Moon Base Mission, which aims to establish a permanent crewed outpost near the lunar south pole after 2032. The invitation marks a new phase in U.S.-India cooperation on human lunar exploration.
Northrop Grumman plans to adapt technology developed for HALO, the habitation and logistics module originally intended for NASA’s canceled lunar space station, to support development of the Artemis moon base. The move preserves existing hardware and design work within NASA’s evolving lunar architecture.
Paragon Space Development Corp. has laid off 70 employees after NASA halted work on a module being developed for the lunar Gateway, underscoring the workforce and supplier impact of program-level changes. The company was a subcontractor on the affected module.
High activity
A 26-kilogram radiation-shielding vest flown on a model human torso during NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission reduced exposure during simulated severe solar storms, a new study suggests. The result supports further development of wearable protection for astronauts on extended lunar and Mars missions.
Create a free account to see more recent NASA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
