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New York Times • Kenneth Chang

NASA’s $30M Swift rescue: Northrop Grumman air-launched mission planned for June 30 to prevent reentry

NASA is initiating a rapid, $30 million salvage effort to recover the aging Swift Observatory, which is at risk of falling out of orbit. A robotic “rescue” mission, launched June 30 via a Northrop Grumman rocket air-launched from an aircraft, is intended to push Swift back up before it reenters over Earth.

2026-06-29T10:55:39.248124-07:00

SpaceNews.com

NASA and ESA advance lunar-surface capability planning with industry input and Argonaut mapping data strategy

2026-06-29T08:29:09.385236-07:00

Payload

NASA ISS Risk Margin Warned ‘Alarming’ as 2030 Extension Date Nears

2026-06-29T05:42:51.690099-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA’s X-59 “frankenjet” completes quiet-supersonic flight test campaign, aiming for future national tour without sonic boom

2026-06-29T03:41:38.412018-07:00

News Timeline

New York Times

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NASA’s $30M Swift rescue: Northrop Grumman air-launched mission planned for June 30 to prevent reentry NASA is initiating a rapid, $30 million salvage effort to recover the aging Swift Observatory, which is at risk of falling out of orbit. A robotic “rescue” mission, launched June 30 via a Northrop Grumman rocket air-launched from an aircraft, is intended to push Swift back up before it reenters over Earth.

2026-06-29T10:55:39.248124-07:00

NASA’s $30M Swift rescue: Northrop Grumman air-launched mission planned for June 30 to prevent reentry

SpaceNews.com

NASA and ESA advance lunar-surface capability planning with industry input and Argonaut mapping data strategy NASA is seeking industry input to accelerate development of lunar surface technologies, including in-situ resource utilization oxygen production, surface power, in-space manufacturing tools, and advanced nanomaterials. Separately, ESA says it will use external lunar topographic data for the Argonaut lunar lander’s design and possibly early missions while building its own lunar mapping capability for later flights.

2026-06-29T08:29:09.385236-07:00

NASA and ESA advance lunar-surface capability planning with industry input and Argonaut mapping data strategy

Payload

NASA ISS Risk Margin Warned ‘Alarming’ as 2030 Extension Date Nears A NASA advisory committee chair says the International Space Station’s risk margin for regular operations has fallen to an “alarming” level as time runs out to sustain the ISS in orbit. The warning comes with NASA nearing its 2030 extension target date.

2026-06-29T05:42:51.690099-07:00

NASA ISS Risk Margin Warned ‘Alarming’ as 2030 Extension Date Nears

Ars Technica

NASA’s X-59 “frankenjet” completes quiet-supersonic flight test campaign, aiming for future national tour without sonic boom NASA says its X-59 “frankenjet” test flights are designed to enable quiet supersonic operations by mitigating the sonic boom impact. The agency describes the tests as a stepping stone toward potential follow-on public/region demonstrations, including a future national tour.

2026-06-29T03:41:38.412018-07:00

NASA’s X-59 “frankenjet” completes quiet-supersonic flight test campaign, aiming for future national tour without sonic boom

SpaceWatch Global

NASA funds Max Space to accelerate testing of expandable lunar habitat technology for sustained lunar surface missions NASA has selected Max Space for funding aimed at accelerating testing of its expandable habitat technology. The effort targets future human lunar surface applications, supporting development of a permanent lunar presence by validating deployable habitation approaches through earlier and faster technology testing.

2026-06-29T00:06:44.551000-07:00

NASA funds Max Space to accelerate testing of expandable lunar habitat technology for sustained lunar surface missions

NASA Spaceflight

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Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch Euclid has been operating outside its regular survey in support of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s exoplanet program. The Roman observatory has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where technicians will prepare it for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch no earlier than Aug. 30.

2026-06-28T14:55:25.575585-07:00

Euclid expands survey work to backfill Milky Way center observations ahead of Roman Space Telescope launch

European Spaceflight

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NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item NASA has delivered the first braking engines for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mars mission, advancing key hardware needed for the spacecraft’s Mars entry and descent profile. Separate work continues to secure the required RHUs (radioisotope heater units), keeping power-system qualification on the critical path.

2026-06-26T07:56:36.020069-07:00

NASA delivers first braking engines for ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars mission; RHU procurement remains a gating item

Space.com

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NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk NASA is launching the Swift Boost rescue mission on June 27 to save the nearly 22-year-old Swift observatory, which is being pulled down by Earth’s atmosphere. The agency will pay $30 million for a first-of-its-kind effort to restore the telescope’s orbit before it falls from space.

2026-06-26T05:13:34.708563-07:00

NASA awards a $30M Swift “rescue” mission ahead of Swift observatory’s atmospheric reentry risk

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NASA News

NASA’s $30M Swift rescue: Northrop Grumman air-launched mission planned for June 30 to prevent reentry

NASA and ESA advance lunar-surface capability planning with industry input and Argonaut mapping data strategy

NASA ISS Risk Margin Warned ‘Alarming’ as 2030 Extension Date Nears

NASA’s X-59 “frankenjet” completes quiet-supersonic flight test campaign, aiming for future national tour without sonic boom

News Timeline