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Space.com • Tariq Malik

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

SpaceNews.com

ISS Zvezda air-leak crisis prompts spacewalk planning as NASA rates Russian module highest open safety risk

2026-06-26T05:11:38.062640-07:00

NASA

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

2026-06-25T13:47:47.624199-07:00

Ars Technica

NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B

2026-06-24T14:55:10.698528-07:00

News Timeline

Space.com

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

SpaceNews.com

ISS Zvezda air-leak crisis prompts spacewalk planning as NASA rates Russian module highest open safety risk Since 2019, the Russian-built Zvezda service module has been venting ISS air through hairline cracks, at times losing about 1.7 kg of atmosphere per day. NASA auditors now classify it as the ISS’s highest open safety risk, leading crews to prepare for a spacewalk to address related station-health concerns.

2026-06-26T05:11:38.062640-07:00

ISS Zvezda air-leak crisis prompts spacewalk planning as NASA rates Russian module highest open safety risk

Universe Today

NASA Orion crew training emphasizes lunar reconnaissance skills for Artemis II astronauts Ahead of Artemis II’s far-side Moon flyby, NASA trained four astronauts to interpret and “read” the lunar environment using mission-support information beyond routine spacecraft piloting. The approach underscores how crew-developed situational awareness is being built into Artemis operations as NASA transitions toward sustained lunar work.

2026-06-26T04:13:05.250203-07:00

NASA Orion crew training emphasizes lunar reconnaissance skills for Artemis II astronauts

NASA

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Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand NASA selected Rocket Lab to provide three Electron launches covering two separate missions: PolSIR and TSIS-2, planned for early next year. The PolSIR payload will measure polarized submillimetre radiation from polar ice clouds, while TSIS-2 will observe solar irradiance and its spectral impacts, launched from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand.

2026-06-25T13:47:47.624199-07:00

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

Space.com

Watchdog warns NASA needs at least $1B in launch-facility upgrades to sustain Artemis cadence NASA’s Artemis return-to-the-Moon plan is constrained by aging U.S. launch infrastructure, a watchdog warns, saying major upgrades are required for Artemis launches. The report estimates a minimum $1 billion program to bring facilities up to the demands of the Artemis schedule, amid rising launch activity.

2026-06-24T15:14:29.995446-07:00

Watchdog warns NASA needs at least $1B in launch-facility upgrades to sustain Artemis cadence

Ars Technica

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NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B An analysis finds NASA’s recently canceled exploration programs were significantly behind schedule, with contract values reportedly increasing from nearly $2.8 billion to $5.9 billion. The delays contributed to the programs’ unfavorable trajectory, culminating in cancellation.

2026-06-24T14:55:10.698528-07:00

NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B

Space.com

Perseverance identifies complex organic carbon in Jezero Crater, strengthening evidence for ancient Mars habitability NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected large, complex carbon compounds in Jezero Crater rocks, building on earlier indications of a potential biosignature from the Bright Angel formation. The findings come from new analyses of unusual rock patterns and layered materials that could preserve microbial activity signals.

2026-06-24T11:13:36.090978-07:00

Perseverance identifies complex organic carbon in Jezero Crater, strengthening evidence for ancient Mars habitability

Payload

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NASA OIG flags U.S. launch-site capacity crunch as launch cadence rises A NASA Office of Inspector General audit warns U.S. launch facilities are nearing capacity, with “severe capacity issues” likely to constrain growing commercial launch demand. The report cites rising cadence tied to increased activity at Kennedy Space Center and Wallops Flight Facility as sites strain aging infrastructure.

2026-06-23T10:40:51.132030-07:00

NASA OIG flags U.S. launch-site capacity crunch as launch cadence rises

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NASA News

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

ISS Zvezda air-leak crisis prompts spacewalk planning as NASA rates Russian module highest open safety risk

Rocket Lab wins NASA contracts for PolSIR and TSIS-2 science missions on Electron from New Zealand

NASA exploration-program cancellations tied to late schedules as contract values reportedly rose from ~$2.8B to $5.9B

News Timeline