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• Ricardo Meier
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency wants to rebuild its X-plane portfolio with experimental aircraft exploring higher speeds, greater altitudes and new propulsion technologies. The effort would restore a platform for flight research aimed at advancing capabilities beyond current operational aircraft.
NASA
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency wants to rebuild its X-plane portfolio with experimental aircraft exploring higher speeds, greater altitudes and new propulsion technologies. The effort would restore a platform for flight research aimed at advancing capabilities beyond current operational aircraft.
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A former NASA chief is raising concerns that Beijing’s lunar exploration plans extend beyond scientific discovery, describing them as an intended strategy to dominate the “high ground of the twenty-first century.” The warning frames lunar activity as a strategic and geopolitical competition.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman shared a silhouette evoking the SR-71 Blackbird as the agency signals a renewed focus on high-speed flight. The image suggests NASA may be exploring a follow-on experimental aircraft, though no program details or formal commitment were provided.
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Vast, the space infrastructure company, is establishing a Lunar Programs division to support NASA’s ambitions for a Moon Base. The move gives the company a dedicated organizational focus for lunar activities, though the announcement provides no further details on scope, schedule or specific programs.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says Italy has committed more than $5 billion to building a lunar habitat for NASA’s Moon Base program. The pledge would make Italy a significant international contributor to the infrastructure underpinning NASA’s planned sustained lunar presence.
TRL11 has secured a NASA contract to develop imaging systems for Space Reactor-1’s SR-1 Freedom mission to Mars. The award positions the company to supply mission-critical imaging technology for a nuclear-powered—or space reactor-enabled—Mars exploration effort.
NASA’s chief said the agency is no longer focused on making every international partner happy, emphasizing instead that cooperation must deliver favorable value to the United States. The remarks signal a more transactional approach to international partnerships, though no specific agreements or programs were identified.
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NASA is discussing a potential block of 10 or more low-Earth-orbit missions with Boeing’s Starliner, despite risks encountered during its 2024 crewed test. At the same time, NASA is extending SpaceX’s Crew Dragon contract by three additional ISS missions worth about $950 million.
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